Geographic Exception Applications for the 2011-2012 School Year

Geographic Exception (GE) applications will be available during the months of January and February (Ma`ema`e Office or any public school).  The deadline for turning in an application is March 1, 2011.  You should consider applying if:

1. You recently moved or plan to move out of our school district.
2. You child is here on a GE and you want to enroll a sibling.

If you are applying your child for Kindergarten or your child is coming from a private school, please submit your GE form to the Home School where your child would normally attend.

If your child is missing jackets, water bottles, or any other items, please come and check out our office Lost and Found boxes.  Any items not claimed by December 31, 2010 will be donated to Kaumakapili Church.  Our office will be open during the Winter Break from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Lunch Menu - Second Semester

http://web.me.com/maemae3/Maemae_Elementary/Cafeteria.html

Breakfast with Your Child

Parents/adults are welcome to eat breakfast with their child but due to Federal Rules and Regulations, parents/adults are not allowed to eat from the student's plate.   Adults may purchase their own breakfast at $1.90.   Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Mealtime Reminders

We would like to extend our gratitude to parents/guardians who have been keeping track of their child's Mealtime account diligently.   We appreciate your support and cooperation!

Negative Balance Notices

Just a reminder that our staff will continue to send home negative balance notices through your child.  If your child's balance reaches a $11.00 negative balance or $2.00 negative balance for a child under the reduced lunch program, he/she will not be able to purchase a lunch (in accordance with Hawaii State Department of Education School Food Service Policy).   We strongly encourage parents to make regular deposits into their child's Mealtime account(s).  

Cash Deposits

The cost of eating both a breakfast and a lunch daily in an average month (20 school days) is approximately $63.00.  We strongly encourage parents to make regular cash deposits into their child's Mealtime account.

Adult Breakfast

For parents or other adults accompanying their child for breakfast, please bring exact change with you to pay for your meal ($1.90 for adults) as we have a very limited change fund.

Recess Juice/Milk Purchases

Also of note, if your child is under the Federal Lunch program (free or reduced meals) and he/she purchases juice or milk during morning recess, please make sure you have sufficient funds in your child's account to cover these ala carte items.

Welcome!  New Baker to the Maemae Cafeteria Staff

Ma`ema`e School welcomes Dale Yoshikawa, the new baker to the cafeteria staff.  Dale hails from Noelani Elementary and worked for a short time in our cafeteria.  She officially began work on Dec. 16, 2010.

We would also like to thank and bid a fond Aloha to Kelli Kirio, the temporary baker, who will be returning to Roosevelt High School.

Christmas Trolley Ride

Dashing through the streets of Honolulu were the Ma`ema`e families and faculty who participated in the Christmas Trolley Ride on Friday, December 10, 2010. Citizens of Honolulu could hear the joyful voices of the Ma`ema`e Ohana as they sang Christmas songs while enjoying the sights and sounds of Christmas in downtown Honolulu.

Thank you for your participation and support for all the PTSA sponsored family activities.  We welcome your suggestions to improve next year's trolley ride and look forward to your participation next December 2011.

It has been a very busy five months of school and I look forward to the New Year 2011 and the next five more months of the 2010-2011 school year.

I have grown as a vice principal and continue to learn more about running an elementary school.  Much of this learning comes from the day to day operations and of the day to day conversations I have with the students, teachers, staff and parents.

Thank you for your help, support and cooperation through the first five months of the school year. I am excited to enter the 2011 year and I ask for your continued support.

Have a safe and restful holiday season. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year 2011!

Emergency Safety Drills:

Lockdown/Shelter in Place Drill

Ma`ma`e School conducted the Lock down/Shelter in Place Drill on November 9^, 2010 at 1:30 PM with the assistance of the Honolulu District 5-Community Policing Team. The faculty and students did an "outstanding job" as evidenced by the team of police officers.  Many thanks go out to the Ma`ema`e Response team who planned and executed the drill.  Special appreciation to the faculty for training the students for we can all be assured that our children will know what to do in the event of an emergency.

