Encinal PTO Newsletter October 16, 2011

Encinal School Newsletter

October 16, 2011

La Organizasión de Padres y Maestros de Encinal

Boletin en español - haga clic aqui

Things To Do

Ask your 2nd/3rd grader about working for Eagle Express click
Sign up interested 3rd-5th graders for basketball click here
Volunteer: Picture Day, Marquee, Basketball, Cultural Arts click
Arrange your calendar to attend PTO Meeting & Principal Coffee

Dates to Note

This Week 10/16-21

Mon: Collection deadline for Box Tops click here
Tue: Make up Picture Day -- Volunteer click here
Tue: Cultural Arts Day Planning Meeting 8:30 am click here
Thu: PTO General Membership Meeting 8:30am TERC click here
Thu: Principal's Coffee 9:30am TERC click here
Thu: Parent Ed: "7 Practical Ways to Help Your Children Attain Joy, Balance and Success" click here
Thu: Clay Prep Party for all helpful parents, Art Room, 12pm

Beyond

10/31 Halloween Parades click here
10/31 Basketball registration closes click here
11/3-9 Encinal Book Fair Safari click here
11/8 Girls Leadership Institute begins click here

Complete 2011-2012 School Calendar click here

Information to Know

Administration discontinues right turn only trial click here
The Encinal Student Council for 2011-2012 is here click here
Encinal's Eagle Express Post Office re-opens in November click

Ways to Support Encinal School

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

Report Absence or Tardiness click here

Dates to Note

Make Up Picture Day is Tuesday Oct. 18

The Make Up Picture Day at Encinal is this Tuesday, Oct. 18. This is a second photography session for school photos for those students who missed the first day and for those students whose families choose to take a new photo.

If your child is taking photos a second time, please send the original package of photos to school with him/her for the re-shoot on Tuesday. If your child missed the first Picture Day, please send him to school with a completed order to give to the photography team.

PTO General Membership Mtg & Principal's Coffee, Th. 10/20

eagle

You are invited!
The PTO announces its Fall General Membership Meeting taking place on Thursday, October 20, at 8:30am in the TERC. Please join the discussion about Encinal PTO's plans for wonderful programs and services for all students. The agenda will include approving the PTO budget for the 2011-2012 school year. All parents who contribute to the PTO are voting members and are encouraged to participate. All parents who contribute $10 to the PTO are voting members and are encouraged to participate. If you have joined the PTO yet and would like to, please click here.

Immediately following the PTO meeting will be a Principal's Coffee at 9:30am. Principal Liner will discuss the Professional Learning Communities within the Encinal teaching team and she welcomes School Counselor Nicole Scott to discuss the school district's new Life Skills Program. As always, Principal Liner will take questions from the attendees. We look forward to seeing you at both of these important events.

Dr. Michelle Borba on Helping Children Attain Joy, Balance & Success - Free Parent Ed Event Thursday Oct. 20

"7 Practical Ways to Help Your Children Attain Joy, Balance and Success" Thursday, October 20, 7 - 9 pm

Menlo Atherton High School Ctr. for Performing Arts

Does it seem as if your children are forced to shortcut today's freedom for tomorrow's success? Would you like them to have the space to enjoy unstructured exploration and discovery without fear of losing ground? Don't miss Michele Borba, Ed.D, award-winning author, speaker and educational consultant, as she shares specific skills to help you teach your children how to survive and thrive in today's play-deprived and standards-driven world.

Please reserve your free ticket by clicking here. The event is open seating. For further information email weisman-goff@hotmail.com.

Register for Encinal Basketball Until Oct. 31

The Afterschool Athletics Program is holding registration for Boys and Girls Basketball from October 16 through Monday, October 31. Questions? Please email Jen Nelson and Dean Wilkins at afterschoolathletics @ encinalschool.com

Teams play against other area schools as part of the Menlo Park Recreation League
This is a fun, developmental league for students in grade 3-5
No previous basketball experience is necessary - all Encinal 3rd to 5th grade students are welcome
Coaches are parent volunteers
Practices start after Thanksgiving and take place twice per week
Games begin in January and go through March.
Game and practice days may be on weekends.

To register: click here. Students must be registered by October 31 to be guaranteed a spot on a team. All those who register will play. A wait list will be formed for late registrants.

