From the Principal
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Dear La Entrada Community,
We have had a very busy September and October. Some of the things that have happened since I last wrote include: finishing the magazine sale, our annual family picnic, our first dance of the year, and our 5th grade trip to Outdoor Education. We truly appreciate all the effort that people put in so that these things could happen.
Staff Development Days
I thought I would give you a synopsis of some of the work that was going on during Thursday and Friday of this past week. (October 7 and 8)
I know that from a parent's perspective, these staff development days can be a gift or another thing to juggle. When we look at the long term benefit of giving our professional educators time to refine, dialogue and study, it is well worth the two days per year that we have.
Quarters/Trimesters/and Conferences
Our fourth and fifth graders' school year is divided into three, 12-week trimesters. Our sixth through eighth graders' school year is divided into four, 9-week quarters. Because both the first quarter and first trimester are getting close to ending, it is time to start thinking about teacher/parent conferences.
Conferences are during the week of November 9-12. The teachers are excited and looking forward to spending time with you discussing your child's progress in class. Students will be released from school at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday of that week.
Thursday, November 11th, is a holiday.
4th and 5th Grade Conferences
These conferences are scheduled through the individual teacher. If you have not already had communication regarding conferences, it will be coming out shortly.
6th - 8th Grade Conferences are scheduled Online!
Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on November 8, 9, 10, and 12. As you can imagine, with each student having up to 8 different teachers, and the teachers only having four half days for conferencing, it would be impossible to have enough time slots for every teacher to meet with every parent of the students s/he teaches. Please keep this in mind as you are scheduling your conferences.
PTC Wizard is a web based parent/teacher conference scheduling system. Parents can create and manage their conference schedules in an easy and time efficient manner.
Here is what you need to do to schedule a parent/teacher conference:
- Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, October 25.
- Login to https://llesdms.ptcwizard.com
- You will first need to register and enter the names of your 6th-8th grade children.
- Follow the steps and the program will instruct you on how to choose a child, choose a teacher and set a time for the conference.
- When you have finished scheduling, a confirmation email will be sent to you.
- Conference availability closes at 2pm on the school day prior to the conference. Registration for conferences on Monday, November 8 closes at 2pm on Friday, November 5. Registration for conferences on Tuesday, November 9 closes at 2pm on Monday, November 8. Registration for conferences on Wednesday, November 10, closes at 2pm on Tuesday, November 9. Registration for conferences on Friday, November 12 closes at 2pm on Wednesday, November 10.
- If a teacher's time slots are full, please call the office. We will keep a wait list.
- If for any reason the online system does not seem to be working for you, please call the office and Mrs. Rudge or Mrs. Stosz will assist you.
- Because space is limited, please login and cancel any conference that you will not be able to attend. If you need to cancel after registration has closed for that day, you will need to call the school office.
- The school office number is 650-854-3962.
Special Note for 8th grade Parents:
Fehmeen Picetti (English), and Patrick Kelly (Social Studies) will be holding conferences together. On the online teacher list, they are listed as "8th Grade Team".
ACS - Free Psychotherapy Services at La Entrada
Is your child going through a difficult transition? Do you notice any behavioral changes? Maybe they're going through growing pains? La Entrada is proud to offer free psychotherapy services to all of our students, regardless of their financial situation. The services are provided by Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS), a nonprofit organization that delivers strength-based psychotherapy in middle schools and high schools. Students meet one-on-one with a therapist once a week at school during school hours. Some of the issues that are frequently addressed are:
* Sadness
* Anxiety
* Grief
* Interpersonal difficulties
* Self-esteem
* Stress
The ACS counselors take a personal growth approach in working with each child, with a focus on empowerment. ACS' office is located in Room 7. Feel free to drop by Tuesday through Friday to find out more about their services, or you can contact them at (650) 854-3962 x 218. ACS will also be offering free group psychotherapy for children dealing with issues of personal growth, divorce, and dealing with loss. The groups will meet once a week during lunch.
Menlo Atherton Information Night
Matt Zito (MA's Principal) and guests will be here on Tuesday, October 26 at 7pm in MUR for an informational gathering about Menlo Atherton High School.
Coffee with the Principal
"Coffee with the Principal" is an informal gathering where we can discuss educational issues or just things happening at school. Our first coffee for the year is scheduled for Monday, October 25 at 1:30 pm. We will meet in the MUR.
