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APRIL 26, 2010 Good Morning
Every Monday, Email Club members receive important information regarding upcoming events and communications from The PTA and Strandwood staff via the Roadrunner. The Roadrunner also provides links to important flyers and new items on the school website. Do you have any comments about this Roadrunner or suggestions for future Roadrunner articles or features? Drop us a line at strandwood_emailclub@hotmail.com.
If you no longer wish to receive the electronic communications from Strandwood Elementary please use the "Safe Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the newsletter.
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Spring Photo Day is Tomorrow
| Spring Photo day is Tuesday, April 27th. Bring your best smile.
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Student Information Forms Due Friday
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will have the opportunity to provide information to assist the Strandwood
staff in the classroom placement process for the 2010-11 school year. A
Student Information Form will be available in the office for parents to
complete between April 19th and April 30th. The forms must be returned by the30 th. Mrs. Kim is always happy to meet individually with parents.
Please call for an appointment.
This is an
ideal opportunity to share with staff the special needs and learning
environment insights that you consider to be vital to support your child
during this next school year. |
Wanted - Noon Supervisors
| We are in need of noon supervisors and 
noon supervisor substitutes. It's a great way to make a little extra money and support our school. If you have a grandparent, aunt, uncle or neighbor who may be interested in creating a safe environment at Strandwood, please contact Laura Curtis, the office secretary. |
New Photo Challenge
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For those of you that enjoy the weekly "What is it" photo challenge, we have added a new twist. The close up photo will include a happy face. Figure out what that happy face is is on. Some photos will be rotated to get the correct allignment of the face. Have fun.
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Photo courtesy of the Bargmann family.
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Calendar
Click here to go to the Dates, Times and Places section.
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Put On A Happy Face
For the next few weeks there will be a different "smile" photo in this space. Can you guess where that smile is located? Note, some photos might have been rotated. (Hint: You will really get a kick out of this one.)
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Back Forty Fundraiser
| Thanks to everyone who attended the Back Forty fundraiser last week we raised almost $200. great job everyone, especially Lea Harrington who coordinated the event.
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Bike to School Day - April 30th
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Get in the Spirit of Spring
Friday, April 30th
* Come join schoolmates in riding your bike to school
* Earn a compass/whistle by taking a Bike Safety Quiz on-line at Strandwood's website.
* Complete the quiz and print out a certificate to bring on Bike To School Day
* Strandwood water bottles and snack available while supplies last.
Question: Please email Noga at nogakessler@yahoo.com
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Read and Dream Team Book Exchange
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This month reading logs will be due on Friday, April 30th. Along with your reading logs, all Read and Dream Team members can bring a Read and Dream Book to be exchanged.
Participating Students will choose one Read and Dream book the following Friday, May 7th.
How it Works:
*Find a grade-level, Read and Dream book, received this year.
*Place your completed reading log inside the book that is to be exchanged.
*Bring the book with the log inside of it to your classroom by Friday, April 30th, and turn them into the Read and Dream Book Exchange Box. Boxes will be available in each classroom to collect books for the exchange.
*Each participating student will receive one book from Read and Dream (Friday, May 7th)
For questions, please email: Noga at nogakessler@yahoo.com or Suzie at silvacrew@aol.com
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2010 - 2011 PTA Elections
| At last months meeting, the membership voted in the following officers for the 2010 - 2011 school year. Thanks for stepping up to help Strandwood continue its distinguished excellence.
President: Marth Alexander
Executive VP - Lea Harringrton
VP Communications - Jeff Eide
VP Programs - Noga Kessler
VP Ways and Means - Cindy Turner
VP Hospitality - Rose Bargmann
Treasurer - Jessie Thomas
Financial Secretary - Michelle Dinsmore
Secretary - Shanna Holden
Historian - Roxanne Gambill
Auditor - Camilla Podowski
The following people were appointed to positions:Assistant VP Communications: Orlando Guzman Assistant VP Programs - Katherine Bracken Assistant VP Hospitality - Evellyn Barrera Parliamentarian - Sue Noack The next General Membership Meeting will be Thursday, May 6th.
