Dear Families,

School Site Council Members Needed For The 2011-12 School Year
I would like to thank Diane Jakubowski and Joanna Schloss who have served on the School Site Council (SSC) at Palo Verde for the last two years. They have been very supportive and I know Lupe Garcia and I appreciate all they have been able to do to help Palo Verde achieve in the last two years.

Since Diane and Joanna’s terms are up as SSC members we are in need of two new parents to fill their spots.

What is School Site Council?
School Site Councils were set up as a result of a statewide program begun in 1990 called School-Based Program Coordination (SBPC). The goal was to enable those individuals closest to the students to be involved in making significant decisions affecting the school’s instructional programs, curriculum, and budget. It was a way for those in the school community to work together toward the common goal of improving the school for all students by coordinating and directing the use of supplemental funds.

The School Site Council (SSC) is composed of representatives from all segments of our school community: the principal, 4 staff members, and 4 parents. The SSC comes together to develop a comprehensive school plan to ensure that students of all ranges of ability are best served.

At Palo Verde, the SSC meets generally at 3:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month in the Staff Lounge. Meetings are open to anyone who wishes to attend. Members serve fortwo years, with terms staggered so that about half of the council is re-elected each year to insure continuity. The Site Council is an important communications link between parents and teachers to ensure that we all work together to meet the needs of all students in the school. The Site Council also works closely with the PTA to set priorities and coordinate our expenditures to benefit the maximum number of students. Community members are welcome to attend.

If you are interested in running for a seat on the council, please submit a letter of interest to me with the following information: name, grade levels for your children, with a brief statement for the reason you want to be a member of the School Site Council by next Friday, May 13th. The election of new parent representatives to the SSC will be held at Open House on the 17th. Don’t forget to stop by the SSC table and vote for your new parent representatives.

Teacher Appreciation Week
I’d like to take this time to thank the PTA and all room parents for making this week a wonderful week for all our teachers. The door decorations, basket of goodies, delicious lunch, scrumptious desserts and of course the coffee cart, were all wonderful. It has been a fabulous year at Palo Verde School with amazing support and generosity by the community. This week has been no exception.

Five Weeks Left
With just five weeks left to the school year, I recently visited each classroom and discussed with students the importance of staying focused in class for the rest of this school year. We reviewed school rules, including zero tolerance. I reminded the students that squirt guns, water balloons and other “fun” hot weather toys are never allowed at school. No weapons pretend or FAKE are every allowed at school and there are serious consequences, including suspension, should a child choose to bring one to school. So after that camping trip, or trip to the beach, make sure your child empties his/her backpack of all such items before coming to school.

Open House Date Change
Open House at Palo Verde will be on Tuesday, May 17th. The night will begin at 6:00 PM with families bringing picnic dinners to school to enjoy spending time together as a community. Also, at 6:00 PM there will be a presentation from our Project Resiliency teacher in the multi-purpose room for all 4th and 5th grade parents who would like to attend. Then at 6:30 PM the classrooms will be open for your children to show off their classrooms to their families. We hope to see you there!

Can You Spare a Box of Tissue?
With spring in the air and everything blooming, the noses at Palo Verde have been on the run and we are using facial tissue faster than we can buy them. If you are able to donate a box of tissue to your child’s classroom, this would greatly help our little noses stay dry.

- Anne Brown

Dear Families,

It is hard to believe that spring is here. With the longer, warmer days ahead it is important that our students continue to get proper nutrition, sleep and exercise each day. Encourage your child to play outside when the sun is up and eliminate screen time within the hour before bedtime. This should help them fall asleep quicker and have a better night’s sleep.

DRIVING ISSUES – HELP KEEP OUR STUDENTS SAFE! With the warm weather coming and our children bursting with energy, our thoughts have turned recently to their safety- particularly coming and going to school.

Here are a few reminders to keep our children safe.