If you can't make this one, here are some other scheduled coffee times:
Monday, January 10, at 7pm
Monday, March 7, at 9:15am
Warmest Regards,
Larry Thomas
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From the Assistant Principal
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What's Up in ELD?
Presently, about 80 students at LE have English as their second language. The primary languages are quite diverse. They include Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Farsi, Filipino, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Tongan, and Vietnamese. While most of these students are fluent in English, about 25 students receive ELD. ELD in all grades employs "Language!", a curriculum that dovetails core curriculum, especially in writing and vocabulary. "Language!" methodically teaches six drills every week beginning with phonemic awareness. First, students warm up with letter and word tiles as well as diagrams for proper tongue placement. A 5-minute word recognition and spelling lesson follows, with a morphology drill after that. Morphology lessons use Greek and Latin roots as well as vocabulary words from social studies and science. The 4th drill, grammar, teaches correct usage of words and phrases. This all leads up to the fifth drill, reading combined with listening. Listening is the stronger skill when acquiring a second language so confidence is built when the drill combines listening with reading fundamentals. Lastly, writing, the apex of language fluency, is taught in conjunction with speaking drills, the beginning of language comprehension.
For 4th-5th grade ELD students, the six drills are taught in 40-minute classes on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in room 52. Mrs. Tinkham is the instructor. Mrs. Tinkham also "pushes in" to 4th and 5th grade classrooms during Language Arts and RSP. Also, teachers can reserve extra "push-in" assistance on days when their ELD students are using the computer lab or library.
The 6th-8th grade ELD students receive one period of "Language!" instruction daily from Ms. Sabo. Ms. Sabo carefully reviews students' writing and fosters their ability to edit and revise their assignments. She also articulates regularly with classroom teachers in all subjects to monitor ELD students' progress and ensure their success.
Parents of ELD students are invited and encouraged to attend our district's monthly District English Language Advisory Committee ( DELAC) meetings. We currently have four parents of ELD students elected to the DELAC committee, but any parent is welcome to join us for the meetings! Our first DELAC Meeting will be here at La Entrada School in our library on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010 at 6pm. | |
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PTA News
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SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES FORUM
You should have received an invitation to attend the Candidates' forum last week. The La Entrada PTA is sponsoring this event with the Las Lomitas PTA. For the first time in nearly a decade, we have a contested election for the school board. With four intelligent and accomplished candidates running for three seats, we hope this forum will allow the candidates a chance differentiate themselves and allow our community and voters a chance to hear and learn from them. The district is facing challenges from increasing enrollment and decreasing revenue that the new board will need to address. Please join us tonight, Monday, October 18 at 7pm in Cano Hall. If you have a question you think we should ask our candidates, please submit it here. More information about our candidates can be found at http://www.smartvoter.org/2010/11/02/ca/sm/race/5018/ If you are a United States citizen and not registered to vote in San Mateo County, you may register to vote online through October 18 at https://www.sos.ca.gov/nvrc/fedform/.
ART NOTE CARD ORDER FORMS ARE DUE THIS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20!
Please support the art and music programs at La Entrada by purchasing cards made from your children's drawings. They are great as personalized note cards, birthday cards, thank-you's, and make wonderful holiday gifts for friends and family! The packaged note cards will be delivered right before Thanksgiving.
Each year the Art Note Card project raises a substantial amount of money which helps pay for special programs and supplies in the areas of visual arts, drama and music at La Entrada. Please help to ensure that our children can continue to enjoy a diverse and rich art experience and order generously!
Thank you for supporting the creative arts and music at La Entrada!
Questions? Please contact Anna Ralston at annaralston@att.net or Melissa Jordan at mmgjordan@yahoo.com.
FLU SHOT CLINIC ONLINE-SIGN-UP IS OPEN!
On Tuesday, November 9, 2010 from 11:30 to 2:00, the La Entrada PTA will host a Flubusters Flu Shot Clinic in Jensen Hall at La Entrada open to all school families as well as any member of the community. The vaccine will include both the seasonal and H1N1 flu this year. Flu-Mist (spray application) will also be available. The cost will be $30 for the shot and $35 for the flu-mist. Your health insurance may reimburse you for the cost. All insurance coverage questions should be directed to your carrier.
