School News
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News from Alain Camou, Assistant Principal Dear Las Lomitas Families, It was an amazing experience to watch the Family Picnic unfold on Thursday. From set up to sundown, it was great to see parents, children, and faculty networking and socializing in a friendly environment filled with food and laughter. The lovely Atherton evening provided a perfect backdrop to it all. I hope everyone had a chance to visit with the Las Lomitas Lion. I unofficially named him "Roary" as many children inquired what they should call him. Kudos to a Las Lomitas alumni, 7th Grader Jackson Yandle from La Entrada, who assumed the character of Roary the Las Lomitas Lion for a grueling two and a half hours. Always ready for a photograph, handshake, and/or high five, he was more than gracious with his time and commitment. He made his family, school, and friends proud. Even his sister, Evelyn, was overjoyed. On another note, I wanted to take this opportunity to inform our parents and guardians about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). As the state of California moves towards full implementation, Deborah Roden our Director of Curriculum and Instruction, has LLESD on track with the transition. Forty-five states and 3 U.S. territories (http://www.corestandards.org/in-the-states) have adopted the standards and California is primed to fully implement and assess them in the 2014-2015 school year. These standards, which have been enhanced by the state of California, focus on a deeper conceptual understanding of grade level skills and increasing cognitive learning. The CCSS align more closely with Bloom's Taxonomy, the mastery and understanding of these skills will be measured by new, more rigorous performance based assessments that I am certain our students in LLESD will be ready for. The foundational work in familiarizing the faculty and administration with these standards has already begun. For more information on how you can support your children and the district with the transition, please click on the link below. Sincerely, Alain Camou CCSS Resources for Parents and Guardians * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PLEASE leave your dogs at home. They are not permitted on school property without prior permission. Dogs are particularly a safety risk at the flagpole area during dismissal times. Thank you for your cooperation. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
News from Kathy Ruwe, School Counselor
This is my fourteenth year as school counselor at Las Lomitas! Wow! Where did the time go? My role as school counselor has changed over the years and continues to evolve. First and foremost, it is my responsibility to help your child get the best possible education. A good education includes not only learning to read, write and mastery of math concepts, but also includes learning good social skills. This means among other things, learning how to get along with other children, making good decisions, controlling anger, accepting responsibility and being aware of strengths and weaknesses. Many of these skills are taught at home. It is my intent to supplement the learning from home through small group and classroom guidance lessons. I am also on campus to help students who are facing particular difficulties. Family disruptions such as an illness, death or divorce may affect children at school. If your family is experiencing anything out of the ordinary, please let me know. If I am aware of special problems your child might be facing, I can observe your child and help both you and your child with difficulties that might surface. School personnel and parents working together is a winning combination for children! Having handed over the "assistant to the principal" reins to our new AP, Mr. Camou, I am back to my part time schedule and am on campus Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to return your call as soon as I can. My number is 854-5900 x267. I look forward to another eventful and meaningful year working with you and your children. |
PTA News
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Family Picnic Thank You's...
Thank you to all of those who have joined the PTA to help fund the entertainment, water and cookies for the Family Picnic! The kids really seemed to enjoy the magician and the Lion Mascot was AMAZING -- a very special thank you to Las Lomitas alumnus, Jackson Yandle, for bringing our mascot to life for the kids in such a magical way.
Thank you to all of the volunteers that helped that evening. We couldn't have done it without you!
Thank you to all of you for being so patient and good spirited while standing in lines at the food trucks. We wanted to try something new and interesting this year. We think the food was good, but some of the items took much longer to serve than we had hoped. Unfortunately, some items ran out early. For that we are truly sorry.
Lastly, thank you to everyone who came to the picnic to meet new families and visit with old ones. We have an amazing community of families.
Thank you!
Jonna Hunter and Cindy Tipton
Family Picnic Co-Chairs
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PTA Membership
Thank you to everyone who has chosen to join and support the PTA. We've already had 320 families contribute so far!
The recent Family Picnic was just one example of how the funds were used by your contributions to the PTA. The children have a school-wide assembly on Wednesday which is another of our PTA supported events. Remember, the PTA funds many of the programs that your child(ren) enjoy.
