The Presentation School e-News
 
February 2, 2014

 

 

 

KEY DATES

 

 

FEB. 12

Used Uniform Sale

 

FEB. 13

Free Dress

 

FEB. 14 & 17

Winter Long Weekend Holiday

 

FEB. 18

SF Opera Visit

 

FEB. 21

Middle School Dance

 

FEB. 28

Trimester Ends

 

MARCH 1

Sonoma County Science Fair

 

MARCH 10

Head of School Holiday

No School

 

 MARCH 13 & 14

Spring Musical 

 

MARCH 31

8th Grade to Washington, D.C.

 

APRIL 1

5th Grade to Westminster Woods 

 

 
Crab Feed Fun!  
The before and after photos give you a great sense of the evening! We had a full house, tons of delicious crab, fantastic live music and we were entertained by some serious ping pong fun!  It was particularly great to see so many new and several prospective families there!
 
Thank you to Lisa Harb and Nicholai Mathison for organizing the ping pong and to Nancy Bei, Rob Raney and the Dad's Club for organizing the event overall.  A special thanks also to Adolfo Veronese for providing the fresh pasta, the Crean family for the donation of Sonoma Cheese Company cheeses, all of the wine and beer donations from our families, and of course, the great music from Jeff Bundschu, Scott Demartini and Rich Little. Congratulations to Barry Sheridan, who narrowly beat Jon Freudenberger in the finals of the table tennis tournament. 
 
Climber to Speak to Students About Motivation and Determination in Climbing
 
Professional climber Nick Duttle will be stopping into Presentation before doing a climbing clinic at Vertex this week. He'll be giving a 35 minute slideshow at school, February 4th from 2-3pm in the AC. Parents are encouraged to stop in! A big thank you to Kevin Jorgeson and PCI (Professional Climbers International) for making this presentation possible!
PERKS Survey
 
Are your children signed up for a PERKS class this trimester?  If not, why not?  Are there specific classes that you would like to see offered at Presentation? Please take a moment to fill out this survey.  Thank you!

Click here to take the survey!
Mother/Son and Father/Daughter Events 
to be Revamped

This year we have decided to try something new for the mother/son and father/daughter events. We will combine the two events into one fun family event. The room parents from 3rd and 4th grades will be planning this event for a future date that is yet to be determined. For the time being, please note the cancelation of the mother/son and father/daughter events on your calendar. Stay tuned for more information!
5th Grade Practices Spanish and Farmer's Market

Last Friday, Presentation's 5th grade class went to the Farmers Market to practice their Spanish language skills as they purchased fruits and vegetables from Spanish speaking vendors.  
A Note About Uniforms
Presentation will hold another uniform sale on Feb. 12 in front of the school. Parents of girls are especially encouraged to update your daughter's skirts, which are to be no shorter than 2 inches above the knee. Kids outgrow uniforms quickly, so please take a look at your children's clothes and update where necessary.  (The girls above, by the way, are modeling the correct length!)

Also remember that the new hoodies are very popular with the kids and are well priced. As we get closer to possibly having a winter, consider if your children are dressed appropriately for school, which also means wearing PE appropriate shoes. Teachers are being asked to notify both your kids and you if a student is consistently not in uniform.

School Counselor Jane Mertens Speaks with Students about Problem Solving and Positive Communication
 
Jane Mertens, MFT, our school counselor, has met with most of our students over the past month to focus on problem solving with others and positive communication. We encourage you to talk about these important topics with your children frequently, they are growing emotionally and need continued support in these areas. 
 
Here are some tips from Jane:
When I work with students in the classroom, they often like to share their many frustrations of the past week: how their feelings were hurt, how they were given an "unfair" grade, how someone wouldn't play by the rules, how some kids were playing too roughly, etc. I don't worry about the litany of complaints, as I know that this focus on fairness and rules is developmentally appropriate. In fact I am delighted to once again have the opportunity to ask some of my favorite questions:
  • How did you feel when that happened? 
  • What did you do? 
  • Then what happened? 
  • Can you think of anything else that you could have done or said? 
  • What can you do about it now? 
In essence, I am trying to help the students to see themselves as the problem-solvers. Each of them is capable of learning how to resolve the issues that come up in their lives, whether those issues are with their peers, their teachers or their family members. What they need from you, me and the other adults in their lives is "guidance." 

Here are some of the best ways to provide that guidance: Hear them out as they tell you about the problem. Ask clarifying questions, if necessary. Try to avoid judging or defending the other people involved in the problem. Rather, ask your children what they think or feel about what happened. Inquire about what your children think they should DO about it? What have they tried? What worked? What didn't work? What do they think they should do next? Keep the focus on your children as the ultimate DECISION-MAKERS in the situation. Ask them if they have told the other person what they need or want. Ask them about using "I messages" and "making a new agreement."  These are skills that they have learned on the school's "Peace Path." 

Be sure to familiarize yourself with the Peace Path, which is painted on the blacktop next to the basketball court. The Peace Path is a fill-in-the-blanks, guided conversation designed to help children resolve conflicts with each other. It models the skills of making I- messages, listening, clarifying what each person needs and making a new plan. I'm sure your children would be more than happy to show you how it's used! 
 
Parents are welcome to contact Jane if they have any questions or if they would like to discuss a concern. They can leave a message at the school or send her an email at janemertens@comcast.net.  
7th and 8th Grade Students Begin Work on Trashion Fashion Entries

Students interested in entering the Trashion Fashion Show at the Sonoma Community Center must submit their detailed plans by mid-month.  Stop by the art room to see some of the creative ideas of our students.  In past years, many Presentation students have brought home top honors from this fun fashion show of outfits made entirely from recycled materials.

San Francisco Opera To Visit Presentation

   

On February 18, the San Francisco Opera will be visiting our 1st and 2nd grade classrooms. A teaching artist from the opera company will introduce a classic opera story, complete with singing and opera insights. The program includes musical storytelling and a choral coaching and singing session, and then the artist magically unveils props and costumes, encouraging the entire class to act out the story and sing excerpts. 
 
From 11-11:45am, our 2nd grade children will have an interactive opera experience of "Das Rheingold" by Wagner.  Parents of these students are welcome to attend.

From 12:30-1:15pm, our 2nd grade students will have an interactive opera experience of "The Magic Flute" by Mozart and parents of these students are welcome to attend.

You're A Good Man Charlie Brown Student Poster Contest Is On Now!

Our students will have a chance to vote this week on their favorite poster ideas for the school's spring all-school musical, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown!

 

The entry with the most votes will be used for the show poster and the runner-up will be used for the show's programs!

And In More Art News:

Our 6th Graders Celebrated the Lunar Chinese New Year with Gorgeous Lanterns

 

Our 6th grade students have decorated the windows outside their classroom with beautiful colorful lanterns in celebration of last week's Lunar New Year.  Stop by to take a look.

SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Hot Lunch:  Place your order TODAY if you haven't already for hot lunch in February at http://sonomalunchbox.com

Aftercare: If you would like your child to attend after school care, please inform the office, so that we can be prepared and know for whom we are responsible.

Yearbooks:  Now is the time to order your school yearbook if you want to take advantage of a discounted price.  Click here to place your order.
COMMUNITY NEWS
 
Aaron Redner CD Release Party:  Our artist-in-residence Aaron Redner is having a release party for his new CD at Little Vineyards from 3-6pm on Sunday. Feb. 16. Tickets are $10 and children under 18 are free. Buy tickets here: 
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/wine-music-release-party-tickets-7384109069
Presentation's facebook page is great way to get reminders about important school events and activities.  
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