From the Principal
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Dear La Entrada Families,
May is here, and we are heading into some very busy last few weeks of school!
CAASPP testing continues. We are nearly finished with our 4th, 5th and 6th graders. The 7th and 8th graders will be testing for the next 2.5 weeks. I am so very proud of our students for putting forth their best effort! I am also very proud of our teachers, Ms. Dineen, the counselors and entire tech team who spent hours planning and strategizing to make the test administration go smoothly.
Math Placement: Incoming 6th - 8th-grade math placement and pathways were discussed on May 6th at a parent information meeting. Thank you to the parents and families that joined the math teacher and me for the discussion. We will mail 2015-16 math placement letters by the end of the school year. If you have any questions about the assessments or the process, please contact me or the math teachers directly.
5th Grade Transition: As part of our plan to focus and ensure a smooth transition from the 5th grade into the 6th grade, each 5th-grade teacher has paired up with a 6th-grade core teacher to plan joint activities that helps uncover the "mystery of the 6th grade." In one classroom, the students are creating iMovies that explain the life of a 6th grader. The 6th-grade students will share the movies with their partner 5th graders the last weeks of school. Stay tuned for more information from the 5th-grade teachers on their planned events.
Dates:
Homework Center will be open through is Thursday, May 28.
Olympics is May 15th. I look forward to our end of the year spirit event where the grade levels compete in a variety of games. During the Olympics, grade levels earn points that contribute to their cumulative total so far. The class with the most points after the Olympics will earn a trip to Raging Waters on May 29th.
Open House is May 21st. The classroom will be open at 6:30. The students are putting the final touches on published projects and classrooms assignments to share with you. Please join us for the bake sale, a Graduation Party Fundraiser, throughout the evening.
Yearbooks: Yearbooks will be distributed beginning Friday, June 5. Yearbooks will be held for students who have not met the following obligations:
1. All textbooks returned (or paid for, if lost) 2. All library books turned in (or paid for, if lost) 3. All iPad's, with all the associated pieces, returned to Ms. Mitchell and her team.
8th Grade Recognition Event: On June 8 from 2:50-3:45pm, the 8th graders are invited to the gym for a recognition event. The event is for students and staff only. It is our opportunity to recognize the class of 2015. There will be late buses available for those students who need one. Please make sure that your child has transportation plans.
8th Grade Graduation: We are excited that this year's graduation will again be held in our gym. Please remember that seating will be first come, first served. Also, please keep in mind that the gym will have limited seating capacity. We have 149 graduates and about 625 chairs (plus the bleachers) for the audience.
Until next time,
Shannon Potts,
Principal
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From the PTA Presidents
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We would like to extend a MASSIVE thank you to our amazing Staff Appreciation Committee, lead by Susy Politi, Patricia Sullivan and JungEun. They went above and beyond to create a special week for everyone... we know our incredible staff feels the love!! And thank you to all of the staff for your thank you notes to everyone, we are honored to appreciate you!
With our greatest appreciation,
Ashley Banks and Sandie Timm
2014-2015 PTA Co-Presidents
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PTA News
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Calling All Volunteers!!!
Please join us on Wednesday, May 27th at 3:00 p.m. in the MUR for our annual Volunteer Appreciation Ice Cream Social! We have some fun surprises in store and look forward to appreciating all of our amazing volunteers. You don't have to do a thing (promise!).... just show up!!
Join our Leadership Team!
We are looking for a Financial Secretary to join our Board for the 2015-2016 school year. This role supports the Treasurer by organizing receipts of categorical funds - i.e. tracking field trip expenses by grade. The Board is a dynamic group that meets monthly on Wednesday mornings and is comprised of working and stay-at-home parents. If you are interested in considering this position, please contact MJ Crousore and Molly Drewes at vp@laentradapta.org.
Committee Chair Postitions Open for 2015-2016
Leading a committee is a great way to contribute to your students' learning experience, and to meet other parents and get to know the staff. Please join us!
Family Picnic - This event in September is being led for the third year in a row by the incredible Patrina Mack. ASB (Student Government) helps with this event as well. We are looking for a Co-Chair to share the load with Patrina and take the lead the following year. Volunteer committee provided.
