Thursday Word – February 11, 2010

FROM THE PRINCIPAL – Terri Stromfeld

Famous Americans Visit Almond’s Third Grade

What do Neil Armstrong, Clara Barton Elizabeth Blackwell, Madame Curie, Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Benjamin Franklin, Babe Ruth, Orville Wright, and 59 other famous Americans have in common? Well . . . they came to life and visited our third grade classes this week. They were greeted by enthusiastic Almond parents, students, cameras and video recorders. Dressed in the clothing of their time, these historic figures, portrayed by our third graders, talked about their families, their accomplishments and how they became “famous”.

This is a major third grade project, which enables the children to research, strengthen writing, utilize technology, enjoy oil pastels and manage time. An essay, a “self portrait” and a 3-5 minute speech were the culminating projects of several months of in-depth planning and study. This learning opportunity certainly gets our students ready for our famous fourth grade passport report and the many oral presentations that they will be doing in the future. This is a positive and memorable learning experience for all of our third graders!

Wishing you and your families a wonderful Winter Recess, February 15-19. I look forward to seeing you again on Monday, February 22.

Special thanks go to:

· Our third grade teachers, Mrs. Garcia, Mrs. Uhm and Mrs. Wishnack, for preparing this project and to all of our third graders for doing a sensational job!
· Lucia Guh-Siesel for recruiting and training the many volunteers for our new, highly successful fifth grade debate sessions

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

· Friday, February 12, 8:40am, Junior Olympics Informational Meeting
· February 15-19, Winter Recess, No School
· Monday, February 15, Requests for intra-district transfers due to LASD office
· Sunday, February 28, 1:30 – 4:00 pm, Almond Beautification Event
· Saturday, March 6, Almond’s Night at the Oscars
· March 19 and 20, Sixth Grade Car Wash
· Monday, March 22, Science Expo 2010 for K-4^th graders
· March 22-26, Kepler’s Book Fair
· Saturday, April 24, 50^th Junior Olympics

FROM THE PTA – Marcia Chmyz & Jean Limbach

High School Superintendent to Visit Almond – February 24, 7:00pm

High school may seem a long way off, but the Mountain View-Los Altos High School District is already preparing for the arrival of current Almond students. Did you know that the enrollment at Los Altos High School is projected to grow by at least 25% in the next ten years? In order to accommodate this growth, the district is considering a bond measure for the June 2010 ballot.

Dr. Barry Groves, MVLA Superintendent, will be speaking at our February 24 PTA meeting. He will introduce the bond measure and answer parent questions regarding the bond measure and the high school. Please avail yourselves of this unique opportunity to find out what lies ahead for your students!

ALMOND’S NIGHT AT THE OSCARS

With the Academy Award nominations just announced this week, we are getting even closer to our very own celebration: Almond’s Night at the Oscars! Be with us Saturday, March 6, 2010, from 6:30-11pm, at the Los Altos Golf and Country Club to celebrate and support our school.

Wonderful items in our auction will include:

Tim Lincecum signed bat Tim is the first pitcher in MLB history to win the Cy Young award in his first two seasons as a pro. This bat is priceless!
Giants Premium Club Seats Take me out to the ballgame—in style! Thoroughly enjoy four (4) seats in Premium Field Club, three rows behind the First Base Dugout.
Fore! Enjoy a round of golf at Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club, a challenging 18 hole course in the midst of pine trees and lush greens. Enjoy greens fees and cart fees for four at PAHGCC.
Much, much more!

Arrive at the Auction in a Limo! Raffle Tickets on Sale Now

Want to ride to Almond’s Night at the Oscars in style? Don’t miss your chance to win one of our two donated limousines. You and your party will be picked up and taken home like true stars! Raffle tickets cost only $10 per ticket. Buy them at the auction table at pick up or email Liz Parker. The drawing will be held on March 1 at 3:00 pm in the front of school. Winners will be notified by email if they are not present at the drawing.

