“It’s A Springer Thing”

We had a great start to our school year and part of that has to do with our “It’s A Springer Thing” program that was emphasized in each classroom for the first 3 days of school.  “It’s A Springer Thing” is our attempt to set three important “habitudes” in our students: responsibility, growth mindset, and empathy.  

On Wednesday, teachers led their students through activities that focused on responsibility.  The message was that we are all responsible, or accountable, to ourselves, others and our school/community.  The children brainstormed examples of responsibility and actions that could be construed as irresponsible.  Not surprisingly, students had no trouble coming up with these examples.  We have always had very responsible students!

Thursday the classrooms ran activities and challenges that taught students about growth mindset.  The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset; one where outcomes are viewed as fixed.  When someone says, “I can’t do this”, they are displaying a fixed mindset.  A growth mindset has a person believing that they can get better at ANYTHING through persistence and hard work.  A key fundamental to growth mindset is that failure is okay; that with effort and grit an unsuccessful attempt is a way to learn.  

Today, classrooms emphasized empathy, defined as the ability to feel and understand what others are feeling.   The importance of empathy cannot be understated.  In a community of learners that needs to work together, our students’ ability to understand each other in a very meaningful way is paramount in creating a caring and supporting school environment.

Assemblies today tied all three of these themes together.  Students were told the responsibility, growth mindset, and empathy is what is expected from all of us.  It’s who we are and it’s what we do.  Indeed, it’s a Springer thing.

Of course we want to have our students demonstrate other traits as they learn and grow.  But all the positive life skills, in some way, can be tied in with responsibility, growth mindset, and empathy.  For example, getting to school on time is an act of responsibility.  Not giving up after getting a bad score on a test is an act of growth mindset.  Not gossiping or spreading rumors about someone is an act of empathy.

Posters in classrooms will highlight these traits throughout the year.  Buddy classes, meeting monthly, will work together to build on these ideas.  Positive affirmation certificates will be given to students who get caught “bee-ing” good.  “It’s A Springer Thing” will be the focus throughout the school year.

Whatever you can do at home to model and support these themes is greatly appreciated.  I encourage you to have discussions with your children about these traits.  Have them share with you what they learned and how they plan to demonstrate these traits this year.  

Thank you for a great start of the year.  Enjoy the weekend.

Friendly reminders:

Please do not park in the auction winners’ spots in the parking lot.  Those spots are reserved for all school events for those families who won them at the auction.

Dogs- while we love all of our furry friends, only service dogs are allowed on campus during school hours.

Welcome to the 2014-15 school year at Springer!  We have been working hard on classrooms and activities to welcome the children tomorrow.  I have a feeling we’re going to have another great year at Springer.

Please review these last minute reminders:

Campus opens for students no earlier than 8:10am.  We ask that you adhere to this policy and not bring or send your students earlier than that time.  We also ask that students be off campus by 3:00pm unless they are being DIRECTLY supervised by a responsible adult or are involved in an afterschool club.  There is a 3:00pm bell that rings daily, reminding students to clear campus.

Every day at Springer, we open with a Flag Assembly.   After the pledge of allegiance and some brief remarks, teachers take their students to the classrooms.  We ask that parents do not go down the classroom corridors, known as the Learning Zones at any time.

If you are coming on campus during the school day to volunteer, it is required that you sign in at the office as a visitor and wear a visitor tag. 

Back-to-School Coffee: If you can, please join us right after the opening Flag Assembly in the multi tomorrow morning the PTA sponsored Back-to-School Coffee.

You will have an opportunity to sign up for many volunteer activities.

Back-to-School Night: Springer’s Back-to-School Night is Tuesday, August 26^th.  This is a parent only night in which teachers present information about curriculum and protocols.   The schedule is as follows:

6pm- Transitional Kindergarten Presentation in Room KA

6:35- Kindergarten and primary SDC (Room 2) Presentations

7:05- 1^st-3^rd and upper grade SDC (Room 23) Presentations

7:40- 4^th-6^th grade presentations

Keep in mind that these presentations cover general information regarding your child’s class.  There will not be time for discussions about individual students.   The evening ends promptly at 8:10pm- as the next day is a school day.

