The Presentation School e-News
 
September 8, 2013

 

 

 

KEY DATES

 

 

 

 

SEPT. 9

Volleyball season starts

 

SEPT. 11

Picture Day

Dress Uniform

 

SEPT. 13

Free Dress Day

 

SEPT. 18

PERKS after-school classes begin

 

Back To School Night (6pm) 

for all grades

 

SEPT. 20

Emergency bags due 

 

SEPT. 26

All-School Mass 

Dress Uniform

 

 SEPT. 27

Sonoma Academy presentation 2pm

 

SEPT. 30

Grade 6 to Camp SEA Lab

 

OCT. 1

Grade 7 to Ashland for Shakespeare Festival

 

OCT. 12

Imagine Fall Fundraiser

(Save the Date!)

 

 

 

                        



 

 

 

 

 

                 Dear Presentation Community, 
Things are rolling right along at Presentation! We've watched classes take shape and move into meaningful routines. Bare picnic tables are preparing to be turned into art. Seventh graders are practically packed for their trip to the Shakespeare Festival. Spanish is being sung in the classrooms, and kindergarteners are dancing. Parents, with student help, are serving an INCREDIBLE HOT LUNCH PROGRAM. And this is only the third week of school. 
 
Stay tuned... September 17th is Back to School Night for Parents (not kids). A more detailed agenda will be sent in next week's e news. Lower school parents will visit their child's class from 6:00-6:30pm. All parents will meet in the Activities Center from 6:30-6:50pm.  Parents of grades 5-8 will visit their student's home room from 7:00-7:45pm. A wine and cheese reception will follow the classroom visits.
 
Be sure to save the date!
 
Scott Parker
Fall PERKS Classes Announced

P
E R K S

We are pleased to announce the fall slate of PERK after-school classes at Presentation.  Thank you to Joel Kuschner and Amy Dougherty for helping organize the program this fall.  Registration forms will be going home in backpacks this week.  You can download the complete flyer here.  Classes take place on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday afternoons from 3:30-4:30pm from late September through late November.

The terrific fall class choices include:
Intro to Acting (grades 5-6 and 7-8)
Crochet (grades 6-8)
Garden Constructors (grades 3-8)
Food, Fitness and Fun (grades 4-8)
Holiday Gift Making (ages 5-12)
Clay Class (ages 5-12)
Mixed Media Art (ages 5+)
Beginning Guitar (ages 10-13)
Manmade Miniature Books (all ages)
Chromebooks in Real-World Learning

Our 7th graders have been using our Chromebooks to engage in real-world learning that ties into foundational skills in Social Studies, and enrichment activities in Language Arts. Both Social Studies classes have been exploring the University of Leicester's website devoted to the recent discovery of the remains of King Richard III. Through an interactive student link, students took on the role of archaeologist, osteologist, and forensic scientist, as they used historical and forensic evidence to corroborate the identity of the skeletal remains given. They also learned about Shakespeare's role in perpetuating beliefs about this medieval king.

In Language Arts, Chromebooks provided the means to conduct on-the-spot research on selected topics pertaining to the Elizabethan Era. Students researched in pairs and then took on the role of teacher, as they presented their new understandings in an engaging way. Most students chose power point or "presentations" via the Chromebooks, which were then projected via Vickie Carroll's computer and our new ELMO projectors!

These projects are helping our students prepare for their upcoming trip to the Ashland Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Oct.1-4).

Exciting and engaging learning is going on in 7th grade!
Imagine an Evening in Hawaii on
 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12


The invitations are in the mail.  Please rsvp as soon as possible! This event will be a great deal of of fun and is our largest annual fundraiser.

We rely on our entire school community for auction items and to work on various aspects of the event. Please tell Nancy Bei how you would like to help. Email nancybei@comcast.net.
COMING UP... AT PRESENTATION
 

School Pictures:  School pictures will take place Sept. 11. Students will wear Dress Uniform attire for pictures. Shoes should be predominantly brown or black. 

