January 11, 2015
 

ORM Upcoming Events

 

Thu Jan 15, 8:30 - 10:30 am, 2nd grade Project Based Learning Exhibition, MUR

 

Thu Jan 22, 9:00 am, PTO Mtg at ORM

 

View the full PTO calendar here.


Exciting Erosion Explorations Explode at Ormondale

 

Exciting Erosion Explorations Explode at Ormondale - An Exhibition is in Store for Second Graders!


We cordially invite the Portola Valley Community to join us for our first official Project Based Learning Exhibition this Thu, Jan 15, from 8:30 - 10:15 am in the Ormondale MUR.  Our erosion experts have something exciting to showcase!


 The last three months have been filled with Extensive Erosion Explorations for Ormondale's second-grade (and a few first-grade) students; the children are now Erosion Experts!  They are currently working in teams to prepare a formal presentation on their work.  They were asked to find a solution for an erosion problem right here in our very own backyard: the creek!  We will have an Erosion Gallery Walk where children will present a scientific lab experiment and report this Thursday.  Please join us as these kiddos showcase their findings and talk through the process.  Experts from Acterra will be joining the group as mentors to promote this scientific work and offer constructive feedback.  These experts have been asked to wrap-up our presentations by offering their professional advice on how to best handle our current erosion concerns regarding our local creek.  We look forward to hearing their thoughts on this topic.  We hope you will be able to join us in celebrating this great work.

 

-The 2nd Grade Team


Corte Madera

CMS Upcoming Events

Thu Jan 22, 9:00 am, PTO Mtg at ORM

 

Fri Jan 23, 7:30 am, CMS 4/5 Cocoa Breakfast

 

View the full PTO calendar here. warriors2

STEM Fair

 

The 2014-15 CMS STEM Fair has come and gone! Our CMS Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Fair concluded on Jan 8, and what a time it was! For those who could not attend, you missed some fantastic projects by our CMS students. We had over 200 projects this year, and they were really well done. We're always excited by the quality and wide variety of projects the students produce.

We have 14 projects advancing to the San Mateo County STEM Fair, Mar 1- 4 at the Hiller Aviation Museum.

The advancing projects are:

5th grade 
1. Elliot J., Electric Car Project
2. Crystal G., Pencil Resistors
3. Catherine F., Music to my Ears
4. Michaela M., Water Desalination

6th Grade
5. Emma K., Losing my Marbles
6. Arthur J., Saving Grandpa
7. Alex B., The Thinking Car
8. Zoe R., Glowing in the Dark

7th Grade
9. Nora B., Soil Acidity and its Affect on Plant Growth
10. Nick E., WiFi Receiver Project
11. Jeremiah M., Proving the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

8th Grade
12. Emily H., Cacti - The Great Oxygen Producer
13. Cameron J., Carbands
14. Alec V., Testing Isotropic vs. Directional Antennas with varying Polarization

Advancing projects will receive additional information when it becomes available from the County. Along with advancing projects, we had a variety of students whose projects received an honorable mention.

Those students are:
4th grade: Autumn B., Levi A., Alex K., Nicholas Z., Connor E., Leski C.
5th grade: Mick T., Shai D., Alison R., Kate K., Daisy K., Elle M., Gigi P., Parker M.
6th grade: Kyler R., William C., Bobby Y., Cole T., Carson M., Naomi A., Ethan L.
7th grade: Torsten N., Luke R., Dominic C., Uri D.
8th grade: Allison A., Owen M., Connor N., William F.

Many thanks to all of the parents and community members who volunteered their time and energy to help evaluate the projects. The science department appreciates your input. A special "Thank You" to Kate Cox and Dan Flahavan for their continued support and flexibility with the use of the MUR to hold our Fair.

Thanks to all of you for your support of Science at CMS.
CMS Science Team
CMS Leadership Opportunity

 

Happy New Year!  2015 will start with a fantastic leadership opportunity for all our CMS students!
 
CMS is looking for student leaders and role models to assist with morning drop off efficiency. Our student valets would greet students being dropped off at the front of the school with a cheerful smile, wave and a message of any important reminders of the week...aka, spirit days. Valets would be required to be at CMS by7:45 and provide leadership in the front drop off area until 7:55, once a week, for the remainder of the school year.  As a thank you for their service, commitment and assistance with drop off efficiency we will celebrate their hard work with a Spring and end of year celebration! 
 