Minimum Day on Friday, August 29^th.  TK and Kinders are dismissed at 12:00pm. 

1^st through 6^th graders are dismissed at 12:15pm.

InfoSnap- If you have not already done so, please be sure to fill out the InfoSnap that was sent to you by the district.  We currently have 45 families that have not filled out their InfoSnap information.   The information you provide is vital as it indicates current addresses, emails, and emergency contact information.  If you need help with this, please contact Linda Ripley-Smith in the office at 943-4200.

School Messenger- School Messenger is the system that allows us to email you (in fact, this email was generated by School Messenger).  We send out our weekly newsletter, The Buzz via School Messenger as well as important announcements.  Parents have the right to opt out of getting emails from School Messenger, but doing so prohibits those parents from receiving communication from the school or district.  It’s really an all or nothing system. 

We are really looking forward to seeing your children tomorrow. 

Sincerely,

Wade Spenader- Principal

Hello Springer Families,

Summer is still here but the 2014-15 school year is just around the corner.  I wanted to gently coax you out of summer with some information and reminders about the upcoming year.

Class Placements- Traditionally, we have sent a paper letter home indicating your child’s class placement.   This year will be sending this information via emai by August 15l.  If you do not receive an email stating your child’s placement, please call the Springer office at 943-4200.  

Pop and Stop- All families are welcome to come out to Springer on Friday, Aug. 15^th from 3pm to 4pm for our annual PTA sponsored “Pop and Stop”.  Come view class lists posted on the Multi windows, grab a popsicle from the hot lunch windows, and catch up with old and new friends. 

How do I order school supplies?  You don’t need to!  This year the Springer PTA has purchased, for every student, all the needed school supplies.   In this way, students and teachers have what they need from day 1.   Parents will have the opportunity to donate to a reimbursement fund to the PTA on the Back to School form coming to out soon. 

Dates to Calendar  While you always can go to the Springer website for upcoming dates, please pay close attention to the following:

Aug. 15^th- Pop and Stop

Aug. 20^th- First Day of School

Aug. 26^th- Back to School Night

Aug. 29^th- Minimum Day

Sept. 1^st- Labor Day- No School

Sept. 3^rd- PTA Meeting @8:30am

DISTRICT INFOSNAP – Online Registration

◦Please look for an email from Registrar@lasdk8.org with instructions about completing the InfoSnap Online Registration.  It is recommended that you add registrar@lasdk8.org  to your contacts to prevent the email from going into spam folders.

When the email arrives, please provide up-to-date address and emergency contact information.  THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PTA BACK-TO-SCHOOL ONLINE FORM WHICH WILL COME LATER.  PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU FILL OUT BOTH.

Lice! Yuck! 

Whenever a student is found with head lice, we are required to perform a lice check of that students’ entire class.  This can be time consuming by our office staff so we often utilize trained volunteer parents.  We are required to have parent permission to have a volunteer perform these checks.  Please print out the permission form below and indicate whether you allow a parent volunteer to perform a lice check on your child.   Signed permission forms can be turned in to the office. 

Yard Duty Volunteers Wanted

A great way to get involved at Springer is to serve as a Yard Duty monitor during lunches.  If you have any free time between 11:50am and 12:45pm, and you would like to assist us in making sure the kids are safe and having fun at lunch time, we’d love to have you!   You can serve one day a week or any combination of days that works with your schedule.   Please contact Wade Spenader if interested. 

Be aware of some slight time changes

School begins each day at 8:30 (8:45 for our Transitional Kindergartners).  While this time is not a change, please keep in mind that all Kinder classes will be arriving at this time- which means more cars in the parking lot.  Please plan accordingly.  And, as always, drive safely.  

If you have a 3^rd grader, the dismissal time is now at 2:45pm- beginning this year. 

