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October 7, 2012
Encinal PTO / La Organizasión de Padres y Maestro
Boletin en espanol - haga clic aqui
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 Dear Encinal Families,
Happy October everyone! Fourth and fifth graders enjoyed the fall Harvest Festival last Friday in our garden. Many thanks to the organizer, Kristi Waldron, and the many parents who dressed up, brought materials, lead activities, and provided some hands on colonial farming experiences for the students.
This week I hope to see as many parents as possible at Tuesday's PTO general meeting at 8:45 in the TERC. At this meeting, the PTO will present their budget for approval which guides our work for the school year. In addition, I'll highlight the school's plans for the principal's discretionary fund which includes plans for professional development around meeting the needs of our English Language Learners, our advanced learners, and deepening our understanding of the Common Core. I'll also highlight the book study that our School Site Council will be reading this year. Hope to see you there on Tuesday!
Sincerely,
Principal Burns
sburns@mpcsd.org
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Week at a Glance
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Things to Do
Upcoming Dates
- Oct 9 - PTO General Meeting with Principal Burns and Sup. Ghysels, 8:45am, TERC
- Oct 11 - Speaker: Dr. Levine, "Teach Your Children Well," 7pm (Sold Out)
- Oct 18 - Minimum Day, 11:20am dismissal
- Oct 24/25 - MPCSD Core Values Meeting
- Oct 31 - Halloween Parade, 11:20am - (K-1), 1:15pm (2-5)
- Nov 2 - Book Fair Begins
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 Dear Encinal families, THANK YOU! The Encinal PTO membership drive came to a close last week, and the results are in. Encinal families, teachers, staff, and community members donated $137,000 - Wow! You really delivered! With your help, we now have most of the funding in place to move forward with programs at Encinal School. Thank you all so much. Our participation rate increased this year! A tremendous 79% of Encinal families contributed to the PTO. This is a participation increase of more than 12% over last year, and we are getting closer to our ultimate goal of everyone participating. On behalf of the PTO, I wanted to express our deep gratitude to the many families who went above and beyond the suggested contribution of $200 per child. Your generosity is deeply felt because you have made it possible for every Encinal child to attend grade level field trips, visit the library to select from thousands of new titles, and experience learning in innovative ways with highly trained teachers and through the use of technology like document cameras at work in the classrooms. What's next? Our Principal and Vice Principal, PTO treasurer team of Cristy Barnes and Bernice van der Meer, PTO Vice Presidents, Carolyn Lynch and Rick Bentley, and I have been working to finalize our 2012-13 PTO budget based on membership campaign results, which outlines in detail the places our donations will be invested at Encinal this year. We are focusing on the areas that impact our children's learning experience the most, including classroom and curriculum supplies, enriching field trips, assemblies and events, staff development, and student programs. Here is a link to the preliminary budget pie chart for PTO spending. You're a PTO member; you have a voice!  The detailed budget will be presented to all PTO members for a vote at the fall PTO General Meeting to be held this Tuesday, Oct 9 at 8:45 am in the TERC with remarks from Principal Sharon Burns and Superintendent Maurice Ghysels. All Encinal PTO members (that's YOU!) are encouraged to attend for a review, discussion, and approval of the 2012-2013 PTO budget. We hope to see you there. Your voice counts! Our PTO Membership Campaign Team I'd like to thank three extraordinary parent leaders, Robin Soran, Fiona  Ashley, and Susan Masetti, PTO Membership Co-chairs, who worked tirelessly to manage and implement this effective campaign with cooperation, creativity, and grace (and some sleepless nights.) The entire Encinal community owes them a huge thank you for their incredible stewardship of Encinal programs! If you have some feedback about the campaign, we would love to hear it. We want to continuously improve the way we raise needed funds. We try to make it an informative, positive, and easy experience for the parents. What inspired you to write the check or donate online? Was there something about the campaign you didn't like? Was there something you would have done or said differently? Please email me at PTOPresident@encinalschool.com and let me know your thoughts. MPAEF (Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation) will continue to strive toward their fundraising goal of $4 million district wide in order to keep class sizes much smaller than statewide average, and to provide art, music, and library programs. The Foundation is pleased that they have raised over $1.6 million so far and have 35% participation to date. If you haven't had a chance to donate or pledge, please do. Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated. I would like to acknowledge the stellar MPAEF Encinal School Team who lead the joint campaign efforts on behalf of the Foundation. Please join me in thanking Jodi Robbins, Laurie Scott and Tracy Gray for all they are doing to keep education strong at Encinal! Together, we are creating a learning environment where all Encinal students can achieve their potential-academically, socially and emotionally. With gratitude, Katie Ferrick Encinal PTO President, 2012-2013
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School Pictures Are Available Online
Have you had a chance to view your child's school photos online with iClickSmiles?
