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. Patrick's 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

Tuesday, March 23
RAPPORT Mtg.; DO, 9:00 AM
5th Grade; California Healthy Kids Survey
3rd Grade AIM Invitee Parent Mtg.; Library, 3:00 PM
District Band Fest; Stanley Gym, 7:00 PM

Wednesday, March 24
Stanley Orientation for 5th grades; MP Room, 10:50 AM

Thursday, March 25
PFC Sponsored Poets-in-the-Schools, 3rd grade
District Choral Festival; Time/Location TBD

Friday, March 26
STUDENT COUNCIL SPIRIT DAY: Crazy Hat/Crazy Hair Day!!!
Jumprope for Heart in CLUB FIT

Sunday, March 27
Palm Sunday

Principal's Messages

A. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED in our annual READ ACROSS AMERICA/DR. SEUSS BIRTHDAY BASH on Tuesday, March 2. We had guest readers for each classroom and we are appreciative of everyones efforts. Thanks also to the PFC, Ms. Beth Brown and Mrs. Jill Tarkoff for providing exquisite food for our hungry volunteer readers. READ ON, SCORPIONS!!!

B. WOW!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CAST OF THE 5th GRADE MUSICAL GREASE who performed 4 shows last Monday and Tuesday at Stanley Middle Schools Multi-Purpose Room. What great actors and singers all of you are! Many thanks to all who attended and a thousand thanks to volunteer parents Kim Stewart, Doreen deRoque and so many more generous parents, to Director Leslie Noel for all of their efforts in making this production so wonderful!

C. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ATTENDED THE LSD BOARD MEETING 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!!!

D. 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.

E. 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/

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

THE SIX PILLARS & PAY IT FORWARD CORNER

"The Olympics remain the most compelling search for excellence that exists in sport, and maybe in life itself."
-- Dawn Fraser, Australian Olympic swimmer

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 began on Monday, March 1. Collection boxes are now in each classroom and the main Office for any change you can spare. Lets help find a cure for Leukemia/Lymphoma. Thank you for supporting the Pillar of Caring!!!

B. JUMPROPE FOR HEART: Our annual Jumprope for Heart supporting the American Heart Association begins with a kickoff assembly for students on Wednesday, March 17, and students will do their jumproping during the weeks of March 22 and March 29. Please help our students support good heart health and the Pillar of Caring! Thank you

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 Mrs. Grahams & Mrs. Welcomers kindergarten class, students learn the Soundabet which is a leveled early reading program based on letter sounds and digraphs. During small group instruction, students use magnetic letter manipulatives to create word families. On the second day, students reinforce their learning by creating soundabet word books. Depending on the level of the reader, word lists vary and higher level thinkers come up with their own words. This program supports both decoding and encoding skills.

*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. EARTH DAY PLANNING WEEK: Next Friday, 3/12, several of our Student Council Officers will be participating in a districtwide summit to plan green school activities for Earth Day, Thursday, April 22!

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 patiently awaits the flipping of 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

Spring is trying to make an appearance - the trees are starting to bloom and the smell of flowers is in the air. As we plunge head first into the final trimester let's savor the beauty of this wonderful season of transition.

The 5th Grade Play was a smash! The box office receipts broke records and the acting was superb! Many thanks to Kim Stewart and Doreen DeRoque for a job well done! I would also like to thank the many parent volunteers and teachers who make events like this happen here at Springhill! Also congratulations to all the 5th Grade actors and behind the scenes techs for a successful performance!

If you have pictures of any Springhill event or activity please forward to Julie Novak and the Yearbook Committee - they are in need of pictures of our students doing what they do best! Her email is thenovaks@sbcglobal.net - thank you!

The Boots and Buckles Bash planning is in high gear! We need Parent Parties! Get a group of friends together and plan a party - big or small we need them all! The Parent Parties are the single biggest money makers at the Auction. Please contact Kendra Loveless or Jen Bielawski for more information on how to donate your party or any other item for that matter! The invitations will be coming your way soon via email - going green here at Springhill! The party is April 24th promises to be a hoot and a half!

Please check Karen Yuen's Legislative Report on what is going on in our district and state. There is also important information regarding Measure A which is a new parcel tax for the Acalanes School District going on the ballot in April. This is very important news that affects all of us!

Enjoy your weekend!

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

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 the Science Fair? Being a Fundraising Co-Chair? Helping with the LASF instructor invoicing? 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 sfonstein@comcast.net.

Our High Schools Are at Risk

The states continuing budget crisis has forced our top-rated Acalanes, Campolindo, Miramonte, and Las Lomas high schools to reduce its budget by more than $4.8M. Measure A, the emergency parcel tax measure, would raise funds needed to avoid severe cuts, including:

· Severe loss of science, foreign language, English social studies, arts and math classes
· Elimination of 50 teaching positions and associated academic programs, including AP electives
· Reduction from a seven-period to six-period school day
· Curtailed counseling and college preparatory resources

At $112 per parcel, Measure A is a temporary response to an immediate funding crisis. It will sunset in five years and offers an exemption for residents age 65 and older. This is a mail-in only election and all ballots must be received at the county election office by May 4, 2010. Please be sure to vote. For more information, visit www.AboutMeasureA.org

Phone banks in support of Measure A will be taking place in Walnut Creek from 5:30-8:30pm on Wed. 3/17, Sun. 3/21, Tues. 3/30, and Tues 4/13. All callers will be using their personal cell phones to make the calls. If anyone is interested in participating, please contact Kathy Hemmenway at Khemmenway@aol.com.

State PTA Endorses Local Control of Local Classrooms Funding Act"

The California State PTA has endorsed the Local Control of Local Classrooms Funding Act ballot initiative and is helping to collect signatures to get it on the November ballot. This ballot measure would lower the vote threshold to pass a school parcel tax from two-thirds to 55%. It limits the amount of the tax to $250 and requires that an exemption be offered to those age 65 or older. You can print out a copy of the initiative petition at: www.improvedschoolfunding.com

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

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 today, 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! Check out the fee sheet for information on 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.

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

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