The Lion's Roar  

The Las Lomitas PTA Newsletter  
                                                               
 Week of March 31, 2014
   
In This Issue
From the Principal
Las Lomitas Education Foundation
Animals on Campus
School News
Parents of Third Graders
Lost and Found
R-FEP Celebration April 29, 2014
Kindergarten Registration
Next Year Session Requests - Returning Families ONLY
Business Partners
Community News
Summer Programs/Camps
Newsletter Submissions
Join Our Mailing List!
Quick Links

 Calendar

 


This Week:

  • Music Informances begin March 31 in room 37.  See article below. 
  • Wed. April 2 - PTA Bd. Mtg. 9:00 a.m. - room 20B  
  • Thurs April 3 - Incoming 4th Grade Parent Orientation - L.E. Library - 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. 
  • Fri April 4 - 3rd graders visit La Entrada 
  • Fri. April 4 - Volunteer and Staff Appreciation Luncheon 

 

Coming Soon:
  • Wed. April 9  School Bd. Mtg. - 7:00 p.m. - D.O.

  • April 14 - 18 SPRING BREAK - No School 

 

Save the Date!

 

  • Friday April 25 Kindergarten Roundup - 10:00 a.m. Cano Hall - A wonderful way for incoming Ks to get acquainted.  More information to follow.    
  •   

           
    From the Principal
     

    Dear Las Lomitas Families,

     

    April is here and we are on the fast track! There are so many exciting activities planned in the next several weeks, be sure to keep a close eye on the Lion's Roar and website calendar so you don't miss out on anything!

     

    The Staff Appreciation Luncheon is this Friday, April 4 at 12:00 in Cano Hall. Parent volunteers are welcome to join us. This event will allow teachers and parents to enjoy a good meal together and thank one another for all that goes on at Las Lomitas during the year. I hope you can join us!

     

    Third-to-fourth grade transition activities start on Wednesday, April 2, when a panel of expert students, teachers and administrators come to third grade classes to share information and answer questions. On Thursday parents may attend an evening presentation and on Friday all third grade students will travel to La Entrada for a tour. Third and fourth grade teachers work collaboratively to ease the transition "jitters" for both students and parents. I hope all third grade families will attend the informational meeting on Thursday evening, April 3 at La Entrada.

     

    Incoming Kindergarten students will enjoy the Round-Up at the end of the month. If you know families with children who will be eligible for kindergarten in the fall, encourage them to pick up a registration packet and attend this event. There is a parent orientation scheduled for the evening of April 24in Cano Hall. Our Kindergarten teachers have prepared a wonderful, detailed presentation. I look forward to meeting some of our new incoming class of students on April 25!


    On April 29 at 6:00 in the MUR at La Entrada, we will be celebrating our English Learners who have demonstrated proficiency in English and are "graduating" from our English Language Development support program. When a student meets eligibility as English-proficient, they are "redesignated" as fluent-proficient (R-FEP). The event will highlight the students through a video show, student presentations and speeches. This is our second annual R-FEP celebration ~ congratulations to these students!

     

    California Assessment of Student Performance & Progress (CAASPP) tests begin on April 7 for our third grade classes. This is the first year of this new assessment model. This field test will help us, and state representatives, determine how the online system will work. You can go to

    www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/smarterftqa.asp for more information. We are all very interested in administering these assessments.

     

    As you can see, there is never a dull moment at Las Lomitas! Thank you to all of you who help making all of these events and activities possible.

     

    Until next time,

     

    Sue Sartor

    Principal

     

    liLas Lomitas Education Foundation
    foundation logo


     
     
     
    Auction Tickets on sale April 1, 2014 for the May 10th auction at the Cabana Hotel Crowne Plaza in Palo Alto.

    BUY your tickets here!





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    THE FUN RUN 2014 - SATURDAY, MAY 17th

      

    FunRun  

    Bring your entire family and join the Foundation's 3rd annual Fun Run starting at 8:30 a.m. from the Las Lomitas Kindergarten playground.  Three separate run/walk events will be held: 
    • Short course on the Las Lomitas playground for the youngest participants
    • Medium-distance road course (1 mile) on the beautiful streets of Atherton
    • 5K run/walk: a flat and fast road course through the beautiful backstreets of Atherton

    The events aren't just for runners: walkers and those pushing strollers are welcome too. Pre- register online until May 15th.  Want to help with this FUN event? We are in need of volunteers to help on race day (time keepers, food/drink tables, traffic/course monitors, etc.). If you are interested, please contact Josie Tang ([email protected]).

