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IMPORTANT DATES
MAY 7
Presentation Golf Tournament
MAY 8-10 and
15-17
Stanford-10 Testing
MAY 11
Middle School Dance
MAY 14-18
Scholastic Book Fair
MAY 16-18
Conferences
MAY 24
Art Fair 5:30pm
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Presentation Shines at Regional Track Meet
We had more than 80 students participate in Friday's Track and Field meet held at Santa Rosa Junior College. Students from grades fifth - eighth have been practicing over the last month on various events, including running, high jump, long jump and shot put. Our athletes were encouraged to participate in three of the four events.
Students left on a bus at 8:00 a.m. and were at the event all day. A number of parents attended and said that a great time was had by all and that our student were very successful across all competitions and grade levels (final results will not be released until later this month).
Thank you to our many coaches, Mrs. Neles, Mr. Minigan, Mrs. Miller, Ms. Amy, Mr. Fitzgerald., Mrs. Della Santina, Mr. Angeloni, Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Jason Burdges (Tri-athlete coach).
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 This coming Saturday, hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of bicyclists will depart from the Sonoma Plaza in the Echelon Gran Fondo cycling event. What is a Gran Fondo? It simply means "big ride" and if all goes well, it will put Sonoma on the map as a great host city for this nationally recognized cycling event. This ambitious event will be put on by the Echelon group to raise money for your Charity of Choice, a system in which riders who sign up are able to select and support their preferred charity. By paying to sign up outright, or by raising funds by enlisting family and friends, participants gain entry into the event.
Under the leadership of our team captain, Presentation dad and avid cyclist John Crean, the Presentation School is forming a team and looking for participants! You don't have to be a pro to have fun. Three distances are offered - (11, 50, and 75 Miles) - so even the casual cyclist has the opportunity to ride and raise funds to support our school.
Expect announcers, balloons, cheerleaders, helicopters, live music, marching bands, epicurean treats and local libations. All riders start together at 9 AM. This is not a race! The 11 mile ride is easy and everyone rides at their own pace throughout. Everyone gets a police escort and the thrill of a helicopter whirling over head. Food and rest stops are provided by Echelon along the way as well as SAG vehicles for support or bail out.
Bring the family and register for only $5 each (requires $50 in fundraising) or enter as a Non-Fundraiser for $25. Children 12 and under accompanying any registered adult ride free! Just email their names to info@granfondo.org. All donations will support the Presentation library improvement and technology initiatives.
Sign up to ride or sponsor a rider with the Presentation Patriots at https://ssl.charityweb.net/echelongranfondo/napa/presentationpatriots.htm
For additional information about the event, go to http://www.echelongranfondo.org or http://www.echelongranfondo.org/faq_general.html. Please contact Janine Cohen, at cohenj@sonic.net with any questions.
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Standardized Testing Begins Tuesday
Since 2009, Presentation has administered the Stanford-10 tests to all students Grades 3 - 8. The Stanford 10 is a national standardized test produced by the world's top educational publishing and assessment company, Pearson. The leading public, private and parochial school across the country use this test.
The results these assessments are used as a baseline for determining how best to meet the academic needs of each student. Homeroom teachers share cluster scores during October conferences.
Scores on the Stanford 10 are given in percentile rankings. The scores are calibrated so that the national average is the 50th percentile, meaning out of every one hundred students, 50 students scored lower than a student scoring 50.
We do not believe in "teaching to the test," rather that the information gathered from the Stanford 10 and all the other assessments will be useful as we fine-tune our curriculum in the months and years ahead. That said, here are some tips to prepare your students, most of which their teachers have already gone over with them in class:
- The test is untimed so students should take their time, they should not rush and they should take the time to look over their answers.
- No question should be left blank as there is no penalty for guessing.
- Students should take the testing seriously and try their best though there is no reason to get nervous. It will be explained to them that the results are mainly used to guide future instruction.
- Please do not schedule any doctor's appointments during the testing week if possible.
- Finally, please help your child out by starting their day off right with a big, healthy breakfast (also send them with a snack); a good night's sleep; and a prompt arrival at school.
More information is available, as well as sample questions, in the test booklet sent home for each grade by their teacher. Please do not hesitate to ask Mrs. Fischman if you have any questions or concerns.
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Presentation Students Excel at Rotary Writing Faire Contest
 Some of our Middle School students recently entered the annual "Jim Thrower Rotary Middle School Writers' Faire, along with other Middle School students in the Valley.
Our students placed very well is this competition!
Fiction:
Natalie Gulrajani - Third Place for "Avenge the Martyred"
Descriptive:
Jane Coneybeer - Third Place for "The Black Cat"
Devin Salmonsen - Honorable Mention for "Mood Writing"
Poetry, Serious:
Megan James - Second Place for "A Step to New Grounds"
Personal Narrative:
Jane Coneybeer - First Place for "Learning the Anatomy of a Goat"
Corbin Cook- Second Place for "The Perfect Inning"
Brianna Lehane- Third Place for "Untitled"
We swept all three places in the Personal Narrative category!
Winners were acknowledged at a reception at The Lodge in Sonoma and will be honored at an upcoming Showcase.
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The HOT LUNCH menu for the rest of the school year can be downloaded here.
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Garden Party Fun for All
A beautiful day for a garden party! Students were engaged in planting, wreath making, kite flying, rock painting, and many other activities. Many thanks to Lisa Atwood and Parent Association Garden Committee for all they did to make the opening of garden season so special.
