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  Encinal School NewsletterNovember 6, 2011 La Organizasión de Padres y Maestros de Encinal Boletin en español - |
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Things To Do
- Set your clock back one hour today for Day Light Savings
- Visit the Encinal Book Fair today (Sun.) through Thurs. click
- Learn read-aloud techniques at Family Reading Night Wed. click
- Donate a warm coat at school through Thurs. click here
- Volunteer to be a mentor or help with the newsletter click here
- Check Lost and Found for missing articles click here
- Make a donation to the Thanksgiving/holiday drive click here
- Enjoy the Veteran's Day holiday on Friday school calendar here
Dates to Note
This Week 11/06-11/12:
- Sun: Encinal Book Fair Safari 2-5pm click here
- Mon: Encinal Book Fair Safari 8 am-4 pm click here
- Tues: Encinal Book Fair Safari 8 am-4 pm click here
- Wed: Encinal Book Fair Safari 8 am-4 pm; 6-8:30pm click here
- Wed: Family Reading Night, 6:30 pm click here
- Thu: Last Day for Book Fair Safari, 10 am-2 pm, click here
- Fri: Veteran's Day Holiday - No School
Beyond:
- 11/15: MPCSD School Board Meeting, 6pm click here
- 11/15: Problem of the Month Gallery Walk click here
- 11/15-16: Holiday Boutique benefitting MPAEF click here
- 11/16: Principal's Coffee, Goals/Assessments, 8:30am click
- 11/16: School lock-down procedures review and drill click
- 11/17: Caring & Sharing Holiday drive deadline click here
- 11/18-23: Minimum days - 11:20 dismissal calendar here
- 11/21-23: Chevy's Restaurant fundraiser, all day click here
- 11/24-25: Thanksgiving holiday - no school calendar here
- 11/29: Order Hot Lunch for December click here
Information to Know
Ways to Support Encinal School
- Eat at Chevy's (bring flyer) on 11/21-11/23 click here
- Thank you to local business sponsors of MPAEF click here
- 2nd Annual Holiday Boutique Nov. 15-16 click here
- For IBM employees: Community Grant deadline Nov 15 click
- Donate to MPAEF. INvest in our kids, Are you IN? click here
Report Absence or Tardiness click here
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Encinal's Book Fair Safari November 4-10
 Encinal's "Book Fair Safari" continues this week in the small multi from today, Sunday, through Thursday, November 10. There will be extended shopping hours on Sunday afternoon and Wednesday night.
Hours:
Sun 11/6 2:00-5:00pm
Mon 11/7 8:00am-4:00pm
Tue 11/8 8:00am-4:00pm
Wed 11/9 8:00am-4:00pm and 6:00-8:30pm
Thu 11/10 8:00am-2:00pm
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. Please consider helping your teacher and her classroom library and/or our librarian and the Encinal library by shopping from their wish list boxes.
Library Volunteers - If your library rotation is during Nov 4-10 please meet your class in the small multi and accompany the students at the Book Fair along with librarian Denise Healy.
Spirit Wear - Spirit Wear merchandise will be for sale this week on Sunday afternoon and Wednesday night. During other book fair hours, order forms for spirit wear will be available.
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Family Reading Night for Grownups & Children: Wed. Nov. 9
Check In at Encinal Art Room at 6:15pm
Did you know there is a fun way to improve your child's reading, writing, and thinking skills while bonding with them? And it's virtually free! It's easy, fun and quick and your child will beg for more.
This magical method is called Reading Aloud and it's great for every child at any age from the most struggling reader to the most fluent skilled reader. In fact, some of the best writers and thinkers have been students who were read aloud to in grades all the way up to middle school.
Studies have shown that reading aloud to kids of all ages:
- Builds listening and comprehension skills through discussion during and after reading
- Increases vocabulary foundation by hearing words in context
- Improves their memory and language skills as they hear a variety of writing styles
- Develops individual interests in a broad variety of subject and they develop imagination and creativity
Join Encinal teachers Maggie Sanchez, Rachel Naishtut, Petrina Jonas and Heidi Yamada and your child on a night of fun, laughter, and excitement as they guide you through the ins and outs of high quality read-alouds and a wide selection of great literature to do it with. They will demonstrate their reading strategies, provide tips to parents and other caregivers on how to get the most out of the read-aloud experience with their children. Then parent and child will have a chance to test out these strategies as they cozy up and read together. It is sure to be a night of fun, excitement, and the beginning of traditions that will last a life time.