 

Free Dress Day: Friday, Sept. 13  The following items are acceptable on non-uniform days: tee-shirts with school-appropriate logos, shirts must cover torso, and sleeves must cover shoulders, collared shirts, jeans or slacks - clean, no holes or rips, shoes must be enclosed, tie or velcro, PE appropriate, shorts - mid-thigh length, sweatshirts, hats and sunglasses may be worn outside of classroom.

 

Mass:  Our first all school Mass will be Sept 26th.   Students will wear formal uniform attire.  

Introducing:  Scott Walthard
The fourth in a series of introductions to new faculty members and those taking on new roles

Presentation is thrilled that Scott Walthard has joined our school teaching community.  He is working  alongside Christine Neles in the P.E. department with the kindergartners, first and second graders, and he has also joined Joanna George in the second grade classroom as a student teacher.  After selling his Sonoma-based business, Scott is now obtaining his teaching credential at CSU, Monterey Bay.
    Scott moved to Sonoma 20 years ago after he graduated with a degree in Business Administration from California State University in Fresno.  He is a well known in both the Sonoma and  Presentation community.  Scott owned and operated a successful business in Sonoma  and has been involved with the Sonoma Youth Soccer league for 10 years, coaching children ages varying 7 to 14 years old.  He also is a board member of Sonoma Valley Youth Soccer Association.  
    With Scott's patience and expertise in working with children as a soccer coach, he will be an excellent addition to our physical education program at Presentation School, as well as a steady presence in the classroom.
Glowing Reviews for The Country Lunchbox! 
 
What has your child said about the new lunch options at Presentation?  The feedback we have heard (keep it coming!) is overwhelmingly positive. If you did not yet place an order, you can see the summary of menu offerings in the school office or online here :
You can also download the Sept. calendar here.  Orders placed before the end of the day THIS Thursday will enable your child to get hot lunch the following week.

Orders placed for the whole month in advance would be greatly appreciated.

Volunteers are still needed to help serve lunch.  Please let Laura Wallace know in the office if you can help.

HBR Giants Bluegrass Fight Song
HBR Giants Bluegrass Fight Song

Did your son or daughter miss seeing Aaron Redner sing at the Giants game?  Enjoy some good clean fun watching their midfield "Fight Song" on You Tube here. And the National Anthem here:
HBR Sings the National Anthem, August 24, 2013 SF Giants v. Pittsburgh Pirates
HBR Sings the National Anthem, August 24, 2013 SF Giants v. Pittsburgh Pirates

Presentation Students Honored For 30-Hour Famine

Last year, our middle school students again had the opportunity to participate in the 30HourFamine. (www.30hourfamine.org)

 

15 Presentation students joined the efforts of hundreds of thousands of young people all over the nation who went without food for 30 hours, and getting a taste of what the world's poorest children and families face every day. Prior to the event weekend, students raised funds with the knowledge that every $30 they raise can help feed and care for a child for a month. 

 

Thank you for Katie Faircloth for stepping forward this year to lead this effort, which resulted in a lifetime of memories and $5000 raised to help end hunger around the world.
Grad Cristian Isbrandtsen Launches Philanthropic Photography Business

At the recent Red & White Ball to benefit the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, Presentation School graduate Cristian Isbrandtsen (class of 2012) took portraits of the guests in exchange for a donation to Sonoma's public schools. 

 

Cristian is currently a sophomore at Marin Academy.  He has just started his own nonprofit photography business. He hopes to photograph guests at area wineries and events to raise money for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). One hundred percent of his profits will help children and young adults living with the disease. 

 

Read the complete article about Cristian from the Sonoma Index-Tribune here.

Radish Seed Germination Challenge

Last week in science, our 7th grade students were challenged to develop the most optimal conditions for the germination of radish seeds.  Each small group tried out different soil mixtures (potting soil and lemon juice?!) and they will spend the week ahead measuring their seedlings and comparing growth rates. This experiment was part of a larger unit on experimental design and plant anatomy/reproduction.

A Sneak Peek At Presentation's Brand New 
Tennis Team!

