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| Fall Family Potluck- Tonight!! |
- September 11, 2009
- 5:30 p.m.
- Laurel 2nd Grade Field
Bring a blanket, a dish to share (K: Dessert; 1st: Salad/Side Dish; 2nd: Main Dish) and dine with your Laurel community! This is the first event-oriented fundraiser of the year, with a suggested donation of $5/plate or $20/family, but a donation of any size is appreciated. For your donation you will receive a raffle ticket for the chance to win a Laurel Cookbook or a Laurel Stadium Blanket! Come one, come all! Please see flyer for more details. No alcohol please. |
| Next Week |
| Monday, 9/14
Principal - Parent Chat, 10:30 a.m., Laurel Multi
1 on 1 Basketball Begins
Tuesday, 9/15
No Events Scheduled
Wednesday, 9/16
No Events Scheduled
Thursday, 9/17
After-School Sports and Fun Begins
Friday, 9/18
School Spirit Day - Wear White and Blue! |
| Upcoming Events |
9/23 General PTO Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
9/25 PTO Membership Drive Ends
9/28 Kid Art Fundraiser- Order Week
10/4 Sunday Launch of the Book Fair
10/5-9 Book Fair in the Laurel Multi
10/13 Menlo Park City School Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
10/14 PTO Executive Board Meeting, 8:40 a.m.
10/15 Minimum Day
10/16 Staff Development Day/ No School
10/20 Picture Day
10/30 Halloween Parade
11/2 Make-Up Picture Day
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| Yikes! Super Dog's in Trouble and Only You Can Save Him! |
 Only two weeks remain in this year's membership campaign and only 44% of our families have joined the PTO. Over 80% of the funds for Laurel's PTO budget come from this important drive. We need your help to make the student, staff and community enrichment programs a reality for the 2009-10 school year.
Current participation levels are:
Kindergarten - 50%
1st grade - 44%
2nd grade - 39%
The time to act is now! Please download and print the 2009-2010 Membership form and return to school in your child's blue folder or drop it off in the Red Fire Hydrant in the office. You can also join online by clicking the link on the Laurel PTO website to make your contribution! We look forward to soaring through another great year together. Be your kids' super hero. Support your PTO! | |
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| Extra/Mini Directory Orders |
| Every family in the school district receives a student DISTRICT WIDE directory. If you would like additional directories, or a half-sized version, you may order them for $5.00 each. Use the Order Form to order by Friday, September 26. |
| Principal-Parent Chat This Monday |
| Parents are invited to hear Linda Creighton give a presentation on mathematics, teaching and learning at Laurel School. Parents will then have an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. This event will be held on Monday, September 14th from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in the Laurel Multi. Please arrange childcare for younger siblings so we can focus on the meeting topics. | |
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| Come One, Come All to the General PTO Meeting 9/23 |
Special Guest Speaker
Toni Barone, the District's Instructional Technology Coordinator, will speak about 21st Century Learning!
- Wednesday, September 23
- 6:15 p.m. Refreshments/Mingling
- 7 p.m. General PTO Meeting
- In the Laurel Multi
All Laurel parents are encouraged to attend this year's first General Meeting of the Laurel PTO. Get updates from the PTO, Linda Creighton, the School Board and more, and then enjoy the exciting information from Toni Barone and how 21st Century Learning impacts Laurel students.
The PTO will provide free babysitting from 6:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. in the Laurel library. The deadline for reserving babysitting is Friday, September 18. To reserve, send the names and ages of your children to Alisa Francis at pto_vicepresident@laurelpto.org. |
| New Absence/Tardy Procedures |
The Menlo Park City School District is implementing a new attendance taking system. Teachers are marking attendance on their computers right after the tardy bell (8:25). Therefore, if your child is at all tardy, s/he must go through the office to pick up a tardy form so Chris Silva can verify his/her presence and can centrally make changes in the attendance.
Absences: All absence reporting must go through the office. If you child is absent, or will be absent for sickness, vacation, etc, please call Chris Silva at x3001 to notify her of your child's absence. It is fine (and helpful!) to notify the classroom teacher as well, but you must notify the front office.
