From the Assistant Principals
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Student Drop off and Pick up
We encourage all parents to please use Altschul or our school parking lot for student drop-off and pick-up. These two designated areas are well-known by parents and the community, which assists drivers in being aware of student pedestrians.
First Middle School Dance
La Entrada's first Middle School Dance will be this Friday, October 1 from 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.
Below is our Middle School Dance rules and procedures. This is also published in our La Entrada Handbook located in your child's Student Planner.
La Entrada dances are school events, and therefore all school rules apply at dances. We find that students tend to test the dress code (see below) by wearing outfits that are inappropriate for a school setting. If your child plans to attend dances, make sure their attire meets our criteria. Gum chewing at dances is not allowed. We also expect our students to dance appropriately and refrain from "freaking," "twerking," or other suggestive dance moves. Dances are privileges at La Entrada; we hope that all students meet dance expectations so that they can continue to enjoy them. A Middle School Dance is held quarterly and tickets are on sale by the Associated Student Body leaders during lunch time the week of the dance. Students must present a signed permission slip in order to be able to purchase a ticket. A copy of the permission slip can be downloaded from our website under "Student Life". No dance tickets will be sold at the door.
If your child did purchase a ticket for the dance but changes their mind about attending, please email one of the Assistant Principals or Principal to ensure that all chaperones will know not to expect your child at the dance.
Dance Guidelines: Middle School Dances are opportunities to learn how to socialize with peers in a safe and chaperoned environment. Students are encouraged to dress up for this event and use their best manners, especially when being asked by another student to dance. If a student has been courageous enough to ask another student to dance, it would be polite to thank them for the invite and accept to dance at least one dance. No one feels good about being embarrassed when their request for a dance is denied.
Dance Behavior Expectations
- Good manners used at all times; "thank you", "please", or even "you look nice tonight!"
- No running allowed and shoes must stay on during the whole night.
- La Entrada Dress Code is to be followed at every dance.
- No cell phone usage during the dance.
- Students are to remain for the duration of the dance (7:00 - 9:30 p.m.), unless special arrangements have been made through the office ahead of time.
- If a student has decided to not attend the dance after purchasing their ticket, a parent must inform one of the Assistant Principals or the school office so we do not worry about "no shows".
Boundaries
- Students may be in the main hallway from Jensen Hall entrance up to the food table.
- Students may use the middle school restrooms.
- Students are encouraged to hang out in the MUR if they want a break from the dance music.
- Areas Off Limit: lockers, other hallways, blacktop, parking lot
- No student may leave the campus at any time without being signed out.
Food
- Food/drink only in the hallway - no food/drink in Jensen Hall
- Food/drink is meant as a snack and not a meal.
Chaperones are mandatory at all dances
- Parents and staff chaperones are very important and make dances feasible.
- Chaperones are to sign up with our ASB Teacher, Mrs. Rianda and asked to sign-in upon arrival in the Chaperone Binder located in the MUR. Each dance has two shifts; 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. and 8:30 - 9:30 p.m. Chaperone duties are outlined in the Chaperone Binder.
- Adult restrooms are located in the main office; feel free to walk through Mrs. Dineen's office to access the restroom.
- Chaperones are asked to pay close attention to our boundaries, the food tables (no over-eating), remind students there is no running and coverage of the game room in the MUR.
Make-Up Picture Day
We had a great Picture Day last week! If your student missed our September Picture Day, please note our upcoming Make-Up Picture Day: October 19. You will be emailed from iClicks Smiles with further details. If you do not hear from iClicks Smiles by October 15. Please email Mark Jones to ensure that you receive the necessary picture information.
Special Assembly Schedule this week
This coming Monday, September 28, will be a Friday Bell Schedule due to our Opera a La Carte Assembly on Friday. Our Special Assembly Schedule this coming Friday will be a Monday Bell Schedule.
4/5 Parent Math Night - Wednesday, October 7, 6:30 p.m. in the MUR
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PTA News
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The Apple for the Classroom program is a way for parents to support their children's teachers directly. All the teachers and specialists at La Entrada have been invited to create a "wish list" of items that would help to further enrich their classrooms. Wishes may include classroom supplies, gift cards, subscriptions, or donations toward a special activity or field trip.
To view the lists, please visit our website.
