Monday, January 18
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Holiday

Thursday, January 21
Springhill TEAM GREEN Meeting; Office, 1:45 PM

Friday, January 22
STUDENT COUNCIL SPIRIT DAY: STUFFED ANIMAL DAY
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; Multipurpose Room, 2:45 PM

Monday, January 25
School Site Council Meeting; Office, 3:00 PM
Cub Scout Pack 200 Meeting; Multipurpose Room, 4:00 PM-9:00 PM

Tuesday, January 26
Kindergarten Registration; Multipurpose Room, 9:00 AM-11:00 AM
PFC Sponsored Poets-in-the-Schools, 5th grade

Wednesday, January 27
Kindergarten Registration; Multipurpose Room, 9:00 AM-11:00 AM

Thursday, January 28
Stanley Early Dismissal; Parent/Teacher Conferences
District Strings Festival; Acalanes High School, 7:00 PM

Friday, January 29
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; Multipurpose Room, 2:45 pm
Cub Scout Pack 200 Pinewood Derby; Multipurpose Room, 3:00 PM-9:00 PM

Saturday, January 30
LASF Function: Starry Starry Night (more information to follow)

Monday, February 1
Cub Scout Pack 200 Leaders' Meeting; Library, 7:00 PM-8:30 PM

Tuesday, February 2
PFC Sponsored Poets-in-the-Schools, 5th grade (see schedule)

Wednesday, February 3
Lafayette School District Board Study Session, Class Size Discussion; District Office, 4:00 PM

PFC Meeting
Executive Board Meeting; Lounge, 5:30 PM
General Session, Superintendent Fred Brill speaking; Library, 7:00 PM

Thursday, February 4
4th Grade Concert; Multipurpose Room, 7:00 PM

Friday, February 5
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; Multipurpose Room, 2:45 pm

A. KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION: Kindergarten Registration for the 2010-2011 school year will take place on Tuesday, January 26, 9:00 AM- 11:00 AM, and Wednesday, January 27, 9:00 AM- 11:00 AM and all days following. Registration packets may be picked up from the Springhill Office after January 11 and returned on the actual days of registration. Please encourage all those you know in the Springhill community with kindergarten-aged children for next year to register on these dates, even if they are not sure their children are ready for kindergarten yet.

B. FIRE LANE: PLEASE READ:
As per the the Fire Marshal's directive dated 12.17.09, cars in the Springhill School parking lot may no longer be parked along the island parallel to the western border of the school parking lot (directly across from the Principal's and Secretary's parking spaces). The curb has been painted red to reflect it is a no parking area. If you do park there, YOU ARE SUBJECT TO HAVING YOUR CAR TOWED AND A SIGNIFICANT FINE IMPOSED. The Fire Marshal will be checking. This area must remain clear as a FIRE LANE. Thank you for your cooperation.

C. H1N1 UPDATE:
In order to keep you apprised of the latest information we have regarding the H1N1 virus, we have compiled a list of H1N1 FAQs which you can view by going to: http://www.lafsd.k12.ca.us/springhill/

D. Join the PFC! Register for e-SCRIP!!

THE SIX PILLARS & PAY IT FORWARD CORNER

"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal."
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

CHARACTER COUNTS!
AS YOU GO FORWARD DAILY, STAND TALL UPON THE PILLARS OF TRUSTWORTHINESS, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, FAIRNESS, CARING & CITIZENSHIP!!!

Every week we will be including different aspects of our Pay It Forward theme for this year in the Friday Flyer. Character development should be a major component in any well-rounded educational program and it has been for many years at Springhill. Ask your children what their classes are doing for Pay It Forward. Come to Spirit Wednesday, 8:30 AM every Wednesday morning in the main courtyard and find out how we promote character development at Springhill School.

A. ENJOY THE 3-DAY WEEKEND HONORING DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Please take some time to think of this man who changed American and world history and his relationship to each of the Six Pillars of Character that we try to promote and embrace here at Springhill School. One can find sterling examples of each pillar in the life of this exceptional man.

