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| Next Week - Staff Appreciation Week! |
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Monday, 3/15
No Events Scheduled
Wednesday, 3/17
Card Day
Deadline to Order from Deeelish, 11:00 p.m.
Thursday, 3/18
No Events Scheduled
Friday, 3/19
Pick-up Your Deeelish Order, 2:55 p.m.
School Spirit Day - wear blue and white! |
| Upcoming Events |
3/24 Pizza My Heart Fundraiser
3/25 Pizza My Heart Fundraiser
3/26 NO SCHOOL, Staff Development Day
3/29-4/2 NO SCHOOL, Spring Break
4/9 PTO Council Meeting, 8:30 a.m., District Office
4/7 Laurel Kindergarten Orientation, 6:30 p.m.
4/7 Parent Education Night, 7:00 p.m.
4/13 Menlo Park City School Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
4/14 PTO Executive Board Meeting, 8:40 a.m.
4/15 Laurel Art & Science Fair
4/22 Laurel Kindergarten Orientation, 2:30 p.m.
4/23 General PTO Meeting, 8:30 a.m., Laurel Library
4/24 MPAEF Rock the Foundation Event
4/29 PTO 101, 8:30 a.m.
5/1 Pancake Breakfast, Encinal |
| Stay Informed About the Potential Budget Reductions Affecting Our Schools! |
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Superintendent Ranella will present information on
Potential Budget Reductions for 2010-2011 on the following dates:
- Thursday, March 18, 8:30 AM in the Laurel Library Friday
- Friday, March 19, 8:45 AM in the TERC (next to the District Office)
- Wednesday, March 24, at 4:00 PM in the Encinal Library
- Thursday, April 8 at 7:00 PM in the Laurel Multi
Our District is facing a severe reduction in revenue as well as an increase in enrollment. As we plan to address a projected $2.02 million deficit for 2010-2011 and a further deficit of $2.85 million in 2011-12, potential expenditure reductions are being identified. Some of the current options under consideration include:
- Raising class sizes
- Reducing librarians
- Eliminating the Spanish Specialist program at the elementary level
- Reducing the PE Specialist program
- Eliminating curriculum support for technology
Please attend one of the informational meetings to learn more about how these and other options may impact your child. |
| Parent Education Night |
The PTO Council is pleased to present:
- Dr. Jim Taylor, Positive Pushing: How to Raise a Successful and Happy Child
- Wednesday, April 7th
- 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
- Hillview Middle School Multi
Are you pushing your child too much or too little? Come listen to Dr. Jim Taylor share his no-nonsense approach with plenty of real life anecdotes, practical solutions and humor. Based on his first parenting book, Dr. Taylor introduces parents to the use of positive pushing that is very different from the kind of pushing with which they may be familiar. He demonstrates how to push, when to push and importantly, when to back off. You will leave his workshop with new insights and useful tools you can use to encourage your children to achieve both success and happiness. Jim is the author of ten books, including Positive Pushing: How to Raise a Successful and Happy Child, which he discussed on an appearance on NBC's The Today Show. He has consulted with young people and their parents in education, sports, and the performing arts for over 25 years. To learn more, visit www.drjimtaylor.com.
The event is free, however please RSVP at jimtaylorevent@yahoo.com with the name(s) of the person(s) attending. Childcare for elementary age children is available for $12 if reserved before April 5th. If reserving childcare, please include your cell number and the ages of your children in your RSVP. |
| Laurel Art Program Update |
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A message from Anna Herzlinger and Stephanie Noon, Laurel Art Specialists
Art Curriculum
Laurel artists have been very busy this year. All the children studied King Tutankhamun and ancient Egyptian art in the beginning of the year. It's not too late to visit the De Young Museum to see the King Tut exhibit!
Kindergarten artists have studied shapes (ask them about crescents and arches), texture and symbols. First grade students have studied design and pattern (ask them about their dream houses and Australian aboriginal dot paintings). Second grade students have studied line (line monsters and Maurice Sendak mystery books) and color (George Rodrigue Blue Dog). Every grade level enjoyed constructing an original paper hat to wear at the Winter Sing in December.
