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Las Lomitas Education Foundation
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Don't miss out on the best party of the year on May 10th at the
Cabana Hotel Crowne Plaza in Palo Alto.
Our Online Auction closes this Wednesday, May 7
- New this year - Menlo Park Mayor for a day, see public works, traffic, planning and police department in action!!!
- Special Memories - Your kids teachers are the best, check out this years Teacher Treasures!!!
- Summer is only 7 weeks away - Don't miss out on this years summer camp offerings!!!
ATTENTION 8TH GRADE PARENTS:
A VIP package of 8 Graduation tickets including 2 reserved parking spots
will be auctioned off to the highest bidder at the LIVE Auction!
Don't miss this opportunity to include your family and friends on this very special day
and buy your Auction tickets now!
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LAS LOMITAS/LA ENTRADA FUN RUN 2014 - SATURDAY, MAY 17th
Bring your entire family and join the Foundation's 3rd annual Las Lomitas Fun Run starting at
8:30 a.m. from the Las Lomitas Kindergarten playground. Three separate run/walk events will be held:
- A short course on the Las Lomitas playground for the youngest participants
- A medium-distance road course (1 mile) on the beautiful streets of Atherton
- A 5K run/walk: a flat and fast road course through the beautiful backstreets of Atherton
The events aren't just for runners: walkers and those pushing strollers are welcome too. Pre- register online at www.llef.org until May 15th. Want to help with this FUN event? We are in need of volunteers to help on race day (time keepers, food/drink tables, traffic/course monitors, etc.). If you are interested, please contact Josie Tang (jatangmd@yahoo.com).
Please Support Our Schools
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School News
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A Message from Sonya Dineen
Bus News - Please Read:
La Entrada will be on a three bus schedule all week, except for Wednesdays, until further notice. This special bus schedule means that students who regularly ride with Fernando on Bus 2 will be picked up and delivered home by Jose on Bus 3. The bus stops have not changed and the timing for the route is very similar except for the final several stops which will run 8-10 minutes behind schedule.
Last Dance:
Friday, May 9, 2014, will be our final Middle School Dance. Dance permission Slips will be sent home with students at the beginning of the week with ticket sales beginning on Wednesday. No tickets will be sold at the door. Parents can locate the Dance Permission Slip Forms on the website under "Student Life". School Dress Code must be followed when attending a school dance. Students dressed inappropriately will be asked to call home for either a ride home or an appropriate outfit.
Additional Math Placement Information Night:
If there are new parents who are unclear about the math placement for incoming 4th and 5th graders you are welcome to join the campus tour on May 15th at 10:00am for further clarification.
Parent Education Opportunity:
On May 6th at 6:30 pm in the MUR, we will hold a parent education session for incoming 6th grade parents entitled "What to Expect as Parents Enter the Middle School Years" by Dr. Surina Basho, Ph.D., Educational Therapist and Cognitive Neuroscientist and contributing author to, "Promoting Executive Function in the Classroom." She will focus on how changes in grade school and middle school relate to Executive Function, our understanding of Executive Function and how we foster it in our children. I look forward to seeing you there.
Please RSVP for the events by calling the office at 854-3962 or by emailing Marja Rudge, mrudge@llesd.org.
Smarter Balanced Testing:
As reported earlier, this year California public schools will be pilot testing the Common Core State Standards-aligned Smarter Balanced assessments in English and Math. The majority of our students will no longer be taking the complete set of CSTs, commonly known as "STAR" tests, and as a result, API scores for California schools will also be suspended. Only 5th and 8th graders will be taking the STAR test in Science this May 15th and 16th.
Our District's testing window is from April 7 - May 15, but rest assured, children will not spend five weeks in testing. La Entrada will be testing the 4th and 5th graders in our computer labs, beginning April 22 through April 30, 2014. 6th - 8th graders will be testing in their Core class groups/8th grade English classes April 29th - May 2, 2014. The purpose of this test is neither to evaluate students (we will receive no scores) nor teachers, but to "test the test". We will be ensuring that our IT infrastructure can accommodate the testing regimen, and the Smarter Balanced consortium will of course run its own internal tests. No feedback will be sent to participating schools, but if you want to check out the assessment for yourself, you can see samples and even take a practice test by visiting the Smarter Balanced Portal: https://sbacpt.tds.airast.org/student/. Simply log on as "Guest" and experience samples of the Smarter Balanced Tests, aka SBAC Tests. If you would like even more information about these new assessments, please visit their portal at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test/.