1) Always have your children cross in the crosswalk. Don’t drop them off opposite the school to have them dart across the middle of the street.

2) Drive around the school in a clockwise direction. This allows you to drop your student off on the right side of the street. This is especially true on Rorke Way. We have had some close calls between cars, and cars and pedestrians on Rorke Way.

3) Do not double-park. We need to remember that this type of parking is actually illegal, and discourteous to other drivers. It blocks the driver who is single parked, and those in line on the road.

4) If your children bike to school, please make sure they are on the right side of the street and wearing a helmet. Please also provide them with a chain and lock to secure their bikes at school.

STAR TESTING WINDOW BEGINS AFTER SPRING BREAK STAR testing will be administered starting April 20th and run through May 13th. Please make sure your 2nd – 5th grade children are well rested, fed and in school on time each day of testing.

PROJECT CORNERSTONE ‘S APRIL BOOK: THE RECESS QUEEN The Recess Queen, by Alexis O’Neill is our ABC Project Cornerstone book for April. In this story, Mean Jean the “Recess Queen” rules the playground with an iron fist. No one dares to cross her path for fear of being hit, punched, or kicked. One day, a new girl shows up on the playground and catches Mean Jean completely off guard. Katie Sue is not the least bit intimidated by Mean Jean. Katie Sue actually invites her to join in a jump rope game! In no time, Jean and Katie Sue become friends. This book helps our students think of creative ideas to handle bully behaviors during lunch and recess and how to solve conflicts peacefully. We will review how to avoid “taking the bait” and how to stay a “free fish.” To understand more about “taking the bait and staying a free fish” ask your child.

PALO ALTO CHIDLREN’S THEATER’S PRESENTS: PINOCCHIO Last night was the opening night of Pinocchio, presented by Palo Alto Children’s Theater, staring Palo Verde students. If you were unable to attend last night there will also be performances tonight, Friday the 1st at 7:00 PM and Saturday the 2nd at 2:00. The students have been hard at work preparing for the performance for weeks now. All the music you will hear in the play will be performed by our Palo Verde students don’t miss it!

SCIENCE FAIR, A HUGE SUCCESS I was very impressed with the Palo Verde Science Fair last week. The variety and number of projects was spectacular. Students did a fabulous job on the displays and write-ups on their projects. I would like to thank Pandu Niyak and Pavan Desikan for their hard work over the past few months. The two of them wrote the grant for Palo Verde to receive the presentation boards for each student, held two assemblies for our students to get them motivated for the event and a parent information night regarding the science fair.

DISASTER DRILL, MONDAY APRIL 4TH AT 1:00 This coming Monday, April 4th, we will be conducting a brief duck and cover, and fire drill at 1:00 pm. The entire district will be participating in a disaster drill on Monday. Some schools may be conducting full drills, but at Palo Verde we are doing a short drill. As you may recall, we held a large disaster drill in the fall. With the recent earthquakes throughout the world, it is a good time to review your home disaster plan with your family. Are you prepared?

MS. SHEPARD AND MS. SHAFFER TO BE HONORED AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING Congratulations to Ms. Shepard, our RSP teacher and Ms. Shaffer, one of our third grade teachers, both of whom will be receiving tenure at the PAUSD Board meeting this coming Tuesday night. Congratulations, we are very proud of you both!

MISS AZA TO BE HITCHED Congratulations to Miss Aza who is getting married on April 9th 2011. We wish her and her fiancé all the best that life can bring.

–Anne Brown

Dear Palo Verde Families:

Simon’s Hook is our Project Cornerstone Book for March
I’m excited to say that we have completed our first Project Cornerstone book and are beginning our second title. Hopefully all of your children have been telling you about “Bucket Filling” from last month’s book Have You Filled A Bucket Today? They may have shared a warm fuzzy or two with you. If you haven’t had a talk about the book with your child by now, ask them this weekend to tell you what they learned.