Lastly,

We are looking for another great year at Springer.  Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Sincerely,

Wade Spenader- Principal 

In just a few short days the campus will grow quieter as we head off to summer break (well, that's not exactly true as we will be hosting Decathlon Summer Sports camp here all summer).   Summer break serves as the transition between the end of a successful year of learning and the build-up to exciting things to come for the next school year.

One of the aspects I enjoy most about summer is the opportunity to "slow down" a bit.  And, during these restful times, my summer reading list gets serious attention.  One book I highly recommend to put on your summer reading list, is called Mindset by Carol S. Dweck.  The book's basic premise is that people can fulfill their unlimited potential simply by adopting a growth mindset.  The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixedmindset; one that pre-determines expectations.  A growth mindset allows individuals to improve in all areas of their lives because it sets within a person the notion that every thing can be learned and improved upon with hard work and effort.  The impact of this concept is obvious in education.  It helps us work with the child who says, "I'm no good at math" (a definite fixed mindset).  This book is a great read for educators, parents, or anyone.  I have found great value in it in my own personal life and I recommend it as a summer read.  In fact, I bought a copy for all of Springer's teachers.

I want to wish all of the Springer community a wonderful summer. I also want to give thanks for all that you do to make Springer a special place.  It is truly an honor to be principal of such an outstanding community, filled with dedicated, caring, and gifted people who give so much for the betterment of our students.  

Have a great summer.

Sincerely,
Wade

Looking at Next School Year

I am very proud to announce the following staffing for next year.  (Please keep in mind this is tentative, as things in life can change.)  Take note, also, of the start and stop times as there are changes in Kindergarten and Third Grade.

Kindergarten: 8:30-2:15 (extended day begins 9/15)

Transitional Kindergarten Room KA- Laura Bence  (8:45-2:15- extended day begins 9/15)
Kindergarten- Room KB Linda Mooers,
Room 6-Coleen Crew
Room 5- Autumn Hancock

1st Grade: 8:30-2:25
Room 1-Chris Goldner
Room 4- Melanie de Monet
Room 8- Shauna Fulcher

2nd Grade: 8:30-2:25
Room 3- Kim Bain
Room 7- Kim Farwell
Room 12- Malia Lammay/Michelle Hayden

3rd Grade: 8:30- 2:45*
Room 9- Andrea Jones
Room 10- Natalie Cannon
Room 11- Kathy Panec
*new dismissal time for 3^rd

4th Grade: 8:30-2:45
Room 13- Kelly McLean
Room 16- Jessica Millman
Room 18- Judi Hultberg

5th Grade: 8:30-2:45
Room 14- Elise Heiting
Room 15- Jennifer Van Dyken
Room 20- Christina Shilling (to be married this summer and she will become Mrs. Buck)

6th Grade: 8:30-2:45
Room 17- Alison Mort
Room 21- Julie Present
Room 22- Beth Rubinstein

STEM:
Joanie Craddock

SDC:
Primary- Room 2- Diane Sasaki (follows 1-2^nd, and 3^rd grade times)
Upper- Room 23- Debarati Sen  (follows 4^th-6^th grade times)

Resource:
Ashley Morris

Speech Therapist:
Carol Rossi

School Psychologist:
Kathy Hartley

As you can see, there will be some room changes for next year to accommodate the Extended Day Kinder program.  And, you will see two new teachers at Springer in August.

Natalie Cannon is currently teaching 3rd grade at Santa Rita.  Due to a reduction in class sections over there, I'm pleased to bring Natalie over to Springer.  I had the opportunity to observe her back in December.  I was very impressed with her instruction and the connections she makes with her students.

Elise Heiting joins our 5th grade team as Andrea Jones moves to 3rd grade.  Elise is currently teaching a 3/4 combo class in La Honda.  She is excited to join our staff and possesses the LASD mindset we look for in new hires.   I know both Elise and Natalie will be great additions to our staff.