If you plan to order photos, please order before Thursday, October 11th, at 5pm, when standard pricing takes effect (a 20%  increase.)
If you cannot find your child's online photo code, which was sent home on a flyer in the green folders, please call iClickSmiles at 888-298-0744 or email us with your school name, child's name, and teachers name so they can look it up for you.
Make-up photos will be taken on Tuesday, October 9th from 12:50-1:50pm. If you'd like to sign up for make-up photos, please make sure to submit your request here by midnight on Sunday October 7th (tonight!)
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Order Your Kids Art Items:
It's Kids Art Fundraiser time again! Students had fun creating beautiful drawings with the help of teachers and parent volunteers, and now you have the opportunity to purchase high-quality items like mugs, water bottles, magnets, ornaments, note cards, tiles, sketchpads, and much more, personalized with your child's artwork. They make wonderful gifts and special keepsakes, and kids love having their artwork immortalized on things that they and their families use every day.
Order packets have been sent home in your child's green folder. Unless noted otherwise, family orders are due back to school by Monday, October 8.
Thank you for your support of this longtime favorite fundraiser!
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After School Hoops Has Openings 
Fridays, 3:05-4:05 for 3rd-5th graders
Our after-school basketball program run by One-on-One Basketball has a few more openings for 3rd-5th graders during the Friday class.
This is a great program for boys and girls who want to work on their fundamentals such as dribbling, passing and shooting as well as enjoy team-oriented drills like fast-break and scrimmages. And, of course, there will be plenty of dribble tag, PacMan and Poison! Come out and PLAY!
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Try "EasyOrder" for Hot Lunch from Choicelunch
Please remember to place your October orders for Hot Lunch.
Click here for instructions on how to use the new "EasyOrder" process when ordering from Choicelunch. |
Monthly Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed We need a few more volunteers who are interested in serving a once per month shift on the Hot Lunch team. It's a fun way to get to know other parents, see your student at lunch time, and earn a free Choicelunch credit. Here are the days/teams we still need volunteers for:
| Monday | | Team 2: 10/8, 11/5, 1/14, 2/11, 3/11, 4/15, 5/13, 6/10 | | Team 4: 10/22, 11/19, 12/17, 1/28, 2/25, 4/29 | | Tuesday | | Team 1 10/30, 11/27, 1/8, 2/5, 3/5, 4/9, 5/7, 6/4 | | Team 2: 10/9, 11/6, 1/15, 2/12, 3/12, 4/16, 5/14, 6/11 | | Team 3: 10/16, 11/13, 12/11, 1/22, 2/19, 3/19, 4/23, 5/21 | | | Wednesday | | Team 3: 10/17, 11/14, 12/12, 1/23, 2/20, 3/20, 4/24, 5/22 | | Thursday | | Team 3: 11/15, 12/13, 1/24, 2/21, 3/21, 4/25, 5/23 | Team 4: 10/25, 12/20, 1/31, 2/28, 4/4, 5/2, 5/30
Friday
Team 1: 11/2, 11/30, 1/11, 2/8, 3/8, 4/12, 5/10, 6/7 | | Short schedules: Thursday | | Team 2: 4/18, 5/16, 6/13 | | Team 4: 4/4, 5/2, 5/30 |
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District Directories Coming Soon
 Parent volunteers are hard at work pulling together the District Directory! Each family will receive a single copy of the Directory compliments of your PTO. The Directory will be sent home with the youngest student in your family by the end of October. For those of you who would like to order extra directories or mini-versions of the directory for your glove compartment, etc. please click here and place your online order by Monday, October 22nd.