Las Lomitas needs every family to join the PTA in order to continue to provide the quality programs your child enjoys throughout the year. So far, 60% of you have contributed to the PTA but we know there are more of you out there who can help us achieve our goal of 80% participation!
If you have already joined, your PTA Membership cards are ready and available for pick up in the school office. Once you have your card, register online or by phone to take advantage of the discounts available to PTA members. The following is a list of companies offering discounts just by being a PTA member: OfficeMax, Hertz Rental Cars, MetLife Auto & Home, e Trak (powered by Verizon), Sharp Electronics, Social Scout Identity Theft, and T-Mobile.
Help spread the word and join the PTA today!!
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Holiday Workshop Planning Meeting
Wednesday, September 26, 9:30 a.m. at the lunch tables.
Calling all parents! Would you like to help plan for the Holiday Workshop? Do you have an idea for a craft or are you interested in leading a table? Come join us at our opening meeting to prepare for this fun event. If you have a craft idea, bring a sample along to share. You don't have to be crafty to help out! Please remember to check in at the office. If you have questions or want to help but are unable to attend the planning meeting, please feel free to contact Kristina Valentine (kristinavalentine@yahoo.com) or Josie Tang (jatangmd@yahoo.com).
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Great Start on Composting!
We are off to a great start with our Lunch Time Composting Program. The students are handling the sorting of their lunches (both from home and hot lunch) very well! We continue to strive for "zero waste" lunches, meaning no waste to the trash. In this endeavor, we are encouraging reusable lunch box items as well as recycling and composting. For example, instead of using plastic ziploc type bags, juice/milk boxes, plastic disposable utensils and individually packed chips/cookies/gummies, we would like to promote the usage of cloth napkins, non disposable lunch boxes/packs and stainless steel and plastic safe containers and wraps. Live Greene, a local Palo Alto store, is kindly offering a 10% discount on purchases of such items at their store, located at 158 University Avenue at the corner of High Street in downtown Palo Alto. Please mention "Las Lomitas School" to receive your discount.
We are always looking for volunteers for lunch time composting (Kindergarteners do not participate in composting). If interested, please contact Monica Albers ( monica.albers@gmail.com).
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Apple for the Classroom, Coming Online Soon!
Are you looking for a way to help further enrich your children's experience at Las Lomitas? The Apple for the Classroom program is a way for parents to support their children's teachers directly. All the teachers and specialists at Las Lomitas have been invited to create a "wish list" of items that would help to further enrich their classrooms. Wishes may include art supplies, gift cards, books, or donations toward a special activity or field trip. Historically, these lists were placed in a binder located in the office. This year, we have removed the binder from the office and placed all the lists online. The teachers are currently creating their wish lists and we are finalizing the details to allow for online donations. As soon as the site is up and ready, we will let you know. Please stay tuned... All donations are tax deductible and receipts are available upon request. Thank you for supporting our teachers!! Questions? Please feel free to contact Julie Chandik (jrchandik@gmail.com). |
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Las Lomitas Education Foundation
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Shop and Support Our Schools!
Did you know online retailers like Amazon.com, and grocery stores like Safeway, will donate to the Las Lomitas Education Foundation every time you shop online or visit the grocery store? It's easy! When shopping on Amazon.com, please first visit the Las Lomitas Education Foundation website and click through the Amazon.com link found there to access the Amazon.com website. Accomplish that one simple step, and Amazon.com will donate 7% of your shopping transaction to LLEF. Don't miss this easy way to improve your child's education.
Father-Daughter Dance
Friday, October 19, 2012. 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Calling all fathers and their gorgeous daughters to Jensen Hall at La Entrada! Dance the night away with your daughter to some great music. This festive event is open to all grades. $75 per father/daughter pair and $25 per additional sibling.
**Kindergarten dads, this is a wonderful opportunity to start the tradition of a special father/daughter evening.** (Outreach is available. Please contact the La Entrada school office for details.)
