A Strandwood PTA Publication
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OCTOBER 4, 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 PTA and school websites. 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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A Message From The Principal
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Welcome to the launch of the Strandwood Elementary School webpage! It is our goal, as we embark on this technological adventure, to provide up to date information about events, classrooms, and our calendar as well as provide direct links to the Strandwood PTA webpage and other resources to support our community. One more piece coming together to make Strandwood a great school!
"Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely matter of conscious choice."
Jim Collins - Good to Great
We are beginning to settle in - we continue to work without a State Budget in California and although that presents challenges, one of the amazing attributes of Strandwood has always been its ability as a community to pull together. This year we are welcoming new staff and new families at all grade levels. Gaudy O'Connell at Kindergarten, Paige Hong at 1st, Keri Guncheon at 2nd, Glenda Lightfoot at SDC 2/3 and Jessica Fowler, Resource Specialist/Instructional Support Teacher. We are fortunate to have Sharon Kurk as Art Consultant, Kim Kolbeck as Science Consultant, Dina Oakes as Site Technician, Kendra Phair as Computer Assistant, Kathy Lee and Roxanne Gambill as Reading Intervention Support. All of these positions are funded by our generous PTA. Our PTA also provides funding for seven instructional assistants to support our 1st, 2nd and 2/3 combination class. We have Gail Vasgerdsian, Evellyn Barrera, Rosaile Rodriquez, Monica Medina, Denise Renich and two openings (contact me if you are interested!). Keeping our students safe are Evellyn Barrera, Gail Vasgerdsian, Azalee Flores and Sofia Wickstom. All of these people are part of what makes Strandwood a great school!
Sept. 25th was Pleasant Hill's Community Service Day. I was joined by the Benson Family, Chiara and her dad, Mr. Garcia, Julee Henderson and Ben Keyser (both teachers in other districts) from Monti Circle, and Fred Wong, former PH City employee. Our task was to remove all the weeds sprouting through the playground blacktop on one of the hottest days of the year! Both playgrounds look 100% better! Thank you!
Our programs are up and running - art lessons, science lessons, computer lab and Reading Intervention program. FAME is just around the corner! We just completed Benchmark Assessments for the End of Year Standards 1st through 5th grades. This provides our teachers with a baseline showing where our students are and select essential standards for enrichment. Staff has met at Grade Levels and selected three essential standards to focus on over the next 6 weeks to measure progress while continuing to teach all standards expected to master by end of year.
Please watch our progress as our Webpage continues to evolve!
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Photo courtesy of the Bargmann family.
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Calendar
Click the image below to go directly to the monthly Strandwood PTA web calendar.
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On This Day in History
OCTOBER 4,
1957 - Space Race: Launch of "Sputnik 1", the first artificial satellite to orbit he Earth.
1957 - "Leave It to Beaver" premiered on CBC
1965 - Becoming the first Pope to ever visit the United States of America and the Western hemisphere, Pope Paul VI arrives in New York.
1999 - The San Francisco Giants played the Los Angeles Dodgers in the last baseball game to be played at Candlestick Park. The Dodgers won 9-4.
2001 - Rickey Henderson (San Diego Padres) scored his 2,246th career run to break Ty Cobb's major league record.
Birthdays:
Susan Sarandon is 63
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Next PTA Meeting is Thursday Night
1st Grade Teachers to Present
| Join us in the Library Thursday night at 6:30pm and listen to a presentation by our 1st grade teachers. Free babysitting is provided.
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September Box Tops Winner
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 Congratulations to Noah Nelson (2nd grade, Mrs. Bartlett) who turned in 303 Box Tops for the month of September! We are off to a great start and Noah will be selecting a gift card from a favorite local store or restaurant in Pleasant Hill! Please don't forget to write your name, teacher, and # of Box Tops on the outside of your baggie before you turn it in to the office: those anonymous ones can't be included in the contest! All Box Tops are due the last day of the month.
