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From the Principal's Office
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Dear La Entrada Community,
Please Make Note of the Following Up and Coming Events:
M-A 8th Grade Information Night at M-A:
Parents and students should attend together this Wednesday, October 22nd beginning at 6:00pm in the M-A Ayers Gym.
M-A 8th Grade Information Night at LE: Matt Zito (MA's Principal) and guests will meet in the MUR on Thursday, November 6th at 6:30pm for an informational gathering about Menlo Atherton High School.
Quarters/Trimesters/and Conferences: Our fourth and fifth graders' school year is divided into three, 12-week trimesters. Our sixth through eighth graders' school year is divided into four, 9-week quarters. Because both the first quarter and first trimester are getting close to ending, it is time to start thinking about teacher/parent conferences. Conferences are during the week of November 10-14. The teachers are excited and looking forward to spending time with you discussing your child's progress in class. Students will be released from school at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of that week. Tuesday, November 11, is a holiday. 4th and 5th Grade Conferences: These conferences are scheduled through the individual teacher. If you have not already had communication regarding conferences; it will be coming out shortly. 6th - 8th Grade Conferences are scheduled Online! Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on November 10,12, 13, and 14. As you can imagine, with each student having up to 8 different teachers, and the teachers only having four half days for conferencing, it would be impossible to have enough time slots for every teacher to meet with every parent of the students s/he teaches. Please keep this in mind as you are scheduling your conferences. Formal grades will be mailed by October 31st. Your student's grades may help you decide if you need to schedule with a particular teacher or not. Please know that all of our teachers will make sure to meet with any parent who would like to schedule a meeting at any point during the school year. All you need to do is email or call and set up a time. PTC Wizard is a web based parent/teacher conference scheduling system. Parents can create and manage their conference schedules in an easy and time-efficient manner. Here is what you need to do to schedule a parent/teacher conference: - Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 28.
- Login to https://llesdms.ptcwizard.com.
- You will first need to register and enter the names of your 6th-8th grade children.
- Follow the steps and the program will instruct you on how to choose a child, choose a teacher and set a time for the conference.
- When you have finished scheduling, a confirmation email will be sent to you.
- Conference availability closes at 2:00pm on the school day prior to the conference. For example, registration for conferences on Monday, November 10 closes at 2:00pm on Friday, November 7. Registration for conferences on Wednesday, November 12 closes at 2:00pm on Monday, November 10.
- If a teacher's time slots are full, please call the office. We will keep a wait list.
- If the online system, for any reason, does not seem to be working for you, please call the office, and Mrs. Rudge or Mrs. Stosz will assist you.
- Because space is limited, please login and cancel any conference that you will not be able to attend.If you need to cancel after registration has closed for that day, you will need to call the school office. The school office number is 650-854-3962.
Used Book Sale: Also coming up quickly is the Used Book Fair. A huge thank you to the community for the donations and to the volunteers that have worked at organizing and pricing the books. I look forward to seeing the fair setup with the 5,000+ books Nov 10-14. Private School Recommendations: The season of private school applications is upon us. If your child will be applying to a private school for next year, please make sure that we have any recommendation forms (that need to be filled out by a teacher or administrator) by Wednesday, December 3. Most forms this year are coming to us electronically. We are keeping a master copy of the recommendations requested and will be keeping track of the letters as they are processed. If for some reason you are applying to a school that does not use the electronic system, all forms and stamped envelopes must be given to Marja Rudge (in the main office) and she will make sure they get to the correct people. In addition to the requests for electronic letters of recommendation, each parent will have to provide the school with a transcript release request. If the school to which you are applying does not accept electronic transcripts, please provide the office with a stamped envelope that can be mailed to the school or to the company processing the school's applications. For questions or clarification, please contact Kim Witthaus, 8th grade counselor, or Marja Rudge in the front office.
- Any requests for recommendations received by Marja Rudge after December 3, 2014 are not guaranteed to be completed by the private school's published deadline.
- All Private School Recommendations are confidential and completed on a voluntary basis.
- Parents are to refrain from discussing the recommendations with the La Entrada staff.
- The Las Lomitas School District is supportive of the process by providing time for staff to complete Private School Recommendation forms submitted by the due date of December 3, 2014.
- Marja Rudge will inform parents when the Private School Recommendation forms have been processed.