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District Core Values Roundtable Discussion
October 24th, 7-8:30pm @ Hillview, October 25th, 9-10:30am @ Laurel
A MPCSD Goal Team has focused for the last several months on formulating our district's vision and core values that reflect what our district believes in, our vision for the MPCSD community and how to realize that vision. The one page statement on core values is now in draft form and the goal team in seeking input and reaction from district staff, parents and the wider community.
Please consider attending one of two roundtable sessions to hear more about the process, and give your input and feedback. You are welcome to attend either one at your convenience.
- Wednesday, October 24 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at Hillview
- Thursday, October 25 from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. at Laurel
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Support Encinal with Box Tops!
Turn in your box tops by Oct 26th
 If you buy products with this logo, you can help Encinal PTO raise money by clipping the logo on the box and dropping it in the collection box in the Encinal Office. Each label is worth 10 cents! The first collection date will be October 26. Together, we can beat our goal of over $800 raised from last year! To learn more about this program, visit boxtops4education.com.
Thanks for supporting this program!
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Caring & Sharing Halloween Costume Drive Please Donate! Oct 8th - Oct 19th  Bring in your new or clean, gently used Halloween Costumes for children in our Encinal community. A drop box will be located in the office at Encinal for two weeks from Monday October 8 - Friday October 19. |
Encinal Office Seeking Donations of Used Clothes
 The Encinal office is in need of a supply of emergency clothes for students who may need to change in the middle of the day. If you have used pants, shorts, skirts, underwear, or shirts in sizes between 5T - 10, please bring them to Pam or Kat in the Encinal office. Thank you!
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Thank You for Celebrating Walk to School Day!
We hope you and your family had a great time walking, biking or 
boarding to school on Oct 3, International Walk to School Day!
Let's keep the momentum going with these tips:
- Pick at least one day a week to ride or walk to school.
- Park your car a little further from school; you'll get more time
with your child, you'll both get some exercise and you'll reduce
congestion near campus! - Check your closets: do your kids have rain boots that fit and
umbrellas for rainy days (it's bound to rain some day, right?)?
 A big THANK YOU to Walk to School Day organizer, Kathy Schrenk, and to volunteers Amy Hamilton, Nathalie Vasseur and Tim Christensen, who staffed tables at Laurel and Encinal to hand out healthy goodies and cheer on walkers, bikers and boarders!
Questions? Please contact Kathy, Transportation Coordinator
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Hooray for Picture Day Volunteers!
Thank you so much to Carol Kelly, Deanna Schroder, and Joyce Diamond for organizing a  fabulous Picture Day! We appreciate the behind the scenes organization as well as the time they spent making sure each child was looking their best before they got their pictures taken!
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MPAEF Joint Campaign Update
Now that the joint campaign with the Encinal PTO has concluded, the  Foundation will continue to work towards meeting the District's $4 million need. How will our community do this? It's simple - if you haven't donated or pledged to the Foundation yet, please do so. (If you have, thank you!) To date, we have received $1,211,056 in donations and pledges and 35% participation across the District!
We understand that each family needs to determine how they will pledge their support. All this is possible at www.mpaef.org. You can donate now, make a pledge or set up monthly installments. There are many options and all contributions will go directly towards supporting our schools. In addition, the Foundation is reaching out to our entire community - neighbors, businesses, former District families, grandparents, realtors - and asking them to join with our parents to further help our schools. Together, we can strengthen our schools and improve our communities.
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 OCTOBER is ESCRIP Month! No Extra Cost to You...Free Money for our Schools! Before you buy those Halloween costumes and gear up for a big night of trick or treating, please take 10 minutes to sign up for eScrip. EScrip is a popular, well-established program that costs you absolutely nothing! Hundreds of participating merchants donate a percentage of dollars you spend with them to our schools. Sign up is one-time, easy and free. Go to www.mpaef.org or www.escrip.com, create an account and select the Menlo Park Atherton Education Foundation (group ID number 126417042) as the beneficiary. Our goal for October is to sign up 100 new families. Please take a few minutes to sign up!