Encinal parents and caregivers and children are invited to attend. Kids can wear their PJs since they will be curling up with their parent(s) and a good book. Feel free to bring a book of your own, or purchase one at the Encinal Book Fair.
Check in for children at the Encinal Art Room starts at 6:15pm and the 30 minute adult presentation starts at exactly 6:30pm.
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Donate to One Warm Coat Through Nov 10
 The Girl Scout troops of Encinal School and the Encinal Caring & Sharing team are asking the Encinal community to contribute gently used or new coats of all sizes to the "One Warm Coat" community service project.
Girl Scouts will be collecting curbside this week at Encinal during morning drop-off times, Monday, November 7, through Thursday, November 10. Collection containers will also be on campus.
Collected items will be donated to Encinal's Caring & Sharing and to the Shelter Network of San Mateo County. Visit www.onewarmcoat.org for more information. For more details about the drive at Encinal, contact caringandsharing@encinalschool.com.
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Please Visit Lost & Found Before Purge on Nov. 11th
Lost Items To Be Donated to One Warm Coat
 Parents visiting the Book Fair can also visit the Lost and Found before the PTO purges it on Fri. Nov. 11. All coats and jackets suitable for donation will go to the Girls Scouts' One Warm Coat Drive. The Lost and Found is located on the wall of Room 26, across from the large multi. It is overflowing with unclaimed backpacks, lunch boxes, coats, hats and clothes. |
Problem of the Month Gallery Walk: Tues. Nov. 15
 Please join your child's class in viewing their thoughtful work at the Problem of the Month Gallery Walk on November 15 in the small multi. This is an opportunity for parents and students to see the approaches students used to arrive at solutions to a non-routine math problem. Please refer to a letter from your classroom teacher about POM. For questions and further information, please contact Rachel Naishtut at rnaishtut@mpcsd.org.
Join your student's class on Tue. 11/15 in the small multi:
8:30 Callahan
8:40 Sanchez
8:50 Mathia
9:00 Sullivan / Walton
9:10 Vargas / Leff
9:40 Short
9:50 Merk
10:10 Mar / Campbell
10:20 Clemo / Meister
10:30 Yamada, Hendrickson
10:40 Preston /Collier
10:50 Naishtut / Schmidt
11:00 Flynn / Jonas
11:10 Bienaime / Mattos
11:20 Camper
11:30 Strohmaier
11:40 Booth / McCann
11:50 Barrera / Napolitani
12:00 Hatfield / Chin
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Principal's Coffee on District Goals & Assessments
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 8:30am-10am, Room 33 (Science Lab)
 Allison Liner will be present our new district goals for this school year, as introduced by Superintendent Ghysels at a recent School Board meeting, as well as an overview of student assessments (MAP, STAR, ERB, MARS, etc.) and how they assist in the achievement of district goals. The MPAEF will also give an update on the community fundraising campaign that aims to provide our school district with essential funding. Coffee will be served. Room 33 - Science Lab.
After the Principal's Coffee, head over to the Holiday Boutique if you can. See next article for details.
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MPAEF's 2nd Annual Holiday Boutique Nov. 15 & 16
Location: 1525 Bay Laurel Drive Menlo Park
 Don't miss out on the 2nd annual Holiday Boutique benefiting MPAEF. You'll find one-of-a-kind items of jewelry, kids' items, handbags, workout wear, stationery, blankets, scarves, home decor, coats, and much more. The 2nd Annual Holiday Boutique is located at 1525 Bay Laurel Drive, Menlo Park. Click here to learn more.