Once at the site, select the list you want to view. Teachers' lists are divided into two sections, so you can choose to bring an item directly to the classroom or you can choose to make a donation via PayPal.
Thank you for supporting our teachers and enriching your children's experience at La Entrada.
GRADE LEVEL GATHERINGS
Grade Level Gatherings are festive, adult-only, cocktail parties hosted by families in each of the different grades. These social events are a great opportunity for the the parents in each grade to get to know each other better outside of school. Please save the date and plan to join us!
5th Grade
- Friday, October 9, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
- At the home of Sarah and Craig Bjorkman
- Please RSVP via Evite
6th Grade
- Friday, October 2, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
- At the home of Lynn Heublein and Neil Takacs
- Please RSVP via Evite
The 2015-2016 Reflections theme is 'Let Your Imagination Fly'
The arts and National PTAŽ Reflections support student success and serve as a valuable tool for engaging families and building strong partnerships in the school community. Founded in 1969, Reflections engages nearly 300,000 students and their families in arts education activities each year by encouraging students to explore the arts for fun and recognition.
REFLECT on the theme. CREATE art. BE RECOGNIZED! Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 students are encouraged to submit original works of art in one or more of the following categories:
- Dance Choreography
- Film Production
- Literature
- Musical Composition
- Photography
- Visual Arts
Students with disabilities may receive special accommodations by entering the special artist division.
To participate, please refer to the rules for each category and fill out the entry form and return it to the office with your submission by November 5th. The Reflections Gallery and Awards Show will take place on November 19th at 6:30 p.m. in Jensen Hall. All students and parents are welcome! To volunteer for this event, please contact volunteers@laentradapta.org.
The La Entrada PTA is pleased to announce the transition of our Art Notecard Project for the 4th and 5th Grade classes to Art to Remember which has been enjoyed by the 6th-8th parents for years! What is the difference ? Same great drawings by our very creative children, just a different vendor with color and more items to choose from! Please take a look online at some of the examples that make great art to share ! Children will be completing their drawings during their regular class times and the drawing form will be sent home during late November for you to approve and purchase for arrival in mid December.
Volunteers are needed to sort and pack art on December 12 for an hour or two in the MUR from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. We would be very grateful to have some parent assistance ( volunteers@laentradapta.org) for this popular event and look forward to seeing some amazing art!
La Entrada Used Book Fair  Please start SAVING your books (children's and adult) to donate to the La Entrada Used Book Fair! 100% of the proceeds from this fantastic event go directly to La Entrada School and PTA funded programs. And don't forget to mark your calendars for the November Used Book Fair (Nov 9th -14th). It's a great place to shop for new and like-new books for the whole family! Books will be collected from October 12 thru October 30 at both Las Lomitas and La Entrada.
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Las Lomitas Education Foundation
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The 2015-16 Annual Giving Campaign has launched!
Donate online now at
The Annual Giving Campaign is the Foundation's mission-critical fundraising effort, directly supporting the LLESD's operating budget to help provide "excellence in education" at our schools. This year, we are asking for a donation of $2,000 per student. If you are unable to give this amount, any amount that is meaningful to your family will help us reach our goal of 100% community participation. We highly encourage - and greatly appreciate - gifts made before December 31, 2015 to assist the School Board with their budget planning. Thank you in advance for your support!
Hula over to the annual Sweetheart Dance
Friday, Oct. 16th 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Jensen Hall at La Entrada
Aloha dads, grandpas, uncles and friends!
Don your Hawaiian shirts, leis and grass skirts. Grab your favorite little wahine and hula on over to La Entrada for the much anticipated Sweetheart Dance.
Share a special evening with your beautiful daughters* at this beloved annual event held in Jensen Hall at La Entrada. Both Las Lomitas and La Entrada families are welcome. Tickets are $75 per father/daughter couple, $25 for additional children. Get your tickets by clicking here.
* we welcome all Las Lomitas and La Entrada girls and their adults, but sadly we can not accommodate boys at this event. For a special "boys only" event, please join us for the mother/son bowling event on November 7th by clicking here.
 Coming up very soon:
Click here, register and come out and play. . .
