THE CHARACTER THEME FOR JANUARY IS RESPONSIBILITY

"It's a question of discipline," the little prince told me later on.  "When you've finished washing and dressing each morning, you must tend your planet."~Antoine de Saint-Exup�ry, The Little Prince, 1943, translated from French by Richard Howard 

RESPONSIBILITY 

* Persevere: keep on trying!

* Always do your best

* Use self-control

* Be self-disciplined

* Think before you act - consider the consequences

* Be accountable for your choices

COLOR: Green - as in being responsible for a garden or finances; or as in being solid and reliable like an oak.

CURRICULUM

This year the Parkmead staff have focused on partial implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). We have been creating lessons where students use informational texts to deepen their understanding of a topic. We are selecting more complex text that allow for in depth discussions and projects. We are also designing lessons that ask students to use evidence from texts to support their thinking and deepen their understanding of content and themes within a text(s). As a means of focusing our work we asked ourselves the following question:

Are students able to use evidence from text to access key details and vocabulary as well as analyze, synthesize, and evaluate complex text?

Today a group of 16 teachers, administrators, and instructional coaches came into our classrooms gathering data on this question. This group will share the data and recommended next steps for our staff. We will use this information to further guide or work.

SUPERINTENDENT COFFEE - TOMORROW FEBRUARY 6th from 9:00 to 10:00

in the PARKMEAD ELEMENTARY MUSIC ROOM

Do you have a question for our Superintendent? Do you want to share your thoughts about the state of Parkmead or the Walnut Creek School District? We are excited to host our annual Superintendent Coffee! Come join Dr. Patty Wool as she shares thoughts and answers your questions in this casual and engaging setting. Check-in at the office and Emily will direct you to the Music Room.

Time to party, the 2014 Parkmead Auction is coming March 15!  This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, the dollars raised support science, technology and other programs for all our kids. 

We need 100% participation!

*  Donate to the Auction! 

*  Buy tickets.  

Tickets are on sale now at www.parkmeadauction.com.  This year's event will be held at the Veteran's Building in Lafayette.

*  Purchase auction items.  

The online auction is February 10 - 23, new items will be added daily!

• PCS 5th graders: 6:30 p.m.
• PCS 4th graders and PALS III students: 7:15 p.m.

Please have your students arrive 10 minutes prior to their start time (the second group should meet outside on the lawn as they won't be able to enter the multipurpose room until the first performance is finished).

Dress requirements: As usual, students should wear white shirts and jeans (or whatever they already own that's similar).

The Parkmead Science Fair is scheduled for Thursday, February 27th in the MPR from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.  

To register, and for more information, please visit:   http://parkmeadscience.com/

In the multi-use room and it's adjacent hallway you'll find the latest art projects designed by PALS level II and PCS third graders. Tempera cakes were used to create these stunning cityscapes.  Mixing to create different colors was encouraged, and then the children printed lines with black paint over their designs to complete the artwork.  The children made use of their knowledge of foreground, middle ground and background to show some depth.

Thank you again to volunteer Tamaki Friess who has been putting up some of our displays. Thank you to all the parents and community members who make our art program possible through their donations to WCEF.

Elaine Barnum

Please join us on Tuesday evening, February 11th from 7pm - 9pm for an important presentation by Preston Jones about keeping your children safe. He visited Parkmead several years ago and the evening was a huge success!  Preston Jones is a dynamic, inspirational speaker who engages and captivates audiences with his compelling seminars. His grassroots approach is humorous, entertaining and insightful.  As motivational speaker, Air Force veteran, 5th degree black belt, business entrepreneur and #1 best-selling author, Preston has the experience and knowledge to empower an audience to be the best that they can be in today's ever changing world. He will be sharing "10 Things You Can Do To Keep Your Children Safe". You don't want to miss this!

• Thank you to all who have made your 2013-2014 WCEF donation! To date we have raised $624,000.
• We are $53,000 away from meeting our funded commitments for this school year. It is important for all our families to contribute in any amount that works best for them.
• Join our SUSTAINABLE DONOR PROGRAM: WCEF is launching a new way to make your donation which will help secure ongoing funding and assist parents by spreading their payments to WCEF out over the course of the year. Many families are taking advantage of this online giving plan and setting up monthly deductions that are ongoing for the duration that your child is in school (setting up 12 and 24 months of giving at a time depending on the expiration date on your credit card). For more information please contact Liz Davis at [email protected] or call 925.933.9233.
• 31% of our families have donated - if you are in the 69% that haven't made your donation, there is still time to make your 2013-2014 tax-deductible donation. Please consider making it today! Your donation is needed now to meet this year's program, staff and materials funding needs; our students are counting on all of us! 

___________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you to all our families who answered the call and made their 2013-2014 donation to support all our students K-12.

WCEF would like to wrap up the current 2013-2014 campaign by March 30. If you have yet to make your 2013-2014 donation  please donate online today!

___________________________________________________________________________________

Japan Days! Brought to you by WCEF

On January 16 and 17, all WCI 7th grade students celebrated the culture of Japan, and enjoyed a day of sushi making, Haiku scrolls, Origami Samurai hats, and traditional Japanese brush painting. It's a highlight of the year for every 7th grader that goes through WCI.

Donation Stations are OPEN!   Sat. Jan 4th - March 15th, 10-2PM

Clean out your clutter and donate it to Las Lomas, the first collection day will be Saturday, Jan. 4. We will take household goods, games, toys, furniture, electronics, books, sporting goods, accessories and more. 

The donation station is located on the Las Lomas Basketball Courts; enter from the back of the school behind Whole Foods.

Items too large to deliver, no problem. We will come to your home and pick it up for you, please contact Irene Bossert to arrange a pickup.  Click here for more information. 

*PICK UPS ARE ONLY FOR ITEMS THAT REQUIRE ASSISTANCE TO DELIVER

Children with a birth date of September 2 - December 2, 2009 are eligible to enroll in the Transitional Kindergarten program.  For Transitional Kindergarten registration information please contact the district office at (925) 944-6850.