Don't let the name confuse you! First Friday Business Deals Good All Month Long!

Check out our November First Friday and the businesses supporting our schools and students. We are pleased to welcome J Stokes and Harps Etc. as WCEF Business Partners. These and many other businesses have invested in our students' education and are offering special discounts throughout the month of November- just be sure to mention WCEF! 

Walk-A-Thon, Friday, November 8!

Please send children to school Friday wearing Parkmead colors (blue and yellow) and/or spirit wear, comfortable shows, layered clothing and sunscreen.  Don't forget, every step counts!  This is your child's opportunity to contribute to our fabulous school.

If you have not yet volunteered to help at the Walk-A-Thon, you still have a chance. We would love to see you there!  All are welcome. Please contact Leslie Shafton at [email protected] for more details. We also need fruit (pre-sliced oranges, bananas and grapes). They can be dropped off Friday morning in the teacher's lounge before school.

The walking times are as follows:

9:00-9:30 K/1 and PALS I

9:40-10:10 2/3, PALS II and III

10:20-10:50 4/5

Thank you for supporting our school!!!

Needed: Co-chair for Camp Panther

A co-chair is needed to work with Leslie Shafton on Camp Panther - a fun night for children in January where they get dropped off for an evening of fun - including dinner. It was a HIT last year. Help make it a night to remember. Contact Brooke Smith if you are able to help at [email protected]

Congratulations to Ms. Nelson's class, Room 5, for turning in the most Box Tops in the month of October. The Box Tops Panther will visit their classroom for the next month.

Thank you, Parkmead, for building our school's treasure...see the Treasure Chest poster on the bulletin board outside the office to check our progress. So far, 1900 Box Top$ have been saved in this challenge, and the pile of booty is growing every day. Several rooms are close to the goal of over 400 Box Top$ which will earn a "treasure chest of goodies" for the whole class! 

 Keep it coming! The challenge ends on Monday, Dec. 9.

Patterns, Printing and Pastels...Oh My! 

The art in our first display of this school year is done by PCS Fourth Graders. We began by creating simple patterns on foam board. Next, we used brayers to apply white printing ink to the foam boards and made a print of our patterns on to black paper. The following week, when the ink was dry, we extended the printed pattern with oil pastels. Please enjoy our patterned artwork located in the multi-use room and its' adjacent hallway.

A huge thank you goes to our parent volunteers, Brenna Shafizadeh and Loreta Barauskas for working on the display and to WCEF for making our art program work.

Aissa Markey, Art Specialist

How School Funds Will Be Spent:

State Board of Education Considers Local Control Funding Formula Draft Regulations

Legislation was passed in 2013 creating a new funding formula for school districts. It deals with how the money is allocated in each district. This new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) provides a lot of additional money to support low-income and English-Language Learner (ELL) students, as well as foster youth. It also shifts decision-making from the state to the school district level, giving flexibility to local communities on deciding how to best spend resources.

The new law requires school districts to engage parents in creating a Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) before making decisions about how to spend the funds in local schools.

To implement the new law, the State Board of Education is charged with developing regulations. The State Board meets this week to consider the draft regulations before implementation can take place.  There are still some areas that must be clarified or strengthened before final regulations are adopted, viz.

* Clarifying how school districts report the use of how additional funds to increase programs and services for students who need them most, and

* Strengthening reporting and transparency, so parents get clear information about how much money their school districts receive, and on what school and school district programs and services funds are being spent.

* Equity: LCFF drew its fair share of criticism from more affluent school districts and those with relatively small growth because these may not get as much money as the more challenged school districts, and in some cases may actually end up worse off!

For a clear PowerPoint presentation which outlines exactly what LCCFF is and how it works, take a look at:   http://downloads.capta.org/edu/e-school-finance/LCFF_Basics_and_PTA.pdf

(Acronym Decodes for this Powerpoint: QEIA = Quality Education Investment Act,  TIIG = Targeted Instructional Improvement Grant)

David Sanan

How to squeeze more veggies into your diet each day: Puree your produce and use it to thicken recipes calling for butter or cream.

If you've got a soft spot for thick, creamy soups or rich macaroni and cheese, swap out thickeners like butter and cream for pureed vegetables instead. Adding them to your dishes is also a great way to boost your nutrient intake. Pureeing your produce is a healthy way to amp up the flavor and body in your recipes. A puree of cooked sweet potatoes, carrots and red bell peppers will add a rich, sweet flavor to spaghetti sauce. Mixing pureed beans into soup or chili will give your recipes a thick, earthy flavor. Other ways to thicken up your dishes without the saturated fat of cheese and butter? Add pureed zucchini or cauliflower to mac 'n' cheese, or try adding spinach and rolled oats to burger or meatloaf recipes.

Physical Fitness

To perk up your energy levels, spend a few minutes outside each day - rain or shine. Outdoor activity and nature boost your well-being.

Feeling frazzled or lethargic? Regulate your mood and energy levels by getting outdoors a few times each day - yes, even in the rain or snow! Spending time in nature (urban parks count), or just enjoying outdoor activities, can elevate your mood and put a little pep in your step. Go for an after-dinner stroll, take a quick walk around the block at lunch, or ride your bike to the corner store. You'll feel invigorated, and maybe even a little like a kid again.

Go Green

Print on Two Sides - Know what? It's not that hard to print on both sides of the paper but even though most software programs give that option, most of us still print only on one side of the page. Consider this: the U.S. alone uses 4 million tons of copy paper annually, about 27 pounds per person. Save dough and your local landfill. Print on two sides.