During the month of March our Asset Building Champions (ABC) parents will be sharing the book Simon’s Hook, by Karen Gedig Burnett, with our students. It is the story of a boy named Simon who is teased because he is having a “bad hair day”. This story helps children recognize that there are many ways to respond to teasing. Simon’s Hook gives children dozens of examples of how to empower themselves and not become a victim of hurtful behavior from others. From discussing this book the students will learn five strategies to keep from “taking the bait” from a teaser.

• Do little or nothing! Don’t react!
• Pretend to agree with the “hook.”
• Change the subject; distract the student doing the teasing.
• Laugh at the “hook” and make a joke of it.
• Stay away from students you know to be hurtful.

Make sure to discuss this book with your child the day he/she brings home the parent letter the day they are read the story.

Good Luck Janet Rose and Welcome Sharon Viggiano
Some of you may already know that Janet Rose will be on leave the rest of this year and that Mrs. Sharon Viggiano will be sharing the teaching of the students in room 8 with Mrs. McCandless.

Sharon received her BA from UCSB. All three of her daughters went to Palo Verde, JLS and Gunn. Sharon received her credential in 1998 and has opted to work part time as a sub in the Palo Alto School District. She loves to travel to Italy, and enjoys tandem bike rides in the hills with her husband Frank. We welcome her to our staff and know that together, Mrs. McCandless and Mrs. Viggiano will provide an excellent program for the second graders in room 8 for the remainder of the year.

We wish Janet a quick recovery on her upcoming surgery. We will miss you while you are gone.

STAR Writing Test Was Given to All 4th Graders on Tuesday
This past Tuesday, March 1st, all fourth and seventh graders in PAUSD were given the STAR writing exam. The 4th grade California Writing Standards Tests addresses the writing applications standards for grade four. The type of writing required for the writing task is not announced in advance and so students must be prepared to respond to the following possible types of writing: fictional narrative (story), a summary of a reading passage, or a response to literature.

Rubrics are used to assess the level of writing skills shown. The writing is examined to determine whether ideas are thoroughly developed and supported with appropriate details and evaluated for organization, word choice, sentence structure, grammar and mechanics (i.e., spelling, punctuation, capitalization).

Parents will receive the results of this assessment with the spring STAR testing results this summer.

March 9th Principal’s Coffee
On Wednesday morning, please join me in a warm cup of coffee and a conversation with the PTA to learn about the many ways parent involvement serves our school. We welcome your participation at Palo Verde. Please plan to join us.

Friday, March 11th is Spirit Day – Tropical Gear
In honor of the Palo Verde Auction on March 12th, we are having a Wear Tropical Gear Spirit Day on Friday, March 11th. All students and staff are being encouraged to participate. Please remember to wear appropriate shoes for PE.

Palo Verde Auction, March 12th at Trader Vic’s
Please mark your calendar and plan to attend the March 12th auction at Trader Vic’s. The invitation and a list of the auction items were sent home with your child about two weeks ago. There are fabulous items to be auctioned and I hope you will all come support Palo Verde at the event.

The event will take place from 7:00 to 10:00 PM. You’ll find a fresh RSVP form attached to this newsletter. I hope to see you all there. Don’t forget your checkbooks!

STAR Testing Dates: April 18th – May 13th
The STAR State Testing window takes place this year from April 18th to May 13th. The first week of testing falls after our spring break in April. Please plan on returning from break on time and schedule doctor and dentist appointments outside the testing window. More information will be forthcoming in the weeks to follow from your child’s teacher and in the Voice.

- Anne Brown

Dear Palo Verde Families,

ABC Project Cornerstone Begins

February’s Book Title: Have You Filled Your Bucket Today?

This month the ABC Parents will be reading the book Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? — A guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McCloud. Have You Filled a Bucket Today uses strong visual imagery to give students tools and language to help build friendship skills and improve campus-wide respect.

