| PTA News | |
Nominating for 2013-2014 PTA Board
The executive board of the PTA has approved a Nominating Committee to begin filling the slate for next year's board positions. The Nominating Committee members include:
Lori Brockman lori.a.brockman@gmail.com
Krista Hoffman kristamariehoffman@gmail.com
Julie Herlihy julie_herlihy@yahoo.com
Julie Clugage clugage@pacbell.net
If you are interested in taking an active role on next year's PTA board please contact any member of the Nominating Committee.
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You still have a chance to donate!
We are half way there thanks to those who have generously donated. Please help us reach ourgoal of raising $5000 by the end of this week.
Well-fed children learn better!
 Approximately ten percent of the students at Las Lomitas are in need of additional support. In 2013, the Las Lomitas PTA partnered with Choice Lunch and the District Office to ensure that all students have access to a healthy lunch At this time of Thanksgiving, the PTA invites Las Lomitas families to come together to ensure that all of our students are ready to learn, by providing meals to students in need. Please consider feeding a student for as little as $3.00 per day. You can choose any duration: from a day ($3) to a week ($15), a month ($60), a year ($600) or any amount of your choosing. Any contribution is greatly appreciated and will directly go to feeding the students in need in our school. Follow the link to donate. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
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Holiday Workshop-December 4th
Thank you to all the parents who came to the Holiday Workshop Prep day! It takes a village to prepare the craft projects that our kids will get to create on the big day. Our table lead parents have come up with fantastic crafts you and your kids are certain to love! We want to give another special shout out to Bianchini's Market, who donated all the paper bags in which our kids will be taking home their holiday crafts!
We are still in need of volunteers for the workshop, especially for the Kindergarten (11:05-11:55 a.m.) and 3rd grade (1:05-1:55 p.m.) shifts. Please contact Kristina Valentine (kristinavalentine@yahoo.com) or Josie Tang (jatangmd@yahoo.com).
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Staff Appreciation Event
We are celebrating our amazing teachers and staff on Tuesday, November 26th. Please have your child(ren) write or draw notes of thanks for each teacher and staff member you'd like to show appreciation. Mailboxes will be available for these notes in the office November 18-25, and at the flagpole and the bus drop-off on Tuesday, November 26. We are also collecting unused thank you cards in the office for anyone that may have forgotten a card.
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liLas Lomitas Education Foundation
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Guys Night In for the BCS Championship!
 Watch the 2014 BCS Championship Game from a movie theater lounge seat at the Friesel home on Monday, January 6, 2014. Or play pool, air hockey, and darts in front of the large flat screen TV nearby. There are still tickets available, and 100% of your ticket price goes to support the Foundation. Click here to purchase your ticket today.
For more information please see our Community Report online here
Excellence is built one donation at a time
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Please recycle your "Yes on S" yard sign and stake Thank you everyone for sponsoring a Yes on S yard sign for the campaign--it was critical to the success of the measure! The less glamorous job now is to properly dispose of the signs. If you haven't already, please place the sign in your recycle bin. The metal stakes can be donated to the Foundation for their use. Please drop off the metal stakes at your earliest convenience at the Ver Ploeg home at 2061 Camino Al Lago (across the street from Las Lomitas School). Thank you again!
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From the Principal
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Did you know we have a Preschool-PreK Strategies Class at Las Lomitas? After seeing these delightful students march in the Halloween Parade in October, several parents said they were surprised to learn that we had a preschool program at Las Lomitas. This article provides some information about this excellent program. Our Preschool-PreK Strategies class is taught by Natalie Abal. Natalie is a credentialed Early Childhood Special Education Teacher. She is assisted in the classroom by two trained paraprofessionals, Micki Boscolo and Maggie Butler. This class is designed to provide early intervention and school readiness skills to students aged 3-5. The students have a range of different learning needs and abilities. Currently the program has six students enrolled; two more will join the class soon. When children with identified needs have their third birthday, they exit early intervention services in the County and enter our preschool program. As a result, enrollment constantly changes throughout the year. Our Preschool-PreK Strategies class offers children a variety of multi-sensory activities appropriate for their age and developmental level. Teachers and paraeducators facilitate and guide the development of each child's cognitive, language, social/emotional, play, self-care, and motor development skills based on their individual needs and learning styles.