All Laurel artists have just finished their fiber arts projects. Kindergarten and second grade students embroidered with yarn on burlap. First grade artists weaved with paper. The children felt a big sense of accomplishment with every stitch that was sewn and every pattern that was weaved. Thank you to all the parents who have helped with these challenging projects!
Art Festival
Are you wondering where your child's art is? We have been saving it to display throughout the year and to display at the Fine Arts Festival on Thursday, May 13. We will need lots of parent help to create the art show. Please talk to Jan Penagos or your class' art coordinator if you are interested in helping. |
| Staff Appreciation Week is Next Week!!! |
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Let's Show Our Love!
Next week, March 15th - 19th, is Staff Appreciation Week at Laurel. There is something special planned for the Laurel staff each day. Let's rally and show our great classroom and program teachers, aides, specialists, librarian, custodians, and office staff how much we really do appreciate all that they do.
- Tuesday, March 16th is Flower Day. In Laurel tradition, please send a few flowers to school with your child next Tuesday morning to be used to make bouquets for ALL the staff at Laurel. Fresh flowers from your garden are particularly sweet.
- Wednesday, March 17th is Card Day. Another annual custom, please deliver cards and letters for the staff at Laurel from you and your child(ren), telling them just how much you appreciate them. In addition to the classroom teachers, please remember all those who do so much to make Laurel a great learning place for the students. Our specialists, classroom aides, teachers in art, science, PE and music, our librarian, computer aide, custodians and the office staff, they all do so much. We encourage families to have cards and letters of thanks for the classroom teacher and aide, as well as one other staff member.
Other activities planned by the Staff Appreciation Committee and Head Room Parents for the week include an espresso coffee bar and breakfast treats (Monday), afternoon snacks for the staff and classroom specific activities (Thursday), and gourmet brown bag lunches (Friday). If you'd like to contribute to the week's activities, please contact your head room parent(s) for more information.
Thanks for helping us make next week's Staff Appreciation Week a huge hit for everyone at Laurel who takes such great care of our kids! | |
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Green Tip of the Week |
Buying organic is such a big topic these days, as we are trying to keep our families as healthy as possible! Click here to read about the 15 foods you don't have to buy organic, and the 12 you should!! |
| Art & Science Fair: Volunteers Needed! |
The Art & Science Fair is a only month away - YEAH! We are still looking for about 10 volunteers to help the morning run smoothly. Mostly we need guides (who help the kids get from one workshop to the next) and "back up" volunteers (who will fill in in case someone needs to bow out - which happens!). Please contact Carolee Hazard at if you are interested in helping! ASF will be Thursday, April 15th, from 8:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m. |
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Laurel Kindergarten Orientation Dates |
April 7th at 6:30 p.m. or April 22nd at 2:30 p.m.
You may sign up for one of the orientation dates when you register your child for Kindergarten. For kindergarten registration information, click here. |
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Business Alliance |
Meals must be placed by Wednesday, March 17th by 11 p.m. and you can pick up your orders at Laurel on Friday, March 19th at pick-up time! One dollar per meal ordered goes directly to the Laurel/Encinal PTO. Check out the March menu. More details are in this flyer, including how you can receive a free dessert with your order.