Have You Filled a Bucket Today uses a simple childhood toy–a bucket–to symbolize our need to “be filled every day” with positive experiences. The power of affirming words is captured by the simple concept of “bucket filling”. By expressing kindness and appreciation we create “warm fuzzies” that fill our bucket and the bucket of our peers. This lesson will also introduce a new term, “bucket dipper”. Bucket dippers behave in ways that remove warm fuzzies from the buckets of others. In this lesson, our goal is to empower students to intentionally fill their buckets and the buckets of others with good feelings (warm fuzzies).

Project Cornerstone will be promoting The 41 Developmental Assets each month in the ABC Program. Posters listing the 41 developmental Assets are posted outside my office door and on the bulletin board outside the MP room. To learn more about Project Cornerstone, check out their website at www.projectcornerstone.org.

Play First then Eat At Lunch

As reported in the Voice last month, at the request of our School Site Council (SSC), our students have been playing before eating at lunch during the month of January. This week, students will have the opportunity to give the SSC feedback about what they think of the new lunch schedule by completing an on-line survey.

Studies indicate that students, who eat after they play, actually eat more of their lunch, concentrate better, behave more calmly and get higher test scores. Teachers will share their feedback of the program at the SSC meeting this week. We would also like to hear from parents regarding the new schedule. If you have any comments, please either attend our SSC meeting this Wednesday, February 2nd, at 3:30 in the staff room, or send me an email at abrown@pausd.org.

Please Call the Office if Your Child is Absent

Please remember to call the office, at 856-1672, any day your child will be absent from school. Our school clerk, Joan Jennings, calls parents first thing in the morning when a child is absent. Telling the teacher about your child’s absence, though appreciated, does not guarantee that the office will be notified. You can leave a message on the school phone at any time, day or night.

Lost And Found Is Getting Full

Don’t forget to check the lost and found for your children’s items each week. With the weather changing week by week, from cold to mild, many jackets and sweatshirts have been left on the playground and are now filling the lost and found.

–Anne Brown

Dear Palo Verde Families,

Happy New Year! It is hard to believe we are already in 2011. I hope you all
had a restful and relaxing vacation with your families. I was able to get away to
the snow with my family and had a wonderfully, white New Year’s celebration in
Bear Valley.

As we start the new year we will be revisiting classroom and school norms and
getting back into the swing of being at school. As a reminder, we are starting
our play then eat lunchtime pilot for the month of January. Please remember to
send your child to school with a healthy snack, as they will be eating twenty
minutes later in the day. On the first day of our new schedule eating time was
much quieter and students reported that they ate all of their food. Not every
student was happy with the new schedule and I reminded these students that
we are just trying this out for now and that it may take time to get used to the
new schedule. Teachers said students were much calmer after lunch on
Monday.

I would like to welcome back to school Mrs. Ghiorso. She returned to work this
Monday after being on maternity leave for the birth of her son. Mrs. Ghiorso will
continue to share a contract with Miss Pottorff for the remainder of the school
year. Congratulations Mrs. Ghiorso.

Our new Smart Boards are being installed this month. Some of the classrooms
already have a board that is up and running. The Smart Boards are a wonderful
educational tool that will enhance instruction. Before break each classroom had
a surround sound system installed and the teachers began to use the system.

The surround sound allows for all students to hear the teacher at the same amplification, no matter where they are sitting in the classroom. Our new system is a sound equalization system which means that all students, regardless of their vantage in the room, have equal access to the teacher’s enunciation and volume.

For maximum teacher intelligibility, it’s been determined (through studies), that students should sit within six feet of the teacher. Distance from the teacher greatly impacts the effects of noise and reverberation. The interaction of noise and reverberation is less detrimental when the listener is seated in the direct sound field. Through further research, when students were seated six feet from the teacher, the students scored 95% in word recognition. When students were seated twelve feet from their teacher, students scored 71% in word recognition. When students were seated 24 feet from their teachers, students scored 60% in word recognition.

