Dear Almond Families:

We are so lucky at Almond to have such a lovely, diverse community of families at our school. With over 24 languages represented and even more countries, our students enjoy the benefit of a truly international community.

So in that spirit, please join us tonight for our 6th annual Almond International Celebration! The festivities begin at 6 pm for everyone--the more the merrier! Please join us with your favorite dish and enjoy the dancing, craft making and festivities with your Almond friends. I can’t wait to see you there!

~ Raquel

--------------

IMPORTANT DATES

• TONIGHT, 3/21, International Celebration and Feast, 6-8pm, Multi
• Fri, 3/22, Last day for Pennies for Patients fundraiser
• Wed, 3/27, PTA General Meeting, Multi
• Wed, 3/27, LASD Choral Showcase, 6:30 pm, Egan Middle School
• April 1-April 5, Spring Book Fair, Multi
• Fri, April 5, 4th graders to Sacramento!
• Mon, April 8, STEM Expo
• Thurs, April 11, 6th Grade Celebration of Learning
• April 15-19, SPRING BREAK, No School!

STUDENT COUNCIL FUNDRAISER: PENNIES FOR PATIENTS

Tomorrow is the last day for Almond’s Pennies for Patients fundraiser, a program through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We are raising money for kids with leukemia and other blood cancers. Every classroom has a box in which they can donate money. You can also donate money online! The website is https://events.lls.org/pages/svmb/Almond-Elementary-School-2019. On the left side you can search for your teacher’s name. The class with the highest donations earns a pizza party!

Almond Student Council

---------------

STEM EXPO

The Almond STEM EXPO is taking place on April 9. The students are engaged and excited to share their projects with you!

Parents: STEM Expo doesn’t happen without the YOUR help! We need parents to:

• - Help set up the Expo the morning of April 8
• - Review projects throughout the school day on April 9 (*we especially need more folks here!)
• - Be runners for students throughout the school day on April 9
• - Help take down the Expo the afternoon of April 9

Please consider volunteering for one of these roles.

More information is available by clicking the “Get Involved” link on the “Almond” tab at www.tinyurl.com/LASDStemExpo

You can sign up to volunteer using the google form here:

https://goo.gl/forms/wui2Eo27ptBnejLo2

If you have any questions, please email Ricky Hu, Almond STEM IST, at rhu@lasdschools.org

ALMOND SINGERS TO PERFORM IN LASD CHORAL SHOWCASE, 3/27

Next week, the Almond Singers will perform at the LASD Choral Showcase, to be held at Egan Middle School on Wednesday, March 27th at 6:30 pm. Over 200 students in choirs from elementary and middle schools across The Los Altos School District, and from Bullis Charter School, will come together to celebrate and perform choral music individually and as a large group chorus. This fun concert is free and open to the public. Come out and support your Almond Singer friends, and hear some great music!

JR. OLYMPICS

Junior Olympics training is now underway for the 4th, 5th and 6th grade classes. Please remember to have your student wear appropriate athletic clothes and shoes for PE days. We still need volunteers to get our young athletes ready!!! Please consider signing up to help during one or more PE periods. It is an easy way to get involved and learn more about this fun district-wide event and we cannot do it without your help! The volunteer sign up sheet can be found HERE. All students must have a signed permission slip to participate in the event. Please fill out this online form, whether your child will be participating or not: JUNIOR OLYMPICS PERMISSION SLIP. For more details on Junior Olympics, check out this information sheet: LASD JO INFO SHEET or contact the Almond JO chairs: Alix Apfelberg (alix_apfelberg@yahoo.com), Vicky Lee vicster_chin@yahoo.com) and Kirsten Sirey (ksirey@yahoo.com)

YOUR PHOTOS NEEDED FOR THE YEARBOOK!

Hi Parents and Teachers,

It is that time of year to upload your pictures of your children over the school year for the yearbook.

Below is the link to the website that has all the categories that I am looking for. It would be great if you can upload pictures right away to the different categories so that I can finish the yearbook.

Here is the link:

Yearbook • Page - Almond Elementary School

Thank you!

