From the Principal
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Dear La Entrada Community,
April is here, and we are moving into the 4th quarter. We had book-end events last week. Members of the Menlo-Atherton Staff were here to support class placement/selection for our exiting 8th graders and our 4th-grade team, leadership classes and ASB officers welcomed our incoming 3rd-grade students. There are so many exciting activities planned for the spring, be sure to keep a close eye on the website calendar, so you don't miss out on anything!
Vision and Hearing Testing 4/6 & 4/8
State Assessment for 6th graders 4/7, 4/9, 4/14, 4/16
Grandparent's Day 4/10
Spring Break 4/20-4/24
Washington DC 4/18-4/24
California Smarter Balanced Assessment Update ("SBAC Test")
The California's Smarter Balanced Assessments are scheduled to be given to all 6th graders beginning next Tuesday and Thursday, April 7th and 9th. They will continue their testing on April 14th and 16th. Students will be tested in English Language Arts and Math subjects. Any student who is new to American schools and has been attending an American school for less than twelve months, should have received notification from us that they are only required to take the Math Tests. These students new to American schools will have a special schedule to accommodate them. Please ensure that your 6th grader will be present at school during the next two weeks, that they are well-rested, arrive having had a nourishing breakfast and arrive on time. The testing blocks are all between 8:10am and 12:25pm. Teachers have been working to prepare students for these computerized assessments and we are confident that students are prepared for this year's SBAC tests.
California will provide parents with individual student assessment results this coming August. At this time, the state has decided to not report out any API scores. Parents and students will be able to see personal test results from this year's SBAC testing in a comprehensive report that will be mailed home in August.
The testing schedule for all other grades are as follows:
4th and 5th grade: April 28-May 8, 2015.
7th and 8th grade: May 11-May 22, 2015.
Please see that your student(s) is in attendance for their scheduled testing weeks to ensure they can test with their regular classmates. If you have any state testing questions, please contact Sonya Dineen
As you know, the teachers are focused on learning and implementing the Writing Workshop instructional model. Coaches from the Teacher's College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University will be on site for a week at each campus in April to work directly with our teachers. Implementing a new instructional model takes time for teachers to meet, discuss, learn and plan together. As a result, there will be days when the teachers are out of the classroom to focus on these important initiatives. Teachers make sure that the substitutes have clear plans to carry on instruction in the classroom. District staff has worked diligently this past year to recruit and interview substitutes in order to have quality education continue in the teacher's absence. Your children directly benefit from the time teachers spend collaborating.
Thank you to all of you who help making all of these events and activities possible.
Warm regards,
Shannon Potts
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Las Lomitas Education Foundation
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Don't miss the best party of the year! Buy your tickets now for the spring party and auction.
 Get Ready for the 4th Annual Las Lomitas Fun Run on Saturday, May 2!
Three events will take place Saturday morning, beginning at 8:45 a.m. Families can participate in the:
- Munchkin Run (8:45 a.m. start)
- 1 Miler (9:00 a.m.)
- 5K Run (9:30 a.m.)
Stay tuned for more details on sponsorship opportunities and registration. We look forward to seeing you again for this year's Las Lomitas Fun Run.
Please Volunteer for the Fun Run!
We need your help to make this year's Fun Run a success! FUN and SAFE!
Volunteers are needed for check-in, water stations, race course safety, timers.
Please contact Josie Tang.
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PTA News
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Please submit your box top coupons every week and keep collecting more!
Thank you so much for your continued support!!
Don't forget that your everyday online purchases can also help our school. Please visit the box top website and designate La Entrada as the school you wish to support. Then, every time you shop online, as long as you enter through the Box Tops web page, a percentage of your purchase will be credited to our school. Please check for the various participating products. Every coupon is valuable and worth 10 cents. Please submit your box tops in a small ziplock bag with your child's full name and core teacher to the school office. There will be a cereal box there for collection.
Have friends, grandparents, families, office staff, etc. collect Box Tops and bring them in to raise money for our school. We will keep tallying the coupons every week, so please send them as you collect. LE Teachers and staff are also welcome to participate.
