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From the Principal
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Dear Las Lomitas Families,
Before we leave for winter vacation, I want to thank all of you for making Las Lomitas such a special place. We are so very fortunate to have outstanding, dedicated teachers and staff, children who come to school eager and ready to learn, and a parent community that volunteer to enrich our learning experience. Last week I wrote about community. We indeed have a unique community here at Las Lomitas. It is a community that values education as well as service to those less fortunate than we are. Since the start of the year, Las Lomitas students and families have contributed to service projects that provided Halloween costumes, books, and food to those in need. In this season when giving is the focus, I am reassured that giving is not just for the holidays at Las Lomitas, but embedded in who we are and what we do each and every day.
For those of you who wish to request a session change for the 2012-2013 school year, I will accept emails or written notes beginning Jan. 1, 2012. All requests will be placed on a wait list in the order received by date and time. Those with incoming kindergarteners or Young Fives must submit session requests at the time registration forms are received beginning Jan. 30 at 8 a.m. If you are currently on a session request wait list for this school year, please note that you must put in a new request for next year. I do not roll-over the list from year to year. Registration packets will be available in the office to all incoming students, Young Fives through 3rd, beginning Jan. 9, 2012. For more information about registration, please visit our website at www.llesd.k12.ca.us/laslomitas.
Please note that the office closes at 4 p.m. each day. Please be on time to pick up your children, especially at the 3:30 p.m. dismissal. Information about new protocol regarding late pick up is outlined in the following article. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Enjoy the holidays, hold your children tight, and count your blessings. We'll see you back in 2012.
Until next time,
Sue Sartor
Principal
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| New Process for 3:30 Dismissal | |
Starting on Jan. 9, 2012, we will be consistently closing the office at 4 p.m. Office hours are 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., however, staff often stay over contracted hours to stay with students who are waiting for parents to pick them up after school or for the bus to return them to school.
Our new process will be:
- If your child is not picked up promptly at 3:30 p.m., the secretary will call to remind you to pick up your child.
- Students who are still waiting at 3:50 p.m. will be walked over to the Children's Creative Learning Center (CCLC) on the northwest corner of campus. The secretary will provide CCLC staff with your child's emergency information and their staff will supervise your child until you arrive. CCLC's fee is $2 per minute.
- Students who are on the 3:30 p.m. bus and need to be returned to school will be driven to the District Office at 1011 Altschul Ave. instead where district staff will supervise until a parent arrives. You can call the district office directly at 650-854-6311 to confirm your child is there.
- If you need to confirm your child is on the bus, you should call 650-854-6311 and speak with a district office staff member who will contact the bus driver directly. Do not call Las Lomitas secretaries to contact the bus drivers after 3:30 pm. It is more efficient for the district office staff to radio the drivers.
This process applies only to the 3:30 p.m. dismissal. Thank you in advance for promptly retrieving your child after school and being respectful of our office staff's working hours.
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| Important Head Lice Information | |
Dear Families,
Good news! The number of students identified with head lice has declined at Las Lomitas since a new "home check" policy was instituted at the end of the last school year. In our ongoing effort to lessen the chance that students will have to deal with a lice infestation, we are requesting that all families conduct home checks over the Winter Holiday break. You will be asked to return the attached form confirming that this has been completed. It is due on the day your child returns to school - Jan. 9, 2012.
Why were home checks initiated? After reviewing both the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policies regarding head lice control measures in schools, we learned that careful checks at home were the best method by far for controlling head lice at school....and everywhere else. This is because "wet combing" (as opposed to "dry combing") is more easily done at home. Liquid slows the movement of lice, so a combing check when the hair is wet is a much more effective way of spotting the creatures.
Please carefully review all of the materials at the below link, then sign and return the form. We will request that you conduct wet-combing checks at home two more times this year. We are confident that communication and a proactive approach between school and home will further lower the possibility that these pesky bugs will show up on campus. Should you encounter nits or lice when performing a home check please explore options and begin treating your child immediately. If you have additional questions when school resumes, our school nurse will be happy to speak with you.
Please keep in mind that the presence of lice in no way means that you or your child has poor hygiene habits! Anyone can get lice - even people who shampoo their hair and clean their houses everyday!
Do you have questions about this issue? I encourage you to speak with the principal at your child's school or call me directly at 854-1215. Otherwise, please return the form to your child's teacher by Jan. 9, 2012.
Thank you for doing your part to keep our students and schools focused on learning!
Robin Spindler-Director of Student Services
Please click here to print the brochure and signature form.
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| PTA News | |
THANK YOU BOOK FAIR VOLUNTEERS ... and Hicklebee's!
Thank you so much for everyone's contribution to make this years' book fair a wonderful success! I hope everyone will take great pride in our community for donating over 600 books: more than 100 books went to our outreach students, over 112 books to Willow Oaks, more than 280 books to our classrooms and 100 books to our own Las Lomitas library. Thanks to our outstanding community support Hicklebee's will also be donating approximately $7,300 in store credit to Las Lomitas.
