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A Strandwood PTA Publication
MAY 2, 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
PTA "Measure S" Campaign
Read and Dream Deadline Changes
Make A Difference Day
Great American Orders
Kids' Bike Rodeo
Parenting Tip of the Week
Education News and Information
Flyers Available in the Office
Dates, Times and Places

PTA Opens New "Measure S" Campaign

For Lower Grade Instructional Assistants

By PTA President Martha Alexander
Welcome back from Spring Break.  I can hardly believe that we have only a few short months of school left this year.
 
As this year winds down, the PTA has some really hard decisions that need to be made for next year. While the 2011-1012 PTA will determine the budget for next year, we have to look NOW at what staff positions we are willing to fund so that Mrs. Kim can make the arrangements to have the positions filled as soon as reasonably possible after school starts.
 
Due to the State financial crisis Strandwood has been hit hard by extreme budget cuts, and every year the cuts get deeper.  The PTA has attempted to minimize the impact of these cuts over the last several years by paying for a number of staff positions.  In recent years the PTA has funded the following staffing positions:  Science Instructor; Site Tech 1, Primary Grade Reading Instructional Assistant, Upper Grade Reading Instructional Assistant, Art Instructional Assistant, and Instructional Assistants for the first and second grades.   However, we have been funding some of these positions with the Measure S Campaign from 2009 (the money for the First and Second grade Instructional Assistants) as well as from surplus funds from prior years.  If we continued to provide the same level of staffing for next year it would be just over $80,000.00!!!

It is no longer feasible for the PTA to continue to provide this level of staffing needs as well as OUR programs without seriously dipping into the red.  Accordingly, the 2010 PTA agreed to fund the Science Instructor, Site Tech 1, and the Primary Grade Reading Instructional Assistant only at this time.  We are still in process of discussing other positions, but we know that we cannot fund everything again for next year.
 
We need your help again if we are going to fund Instructional Assistants for first and second grade.  We estimate the cost of six IA's for next year at approximately $16,000.00.  Accordingly, we are re-launching the Measure S Campaign.  We are asking that every family donate between $50.00 and $100.00, but will of course accept any amount.  The more donations we receive the more assistants we will be able to provide.  All donations should be made payable to Strandwood PTA and are tax deductible.   Please make a notation that the donation is for Measure S.   Donations can be dropped in the PTA box in the school office.  We are truly sorry to have to ask yet again for more money.  However, this is the only way we will be able to fund these Instructional Assistants for next year.

Thank you.
Distinguished Flag
Photo courtesy of the Bargmann family.
Calendar
Click the image below to go directly to the monthly Strandwood PTA web calendar.
calendar

What is it?

What is the object in the close up photo below?


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

Read and Dream Schedule Changes

Due to Spring Break and 3 scheduled school furlough days, the Read and Dream schedule has changed and will be as follows:

For the month of April, Read and Dream logs will be due on Monday, May 2. Awards will be given out on Friday, May13.

For the month of May, Read and Dream logs will be due on Thursday, May 26. Awards will be given out on Friday, June 3.

Please mark the changes in your calendars. Thank you for your flexibility.

Questions: Please email Noga at nogakessler@yahoo.com or Suzie at silvacrew@aol.com

Make A Difference Day

WHEN: Saturday May 7, 10:00AM - 3:00PM

 

WHERE: Strandwood

 

WHAT: Please join us in making Strandwood beautiful! Bring your garden tools, your wheelbarrows and your gloves. Please come have fun planting and weeding with us.  

 

QUESTIONS: Please email Noga at nogakessler@yahoo.com 

 

Thank you and hope to see you there

Great American Orders Due Today

Great American orders are due today.  Please turn them in to your child's teacher or you may put the order in the PTA basket in the office.  All checks should be made out to Strandwood PTA.  Hope you've enjoyed shopping Great American.

Kids' Bike Rodeo Coming Soon

Kids' Bike Rodeo -- Saturday, May 14 from noon to 4pm at the Pleasant Hill Library, 1750 Oak Park Blvd

 

Cruise a miniature city in the library parking lot! A team of bicycle safety experts from Cycles of Change will teach kids about bicycle safety. Bring a bike or borrow one of ours. Enjoy bicycle crafts and snacks at this free family event. Sponsored by the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library, Kaiser Permanente, Pleasant Hill Rotary Club, Pleasant Hill Community Foundation, Pleasant Hill Library Fund, and Whole Foods Walnut Creek.