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Parenting Workshop with Dr. Jim Taylor
Your Children Are Listening: Nine Messages They Need to Hear from You
Friday, October 19, 8:30-10:30am, Allied Arts Guild, Menlo Park
Please join us for a special morning with parenting expert Dr. Jim  Taylor. Based on his third parenting book of the same title, this workshop looks at the powerful impact the early messages we send to our children have on their development. Dr. Taylor will also share nine essential messages that children must get to ensure that they develop into value-driven, happy, successful individuals. Dr. Taylor places special emphasis on practical strategies, such as catchphrases, rituals, and activities, that parents can use to convey healthy messages to their children.
This free workshop is open to 100 District parents, so please reserve your spot early! Register by emailing your name to events@mpaef.org. Coffee and morning treats will be served.
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Local Community News & Events
For complete listings click here
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Interested in Cub Scouts? Check Out Pack 565
Next Pack Meeting: Oct 17, 6:30pm in Laurel Multi
The year is just getting started and it's not too late to get in on the fun.  Boys entering the 1st through 5th grades or 7-10 years old are welcome to join Cub Scouts.
Each Cub Scout is a member of a den. Most dens have six to eight boys and meet once a month. Den meetings are a time for learning new things and having fun. Your Cub Scout is also a member of a pack. Our Pack meets the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm in the Laurel Multi. Pack meetings follow a suggested theme and are a time for boys to be recognized for their accomplishments during the month, to perform skits and songs they've learned in den meetings and to have fun with the entire family.
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New Community Listings
For full listings, click here.
Community Events & Speakers St. Raymond Pumpkin Festival, Friday and Saturday, October 12 (3:30 - 7pm) and October 13 (9am to 5pm), St. Raymond School, 1100 Santa Cruz Avenue. Pony rides, climbing wall, pumpkin patch, bungee trampoline, face painting, train rides, bounce houses, food, drinks and more! Free Admission. Bay Area Science Festival, October 25 to November 3, over 100 events and activities located throughout the Bay Area. All events are free and many are designed for kids and families. More information here. Gamble Garden Community Day, Sunday, October 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley Street, Palo Alto. Enjoy a day outdoors exploring the gardens with your kids. Free children's activities, plant sale, bring a picnic or enjoy the food trucks there. More information here.
CalGames Robotics - Featuring M-A Robotics, Saturday, October 13, 8am-6pm, Woodside High School's Main Gym, 199 Churchill Road, Woodside. Come see the Menlo-Atherton Robotics team at CalGames competing for the last time with this year's FIRST Silicon Valley Regional Winning Robot!! Admission is free. More information here.
American Girl Styles of Yesterday and Today Fashion Show for Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, November 9 and 10, at Christ Episcopal Church, 1040 Border Rd., Los Altos. Celebrate the experience of being a girl through a colorful presentation of historical and contemporary fashions. Tickets are $30 ($20 is tax-deductible). For reserved seat information, click here or call 650-364-2588.
Sports, Classes, and Other Opportunities
Menlo-Atherton Volleyball Community Clinic, Friday, October 5, 4:00 - 6:30pm (Registration 3:45- 4pm), Menlo-Atherton Gym, 555 Middlefield Rd, Atherton. The M-A Girls Volleyball team welcomes all kids K-8th grade to participate in the Fall 2012 community clinic fundraiser. Click here for Flier and Registration Form.
Dance Expressions, Come join Dance Expressions in Menlo Park at the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center. Classes are offered for kids ages 3 and up. Click here for more information.
Group Piano Classes for Children at the Arrillaga Recreation Center. Students (ages 6 to 9) are grouped according to their age and ability into small classes and meet once a week for a 50 minute class. We hold a recital at the end of the session.
Gingerbread Houses (Parent & Child) at the Arrillaga Recreation Center, In this fun class, we will use a variety of supplies to decorate your own, one of a kind Gingerbread House.
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Encinal PTO Communications
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This email and the Encinal School web site are delivered to you by the Encinal PTO Communications committee. For more information about Encinal School, please visit www.encinalschool.com.
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Join the PTO Mailing List - Text "SUBSCRIBE" to 42828
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