I’d like to remind everyone that Wednesdays are Green Days at school. We encourage all students to make as little lunch waste as possible on these days and to bike or walk to school. If you walk or ride a bike to school on Wednesdays, make sure you get your Green Wednesday card punched with Silvie.

Last Wednesday we held our first Project Resiliency Parent Information Meeting for all 4th and 5th grade parents. If you were unable to attend this meeting and would like to learn more about this program, we will be holding another informational meeting on January 19th, at 7:00 PM at our PTA meeting. Though this is a program for fourth and fifth grader students only, parents of students at all grade levels are invited to attend.

Project Cornerstone’s ABC Training will be held on Thursday, January 20th at 9:00 AM in the multipurpose room. We are excited to begin this program at Palo Verde. If you have volunteered for the ABC program, you should have received an email prior to break inviting you to attend this training.

Next Wednesday, January 12th, please stay after the start of school to enjoy a cup of coffee, talk with other Palo Verde families and watch the assembly. I appreciate the PTA providing coffee once a month for the Principal’s Coffee and I hope you can stay for a cup or two.

- Anne Brown

Dear Palo Verde Families:

I hope you all enjoyed the Thanksgiving break with your families. I am thankful to be part of the wonderfully supportive Palo Verde community this year. I wish you all the best for the rest of the holiday season.

We have many exciting things that will be happening in the next three weeks of school. I hope you can participate in some, if not all, of the activities listed below.

Project Cornerstone – ABC (Asset Building Champions) Program to begin at Palo Verde and volunteers are needed to help make this program successful. One of our school plan goals this year is to research and implement a new character education that meets the changing needs of our students and teaches appropriate social skills. This year the staff and School Site Council have decided to adopt Project Cornerstone’s Asset Building Champions program.

In Project Cornerstone’s Asset Building Champions (ABC) program, parent volunteers read specially selected stories and lead classroom activities and discussions about building appropriate social skills. The lessons focus on values like honesty, responsibility, and peaceful conflict resolution, with special attention given to issues like student-to- student respect and avoiding becoming the victim of a bully.

The goal of the ABC program is to teach our children skills that they can use today and throughout their lives to help them deal with peer pressure, building and keeping friendships, making healthy decisions, and solving problems. By sharing these concepts in class, we create a common language and vocabulary about these issues for the entire school.

Each month, parent volunteers meet as a group to review the story and lesson plan they will present the following month. The commitment by a parent volunteer is about 3 hours a month; one for the parent group meeting, one at home preparing for the lesson and one in the classroom working with the students.

On December 8th at 8:30 AM, in the multi-purpose room, we will be holding an informational meeting for anyone interested in learning more about the ABC Program and who is considering volunteering. Please come have some coffee and learn more about Project Cornerstone. I hope to see many of you at this meeting. We are hoping for at least eighteen parents to volunteer to be ABC parents.

The next School Site Council (SSC) Meeting is December 8th at 3:30 PM.

With the school year nicely settled into a predictable rhythm, we thought it would be a great time to re-introduce the site council that is working behind the scenes on many initiatives for the benefit of the Palo Verde community.

The Palo Verde Site Council is a decision making body that is composed equally of four parents and four staff members from Palo Verde School, plus the Principal. The purpose of the council is to work as an advisory group to the principal, in developing a comprehensive school plan and in approving a school improvement budget that is supportive of said plan. It meets once a month. The specific day and time for this year has been the first Wednesday of each month (unless it is rescheduled due to a conflict).

The term of office for all members of the site council is two years, with the exception of the principal, who is a permanent member. This year our Palo Verde site council has the following members: Joanna Schloss (parent), Amy Sheward (teacher), Diane Jakubowski (parent), Ani Gnanalingam (parent), Sheri Cundall (teacher), Jennifer Aza (teacher), Anne Marie Hallada (parent), Carol Witt (teacher) and Anne Brown (principal).