The season is off to a roaring start with even more students signed up than we expected.  Students practice drills with professional coach Felipe Monroy on Tuesdays and participate in tennis ladder match play on Thursdays! What a great addition to Presentation's athletic offerings!  Thank you to Lisa Dedmore and Christine Neles for organizing!
Entreaty to Parents:  Storage Needed
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If you have some extra space in a barn, shed, garage or warehouse, we are looking for a place to store our art display boards, as well as some set pieces for theater.  These boards currently live on the stage and they are preventing us from using the space for drama and music.  Please contact Laura Wallace if you can help us out with storage.  


Yearbooks On Sale Now!
 
While it may seem like the year has just begun, our Yearbook elective students (under the leadership of Jamie Mitchell) are already hard at work planning and photographing for our 2013-2014 school yearbook.  To that end, pre-sales of the yearbook, at a discounted price, are available now here.

SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Emergency Bags: Every student must have an emergency bag in to the school by Sept. 20.  Don't forget that you can support our 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C.... and save yourself a lot of time, by signing up to buy a ready-made kit in the school office.

Emergency Cards: Please get your yellow emergency contact cards in to the office.  Even if nothing has changed we need a new card every year. There are some families that have no card on file. This is important to the safety of your child(ren).

School Directory/Beehively:  You can download the the school directory here. Information is still missing for some parents. Families with missing information are urged to log in today here to update their information. Teachers will communicate homework assignments with you and the students until we are sure the system is up and running the way we want it.  If you cannot log in, please email Laura Wallace
at lwallace@presentationschool.com

Afterschool care is open and staffed in the library each day from 3:30pm to 5:30pm with Presentation faculty and volunteers. If you are interested in taking part in this opportunity, please email Laura Wallace (lwallace@presentationschool.com) to let us know which days and times your children will be with us. This is great chance for kids to get a start on their homework, read or play quietly with their peers.  We are happy to have them, but we need to know ahead of time so we can be prepared.  


Sports:  This will be a busy fall for Presentation athletics with volleyball, cross country, climbing and tennis seasons beginning shortly.  Click HERE for the cross country permission slip.  Click HERE for the volleyball permission slip and all Presentation athletes need to download the concussion information and waiver form HERE.  Click HERE to download the tennis team form. Click HERE to learn more about our rock climbing program.

Credit Card Billing:   We urge all of our school families to complete a credit card authorization form and simply check the box, "charge my credit card on file".  Doing so enables all future lunch orders, field trips, event tickets and sports signups to be billed to your card effortlessly. And you will still receive a complete accounting of the charges. Just complete the form and return to the business office. Click here. 
COMMUNITY NEWS
 
 
SSAT Prep: SSAT Prep: If your eighth grader is considering applying to a selective high school like Marin Academy, Sonoma Academy or Branson, they will be required to take the SSAT admissions test.  Sonoma Academy is offering a prep class.  More details can be found here. 
 
Student Reporters: Kids Scoop News will be selecting a small number of student reporters to write for them this fall. The deadline is this Monday night. Kids Scoop had had reporters attend a Town Hall meeting at the White House, interview a NASCAR legend and cover a football game at the Super-dome and then meet the Super Bowl coach.  Kid Scoop News youth reporters have the chance to be published in our monthly newspaper which appears in Sonoma and Alameda Counties.  Student reporters must be available to meet for two hours each month on a Saturday.   The application is here.

String Instruments Needed:  The Valley Vibes El Sistema Youth Orchestra seeks donations of used string instruments.  If you have an instrument to donate, please drop it off at The Sonoma Valley Education Foundation on Railway Ave. or leave it in our school office for Aaron Redner to deliver to them.
 
CYO Basketball:  Catholic Youth Organization is the basketball league in Sonoma and they field competitive teams in grades K-8.  Some teams even practice right in our gym (how convenient!). Registration is going on now through Sept. 15.  Tryouts are Sept. 22.  Click here to register and learn more.
 
BBK:  Sign-ups for the Broadway Bound Kids fall production of the Wizard of Oz are going on now. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings.  Email bbkinfo@aol.com for more information.
 
Tennis:  The Sonoma Valley Tennis Association has a full program of junior tennis clinics for ages 4-11.  Click here to see the complete schedule.
 
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