From the Principal
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Dear La Entrada Community:
Thank you to those that attended conferences last week. The teachers worked very hard at preparing for the conferences and as always were pleased with the productive conversations. We look forward to continued positive growth and performance as we move through the next grading period. With the holidays approaching, we would like to remind you that regular attendance is crucial to student success. Students are expected to be at school unless they are ill, or if the parent reports that they will miss school due to an unavoidable family matter (funeral/wedding) or medical appointment. Education Code Section 48260 defines a student as truant if he/she has an "unexcused absence of more than 30 minutes on three (3) different days or more." If your child is regularly late to school, or misses school due to travel, he/she may be considered truant. If an absence is not reported to the school on the day of the absence, it is also considered unexcused, even if the child is sick. Students who have consistently good attendance records do better in school! Please help us keep our student attendance high by taking family vacations during our scheduled holiday breaks. Eighth Grade Families: The Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) in conjunction with Senate Bill 359 (The California Mathematics Placement Act of 2015) states that each incoming 9th grader must have a Math Diagnostic Testing Project (MDTP) score to be placed into a 9th-grade math class. SUHSD is also following the same logic used in SB 359 and requiring all incoming 9th graders to have a diagnostic reading score using the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test (GMRT) for the 9th grade English class placement. Regardless of whether or not students are planning to attend a public or private high school, all eighth graders will be taking the upcoming placement tests. There is no need to study for these tests; teachers will prepare the students. The MDTP test will be administered on December 7 (Geometry students), and December 8 (Algebra students), and the GMRT test will be administered on December 9 or 10 depending on a student's English class period. Also, all students will take the Let's Go Learn Test used for SUHSD English and math placement; January 11 for English and January 14 or 15 for math. Please do not schedule appointments during these important testing times. Finally, if you have any questions or need further information or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact the eighth-grade counselor, Kim Witthaus, or the Sequoia Union High School District Office. We are moving quickly to the end of the calendar year, and the calendar is packed with upcoming events: LELE Physics Club will be on Monday, November 16, during both lunches, in the MUR. Join us for a fun-filled lunch period of exploring how matter moves through space and time, along with related concepts such as energy and time. Everyone is welcome! GeoBee Club will be practicing in the MUR during both lunches on Tuesday, November 17. We will be studying geography concepts in preparation for the GeoBee in January. Bring your lunch and an excitement for learning about our world! The Reflections Gallery and Awards Show will take place on November 19th at 6:30 p.m. in the MUR. All students and parents are welcome! To volunteer for this event, please contact volunteers@laentradapta.org. The 7th grade's annual Multicultural Feast and Events will be Friday, November 20. 7th graders have been working on a Family History Unit and this special day is their culminating event. The day's program begins with a Multicultural Feast where students bring in traditional family dishes to share, an assembly featuring a Masai Warrior and then a storyteller, Gyotoku Fish Printing Art, Multicultural Games and Museum of Tolerance inspired activities. Multicultural dances performed by the 7th graders will be the final activity for the day. Enjoy November 23 - 27 with family and friends. The teachers and staff will be very busy on Monday and Tuesday, learning new techniques and creating dynamic lessons for all of you to enjoy upon your return. Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving! Best regards, Shannon Potts
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PTA News
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Holiday Faire Volunteers Needed
The Holiday Faire is getting close! Don't miss out on the event of the year. Come spend the day with our children crafting and celebrating the holidays. We have fun, new crafts this year, including a tech craft in which students will actually build a circuit and a math logic craft in which students learn about the Tower of Hanoi. We need MANY volunteers. Stay as long as you'd like. The Faire will take place on Friday, December 11th this year in Jensen Hall. To volunteer, sign up online here. Please email Sheriene Saadatiwith any questions.
La Entrada Lunchtime Enrichment Physics Club
The LE Physics Club meets on Monday, Nov 16. Please tell your children to bring their lunches to the MUR where our wonderful parent volunteer, Christopher Bishop, will expand their scientific minds.
Sign Up for the La Entrada Geo Bee Contest!
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 drawstring backpack, 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!