This year has been a busy one. Changes were made and approved to three specific sections within the “Single Plan for Student Achievement”. For the “Learning Environment” section site adopted Project Cornerstone as its starting point of revamping the character education program which is no longer meeting the needs of our students. In the “Language Arts” section, staff will participate in training on Guided Reading and Writing using the workshop model and provide instruction based on this model. In order to make changes to the section dealing with “Meeting the needs of our under achieving students”, the school will participate in a three year program to look at how reading is collaboratively supported at Palo Verde and how to use our resources to help meet the needs of all our students.

We are also exploring the idea of “Recess before Lunch”! Studies indicate that students who eat after they play actually eat more of their lunch, concentrate better, behave more calmly and get higher test scores. The logistics of making this change in Palo Verde are being worked out. More information on this topic will follow shortly.

All are welcome to attend any SSC meeting. This month we will be meeting to hear about the science curriculum across the grades and to discuss how we can better communicate all the wonderful things happening at Palo Verde in the area of science. If you would like more information about the Site Council, feel free to contact any member listed above.

The Last Day to Donate to the Giving Tree is Next Friday December 10th

If you wish to give back to charity during this holiday season, consider donating to the Family Giving Tree Holiday Wish Drive. Please stop by the office and select a gift card. Please return your unwrapped gifts to the Office by Friday, December 10th.

–Anne Brown

Dear Families:

October ended with a wonderful Halloween celebration. All the children and adults looked fabulous. I had a wonderful time. Thank you to all the parents who joined us at the parade and who provided such fun and creative celebrations for the classrooms.

Parent/Teacher conferences are beginning and will continue through the rest of November. Teachers spend countless hours reviewing your child’s work in order to complete the progress report card and to prepare for the conference with you. Please make it a priority to attend your child’s conference to get informed about what your child is doing in his/her class.

Here are some of the things to expect at your parent-teacher conference:

• The teacher will review your child’s strengths and areas for continuing development.
• Samples of your child’s work and the results of various assessments will be shared.
• The teacher will refer to the report card and will indicate your child’s progress toward meeting the standards that we expect students to know and be able to achieve by the end of the school year. Is s/he making expected progress? Is s/he making limited progress? If so, is there a need to put increased attention on a particular skill or concept? Has s/he already met or exceeded the standard?
• Conference topics will include academic growth and performance, as well as study skills and social/emotional development.
• The teacher may suggest ways in which you can assist and support your child’s progress at home.
• The teacher will give you an opportunity to ask questions and share reflections about your child’s growth and achievement.

It is our common goal, as parents and teachers, to work together in the best interest of all our children.

I want to express my personal gratitude for your thoughtful, kind and generous support, all of which directly benefits our children. As such, the PiE (Partners in Education) Fundraising Drive to benefit our school next year is currently underway. For those of you who have already donated to PiE this year, thank you. If you haven’t donated yet, you can double your donation from now through November 19th, thanks to the Challenge Grant made possible by the PiE Board and the Advisory Council members. As you might know, your PiE donations from last year are allowing us to offer Spectra Art lessons and instructional aides in every classroom. Thank you in advance for any and all donations, which will make it possible for us to maintain the level of support we currently offer our students at Palo Verde. If you would like to understand more about PiE, please visit their website at papie.org. The FAQ page is very informative. Look for some of us dressed as “PIE” this month.

Again, we are most grateful for your active and supportive role in helping Palo Verde School provide a strong educational foundation for all our children.

Happy November,

Anne Brown

Happy October Palo Verde Families;

It is hard to believe that October is already here.  This first month of school seemed to fly by.  Our students are actively engaged in activities throughout the day.  Routines have been established and learning is moving ahead full speed.