      
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    We are excited that this year Las Lomitas will be hosting Grandparent's Day on May 23rd.  

     

    We hope that you have mailed the invitations to your children's grandparents so that they can RSVP and join the festivities.  You can also RSVP for them by clicking here, or going to www.llef.org and clicking on the Grandparent's Day icon on the left side. The RSVP deadline is the end of April, or when we reach 450 grandparents, which ever is earlier.  Because space is strictly limited and because each grandparent has his or her own schedule for the day, grandparents must register online to attend the event

     

    We sincerely regret that Grandparent's Day is limited to grandparents only; however, parents, nannies, aunts, uncles and family friends are welcome to participate by volunteering for the event.  We could really use your help to make the event a success!

     

    Hurry and sign-up to volunteer today - it will be a fun and exciting morning, with wonderful memories in the making! Click here to volunteer now.
                                   

    Please support our schools    

        

    Like us on Facebook 

    LLEF Our Children Our Schools Our Community

    Animals on Campus

    Please understand that for health and safety reasons, dogs and pets are NOT allowed on campus during school hours unless prior arrangements have been made with staff - this includes dismissal time. All animals or pets that are brought to school for instructional purposes must be on leash or in closed carriers.

     School News 
                                                                                 
     
    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.  Music Informances are scheduled for the week of March 31 - April 4 in room 37.   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.

     
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    A reminder...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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    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.

    Parents of Third Graders

    Parents of Third Graders:

    Save these dates regarding 4th grade orientation to 

    La Entrada!

     

    As you are well aware, third graders will be off to La Entrada in the fall. Several activities have been organized to address questions that you and your child may have about their "new school."

     

    In an effort to make the transition to La Entrada comfortable for everyone, we invite you to attend the following events:

     

    ORIENTATION FOR PARENTS OF THIRD GRADERS - Thursday, April 3rd

    All parents are invited to an orientation session on Thursday, April 3rd from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the La Entrada Library. Shannon Potts, Principal and La Entrada staff will provide information about LE and the 4th grade program in particular, so that your transition will be smooth and comfortable. The evening will allow ample time for your questions. Refreshments will be served. Please Note: This evening is for parents only. Students will visit La Entrada for their own special orientation the next day.

     

    THIRD GRADE VISIT TO LA ENTRADA - Friday, April 4th

    On Friday morning, April 4th, third graders will take a field trip to La Entrada. The students will already have corresponded with current 4th graders via a pen pal program. They will get to meet their pen pal and participate in an orientation planned by La Entrada staff and students to help your child become more comfortable and excited about his/her new school.

     

    LA ENTRADA OPEN HOUSE - Tuesday, May 20th

    La Entrada teachers will hold Open House in their classrooms on Tuesday, May 20th beginning at 6:30 p.m. Incoming 4th graders and their families are welcome to attend this event. It's a great opportunity to meet the fourth grade teachers: Ms. Goldman, Room 30, Ms. Cummins, Room 31, Mrs. Rivers, Room 40, Mrs. Montalvo, Room 41 Ms. Thelen, Rm 32 and Mrs. Behrens, Room 43, Ms. Bicknell, Rm 44.

    (NOTE: Next year's teacher assignments have not been determined as of this date.)

     

    Questions? Call Kathy Ruwe, school counselor at Las Lomitas ext. 267

     

    Lost and Found


    THE LOST AND FOUND WILL BE DONATED THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 4.  PLEASE COME HAVE A LOOK!!!
    R-FEP Celebration 

    Las Lomitas School District will be celebrating those English language learner students who have demonstrated academic proficiency in English on April 29, 2014, 6:00 p.m. in the La Entrada MUR.  These students will be redesignated as "Fluent English Proficient", also known as R-FEP. Our R-FEP celebration is in honor of students who have graduated from the English Language Development program and will highlight each student through a video show, student presentations and speeches by district administrators and teachers.