Scholarships are available. Please contact the Athletic Administrators Dean Wilkins and Jen Nelson at afterschoolathletics @ encinalschool .com.

Interested in coaching? Click here.

Halloween Parades at October 31 - Families Welcome

Encinal will celebrate Halloween with student parades in costume on Monday, October 31. Parents are invited to watch and enjoy the parades.

Kinder: 11:00a in the kinder yard
1st grade: 11:00a on the black top playground
2nd - 5th grades: 1:15p on the field

Parents, please remind your children that weapons of any kind, including pretend weapons, are not permitted at school. If a costume includes a weapon, the weapon will need to stay at home. We look forward to seeing you on the 31st for a spooky time.

Information to Know

Encinal Student Council 2011-2012 Announced

Congratulations to our new officers on their new roles in the student council.

President: Annabel Baxter
Co-VP: Megan Miller & Abby Goudey
Secretary: Sabrina Watkins
Treasurer: Joe Posthauer

Classroom Representatives:

3rd: Izzy Hinshaw, Peyton Karp, Collin Dunne (2 more TBD)

4th: Laila Thomson-Wainer, Jamie Durden, Ryan Fujii, Bridget Patrick, James Ballard, Sam Wesloh, Emma McGaraghan, Nate Viotti

5th: Evelyn Calhoon, Z Bekemeyer, Joanna Tasch, Garrett Kelly, Juliana St. Goar, Hannah Kopisch, Jack Larkins, Luca St.Goar

All candidates did a fabulous job in their campaigns and gave very thoughtful speeches. We look forward to a great year.

Traffic Update from Encinal Administration

After an analysis of observational data and survey data, Encinal's right turn only plan has been discontinued. Although some of our goals were partially addressed by the right turn only plan, we have concluded that it is not sustainable for the following reasons:

Increased traffic traveling west on Encinal Avenue which negatively impacted bus schedules and could reduce safety for bikers and walkers heading towards the Laurel/Encinal intersection
Increased frustration, increased time on the road, and longer commute routes for drivers which impacted our community and could reduce safety for bikers, walkers and other drivers outside of the immediate Encinal School area.

Although we have discontinued the right turn only, we continue to address safety and efficiency goals in the following manner:

Maintain trained, consistent crossing guards
Collaborate with crossing guards to improve systems and ensure that procedures support both student safety and efficient traffic flow
Communicate with the town of Atherton to improve the efficiency of the Encinal-Middlefield traffic light. Recently, the town repaired timing issues that were causing delays.
Support the addition of a "no right turn on red" sign at the corner of Encinal and Middlefield to increase safety for bikers and walkers at this intersection. This recommendation has progressed through the Traffic Commission and is now under consideration by the Atherton City Council.
Continue to collaborate with staff members who serve on drop off and pick up duty to refine systems
Continue to provide student and parent education events such as the recent Bike Rodeo and Safe Moves assembly

Thank you for your participation and patience as we strive for continuous improvement at Encinal School. The safety of our students is our highest priority and we appreciate your support.

Encinal's Book Fair Safari Coming Nov. 3-9 with bananaseed

Mark your calendars for Encinal's very own "Book Fair Safari" in the Encinal small multi. The Book Fair will run from Friday, November 3rd, through Thursday, November 10th, 2011. Also don't miss our special movie night event for Friday, November 2, "hang" around for more details.

This year, our vendor is bananaseed and they bring us a large selection of good quality books for every grade level in both English and Spanish. Stop by during book fair hours or during your child's regular library time, when they will visit the book fair. Don't forget to help your teacher and her classroom library and/or our librarian and the Encinal library by shopping from their wish list boxes.

Girls Leadership Institute at Encinal Starting November 8

GLI

The "Real Parents, Real Daughters" Workshop led by professional educators is for 2nd and 3rd grade girls and one of their parents. Participants will learn important skills for developing healthy relationships, managing conflict, expressing their real emotions and becoming strong leaders.

The Girls Leadership Institute takes place November 8, 15 & 29 and December 6 from 6-7:30pm in the Encinal library. The fee is $190 per parent-daughter pair. To register or to learn more click here.

Eagle Express Post Office Reopens in November

After a successful launch last year, the Eagle Express will re-open for business in early November. Click here to learn more or volunteer to help.