The classroom is located at the back of the school. If you ever see the group walking through campus, either on their way to the library for story time or on the way to Ms. Lampert's music class, feel free to come over and say hello. They always enjoy meeting new friends and people in our school community!
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Registration Information for 2014-2015
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KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION for 2014-2015 INFORMATION
Kindergarten registration for children who will turn age five on or before September 1, 2014 opens on Monday, January 6, 2014. There are three (3) steps to the registration process.
Step #1
To begin the registration process, bring the following to the school office:
- ORIGINAL birth certificate or passport
- Your child's immunization records to date
- Proof of residency in the form of two ORIGINAL utility bills (i.e. power, water) or one ORIGINAL utility bill and lease agreement or mortgage paper
Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Step #2
Upon receipt of the items listed above, you will be given access to InfoSnap, our on-line registration system, where you will continue the registration process.
Step #3
Upon completion of the on-line registration, you MUST bring a hard copy of these forms to the school office to FINALIZE registration. Your child will not be registered at Las Lomitas until we receive your on-line registration papers.
Note: Las Lomitas School District does not offer Transitional Kindergarten.
Session Information for Kindergarten
There are two sessions for Kindergarten. First session Kindergarten is from 9:00 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. and second session is from 10:15 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. Due to transportation schedules, KINDERGARTEN families in the Ladera area are placed in the FIRST session unless their request for another session is granted. KINDERGARTEN families in the Woodside area are placed in the SECOND session unless their request for another session is granted. Families from Ladera or Woodside who are placed in another session upon their request are responsible for transportation from school to home.
Requesting First Session
If your kindergartner is not automatically placed in first session as listed above, you must request placement in first session. To request first session you must:
- Have ALL registration information, including the on-line registration form, on file in the school office by January 31, 2014.
- Email or deliver a written request for first session to the Principal at ssartor@llesd.org beginning at 10:00 p.m., February 1, 2014. No requests will be accepted before this date.
All requests will be placed on a wait list according to the date and time the email or letter is received. Requests will be cross-checked to ensure your registration information was complete by January 31, 2014.
School Tours
Tours of the school for parents of incoming Kindergarten students will be offered on the dates listed below. These tours are for adults only (no infants in strollers, please). In order to minimize distractions to the academic program, spaces are limited to 16 per tour and one tour per family. Please call the school office at 650-854-5900 x0 to reserve a tour.
Kindergarten tours are 9:45 - 11:00 a.m. on:
- Friday, December 6, 2013
- Thursday, December 12, 2013
- Wednesday, December 18, 2013
- Monday, January 13, 2014
- Friday, January 24, 2014
- Friday, January 31, 2014
- Thursday, February 13, 2014
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Next Year Session Requests - Returning Families ONLY
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Session Requests for 2014-2015 ~ RETURNING FAMILIES ONLY
If you have a current kindergarten or first grade student and wish to move to first session
next year, you must put that request in writing to Mrs.Sartor. She will begin taking requests by letter or email starting at 10:00 p.m., January 1, 2014. You may email her at ssartor@llesd.org. No requests will be honored prior to this date and time. Your requests will be placed on a wait list in order received. New family requests are not accepted until February 1, 2014, 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.
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School News
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Music Informances are coming up!  Please come watch your child's music informance. This is an opportunity to see what we're working on in music class. Please note: If your child is in Mrs. Wedge's 2nd grade Mrs. Button's Kindergarten Mrs. Dent/Ms. Iwanaga's Kindergarten Due to a scheduling conflict, these classrooms' music informance date has been changed to Thursday, December 5. If your child is in Mrs. Pong's Kindergarten Ms. Sale's Kindergarten Due to a scheduling conflict, these classrooms' music informance date has been changed to Wednesday, December 11. Your child's specific time is listed on the music website. Click on the following link and then take time to look around the new music website. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Information about Attendance
Students are expected to be at school unless they are ill, or if the parent reports that they will miss school due to an unavoidable family matter (funeral/wedding) or medical appointment. Education Code Section 48260 defines a student as truant if he/she has an "unexcused absence of more than 30 minutes on three (3) different days or more." If your child is regularly late to school, or misses school due to travel, he/she will be considered truant. If an absence is not reported to the school on the day of the absence, it is also considered unexcused, even if the child is sick.
Students who have good attendance records consistently do better in school! Please help us keep our student attendance high by taking family vacations during our scheduled holiday breaks.
