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From the Assistant Principal
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A friendly reminder to all parents who are dropping off students in the morning. Please use our parking lot's center isle for your drop offs in order to prevent dangerous pedestrian situations on Sharon Road. Do not pull up to the yellow curb ( Bus Lanes) to drop off your child. Use our center isle for drop off and pick up. Several parents are also using the red curb directly to the right of our parking lot's exit to drop off students. Please do not pull over and drop off your child on any red curb area. Drivers parked in the red zone prevent safe egress from our parking lot, as well as prevent our buses from making their turns safely. When exiting our school parking lot, remember that you must turn right. This will assist in the flow of traffic in our parking lot and help prevent tardy students. When making your exit from the parking lot, please continue to drive down Sharon Road or make the possible right onto Eastridge. I've seen several parents making U-Turns in the middle of Sharon Road, creating further traffic jams. Please plan on extra morning time in your busy schedule when dropping off you child so everyone's safety is ensured. A Good Read...
I wanted to thank all the parents who attended our recent meeting where Shannon Potts and I discussed the Project Cornerstone Survey Results. We are working to post the survey results on our website this week so please keep an eye out for the link.
As I was looking over my "good reads", I came upon the book, "The Mindful Child" by Susan Kaiser Greenland. As the cover of the book states, this is a good read that discusses how to help your kid manage stress and become happier, kinder and more compassionate. I highly recommend this book. With the weather turning wet and windy, there is no better time than the winter season to curl up with a good read and delve into an interesting subject. Happy reading and please let me know what you think of Susan's book.
Sonya Dineen
Assistant Principal
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PTA News
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LA ENTRADA GEO BEE IS THIS WEEK
The La Entrada Geography Bee is this week, on Friday December 7, in Jensen Hall from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. It is not too late to register and participate in this year's Geo Bee. The Geo Bee is not done in the format of a spelling bee. In the Geo Bee, all participants are seated, facing away from the audience, and are asked the same question. Each participant writes the answer to each question on an index card and then turns in the index card. Once the cards are turned in, the moderator reads the answer and only the participant knows whether he/she answered the question correctly.
Actual questions from last year's Geo Bee:
1. Lake Tahoe lies on the border between California and which other state-Nevada or Washington?
NevadaAnswer:
2. Grasshoppers, known locally as chapulines (cha-PULL-ee-ness), are a delicacy in the state of Oaxaca in which North American country?
Answer: Mexico
To Register for the Geo Bee, send the student's name, grade and core teacher to Alka Sehgal at alkasehgal@gmail.com and submit a completed permission slip found on the PTA website, to Alka or drop it off in the La Entrada office.
A purely optional review session will be held on Tuesday December 4 at 7 a.m. in the MUR. We will discuss the format of the Geo Bee, the scope of questions and then practice with some questions from last year's Geo Bee. In order for us to know how many handouts to have, etc, we ask that you email Michele Leclerc at michelecleclerc@aol.com with the name and grade of any student planning to attend the review session.
Volunteers needed:
We need volunteers at the event on December 7 to help register participants, monitor the refreshment table, proctor, score keep, etc. Please contact Alka Sengal alkasehgal@gmail.com if you can help with any of these tasks.
If you have any questions or need additional information, contact Alka at alkasehgal@gmail.com or Michele at michelecleclerc@aol.com
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DADS AT LUNCH THIS FRIDAY!
Come visit the 4th and 5th graders between 11:35-12:15p and the 6th-8th graders from 12:15-12:50p.
Come play some of your favorite games with your favorite kids. The kids are telling us they love seeing their Dads and the Dads of their friends. The Dads say it is a lot of fun and rumor has it...the office visits go down on "Dads at Lunch Day". You do not want to miss out on the fun this Friday since your next chance will be next year.
If you have any questions please contact Anna Plume at aplumemom@yahoo.com: she be on the play ground if you need any ideas on how to interact with the kids, want some ideas of games to play or if you want information on the importance of adult role models.