Childcare Available during the Auction at Kids’ Place

No need to search for a babysitter! The Kids’ Place staff will offer childcare from 6:15-11:00pm on the night of the auction. Rates are as follows: $35 for one child, $50 for 2 children, $70 for 3, and $12 for each additional child after three. Children as young as three years old are permitted. Contact Kids’ Place Director, Joshua Harmon, to register.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Junior Olympics Informational Meeting TOMORROW 2/12… Parent Volunteers Needed!

There will be an informational meeting about this year’s 50th Junior Olympics TOMORROW on Friday, February 12 at 8:40am following morning assembly in the Multi. Please come and learn about this wonderful event and how you can be involved. This would be especially beneficial for parents of 4th graders who will be participating in Junior Olympics for the first time this year. Volunteers are needed to help during PE and also on the day of the event. For more detailed information, click here.

Junior Olympics 2010: Save the Date!!

Attention all 4^th, 5^th and 6^th graders: please save the date for the 50^th Junior Olympics on Saturday April 24, 2010. It will be held at Mountain View High School, and you can find more information on Almond’s website. Training starts on March 8 during PE classes. The PE specialists have put together a blog with all the relevant information about relays. Teams this year will be posted on the blog, not at individual schools. Please visit the PE blog for more info, and bookmark it for updates.

Almond Beautification Event Rescheduled!

Beautification was rained out last Saturday, so we are going to give this another try! Please join us on Sunday, February 28th from 1:30-4pm for weeding, pruning, sweeping, and general clean-up (and snacks, of course). Contact Deby Pasturel with questions.

Hot Lunch

Order for March through June now! March orders must be placed by February 25^th at www.tastenutrition.com.

Calling All Book Enthusiasts . . .

How would you like to

browse through hundreds and hundreds of book titles?
hear about the latest children’s and adult books?
wield a hand-held check-out scanner and swipe credit cards?
lug piles of books from here to there?

If you said yes to any of the above, then you will want to volunteer at Almond’s first book fair with our new partner, Kepler’s Books and Magazines, during the week of March 22^nd. Please contact Julie Chou for more information.

New After-School Program Available!

Check out the all NEW Science program for the younger grades offered by Amazing Science starting March 25th. The program is designed to foster an interest and comfort with science at an early age. Kids are encouraged to ask questions and learn how to use tools like a ruler, measure liquids with a graduated cylinder, or weigh objects with a balance. The students will explore a variety of concepts such as electricity, magnetism, solids/liquids/ gases, chemistry, botany, and insects, and will do a lot of building that incorporates physics. If you have a child that would love to have more science in his/her day this is the program for him/her. Click here for more details.

Almond Running Club Arrives in Mazatlan

Neither rain nor school holidays will stop our running club from making progress on its trek through Mexico! The Almond Running Club traveled a combined 277 miles in December and January and has now arrived in Mazatlan. Fantastic effort! Click here to see a list of students who met milestones for December and January.

Science Expo 2010 for K-4th Graders Coming Soon

The Science Expo 2010 for kindergarteners through 4^th graders is coming soon! Save the date on Monday, March 22^nd from 6:45-7:45 pm. It will be a fun filled evening of experiments, creations, grossness, and explosions! The Science Expo relies on parent volunteers, as we have about 30 experiment tables to set up. This is a singular, short-duration commitment and we really need lots of help! Please contact Sally Page or Kathy Strickland Hanson if you can help set up, run an experiment, and/or clean up. We also welcome any new ideas for fun scientific experiments!

Car Wash At Almond In March!

The sixth grade will be washing (and drying!) cars at Almond on Friday, March 19th and Saturday, March 20th to raise money for sixth grade graduation events. Please get your tickets now from any sixth grade student. We will also be selling delicious baked goods while you wait for your car. Thanks for your support.

Talent Show

Regrettably, there will not be a talent show at Almond this year due to the lack of a director. Consideration was given to the idea of hiring an outside organization such as Starting Arts to produce a show, but even with such an arrangement, a parent committee chair would have been necessary. If you are interested in taking on this role next year, please contact the 2010-2011 PTA President, Jean Limbach.

