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~ ~ ~ IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS  ~ ~ ~
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In This Issue
Round Table Night out
Join the PTA!
Box Tops Collection
10% Give Back Program
Save the Date - Council Yard Sale
PTA Advocacy
A Word From Our Principal
Counselor's Corner
Safety Valet
Fall Family Fiesta!
Back to School Wish Night
marenGOgreen Tip of the Month
Destination: Imagination
PTA President's Corner
DINNER  NIGHT OUT

Round Table Pizza
Wednesday,
September 15th
3:00 - 9:00 pm
Throughout the year, Marengo partners with local restaurants to earn money for our school.  No cooking, no cleaning - all you have to do is eat, and we make money!
Round Table Pizza
Come to Round Table Pizza on Wednesday, September 15th between 3:00 and 9:00 pm and 20% of your food and 10% of your soft drinks will be donated to Marengo.
SUPPORT THE PTA!
The 2010-2011 PTA membership drive started out with a bang.  We've received 250-plus members from the 3-day Roundup already!  If you haven't joined yet, please submit your membership form to the Marengo Office as soon as possible.  Your $6 membership dues will help support projects and programs at our school.  You will also receive a membership card with username and password for links to PTA-affiliated websites with parenting tips and store discounts.   So, join the PTA!
SHOP FOR EDUCATION
(PART 1)
BoxTops for Education
Fall Kickoff Coming Soon!
Keep collecting your Box Tops at home and stay tuned for details to return them to your student's classroom.  We submit Box Tops to General Mills twice a year for reimbursement.

This year we'll be collecting Box Tops in each classroom.  The classrooms will compete for prizes to be awarded several times throughout the year.
 
Mix n' Munch Cereal and Grilled Cheese Café  (soon to open in South Pasadena on Mission Street) will post ongoing results and host a school vs. school competition within SPUSD.  They will also supply us with some prizes.  YUM!!!
 
More details to come at upcoming Friday assemblies and in backpack mail!
 
You can collect even more Box Tops by asking Grandma, Auntie, or your next door neighbor with grown children to set aside a few Box Tops for you.  Box Tops are light-weight and easy to mail. Just a few extra Box Tops could propel your student's classroom and Marengo Elementary into prize-winning position.

Even at just 10 cents each, they add up quickly!

SHOP FOR EDUCATION (PART 2)
Special 10% Give Back Program ends September 14 at Vons and Pavilions

10% Back to Schools
Shop now through September 14th and our school can earn 10% of your purchase amounts on thousands of products.  Simply look for the yellow School Bus tags at Vons and Pavilions.  If you have already enrolled in eScrip, that money will go directly to the school automatically.  If you haven't enrolled yet (please do!), you can still participate by collecting your receipts that have redemption numbers across the bottom and turning them into the office.

For more information on this and other pain-free ways to fundraise, click here. 
SAVE THE DATE
District Yard Sale
October 23rd
8:00 am - 2:00 pm

The South Pasadena PTA Council, representing all 5 schools in our district, will be holding a Yard Sale in the District Parking Lot.

We will be accepting donations of:
  • Clothing
  • Backpacks & lunch sacks
  • Shoes
  • Sports equipment
  • DVD
  • Toys
  • Bikes & scooters
  • Home furnishings
  • Fully functioning electronics
  • Furniture
  • Books
  • Used plastic or paper bags for sold items
  • And more....
More information will be sent home through backpack mail.


PTA ADVOCACY
For the latest news on what is happening locally and at the state level regarding the economic crisis facing our state and our schools, visit the South Pasadena PTA Council website.
Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List

 SEPTEMBER 2010
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

9/1
8:20 am - PTA General Membership Meeting - Auditorium
Spirit Wear Order Forms Due

9/3
8:30 am - Room Parent Meeting - Auditorium
Fall Family Fiesta Order Forms Due

9/6
NO SCHOOL - Labor Day

9/7
Pre-School Drop-In Day

9/8
Opening Day of Preschool
3:00 pm - School Site Council Meeting (new date)

9/10
5:30 - 7:30 pm - Fall Family Fiesta

9/15
3:00 pm - 9:00 pm Dinner Night Out - Round Table

9/16
2:00 pm -  Early Dismissal Grades 1-5
Back to School/Wish Night
6:00 pm - Grades K-2
6:45 pm - Grades 3-5

9/22
6:30 pm - Preschool Back to School Night

9/27
8:20 am - PTA Executive Board Meeting

9/29
Picture Day
A WORD FROM OUR PRINCIPAL
Dear Marengo Community,

 
Welcome back to Marengo as we move into our 100th year of
nurturing, inspiring, and achievement! I hope that you have enjoyed some summer fun with family and friends. I would like to give a special welcome to new Marengo families. I look forward to seeing all of you at one of our upcoming events. Please plan to be at Back to School Night/Wish Night on September 16th. This is our 100th Back to School Night/Wish Night and we are hoping for 100% participation. This is an evening just for parents and teachers, during which the teacher will welcome you and outline the instructional plans for the year.