 SCIENCE FAIR SEASON IS UPON US!
 Last year the science fair was a blast with with over 80 projects and 140 students involved. Many of the winners went on to the County Fair, the Bay Area Fair, and some to the State Fair. The presentations will be on Wednesday January 16th, but the kids should register by November 20th, have a topic by December 6th, and submit an abstract by January 10th. The sooner they start thinking about what they want to do the better!
We need more volunteers to coach the kids, set up for the event, and help judge the event. Please contact Bardia Pezeshki (bardia@pezeshki.org) or Ann Crady (acrady@gmail.com) to help out.
4TH AND 5TH GRADE LATIN CLUB
Even if you have not already signed up, please feel free to join us at lunch period in MUR for our next meetings on December 13th, January 17th, February 14th, March 21st and April 18th.
Some quotes from our current club members:
"I signed up because I thought I would have fun and my friend is in Latin Club."
"I signed up so I can be more educated in spelling and history, and so I can have fun with my friend." "I think it will be an interesting language to take..... help with root words."
"My family took a vacation in Italy and when I was in Rome I thought it was the best place. ... I got hooked. I want to understand some of the words that were written about the ruins and other places we visited."
"I really like the Rick Riordan books like Son of Neptune and the Percy Jackson series."
"I thought it would be fun to see how we evolved, what people used to do." " I thought it would be cool to learn about it, and I heard it was really interesting." AROUND THE WORLD
We're very excited to be able to add another program to the LE Lunchtime Enrichment Program this year. "Around the World" led by Meenu Bhasin, will be introducing our children to cultures and customs from other countries. The program will consist of a short presentation and quiz, followed by games and a snack from the country!
Session One: Thursday, January 31st - Sikhism, led by Alka Sehgal
Session Two: Thursday, April 25th - India, led by Meenu Bhasin
Session Three: Thursday, May 2nd - England, led by Meenu Bhasin
Stay tuned for more details closer to these dates.
CAREER DAY - SEEKING SPEAKERS!
We are planning a Career Day for the Feb-Apr time period, for 7th and 8th graders. We are looking for parents and non-parents with careers that will inspire the children...mainstream careers, unique exciting careers, interesting career paths, etc. If chosen, you will speak 3 times, 30 minutes each, in the morning. If you might be available to speak or can suggest someone else with an interesting career (parent or not), please send an email to litskovitz@gmail.com (Subject: Career Day Speakers), with the following information: - Name
- Functional Area/Title
- What you do ;)
- Company
- Email
- Phone
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| School News |
Did you receive our test of an Emergency Broadcast System?Last Wednesday we ran an "emergency broadcast system test" which should have sent a message to your home phone, to your cell as a text message, and to your email. If you did not receive all three messages, please stop in your child's school office to update your contact information. Our plans are to broaden our use of this Global Connect system as a key communication tool for important updates and information. Your three key contacts need to be current to receive these. We will not be distributing this personal information for any other purposes. We will announce shortly when we'll be running a test with our bus riders, which will then provide you text updates on bus runs. Thank you for your attention to this information. Fifth Grade Band Winter Concert Extra Rehearsals:
Due to the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday and the Outdoor Education field trip the following week and then, the winter concert the week after that, it is very important that we add the following rehearsals to the normal 'once-a-week' band class:
All 5th grade band students will wear black below the waist including black pants, or a skirt and dark (preferably black) shoes and socks. Students will wear white above the waist including a white shirt (preferably long-sleeved) or blouse. Canned Food Drive Throughout the week of December 10th - December 14th, the ASB is holding its' annual food drive, which is a vital part of the Second Harvest Food Bank's mission that provides nearly one-third of the food they distribute each year. By participating in our food drive with Second Harvest Food Bank, you can make an immediate difference in the life of a local family. Each can that a student donates will count towards spirit points for their grade. Help spread the joy of the season and bring in your canned foods! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Rianda in room 24, trianda@llesd.org , or contact Grace C., ASB Community Service Coordinator. Note: The food barrels will be located in the foyer of Jensen Hall. Toys for Tots Drive Throughout the week of December 3rd - 7th, La Entrada is helping to support our local firefighters' Toys for Tots program. The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a new toy during the holidays, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders. We are asking families to bring in an unwrapped toy for boys and girls of all ages. You can drop off your gift before school throughout the week. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Rianda in room 24, at trianda@llesd.org, or contact Grace C., ASB Community Service Coordinator. Talent Show On Thursday, December 6th, students will showcase their talents in front of an audience. The talent show will be held in Jensen Hall from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. Anyone can come and watch, as admission is free. All participants involved in the talent show must arrive no later than 6:00. We hope to see you there! If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Rianda in room 24, or at trianda@llesd.org. Talent Show Rehearsal There is a mandatory talent show rehearsal after school. All acts are required to attend.It is immediately after school on Thursday from 3:00 to 5:00 in Jensen Hall.