Liz - lizbacchi@yahoo.com

COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY: BOOKS FOR PRISONERS

We are holding a second book drive for adults to support a wonderful non-profit organization called Prisoners Literature Project, located in Berkeley. Prisoners Literature Project is an all-volunteers run organization that responds directly to prisoners’ book requests, and work closely with prisons around the country to get requested books into the hands of prisoners.

Some of the top requested books are:

• – dictionaries of all kinds (including ASL sign language); thesauruses, almanacs, GED test prep materials, and other paperback reference books
• – how-to books: drawing, origami, chess, construction, gardening, etc.
• – books on African-American, Latino, and Native American history and culture
• – books on politics, sociology, psychology, philosophy, science, mathematics
• – fiction by or about people of color
• – classic literature (in English or Spanish)
• – books on meditation, yoga, and bodyweight exercises

If you are able to donate any of the above books (new or gently used), we will collect the books and drive them up to Berkeley. There will be a box in the office marked "Books for Prisoners Literature Project” from March 12th through March 22nd. Or feel free to drop off at either one of our homes (Polly: 235 Verano Drive, Seema: 658 Spargur Drive). If you’d rather paypal (please send to Seema at bhimsee@yahoo.com) us a donation, we would be happy to buy dictionaries and other requested self-help books for you. Thank you once again for your support and kindness.

Best,

Seema and Polly

Activists and artists such as Nelson Mandela, Eldridge Cleaver, Jean Genet, Angela Davis, and Gandhi have written about the great solace they received from books in prison.

LOS ALTOS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

LAEF's "Funding an Excellent Public Education" brochure is now available in 5 different languages -- Have a look! Then watch new videos of international LASD parents sharing why they support LAEF - -- speaking in Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, and Russian.

Donate to LAEF today and help us raise the final $200K to reach our goal of $3.5M by April 27th. Donations of any amount are appreciated. Learn more & make your tax-deductible donation today atwww.LAEFonline.org.

GET INVOLVED AT ALMOND SCHOOL

The Almond PTA is getting ready for the 2019-2020 school year and as part of that, we need volunteers to run the committees listed below. Many of these roles can be done outside of school hours if desired and documentation and/or guidance from previous chairs is available to make things simple and straightforward. You are also welcome to partner with a fellow parent to run a committee. 

Why should you get involved at Almond? Helping a PTA committee is a great way to learn more about what Almond has to offer, meet Almond teachers and staff and get to know other Almond families! Also, without parent volunteers we are not able to provide these programs so please consider getting involved. If interested, contact Andrea Bocking (andreabocking@gmail.com). Thank you!

Family Science Night - if you attended Almond's recent Family Science Night, then you saw why this amazing event is a student and parent favorite! We need someone who can organize and lead a team of volunteers to implement this fun evening.

Community Service - this committee helps inspire Almond students and families to give back through participating in nonprofit events. We need someone who can manage our participation in these events. More info about Almond Community Service can be found at https://almondschool.org/Almondes/Portal/almond-community-service.

Almond Directory - the PTA produces the Almond directory that gets distributed yearly to each family. We need someone who can create this printed directory using past templates or printing capabilities from our online directory.

Staff Appreciation - this committee honors Almond's teachers and staff with regular events or treats, such as a small welcome back present, Halloween candy and decorations, fall conference soup/salad luncheon and teacher/staff appreciation week. We need someone who can organize these activities and coordinate volunteers to provide food for some of the events.

Yearbook - this is a fun project that involves making the yearbook and helping distribute it to the classes. Let your creative side shine and keep a wonderful Almond tradition alive.

After School Programs - each season Almond offers students various after-school programs such as sports, technology, art, languages and more. We need someone who can coordinate with the program vendors and the school to continue to offer these programs.

Drama Club - if your child is currently enrolled or interested in Almond's Drama Club, then consider helping out! We need a co-chair for next year's Drama Club that can help and learn from our expert returning chairs.

6th Grade Events - we need a 6th Grade Events Committee (typically 2-6 parent volunteers) to plan and coordinate activities that are unique to 6th graders. If you will have a 6th grade student next year, please consider volunteering to chair this important committee and make your student's final year at Almond a blast!

