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January 27, 2013
Encinal PTO / La Organizasión de Padres y Maestro
Boletin en espanol, haga clic aqui
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Dear Encinal Families,
 Please join me in welcoming Melissa Muela to our Encinal family. Melissa has been hired as our new school secretary in the front office, along side Ms. Garcia. As many of you know, Melissa has served in many roles here at Encinal prior to her hire, including all grade levels of classroom instruction, CELDT assessment, and office support. Her experience working with students, parents and teachers will be a tremendous asset to us! Please stop in and give Melissa a warm Eagle welcome when you can!It's Week of the Family this week. We hope your family enjoys some time together after school as children will not be assigned any homework. Enjoy the week,Ms. Burns
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Week at a Glance
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Important Dates
- Jan 28 - Week of the Family begins
- Jan 30 - Encinal Site Council, 3:15-4:30pm, Library
- Feb 6 - New Kinder Orientation, 6:30pm, Large Multi
- Feb 13 - 5th Grade Outdoor Ed Parent Info Night, 6pm, Library
- Feb 15-18 - President's Day Weekend, No School
- Feb 19 - District Enrollment Strategy Meeting, 8:45am, Large Multi
- Feb 21 - Cultural Arts Day, Volunteers Needed
- Feb 28 - End of MPAEF Participation Challenge
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IMPORTANT DECISION ON INCREASING ENROLLMENT - THE DISTRICT WANTS YOUR INPUT
See below for meeting dates and times
 Our community continues to experience increased student enrollment, and the District is now in the process of identifying options to ensure that we have enough classrooms to meet our enrollment projections for the next 10 years.
The District invites parents to learn more, and give input on potential options:
- How could we accommodate additional students on existing campuses (e.g. add more classrooms, increase class sizes)?
- Should we use the District-owned O'Connor site, currently rented to the German American International School, to add more capacity? If so, what are the options and how would they affect the enrollment, attendance boundaries and grade level configurations of our existing schools?
- Are there other solutions that should be considered?
Please come engage with Superintendent Maurice Ghysels, Board members and District staff at one of the following community meetings:
Thursday, February 7: Laurel multipurpose room, 8:15 - 9:15 a.m. Thursday, February 7: Hillview, PAC, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 12: District Office, Board Room, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 13: Oak Knoll, Multi-Use Room, 8:15 - 9:15 a.m.
Tuesday, February 19: Encinal, Mult-Use Room, 8:45 - 9:45 a.m.
If you are unable to attend one of these meetings, please feel free to email your thoughts to our Superintendent Maurice Ghysels at mghysels@mpcsd.org or to MPCSD's Board at board@mpcsd.org . |
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Encinal and Laurel Celebrate Week of the Family
January 28 - February 1
 Encinal and Laurel schools will celebrate the Week of the Family (Jan 28 - Feb 1) to honor the vital role that families play in supporting the growth and education of children. Traditional homework will not be assigned during this week, although students should continue to engage in nightly reading and math fact practice.
Strong family connections along with adequate sleep and abundant opportunities to engage in free play are some of the most critical building blocks for a child's success. This week provides an opportunity to enjoy a slower pace in the evenings and reserve some time for family focused activities. |
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Cultural Arts Day Needs Your Help!
Ni hao! Did you know that China has at least 9 families of spoken languages? The country has 8 "official" languages, though many more indigenous languages are spoken by inhabitants of this vast country.
Cultural Arts Day 2013 is not far away, and we're gearing up to introduce our Encinal Eagles to the arts and culture of China. The students will see professional Chinese dancers, sample traditional Chinese foods, try their hand at calligraphy and origami (which actually originated in China!), and explore much more of the country's rich history and culture.
We need volunteers to help with pre-event preparation as well as volunteers who are able to attend part or all of the event on Thursday, February 21.
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Other PTO Volunteer Opportunities for Winter/Spring
 In addition to helping with Cultural Arts Day, please consider these other fun ways to get involved at Encinal during the rest of this school year. Hot Lunch: Want a glimpse into your child's day? Hot Lunch service is for you! And for each day you serve, you get a credit towards a free lunch. Monthly shifts are currently available Monday through Thursday from 11:15-12:30. For more information and to volunteer, please contact Kim, PTO Hot Lunch Coordinator.
