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Independent Elementary 2008-09 PTA President Carrie Knudsen Principal Jim Kentris
NewsletterMarch 13, 2009
Website: www.independent.cv.k12.ca.us e-mail: [email protected]
Hot Summer - Cool Kids! Join us on Tuesday, March 17th, from 6:45 pm to 8:30 pm in the Multi-Purpose Room for a PTA-sponsored program, “How to Survive the Hot
Summer by Finding Cool Programs for Your Kids.” The event, a summer program vendor fair, will begin after brief PTA business. More than 15 summer program vendors from the East Bay representing nature, science, art, sports, equestrian, martial arts and more, will be available to answer your questions. This is a great opportunity to research and register your children now to keep them busy (and happy!) during the long, hot summer months. Independent Elementary parents who speak to a minimum of seven vendors can enter a special drawing for one free week at any of Sarah’s Science’s Bay Area locations (valued at $300). Advanced reservations for the free student activity in the Science Room at 7 pm, presented by Sarah’s Science, are no longer being accepted as we are at capacity. Parents who registered in advance should have already received a confirmation email that their child(ren) can attend. However, Sarah’s Science will be presenting a second session beginning at 7:40 pm to students on a first-come, first-served basis, so please bring your child(ren) to the Science Room by that time. The Independent Elementary PTA, Independent Elementary School and the Castro Valley Unified School District are not able to endorse any of the summer programs who are participating, but we do believe the information they provide will be useful as you make your family’s summer plans. This is the first time our PTA has organized a summer vendor fair like this, and it’s an event you won’t want to miss. We are looking forward to seeing you! Here’s to a great summer!
Sincerely,
Carrie Knudsen, PTA President
Happy
St. Patrick’s Day!
Upcoming Dates to Remember (events, dates, and times are subject to change)
March 17, TUE
Spring Picture Day Multi-Purpose Room
March 17, TUE 7 pm
PTA General Meeting and Summer Program Fair Multi-Purpose Room
March 20, FRI 2 pm – 4 pm
PTA hosts Boys’ Dodgeball Tournament
March 27, FRI Report Cards Go Home March 30 – April 3
1:35 pm daily Early Dismissal/ Conferences Week
April 13–17 NO SCHOOL FOR
April 21, TUE PTA General Meeting Multi-Purpose Room PTA Board Elections Disaster Preparedness Presentation
April 25, SAT 9 am - Noon
Earth Day – Campus Beautification April 28, TUE Star Testing Begins
(through May 8)
MARCH 15 16
17
18 19 20
21
22 23 24 25 26 27
28
29 30 31
Early
APRIL 1 2 3 4
Dismissal
5 6
7 8
9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17
18
Spring Break!
19 20 21 22
23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
Independent PTA March 13, 2009
PTA Newsletter Page 2
Elect Your PTA Board in April We were pleased to hear from many parents who volunteered to serve on the
PTA Board for the 2009-2010 school year. The PTA relies on volunteers to run the programs we sponsor, and to help make decisions that benefit our school and our children. With budget cuts looming, the support that the PTA provides to Independent School will be more important than ever! The following individuals are candidates for the Executive Board:
• President: Genny Hom-Franzen • Executive Vice President: Carrie Knudsen • VP Ways and Means: Ofel Moysen • VP Events: Rose Cmelak • VP Membership: Stacy Klemmer • VP Health and Safety: Allen Mueller • Secretary: Roisin Monahan • Treasurer: Grace Warren • Auditor: Diana Iskandar
The full list of candidates (including the various Chairperson positions) will be available at the general PTA meeting on Tuesday, April 21st at 7 pm in the Multi-Purpose Room. Please join us, and help elect your PTA Board for the 2009-2010 school year!
PEP Program Returns to Independent! Earlier this month, the Parent Educator Program (PEP) began at our school after a year-long hiatus. PEP will be taught this year in all third grade classrooms by three new volunteer parent educators who completed the comprehensive 21-hour training program in February. PEP’s health promotion curriculum, developed by the Center for Human Development, is designed to reduce risk factors faced by adolescents and to promote resiliency in them. The team-taught lessons emphasize positive peer interaction, decision-making, conflict resolution, and resistance skills. Some of the lessons plans are adapted to address the influence of the media, advertising, and communication issues faced by our youth as well. This year, the PEP team at Independent will cover four lessons: Respect, Responsibility, What to Do About Bullies, and Drugs vs. Medicine and Tobacco. We hope to expand the PEP program next year, but we need additional parent volunteers in order to do so. In addition to covering topics that are necessary to be able to teach the program in the classroom, the mandatory PEP training is a valuable parenting class - providing information, insights and tips that all parents can benefit from. Trainings are held each fall and winter. For more information on PEP or to become a volunteer parent educator, contact Kim Storm-Pagel, PEP Coordinator, at [email protected].
School District Budget Update At this time there is far too much information that continues to be needed. The proposed cuts are designed to meet the legal timelines necessary should they become permanent. There are two key variables that will have an impact on the current recommendations: 1. The May budget revise, i.e., how much money the
state actually receives from property/income tax. 2. The outcome of the special election in May. Should the current proposal go into effect the DIRECT classroom impact will be as follows: • 50% reduction in afterschool sports support (e.g. track
and volleyball) • elimination of the Reading Specialist • restructuring of the Music program for 4th and 5th
grades • reduction of custodial services • reduction in site discretionary funds • reduction in professional development opportunities
for all staff • increased home-to-school transportation fees Fortunately, the proposal to increase K-3 class sizes from 20:1 to 24:1 was dismissed, and the science programs for elementary schools will also be sustained. The State budget crisis is far from over, so please continue to check the District budget crisis web pages at www.cv.k12.ca.us/budget/budget.html for the latest updates, and contact your elected officials to voice your opposition to the budget cuts!
