Your Monday Morning Roadrunner from Strandwood Elementary

A Strandwood PTA Publication

MARCH 14, 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.

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In This Issue

Women's History Month

Talent Show News

MDUSD Science Fair

See's Candies Fundraiser

After School Chess

FAME for March

Auction Update - Sold Out!!

FPHE - No Cooking Tuesday

Parenting Tip of the Week

Education News and Information

PH Rec and Park Princess Party

Dates, Times and Places

Flyers Available in the Office

March is Women's History Month

March is celebrated as National Women's History Month in thousands of schools, communities and workplaces across the nation as well as on military bases throughout the world.

This celebration, designated by Joint Resolutions of the House and Senate and Proclamations by six American Presidents, is an opportunity to honor and celebrate women's historic achievements. Each year National Women's History Month employs a unifying theme and honors women around the country whose work and lives testify to that theme.

For 2011, the theme is Our History is Our Strength. To date, we have recognized National Honorees, but this year local communities, organizations and institutions are invited to honor women within their own communities or organizations.

For more information on Women's History Month click here.

Photo courtesy of the Bargmann family.

Calendar
Click the image below to go directly to the monthly Strandwood PTA web calendar.

What is it?

What is the object in the close up photo below?

Bandage photo

Find the answer in the Dates, Times and Places section at the bottom of the newsletter.

Talent Show News

If you are participating in the 2011 "Born to Perform" Talent Show, you should have received an email last week to schedule a time for the "Pre-views" on Wednesday, March 16. Pre-views start at 3:30pm, but each participant is assigned a time and only needs to be there to perform their act. All participants should plan to arrive 5-10 minutes prior to their appointment time to check-in and receive valuable talent show information.

If you turned in your registration form but did not receive the email, please contact Kathy Brown (Talent Show Coordinator) at brownjk05@comcast.net.

MDUSD Science Fair

from www.strandwood.mdusd.org

Six Strandwood 5th grade students' science projects have been accepted for the Mt. Diablo Unified School Districty Science Fair. Tyler M., Xavier S., Cian C., Christopher C., Sean M. and Rachel G. will represent Strandwood on Saturday, March 12th from 9:00 to 11:30. The MDUSD Science Fair is a non competitive event. Each participant will receive a certificate and badge.

If you have some time on the 12th stop by Willow Creek Center on Mohr Lane. It is amazing to see the projects students come up with and hear them talk about them! We are proud of our future scientists!

See's Candies Spring Fundraiser

Attention 4th Grade Families

Join us as we kick off our See's Candies Spring Fundraiser to benefit our children's 5th grade Outdoor Education Program for next year.

Later this week, your child will receive a See's Candies product flyer, order form, and money collection envelope. Our fundraiser begins March 18th and ends on March 30th. Orders will be delivered to your student the week of April 18th, prior to Spring/Easter break.

PRIZES: There will be a prize for the top seller in each 4th grade classroom. (Prize: Apple iPod Shuffle 2GB).

This is a great opportunity for family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to purchase See's Candies (or a See's Candies gift certificate) without having to wait in line at the store, while helping to raise money for our children.

Note: Because the cost for the 5-day Outdoor Education session is about $250-$300 per student, fundraising is critical so that we can lower the cost for each student. Our fundraising goal is $8,000, and we hope to make approximately 10% of this through the See's Candies fundraiser.

Thanks for your support, and please contact Julie Tuggle (octuggle@yahoo.com) with any questions.

After School Chess - Spring Session

NEW CHESS SESSION STARTS MARCH 16

Volunteer as a parent to stay in the class and your child attends for free! You must already be fingerprinted by the district and tb tested.

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)

The fee for six weeks is $72 for the first child, and siblings are half price.

To register, go online to www.berkeleychessschool.org And choose the link on the left to "sign up for a class".

FAME for March

Time is the theme for lesson 5, as musical tempo terms are reviewed and new ones are introduced to describe the gypsy rhythms of Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.

The melting clocks of Salvador Dali's surrealistic Persistence of Memory are always a topic of interesting discussion as students consider artistic composition and describing dreams.