Bike/Walk/Carpool Event Coordinator: Help plan an event (or two) this Spring to help promote bike/walk/carpools at Encinal. Contact Kathy, Transportation Coordinator.
5th Grade Picnic: Help plan an activity or lunch for June 11 picnic for 5th grade students. Contact Amy, Event Chair.
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PTO Board Openings for 2013-2014
Nominations Due January 31, 2013
Encinal needs you! Please nominate yourself or someone else you think would be great at one of these positions for next year's PTO board by January 31.  To submit a nomination, nominate yourself or ask any questions about the Board, please email the PTO Parliamentarian, Robin Soran, or contact any member of our nominating committee: Lisa Lajous, Hillary Easom, Marla Bischoff, Laurel Holman, or Gina Watkins. Thank you to these volunteers for agreeing to serve on the Encinal Nominating Committee to recruit and select next year's PTO Board. Click here for full descriptions of these open PTO Board positions. - Executive Vice President
- Financial Secretary
- Secretary
- Community Coordinator
- School Support Coordinator
- Volunteer/HRP Coordinator(s)
- Communications Coordinator
- Auditor
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Encinal Site Council Meetings
Wednesdays, 1/30, 2/27, 4/24, 5/29 2013, 3:15-4:30pm, Encinal Library
 Principal Sharon Burns meets monthly with the teachers, staff & parents of the Encinal Site Council to work on the school improvement plan.
All are welcome to attend these interesting and informative meetings.
Questions? Click here for the Site Council web page or email the Site Council.
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Encinal Box Tops Collection
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
 Gather all those box tops from your holiday baking and bring them to the marked box in the front office. Our next collection deadline is Tuesday, February 26th. We appreciate everyone's participation.
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Weekly Commute Tip:
Please Don't Drive in the Bike Lane
 Just a reminder that driving into the bike lane (on Middlefield, on Valparaiso, in front of Encinal School, or anywhere else a bike lane exists) to get around a car turning left is illegal. Police have and will ticket for this infraction. As always, be patient and drive safely!
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Registration for Kindergarten, Spanish Immersion, & Transitional Kindergarten
Registration for 2013-14 Begins February 1st
 During the month of February, parents can enroll their children for next Fall for Kindergarten, Spanish Immersion, and Transitional Kindergarten. Click here for an overview and further links to details.
Kindergarten Registration:
A child is eligible for kindergarten in 2013-14 if his or her fifth birthday falls on or before October 1. Priority Registration is from February 1 - 28, 2013. A link to the online registration site will be posted on Feb. 1 on the district website, click here.
Spanish Immersion Parent Information Meeting:
Come learn about the program by attending one of the mandatory parent information meeting on either Wednesday, February 6, from 8:45 am to 9:45 am or Tuesday, February 26, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the District Office, Board Room (next to Encinal School), 181 Encinal Ave., Atherton. Acceptance into the Immersion program will be determined by lottery.
Transitional Kindergarten Parent Information Session Come learn about the program by attending the parent information meeting on March 14, 2013 from 4pm to 5pm at the TERC (next to District Office), at 181 Encinal Ave., Atherton. A child is eligible for the transitional kindergarten program if his or her fifth birthday is: 2013-14 school year - October 2 through December 2.
Kinder Orientation
Parents whose children will begin kindergarten in the fall are invited to attend orientation meetings at their designated school. The Encinal Kinder orientation is on Wed, February 6 from 6:30-8:00pm in the Large Multi. School tours are also available on either Thurs, February 7 (please note corrected date) or Fri, February 22 at 10:30am. Tours begin in the Library and last about an hour.
Questions: If you are not sure of the school in your attendance area or you have further questions, please contact the District Registrar at registrar@mpcsd.org or 650-321-7140, Ext. 5600.
Click here to see more info on the District website. |
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Important Info for 5th Grade Families
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Fun Service Opportunity for Pet Loving 5th Graders
Lytton Gardens, Thurs Jan 31, 3pm
 Attention all 5th graders! Would you like to make somebody's day? Encinal's Big Hearts Leadership Advisory team is sponsoring our first Pet Show at Lytton Gardens on Thursday, January 31st at 3:00pm. Sign-up sheets have been handed out to the 5th graders and the first 20 students to complete the form and sign up get to participate. Each student will have the opportunity to introduce his or her pet to the senior residents - the seniors love stories, tricks, or anything else you want to share! Small pets should be transported in carriers for their protection and dogs must be on leash. No aggressive animals please!
