Springer Star Newsletter

February 8th, 2013

In This Issue

Calendar Dates

Letter from the Principal

News and Announcements

Parent Education Opportunities

Student Extracurricular Activities

How to Submit an Article to the Springer STAR

Quick Dates for your Calendar

February 15th, 8.45am: Coffee with the Principal

February 15th: Science Fair registration forms due

February 15th: Family Movie Night

February 18-22: Winter Break

March 2nd, 9-1pm: Springer Swap & Reuse Day

March 6th, 7pm: PTA Meeting

March 8th: Vocal Music Concert (K-3):

March 14th: Springer Science-O-Rama:

March 21st: Minimum Day and Bike Rodeo

March 23rd: Springer Auction

April 27th: Junior Olympics

Letter from the Principal

LAEF's Importance

I have been both a teacher and a principal in LASD for 18 years.  This year, more than any other, I've seen LAEF dollars make an enormous impact in student learning.  I credit much of this impact to two new LAEF-funded programs: the iLearn program and the Technology and STEM coaches.  Springer's iLearn team (Mrs. Jones, Ms. Johnson, and Mrs. de Monet) came back from their summer training motivated to innovate what they are doing in the classroom.  But their impact reaches far beyond just their students!  Our iLearn team has done a great job at staff training and providing support to their colleagues, who try out innovative strategies which utilize technology.  I've seen the effect on all our classrooms as kids are engaged and excited about their learning.  Supplemented by the tremendous support that the Technology and STEM coaches provide our teachers, Springer's classrooms have moved closer to "revolutionizing learning" in a much shorter time than I could have anticipated.  

LAEF's Innovation Grant, which funded iLearn and the two district coaches this year, was in addition to the Baseline Grant which typically impacts our school too. Class size reduction (K-3rd grades capped at 25, 4th-6th grades capped at 30), Music and PE, Living Classroom lessons, Art Docent lessons, and Library visits are also all funded by your generous contributions to LAEF.  

Thank you, LAEF, for these important programs and thanks to you for your continued support of your child's educational excellence.   Please visit www.laefonline.com for more information about this vital organization.

News and Announcements

Springer Auction: Set Sail on the S.S. Springer!

Be sure you’re prepared to board the S.S. Springer on March 23!

Community Donations Deadline February 11th

Ticket Purchase Deadline March 15th

We’re still looking for your donations! Whether you’d like to host a party, donate a bottle of wine or offer your vacation home, your donation makes a difference. Big or small, we need them all! Thank you to those who have donated already.

For more details go to www.biddingforgood.com/springerauction

Or click to visit the Auction pages on the Springer Website

Questions? Contact Renee & Wen at springerauction@gmail.com

Science-o-Rama - March 14th

The Springer Science-o-Rama is here, and we've gone paperless!  All the information and forms are on the school's website, just click on Science-O-Rama under Quicklinks.  Can't figure out what you would like to do for an experiment?  Go to page 7 of the handbook for a list of science websites to visit with experiment suggestions.  To register your experiment and get a free project display board, go to the online registration on or before February 15.

We are looking for judges for our 4th, 5th and 6th grade student entries.  If you have the afternoon of March 14th free from noon to 3pm, we would love for you to participate as a judge.  No background in science is necessary and lunch is included for your efforts.  If interested, click on this link to fill out the online interest form.

Family Movie Night! - Friday, February 15th

Kick off winter break with a movie night in the newly-updated multi.  We will be showing Mr. Popper’s Penguins (for a review of the movie, click here) and serving popcorn and hot chocolate.  All grades are welcome.  Bring a sleeping bag and a pillow, and join us for fun evening!  Doors will open at 6 p.m.  Questions?  Please contact Amanda Steele at amsteele[at]ymail.com

HELP! THE YEARBOOK NEEDS PHOTOS

The yearbook needs great photos from Springer events: First Day of School, Crazy Feet day, Walk-a-thon, Costume Parade, Art Show,  BookFair, Spirit Days, Junior Olympics, FunVisor Activities, Student Council; Classrooms: Show what happens in class (parties, field trips); Clubs: Juggling, Springer Singers, Flag Football, etc. Anyone can submit photos (parents, teachers, students, etc).

Two ways to help:

1. Upload photos yourself

 2. Leave a CD/DVD/FlashDrive in the Yearbook Cubby

For both of these, click here to follow the instructions.