DIFFERENTIATION CORNER
*Differentiated Instruction takes place in all of our classes. Each week, we will be profiling a particular teacher's implementation of Differentiated Instruction every week in the Friday Flyer. Don't miss it!!!

In Ms. Bornfleth's 5th grade, students self assess on their learning styles at the beginning of the year. They can apply that knowledge when faced with an academic task. For example, we work on a Native People's archaeology and research project which provides opportunities for all types of learners. Students research 8 tribes from regions across the US. They research online and in the library. They are then broken into small groups of 3-4 students and given a secret tribe to specialize in. After additional research, they paint icons representative of their tribe onto old plates. Each tribe's plate will be broken and then buried in a box of dirt where it will "age" over Thanksgiving Break. When we return from break the students will receive a mini-lesson on archaeology. They will then be provided with a different tribe's box from which they will excavate pot shards. After putting the shards together, they will use their initial research to try to identify which tribe their relic came from. This project provides opportunities for kinesthetic, auditory, and visual learners in a variety of areas.

*Differentiated Instruction is not individualized instruction, but rather the delivery of curriculum to students in a manner that complements their learning style while always challenging them at their ability level.


TEAM GREEN CORNER
THE NEW FOUR Rs: Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle & Rot

A. NEXT SPRINGHILL TEAM GREEN MEETING IS THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1:45 PM IN THE SPRINGHILL SCHOOL OFFICE.

B. WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR SPRINGHILL TEAM GREEN? Help us find ways to:
1. Explore school and community green pursuits that allow us to better address the State Standards/ Benchmarks as well as the Lafayette School District Strategic Plan;
2. Explore school and community green pursuits that provide a fiscal benefit to the schools and community;
3. Explore school and community green pursuits that address and enhance character development programs already in place (e.g. CHARACTER COUNTS!) in the Lafayette School District).
Springhill School pays it forward by keeping it green, supporting the Pillars of Caring, Respect, Responsibility & Citizenship!!!

C. SOLAR ENERGY - Springhill School should be "flipping the switch" to solar energy within the next month and will have its own ceremony. At that time, we wish to acknowledge certain people who made solar energy a reality for the entire district: former Springhill parents Leon and Marion Lee; former PFC Presidents Kathy Hemmenway & Corrine Christensen; Science Teacher Kim Brast; and James Hatfield who provided two years of consulting free of charge to Springhill School when he worked for Solar City and Sun, Light & Power. We will let you know when the special day arrives!

Bruce L. Wodhams
Principal
Springhill Elementary School
3301 Springhill Road
Lafayette, CA 94549

bwodhams@lafsd.k12.ca.us

We are zooming through this month! I can't believe it's January 15th already - before you know we will be on Spring Break!

It has come to my attention that many of you are not on the District email list - to sign up for the news from the District go to http://www.lafsd.k12.ca.us to sign up. The information that comes from the District is important - we all need to be in the know!

We are looking for a few good people! Jennifer Bielawski is looking for interested volunteers to help put together our Annual Spring Parent Party and Fundraiser. There are many different opportunities to get involved, meet other parents, and have a good time! If you have an interest or have something fabulous to donate Jennifer Bielawski at tjbielawski@gmail.com .

The PFC is also looking for volunteers to head up Scorpion Days next Fall. We are planning on going online and need people onboard soon so we can be up and running by August. We believe by going online we will be able to streamline our system, cut down on paper waste, and save money in the process. Please contact me at uvdonlon@aol.com or Jean Follmer at jeanfollmer@yahoo.com if you are interested.

Remember how much Fall Fun Fest was for your whole family? Well we are looking for a few enthusiastic volunteers to pick up where Devra Elze and Sarah Mould left off. This event is so much fun and a great way to start the year. Please contact me at uvdonlon@aol.com if you are interested.

Remember to check out the new programs the Before/After School Enrichment team has posted in the Community Flyer. So many exciting programs - sign up today!

