From the Foundation
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We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are certainly fortunate to live in the extraordinary Las Lomitas Elementary School District, with its 30-year legacy of dedicated community support for high quality education. Thank you so much to all families who have already contributed to the Annual Giving Campaign!
It is now the Season of Giving. The annual LLEF gift to our District is simply fundamental and essential to the achievements of our schools and students, and if you have yet to make your gift, please donate now!
The parent volunteers of LLEF have been working hard for months to raise the vital money upon which our schools rely. The first LLEF Phone Appeal will take place next week - but we certainly hope you will donate before then, and save us the call!
As a reminder, we need to raise $2,000 per student, with 100% participation, to reach our
fundraising goal of $2.8 million.
It is critical that every family contribute. If you can't give at the requested level, please give an amount that is meaningful and comfortable for your family. Every donation counts.
And if you can, please GIVE MORE this year - There are still funds available to double the increased portion of your gift with a dollar-for-dollar match from the $200,000 Challenge Grant.
PLEASE DONATE TODAY!
 www.llef.org Use the LLEF Shopping Portal for your HOLIDAY SHOPPING NEEDS! Order your Holiday Cards and do all your online shopping through the Foundation's Online Shopping Portal Click-through to any of the online stores and shop as you normally would... the retailers donate a portion of every purchase to the Foundation. It's free money for our schools! 
Join or Update eScrip - It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!
2. Register or renew your Safeway Club Card and credit cards at the eScrip website and then designate Las Lomitas Education Foundation (Group ID# 125673324)
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From the Principal
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Dear Las Lomitas Families, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving vacation filled with family and friends. The two days prior to break were very productive for our teachers. Every minute was filled with learning and planning! In addition to our certificated classroom and support teachers, we have many paraeducators here at Las Lomitas working in a variety of capacities. Formerly known as classroom aides, paraeducators instruct and inspire students. Las Lomitas paraeducators provide instructional support in the Language Lab, library, Computer Lab, Math Lab, physical education classes and regular classrooms, as well as on the playground. These remarkable employees work under the direction of, and in collaboration with, classroom teachers and administrators to meet students' needs. Mary Anne Nielsen, Director of the Diagnostic Center at the California Department of Education wrote: "They (paraeducators) are our link to the community, role models for our students, job coaches, academic and/or technology tutors, disciplinarians, surrogate parents, playground supervisors, translators and mediators. They are key members of the teaching team." We are very fortunate to have such talented paraeducators as part of the teaching team at Las Lomitas. Hats off to them! Until next time,
Sue
Session Requests for 2015-2016 ~ 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, 2015. 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, 2015, 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. |
Las Lomitas League Classes
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Does your child attend a Las Lomitas League Class? If so, please read! Be sure to let the classroom teacher know when LLL classes end for your child and what the new dismissal plans will be. LLL classes end on different dates and we want to be sure your children are at the proper location for pick up, or on the bus, to get them home safe and sound!
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| PTA News |
Holiday Workshop- Wednesday, Cano Hall, 9am-2pm  It's finally here! Join us in Cano Hall this Wednesday for the Holiday Workshop! This is an opportunity for your child to make holiday crafts to give as gifts to friends and loved ones. With the help of our wonderful parent community, the kids will make nine crafts (3rd graders make 10). All parents are welcome to help even if you did not sign up to volunteer. The schedule is as follows: 1st Grade: 9:05-9:55am 2nd Grade: 10:05-10:55am Kindergarten: 11:05-11:55am 3rd Grade: 1:05-1:55pm We'd like to thank all the parents who helped us prep the craft materials. A special shout out to our awesome table lead parents for their hard work: Anita Sidhu, Shaler Barnes, Heather Sederquist, MJ Crousore, Caren Taylor, Laura Purpura, Katie Boland Jenn Hipple, Christina Baszucki, Tracey Chesler, Danielle Jensen, Sara Stremple, Louise Husen, Jenn Polly, Rumiko Kawaguchi. You guys ROCK! Finally, another HUGE thank you to Bianchini's Market who donated 300 grocery bags to our event. -Holiday Workshop Co-Chairs, Josie Tang and Kristina Valentine Are you searching for the perfect holiday gift for your child's teacher?
The Apple for the Classroom program provides a way for parents to support their children's classrooms directly. All the teachers and specialists at Las Lomitas have been invited to create a "wish list" of items that will help to further enrich their classrooms. You can fulfill teachers' wishes by bringing an item to the school office or by donating via PayPal toward a special item of your choosing. Thank you for supporting our teachers!
Please click here to choose a holiday gift for your favorite teacher(s).  PTA VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE!
The following programs require a lot of volunteers to run successfully. PLEASE SIGN UP!
Green Campus - We have an amazing program that is not only educational for the kids but great for our environment. Consider volunteering for Green Campus and spend time with your children during lunchtime to help compost. Please sign up on our invitation page on Volunteer Spot.
Fun Fridays - Help organize and run games with the kids during lunch recess the first Friday of each month. Fun Fridays are a great way to interact directly with the kids and see first hand playground fun!
