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Star Newsletter, 12/16/2011
Los Altos School District Weekly Newsletter
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Springer Star Newsletter December 16th, 2011 |
In This Issue |
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Calendar Dates Principal’s Letter PTA News Other News and Announcements Student Extracurricular Activities Community Activities How to Submit an Article to the Springer Star Newsletter |
Quick Dates for your Calendar |
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December 16, 1:00 pm: Winter Concert by 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Students December 19–January 3: Winter Recess — No School Jan 4: School Resumes Jan 5: Mountain Mike's Pizza Family Dinners Out Jan 8: Mountain Mike's Pizza Family Dinners Out Jan 10, 3:15-4:15 pm: Site Council Meeting Jan 11, 7:00-9:00 pm: PTA Meeting Jan 16: Martin Luther King J. Day—No School Jan 17: Staff Development—No School |
Principal’s Letter |
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It's the Time of the Year to Slow Down
By reading the title of this week's letter, one might assume I'm writing about parking lot safety again. While I always want drivers to be more careful in the parking lot and surrounding streets, that is not the theme of this week's letter.
Please allow me to wax philosophically, if I could. You see, I've always struggled with this time of year. My feelings of stress and angst kick in right before Thanksgiving and don't subside until after New Year. It seems that school activities ramp up this time of year and I'm racing to get things done. If I'm not going warp speed at school, I'm at home getting ready to either host family or preparing for a trip to see family. And, maybe it's me, but I go crazy with the commercialism of the season. I cringe every time I hear a classic holiday song turned into a commercial jingle trying to entice me into believing that I have to get that product for those on my gift list.
This year, I made a conscious decision to enjoy the holiday season and not fall into my usual trap of racing around. So, I began to recite the words SLOW DOWN. To me, it means to enjoy the things I'm meant to enjoy and not fall victim to the pressures of living the "idealistic" holiday season. So I started to practice my SLOW DOWN philosophy- to live in the moment as it were. And, I'm finding it works!
Last week, during the Springer Singer's concert, I began to feel the SLOW DOWN effects. Instead of worrying about the things that needed to get done (how all the chairs were going to get set up, the sound system put together, etc.) I focused more on the event itself. Deep down, I knew all the little things would get taken care of—they always do! And, I decided to be more present in the moment; to enjoy the talents of our students and the adults who work with them. I SLOWED DOWN and appreciated what a great group of kids and parents we have. I found myself thankful and gratified.
I've been so pleased with the effects of the SLOW DOWN mantra that I've applied it to other things. I've SLOWED DOWN while getting ready for school in the morning, enjoying the warmth of the shower or the softness of a sweater I put on. I've SLOWED DOWN on the roads, consciously driving 5 to 10 mph slower. Small steps, but effective.
At last week's staff meeting, I shared with staff my SLOW DOWN philosophy and encouraged them to try it; to know that things will get taken care of with or without the stress we add to it. I reminded them to enjoy this special time they have with their students and their families.
I hope all of you find some SLOW DOWN time during your break. Finding the pleasure of the simplest things, spending time with loved ones, and enjoying what we have (as opposed to what we want) should be the best elements of the Holiday season.
I wish you the best-- Wade Spenader
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PTA News |
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PTA Nominating Committee The Springer PTA will vote to elect the Nominating Committee for the 2012-2013 PTA board officers at the January meeting being held Wednesday, January 11 at 7:00 pm. The Nominating Committee consists of five members and two alternates who are current members of the PTA. The candidates for the 2012-2013 Nominating Committee are:
The Nominating Committee has the important role of identifying a slate of qualified candidates for next year's PTA elected leadership. Board officer nominations will be presented at the March PTA meeting and the election will be held at the April PTA meeting.
PTA members are encouraged to consider volunteering for a position on next year's board! It is a great way to learn about and support the many programs at Springer.
PTA members can recommend candidates, including themselves, for the board by submitting the PTA Nomination form, which can be dropped off in the Springer office. |
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Upcoming PTA Meetings We have some exciting and information packed PTA meetings coming up in the new year. Please mark your calendars!
Jan 11, 7:00 pm: Writing and Your Springer Student Join us for a talk about writing education at Springer. Springer teachers Chris Goldner (1st grade) and Julie Jenkins (6th grade) will be making a presentation. Additionally, we will vote to authorize spending for iPads for use in the first grade (see article "iPads for First Grade" below) and ratify the PTA Nominating Committee (see above).
Feb 15, 8:45 am: Midyear Budget Review Results of the Site Council survey will be presented along with any resulting purchasing proposals. We will review recommended changes to the budget, which will then be approved by vote at the March meeting.
