Field Day will be on Friday, May 6th.  Each year the classes wear Field Day shirts in a color chosen by their teacher.  Field Day shirt order forms were sent home recently or you can get one HERE.  Please complete one form per child.  Orders are due by Tuesday, March 15th.
 

It's that time of year to select our "PTA Volunteer of the Year".  The Virginia PTA knows the importance of having volunteers in our schools and recognizes those outstanding volunteers through this award program. This year we would like your input in the selection process.  If there is someone that you feel volunteers their time and is deserving of this title, please complete the nomination form and send it to Michelle Patsell or Branton Smith by March 9^th. Nominations will be counted and voted upon at the next Board Meeting.

Recently many of our Shady Grove Cardinals were recognized at the county level for the PTA sponsored Reflections Program!  The winners were as follows:

Awards of Merit went to:
1.   Mary C. (Ms. DiFilippo) for Literature
2.   Alexa T. (Mrs. Marshall) for Photography

Awards of Excellence went to:
1.   Madeleine R. (Ms. Battle) for Dance Choreography
2.   Karlee A. (Mrs. Marshall) for Film Production
3.   Jared B. (Mrs. Gross) for Film Production
4.   Nick V. (Mrs. Sanborn) for Visual Arts

Hannah L. (Mrs. Gross) will be moving on to the District Level with her Literature entry that won Outstanding Interpretation!

Congratulations to all of our talented Cardinals!  Next Year's Theme is "Diversity Means..." 
 

Our PTA is dedicated to many things, including keeping our school on the forefront of technology!  Unfortunately, the PTA can not go forward with a "Promethean matching" fundraiser at this time as the awards were incompatible with equipment that Henrico County supports.  Instead, we are looking to start a technology fund so that we will be ready to make a significant technology purchase in the future.  Many exciting technologies are being considered by the County, including a possible movement to iPad based technology as mentioned in the Richmond Times Dispatch article on 2/24.  When a decision in made, Shady Grove wants to be ready to act.  To kick-off this technology fundraising effort we are holding a silent auction in conjunction with the May PTA picnic.  If you would like to join our "technology fund" committee to help coordinate the auction or have something you or your small business can contribute to an auction, please contact Kaje Stuckey.  100% of the funds raised will go directly to the technology fund.
 

Congratulations to Mrs. Rhyne's Kindergarten class for being our February class winner for Box Tops.  They will proudly display the banner and receive Shady Grove pencils.  (Mrs. Graves and Mrs. Venezuela's classes were 2nd and 3rd respectively)  Our 2nd deadline for Box Tops was last week and the PTA is proud to congratulate Mrs. Rhyne's class for also being our winner of the pizza party.   They collected 731 Box Tops!  Mrs. Venezuela's class came in 2nd with 720 and Mrs. Arthur's class came in 3rd with 496.  Thank you to everyone for taking the Box Tops Challenge this year!  Please continue collecting Box Tops for next year.
 

Our Annual Talent Show is just around the corner!   Ticket order forms will be going home to all students via folders by March 4th.  Tickets are only $5 per person and the net proceeds go toward the Thomas B. Fernald Scholarship Fund for former Shady Grove students heading to college or technical school.  Our Talent Show is so popular with the kids that we divide all of the acts into two completely different shows and call them Show 1 and Show 2.  So don't limit yourself to just one.....  Ticket order forms will also be available at the Welcome Center and on the PTA website.  But you'd better hurry....most of our shows sell out!  Ticket order deadline is Thursday, March 17th.
 

Mark your calendars now for our next spirit night....Tuesday, March 29th!  It is a contest....Which restaurant do Shady Grove Cardinals like better....Moe's OR 5 Guys Burger and Fries?  Choose either one for your dinner that night and Shady Grove will earn a % of the sales from the evening.  Then we will see which one earns the most $$ and do a drawing for a gift certificate.  Show your spirit and come out for a tasty treat!
 

We want to thank everyone who came out to enjoy PTA wellness night.  I think all would agree that we really put the parents to the test with the new PACER fitness exam.  Our participants won great door prizes from Kangaroo Jac's, Skate Nation, Bogeys, Green Monkey and Martins.  A huge thanks goes out to Mrs. Reynolds and Mrs. Amrhein for putting on such an entertaining and educational evening.

If you didn't get a chance to come and would like to learn more about the new physical fitness tests being administered at Shady Grove, you can check them out at:  www.fitnessgram.net/protocols.cfm or www.activitygram.net/home.