Thanks for supporting this easy program. Log on to www.boxtopsforeducation.com for ideas and ways to help our school. |
PTA Fund For Excellence
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It's not too late to make a donation to our Fund For Excellence
Campaign. The PTA spends at least $250
per child each year. It is only through your financial support that we can
maintain the Instructional Assistants, Programs and Teacher Resources to help
Strandwood remain one of the top-ranked public schools in the state. We urge
you to become a Strandwood sponsor and pledge the $100 per child recommended
minimum.
If you are able to give more,
please consider pledging your commitment at a higher lever. All donations are 100% tax deductible. Donations can now be made on a monthly basis
via PayPal and applied to your credit or debit card. Checks payable to Strandwood PTA are accepted
in the office. Thank you for your
continued support.
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After School Basketball
| The after school basketball program starts Today. If you are interested in joining us for an hour of hoops every Monday there is still time to join. Stop by after school and check it out.
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Race To Nowhere Documentary
FREE BABYSITTING
| RACE TO NOWHERE is a call to families, educators, experts and policy makers to examine
current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become the healthy, bright,
contributing and leading citizens in the 21st century. View the film trailer by clicking here.
Monday, October 4, 2010Doors open at 6:30pm, show begins at 7:00pmStrandwood Elementary School, 416 Gladys Drive, Pleasant HillThis show is open to the public.Purchase tickets online by clicking here or visiting www.Strandwood.org$10.00 pre-order, $15.00 at the door.
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Spirit Wear Pick-Up
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Important,
if you have not yet received your Spirit Wear Order from Jump Start Day,
Please contact Melaine Huth at strandwoodspirit@yahoo.com.
There were several order's taken with no grade level or other contact
information left on them.
Your Strandwood spirit wear is waiting for you!! You can pick up your items (or purchase new ones) at the PTA door on Tuesday, October 5th from 2:30 to 3:30. Or, just contact me and I can get it to you.
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Strandwood E-Waste Event
| Strandwood Elementary PTA will be hosting an e-waste recycle fundraiser on Sunday, October 10th. Start gathering your e-waste now. For view the event flyer please click here.
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Help Save High School Sports 5K Run & Walk - October 10th
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The 2nd annual 5K Run & Walk to help save sports in the MDUSD High Schools and help us raise 1.2 million dollars to keep athletics in our 6 high schools for 2010/2011 season! Join us on October 10th for this fun family event! All ages welcome! There will be a timed competitive 5K run as well as fun run/walk and kiddie event. Medals and prizes awarded for various age groups. The school with the most sign-ups will be presented with a trophy to proudly display for a year. Food and entertainment will be available.
Come join the Strandwood team of Mrs. Kim and several teachers already registered. Wear your Strandwood spirit wear and show the rest of the community that we care about high school sports for our children. Haven't registered? Click here now to view the event flyer and sign up for this fun event.
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PTA Reflections Program Returns to Strandwood
| The PTA Reflections Program is designed to enhance a quality arts education by providing an opportunity for students to explore their artistic talents and receive positive recognition for their efforts. When children express themselves through words, pictures, music, dance, and other art forms, they grow intellectually and socially. They learn to analyze their thoughts, feelings, and ideas; learn to look at things, people, and experiences in a fresh and exciting way; and become more interested in the ideas and works of others.
Each year, the PTA Reflections Program challenges students to create art inspired by a specific theme. Themes are selected from hundreds of ideas submitted by students to the PTA Reflections Program Theme Search. Past themes have included "Exploring New Beginnings," "If I Could Give the World a Gift...," "A Different Kind of Hero," and most recently, "I Can Make a Difference by..." and "Wow!" The 2010-2011 theme is "Together we can..."
Students participate in the Reflections Program by submitting entries to a local PTA or PTSA. Nationally, the program has six arts areas-dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography, and visual arts."
Students can pick up an entry form and rules in the office from October 4th through November the 4th. All entries are due on November the 5th.
Parents - If you have an interest in the arts and would are willing to participate as a judge, please e-mail Elizabeth Swanson @ elizabeth.swanson46@yahoo.com .
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Final Curtain Call... Strandwood Nutcracker 2010!