In addition to all the important PTA affairs, our fantastic 3rd grade teachers will be informing the membership of happenings at their grade level. Free babysitting is provided by the PTA. |
STAR Testing Starts Next Week
Check out the sample test questions
| STAR (California's
Standardized Testing and Reporting) testing will be held from May 4th
through May 14th. Here are some helpful hints for the testing days.
* Being on time each morning is
critical for the success of every student every day, including STAR
testing days. Students who arrive late disrupt not only their own
testing but also their
classmates. We are in this as a team at
Strandwood and success of one student is the success of all. Please be on time!
*Allow your child to get a good nights
sleep before the tests
*Be sure you child eats a well
balanced breakfast
* Encourage your child to do his or her personal best but do not overemphasize
the tests, they are only one measure of your child's performance.
PLEASE,
Do not schedule vacation, doctor or dental appointments during the
testing window.
Homework assigned should be light during
testing.
Here are a few great web pages with STAR information from the California Department of Education. Parent/Guardian GuideA three page guide to STAR testing. This is the 2009 version but it still applies. STAR Sample Test QuestionsChoose your grade, subject and performance level. When you choose the first question you can then use the "results" arrows near the top of the page to advance to the next question. 2003 - 2008 CST Released Test QuestionsFirst on the pages that follow are lists of the standards assessed. Next are released passages and test questions. Following the questions is a table that gives the correct answer for each question, the content standard that each question is measuring, and the year each question last appeared on the test |
Rally To Support Children
Everyone is invited to join
PTA rally at the Capitol
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WHAT: 9
Million Reasons To Speak Up rally in support of investing in children and youth
in California
WHEN: 2-3:30
p.m., Thursday, April 29
WHERE: North
steps of the Capitol
WHY: This
rally is part of the California State PTA's ongoing 9 Million Reasons To Speak
Up campaign to let our elected leaders know that we must invest in the more
than 9 million children and youth of our state, rather than repeatedly cutting
funding for education and other critical children's services. The rally is
taking place during the California State PTA's 111th Annual Convention, being
held in Sacramento, April 29 - May 2.
For more
information about our 9 Million Reasons To Speak Up campaign, click here.
9 Million
Reasons to Speak Up!
The
California State PTA has nearly 1 million members throughout the state working
on behalf of public schools, children and families, with the motto, "Every
child, one voice." The PTA is the nation's oldest, largest and highest
profile volunteer organization working to improve the education, health and
welfare of all children and youth. The PTA also advocates at national, state
and local levels for education and family issues. The PTA is nonprofit,
nonsectarian and noncommercial.
For more information about the California State
PTA, visit www.capta.org. |
Mt. Diablo Teacher Layoffs Loom
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"Music teachers face job cuts: Out of about
350 pink slips issued by the Mt. Diablo school district, 180 have been
rescinded, the assistant superintendent for personnel told me this
afternoon. That leaves about 170 teachers
and other credentialed employees wondering if they'll have jobs in the
fall. Music teachers have been hit especially hard because the
school board has agreed to eliminate fifth-grade instrumental music next
year. In addition, the district is trying to negotiate the
elimination of elementary school prep time currently covered by vocal
music teachers. Music teachers who hold more than one credential, such
as Elizabeth Emigh and Mundy Viar at Clayton Valley High School, did not
get pink-slipped because they could teach other subjects." For the remainder of this article please click here. |
Summer Camps and More
| As the end of the school year arrives the flyers in the office increase. Be sure to check out the "In The Office" section just above "Answers" at the bottom of the page. You can click on most events to view more information.