Champagne & Shopping, Tue., Nov. 15th, 7:00-9:00pmJoin us for an exclusive chance to shop on Tuesday evening while the selection of our unique gift items is at its best. For $50, you'll enjoy champagne and hors d'oeuvres while getting first choice of all available products. You will also receive a large tote bag filled with special offerings and a prize drawing ticket. Any ticket purchased by November 9th is guaranteed a free large tote bag with deluxe samples and valuable offers. Tickets purchased after November 9th will receive a bag as supplies last. 100% of all ticket sales go to the MPAEF. Click here to buy tickets.
Shop 'til You Drop, Wed., Nov. 16th, 8:30am-2:30pm
Join us for a free of charge Open House where we cordially invite you to shop 'til you drop.
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| Caring and Sharing Thanksgiving/Holiday Drive Nov. 2-17
 From November 2nd through 17th, the Encinal PTO's Caring and Sharing committee will collect grocery gift cards and monetary donations to help Encinal families have happy Thanksgiving and December holidays. Over 50 Encinal families are in need and will benefit. Our goal is to provide each of our families in need with a grocery gift card for Thanksgiving and another one for a December holiday meal. Here is how you can donate by November 17th:
- Contribute online via PayPal by clicking here
- Contribute cash or a grocery card (Safeway or Trader Joe's) or a check (made out to 'Encinal PTO') and put your envelope in the drop box in the front office on the left wall
Monetary donations will also support the PTO's Food for Thought program, which provides weekly fruit in the classrooms for any student who forgot a snack or is not able to start the day with a full breakfast. It is intended to ensure that every student has proper nutrition for a productive day at school. The Encinal PTO's Caring and Sharing committee will be sending information after Thanksgiving about our annual gift giving tree for the December holidays. |
 November Life Skill: Honesty
Honesty is the Life Skills and Culture theme for November.
The book everyone will be reading in November is The Empty Pot by Demi. The story, set in China, tells of the old emperor seeking his replacement. All the children are given seeds and the one who grows the best plant will be chosen as the new emperor. The plant of Ping, the main character, is not growing. What should he do?
The best way to teach your kids about honesty is to model it. There are teachable moments everyday. Take notice of these moments. Point them out. When you have to be honest about something, like a mistake you made, be sure to share that moment with your kids. Modeling the behaviors we want our kids to have is the best way to teach them.
The Menlo Park Library has partnered with the schools in this Life Skills adventure. The Empty Pot is available for check out along with other books about honesty.
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Encinal School Lock-Down Drill Nov. 16
 On Wednesday, November 16th, Encinal School students will participate in a mandatory lock down drill. As part of our emergency preparedness plan, students and faculty regularly practice fire, earthquake, and lock down drills to prepare us for an emergency. During the lock down drill, students will remain in their classrooms and follow standard procedures of moving away from windows, and staying quiet with little movement. Teachers lock doors and windows, and lower blinds. The drill will last approximately 10 minutes.
Teachers will address lock down procedures with the classes prior to the drill. To help students understand causes for a lock down, the staff will share the following:
- Severe weather, including hard rain, hail, wind
- Stray dog or other animal seeming unsafe on campus
- Person seeming unsafe on campus
Questions? Contact Vice Principal Joan von der Linden at jvonderlinden@mpcsd.org or 650-326-5164.
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Recap: Michelle Borba on 7 Practical Ways to Help Your Child
Dr. Michele Borba, internationally renowned parenting expert, spoke recently at CAMPUS -- Consortium of Atherton & Menlo Park United Schools. She included seven simple, effective, research-based strategies to prepare children for a successful future without sacrificing their well-being or your own. To learn more about Dr. Borba, please visit her blog and web site at www.micheleborba.com.
2. Teach Coping Strategies: Regulate intense feelings to manage difficult situations and reduce stress
3. Boost Self Control: Delay gratification, use self-discipline, and stretch ability to wait (without reward)
4. Stress Effort: Praise "effort" and "process" -- NOT "smarts" or perfection or grades
5. Model Goal Setting: Teach how to set realistic expectations, targeting what they want to achieve and how to take action, to empower children to set their own life course
6. Teach Problem Solving: Allow them to solve their own problems and make decisions independently so kids believe they are masters of their own fate; teach bounce back skills to help children see mistakes as opportunities not failures
7. Nurture Children's Natural Nature: Recognize and cultivate your child's natural areas of competence -- not what you wish for them -- to develop healthy, authentic self-esteem and potential talent
Bonus: Cultivate Hope and Optimism: Point out the good news about life; give kids a positive, hopeful attitude even during adversity or when the world around you seems gloomy.