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Community News
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These programs are not supported by or affiliated with the Las Lomitas Elementary School or the Las Lomitas PTA:
Challenge Success Free Fall Parent Education Session: Registration - Now Open
We invite your entire community to join us for our Free Parent Education Session.
The Knowledge to Navigate: Strategies for Raising Healthy & Motivated Kids
September 28, 2012, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Memorial Auditorium, Stanford University
Our Keynote speaker, Michael Riera, Ph.D. joins our Co-Founders, Stanford Senior Lecturer, Denise Pope, Ph.D. and New York Times best selling Author, Madeline Levine, Ph.D. for an interactive discussion about long-lasting success and how families and educators can help kids become meaningful contributors for the 21st century. This event is hosted by Challenge Success. Please visit our website to register and contact aalamar@stanford.edu for more information. Looking for a piano? One of our neighbors, Mr. Frank Kenter, would like to donate his Andrew Kohler upright piano to a good home. He can be reached at 650-854-5588.
Cub Scouts offers fun and challenging experiences for 1st through 5th grade boys and their parents to do together, such as camping outdoors, learning how to cook, learning first aid skills, using hand tools, completing small community service projects, and learning about our community. New dens will be forming this fall. If you have further questions, please email Stacey White ( swwhite01@yahoo.com) or visit the Pack 222 website. Gymnastics for late birds! Burgess has created a class to accommodate our late bird students. The class will run Mondays from 8:40 - 9:30 a.m. from September 10 through December 12. R egistration is now open. To register please contact Karen Mihalek (kamihalek@menlopark.org). The class code is 5510.283.
Alpine Strikers FC - Early Childhood Soccer Programs
Alpine Strikers offers early childhood soccer programs for children ages 5-6 (Alpine Strikers Attack) and for younger children (Alpine Strikers Ants). If your young child shares a passion for soccer and is interested in developing skills with professional coaches, check out these local programs - held at either Burgess Park or Portola Valley Town Center. For more information, please visit our website.
Redwood National Junior Basketball (NJB) Sign-ups Are Open - Sign up your son or daughter now. NJB Winter Basketball registration is now open on our website. This Redwood Chapter is starting its 10th year. We're proud of the positive growth of thousands of kids in our program, and of our NJB alumni continuing to play recreational and competitive basketball. Our focus is on skills-based instruction, personal growth, and positive competition for kids from 1st through 8th grades. Come join us this year for a great basketball experience. The season runs from November through February. Many kids play NJB as well as school ball; it is definitely possible for those who enjoy basketball. For questions, see our website or contact Dan Steere (dsteere@sbcglobal.net).
CALLING ALL MUSICIANS - Musical Service Organization
District parent Paula Hamilton has started a musical service organization named 'Calling All Musicians.' The organization visits senior residential centers and provides music by performing solos, duets, etc. or by leading and participating in sing-alongs. This group was written up in inMenlo this past summer here and is looking for more musicians. All ages and ability levels are welcome in this group. If you, your children, or other family members or friends are interested in participating, we'd love to have you join us for one or more performances. Please contact Paula (paulajhchang@yahoo.com) if you're interested in performing or being added to our email distribution list.
Chinese Music Lessons and Orchestra - Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra (FYCO) offers a unique opportunity to learn Chinese music on traditional Chinese instruments.Students learn Chinese folk songs, folk music, musical storytelling (Quyi) and regional opera (Xiqu). The program accepts students from 7 to 18 years old. Classes are at San Jose City College's music department. For more information, see our website.
U-Me Fall Classes are here! Enjoy a rich lineup of classes in U-Me's fresh facility. Classes include: reading & math, music, art, legos, gymnastics, and fitness. Come for the class and stay for the fun! Check out our schedule.
Register for Ragazzi Boys Chorus By appointment through the month of September, Redwood City. Ragazzi Boys Chorus offers a complete music education through a proven, award-winning choral program. Boys begin with one rehearsal per week of choral singing and progress through a full course of choral/vocal and music theory instruction. Ragazzi produces its own concert series, sings the National Anthem at a SF Giants Game, tours (domestic and international), and collaborates with other prestigious Bay Area arts organizations. No-stress auditions are for boys between the ages of 7 and 10; no previous singing experience is required. Appointments: (650) 342-8785 or ragazzi@ragazzi.org. More info: http://j.mp/N6aVVG. You Tube:http://j.mp/TIRPUF Flyers are in the school office.