For more on the fantastic FAME program at Strandwood please visit the PTA's FAME web page by clicking here. We are currently in Lesson 5. Lesson 6 for April will be posted soon.

Auction Updates

We are SOLD OUT!!! Thanks to all of you who have purchased their tickets! We look forward to a very fun evening with you. If you still would like to come to the event and did not purchase a ticket, please contact Lea Harrington harringtonlea@yahoo.com, as there is a wait list started: there are always some spots that open up, so get yourself on that list!

Are you registered for shopping on www.biddingforgood.com/strandwood yet??? This is the ONLY place that you can purchase that special teacher experience for your child or the great class project. There are so many other great items for you to bid on as well. Here is just a SMALL sample: A Birthday Party for you child at a local firehouse, the chance to "Flock your Friends", Taylor Swift tickets, Kindergarten Spring Sing seats, vacations to Tahoe and Carmel, Disneyland tickets, PHBA registration, Mother/Son bowling sign-up, and the reserved parking spot on campus! Please check back often, as we are always updating items.

Coming home today with your child will be information regarding our fabulous raffle! Prizes include an Amazon Kindle 3G with a blue leather case, a stylish leather Coach Purse and a round of golf for 4 with carts at Contra Costa Country Club!

Raffle tickets will be available for purchase starting today. Simply fill out the order form (click here for a copy) indicating the amount of tickets you would like to purchase and what prize you would like to win. For only $2 for one ticket or $25 for 15 you have chance to win the prize you want - You pick what you want your raffle ticket to win for you! It's like three separate rafflles! All ticket orders with checks or cash need to be turned in to the office in the PTA box. Tickets will also be sold on campus March 28-April 9th before and after school, and of course at the event! Please contact Dara Duane with questions. dara_duane@yahoo.com

Click here for the auction web page - http://www.strandwood.org/auction/PTA_Auction.htm

FPHE No Cooking on Tuesdays!!

March 15th - Devino's Pizza & Pasta

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 15 - Devino's Pizza & Pasta - 2221 Morello

Parenting Tip of the Week
From www.parents.com

25 Manners Kids Should Know

Your child's rude 'tude isn't always intentional. Sometimes kids just don't realize it's impolite to interrupt, pick their nose, or loudly observe that the lady walking in front of them has a large behind. And in the hustle and bustle of daily life, busy moms and dads don't always have the time to focus on etiquette. But if you reinforce these 25 must-do manners, you'll raise a polite, kind, well-liked child. (#7 really can be embarrassing.)

Click here for the article. Remember to click through all the pages of information by clicking Next.

Education News and Information

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson to Districts: Plan for the Worst

Superintendent Seeks to Gauge Impact of $4.5 Billion in School Cuts

SACRAMENTO-State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson is warning school districts to plan for the worst and took steps to tally the impacts on California schools if the state's temporary taxes expire July 1.

"Californians cherish their schools," Torlakson said. "Before we miss the chance to help our state's 6.2 million schoolchildren weather this financial emergency, people have a right to know the consequences."

In a letter to county school superintendents, Torlakson noted that time is running dangerously short to place a tax extension before voters.

Torlakson warned that without an extension, an "all-cuts" budget could force the state to cut school spending by as much as $4.5 billion or 10 percent of the K-12 annual budget. He urged officials to assess the impacts now.

The letter comes two months after Torlakson declared a state of financial emergency in California's schools, which have endured $18 billion in cuts over the last three years, equivalent to about one third of the state's annual spending on K-12 schools each year.

Fairytale Princess Party

It is not to late to sign yourself and your princess up for this enchanted event. Please call us at either (925) 676-5200 or (925) 682-0896 to register or look for us on line at www.pleasanthillrec.com.

For ages 2-6 yrs old - Be a princess for a day with your Mom or Dad. Wear your princess dress. Includes Fairytale Princess Story Time, a snack, and creating a very special princess crown.

PH Rec and Park Logo
Wed. March 23, 3:30-4:30 pm
* Admission: $9 / child, $6 / adult
* Community Ctr.: Parkside Rm.