Springer Star Newsletter

September 21st, 2012

In This Issue

Calendar Dates

News and Announcements

Student Extracurricular Activities

Quick Dates for your Calendar

Thursday September 27th:  Minimum Day

Thursday September 27th, 7pm: Individualized Education PTA meeting

Friday, September 28th, 9am:  LASD New Parent Education Series launch meeting

Friday, September 28th, 4-8pm:  LAEF celebration at Covington school 

Wednesday, October, 3rd, 8.45am:  PTA meeting

Saturday, October 13th:  Springer Walkathon

News and Announcements

LAEF:  Make your tax-deductible donation online today - Donate Now! : www.laefonline.org

LAEF 30-year Anniversary Community Festival, Friday, Sept 28, 4-8pm at Covington School

Join us for an evening of food, music, carnival games, face painting, and more.  

LASD Launches a New Parent Education Series

We are excited to share information on current district-wide learning initiatives that will help us revolutionize learning for all students within the LASD parent community.   Once a month, district staff will host an “iLearn Parent Education” event.  All parents and community members are welcome.  Our first event will focus on Gifted Education and the difference between gifted and high-achieving students.  This event will be on Friday, September 28, 9:00 am at Oak Elementary in the Multi.  Parents will learn more about how LASD is meeting the needs of their children, and walk away with strategies and resources that are beneficial to parents of both high-achieving and gifted students.  Presentation content will be available on the district website following each presentation.  Information on all parent education events can be found at www.lasdschools.org.

LASD Curriculum Council – Members Wanted

The Los Altos School District is looking for members to serve on the 2012-13 Curriculum Council. The District Curriculum Council is a standing advisory committee to the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction that has as its primary goal the ongoing improvement of the district’s educational program.  Through its review of proposed program changes and proposed committee charges, the Council seeks to provide students with rigorous educational programs which reflect the district's mission, goals and priorities, and meet and exceed California state standards. The District Curriculum Council meets quarterly.  If you are interested in joining this council, please email agallagher@lasdschools.org by September 28, 2012.

Los Altos Individualized Education PTA Meeting: September 27

Please join us for our first meeting of the school year. We'll discuss what's happening in LASD Special Education this year and we'll have plenty of time for informal discussion as well. This is a great opportunity to connect with other parents, share what's working for your child this year as well as what you feel could be improved. We are looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new members! Please visit our website for more information on IEPTA (LASD Special Education PTA). www.losaltosiepta.org

When: Thursday, September 27, 7-8:30pm

Where: Covington School Multipurpose Room

Back to School Order Forms

Thank you to those of you that filled out the Springer Back To School Form online!!

Payments are due this Friday, September 21.  Please place your check in the "BTS" cubby in the office.   If you are unsure if you have submitted your payment, contact us at SpringerPTA@gmail.com.

The 2012 Springer Walkathon - Saturday, October 13, 2012

MISSION: Supersonic Space Walk! Springer's out of this world! Blast off and support our school! Don't forget to start collecting pledges and donations. All proceeds benefit Springer. See the Walk-a-thon web page for full details. Get involved! We need more volunteers!!

Questions?  Please contact Jana Emerson jonnjana[at]yahoo.com

EARNING MONEY FOR SPRINGER IS EASY WITH ESCRIP and Safeway!

If you shop at Safeway, please register your Safeway card with Escrip, and list Springer School PTA (137119970) as the beneficiary.  Safeway donates up to 4% of your purchases to our school, depending upon how much you spend! If you use your phone number and don’t know your club card number, call (877)723-3929 to find out your number.  Your phone number will NOT work.

ASK FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS TO SUPPORT SPRINGER WHEN SHOPPING SAFEWAY

The more people we can get to register their Safeway card with eScrip and designate Springer as the recipient of the earnings, the more Springer makes.  PLEASE, take the time to ask your family, friends and neighbors if they would please sign up for escrip and support Springer.  It costs them nothing, and Springer benefits.

Questions?  Contact Tara Tucker at tuckerdt[at]pacbell.net

WOW

We had a successful launch of the WOW program.   We handed out over 100 WOW tags on Monday so we had to order more – which is AWESOME!!!!!    We will receive the new tags this week and will be passing the tags out again on Tuesday morning, September 25th.  If you received a new tag, please remember to go to www.boltage.org and register the tag so your child will receive credit for all his/her activity. Thanks again for all your excitement and involvement!!!!

