Thank you to our entire parent population for fully utilizing our bus service and adhering to our new Drop Off/Pick Up Procedures.  The school year started off without any major traffic issues and continues to run smoothly.  I am noticing that morning drop off is slowed down a bit by a few drivers who are not following our "Right Turn Only"  rule when exiting the parking lot.  If you drive your child to school in the morning, please give yourself a couple of extra minutes so you can turn right without undue stress - this helps our flow of traffic immensely.

PAW - Under Construction:
Positive Actions Win, PAW,  is our campus go-to organization that is currently working on planning out a sensible Character Education Plan for our school.  Staff members have been meeting since August and plan to continue meeting to work on a comprehensive plan for our campus.  PAW's Core Values:  Teamwork, Respect, Integrity and Gratitude are being shared with all our campus clubs and committees with the intent to build cohesive messages here at La Entrada.  PAW staff members are  active in our Climate Committee, our YAC Club and our Leadership Classes offered as an Elective.  PAW will continue to update families on its progress.   

Clubs on Campus: 

Our La Entrada Lunch Enrichment Clubs ( LELE) will meet this year during lunch recess on Thursdays.  The first club to meet with be the Book Club on October 6, 2011.  Our LELE Co-Leader Volunteers, Dana Dunn and Gloria Falcinelli, are in need of another Book Club Leader for our 6/7th grade Book Club.  Please contact one of them if you would be willing to lead a fun book club discussion once a month.
Our "Around the World" Club continues to need two more volunteers to hold a fun cultural meeting during a Thursday lunch recess.  The club currently has volunteers that will share cultural highlights from England, India and Japan.  If you would like to volunteer for one cultural presentation, please contact either Dana or Gloria to discuss further.  With such a richly diverse student population, I am excited to learn which additional two cultures will be featured this year through our Around the World Club.
Youth Action Council ( YAC ) Club is our community service project club.  Counselor Mrs. McDonough and Art Teacher Ms. Gregori are the YAC Leaders of this club.  YAC's first meeting will be October 13, 2011 in the MUR during lunch time.  Students will be planning out community service projects for the year at the first meeting, putting our PAW Core Values into action.   

Campus Climate Topics:

Peaceful Playground procedures are in place on campus.  We would like to thank our PTA for their generous support in purchasing this program for our school at the end of last year.  Our PE Teachers have instructed students on the Peaceful Playground Rules, our staff have been updated on these reasonable rules and our students are functioning quite well under the guidelines set forth in Peaceful Playgrounds.  Last week, we celebrated 24 students being recognized for having displayed positive playground behaviors at our weekly Friday Peaceful Playground "Good Sport" card drawing.  Students are presented with a "Good Sport" card to fill out and they then deposit it in the "super shiny silver can" located in our ball cart whenever they are caught following the Peaceful Playground Rules and exhibiting friendly  interactions out on the playground.  On Fridays, Mr. Nichols, our new Playground Supervisor, draws names from the silver can to recognize good behavior.  It is a positive celebration that supports our new rules on the playground. 

Our new playground structure is now up and awaits framing and tan bark filling.  We are hoping to see the completed playground structure in full operation in the next couple of weeks. In addition to our new playground structure, two additional tetherball  and four square courts will be created on our new blacktop area located behind the new portables, rooms 60 and 61.  Thank you to our dedicated Facilities staff for working to provide us with a safe and fun environment.   

Climate Committee Update: 

Our Climate Committee will meet this year during lunch time, once a month on Wednesdays in room 7.  The Climate Committee will include middle school student representatives this year.  We look forward to having student perspectives in our committee meetings and hope that this meeting time will prove to be convenient for busy middle school student leaders. Parents interested in being part of this vibrant committee are requested to please email our school counselor, Emily McDonough, (emcdonough@llesd.org) with your contact information.  
Our first meeting will be Oct. 12, 2011 @ 12:15pm in room 7.
Our first agenda will include goals for this year's committee, character education curriculum considerations and campus climate survey work.  The administration has purchased Second Step for grades 4-5 and our school counselor will work with staff to bring these meaningful lessons to life. The Second Step primary curriculum is currently instructed at Las Lomitas Elementary School making this 4/5 curriculum is a logical transitional program for our 4th and 5th graders.   

The entire school had an assembly on Wednesday, 9-21-11, entitled "Power of One".  This assembly focused on clearly defining what bully behaviors are, the role of a Bystander and what students are to do when they experience a bullying situation.  

Below is a noteworthy announcement from Kathy Ruwe, counselor at Las Lomitas School, related to topics near and dear to the Climate Committee: Many parents in the Las Lomitas community have attended the fall Challenge Success conference in the past. This year's program is going to equally as engaging and informative as past sessions. I encourage everyone who can attend, to set aside Friday, Sept. 30 from 7-9 p.m. to enjoy a thought provoking evening titled: One Size Does Not Fit All. See additional information and links to the website below:

We would like to invite you and members of your community to spend the evening with nationally-renowned experts discussing academic stress, engagement, and well-being. Keynote speaker, Ken Ginsburg, M.D., and Challenge Success co-founders Denise Pope, Ph.D., Madeline Levine, Ph.D., and Jim Lobdell, M.A., will lead an interactive discussion about the meaning of success and how families and educators can help youth thrive in the fast-paced world in which we live. This event is hosted by Challenge Success, a project of the Stanford University School of Education.

Sept. 30, 2011 7-9 p.m.

Memorial Auditorium, Stanford University

Free and Open to the Public, (Suggested Donation $10/Individual, $15/Family)   

This Monday, September 26th, from 7 to 9 pm, all parents and community members are invited to attend a Parent and Community Forum to provide ideas for our new Strategic Plan.  The Forum will take place in Cano Hall on the Las Lomitas Campus. To help us plan an effective meeting, RSVP (if you haven't already) by clicking here:   http://www.leadingeducation-llesd.org/register.html  

The format for the evening will include small group discussions and reporting out on the following topic:

"What are the features of an educational program for the LLESD that will best prepare our students for college and career success in the 21st century?"

The Forum will be facilitated by Cathy Townsley and Barbara Young, consultants from Pivot Learning Partners.  Also assisting with the Forum will be the District parent representatives to the Strategic Planning Committee.  Ideas expressed at this Parent and Community Forum (as well as those expressed at the faculty and student forums also held this month) will be shared with the entire Strategic Planning Committee at their next meeting on September 29th.  In January 2012, the Strategic Plan will be presented to the Governing Board, and it is anticipated that the Board will adopt  the new Strategic Plan at its February meeting.

Parents are encouraged to learn more about "Learning for the 21st Century" at the LLESD's Leading Education website.  Click here:  http://www.leadingeducation-llesd.org/  

To learn more about the members of the Strategic Planning Committee, the agendas, meeting notes and timeline for Strategic Planning, click here:  http://www.llesd.k12.ca.us/StrategicPlanning.html  

We look forward to seeing you at the Parent/Community Forum.