Project Cornerstone
Project Cornerstone Parent Workshops will be offered weekly, beginning January 16, 2013 from 9am to 10:30am What is this workshop? "Take It Personally Study Group"What are some of the benefits for parents to join?* Discussions around how I can show my child I support their efforts and dreams* Discussions on how I can know what is most important in helping my child succeed in school academically AND in life* Discussions around the question, are there enough positive adults in my child's life?Simple answers to all the above questions - Join us for a parent study group.GROUP BEGINS Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2013Time: 7:00 pmPlace: Room 7Six sessions: 1/16, 1/23,1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/27Fee: $10.00, one time donation includes workbookFor details contact: Linda Silvius at Linda@ProjectCornerstone.org or Sonya Dineen at sdineen@llesd.orgWhat some participants have said about these workshop sessions:"The interaction with other parents was great and their ideas and the difficulties they faced and how they resolved it was a fantastic insight, too.""The Take It Personally study group really raised my awareness about how even the tiniest efforts that I can and have been making as a parent can vastly affect asset building in my children and all children I come in contact with."
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| From the Foundation |
 
Fundraising Update Our fundraising campaign has been successful so far-let's keep the momentum going! Through Nov. 26th Goal Participation 51% of families 100% of families Contributions $2,025,000 $3,000,000 Challenge Grant Earned $ 262,000 $300,000
Thank you to last week's donors!
Toni and Olivia Adams, Jill Amstutz, Mark Axtman and Christina Nguyen, Robert and Lauri Battista, Walter and Leonssia Beisheim, Mark Bernstein and Jamie Sullivan, Keith Bettinger and Sofie Kleppner, Vivek Bhalla and Kiran Khush, Alessandro and Alessandra Biral, David and Diane Bradley, Lloyd and Barbara Brown, Michael Casolo and Tina Facos-Casolo, Gaetan Castelein and Christine Arnould, Kenneth and Silvana Chang, Donald and Jennifer Coleman*, Julian Cortella and Karen Grove, Ludovic and Celine DePaz, Drew and Lisa Dunlevie*, Kirk and Kathy Dunn, Stephen and Pamela Ellingson, Tom and Gudrun Enger, Gregorio and Rosario Flores, Robert Freeman and Margarita Meta, Cormac Twomey and Laura Garcia-Manrique, Niki Gastinel, Andy and Rebecca Goodman, Yoshio and Junko Goto, Janet Gregori, Suzanne Grenmark and Anne Lidgard, Jeremy Gundel and Anne Frisbie, Craig and Kari Hanson, Peter and Di Harrison, Matthew and Melanie Hayden, Nona Haydon, Gil Heydari and Maryam Amiri, Kevin and Kelly Hunsaker, Jeffrey and Johanna Jay, Logan and Janet Jennings, Rajeev Butani and Jano Jethani, Albert and Melissa Jordan, Takahiro and Kaori Kanai, Tom Kane and Diann Lewis, Phil and Christine Kiekhaefer, Michelle and David King, Brian Kissel and Liz Bradley, Yoshihiro and Yurika Kuroda, Drew and Rose Lanham, Brian Lee and Yehbin Song, Andy Li and Wendy Wang, Jim Long and Gloria Webster, Colm and Jean Long, Liam and Therese Maher, Sergei and Lilia Maliar, Diana and Jeff McColloch, Curt and Ulla McGee, Dale Miller and Larissa Tiedens, David and Julie Ann Min, Steve and Mary Mohr, Nicole Montre, Doe Myers, Victor