eNews: February 18, 2014 | Palo Verde PTA

Calendar

February 20 Noon Art
February 21 Kinder Orientation (incoming Kinder) at 9:00;
Final Winter Family Movie Night

February 24 New Report Card Parent Input Meeting
February 26 Deadline for Kids Note Cards fundraiser
February 27 Project Cornerstone: School Wide Extensions
February 28 Submit Books for book exchange;
Bringing up Bicyclists; PV Voice deadline

March   4   PV Annual Book Exchange
March   5   PTA Coffee; Site Council;
                  ABC Reader Training: Book 6
March   6   Noon Art
March   7   PTA Executive Board Mtg
March   8   PV Auction “A Night at the Oscars”

March 13 Science Fair Info Meetings
March 18 SCIENCE NIGHT w/ Lawrence Hall of Science
March 20 Noon Art

March 24 – 28 Walk N Roll week
March 27 Project Cornerstone: School Wide Extensions
March 31 – April 4 Spring Break

Palo Verde PTA and School News

New This Week

Surf’s Up! at Family Movie Night this Friday!

The popcorn will be hot, the waves will be wild, and the penguins will be surfing in the MP Room, Friday at 6:30pm for our final winter Family Movie Night. Remember to bring your floor blanket, pillows, and personal reusable cup or water bottle. The whole family is invited – younger and older siblings, grandparents. They can all join in the free fun while we catch a wave, hang ten, and watch Surf’s Up!

eScrip: Safeway Program Change Reminder

Safeway has made an important change!

Paying for your groceries with a credit card no longer earns eScrip contributions. In order to continue earning from Safeway, eScrip supporters need to pay for their groceries with any payment type other than a credit card. All other forms of payment, including cash, check, debit and gift card track for Safeway contributions!

We need your help to earn more with eScrip for Palo Verde!

And, if you have not signed up yet, please go to http://www.escrip.com/signup today!

Questions: please contact Palo Verde eScrip coordinator

Iva Reid at izreid (at) gmail (dot) com

Thank you for your continued support.

From Last Week

New K-5 Report Card Being Developed

Staff and parent groups have been working since September to design a new report card aligned with the Common Core Standards. In addition, we have used this as an opportunity to consider changes in format and to make the language more parent-friendly.

The Common Core Standards address the content areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics; therefore the most significant changes will be seen in these areas. Palo Alto Unified School District is excited to transition to these standards and plans to fully implement these standards by the 2014-15 school year. Efforts have been made to streamline all content on the report card, to make the language more understandable to parents, and to identify performance labels that are more effective in helping describe student progress.

During the month of February, all elementary staff and parents are being asked to review a first draft of the revised report card. We will host a parent input meeting on Monday, February 24th at 8:20 in the multipurpose room.

For more information about how the committees were formed, the timeline for the work, and a link to a PowerPoint presentation designed for use with parent groups to gain input, visit: http://pausd.org/community/Committees/ElementaryReportCard/index.shtml

Palo Verde Notecard Fundraiser

Inside of Friday folder on Wednesday, February 12th you will find a finished artwork or blank Notecard and order form/instruction for Notecard fundraiser.

If you are new to this fundraiser, take a look at the samples on the posters around school. Please return 1. completed notecard 2. order form 3. a check to your child’s

teacher or the office by Wednesday, February 26th. Question? contact Junghee Hsieh at heatherjhcho (at) hotmail (dot) com

FREE Family Science Night at the Junior Museum and Zoo Thursday, Feb. 27, 6:00-8:00pm

Join the award-winning science teachers of the Junior Museum and Zoo for an after-hours, special night of family learning and fun. Get your hands on exciting science activities and experience a taste of what the JMZ teaches in your schools. We are celebrating our fantastic community, which values and supports science for all ages, and Palo Alto Partners in Education, which funds science education in PAUSD elementary schools through community donations. Admission is free! The Palo Alto Junior Museum is located in Rinconada Park at 1451 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto.

Palo Verde’s Night at the Oscars Auction Tickets Now Available

Palo Verde’s Night at the Oscars Auction Party is nearly here. The auction volunteers are putting together a fun event, filled with plenty of goodies to bid on as well as good food, music and friends.

So join us on the red carpet, Saturday, March 8th, from 7-11 at Michael’s at Shoreline. You can purchase your tickets online at https://pvptaauction.shutterfly.com. Tickets are $35 per person in advance; $40 at the door.

We will see you at the Oscars!

Science Night at Palo Verde, MP Room

Sponsored by the Palo Verde PTA
Tuesday, March 18th 2014, 6:00-7.45 PM

Come join us for Wizard’s Lab:

A ball floats and spins in midair, fingers pass through a seemingly solid object, words whispered into a metal can are heard over 10 feet away – these are just a few of the weird, wondrous, hands-on exhibits found in the Wizard’s Lab! As “science wizards,” students explore the almost magical properties of matter and energy, participate in high-voltage and subzero experiments, and figure out how things really work in the fun-, fact-, and phenomenon-filled world of physics.