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Trial of the Big Bad Wolf
We invite the school community to see Trial of the Big Bad Wolf performed by La Entrada students in Peninsula Youth Theatre's after-school class Play in a Box on Tuesday, April 14th at 4:00 p.m. in Jensen Hall. The performance is free and should last approximately 30 - 40 minutes.
Registration for Ultimate Frisbee still open!
Come learn the game of Ultimate Frisbee. It's open to 6th-8th graders and meets Wednesdays starting in late April. Learn more here.
Are you interested in La Entrada's After-school Sports and Classes? Then 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! Co-coordinators for next year's Las Lomitas classes are needed. It's a perfect opportunity for you and a friend! The Las Lomitas League (LLL) is a parent-led, non-profit organization. Contact Maureen Goode to learn more.
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School News
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Dear Parents,
La Entrada School will be having annual State required Hearing and Vision Screening on April 6th and April 8th. Certified school nurse contractors conduct the screening.Screening is done on all 5th and 8th grade students, students new to the district and special education students. Students that have been referred by their teacher or by parent request will also be screened.In addition, 7th grade girls and 8th grade boys will be screened for Scoliosis.
Hearing
Students are tested using the School Audiometry Manual and the screeners follow the California Code of Regulations:
- If there is evidence of pathology (i.e a visible problem with outer ear or complaints of pain) a verbal and written referral for medical evaluation is made to the parents that same day.
- If a student passes screening, no further testing is necessary and it is recorded on the child's record.
- If a student does not pass initial screening, a second screening threshold test is performed at school no less than 2 weeks later to confirm screening failure.
- If the student does not pass the second screening, a written notification is sent to parents with the test results and a recommendation is made for audiological evaluation.
Vision Students are screened using the Snellen chart. After screening, if the visual acuity results are not within normal limits, a written recommendation for eye examination with a vision specialist will be sent home to the parent.
If you have any questions about the screening process, please call the office at 854-3962 to speak with the school nurse.
Kelly Muenzen
Math Team Try-Outs April 7 and April 9 
Calling all excellent math students!
La Entrada has a math team (the Mathemagicians) that competes each February in the regional MathCounts competition.
Tryouts will be held April 7 and 9 for spots that have opened up on the team. Those who qualify will be able to start attending team practices this school year, and continuing on into the 2015-2016 school year.
Try-outs for the team will be by written test, open to students in all grades, offered at 2 different times:
- Tue, April 7: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the library
- Thur, April 9, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the MUR
Questions? Contact math team coach Gerald Wluka, or visit www.mathcounts.org.
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Parent Education
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THE M-A PARENT EDUCATION SERIES
"Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admission Mania" with Frank Bruni, New York Times Columnist and Bestselling Author
Monday, April 6, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
M-A Performing Arts Center (PAC)
Over the last few decades, Americans have turned college admissions into a stressful and occasionally devastating rite of passage, preceded by test prep, tutors, all kinds of rankings and a conviction among too many young people that their futures will be determined and their worth established by which schools say "yes" and which say "no." That belief is wrong. And in Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be, Bruni explains why, giving students and their parents a new outlook on this brutal, deeply flawed competition and a path out of the anxiety that it provokes.
Frank Bruni has been an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times since June 2011, focusing on a range of subjects including higher education. In two decades at The Times, he has also been the paper's chief restaurant critic, its Rome bureau chief, a White House correspondent, and the lead reporter covering George W. Bush's 2000 presidential campaign. He is the author of two best-selling books, the memoir "Born Round" and "Ambling into History," a chronicle of Bush's rise to the presidency. He has appeared frequently as a commentator on CNN, MSNBC and other networks.
M-A Parent Education Series events are free, sponsored by the M-A PTA, the Sequoia Healthcare District, and the Sequoia Union High School District. This event is open to parents, students, faculty/staff and community members. Simultaneous Spanish translation will be available. For more information, email Charlene Margot, M.A., The Parent Education Series, Founding Director.
SEQUOIA PARENT EDUCATION SERIES
"Parenting the Always-on Generation" with Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet and Erica Pelavin, My Digital TAT2
Wednesday, April 15, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Sequoia High School, MPR
Our kids are "digital natives" -- they have grown up in a world of online access and ever-changing media devices. Do you wonder how to teach your teen responsibility and ethics online, how to ensure they are aware of their actions, and how best to parent them in a digital age?