FROM LASD HEALTH SERVICES

There has been an increased number of students and staff out for fever, cough, flu, and illnesses. Because of this, we would like to instate the 48-hour rule until Spring Break. If your student has an oral temperature of 99.6 or higher they will need to stay home for 48 hours, fever- and medication-free before returning to school.

Here are some specific recommendations from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department:

1. Please review respiratory etiquette with students. (E.g. cover your mouth when you cough/sneeze, cough/sneeze into tissue or your sleeve, hand hygiene, etc.).
2. Please remind students to discard tissues in the trash and do not leave them around the classroom.
3. Routinely clean and disinfect commonly used areas and frequently touched surfaces.
4. Students who are ill with cough, sore throat, and/or fever should be sent home.
5. Students should not return until they have been asymptomatic for at least 48 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, (e.g., Tylenol or Advil). They should also be well enough to participate in school before returning.
6. Encourage flu vaccination of students and staff.

FIRST GRADE FUNDRAISER

The Almond first graders have been learning about animal adaptations and are eager to share their knowledge with visitors to the STEM Expo in April. They want to set up maker stations for Expo visitors to design and make different things related to animal adaptations. They have one problem, though--first graders don’t have any money! Fortunately, they have a solution. The first graders have started a friendship bracelet business to raise money to buy supplies for the maker stations at the STEM Expo. The bracelets are $1.00 each and will be sold during recess and lunch from March 25 - 29 on the blacktop. Please consider buying a bracelet and donating to a great cause!

FROM THE OFFICE

Every time your student is tardy, he/she is missing out on instructional time. In addition, every time a student is tardy, it takes at least four clicks/enters in PowerSchool for our office staff. If you multiply that number by the 20+ students that are tardy each day, you will see that we would love to see your student on time each day! Please make every effort to get your student to school well before the 8:30 bell.

Also, please call the Attendance Line if your student will be absent: 650-917-5454, or email Jane at jsanders@lasdschools.org.

Dear Almond Families:

We are so lucky at Almond to have such a lovely, diverse community of families at our school. With over 24 languages represented and even more countries, our students enjoy the benefit of a truly international community.

So in that spirit, please join us tonight for our 6th annual Almond International Celebration! The festivities begin at 6 pm for everyone--the more the merrier! Please join us with your favorite dish and enjoy the dancing, craft making and festivities with your Almond friends. I can’t wait to see you there!

~ Raquel

--------------

IMPORTANT DATES

• TONIGHT, 3/21, International Celebration and Feast, 6-8pm, Multi
• Fri, 3/22, Last day for Pennies for Patients fundraiser
• Wed, 3/27, PTA General Meeting, Multi
• Wed, 3/27, LASD Choral Showcase, 6:30 pm, Egan Middle School
• April 1-April 5, Spring Book Fair, Multi
• Fri, April 5, 4th graders to Sacramento!
• Mon, April 8, STEM Expo
• Thurs, April 11, 6th Grade Celebration of Learning
• April 15-19, SPRING BREAK, No School!

STUDENT COUNCIL FUNDRAISER: PENNIES FOR PATIENTS

Tomorrow is the last day for Almond’s Pennies for Patients fundraiser, a program through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We are raising money for kids with leukemia and other blood cancers. Every classroom has a box in which they can donate money. You can also donate money online! The website is https://events.lls.org/pages/svmb/Almond-Elementary-School-2019. On the left side you can search for your teacher’s name. The class with the highest donations earns a pizza party!

Almond Student Council

---------------

STEM EXPO

The Almond STEM EXPO is taking place on April 9. The students are engaged and excited to share their projects with you!

Parents: STEM Expo doesn’t happen without the YOUR help! We need parents to:

• - Help set up the Expo the morning of April 8
• - Review projects throughout the school day on April 9 (*we especially need more folks here!)
• - Be runners for students throughout the school day on April 9
• - Help take down the Expo the afternoon of April 9

Please consider volunteering for one of these roles.

