Parents in grades 1 - 6 will be receiving the results of the most recent iReady reading and mathematics computer adaptive, diagnostic assessment administered to students in the past two weeks of school.  

This is ONE measure that we use to inform our understanding of a student’s current strengths and areas of need.  This assessment is NOT intended to grade, nor label a child.  We send this home to honor a spirit of transparency in regards to information about your child.  

We ask for your support in maintaining a balanced mindset around the use of data so that students have a healthy self-esteem when it comes to their learning.  We hope that you do not hire tutors, require them to increase their homework load, or to the contrary message in any way that they can take it easy if they performed higher than their grade level designation.  

We will continue our work in personalizing learning for ALL Almond students so that they are ALL appropriately challenged.

I will be sending out a Google form next week to capture any questions you might want me to address at the upcoming Principal Coffee.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

LAEF: For EVERY child in EVERY grade in ALL LASD Schools!

• Did you know that your donation to LAEF supports enrichment program staff and smaller class sizes NOW through June 2017? Here’s how elementary kids benefit from LAEF this school year:

  • Smaller class sizes in K-3

  • Literacy Aides in 1st and 2nd grade

  • Our STEM and computer science teachers

  • Librarian and PE instructor

  • Plus music and art!

• Every TK-8th grade student’s education will be enriched by LAEF-funded programs, and that’s why our goal is 100% parent participation. The suggested donation per student is $1,200 (or $120 per month for 10 months). Every gift in any amount is appreciated.

• Learn More & Make Your Tax-Deductible Donation Today at www.laefonline.org

VISION SCREENING

The District Nurses will be doing vision screening, both near and far, at Almond for all Kindergarten, 2nd and 5th grade students on Wednesday, 9/28/16. If your child has glasses or contacts, please make sure that they wear them to school on the day of the screening. The nurse will mail a referral form to the parents of students who do not pass the vision screening.

Community Service Event - Ecumenical Hunger Program Food Pantry Volunteer Event!

Join us to help fill Emergency Food boxes, sort cans, and stock shelves in the food Pantry at the Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP). EHP is an independent, non-profit organization that provides food, clothing, household essentials, support and advocacy to the needy in their local community.  Limited spots available - First come, first served.

• When:  Thursday, October 6, 3:30-4:30pm

• Where:  Ecumenical Hunger Program, 2411 Pulgas Avenue, East Palo Alto

• RSVP:  Email Seema (bhimsee@yahoo.com) with # of people attending

• Deadline to RSVP:  Thursday, September 29th

• NOTE:  Adult Supervision required - this is NOT a drop-off event.

PROJECT CORNERSTONE/ABC READING

• Almond's ABC Reader Program, part of Project Cornerstone [http://projectcornerstone.org], is underway! We have 40 dedicated parent volunteers visiting classrooms each month and using children's literature to share concepts such as bucket filling, interpersonal competence, empathy, being an UPstander, and digital citizenship.

• This month, 1st - 5th graders are reading Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, by Patty Lovell. This book helps students recognize that they have the power within themselves to deal with teasing or bully behavior. The goals of this lesson for our students are to identify caring adults in their lives, develop their personal power and believe that they have control over their lives, and increase self-esteem.

• The Kindergarteners are starting the year with Have You Filled A Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids, by Carol McCloud. This book uses the image of a bucket to represent our good feelings about ourselves. When we are kind to each other, we fill our friends’ and classmates’ buckets, as well as our own! The book also discusses bucket dippers, whose negative behavior removes warm fuzzies from other people’s buckets and makes them feel sad. The lesson’s goal is to help students intentionally choose to fill their classmates’ buckets with kindness in order to treat each other with respect.

• The 6th graders are beginning this year with a discussion about friendship, including being open to getting to know students that they do not usually interact with.

• For more information about the ABC Program, see our section [http://losaltos.cyberschool.com/Almondes/5731-ABC-Program.html] on the Almond website or contact Jen Walker, Julie Watson, or Mona ElNaggar

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - REPEATED

Afterschool program UPDATE

• There are many new programs on offer since last you looked as well as new days for old favorites.

• NEW TO ALMOND: sign up for Karate, Ukelele, Guitar, SkateWorks, DezignKidz accessories and a new Drawing program.

• MANY OLD FAVORITES HAVE NEW DAYS: Find Mathletes on Monday, Tennis for G3-6 on Tuesday, TechKids on Thursday and Wizbots now on Friday

• Sign up is easy : http://www.almondschool.org/Almondes/5712-After-School.html

• See the week at a view calendar linked to the Fall Session and then register using Activity Hero.

• For any questions please reach out to Jennel Massey or Kylie Owen

Walkathon and Silent Auction

• Almond’s biggest event of this year, the Walkathon, is on October 15.  This is our largest community event and our biggest PTA fund-raiser, and we ask you all to do the following:

  • Mark your calendars!!! (if you haven’t already)

  • Sign up to volunteer on the day - if you didn't sign up on the BTS system, contact Andrea Baum (parjbaum@comcast.net) to volunteer

  • Consider what you can donate to the silent auction - for example:

    • hosted events (for adults of for kids by grade level) - make sure the date is set

    • sporting event tickets

    • vacation getaways

    • other items

    • reach out to Darren Crawford (crawford.darren@gmail.com) with any potential donation items

  • Be prepared to register your child and start collecting pledges!  More information will follow.

  • Many more communications and details will follow, so stay tuned!!

• Suzanne Jensen & Barbara Daniels (Walkathon co-Chairs) and Darren Crawford (Silent Auction Chair)

PTA COMMITTEE CHAIR OPENINGS

We have 2 committees that need parent leadership. Please contact Jon Meyer if you are interested in supporting Almond with any of these programs.

• Bookwave - This involves someone to manage the packets that get distributed early in the year and to organize the Bookwave evening event in the spring.

• Spring Book Fair - In the spring we work with a local book fair to bring books to Almond so that families may increase their home libraries.  This person works with the bookstore to coordinate timing and with volunteers to get everything set up.

SCHOOL ST