Ng and Sandra Lee, Paul and Claudia Nikcevic, Francisco Ochoa and Rubi Amezcua, Kentaro and Eriko Oguchi, Steve and Kay Onderdonk, SoonKwon Paik and HyeJung Min, Il Ho Park and Joo Yun Hyun, Amy Payne, Kivill Pertseva and Irina Laktionova, Federico Politi and Susanna Segre', Ashok and Rita Popat, Michael and Jan Praisner, Demetra Burrs and Marie President, Carlos Quintana, Todd and Diane Regonini, Pandian and Aarthy Senthilkumar, John and Jennifer Sheldon, Mark and Dominique Smallcombe, Charles and Catherine Smith, Cameron and Katrina Smith, Carl Stern and Holly Hayes, Wayne and Marilee Thompson, Serguei Tiourine and Tatsiana Lobovkina, David and Cynthia Tipton, Mike and Kristina Valentine, Carlin Vieri and Britte Cheng, Ann Wahlund Latta, Brian and Wendy Wall, Brian and Katharina Way, John Neil Weintraut, Mark Weiss and Tatiana Shpeisman, Scott Levitan and Sylvia Westenbroek, Ross White and Stefani Hartsell, David and Paige Winikoff, Gordon Wong and Jennifer Pienwong, Sylvia Tang and Alan Wong, Britton and Elizabeth Wood, Gail Wright , Kamran and Saadiya Zaki, Werner and Julie Zurcher
Donate Now - And Help us Earn the Challenge Grant!
Any first time or increased donation you make will have an even bigger impact! Every new donation, as well as the amount of any donation larger than last year, will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, by other generous donors to the Foundation who have agreed to fund the Challenge Grant.
Holiday Shopping
Need to order holiday cards on-line? Plan on doing holiday shopping on-line? Or do you shop year-round at on-line sites such as Amazon? If you answered yes to any of these questions, please go to www.llefshopping.com www.llefshopping.comfirst and then click through to your favorite on-line retailers. Shopping at sites like Tiny Prints, Minted and Amazon through the Foundation website portal will trigger donations for our District from these retailers. It's free money for our schools! Don't forget to tell family and friends to shop through this site as well (anyone can help earn money for our District)!
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Las Lomitas League News
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Winter/Spring Class Schedule
The Winter /Spring 2013 before/after-school class schedule will be up on our website http://www.laslomitasleague.com/ on December 17th so parents can start planning.
Registration for Winter/ Spring 2013 classes opens on January 8, 2013 at 7 PM. Remember to put this date down in your calendar.
La Entrada Volleyball Champions
Congratulations to our successful 6th grade girls volleyball teams!
The two teams completed an impressive season in the Menlo Park Youth Volleyball League which culminated in their playing each other in a gripping championship match. High five to our champions: Amelia B., Emilie M., Caitlyn P., Klara A., Lindsey M., Maxine M., Natalie D., Oron E. and Zoe Z. Kudos to our runners-up who finished in first place in the regular season: Annika E., Charlotte P., Erica F., Grace K., Katie D., Sierra S., Sydney C. and Zoe L.
Guitar Class Performance
The Las Lomitas League after-school Guitar Class will be having a performance in the Music Room on December 5th at 3:30 pm. Feel welcome to come by and show your support for your friends and family in the class.