Grade Level Gatherings - Grade level gatherings are an informal and fun way for parents to connect. Recruit hosts, coordinate the calendar, and advertise an Open House style event in someone's home for each grade during the month of September. Job begins now through the end of September.
Holiday Workshop Co-Chairs - This event in December is a student and staff favorite! Students circulate from table to table creating gifts they can give to friends and family. We have increased the budget for this event so students are creating quality, unique gifts they feel proud of giving. 8-10 Table Leads and a full committee assists.
Hospitality - Provide coffee and treats (set up and clean up) for the general meetings three times per year. No personal cost is involved.
Hot Lunch Day Chair - Work with our fabulous Hot Lunch Leader, Stacy Molano, to coordinate a team of hot lunch volunteers for the same day throughout the year. One Day Chair needed for each weekday Monday-Friday.
Lunchtime Enrichment Coordinator - Work with Assistant Principal Sonya Dineen to determine which lunchtime student clubs will be offered, coordinate dates, work with the VP Volunteers to make sure clubs are staffed with parent leaders/participants, and communicate details through the Spot.
Reflections Co-Chairs - Organize and market this nationally renowned art program for student participation on our campus. Winners move on to regional, state, and national competitions. A November event. Volunteer committee provided.
Spelling Bee - This event takes place in January. We are searching for a Co-Chair for Jon Venverloh, who along with Janelle London, did an amazing job with this event last year. Janelle has been Co-Chairing for the past three years and is moving on to other endeavors. (Thank you, Janelle, for all you have done!) Volunteer committee provided.
Volunteer and Staff Appreciation Co-Chairs - Lead a committee (we recruit) to deliver snacks, lunches, dinners, etc. for the staff based on calendar needs throughout the year (i.e. during minimum weeks, PIN, Open House night, etc.). Lead Staff Appreciation week in May and the Volunteer Appreciation Social at the end of May.
Website - After years (so many we lost count) of running our website, Anne Carpenter is also moving on to other projects. (Sniff, sniff. We do understand, and are so grateful we have had Anne's help for so long!) Two important skills sets are needed for this job - technical and quick response time. Most of the work for this job is done in June as we update the website for the following school year, but occasionally an issue arises that needs attention. We would love to move the website to Zoho during the next year.
La Entrada Open House- 8th Grade Bake Sale
The La Entrada Open House is Thursday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m. In order to raise funds for the 8th grade graduation festivities, 8th graders will be on campus during the Open House selling baked goods. Be sure to look for them and support the cause by purchasing a treat.
 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. Please do not submit the expired coupons.
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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Las Lomitas Education Foundation
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The online auction is now open and will run through May 13th. Don't miss out on this opportunity to bid on some exciting items, including your child's teacher treasure offerings, seats to upcoming special events, and more!
Ticket Sales to Saturday's events will close tomorrow.
Buy your tickets now!
A huge THANK YOU to all the runners, walkers, volunteers, and sponsors!
- We had 462 runners & walkers this year! The youngest participant was 1, and the oldest was 72.
- Results from the races are available online here.
- Our wonderful sponsors: Magnussen Lexus, S-Cubed Capital, Greenheart Land Company, David Kelsey, Inductus Associates, Peterson Building Company, Keri Nicholas, Latham & Watkins, Leaf & Love
Keep running, and we'll see you at next year's Fun Run!
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From the Health Office:
May is Allergy Awareness month! In the United States, 1 in 13 children are affected by food allergies, many are life-threatening. Food allergy reactions occur when the body's immune system mistakes a harmless food protein for a threat and attempts to attack and rid the body of the intruder. This can lead to a serious medical emergency called anaphylaxis, which is life-threatening and needs to be treated immediately!
As a school and a community, we need to be aware of the potential dangers of food and other allergies. In addition to food allergies, anaphylaxis can occur in people who are allergic to insect stings, medications/drugs, latex (found in things such as balloons, gloves and other common everyday items) and, in rare instances, can also have an unknown cause or be exercise-induced after ingesting an allergen.
Please remember to always check with your teachers or the school nurse before sending treats or food-based projects to school. Safety is our priority with all of our students! It is also important to teach children the importance of not sharing food with their classmates and to wash their hands before and after eating to prevent possible exposure to allergens.
For additional information, please check out the Food and Allergy Research and Education site as well as their Allergy Awareness month newsletter.