Mar 7, 7:00 pm: Math and Your Springer Student Join us for a talk about mathematics education at Springer. Additionally, we will approve any changes to the budget discussed at the February meeting and hear a report from the Nominating Committee on the slate of officers selected for the 2012-2013 school year. |
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PTA Funding Proposal: iPads for First Grade At our September PTA meeting, we discussed having a surplus of funds that has accumulated over the past several years. As you may recall, we used $38,000 of the carryover to purchase a new laptop cart for the upper grades, and one of the priorities for the remaining carryover is to support the primary grades. Mr. Spenader and the staff have been working on ideas for implementing differentiation in the primary classrooms, and have a proposal to do just that.
The last few weeks, 1st grade classrooms have been piloting the use of 7 iPads used during reading centers. The apps used have been phonic- and sentence-building activities. The level of student engagement is high. Teachers are also seeing effective applications to use during math centers as well. The beauty of the iPad is its user-friendliness: students needs very little training to get started. And, teachers continue to find useful apps that can be used to further strengthen math and reading skills.
We propose the purchase of 27 iPads (9 for each first grade classroom) to be utilized as an engaging supplement to our reading and math instruction. 27 is also the magic number to allow the grade level to arrange a 1:1 set up for whole class instruction, with the teacher able to use one at the same time. By having dedicated first grade iPads, the 1st grade teachers could utilize the iPads on a much more frequent basis and not have to wait until 7 of the 15 currently deployed at Springer were made available.
We will vote to approve the purchase of 27 iPads, covers, and headphones for approximately $16,000 at our next PTA meeting on January 11 at 7:00 pm. |
Other News and Announcements |
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LAEF Tax Reminder: Please remember to take advantage of your tax deductible donations to LAEF by the end of December. Also, many companies contribute to LAEF by matching donations their employees make. This is “free money” for our schools. Please ensure that your company match is filed by the end of the year. |
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Candy for the Troops Along with other generous donations made this fall, Springer families donated 330 pounds of Halloween candy for the troops. The donations were delivered to Hope Rehabilitation Services in San Jose for their "Operation Care and Comfort" program. We helped three groups by donating our candy: ourselves so we didn't eat it all, the volunteers who need a job filling the bags, and the troops who will receive it. Thank you, Springer for yet another super effort of sharing. |
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Hot Lunch is looking for a few more volunteers to help out starting in January. It's a fun way to contribute to an important PTA fundraiser! And, it's a nice opportunity to see your child during the school day while earning credits for free hot lunch!
Shifts are from 11:35-12:15, and the following shifts are still open:
Mondays (1 open slot): 1/9, 1/23, 2/6, 3/5, 3/19, 4/2, 4/16, 4/30, 5/14
Tuesdays (1 open slot): 1/31, 2/14, 2/28, 3/13, 3/27, 4/24, 4/18, 5/8, 5/22, 6/5
Thursdays (1 open slot): 1/5, 1/19, 2/2, 2/16, 3/1, 3/15, 3/29, 4/26, 5/10, 5/24
Thursdays (2 open slots): 1/12, 1/26, 2/9 3/8, 4/5, 4/19, 5/3, 5/17, 5/31
Fridays (1 open slot): 1/13, 1/27, 2/10, 3/9, 3/23, 4/20, 5/4, 5/18
If you're interested, please contact Hilary Burcell (hilary[at]burcell.com) or Anita Leo (amleo73[at]yahoo.com). |
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Holiday Donation Drive for Special Ed: The Individualized Education PTA is collecting iTunes Gift Cards to support iPads for Special Day Classes. iPads are the latest and greatest tool for teaching kids with special needs. If you are able, please send an iTunes Gift Card in any amount to: Covington School, Attn: Ruth Cantwell, Director, Special Ed. 201 Covington Road, Los Altos, CA 94024. It would go a long way toward supporting the 30 iPads which were donated to Special Ed last year. Thank you, Stacy Rademacher & Sheila McGovern (IEPTA President.) |
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Lost and Found Items Lost and found items will be donated to charity next week. Please come by the Lost and Found, located next to the instrument racks adjacent to the Multi, and look for any lost sweaters, jackets, lunch boxes, and other items. For more information, please contact Erica Peters at ejpeters[at]chonc.com. |
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Springer's 2012 Auction's Sunset on the Serengeti: March 24, 2012 The auction is just a short 3 months away! While you are doing your holiday shopping, please keep an eye out for any unique gifts that you think will be a great contribution to the list of items available at the auction! Get together with friends to discuss hosting a special party as an auction item! Or, perhaps you have a special talent that you'd like to share! For community donation ideas, please visit http://springerschool.net/springeres/4278-Auction-Donation-Ideas.html.
Also, we have an update on the "auction night" babysitting service that the Abracadabra staff is offering.