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| Sequoia Union High School District News |
Donate Old Computers, Printers, Digital Cameras, Flash Drives to M-A Students
WANTED: Old computers or parts, working or not, for M-A High School PTA computer donation program. Your old computer equipment will be securely erased, refurbished, and sent home with a needy, hard-working student. Our goal is for every student at M-A High School to have a working computer at home to assist them with their homework. We welcome donations from individuals or corporate donations from companies that are upgrading their equipment. Donations are tax-deductible. We also need other types of electronic gear, such as USB flash drives and digital cameras (include manual, battery charger and memory card if you have them). For more detailed information, visit www.suekayton.com/MAHigh/computerdonations.htm or contact Sue Kayton at (650) 853-1711 or kayton@alum.mit.edu.
Summit and Everest Open House
Summit Preparatory Charter High School (one of Newsweek's"Ten Miracle High Schools" in the country) and Everest Public High School are public, tuition-free, charter high schools in Redwood City. Our schools strive to provide students with a small and personalized educational experience with guaranteed college preparation in a physically and emotionally safe environment. Summit and Everest would like to invite parents and students to learn more about their schools and the admission process at their upcoming Open Houses:
Thursday, December 13th, 2012 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, February 9th, 2013 at 10:00 AM
All open houses will be at Summit, 890 Broadway, Redwood City.
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| Community News |
These programs are not supported by or affiliated with the La Entrada School or the La Entrada PTA.
This holiday season more than 1 in 10 of our neighbors in need will be turning to Second Harvest Food Bank for a meal - together we can help!
HopeUP is partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank to bring hope, relief and security to our neighbors struggling with hunger. Our online Food Drive will help the Food Bank meet more of the growing need in our community. Your support helps connect hungry children, families, and seniors to nutritious food in the neighborhoods where they live, learn, work, and play. To learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank and how you can help, please visit www.shfb.org.
"Just Believe" at Sacred Heart
Start your holiday shopping at Sacred Heart Preparatory's holiday boutique, "Just Believe," where you'll find something for everyone in your family. The boutique opens on Wednesday, December 5thand runs through Friday, December 7th. The school's main building will be transformed into a winter wonderland featuring holiday offerings from 18 vendors. These offerings range from fresh seasonal greens and flowers, to stationery, children's clothes, hostess gifts, and jewelry. In addition, informal demonstrations featuring makeup artists from Sephora and stylists from Halo Blow Dry Bar as well as a holiday floral arranging demonstration will be featured on Thursday, December 6th.
The boutique hours are from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Friday. Sacred Heart Preparatory is located at 150 Valparaiso Avenue in Atherton. Parking will be available on campus and across the street at the Church of Latter Day Saints parking lot. The boutique benefit's the school's Parents' Association.
Details and hours can be found at the website:www.shschools.org/justbelieve.
M-A Basketball Community Clinic
Are you looking for a fun activity for your 4th - 8th grade son over the Winter Break? The Menlo-Atherton High School Varsity Boys Basketball team is holding a basketball clinic on December 27th from 9am to 12pm at M-A Ayer's Gym. Your player will receive basketball tips from high school players, play games and have fun. All basketball abilities are welcome. Please sign up on the M-A Boys Basketball website ( www.maboysbasketball.com/communityclinic) and bring the liability form (download from the website) and a $30 check, made out to M-A Boys Basketball, to the clinic. If you are not able to attend the clinic but would like to watch a game, check out the website for the upcoming season's game schedule. GO BEARS!