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Tech Tips for Parents
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The steps you can take to ensure that your children are safe and act responsibly in today's digital world will vary dramatically on how old they are and how much exposure they have to technology.
Here are 10 tips to help you get started as compiled from The Online Mom. I simply couldn't say it better :)
1. Get In The Game! Make an effort to understand the basics of the technology that your child are (or will be) using on a daily basis. Technology is such a big part of kids' lives that no parent can afford to just step away from their responsibilities in this area. You may be doing a fantastic parenting job in all other aspects of your children's lives but without understanding at least the basics, you cannot be part of their ever-expanding digital world. It's not difficult to grasp some fundamentals and get up-to-speed. Plus, it's fun and educational - that's why your kids love it so much!
2. Open a dialogue. Talk to your kids about technology and in particular about Internet safety. Agree on a set of rules for using the computer and going on the Internet. Surf the web together. Stay involved; your child's tech and online activity will increase and become more complex as they get older and technology continues to evolve. Keep the conversation going.
3.Be informed. Know what technology your child uses, what games they play, which web sites they visit, and with whom they are communicating. For young children, give them an approved list of web sites.
4. Be interested. Ask your child what he is doing, what programs he is using, what sites he's visiting. Ask him to show you how his tech toys work and what he and his friends do with them.
5.Help your child understand what inappropriate behavior is. If you or your child encounter inappropriate behavior - whether it's violent video games, cyber-bullying, or online predators - don't just let it go. Act on it, whether it's talking to your child, bringing the subject up with another child's parents or reporting it the appropriate authorities.
6. Buy a family computer and keep it in a public place in the home. Encourage your children to regard it as a resource for everyone to use. Give each of them separate IDs and passwords, so they have a sense of ownership and privacy.
7. Never give out personal information over the Internet. Explain to a child that he or she must never give out personal information. Family e-mail addresses, phone numbers, names, birth dates, home addresses, family details, photos, etc. should all be jealously guarded. Although social networking sites ask for and encourage sharing this information, your child should know that protecting his own and his family's identity should be one of his top priorities.
8. Empower yourself. Use Internet filtering or monitoring software. You don't have to check in on what your child is doing every day, but the fact that you can - and they know you can - helps set the right tone for responsible behavior.
9.Set a good example. It's no good setting limits on your kids' screen time if you spend all day with your eyes glued to your laptop or firing off hundreds of texts from your iPhone. Similarly, don't ban devices from the dinner table if you reach for your smartphone every time it buzzes. Children take their lead from their parents' behavior and interacting with technology is no different.
10.Talk to other parents about your children's technology experiences and online safety. Form a network of other concerned parents
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La Entrada News
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Record Breaking Sales for La Entrada Used Book Sale!!
Thanks to you, we sold $7,600 worth of books and the best news is that the La Entrada PTA receive  d 100% of the proceeds! We owe special thanks to our volunteers who priced, sorted and organized our book fair and sold their hearts out to all that walked in the doors of the La Entrada Used Book Fair! Without the help and support of our community, we would not be successful, so the co-chairs, teachers and staff at La Entrada are extremely grateful for your support of the PTA and our fantastic school. We also thank Judi Eichler for designing and printing our awesome banners! La Entrada is not the only business that benefited from our used book fair. Thousands of books were donated to the following charities and schools:
Ravenswood School District
Menlo Park Library
Reading is Freedom program, based out of Taft School
10 books A Home