Special thanks to Ms. Gayle Gallagher, the Faculty Garden Committee and the Garden Cultivators for making Garden Day a meaningful and enjoyable event. Also to Lisa Dedmore, Jason Dedmore and Cameron Frey for the very cool giant spin art project. A big shout out also needs to go to Will Gear, Robert Raney and Cindy Studdert who came for a garden workday last weekend. They got a lot done. Rob Raney and Will Gear along with Will's mom, got more of the panels finished and transplanted some of the fourth graders' seedlings into the garden. |
The Final Weeks of First Communion Preparation
On May 12th at 12:00 o'clock noon, our eleven First Communion Candidates will take the next step on their spiritual journey, receiving First Eucharist at St. Leo's Church. This is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, and is believed to be a means of receiving God's grace in the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. In a very special way, the First Communicants are being invited to come and sit at the table of the Lord. The students have spent many weeks in preparation and study for this moment, and their eagerness is a joy to see. Please remember to include them in your prayers. Mrs. Davis, Mrs. George, Mrs. Fischman
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Register for Presentation Perks Summer Camp Today!
S U M M E R C A M P !
Morning Camps 9:30-12:00 a.m.
Lunch 12:00-12:30 p.m.
Afternoon Camps 12:30-3:00 p.m.
Week 1 June 11-15
MORNING:
Jedi Engineering (ages 5-6)
Renegade Science (ages 5-8)
Yoga Beginners (ages 5-6)
Perfectly Palatable Poetry (ages 8-up)
Volleyball (ages 10-14)
AFTERNOON:
Master Jedi Engineering (ages 7-10)
Regegade Science (ages 9-12)
Yoga Intermediate (ages 7-10)
Properly Perplexing Puzzles (ages 8-up)
Week 2 -- June 18-22
MORNING:
Renegade Science (ages 5-8)
Yoga Beginners (ages 5-6)
Introduction to Fashion (ages 10-up)
AFTERNOON:
Renegade Science (ages 9-12)
Yoga Intermediate (ages 7-10)
Week 3 -- June 25-29
MORNING:
Yoga Advanced
AFTERNOON:
Wire Drawing & Mobiles (ages 7-14)
For more information, visit our web site, pick up a brochure in the school office or see Gretchen Armer in the library! Open to all children age 5-teen. Complete short registration form and pay by June 5.
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Reading Contest in Full Swing
The Reading Contest is going strong with well over half of our students actively participating! Students have read about 11,000 pages in grades 3-8 so far, and about 150 hours in grades K-2.
Prizes are awarded from our prize cart as participants reach set levels. The grand prize (which is a secret!) will be award on May 18 to the student who reads the most pages or greatest number of hours between now and then.
The Reading Contest began April 20 and ends the last day of our Scholastic Book Fair, May 18. Read on!
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6th Grade Girls Basketball Goes into Last Home Game Undefeated!!
Our 6th grade girl's basketball team's final home game of the season is this Wednesday against Sonoma Country Day School.
Should be a great game, if you are able to join us, please come out at 4pm. Congrats to the entire team on their hard work and success so far and to coach Bud McCulligh. Go Patriots!
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Box Tops Brings in an Easy $320
A big thanks to organizer Terry Mathison and all the parents and students who brought in Box Tops this year. With little effort, the school netted $320.
Please continue to drop them off all year long and we can easily beat that target next year.
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Good luck to Monday's Golfers!
The beautiful "Hole In One" car, a 2012 Mercedes, is provided by Adam Kovacs of Kovacs Motors here in Sonoma and in San Rafael.
Many thanks to the Kovacs family!
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SCHOOL NEWS:
Calendar: The 2012-2013 school calendar is available on our web site now.
Bye Bye Birdie DVDs: If you want a DVD or already ordered one of our Bye Bye Birdie show, they are available now in the office for $15/each. It's not too late to order simply by responding to this email.
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COMMUNITY NEWS:
BBK's next musical will be "Hairspray"! Sign-ups are taking place now for the show which will rehearse from August through the show dates in mid-November. Rehearsals are Monday evenings. There are flyers in the school office.
Summer Music Academy (Santa Rosa Youth Symphony): With over 30 years of history, the Summer Music Academy is a proven training ground for students just beginning instrumental studies and provides opportunities for the advanced young musician to excel in a 3-week immersion format. With classes and ensembles for all orchestral and band instruments, the Summer Music Academy also offers unique classes in conducting, music theory, composition and songwriting that allow students to become more fully-developed musicians. The Summer Music Academy, housed at Sonoma Country Day School, is the ideal way to begin a student's musical training and a wonderful opportunity for more advanced students to gain valuable skills and have fun during the summer. Applications due June 1 http://www.santarosasymphony.com/education/sma.asp
The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art is hosting a show called Color Theory. As part of their Art Rewards the Student (A.R.T.S.) education program, 4th- and 5th-grade student work, including some from Presentation, is included in the exhibition. The show runs till June 10.
Host families needed:
For the 4th consecutive year Sonoma Valley will be home to international students from some of the farthest regions of the globe. Between June 27 and July 24, students from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy & Spain will be in the Valley. Educational Homestay Programs (EHP) is a non-profit language travel provider that has been bringing students from around the world into US communities since 1979. Host families are asked to open their homes and hearts and to provide meals, an available bed, and transportation to and from the Plaza. Students do not need their own room. Students speak English, come fully insured, and bring their own spending money. A network of host families is coordinating car-pooling to and from the drop off every day if needed. If interested, contact local Sonoma Leader Heloisa Heinen at 504-994-4159.
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