What is the Eagle Express? This exciting letter writing program turns Encinal into a virtual town with its very own post office, street names and a personal address for each Encinal student. All students and faculty can write letters within the Encinal postal system, and families can even write to students from outside of school. Click here for instructions on sending mail via Eagle Express.

Staff positions are open to all 2nd and 3rd grade students and applications will be sent home this week.

What can parents do to support the Eagle Express?

Volunteer! Opportunities will be available to fit your schedule.
Talk to your children about what the post office does in our community and around the world. Ask them what their Eagle Express address is.
If you have a 2nd and/or 3rd grader talk to him/her about working for the Eagle Express.
If your child is new to Encinal, have him/her ask a friend about the program and locate the green mailboxes on campus.
Donate supplies. We need all sizes of blank paper, mis-matched envelopes and stickers (used as stamps).

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

Cultural Arts Day Meeting Oct. 18 - Brainstorming Ideas

Jimmy Ayo from Spirit of Uganda

Start getting excited about exploring the wonders of Africa on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. We need to start planning now and need a lot of volunteers.

What is Cultural Arts Day? It's a full day event for the entire school featuring one region of the world. We've featured Mexico, Spain, and the Pacific Islands in the past, and this year we are excited to be exploring Africa. We still need to decide which countries, traditions, crafts... everything. Would you like to help?

For planning this event, we need all kinds of help and skills to help us decide the wonderful experiences- lesson planning for cultural rotations, creating crafts, planning for food tasting, scheduling, decorations, publicity, etc. No prior experience is needed. We will be holding weekly meetings each Tuesday at 8:30am in the TERC conference room on the Encinal campus. Please come to a planning meeting and we'll get you started. If you can't make this meeting time, don't worry. We'd still love your help, please email Ed Vail at culturalartsday@encinalschool.com.

Help at Make Up Picture Day 10/18 from 8:30am-noon
Any Time Is Appreciated

volunteer

The PTO provides the volunteers who staff Picture Day and Make Up Picture Day, and we still need a few more adults to oversee the children getting photographed this Tuesday from 8:30am-noon. Please email volunteer @ encinalschool .com to let us know if you can help. Even 30 minutes is valuable.

Be a Safari Guide - Help Run This Year's Book Fair

Volunteers are needed on Thursday, November 2, to help with set-up and Thursday, November 9, for take down. Starting Friday, November 3rd, through Thursday, November 10th, volunteers are needed to staff registers, help students find books, assist students to create wishlists, and replenish books. Volunteers are needed for shifts on all days. If you are interested in volunteering please email Lynn Cox or Traci Christie at bookfair@encinalschool.com.

Volunteering for Encinal Basketball Coaching

We need volunteer coaches to make the Encinal Basketball Program successful. Please contact Athletic Administrators Dean Wilkins and Jen Nelson at afterschoolathletics @ encinalschool.com if you are interested in coaching.

Want to Play with Magnetic Letters?

The communications committee is looking for a volunteer to maintain the school event information on the marquee at the entrance of the Encinal driveway. Time requirement is 30 minutes every other week that school is in session. There is already one volunteer to pair with you.

Responsibilities are to unlock the marquee door, play with the little magnetic letters until they spell something worth reading, lock the marquee, repeat as scheduled.

Email Susannah Hill at ptocommunications @encinalschool.com or text MARQUEE to 380-4405.

Eagle Pride

Let's Give an Eagle Shout Out!

thank you cartoon

Thanks to teachers Maria Clemo and Janet Meister for organizing the Student Council elections and leading the Encinal Student Council in 2011-2012. We are looking forward to the upcoming events and projects from our student leaders.

Ways to Support Our School

Next Box Tops Deadline is Tomorrow 10/17

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 plastic bags if you get the chance to group them by 25 or 50) in the "Box Top" box in the office or send them in your child's green folder. The next deadline is October 17.

Register or Renew Escrip by October 30

What's the easiest way to give money to our schools? eScrip. Last year, eScrip contributions totaled more than $30,000 for our schools!

October is eScrip month so please register or renew online at www.escrip.com. It's fast, it's free, and every time you shop at participating merchants, our schools receive money.

Please note: In order for your Safeway purchases to earn money for our schools, you need to renew your Safeway card by October 30.

Don't delay...renew today. Thank you.

House of Humor Gives 15% of Purchases Until Oct. 20

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: click here.