The Laurel PTO Executive Board is pleased to announce this year's recipients of the Honorary Service Awards and the School Service Awards. These awards are given to parents and staff who have provided extraordinary time and effort to Laurel's students and staff. The criteria includes showing leadership and innovation in service and projects, as well as consistency in their commitments. We see these parents and staff every day and we can't do it without them! We sincerely thank them for their dedication to Laurel, your children and our teachers and staff! For a list of award recipients at other schools within our district, click here.

Honorary Service Awards

Roxy Bozdog, Cathy Brown, Mari Chazen, Eileen Rozanski, and Priscilla Seely

School Service Awards

Celeste Baranski, Michelle Barry, Gail Bradley, Deann Brady, Kristin Campbell, Maisie Chin, Lora Christen, Traci Christie, Christine Evans, Ken Fuson, Amy Hamilton, Carolee Hazard, Mary Henderson, Becky Jackson, Sgt. Anthony Kockler, Darcy Leshly, Wilfin Morales, Sue Peterson, Joan Posilippo, Cathy Ricke, Gary Riekes, Christine Scheetz, Courtney Shackleton, Kim Steere, Leah Strichartz, Kristi Waldron, Rebecca Wang, Gina Watkins, Dean Wilkins and Kristl Wong

Committee Call Highlight: Quarter Gourmet/Laurel Pot Luck

The Quarter Gourmet/Laurel Potluck is a school-wide potluck dinner in mid-September. Chairing this event involves arranging tables for potluck buffets, setting up a few pay-stations and drink areas, working with the Environmental Committee to set out garbage/recycle bins, providing music, if inclined, and cleaning up after the event. (2009 plans are to simplify the event, that would make planning very streamlined.)

Our fabulous co-chairs from this year, who deserve many thanks, were Christine Evans and Kris Fichou. They put together a fabulous event, loved by children, parents and staff. How about you for 2009? Please contact me for details! Carla Posthauer at cjpost( at )pacbell.net.

Interested, but would like to review other options? Please click here for the complete Committee Call list.

Laurel PTO's Sponsor-a-Book

Spring our Laurel Library into Spring with New and Replacement Books! Laurel PTO's "Sponsor-A-Book" allows you to purchase a book(s) for our Library while honoring a student, teacher, or friend and with a personalized nameplate. For $20, you can make a difference! Click here for more information and to place your order.

Laurel Art Festival

Thursday, May 14

6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Laurel Multi

Please stop by the Multi during the Open House to see the wonderful art projects that will be on display! If you would like to help set up for the Art Festival, please contact Lora Christen at lorachristen( at )yahoo.com and Amy Kratzer at adkratzer( at )yahoo.com.

Art Class News: The Fundred Dollar Bill

In honor of Earth Day, all students at Laurel and Encinal are creating a Fundred dollar bill in art class with Mrs. Noon and Ms. Herzlinger. This is a nationwide art project designed to raise awareness, support, and $300,000,000, the estimated cost for the environmental recovery of New Orleans. We need more Fundreds! If anyone in your family would like to create one, stop by the art room or print a template out at www.fundred.org. Thank you to the PTO for supporting this project. Students have enjoyed creating meaningful art that will make a difference in peoples' lives.

Overdue Library Books

This time of year brings with it lots of overdue book notices being sent home with children. If your child comes home with an overdue notice, please check the date of the notice. For notices more than 2 days old, contact Gail Bradley, Laurel Librarian, at 324-0186, ext. 3830 or gbradley( at )mpcsd.org as the book may have been returned. We want every child to be able to check out at least one of our terrific books every week so please make sure your child returns his/her book(s) on time. Thank you!

A Message from Encinal's Principal

Dear Second Grade Parents,

Please join us for a parent information session on Thursday, May 28 from 2:00-3:00 PM in the Encinal library. We will provide information about our growing campus as well as an overview of what to expect in third grade. On May 22, we will welcome the second grade students for a tour of the campus from 11:00-12:00. We look forward to getting to know our next group of Encinal Eagles!