Join us for three Tuesday lunchtime practice sessions:
Nov. 17, Dec. 8, and Jan. 12. in the MUR
Geo Bee Contest Date and Time:
Thursday, January 28th, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., in Jensen Hall
The 2015-2016 Reflections theme is 'Let Your Imagination Fly'
Thank you for all the students who participated in the La Entrada 2015/2016 Reflections Program. The Gala Night where all the entries can be viewed and listened to, will be held;
Date: November 19 Time: 6:00 p.m. (Awards Presentation 6:45 p.m.) Venue: La Entrada MUR
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Las Lomitas Education Foundation
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The season of thankfulness and reflection is upon us. It is an appropriate time to reflect upon our shared good fortune to live in the extraordinary Las Lomitas Elementary School District, with its 30+ year legacy of remarkable community support for high quality education. The annual LLEF gift to our District is fundamental and essential to the achievements of our schools and students.
As a reminder, we need to raise $2,000 per student, with 100% participation, to reach our fundraising goal.
It is critical that every family contribute. If you can't give at the requested level, please give an amount that is meaningful and comfortable for your family. Every donation counts.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us parent volunteers at LLEF.
Order your Holiday Cards and do all your online shopping through the Foundation's
Click-through to any of the online stores and shop as you normally would... the retailers donate a portion of every purchase to the Foundation. It's free money for our schools!
Inquire about your employer's matching gifts program to increase your donation to the District. Our Matching Gifts Coordinator can help you determine if your company will match your contribution.
 Join or Update eScrip - It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!
- Visit http://www.eScrip.com
- Register or renew your Safeway Club Card and credit cards at the eScrip website and then designate Las Lomitas Education Foundation (Group ID# 125673324)
- Start Shopping!
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School News
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Help us Recycle!
As a reminder, La Entrada School has a program set up with Cartridges for Kids.
They accept most toner cartridges, cell phones and tablets. A recycle box for these items will be in the front of school Monday the 16th through Friday the 20th.
Thank you for recycling! Any questions, email Michelle Pitt, Media Center Technician, La Entrada Technology Department.
 Canned Food Drive Throughout the week of November 30-December 4th, the ASB is holding its' annual food drive, which is a vital part of the Second Harvest Food Bank's mission that provides nearly one-third of the food they distribute each year. By participating in our food drive with Second Harvest Food Bank, you can make an immediate difference in the life of a local family. Each can that a student donates will count towards spirit points for their grade. Help spread the joy of the season and bring in your canned foods! If you have any questions or concerns, please email or visit Mrs. Rianda in room 20, or contact Sophia B., ASB Community Service Coordinator.
Note: The food barrels will be located in the foyer of Jensen Hall.
4/5 Winter Concert
Thursday, December 3, 2015
6:00 p.m.(dress-rehearsal); 6:45 p.m. doors open; 7:00 p.m. Concert
La Entrada Gym
Concert Attire: White shirts or blouses with black pants, slacks or skirts. Please wear the darkest (black is ideal) shoes that your child owns.
If your child cannot attend the concert, please email Mr. Cooper ahead of the concert.
*Extra Info For 5th Grade Band Parents:
Since all the band students meet weekly in their 'like instrument groupings' it will be necessary to have a couple of full-band rehearsals where the students perform all together prior to the Winter Concert. These two rehearsals will be in the music room starting promptly at 7:30 a.m. (please come a few minutes early to assure all the students get their instruments ready to play and are seated on time- the music room will be open by 7:15 a.m.) on the following two mornings:
- Friday, November 20
- Monday, November 30 (Please note: there is a full week student holiday, including two PD Days and Thanksgiving, between the two full-band rehearsal dates!)
If you get the opportunity, please download IPS (Interactive Practice Studio) on a home computer using the 16 digit code located on the back, inside cover, of your child's "Tradition of Excellence" instrument method book. Please see the attachment on instructions for this procedure. This will give your child the opportunity to play along with all of the concert songs including #19, 18, 20, 22(four soloists will be picked to perform), 23, 24, 27(four soloists will be picked to perform), and #33. Please go to the following link to download your IPS:
 Toys for Tots DriveThroughout the week of December 7-18th, La Entrada is helping to support our local firefighters' Toys for Tots program. The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a new toy during the holidays, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders. We are asking families to bring in an unwrapped toy for boys and girls of all ages. You can drop off your gift before school throughout the week. If you have any questions or concerns, please email or visit Mrs. Rianda in room 20, or contact Sophia B., ASB Community Service Coordinator.