Halloween: Halloween falls on a Friday this year, and many students are excited about the prospect of dressing up in their costume while at school. Below are our school's costume rules, as well as descriptions of our Halloween Holiday Traditions here at La Entrada.
- Halloween Costumes: Students may come dressed in their costumes to school for the day. Rules for costumes include: No masks allowed, no gory and bloody costumes (our older students need to remember that we have 9 year olds on campus), no fake weapons and costumes must follow our dress code (no mini-skirts/spaghetti straps and/or low cut tops).
- 5th Grade Halloween Parade: Our 5th graders will be modeling their homemade costumes that they have been designing in this project-based math lesson. The students are challenged to design and create a costume that costs them no more than $10.00. Parents, as well as other classes on campus, come out to our blacktop to view the parade. The 5th grade parade will begin at 8:30am. Again, only 5th graders march in the parade. We do not have a school wide Halloween Parade where all grades participate.
- PTA Halloween Carnival: Every year PTA volunteers work to create a fun lunch recess carnival on our blacktop and field. Please contact Maureen Goode if you would like to lend a hand. A photo booth, hula hoops games, pumpkin seed relays and more are planned for this year's carnival.
- Classroom Halloween Celebrations: Some classrooms will coordinate with parents to plan classroom celebrations, usually involving thematic treats. We continue to request that parents keep healthy snacks in mind when creating those "ghostly nibbles" or "spidery snacks". Kids are sure to collect sufficient candy treats while trick-or-treating and we'd prefer that classroom celebrations not provide sugary drinks or snacks. All the staff thank you, in advance, for this!
I wish all students a safe and happy Halloween and once again would like to remind students to only trick-or-treat with family or friends, please don't venture door to door alone. Please bring flashlights with you when walking around your neighborhoods and always look over any candy and goodies when you get home for opened or torn bags. Students are not allowed to bring candy caches to school following Halloween, so please talk with your child about how best to ration their lunch treats following this sugar-laden holiday! Warm regards, Shannon
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PTA News
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Announcing the La Entrada Spelling Bee
The La Entrada Spelling Bee will take place on January 8, 2015. Here's how it works: All students are given a 20-word spelling test in class sometime between October 13-24. (In the event of absence, make-up testing should be coordinated directly with the student's teacher.) Qualifying students are identified based on the test scores, invited to the Bee, and provided a study packet. The Bee champion advances to the KPIX-TV & KCBS Radio AM & FM Spelling Bee. The Bee follows the rules of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Ways to prepare:
1. Watch the movies Akeelah and the Bee and Spellbound to get inspired.
2. Check out the spelling words at http://myspellit.com/.
3. Read, read, read!
NOTE: There is still space available at the Spelling Test Grading Party on Tuesday, November 4, from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Snacks! Camaraderie! Laughs galore! Absolutely free! To sign up, contact Jon Venverloh (Venverloh@gmail.com) or Janelle London (jlondon@stanfordalumni.org).
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Last Week to Order Art Notecards!
Each year Las Lomitas and La Entrada participate in a PTA Fundraiser for the Arts in our schools. Notecards are made from your children's drawings which were completed during the month of September. Funds from the sale of these notecards are used by classrooms for field trips, visiting artists, musicians, speakers, art supplies and literature about the arts. The notecards make terrific gifts for friends and families, thank you notes, and enclosure cards for birthdays. The printed notecards (with matching envelopes) will be delivered to the classrooms Friday, November 21.
This year we will also be incorporating a Community Service Letter Writing Project benefiting the Ronald McDonald House. Children will be asked to donate one of their notecards to write a message to incoming families seeking treatment for their terminally ill children. Teachers will facilitate this activity and the notes delivered to the Ronald McDonald House during the holidays. Generic notecards will also be provided if not purchased, so that all children who wish to participate may do so.
Order forms have been distributed and must be returned to the box in the school office no later than the end of the day on Friday, October 24th.
PayPal ( http://www.laentradapta.org/_programs/artnotecards_order.html) & Checks will be accepted for purchases and the order form MUST BE SUBMITTED with each order. Unfortunately, late orders cannot be accepted due to the early release for Thanksgiving.
Questions or to obtain an order form? Please contact Molly Drewes ( molly@drewes.net) or Laurel O'Neill (ltimpson2008@gmail.com).
Thank you to all the volunteers who help make this possible, to the generous parents for supporting the creative arts in our schools and to the kids for reaching out into their community!!