Allison Liner, Principal
and the Third Grade Team

4th Annual Pancake Breakfast

Saturday, May 16

8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Encinal School Arbor

Take a break from cooking and attend the 4th Annual Laurel/Encinal Pancake Breakfast! The entire family will enjoy lip-smacking pancakes, bacon/sausage, delicious fruit, and hot/cold beverages -- all prepared by volunteers.

Please let us know by May 8 if your family plans to attend. Your RSVP is critical in our event planning. We want to make sure we have enough food for everyone! You can complete the bottom of this flyer and return it to either the Laurel or Encinal office OR email Rebecca Wang at rebs1( at )aol.com with the names of the people in your party that will be attending.

To register and pay by credit card, please click here. Be sure to include all the names of your party in the "comments" section. Bring your printed confirmation page to the breakfast as your receipt. Cash payment at the breakfast will also be accepted.

Caring & Sharing Spring Drive

Please join the Laurel PTO's Caring & Sharing Spring Drive - bring gift cards for Trader Joe's and/or Safeway to assist families in need in our community! There is an envelope in the office for the collection of gift cards. Please bring them by Wednesday, May 20. Thanks for your support! Contact Amy Hamilton Kratzer at adkratzer( at )yahoo.com with any questions.

Rock the Foundation

Thank you to everyone who attended MPAEF's Rock the Foundation party! You rocked our world with your energy, enthusiasm, and generous support! Special thanks go to all of the amazing volunteers who made the event possible and the donors who contributed this year's outrageous parties, teacher items, and raffle prizes. The party may be over, but its spirit will live on through MPAEF's rockin' support of our schools! Just like The Who sings, Long live rock!

Ongoing Events

Help Build Our School Brick by Brick: Deadline extended! Buy your Laurel-inscribed brick today. This is your last chance this year. Sale ends on May 18. Bricks are $100 each. Go to www.mpaef.org to order. Thanks for leaving your mark on Laurel!

Community News

Kepler's Family Events

Story Time with Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Duck! Rabbit!, Little Oink, and Spoon

Sunday, May 3, 2009

11:30 a.m.

Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino, Menlo Park

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

Camp for the First Week of Summer

Due to the district's early summer vacation, Camp Menlo at Burgess Park Pool is considering adding a session from June 8 to June 12, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The camp would offer aquatic instruction of fundamentals mixed in with water and land activities. For details about the camp, including already scheduled sessions, visit http://www.menloswim.com/menlo/kids_camps.html. If you have interest in enrolling your child in a June 8 to June 12 session, please send a space reservation notice to tomas( at )menloswim.com.

The Bay Area Educational Theater Company

"Annie"

May 8th-17th, 2009

Woodside High School Performing Arts Center, 199 Churchill Avenue, Woodside

Bring your whole family to enjoy this live musical theater event. For tickets and more info, visit: www.bayareaetc.org.

Menlo Park Library

Western Ballet Company, Spring Galla Preview

Friday, May 15, 2009

7:00 p.m.

Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma Street, Menlo Park

For more information, click here.

Summer Horsemanship Camp

Don't miss out on our fun filled camps learning about every aspect of horsemanship including grooming, tacking up your horse, safety around horses, caring and handling, live demonstrations, vaulting and of course riding! Ages 6 years and older. **Offering a complimentary lesson for every full session camp sign up** For more information, please visit www.springdown.com.

Ohlone Summer Art Camp

Silk painting, embroidery, mosaics, masks and more! Interested in signing up for our 12th annual summer camp? Click here for more information.

American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO)

Online pre-registration for the fall 2009 AYSO season is now open. Boys and girls born between August 1, 1990, and January 31, 2005, are eligible to play. Our single-sex teams are divided by age and balanced by ability. Players born between August 1, 2003 and January 31, 2005 participate in the Kinderleague (U6) program. Volunteer job selection will be first-come, first-served, so pre-register early to get the job you want. For more information, visit www.mpsoccer.org.