Encinal PTO Newsletter October 2, 2011

Encinal School Newsletter

October 2, 2011

La Organizasión de Padres y Maestros de Encinal

Boletin en español - haga clic aqui

Thank You to Everyone Who Supported PTO and MPAEF! click

Things To Do

Send feedback about Encinal traffic - submit parent survey click
Plan your schedule to walk or bike to school this Wednesday click
Volunteer - Spanish translations click here
Encourage your 2nd-5th grader to try a lunchtime club click here
Donate a new or gently used Halloween costume click here
Send in your order packet for your child's art by Oct. 11 click here

Dates to Note

THIS WEEK 10/2-7

MON Kids Art Program order packets come home click here
MON Halloween Costume Drive begins click here
TUE Garden volunteer training: K:8:30a, 1st: 9:30a TERC click
WED Garden volunteer training: 2nd: 8:30a, 3rd: 9:30a TERC click
WED Walk and Bike to School Day click here Volunteer click here
THU Garden volunteer training: 4th: 8:30a, 5th: 9:30a TERC click
FRI Students wear green to show Encinal spirit

BEYOND

10/11 Minimum Day at Encinal - all students dismissed at 11:20
10/11 MPCSD Board of Ed mtg. 6pm District Office click here
10/11 Art Volunteer Training 2pm Encinal Art Room click here
10/11 Orders for Kids Art program due click here
10/14 Halloween Costume Drive ends click here
10/17 Collection deadline for Box Tops click here
10/18 Make up Picture Day -- Volunteer click here
10/20 PTO General Membership Meeting 8:30am
10/20 Principal's Coffee 9:30am
10/20 Parent Ed with Michele Borba click here
10/20 Clay Prep Party in Encinal Art Room 12pm-3pm click here

COMPLETE 2011-2012 CALENDAR click here

Information to Know

All students dismissed at 11:20 on Minimum Day Tue. Oct. 11
Life Skills Program for October: Responsibility click here
Student Council election process for 4th & 5th click here
Meet our crossing guards click here
Encinal Federal Hot Lunch operated by PTO - iPhone App click

Ways to Support Encinal School

Buy costumes at House of Humor for 15% to Encinal click here
Collect Box Tops for October 17 deadline click here

Community news and events for children and families click here

From the Encinal Office

Parent Survey on Encinal Traffic

The District and the Encinal administration have suspended the right turn only pilot in order to collect feedback about its impact. Please submit your opinions and experiences on the Parent Survey. The feedback will be studied along with input from the Atherton and Menlo Park Police Departments and the staff who work outside at drop off and pick up.

Please click here to submit your thoughts before October 7.

Dates to Note

Halloween Costume Drive Oct. 3-14

International Walk and Bike to School Day Is Oct. 5

Did you enjoy Encinal's first Bike Rodeo? Now that you are warmed up, it's time for International Walk and Bike to School Day. (Scooters too.)

Parents who walk and bike regularly will be on hand to discuss their favorite bike routes and offer tips on safe travels with children. Snacks will also be provided at the pedestrian entrances to the campus.

Want to help on this special day? Please email Michelle Daher if you are willing to support the event or have any questions.

Garden Volunteer Training Oct. 4-6

This week there will be training for the volunteers who will lead the garden curriculum for their student's classrooms. All the training will take place in the TERC Building next to Encinal, in conference Rooms A & B. Here are the dates and times:

Kinder volunteers: Tuesday, October 4th, 8:30 am

1st grade volunteers: Tuesday, October 4th, 9:30am

2nd grade volunteers: Wednesday, October 5th, 8:30 am

3rd grade volunteers: Wednesday, October 5th, 9:30 am

4th grade volunteers: Thursday, October 6th, 8:30 am

5th grade volunteers: Thursday, October 6th, 9:30 am

Kids Art Program Returns This Week. Orders Due Oct 11.

Like the swallows to Capistrano, the Original Works Kids Art program has returned to Encinal! Click here to learn more or visit www.originalworks.com.