Off Campus Evacuation Drill

Through the wind and rain the Ma`ema`e School Staff, faculty and students participated in the annual Off Campus Evacuation Drill on Friday, December 3, 2010 at 1:15 PM. The entire school evacuated to the Church of the Perfect Liberty and was able to complete the drill in record time of approximately 25 minutes.

Once again special thanks go out to the Ma`ema`e Response Team and the teachers, who planned, trained and executed the drill.  The teachers did an outstanding job in preparing the students for the changes that took place this year.

The school would also like to recognize the Church of Perfect Liberty for allowing the school a place to evacuate.  We also thank the residents of Kawananakoa Place for their patience, understanding and cooperation in helping the school to successfully execute this drill. 

School Inspection

The annual school inspection was conducted on December 7, 2010.  The purpose of the inspection is to allow the school to assess its campus to determine areas that need to be fixed, cleaned, repaired or replaced.  The following team members are to be commended for giving up their time to help the school with its efforts to provide the safest environment for our children:

Robin Hashimoto (Gr. 4 and Gr. 1)

Ursula Costorio-Meyer(Gr. 2 and Gr. 4)

Puamana Ninomoto, (Grade 5)

Corinne Largo (PSAP EA)

Kelly Asato (Counselor)

Arsenio Rarangol (Head Custodian)

Donna Tamanaha ( McKinley ASA)

This year, two fifth grade students also participated in the inspection.  They were KH and ZM.  We thank them for their enthusiasm and willingness to learn and be a part of the school inspection team.

(Just a friendly reminder) please check your child's choice of shoes if they plan on being active at recess.  Slippers are not a safe choice and accidents happen.  On P.E. days they must wear P.E. shoes.  Recess can be as active and busy as P.E.

If your child has borrowed slippers or shoes from the health room, please remember to return them. Thank you for your cooperation!

 H. Bedford, Health Aide

5^th Graders: Promotion/Graduation pictures will be taken on Monday, January 24, 2011.

 (Time TBA)  Order forms will be sent out in January 2011.  Thank you!

Nicole Manfredi, Librarian

State First Lego League Championship

Bright and early on December 11, 2010, nineteen of the Ma`ema`e GT fifth graders represented our school at the State First Lego League Championship.  After months of preparation, research, creating a presentation, constructing and programming LEGO robots, the team participated, and was among the final 56 teams who qualified to be part of this year's Hawaii State FLL activities.  Each student worked many hours during class and every Monday and Tuesday after school since August to prepare for this honor! 

As their parents, classmates, faculty, and administration from Ma`ema`e looked on, the team # 5003 BRAINSTORMS performed to a near packed crowd at the Neal Blaisdell Center Arena.  They completed all requirements of the competition and made us proud.  The level of their Gracious Professionalism and Teamwork were only overshadowed by their exemplary creation of a research presentation related to "brain concussions" and how to prevent, as well as repair injuries caused to the brain!  We are so proud of their determination as they competed with over 550 student's ages 9 through 14.

We also wish to honor our first graders from Mrs. Sharon Chun's class for their incredible Junior First Lego League participation!  We heard that they received perfect scores for each of the rubrics of which they were reviewed.

Special thanks also to our two FLL volunteers Ms. Nicole Manfredi and Ms. Kelly Asato for their continued devotion to our teams.  We also applaud Mr. Cody Okimoto and Mr. Brian Takeuchi for again being the State FLL photographers for the whole Body Forward season.  They continue to show what teamwork is involved in this event

Congratulations to both teams for representing Ma`ema`e this year!

Grade 3 students enjoyed a classroom presentation and outdoor experience by Papahana Kualoa in November 2010.  We visited Haiku Stream and hand an opportunity to observe stream life through different activities and experiments.  We were also able

to appreciate a lo`i and a natural spring providing its nourishment.

