Encinal PTO Newsletter November 27, 2011

Encinal School Newsletter

November 27, 2011

La Organizasión de Padres y Maestros de Encinal

Boletin en español - haga clic aqui

We hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving break. We are very thankful for all the wonderful teachers, staff, students, volunteers, and families at Encinal School. You make Encinal excellent, and thank you for all you do!

Things To Do

Share your opinions about After School Activities click here
Consider helping Encinal families in need click here
Volunteer for Cultural Arts Day and Post Office click here
Order extra District Directories if needed click here
Order December hot lunches before 12/1 click here

Dates to Note

This Week 11/27-12/3

Sun: Cheeky Monkey fundraiser continues click here
Sun: Honeybear Trees fundraiser continues click here
Mon: Last day to order extra MPSCD directories click here
Tue: Caring & Sharing gift drive begins click here
Fri: Survey about After School Activities closes click here

Beyond:

12/20: Winter Sing, times TBD
12/23: First day of Winter Break
1/9: School resumes

2011-2012 School Calendar click here

Information to Know

Holiday food gift cards & donations are still needed click here
Families can update info for next year's MPCSD Directory click
Cultural Arts Day is collecting colorful junk mail click here

Ways to Support Encinal School

Visit Cheeky Monkey for holiday shopping 11/26-12/9 click
Shop at Honeybear Trees 11/19-12/14 click here
Mention Encinal at Kepler's and 6% goes to the school click
Collect Box Tops for Education click here

Report Your Absent or Tardy Student click here

Information to Know

The Giving Tree and December Holiday Meals

Thank you very much for all the generous donations that funded grocery cards for the Thanksgiving holidays!

The Caring and Sharing committee is running two December drives, and we hope you will consider contributing these efforts to support Encinal families in need this season.

The Giving Tree

Participate in the Encinal Caring & Sharing Committee's Gift Drive from Nov. 29 to Dec. 13. Here is what to do:

1. Visit the Encinal office and find the Giving Tree by the door. Check the list under the Giving Tree and select a child's request, then choose an ornament from the tree. There is a family code on the back of the ornament.

2. Enter the family code and your name and contact information into the Giving Tree Intake Form on the table next to the Giving Tree. Get the corresponding label from Pam or Cecilia in the office.

3. Please mark your unwrapped gift with the appropriate family code, and leave the unwrapped gift in the container located by the Encinal front office no later than Tuesday, Dec. 13th.

Holiday Food Drive

Donate funds to provide a grocery gift card to Encinal families in need for a December holiday meal. Your contribution also supports the Caring and Sharing Committee's Food for Thought program for the rest of the school year. Food for Thought provides fruit in classrooms for any student who has not gotten a breakfast. You can donate funds online - please click here.

Thank you very much for you help and support during this holiday season.

What Do You Think About Encinal's After School Programs?

The PTO's After School Activities committee is reviewing the after school programs offered at Encinal and is collecting parent opinions. We need your feedback to determine which programs to continue.

What is your evaluation of the current vendors?
What are your suggestions for the program?

Send us your thoughts via this online form as many times as you like, for instance if you have more than one program or child to discuss. The survey closes Fri. Dec. 2.

MPCSD District Directory - Corrections and Ordering

directory

By now you should have received a copy of the MPCSD directory sent home with your youngest child in the district. The data in the directory is pulled directly from the PowerSchool Program the district utilizes to gather information and it is populated with information from district registration forms filled out by parents.

Parents were asked to update/verify that information at the beginning of this school year through the InfoSnap website. If the information printed in the directory is incorrect, or you would like to make changes to how your information appears, or if you're not listed in the Directory and wish to be, please email DistrictDirectory @ mpcsd .org. The corrections will be made in the PowerSchool database and you will be asked to verify them at the beginning of next year.

For those of you who would like to order extra directories or mini versions of the directory for your glove compartment, etc., please click here and place your online order by Monday, November 28th.

Bring Us Your Colorful Junk Mail for Cultural Arts Day

We will be making Ugandan paper bead necklaces for Cultural Arts Day, and we are in need of your thicker junk mail to create them. We are talking about election campaign literature, Bed Bath and Beyond coupons, etc. Please drop them off at the back door of the art room. Our goal is for all 800 kids to have a necklace on the day, so we need a bunch.

Questions or want to help with Cultural Arts Day? Please contact Ed Vail at culturalartsday@encinalschool.com.

Author & Children's Advocate Trudy Ludwig Dec. 15th, 7pm
by Nicole Scott, Encinal Counselor

On Thursday evening, December 15, The Friends of Menlo Park Library will be hosting Trudy's parent talk at Menlo Park Council Chambers at 701 Laurel Street, "Understanding Our Kids' Social World: Friendships, Cliques & Power Plays." This event will take place from 7:00- 8:15 p.m. and is open to the community.