Sincerely, Monica Albers, Stacey Alexander, Kelly Holzrichter and Stacy May Co-Chairs La Entrada Used Book Fair * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * La Entrada SERVICE CLUB GIVING TREE The La Entrada Service Club is looking for "elves" to provide a boy or girl a gift in The Family Giving Tree this holiday! We believe that income levels should not interfere with what it means to be young & experience the joys of the holidays. In addition, we will be initiating an ongoing project that will provide much needed materials for a Belle Haven Classroom in East Menlo Park. Additional items such as pencils, copy paper, markers, etc will be added to the Giving Tree as special ornaments. The Family Giving Tree collects thousands of specific wishes for 280 local social service partners. Sadly, one in four Bay Area children is currently living below the poverty line. Dealing with that reality during the holiday season, a time typically reserved for joy, is especially disheartening for the children. You can give a child that moment of excitement and joy as they open their wished for gift. So the LE Service Club will be putting together a GIVING TREE in the La Entrada Main Office where kids can choose a child to shop for and make their gift wish come true! There is also a virtual tree on the website where kids and their families can choose something to give online or just make a donation! For questions, please contact a parent volunteer: Molly Drewes, molly@drewes.net, Amy Harber, amyharber@aol.com, Monica Albers, monica.albers@gmail.com, Katie Evans, evanskat@hotmail.com, or Shari Guggenhime, guggenhime@att.net. |
Business Partners
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Nice Lice Advice - 75% of the mothers who bring their children into Honeycombers also have lice. My four daughters had lice twice, but I never got them, even though the girls were sleeping with me from time to time and we snuggled at bedtime. We've asked our customers and it seems like the most likely culprit in those cases where the mom gets lice is sharing combs or brushes. It seems so easy to just grab your brush from your purse and run it through your little one's head... but try to resist the urge. Keep your brush, comb and hair accessories high up out of children's reach, and invest in a brush for each child. Even if lice does come into your life, hopefully it will skip you. Brought to you by Honeycombers Lice Advice & Treatment Salon in downtown Menlo Park. Come by to purchase all-natural lice prevention and treatment products to treat your children for lice yourself at home. Or call 1.888.863.2005 to book an appointment to have your children checked, and if needed, treated for lice by our friendly Combers. We offer appointments 7 days a week in our bright, clean salon or in the privacy of your own home. Honeycombers - The Sweetest Way to be Treated
Champions Preschool and Pre-K @ Las Lomitas Champions at Las Lomitas is currently enrolling in our Preschool, Pre-K, Before and After School Programs. Our center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Contact Ruby at 650-233-1860 to schedule a visit or get information about which program best meets your family's needs. Visit our website.
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Community News
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Reading Volunteers Needed for East Palo Alto 3rd Graders - 1 Hour per Week
All Students Matter needs parent volunteers for a structured reading program called Reading Scholars at Brentwood Academy in East Palo Alto (behind Home Depot). Volunteers help 3rd graders who are reading below grade level. For one hour a week you will meet with the same child and read books together. We will provide the training, supplies and coordinate the time. You'll see specific changes in your student's reading over time and enjoy getting to know an enthusiastic and motivated student. Have questions or want to sign up? Contact Jeanette Kennedy at jkc_kennedy@yahoo.com or Carolyn Blatman at CBlatman@aol.com. To learn more about our volunteer group, visit our website.
Winter Break Sports Camps: Dec. 30 & 31, Jan. 2 & 3 Basketball - ages 5-11 - 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. - $255 Baseball - ages 5-11 - noon - 2:30 p.m. - $255 These fun classes are exciting, non-competitive introductions for boys and girls. Children will learn fundamental skills and basic rules while having a great time. Call Coach Tim to register 996-3308, Menlo Park Rec 330-2222, or Tbowler@sbcglobal.net.
COACHES NEEDED (must be at least 18 years old) for after school flag football, soccer, baseball and basketball. Call Tim Bowler 996-3308 or Tbowler@sbcglobal.net.
Please join the Holbrook-Palmer Park Foundation-Atherton Dames for their annual Children's Holiday Tea on Sunday, December 8, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This is a magical holiday event for children and parents. Children will enjoy a visit with Santa, a holiday themed puppet show and craft activity. Sandwiches, delicious treats and beverages will be served. For more information and reservations please visit our website. All proceeds benefit Holbrook-Palmer Park.
Whatever Floats Your Boat Are you the captain of your ship? Or a toy tinkerer? Please join us for a creative afternoon of boat building with recycled materials at the Menlo Park Library. Please bring at least one clean plastic food container for the hull of your boat. Open to children ages 5-12. Registration is required. Send email to abbott@plsinfo.org A flyer for distribution can be found here. The Friends of the Menlo Park Library Holiday Book Sale, 800 Alma Street, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Sunday, December 8 from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. We will have gently used books for sale, most at $2.00 or less. Proceeds benefit Children's and Adult Library programming. For more information, please see our website or call 650-330-2521.
