This Week:

Coming Soon:

Dec. 21 - Jan. 4    No School - Winter Break

Jan. 7                  School Resumes  

Jan. 8                  Registration begins for Las Lomitas League 

    7:00 p.m.    

Dear Las Lomitas Families,

I just returned from visiting the Holiday Workshop where joyful faces filled Cano Hall. This event is a perfect example of the community we have. Moms, dads and grandparents were on hand to help the children with their creations. Community is a term that is hard to define. Wikipedia states, "The word community is derived from the Old French communité which is derived from the Latin communitas (cum, "with/together" + munus, "gift"), a broad term for fellowship or organized society." What we experienced today was definitely being "together" and a "gift." Thank you to all the dedicated parents who help create a community at Las Lomitas that is focused on the children. Together we can help them grow and learn to be contributing members of the Las Lomitas community.

Communities function effectively when there is clear communication. As in any community, there will be misunderstandings or disagreements. Open communication between the parties involved will quickly solve most problems. This week I'd like to share our school's practices regarding communication. In the School Handbook (page 109 in the Directory) our process is described. As a general rule, always start with the classroom teacher when you have questions about your child, curriculum, assignments, homework or classroom programs. The teacher may recommend that you talk with Kathy Ruwe, counselor, if you have concerns about your child's relationship with peers or a family crisis.

If you still have questions, please contact me. Together, you, the teacher and I can work to come to an appropriate resolution. The Harvard Family Research Project website, www.hfrp.org, states that "parents and teachers consider communication the number one factor to increase trust. When teachers and parents are on the "same page" they can engage in more individual and concrete discussion around student progress and develop realistic goals and plans of action that are linked to student achievement (Drake 2000; James, Jurich & Estes, 2001)."

Another opportunity to communicate with one another is at the "Mornings/Evenings with the Principal" sessions. The next session is scheduled for February 27^th at 9:00 a.m. in Cano Hall. There is always a selected topic for discussion, but these gatherings are also an opportunity for you to get your questions answered. I look forward to seeing you.

Until next time,

Sue Sartor
Principal   

Dear Parents,

Happy December and holiday season. With all the group gatherings and indoor time also comes illness. To help everyone in our school community remain well, it is important to minimize the spread of germs as much as possible. You may be wondering what symptoms warrant keeping your child home from school. Please see the attached guidelines to assist you: http://www.prentice.k12.wi.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sickchildren.pdf  

Please call your child's health care provider if you have any questions, or our office here at Las Lomitas. We will call you to discuss the situation if your child is not feeling well at school and/or we think he or she may need to go home.

Thank you for your help in keeping everyone healthy this time of year.

Kelly Muenzen,  School Nurse   

Kindergarten registration packets for children who will turn age five on or before October 1, 2013 will be available at the Las Lomitas School office beginning Monday, January 7, 2013. Registration packets for 1^st through 3^rd grades for the 2013-2014 school year will also be available starting this day in the office, between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m, Monday through Friday. Completed registration packets will ONLY be accepted for enrollment starting January 28, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. Your registration packet will be date and time stamped upon receipt when all required paperwork is complete.

If you are registering a child for Kindergarten, please bring the ORIGINAL birth certificate or passport, your child's immunization records to date, and proof of residence in the form of two ORIGINAL utility bills (i.e. power, water) or one ORIGINAL utility bill and lease agreement or mortgage paperwork. If you are registering a child for 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd grade, you will need to bring proof of residence (as specified above). If you do your bill-paying online, please print out the bill showing the utility service and your address. If you would like to make copies of these documents for us, it will speed the registration process but we will need to SEE the originals.

There are two sessions for Kindergarten. The first session is from 9:00 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. and the second session is from 10:35 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. with a recess between 10:15 and 10:35 a.m. Kindergarteners living in the Ladera area are placed in the 1^st session due to the bus schedule; kindergarteners living in the Woodside area are placed in the 2^nd session also due to the bus schedule. All other registrations and session request forms will be date and time stamped for placement.

If your child is a returning first or second grader and you wish to request a change of session, email requests will be accepted beginning January 1, 2013. Please email the Principal, ssartor@llesd.org. If you are registering a new first or second grader, session request forms are included in the registration packet.  

Tours of the school for parents of incoming new Kindergarten students and new first through third grade students will be offered on the following dates. These tours are for adults only and spaces available are limited to 10 per tour and 1 tour per family, so there are minimal distractions to the academic program. Please call the school office at 650-854-5900 to reserve a tour.

Kindergarten tours are from 9:45 - 11:00 a.m.

            Thursday, December 6, 2012              Friday, February 8, 2013

            Thursday, December 13, 2012            Monday, February 25, 2013

            Wednesday, December 19, 2012        Thursday, March 7, 2013

            Friday January 18, 2013                     Wednesday, March 20, 2013

            Thursday, January 24, 2013               

1^st - 3^rd Grade Tour

Thursday, March 21, 2013

9:40 - 10:35 a.m.

Do not wait until kindergarten registration in late January to make this request!  New family session requests are not accepted until January 28^th, allowing our returning families to have priority on the wait list.   If you are on this year's wait list, you must make a new request for next year. We do not "roll over" the list from year to year. Please call Mrs. Sartor if you have any questions about the session request process.