Students and their families will be notified of their class placement the week of August 11^th.  Class lists will be posted on the multi windows on August 15^th.  We invite all families to our annual “Pop and Stop” on that day.

All students will be receiving their classroom supplies on the first day of school, funded by Springer’s PTA.  Parents will have the opportunity to donate to the school supply fund via PTA’s annual Back-to-School form.

There is very little change in teachers at Springer and that's a good thing!  It signals a strong staff dynamic.  As I begin my 6th year as Principal of Springer, I am excited for the opportunity to continue to move the school closer to the goal of revolutionizing learning for all students.

Regards,
Wade Spenader

Honoring Two Fine Teachers

It's funny how circular life can be.   Many of you know that prior to becoming principal of Springer, I was a history teacher at Blach for 15 years.   So, when I came over to take over the helm at Springer, one thing that I was struck by the realization that I actually taught a number of our staff's own children while at Blach.  At the beginning of my career at Springer, I could count no less than 9 staff members whose own children spent time in my classroom at Blach.  I thought this was a great connection; to know these Springer faculty members first, as parents, and then as colleagues.

I had the great pleasure of teaching both Mrs. Marie Smith's and Mrs. Barbara Hennings' sons while at Blach. Then, I had the even greater pleasure to work with Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Hennings here at Springer over the last 5 years.   And now, the circle of life has me being the last principal that these two exemplary educators have worked with.   Please join me in wishing both Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Hennings a happy and successful journey--as both will be retiring at the end of this year.

Both Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Hennings are skilled, caring, dedicated and outstanding teachers.  The impact they have made on the lives of so many children cannot be measured.  They will be able to look back on their teaching careers knowing that they gave their all to their students through loving support, while pushing them to do their best.  Their former students know the quality of teacher they had if they spent a year in either Mrs. Smith's or Mrs. Hennings' classroom.  A common sight on campus is to see their former students finding their teacher and giving them a hug.   I know the Springer community will miss them greatly.  I know I will as a principal, friend, and former teacher of their own children.

I will announce staffing for the 2014-15 school year in a couple of weeks.  

Have a great weekend.

Personal Best

If you had a chance to get out to the 54th Annual LASD Junior Olympics last Saturday, I'm sure you felt the sense of community, friendly competitive atmosphere, and overall fun of the event.  The volunteer hours, not just from our own Springer Junior Olympics Committee, but from all of our elementary schools is truly awe-inspiring.  The entire day is so well organized.  It really is an impressive endeavor.

There are so many warm feelings throughout the entire day that flow through me at each Junior Olympics.  Springer pride is at its height when we walk into the stadium during the Opening Ceremonies.  I always try to get to the field early to watch our students run longest run of the day, the 1320!  I admire our students who get up so early to push themselves through, what I consider, the toughest event.  When students run to me and tell me about what they accomplished in the softball throw or the jump rope or the basketball shot, I share their sense of accomplishment.  It really is about personal best.  

The great thing about personal best is that no one can define it for us.  We are the only ones to know if we achieved our personal best--based on our practice and effort.  I was so proud to see our student athletes reach their personal best, doing so while displaying immense spirit and sportsmanship.  Springer really stood out on Saturday!

I want to personally thank Springer's Junior Olympics Committee.  Much appreciation goes to Wendy Sarathy, Christa Kidwell, Katie Cowley, Jenny Jun and Julie McCullough.  A huge thank you goes out to our parent coaches as well who came out and worked with the students for weeks before the big event.

Have a great weekend,

Wade

Principal's Letter- Important PTA meeting coming up.

In my many conversations with parents, one topic has been bubbling to the surface quite a bit recently- the enrollment growth of our district.  Springer isn’t the only school where this issue is a concern.   For this reason, LASD Administration and Board is seeking feedback regarding a potential bond measure.  Please see Superintendent Jeff Baier’s message below:
 

Preserving Our Small Schools:  A Potential Bond Measure

In the last decade, student enrollment in our local public schools has increased by more than 25%.  The current enrollment is as high as it was in the 1970s, when our school district had twelve sites instead of nine, as we do currently.  