Encinal students have created beautiful works of art at school for parents to order reproduced on a wide variety of items including magnets, t-shirts, tote bags, ceramic tiles, pillow cases, water bottles, note cards, and much more. These high-quality products make fantastic gifts and wonderful keepsakes, and kids love having their artwork immortalized on objects that they and their families use every day.

Order packets including your child's artwork will be coming home tomorrow, Monday, October 3, so be sure to look for one in your child's green folder. Order packets, including the artwork, are due back to school by Tuesday, October 11.

Does your student or their sibling want to create additional artwork?

If you want to create additional artwork at home to order, it's easy. Either create a new work on heavy card stock following these instructions (with Encinal student name, grade and teacher on the back) or else request an order packet by emailing your child's name, grade and teacher to notecardart@encinalschool.com. You will need one order packet per work of art and we welcome you to ask for as many packets a you need,

This program benefits the Encinal PTO.

"Are You In?" Campaign Wrap-Up

THANK YOU

Encinal Community: This fall, we've asked, "ARE YOU IN?"

And you answered: "WE'RE IN!"

THANK YOU to all of the Encinal families, teachers, and staff who supported the Encinal PTO and the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation during the ARE YOU IN? joint campaign. As a community, you demonstrated your commitment to Encinal School by investing in the Encinal PTO and the MPAEF... together. We especially want to acknowledge those families who stretched to make a gift. It is the collective efforts of all families that make Encinal and this district such a special place for our children.

With thanks,

Encinal School ARE YOU IN? Campaign Team of Susan Masetti, Tracy Uyeki, Patty Pflaging, Samira Jones, Elizabeth Ouren

inspire...involve...invest...ARE YOU IN?

Tuesday's "Are You IN?" Day featured an appearance by the Encinal Eagle while students, staff, and parents dressed in orange to show their support for Encinal School!

Thank You From Encinal PTO

A big THANK YOU to all of the wonderful families who have supported the Encinal PTO! We are still tallying last minute gifts that are continuing to come in. We are pleased that we are getting close to reaching our goal.

Though the campaign is winding down, remaining families that would like to still join the PTO are welcome and encouraged to make their contribution. Simply click here to donate on-line or click here to download the form to pay by check. Next week, we will provide more details of the campaign results and how the PTO plans to fund programs and services that support every child in every CLASS. Many thanks for your generosity and commitment!

MPAEF Thanks You!

A big THANK YOU to all the families who pledged to support or donated to the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation as part of the joint campaign. To accommodate families who prefer to donate in the new year or have 2012 corporate matching schedules, our MPAEF parent campaign will run through early February 2012 and we will follow up with families who have pledged their support. Every dollar counts towards keeping our children engaged and inspired with high quality teachers and an enriched, comprehensive educational program. Thank you for all your support!

Information to Know

October Life Skills Program Theme is Responsibility

The MPCSD program on Life Skills continues in October with the theme of "Responsibility." This program is funded jointly by the Encinal PTO and a Jeanie Ritchie Grant from the MPAEF. The book for October is "The Golden Rule" by Ilene Cooper.

The word responsibility is one we use in everyday language but we don't always explain what we mean when we say it. Responsibility is the ability to respond. This means you have a choice on how you will respond in any given situation. Each response has a set of consequences. Some consequences will be positive, others negative. Our challenge as parents and teachers is to help guide our children into making the responsible choices that will help them have the most positive outcomes.

The book "The Golden Rule" focuses on the responsibility we have towards other people. We have an obligation to one another to be kind, helpful and compassionate.

This month discuss with your children their responsibilities. What happens when they fulfill them, or when they don't? How do those choices make them feel about themselves?

Student Council Elections - 4th and 5th Grades

The election season for Encinal Student Council is here. This past Friday was the assembly for speeches and voting, and on Monday the newly elected officers will be announced. Here are key dates:

Mon. 10/3: Newly elected officers announced, 8:15am

Tue.-Fri. 10/4-7: Classroom Reps for 4th & 5th chosen
Mon. 10/10: Student council meeting at lunch in room 37
Mon. 10/24 Student council meeting at lunch in room 37

Lunchtime Clubs for 2nd Grade and Above

If your child in 2nd through 5th grade is looking for something new and fun to try at lunch recess, steer them towards Encinal's great new lunch clubs. Tell them to grab a buddy or meet a new friend doing something fun.