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Join us for the La Entrada Geo Bee!
All La Entrada students, grades 4 - 8, are invited to participate in the La Entrada Geo Bee. Our top 10 finalists will receive a cool water bottle, the top two finalists will receive t-shirts, and the winner will take a qualifying test for a chance to compete at the National level! Join us for some fun and share your passion and knowledge of geography! Important dates and resources:
Geo Bee Contest Date and Time:
Tuesday, January 27th, 3:00 - 5:00pm
Lunchtime Practice Sessions (for both lunches):
Wed., Nov. 19th in the Library
Wed., Dec. 17th in Room 5
Wed., Jan. 7th in Room 5
Resources:
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Now collecting books for the La Entrada Used Book Fair!
Please donate your unwanted books (children's and adult) to this fantastic event -- 100% of the proceeds go directly to La Entrada School and PTA funded programs. Books will be collected from October 13 through Nov 1 at both Las Lomitas and La Entrada. And don't forget to mark your calendars for the La Entrada Used Book Fair (Nov 10th -14th) -- it's a great place to shop for new and like-new books for the whole family! Please, no technical or textbooks.
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School News
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Dear Parents,
Flu season will be starting soon. We will be taking steps to reduce the spread of flu at La Entrada by promoting good hygiene and alerting you if your children are sick at school. We need your help to do this, below are some tips:
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children over the age of 6 months get the flu vaccine. This is the single best way to protect against the flu!
- Teach your children to wash their hands often. Washing with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds is ideal (that's about as long as it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice.)
- Teach your children the proper use of hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.Place about a quarter size blob of gel on the palm of the hand, rub the sanitizer over the whole hand and continue to rub until the hand sanitizer is dry. This should take about 20 seconds-"Happy Birthday" sung twice.
- Teach your children to keep their hands away from their face and avoid touching their mouth, nose or eyes.
- Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of their elbow. Cough or sneeze into your sleeve-not your hands!
- Keep your child home if he/she is sick. They should stay home until their temperature is normal for 24 hours (below 100 degrees) without the use of fever reducing medication. Please also refer to these guidelines for when to keep sick children home: http://www.prentice.k12.wi.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sickchildren.pdf.
- Help your children to learn these healthy habits by setting a good example and always doing them yourself.
Thank you and if you have any questions or concerns, contact your doctor or the school office. The web site: www.flu.gov also has up-to-date information about the flu. Together we can help keep your child healthy for learning.
Kelly Meunzen
School Nurse
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How to OPT-IN to begin receiving important LLESD information
as text messages to your cell phone:
We are adding a text messaging capability to SchoolMessenger, the system we now use for broadcast phone calls and emails. This will enable us to send out important information, relay bus issues, send alerts, provide schedule updates, and most importantly to send emergency broadcasts.
The system will be configured to send text messages to the cell phone numbers that you submitted into InfoSnap, but only to the recipients who have agreed to receive them.
On Tuesday, October 21st, all parents and contacts per student record, will receive a text asking you to "opt-in" to this service. We highly recommend at least one parent per home responds "yes" so you can be informed of important information via the text message option. Recipients easily opt-in by simply sending the word "Yes" or "Y', in response to the text message, to the number 68453.
The exact message you'll receive Tuesday afternoon, which your wireless carriers will be seeking response to is: "<<Customer Name inserted here>> text messages. Reply Y for aprx 3 msgs/mo. Txt HELP 4info. Msg&data rates may apply. See schoolmessenger.com/tm"
If you have any questions, please email Suzanne Mitchell, smitchell@llesd.org. Thank you!
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Art to Remember Fundraiser
The Visual and Performing Arts Department is happy to announce that the Art to Remember fundraiser is underway! For this project, kids created an original, colorful drawing or painting. Families will be able to order products with their child's art printed on them. Products include iPhone cases, coasters, notecards, and many other items. The funds raised go directly to VPA classes for art materials, costumes and even musical instruments. Sixth through Eighth Grade Art, Music and Drama students will be bringing home their order forms October 20 and 21, and need to be returned to Mrs. Stoz in the office by October 28. Products will arrive back to school around December 10th. Questions? Email Mrs. Ostrom at hostrom@llesd.org.
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Las Lomitas Education Foundation
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Mother Son Bowling
There's not a moment to SPARE!