Special "Thank You's" go to: - Beverley St. John and Carol Clark for their patience in helping us with last minute details and on going guidance.
- Sharon Kelly for her constant enthusiasm and for picking fabulous books for our library.
- Kathy Ruwe whose involvement in the student outreach contributed to its huge success.
- Sue Sartor for her continuous support.
- Las Lomitas PTA for using a portion of the proceeds to purchase the remaining teachers wish list books.
- The Book Fair committee: Rebecca Grant, Shari Guggenhime, Sheriene Saadat, Barrie Shapiro and Cindy Tipton. I greatly appreciate all the time and effort you put into the book fair. You did a fabulous job during your many shifts and I could not have done it with out you.
Anna Plume
ANNOUNCING THE READ-A-THON!
We are excited to announce the annual Las Lomitas PTA Read-A-Thon to help raise money for our PTA-sponsored programs!
The Read-A-Thon will run from Jan. 9 - Feb. 5 - immediately upon our return from the Winter Holiday break. A packet with all the necessary materials will be sent home in the Monday envelope on Jan. 9. If you would like to get started with collecting pledges over the holidays, an Early Sponsor Sheet is being sent home today in the Monday Envelopes, or you can go to http://www.laslomitaspta.org/readathon to download the electronic version of the Read-A-Thon packet.
Questions? Please contact:
Dana Nunn
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LLEF News
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HAVE YOU MADE YOUR DONATION TO THE ANNUAL GIVING CAMPAIGN YET?
PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT MESSAGE...
To date, we have raised $1.5 million for the 2012-2013 school year. While this is great news, we are also $800,000 short of the contribution we made to the district general fund last year. The School Board will begin making budgeting decisions, including potential cuts due to decreased state funding, at the beginning of 2012. In order to maintain our current class sizes and programs, we need to raise an additional $400,000 from an additional 300 families before the holiday break.
The Foundation is attempting to fund $2,000 per child to avoid increased class sizes and cuts to our programs. Your contribution is critically important. In addition to protecting the quality of your child's education, you can claim the tax benefit for your family this year. Please give whatever is significant and meaningful to your family now. Working together, we can reach our goals. We have done it before...let's do it again!
Click HERE to donate now.
ANNOUNCING A $60,000 GRANDPARENT CHALLENGE
The Grandparent Community in our District has been amazingly supportive in the past. Last year, District Grandparents donated over $92,000! This year, we hope to raise over $120,000 from Grandparents. As a result, a group of Grandparents have come together with a $60,000 challenge. Every dollar a Grandparent donates to the Foundation through June 10, 2012 will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to the $60,000 grant. That means we can raise $120,000 for our Schools. Double the dollars, double the difference!
STOP, THEN SHOP!
When you start your holiday shopping, make your first stop www.llefshopping.com. Why?By starting at our website, THEN clicking through to any of the sites you use for your regular online shopping (Amazon, Tiny Prints, iTunes, Nordstrom...and more), a percentage of your total purchase (2 - 9%) will be donated to the Las Lomitas Education Foundation by the retailer, at no cost to you!
It is that easy to help your kids while your shop!
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| Las Lomitas League | |
Check out the new LLL classes added for Winter/Spring 2012 semester! We have Yoga for kids, Hip Hop dance, Jedi Lego Engineering, Art and Artists by Celebrate Art and an additional Chinese Level 1B class!
For the schedule, visit our website http://www.laslomitasleague.com. Registration for LLL Winter/Spring 2012 classes opens at 7 p.m. on Jan. 16, 2012, so remember to put this date down in your calendar!
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| Green Team's Holiday Green Tips | |
There are some simple actions you can take to help make your holidays happier for the environment! Consider our tips below...
GREEN:
· Wrap gifts with recycled paper, Sunday comics, children's artwork, or decorated butcher paper and skip the bows and ribbons on your packages
· Remember to bring your reusable tote bags when shopping for holiday toys and gifts, and plan your shopping in advance and consolidate trips
GREENER:
· Buy energy saving LED lights and put your holiday lights on a timer
· Decorate your home with items from nature, including pine cones, pine boughs and leaves - or, decorate with live plants and trees and plant in your garden after the holidays
· Buy a pesticide-free Christmas tree, and recycle it when the holidays are finished
· Support local Menlo Park businesses
GREENEST:
· Skip lighting up your wood burning fire place this year - spare the air!
· Give a "green" theme gift basket filled with books on green cleaning, green cleaning supplies and a couple hours of your time to get a family member started on non-toxic cleaners
· Give homemade gifts this year - bake cookies, make applesauce, create note cards with vacation photos, decorate reusable shopping bags with glitter paint.
