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 This Week |
Monday, June 10
- Elective Options Deadline, 4 p.m.
Thursday, June 13
- Last Day of School, minimum day, 11:45 a.m. dismissal
- 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony, 5 p.m.
- 8th Grade Graduation Party, 7 p.m.
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| Looking Ahead |
Sunday, June 30
Tuesday, August 20
Wednesday, August 21
Thursday, August 22
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Mandatory Re-Enrollment
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All students in the Menlo Park City School District (MPCSD) must re-enroll for 2013-2014 by Sunday, June 30, 2013. Our schools are severely impacted by increased enrollment, and so we are requiring parents to confirm their spot for the coming school year, as well as verify data on file, and receipt of required annual legal notices and agreements.
The district will contact all families this week with instructions for mandatory online re-enrollment for every student who will be attending grades kindergarten through 8 this fall. If you are not planning to return to the district in the fall, please contact your school office immediately by calling! Hillview's phone number is (650) 326-4341. Even families that recently registered children for kindergarten will have to complete the online re-enrollment. The district will again be using Infosnap to electronically re-enroll students.
The district will send re-enrollment information by email to all families with an email address in the MPCSD database. If there is no email address on record for your family, re-enrollment instructions will be sent by postal mail. If internet access is an issue, a computer will be available at the registrar's office. Please note that the databases used for PTO and district newsletters are not the same as the MPCSD registration database. So getting this newsletter does not mean your email is on the registrar's mailing list. If you have changed your email address in the past year, or if you would like to make sure the correct email address is in the MPCSD registration database, please email registrar@mpcsd.org and include your name, your child(ren)'s name, school and grade. Thank you for your cooperation with mandatory re-enrollment. Questions? Email registrar@mpcsd.org.
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| Arena Check-In |
Please mark your calendars for the following dates in August for the Hillview Arena Check-In (ACI) for the 2013 - 2014 school year.
Tuesday, August 20 - ACI for incoming 7th and 8th grade students and parents
- 8th grade check in time: 9 - 11 a.m.
- 7th grade check in time: 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, August 21 - ACI for incoming 6th grade students and parents
- Separate parent and student orientation from 9 - 10 a.m.
- 6th grade check in time between: 10 - 11:30 a.m.
- 6th grade students ONLY: Camp Hillview 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Attendance for all students is mandatory. At Arena Check-In, your student will have their school ID portrait taken and receive their class schedule. There will also be an opportunity to sign up for after school activities and sports, join the PTO, volunteer and much more. Keep an eye out for an important district communication in early August for district forms and online enrollments.
We need volunteers to help make this day run smoothly, so please consider helping us out. A request for volunteers will go out in August.
If you have any questions, please contact Mary Murphy or Meagan Carabetta at arenacheckin@hillviewpto.org.
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Volunteering
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Hillview would be an entirely different school without the tireless hours and efforts of our parents volunteers. Thanks for all that you have done this past year -- you, too, deserve a much needed summer break. However, if you are itching to get involved next year or haven't yet found your volunteer niche, we want you!
To ensure a great start of the year for our children, here are two areas that need volunteers lined up and ready to go:
* Academy Parent
As an Academy Parent you would work on a team (Academy Support Team) with other parents to assist the teachers in organizing celebrations, providing volunteers, forwarding school communications and helping with field trips.
Academy Parent training sessions will be held near the beginning of school next fall. As soon as the date for Back-to-school Night is confirmed, we will set the training dates accordingly.
Academy Support Teams will be finalized after children are placed in their academies following Arena Check-In.
* Hot Lunch
It takes 35 parents per week to serve lunch! Hot lunch volunteers serve more than 300 students per school day -- one third of our student body. Parent volunteers are definitely needed.
Serving lunch takes less than 12 minutes, but volunteers arrive 20 minutes early to set up and stay 10 minutes to clean up and stack the lunch bins. It's less than an hour commitment and a great way to connect with other parents and see your kids and their friends at school.
Thanks so much to the 115 volunteers who worked hot lunch this year with leads and team members. Some volunteers worked 3 - 5 shifts per month!
To volunteer for these two areas, or for more information on other ways to help out, please contact PTO Volunteer Coordinator Katie Angioletti.
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Safe Routes to School
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Menlo Park City Council will be discussing the Safe Routes to Oak Knoll School Plan on Tuesday, June 11 during council meeting which starts at 7 p.m.
The city is updating the plan. The meeting will include a brief presentation on traffic issues, and recommendations to improve circulation in the school area and further encourage bicycling and walking to school.
For more information, please email Rich Angulo with "Safe Routes to Oak Knoll School Plan Update" in the subject field or call (650) 330-6770.
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Are You In RUN
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Congratulations to all the Are You In RUN runners, walkers and volunteers! Your support along with our fabulous business and family sponsors raised more than $86,000 for our school district. We're all so fortunate to have raised this much needed funding for our schools. Your dedication and commitment is what brought our entire school district and community together. We had more than 1,400 registered runners, more than 1,100 runners on race day and 110 volunteers helping us with this event. It's commitment like this that makes us all so proud to be a part of this community.