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Chevy's Restaurant Fundraiser 11/21-3
 Minimum Days are right around the corner Nov. 21-23, and we are pleased to have Chevy's supporting the PTO with a 3-day fundraiser event. If you dine in or carry out and present our PTO flyer, Chevy's will donate 25% of the proceeds to Encinal. View Chevy's menu by clicking here or call 367-6892 to place a takeout order. You must show the PTO flyer to get credit so download it here or watch you student's homework folder for it. |
Volunteer Opportunities - You Make A Difference!
Click here to see an overview of ways to volunteer |
Become a Mentor: Make a Difference to an Encinal Student
Do you have an hour per week to make a real difference in the life of an Encinal student? Please consider volunteering as a Mentor!
The Mentor Program provides academic support and expands positive school based relationships for selected students by matching them with a mentor for one hour peer week. Mentors and their mentees work on school assignments, and engage in fun activities to get to know one another better and to build a trusting relationship. It is the goal of the program that the students will see an increase in academic achievement and confidence from their participation in the program.
We are in special need of men who enjoy sports and are willing to mentor 4th and 5th grade boys. Please contact Kim Steere or Mari Chazen at mentorprogram@encinalschool.com for more information. Back to Top
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Edit the Newsletter and Stay on Top of Encinal News
We are recruiting another volunteer to assemble and edit the school newsletter. It comes out every weekend. We also do the Principal's Posts, Midweek Reminders and administrative announcements. One shift is Wednesday/Thursday for about 2 hours (any time day or night the volunteer chooses). The second shift is Friday afternoon for about another hour. Flexible to suit schedules. Email Susannah Hill at ptocommunications @encinalschool.com or text EDITOR to 380-4405. Back to Top |
Let's Recognize People Who Bring Excellence to Encinal
Halloween Costume Drive: Encinal recognizes everyone who contributed to the Halloween costume drive. We would like to thank Amy Hamilton, Julie Quinlan and Estella Mihovilovic of the PTO Caring & Sharing committee for organizing the event.
Encinal Connections: We would like to thank the team who brought us the October 2011 edition of Encinal Connections: editor Lisa Cope and writer Kate Kennedy of the PTO Communications committee. The stories about Motor PE, Garden Curriculum, Student Council and Family Fun Day are informative. Click here to read them.
Family Movie Night: A big thank you to Jennifer Miller, Laurie Scott, and Pam Garcia for setting up the movie night on Friday night. The movie, popcorn, and lemonade were great! Thanks to all the families that came to enjoy the fun!
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Menlo Park Atherton Education Foundation
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| Thanks to Local Businesses for Supporting Our Schools
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Community News & Events
For complete listing click here
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Community News Summary
For complete details about all community events click here
CLASSES & ATHLETICS FOR STUDENTS
- Practice HSPT and ISEE Tests 11/11 & holiday break, Omega Teaching
EVENTS FOR STUDENTS & FAMILIES
- Kepler's If You Give A Dog A Donut Story Time 11/6
- "Stage Door" from M-A Drama, 11/3-12
- Flood Park Reopening Ribbon Cutting and Celebration 11/12
- "Twas the Night Before Christmas" presented by Dancers Repertory Theatre and Menlo Park Academy of Dance 12/4,10,11 click here for info and tickets (featuring several Encinal students)
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Encinal PTO Communications
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Join the PTO Mailing List - Text "SUBSCRIBE" to 42828
Make sure to receive Principal's Posts, Midweek Updates and weekly newsletters by joining the Encinal PTO Mailing List. Back to Top |
Encinal Newsletter Submissions - Deadline Tuesday noon
Email articles for the Encinal newsletter to newsletter@encinalschool.com Email community announcements to communitynews@mpcsd.org Back to Top |
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IBM offers an IBM Community Grant to schools and other non-profit organizations (such as the PTO and MPAEF) where employees volunteer. The fairly straightforward grant application is due on November 15th. IBM retirees can also participate.