Come join Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet, PPSC, LCSW, Erica Pelavin, LCSW, PhD, from My Digital for an interactive workshop on "Parenting the Always-On Generation." This event is recommended for anyone interested in an overview of the digital landscape and learning about thoughtful ways to navigate media with your students. You will come away with strategies that support both you and your teen.
Parents, students, faculty/staff and community members welcome!
Sequoia Parent Education Series events are free, sponsored by the Sequoia High School Education Foundation, the Sequoia Healthcare District, and the Sequoia Union High School District.
Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be provided.
For more information, email Charlene Margot, Founding Director, The Parent Education Series or call (650) 868-0590. For Spanish, contact Mayela Ramirez, Parent Center Coordinator, (650) 369-1411 x 63105.
THE M-A PARENT EDUCATION SERIES
"Helping Young Athletes Reach Their Potential: What Does Research Tell Us?" with Steve Smith, PhD, Palo Alto University
Thursday, May 7, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
M-A Performing Arts Center (PAC) Cafe
Parents often struggle with the dilemma of how to support their children in healthy sport participation. The balance between sports, academics, arts, and downtime can present a challenge as families work to find what experiences will best prepare their children for the future.
How can parents support their children toward healthy participation in sports to facilitate a lifelong healthy lifestyle and to reach their potential? In this workshop, Dr. Smith will review current research and provide guidelines for parents and coaches to consider for healthy sport participation.
Dr. Steve Smith is a licensed psychologist and professor of clinical psychology in the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium of Palo Alto University. He served as the consulting psychologist for the Division I Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at UCSB and maintains a private practice ( www.sparccal.com) where he works with school, club, and professional teams and athletes of all ages from all over the country.
M-A Parent Education Series events are free, sponsored by the M-A PTA, the Sequoia Healthcare District, and the Sequoia Union High School District. This event is open to parents, faculty/staff and community members.
For more information, email Charlene Margot, Founding Director, The Parent Education Series or call (650) 868-0590.
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 The Menlo-Atherton High School Foundation is hosting an online auction to raise funds to support vital programs at M-A. The Foundation's goal it to provide a better educational experience for every M-A student by funding smaller class sizes, an expanded course offering, professional development for teachers, college and career prep, and other essential programs and services.
The extended community is encouraged to participate and you need not be part of the M-A family to participate in the auction. The online auction opens on Monday, March 30th and continues through Monday April 6th although you can preview the auction catalog NOW. The online auction site is located here.
The Woodside High School Foundation Spring Auction raises funds to support vital programs at Woodside. Whether you attend the the April 11 event in person or not, don't miss the online auction which will run from April 4th at 9:00 a.m. through April 9th 9:00 p.m - the catalog preview is now available
on the Auction Home Page.
First-Bid-Frenzy!
Be the first to bid on any item in our online auction and be entered to win a gold iPad Mini 3 with 64G!
More first bids mean more chances to win! Be at your computer when the online bidding starts at 9:00 a.m.
on April 4th and bid bid bid!
Head or Tails
Make sure you buy your "chances" (strands of orange and black beads) so you can play our "Heads or Tails" game which will be held just before the live auction starts. Chances to win are $25 each or five for $75. Grand prize of half the jackpot (up to $1,000) in CASH is awarded to the last person standing! Head or Tails are available to buy NOW online. Fund-A-Need - WOODSIDE CODES!
We live in Silicon Valley where coding is a second language. We want our students to have experience creating technology, not just using it! Please support opportunities for our students to code here NOW. With your support, students will have greater access to coding courses, coding activities in and outside of the classroom, and tech partnerships that take place right on our campus.
Auction Party
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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
Interested in volunteering at M-A?
If you have an incoming Freshman in the fall or a current student at M-A, join in the fun! There are many opportunities as parents to be involved in our wonderful high school. Some require only a few hours of time and others are ongoing throughout the year. We would love to hear from you, so please contact one of us to discuss options: Paula, Valerie, Kim, Margaret, Frances
Menlo-Atherton BearWear
Attention incoming Menlo-Atherton Freshmen! Ready to show your school spirit? BearWear is available for purchase online. Free delivery (courtesy of the M-A Athletic Boosters Committee) GO BEARS!
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
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.
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!
For more information on Summit Schools, click here.
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