I would like to invite you to become an integral part of our learning community. There are many opportunities to serve on school or district committees, or to volunteer in your child's classroom. Partnership with parents is a hallmark of Marengo Elementary.  Our collective efforts produce the nurturing, inspiring, and challenging learning environment that our students deserve!

This year we have made some wonderful additions to our already fabulous staff here at Marengo. Ms. Serena Gingold and Ms.
Rachael Rodriguez have joined the First Grade team. Ms. Gingold and Ms. Rodriguez each come to us with 7 years of teaching experience in the primary grades. Ms. Erin Rasic is our new Speech Pathologist and Ms. Jenifer Leonard is our new Psychologist.  Ms. Rasic has over 10 years of experience as a Speech Pathologist.  Ms. Leonard joins us with 6 years of experience in our district. Mrs. Leah DeYoung is our new Office Clerk.  Mrs. DeYoung was a member of our staff as an instructional assistant for 5 years prior to moving into her new position.  Please take a moment to welcome them to our Marengo Community when you see them on campus!

Thank you all for your continued support as we move into the new school year!


Sincerely,


Kim Sinclair, Principal

ksinclair@fc.spusd.net

COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Dear Parents,

After twenty years of working in education, I still feel excited about the first days of school. As I watched parents greet one another at the PTA coffee Monday and the children laughing on the playground, it seemed so many of us are genuinely looking forward to this year.

As a counselor focused on Early Intervention, I am all about getting things off to a great start. I have worked with hundreds of families over the years and have learned a few things about getting the year started successfully.  Here are a few suggestions:
  • Make sure your children get adequate amounts of sleep.  I liken these first weeks of school to the same stress/excitement that we might feel as adults in a new job. Students are adjusting to a new teacher and expectations along with new classroom relationships. After a relaxing summer, it is hard to get children to bed earlier.  But they are tired and need the sleep.  Everyone is happier when children are rested.
  • Be sure to attend our Back to School Night, Thursday, September 9.  There are the obvious benefits of meeting your teacher, understanding the curriculum for the year, and signing up for involvement.  But, you also let your child know how much you value their education.  Let them know how thrilled you are to be their parent and share this wonderful moment with them.  Each year I leave a little note for my child at their desk and tell them something I love about their classroom
  • Jump in!  Getting involved is a great way to make school a family delight.  Attend the upcoming family events by sharing dinner with classmates and their families. Sign up to assist in the classroom.  Big or small, parental involvement benefits your child, the classroom, and you as a parent. It's a lot of fun to be part of the action!
  • Lastly, utilize the Marengo resources.  If the start of school has been a little shaky and the year feels uncertain, please call me.   Together we can strategize and discuss options.  Everyone is cheering for your child's success.  Let's make that happen sooner rather than later.

Enjoy these first days.  I look forward to seeing you at Back to School Night.


Kathryn Sievert Hutto, Early Intervention Counselor
626-441-5850 x5909
NEW MORNING DROP OFF PROCEDURES: SAFETY FIRST!
We strongly encourage all students to walk, ride, or scoot to school.

As you may have already noticed, the ONLY vehicle drop off zone for students is NORTHBOUND on Marengo Avenue starting by the Kindergarten classrooms and extending to Bank Street. Pedestrians may still enter via the Stratford gate in the morning; however, vehicles may no longer stop there as the passenger loading zone on Stratford has been replaced by teacher parking.

As you approach the safety valet zone on Marengo:
1.    Please pull as far forward as possible in the car line before letting your child out of your vehicle.
2.    Drivers should remain in their car and allow the safety valets to assist your child out on the passenger side.
3.    For everyone's safety, please no driver side exits.

After dropping off your child:
1.    Please observe all traffic laws as you merge into traffic.
2.    No U-turns in front of the school.
3.    No U-turns in the intersections.
4.    Stop at the stop sign at Bank Street and use your turn signals to communicate if you are turning.
5.    Take extra care and observe directions from the crossing guard at Rollin Street and the safety valet at Bank Street assisting students crossing Marengo Avenue.

Let's have a great and safe year!
Sincerely, Andrea Wang
FALL FAMILY FIESTA!
Friday, September 10th
Dinner Served 5:30 - 6:30 pm
Stay and play until 7:30 pm

Come on over and say Olé to all your Marengo friends!maracas
Join us for a delicious dinner from My Taco.    Order forms to pre-order food are due this Friday, September 3rd.   Adult meal includes three soft tacos (chicken or carne asada), rice, beans, and guacamole.   Child meal includes one soft taco, one cheese quesadilla, rice, beans, and guacamole.  Served with all the condiments to make your fiesta fabulous!
 
Drinks will be available for purchase at the event.  Feel free to bring your own picnic if you would like!
 
