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1-29-2016 Buzz Newsletter
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The Springer Buzz January 29, 2016 |
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In This Issue:
Quick Dates for your Calendar:
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Principal’s Message |
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This week we conducted the National Geographic Geography Bee. Starting in 4th-6th grade classrooms, students were asked random questions about geography- which can cover both physical and cultural topics. Those students who answered 6 out 7 questions correctly qualified for the Final round. Over 21 students qualified and met in the multi at lunch to answer more questions. This process continued until we narrowed down our two finalists to compete in today’s Championship round (stay tuned for our winner). There are couple of points I want to make here. First, I invited any student who wished to watch the Final round to come to the multi. I was so pleased to see so many students, from every grade level, show up to support their school mates. The student interest was high and they really did cheer on every contestant. It was great to see that Springer spirit! Secondly, I found myself in conflict with the format of this competition. While our finalists proved their interest and passion in geography, I worry that those students who didn’t qualify might not consider themselves good geographers. Even worse, I fear that if a student didn’t qualify, he or she might be turned off by the subject of geography. The Geography Bee format really plays to the strengths of students who have a strong visual/spatial sense of the world (since students aren’t allowed to refer to a map to answer the questions). We know that humans have strengths and challenges in all types of thinking; whether it be visual processing, auditory processing, spatial sense, memory, etc. Anyone can be a good geographer by using all types of thinking, so a competition that utilizes a specific type of thinking should never be a measure of the true interest and passion of a subject. I feel the same way about spelling bees; just because someone isn’t strong at spelling words orally doesn’t mean they aren’t good spellers! (I happen to be one of those people) It’s our job as parents and educators to help children understand that such competitions are not a genuine indicator of interest or potential. Because a student cannot rip through a math facts page at rapid speed is in no way an indication of a poor math student. Just because a person isn’t the fastest runner doesn’t mean they cannot be a great soccer player. There is a potential danger in celebrating an enhanced skill if we don’t also acknowledge the many other traits that make up the whole. If this reads to you like another plug for growth mindset- well, it is. It’s also a call for all of us to honor all types of efforts and thinking towards achieving a passion for learning- in any area. Thank you for being a wonderful community. Wade Spenader- Principal |
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PTA Announcement |
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Word on the street is that our campus could use some sprucing up! The PTA would like to put some of our dollars to work towards campus improvement and we have some exciting plans underway. Please plan to attend our next PTA meeting on Wednesday, February 3rd at 7:00 pm in the staff lounge to discuss ideas for the remainder of this year and 2016/17. We will be voting on the mid-year budget adjustment which includes plans for shade structures in the 4th-6th grade eating area and mural artwork throughout the campus. We are looking for feedback on next year's plan which we hope will include trees and softscape to provide shade and beauty as well as digital signage to improve communication. If you are interested in serving on a committee to help with mural and landscape design, please contact Christy Flahavan at cdflaha@yahoo.com. If you cannot attend Wednesday's meeting but would like to provide input or ask questions, feel free to email as well! |
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Live It’s Saturday Night! |
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Date: March 19, 2016, 6:30-10:30pm 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 |
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Author Visit |
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On February 11th from 1:00-2:00pm, Springer Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth graders will be treated to a mysterious author visit. None other than the elusive Psuedonymous Bosch, New York Times best selling author of the "Secret Series" of books will be stopping by to discuss his new collection which includes "Bad Magic" and newly released "Bad Luck". Psuedonymous Bosch is evasive and never appears in public without a disguise. He also has a reputation for being a great writer and fantastic presenter at schools. Students will have an opportunity to purchase a signed copy of "Bad Magic" and "Bad Luck". Order forms were sent home in the 1/22 Friday folders and can also be found in the office in the Library Cubby. Completed order forms should be turned into your student's teacher by Monday, February 1. Please feel free to contact Denise Massone (dee04@sbcglobal.net) or Hope Abe (hawnaloha@gmail.com) with questions or to request a soft copy of the order form. |
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Blach/Egan Tours For Incoming Seventh Graders |
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Parent tours for Blach and Egan Middle Schools are as follows: Blach
February 11, 9:30am - 11:00am Egan
February 24, 9:30am - 11:00am |
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Project Night Night |
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Project Night Night
Springer Brownie Troop 61163 is performing a community service project to benefit Project Night Night (projectnightnight.org). Each year, 1.5 million American children are homeless. Children arriving at a shelter often come directly from an emergency situation. Most of them have only the clothes on their backs. We are collecting items to go in a Night Night package for these children to give them comfort while they are homeless. Each Night Night package contains three essentials that help children feel secure, cozy, and important: a new stuffed animal, a new security blanket, and a like new book (appropriate for a child 12 or under). If you would like to help us, please bring your donation to the office before February 3rd. With your help, these homeless children can dream big while they are still small. Thank you for your help! |
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LAEF |
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LAEF now makes corporate matching even easier! Have you wondered if your company might match your donation to LAEF? Now it's easy to pop online to https://doublethedonation.com/laef and find out everything you need to know to potentially double the impact of your gift this school year. Did you know that in 2014/15 corporate matching contributed $530,000 towards our annual grant? Amazing! And it all starts with you. Learn more today via the link above or on the "donate page" at LAEFonline.org. |
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Bloomsky Weather Station |
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Springer now has its own weather station! It shows the current and past conditions, the weather report, images of the sky and some great time lapses too. It is located on a pole behind Mrs. Craddock's STEM lab and next to the picnic tables. To see what the data that the weather station captures, download the app (search for 'Bloomsky' in the Apple or Android stores) or create an account on the web at http://bloomsky.com. To find our station, zoom into our area and then select "Springer." You can 'follow' our station and others all over the world including Tahoe, Half Dome at Yosemite and even Paris. For the techies among us, the station works with IFTTT and has an API. Thanks to Bloomsky for donating the station to Springer! |
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STEM Expo is Coming! |
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The Springer STEM Expo is coming on March 22, 2016! For more information, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/lasdstemexpo/ Sign up before February 26th. |
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Student Extracurricular Activities: |
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If you haven’t signed your child up for their favorite after-school activity, many of our clubs are back for Winter/Spring sessions: Also continuing, Chess, Speak/Debate, Soccer, and Tennis. Click here to see all of our after school activities and registration information. |
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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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5/8/25 2:53 PM