- 6th Annual Gentlemen's Hold'em Tournament Party - Oct 24
- 6th Annual Mother/Son Bowling - Nov 7
- "What's in a Movie?" Workshop for 6th - 8th Graders - Nov 10
If you have a Target credit card, you can enroll in TCOE and designate a school. 1% of all your purchases are donated to the school. Click here
Make sure your grandparents are connected to receive an invitation to Grandparent's Day in the Spring, and our newsletter just for them! Register them here.
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School News
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 Math Team Try-Outs
September 29 and 30
Calling all students who love challenging math! The MathCounts Foundation (mathcounts.org) holds a national competition series for middle schoolers, with "bee-style" math contests. La Entrada's math team (the Mathemagicians) competes in the regional MathCounts competition each February.
Tryouts will be held September 29 and 30 for spots that have opened up on the team.
Those who qualify will be able to attend team practices starting immediately and going through the end of the school year. Practice is every Thursday from 3 to 4 pm at La Entrada. There is no homework. But there are snacks.
Try-outs will be by written test, open to students in all grades, offered at 2 different times:
Tues, Sept 29, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the library
Weds, Sept 30, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the library
Requesting Homework Procedures
When a student is absent due to illness, it is best to focus on resting and getting well. After three days of excused absences, parents may request homework from the front office if the following methods are not sufficient:
- Check SchoolLoop for homework assignments and due dates. Check resources such as weekly or monthly assignment sheets or websites or call a friend in class to find out what work was assigned
- Call or email our front office staff by 9:00 a.m. on the day you wish to pick up missed homework. Requests made after 9am will not be available on the same day.
Any work provided by a teacher will be in the homework cubby box in the office after 3:00 p.m. If someone other than a parent or sibling is going to pick up the homework, please let Ms. Parisi or Mrs. Stosz know when the request for homework is made so they can be helpful.
Preferred Practice: Get make-up work from teachers upon return to school. Students are allowed one day to make up homework for each excused absence.
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Parent Education
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THE PARENT EDUCATION SERIES ON FACEBOOK
Now you can Like us on Facebook! The SUHSD Parent Education Series Facebook page will keep you posted about upcoming parent education events, articles on parenting, schools and education, community parent events and more!
 M-A PARENT EDUCATION SERIES
"Safety First: A Reality-Based Approach to Teens and Drugs" - with Marsha Rosenbaum, PhD
Thursday, October 8, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
M-A Performing Arts Center, PAC Cafe
Menlo-Atherton High School
Just say no or say nothing at all? This is the question that many parents face with regard to drug use in their teens-whether alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs. Most drug education programs are aimed solely at preventing drug use. After instructions to abstain, the lesson ends. No information is provided about how to avoid problems or prevent abuse for those teens who do experiment. How can you help your kids stay safe?
Join us for an interactive workshop with Marsha Rosenbaum, PhD, founder of the Safety First drug education project at the Drug Policy Alliance and author of "Safety First: A Reality-Based Approach to Teens and Drugs." Dr. Rosenbaum earned her doctorate in medical sociology at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). She is the author of numerous scholarly articles about drug use, drug treatment, and drug policy. Her opinion pieces have appeared in USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, and San Jose Mercury News. In addition, Dr. Rosenbaum is a proud graduate of Menlo-Atherton High School.
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.
 WOODSIDE PARENT EDUCATION SERIES
"Helping Young Athletes Reach their Potential"
- with Steve Smith, PhD, Palo Alto University
Thursday, October 1, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Woodside High School, Multi-Use Room (MUR)
How can parents support their children toward healthy participation in sports to encourage a lifelong healthy lifestyle and to reach their potential? The balance between sports, academics, and downtime can be challenging-come learn how best to prepare your young athlete for the future.
In this workshop, Steve Smith, PhD, psychologist and professor of clinical psychology in the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium of Palo Alto University, will review current research and provide guidelines for parents and coaches to consider for healthy sport participation.
Prior to joining the faculty at Palo Alto University, Dr. Smith served as the consulting psychologist for the Division I Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at UC Santa Barbara. He maintains a private practice, Sport Psychology and Research Center (www.sparccal.com), where he works with school, club, and professional teams and athletes of all ages from across the nation.
Parents, students, faculty/staff and community members welcome! Free admission.
Woodside Parent Education Series events are sponsored by the Woodside PTSA, the Sequoia Healthcare District, and the Sequoia Union High School District.
Spanish interpretation will be available.