I want to thank Lauren Aspegren for organizing a fantastic Walk-a-Thon.  We raised over $6,000.  Thank you also to all the parent volunteers who came out that day to help punch cards, serve water and direct the children on the course.  It was great fun for all.  Ask your child about the number of laps they walked and please encourage him/her to walk every Wednesday with the Walking Club at lunch.

Next Wednesday, October 6^th is International Walk-to-School Day. I encourage everyone who is able, to either walk or ride a bike to school that morning.  Please also remember that every Wednesday is a No Waste Lunch Wednesday.    Consider packing lunches in reusable containers on Wednesdays.  Our recycle program is up and running and we are determined to reduce our waste as a school site, No Waste Wednesdays are a perfect way to start.

Staff Development Day on October 8^th – no school for students.

On Friday October 8^th, the teachers and I will be engaged in literacy training the entire day.  We will be grouped in grade level appropriate workshops to learn more about implementing successful Reader’s and Writer’s Workshops.  The teachers will be meeting and collaborating with their PAUSD colleagues.  Best teaching practices will be discussed and shared.   You will all have a four-day weekend as Monday, October 11^th is Columbus Day and school is closed.  Enjoy the long weekend with your children.

On October 12^th the entire district will be holding a Disaster Drill at 10:30 AM.  October is disaster preparedness month and staff and students will be practicing the routines and procedures necessary to keep everyone safe in the case of an earthquake.  This is a great month for your family to talk about and practice your home evacuation plan.  What are your children to do in the case of a fire, earthquake or other disaster?    What is the best way for each person to evacuate the house?  Do you have a meeting spot?  Do you have food and water stored in case of a disaster?  You can never be over prepared.

Halloween Parade, Friday October 29^th at 10:30 AM

The Palo Verde Halloween Costume Parade will be at 10:30 on Friday, October 29, 2010 in the Blacktop Area.   Many parents and other family members traditionally enjoy this event with us.  We hope this tradition continues.  Since the parade starts after the morning recess (10:30), parents may help their child(ren) put on their costumes during the morning break.

Please Wear Appropriate Costumes

We do not want to get into pre-approving all costumes, but we do ask that parents and students please consider the appropriateness of the costume for school.

Children MAY NOT BRING

• Toy guns, toy knives, or any other pretend or real weapons
• No blood or gore is allowed as well

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in his or her costumes.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Soon teachers will begin scheduling parent/teacher conferences. Teachers spend countless hours reviewing your child’s work in order to complete the progress report card and to prepare for the conference with you.  Teachers are conducting these conferences before and/or after school and their time is limited.  We understand that it might be difficult for you to leave work to attend the conference, but hope you can be flexible with the scheduling of your conference.

Here are some of the things to expect at your parent-teacher conference:

• The teacher will review your child’s strengths and areas for continuing development.
• Samples of your child’s work and the results of various assessments will be shared.
• The teacher will refer to the report card and will indicate your child’s progress toward meeting the standards that we expect students to know and be able to achieve by the end of the school year.  Is s/he making expected progress?  Is s/he making limited progress? If so, is there a need to put increased attention on a particular skill or concept? Has s/he already met or exceeded the standard?
• Conference topics will include academic growth and performance, as well as study skills and social/emotional development.
• The teacher may suggest ways in which you can assist and support your child’s progress at home.
• The teacher will give you an opportunity to ask questions and share reflections about your child’s growth and achievement.

It is our common goal, as parents and teachers, to work together in the best interest of all our children.  Thank you for taking the opportunity to meet with us, so we can move ahead together in supporting your child.

Dear Palo Verde Families:

It was wonderful to see so many of you at Back-to-School Night this last Tuesday.  I hope you found the evening informative.

School Supply Money

Thank you to everyone who has donated the PTA’s requested $50 for your child’s school supplies for the year.  This is such a wonderful convenience for our Palo Verde families.  I myself spent two hours buying individual school supplies for my fifth grader. The total added up to well over $100, and I had to go to three different stores to find the specific items the school requested.   Please note that the money you are being asked to give is in lieu of a shopping list, that could very well have you shopping for a couple of hours at multiple stores as well.