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(Nobody has stepped up to help run this for next year. We are re-running this article in hopes that a group of concerned parents will step up and continue this Strandwood tradition)
After 10 years of being a part of the Strandwood Nutcracker it is with great sadness that I say goodbye to this production. It has been a pleasure to share this timeless classic with you. I will truly miss working with your wonderful children. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to keep this 15 year long tradition alive at Strandwood. - Diane Kastell
What about the future of the Nutcracker?
The key committee positions (production coordinator, costume mistress and backstage coordinator) are held by volunteers who will soon be leaving Strandwood. This will be our final year coordinating the show. We are asking for a group of willing volunteers to take over the Nutcracker Production. We would like to invite parents to come and work with us this year and familiarize themselves with the show in hopes that they will continue this tradition.
The production would not be possible without YOU and it NEEDS YOU NOW more than ever! Thank you to the many supporters who have volunteered their time and resources through the years, the many parents who have cheered on our talented students, and especially our terrific teachers, staff, and our wonderful principal Mrs. Kim for your commitment to the show. If you would like to see this incredible tradition continue, please consider taking on one of the key committee positions.
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer please contact either: Diane Kastell dikastell@yahoo.com or May Hanecak may_hanecak417@yahoo.com
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Board of Education Candidates Forum
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Pleasant Hill Education Commission presents:
2010 Mt Diablo Unified School District Board of Education Candidates Forum
Wednesday, Oct 20, 7-9 pm
Pleasant Hill City Hall
Council Chambers
100 Gregory Lane
Meet the candidates running in the upcoming November election for MDUSD Board of Education and get answers to your questions regarding their positions and qualifications in this discussion moderated by Contra Costa Times Political Editor Lisa Vorderbrueggen.
Questions chosen to be posed to the candidates by the moderator at the event will be a mix of those prepared in advance from community input and those submitted that evening.
Participating candidates include: Brian Lawrence, Linda Mayo, Roy Larkin, Cheryl Hansen and Jeff Adams.
The forum will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 26 on October 22 at 5:00 p.m. and October 24 at 7:00 p.m.
To send your questions in advance for consideration, please email: j_reik@comcast.net
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Latest MDUSD News Update
| API Scores, Measure C update, Solar Project update, School Closure and more in last weeks MUSUD News Update. Click here to read it for yourself.
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Intradistrict Applications
| Intradistrict applications will be available beginning October 1 at your
school of residence and at the District Office in Student Services, Wing D,
1936 Carlotta Dr., Concord, CA 94519.
Incoming kindergartners: Applications may be requested on or after the
student is registered at his/her school of residence. The should be
submitted no later than Feb. 28th.
When more requests are received than there is space available to attend a
specific school, the Student Services Office will conduct a public lottery
among the applicants to fill any vacancies that may exist.
Please note: Students on Intradistrict Transfers can be displaced
prior to September 15 of each school year by students who reside in the
school's attendance area.
For more information click here for the district web page on Intradistrict Transfers.
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Dates, Times and Places
| October 4 - Race to Nowhere shown in the MU Room October 4 - Computer Lab Opens October 5 - Field Trip, 3rd Grade to Mt. Diablo (B7) October 6 - Senior Reading Starts
October 7 - PTA General Membership Meeting - 6:30 pm in the library. Join us in welcoming the 1st grade teachers as they present to the membership.
- Strandwood E-Waste Fundraiser October 10 - United Mt. Diablo Athletics Run-Walk - Join the Strandwood Team October 12 - Field Trip, 3rd Grade to Mt. Diablo (A1 & C5) October 14 - Strandwood Picture Day October 19 - PTA E-Board Meeting October 22 - Fall Fest October 22 - Principal Pizza Lunch October 27 - Opera A la Carte Assembly October 29 - Strandwood Halloween Parade View the calendar on the Strandwood PTA website by clicking here.
View the calendar on the Strandwood Elementary School website by clicking here.
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In the Office
Flyers regarding the following items are available in the office this month. You can also click on the link, if there is one, to go directly to that site. | Return To Top
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Welcome to Strandwood Elementary School!