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'14-'15 ASB Elections
Students of all talents and backgrounds are encouraged to run for next year's La Entrada's ASB (Association of Student Body). There will be an informational meeting at the beginning of lunch on Monday, May 5th in Mrs. Rianda's room 20 to hear more about the ASB position/s and students will be able to pick up a candidate's packet. Hope to you see your student there!
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Rianda at trianda@llesd.org.
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Last Call for Yearbooks!
There are still yearbooks available for purchase. Cost is $38.00 and forms are located in the office.
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| PTA News |
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week is Here!!!
The PTA is always grateful for our amazing teachers and staff here at La Entrada. We're especially looking forward to Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week, when we can recognize them for all of their hard work and dedication. We have a week of fun and treats planned in their honor, and would love if you and your child would like to be involved. Please help us appreciate our Teachers and staff by encouraging your child to drop thank you notes or letters into the giant green EXPRESS Your Appreciation mailbox by the main office. The teachers, administration, staff (maintenance, bus drivers, etc.) deserve our appreciation!!!
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Celebrate Kindness Week...May 12-15
Get ready to celebrate the little things that make a BIG difference! From enjoying special treats to random acts of kindness, our entire community will participate in our first ever Kindness Week! Be sure to see the flyer that just came home for more details.
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The 2014-2015 Board Has Been Elected...We Still Need You!!!
At the general meeting on April 23, next year's PTA Board was elected. They take office June 1. There are still a few critical board positions open. Please consider joining the board! Contact Sandie Timm and/or Ashley Banks at vp@laentradapta.org if you are interested, or if you would like to recommend your best friend!
- Co-Presidents - Ashley Banks and Sandie Timm
- Co-Vice Presidents - MJ Crousore and Molly Drewes
- VP Membership - open
- VP Volunteer Coordination - Julie Herlihy
- Treasurer - open
- Financial Secretary - open
- Recording Secretary - Pam Wright
- Corresponding Secretary - Laura Glader
- Parliamentarians - Laurel O'Neill and Lisa Reid
The following Committee Chair positions are also open, and we would love your talents and help! Email Sandie or Ashley at vp@laentrada.org if you are interested in hearing more!
- Career Day - a spring event
- Grade Level Gatherings - current work - recruiting one house per grade to host in fall
- Lunchtime Enrichment - year round - coordinating lunch clubs
- Reflections - a prestigious fall arts event
- 4th/5th Room Parents Coordinator - ensuring all classes have room parents during back to school time - email forwards/communication year round
It takes many parent volunteers to provide the wide range of excellent programs the PTA offers. Our students and staff need and appreciate your time and energy! We are such a fun group...join us now!
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Congratulations Luke and Patrick!!!
Luke V., 6th grade, was invited to participate in the California State Fair this year after his La Entrada Science Project, "Does Age Affect the Ability to Taste?", won 1st place at the San Mateo County Fair in the 6th grade Behavioral Science category . The State Fair was held in the California Science Center in Los Angeles this past weekend. Luke received an Honorable Mention Award in his Mammalian Biology category. Luke is in this short YouTube Video published by the fair - check it out! http://youtu.be/sEcF0pcvkqM
After a 3rd place win at the SF Bay Area Science Fair and a 2nd place special ACM win, Patrick K., 8th grade, won 3rd place at the State Fair in the Junior (6th-8th grade) Math and Computer Science category. He also won the Raytheon special award for Math and Computer Science at the State Fair.
We are so proud of Patrick and Luke and their excellent representation of La Entrada! Way to go guys!!!