Studio Rincon Youth Dance and Yoga Classes on Alameda in Menlo Park. Now taking signups for the next session of Youth Dance and yoga classes. The next session begins the week of 11/4. Signup here. Preballet, ballet, hip hop, yoga- all in a fun and positive atmosphere after school. Classes for ages 3-Teen. View the youth schedule here. Twas the Night Before Christmas Menlo Mavericks Swim and Water Polo TeamNow accepting new members for this year-round Menlo Park swim and water polo team! USA Swimming certified swim team for youth age 5-18, plus Water Polo for boys and girls, 14 and under. Practices at Burgess and Belle Haven Pools. More information available here. Emotion Regulation Research at Stanford. Participants with Autism, ADD/ADHD and Controls Needed. We are currently conducting a research study at Stanford University on emotion regulation and reactivity among children with and without an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) and typically developing participants. We are recruiting children with ASD, ADD/ADHD and typically developing children (ie., children without a diagnosis of ADD, ADHD, Asperger's, ASD, or any other psychiatric illness) between the ages of 8 and 22. The study consists of up to 4 sessions and participants will be reimbursed $30 for each session and an additional $30 if the online components (questionnaires and a daily emotion journal) are completed. The total potential cash reimbursement is up to $160. US Citizens only (must have social security number to receive payment). Please contact us at aserr.samson@stanford.edu if you are interested in having your child participate.
SmartFit Kids at Menlo Swim and Sport
Acclaimed for coaching excellence, Menlo Swim and Sport's SmartFit Kids is an after-school homework and tutoring program that provides academic coaching and homework oversight for students from 1st - 5th grades. Open Monday - Thursday, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Visit our website for more details.
Alpine Strikers FC is excited to announce upcoming tryouts for the spring season. If your child is excited about soccer, she or he might be ready to come out and participate in these tryouts. Players new to the club can be evaluated via age group wide tryouts. Roster openings vary from team to team and are at the discretion of the coaches. For general club information, please visit our website. To register your child for tryouts, please click here.
Menlo College is offering a Junior Oaks Basketball Academy November 10th, 17th and December 8th and 15th. There are flyers in the Las Lomitas office or you may contact them directly at oaksbasketball@menlo.edu or call (650) 543-3846.
The students of Menlo-Atherton High School kicked off their annual Canned Food Drive on Tuesday, November 5.
This is a chance for the greater community to rally around the growing number of San Mateo County residents who cannot afford enough food to provide for themselves and their families. According to the Second Harvest Food Bank website, 1 in 4 people in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties are at risk for hunger. Many of them are children, and some are our neighbors, classmates, or acquaintances.
This year again, M-A has partnered with Second Harvest to ensure that families continue to have access to food sources beyond the Canned Food Drive. Supporting the Food Drive again this years are: Bianchini's in Ladera, Draeger's in Menlo Park; Key Market in Redwood City; Roberts Market in Portola Valley, the Safeways at Sequoia Station, on El Camino in Menlo Park, and in Sharon Heights, Trader Joe's in Menlo Park, and Whole Foods in Palo Alto. Here is how you can help the families in your community:
- When you are shopping for your family, please add a few extra cans to your cart and drop them into the Second Harvest Food Bank barrels. M-A students will be handing out the list of most-needed items requested by SHFB.
- Consider donating online. Type "high school" in the Online Food Drive box and select Menlo-Atherton High School so that your gift can be properly credited to the M-A outreach effort.
Please contact feedourfamilies@mabearspta.org if you have questions. Thank you for your support!
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Newsletter Submissions
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The Lion's Roar is published by the Las Lomitas PTA as a service to the Las Lomitas families and community. Before submitting an article, please read our newsletter policies.
To submit an item, email Carol Clark (cclark@llesd.org) by 12 noon on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication date.
Submission Requirements: - In the subject line of the email, please include the section in which you wish your item to be placed (see our newsletter policies for the list of our regular sections); for example, the subject may read "PTA News" for any item related to PTA programs;
- DO NOT send the article as an attachment but in the body of the email: submissions sent as a Word doc will be rejected;
- Clearly indicate the title of your submission;
- DO NOT send flyers but provide a link to them;
- DO NOT send pictures but provide a link to them;
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The Lion's Roar is distributed via email every Monday. Printed copies are available in the school office, or the newsletter archives may be viewed online. If you have trouble receiving the Lion's Roar, please ensure your email reader or service is not blocking the Lion's Roar because it is a group distribution. To change your email address, please click 'Update Profile/Email Address' below. Thank you!
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The Lion's Roar 
