Springer Buzz!

December 13th, 2013

In This Issue

Calendar Dates

Letter from the Principal

News and Announcements

Parent Education Opportunities

Student Extracurricular Activities

Quick Dates for your Calendar

December 6th--February 7th: Kinder Registration

December 13th at 1:00 PM: Winter Concert

December 18th at 7pm: Springer Singers Concert

December 20th through January 5th: Winter recess

Letter from the Principal

Do you "Code"?  We do!

This week (December 9th-13th) was Computer Science Education Week, a week dedicated to showing students K-12 the importance of computer science education.  Organized by code.org, the goal was to get 10 million students of all ages (and adults) to participate in the hour of code.  

According to code.org, "90% of K-12 schools in the U.S. do not teach computer science."  Los Altos School District, thanks to funding from LAEF, is fortunate enough to be in the 10% of U.S. Schools that are offering every student the opportunity to learn computational thinking through the STEM and the 6th grade C-STEM program.

Throughout the week, students at Springer and all of LASD participated in computational thinking/coding lessons.  

During lunch, Mrs. Regan combined forces with Ms. Craddock for four days of lunchtime coding. The computer lab was packed with students from 1st grade to 6th grade writing code. Even parents like Kevin Mszanowski, Lei Zhou, and Veronique Gobry brushed up on their coding skills to join in on the fun!

Some links to coding programs we are using at Springer:

Kinder- Bee bots and the bee bot app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bee-bot/id500131639?mt=8

1st and 2nd grade: Daisy the Dinosaur: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/daisy-the-dinosaur/id490514278 OR Hopscotch: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hopscotch-coding-for-kids/id617098629?mt=8

3rd-5th grade: Scratch: http://scratch.mit.edu/

6th grade: c-STEM curriculum using KhanAcademy coding lessons with JavaScript.

"Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer…because it teaches you how to think."- Steve Jobs

News and Announcements

LAEF: We love educational enrichment programs!  Parent donations to LAEF fund teachers and staff who provide a wide range of enrichment programs for your child: art, music, library, science, PE, cStem. In many school districts, such programs have been cut because of budget pressures. These programs would not exist at LASD without your donations! A well-rounded public school education is a priority for the Los Altos community, so we fund it ourselves through LAEF. Support your child’s well-rounded, enriched education at Springer.

Tiny Prints: Remember to order beautiful holiday cards from Tiny Prints using the LAEF storefront, and 25% of the proceeds go to LAEF! Start here: http://www.tinyprints.com/storefront/laef

LAEF Representatives at Springer are:

         Nancy F

         Susan Longyear, sue.longyear[at@gmail.com

         Brooke Schiller, bbwc[at]sbcglobal.net

         Kristin Najarian (member at-large), kristin_najarian[at]yahoo.com

Make Your Tax Deductible Donation Today!  www.laefonline.org

PTA Nominating Committee Volunteers Needed

Looking for a fun, short-term way to get involved with the Springer PTA?  The PTA needs volunteers to join the Nominating Committee whose job it is to determine the slate of officers for next year’s PTA Board.  The PTA Board nominations are held in March.  If interested, please contact us at: springerpta@gmail.com.

Pertussis Booster for Students in grade 6: Students currently in grade 6 must have proof of a Tdap or Dtap (Pertussis or Whooping Cough) booster given after their 7th birthday (after 10th birthday is recommended) in order to begin seventh grade in August of 2014. Please provide a copy of your child’s immunization record to your school office by March 14, 2014.

KUDOS TO THE BOOK FAIR TEAM!

We would like to give a gigantic shout-out to Elena Baquero, Kathy Stiles and their team of volunteers for the incredible Springer Book Fair last month! For a whole week,

the multi was converted into an amazing Egyptian oasis…. complete with pyramids, mummies and even a (familiar-looking) Pharaoh reading to the kids!  And, the associated

Family Night was a huge success as well! Looking forward to the Spring Book Fair!

Linda McCartney & LeeAnn Steffen, PTA Co-Presidents

*

Dear Springer Families,

We would like to thank everyone who made the Springer Reading Oasis Book Fair a success.  

A lot of people contributed by sharing our excitement for this book fair.  Laurie Pasmooij and the Springer Art Club, the Walkathon Committee who shared their wonderful art work so we could create our Oasis, and the Springer Student Council and their advisors, for promoting the Spirit Day.  

The Family Night was a great success thanks in part to Karen Honer who ensured our food trucks and families were taken care of.  Our friends at Gold Rush, Waffle Amore, and Sajj who donated a 10% of their profits to the Springer PTA!   A special thank you to Mr. Spenader, Mrs. de Monet, and Mrs. Craddock, for bringing books to life as our featured reader during the Family Evening. To our Teachers and Staff for helping get the word out and sharing your excitement with the children.  

None of this would have been possible without the dedication of every one of our amazing volunteer families who gave their time, passion, and energy to help us set up and run the Book Fair.  A special thank you to Tila Enser, Fiona Graham, Anita Leo, Gail Roosakos, and Sharon Tan for their many, many hours of help.

Of course, who could forget our Mummies!  Thanks to the very generous donation of our Springer neighbors, Mr. Barry Smith and his family, we had not one, or two, but three mummies. Thank you to Ms. Presant, Mrs. Jones, and Mr. Spenader for being such great sports and allowing us to Wrap Up the Book Fair with them!  

And last, but certainly not least, to YOU, the Springer Community, for your support, enthusiasm and participation.  Because of your incredible generosity, we raised $500 for the YWCA’s Holiday Store and over $10,000 for Springer!  

Thank you all again, we look forward to seeing you at the next Springer Book Fair in April!

Happy reading!

Elena & Kathy

Table Assembly Party This Saturday!