 

Parenting Tip of the Week
From www.parents.com

How To Be Fair  

Experts say it's smart to adapt rules and parenting style to each of your kids, but you need to play fair. Even if one child is agreeable and the other is argumentative, never make comments to compare them ("Why can't you be like your sister?"), and always spread your affection evenly between them.

 

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

Education News and Information

Strategic Planning Input Sessions  

The Mt. Diablo Unified School District is beginning a strategic planning process.  A straw model of strategic intents has been developed.  Each strategic intent has been defined and a list of potential goals has been identified.  Our next step is to review the work with the community and get feedback.  To this end, fifteen community input sessions have been scheduled for May and June.  Each session will review the strategic intents and definitions.  The community will give input on the goals: should any be changed, are any goals missing, and what are the concerns or issues for the goals.  

 

You are invited to attend one of the community input sessions listed below:

· Monday, May 2, 7:00 p.m., Clayton Valley High School Multi Use Room

· Tuesday, May 3, 7:00 p.m., Mt. Diablo High School Multi Use Room

· Thursday, May 5, 7:00 p.m., Northgate High School Multi Use Room

· Monday, May 9, 7:00 p.m., College Park High School Multi Use Room

· Wednesday, May 11, 7:00 p.m., Monte Gardens Elementary Multi Use Room (geared for staff input)

· Thursday, May 12, 7:00 p.m., Ygnacio Valley High School Multi Use Room

· Saturday, May 14, 9:00 a.m., TBD

· Monday, May 16, 7:00 p.m., Concord High School Multi Use Room

· Tuesday, May 17, 7:00 p.m., Dent Center (geared for Community Advisory Committee)

· Wednesday, May 19, 7:00 p.m., Riverview Middle School Multi Use Room

· Wednesday, June 1, 7:00 p.m., (geared for Parent Advisory Committee)

· Thursday, June 2, 7:00 p.m., Willow Creek Center  (geared for Foundations)

· Wednesday, June 15, 7:00 p.m., Dent Center (geared for Measure C Oversight Committee)

· Wednesday, June 15, 7:00 p.m., Willow Creek Center

· Thursday, June 16, 7:00 p.m., Dent Center (geared for Measure C Oversight Committee)

 

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Contra Costa County Grand Jury Report 1102

Financial Challenges Persist at MDUSD 

 Mt. Diablo Unified School District (District), like other school districts, has suffered revenue losses. The District has had ongoing budget deficits due to declining enrollment and reduced State funding. The District continues to face increasing costs for salaries and benefits. In an effort to address revenue losses and to complete identified projects not funded by a 2002 Bond, the District Board of Education (Board) sought passage of a bond measure (201 0 Bond) that was later approved by the voters.

 

Four factors raised questions regarding the Board's procedures and transparency:

* an expedited bond initiation process,

* a lack of open discussion at Board meetings of the full range of costs for financing a bond,

* revisions to the organization's structure within the District, and

* continuing budget shortfalls.

 

Read the complete Contra Costa County Grand Jury Report 1102 here.

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FLYERS

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.  

Buena Vista Swim Club

Memberships Available For Summer 2011

Click here to view the flyer 



Dates, Times and Place
May 2 - May 13 - STAR Testing - Your teacher should brief you on the grade level schedule
May 2 - Field Trip - B-4 to Tilden Park
May 2 - Field Trip - Kindergarten to the Aquarium By The Bay
May 5 - PTA General Membership Meeting
May 6 - No School - Teacher Furlough Day
May 7 - Make A Difference Day - 10:00am - 3:00pm
May 9 - Field Trip - B2 to Tilden Park
May 10 - Field Trip - B-3 to Tilden Park
May 10 - School Site Council Meeting - 3:15 in the Library
May 12 - Kindergarten Orientation
May 18 - Student Council Spirit Day - Sports Day
May 19 - Field Trip - 5th Grade to Pleasant Hill Middle School
May 25 - Bike To School Day
May 25 - Strandwood Open House
May 27 - No School - Teacher Furlough Day
May 30 - School Holiday - Memorial Day
May 31 - No School - Teacher Furlough Day


View the calendar on the Strandwood PTA website by clicking here.  
Visit the Strandwood Elementary School website by clicking here.  dates

The photo is of a can opener

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