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February 10, 2013
Encinal PTO / La Organizasión de Padres y Maestro
Boletin en espanol, haga clic aqui
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Week at a Glance
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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:
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 . |
 4th & 5th Grade Advisory Walk Through Tuesday, Feb 12, 12:30-3pm
Parents are welcome to join students in the small multi on Tuesday, February 12th from 12:30 - 3pm for the Advisory Walk Through. Come see the variety of ending projects that the kids have created! Please check with your classroom teacher to see what your time slot is, or just walk on through!
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Appreciating Our Differences Assembly
Thursday, February 14, Large Multi
For this year's Appreciating Our Differences school-wide assembly, Encinal is thrilled to welcome, for the first time, AXIS Dance Company on Thursday, February 14th. The assembly will be in the large multi and parents are welcome to attend at their students' scheduled time.
K-2: 9:00-10:00 am 3-5: 10:45-11:45 am AXIS Dance Company's mission is to create and perform contemporary dance developed through the collaboration of dancers with and without disabilities. As one of the country's most acclaimed and innovative physically integrated ensembles, they challenge how we think about the possibilities of the human body. Should you like to see a sneak preview - click here to view their education demo.
Please email Kerry Barlas, Appreciating Our Differences Coordinator, with any questions.
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Thurs Feb 14th is School Spirit Day - Wear Red or Pink
 Thursday Feb. 14th is the next Spirit Day sponsored by the Leadership Advisory. We encourage everyone to wear Red or Pink. The 5th graders will also be having a dance during lunch in the small multi. |
Looking for Chinese Artifacts and Museum Volunteers for Cultural Arts Day (Thurs Feb 21)
Ni hao!
We need Chinese artifacts to fill our museum for Cultural Arts Day this year! If you have something you are willing to lend us to put on display (you will get it back), please let us know! We also desperately need volunteers to help organize the museum, check in items and set up the small multi for the children to walk through.
Xie-xie!
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Send Your Student a Letter Through Eagle Express
The Eagle Express, Encinal's student run post office, is going strong, but needs more letters for our eager 2nd and 3rd grade postal workers to sort and deliver! Sneak a peek into an Eagle Express shift with this short video. Please take a few minutes to write a letter to your student this week. Or, encourage your students to send letters to friends and siblings - it's a great way to practice their writing skills.
Click here to find your student's classroom address and then address your envelope as follows and mail from a USPS post office (with a stamp).
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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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Registration for Kindergarten, Spanish Immersion, & Transitional Kindergarten
Registration for 2013-14 is February 1st-28th
 From February 1 - 28, 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.
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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PTO Donation 2012 Tax Receipt
Thank you for your donations!
 Click here to download a tax receipt for donations made to the Encinal PTO in 2012.
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Important Info for 5th Grade Families
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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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Please Submit 5th Grader Baby Photos for Yearbook
Extended deadline: Thursday, February 14, 2013
 It's an Encinal tradition to have baby pictures of our 5th graders in the Encinal yearbook. There are 2 ways to submit pictures:
- 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.
- 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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Thank You to the Amazing Eagle Express Volunteers
 The Encinal Post Office (aka the Eagle Express) is a wonderful example of a student program run by PTO volunteers that helps to enrich the school curriculum. A huge thank you to Christine Gertner and Angela Castro, Post Office Coordinators, and the many parents who have volunteered already this year to bring this enriching activity to life. |
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Congrats to the February Eco-Raffle Winners!
Thanks for walking, biking, and carpooling to school! This month's winners of the eco-raffle are: Erik Hanson, Charlotte Smith, Alisa Turner, and Jude Easom (pictured here.)
If you walk, bike, or carpool, be sure to enter your name in the raffle bin located by the front office.
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MPAEF News
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Did you know that the MPAEF funds 31 educators at our schools -- that's 1 in 6 teachers? That's why it's crucial we all do our part and meet the Participation Challenge, unlocking the $50,000 bonus for our schools!
We're at 54% right now, with 458 families to go!
Donate, pledge now and give later, or set up monthly installments at www.mpaef.org by February 28.