More information is available by clicking the “Get Involved” link on the “Almond” tab at www.tinyurl.com/LASDStemExpo

You can sign up to volunteer using the google form here:

https://goo.gl/forms/wui2Eo27ptBnejLo2

If you have any questions, please email Ricky Hu, Almond STEM IST, at rhu@lasdschools.org

ALMOND SINGERS TO PERFORM IN LASD CHORAL SHOWCASE, 3/27

Next week, the Almond Singers will perform at the LASD Choral Showcase, to be held at Egan Middle School on Wednesday, March 27th at 6:30 pm. Over 200 students in choirs from elementary and middle schools across The Los Altos School District, and from Bullis Charter School, will come together to celebrate and perform choral music individually and as a large group chorus. This fun concert is free and open to the public. Come out and support your Almond Singer friends, and hear some great music!

JR. OLYMPICS

Junior Olympics training is now underway for the 4th, 5th and 6th grade classes. Please remember to have your student wear appropriate athletic clothes and shoes for PE days. We still need volunteers to get our young athletes ready!!! Please consider signing up to help during one or more PE periods. It is an easy way to get involved and learn more about this fun district-wide event and we cannot do it without your help! The volunteer sign up sheet can be found HERE. All students must have a signed permission slip to participate in the event. Please fill out this online form, whether your child will be participating or not: JUNIOR OLYMPICS PERMISSION SLIP. For more details on Junior Olympics, check out this information sheet: LASD JO INFO SHEET or contact the Almond JO chairs: Alix Apfelberg (alix_apfelberg@yahoo.com), Vicky Lee vicster_chin@yahoo.com) and Kirsten Sirey (ksirey@yahoo.com)

YOUR PHOTOS NEEDED FOR THE YEARBOOK!

Hi Parents and Teachers,

It is that time of year to upload your pictures of your children over the school year for the yearbook.

Below is the link to the website that has all the categories that I am looking for. It would be great if you can upload pictures right away to the different categories so that I can finish the yearbook.

Here is the link:

Yearbook • Page - Almond Elementary School

Thank you!

Liz - lizbacchi@yahoo.com

COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY: BOOKS FOR PRISONERS

We are holding a second book drive for adults to support a wonderful non-profit organization called Prisoners Literature Project, located in Berkeley. Prisoners Literature Project is an all-volunteers run organization that responds directly to prisoners’ book requests, and work closely with prisons around the country to get requested books into the hands of prisoners.

Some of the top requested books are:

• – dictionaries of all kinds (including ASL sign language); thesauruses, almanacs, GED test prep materials, and other paperback reference books
• – how-to books: drawing, origami, chess, construction, gardening, etc.
• – books on African-American, Latino, and Native American history and culture
• – books on politics, sociology, psychology, philosophy, science, mathematics
• – fiction by or about people of color
• – classic literature (in English or Spanish)
• – books on meditation, yoga, and bodyweight exercises

If you are able to donate any of the above books (new or gently used), we will collect the books and drive them up to Berkeley. There will be a box in the office marked "Books for Prisoners Literature Project” from March 12th through March 22nd. Or feel free to drop off at either one of our homes (Polly: 235 Verano Drive, Seema: 658 Spargur Drive). If you’d rather paypal (please send to Seema at bhimsee@yahoo.com) us a donation, we would be happy to buy dictionaries and other requested self-help books for you. Thank you once again for your support and kindness.

Best,

Seema and Polly

Activists and artists such as Nelson Mandela, Eldridge Cleaver, Jean Genet, Angela Davis, and Gandhi have written about the great solace they received from books in prison.

LOS ALTOS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

LAEF's "Funding an Excellent Public Education" brochure is now available in 5 different languages -- Have a look! Then watch new videos of international LASD parents sharing why they support LAEF - -- speaking in Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, and Russian.

Donate to LAEF today and help us raise the final $200K to reach our goal of $3.5M by April 27th. Donations of any amount are appreciated. Learn more & make your tax-deductible donation today atwww.LAEFonline.org.