Talent Show
On Thursday, December 8th, students will showcase their talents in front of an audience. The talent show will be held in Jensen Hall from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Anyone can come and watch, as admission is free. All participants involved in the talent show must arrive no later than 6:00 p.m. We hope to see you there! If you have any questions, please email or visit Mrs. Rianda in room 20.
 Testing LLESD's SchoolMessenger text messaging systemLas Lomitas Elementary School District uses SchoolMessenger as a district communication tool. Parents need to"Opt-In" for the text message program which allows you to receive texts from the district regarding emergency and important communications.
On Tuesday November 17th at approximately 1:45 p.m. we will be testing the SchoolMessenger text message system again. If you "opted-in" to receive texts, you should see the following test message on Tuesday: "This is a test of the SchoolMessenger text system from LLESD. No response is needed." If you do not receive the text on Tuesday, it could be one of two reasons:
You "Opted- In" previously, but did not immediately receive a confirmation text indicating you were then registered with the SchoolMessenger notification service. This could be because one of the following reasons:
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If your phone is managed by a corporate account, which filters out the Opt-In option for mass messaging, you won't receive our text messages.
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If your texts are routed through Google accounts, Google is not part of the service provider Opt-In process.
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There may be other reasons related to your service provider. You may need to contact your service provider directly to request the Opt-In service at 68453.
2. You didn't sign up, (and now want to.)
- Send a text message to phone number 68453 and in the body, simply type "yes" . You should receive a confirmation reply if your provider provides this service.
For those who have blocks set by their service provider for mass text messages, please be assured that we will always use multiple means of communication to release emergency information (i.e. email and voicemail). If you have questions, please email Suzanne Mitchell. Thank you.
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School District Update
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Preceding our next Board Meeting, a Board Study Session and presentation will be led by Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Michael O'Laughlin, on the district's California Assessment of Student Progress and Performance (CAASP) results. The presentation will include an overview of the assessment as well as demographic data. The Study Session and presentation will take place on Wednesday, November 18 from 5:45 - 6:45 p.m. in the La Entrada Library.
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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!
Las Lomitas PTA Parent Education Event
"Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age" with Richard Freed, Ph.D.
Monday, November 16, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Cano Hall at Las Lomitas Elementary
The Las Lomitas PTA invites you to hear Richard Freed, Ph.D. speak on the surprising science of raising happy and successful children in a digital age. While technology has ushered in dramatic changes to our lives, research is revealing that the most important contributor to children's well-being is still their connection to family and school. This thought-provoking talk will help you see through destructive tech myths and will provide practical strategies to build a strong family and foster kids' school success in an age of distracting devices.
This LL Parent Education evening is free and open to parents, faculty/staff and community members. Adults only please.
M-A PARENT EDUCATION SERIES
"Finding the Right Fit - A Conversation about the College Search"
Maria Furtado, Executive Director, Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL)
Thursday, November 19, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
M-A Performing Arts Center (PAC)
Menlo-Atherton High School
Join Maria Furtado, Executive Director of Colleges That Change Lives, for a conversation about helping your student find the "right fit" for college.Colleges That Change Lives, Inc. (CTCL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process. CTCL supports the goal of each student finding a college that develops a lifelong love of learning and provides the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life beyond college.
Maria Furtado has worked in higher education for over 20 years. Ms. Furtado speaks all around the country to students, parents, and counselors about college rankings and popular misperceptions about college admission, the strength and worth of a liberal arts education, and offers tips for students and parents on how to manage the college search.
Parents, students, faculty/staff and community members welcome! Free admission.
Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available.
M-A Parent Education Series events are sponsored by the M-A PTA, the Sequoia Healthcare District, and the Sequoia Union High School District.
