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CMS Principal's Message
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I hope everyone had a wonderful mid-winter break and enjoyed the time with your family. My kids didn't have the week off but it was nice to walk with them to school and be on "Dad duty." First off, a big "thank you" to our PTO parent reps and volunteers who coordinated the CMS Super Staff Luncheon before mid-winter break. Our staff greatly appreciates your thoughtfulness and recognition of the amazing support given to our students every day. I would like to acknowledge and thank the following parents for all their efforts: Renee Lewis, Jennifer Youstra, Rose Kerr, Tanya Pastushkov, Sharon Shaffer, Mary Jo Kloezeman, Sylvia Constantz, Carmen Alvarado, Anne Davison, Heather Asborno, Karen Eizadi, Kathy Waddell, Lynn Holthaus, Janie MacArthur, Renee Courington, Linda Wong, Melissa Beriker, Naomi Reynolds, Michelle Bellomo, Sonia Reed, Irene Baran, Barb Eckstein, Lissa Menge Cook, Kay Erikson, Sherry Andrighetto, Sofie Vandeputte, Karen Allen, Madison LaMar, Karen Askey, Debbie Grech, Tiffany Hong, Alex Von Feldt.
Looking ahead, this semester's Principal's Coffee dates have been scheduled so please mark your calendars for March 25, April 22 and May 27. All meetings will be from 8:00-9:00AM in Room 102. I look forward to sharing with you all the great learning going on at CMS and hear your thoughts and feedback as well.
This week, I sent an email out to all parents about next year's CMS master schedule but I wanted to share this information with you again through my Weekly Post article. A committee consisting of staff, parents and students has been meeting throughout the school year to discuss adjustments to the CMS master schedule for next school year. This is being done as part of the strategic plan implementation process and to support quality instruction and learning in the areas of Common Core Standards, Project-Based Learning, differentiation, real-world experiences and integrated curriculum.
Our goal is to build off our strengths and create a schedule for next school year that optimizes the learning experience for all our students. Big ideas and themes coming from the group's work include:
- Flexibility in the schedule
- More student choice
- Less transitions within the school day
- More teacher collaboration/curriculum planning time
- Brain breaks for students
Your feedback is valued and the committee would appreciate it if you could take a moment to respond to this short survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MasterScheduleFeedback by Thursday, March 6. Your feedback will be reviewed and considered by the planning team as we move forward in our process of re-shaping the schedule for next year. As well, additional information about the group's process, findings and review of the literature is posted on our website. Thank you in advance for your time and I look forward to sharing more information with you about our progress later on in the spring.
Have a great week.
Michael Corritone
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This Week's Calendar
Ormondale * Corte Madera * District
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Mon, March 3 (A)
5th Graders Walk Through the Revolution 8am
PVTA Negotiations, Open to the Public, CMS Room 102 3:30pm
Joint Priorities Meeting, CMS Room 102 5:30pm
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Tue, March 4 (B)
5th Graders Walk Through the Revolution 8am
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Wed, March 5 (A)
Mandated Reporting Training 8:30am
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Thu, March 6
PTO Meeting at ORM 9am
ORM 2nd Grade Field Trip-Hiller Aviation Museum 9:15am
Smarter Balanced Assessment Presentation by Justin Wells (Stanford) in Annex 7pm
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Fri, March 7 (A)
CMS 6-8 BBQ Lunch 12:30pm
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Learn About the New Smarter Balanced Assessments
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Final Reminder! This Thursday, March 6th at 7pm in the Corte Madera Annex come learn how student knowledge will be measured with the new Smarter Balanced assessments. Testing expert Justin Wells will discuss why Smarter Balanced assessments will provide a more authentic and rigorous measure of learning, and how teachers, administrators and parents can best prepare students for these tests.
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Safe Routes to School
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Enjoy this beautiful weather by walking or riding your bike or skateboard to school! It's a healthy way to start your day, it helps us pollute less, and studies show that it makes you smarter to exercise before school. Mark your calendars for the upcoming Golden Sneaker Program where you can bike or walk to school every day for two weeks and earn rewards and help yourself and our earth. See you on the trails!
At long last: look for new bike racks at both schools in the coming days. The bike rack in the front of Ormondale School by the Kindergarten entrance is for ADULT BIKES ONLY.