If you have any questions on this year’s WoW program, please feel free to contact the WoW Co-Captains: Kevin Beedon ksbeedon[at]gmail.com and Kacey Fitzpatrick kfitz@avalon-enterprises.com

Funvisor Activities

NEW! Run4YourLife:  Starting Friday, Sept 21

R4YL meets at lunch time on Fridays on the blacktop by the baseball diamond. R4YL is open to all grades and exposes children to the joy of running or walking. Kids earn tokens for their mileage, reaching personal goals while also reaching a group goal.

We are excited to announce that this year we will be working with Free The Children to reach our group goal. We will be tracking the kids' mileage and running all the way to a village in Ecuador. Free The Children is the world's largest network of children helping children through education. Throughout the year we will learn about the children in the village, share pictures, raise awareness and funds to help educate the children in this village.

Questions: please contact Jenni Tellefsen

Springo Starting Thursday, Sept. 13

Springo is a lunchtime FunVisor opportunity for children of all grades to have fun playing BINGO.  Winners receive great prizes!

Questions:  please contact Rita Estrada (Rosenfeld)

Springer's LEGO Club Starting Monday, Sept. 17

LEGO Club will be held in the Science Room on Mondays at lunch and is free and open to all students.  Our theme this month follows that of Springer's Space Walkathon.  This program is always popular with both girls and boys.  Parent volunteers are welcome to help at lunch!  LEGO Club accepts donations of new and used LEGO on an ongoing basis and deliveries can be placed in the office or brought to LEGO Club.

Questions:  please contact Laurie Pasmooij, Kimiyo Straw or Jenni Tellefsen

Springer's Lunchtime Art Club Starting Wednesday, Sept. 19

We are excited about fun projects ahead, making use of as many recycled materials as possible.  Our first theme is space in honor of the upcoming Springer Walkathon.  Students will be making R2D2 out of egg cartons.  As with all Springer Lunchtime Funvisor Programs, Art Club is free and open to any student after they eat lunch. Art Club will be held in the quad or in the Multi again this year. Springer Art Club can use unwanted art materials as well as recycled material donations. And of course we welcome parent Volunteers to help at lunch! Thank you!

Questions: please contact Laurie Pasmooij, or Kimiyo Straw

Student Extracurricular Activities

HELP SAVE CSMA ART CLUB!!!

Our after school art club is in jeopardy!  We currently have one student enrolled, if we do not have a minimum of four by next week the class will be cancelled!

CSMA AFTER SCHOOL ART CLUB

Learning from the Masters

Mondays 3:00 - 4:00pm in the Springer Art Room

Instructor: Francesca Lovecchio

Sept.10-Dec.10   (no class Nov. 12, Nov. 19)

Course number: 53228

Tuition: $175/12 weeks (includes registration fee)

www.arts4all.org

Mandarin After School program at Springer starts Tuesday, September 18th.  The program will run for 8 weeks on Tuesday and Thursdays.  Please see flier for more details.

Back by popular demand!  Train Days returns to the Los Altos History Museum for two days of train-filled fun, celebrating the joy and wonder of trains and model railroading. Elaborate train track layouts, intricate scenery and scaled renditions of engines and whimsical theme cars, complete with steam, lights and sound, will speed along rails to delight visitors of all ages. A station featuring train-themed activities for young children will be available throughout the two-day event.

Saturday and Sunday, September 22&23, 2012  10am - 4pm

Los Altos History Museum - 51 San Antonio Road (behind library)

Open to the public, suggested donation ($10/family or $5/individual)

Food and beverage vendors, Quick Dog sand Mahalo-halo Shave ice on site

Math Olympiad - Sports for the Mind! Interested in fun, innovative, and challenging math problems?  Fridays after school, Springer will host after school Math Olympics for Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grade students.

  Starts: Friday 9/28

  Time: starting at 2:50

Friday 9/28 will be an introductory class for new students to try the class and for both new and returning students to practice problem solving. For registration and more information, click here.

Calling Young Robot Builders

The annual Los Altos Robotics FIRST LEGO League introduces students in grades 4 to age 14 to the wonders of engineering, science, math, and technology in a fun and engaging way.

For more information, see LosAltosRobotics.org.

After School Art Club:  See attached fliers for more information:  Grades K-3  and Grades 4-6

Springer Singers: Mondays after school.  Gr.1-3 2:30-3:30pm; Gr. 4-6 2:45-3:30pm

Academic Chess Club, Thursdays after school, see flier for details

Flag Football Grades 4-6, see flier for details

How to submit an article to the Springer STAR

Please send your submission to the editor at springer_star@yahoo.com by noon on Monday for inclusion in the next edition. All flyers must be in either WORD or PDF format, accompanied by a brief summary of the activity in the email.  Late arrivals will be included if possible but can’t be guaranteed!