From the Principal
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Dear Las Lomitas Families,
Now that kindergarten tours and registration are in full swing, several parents have asked how we create classes for the next academic school year. This article outlines our placement process. In May the faculty spends three afternoons putting together the following year's classes. Each grade level team makes up the classes for the next grade. The Placement Committee members place incoming Kindergarten students into classes.
The teachers work carefully to create classrooms that are evenly balanced in terms of:
- Gender
- Sessions (K-2)
- Academics - high, medium and low performing students
- Special needs - students who work with our many specialists such as Language Lab, Speech & Language, Resource Program, Reading Recovery, Reading Groups and Math Lab.
- Health and other special factors
Teachers' names are not assigned until after the class configurations are complete.
In order to maintain balance in class size we often have multi-graded classes. This year we have a 1st/2nd multi-grade class. We also have job shares on our campus. This is when two teachers decide to co-teach a single class. Multi-grade and job share classes are of the same high caliber as all other classes. These classes are formed using the same process described above.
In August, the teachers on the Placement Committee volunteer to come in to review and finalize class lists with me to accommodate students who have enrolled or moved away over the summer.
We put tremendous effort into creating balanced classes to best meet the needs of all our students. We are continually refining the process and are proud of our results.
If you have important information about your child's placement for next year, please let the classroom teacher know, or submit that information to me in writing before May 1, 2014. Any placement information received after this date may not be considered due to our placement schedule.
Until next time,
Sue Sartor
Principal
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| PTA News | |
Nominating for 2014-2015 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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Congratulations to all of our readers!
The Read-A-Thon has ended!
Report your Read-A-Thon minutes today! Submit online at www.laslomitaspta.org/readathon or return your Read-A-Thon Reporting Form (sent home last week) as soon as possible so we can determine which grades have met their goal and will participate in the Popcorn Celebration. Please note the Read-A-Thon url was incorrectly stated on the Instruction Sheet that went home last Monday with the Read-A-Thon Red Envelope. The correct url is www.laslomitaspta.org/readathon as listed in the Read-A-Thon brochure.
Please collect your sponsorship money and submit online via Paypal at www.laslomitaspta.org/readathon or send in checks in your red Read-A-Thon envelope to your classroom by Monday, Feb. 10th. Thank you to the students, families and friends who have made this a success! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Earn money for the school with Box Tops for Education It's time to start collecting and submitting box tops! Please remember to collect box top coupons found on many favorite brands, such as Betty Crocker, Nature Valley, Kleenex, Huggies, Ziplock, Avery and so many more. If you haven't already, please submit your box tops in a small bag to the office with your student's name and room number on it.. (There is a cereal box at the counter for you to drop them). We will have a drawing during the school year for those who turn their box tops in. Don't forget that your everyday online purchases can also help Las Lomitas. Visit the box top web page and designate Las Lomitas as the school you wish to support. Then, every time you shop online, as long as you enter through the Box Tops web page, a percentage of your purchase will be credited to our school. Thank you for supporting Las Lomitas!
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liLas Lomitas Education Foundation
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Las Lomitas School hosts
2014 Grandparents Day!!
Friday, May 23rd
Save the date!
This years Grandparents Day is for Las Lomitas students (Grades K-3) and their grandparents. The event will take place the morning of Friday, May 23 rd at Las Lomitas Elementary School. The morning will include music and PE presentations, a student art exhibit, and time for grandparents to be with their grandchild(ren) in the classroom. We sincerely regret that we only have space for about 450 people to visit on this day, so this event is for grandparents only. Parents, nannies and close friends are welcome to participate by volunteering for the event! Online sign-up coming soon! Please email GPDay@llef.org if you have any questions or would like to volunteer.
Help make this our best auction ever by donating an item, service, or event
We are seeking your support through donated items. Your generous gift of an auction item will help support our schools high quality teachers, small class sizes and enhanced curriculum. The opportunities are endless - here are some suggestions:
- Tickets (sports, concerts, theater, etc.)
- Travel (vacation homes, airline tickets, local getaways, etc.)
- One-of-a-kind events or getaway sponsors
- Parent or kid party hosts
- Behind the scene experiences (host one where you work or with an organization you support)
- Gift certificates from local businesses
Excellence is built one donation at a time
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Las Lomitas League
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The first week of classes is complete. If you need to cancel a class, you can receive a 90% refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the 2nd class. If you need to withdraw your child, please contact the LLL Registrar at llleagueregistrar@gmail.com.
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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 opened 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:
- 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. |
School News
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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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Stanford Studies Seek Participants
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AUTISM RESEARCHERS at the Stanford University School of Medicine are recruiting twins for an investigation of the role of genetics in shaping the autistic brain. The team is seeking same-sex twin pairs aged 3 to 14. Study subjects can be identical or non-identical twins. In addition to a non-invasive MRI scan, all subjects will also receive standard cognitive and IQ assessments, as well as a battery of diagnostic tests for autism. To obtain more information or volunteer for the trial, contact the study coordinator, Sue Cleveland, at (650) 723-7809 or cleve@stanford.edu.