Volunteers needed to assist with the activities. To volunteer, please contact Theivanai Palaniappan at theivanai_p (at) hotmail dot com by Friday, March 14th.

Important announcements from the library

1) The library is in desperate need of more volunteers.

I currently am unable to sufficiently help the students with book selections and library assignments because so many classes either do not have volunteers or the volunteers have been absent. Please help if you can. It need not be your child’s library time.

* Tuesdays 8:15-11:10

Book Check-in & Shelving- 8:15-9; Room 13, 8:45-9:30; Room 15, 9:30-10:10; and Room 12, 10:30-11:10

* Wednesdays 8:15-12 8:15-9 Book Check-in & Shelving Help; 8:50-10:10

4th Grades (assignment support & checkout); 10:30-12 5th Grades (assignment support & checkout)

* Thursdays 8:15-9 Check-in Shelving Help; Room 5 Checkout & Shelving 11:10-11:50

* Friday 10:30-11:30 Shelving Books; 12:40-2:40

Book Repair

Shelf-Reading- Drop in once or twice a week to “Read” the Shelves to ensure things are properly in their place. Important and flexible.

2) PV Annual Book Exchange- March 4th 8:15-Noon; Book donations due by Friday, Feb. 28th

Set up Help needed March 3rd 3-5pm

Assistance Needed March 4th in shifts 8:15-10 & 10-12 & 12-2 (Clean-up)

3) February is Palo Verde’s Love a Picture Book Month.

We ‘re trying to read 7,000 PICTURE BOOKS (Fairy Tales & Folktales count too.) as a school in an effort to educate the community about their value. They are for everyone!

4) All Library Volunteers will need to be trained on the new library system. Two trainings are offered on Feb. 18 7:30-8:15am and 2:15-3. If you are not able to make these times, please make arrangements with Laura to be trained prior to your regular volunteer time. Thanks.

PAUSD, City of Palo Alto Community eNews

Let’s Go Crafting Summer Camps

Has your child ever wanted to learn how to sew? Or knit, or weave? Let’sGo Crafting is a fiber arts school that is owned and operated by long time Palo Alto Parent, Connie Butner.
This school specializes in teaching children 8 years old and up in sewing, knitting, and weaving. Morning sessions are from 9:00am to 12:00pm and focus on a specific fiber art skill each week. Camps run weekly from June 9th through August 8th. See the complete summer schedule at: www.letsgocrafting.wordpress.com

Project Safety Net Seeking Program Director:

Project Safety Net, a local suicide prevention and youth well-being task force, is currently recruiting a new Program Director. Seeking someone with strong experience in leading a community collaborative, experience in youth development and knowledge of suicide prevention best practices. We are open to filling this as a full time or part time position. For more info: http://tinyurl.com/mbbf8na or contact Minka van der Zwaag, Human Services Manager, at 463-4953.

Education Update Meeting with Assemblyman Rich Gordon & The Legislative Analyst’s Office

Sat Feb 22, 10 am to noon, PAUSD Board Room, 25 Churchill Ave, Palo Alto.

Please join Assemblyman Gordon and Edgar Cabral from the Legislative Analyst’s Office for a discussion on K-12 Education in California, including new regulations for the Local Control Funding Formula, the implementation of Common Core, and efforts to expand Transitional Kindergarten. FREE. Please RSVP Online or call (650) 691-2121.

Camp EdTech

Jun 9 – Jul 25 at Palo Verde Elementary

Make what you play. Play what you make. Entering 5^th – 8^th graders create android- compatible apps, use hardware and software to control analog components like lights and buzzers, make, direct, edit & star in their own short films and animations, develop 2-D and 3-D video games or express their unique perspective of the world via digital photography. Early Bird Savings of $20/Week until Feb 28! For info: Visit campedtech.org, or email info@edventuremore.org.

SPRING CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT

Sat Mar 8, 8pm, First Baptist Church, 305 North California Avenue, Palo Alto Program consists of Richard Strauss: Metamorphosen, Zstor Piazzolla: selections from “Histoire du Tango”, Sergei Rachmaninoff: Vocalise, Kurt Weill: “Threepenny Opera Suite”, and Ludwig Wilhelm Maurer: Three Little Pieces for Brass Quintet. Wheelchair accessible, Tickets $20/17/10 at door or www.paphil.org

Palo Alto City Library Presents

Stanford Mall Book Blast

Sat Feb 22 from 11-1pm, Stanford Mall (in the middle near the Macy’s entrance)

Kids of all ages are invited to share in the joy of reading with Lori & RJ from Cotton Candy Express. Bring in a book to donate to a local charity and receive a special gift. Free for Kidgits Members/ Small fee for non-members. For info: http://www.simon.com/mall/stanford-shopping-center/stream/kidigts-book-blast-1020338

Palo Alto City Library Presents

Dollars and Sense: Tax Diversification Strategies

Thur Feb 27 at 7 pm, Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Rd.

Tax season is here! Learn tax diversification strategies from Vanessa and Andrew from Mass Mutual Financial Advisers. Register at: http://califa.evanced.info/paloalto/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=6280

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