November 16, 2007

Laurel School Newsletter
Next Week
Monday, 11/19
  - 7 p.m. Board of Education Meeting, District Office
 
Tuesday, 11/20
  - No Events Scheduled
 
Wednesday, 11/21
  - No School, Thanksgiving Vacation  
 
Thursday, 11/22
  - No School, Thanksgiving Vacation 

Friday, 11/23
  - No School, Thanksgiving Vacation
Upcoming Events
11/26      Board of Education Mtg, 7 p.m., Encinal Library
11/27      Picture Make-up Day
11/28      Clay Prep Party (Art Room), 11:15 a.m.
11/28      Site Council Meeting, 3 p.m.
12/3        Cheeky Monkey Shopping Night, 6:30 p.m.
12/7        PTO District Council Meeting, 8:30 a.m.
12/7        Teacher Holiday Luncheon, 12:00 p.m.
12/7        Retirement Dessert for Pam Bonino, 12:45 p.m.
12/12      PTO Executive Board Meeting, 8:45 a.m.
12/14      Winter Sing, 1st Grade Show, 8:30 a.m.
12/14      Winter Sing, Kindergarten Show, 10:30 a.m.
12/14      Winter Sing, 2nd Grade Show, 1:30 p.m.
12/21      Minimum Day, classes dismiss at 11:35 a.m.
12/22-1/6 No School, Winter Break
1/7          School Resumes
1/9          PTO Executive Board Meeting, 8:45 a.m.
School Schedule Next Week
Please note that there will be no school on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, November 21 through 23, due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
In This Issue
Upcoming Events
School Schedule Next Week
Newsletter Deadline Change
Cheeky Monkey Shopping Night
Honey Bear Trees
Afternoon Kindergarten Drop-off
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Retirement Celebration for Pam Bonino
Bake Sale Help Needed
Eco Squirrel: Award
Lost and Found
Encinal Drama Program
Kids' Art Fundraiser
MPAEF
Community News
Quick Links
Join our Mailing List!
Newsletter Deadline
The deadline for submitting articles to the November 23 edition of the newsletter will be Monday, November 19.  The early deadline is due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. 
Cheeky Monkey Toys Shopping Night
  • Monday, December 3
  • 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
  • Cheeky Monkey Toys, 640 Santa Cruz Ave, Menlo Park
The Holidays are here!  Support the Laurel and Encinal PTOs with a special private holiday shopping night at Cheeky Monkey Toys.  10% of all purchases will be donated to our PTOs, and there will be a $100 gift card give-a-way to a lucky shopper (no purchase necessary to win). Stay tuned for childcare and restaurant options to make a big night out! Contact: Katie Ferrick at katieferrick(at)comcast.net.
Honey Bear Trees
  • November 20 through December 24
  • 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 7 days a week
  • 955 Woodside Road, Redwood City
When you buy a tree or wreath at Honey Bear Trees, they will donate 15% back to the PTO!  Print out the form or look for it in your child's folder next week.
Afternoon Kindergarten Drop-off
Please do not park and leave your car along the circular driveway during afternoon kindergarten drop-off, from 10:00 to 10:15 a.m. We especially request that you do not park and leave your car in the red-curb area reserved for buses.  We need to allow cars to flow through this area as they drop off their children.  Thank you.
Upcoming School Board Meetings
On Monday, November 19, at the District Office, the Menlo Park City School District Board of Education will address an elementary Spanish Immersion program, an elementary Spanish specialty program (similar to art or music), and the Facility Master Plan.  On November 26 in the Encinal library, the agenda includes discussion of the District Reconfiguration Plan, including changes to school boundaries. Both meetings will be held at 7 p.m.
Retirement Celebration for Pam Bonino
Our beloved Pam Bonino is retiring as of December 31!  We are so sad to see her leave and want to help her celebrate her many, many years of service in Menlo Park.  Parents will be honoring Pam after the Staff Appreciation Luncheon:
  • Friday, December 7
  • 12:45 to 1:45 p.m.
  • Multi-Purpose Room
Children are encouraged to make cards telling Mrs. Bonino what they love about her and why she will be missed. Parents can bring these cards to the dessert. Please RSVP to Gina Watkins at pto_president(at)laurelpto.org, so we know how many parents to expect.
Bake Sale Help Needed
The Winter Sing and Bake Sale is coming soon...we need baked and homemade goodies as well as volunteers to help at the event on Friday, December 14.  New for this year: we are encouraging donations of homemade gifts and cards. We want everyone to have a chance to share their special talent with the Laurel community. Tap into your inner Martha Stewart and donate your delicious creations, such as cakes, platters of festive cookies, candy, pies, brownies, loaves of bread, and fun granola mixes.

Please let us know what you can donate and when you can volunteer by November 26. Email Cyndi Nolasco at nolascofamilyschoolstuff(at)yahoo.com. Include the item you will donate as well as the quantity.