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Las Lomitas League
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Talk about Plant Based Diet and Health - Cano Hall - May 15th - 7 PM
Wondering What is Actually a Healthy Diet? Wondering what all the fuss is about Plant Based Diets? There is a lot of misleading and conflicting information about what is a healthy diet. Come join us in discussion with John Tanner Ph.D. who suffered near-fatal cardiac arrest four years ago. After a couple weeks of recuperation and some further tests, his cardiologist said he could go back to his life the way it was. But John started doing research - and found nutrition could save him from further heart disease. He looked at resources like http://www.forksoverknives.com/ and adopted a plant based diet. He will share how this leading killer, heart disease, can be completely avoided through a proper diet, and that cancer, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and about 30 other diseases can be reduced, avoided, or reversed by this same diet. About ¾ of us will die needlessly, many mistakenly believing we are eating healthy. John will relay to you the scientific information you need to avoid heart disease and other leading killers. Come hear how John reversed his heart disease - and his employees' by hiring a professional chef for his personal company. For more information please see http://www.nusci.org/. Please rsvp to Laurie Sobel at sobellaurie@gmail.com.
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Sequoia Union High School District News
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8th Graders Headed to M-A
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Your PTA Endorses Measure A...and Asks You to Vote "Yes"!!!
The Sequoia Union High School District has a bond up for vote on the Tuesday, June 3 election. The district's great high schools have drawn families to its communities, causing a surge in student enrollment. Enrollment has increased by 20% over the last 12 years and is expected to grow another 20% in the next 7 years. Measure A will provide additional classrooms and labs, as well as updated technology to help the district continue its excellent academic programs as student enrollment grows.
Please visit the Yes on A website at www.greatsequoiahighschools.org to learn about Measure A and how you can help. If you have additional questions about Yes on A, please email Jennifer Le at jenfle@gmail.com.
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Community News
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Library Volunteers Needed in East Palo Alto and Eastern Menlo Park
Students in the Ravenswood School District are working hard to learn to read in spite of many challenges, and your support can make all the difference. We're looking for volunteers to work with students when classes visit their school libraries - reading with children, helping them find books they love, checking-out books, and providing much-needed encouragement. Want to learn more? Please join us for an informational coffee on Thursday, May 15th at 9 am in Menlo Park. If you have questions, or to RSVP, please email helen.plewman@sbcglobal.net You can find more information about our programs by visiting http://readerstakeflight.org.
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Portola Valley Flight Night
Come see a spectacular demo of model aviation! Watch expert pilots fly radio controlled airplanes, sailplanes, and helicopters! Get a birds-eye view from in-flight TV cameras! Watch illuminated model aircraft perform aerobatics at night.
Get a taste of flying using an R/C simulator. Let an instructor teach you to fly an R/C airplane using a "dual control" system. Build and take home your own "pie-plate" glider.
Free and open to the public!
May 16, 2013, 6pm - 9:30pm
Portola Valley Town Center
765 Portola Rd, Portola Valley, CA
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Fall Sports
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Please enjoy this information on fall sports. These announcements are not endorsements from the La Entrada PTA.
AYSO Region 109 Menlo Park - Atherton Soccer
Registration for fall soccer began at midnight on May 1 at www.mpsoccer.org. All children born between August 1, 1995 and January 31, 2010 are eligible for our recreational league. Returning players can complete registration online; new players must come to walk-in registration on Saturday, May 10 or May 17 from 10:00am to 1:00pm at Hillview Middle School. For more information, see http://www.mpsoccer.org/parents/faq or email registrar@mpsoccer.org.
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Alpine Strikers FC Tryouts for Fall 2014
Want fun competitive soccer for the fall? Join the Alpine Strikers FC !!! High quality professional coaching and fun play in local league games. Tryouts for all age groups, 6 years old and up, will be starting the week of May 13th. Please go to www.alpinestrikers.org for more information and registration.
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Summer Camps
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Please enjoy this information on summer camps. These announcements are not endorsements from the La Entrada PTA.
Jeff Arons' Tennis Camp at Sacred Heart Schools
Jeff Arons is the director of tennis for Sacred Heart Schools. His coaching experiences include founding/directing the East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring Program and coaching a Wimbledon doubles champion. His morning camps offer the beginning/intermediate level player the opportunity to develop their skills in a child friendly and fun environment. His afternoon camps are geared towards improving the match play performance of intermediate and advanced players.