If you would like your child to be a part of this fabulous leadership opportunity, please have them pick up an application at the CMS front office today!

Community News
 

Ormondale Chess King

 

Chess King will be offering afterschool chess at Ormondale Mons, Feb 2 - May 18, 2:50 - 3:50 pm.  More information at www.chesskingcorp.com or 510-456-8593

Chess instruction provided by Chess King covers basic chess rules, basic tactics, advanced tactical training and is age, grade and skill level appropriate. Children of all grades are invited to participate, to have fun and reap the rewards and benefits of the Chess King program. Each one hour class includes a half hour of instruction designed to help your child play winning chess followed by a half hour of semi-formal tournament play.  Awards are presented regularly.

CMS Chess King

 

Chess King will be offering afterschool chess at CMS Mons, Feb 2 - May 18, 3:05-4:05 pm.  More information at www.chesskingcorp.com or 510-456-8593

Chess instruction provided by Chess King covers basic chess rules, basic tactics, advanced tactical training and is age, grade and skill level appropriate. Children of all grades are invited to participate, to have fun and reap the rewards and benefits of the Chess King program. Each one hour class includes a half hour of instruction designed to help your child play winning chess followed by a half hour of semi-formal tournament play.  Awards are presented regularly.

After-School Art Class at Ormondale - EXTENSION

NEW START DATE: Thu Jan 15 thru Thu March 19
in the Ormondale Art Room
2:50 - 4:30 pm (1st - 3rd graders)

Course is 8 classes, $240 and limited to 15 students (if enrollment requests are high we will consider a second winter class and/or start a waitlist for the next session in Spring).

Linda Janklow is a long time arts educator and founder of Peopleologie, a traveling hands-on art and humanities program that works extensively with schools and museums. Your child may have even taken a class with her at the PV Library over the past year? 

In this themed class, students will learn about folk art and cultures and create decorative art with fibers. Materials include string, yarn, paper and cloth and students will use a variety of techniques such as weaving, rope braiding, finger and spool knitting... It should be wonderful!

Blank forms are available in the front office as well as an envelope for turning in your completed form and check.

Please email Kim Zamboldi (AIA coordinator) if you are planning to join class or have any questions, so that we may gauge enrollment.

More details are on the enrollment form, or to ask specific questions, contact Linda Janklow.

Carillon Preschool Open House
Portola Valley Theater Conservatory - Winter Classes

ACT OUT IN THEATer CLASSES: Fun! Creative! Inspiring! For 20 years, Portola Valley Theater Conservatory (PVTC) has offered fantastically entertaining theater classes to students of all skill level, novice to experienced, ages 3 through high school. Students play acting games, use their imaginations to create characters, and develop physical and vocal theater skills in a collaborative, supportive, and entertaining environment. Classes are taught by professional actors, directors, singers, and dancers, and culminate in a final performance on an intimate stage with lights and costumes. Winter session begins the week of Mon Jan 5 and space is limited to 12 students per class, so register soon!  www.pvtc-ca.org. Questions? Email info@pvtc-ca.org.

Creative Art for Young Children

WINTER 2015 @ Portola Valley Town Center
Wed Jan 14 - Sat Mar 28 (no classes Wed Feb 18 thru Sat Feb 21)

Long winter nights...a great place for an artist to start dreaming
while looking up at the moon and the stars. Outer Space will be our
focus as we travel into the unknown looking for inspiration. I'm not
sure what we will find out there...what I do know is we will start by
blasting off with the astronaut/artist Alan Bean and make multicolored
Moon Paintings then draw with metallic markers...scratch art...paper
mache Alien Masks, Van Gogh's Starry Night and Clay Owls. Then back to
earth to show our Moms and Dads, family and friends our work at our
ever popular Art Show with the magic brush.

Ages 3 years thru the 5th grade...go to (portolavalley.net)  for more
info and class schedules.
Teacher: Jeannie Goldman (650) 851-1914

Register online or contact Cindy (650) 851-1700 ext. 200. Forms are available at the Town Center office on 765 Portola Rd.

Camp W Presents: Frederick's Follies

Do you have a budding star at home?  Maybe s/he would like to be a part of a major musical production called Frederick's Follies? Perfect timing! Camp W, the community's performing arts camp, is proud to host this year's show.