Grades	Club	Day	Location	Teacher
4-5	Yoga Club	Tuesdays	Rm 35	Ms. Hendrickson
4-5	Lego Club	Wednesdays	Rm 29	Ms. Meister
4-5	Games, Games, Games	Thursdays	Rm 37	Ms. Clemo
2-3	Line Dancing	Fridays	Large Multi	Ms. Smithlin

Get to Know Our New Crossing Guards

Encinal and the MPCSD have hired a team of wonderful crossing guards to ensure our crossing the streets safely and getting to school easily. Here are their names. If you see them, say hello.

Alisha @ Middlefield and Encinal

Lavonda @ TERC crosswalk

Shardan @ Laurel and Encinal
Mary, supervisor (sometimes helps out)

Encinal Hot Lunches Can Be Ordered via iPhone

ChoiceLunch is the food vendor for the Encinal Federal Hot Lunch program operated by the PTO. They have created an iPhone app that Encinal parents can use to order hot lunch for their students. If you are interested in learning more, click here.

Volunteer Opportunities - You Make A Difference!
Click here to see an overview of ways to volunteer

Spanish Speakers - Please Translate Encinal Communications

If you are a Spanish speaker, your work translating the newsletters could help Spanish-only families get the information they need. Email Susannah Hill at ptocommunications @encinalschool.com or text ESPANOL to 380-4405.

Eagle Pride

Let's Give an Eagle Shout Out!

thank you cartoon

The Are You IN? Campaign Team

A big thank you to the Encinal School leadership team of Susan Masetti, Tracy Uyeki, Samira Jones and Patty Pflaging, for your tireless work to make the drive a success. It was a great collaborative effort between the PTO and the MPAEF, and your excellence will make a difference all year long for every Encinal student.
A big thanks to everyone who helped with the "Are You IN?" Day: Samira Jones, Tracy Uyeki, Allison Leupold, Kristin Geiser, Susan Masetti, Katie Ferrick, Susannah Hill, Jill Kispert, Lauren Calhoon, Lara Sellers, Priti Khare, Kelly Martin, Robin Drucker, Patti Lee-Hoffmann, and Elizabeth Ouren
Special thanks to Joan Solari for her role as the Encinal Eagle and to her husband Steve for acting as her body guard.
A special thanks to the District Campaign Team for their extended effort to create MPCSD's first-ever coordinated PTO/MPAEF campaign: Kim Guthrie, Shari Conrad, Neela Gentile, Jody Buckley, Andrea Luskin, Kristin Seuell, Elizabeth Ouren, Heather Goudy, Russ Peterson, Alison Leupold, Juliana Anderson, Theanne Thomson, and Kelli Perry.

Garden Harvest Festival

A big thank you to our fearless Garden Curriculum leader Kristi Waldron for organizing this wonderful annual event.
Thank you very much to Betsy Colby and Julie Quinlan for their help with overall organizing and advance preparations, and to the more than 60 parents who either helped prep food the day before or volunteered at stations the day of the Festival, and finally to the many families that sent in food and supplies.

New Motor PE for Kindergarten and 1st Grades

Many thanks to Amy Nelson, Kelly Martin and Sydney Merk for organizing the new Motor PE Class for Kindergarten and 1st grades, and for training the volunteers. The PTO would also like to thank Principal Allison Liner for bringing the vision for this program to Encinal.

Ways to Support Our School

House of Humor Gives 15% of Purchases to Encinal

You can never plan too early. From September 15th through October 20th, shop for Halloween costumes and accessories at House of Humor in Redwood City (open everyday of the year) and they will donate 15% of our sales to Encinal!

You must bring in the attached coupon for credit -- click here.

Collect and Submit Box Tops by October 17

One of the easiest ways to support our school is by clipping box tops from your food packaging. Last year we earned over $1,200 for our PTO with Box Top donations. Please place them in the "Box Top" box in the office or send them in your child's green folder in a Ziploc bag. The upcoming deadline is October 17.

Community News & Events
For complete listing click here

Community News & Events

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