Location of Service: Abracadabra facility onsite at Springer School Hours of Service: 5:30pm–12am Cost: Flat rate of $40 per child or $60 for 2 children $10 per additional child (must be siblings) Other Requirements: Must be potty-trained (no age minimum) 75 kids max (1 to 15 ratio)
Sign up directly with Brandi at Abracadabra. She will be accepting pre-registrations until 75 kids are confirmed or until the deadline of March 17 (one week prior to auction). Parents must also sign a waiver form before their child(ren) can be accepted.
It's important to note that the babysitters will be doing this independently and not as an official Abra staff member. However, they will be using the Abracadabra facility at Springer. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this service, please contact Brandi at Abra or Linda McCartney at SpringerAuction@gmail.com. |
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Holiday Cards Fundraiser: It is not too late to take advantage of this amazing opportunity to benefit our children. Tiny Prints and an anonymous donor have offered to donate 25% of total proceeds to LAEF for all holiday cards ordered through http://www.tinyprints.com/storefront/laef. All the cards will have "Benefiting Los Altos Educational Foundation" on the back. You can send beautiful, personalized cards to your family and friends for Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year or Chinese New Year with the added benefit of helping our schools at the same time. This offer expires on Dec 31. |
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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 is the participating restaurant for the remainder of 2011:
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 or Linda McCartney at lm28476[at]gmail.com |
Student Extracurricular Activities |
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Springer's noontime Art Club is collecting pine cones for planned art projects this month and next. We are not currently collecting recyclables like egg cartons and paper towel rolls as there have already been so many donated. Thank you. Our only requests for the next coming months are pine cones, Valentines materials (including used and new ribbon), and air dry clay. Many of our students this month have been able to make holiday wreaths from evergreen donated by the MVLA High School Sports Booster XMAS Tree Lot. We thank them for their generosity to Springer. For those interested in buying a Christmas Tree, this fundraiser lot is located at 1035 El Camino at the CVS/Pizza My Heart El Monte Shopping Center. A portion of the cost is tax deductible. Springer's noontime Art Club is held on Fridays at Lunch Recess and open to all students. |
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The LEGO Club is marking the 2012 Year of the Dragon with a LEGO Dragon Building Competition and Exhibition. After the holiday and through the end of January, students can work on LEGO dragon creations at LEGO Club on Mondays during lunch in the Science Room. All creations will be on display at school the week of Lunar New Year the last week of January. LEGO Dragon creations from home can also be brought the day of the exhibition for display. Two winners from each grade will be chosen by random drawing following the exhibition. Multiple entries are allowed. More detailed information including dates and entries will be announced in January. |
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Medaka no Gakko Summer Program Registration Registration begins mid-January for Medaka no Gakko, a Japanese cultural summer program for children who have completed kindergarten through fifth grade. The parent cooperative program features arts and crafts, music, literature, cooking, social studies and language. Classroom activities are enriched by demonstrations and performances by artists and community members.
Dates: June 18 - July 6, 2012; Monday through Friday, 8:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple in Palo Alto.
For more information, please visit www.medakanogakko.org or email medakanogakkopaloalto@gmail.com. |
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TGA Golf: Tuesdays after school at Springer, starts December 6, see golf flyer for details. |
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Academic Chess at Springer, Thursdays, 2.30-3.30pm. From December 1st onwards. See the flyer for details. |
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After School Art Club at Springer School Grades K-3, Thursdays 2.30 – 3.30pm, Jan 12 – Apr 19 Grades 4-6, Mondays 3.00-4.00pm, Jan 9 - Apr 16 |
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Mountain View - Los Altos Girls Softball League - Registration opens November 1 and runs through December 15, with an early bird discount until November 8. All girls age 5 - 16 (including new players!) are welcome – no experience necessary. See the flyer or Register at www.mvlags.org. |
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LA-MV PONY Baseball Registration continues through December for the 2012 season. LA-MV PONY is for boys and girls aged 5-19. For more details, see the Pony Baseball Flyer |
ommunity Activities |
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Presented by the MVLA School Speaker Series: “Boys and the Crisis of Connection” Niobe Way Tuesday, January 10th, 2012 Los Altos High School Eagle Theater 7:00-9:00pm Niobe Way is Professor of Applied Psychology at New York University and author of “Deep Secrets: Boys' Friendships and the Crisis of Connection.” She is also the co-Director of the Center for Research on Culture, Development, and Education at NYU and the President for the Society for Research on Adolescence. Way is a nationally recognized leader in the field of adolescent development and in the use of mixed methods; she has been studying the social and emotional development of girls and boys for over two decades.
Event reservation requested: http://niobewaymvla.eventbrite.com/ |
How To Submit an Article to the Springer Star |
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Please send your submission to the editor at springer_star@yahoo.com by noon on Monday for inclusion in the next edition. All flyers must be in either WORD or PDF format, accompanied by a brief summary of the activity in the email.
Late arrivals will be included if possible but can’t be guaranteed! |
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5/1/25 9:26 AM