Dear La Entrada Community,

It seems early, but we have started the official planning phase for the 2011-12 school year.  One of the first things we do in this phase is have students (who will be in 6^th-8^th grade next year) sign up for their elective courses.  The information we get from this allows us to start planning our master schedule.

By Monday, February 7, I will have met with all current 5^th-7^th grade students and provided them with a "Course Catalog" which includes important registration information.

I sent an email to all 5^th-7^th grade families on Wednesday, February 2.  In this note I provided a link to our new "online" registration form.  Please let me know if you did not receive this information and I will send it to you.

If your child will be in 6^th grade next year, you are invited to come to an "Incoming 6^th Grade Parent Information" meeting on Tuesday, February 8 at 7pm in the MUR.  At this meeting, I will be talking about the structural transition between 5^th and 6^th grade.  In addition, I will go through the registration process.

Spring Conferences are scheduled for March 16-18. 

Parent-teacher conferences are designed so that information and questions can be shared.  Open and ongoing communication is highly valued by our staff and community.  For the spring, we are allotted three days for conferencing.  To make the most of this time, spring conferences are considered optional and can be requested by the teacher or the parent.

Conferences in grades 4 and 5

Your child's teacher will contact you regarding conferences.  The teacher may request a conference with you, or you may request a conference with the teacher.  Whether you conference or not, you will receive an updated report card that outlines important information regarding your child's progress.

Conferences in grades 6-8

There are 45 spots for conferences during March 16-18.  Teachers may have three times as many students as there are conference slots. (For example, a math teacher may have 150 students, but still only has 45 conference slots!)  Conferences are optional and we ask that you keep in mind the limited slots and only sign up for a conference if you feel it very necessary. 

6^th - 8^th Grade Teacher Conference Sign Ups will be Online!

Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on March 16-18.  

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, February 28.
• Login to https://llesdms.ptcwizard.com
• You will first need to register and enter the names of your 6^th-8^th 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.  
• 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.

Grandparents' Day

Did you know that Grandparents Day invitations have already been sent home with the students? (If not, it is time to purge the backpack!)

We are very excited to host Grandparents' Day this year at La Entrada on March 25^th.  We hope that many grandparents will be able to join us and experience a little bit of what middle school is like these days.

If you find (after purging the backpack) that you need an invitation, there are some extras in the main office.

9^th Grade Registration for Sequoia Union High School District

As part of registering for high school (whether your child will be attending Menlo Atherton, Woodside, or another SUHSD school), all parents must verify their address with SUHSD.

Sequoia Union has offered to host an "Address Verification" event here at La Entrada on Monday, March 21, between 5-7pm.  This will be a drop-in event (just come anytime during the allotted time frame).

Remember that you will need:

• Photo Id (may be out of state or country)
• Three documents with your name and address that are current (water, electricity, cable, car registration, insurance, etc.)
• If renting a room or living with another family, they should bring a letter from the homeowner or landlord stating that the family is residing with them.
• At the event you will be asked to fill out an "Address Verification" form.  If you would like to download it and fill it out in advance, go to http://www.sequoiadistrict.org/20441082420334833/site/default.asp

Your child cannot fully register in high school without completing the address verification process.  If you are unable to make the event here at La Entrada, you may complete address verification at the Sequoia Union High School District office. Their office is open Monday through Friday from 8am-4pm.

For more information on address verification, you can click here.

Best wishes for a fabulous February,

Larry Thomas

Please join the La Entrada PTA for the

Winter General Meeting

on

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9

at 9:15 am

in the La Entrada MUR

with special guest

Principal Matthew Zito

Menlo-Atherton High School

Mr. Zito will be giving an update of our local public high school and will be available to answer your questions about MA. Coffee and refreshments will be served.
 

News from Kathy Ruwe, Las Lomitas School Counselor

La Entrada Parents!  Please join us for a timely and important workshop being offered at Las Lomitas titled The Importance of Play in Healthy Child Development on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 from 10:30-12:00 in Cano Hall.

We are fortunate to be able to once again invite Jim Lobdell, district dad and co-founder of the Stanford-based Challenge Success program back to Las Lomitas.  If you have heard him speak before, you know what an outstanding speaker he is.  Join us for the brand new thought-provoking, interactive workshop that will help you better understand:

• The immediate and long term benefits of play
• The barriers that make it difficult today for kids to "just play"
• Practical ways to allow kids more time for unstructured play

Click here for a flyer with more details.  This workshop is for adults only.  Please feel free to bring a friend.

♫Music Notes♫

 Mr. Cooper

Our 4^th through 8^th grade spring musical, "Beauty and the Beast", is just around the corner.  Registration is now open and will last until the end of February.  Please go to our school's website, http://www.llesd.k12.ca.us/lehome.html or click here for further information.  Auditions will take place the first week of March, with rehearsals every Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 3-5 until our performances at the end of April.  Beyond the obvious music and theatre enrichment, students will learn that 'inner beauty' creates the building blocks for strong and lasting relationships.

The instrumental music program at La Entrada is in full swing with some exciting concerts coming up:

-          Friday, February 18^th 8:10AM: 7th/8^th grade symphonic band performs for the entire student body in our Gym.

-          Wednesday, March 23^rd 7:00PM Jazz Ensemble and 7^th/8^th grade symphonic band performs at the M-A PAC along with Hillview and M-A Bands

-          Friday, March 25^th at lunch time at least three small ensembles will be performing at the Grandparents Day luncheon.  Plans are underway to have the large and talented 4^th/5^th grade chorus sing a number of selections with the theme, "Children Around the World."

-          Monday, March 28^th 10:30AM 7^th/8^th grade symphonic band performs an assembly/instrument demonstration at Las Lomitas

-          Wednesday, June 1^st 6:30PM Our 5^th grade band, 6^th grade concert band, 7^th/8^th grade symphonic band and jazz ensemble perform an outdoor spring concert at Sharon Park

-          Later in June, our 6^th grade concert band will join our 7^th/8^th grade symphonic band and perform our national anthem on the field at a professional baseball game featuring our World Champion San Francisco Giants (Date and Time TBA)

If you get the opportunity, please come on out to one or more of the upcoming concerts to support your children as they strive for musical excellence.

DC SWEATSHIRTS STILL AVAILABLE  

Attention 8th grade students and parents:

If you would still like to purchase a WASHINGTON DC Sweatshirt, there are still a few available in the office for $25.  Size XL Only.