Questions? Contact Lisa Twardowski at lisa[at]twardowski.org

Box Tops and Labels for Education = $$$

Our next submission is due on February 28th for payment in April.  eBox Tops can be earned by linking your Safeway Club Card.  To register and select Springer as your school please click here

Junior Olympics are coming - save the date!   Saturday, April 27th for 4-6 grades.

Springer Swap & Reuse Day March 2nd, 9-1pm:  Save the Day!

·         Plan: Have a swap and reuse day for Springer families in the neighborhood.

·         People can bring: toys, games, books, sports equipment; stuff elementary school families would want.

         ·         Where: Springer Parking Lot

·         When: March 2, 2013 9AM - 1PM

·         Why: To get people reusing stuff so it doesn't get thrown away and wasted

Parent Education Opportunities

Do you have a gifted or high achieving kid?

Please join the new yahoo group to connect LASD families of gifted and high achieving students.  Conversations in this group may offer suggestions, support, advice, share experiences and resources to help support LASD GATE families. If you're interested, you can subscribe by sending an email to GATEtalk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Student Extracurricular Activities

Spartans Sports Camp is proud to announce 2 camps held over Winter Break (Feb 18-22) from 9 am - 12 pm. Both of these half-day camps are only $195 for 5 days of instruction!

Winter Break Basketball Camp (Open to boys and girls grades 4-8)

Coach Dokesha Meacham and staff will lead campers in a variety of drills and games. Shooting, ball-handling, defense, and agility will be among the skills covered in a high-energy, fast-paced environment. Campers will have the opportunity to use Mountain View basketball's new shooting machine!

Winter Break Boys Lacrosse Camp (Open to boys grades 6-8)

This camp will help prepare the campers for the spring club lacrosse season using a variety of drills and games. Coach Joe Juter has been very successful at Mountain View and his passion for the game will make it a fun and worthwhile experience for the campers.

*Campers must bring their own helmet, gloves, shoulder pads, arm pads, and lacrosse stick.

For more information, visit SpartansSportsCamp.com or call (650) 479-5906

The 29th Annual Margaret Thompson Historical Essay Contest theme is related to the exhibitBear in Mind: The Story of the California Grizzly. Grades 3-6 students may choose from two essay topics: one historical and one creative. For the full essay prompt please visit the Los Altos History Museum website: www.losaltoshistory.org.  Essays are due March 8, 2013 and the prizes will be presented on May 7, 2013 at the Los Altos History Museum and the City Council meeting that same evening.

Los Altos Recreation Department

Next week, the Los Altos Recreation Department has two youth classes beginning: French for Beginners (ages 6-12) and Mommy & Me Horsemanship (ages 2.5-5).  The following week (Feb 11-16), we start three, yes, three golf classes: Parent/Child Golf (ages 7+), Junior Golf (ages 7-17) and the Player’s Academy Golf (ages 10-17).

Planning ahead for Ski Week (Feb 18-22)? We will be featuring three different camps: “What Are You Made Of?” which is an art-meets-science camp for 8-12 year olds; a performing arts camp (for ages 6-10); and a delicious “Favorite Comfort Food” camp for 5-9 and 9-13 year olds.

To check out and/or register online for all of our upcoming classes and camps, go to LosAltosRecreation.org and click on the photo of our WINTER 2013 RECREATION GUIDE. And remember, we have a great variety of adult classes, too. Join us!

LA-MV PONY BASEBALL REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!!!!

Registration deadlines for PONY baseball registration are as follows:

(Mustang – Pony, AGES 9-14) Registration still available

(Shetland – Pinto, Ages 5-8) Feb. 28, 2013

Click here for more details!

Medaka no Gakko, a Japanese cultural summer program runs from June 24-July 12, 2013 at the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple in Palo Alto. For more information, please visitwww.medakanogakko.org or email medakanogakkopaloalto@gmail.com.

Save the date: Come to see Springer students perform when Peninsula Youth Theatre (PYT) presents "Fiddler on the Roof" on March 2, 3, 9, and 10 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. More information to follow.

After School Soccer Program for Grades 1 – 3   Wednesdays, 2:45pm – 3:30pm starting February 6  For more info or to register, please go to http://tinyurl.com/mvla1-3 or visit www.mvlasc.org and click on after school programs.

After School Art Club for grades K-3, Thursdays, Jan. 10 - Apr.18, 2.30-3.30pm in the Art room.  For more information, click here.

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

Academic Chess Club.  See flier for details of 2013 sessions.

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!