We are happy to announce that the 8th Grade Legacy Gift to the school this year will be a mural created by the 8th grade class. If you have an 8th grader in a class with Mr. Cooper, Ms. Dunne, Ms. Gregori, Mr. Parker Kelly or Ms. Ostrom, he/she is already scheduled to work on the mural during his/her elective class time. If your 8th grader is not in one of those classes, he/she can sign up to be involved in the mural by talking to Ms. Gregori in room 4 or via e-mail at jgregori@llesd.org
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 Climate-Neutral Menlo Park: Kickoff Celebration, May 13, 7:30 p.m. at Kepler's
Menlo Spark is a new nonprofit organization joining together Menlo Park residents, businesses and government partners to achieve a climate-neutral Menlo Park within ten years. Through practical and achievable energy, transportation, land use and building policies, we can make Menlo Park the first truly carbon neutral city by 2025. Our approach is guided by principles of promoting community prosperity, bolstering economic vitality, and protecting civic heritage.
We would like to warmly welcome everyone who lives in Menlo Park to join our effort with a kick off celebration at Kepler's Books on May 13th at 7:30pm. For more information, please visit us at menlospark.org or on Facebook.
Library Volunteers Needed in September at Brentwood Academy in East Palo Alto
Students at Brentwood Academy 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 the school library - reading with children, helping them find books they love, checking-out books, and providing much-needed encouragement. Want to learn more? Please email Helen Plewman or call (650) 233-1899. You can find more information about the program online.
Classroom Volunteers Needed in September - An Hour a Week Could Change a Student's Life 
We are looking for parents to begin volunteering in September to assist in K-4 classrooms an hour per week in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park. Either tutor students in a structured reading program or assist teachers in the classroom with individualized instruction much like you may have done in your own child's school. These classes in the Ravenswood district have no parents helping and no PTA -- our volunteers make a real difference. Our organization provides orientation/training and coordinates everything. To learn more about us, visit us online. Have questions or want to sign up? Email Carolyn Blatman.
Grab Bag Theater presents: The Pajama Game*
Veterans Memorial Center Theater
1455 Madison Ave
Redwood City, California 94061
Conditions are the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory are anything but peaceful, as sparks fly between new superintendent Sid Sorokin and Babe Williams, leader of the union grievance committee. Their stormy relationship comes to a head when the workers strike for a 7 1/2 cent pay increase, setting off not only a conflict between management and labor, but a battle of the sexes as well.
Show Dates:
May 15 at 7:00 p.m.
May 16 at 1:00 and 7:00 p.m.
We are a student-run theater company that provides youth with opportunities to perform, the skills and support to produce shows independently, and an active theater network across the Peninsula. GBT works with students between 8th grade and sophomore year in college.
* Suggested audience of 13 years old and older due to mature content.
 Children's Champions is a fun, family-friendly event benefiting at-risk children in the Bay Area. The event will take place on May 16, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Stanford Stadium. The Wender Weis Foundation for Children and Fit Kids are coming together to help make fitness fun. Held at Stanford Stadium, Children's Champions will feature sports drills, clinics, and demonstrations with Stanford athletes, including members of the Stanford football team, Fit Kids activities, such as an obstacle course, relay races, capture the flag games, arts and crafts, the opportunity to take photos with professional team athletes and mascots, pop-up fitness activities for adults, and more. Learn more and buy tickets online.
Tactical Urbanism in Menlo Park  May 17, Sunday, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m., at the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center's Cypress Room
Wouldn't be nice for our kids to be able to get to school and around town by foot or bike? It's a great idea, but our current streets don't always make it easy. Join us for an exciting talk by Julie Flynn of The Street Plans Collaborative and learn about "tactical urbanism"- a city and citizen-led approach to neighborhood building using short-term, low-cost interventions to catalyze long-term changes. Flynn recently helped Morgan Hill pilot-test a protected bicycle lane through the town's commercial center. She will share information about this project, as well as other success stories, to provide ideas for what we can do here in Menlo Park. Your RSVP to lydiawlee@gmail.com is appreciated, but not necessary to attend.
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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
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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.
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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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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 editor at leopardsspot@llesd.org by 12:00 midnight on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication date. Submissions to personal email accounts are not accepted.
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