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CHILDREN WITH ASPERGERS OR HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISM NEEDED FOR STANFORD STUDIES: Do you have a child age 7-12 with high functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome who would like to participate in a Stanford brain study about how the brain processes auditory or mathematical information?
The Stanford Brain Development Project is also seeking typically developing children within the age range of 7-12 for these studies. Participants must be right-handed, verbal, without braces, and able to complete several testing sessions and an MRI.
Visit our website or more information and to fill out a participation form, email braindevelopment@stanford.edu or call Leslie at 650-736-0128.
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STANFORD BRAIN DEVELOPMENT STUDY - Brain Imaging Research on Learning in Children
Do you have a child who likes to play puzzles, math games, or memory games? If so, join the Stanford Brain Development Project, and help us understand how children learn information!
We are seeking children who are right handed, ages 7-12, without a learning or attention disability, and without braces.
Visit our website for more information and to fill out a participation form, email braindevelopment@stanford.edu, or call Leslie at 650-736-0128.
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EMOTION REGULATION AND AUTISM - The Stanford Psychophysiology Lab is recruiting children and young adults ages 8-22 with ASD, ADHA or typically developing controls for a large scale research project investigation emotion reactivity and regulation among children and adolescents. For more information contact Dr. Andrea Samson and her research assistants at aserr.samson@stanford.edu or call (650) 353-5777.
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FLYERS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE LAS LOMITAS SCHOOL OFFICE FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE.
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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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AMA Softball Registration now open!
Girls from K-7th grade are invited to join us for the 2014 AMA Softball season. Everyone plays and teams are organized by schools. Volunteers are always welcome, especially coaches. Register today!
Creighton School of Wrestling
Now at Sports House, Redwood City! Come get CREIGHTONTRAINED by two-time National Champion and Wrestling Hall of Fame Coach Braumon Creighton! Spring wrestling classes are available for ages 8-18, and all skill levels are welcome. We offer training for beginning through advanced wrestlers on Mondays and/or Wednesdays starting March 10. Register now! Summer camps will be posted soon.
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 1/6/14. 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.
Jeannie Goldman, instructor for Creative Art for Young Children, is offering winter classes for children 3 yrs. to 5th grade, January 8 - April 5 at the Portola Valley Town Center. The Winter session begins with white animals, snowy backgrounds and snowflakes! For more info, go to their website or call Cindy, 851-1700 ext. 200, to register. Jeff Arons' Spring Tennis Program begins February 1st at Sacred Heart. The programs are for adults and juniors. For more information, please go to our website or email jeffaronstennis@gmail.com. Junior All Terrain Runners (Jr-ATR) Join us for an exciting new program for kids age 7-14! Through our fun, non-competitive curriculum, kids will work on all aspects of movement using confidence (obstacle) courses, core & strength work, and running. Visit us online. Mavericks Youth Water Polo Menlo Swim and Sport welcomes Brenda Villa, the most decorated female water polo player ever, as the new Head of Mavericks Water Polo. Girls and Boys 12U and 14U teams forming now, register today!
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Summer Programs/Camps
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Camp Menlo Summer Camp
Camp Menlo Summer Camp registration is now open for camps starting June 2, including our award-winning Camp Menlo Aquatics camp for kids age 4.5-9, Jr Lifeguard for age 9-14, Tennis and Swim for age 7-14, Performance Swim for age 9-18, and two Water Polo camps for beginners and more experienced players. Register before January 31 and save $25 on 5-day summer camps!
Panthers "All Sports" Camp is back for another exciting 2014 summer. Located at Corte Madera School in Portola Valley, Panthers Camp has been thriving in the bay area for the past 20 years. We look forward to working with your kids this summer. Our primary focus is building confidence & inspiring a passion for a variety of movement skills. For more information, here is the link to the Panthers Camp website. In order to register, please visit here. If you register before 3/1/14, you will get the early bird special. Please let me know if you have any questions (danflahavan@gmail.com). I look forward to another great summer with your kids at Panthers Camp.
Captivating Dance by Nona Summer Dance Camp: Learn/improve dance techniques for Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical/Contemporary, Tap, Ballet, and more! Additional fun activities included throughout the week. Great opportunity to learn from Nona Ybarra, multi-award winning choreographer/instructor, CDBN competition dance instructors, as well as some of Nona's Elite winning CDBN dance team members.For advanced campers only - a different special guest choreographer will teach a master class during one day of each weeklong session!
Ages: boys and girls 4-17 Location: 1923 Menalto Times: M - F 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Beginning/intermediate); 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (Advanced) Sessions: June 16 - July 28 Fees: $385/week (family and multi week discount available) Contact: is again offering several camps this summer. There are flyers in the Las Lomitas School office. Visit our website or call 1-800-854-3684.
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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 