Upcoming Safe Routes dates:
Bike/Walk to School Days
Wednesday, March 17 Ormondale
Friday, March 19 Corte Madera School
Golden Sneaker Program and Used Shoe Drive - Monday, March 15-Friday, March 28 for grades K-5
Portola Valley Town Bicycle Skills Rodeo - Saturday, May 10th |
eScrip Update
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We need your help to keep earning money for our schools! Safeway has made an important change. Paying for your groceries with a credit card will no longer earn a contribution. Use your Club Card and please pay with any form of payment that is NOT a credit card so our group will earn.
And, if you have not signed up yet, please go to http://www.escrip.com/signup
today!
Thank you for supporting our schools!
If you have any questions please contact Michelle Bellomo: mrbellomo@yahoo.com
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Ormondale Physical Education
| |  Thanks to the Portola Valley Schools Foundation, Ormondale School has been enjoying our new Imagination Playground! Students unleash their creativity, collaborate, problem solve, and share with one another as they work together to build incredible structures! The Imagination Playground has been unveiled in Physical Education class, where there have been many incredible examples of how these building blocks can bring out a collaborative spirit in our students.
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Lunch Announcement
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Beginning on Monday, February 24th, Kindergarteners will begin enjoying full days of school! Along with the extra hours of learning and playing, all students will be at school over the lunch period. If you prefer to order a meal that will be ready for your child to pick up at lunch time, just follow the simple steps listed below.
Choicelunch provides nutritious, delicious meals for our students, and is available for every student, every school day; including minimum days. Please note, there is no charge for students approved for the free and reduced lunch program.
Register today! To register online and order, visit: http://www.choicelunch.com, click on the Order Now option located on the left top corner of the page. Create your new account and order!
Registration code is "PVSD"
Or you can pick up a paper menu at your school office. Would you like to earn a free lunch for your child? Volunteer to serve lunch! Every day you volunteer to serve lunch your child will receive a lunch credit!
The Portola Valley School District is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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Bingo Night!!
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 Bingo night is almost here. Mark your calendar and plan to come March 14th from 6:30-8pm MUR at Ormondale. Please come enjoy friends, family, prizes, popcorn and licorice. Just $10 per family for 1 1/2 hours of BINGO. To pre-register, fill out this form and place in the box in the Ormondale office. Registration forms will be available for pick up in the office. You can also pay at the door the night of the event! Hope to see you all there.
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CMS 5th Graders at the San Mateo County STEM Fair!
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Corte Madera 5th graders make a splash at the San Mateo County STEM Fair!
On Wednesday 26th, all four of the 5th graders selected to represent Corte Madera received honors!
Joey K. is the first place winner in the 5th grade physics category for his work titled 'The Domino Theory.' Joey methodically tested the behavior of dominoes under variable conditions.
Arthur J. is the first place winner in the 5th grade engineering category. Arthur spent scores of hours engineering and programming his own 'Tidy-Up Robot.'
Emma K. is the second place winner in the 5th grade biology category. Emma's project was 'Most Gross!;' truly! She did a fearless and searching survey of bacterial life sharing our habitat.
Cassia J. is the third place winner in the 5th grade behavioral science category for her work titled "Testing Color Perception." Cassia did a marvelous job analyzing and presenting a complicated data set comparing color perception in her volunteers.
On behalf of of the 5th grade Science Team, we are very proud of the stand out students!
Treena Joi Diehl
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CMS 7th Grader Advances to California State Science Fair
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Congratulations to 7th grader Cameron J. for winning first prize at last Thursday's San Mateo County Fair with his project, 'Is It Warm In Here, Or Is It Just Me?'
Using a Peltier module, Cameron demonstrated how a person's thermal comfort could be altered with pulsed heat delivered to a small area on the skin. He was also awarded the special IEEE award (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).
Not only has Cameron advanced to the California State Science Fair, he is also eligible to attend the San Francisco Bay Area Science Fair.
Very impressive work. Way to go, Cameron.
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San Francisco Opera Guild at Corte Madera
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Big thanks to the PTO and Karen Bechtel for bringing opera to Corte Madera last Thursday. A small professional cast performed "How Andy Found his Voice," reminding students how important it is to speak up for themselves. The students had a chance to sing along and heard some of opera's most well know melodies. An impressive musical performance!