THE 2010 BOOK FAIR IS COMING!
Thursday, November 4th through Friday, November 12th in the MUR
The La Entrada Kepler's book fair is just around the corner...it starts Thursday, November 4th! So don't forget to purchase your pre-paid Kepler's gift cards by Friday, October 29th. This card can then be used by you or your child at the fair or anytime at the Kepler's Store and online at Keplers.com. And why not get a jump on your holiday shopping-- a Kepler's gift card makes a great gift for teachers, friends and family too. By them online -- no pesky forms to fill out or checks to mail! Click here to start buying your gift cards: http://keplers.com/aff/LaEntrada/la-entrada-shopping-page You or your child can pick them up at the book fair checkout stand in the MUR when the book fair starts.
Attention avid readers and aspiring artists! We're looking for kids to make a poster of their favorite book cover or book series and they'll be entered in a drawing to win a free Kepler's book certificate. We'll use the posters to decorate the MUR for the Book Fair and your child just might win one of three book certificates! Please make posters standard poster board size (with child's name on back) and drop them in the library by Friday, October 29th.
We're still looking for volunteers!So if you'd like to work a shift or two at the Book Fair, go to: laentradapta.organd click on the volunteer link. If you have any questions please contact Linda Waissar at lwaissar@gmail.com.
GRADE LEVEL GATHERINGS
Grade Level Gatherings are a chance for the parents in each grade to get to know each other better.
They are festive adults-only cocktail parties, hosted by families in the different grades. Please come!
4th Grade
* November 5th from 7:30-9:30
* Hosted by Dani and Larry Kelmar and Colleen McDonough and James Lim
* At the Kelmar's home, 1203 Bellair Way, Menlo Park
* Last names A-M please bring wine and last names N-Z please bring a dessert or an appetizer
* Please RSVP to Dani at dani_kelmar@yahoo.com or 234-1124 by October 30th
6th Grade
* November 12th at 7:00
* Hosted by Gretchen and Rob Mathews, MaryEllen and Chris McCabe and Brian McGarry and Lorraine McDonough
* At the Mathew's home, 230 Dedalera Drive, Portola Valley
* Last names A-M please bring an appetizer and last names N-Z please bring wine or beer
* Please RSVP to Gretchen at gretchen@charlotteanddelilah.com or 279-0282
7th Grade
* October 22nd from 7:30-9:30
* Hosted by Susy and Mark Reinstra and Julia Massa and Aaron Gershenberg
* At the Reinstra's home, 2312 Warner Range, Avenue, Menlo Park
* Last names A-M please bring wine and last names N-Z please bring an appetizer
*Please RSVP to Julia at gershenberg@sbcglobal.net or 650-233-1911
8th Grade
* October 29th from 7:00-8:30
* Hosted by Dena and Bob Gaherty and Jamie and Peter Schein
* At the Gaherty's home, 1015 Trinity Drive, Menlo Park
* Last names A-M please bring wine or other beverages and last names N-Z please bring an appetizer
* Please RSVP to Dena at cabidena@gmail.com or 854-4802
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School News
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M-A INFO NIGHT
All 7th and 8th grade families are invited to learn more about Menlo-Atherton High School on Tuesday, October 26th at 7:00pm in the MUR. Come hear M-A Principal Matthew Zito and College & Career Advisor Alice Kleeman talk about navigating your high school years. They will give you an overview of the wide variety of academic courses and tremendous number of extracurricular opportunities available to all M-A students.
Questions? Contact Lee Ann Yasukawa at lyasukawa@yahoo.com.
Shadowing at M-A
If your 8th grader is interested in shadowing at M-A, please see the following M-A information page: http://www.sequoiadistrict.org/21442017185110943/site/default.asp.
ART TO REMEMBER
Our 6th0inh Grade fundraiser for the Visual and Performing Arts Department is on! If your child in enrolled in a 6th-8th grade art, music or drama class,he/she should have gotten an envelope containing artwork and order forms for the Art To Remember products. They have until this Thursday, October 21st, to return their envelope with their orders to either Ms. Gregori, Ms. Ostrom or Mr. Cooper.