 Dine at or order take-out from Pizza My Heart in Palo Alto on Wednesday, March 24 or Thursday, March 25 and they will generously donate 30% of the purchase to the Laurel/Encinal PTO. Please take this flyer or mention Laurel/Encinal PTO to get credit for your order! They are open from 11 a.m. to Midnight, so enjoy some great pizza for lunch or dinner and help support our schools at the same time. Pizza My Heart is located at 220 University Avenue, Palo Alto and pick-up orders can be placed by calling 650-327-9400. |
| New Sessions for After-School Programs! |
NOW! is the time to enroll in the final after-school sessions of the year including:
Math on Mondays beginning April 5th
Sports & Fun on Thursdays beginning April 15th
Golf on Fridays beginning April 16th
Hope Musical Theater at Laurel on Tuesday, March 23rd
Two Peninsula Youth Theater (PYT) productions at Encinal beginning the week of April 5th
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| Laurel Logowear |
Let you kids show their school spirit and stay warm at the same time. Click here for an order form or email Jen Nelson at jenbank@yahoo.com. | |
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| Caring & Sharing News |
Laurel's Caring and Sharing Committee Pennies for Peace campaign is happening NOW! Pennies for Peace is a program of the Central Asia Institute, that promotes and provides community-based education and literacy programs, especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Central Asia. The donation containers will be in the classroom for 6 weeks. Questions? Please contact Amy Hamilton Kratzer at adkratzer@yahoo.com. |
| ROCK THE FOUNDATION! |
 On Saturday, April 24th, we need every "Rubberband Man" to grab a "Dancing Queen" and join us at Rock the Foundation, MPAEF's spring event! We'll be transforming Mountain View's Computer History Museum into our very own "Funkytown," complete with an open bar, backstage munchies, live music provided by Pop Fiction, and plenty of good times! Watch your email in the coming week for your invitation and more event details, including how you can help raise money for our schools through the silent auction, rock 'n roll raffle, and Fund-A-Teacher. Or checkout www.mpaef.org/springevent ... then get ready to dance, party, and rock out! |
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Community News |
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Kepler's Family Event
- Jellybean Story Time with Laura Numeroff
- Sunday, March 14, 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 Parenting Workshops
The San Mateo County Library offers free parenting workshops on a variety of topics. Click here for more information.
Menlo Children's Center Open House
All families are invited to tour our Preschool, Morning Preschool, Pre K, After School and Summer Camp Programs on Saturday March 20th, 2010 from 10:00am to 12:00pm!!! This is an opportunity for current and prospective families view our Play Based Community Center. Explore classrooms, meet teachers and observe children's work. This is also a great chance to mingle with other families, learn about our philosophy and curriculum. Hope to see you all there!!! 801 Laurel Street, Menlo Park, CA 94025.
Menlo Park Library News: Grand Reopening of the Children's Area
Join us on Saturday, March 27th from 10:00AM - 2:00PM at the Menlo Park Library for the grand reopening of the Children's Area. The Menlo Park Library Foundation and the community have given our children the library they deserve, featuring new computers, child-friendly self-check, homework center, colorful carpets, and a storytime area. Help us celebrate with stories, balloons, Boswick the Clown and more.
Free Clinic to Try Lacrosse!
Offering beginners a chance to learn the hottest new sport in West Coast schools. Come out to the park to learn to play this fantastic sport (Sports Illustrated calls it the "fastest growing sport in the U.S.") and have fun with new friends. Great opportunity for families to learn more about Lacrosse!! We will cover the basics of Lacrosse from cradling to shooting. Clinics will be held in various locations on Sundays from 3:00 p.m - 4:00 p.m. Click here to learn more. For more information, email AthertonLacrosse@Gmail.com.
Menlo Park's Annual Easter Egg Hunt
The City of Menlo Park invites you to join us for our Annual Egg Hunt Event! The event will take place on Saturday, April 3rd from 10:00-Noon at Burgess Park. This event includes an egg hunt for children ages 2-8, Jelly Bean Guess, Crafts, a visit with the Bunny, Bounce House, and fire truck Rides on Old Tom. Please call 650.330.2200 for more information. We hope to see you there! Click here to see the flyer.
Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Holbrook-Palmer Park
Sponsored by the Atherton Dames and Holbrook-Palmer Park Foundation, this year's Easter Egg Hunt will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 3rd, at Holbrook-Palmer Park, 150 Watkins Avenue in Atherton. Gates will open at 9:30, and the hunt, for children in grades 3 and under, will start at 10:15 a.m. Activities will include a visit with the Easter Bunny (don't forget your cameras) and entertainment by Gerald the magician. Bagels, juice and specialty coffee drinks will be served. Cost is $5 per person. Please make your reservation by emailing vkogler@yahoo.com or calling 650-234-8447. | |
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Submit Friday newsletter items by Wednesday at noon or flyers by Tuesday at noon to newsletter@laurelpto.org. Please write concisely and proofread your submissions. For past issues of the Laurel Newsletter click here. | |
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