Friday, February 26
STUDENT COUNCIL SPIRIT DAY: Superhero Day!
5th Grade Play Rehearsal; MP Room, 2:45 PM

Saturday, February 27
"Grease" Dress Rehearsal; Stanley MP Room, Time TBD

Monday, March 1
PENNIES FOR PATIENTS, National Leukemia/Lymphoma Foundation Drive
"Grease", 5th Grade Musical; Burgers Cast; Stanley MP Rm., 6:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Cub Scout Pack 200 Leaders' Mtg.; Library, 7:00 PM-8:30 PM

Tuesday, March 2
Read Across America Day: Dr. Seuss' Birthday
PFC Sponsored Poets-in-the-Schools, 5th grade
"Grease", 5th Grade Musical; Fries cast; Stanley MP Rm., 6:00 PM & 8:00 PM

Wednesday, March 3
PFC Executive Board Mtg.; Lounge, 5:30 PM

Thursday, March 4
AIM Parent Mtg.; DO, 10:00 AM

Friday, March 5
PFC Sponsored Poets-in-the-Schools, 3rd grade

Saturday, March 6
RUN FOR KIERAN; Lafayette Reservoir, 10:00 AM

Monday, March 8
Apple Valley, 3rd Grade; March 8 - April 2
Student Council Mtg.; Rm. 23, 12:40 PM-1:05 PM

Tuesday, March 9 Lunch outside
PFC Sponsored Poets-in-the-Schools, 5th grade

Wednesday, March 10
Pennies for Patients Drive Speaker at Spirit Wednesday; Leukemia/Lymphoma Foundation
Lunch outside
LSD Board Mtg.; DO, 7:00 PM

Thursday, March 11
5th Grade Colonial Days; Samman Barn

Friday, March 12 PFC
Sponsored Poets-in-the-Schools, 3rd grade
End of 2nd Trimester

Sunday, March 14
Daylight Savings Time begins; set clocks forward one hour

Monday, March 15
School Site Council Mtg.; Office, 3:00 PM

Wednesday, March 17
St. Patricks Day

Friday, March 19
All 4th Grade Columbia Gold Rush FT; all day
PFC Sponsored Poets-in-the-Schools, 3rd grade
REPORT CARDS SENT HOME

Saturday, March 20
Vernal Equinox

Principal's Messages

A. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ATTENDED THE LSD BOARD MEETING THIS LAST WEDNESDAY in the Stanley MP Room. Your input is invaluable as we address the District budget and the drastic cuts necessary to address the massive budget deficit of the state of California. These reductions being made in our district will have a significant impact upon the quality of the education that we provide your children and your voices need to be heard. There will be further opportunities to speak up and also to find new ways to generate revenue for our schools. Stay tuned! Thank you for supporting the Pillars of Citizenship and Caring!!!

B. 3rd GRADE AIM PARENT MEETING: Please note on the calendar that the 3rd grade PARENT AIM MEETING has been changed from Thursday, 3/4, to Tuesday, 3/2, at 9:00 AM in the District Office. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Rachel Zinn at the District Office: 925-927-3510. Also, if you have not yet picked up your childs OLSAT results from the school office, please do so. Thank you.

C. THANK YOU TO ALL who attended last weeks LASF SCIENCE FAIR. It was an amazing evening that showcased the exceptional scientific talent of Springhill students. Many thanks especially to Heidi Plumb, Kari Dahlen & Sally Fonstein and all of the parent volunteers and volunteer scientists who made it happen! Thank you also to LASF and all they do to keep us on the cutting edge of Science and so much more. A job well done by all!!!

D. MANY THANKS TO MR. ED MEEHAN AND HIS ACALANES DRAMA STUDENTS who provided a fabulous presentation of original CHILDREN's THEATRE to our 1st-5th grade students on two different days this past week. We thank our very creative neighbors at AHS for sharing their talents with us. WELL DONE, AHS DONS!!!

