The Thursday "Know"

November 21, 2013

ENJOY YOUR BREAK!

We hope you enjoy spending memorable time with your loved ones over Thanksgiving Break. School resumes Monday, December 2nd.

"LIGHT OUR JOURNEY" & MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Lantern Walk photo courtesy of Pradhan Studios

The Journey School Development Office launched an ambitious fundraising initiative this week as students celebrated Lantern Walk. The goal is to raise over $120,000 by 12/31. Every dollar will be matched and proceeds will flow into the school's non-profit foundation, which aims to secure a permanent campus solution. We ask that you support the campaign by connecting us with potential donors before Thanksgiving. Please click here for online resources. We've already collected hundreds of leads this week thanks to parents' speedy response. Now, we're looking to the broader community for help.

WALDORF CHARTER GOES DIGITAL

Click here to read Mr. Shaheer's letter to the LA Times that highlights Journey School's Digital Media Literacy project. The project, championed by Diana Graber, is gaining national attention because it empowers students to use digital devices meaningfully and with social responsibility.

ZERO WASTE DAY TOMORROW

The Compassionate Campus virtue of the month is Respect. Tomorrow, respect will be extended to the campus and planet by not throwing anything away all day. How will it work? The sixth graders will turn every trash can upside down and nothing will be tossed! Compost bins will be available for food waste only. Please pack tomorrow's snacks in reusable containers tonight. All trash will be returned with students or staff. Check the Eating Healthy page on the website for tips.

BUSINESS MATH IN ACTION: SWEETIE PIES

Several Main Lesson Blocks in Middle School focus on Business Mathematics. Teachers challenge students to learn important concepts in depth by applying their skills to relevant, real-world situations. One of the projects that has emerged from these studies over the years is the all important and delicious 'Sweetie Pie' fundraiser. In the coming days, students will transform the classroom into a thriving pie business as they have for several years running. Orders are due by Friday December 5th. Pie pick up will be December 12th. Order your pies online here.

FAIRY MARKET

The annual Fairy Market is nearly upon us. The magical transformation of a classroom into a white, winter wonderland of creative crafts and managed by 'magical' parent-helpers makes this event a perennial favorite. Families make and donate crafts so the children may shop for holiday gifts. Fairy Market allows children to experience the happiness that comes from giving an authentic gift made by the hands.

Gifts are due December 4th-6th (right after Thanksgiving Break).
Check out our Parent Cabinet website for Fairy Market ideas.
To sign-up to volunteer please click here.
Click here for the Fairy Market gift list.

BOOK FAIR CONTINUES ONLINE

At Journey, we're passionate about books and are committed to instilling a love for reading in every child. The Book Fair gets students excited about reading while generating revenue and library books for the school. Your last day to shop in person is tomorrow. Or, continue shopping online through 11/29. Click here to fill your bookworm's wishlist.

MAKE YOUR DOLLARS MATTER

During this season of giving, please consider purchasing gifts that will also benefit Journey School:

Journey School Store has a great selection of high-quality and handcrafted gifts, Waldorf-friendly toys, books, and art supplies. All proceeds benefit the Journey School Foundation and count towards the Light Our Journey Challenge match.
Pies make great gifts! Sweetie Pies: Delicious Organic Apple pies made by 7th & 8th Grade students and parents are the perfect gift. These frozen pies will be ready to bake when you need them. Order Sweetie Pies now for your favorite hostess, coach, music teacher or yoga instructor. Pies will be ready for pick up on Thurs. 12/12. Only $12 per pie. Orders Due December 6th. Only 700 can be made so order early.
Need Holiday Photos or Photo Gifts? Our talented Journey family, the Pradhan's, are offering mini-sessions and digital packages to benefit the school. Click here for more information.
Magic Cabin and Hearthsong catalogs are here! More Waldorf-friendly and creativity-building toys are available with FREE SHIPPING to you and a large percentage of the proceeds will go to benefit the school. LAST DAY to order is Wednesday, Dec. 4th at 12:30 pick up. Extra order forms are in office.
Journey School T-Shirts: Awesome gift for your child and you! New styles available this year and we're using American Apparel shirts too! Order online (starting Friday) or in person when we return from break. Last day to order in time for holiday delivery is Wednesday, Dec. 4th. Preview on this Friday outside the Book Fair in front of the MPR.
Need Spa Gift Cards? Donate to Journey using Causora.com and you will get an equal credit back in gift cards to local spas. Give $20, get $20 at these pampering places.
Personalized Art Gifts: Turn your child's art into gift products like mugs, calendars, greeting cards, and mouse pads and Journey gets 20-40% of the proceeds! Follow this link to learn more and to complete a permission form to allow your child's art to be uploaded to the Artwise site. Kids in grades 1-8 already made "gratitude" drawings in September for this project...we just need parent (your) permission to upload!
Restocking Reusable Lunch Containers? Has your stash of metal containers and reusable lunch bags disappeared...time to replace them! 5th, 6th, and 7th grade will be selling reusable lunch containers and bags throughout the month of December so you'll be ready to go again in January. Look for their tables outside the Book Fair on Friday for a preview.
Traveling? Make online reservations through GoodShop.com and when you book travel with providers such as JetBlue, Southwest, Hertz, or Hotels.com, you can use their discount codes AND Journey will get 1-3% of your purchase!
Amazon Shopper? Two ways to benefit Journey:

Click through the Amazon Book Store on the Parent Cabinet website, and up to 4% of your purchase of anything, not just books will go Journey School;
Prime users can register for Smile.amazon and 0.5% of your purchase will go to Journey

Online Shopper? Start your online shopping at GoodShop.com or eScrip.com (take 5 minutes now to sign-up and designate Journey School as the benefiting non-profit). Use these "portals" to order from online retailers such as The Gap, Amazon, Land's End, and Nordstrom, and Journey School gets 1-20% of your purchase. Portal users have access to discount coupons/codes and GoodShop and eScrip apps can be downloaded to automatically tag purchases at participating retailers so Journey gets credit even if you forget to go through GoodShop first.
Dining Out? Register your credit cards AND elect to get emails from GoodDining.com and every time you pay with your registered card at a participating local restaurant, like ZPizza, Inka Mama's, and Nirvana Grill, Journey will get 2.5% of your food bill. Spend more than $750/yr at participating restaurants and Journey gets 5%!
Buying, Renting, or Selling a Home in Orange County? Han Nguyen's (1st grade parent) realty company H3, is a full service real estate and mortgage company. When a Journey family or referral uses H3 for their realty needs, Han will generously donate 50% of the received commissions to Journey School. Call 714-542-7400 or email Han for more information.
See the Nutcracker! 5 Journey students will be performing in The Nutcracker at Northwood HS in Irvine on Dec 7th and 8th (3 performances). The Kulev family will offer Journey Families a discount as well as give $5 back to Light our Way for every ticket sold. Email the Kulev's for tickets.