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A Taste of Pleasant Hill
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* Sunday, May 2, 2010
* Pleasant Hill Community Ctr., 320 Civic Drive
* 4-7 pm
* $14 adult / $10 senior / $6 chid (2-12 yrs)
* For tickets, call 676-5200
Food tastings from over 20 local restaurants and
businesses! Live music in the gazebo by Phresh Press and Tari LaCourt
and the T LC Band. Some of your favorite restaurants have already
committed to be here!
Bubble & Crepe Too, Classic Catering, Devino's, El
Morocco Restaurant, Kinder's Custom Meat & Deli, Nibblers Eatery
& Wine Bar, Outback Steakhouse, Panda Express, Pleasant Hill Market,
Posh Bagel, Red Brick Pizza, Round Table Pizza, Rubio's Fresh Mexican
Grill, Shaadzee Bakery Café, Smokin Okie BBQ Joint, Sweet Tomatoes,
Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse, Taqueria Los Gallos Express, Wing Stop,
Yanni's Greek Café, Bill's Ace Hardware, Pleasant Hill Wine Merchants,
Safeway, Taylor Made Water Systems, Inc., Trader Joe's |
Music Foundation Fundraiser
It's not too late to help instrumental music!
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Wished you had bought a chance drawing ticket to support restoring 5th grade band? Well, you still can. For the rest of April, you can purchase a ticket from Martha Alexander (Alexander9@aol.com), Susan Dailey (daileychat@att.net) or Amanda Szakats (gszakats@yahoo.com). Hurry. Tickets are going fast. They are $10 for one chance to win and $20 for three chances to win. Checks can be made out to Mt. Diablo Music Education Foundation, which also gladly takes donations.
There are three vacation packages that you could win:
1. A 7-night Alaskan Pacific Sail Disney Cruise, departing from Vancouver, Canada with ports of call throughout Alaska. Includes airfare from Bay area. Valued at $9,000.
2. A 5-day, 4-night Disney World vacationin Orlando, Florida, including airfare from the Bay area, 5-day hopper passes, Disney Dining Package and stay at Disney's Boardwalk Inn. Valued at $6,000.
3. A 4-day, 3-night Disneyland vacationincluding airfare from the Bay area, 4-day hopper passes, stay at the Grand California Resort, and a Disney Dining Package. Valued at $3,500.
The winners will be announced at the foundation's music festival at Concord Pavilion on May 15. You need not be present to win.
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| Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? | 1st Grade Question - True or False? The sun rises in the west and sets in the east?
2nd Grade Question - What is the word for a place with lots of sand but very little water? 3rd Grade Question- True or False? If you find yourself "in a pickle" you are in a troublesome situation.
4th Grade Question - Who said, "Give me liberty, or give me death? A. John Henry B. Patrick Henry C. Benjamin Franklin
5th Grade Question - What weather instrument measures air pressure? |
 Dates, Times and Places | April 27th- Spring Photo day
April 29th - Field Trip - E-1, A-5- John Muir Historic Site - 9:30 - 1:30
April 30th - Field Trip - A-3, A-6- John Muir Historic Site - 9:30 - 1:30
April 30th- Bike to School Day
April 30th - Pizza Lunch - Blue slips must be turned in by Wednesday, April 28th
May 4th- STAR Testing begins
May 6th- PTA General Membership Meeting - 6:15 pm in the library
May 7th- Spotlight Assembly - 8:15 am
May 11th- Site Council - 3:15 pm in the library
May 13th- Kindergarten Orientation
May 14th- Last Day of STAR testing
May 21st - Field Trip - B-2, B-5, C-4 to Tilden Park - 8:30 am - 2:00 pm
May 22nd- Talent Show - MU Room
May 26th- Field Trip - All Kindergarten to SF Aquarium
May 26th- Open House - 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
May 28th- Principal Pizza Lunch
Check all the calendars on the Strandwood website by clicking here.
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| Answers | Are you smarter then a 5th grader?
1st grade - False, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
2nd grade - Desert
3rd grade - True
4th grade - Patrick Henry
5th grade - Barometer
Put on a Happy Face?A Boot (probably a woman's boot)
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