DINNER CANNOT BE PURCHASED AT THE FIESTA!
BACK TO SCHOOL / WISH NIGHT
Thursday, September 16:
6:00 pm grades K-2, 6:45 pm grades 3-5

PARENTS ONLY PLEASE!

Grades 1-5 will be dismissed early at 2:00 pm on this day.

Don't miss this important night at Marengo!  The evening starts with an assembly in the auditorium where you'll hear from the principal and meet the teachers and staff members.  Then it's off to your child's classroom to hear directly from the teacher what your child can expect from the year and how you can help.

Look for your Wish Night letters with Teacher Wish Lists and donation envelopes to come home with your child next week.

Please donate generously!

The Wish Night funds we collect go directly to support your child's teacher and their vision for enriching your student's classroom experience.
marenGOgreen TIP OF THE MONTH
For many of us, back to school means back to making lunches. marenGOgreen is encouraging our families to try to avoid disposable items in the lunchbox. Take note of a frightening stat: 67 pounds of waste are generated annually from each child's disposable lunch. Check out what you already have from last year and see what items in your kitchen you might be able to repurpose for lunches. Baggies? Nah...you don't need 'em. Plastic containers from yogurt or cream cheese can be washed and reused for apple slices, grapes, pretzels...you name it. Some of  our favorite  items to make your lunches waste-free include LunchBots, Fabkins,Wrap N Mats, Snack Taxis,  GoGreenLunchBoxes, to name a few;  all are available through online retailers.  So join our efforts in making Marengo a waste-free lunch school!
Interested in joining marenGOgreen?  Contact Michelle Round, choniqueen@aol.com, 626.441.5471 or Liz Price, lizprice1011@gmail.com, 626.403.2808.

 marenGOgreen
A New School Year, a New Destination: IMAGINATION
Last year, Marengo students Timothy Okitsu and Thomas Sawano, were part of a team of six South Pasadena and San Marino kids, dubbed the "DI Fantastic VI," who signed up to be part of a national after-school enrichment program called Destination ImagiNation (http://www.idodi.org/). The program develops
diverse skills ranging from teamwork, critical thinking, creative problem solving, improvisation, organization, engineering, construction, art and music through the solving of difficult "challenges" prepared each year by the organization.

DI Fantastic VI addressed their challenge, to precisely deliver objects on the other side of an opaque wall, by building a 7'-6" high and sixteen foot long contraption of their own design that used plastic pipe, cardboard, pulleys and a light sensor to detect and deliver their objects. The team then competed and placed 1st at the regional and 4th at the statewide tournaments, demonstrating their solution in action while simultaneously performing a musical and comedic skit of their own creation.
DI Awards Photo
One of the most challenging, but ultimately among the most rewarding aspects of the program, is a rule that the kids must solve the problems and build the solutions themselves, without parental interference.

This year, Principal Sinclair and team coaches Audrey Wu and Cindy Okitsu would like to invite other Marengo 4th/5th graders and parents to participate in Destination ImagiNation and form teams of up to 7 kids each. A demonstration of DI Fantastic
VI's project from last year is planned for an upcoming Friday morning assembly and the October 6th PTA meeting. Please contact Audrey (audrey@audreywu.com) or Cindy
(cyen@usc.edu) for details on becoming involved.
PTA PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Dear Marengo Families,

To our new families - welcome!  And to our returning families - welcome back!  We're so glad to have you all at Marengo.

School is just starting and already there is a lot going on at Marengo.  Please plan on attending our first PTA meeting, this Wednesday the 1st, at 8:20 am in the auditorium.  These meetings are a great opportunity to get informed about what happens at Marengo - you hear directly from our principal, PTA committee chairs and school board members.  Also, at the September meeting we will be approving this year's budget and introducing our new executive board.  We know not all parents can attend morning meetings, which is why every other meeting is at 7:00 pm.  Please see the school calendar for meeting dates.  The school calendar is available online at marengo.spusd.net.

Then next week, on Friday the 10th, we have our first school wide event.  Our traditional Fall Family picnic will be a Fall Family Fiesta this year, with food from My Taco.  It is always a fun time to visit with old friends and make some new ones.  Please plan on joining us - you can pre-order food or bring your own. 

Other upcoming events include Back to School Night/Wish Night on September 16th, and then our first Family Movie Night of the year on October 8th. 

We'd like to publicly thank a few people that worked hard for Marengo over their summer.  Thank you Dina Hughes for planning a spectacular kindergarten playdate - it was a wonderful event.  And a special thank you to Liz Price, who has spent much of the last few weeks updating our PTA databases and keeping our website current. 

As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.  We're thrilled to be back and look forward to seeing all of you at school!



PJ Lutz                                           Karen Weinstock
PTA President                                 Executive Vice President
pjlutz5@gmail.com                       jkwst@hotmail.com

P.S.  If you haven't turned in all of your PTA forms yet, no worries - click here to access our website and download our membership form, contact information sheet, volunteer sign-up sheets and more.  Drop them off at the school office once you have completed them.  Thank you!