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5th Grade Families: We need your Baby Photos by Feb 8th
It's a tradition at Encinal School to have baby pictures of our 5th graders in the Encinal yearbook. If you are interested in having your child's baby picture appear in this year's Encinal yearbook, you have two ways to submit:
- You can drop your hard-copy picture into the envelope marked "Yearbook" in the Encinal Office. Please attach to the photo your name, your child's name, teacher's name, and classroom number. Photos will be returned to you later in the year so we must have your child's teacher indicated.
- You can submit your picture digitally by following these instructions:
- Go to: http://www.replayit.com
- Create an account in order to upload.
- Once you have an account, click "Add Photos"/Upload and then select the photo from your computer that you wish to upload
- Enter information about the photo such as student name, grade 5 and under "Tags" or "Caption", please enter your teacher's name.
- Finally, click on "Share with School"; it may take a few minutes until it is in our database. You can view what you have uploaded by clicking on your name at the top of the page.
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5th Graders: Order your Class of 2013 Sweatshirt Today!
 Now is the time to order your special Class of 2013 5th Grade Sweatshirt! Please click here to place your order for the "Lucky 13 Zip Hoodie for 5th Graders" through our Encinal Spirit Wear online store. All orders will be collected and placed with our vendor in time for you to wear your sweatshirt at Outdoor Ed!
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Outdoor Ed Parent Info Night for 5th Grade Parents
Wednesday, February 13, 2013, 6pm, Encinal Library
 All 5th grade parents are invited to attend an information session about Outdoor Education on Wednesday, February 13th at 6:00 pm in the Encinal School library.
Mark Nolan, San Mateo County Outdoor Education Director, will provide a presentation, slide show and Q&A session. The presentation will run 45 min to 1 hour.
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Hillview PTO Volunteer Opportunities for 2013-14
 The Hillview PTO is looking for volunteers to serve on the Executive Board for the 2013-2014 school year. The Board works with the school staff and parents to create and support vital school programs and events. Become a part of the Hillview community and get involved. Nominate yourself or someone you know to serve as Co-Vice Presidents, Vice-Treasurer, Auditor, Financial Secretary, Communications Chair, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary or Volunteer Coordinator (a new position!). Nominations will be received until Fri, February 8th.
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MPAEF News
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What is this all about?
If 80% of our District families join or pledge to the Foundation by February 28th, a generous District family will donate $50,000 to our schools!
Where are we at now? 50% Participation (891 families) and $2.75 million donated/pledged.
What does this mean? We need 535 families to donate or pledge to the MPAEF by February 28th.
If we reach 80% participation, will we also reach the $4M need? Maybe not, but every donation matters and helps unlock the $50,000 bonus!
Why do I need to make an annual gift to the MPAEF? Our kids depend on us to fund our schools so that they get the education they deserve. It is that simple - we must support our schools for our kids.
How do I do my part? Make a donation or pledge that is meaningful to your family. We ask families for $1,500 per child, but we know not every family can give that.
How do I act now to help our schools unlock the $50,000 bonus? Donate or pledge online at www.mpaef.org. Send a check to the MPAEF Office at P.O. Box 584, Menlo Park, CA 94026. Or, drop off a check at your school's office.
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MPAEF Benefit Auction - April 27th at Cabana Hotel
Celebrate 30 years of commitment, support, and excellence with an exciting benefit for your Foundation! Dance through the decades -- the 80s, 90s -- and now, to the music of Pop Rocks on April 27th at the Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto. Join your friends to bid on adventures, getaways, unique experiences, and themed parties for both kids and parents!
What's new at the auction this year?
- A new bidding category -- "In Training" -- which offers kids an opportunity to learn hands-on from a professional.
- "Cheers! Champagne and Wine Tasting" -- an intimate event immediately preceding the auction.
Please consider supporting the Foundation's auction by donating experiences, getaways, themed parties, sports items, and exceptional wines! Contact Karen Dearing at kfdearing@gmail.com to donate (donations accepted through 3/1/13).
It's time to celebrate the MPAEF's first 30 years! Are you IN?
Questions? Contact Karen Dearing, MPAEF Auction Coordinator
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Parent Ed Opportunities
For a complete listing of events,
visit the district's Parent Ed webpage.