Art To Remember is the only fundraiser for the 6th-8th grade art, drama, and music classes. All of the money raised goes to supplies for those classes. Art To Remember products are a great way to celebrate your child's artistic spirit. You can purchase a wide range of products including mugs, mouse pads, tote bags, t-shirts, note cards, nightlights and clocks, all with your child's artwork on it. Since the orders will be delivered to you the first week of December, they make great holidays gifts for family and friends. We hope that you support the arts fundraiser and get some great memories of your child in the process!
An Announcement from the PAW committee (formerly Renaissance)
Since the beginning of the school year, the teachers and student leaders on the PAW committee have been meeting and working on improving our Character Education program here at La Entrada. Our new program needed a name, and PAW (Positive Actions Win) emerged as the favorite choice.
PAW is an inclusive and interactive club for our school community in which four Core Values are introduced, practiced, and recognized throughout the school year. The Core Values that our committee decided on for 2010-11 are: Team Work, Respect, Integrity, and Gratitude. PAW student leaders will meet with PAW student members once a month during Monday lunch and will lead the students in fun and interactive lessons/activities that highlight the Core Value of focus.
Every student is welcome to join PAW! We are excited to announce that our sign-ups for PAW will take place during both the 4-5 and 6-8 lunches on Monday, October 25th in the MUR. We will be passing out information about our program and sharing ways students can get involved. Team Work is our first Core Value for the 2010-2011 school year and our first activities will focus on this important concept. Students who are interested need only listen for more information over morning announcements. We hope to see many students in the MUR on October 25th!!
TEAM WORK IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION - A SPECIAL "TEACHING MOMENT"
Today during my 4th period Physical Education class, 6th graders were running their first mile run of the year, also known as the annual "Pumpkin Run". A 6th grade girl, who has been working really hard on improving her cardiovascular fitness, was running in the second group. As the exercise was coming to an end, this student was the only one left running the mile in her group and she was continuing to do her very best as she approached her last lap.
I asked a couple of 6th graders if they could help her out by encouraging her. They started running with her, and then a couple of other students joined them, and then pretty soon almost the entire class was running her last lap with her, cheering her on as she finished her mile in the most amazing sprint I have ever seen. Students were yelling, "Look Ms. Kuczon, look at her go!" I was so excited trying to balance looking at the stopwatch, cheering her on, locating my camera and wiping the tears that were fogging up my sunglasses. That was a "teaching moment" and, more importantly, that was TEAMWORK! I'm pretty sure that 6th grade girl will never forget today's moment when her classmates lifted her up and helped her succeed her first mile run.
Kim Kuczon - 6th grade Physical Education teacher
COSTUMES NEEDED
Outgrown Gently-Used Halloween Costumes Needed
Haven House of Shelter Network Menlo Park is in need of ANY size costume donations for the Shelter's children school events and for Haven's Halloween party.. Between your kind donations and Crocker School (Hillsborough) we outfit over 80 kids (and parents!) annually.
Please drop any costumes to Suzanne Mitchell in the Tech Office at LE, or the LL front office (a wonderful scout troop is collecting there). Questions? email suzannemitch@gmail.com
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| From the Las Lomitas Education Foundation | 
 To make your contributions to the Foundation Easy, we have a monthly payment option. Your gift can be spread out over the course of the school year and for $200 per student for 10 months you can help us reach our goal of $2000 per student! Make your difference now and donate today. It's that Easy!
Every size donation counts! Your early support will help the District in its planning for the 2011-2012 school year to achieve smaller class sizes and preserve critical curriculum. Thank you for your support!
SPOTS AVAILABLE FOR E&A:
For all events, buy your tickets now at http://www.llef.org/_auction/events.php.
Mother/Son Bowling
 200 mothers and sons will be bowling at this new, district-wide Foundation-sponsored party for boys of all grades. Bowl in a lane with your friends, register for the friendly competitions, and feast on pizza at AMF Bowling in Redwood City. If you are a dad who likes to get in on the action, volunteers are needed. Contact Cindy Tipton at cindytipton@comcast.net for more information. For Outreach information, contact counselor Kathy Ruwe at 854-5900 x 267, or at kruwe@llesd.org.
Date: Saturday, October 23, 2010 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
All-Day Exploratorium Field Trip during a NO SCHOOL Day
Your child will join our 2nd Annual Field Trip on this all-day outing to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. You provide the bag lunch, and we will provide everything else: the parent chaperones, transportation via charter bus, and the entrance fees to the museum. This is a fun "no school" day for kids, and super convenient for parents. Contact Lisa Shepard-Reid at lisa.s.ried@gmail.com with questions.