E. Parent Volunteers Needed We are ready to move onto our next session of before school reading intervention program. We will be working on reading fluency and comprehension for those students who are in need of support in these areas. We are looking for enthusiastic, conscientious parent volunteers who are willing to put in time before school to work in the computer lab with two teachers, Helen Hirsch (2nd grade teacher) and Jeannine Pitney (retired reading specialist). This program has already begun and we are short helpers. If you have the time to help out it would be greatly appreciated. The program will end on April 30th. The program will run Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00-8:30 am. If you are interested in helping us one, two or all three of these days please contact Helen Hirsch or Susan Manzano at (925) 927-3580.

F. 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/

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

THE SIX PILLARS & PAY IT FORWARD CORNER

"Never tell evil of a man if you do not know it for a certainty, and if you know it for a certainty, then ask yourself, Why should I tell it?"
-- Johann Kaspar Lavater, Swiss poet (1741-1801)

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. PENNIES FOR PATIENTS, our annual drive for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society will begin on Monday, March 1. Collection boxes will be in each classroom and the main Office for any change you can spare. Thank you for supporting the Pillar of Caring!!!

B. SMILE TRAIN: The Annual 3rd Grade SMILE TRAIN CROUTON & APPLE JUICE SALE several weeks ago raised almost $1000!!! This allows for at least four cleft palate surgeries to be performed across the world for children in need. Thank you for supporting the Pillar of Caring! Well done, Scorpions! Well done, 3rd Grade!!!

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. Hungerfords 5th grade, students utilize Words Their Way--this program starts with a Spelling Inventory which targets each student's particular spelling level. They are then given weekly words corresponding to their development. There are many activities during the week, including timed sorts, in which they sort their words into categories while being timed. Another activity is a word hunt in which they search for words with similar spelling patterns, and record them in their journals.

*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. SPRINGHILL CONTINUES TO ALIGN ITS GREEN EFFORTS WITH THE DISTRICT GREEN TEAM AND SUSTAINABLE LAFAYETTE. LOOK FOR UPDATES WEEKLY.

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.

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

bwodhams@lafsd.k12.ca.us

Hello! This week zoomed by and I know the rest of the year will follow suit! We have so much going on in our District - the most important being the School Board Meetings. Please check out the District website for all the latest news regarding the Budget Cuts. Many thanks to you all for the 1250 letters to Sacramento from Springhill - you rock! We are a great community that supports our school and each other. To me the hallmark of a strong community is those who can do for those who can't - we do that here at Springhill. We - the PFC - has received feedback regarding our "ThankYou'" list published in the Friday Flyer and website. I would like to address this by excerpting 3 responses from Board members - Suzy Pak , Jean Follmer, and Beth Brown - they put forth my feelings much more eloquently than I seem to be able to right now.

People give for a variety of reasons and it is commonplace for non-profits to acknowledge their donors. We made a very conscious decision NOT to publish the contribution amounts, because our goal in this year's very successful Direct Solicitation campaign was to increase participation.

This year, we asked for a very substantial 118% increase (from $250 to $545) in the amount, but were able to increase participation substantially (from ~45% to ~75% = 66% increase). Total funds raised increased from $57,000 last year to approximately $160,000 (180% increase). No matter how you slice it, the 2009-10 Direct Solicitation campaign was enormously successful even in these terrible economic times and we owe a multitude of thanks to all those who made it happen! Had parents not stepped up and donated the additional $100K over last year, imagine all the items we would not have been able to cover?

I too have heard from many families (some are new donors, some have given for years) who are glad their efforts were recognized. They were also surprised to see how many families support the PFC's efforts and if anything shows how involved and concerned the families are. I think the public thank you also makes some families feel more connected to the school and its efforts to provide top notch education with lots of extras, not funded by the district. While I haven't heard any complaints directly, I am not surprised to hear there are those who disagree. We too, like most non-profits offered the option to remain anonymous, which 11 families chose.

~Suzy Pak, Treasurer PFC~

A public "thank you" to donors is completely common and acceptable. Given the current financial landscape, I think it's ever more important to show supporters they are greatly appreciated. I cannot tell you how many parents, teachers and aides have told me they are so glad that we finally publicly recognized our donors.