Intra-district (Open Enrollment) Transfers

The Los Altos School District has a policy of Open Enrollment that permits students living within district boundaries to attend a school other than their neighborhood school, subject to space availability. Requests for an intra-district transfer must be submitted to the District Office by February 15. An intra-district transfer approval in grades K-6 is in effect for one school year. Intra-district requests must be submitted annually and approval will be based on space available at the requested school. To access the complete policy #5116.1, go to “Board Policies and Administrative Regulations” at the bottom of the LASD site. Transfer request forms are available at the District Office. Contact the Superintendent’s Office (650-947-1152) for more information.

Art Docent Newsletter

Click here to view the winter edition of the Los Altos Art Docent newsletter, “The Easel”.

PARENT EDUCATION http://www.almond.losaltos.k12.ca.us/parent/parent_ed.php

Key Dates

· Wednesday, February 24 and March 3, Real Parents, Real Daughters Workshop
· Tuesday, February 23, Race to Nowhere
· Wednesday, February 24, Raising Confident Girls
· Thursday, March 4, Getting Organized: Helping Your Child Be Successful in School
· Thursday, March 25, Building Resilience in Our Youth: Raising Healthy Kids
· April 12-16, Girls Leadership Institute Spring Break Day Camp

Real Parents, Real Daughters Workshop

This Girls Leadership Institute workshop will teach girls critical skills to improve communication skills with peers and with family and will empower them to speak up with courage and honesty. Note that it is targeted at 2^nd and 3^rd grade girls and their parents. The workshops will be held on Wednesdays, Feb 3, 10, 24 and March 3, from 6:00- 7:30pm right here at Almond School. For more info or to register, click here.

Raising Confident Girls

On February 24 from 7:00-8:30pm, Simone Marean, director of the Girls Leadership Institute, will speak to parents and teachers on teaching girls skills for success: assertive self-expression, emotional intelligence and conflict management. The event will be held at the Creekside Center, Los Altos United Methodist Church at 655 Magdalena Rd.

Race to Nowhere

Don’t miss this documentary film on Tuesday, February 23 at 7pm at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center, located at 3921 Fabian Way in Palo Alto. It is about our achievement-obsessed culture and the effect on young people. This is the first showing in our area and is sure to sell out so be sure to get your tickets ASAP! To purchase your ticket, please go to http://racetonowherepaloalto.eventbrite.com/

I Left My Homework on My Printer – Getting Organized: Helping Your Child Be Successful in School

Author and noted teenage organizational expert Ana Homayoun talks about why students, particularly boys, struggle with organization, and what parents can do to motivate their children to become more organized and manage their time more effectively. This event will be held March 4, 7:30pm – 8:30 p.m., in the Egan Multi-Purpose Room.

Building Resilience in Our Youth: Raising Healthy Kids

Ken Ginsburg, M.D. will be presenting this topic on Thursday, March 25th at Gunn High School’s Spangenberg Theater in Palo Alto, 6:30pm – 8:30pm.

Girls Leadership Institute: April Spring Break Day Camp

When: April 12 – 16, 10:00am – 4:00pm Where: Covington Elementary School GLI is an extraordinary spring break opportunity for girls in grades 4-6. The interactive, hands-on workshops empower girls with crucial skills to increase self-confidence and negotiate the challenges of everyday life. Girls deepen their emotional intelligence, learn about healthy relationships, and practice methods for direct communication and conflict resolution. Designed by renowned educators Rachel Simmons, author of Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls, and Simone Marean, GLI offers a week of new friendships and life-changing workshops. Click here for info and registration.

LASD FREQUENT FLYER NEWSLETTER

www.losaltos.k12.ca.us/PDF_Files/2009_2010/School_News_02_11_2010.PDF

WANT TO SUBMIT SOMETHING TO THE THURSDAY WORD?

Send announcements to us at almond.thursdayword@gmail.com by 1:00pm Monday, for that week’s Word. Keep your announcements brief and, if applicable, send a PDF version of any flyer or additional information to be posted on the website. For more information about Almond Elementary School visit www.almondschool.org.

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