PTA General Meeting

Please join us this Wednesday, April 3 at 9:15 in the MUR for our last general meeting of the year. Our first order of business will be to vote in your new board that will serve this coming year.

We are pleased to announce the slate for the 2013-14 PTA Executive Board:

Co Presidents: Lisa Reid and Laurel Timpson

Vice President: Ashley Banks

Treasurer: Sara Leake

Secretary: Pamela Learner

Volunteer Coordinator: MJ Crousore

Membership: Shari Guggenhime

Parliamentarians: Laura Glader and Rachel Lokey

We would like to thank our nominating committee members for a job very well done. Thank you Leslie King, Libby Beasley, Liesl Noble, and MJ Crousore!

Career Day a Huge Success!

Never underestimate the power of an idea and the grit to see it through. We are in awe of Linda Itkovitz and her team for developing such an amazing program for La Entrada students. Thank you to all the speakers, volunteers, and La Entrada staff who made this program possible, including:

Event planners  Linda Itskovitz, Lauren Schoenthaler, Christy Heaton, Alka Sehgal, Sonya Dineen and Shannon Potts

Career Day Volunteers: Ashley Banks, Debbie Siegel, Kate Canessa, Lisa Puccetti, Jennifer Overholt, Katie Lim, Michelle Dillabough, Michelle Beck, and Laura Glader

Hot Lunch

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Cell Phones On Campus: 

It is time again to remind all families about our Cell Phone Policy. You can read our policy in the Directory under, " La Entrada School Handbook", page 126. In short, if your child must bring a cell phone to school, the cell phones must be turned off and kept either in a locker or a backpack during school hours. A cell phone out during school hours will be confiscated and only returned at the end of the school day. Should the same student have their cell phone confiscated a second time, the phone will only be returned to a parent or guardian. A third infraction will result in the cell phone no longer being allowed on campus. Students are to only use a land line during school hours and may come into the office if they need to make a phone call.

Parents can be helpful by not texting or calling their child during school hours, as well as having a discussion with their child(ren) around proper cell phone use during school hours. A cell phone can do much more than simply make a phone call and therefore requires all students to adhere to these rules in order to ensure a safe campus environment for all. Students who have demonstrated cell phone misconduct will be disciplined.  

Welcome to Parents of Menlo Atherton High School - Class of 2017!
Parents of current 8th graders are invited to join principal Matthew Zito and board members of M-A Foundation For the Future for beverages and appetizers at the home of Kathleen and Alex Liston on Thursday, April 11th.  Please come and meet other parents, learn about the many opportunities for your student, and how to be ready for the transition to high school at Menlo-Atherton. The event will start at 6:30pm and Principal Zito will deliver his remarks at 7:00pm.  
Look in your inbox for the evite invitation.
Hope to see you there! Any question, contact Terri Muschott at terrik@muschott.com or 650-234-9999.   

M-A's Foundation for the Future presents ... Bid4Kids!

First Time Ever!  The Foundation for the Future invites you to our auction

Kick-off Kegger party:

Saturday, April 6 at 7 pm at the Arrillaga Community Center in Burgess Park

Featuring live music by M-A mom, Laurie Knox's band, Loose Gravel

Exciting items will be auctioned at the party, like a Disneyland get-away!

Tickets can be purchased at www.maauction.org for $50.

Don't miss your chance to bid. All proceeds benefit M-A students!

M-A PARENT EDUCATION SERIES

"The Culture of Perfectionism"

Ana Homayoun, author of The Myth of the Perfect Girl

Thursday, May 2, 2013, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

M-A Center for the Performing Arts (PAC)

Join us on May 2 for a special presentation by Ana Homayoun, M.A., on "The Culture of Perfectionism." Ms. Homayoun is the founder of Green Ivy Educational Consulting and author of That Crumpled Paper was Due Last Week and the newly-released book, The Myth of the Perfect Girl: Helping our Daughters Find Authentic Success and Happiness in School and Life.

In her important new book, Ana Homayoun sheds light on the challenges facing our teens today in light of today's ever-increasing mix of technology, socialization, and learning. In our achievement-based culture, many of our teens are doing remarkably well, excelling in honors classes and sports and attending top colleges in ever greater numbers-but beneath the surface, many are stressed-out, overwhelmed, and burnt-out as they strive to achieve an unobtainable sense of "perfection."

Kepler's Books, a Community Partner of the M-A Parent Education Series, will offer copies of "The Myth of the Perfect Girl" at the event. Sign up now - tickets will go quickly!

REGISTER AT: http://menloathertonanahomayoun.eventbrite.com/

This event is free and sponsored by the Menlo-Atherton PTA and the Sequoia Healthcare District. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be offered.

For more information, please contact Charlene Margot, M-A Parent Education Series Program Director, at cmargot@csmconsulting.net or 650.868.0590.

Learn about another culture right in your home...Host an AFS exchange student!

Hosting an exchange student is a great way to learn about another country and culture right in your own home. The experience is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure both for the exchange student and the host family. As one family wrote:  "We heard others mention that having children changes your life. While we do not have children of our own, we find it amazing how much we have changed by hosting five foreign exchange students. Being exposed to other cultures, personalities, and habits changed our thinking and perspective on life." http://www.afsusa.org/host-family/stories/featured-family/gambill/

For more information or to register your interest in hosting please visit http://www.afsusa.org/host-family/ . A local volunteer can contact you right away.

Take a look at your world by leaving it...Study abroad with AFS!

Have you ever wanted to get immersed in a new culture and experience living abroad? Every year American students participate in AFS overseas programs in over 40 countries in yearlong, semester, summer or gap year programs. Byliving with a host family, attending a local school and becoming a member of the local community, most students become fluent in the host country's language by the end of the program.

AFS can answer your questions during free weekly online information sessions at http://www.afsusa.org/study-abroad/resources/online-info-sessions/.

For more information or to submit a preliminary application please visit http://www.afsusa.org/study-abroad/.

Legends Summer Baseball Camp 

Legends Summer Baseball Camp is a unique summer experience where your child will be immersed within an intimate, enthusiastic and exciting baseball environment! Now in our fifth year, this summer's camp will take place at Nealon Park in Menlo Park and will be offered to children of ALL experience levels aged 6-12. For more information email David at david@menloparklegends.com or call 650-387-4427 or go to http://www.menloparklegends.com/baseball-camp/. 

Free Lacrosse Clinic by Atherton Lacrosse

Atherton Lacrosse is hosting a free lacrosse clinic to help introduce new players and their families to lacrosse on  April 14th & June 2nd, from 3:30 to 4:40 pm at  Holbrook Palmer Park in Atherton. All equipment - including sticks - is provided.  These clinics are a great opportunity and have already served as an avenue to getting many Bay Area players started in the sport!  To register and for more information, visit www.AthertonLacrosse.com or contact us at Email@AthertonLacrosse.com.

Summer Camps at Studio Rincon

Dance Camps are scheduled and ready for online sign ups for ages 3 - Teen. We have seven different camps to choose from with amazingly talented and fun instructors. All Camps are offered in the afternoon, providing a healthy snack and a lot of fun. Online sign ups are now open at www.studiorincon.com, youth summer camp button. 

Kepler's Youth Event

Katherine Applegate, The One and Only Ivan

Thursday April 18th, 7.00 pm

Come and celebrate Katherine Applegate's much deserved Newbery Award win for her wonderful book,The One and Only Ivan.  Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses or even thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, he thinks about TV shows and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home - and his own art - through new eyes. Change comes with Ruby, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better. Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy in a story of friendship, art, and hope.