Join us for our 5th annual Mother Son Bowling party at BelMateo Bowl - a fun, old-fashioned bowling alley in San Mateo. Whether you bowl strikes or gutter balls, you'll look stylish in those cute bowling shoes! We'll provide pizza, cookies, and drinks. Let the pins fall where they may!
Saturday, November 8th from 6:00-8:00 pm. Buy Tickets HERE.
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Las Lomitas League
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Basketball Season and Registration
Last Call for Basketball! Register soon before registration closes on Saturday, October 25 at 11:59 pm! Divisions are filling up and players are on wait lists. If we get more coaches to form another team, we will move players off the wait list. We need more coaches for the following divisions: 3rd grade girls, 4th grade boys and 6th grade boys. Please volunteer to coach! You do not need a lot of experience; we can pair you with a more experienced coach. We also provide an excellent coaching clinic. Contact Sue Bartalo if you're interested.
Please mark your calendars with the following dates:
- Wed, Oct. 29th at 6:30pm: mandatory Coaches Meeting (and fingerprinting of new coaches) in the La Entrada library. We will choose practice times and review rules, expectations, evaluations, etc. Practice times are selected based on coach availability and a lottery system.
- Nov. 1st & 2nd (Sat/Sun): Player Evaluation Days (schedule to be announced soon). Evaluations are used strictly to divide each grade/division into fair and balanced teams. Your child's grade/division will be assigned a specific day and time. The schedule will be posted here next week, and you will also be notified by your division coordinator.
Coaches announce their teams a week after player evaluations. Practices begin in mid-November, games begin Friday, Dec. 5th, and the season ends in early March. Additional information about the basketball program can be found on our website.
Join the LLL Board of Directors!
Join the team that provides enriching and fun after-school activities and sports for Las Lomitas and La Entrada students! The Las Lomitas League (LLL) is a parent-led, non-profit organization and we are expanding our board of directors. We have the following open positions:
- President-in-training - Shadow the current president and learn about the programs and responsibilities of the LLL President. Lead the board beginning in June 2015.
- Basketball Co-Director (in-training) - Work with the current director to learn about our successful recreational basketball program. Co-lead the program in 2015-2016.
- Secretary - Take minutes at board meetings. Maintain records of board policies, actions, etc. Edit LLL articles for Spot/Roar newsletters.
- Member-at-Large - Join the LLL board to learn about our programs and help in small ways. We would like an at-large member from each school.
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Community News
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Stanford Splash Fall 2014
Splash is a program that brings high school and middle school students from everywhere to Stanford's campus for a two-day learning extravaganza. Classes are taught by Stanford undergraduates, graduate students, and other community members.
Student registration will open at 9:00am on Monday, October 20, 2014! Splash itself will be on the weekend of November 8-9, 2014.
To help you through our registration process, please download and refer to this Splash student registration guide. Student registration is broken into two phases: (1) the class lottery and (2) the first-come first-serve (FCFS) class sign-ups. Please keep this in mind during the registration process.
=== PHASE 1: Class Lottery ===
The class lottery phase opens at 9:00 AM on Monday, October 20 and ends Tuesday, October 28 at 11:59 PM. After this deadline, the lottery will run, and students will be randomly placed into classes that they have selected as ones they are interested in taking. Because the lottery is random, we recommend you mark as many classes as "interested" as possible! There is no incentive to enter the lottery as soon as it opens. The preferences of all students who enter the lottery before the deadline are considered equally. In other words, you will not be at a disadvantage if you enter your lottery late, as long as you enter by October 28!
=== PHASE 2: First-come First-serve (FCFS) Class Sign-ups ===
Once the lottery is run, student registration will re-open and all students will be free to enroll in remaining open spots of classes on a first come first-serve basis. This phase will run from October 30 to November 3. After November 3, students cannot change their schedule online except to cancel their entire registration for Splash.
=== Questions? ===
If you have any questions, you can refer to our FAQ here or send us an email at stanfordesp@gmail.com.
We hope to see you at Fall Splash on November 8-9, 2014!
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Menlo Park Cub Scouts Pack 222
First Pack Meeting!
All interested families with boys in grades 1 through 4 are invited to join us at our first pack meeting, on Thursday, October 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, 950 Santa Cruz Avenue. If you have any questions, please email Robert Freeman. Visit the Pack 222 website here.