Trudy has been featured on ABC's "Good Morning America," PBS's nationally syndicated show, "Keeping Kids Healthy," the National Crime Prevention Council's Circle of Respect program, and, most recently, as an expert panel member on Sesame Street Workshop's video series addressing bullying. Her books (My Secret Bully, Just Kidding, Sorry!, Trouble Talk®, Too Perfect, Confessions of a Former Bully, and her newest release, Better Than You) have received national praise for helping children cope and thrive in their social world. The author's web sit is www.trudyludwig.com

Keplers will be there selling some of Trudy Ludwig's books and author signings will take place immediately following the presentation.

We wish to express our heartfelt thanks to The Friends of the Menlo Park Library for helping to make this author visit possible.

Hot Lunch Ordering for December from ChoiceLunch

The ChoiceLunch hot lunch ordering for December is open. The PTO hot lunch team wants to remind the parents of hot lunch participants to place their orders for the coming month. Click here to order.

Encinal Pride

Recognizing the People Who Make Encinal Excellent

Staff Appreciation Luncheons
A big shout-out thank-you to Amy Nelson and Tatjana Faruqi, the co-chairs of the PTO Staff Appreciation Committee, for all their work doing the three staff appreciation luncheons.

The Encinal Staff Appreciation Committee would like to thank the following people for bringing in items for the Teacher Luncheons during Conference Week: Amy Heinz, Julia Molise, Lisa Cope, Jill Kispert, Prascilla Crook, Cristy Barnes, Heather Karp, Linda MacDonald, Robin Soran, Martha McCaine, Kelly Martin, Traci Christie, Aimee ten Vaanholt, Teresa Bergeron, Kristi Waldron, Kate Ague, Robyn Wheeler, Rebecca Miller, Sue Olson, Susan MacLeod, Lauren Calhoon, Mari Chazen, Susan Masetti, Ellen Rose, Celeste Baranski, Anne Kelly, Elizabeth Ouren, and Sharon Morgan.

Food Drive for Thanksgiving Grocery Cards
Thank you to the Encinal community for all the generous donations that funded grocery cards for Thanksgiving meals! The Caring and Sharing committee sends its grateful thanks for your help and support during this holiday season.

Ways to Support Encinal

Holiday Fundraiser at Cheeky Monkey 11/26-12/9

The holiday season is right around the corner, so get those wish lists ready and visit Cheeky Monkey. Cheeky Monkey will donate 10% of your purchase to Encinal if you shop between 11/26 and 12/9 and mention Encinal during checkout. This offer is valid online as well as in the store, so you can shop at your convenience. And we love that Cheeky Monkey offers free gift wrapping and toy assembly. Check out the attached flyer for more information.

Cheeky Monkey Toys:
640 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park
650-328-7975
www.cheekymonkeytoys.com

Honeybear Trees Through 12/24: Shop & Support Encinal

Honeybear Trees is offering 15% back to Encinal between 11/19 and 12/24. Earn money for our school while you spruce up your home for the holidays. Please mention Encinal School at check-out and show this flyer (which includes maps and addresses for Honeybear Trees in Redwood City and San Carlos.)

This is an easy way to support our school so please make Honeybear Trees your destination for the tree and decorations that will grace your home this season. We have a report from a mystery tree shopper that Honeybear's products are fresh and she has been happy with them. Open 7 days a week from 9am to 9pm. www.honeybeartrees.com

Kepler's Offers 6% Year-round to Support Encinal

Encinal receives 6% when you shop in-store or online at Kepler's Books all year round. Mention Encinal School at the register, or, if shopping online, select "Encinal School" at the community partners link.

Holiday Baking = Box Tops = Dollars for Encinal

Remember to look for the Box Tops for Education on your holiday baking items and save them for our school. Each one is worth 10¢ which adds up to $100's of dollars for our school each year. Drop them by the office collection box anytime. Next submission deadline is February 2012.

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

Eagle Express Post Office Is Open - Volunteers Needed

The Eagle Express needs regular volunteers to help oversee our student staff as they collect, process and deliver mail during each shift. Shifts are scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays from 12:00pm to 1:00pm. Please note that our location has changed this year and the Eagle Express has moved to the rear of the large multi.

Volunteers may sign up directly on Volunteer Spot by clicking here. Questions? Please email co-chairs Heather Karp and Christine Gertner at postoffice@encinalschool.com.

Volunteers Needed for Cultural Arts Day

Encinal's Cultural Arts Day is a one-of-a-kind event. This year's CAD will take place in the end of January, and the planning team still needs more hands right now. Please contact Ed Vail at culturalartsday@encinalschool.com for more information.

Community News & Events
For complete listing click here

Community News Summary
For complete details about all community events click here

Student/Family Events