Springer Star Newsletter

October 14th, 2011

In This Issue

Calendar Dates

Letter from the Principal

News and Announcements

Student Extracurricular Activities

Community Events

Quick Dates for your Calendar

October 15: Walkathon

October 17, 7.30pm: LAHS Science and Technology Keynote – Khan Academy

October 17-21: 6th graders to Walden West

October 18, 3.15pm: Site Council Meeting

October 19, 7.30am: Tech Committee Meeting

October 20: Family Dinners Out at Chevy’s

October 24: Photo makeup day

October 24: Family Dinners Out at Fiesta Del Mar

October 28: Coffee with the Principal

October 31, 1pm: Annual Costume Parade 

November 1: Family Dinners Out at Armadillo Willy’s

November 2, 7pm: PTA meeting

Letter from the Principal

Recap from last Wednesday

Like most people, every morning, on my drive to school, I wonder what kind of day it will be. Little did I know that, last Wednesday, we would have such a day as we had.

A tragic event at the nearby Kaiser Cement plant in the morning caused Springer school, as well as Loyola, Oak, and Blach to go into “Lock Down” mode.

At about 10:15, the district was contacted by Los Altos Police to perform a precautionary lock down at our four southern schools.  The police emphasized that this was a precautionary measure given that local law enforcement was fairly certain that the suspect was in a Sunnyvale neighborhood.

I quickly met with staff at the end of recess and reminded them of the procedures.  All doors would be locked and movement of students around campus would be minimized. Students did not attend their scheduled PE classes that day, nor did we complete our vision screening for some grade levels that took place in the multi.  Students who needed to use the bathroom were escorted by an adult. Lunch took place in the classrooms, as we dismissed students by grade level to retrieve their lunch and then sent them back into the rooms.  Basically, we ran what is known as a Code Blue lockdown.  Had we gone to Code Red, which is used when an intruder is known to be on or near campus, no students (or adults) would have been allowed to leave the classroom for any reason.  Thankfully, we never reached Code Red status.

In consultation with Los Altos police, our district team put into place the procedure for dismissal.  As you know, we were not dismissing students as normal; we required every student to be picked up by a parent or someone on each child¹s emergency card.  Check-out was through each classroom.  This went, for the most part, very smoothly. Every child was reunited with a parent or guardian by 3:45 that afternoon and the campus was cleared of all students.  The district then kept in close contact with the Los Altos police regarding school openings for the following day.  Given the information provided by law enforcement, it was decided that Thursday¹s situation was safe enough to have school the next day as normal. With consultation with Superintendent Jeff Baier, we decided to cancel the 5th grade field trip to De Anza College, erring on the side of safety.  However, by 8:00 am on Thursday, we learned of the conclusion of the situation in Sunnyvale and reinstated the field trip and the 5th graders went as scheduled.

The staff and I debriefed the procedures at a staff meeting, discussing what went well and which areas we need to improve on.  For the most part, the students, and staff, performed wonderfully. Everyone¹s flexibility and patience was on a high level.  I especially want to thank all of our parents for their own patience as we dealt with the situation.

I am interested in getting feedback from the community on your thoughts on last Wednesday¹s event. What, in your opinion went well? Which elements could have been improved upon?  I invite you to email me your comments at wspenader[at]springerschool.net

News and Announcements

Safety is EVERYONE’S Responsibility

Parents of Springer School

It has been brought to my attention by parents doing crosswalk duty what other parent drivers have been doing during drop off and pick up times.  Doing a U-turn on Rose Ave during these times is NOT acceptable.  Also, drivers who are not waiting for pedestrians to fully cross to the other side of the road when using the crosswalks is NOT acceptable.

It is illegal to enter into a crosswalk while there is someone holding a STOP sign.

CVC section 2815 code. $50 base fine with court cost = $286. If you already have other violations, the cost is higher.

This is a very busy time for ALL of us and this is extremely dangerous and inconsiderate to other drivers, when they are also trying to get to their next appointment after dropping off and picking up their children.

Our school is known to have a solid parent community that takes care of each other.  I'm extremely proud of ALL Springer students and want to make sure every one of them arrives to school SAFELY!

2815 cvc: Stop for Crossing Guard stop sign: Requires vehicles to stop and remain stopped for the Crossing Guard stop sign while the Crossing Guard is crossing students and until the Crossing Guard returns to a place of safety (the sidewalk. Remember to treat the Crossing Guard stop sign like a construction stop sign). It also requires motorists and pedestrians to obey the directions of the Crossing Guard. (Wait on the sidewalk until pedestrians are told it is safe to cross. Cars to wait when directed by the Crossing Guard until told it is okay to go.)  

Walkathon Update - Saturday October 15^th

Walkathon is coming up this Saturday!  Here are some last-minute reminders:

Calling all bakers! Please provide individually wrapped NUT FREE goodies for our Walkathon Bake Sale.  Sign up with the Walkathon Baked Goods Google Doc! Happy Baking!

Don’t forget to bring quarters for the pocket lady, baked goods and the fishing game!  Your contributions are very much appreciated.  We will also have coffee, bagels, drinks, hot dogs and Jamba Juice for sale on the day.