GET INVOLVED AT ALMOND SCHOOL

The Almond PTA is getting ready for the 2019-2020 school year and as part of that, we need volunteers to run the committees listed below. Many of these roles can be done outside of school hours if desired and documentation and/or guidance from previous chairs is available to make things simple and straightforward. You are also welcome to partner with a fellow parent to run a committee. 

Why should you get involved at Almond? Helping a PTA committee is a great way to learn more about what Almond has to offer, meet Almond teachers and staff and get to know other Almond families! Also, without parent volunteers we are not able to provide these programs so please consider getting involved. If interested, contact Andrea Bocking (andreabocking@gmail.com). Thank you!

Family Science Night - if you attended Almond's recent Family Science Night, then you saw why this amazing event is a student and parent favorite! We need someone who can organize and lead a team of volunteers to implement this fun evening.

Community Service - this committee helps inspire Almond students and families to give back through participating in nonprofit events. We need someone who can manage our participation in these events. More info about Almond Community Service can be found at https://almondschool.org/Almondes/Portal/almond-community-service.

Almond Directory - the PTA produces the Almond directory that gets distributed yearly to each family. We need someone who can create this printed directory using past templates or printing capabilities from our online directory.

Staff Appreciation - this committee honors Almond's teachers and staff with regular events or treats, such as a small welcome back present, Halloween candy and decorations, fall conference soup/salad luncheon and teacher/staff appreciation week. We need someone who can organize these activities and coordinate volunteers to provide food for some of the events.

Yearbook - this is a fun project that involves making the yearbook and helping distribute it to the classes. Let your creative side shine and keep a wonderful Almond tradition alive.

After School Programs - each season Almond offers students various after-school programs such as sports, technology, art, languages and more. We need someone who can coordinate with the program vendors and the school to continue to offer these programs.

Drama Club - if your child is currently enrolled or interested in Almond's Drama Club, then consider helping out! We need a co-chair for next year's Drama Club that can help and learn from our expert returning chairs.

6th Grade Events - we need a 6th Grade Events Committee (typically 2-6 parent volunteers) to plan and coordinate activities that are unique to 6th graders. If you will have a 6th grade student next year, please consider volunteering to chair this important committee and make your student's final year at Almond a blast!

FROM LASD HEALTH SERVICES

There has been an increased number of students and staff out for fever, cough, flu, and illnesses. Because of this, we would like to instate the 48-hour rule until Spring Break. If your student has an oral temperature of 99.6 or higher they will need to stay home for 48 hours, fever- and medication-free before returning to school.

Here are some specific recommendations from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department:

1. Please review respiratory etiquette with students. (E.g. cover your mouth when you cough/sneeze, cough/sneeze into tissue or your sleeve, hand hygiene, etc.).
2. Please remind students to discard tissues in the trash and do not leave them around the classroom.
3. Routinely clean and disinfect commonly used areas and frequently touched surfaces.
4. Students who are ill with cough, sore throat, and/or fever should be sent home.
5. Students should not return until they have been asymptomatic for at least 48 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, (e.g., Tylenol or Advil). They should also be well enough to participate in school before returning.
6. Encourage flu vaccination of students and staff.

FIRST GRADE FUNDRAISER

The Almond first graders have been learning about animal adaptations and are eager to share their knowledge with visitors to the STEM Expo in April. They want to set up maker stations for Expo visitors to design and make different things related to animal adaptations. They have one problem, though--first graders don’t have any money! Fortunately, they have a solution. The first graders have started a friendship bracelet business to raise money to buy supplies for the maker stations at the STEM Expo. The bracelets are $1.00 each and will be sold during recess and lunch from March 25 - 29 on the blacktop. Please consider buying a bracelet and donating to a great cause!

FROM THE OFFICE

Every time your student is tardy, he/she is missing out on instructional time. In addition, every time a student is tardy, it takes at least four clicks/enters in PowerSchool for our office staff. If you multiply that number by the 20+ students that are tardy each day, you will see that we would love to see your student on time each day! Please make every effort to get your student to school well before the 8:30 bell.

Also, please call the Attendance Line if your student will be absent: 650-917-5454, or email Jane at jsanders@lasdschools.org.