Our big message was about "participation", not "contribution amount". As I always say, President Obama got elected on $5 donations. People should give what they can give. If all a family can truly give is $25, that beats $0 by a substantial margin. As Julie mentioned, I can think of a few families who gave despite the fact they are experiencing unemployment right now. That is dedication to our school and our kids at a paramount level and it should be recognized.

I'm glad folks are buzzing about "the thank you" and I'm not surprised there have been some complaints. I don't think folks should be comfortable right now; they should be angry and thinking about how they can help. As we all know, these contributions are what pay for things like field trips and the 5th grade play. We were lucky to be able to preserve the wonderful extras we have at Springhill this year and that may not be the case going forward.

No matter what the situation, there will always be people that don't agree. I hope the folks that don't agree with our public "thank you" are able to attend the School Board Meeting tonight.

~ Jean Follmer, VP Communications PFC ~

I, too, am in favor of the posting... and this is coming from one of the people last year who didn't believe it was necessary. I believed that donations of any kind should come from your heart, and your desire to support your community, and not for recognition. I believed that, if you needed recognition for your efforts, you were doing it (donating, volunteering, etc) for the wrong reason. That was my mis-perception... After sitting through the numerous discussions that we have had about this topic, I have begun to view this from a totally different perspective now. I do see the value in the "thank you". It is such a small token of appreciation to offer those who have stepped up to make sure our school continues to be the incredible learning environment that our kids can grow and thrive in. I realize now that the thank you is not "needed" by the giver, but rather, is offered as a show of appreciation from us, the Board & the PFC, that folks have heard the message, understand that we all need to pull together to keep our education top-notch, and are taking action to make sure that happens!

I have to admit that seeing so many names made my heart smile. I feel like we have been trying to get this message out for so long, that seeing all of those names proves that the message is reaching our little community. And the increase in, not only participation, but funds too, has confirmed that our families do value our programs and are ready to step up and do something to make sure we do not lose them. Seeing all of the names make me proud to be part of this community.

~Beth Brown, Parliamentarian~

We are experiencing hard times - instead of reacting let's respond. Think of the ways you can help your community and our schools. Attend the School Board Meetings, attend City Council meetings, write to Sacramento, start a grass roots movement right here to make change. Be a part of the community and the solution. I have heard talk of just such a grass roots movement to pull the District, the City of Lafayette, and concerned parents together. If you are interested email me at uvdonlon@aol.com and I can forward your name to thatgroup. My husband - who has heard me vent over the past year - finally understood the extent of the budget cuts. He read a great article in Diablo magazine that illustrates beautifully what we can expect in the next few years. Here is the link to the article: http://www.diablomag.com/Diablo-Magazine/March-2010/Class-Size-Crisis/index.php?cparticle=3&siarticle=2#artanc Thank you.

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

LASF SCIENCE FAIR Wrap Up

The LASF Science Fair Chairs would like to send a heartfelt thank you to the following for making this years Science Fair such a big success: To all of the volunteers and exhibitorsCamp Galileo, Edventuremore, Bee keeper and former Springhill student- Megan Langner, Lafayette School parent and scientist Janet Estee for guiding children through a DNA extraction, the 5th graders, Ms. Bornfleth, Ms. Hungerford, and Kim Brast for putting together a water survey and her husband Mark for sharing his telescope and the night sky! In addition we would like to thank LASF teachers Kathy Biro and Kathy Hamilton for bringing magnet fun to the Science Fair as well as generous local retailers, Elmwood Stationery and Yogurt Shack, for their contributions to our Science Fair.

What Can LASF Do Next Year? The Answer Depends on You!

As state funding shrinks, our schools become more reliant on the fundraising and volunteer efforts of parent organizations and our education foundation, LASF. Our success depends on youyour donations, of course, but also your volunteer efforts. We are recruiting volunteers at every school site for next year and we would love to have your help.

Would you be interested in helping with a Science or Art Fair? Being a Donation Day representative or Phonathon caller? Do you have graphic design, photography or writing skills that you can offer? We have all sorts of volunteer jobs of varying size and requiring various skills. To learn more, please contact our LASF Recruitment Chair, Mary Bakos mlbakos@yahoo.com or your LASF Representative Sally Fonstein at sfonstein@comcast.net

Are There Any Open Spots in Your Social Calendar?