PTA Hosts Boys’ Dodgeball Tournament! The PTA is pleased to announce the upcoming Boys Dodgeball Tournament on Friday, March 20th. It will be held from 2 pm to 4 pm at Independent
School. The boys will be divided into two teams: • Group 1: grades K – 2 • Group 2: grades 3 – 5 All boys must be accompanied by an adult, so please join us for some snacks, drinks, and some friendly competition. Go Independent Boys!
Donate Your Books for Book Bingo! PTA Events Coordinators Ella Villamor, Lani Stambaugh, and Stacy Klemmer are organizing an exciting night of Book Bingo on Friday, May 1st in the Multi-Purpose Room. On this night, the prizes are books, videos, and DVDs that are donated by you! If you have any items in good condition that you would like to donate, you may drop them off in the collection box located in the Multi-Purpose room. We look forward to seeing you at Book Bingo Night!
Independent PTA March 13, 2009
PTA Newsletter Page 3
Focus On Disaster Preparedness April is just around the corner and, as Bay Area residents and given the “Quake of 1906,”
it is a reminder to all of us that we should be prepared for the next ‘Big One.” Join us on Tuesday, April 21st, at 7 pm in the Multi-Purpose Room for the PTA meeting where the focus will be on preparing for disasters and emergencies.
Do you have adequate supplies and food for your entire family if another big earthquake or disaster hits? Does your family have an action plan for what to do? What will you do if your children are at school and you are across the Bay at work? Representatives from the American Red Cross will present valuable answers to these and other questions to help you prepare your family and your children in the event of an emergency.
To reinforce these important messages with your children, we have scheduled the Red Cross to present disaster preparedness assemblies to all students on Friday, April 24. We invite you to the April 21st PTA meeting so you can hear in advance what your children will learn at the assembly and help emphasize this critical learning at home. Free childcare will be provided in the library. We hope to see you then!
Talented Eagles Soared at Variety Show On Friday, March 6th, Independent School organized a variety show where students had an opportunity to show off their special skills and talents. With a record 39 acts (41 acts at the assemblies),
the evening was a great success! Organizers Shelli Cmelak and Natalie Hung would like to thank to following individuals for their help and support: Connie Gaxiola Christina Sabatelli Eileen Ohara Suzanne Bhat Linda Block Dan Curry Edwina Dionisio Genny Hom-Franzen
Diana Iskandar Mr. Kentris Chris Leong Bee Levitt Sara Mascio Cristine Rutishauser Sharon Young K. Leong (Curtain Mistress)
Teachers Enjoy Valentine’s Day Treats The Sweet Treats Afternoon on February 11th for Independent’s teachers and staff was a big success, thanks to Teacher/Staff
Hospitality Chairperson Regina Maloof, who coordinated the event, and the many volunteers and donors, including: Stella Aranda-Sidia Janet Bautista Seema Gupta Anna Irwin Diana Iskandar
Jennifer Lin-Jones Kathleen Moisan Matia Prevas Nicole Torkelson Kyndra Wu
Fundraising Programs for Independent
A percentage of in-store purchases at Macy’s, Safeway, PW Supermarket, and other merchants are donated when using registered credit cards and loyalty cards. Please note: you must swipe the card toget the credit! For more info, go to www.escrip.com
Drop off empty ink jet, laser, and toner cartridges, as well as no longer used cell phones at the eScrip collection bin located in the school office, and we will receive between $1.60 to $13 for each item.
Gift Cards Scrip
Gift cards for many participating merchantspurchased from PTA Scrip/Gift Card. For more info, or to place an order: contact Tod Knudsen at e-mail [email protected]
A percentage of on-line purchases from various merchant partners accessed through the OneCause.com (formerly SchoolPop) web-site is donated to the school of your choice. For more info, go to www.onecause.com
BoxTops and Labels for Education clipped from participating products will be redeemed for cash or free educational equipment. Turn in at the school office.
For more info, go to www.boxtops4education.com or www.labelsforeducation.com
Independent PTA March 13, 2009
PTA Newsletter Page 4
Captain Underpants images © Dav Pilkey, photos © Genny Hom-Franzen.
School and PTA Contact Info: Independent School Office: 510-537-9558 Absence Reporting line: 510-537-9558 ext. 4860 PTA Voice Mail: 510-537-3335 ext. 1942
To sign-up for e-mail notification via Constant Contact, go to: www.independent.cv.k12.ca.us
PTA: .... http://www.independent.cv.k12.ca.us/pta.htm PTA E-mail: .... see PTA Board Roster on the school site PTA Scrip: ................... [email protected] PTA Scrip - Online Orders: .. www.shopwithscrip.com
2008-2009 Independent School PTA Newsletter Issue No. 6 - March 13, 2009
Information provided in this publication is current at the time of printing, but may change at any time. E-mail any questions or comments regarding newsletter content to Anna Irwin, [email protected], subject “PTA Newsletter.”
Independent Eagles Meet Reading Challenge!
Late February, all students at Independent were challenged to read 200,000 minutes in 10 days. If the students met the challenge, Principal Jim Kentris agreed to dress up as Captain Underpants, a popular children’s book character. Motivated by this prospect, all kids took to their books and read an average of 40 minutes per day, including weekends! On Thursday March 5th, it was announced that Independent students had reached the goal of 200,000 minutes! The next day Captain Underpants paid a visit to the students at a special assembly. Below are the photos of this momentous occasion. We congratulate Independent students on their wonderful achievement, and we thank Mr. Kentris motivating our Eagles to read!