 LA ENTRADA PARENT EDUCATION SERIES
"Parenting the Always-on Generation" - with Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet and Erica Pelavin, My Digital TAT2
Thursday, October 15, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
La Entrada School, MUR
Our tweens and teens 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?
Join Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet, PPSC, LCSW, Erica Pelavin, LCSW, PhD, from My Digital TAT2 for an interactive workshop in "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 kids. You will come away with strategies that support both you and your student.
LE Parent Education Series events are free and open to parents, students, faculty/staff, and community members. This event is sponsored by the La Entrada PTA.
If you have questions regarding any parent education events listed above, please contact Charlene Margot, M.A., Founding Director, The Parent Education Series, by email or call (650) 868-0590. For Spanish, contact Mayela Ramirez, Parent Center Coordinator, 650-369-1411 x 63105.
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Community News
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 Halloween Costume Drive
Please help the families of Haven House Family Shelter have a great Halloween week, participating in their school and many other Halloween events, by donating new or gently used costumes in all sizes (infant through adult). The Girl Scout troops of Las Lomitas and La Entrada are working together with Suzanne Mitchell (LLESD Technology Director) to collect costumes at both schools. (The bins will be out at both schools from 10/7 - 10/21.)
Haven House, part of Innvision/Shelter Network, offers emergency and transitional housing for homeless families. Each night almost 100 kids (infants to teens) call the shelter home while their parents are working to move them back to permanent housing. Your donation of Halloween costumes will offer that these families can participate in the fun of the season at a very difficult time in their lives!
Any questions: contact Suzanne Mitchell. Both school sites support and encourage your support.
Are you a parent of a 10 - 14 year old?
A team of students at the Stanford Graduate School of Business are passionate about disrupting the way students are being exposed to STEM. They'd like to get a better understanding of the current state of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning in and out of school.
If your son or daughter is available for a 20 - 30 minute conversation, in person, please fill out this form with your contact info as they would love your help in order to help our children's future.
 Be a facilitator at M-A's Challenge Day - Be the Change!
Join us one day - Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, October 26, 27 or 28 for this memorable workshop that helps freshmen break down barriers and create new leels of empathy and respect. Thisis one of the most meaningful volunteer opportunities at M-A and a great way for parents to gain insights into M-A. Volunteer facilitators lead students through games, activities and trust building exercises and are guided by a professional, trained Challenge Day leader. The time frame is 8:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
To volunteer, email Julie Quinlan. Please note "Challenge Day Volunteer" in your email subject line.
Save the date and your appetite!
Fundraiser for the upcoming Washington D.C. trip for La Entrada 8th graders! Monday, November 9th... more information will be provided closer to the event date.
 Interested in being a mentor for a high school student?
The Academy program is a small school environment which targets at-risk students. During their Junior year, students may request a Community Mentor that works with them on both academic & career goals. The students career interests are widespread from law enforcement and medicine to environmental planning and video game design.
The commitment is approximately 2 hours per month, with most interactions via email and four face-to-face meetings over the course of the school year. The first meeting is scheduled for Friday, October 30, 9:00 a.m., and the program wraps up in early May.
Any questions, please email the Mentor Coordinator, Faith Velschow, or call
(650) 591-7502.
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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. Open enrollment information for the 2015-2016 school year can be viewed here.
Get to Know M-A High
School
Interested in what's going on at Menlo Atherton High School? Sign up for M-A's BearNotes to receive the weekly newsletter here.
Shadowing
A visit can be very important in helping students determine which high school will be the best fit for them. Shadowing takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from October through February. Shadowing is very popular and appointments fill fast, so sign up early to reserve your spot. Available dates are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
View and request shadow dates here.
Get to Know Woodside High School
Interested in what's going on at Woodside High School?
Sign up to receive the Woodside High School weekly newsletter here.
Shadowing
We look forward to giving you a glimpse of a day in the life of Woodside High School student. We understand that students have a choice. We encourage you to give Woodside High School strong consideration. Shadowing occurs on B-days during 2nd- and 4th- periods, brunch, and lunch. The shadow program is run in conjunction with the leadership program at Woodside. Leadership students will be the guides for the shadows coming to visit Woodside.
View and request shadow dates here.
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 Sunday publication date. Submissions to personal email accounts are not accepted.
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 or .png attachment for all pictures and graphics.
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