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Community Calendar and Events
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Join us and Linda Janklow of Peopleologie on Wednesday, March 5 @ 4PM for her Shadow Puppets Workshop. Shadow Puppets are a popular form of storytelling in Indonesia. Come with us on a "trip" to Indonesia and learn about this ancient art form. Then make one of your very own to take home! For ages 6+. To register, call (650.851.0560) or email ( portolavalley@smcl.org). This program is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Portola Valley Library.
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Carillon Preschool Open House
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Carillon preschool is hosting an "Open House" Thursday March 6th from 7-8. Parents are welcome to come explore our classrooms and play yards. Teachers will be available to meet you and answer questions. We are located on the Christ Church Campus at 815 Portola Road.
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Little League Umpires Wanted
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Alpine West Menlo Little League is looking for youth umpires for the 2014 baseball season. Earn $22-32 per game. Season runs March -June. Minimum age--12. Flexible schedule--work when you can. Experienced baseball players preferred. We are offering our last training session on Sunday, March 9th from 3:00-5:30p. at La Entrada Middle School in the MUR and adjacent baseball field. If interested, please email Anna Plume at aplume@alpinelittleleague.com for more information.
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Panthers "All Sports Camp"
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Panthers "All Sports" Camp is back for another exciting 2014 summer. It is hard to believe it is already March 1st. Many of you have already registered for camp this summer, but if you have not registered I wanted to extend the Early Bird Special. Since, 3/1 happened on the weekend and it snuck up on me, the Early Bird Speical will be extended until Wednesday, 3/5.
Sessions 1 and 2 are filling quickly, however all 4 sessions still have space available at this time.
- Session 1: June 16-19
- Session 2: June 23-26
- Session 3: June 30 - July 3
- Session 4: July 7-10
In order to register, please click on the following link: https://thriva.activenetwork.com/Reg4/Form.aspx?IDTD=6807577&RF=11509164. The link to the Panthers Camp website is www.pantherscamppv.com.
Contact Dan Flahavan with any questions: danflahavan@gmail.com. I look forward to another great summer with your kids at Panthers Camp.
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Portola Valley Community Theatre presents "The Diviners"
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Suitable for children in Grades 6 and up.
"The Diviners"
March 13-23
Evening and matinee performances
Tickets $10-$40
(650)851-8282 ext. 105
"The Diviners" is the story of a 14 year old boy named Buddy Layman who is deathly afraid of water, but who has a gift: He can divine water, which is crucial for his drought ridden town. Haunting and beautiful, this powerful play has echoes of "Our Town" and "Of Mice and Men", but is definitely a fresh face that will have you laughing one minute, crying the next. Gorgeous gospel/spiritual style music richly underscores the production. Long after the curtain lowers, "The Diviners" will have you thinking about its poignant story and the deep questions it raises about law and grace, and the differences between blind faith and genuine love.
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Jeff Aron's Summer Tennis Camps at Sacred Heart Schools
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Jeff Arons is the director of tennis for Sacred Heart Schools. His coaching experiences include founding/directing the East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring Program and coaching a Wimbledon doubles champion. His morning camps offer the beginning/intermediate level player the opportunity to develop their skills in a child friendly and fun environment. His afternoon camps are geared towards improving the match play performance of intermediate and advanced players.
Grades: 1st through 12th
Location: Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton
Days: Monday through Friday
Times: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sessions: Ten one week sessions beginning June 9 and ending August 15
Contact: Email: jeffaronstennis@gmail.com
Note: We offer a 10% discount to all campers who attend multiple sessions
website: www.jeffaronstennis.com
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M-A High School Drama Dept. Presents "Seussical the Musical"
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See your favorite Dr. Seuss characters come to life, including Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie La Bird, and a little boy with a big imagination, Jojo. Journey from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus to the invisible world of the Whos. The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust containing Whos, including Jojo, a Who child sent off to military school for thinking too many "thinks." Horton faces a double challenge--not only must he protect the Whos from a world of naysayers, but he must guard an abandoned egg, face ridicule, danger, kidnapping, and a trial. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family, and community are challenged and emerge triumphant!
ORDER TICKETS ONLINE: http://www.thecenteratma.org/ or purchase tickets at the door an hour before curtain, at $12 for adults, or $8 for students, children, and Seniors.
Seussical is fun for the whole family; recommended for ages 4-102!