Thank you for your cooperation to help us boost accuracy and efficiency in our attendance taking procedures! |
| Art Coordinator Meeting - Today! |
If you are the Art Coordinator for your child's classroom, please attend the Art Coordinator Meeting to go over the year's schedule and answer any questions you may have.
- Friday, September 11th
- 2:30-3:00 p.m.
- Laurel's Art Room (F4)
Help Needed - If you have not yet signed up to participate in assisting our talented art teachers and would like to, please contact Jan Penagos at jan_penagos@intuit.com . |
| Laurel School Site Council Member Still Needed |
The Site Council is an advisory board consisting of parents, teachers, and the principal whose purpose is to assess school needs and help implement the school improvement plan for the school. The Council allocates school improvement funds received from the State to enrich the basic curriculum.
Are you interested in sitting on the School Site Council? It is a two-year commitment. We meet the third Wednesday of the month from 3:10-4:10 in the Laurel conference room. Please email Linda Creighton if you are interested in sitting on this very important committee. |
| Book Fair Information |
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Volunteers Needed
Do you love to read? We do too! Join us as we celebrate books and the love of reading at the Encinal/Laurel Book Fair in the Laurel School Multipurpose Room, October 4-9, 2009. Parent volunteers are needed to staff the registers, help students find books, and replenish the bookshelves. Learn what books have replaced Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Harry Potter as the must have books this fall while helping us raise money for our schools! Volunteer shifts are available all week! No separate training meeting is required this year. Just arrive 15 minutes before your shift for a quick training. Find a shift that fits your busy schedule by contacting Mary Sapountzis at marysapountzis@stanfordalumni.org.
If you love numbers even more than good books, we need you to be our book fair treasurer. Don't let your accounting skills go to waste! We need a marvelous, mathematical mom (or dad) like you! Please contact Elizabeth Katz at el_katz@yahool.com to volunteer.
Donate Used Books
Do you have unwanted adult fiction and children's books that you've been meaning to get rid of? Well, look no further! Now is the time to rid your house of those unwanted books. We will be collecting used books for the 2009 Laurel/Encinal Book Fair and are looking for used books that are gently used and in good shape. Please no board books, magazines, coloring books, text books, or books in really bad shape. Drop off your book donations in the Donation Bin outside the Encinal and Laurel school offices the weeks of September 14, 21, and 28, 2009. For more information regarding donating used books, please contact Susan Tanner at mstanner@bluetopazsolutions.com. |
| After-School Sports and Fun |
Want to try out Sports and Fun to see if you like it?
- FREE DEMONSTRATION DAY, Thursday, September 17 at Laurel
- Kindergarten 1:40-3:10 / 1st & 2nd 1:40-3:10
- Call Jim Heebner at 650-814-6734 to reserve a spot in the demonstration class
This is a great program involving a variety of sports skills and fun games, max. enrollment 12 kids. To enroll your child please go to www.sportsandfun.com. |
| Berlitz After-School Spanish - Enroll Now!! |
A few more students are needed for the Wednesday AM Kinder Beginning Spanish Class!
This class meets Wednesdays after AM kindergarten.
The Berlitz instructor meets participating kindergarters at the kinder yard, supervises them while they eat a lunch brought from home and then takes them to the Community Room for class which begins at 12:45, pick up is at 1:45. To enroll, please download the enrollment form.
Please note that the Monday AM kinder Beginning Spanish and the Tuesday Intermediate Level Spanish Classes have been canceled due to under-enrollment.
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| MPAEF News |
 The MPAEF Ambassador Program is made up of a group of fantastic volunteers dedicated to raising awareness of the MPAEF and the programs it supports in our schools. Thanks to the Ambassadors' support, the MPAEF will provide vital funds to the district to maintain the high quality of instruction for the children in our schools.