Grades: 1st through 12th
Location: Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton
Days: Monday through Friday
Times: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sessions: Ten one week sessions beginning June 9 and ending August 15
Note: We offer a 10% discount to all campers who attend multiple sessions
Camp Menlo Summer Camp registration is now open for camps starting June 2, including our award-winning Camp Menlo Aquatics camp for kids age 4.5-9, Jr Lifeguard for age 9-14, Tennis and Swim for age 7-14, Performance Swim for age 9-18, and two Water Polo camps for beginners and more experienced players. www.campmenlo.com
Summer Writing Camps
Weekly sessions start June 16th - Aug. 25th. Camps run AM 9:30-12 or PM 2-4:30, M-F. $275 per week. Held at Omega's writing studio, downtown Menlo Park, across from Trader Joe's. Entering grades 5th-12th. Small class size divided by grades and themes including "Going to the Dogs" ,"Myths and Monsters" (for incoming 5-8) and other courses including "Intro to Literature" for grades 9-12. Discounts for multiple courses, early enrollment byMarch 31st. For all courses, please contact and register directly with instructor Jennifer Tsay, Stanford BA English, Harvard JD at tsay_jennifer@yahoo.com or 650.324.1662. www.omegateaching.com
Summer Math Camp
Mathitude presents a Fun & Exciting MATH game experience that will change the way your children will think about Math! This camp is not a 'pencil and paper' camp. Instead, it's a massive game the children play all week. Children will rotate between stations, guided by trained counselors. Stations include the Design Center, Math Arcade, Treasure Hunting and 007 Secret Agent. The children roll the dice, or draw a card, to determine their math task (based on interest and level). Each task attempted and/or solved will earn tokens the children redeem for prizes at our Gift Shop. For entering grades 2 - 8 (all levels welcome). Go to www.Mathitude.com to learn more and register!
i2Camp
This summer camp at Castilleja School, has been developed with the goal of engaging middle school girls in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM.) The Jr Camp is open to entering 5th-6th graders, and Sr Camp is open to entering 7th-8th graders. Tuition is $750 per week which includes all materials, supplies, field trips, snacks and lunch each day. The dates of operation are:
July 7-July 11, 2014
July 14-July 18, 2014
July 21-July 25, 2014
July 28-August 1, 2014
For more info, email i2camp@castilleja.org or go to: www.castilleja.org/i2camp.
La Entrada Coding and 3D Printing Camp
Are you going to be a 4th , 5th , or 6th grader next year? Do you want to learn what it takes to computer program in a fun and supportive way? Then look no further and join La Entrada's Coding Camp, hosted by Mr. Parker Kelly, La Entrada's technology teacher. With over 20 years of teaching experience, 14 as the technology teacher at La Entrada, he will guide you, over a two week period, as we explore a variety of different programming languages and resources as well as some fun multimedia projects. First off, participants will receive hands-on practice using a variety of addicting, age appropriate, tools and online resources to learn about coding. In addition, students will get a chance to explore powerful media manipulation tools such as Photoshop CS6, a broadcasting studio, Garageband, iMovie, Autodesk 3D software and our newly purchased Makerbot 3D printer in our brand new iMac lab. Enrollment is limited to the first 16 students per 2 week session so do not delay in registering. Here are the specifics: Where: La Entrada Middle School, iMac lab, 2200 Sharon Rd., Menlo Park CA Who: Students entering 4th, 5th, or 6th grade in the fall of 2014 When: Choose between two 2-week sessions OR take both! · Session 1: June 16-27, 2014, 8:30-12 · Session 2: July 7-18, 2014, 8:30-12 Cost: $600 per 2 week session, $1100 for both sessions For additional information, here is a link to the flyer http://tinyurl.com/leccflyer and here is the link to registration http://tinyurl.com/mrf6oeg. There are still plenty of spots available. Don't delay, signup today! It is not too soon to register for any Alpine Strikers summer camp sessions. The camp is for 6 to 10 year old kids excited about soccer. All are welcome. Our professional coaching staff group the kids according to individual skill levels and ages to guaranteed a positive, child focused and high energy experience. Registration is now open at www.alpinestrikers.org.
The Legends Baseball Camp Experience
Ages 6-12, all levels, with the Menlo Park Legends collegiate/semi-pro baseball team!
