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The Springer Buzz December 18, 2015 |
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In This Issue:
Quick Dates for your Calendar:
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Principal’s Message |
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Remain in the moment… The pace of life seems to pick up this time of year. There’s a frantic period of planning, organizing, and preparing for the Holidays. There’s shopping to do, rooms to clean, meals to prepare, wrapping of gifts, etc. The list goes on and on. It’s as if we are speeding up to slow down. I’ve been doing a great deal of work on the concept of mindfulness- both professionally and personally. Part of mindfulness is the concept of being fully present and in the moment; not dwelling on the past nor worrying about the future. This time of year gives us a challenge to remain in the present. Sure, things have to get done (last minute shopping) and plans have to be made (plane tickets purchased). However, it’s very important, perhaps even critical, that we all take time to be present, in the moment, and savor the good in our lives. While this time of year challenges our mindfulness, it also presents many opportunities to cherish and appreciate the goodness in our lives. It is my sincere hope that all of us have those beautiful, mindful moments when we realize what is truly important. That’s my holiday wish for all of us. I wish you a wonderful and mindful break. Wade Spenader- Principal |
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Live It’s Saturday Night! |
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Save the Date: Saturday, March 19, 2016, 6:30-10:30pm Location: Crowne Plaza Cabana, Palo Alto Come dressed as your favorite SNL character, the choices are unlimited: Operaman, The Samurai, Hans und Franz, Pat, Linda Richman, Wayne’s World, Spartan Cheerleaders, Debbie Downer, Dieter, Stuart Smalley, Church Lady, Stefon…..
The 2016 auction team needs your help. Do you have any auction ideas or items to donate? We are looking for: · Wine: donate a bottle or two of wine for the Wine Wall Raffle · Cool Gear: iPads, Xbox, PlayStation, Beats, etc. · Sports Tickets: baseball, basketball, football, etc. · Parties: Host an awesome party for kids or adults! Questions? Email 2016 auction co-chairs, springerauction@gmail.com More info: www.springerschool.net Auction Tab |
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Raise Funds For Springer With OhmConnect |
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The Springer community started using a novel fundraising platform last year, called OhmConnect. We raised $930 by having a handful of parents of the school turn down their electricity usage just one hour per week. We're aiming to raise $5,000 this year and all you need to do is signup using this link and connect your utility account. |
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Shop Springer! |
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Dear friends of Springer: Are you aware that we have a ShopSpringer (www.shopspringer.com) website where 4-12% of your purchases are paid directly to our PTA, just for directing traffic to their sites?!? On this site you will find active links to a variety of online vendors, including Amazon, iTunes and Walmart.com. Rest assured that using this site will have no impact on pricing, discounts, special shipping offers, etc.. So by simply stopping first at ShopSpringer.com, on your way to Amazon, you make $$$ for our kids!!! Thank you for your support! Springer PTA |
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Don’t Forget to Order Choice Lunch For January |
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'Twas the night before school started in 2016 and all through the house not a creature was stirring... And do you know why? Lunches had already been handled. Take the time to place your orders at Choicelunch.com so you can settle in for that long winters nap while visions of sugar plums dance in your head. And to all a good night! |
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LAEF |
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LASD Winter Music Concerts & Computer Science Newsflash! Music is thriving at our elementary schools and we hope you’ve been enjoying the sounds of the season coming from our 4th, 5th and 6th graders. And in case you missed Mrs. V’s exciting update about LASD’s Computer Science Education Week, go to LAEFOnline.org to read more about your child’s “Hour of Code” and more! Parent donations to LAEF have made these enriching educational experiences possible. That’s why we are requesting your support by donating by 12/31. |
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Job Opportunities at Loyola School! |
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EXTRA, EXTRA- Read all about it!
We have a wonderful opportunity at Loyola School.
Don’t miss this rewarding chance to connect with our students and staff. Please |
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Living Classroom |
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Become a LIVING CLASSROOM docent... share your love of nature with kids! It's time to build bird nests, harvest veggies from our gardens to make soup, look for symmetry inside fruit, make natural dyes from plants and learn about nitrogen fixing bacteria by dissecting the root nodules of fava beans! If you like all those things and more, please consider becoming a Living Classroom docent! LIving Classroom is looking for docents to help deliver hands-on garden-based lessons to the students of the Los Altos School District. No experience necessary as we provide all the training needed! Our Winter Docent Training will take place Monday mornings from 9 - Noon on 12/7, 12/14, 1/11 and 1/25. Please click HERE to view our Winter Training Flyer which lists the locations of each of our trainings. Apprentice-style training is also available to those who can’t make our Monday morning trainings. Questions? Email us at livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call (650) 947-1103. For more information about Living Classroom, please visit our website at www.living-classroom.org. |
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Student Extracurricular Activities: |
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The following classes are back for Winter/Spring sessions: Art, Chess, Legos, Speak/Debate, Soccer, and Tennis. Bald Eagle Go Games has a Winter session starting on January 11. Click here for the flyer. Additionally, Speak/Debate is offering a new class for Grades 1, 2 & 3. Click here to see all of our after school activities and registration information. |
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Parent Education Opportunities |
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Reclaiming Conversation Book Discussion in January Santa Clara Valley PTA invites you to their association meeting in January 26, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, to talk together about a book on a timely issue and about the issues raised. The book selected is Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age, by Sherry Turkle. It is about the value of conversation in a time when attention to digital devices has encroached on face-to-face interactions, and the need to make meaningful conversation a part of our lives. The impact on us as adults and the impact on our children. Sherry Turkle has been interviewed by NPR about her book, and has given a TED talk about an earlier book, Alone Together; check out these links if you want to find out more: NPR - Making the Case for face-to-face in an era of digital conversation click here to view. TED Talk on Alone Together click here Articles on Reclaiming Conversation: Thank You Sherry Turkle: Conversation is important for adults, but it is even more critical for kids Here is How to Ensure Your Kid Has a Healthy Relationship with Tech |
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Are You A Parent Of A Child With ASD? |
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Parenting a child with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder can be challenging. Here is an opportunity to learn some coping strategies. This free program is offered at Stanford. Click here for further information. |
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Parent Education Opportunities |
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Through enriching presentations from local and national experts on topics of interest to parents, faculty and staff, the MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series seeks to contribute to the academic, physical, and emotional health of our students. All events are free of charge and are for parents, faculty and staff in Los Altos and Mountain View public schools. For a schedule of upcoming presentations, please click here. |
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How to Submit an Article to the Springer Buzz |
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If you have an article to submit to the Springer Buzz, please send it to the editor at springer.buzz@gmail.com by noon on Monday for inclusion in the next edition. Late arrivals will be included if possible but can’t be guaranteed! All flyers must be in either WORD or PDF format, accompanied by a brief summary of the activity in the email. |