The Thursday "Know"

January 23, 2014

YOU STEPPED UP, AGAIN - 'LIGHT OUR JOURNEY' RESULTS

The 'Light Our Journey' campaign launched in late November and ended 12/31/13. The goal was to raise revenue to ensure a thriving fundraising headquarters and to secure seed money for our own campus. Thanks to your efforts, we are pleased to announce results and next steps:

Results

Approximately 170 new donors stepped forward.
Nearly $70,000 was received and/or committed.
An additional $30,000 was raised before November.
The approximate total raised is $100,000-donations still welcome.

Next Steps

These monies will now be matched to reach $200,000.
Foundation Board Members will steward and grow assets.
The Grants Committee invites you to its meeting on 1/24 at noon.
A Foundation retreat will soon occur to map out a strategic plan.
Contact Mr. Shaheer to get involved.

SPOTLIGHT ON LEARNING

4th Grade Fractions Made Fun

Ms. Amanda Simmons is thrilled with the progress she's seeing in her students. The students are currently immersed in a Fractions Block. Ms. Simmons first led her students through a progression of sensory experiences to make math fun and relevant (food, paper, sculpting, etc.). She gradually introduced complex pictorial and numeric problems all the while allowing students to travel through this progression at different speeds--some ready to move almost immediately to the numeric and others needing the support of pictures for longer durations. Click here to read more.

PARENT SURVEY: DO YOUR PART IN MINUTES

Meaningful parental involvement enhances student learning and well being. Please take a moment to complete our user-friendly parental survey.

AUCTION: ENJOY THE PARTY & HELP KIDS

Don your favorite masquerade costume and join Journey for The Auction on Friday, 3/7. The Auction allows us to offer students dedicated and highly trained teachers, some of the best class sizes in California,

field trips that develop resilience and relationships, and the Arts. Donations are still needed. Please click here for information.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN STUDENTS DON'T HAVE DIGITAL MEDIA LITERACY?

Forbes published a recent article entitled "3 Tips For Disconnecting Kids From Over-Stimulation, Video Games, And Digital Media."

UPDATE ON CHLOE'S WATER PROJECT

8th Grader Chloe Simpson takes off for Nicaragua tomorrow, with support from her sponsors at the Hurley Company. Chloe raised enough money to transport 25 water filters that will provide clean water for 10,000 villagers to last a year! Chloe, and all her 8th grade peers, will present their projects in the late Spring as part of their graduation requirement.

COMMUNITY MEETING

Mark your calendars and plan to arrive by 5:45 on 2/12 at the Aliso Niguel High School Theater. RSVP for child care now. Families not in attendance will need to attend a follow-up community meeting (TBA) in order to receive re-enrollment forms. At the meeting, you will hear about accomplishments, future goals, and plans for further school success.

HIGH ENROLLMENT DEMAND!

Enrollment demand and general interest in Journey has never been higher! Each week, dozens of prospective parents and educators visit campus to learn more about our educational program and best practices.

New families that want to enter the public lottery on March 13th must attend an enrollment tour beforehand. Sign up NOW.

All returning families must attend a community meeting on 2/12 at 6:00 PM. Any family that misses this meeting must attend a follow-up meeting TBA. Contact Kris for more information.

PARENT COFFEE WITH ADMINISTRATION

Ever wonder about what's happening at school and where we're headed? Do you have any news or ideas to share? Please join us for a cup of joe in the Development Office. A conversation focused on Middle School will take place on Friday, 1/31 at 8:45. A chat focused on School Expansion will take place on Thursday, 2/27 at 8:45. Hope to see you there!

STORE: DYE SILK SCARVES FROM NATURAL FOODS

The Oak and the Acorn is hosting a workshop with Alissa Allen of Mycopigments on Wednesday, 2/12 from 10am-12pm. This special event will combine two commonly found dye mushrooms, and a variety of dye resist techniques, to create beautiful, uniquely patterned silk scarves.

HIGH SCHOOL FAMILY NIGHTS

8th grade parents are urged to visit our newsletter archives for last's weeks posting of upcoming high school enrollment events.

ADULT YOGA OFFERED

Kindergarten assistant, Elisabeth Sotebeer, offers Adult Beginner Yoga classes at the school on Tuesday nights at 7pm. Click here for a flyer.

UPCOMING EVENTS