Hot Weather Warning! We recommend that you dress in layers and bring hats, sunscreen and umbrellas (just in case!) this Saturday.  Also picnic blankets and extra shoes and socks in case the field is wet in the morning, are all good ideas.  And don’t forget water and healthy snacks to refuel!

For more information on all of the above, see the Springer Walkathon webpage.

Questions?  See the Registration packet or contact Walkathon co-chairs Karey Gutierrez kareytg[at]gmail.com and Katie Cowley ktcowley[at]yahoo.com.  We’re here to help!

Are you into LAEF yet? Your child sure is!  100% of Springer students benefit from LAEF funding which provides staff for smaller class sizes, library, music, art docents and PE programs in all of our elementary schools.  Funds are spread proportionately across all schools and all grades. Our suggested donation is $1000 (or 10 installment payments of $100) but please give generously at a level comfortable to your family. Go online today at www.laefonline.org 

Couldn't Come to the Last PTA Meeting?  Mr. Spenader presented the California Standardized Testing (STAR) 2010-11 Results at the Springer PTA’s October 5th meeting.  If you missed it, find a summary on the PTA Meetings page of the Springer website.  

Also, please mark your calendars for the next PTA meeting on Wednesday, November 2, at 7:00 pm.  We will move quickly through PTA business, including a vote to approve the new Springer PTA Bylaws (see a summary of the changes), and then hear from a panel of guest speakers who will describe the fine arts programs at Springer.  Please join us and learn about the new Starting Arts Music and Dance instruction for K-3rd, the vocal and instrumental instruction for 4th-6th, the art docent programs in K-6th, and the CSMA Arts in Action program for 1st-6th graders.

LAHS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WEEK KEYNOTE – SAL KHAN of Khan Academy

October 17, 2011 at 7:30pm, Los Altos High School Eagle Theater

Volunteering is a Beautiful Thing!

Thanks to the many of you who have completed our Volunteer Interest and Availability form, but we are still looking for much higher participation!  Help us better understand the availability and constraints of our volunteer population by completing this online form.  Complete the form by October 15, and your name will be entered in a drawing for 5 free hot lunches from Kid Chow!

Girl Scout project at the Walkathon

Dear Springer Families,

Hello, I am Samantha Hamilton, former Springer student. This year, I am doing my Girl Scout silver project. I am raising money to get rechargers and batteries for all the classrooms to reduce Springer’s carbon footprint. To raise this money, I am painting faces and selling friendship bracelets at the Walkathon. Find me on the blacktop from 9:00 to 2:00. We’re starting at 9 so we don’t take up your walking time. I hope I will see you there.  Thank you for your support!

Great News from Amazon.com!!!

Amazon.com, a key vendor in our Shop Springer website, has recently settled a tax dispute with the State of California over sales tax generated from shopping sites. Fortunately, this enables Amazon to continue normal operations so Shop Springer is now fully open and functioning and continues it's ongoing financial support of the Springer PTA and the children of Springer Elementary. If you have not used Shop Springer before, give it a try at www.ShopSpringer.com and help support the kids!

Family Dinners Out

Raise money for Springer simply by enjoying dinner out with your family and friends! Springer receives 15-30% back from the restaurants when you dine at their establishments on Springer's selected dates. Takeout orders apply as well! Listed below are the participating restaurants for the months of October and November:

Pizza My Heart                    Wednesday, October 19

Chevy’s                                Thursday, October 20

Fiesta Del Mar                      Monday, October 24

Armadillo Willy's                   Tuesday, November 1

Mountain Mike's Pizza         Every Thursday and Sunday

Flyers are available in the school office, Abracadabra and the Springer website. Questions? Contact Lara Rahn at lara.rahn[at]yahoo.com.

COME MEET FARMER PETE!

Join the Springer CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Farmer Pete offers fresh, local, sustainable, organic produce at Springer on Thursdays after school!  See the flyer for more details. Questions? Please contact Kathy Stiles:  kathystiles[at]comcast.net

Student Extracurricular Activities

The Springer Noontime LEGO Club will be exhibiting student creations built at school and home 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the Walkathon, including feature marine life sculptures. Creations from home can be brought from 11:00 to prep and ready for the display at the main Student Picnic Tables.

At the Walkathon, we will be announcing the winner of the LEGO estimation contest and showcasing our next contest: a LEGO Jack o Lantern.

Questions?  Please contact Laurie Pasmooij, Kimiyo Straw, or Jenni Tellefsen.

TGA, Premier Junior Golf is bringing the golf course to your school!

Classes for Springer will be held on Tuesdays, Oct. 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29 (no class 11/22) after-school from 2:30pm-3:30pm (gr.1-5) and 3:10pm-4:10pm (K). 

See the golf flyer for more details.

For more information and to-register please visit our website at www.golftga.com/peninsulavalley or call us today at (760) 295-6622

Community Events

OPENING WEEKEND AT THE MUSEUM FOR SHAPED BY WATER

OCTOBER 15, 6:00-8:30 p.m. – Public Opening Reception at the Los Altos History Museum

OCTOBER 15-16, 12:00-4:00 p.m. – Riveropolis!

Two amazing days of family fun. Riveropolis is an interactive 30 foot long kinetic “social sculpture” and waterway installation where visitors of all ages can celebrate the joy of water through play and other hands-on activities. Led by artist Gregory Gavin and as seen on KQED! www.riveropolis.com        Admission is free.