Date: Thursday, November 11, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
6th-8th Grade Girls Basketball Clinic
Two recent Stanford Women's Basketball Player alums, Morgan Clyburn and Christy Titchenal, are leading this clinic for 6th-8th grade girls in the La Entrada gymnasium. Come for valuable tips and a lot of inspiration! Contact Renee Baker at reneecbaker@gmail.com with questions.
Date: Saturday, November 20, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Harry Potter Exclusive Private Screening
Come to Century 20 Cinema downtown Redwood City for an exclusive showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. An entire theater has been reserved for La Entrada and Las Lomitas families. Be among the first to see this latest installment in the hugely popular Harry Potter series. All children will receive a free drink and popcorn. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. For Outreach information, contact counselor Kathy Ruwe at 854-5900 x 267, or at kruwe@llesd.org.
Date: Saturday, November 20, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
FINAL CALL TO REGISTER GRANDPARENTS:
Would your child's grandparents be interested in receiving newsletters describing grade level activities, school projects and invitations to participate in school events such as Grandparents' Day? Our goal is to help grandparents feel more connected to their grandchildren and our excellent schools. Registration is now available at http://www.llef.org/_grandparents/grand.php. Sign up now so that they receive the first Grandparent Newsletter that will be arriving in the mail within a week.
It's Easy to Make a Difference! |
| rom the Las Lomitas League | |
BASKETBALL SEASON AND REGISTRATION
Basketball registration is currently OPEN. This is a very popular winter sport at La Entrada and is open to all students in 3rd through 8th grade. All children registered are guaranteed a place on a team. Please mark your calendars for the following dates:
Nov 3rd (Wed) at 7pm: basketball Registration Closes
NOTE: We cannot accept any late registrations. So please be sure to register during the open registration dates above.
Nov 4th (Thur) at 7pm: Basketball Coaches pre-meeting
Nov 7th (Sunday): Basketball Evaluation Day (Your grade will be assigned a specific time closer to the date. The "evaluation day" is strictly to split up each grade level into fair and balanced teams.)
Nov 16th (Tues): Basketball Coaches Meeting (Required for all coaches. Practice times will be selected based on coaches availability and a lottery system.)
COACHES ARE NEEDED!!! This activity is run by parents. We need parent coaches so that we can offer fair playing time to all the kids. (Fewer coaches means fewer but larger teams. The larger the team, the less playing time for each player.) You do not need a lot of experience to coach. We can help pair you with a more experienced coach and we provide a number of training courses. Please contact Inger Rarick at irarick@yahoo.com (3rd, 4th and 5th grade basketball director) or Jim Bohac at J-bohac@sbcglobal.net (6th, 7th and 8th grade basketball director) if you are available to coach or if you have questions about coaching.
***We are in critical need of coaches for 4th grade boys. Without parent coaches the boys will not be able to play basketball. Please contact irarick@yahoo.com if you will consider coaching.***
To Register please go to:
http://www.eteamz.com/lllsports/news/index.cfm?cat=488974#basketball
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| Community News |
Remember to mention La Entrada at the register and Kepler's donates 10% back to our school.
Field Trip to the Exploratorium on Nov. 11 (9am-4pm)
Cost: $60 per child (price includes parent chaperones, transportation via chartered school bus, and entrance fees to museum). Chaperones attend for FREE: We have 2-3 spots left for chaperones, and they go quickly, so please let me know your interest asap. Contact Lisa (Shepard) Reid: lisa.s.reid@gmail.com
Attention all American Girl Fans!
The Palo Alto Auxiliary for Children will host the annual American Girl Fashion Show to benefit Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford on November 12th & 13th at the Los Altos Christ Episcopal Church. The show features historical and contemporary girls' clothing, refreshments, goody bag, raffles and prizes! For ticket and show information, please visit www.paloaltoauxiliary.com.
Mid-Peninsula High School Open House
Mid-Peninsula High School will have an Open House for prospective students and their families on Saturday, October 23 from 10:30 to noon. Mid-Peninsula is an independent high school located on Willow Road in Menlo Park. No RSVP necessary. Details at www.Mid-Pen.com. |
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