The Legends Baseball Experience is a one of a kind summer program, which connects campers, with semi-professional baseball players from across the country who play on the Menlo Park Legends summer team. Our infamous 5:1 camper to coach ratio promotes the most intimate learning environment possible and enables campers to develop meaningful relationships with their baseball heroes. Our innovative and proven coaching methods integrate small group instruction with drills, games and exciting competitions to ensure your child is building confidence while simultaneously developing new baseball skills. It's more than a camp - It's an EXPERIENCE!
SixFifty Lacrosse
SixFifty Lacrosse is thrilled to announce the addition of 3 summer camp weeks in Menlo Park - July 21-24, August 4-7, andAugust 11-14, 2014. These camp experiences are fun, high-energy teaching environments designed for:
- Novice or beginner players learning the basics of the game,
- Experienced players with a desire to take their next steps in the development of their game.
- Boys & Girls from incoming 3rd graders to outgoing 8th graders.
Captivating Dance by Nona Summer Dance Camp Learn/improve dance techniques for Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical/Contemporary, Tap, Ballet, and more! Additional fun activities included throughout the week. Great opportunity to learn from Nona Ybarra, multi-award winning choreographer/instructor, CDBN competition dance instructors, as well as some of Nona's Elite winning CDBN dance team members. For advanced campers only - a different special guest choreographer will teach a master class during one day of each weeklong session! Ages: boys and girls 4-17 Location: 1923 Menalto Dance Studio (Beginning/Intermediate) or 1919 Menalto Dance Studio (Advanced) Times: Monday-Friday: 9-4 (Beginning/Intermediate); 10-2:30(Advanced) Sessions: June 16-July 28; three to four weeklong sessions, depending on level Fees: $385/week (family and multi-week enrollment discounts available) Contact: admin@captivatingdancebynona.com for registration forms or visit our website: www.captivatingdancebynona.com Encore Lacrosse Camp Encore Lacrosse is excited to host the most FUNdamental lacrosse camp for introductory and intermediate players! Sign up to play the "fastest sport on two feet!" No previous experience is needed for beginners as safe soft balls are used, and lacrosse sticks can be purchased ($30) and delivered at camp. Equipment rentals are available for the intermediate division. For more information visit the intro/intermediate tab of the lacrosse section at www.EncoreLacrosse.com or e-mail at info@EncoreLacrosse.com. Yosemite Sierra Summer Camp Founded in 1973, YSSC offers two-week summer camp experiences for children 8 to 16 years old. A faith-based, adventure program with outstanding staff, YSSC provides a fun and nurturing environment through which campers grow in character, skills, relationships, and faith. Activities include water skiing, hiking, ropes course, volleyball, archery, crafts, marksmanship, team games, campfires, skits, and so much more. Through these activities and a community of caring role models, campers come away from YSSC with increased confidence, independence, friendship and problem solving skills. Check out www.yssc.com. Young Outliers
At Young Outliers, we inspire the next generation of creative thinkers and innovators
... cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change.
Each camp involves three components: topics, design, and business Students explore ideas, build a team, design & build a product, upload to the marketplace, and then get a real check in the mail! We have 4 camps: DESIGN SCIENCE, DESIGN WORLD, DESIGN SCI-FI, and DESIGN SONG.
Sign up for 4 camps this summer, give your child the gift to discover their passions and explore the word of design entrepreneurs. Read more and sign up at www.youngoutliers.com. Summer Camp in PV: Programming Java with Minecraft
This is a great way for kids (grades 5-8) who love games to learn programming and build their own Minecraft mods. We use a real programming language - Java - on a real world server that your child will setup and configure. In its second season, the camp is run by local CMS graduate and current Priory student, Jack Youstra, with assistants (and adult oversight) for a 3:1 student:teacher ratio. There are two week-long sessions available: 7/6 and 7/13. Camp days are 9AM-3PM with an optional extended day plan that covers 3-5PM. To learn more about the camp, email Jack Youstra at jack@youstra.com or call 644-7519.
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From the Editor
| 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. (Newsletter policies are under review by the PTA for the 2013-2014 school year.)
To submit an item, email it to the editor at leopardsspot@llesd.org by 12:00 noon on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication date.
Submission Requirements:
Thank you for adhering to our submission requirements so we can get the breaking news out to everyone in a timely manner!
MJ Crousore
Leopard's Spot Editor
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