Have a wonderful weekend - try and stay dry!

Truly,
Julie Donlon
2009-2010 Springhill PFC President
uvdonlon@aol.com

Gov's Proposed Budget for 2010- 2011
On Tuesday, the State Legislative Analyst issued his analysis "Overview of the Governor's Budget". Click here to read: http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/PubDetails.aspx? id=2160 Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor states that the chances that California will receive all of what the Governor seeks from Washington are almost non- existent, requiring more difficult decisions.

You are encouraged to get informed and to participate in the following events:
Jan. 25th - School Finance 101, a PTA presentation on how our schools are funded. Monday, Jan. 25th at 7:00-8:30pm, at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek. Click here for more info: http://www.lastrampaspta.org/school_finance12510.pd f

February 3rd - PFC General Meeting, Wednesday at 7:00 pm in Springhill Library. Fred Brill, the Superintendent of Lafayette, will be coming to speak to us about the budget cuts that we will experience for 2010-11. Please come!

February 4th - Superintendents' Forum, Thursday at 7:00 pm, located in the small theater at Acalanes High School. All of our 6 local Superintendents will discuss the budget crisis and its affect on their school districts. Bring your questions.

February 17th- Advocacy Day - Bus trip to Sacramento, Wednesday from 7:15am to 4:30pm leaving from Lafayette. "California Schools in Crisis: Advocating for Solutions." We will hear from and communicate with education experts and our legislators on school funding, education reform, and budget reform. Registration deadline Feb. 1st. Please click here to register: https://www.signmeup.com/site/reg/register.aspx? fid=Y12V2K7
Click here for the flyer and Itinerary: http://www.srvcouncilpta.org/Public/teacherimages/a dvocacy%20day%202010%20registration%20flyer.pdf

Questions? Contact Springhill's Leg. Rep. Karen Yuen at kyuen@fbm.com or go to the Leg Team website at http://www.lastrampaspta.org/Legislation.html

LASF Science Fair - Inspiring Wonderment!

The LASF Science Fair is Wednesday, February 17th from 6:30-8:30PM.
All students, K-4, are encouraged to participate and 5th graders are required to participate. You can help your child turn an interest into a science fair project by asking them to finish the sentence, "I wonder why the leaves turn different colors?" or "I wonder what happens if I put bigger tires on my model car?" Inspiring wonderment is what the Science Fair is all about. After coming up with a good question your child can start thinking about possible answers. When your child thinks they know the answer to their question they have then discovered their "hypothesis."

Research at the library or on the Internet may also help to develop a hypothesis. It's important to help your child limit the problem/question to one or two variables for a successful experiment. "Do bread molds grow on white bread faster in the light or dark?" A limited question will lead to a well-defined experiment. Two important things to remember are to pick a subject of interest and to have fun!

Entry forms are due Friday January 22nd. Remember you can also enter online at http://tinyurl.com/SpringhillLASF2010ScienceFair .

Any questions? Feel free to contact the LASF Science Fair coordinators - Kari Dalen (935-9018 or Kari@Dahlen.com ) or Heidi Plumb (935-2108 or plumbnest@mac.com ).

RSVP Now for LASF's "Starry, Starry Night"
Invite your neighbors, gather a group of friends, and join us at our community wide annual event, a "Starry, Starry Night" on Saturday, January 30th at the Veterans Memorial Building. You can RSVP by mail or in the LASF Box in the School Office. Event and Raffle tickets will also be sold before and after school from Wednesday thru Friday next week!

Lamorinda Community Night with the Golden State Warriors is Feb 27th
Buy discount tickets to watch the Golden State Warriors vs. the Detroit Pistons at 7:30 PM on Saturday, Feb. 27. Download ticket order form from LASF web site http://www.lasf.org . A portion of each ticket sold goes directly to LASF and EFO.

This Week in the Library

Remember, there are over 100 reasons to read. This week reason number 15 is "You can experience things you would never do."