Technology Fundraisers 

• General Mills - Labels were sent in for November.  The last shipment will be in March.  Please don't save them until the end of the year, as the box tops have expiration dates.
• Recycling Ink Cartridges and Toners - Intrade (847-5300) will pick them up at your office and if you tell them, they'll credit to Ma`ema`e or send to the office or lab. 
• Office Depot - 5% back to the school (designate Ma`ema`e) on qualifying purchases (ask Office Depot for a list of qualifying purchases)  School ID Number: 70027176

The Ma'ema'e web pages can be found at

http://web.me.com/maemae3/Maemae_Elementary/Welcome.html

Parents signing up for digital versions of the Parent Bulletin need to sign up for our mailing list at

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs046/1102482324905/archive/1103610283020.html

You will receive an e-mail where you can confirm your e-mail address. If you signed up to receive digital copies in the e-mail survey, you will not receive a hardcopy of the bulletin.  So don't forget to join the mailing list at the above URL.  If you did not have time to sign up, you can go to the Parent Section of the school home page to see the Parent Bulletin Archive.

Web-based Programs During Winter Break

Students in grades 2-5 may be working on Kid Biz (Reading), Type to Learn 4 (Keyboarding) and Timez Attack (Multiplication) during the Winter Break. 

Go to Ma`ema`e's Web Page - For Parents

On the bottom of the page are links to all three programs and instructions on how to download and install.

If you were not able to install the typing (each homeroom teacher has CD you can borrow to install), the students may use the Grade 2 keyboarding, which is located under the grade two interactive games - called Dance Mat Typing (http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing.)

Get ready ... Get set ... Go! Please reserve Friday, May 6, 2011 from 2:30 - 8:00 PM for our annual Ma`ema`e Elementary School Family Night. This family-friendly neighborhood event would not be possible without our dedicated, hardworking Committee volunteers who have already started planning and strategizing for another successful year. Our first committee meeting will be on Wednesday, November 3 at 5:30 - 6:30 PM in the School Library. If you would like to help on the committee in some capacity, please contact Family Night Chair Michelle Hashimoto at 741-5854 or shellhashi@gmail.com.  Our committee job descriptions are attached to this newsletter.

Other needs for the event include:

• New items for the Raffle, Silent Auction, and Country Store (i.e., toys, gift cards, crafts, music, movies, perishable and non-perishable items)
• New or gently used items for the Bargain Bin (i.e., toys, games, puzzles, books, kitchen utensils, household items, costume jewelry
• Baked goods
• Hundreds of volunteers from Wednesday, May 4 through Saturday, May 7. Several volunteers are also needed prior to May 4 for donation collection days, solicitation follow-up, and prep work.

Specific requests will be made in early 2010 and collections days are scheduled for March and April; however, please let us know if you have any company contacts that can be solicited earlier.

Thanks in advance for all your kokua and wonderful contributions. If you have any questions about Family Night, please contact Michelle at 741-5854 or shellhashi@gmail.com.

Family Night Volunteers Needed

http://web.me.com/maemae3/Family_Night/Family_Night_Volunteers_Needed.html

1/3/11

• Teacher work day, no school for students

1/4/11 

• Students return to school

1/5/11

• Family Night PTSA Meeting in the library at 5:30 p.m.

1/7/11

• Gr. 3:  Bishop Museum from 8:30a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
• Gr.4: Native Hawaiian Plants/Animals Presentation, 8:15 - 11:00 a.m.

1/11/11

• School Community Meeting (Academic/Financial Plan) in the library at 6:00 p.m.

1/17/11

• Holiday - Martin Luther King Jr. Day, no school

1/18/11

• Gr. 2-13/14/15:  Honolulu Aquarium

        Grp.1 - 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. 

        Grp. 2 - 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

1/19/11

• PTSA Board Meeting in the library at 5:30 p.m.

1/20/11

• Gr. 2- 11/12:  Honolulu Aquarium       8:30 - 10:30 a.m.

1/21/11

• Roosevelt Complex Leadership Conference for the Student Council members at Roosevelt High from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.