Interested in becoming an MPAEF Ambassador this year? Join an award winning team of volunteers and help the MPAEF increase participation in our Foundation. If interested, please contact the Laurel Ambassador Liaison Joan Solari at mrssolari@yahoo.com or email the MPAEF Ambassador Coordinator, Katie Angioletti, at katieangioletti@hotmail.com. |
| Disaster Readiness Program |
| Would you like to volunteer to help out with the Disaster Readiness Program at Laurel? We are looking for volunteers who can help out from September 11th to October 1st. Hours will be 10:20 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. Please contact Rena at rena.hafeez@hotmail.com or (650) 243-1811. |
| Thank You! |
Staff Appreciation would like to thank the following volunteers who helped provide a wonderful lunch and dinner for the Laurel staff last Thursday, Back to School Night. Everyone truly appreciated the fantastic homemade sandwiches, salads, desserts and more.
Carla Johnson-Bass, Chrissie Blair, Helen Chen, Michelle deHaff, Alyese Enright, Emily Fox, Rena Hafeez, Anjali Hanley, Ruth Housenbold, Sheila Jimenez, Anne Johnson, Stacey Jones, Julie Lee, Deanna Lin, Eileen Kinney Lindgren, Audra Loftman, Azita Martin, Laura Mathieux, Chantal Maussenet, Jessica Olson, Kate Paddock, Jan Penagos, Julia Porter, Suzanne Portugal, Jennifer Roberts, Kamala Rodrigues, Karen Rist, Gina Ryan, Kristin Seuell, Elizabeth Shane, Robin Stewart, Tamara Striffler, Susan Takayama, Andrea Todd, Bernice van der Meer, and Noel Young
Thanks for your support of our amazing teachers and staff members! |
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- Story Time with Ashley Wolff, Grandparent's Day
- Sunday, September 13, 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.**
Free Stanford Football Tickets
Local teachers, administrators, students,and their families are invited to come out and be recognized for their commitment to education on September 26th game (Stanford vs. Washington). People in the Palo Alto, Mountain View, Menlo Park and Redwood City School districts can request up to 4 free tickets per family that will be mailed directly to them. Click here for more information. Deadline to request tickets is September 14th.
Cub Scouts Open House (Pack 565)
Are you and your son looking for a fun activity that strengthens the bonds of family, builds self esteem, forges friendships and reinforces lifelong values? The Cub Scouts offer all this and more! Any boy entering grades 1-5 is invited to join Cub Scouts. Find out more at the Pack 565 Open House and Informational Meeting.
- Tuesday, September 15th
- 6:30 p.m.
- Laurel Multipurpose Room
We'll have a general information session, slide show, demonstration of Water Rockets, and the opportunity to meet Cub Scout Families. For more information visit www.pack565.org, email info@pack565.org, or contact Cubmaster Dave at 650.722.0306.
Menlo Park Library Event
- Ellen Klages, The Green Glass Sea
- Friday, September 18th
- 7:00PM
- Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma Street
MP Strikers - Soccer
MP Strikers is looking for a few soccer players for this fall season! If you are interested please visit our website at www.mpstrikersfc.com.
Youth RugbyThe Peninsula Seahawks Youth Rugby Football Club - Open to boys and girls ages 5 to 16, no experience necessary. For more information, please visit the team web page at www.seahawkyouthrugby.com. After-School Drama Offerings at Encinal (open to Laurel students)
- Hope Musical Theatre Fall Workshops: Come SING, DANCE and ACT on STAGE!
Hope Musical Theatre is offering exciting workshops in October. We explore a
different Broadway Musical number during each 3 hour workshop! The last 10 minutes
of the workshop we invite parents and friends to come and watch a mini show
with costumes and all! 1st - 5th graders. Please click here (and click on Encinal) to learn more and to register.
- Encinal Elementary School is once again teaming up with Peninsula Youth Theatre
to offer after-school drama this year. Students will learn the basics of acting,
character development, storytelling and theater terminology while having fun
and rehearsing a show. Thursdays for 1st - 3rd Graders in the MultiPurpose Room. Please click here for more information and to register online. | |
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