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MPAEF Benefit Auction - April 27th at Cabana Hotel
Kickstart This Spring's Auction Offerings by Donating an Opportunity to Inspire, Motivate or Entertain our Kids!
K.I.T.(Kids In Training): Let's show the kids what we do all day! Don't just bring them to work, put them to work. Designers, technologists, scientists, medics, doctors, chefs, artists, entertainers, public service individuals, open your doors and call in the class. Teach kids what makes your profession interesting. Give them a hands-on experience or demonstrate how you run your business. Make the experience personal by bringing in a select number of kids (One? Two? More?) for the amount of time you feel works for the kids to see or to experience your work. Open their futures by showing them what happens after 8:00 am in your world!
Events & Experiences for Kids: Whether it's fitness, art, cooking, or a once-in-a-lifetime experience, donate a chance for kids to break from reading, writing, and arithmetic to play and just be kids! Run the track with moms or dads and finish with a custom smoothie! Toss the pigskin with a Stanford player or a Harbaugh brother! Draw unicorns on sun art paper, sip lemonade, and then go to a local framing store to preserve their creations! Whatever the idea, just bring them together! Kids playing with kids builds memories that last forever. You plan it and they will come!
To Donate: Please contact Karen Dearing. The deadline for submitting auction items is March 1.
We're also looking for families to host parties and events for adults, provide destinations, adventures, and getaways for adults and families, donate sought after sporting event tickets and experiences, exceptional bottles of wine, and other unique experiences.
Mark your calendar for MPAEF's Dancing through the Decades, April 27 at the Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto!
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Thank You To Our New Business & Realtor Partners!
Please support those businesses and realtors
who suport our schools
Thank you to these new 2012-13 business and realtor sponsors:
Business Partners
Chris Lindsey, DDS
Cameron L. Aboudara, DDS, MS
Scott Kaloust, DDS, MS, Menlo Park Orthodontics
Habibi's Salon
Gould-Jacobson Dermatology
Realtors
Mary & Brent Gullixson, Alain Pinel Realtors
Ken Glidewell, Alain Pinel Realtors
Nikki James, Opes Advisors
Nancy Goldcamp, Coldwell Banker
Lyn Jason Cobb, Coldwell Banker
Michael Johnston, Alain Pinel Realtors
Click here to become a Business or Realtor partner!
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Parent Ed Opportunities
For a complete listing of events,
visit the district's Parent Ed webpage.
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Sunday, March 3, 2013, 2:00-5:30pm, Hillview Middle School
The Menlo Park City School District strives to be at the forefront of innovation and leadership in education, and we know that we cannot do that simply in the staffroom and classroom. We need to involve our entire community, and there's so much to talk about with parents at this time of great change. Nationally, the Common Core State Standards are elevating learning goals and raising the cognitive demand for how our students will engage in learning. Locally, our core values are driving goals in writing, mathematics, technology, and social-emotional learning. Join us to learn more about these exciting developments and what they will mean for your kids!
2pm Check-in
2:30pm-5pm Conference
Note: There will be a concurrent children's program
Parents have an opportunity to select from a menu of workshops and attend two of the following sessions in addition to the keynote address:
- Mathematics and the Common Core: What's Ahead and How You Can Support Your Child
- Writing and the Common Core: Supporting Students as Capable, Confident Writers
- Design Thinking and Innovation: Problem Solving to Build Powerful Thinking Skills
- Technology in the Classroom: Engaging and Empowering Students in the Learning Process
- Project Cornerstone: Building Developmental Assets to Keep Our Kids Strong
- Creativity and Innovation in MPCSD: A Roundtable Discussion with Maurice Ghysels, Superintendent and Allison Liner, Chief Learning Officer
For more information on the workshops being offered, and free childcare, click here.
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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.
Repair Bikes for Kids - Saturday, February 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 2566 Leghorn Street, Mountain View. The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition helps needy families and individuals through our Bicycle Exchange which repairs used bicycles and donates them to our partner community service organizations. Our warehouse and workshop is fully outfitted with storage, repair stands and tools. New volunteers learn bicycle repair skills by assisting a team of more experienced volunteers. No matter your level of bike mechanic experience, you can help. All ages welcome. No need to RSVP, just join us in the morning.