 In order to prepare for the big performance, the students will build the program from the ground up during the camp session. They'll work on singing, dancing, and staging. The camp will also allow the students to stretch themselves creatively in a safe and friendly environment.

 

Class Location: Corte Madera School, Room 503

Date/Time: Thu Jan 15 - Sat April 11, 3:30 - 5:30 pm

Eligibility: 4-8th grade

Cost: $650.00 - This includes facilities usage, instruction materials, snacks, camp t-shirt, after show party, and more.

 For more information about the class, please contact William Frederick by email, campw.william@gmail.com, call (650) 483-8546 or simply visit campw.weebly.com.

 Registration: Registration begins NOW at campw.weebly.com   cmsroll

Society of Young Inklings: After-School Class at Ormondale

"The Magic Trunk: Exploring Stories"
(Grades K-1)

Each week, students will open the Magic Trunk to discover costumes, props, picture books and other treasures that will launch creative exploration of the parts of stories. Through improvisational games, creative activities and reading time, students will develop both story comprehension, literacy and early writing skills, and will capture their ideas in various mediums, including drawings, photos, impromptu scenes, and dictated stories. Other skills developed include imagination, creative and critical thinking, cooperation, social learning, and physical and verbal expression. The final class is open for parent observation, and will highlight the students' favorite games and activities from the session, as well as their original stories. 

Class Day/Time: Thu, 2:55-3:55pm
Dates of class: 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26. (10 weeks)
N0 class on: 2/19
Tuition: $270
Register online at www.younginklings.org


Girls Leadership Institute: Parent/Daughter Workshops

For 4th/5th parents and daughters, Weds Feb 4 - Mar 4, 6:00 - 7:30 pm 

Girls Leadership Institute offers a series of courses for 4th/5th girls and their parents to build emotional intelligence. In this workshop, parent-daughter pairs learn about identifying healthy relationships, finding their voices, and communicating more effectively. Girls also develop resilient responses to conflict, drama, challenges, and mistakes. The program is interactive, fun, and enlightening, and it's also a great opportunity to gain insight and spend time with your daughter in a new and different way. For more info on our 4th/5th program and to register click here.

Studio Rincon at Alpine - Updated Enrollment

Now you don't have to travel all the way to Menlo Park. 
Studio Rincon will be at Alpine Hills in January of 2015!
           
Tue, Jan 6 - Feb 12: Pre Ballet (3-4 yr.olds) 12:30-1:20pm (7 Spots Open)

Wed, Jan 7 - Feb 11: Hip Hop (5-7yr.olds) 1:30-2:20pm (FULL)
Wed, Jan 7 - Feb. 11: Hip Hop (8-12 yr.olds) 2:30-3:20pm (FULL)

Thu, Jan 8 - Feb 12: Pre Ballet (5-7 yr.olds) 12:30-1:20pm (Cancelled)

To register, go to http://studiorincon.com/schedule-youth.php  
Space is limited! Questions? Contact shelly@alpinehills.us 

Amazon and eScript Fundraiser

Each year the PVSD PTO pays for classroom supplies for every student in the district using funds raised through the eScrip and Amazon.com programs.

To make ensure your Amazon purchases contribute towards our schools, simply click here: Amazon.com, then bookmark the page and you use that bookmark to start your shopping trips on Amazon.com. You must enter the website through this specific link. Portola Valley School District PTO will receive a minimum of 4% of every purchase made through this method and you should see no difference in your shopping experience.

And don't forget to sign up for eScrip! Just go to www.escrip.com and register your credit cards, Safeway Club Card and/or Bianchini's loyalty card. Please make sure to direct donations to the Portola Valley School District PTO. Or just shop at local participating merchants, like the PV Garage and ask to contribute through eScrip.
Summit High School Open House

96% of Summit's 2014 graduates were accepted to a four-year college. Summit students graduate from college at twice the national average. In 2014, US News and World Report named Summit #25 in the US for charter high schools. In 2013, Newsweek named it as one of the top three high schools in all of California. Summit was the only high school featured in the movie, "Waiting for Superman."
  
It is ranked #3 in the state of California for serving students with disabilities. 

Summit prepares a diverse student population for success in college, career and life, and to be contributing members of society. How do we do that? Join us for one of our Open Houses on Sat Feb 7 at Everest High School (455 5th Ave.)