At the Center for Performing Arts:
Friday, February 28, 2014 - 7:30 PM
Saturday, March 1, 2014 - 7:30 PM
Thursday, March 6, 2014 - 7:30 PM
Friday, March 7, 2014 - 7:30 PM
Saturday, March 8, 2014 - 7:30 PM
Menlo-Atherton High School's Performing Arts Center, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton
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Woodside High School Drama Dept. Presents "Beauty and the Beast"
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 Beauty and the Beast Hits the Stage in Redwood City
The Woodside High School Drama Department invites the public to step into the enchanted world of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast", as they present six performances at the Woodside High School Performing Arts Center. The show begins March 14th and runs through March 23rd. Based upon the Academy-Award winning animated feature, this Broadway stage version includes all of the wonderful songs written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice. Directed masterfully by Barry Woodruff and Kim Harvath, this "Tale As Old As Time" includes a talented cast of over 50 students who will act, sing, dance, and tumble their way into your hearts. The show is filled with fantastic music, magical costumes, spectacular sets, and larger than life characters. The experienced production team of Don Coluzzi and Ruthie Smith, along with Bill Tolles and his orchestra, guarantees a perfect opportunity to see local family theater at its best. Presented by special arrangement with Musical Theater International (MTI), this is one of the most ambitious shows to date for the increasingly popular musicals being produced by Woodside High School.
Performance dates:
Friday, March 14 & 21 at 8 pm
Saturday, March 15 & 22 at 8 pm
Sunday, March 16 & 23 at 2 pm
Tickets: Adults $20.00, Seniors (65+) $15.00, Staff/ Students (college and under) $10.00.
Purchase tickets online: www.whsdramaboosters.com or call the Box Office @ (650) 367-9750 (x43706) to reserve your seats.
Contact: Donna Losey woodsidehsdramaboosters@gmail.com.
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Costumes Needed for Nonprofit
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Do you have leftover Halloween costumes? Need to get rid of old dress-up accessories? You can use these costumes to help others.
Clara M., a 7th grade Girl Scout, is working on her Silver Award project. She is trying to help girls in the Daughters of Farmworkers program, a program that permits girls who are daughters of migrant farmworkers to participate in fun activities. After learning that the girls really enjoy theater, she decided to build them a drama closet, putting together the closet herself. However, she really needs help from the outside community to gather costumes and accessories.
She needs many different kinds of gently used costumes. Any type is great! Pirates, pharaohs, animals, doctors...
If you have any costumes, accessories, or other helpful items, please contact Clara at morseclara@gmail.com and you can have her pick up them whenever is convenient.
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2014 Performing Arts - Camp W
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A performing arts camp coming to Corte Madera School? How would you like to improve your problem solving and communication skills through the lens of performing arts? Sing a variety of music? Learn more about theater and improvisation? CAMP W'S Performing Arts summer class will allow beginners and experienced performers to express themselves in a unique and creative manner.
Class Location: Corte Madera School, Room 503
Dates:
Session 1(Performance and Theater): June 16-June 27, 9:00-3:30
Session 2(Music and Theater): July 7-18, 9:00-3:30
Fees:
$900 per session
Sign up now and receive a 10% discount
Extended Care Daily Fee (8:00 am - 9:00 am): $125 per 2 week session or $15 per day.
Extended Care Daily Fee (3:45 pm - 5:30 pm): $175 per 2 week session or $25 per day.
Eligibility:
4-7th grade (BASED UPON THE 2013-14 SCHOOL YEAR)
To learn more about the camp, please visit campw.weebly.com or contact William Frederick at campw.william@gmail.com
Hope to see you this summer!
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Creative Writing Summer Camps
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Play your way to the page! All of Society of Young Inklings' camps are game-based and use improvisational theatre exercises to get creative juices flowing.
Invent A Story (Ages 7-9)
Young writers will explore the essential elements of story: character, setting, conflict, and plot development while inventing their own unique short stories.
Christ Church: Portola Valley
June 23-27, 9:00-12:00pm
July 7-11, 9:00-12:00pm
Synapse School: Menlo Park
July 14-18, 9:00-12:00pm
July 21-25, 9:00-12:00pm
Novelist's Workshop (Ages 9-12)
Young writers will explore the finer points of story development. Students are free to come to camp with a novel-in-progress, or start from the very beginning.
Christ Church: Portola Valley
June 23-27, 12:30-3:30pm
July 7-11, 12:30-3:30pm
Synapse School: Menlo Park
July 14-18, 12:30-3:30pm
July 21-25, 12:30-3:30pm
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