Almost Eden Garden Project - Saturday, February 23, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. 701 East Meadow Drive, Palo Alto. Join us for the next monthly community garden work day. Our garden grows premium quality organic produce for local community organizations that provide meals and snacks to homeless and low-income families.
An easy way for your family or a group of families to help create a home-away-from home for families of children with life-threatening illnesses. Click here for more details on this and other "off-site" opportunities to support the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford, or contact Monica Makela.
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 Information is Here
All of the information that summer camps have sent us is assembled in one place and in a format that makes it easy to compare session dates, costs, location, and other details. We are providing this information as a convenience to help you with your summer planning. However, we have not evaluated this information or endorsed any of the camps, and the district is not responsible for any aspect of these camps.
Click here and check back often - new camps are being added every week!
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Hillview Middle School Presents HONK! February 28 at 3:30 p.m. , March 1 at 7 p.m , and March 2 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., Hillview Middle School PAC, 1100 Elder Ave, Menlo Park. If you've ever felt like everyone else says "quack" and you say "honk," come on down to the "barnyard" on stage for the Hillview Middle School (HMS) production of "HONK!" This full-scale production features a cast of young middle schoolers, most of who are Encinal and Oak Knoll alumni, and is accompanied by a live orchestra manned by our very own HMS band. Tickets are available online.
"Brooklyn Castle" Movie Showing, Thursday, February, 28 at the Landmark Aquarius Theatre in Palo Alto. Brooklyn Castle tells the stories of five members of the chess team at a below-the-poverty-line inner city junior high school that has won more national championships than any other in the country. Tickets are $10 each. Purchase your tickets online.
U-Me's Love Party, February 14, 3 to 5 p.m. at U-Me, 3355 Edison Way, Menlo Park. Art, music, and games for ages 2-7. $20 + $10/ additional sibling (free for members). For more information, click here.
Sports, Classes, and Other Opportunities
Stanford Girls Water Polo Club FREE Clinic, Saturday, February 23, Roble Gym pool at Stanford. For those looking to join our club team or try water polo for the first time. 3rd - 6th graders are from 9:30-11:00 a.m., 7th - 8th graders are from 11:30-1:00 p.m. Click here for more information.
Teen Paper Snowflake Contest. Menlo Park Library welcomes submissions for its Teen Paper Snowflake Contest. The contest is open to residents of San Mateo and Santa Clara County in grades 6-12. Entries must be received by March 8. The winner will be announced March 19 and will be awarded a $25 Visa gift card. Download the flyer for more information.
Footsteps Preschool Parent Orientation, Saturday, March 16, from 10:00-11:30 a.m., 490 Willow Road, Menlo Park. Observations are Monday-Thursday March 18-21 (parents only please). Registration Day is Friday March 22 at 7:30 a.m. For more information and to get on our mailing/waitlist, please visit our website at footstepspreschool.com or call us at (650) 324-FOOT.
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.
Sundays, March 17 and 24 (2 sessions), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 351 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto. An introduction to digital integrated circuit operation. Students assemble and solder a human reaction timer built from discrete digital logic devices. Ages 10 and up. Basic electrical knowledge of voltage, current, and circuits is suggested. Fee: $70 members/$80 non-members. Register here.
Saturdays, April 13, 20, 27, and May 11 (4 sessions), 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 351 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto. In this class, students learn about the basic physics of radio wave generation, propagation, and reception. As a class project, students make their own short wave radio receiver. Ages 10 and up. Fee: $75 members/$85 non-members. Register here.
Friday, February 15, February 18-22, March 25-29, and April 1-5 at Burgess Pool. Professional swim instruction in a fun-filled camp format for all levels, ages 5-10. Register today at Camp Menlo.
Alpine Strikers FC offers three fun programs for your youngest soccer players in the family. Visit Alpine Strikers to learn more!
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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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