Hello all,

Charge up your portable drills, bring your socket set adaptors....

PTA has been able to purchase additional picnic tables for Springer - we need to assemble them.  

Table assembly party - this Saturday at Springer - 10:00 a.m - I'll be there earlier - 9:00 a.m. if anyone wants to get a head start.

Tools to bring - if you a have socket set and / or portable drill with socket adapter - goes a lot faster.

Takes 2 guys about 20 min per table - we have 25 tables to assemble - so the more the merrier.

We will be ordering pizza's and waters.

If any of you have older boys (or know of any) that are in Boy Scouts and need some community service hours - have them stop by as well.

Mom's invited too.  Bring the kids, they can run around the playground.  

Thanks in advance for your help.  Stop by even if you can only help for 1 or 2 tables.  

Thx.

Paul Steffen

PS: remember - it's for the kids.

PSS:  this beats fighting mall crowds Christmas shopping  :)  

2014 Springer Auction, Call for Amazing and Unique Experiences

The Springer Community is amazingly well connected and extraordinarily unique! Your 2014 auction committee is looking for one-of-a-kind experiences that only the Springer Community can make possible. Here are some ideas:

- Access to unique experiences: sports teams (high school to pro), behind the scenes tours (workplace or other), cultural experiences, etc.

- Access to someone famous, unique or interesting

- Vacation homes (flexible dates are best)

- Air miles or hotel points

Be creative and share your ideas and connections and benefit Springer! You can help make this year's auction amazing!

Please note a follow-up call for Community party ideas will come a little later in the year.

If you have an amazing or unique experience idea to offer, please contact the 2014 Auction Committee at: springerauction@gmail.com.  Or if you prefer, you can fill out our form.

Parent Education Opportunities

Reading in Preterm and Full Term Children

Do you have a six year old? Are you interested in how reading develops?  Here at Stanford, we are conducting a longitudinal research study which uses psychological testing and new brain imaging technology to see how reading skills develop in preterm and full-term children.

If you are interested in having your child participate in this study, please click here for more details.

Student Extracurricular Activities

Springer Singers Concert, Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 7 pm in the multi

Come listen to the sounds of winter at our first Springer Singers concert of the year. You will hear some favorite holiday tunes along with some newer songs to brighten your mood!

Art Club for 4th-6th grades begins Monday, December 9th! Join us for a 10-week winter session focused on A World of Art.  You will paint, draw and sculpt using traditional art from other cultures as inspiration.  Different regions of the world are studied each session!  Using a variety of mediums you will learn new techniques from CSMA faculty while creating art from around the globe!

Register at http://www.arts4all.org/register/index.htm using course #53330

Online registration opens tomorrow, Saturday, December 7, at 8:00 am for the 2014 Girls on the Run season!

Registration is ONLINE ONLY.  To register your daughter, please follow the link: http://www.gotrsv.org/sign_up_a_girl

The two words that best describe Girls on the Run are “FUN” and “RUN”. Every aspect of this program is geared toward helping girls feel good about who they are - physically, emotionally and socially. We are excited to offer this great program to the 3rd-6th grade girls at Springer this coming spring!

Click here for more detailed information!

A Cheerful Noise Winter Concert - Featuring Past/Present Springer Students!

Sunday, December 15, 2013 at 4 pm

Cunningham Memorial Chapel

Notre Dame de Namur University

1500 Ralston Avenue, Belmont

Ticket information

Ragazzi Boys Chorus presents A Cheerful Noise. Take some time out of your busy Holiday schedule to enjoy the vocal beauty and youthful energy of our upper-level trebles and changed-voice singers. Classics of choral literature will be featured, including pieces by Mozart, Purcell and Handel. Patrons are invited to sing along with carols, and will be treated to the hushed intensity of Franz Biebl’s Ave Maria. Ragazzi will also present an exciting piece by Paul Halley that combines the ancient chant Ubi Caritas with African chants and drumming.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, December 7th/8th and 14th/15th

This wonderful holiday show, reviewed as a “charming alternative to the Nutcracker,” will be performed by children of all ages at Woodside Performing Arts Center on Saturday December 7 (4:00pm), Sunday December 8 (1:00pm and 4:00pm) Saturday, December 14, (1:00 and 4:00), and Sunday, December 15 (1:00 and 4:00).

Tickets available at www.twasthenight.org or by calling 650-323-5292.  Come support your fellow Springer student!  For more details, click here

Los Altos Recreation Upcoming Holiday Events

PreTeen Holiday Camp This camp is for kids 7-12 and runs 9am to 3pm on Friday, Dec 20, Monday, Dec 23 and Tuesday, Dec 24. Your child can attend one, two or all three days of camp.

In addition to our PreTeen Holiday Camp, we’re offering Camp Candy Cane, which runs 3 days (Dec 20, 23 and 24) for the 4-to-6 year old set. Kids can attend one, two or three days. Both Camp Candy Cane and PreTeen Holiday Camp are great for kids and their parents (who might be just a wee bit busy at this time of year)…

Then…the holiday fun continues with a family-friendly concert. Grammy-nominated The Pop Ups will perform on Thursday, December 26,  4pm, at the Hillview Community Center’s Social Hall. The concert is FREE and no registration is required. Just come ready for fun and music.

Lastly, the New Year’s Day Fun Run returns to downtown Los Altos at 9am sharp on…when else…January 1. A fun and free way to welcome the New Year!

For more information on all of these events—plus all of our on-going classes—go to LosAltosRecreation.org and click on the photo of our Holiday Fun kids.

We have HOLIDAY FUN in Los Altos!

LOS ALTOS-MOUNTAIN VIEW PONY BASEBALL - REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

Registration is now open for the 2014 baseball season!