If so, we have a suggestion .sign up parties! How about a night relaxing with Moms, Mai Tais and Movies or a May Fashion Lunch? For kids there are swim parties, rocket launches and a brass musicians clinic. And dont miss the raucous fun of the Masquerade Madness and Rock the Casbah parties. Sign up and buy tickets at our website www.lasf.org Spaces are limited so sign up with your friends now!

It's a Jungle Out There! Join Kid's Hideout for Spring Break April 5th through 9th. We will be having a jungle cake bake-off, jungle arts and crafts, jungle drink concoctions, sports and more. Join us on Wednesday as we heard the group to the Jungle in Concord for lunch and play. Registration can be downloaded at www.kidshideout.net/Forms under Camp Registration Forms. Early registration discount if turned in by next Friday, March 5th!

Be a Star at Camp Hideout's Movie Madness - Summer of the Silver Screen.

We have chosen a kid's movie to feature each week. We will be doing activities and attending a field trip that tie in with that theme! For example: Week 1 is Finding Nemo - Undersea Adventures. Take a dive under the sea and explore the wonders of the deep. We will make jellyfish plates, macaroni crabs, sockotpus, puffer-fish and mini-aquariums. Don't miss our visit to the Steinhart Aqauirum in San Francisco on Friday!

Week 2 - 10 Themes & Field Trips:
Space Jam - Space is the Place - Chabot
The Game Plan - Sports Galore - Super Franks
Flubber - Super Silly Science - The Exploratorium
High School Musical - What's all the Drama? - The Zeum
Incredibles - Super Heros & Princesses, REPORT!! - Adventure Playgound
The Jungle Book - It's a Jungle In Here! - The Jungle
Ratatouille - Calling all Chefs! - Semmifreddi's
Get A Clue - I spy - The Metreon
Madagasgar - Escape to the Zoo - The Oakland Zoo

Registration/Camp Information:
~ Early registration discounts! Register and pay for all the weeks you need by Friday, February 26th and receive free extended care and 10% off your Camp Rate. Check out the fee sheet for more information on other discounts.
~ Invite a new friend to our summer camp and YOU and YOUR FRIEND will receive 25% off one week.
~ We have added a $5 bag lunch option for each field trip
~ We will work with you if your child is taking swim lessons nearby for swim team to see if we can assist on getting them to and from, if possible (depends on location, days and times... )
~ Daily routines include: art, crafts, sports, science, group games and themed activities and games
~ Weekly routines include: hikes, baking, field trips and swimming, Wheels Day (Mon), Tasty Tuesdays, Water Slide (Wed), Pool (Thurs) and Field Trip Friday

Please contact Beth at 283-7808 or beth@kidshideout.net for more information. You can download the forms at www.kidshideout.net/Forms (at the bottom of the page under Summer '10). Come join the Madness.

Remember, there are over 100 reasons to read. This week reason number 21 is Youll be a better writer.

The Chinese year of the Tiger began on February 14 this year. There are two weeks of celebration culminating with the big parade in San Franciscos Chinatown on Saturday. It is also just days before March 2, the anniversary of Dr. Seusss birthday and Read Across America Day. 

After watching the same snow, fog, sunshine, and rain day after day the King of Didd decided that he wanted to see something different falling from the sky. He told his page, Bartholomew Cubbins, to summon his royal magicians, who said that they could make oobleck fall from the sky. Of course it didnt quite work out the way the king expected and Bartholomew had to figure out how to make things right. Kindergartners enjoyed hearing about the simple solution Bartholomew came up with in Dr. Seusss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck.

Did you know that firecrackers and dragon dancers scare away evil spirits? Or that a whole roasted duck means happiness? First graders learned these facts and many others about the Lunar New Year in Ying Chang Compestines alphabet book D Is for Dragon Dance.