Thank you again for your incredible support. See you next year!
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Graduating Class Info
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Some information for 8th graders and their parents graduating out of Hillview into the Sequoia High School District:
Sequoia High School District Summer Reading List: Each high school campus has a list of required reading for the summer and students can purchase a book or a digital copy, or borrow one from the public library, for most books. If a student needs a book and cannot afford one, the student can obtain one from the high school library or through a digital account that each school is offering. The links to summer reading lists and the digital resources will be posted on the website of your high school -- Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia or Woodside. The summer reading list can also be downloaded from the Hillview Library website. Important: Note that the number of copies available through digital services is limited and students are subject to being on a waiting list. For the digital books, students can use their Infinite Campus login name and password. Please visit the website of your high school for more information.
Menlo-Atherton Welcoming Events:
Please save these dates for incoming freshmen:
* Arena Check-In is Tuesday, August 13, 1 - 5 p.m.
* Freshman Orientation is Monday, August 19, 8 - 10 a.m.
* Freshman Parent Coffee is Monday, August 19, 8 - 10 a.m.
MA's Foundation for the Future invites parents to drop their child off for Freshman Orientation and then join other freshman parents for coffee outside the staff lounge at the front of campus. Principal Matthew Zito will speak about what to expect during the first weeks of school. Menlo-Atherton Athletics: Current 8th graders who want to play sports at Menlo-Atherton High School should fill out a form this summer. In order to participate in fall sports like football, water polo and cross country all students must complete a Permit to Participate in the Athletics Packet and turn this packet into the vice principal's office by Friday, August 16. The packet can be downloaded from the Menlo-Atherton High School website or the Bears Athletics website. Families can also pick up the packet in the vice principal's office.
The Administrative offices will be open for Early Bird Athletic Clearance on Tuesday, July 30 and Wednesday, July 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Menlo-Atherton Volunteering:
If your 8th grader is heading to Menlo-Atherton High School, please sign up for the administrative support volunteer list. There are no specific obligations. When the M-A Administration needs parent volunteers, we send out an email. If the volunteer opportunity fits your schedule, you sign up; otherwise no need to respond.
A sampling of events that use lots of parent volunteers are Arena Check-In, textbook distribution, schedule distribution, AP sign-ups and AP test proctoring. Volunteering for Administrative Support a few times a year is loads of fun and a great way to meet other M-A parents and find out what's happening at M-A. To be placed on the list, please send in an email with your name to AdminSupport@mabearspta.org.
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Graduation Party Help
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Decoration:
It's a tradition at Hillview that 8th grade parents help the week of graduation, Monday, June 10 - Friday, 14, to transform the gym into the very special place it will become for the 8th grade students to celebrate after their graduation ceremony.
Please sign up online to help decorate. Included in the sign up is the famous Annual Dad's Night which is scheduled for Monday, June 10.
Reception:
It's a tradition at Hillview that the 7th grade parents organize a small reception for the 8th grade parents after the 8th grade graduation ceremony. This year it will be held on Thursday, June 13.
Please sign up online to bring food or help with the reception. Drop off food early in the morning at school or help onsite during one of the shifts in the late afternoon or early evening or both.
It will be us next year!
For more information, contact Marleen Zwiers.
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Oak Knoll Teachers Retiring
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Beloved Oak Knoll kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Towle and Mrs. Van Tellingen are retiring.
If you would like one last hug, please join us Wednesday, June 12 in the Oak Knoll kindergarten yard from 2:45 - 4 p.m. If you want to send them a message before they leave, their emails are ctowle@mpcsd.org and jvantellingen@mpcsd.org.
For more information, please contact Carolyn Bowsher.
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| MPAEF |
Wow! Thanks to Your Support
District Receives $3.6 Million Grant
We are so excited to announce that at the District's School Board meeting this week, the MPAEF will grant the District a GIANT check -- in size and in dollar amount! Students from Laurel, Encinal, Hillview and Oak Knoll will present the oversize check for $3.6 million to the Board. Thanks to the financial support from 85 percent of our District families, we have been able to top last year's record grant by $250,000.
The MPAEF grant will make up more than 10 percent of the District's 2013 - 2014 operating budget and makes it possible to maintain high-quality education in our public schools with the best classroom teachers and specialists, as well as supporting library, art, music and teaching innovation grants.
A huge thank you to all of our families, volunteers, teachers, community members and PTO partners for making it possible!
Join in the community celebration by bringing your children -- dressed in their school spirit wear -- to help with the grant presentation. We will be gathering on Tuesday, June 11 at 5:30 p.m. in front of the District office to take some photos outdoors and present the check.
Hope to see you there! Questions? Contact Chrisie Wendin.
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Have a Graduating 8th Grader or
Want to Say Thanks to a Special Teacher?
Pay Them a Tribute!