Eco Squirrel: Environmental Quality Award
Eco Squirrel here to bring you some exciting news!  Laurel and Encinal Schools have won an Environmental Quality Award for our Zero Waste Lunch programs from the City of Menlo Park.  Way to go kids and parents!  It's nice to get some recognition for all of the efforts we have been putting into reducing our lunchtime trash at school.  Thanks to parents for continuing to pack lunches from home in reusable containers and thanks to kids for your sorting.  Congratulations!
Lost and Found
Please check the Lost and Found in the Multi-Purpose room for any missing items, or items you may not have even missed yet!  Cold mornings and warm afternoons mean the Lost and Found is filling up with very nice sweaters, jackets, long-sleeved shirts, and other items.  Remember that labeling all of your child's clothing will help these items return to their owners.
Encinal Drama Program "The Frog Prince"
  • Monday, November 19
  • 3:10 p.m. or 3:45 p.m.
  • Encinal Multi Purpose Room
Encinal's Monday After-School Drama Program will be putting on FREE back-to-back productions of "The Frog Prince."  The kids in the After-School Drama Program have been working with Peninsula Youth Theatre all fall to gear up for these productions.  It is MUST SEE non-TV!  Contact: Katie Hadrovic, katiehadrovic(at)yahoo.com.
Kids' Art Fundraiser
The Kids' Art Fundraiser artwork has arrived from Original Works! The pieces should have come home with your child last week. This program raised over $4,000 for the Laurel PTO this year.  If you have any questions about your order please contact Carol Kelly at 325-6702.
Clay Prep Party
  • Wednesday, November 28
  • 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  • Art Room
Please mark your calendars for the clay prep party in the art room.  Anyone is welcome to come and help, we'll be making hundreds of clay balls and cookies for use in the art program. Contact: Michelle Marini, mmarini3(at)yahoo.com.
MPAEF
MPAEF New LogoCongratulations to the Donation Day Drawing Prize Winners!
Thank you to all of the families who have contributed to the MPAEF annual campaign on or before Donation Day, and congratulations to the lucky Laurel families who were randomly selected to receive these fabulous prizes!
  • Mary and Daniel Fitzsimmons - lunch with Principal Nancy Hendry
  • Christie Coleman and Scott Bekemeyer - reserved parking for the Winter Sing
  • Charlotte and Soeren Nedergaard - reserved parking for the Winter Sing
  • Tara and Greg Roussel - Sugar Shack $5 gift card
  • Linda Ong and Andrew Wee - Baskin Robbins $6 gift certificate
  • Elizabeth and Robert Katz - Cold Stone Creamery $10 gift certificate
All of these prizes were generously donated by members of the community.  When you give to the MPAEF, the real winners are our kids and our schools!  It's not too late to make your gift - visit our website at www.mpaef.org to donate online, or mail your contribution to the MPAEF, P.O. Box 584, Menlo Park, CA 94026.
Community News
Breakfast with Santa
  • Saturday, December 1
  • 8 to 11 a.m.
  • Burgess Recreation Center, 700 Alma Street, Menlo Park
  • $3 Children, $5 Adults
The City of Menlo Park Community Services Department will be hosting the annual "Breakfast With Santa."  Activities will include pancake breakfast, letter writing to Santa, holiday crafts, and visiting with Santa in person. Reservations are required.  For more information, click here.

Kepler's
  • Thanksgiving Story Time
  • Sunday, November 18
  • 11:30 a.m.
  • Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

Thanksgiving isn't just about eating a humungous meal with your family! Bring your little ones to the holiday themed Story Time where they will learn that giving thanks isn't something to do just once a year. Retired librarian Stephanie Meyer will contribute to the event with her lively and imaginative storytelling!

**Remember to mention Laurel School at the register and 10% of your Kepler's purchases comes back to our PTO.**

YMCA Youth Basketball League
Come join the Palo Alto Family YMCA and the Golden State Jr. Warriors as we present the 2008 YMCA Youth Basketball League (YBL) for K through 8th grade girls and boys. With this new partnership the Palo Alto Family YMCA basketball league has a new look with the same quality program. We have a motto "Everyone plays, everyone wins." All of our players, coaches and parents will walk away with a better understanding of our four core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.  For more information, contact the YMCA front desk at 856-9622, visit our website, or e-mail Danny Koba at dkoba(at)ymcamidpen.org.

Holiday Concert at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
  • Sunday, December 2
  • 6:00 p.m.
  • 950 Santa Cruz Avenue
Join us for a very special Christmas Concert at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. Our concert involves approximately 150 children ages kindergarten through sixth grade, many from our schools! The evening will feature our Children's Choirs, Bell Choir, and the adult Chancel Choir presenting choral songs and Christmas carols of all kinds. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Free childcare is provided for ages 3 - 36 months. Admission is free. For more information, call 323-8657 or visit our website at www.mppc.org.

Lead Testing at Cheeky Monkey
  • Sunday, November 18
  • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • at Cheeky Monkey Toys, 640 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park
Free lead testing by x-ray fluorescence on up to 5 of your child's favorite toys. For more information, call 328-7975 or email info(at)cheekymonkeytoys.com.
Submit newsletter items by Wednesday at noon or attachments by Tuesday at noon to newsletter(at)laurelpto.org
or phone: 473-1299