Wear Your Helmet and Walk Your Ride On Campus

I’d like to thank all the parents for supporting the “No Riding on Campus” rule and also for making your child where his/her helmet at all times.    If you still need help to get a helmet for your child, please let me know.  Together we can keep everyone safe.

Early Late Reading Begins Sept. 13

On September 13^th Palo Verde will begin the early and late reading schedule.  Please be mindful that classes are in session from 8:15 AM until 2:50 PM and it is imperative that all children leave campus at the end of their school day.  Please do not stay on campus and let your child play on the playground after school, as this disrupts the students who are still in class.  If your child rides the bus or has a sibling in the upper grades you may sign up for before or after school care.  Please sign-up for the before and after care in the school office.   We have limited space.

Principal’s Coffee Sept. 8^th

Please plan on joining me for a cup of coffee at the start of school in the reading garden on September 8^th.   At 8:30 we will be holding our weekly assembly on the black top.

School Photos

Class photos will be taken Wednesday, September 15^th and individual photos will be taken on the Thursday, September 16^th.  If you are ordering pictures, each child must have a completed form with payment on the day the individual pictures are taken.  Re-takes and make-ups will be scheduled at a later date.

It has been a fantastic start to the school year.  Thank you for all of the support you are giving as a community to our staff and student body.

Anne

Dear Families:

We have had a great first week of school.   We opened our doors to 398 smiling students and happy parents. We held our first assembly on Tuesday. Though it was extremely hot, it was a pleasure to have everyone together for the short gathering.  We will continue the tradition of weekly assemblies every Wednesday.  We were happy to have Superintendent Dr. Skelly, and PAUSD Board Members Dana Tom and Barbara Klausner attend our assembly.  They took pictures of the event and showed them to the rest of the school board that evening.

I would like to thank Heather Schultz, our PTA President, and the entire PTA for sponsoring the Welcome Back Coffee on Tuesday.  I was pleased to have the room filled for our first coffee.  We will be holding future coffees the second Wednesday morning of each month.  I hope you are able to attend.

Please mark your calendars for Back-To-School Curriculum Night, which will be held next Tuesday, August 31^st.  Kindergarten – 2^nd grade teachers will be presenting from 6:00 – 7:00 PM and 3^rd – 5^th grade teachers will speak from 7:05 – 8:05 PM.  Unfortunately, we do not have the facilities this year to offer daycare during Back-to-School Night and since this is an adult evening only, please arrange for childcare for the evening.

A FEW REMINDERS

Does your child ride a bike, skateboard or scooter to school? If so, you need to make sure they are wearing a helmet.  I have seen numerous students without helmets.  This is not only very dangerous, but illegal as well.  All children under the age of 18 are required by law to wear a helmet at all times while riding bikes and scooters.  Students who do not have a helmet may not ride a bike, skateboard or scooter to school.  If you need assistance in finding a helmet for your child, please let me know.  Please help us keep our children safe.

Please also remind your child that bikes, scooters and skateboards should be walked on campus between the hours of 8 AM and 3 PM.  In the past, students have been allowed to ride scooters to their classroom doors; however, we have had people hit this week by students riding on campus.  I appreciate your support in changing this behavior.

The staff and I need your help in keeping the campus quiet during the hours of 8:15 AM and 2:50 PM.  If your child’s school day is over before 2:50 PM, please pick your child up promptly at dismissal time.  If you need to wait for an upper grade sibling, please sit quietly with your child while you wait. Please don’t allow your child to play on the playground, unsupervised while they wait for you or a sibling.  Once we begin our early/late reading schedule it will be imperative that the school remains quiet during the entire school day.

Thank you for all your support and cooperation.  Every day I drive to work, I do so with a smile on my face.  This is a wonderful community.

Have a good weekend,

Anne