     

    Congratulations to our students and their families for this terrific accomplishment!

     

    Registration Information for 2014-2015
     

    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.  If you are planning to send your child to Las Lomitas in the fall, please register as soon as possible.  Thank you. 

     

    Next Year Session Requests - Returning Families ONLY

    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 [email protected]. 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.

     

    Business Partners
     

    Welcome to SOLID! Our organization was co-founded by a parent at Las Lomitas, and we are committed to our mission to help build a SOLID foundation for schools. We design and sell great t-shirts and each time you buy a SOLID tee - we will donate 28.5% of the sales to Las Lomitas Elementary School.


    Please check out our website. You can support Las Lomitas NOW by purchasing a SOLID tee directly from our site! 

      

    Like us on Facebook
    Follow us on Twitter



    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.
     
    Community News

        

    Celebrate Earth Day at a green concert for kids Sunday, April 6, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.at the Schultz Cultural Arts Hall in Palo Alto featuring Tom Chapin with Michael Mark.  Tickets available at the door or online

    Creative Arts for Young Children
    is offering art classes with an Ancient Egypt theme this spring.  Everything from clay pyramids to drawing hieroglyphics will be explored.  Classes are for children from 3 years to 8th graders and are Weds - Sat afternoons and Saturday mornings too.  To register, contact Cindy at 851-1700 ext 200 or register online.

    Portola Valley Theatre Conservatory's spring session begins the week of March 31st!
    We offer after-school theatre classes to students in PreK-9th grade. The theme this spring is Fractured Fairytales. Get ready to put on a costume, play some theatre games, and act up a storm! Registration and details available on our website.

    SPRING BREAK LEGO� CAMP
     (April 14 - April 18) @ Oak Knoll Elementary Grades K-5.
    BrainVyne - Providers of LEGO� education:  Each day includes LEGO� build and play with LEGO� Zoom and LEGO� robotics models as well as favorite camp activities- games, art, sports. 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Post camp till 6:00 p.m. for an extra fee. Register by the day or sign up for entire week at a discounted price. Register Now!

    Studio Rincon Youth Dance Classes 
    Studio Rincon on Alameda in Menlo Park- Winter/Spring session of youth dance classes started the 1st week of March.  Signup  here.  Pre-ballet, ballet, tap & hip hop are all taught in a fun and positive atmosphere after school for ages 3-Teen.  Classes lead up to the annual end if year show at Woodside HS PAC! View the youth schedule online.   
     
    Join us at the Children's Champions Event on Saturday, May 3rd from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., for a family-friendly afternoon at Stanford Stadium. Benefiting Wender Weis Foundation for Children and Fit Kids, Children's Champions wants you to have fun while being active and healthy! Come mingle with professional athletes and team mascots including Lou Seal, Stomper and Q. Meet members of the Stanford Football team. Run through an obstacle course, participate in a three-legged race, make some arts and crafts, or just have a fun afternoon, all the while helping at-risk children. Tickets available online

    The Society of Young Inklings is going to publish an annual anthology of the stories and poems of talented young writers--this year we are holding a contest to see whose pieces will be included. Young writers in grades 1-8 with stories or poems are encouraged to enter the contest. Submissions must be in final draft and students must commit to completing an editing process if their piece is chosen. For more information on the contest please check here.

    Reading & Classroom Volunteers Needed in East Palo Alto - An Hour a Week Could Change a Student's Life (sign up now, September start)
     We are looking now for parents willing to volunteer beginning in September to assist in K-4 classrooms in East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park.  Either tutor students in a structured reading program or assist teachers in the classroom with individualized instruction much like you may have done in your own child's school.   These schools have almost no parents helping...no PTA. It's one hour per week starting in September. Our organization provides orientation/training and coordinates everything. Click here for an informational flyer. To learn more about the experience, contact parent volunteers Jennifer Overholt at [email protected], Keri Tully at [email protected] or Ashley Banks at [email protected]. Visit us online to sign up or contact Carolyn Blatman, ASM Program Director, at [email protected].
     
