M-A'S OWN PSAT PREP - Jane King, who runs director of M-A's Own PSAT Prep, currently has no telephone service. She does have some email access so if you need to contact her, please keep trying her email and be patient.

  STILL NEED P.E. CLOTHES? You can still buy clothes appropriate for P.E. in the Student Store (B21) during lunch. T-shirts are $10, shorts are $15, sweatshirts are $40, and sweatpants are $30. You can pay cash or have a check made out to Menlo-Atherton. Questions? Contact Libby Tinsley at libby_tinlsey@yahoo.com.

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 JOIN THE PTA - Have you joined the PTA this year? If not, you can still join online or by mail (download the form and send it in with your check to the M-A office). Membership is $10 and we hope that you will donate what you can beyond that amount (suggested donation is $150 per student). The PTA funds quality experiences for the M-A learning community like Challenge Day, the Parent Education Series, and funding for Mini-Grants and also purchases essential supplies and equipment for classrooms. Please consider donating. Thanks for your support!

REFLECTIONS ARTS RECOGNITION PROGRAM - This year marks the first year M-A students will participate in the Reflections Arts Recognition Program competition. Reflections is a national PTA program that has been in existence for 40 years. The competition covers six art disciplines:  photography, visual arts, music composition, film production, dance choreography, and literature. The entrants must create a work of art based on a theme. This year's theme is "The World Would Be a Better Place if..."  The artwork is judged by working artists in our community and winning entries move on to compete at the district, state and national levels.

All entry forms and rules are available on the M-A PTA website or from any of the M-A art teachers. The due date for entries is Tuesday, November 4, so go and create a work of art showing how "The World Would Be A Better Place If..."

eSCRIP NEEDS ALL M-A FAMILIES - eSCRIP provides easy fundraising for the M-A PTA. In the past, as much as $30,000  per year has been raised! This money is donated by Safeway (and other local merchants) when you use your eSCRIP registered Safeway card and pay by debit or cash. There is no cost to our M-A families.

If you're already registered in eSCRIP, remember to "renew" every year at eScrip.com
by clicking "Yes Renew". For new families, go to escrip.com, click on "1-Sign Up" and enter your club card number. Be sure to select Menlo-Atherton or our group number 136550465 so that M-A benefits. Every time you shop makes a difference, and collectively, we make a big contribution. Don't let this free money get away!

 CURIOUS ABOUT THE ADMIN SUPPORT COMMITTEE? - The PTA's Admin Support Committee helps M-A's staff by recruiting parents when volunteers are needed in large numbers. A sampling of Admin Support events that use parent volunteers are: arena check-in, textbook distribution, schedule distribution, AP sign-ups, and AP test proctoring. Most shifts are two hours long. This committee is a great way to get involved and meet people if you are new to M-A. Add your name to the ranks by using this link. If you have questions, please email Admin Support Chairs Catherine McMillan or Mary Zarucchi at bearsvolunteers@gmail.com.

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If you missed the Freshman and New Parent Coffee or did not receive a folder with handouts, you may access the handouts here.

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M-A PARENT EDUCATION SERIES

"The Perseverance Process: Strategies for Strengthening Academic Motivation and Persistence"

Kent Pekel, Ed.D., President and CEO of Search Institute

Wednesday, September 17, 7-9 p.m.

M-A PAC

Recent and emerging research suggests that persistence or "perseverance" can improve students' academic motivation and increase performance. In fact, the evidence suggests that noncognitive character traits like grit may be more predictive of future academic achievement than IQ or SAT scores. Fortunately, a growing body of research demonstrates that when schools, youth programs, and families act intentionally to influence motivation and persistence, it is possible to significantly increase both.

Join us for an informative, engaging presentation with Dr. Kent Pekel, CEO and President of Search Institute. Search has created "the Perseverance Process" to turn the research on motivation and persistence into a set of explicit and actionable strategies. To register for the informative presentation by Dr. Kent Pekel, CEO and President of Search Institute, click here. 

M-A Parent Education Series events are free and sponsored by the M-A PTA and the Sequoia Healthcare District. SUHSD parents, students, faculty/staff, and community members are welcome and Spanish interpretation will be available.This event is made possible by generous funding from the Esther Ting Foundation. For more information, contact Charlene Margot, Parent Education Series Program Director, at cmargot@csmconsulting.net or 650-868-0590.

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• Email proofread submissions to BearNotes@mabearspta.org by Thursday midnight.
• Please keep submissions concise and include the organization name, event, date, time, location, and contact information, including website URL.
• All submissions are subject to editing by the PTA.
• For the PTA policy on BearNotes publication, please go to the M-A PTA website.
• M-A PTA does not endorse third-party events or submissions, nor take responsibility regarding the content of any third-party websites.

Go Bears. Grrrr!

Thank you from the BearNotes Staff: Cindy Butler, Dianne Child, Pam Fernandes, Sue Olson, Jenny Pont, Kelly Stewart, Bobbi Wood