It's hard to believe it's almost time for many students to say goodbye to our wonderful District. Honor all that they have accomplished by making a Tribute gift in their name to the MPAEF Endowment. Or, looking for a way to show your gratitude to a special teacher who has made an impact on your child? A Tribute gift is the perfect way to say thanks now -- and in the future!
What is the Endowment? It's a permanent resource for professional development in our District. Its goal is to ensure that the best teachers lead our children during their critical elementary and middle school years, establishing a strong foundation for our entire community. For more information on the Endowment, click here.
To make a Tribute gift, please click here and select "Endowment" in the drop-down box. In the Donor Names box, please indicate the name of the Tribute.
Thank you for considering to make a lasting gift to our District!
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Physical Education
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The final day for students to dress for PE this year has ended. The gym, locker rooms and fitness room are now off limits to students. Anything left in the locker rooms will either be thrown away, sent to Lost and Found or donated to a local charity. PE uniforms can be taken home or donated back to the school. Any lost locks will result in a $10 fine to replace them.
Although no one is dressing in PE uniform this week, there is still PE class. Students need to wear appropriate clothing -- especially footwear. We thank you for your cooperation.
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After School Sports
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- Hillview hopes to sponsor a basketball league for middle school students during summer. Game days are scheduled for Thursdays. For more information and registration, please see the form online. Contact Harry Bell with questions. Deadline for registration is Monday, June 10.
- Next Year's Tournament Teams: We thank the parents who attended the tournament team meeting last week. Tournament team volleyball tryouts is tentatively set for Monday, August 26 and Tuesday, August 27. Tournament team basketball tryouts will be mid-October. Students must be registered before trying out.
- Fall Sports: Look for a summer email about sports registration for 2013-14 flag football, volleyball, fencing and girls' softball. Softball registration is open now. The other three will begin in early August. If your child is planning on participating, we suggest you register as soon as possible. Flag football, in particular, fills up quickly. All registration will be on sport ability.com/hillview.
After school sports questions should be emailed to Harry Bell or call him at (650) 326-4341 ext 2601.
Wishing everyone a fun, happy and healthy summer vacation!
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Last Newsletter
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Thanks to all our readers who have made the Hillview Newsletter one of the top most read emails in the Constant Contact community. Our open rates are well above the industry average.
A big thank you to the newsletter team who also send out the email blasts from Hillview staff and the special PTO bulletins. This year's team is Newsletter Co-chairs Cheryl Cathey and Susan Chung, PTO Co-Presidents Pam Fernandes and Aimee Paquin, Communications Chair Andrea Palmer, and PTO Co-Vice Presidents Valerie Ambwani and Dean Wilkins.
The newsletter takes a break for the summer and returns in early August. Have a great summer!
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| Community |
Internship Available with City of Menlo Park Community Services. Youth Outstanding Learning Opportunities (YOLO) is based out of The City of Menlo Park Community Services Program and provides students entering the 9th and 10th grade a firsthand opportunity to learn operations in a professional recreation environment. To request an application, contact Natalya Jones or call (650) 330-2262. PASA Summer Swim Fun Days with 2004 Olympian Caroline Bruce will be held each Wednesday June 19 - July 31, 5 - 6:30 p.m. at the Menlo-Atherton High School pool. There will be 45 minutes of instructional swim clinic, followed by 45 minutes of fun and games for $30 per session. Must be completely water-safe to participate. Also, Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA) team tryouts will be held on Friday, June 7, from 3:30 - 5 p.m. For both events, contact carolinecadman@gmail.com. Summer Lacrosse. Join us for Grizzlies Summer Ball on Tuesday evenings, June 25 - August 20. It's a great time of day to work on skills and scrimmage this summer. Boys and Girls ages 5 - 15 years are welcome and is open to all Peninsula towns. Pay for a series of six sessions but welcome to come to all nine if you are in town. Drop in available as well. See our website for more information or email us at MenloAthertonLacrosse@Gmail.com. SamTrans Bus Route Number Changes. SamTrans is making some important changes to many of the routes serving stops near Peninsula schools. The changes will take effect August 12, 2013. Currently all of the Samtrans bus routes for Menlo Park Schools are the same number: 83. In August, the individual routes will have different numbers. To see a list of new numbers, go to the Community News Page.
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| Summer Camps |
Now is the time to learn about some of the exciting camp opportunities in our community! If you haven't set your plans for the break, check out the Summer Camp website.
(Please note that the MPCSD has not evaluated this information or endorsed any of the camps, and the District is not responsible for any aspect of these camps.)
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Newsletter Archives
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To read past Hillview PTO newsletters, please visit our archives.
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Newsletter Submissions
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To submit an announcement for a Hillview event, please email your announcement to newsletter@hillviewpto.org. Editors reserve the right to edit all announcements. The submission deadline is Thursday at noon for the following Sunday newsletter. To submit an announcement for an off-campus community event, please email your announcement to communitynews@mpcsd.org. The submission deadline is Wednesday at noon for the following Sunday newsletter.
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