 Website - PTA Webmaster Volunteer Needed - CALLING ALL K and 1st grade parents!
The PTA Executive Board is looking for a webmaster for the Las Lomitas PTA website. He/she will be in charge of maintaining the Las Lomitas PTA website, excluding the program-specific web forms and applications.
Required skills: Proficient in HTML or Dreamweaver.
Flexible role great for a working parent. All work can be done at your leisure and in the comfort of your own home (2 hours per month, as needed.) Please sign up for this important role via the PTA website. Any questions, please contact Sladana Veljkovic (webmaster@llpta.org.)
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Las Lomitas League News
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Are you interested in our after school Sports and Classes programs? Then Join the LLL Board of Directors!
Join the team that provides enriching and fun after-school activities and sports for Las Lomitas and La Entrada students! The Las Lomitas League (LLL) is a parent-led, non-profit organization and we are expanding our board of directors. We have the following open positions:
- President-in-training - Shadow the current president and learn about the programs and responsibilities of the LLL President. Lead the board beginning in June 2015.
- Basketball Co-Director (in-training) - Work with the current directors to learn about our successful recreational basketball program. Co-lead the program in 2015-2016.
- Secretary - Take minutes at board meetings. Maintain records of board policies, actions, etc. Edit LLL articles for Spot/Roar newsletters.
- Member-at-Large - Join the LLL board to learn about our programs and help in small ways. We would like an at-large member from each school.
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Business Partners
|  QWERTY Education Services, a premier provider of education services for Menlo Park, Palo Alto and surrounding Peninsula communities for over 25 years, offers private, one-on-one tutoring services, educational testing by Licensed Educational Psychologists and a variety of custom other education services designed to help your child. Looking for multi-sensory math tutoring, help with writing, study skills support, educational testing or expert insight about how your student learns? QWERTY is here to assist. - See more at: http://www.qwertyed.com
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Community News
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6th Annual Gingerbread House Decorating Fundraiser
Join the fun as the Youth Group of Bethany Lutheran Church in Menlo Park hosts its 6th Annual Gingerbread House Decorating event on Saturday, December 6, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon. The Gingerbread Houses are pre-assembled so you get the fun of decorating without the headache of construction! Your house includes all the candy, sweets, and tools you need to decorate your holiday centerpiece. Bring the kids, your imagination, and your holiday spirit and create a holiday memory the entire family will treasure! Each house is $55. Refreshments will be served. Space is very limited so we strongly encourage that you reserve your Gingerbread House today. Book your reservation at www.bethany-mp.org/gingerbread or call 650-854-5897. All proceeds go towards Bethany Youth Group projects & activities.
The Friends of the Menlo Park Library present a FAMILY GIFT TAG WORKSHOP with Betsy Halaby and Susie Peyton on Sunday, December 14, 1:00 - 4:00. No registration required - come and join us in the Library! For ages 2 to adult. http://menlopark.org/Calendar.aspx?EID=774&month=12&year=2014&day=14&calType=0
Menlo Park Library presents STORYTELLING! Tales from the oral tradition - December 4 at 4 p.m. in the library's downstairs program room. Join resident tale-spinner John Weaver for hilarious tales told without a book! Fun for all ages!!
Kepler's presents Story Time with Caryn Yacowitz, Saturday, December 6 at 11:00 a.m. Come meet the author of I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dreidel.
Twas the Night Before Christmas
Presented by Dancers Repertory Theatre and Menlo Park Academy of Dance and reviewed as a "charming alternative to the Nutcracker." Performances at Woodside Performing Arts Center on Saturday December 6(4:00pm), Sunday December 7(1:00pm and 4:00pm) Saturday, December 13, (1:00pm and 4:00pm), and Sunday, December 14 (1:00pm and 4:00pm). In the spirit of the holidays, Dancers Repertory Theatre has partnered with Bay Area Firefighters Toys for Kids Drive to provide Toys and Gifts to children in need through our local communities. We hope each audience member will bring a new, unwrapped Toy to a performance to help make another child's holiday a little brighter !Tickets and more information available at www.twasthenight.org or by calling 650-323-5292. Las Lomitas student Mia P. will be dancing in the show!
SportsHouse in Redwood City is holding a flag football league this winter, beginning in January. The teams play indoors. For K - 3rd graders, all players must sign up individually. This age group kicks off on Saturdays, beginning January 17. Teams play 8 weeks and the cost is $199 per child. For more information, go to http://www.sportshouseonline.com/SportsYouth/YouthFootball.htm or call 650-362-4975. In Home Private Tutoring with a Credentialed Teacher Julianna Hollander is a CA credentialed teacher with 13 years experience in education. She is available for Pre-K through 5th Grade tutoring. Sessions may include kindergarten readiness skills, homework help, and intervention or enrichment in reading, writing and math. She has extensive experience with special needs. References are available from local community. Contact her today to discuss your child's needs via email at jhtutoringk5@gmail.com, or phone at 650-722-0025.
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Newsletter Submissions
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To submit an item, email Carol Clark (cclark@llesd.org) by 12 noon on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication date.
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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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