Ruby lived with her large extended family in a compound with over 100 children. While the boys were expected to study, the girls were expected to learn how to manage a household and marry. But Ruby loved her studies and did well at them. Second graders heard about how Ruby told her grandfather of her dream to study at a university and the action he took at the next Chinese New Year in the book Rubys Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges. At the end of the book they learned that Ruby is Ms. Bridges grandmother.

Sugars grandma didnt want to go to the Chinese New Years parade but Sugar had heard all about it from her teacher Miss Peng and she insisted that her grandmother come with her. They experienced all the excitement of a New Years parade but Sugar was waiting for one more thing. Third graders felt like they were there as they listened to Kay Haugaards book The Day the Dragon Danced.

What was it like for a 12 year old Chinese boy coming to America for the first time? Because of the Chinese Exclusion Act and those who falsely claimed they were sons of U. S. citizens or Chinese merchants, immigrations officials detained the boys on Angel Island until they were satisfied that they were who they claimed to be. Sun was a true son but still had to be detained and interrogated on Angel Island. Fourth graders were enthralled by his story, based on author Milly Lees father-in-laws experience, and told in the book Landed.

Many Chinese workers came to America to work on the transcontinental railroad in 1865. They worked long days with no break for a mid-day meal. One of these, a young boy, began to eat pies which he could hold in his hand while he worked. He became strong and, when the work on the railroads was finished, he decided to learn about pack horses from Spanish Louie, the best packer in the area. Using a clever trick, he began his own successful business. The fifth graders heard his fascinating legend in Ruthanne Lum McCunns book Pie-Biter. Each page of text is in English, Chinese, and Spanish.

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

Don't Miss the Fifth Grade Play - Grease Jr.

Tickets are on sale now for the fifth grade presentation of Grease Jr. Show times are Monday, March 1st (Burgers Cast) and Tuesday, March 2nd (Fries Cast) at 6 and 8 PM in the Stanley multipurpose room. Check the cast list posted in the office, or better yet, come both nights! Ticket forms are available in the office or you may contact Heather Stanford (heather3K@comcast.net) for more information. Tickets will also be available at the shows. Doors open 30 minutes prior to show time.

BARGAIN BOOK BONANZA SALE IS TUESDAY, March, 2nd.

It's that time again...Bring your quarters to school on TUESDAY, MARCH 2nd to buy your favorite gently used books. Kindergartners can buy books between 11:10 and 12:10 in front of the kindergarten classrooms. 1st through 5th graders can buy books after they finish lunch in front of the multi-purpose room. All proceeds go to our school library. We also gladly except donations of books. We are especially in need of chapter books for the 4th and 5th graders. Please bag them, label the bag with"bargain book's and place them in the foyer of the multi-purpose room or call Farrel Vance @ 937-8230 to assist you.

YEARBOOK PHOTOS NEEDED

We need digital pictures of your kids to round out the yearbook. Up to two pictures per child per subject. Pictures received in the next two weeks are guaranteed to appear. The subjects we need are:

1. After School Activities (sports and clubs outside of Springhill) - email: miki@astound.com
2. Springhill Happenings (Book Fair, Sports Day, Spirit Wednesday's, etc) - email: delze@comcast.net
3. Celebrations (Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine's, Mardi Gras, etc) - email: lovingpatty@mac.com
4. Clubs and Group (Chess, Garden, Book, etc) - email: plumbnest@mac.com

If you have any questions, please email Julie Novak at thenovaks@sbcglobal.net

The Parent Parties Submission Deadline Has Changed!

The Boots and Buckles Bash is swiftly approaching, and in order to give folks ample time to sign-up for the parties they want to attend, we have moved the Party Submission Deadline up to Friday, March 12, 2010. We already have one great party (thank you!!!), and I have heard rumors of several others, so let's come together and have some fun, while bringing in some much needed funds.

If you are interested in hosting a party, now is the time to make your plans and submit your party! Dates available will be mostly first come first served, so if you have special date needs, the sooner you submit the better. The online form will even let you know immediately if your date is already taken.

To submit your party, just fill out this quick and easy form by 3/12/10:
http://www.loveless.net/parentparties/

Please contact Kendra Loveless with any questions: kendra@loveless.net

To submit entries to the Friday Flyer, email Maria Pratt: 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