To accommodate growing enrollment, preserve our small schools, complete basic repairs to keep our schools well-maintained and to provide updated learning technology, the Los Altos School District is considering placing a bond measure on the November 2014 ballot.  The potential $150 million bond would cost property owners no more than $30 per $100,000 of assessed valuation (not market) annually.  

Learn More at our PTA Meeting on May 7th at 8:45am.

To provide information and seek your input about the potential bond and the projects it could complete at our school, our Superintendent, Jeff Baier and a member of the Board will be hosting a parent coffee for all to attend on May 7th, at 8:45.   I hope you all will join me to learn more about this important issue facing our school community.

Junior Olympics tomorrow at Mountain View High School.  Come out and cheer on the Stingers as our 4^th-6^th graders compete in a variety of field events.  I hope to see you out there.

Go Stingers!
 
Wade Spenader

Enjoy a well-deserved break!

Congratulations to all for making it to Spring Break.  I sincerely hope that you all find some peace and rest- which I believe is so needed in this hectic, fast-paced area where we live.  

One of the best elements of a respite is the chance to reflect on what has been accomplished, and to gear up for the next set of challenges.   This community should feel good about a wonderful Open House.  Last evening's event was one of the most attended in years.  The excitement and pride the students exhibited as they "showed off" their school was evident.   

Everyone should feel good about last month's Auction- which raised well-over the anticipated goal.   It really is amazing what a dedicated group of parents and teachers can do for the betterment of their children.  There really is no community like this one.

So, we all could use a break to recharge and refresh.  When we return, we'll get back to the busy work of educating our outstanding students while simultaneously preparing for the upcoming school year.   

Have a wonderful week and feel good about what we all do!

Regards, 

Wade Spenader

Safety Reminder:  If you are volunteering to work as a crossing guard, we ask that you, at all times, remain vigilant and watchful.  Our children our depending on you to keep them safe.

My long commute home gives me the "down time" I need to reflect on each busy day. I always make sure I spend some of that time thinking about the positives I saw during the day. Imagine my drive last Thursday night, coming home from our annual Science Fair.

There were so many great take-aways for me from that evening. Sure, the student work impressed me.  And I'm continually amazed at the huge turn-out we have each Science Fair evening. But I want to highlight a couple of "aha's" for me from the Science Fair.

The first one came from overhearing a student-to-student conversation. Two students were sharing with each other their experiments, what went well, and what did not. This was not an adult-directed conversation, but rather a completely organic, COLLABORATIVE conversation about their work.  One student lamented that her hypothesis was wrong; that her findings did not match what she Mthought was going to happen in the experiment. The other student said, "That's what I like about the science fair. It's Ok to be wrong about what you thought. In fact, I think that's the point."

I wanted to interject right then and bellow a hearty, "YESSSS." What a great moment. For a student to express that we don't always come up with the right, or expected, answer AND that it is perfectly OK not to do so. Her positive viewpoint on this is part of the growth mindset we want to instill in our students. It is vital to teach our children that when the desired or expected outcome doesn't materialize, there is still valuable learning in the process.   

The second take-away came in the afternoon. As I was helping to put participation certificates on the science boards, I was able to be a witness to the pack of judges who were beginning their deliberation on which experiments should receive awards. With the students back in their classrooms, each team of judges were free to walk around to the exhibits, re-examine them and then make their arguments to the team members about where they thought the experiment should place.  It was gratifying to hear many of the judges cite their earlier conversations with the students. One judge noted that a student so thoroughly went through his reasoning when coming to his findings that the judge got lost in the content. "This kid really knew his stuff."

I can't thank our judges enough. We had over 40 of them (yes, 40!!!) who not only donated their time, but also strongly contributed to the scientific process for our students by asking critical thinking questions and thoroughly examining each 4^th - 6^th grade experiment. It was yet another awesome example of community support at Springer.