    Tennis Festival at Burgess Park  Kids age 6-12 and their families are invited to join Menlo Swim and Sport for our first annual Tennis Festival on Saturday, April 19! Experienced instructors will be on hand for demonstrations, highlighting the new 10&Under program from USTA. This program is designed to introduce new players to the game of tennis using smaller courts, larger tennis balls and fun and active skills and drills. Register today! 

     

    Summer Programs/Camps

    LAS LOMITAS SUMMER PROGRAM
    :  Incoming kindergarten through 4th graders will learn about our 49th state of Alaska and the Arctic. This enrichment program spans 4 weeks, from 9:00 to 1:00, June 23 to July 18 at Las Lomitas School. Registration forms can be found in the school office or by contacting Barbara Fong at [email protected]
     
    Join us for Jeff Arons' Summer Tennis Camp at Sacred Heart.  Morning camps are for beginning/intermediate players to develop their skills while afternoon camps are geared to improving match play performance.  Camps are Mondays through Fridays, 9:00 - noon and 2:00 to 5:00 for first through twelfth graders.  The ten one week sessions begin June 9 and end August 15.
    Email [email protected] or visit us online

    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.  For more details, here is my website.   Session 1 (June 16-19) is filling quickly with only 10 spaces left and session 2 is sold-out.  Sessions 3 (June 30-July 3) and 4 (July 7-10) have space available.   In order to register, please click here.  Contact Dan Flahavan with any questions: [email protected]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.  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.  

     

      

    La Entrada Coding Camp: Summer 2014

    Are you going to be a 4th, 5th, and 6th grader next year? Do you want to learn what it takes to computer program in a fun and supportive way? Then look no further and join La Entrada's Coding Camp, hosted by Mr. Parker Kelly, La Entrada's technology teacher. With over 20 years of teaching experience, 14 as the technology teacher at La Entrada, he will guide you, over a two week period, as we explore a variety of different programming languages and resources as well some fun multimedia projects. First off, participants will receive hands-on practice using a variety of addicting, age appropriate, tools and online resources to learn about coding. In addition, students will get a chance to explore powerful media manipulation tools such as Photoshop CS6, Autodesk tools, a broadcasting studio, Garageband, iMovie and many others in a brand new iMac lab. Enrollment is limited to the first 16 students per 2 week session so do not delay in registering. Here are the specifics:

      

    Where: La Entrada Middle School, iMac lab, 2200 Sharon Rd., Menlo Park CA  

    Who: Students entering 4th, 5th, or 6th grade in the fall of 2014

    When: Choose between two 2-week sessions OR take both!

             Session 1: June 16-27, 2014, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

             Session 2: July 7-18, 2014, 8:30a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

    Cost: $600 per 2 week session, $1,100 for both sessions

      

    For additional information, check out our flyer to register, click here!  Don't delay, signup today!

     

     

    Summer Math Camp, Mathitude, presents a Fun & Exciting MATH game experience that will

     change the way your children will think about Math!  This camp is not a 'pencil and paper'

    camp. Instead, it's a massive game the children play all

    week.  Children will rotate between stations, guided by trained counselors.  Stations include the Design Center, Math Arcade, Treasure Hunting and 007 Secret Agent.  The children roll the dice, or draw a card, to determine their math task (based on interest and level).  Each task attempted and/or solved will earn tokens the children redeem for prizes at our Gift Shop. For entering grades 2 - 8 (all levels welcome). Visit our website to learn more and register!     

      

    Champions Extended Learning at Las Lomitas Elementary
    When school's out, fantastic fun is in!  Want to spring some fun on your kid this break? Preview our summer adventures by discovering a different theme each day! Not only will your child get a chance to explore our exciting offerings that are coming this summer, they will have a new learning experience everyday. Join us for Spring Break Camp April 14th- April 18th.
    Sign up today; space is limited! Contact Ruby Alter at (650) 233-1860 or [email protected] for more information.


    Young Outliers, a Silicon Valley summer camp, will be held at JLS Middle School in Palo Alto for children ages 9-13.  Email [email protected] or call 650-417-3008 for more information.  

    Newsletter Submissions

    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 ([email protected]) 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;
    For past issues, visit the PTA Newsletter archive

    Donna Hall
    Lion's Roar Editor

    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!