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High School News
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Sequoia Union High School District Open Enrollment Policy:
New changes to 9th Grade Open Enrollment were approved by the Board of Trustees effective for the 2015-16 school year. The open enrollment policy for the 2015-2016 can be viewed here.
Get to Know M-A High School
8th Grade Information Night:
Parents and students are invited to an evening at M-A. This is a great opportunity to meet members of the school community including students, parents, faculty and administrators. Principal Zito as well as our own college counselor, Alice Kleeman will speak about the opportunities at M-A and small groups will rotate through each department learning about the school's excellent academic programs. Wednesday, October 22nd...no sign up necessary. The program runs from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Campus Tours:
M-A leadership students will guide you around campus and answer any questions. Tours take place on the first Wednesday of the Month from October to February, some additional dates in January. See the website for sign ups and more information. Saturday October 25 is a special Saturday campus tour. No sign up necessary, meet at the library. They run regularly from 10:00 - 11:15 a.m.
Shadow Days:
Shadow dates are now available online. The programs pairs prospective 8th graders with a 9th grade host to attend classes during a typical day at M-A. Sign up to shadow here.
La Entrada Parent Information Night:
Mr. Zito, principal of Menlo Atherton High, will speak at the La Entrada M-A Parent Info Night at 6:30 pm, November 6 in the MUR.
M-A Parent Education Series
"A Conversation About College Admission," M-A Performing Arts Center (PAC)
Wednesday, November 12, 2014, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
An open-ended discussion with two college experts promises an insider's look into the college admission process. According to Director Brennan, "We in college admission work to change the world every day." Don't miss this great opportunity for juniors and seniors to learn about the college admission process! Parents, students, faculty/staff, and community members welcome. Spanish interpretation will be available. Register online here. For more information, email Charlene Margot or call (650) 868-0590.
Interested in what's going on at Menlo Atherton High School?
Sign up for M-A's BearNotes to receive the weekly newsletter here.
Get to Know Woodside High School
7th & 8th Grade Parent Information Night:
Come and meet the Woodside administration, teachers, counselors, support staff, and current students and parents. Learn about Woodside's academic and extra-curricular programs, and have all of your questions addressed by our staff. We look forward to seeing you Wednesday, November 5th at 7:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. No rsvp is necessary.
Shadow Days:
Shadowing will take place between mid-September till early February of the school year. This shadow program is designed for all students, including transfer students, who are interested in attending Woodside High School. The shadow program is run through the leadership class and the students in leadership are the shadow leaders. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people; we are sure that you will find Woodside students to be friendly, welcoming, and fun. Register here to shadow at Woodside.
The Freshman Video:
Are you wondering what it is like to attend Woodside High School? What makes Woodside High School special and different from other high schools? Well, wonder no more...go to our website and scroll to the bottom of the page.
Woodside Parent Education Series
We offer multiple parent education forums throughout the year. Our next event is
Thursday, November 13 entitled "Building a Positive Experience for Student Athletes," with the national non-profit Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., Woodside MUR.
For a complete listing of events throughout the year, click here.
Interested in what's going on at Woodside High School?
Sign up to receive the Woodside High School weekly newsletter here.
Get to know Summit Prep and Everest Charter High Schools Be a part of a public education reform movement that prepares students for 21st century success in college, career, and life! 8th Grade Open House Dates: At Summit Public Schools we believe that all students should be prepared to be successful college students and career professionals for the 21st century. With our small and personalized environment, we focus on the whole child and foster the growth of critical thinking skills and habits of success. Please join us as we walk you through the day in the life of a Summit Prep student. Shadow day sign-ups are only be available at Open House events. Sign-ups for Open House events are not necessary. - Tuesday, November 4th at 7:00 p.m. @ Everest (455 Fifth Avenue in Redwood City)
- Thursday, December 4th at 7:00 p.m. @ Summit Prep (890 Broadway in Redwood City)
- Saturday, February 7th at 10:00 a.m. @ Everest (455 Fifth Avenue in Redwood City)
For more information on Summit Schools, click here.
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From the Editors
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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 12:00 midnight on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication date. Submissions to personal email accounts are likely to be inadvertently omitted.
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.
- Send the article in the body of an original email: submission sent as Word doc or other attachment will be rejected.
- Provide a .jpg attachment for all pictures and graphics.
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