Questions? Email Charlene Margot, M.A., Founding Director, The Parent Education Series, or call (650) 868-0590. For Spanish, contact Lilly Quinonez, Parent Outreach Coordinator, (650) 322-5311, Ext. 50255.
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Community News
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 SWEET!
La Entrada 8th graders registered to attend the 8th grade trip to Washington DC are excited to be fundraising with See's Candies!
At our kick off meeting last week, participating students were provided with colorful brochures to use when advertising the candies for sale. The two items that earn the highest profit for students are the holiday candy boxes, followed by peanut brittle and walnut squares. There are lots of options for holiday gift shopping for friends, family, and co-workers. Safety is always a priority and door-to-door sales are not encouraged. Many students elect to donate 25% or 50% of their profits towards the DC Scholarship Fund while others choose to keep their profits to offset their own DC trip costs.
All See's Candies orders must be paid for at the time of the order with cash or check. Checks are to be made out to "La Entrada".
All order forms (with the cash/checks included in the white envelope) are due in the front office by December 2, 2015. Students and families will be informed when orders are ready for pick-up, sometime during the week of December 7th.
 The Menlo Park Library PresentsTeen Night: Candle Making
Date: November 20th Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Location: Menlo Park Library. Teens, join us at the library for our first-ever candle-making program:- Just for Teens (13-18!)
- Register here
- After-hours event
- Snacks
- Supplies provided
- Make & take home your own eco-friendly, soy wax candles.
All registered attendees will be sent a Teen Night Registration Form, prior to the event. This form is required to gain entry into the library. Feel free to invite friends!
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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 2016-2017 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.
Attention Parents of 8th Graders!
Want to get the scoop on M-A from current M-A parents? M-A's Foundation for the Future is sponsoring a coffee for the purpose of community education. Join parents who currently have students at M-A for an informal conversation about the school on Wednesday, November 18, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the home of Roxy and Chet Bozdog, 33 Irving Avenue, Atherton. Coffee and refreshments will be served. Please send an email to rsvp@mafoundation.org if you plan to attend.
Menlo-Atherton High School Music Program Fundraiser -- Big Band Dance !!
Are you curious to see the amazing musical talent awaiting your middle-school student at M-A?
Please come to Menlo-Atherton's Big Band Dance to hear all music ensembles (Concert Ban, Orchestra, Jazz Bands) perform on stage. Dance to jazz, swing, and blues tunes, enjoy delicious snacks and drinks at the café, and meet M-A parents, students, and musicians. For more information about the event, go to: http://www.mabandboosters.org/WHAT: M-A's annual Big Band Dance !!
WHEN: November 21, 2015,
7:00-8:00 p.m.
early opening for seniors only (65+) -- admission FREE, although donations very welcome :-)
8:00 to 11:00 p.m. for students ($10) and general adult admission ($25)
WHERE: Ayers (old) Gym on M-A High School Campus
HOW: Tickets on sale at the door or online now.
*FREE: Dance Lessons included during the event
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. The shadow program is designed for all students, including transfer students, who are interested in attending Woodside High School. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people; we are sure that you will find Woodside students to be friendly, welcoming, and fun.
Shadowing occurs on B-days during 2nd and 4th periods, brunch, and lunch (click here for the Woodside block schedule.) The shadow program is run through the leadership class and the students in leadership are the shadow leaders. Click here to register to shadow at Woodside.
Parent Tours
Our Parent Tours offer an intimate look at Woodside High School. Talk to the principal and a member of the administrative team, ask as many questions as you like in a small group setting, visit classes, walk through the campus during passing periods, get a sense of the friendly and academic culture of this exemplary comprehensive high school. See our website for sign ups and more information.
Woodside High School Open House
Experience life as a Woodside Wildcat student and family at our Open House on January 16, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Tour our campus, see our classrooms, and meet our teachers.
Parent-led campus tours will take you to our English and Math classrooms, Digital Media Center, Music Room, Science labs, sports facilities, and art spaces.
After your tour, visit the MUR to chat with our top Woodside administrators, while enjoying refreshments courtesy of our Woodside PTSA.
Click here for the flyer:
Sign up for tour times on the Woodside High School website 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.
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