School Supplies Needed for Elementary Schools in East Palo Alto
Interested in helping East Palo Alto elementary schools with needed supplies such as paper, pencils, pencil sharpeners and Kleenex? Our parent volunteer group makes it easy through our Giving Tree program. Just give us your email address and every quarter you will receive a "wish list" message. From the wish list, you can purchase a small item or two and drop off supplies at a specified home in Menlo Park or Palo Alto. There are no meetings, only quarterly emails. It's easy! Sign up by contacting Linda Knoll at linda_knoll@yahoo.com. To learn more about our programs servicing East Palo Alto schools, please visit our web site www.allstudentsmatter.org.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
This holiday production is presented by Dancers Repertory Theatre and Menlo Park Academy of
Dance and reviewed as a "charming alternative to the Nutcracker." Performances will be given at the Woodside Performing Arts Center on Sunday December 9th (1:00pm and 4:00pm), Saturday December 15th (1:00pm and 4:00pm), and Sunday December 16th, (1:00pm and 4:00pm). Tickets
are available at www.twasthenight.org or by calling 650-323-5292.
Las Lomitas dancers include Juliana B., Sophia C., Jack C., Sabrina D., Riley J., Ashley M., Elina K., Jessica N., Tedi P., and Elena T. La Entrada dancers include Ava A., Sophia B., Alex C., Annie C., Sarah E., Greta H., Leben K., Maddie O., Caroline T., and Amelia T. All six shows are expected to sell out, so buy your tickets now!
Space Cookies Robotics Team
Can a robot shoot hoops? You bet! The Girl Scouts at La Entrada invite their girl friends to join them at a special assembly on FRIDAY, Dec 14 from 4:30-5:30pm at Las Lomitas' CANO HALL to see a demonstration and presentation by the award-winning "Space Cookies". This all-girl robotics team will show our middle school girls the cool things you can build when you combine creativity with math, engineering, science, and technology. And they have a blast doing it! All girls are welcome. Doors open at 4:15 so come to CANO HALL AT LAS LOMITAS for some amazing demonstrations. Need more info? Email: amyharber@aol.com.
Alpine/West Menlo Little League
Registration for 2013 Spring Alpine/West Menlo Little League and AMA Softball is now open.
Stanford Wildfire Soccer TeamThe Stanford Wildfire Soccer Team (U13 for Fall 2012) will be holding tryouts for all interested girls on December 2 and December 9. Tryouts will be held at the Cubberly Football Field, located at Cubberly Community Center, at 4000 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto from 2-4pm both days, rain or shine. Questions? Contact team managers Andrea Fish at andreafish@sbcglobal.net or Christy Wolf at christy.wolf@yourbrandhere.com. Indoor Lacrosse
Indoor Lacrosse this Winter is Local in Redwood City! Coach Bond with SixFifty Lacrosse is offering 6th, 7th, & 8th graders: There's no better way to improve your game in the off-season than indoor lacrosse! Fast-paced, exciting action and the chance to work on your dodging, shooting, defense, and team play in an indoor arena. Register at sixfiftylacrosse.com.
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| Business Sponsors News |
These programs are not supported by or affiliated with the La Entrada School or the La Entrada PTA.
CREATIVE ART FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
@ Portola Valley Town Center WINTER SESSION 2013 JAN. 9 - MARCH 23 (no classes Feb. 20 - 23)
Teacher: Jeannie Goldman (650) 851-1914
To register contact the Portola Valley Town Hall (650) 851-1700, Cindy or Teresa (ext. 200) or register online at portolavalley,net.
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From the Editors
| The Leopard's Spot is published by the La Entrada PTA as a service to the La Entrada families and community. Before submitting an article, please read our newsletter policies.
To submit an item, email it to the editors at leopardsspot@llesd.org by 12 noon
on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication date.
Submission Requirements:
- In the subject line of the email, please include the section in which you wish your item to be placed (see our newsletter policies for the list of our regular sections); for example, the subject may read "PTA News" for any item related to PTA programs;
- DO NOT send the article as an attachment but in the body of the email: submission sent as Word doc will be rejected;
- Clearly indicate the title of your submission;
- DO NOT send flyers but provide a link to them;
- DO NOT send pictures but provide a link to them;
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