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A Strandwood PTA Publication
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MARCH 7, 2011
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 these electronic communications please use the "Safe Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the newsletter.
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A Message From Our Principal
More is better...
|  More is better is not always a theory I personally subscribe to, however, when it comes to help in an elementary classroom - it's true! Thanks to the generosity of the parent community of Strandwood our primary classrooms, first and second grades, have had an additional pair of hands in the classroom five hours a week for the past two years.
CSR - class size reduction - was eliminated in many districts across California two years ago including ours as districts worked to balance budgets on dramatically reduced funding from the state.
Concerned parents of primary age students at Strandwood created "Measure S" and received donations from parents and families to support the hiring of instructional assistants (IAs) for 5 hours a week for the first grade, second grade and this year included one for the second/third grade combination class.
Classroom teachers have made excellent use of the additional help in the classrooms. Walking through the classrooms each day I see small groups of students or individual students working with the IAs. They are providing guided practice for those students who have not mastered skills being taught by the teacher to the whole group. They are working with individual students to provide the added supported practice they need in word recognition, number facts and other grade level skills. These additional hands have helped teachers at Strandwood continue our tradition of excellent instruction with student learning as our focus. Teachers have been able to respond more quickly to student questions, or when they are challenged or need to be challenged! Classroom teachers are able to work with groups of students who have mastered grade level standards that have been taught and scaffold them to the next level.
Thank you Strandwood PTA for this extra set of hands! More is better!
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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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What is it?
What is the object in the close up photo below?
Find the answer in the Dates, Times and Places section at the bottom of the newsletter.
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Another Box Tops Winner
|  Congratulations to Nathan Nibblet - our February Box Tops Winners! Nathan collected 260 box tops!! Keep clipping and saving - our next deadline is Thursday, March 31st.
Do you shop online? If so, please visit the Box Tops Marketplace at www.boxtops4education.com or click on the link via our PTA website. Over 100 retailers give eBox Tops to our school when you shop at the Marketplace. Popular stores include Aeropostale, Best Buy, Gap, Expedia, iTunes and more. Check it out today! |
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After School Chess - Spring Session
|  Register now for the Spring Session of after-school chess! The current chess class meets for the last time on March 9th. If you want to continue attending chess, or if you are new to the program, register now for the Spring session. This is the last session for this school year. Click here for the informational flyer.
March 16 - April 20 (six weeks)
Wednesdays from 12:35 to 1:35
Grades K-5 (but sorry no late K friends due to the time)
To register, go online to www.berkeleychessschool.org and choose the link on the left to "sign up for a class". The fee for six weeks is $72 for the first child, and siblings are half price.
However, the first parent to volunteer to assist the chess class by remaining in the room during the class will receive free chess for their child this session. No chess experience necessary! Parent volunteers are required to have fingerprinting and a TB record on file at the school.
Please contact the Berkeley Chess School for more information: 510-843-0150 or email them at bcschool@pacbell.net
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Auction News
|  La Dolce Vita is officially on-line!!!! Please log on to www.biddingforgoood.com/strandwood to start bidding on all the great items that we have for you. You will be amazed by all the class projects and teacher experiences. This is the ONLY place where you can get your hands on all the Strandwood related things, like those class projects, teacher items, the parking spot, up-front at the Kindergarten Spring Sing, 5th Grade Graduation, and "Flock your Friends" (curious about this one???? You have to log on to check it out!!) Please note that there will be TWO closing dates for the on-line auction, Wednesday April 6th and Thursday April 7th. Make sure to check the closing times of your items carefully. Also, don't forget to refer your friends and family. This is a great chance for us to reach out to our community and let them have the opportunity to support Strandwood. The top referrer at the close of the last auction will be rewarded with a dinner out to Nibblers! Got Wine??? Help us stock that wine toss table! We will be collecting wine this week, starting Tuesday, both before and after school. Wine (and other Spirits) can be dropped off on Westover or Monte Circle~you won't miss us! For every bottle of wine you donate you will receive a raffle ticket. Please contact Michele Dinsmore if you have any questions bandmdinsmore@comcast.net Raffle tickets will be available for purchace starting next Monday. We will be sending home an order form and details with your child, so check backpacks! This year our raffle will prizes are an Amazon Kindle, a stylish Coach Purse and a round of golf for 4 with carts at Contra Costa Country Club. New this year is the ability to pick your raffle item: you put your raffle ticket toward the prize you want to win! There are still some tickets left to attend the event! Please leave a check in the PTA basket if you will to join in the festivities.
Click here for the auction web page - http://www.strandwood.org/auction/PTA_Auction.htm |
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FPHE No Cooking on Tuesdays!!