· Consider investing in a high-quality artificial tree - they are convenient, allergy free and save money
Source: Green Team volunteers, Sierra Club, Eco Moms Alliance
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| Open Positions: Secretary & Webmaster | |
The Las Lomitas Sports & After-School Activities League, an independent, non-profit organization, offers sports and after school classes to students in the Las Lomitas School District. The League is seeking parent volunteers to join the board for the current 2011/2012 school year. There are two positions open:
Secretary: Position responsibilities include attendance at monthly League meetings, minutes and overseeing the OutReach Program for both the Las Lomitas and La Entrada campuses during registration periods.
Webmaster: Position responsibilities include attendance at monthly League meetings and maintaining the LLL website. If you can use Word, you can maintain the website. This is a great way to volunteer "at home."
For additional information, please contact Renee Baker or Susan Suesser
For information about the Las Lomitas League, please go to http://laslomitasleague.com/
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| LLESD Governing Board |
The Governing Board web page (www.llesd.k12.ca.us.board.html) now lists all scheduled Board meetings and their location, and includes links to agendas for upcoming meetings and approved minutes for past meetings. The site is updated when new information is available, so please visit it regularly. Materials discussed at Regular Meetings (held monthly) are available in both school offices Monday through Wednesday prior to the meeting. Materials from past meetings are available at the District Office by contacting the Superintendent's Secretary at 854-2880.
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Business Sponsors News
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The Las Lomitas PTA and the Las Lomitas School do not endorse, warrant or recommend any of these businesses.
- Remember to mention Las Lomitas at the register and Kepler's donates 6% back to our school. Please check the website www.keplers.com for upcoming events and remember Kepler's has a Storytime every Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
- MENLO PARK TENNIS CLASSES AT NEALON PARK
Directed by Jim Heebner, USPTA Certified. "I teach solid tennis fundamentals and it's fun." Menlo Park Recreation offers a variety of classes and days for ages 5-14. Also, offering four classes and four different ability levels for 10-14 year olds. (Beginning through tournament levels: Red Level, Green Level, Blue Level and Black Level). You may sign up online at menlopark.org or for further information call or email Jim at 650-814-6734 or jimheebnertennis@aol.com
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We'll Pay You to Lose Weight
Powered by C.J. Easter and the Performance Science Training Institute
Join our Human Billboard Semi-Private Personal Training Fat-Loss Program in the month of January and we'll pay your $10 for every pound that you lose in the first month. Refer a friend and we'll pay you $15/pound. It's simple really: You'll workout 3x per week in 30 min sessions with us and we'll customize a nutrition plan for you and before you know it, the fat will be melting off your body. Call or text C.J. Easter at 650-799-9045 to set up an initial consultation.
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Community News
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The Las Lomitas PTA and the Las Lomitas School do not endorse, warrant or recommend any of these businesses.
Holiday Soap Class Need holiday presents? Come to a soap class where you will learn to use colorants, fragrances, and the technique of embedding objects into soap. You will come home with 5-6 beautiful soaps that can be used as holiday gifts. The price is $30 per student. This class is ideal for 8-12 years old. Classes on Friday, December 23 from 9:30 a.m. - noon and from 2:30 - 5 p.m. To register contact Nicolas Plume at njplume@yahoo.com or 233-8947.
Carillon Preschool, located at 850 Portola Road, PV, is accepting applications for our fall 2012-2013 school year. We have openings in our 3's program and in our Young 5's program. Tours are available. Please contact Lynn Sowers, carillonpreschool@ccpvw.org or (650) 529-1335.
Windmill School in Portola Valley has limited spaces available in the 2's/3's program for 2011- 12 school year. Our play based Program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-11:45 a.m. Children who turned two years old by May 2011 are eligible for enrollment. If you are interested please contact Thankamma: email, director@windmillschool.com or call 650-851-0771.
Winter Classes at Portola Valley Theatre Conservatory! Looking for a place to act out onstage? Portola Valley Theatre Conservatory announces an exciting winter theatre class schedule for students in Pre K-Grade 8. Visit our website for descriptions, times, and registration at www.pvtc-ca.org. Classes start the week of Jan. 9, 2012
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| Sports | |
The Las Lomitas PTA and the Las Lomitas School do not endorse, warrant or recommend any of these businesses.
Alpine Soccer Club
Soccer teams for almost all ages! Alpine FC will have tryouts for Spring 2012 for U8-U20 competitive soccer teams starting now. For dates and locations check Alpine Strikers' website at: www.alpinestrikers.org Please pre-register your player online.
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| Newsletter Submissions | |
The Lion's Roar is published every Monday. To submit items for inclusion in the newsletter:
· Email submissions by noon, Wednesdays, to Carol Clark at cclark@llesd.org.
· Include a brief description of the item in the subject line of the email.
· Please include the text (in 10pt Arial) in an attachment to your email.
· Flyers will be summarized briefly in the email newsletter, with a link provided to access the complete flyer. Flyers must be provided electronically to enable online access.
Please note: Community announcements are for local children's events only. The title, date and contact number will be listed with a one-two sentence descriptor.
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The Lion's Roar 