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Tuesday, January 29, 7 p.m., Hillview Performing Arts Center
Note: We've opened up balcony seating - please email nscott@mpcsd.org to reserve a seat!
The Friends of the Menlo Park Library present a special evening with Stanford Psychology Professor and Author Dr. Carol S. Dweck, PhD, whose work has demonstrated the role of mindsets in student motivation and has shown how praise for intelligence can undermine motivation and learning. With a growth, rather than fixed, mindset people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work-brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.
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Other Parent Ed Events & Classes
"Take It Personally" Study Group with Project CornerstoneWednesdays, January 23 - February 27, 2013, 6:30-8:00pm Hillview Library. Building assets in our students may be some of the most important work we do as adults. Come learn more about what assets are and how you can help develop them in your own children as well as in the children of our community. Facilitated by Pam Von Wiegand, founder of Project Cornerstone. This is the last week to join the study group! Please RSVP to Pam Larkin at pdl@motionio.com.
"Connecting with Your Child Everyday", For parents of 4th-8th graders, Susan Stone Belton, Parent Educator and Author, Tuesday, January 29, 2013, 7-9 p.m., Palo Alto Parent's Place, 200 Channing Ave, Palo Alto. Join Susan Stone Belton, parenting coach, motivational speaker and certified special education teacher, as she discusses ways to build a life-long parent-child relationship on trust and love through open communication and true respect. Discover why spending time with your children is the most important thing you can do as a parent, and learn ways to more thoroughly enjoy your role as a parent. Fee: $35. To register, click here.
"Shift the Focus, Parenting for Authentic Success", Madeline Levine, Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 9am, Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, Palo Alto or 7pm, St. Andrews Episcopal School, Saratoga (Note: it's the same event, offered twice)
Thursday, January 31, 2013, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., M-A Center for the Performing Arts.
Girls Leadership Institute "Real Parents/Real Daughters" Workshop Series for girls in 2nd and 3rd grade to attend with a parent begins at Encinal Feb. 13. Four week course designed to help girls learn about friendship, feelings, apologies, and healthy approaches conflict in a safe environment. Pre-register and learn more here.
Challenge Success Online Parenting Class: "Raising Well-Balanced Children in a Fast-Paced World" Created by Challenge Success co-founders Dr. Denise Pope, Dr. Madeline Levine and Jim Lobdell.
50% off when purchased during month of January (you can take the course anytime). Online course info here.
MPCSD ParentEd Conference 2013, "Classrooms of the Future: How Our Schools are Changing Now" Sunday, March 3, 2013, 2:00-5:30pm, Hillview Middle School. Save the date! More information coming soon.
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Family Community Service Opportunities
For complete listings click here |
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"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Questions? Know other service opportunities? Contact Kari Riedel
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Local Community News & Events
For complete listings click here
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Summer Camp Info is here!
Visit our Summer Camp Website to see information submitted by area camps. This page will be updated as new information arrives, so check back often.
Community Events & Info
Give Kids a Smile Day, Friday, February 1, at participating dental offices throughout San Mateo County. Free Dental Care! Dental exams, cleaning, fluoride application, possible x-rays and dental treatment for children ages 1 to 18 years. For uninsured and underinsured San Mateo County residents. Call: 650-616-2002
SamTrans Tokens, Students who ride SamTrans to or from school can take advantage of bus tokens and save money. Tokens available at local outlets or by mail.
Sports, Classes, and Other Opportunities
Newton Center's No School Day Camp, Friday, February 15, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1100 Middle Avenue, Menlo Park. With no school, join us at Newton Center for the day, for arts and crafts and all sorts of games to play. Space is limited. Grades: K-5. For registration and more information, please contact us at camps@newtoncenters.org.
Thursday Storytimes at Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma Street, Menlo Park. The Menlo Park Library is now offering three new and exciting free storytimes on Thursdays: Mandarin/English Storytime at 10:15 with Miss Stephanie, Toddler Storytime at 11:15 with professional storyteller John Weaver, and our pilot afternoon Preschool Storytime at 2:15 with John Weaver. For more info, visit our website.
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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. Just checking to see if anyone reads all the way down here. If so, click here.
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Join the PTO Mailing List - Text "SUBSCRIBE" to 42828
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