March 8th - BJ's Restaurant
| Support the Pleasant Hill public schools by participating in FPHE's Dine Out for Education event every Tuesday from January 18 - March 15. The event includes lunch, dinner, or take-out at the participating restaurants. Restaurants will donate a % of your meal to FPHE. Click here to print the event flier and learn more about the nine-week event. Be sure to present the flier when you dine at the restaurant.
March 8 - BJ's Restaurant - 385 Sun Valley Mall
March 15 - Devino's Pizza & Pasta - 2221 Morello |
Parenting Tip of the Week
From www.parents.com | |
Does Your Family Have Bieber Fever?
Looking for another way to bond with your kid? Show interest in her favorite musician and impress her with Justin Bieber trivia from our interview with the adorable singing dynamo. Even better, offer to take her and her friends to his new movie!
Click here for the article. Remember to click through all the pages of information by clicking Next.
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Education News and Information
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Board of Education Proposes $30 Million More in CutsAt the Board of Education Meeting tomorrow, the Board will be trying to balance the budget once again. Some items being discussed are the long term school closure plans, elimination of GATE funding, reducing 180 positions including 33 music teachers, 20 librarians, 27 K-5 teachers and more. In addition the board is considering reducing teachers calendar by 7 days and further reducing elementary school secretaries. Please click here to view the entire agenda or click on individual agenda items and open the pdf files; 7.1 (Amended Resolution No. 10/11-49 to decrease the number of certificated employees due to a reduction or elimination of particular kinds of services.), 7.3 (Potential Budget Reductions for 2011-12) and 7.5 (Development of a Long Term Plan for School Closure) These are real deep cuts on top of what we have already experienced. Please stay informed of what cuts are being planned and how they may effect Strandwood Elementary and our education community.
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Education News and Information
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Mt. Diablo USD News Update
Where Kids Come First
Governor's Budget Proposal and Impact on MDUSD
"If all of the Governor's strategies are enacted, then the total K-14 Proposition 98 funding would be $49.3 billion, slightly less than the 2010-11 level of $49.7 billion. This would amount to a reduction of approximately $600,000 for our District."
"The big unknown is whether or not the Governor's revenue proposals will be put on a June ballot and whether or not they will pass. If either doesn't happen, the minimum school funding guarantee under Proposition 98 would drop by an additional $350 per student annually. However, due to other constraints on the State's budget, it is projected that Proposition 98 will be suspended and that education would be cut by additional billions of dollars which would translate into a reduction of between $650 and $1200 per pupil annually. This would mean a reduction between $21 million and over $35 million annually for the District. At their presentation on Wednesday, February, 23, Senator DeSaulnier and Treasurer Lockyer both stated there was a 50-50 chance that the tax extensions would garner the Legislative two-thirds support necessary to put them on a June ballot." Read the 2nd article from the district's regarding the budget situation by clicking here.
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Education News and Information
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Mt. Diablo district trustee calls for comprehensive school closure plans and budgets
By Theresa Harrington
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 03/05/2011 08:00:00 PM PST
CONCORD -- In response to numerous questions and concerns expressed after the Mt. Diablo school board's decision to close two schools, one trustee is calling for comprehensive school closure plans. "My concern is that it can fall between the cracks," Trustee Cheryl Hansen said Friday. "I'm getting a lot of e-mails from parents and community members with fundamental questions about, 'Where is my student going to go to school next year?'" For the rest of the article please click here .
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Dates, Times and Places
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March 8 - School Site Council Meeting - 3:15pm in the Library
March 9 - Student Council Spirit Day - Crazy Hat Day
March 11 - End of 2nd Trimester
March 11 - Field Trip - 2nd Grade - 11:00am Percussion Discussion at the Lesher Center
March 15 - Field Trip A-5, A-6, E-1 Sutter's Fort/Indian Museum field trip
March 21 - PH Middle School School visits Strandwood
March 23 - Student Council Spirit Day - Twin/Triplet Day
March 24 - Field Trip - A-5 - John Muir Historic Site
March 25 - Field Trip - A-3 - John Muir Historic Site
March 31 - Field Trip - A-6 - John Muir Historic Site
March 31 - Field Trip - B-5, C-5 (Second Graders) and E-2 - Lindsey Museum
View the calendar on the Strandwood PTA website by clicking here.
Visit the Strandwood Elementary School website by clicking here. 
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In the Office or On-Line
Flyers regarding the following items are available in the office this month. You can also click on the link, underlined if there is one, to go directly to that site.
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Larkey Sharks Pre-Season Parent Meeting, Registration and Info Night
For Both New Parents Interested in Joining the Swim Team and current Members
Click Here for the Flyer
Foundation for Pleasant Hill Education Annual Campaign - Help Schools Thrive - Give $55
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