Martin Luther King Day is Monday. Our lessons this week gave students a better understanding of who he was, what he did, and why that's important enough to have a national holiday to honor him.

Bobby was Martin's best friend when he was a small boy. But one day Bobby wouldn't play with him. When Martin wanted to know why, Bobby said his father didn't want Martin to play with him anymore because Martin was colored and he was white. Kindergartners heard how Martin's parents tried to help him understand what had happened and encouraged him in his desire to change people's minds in Denise Lewis Patrick's book A Lesson for Martin Luther King Jr.

"M. L.", "Shoes", "Words", "Books", "Football", "Coretta", "A Dream". These and several other short poems helped first graders to understand more about Martin's character and why he worked to ensure justice for all in Dee Lillegard's book My First Martin Luther King Book.

Can you imagine Dr. Martin Luther King as a small boy? His sister Christine tells about the time Martin and his brother loosened the legs on the piano bench so they wouldn't have to practice. Their piano teacher, Mr. Mann, crashed down when, not knowing that the legs were loose, he tried to sit on it. Second graders heard this and other stories about Martin in Christine King Farris's book My Brother Martin.

Janie is sent with her father on a bus to Washington, D. C. so that he can hear Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak. At a gas station she and Mrs. Taylor, the wife of one of the men in her father"s painting crew, experience discrimination when a young boy refuses to let Mrs. Taylor, a black woman, use the rest room until Janie talks him into changing his mind. Third graders then heard how Janie came to realize that Dr. King's dreams were for everyone in Gwenyth Swain's book Riding to Washington.

The social upheaval of the 20th century reached a peak in the 1960s with protests against the war in Vietnam and demonstrations, boycotts, strikes, and marches to protest the unequal treatment of people of color. Fourth graders heard about this turbulent period, about Dr. Martin Luther King's commitment to justice for all, and about the high personal cost of his leadership in the fight for civil rights in Walter Dean Meyers's book I've Seen the Promised Land. They then heard Ntozake Shange's poem Coretta Scott, beautifully illustrated by Kadir Nelson, a look at his wife's equally strong passion for justice for all, regardless of color.

The date was August 28, 1963. The place was Washington, D.C., in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The event was a speech that moved and inspired all the thousands who heard it then and is still powerful to those of us who hear it today. Fifth graders saw and heard a recording of Dr. Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Before watching the tape they looked at the beautiful book I Have a Dream, illustrated by 14 well-known African American children's book illustrators. Each chose a phrase of the speech to illustrate and we talked about those illustrations-the symbols the artists used, the context, how they expressed what Dr. King used words to express. We ended by thinking about whether the dreams Dr. King spoke about 47 years ago have come true today.

Check out our website at http://www.lafsd.k12.ca.us/people/smattern/index.htm. You will find updates on what's happening at the Springhill Library, a revised library wish list, reviews of new books, and links to many helpful resources.

Sherry Mattern, Library Specialist

BARGAIN BOOK BONANZA DONATIONS NEEDED
We have had an awesome turn-out for our book sales this fall, selling most of our inventory! We are in need of book donations for all grade levels, from kindergarten picture books to chapter books. We will have our next sale on Tuesday, February 2 at lunch. So please consider cleaning your book shelves and donating your used books. All proceeds go to our fantastic library. Please bring your books in boxes or paper bags to the foyer of the multi-propose room and label them "bargain books". If it is easier for you, you can call me to arrange pick-up. Thank you ahead of time for the continued support of this fun sale for the kids. They love coming by to see the new books and purchasing them for only 25 cents. Any questions, please call Farrel Vance 937-8230 or e-mail fvance5@comcast.net

To submit entries to the Friday Flyer, email Sharon Doi Swan: fridayflyereditor@yahoo.com

All entries due Wednesday before 3:00pm. Entries must be kept brief, please.
Subscriber info: bethhutson@comcast.net

Web: http://www.lafsd.k12.ca.us/springhill