Announcing Saturday Camp Menlo
Kids age 5-10 are invited to join us every Saturday for two exciting, high-energy camps that will keep young athletes moving and grooving! Tennis Camp develops and challenges the beginning to intermediate tennis player with tennis instruction based on the USTA 10 and Under program. Our Saturday All-Sport Camp encourages campers to try something new each week, with three different sports available, including basketball, Frisbee, swimming, obstacle course, and flag-football. Both camps are offered each Saturday, September 15 - December 15, from 8:45 a.m. - 12:50 p.m. Sign up for one or many, depending on your schedule. Discounts available for multiple weeks and siblings. Visit our website for more details.
Menlo Mavericks Swim and Water Polo team
Join Menlo Mavericks and continue the fun of a summer aquatics team in a year-round, competitive environment. All levels accommodated, ages 5-18 welcome. Flexible afternoon practice schedule allows swimmers to attend practice when convenient. And new for 2012 - Youth Water Polo! Visit our website for more details.
Menlo Swim School
Looking for Saturday youth swim lessons? Menlo Swim School has expanded lesson times for all levels available at our Belle Haven Pool in Menlo Park. Classes available 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., session runs September 8 through October 27. Visit our website for more details.
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Business Sponsors News
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These programs are not supported by or affiliated with the Las Lomitas Elementary School or the Las Lomitas PTA:
Creative Art For Young Children - Portola Valley Town Center FALL 2012 Sept. 20 - Dec. 8 (no classes Nov. 22-24) To begin our Fall Session we will bring the earthy colors of fall together with art projects inspired by an African theme. We will explore what life is like for the Maasai children and learn the games they play and how much they are loved by the whole community. The making of clay dolls and jungle animals, masks and beaded jewelry will help us find a deeper connection to our African friends. And our hearts will jump for joy to the beat of African drums as we follow Picasso (who was also inspired by African Art) into his world of painting where we will find inspiration from a man who dared to sketch like a 3 year old and spent a lifetime learning to paint like a child. What comes next depends on where our creativity takes us, but we will end with our ever popular art show where the kids point to their artwork with our very big magic paint brush. More info on the Town'swebsite, or by contacting Jeannie Goldman at (650) 851-1914. Register with the town online or call Cindy @ (650)851-1700 ext. 200. Open registration began on August 24.
Dance Expressions - Love to dance? Come Join Dance Expressions in Menlo Park at the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center. Classes are offered for kids ages 3 and up. For more information check out our website. Don't miss out on the Dance Expressions fun!
Studio Rincon - Tap is Back Mondays after school at Studio Rincon on Alameda in Menlo Park! "Tiny Tappers", ages 5-7. "Funky Tap", ages 8-11. Advanced Tap, ages 12-teen. Fridays feature "Break Dancing & Poppin", ages 10-teen and "Hip Hop", ages 10-teen. Kids learn and practice in small classes while having a great time! View the schedule. To sign up, or if you have any questions, please email us at contact@studiorincon.com. |
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Newsletter Submissions
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The Lion's Roar is published by the Las Lomitas PTA as a service to the Las Lomitas families and community. Before submitting an article, please read our newsletter policies.
To submit an item, email Carol Clark (cclark@llesd.org) by 12 noon on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication date.
Submission Requirements: - In the subject line of the email, please include the section in which you wish your item to be placed (see our newsletter policies for the list of our regular sections); for example, the subject may read "PTA News" for any item related to PTA programs;
- DO NOT send the article as an attachment but in the body of the email: submissions sent as a Word doc will be rejected;
- Clearly indicate the title of your submission;
- DO NOT send flyers but provide a link to them;
- DO NOT send pictures but provide a link to them;
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The Lion's Roar 
