ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
May 18, 2017

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

• Friday, 5/19
  • Character Spirit Day
  • Jamba Juice Sales After School - 6th Gr. Fundraiser
  • 6th Grade Boys Basketball Tournament (3:45pm, Blach)
• Saturday, 5/20 - Almond Beautification Day (9am-12pm)
• Tuesday, 5/23 - 6th Grade CSTEM Showcase (3:30-5pm, Blach)
• Thursday, 5/25 – Open House (5:30-6 Art Show in Multi, 6-7:00 Classroom Visits, 7:05-7:15 Volunteer Appreciation)
• Wednesday, 5/24 - Walk or Wheel to School
• Friday, 5/26 - Minimum Day (School Ends at 12:15pm)
• Tuesday, 5/30 - Grade 1 thru 3 Spring Music Concert (1pm, Multi)
• Friday, 6/2
  • TK/Kinder Spring Music Concert (11am, Multi)
  • Minimum Day (School Ends at 12:15pm)
• Thursday, 6/8 - Last Day of School (8:30am - 11:30am)

SCHOOL MESSAGE

The Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino took the country by storm.  Its sparkles and swirls drew in customers and drained baristas for a single week.  Attaching this majestic creature to a coffee drink yielded a mystical and whimsical beverage.

When 12 Almond staff members take time out of their busy lives to share their work in educating children, an opportunity for magic arises.  While we didn’t have a large showing in the audience, reflecting on our accomplishments and learnings was well worth the preparation.

Here is a copy of the presentation.
Here is a video of the hour+ via a mobile device (so not the best sound quality, but at least it’s something).

Should you wish to share your thoughts and feedback on the efforts of the Almond staff, please take this survey.  It will close next Friday.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

STUDENT COUNCIL

• This Friday is Character Day. Your child can dress up as any character from a movie, book, or TV show.
• If you do not know almond is currently raising money for the homeless. Our goal is 2,750 dollars! We a couple hundred dollars away from goal (we have raised over $1,900 so far!)! We are raising money for CHPs learning academy. The fundraiser is ending soon so make sure to donate! The class with the most money raised for the month of May can choose from a movie and ice cream party, or to donate the party money to the homeless.
• Starting Thursday, the safety patrol crew will be asking for spare change to donate to our fundraiser to support the homeless at the drop off area. It will be quick. This is just a little heads up.

PTA HOT LUNCH

• Almond Hot Lunch Program is looking for a Volunteer Liaison chair for Year 2017-2018, please send an email to Bing Cai (bingxue.cai@gmail.com) or Jon Meyer (jondmeyer@yahoo.com)  if you are interested in this position.
• Almond Hot Lunch Program is also looking for volunteers who will help to serve school hot lunch on weekly or monthly basis, please contact Bing Cai (bingxue.cai@gmail.com) if you are able to help.
• Thanks to all parents who involved in Almond Hot Lunch Program, without your help, this voluntary program will not be able to run successfully.

Friday the 19th - Jamba Juice sale! - Our 6th Grade class will be selling Jamba Juice this Friday the 19th after school in the front of the school.  Jamba Juice will be $3 as usual. Please come out and support the 6th grade class as they raise funds for their Promotion and Class Gift.  Friday promises to be a warm day so please do come prepared as those juices will go fast.

SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD POSITIONS
All City Management Services Inc. is a family-owned company providing School Crossing Guard services for over 30 years. We currently have several positions open, right here in Los Altos. These are paid, part-time and seasonal positions. To qualify you must be 18 years old or older. No experience is necessary. Paid training is provided. Please call us at (800) 540-9290 for more information.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - REPEATED

Environmental Stewardship Day on Saturday, May 20 from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

• This will be a community beautification day at Almond School where students, parents, and members of the community will help to maintain our gardens, plant flowers, and clean up the campus in time for Open House! If you have a 6th grade student looking for community service hours, this will also satisfy three hours of volunteer work.
• This is part of Katia Gibson’s (Los Altos High senior and daughter of staff member Martha Gomez) Girl Scout Gold Award project, and everyone is invited. Students must have a parent supervisor to participate. No prior gardening experience is necessary, and we will teach various techniques such as pruning, planting, and mulching our gardens. Tools will be provided, but we would encourage you to bring your own labeled tools if you have them.
• If you or your student would like to participate, please fill out the Google form: goo.gl/5g72Yp
• Questions or concerns, please reach out to katiamariegibson@gmail.com.

Sign up to Volunteer for Egan’s VIKING SHOWCASE at Viking Showcase Volunteer!!

• Egan's VIKING SHOWCASE is coming on Thursday, June 1!   Previously known as Portfolio Day, the Viking Showcase provides the opportunity for our 8th grade students to reflect on their personal and academic growth and to receive acknowledgment for their work.  This is accomplished in an interview format.  We welcome parents of both 7th and 8th grade students, as well as community members and leaders to volunteer as interviewers.  Learn more at:  http://eganschool.org/egan/6696-PD.html
• Please save the date and sign up to volunteer at Viking Showcase Volunteer.  Confirmation emails will be sent once we have assigned all volunteers.
• Questions?  Contact Lori Bogard Toomre at loribogard@yahoo.com or Natasha Stirrup at natashastirrup@hotmail.com.

FROM LASD HEALTH SERVICES

• Medications that have resided in the nurse’s office will be available for pick up from June 8^th 2017 (last day of school) until June 14^th 2017.
• We cannot store medications over the summer. If you are leaving before school ends, please pick up medications early. An adult must pick up the medication.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR 2017-2018

• It's time to order school supplies for next year!  Almond Elementary is now available for ordering online at School-Pak.  Go to https://www.schoolpak.com/catalog/almond-elementary and quickly and easily order school supplies for next year.  Order by June 10th for DISCOUNTED PRICE and FREE school delivery, or order by July 12th for home delivery (shipping charges apply).
• School-Pak is the simple way to shop for school supplies.  You'll enjoy brand name products you know and trust, pre-packaged kits that meet teacher approved lists, and easy payment options.
• Please email Deidre Caldbeck at dhollars@gmail.com if you have any questions.

YEARBOOK

• We hope that everyone had a great Spring Break!!
• If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to order your copy of the 2016-17 Yearbook!  (Yearbooks were *not* ordered during the Back-to-School Registration, so you need to do it now!)
• There are 2 easy ways to reserve your copy:
• (1) Order online and pay by credit card - go to this link:  https://almondpta.squarespace.com/yearbook/order
• (2) Fill out a Paper Form and pay by check or cash.  Paper forms are available in the school office.
• Yearbooks will be delivered to the classrooms in early June and quantities are limited, so order your copy now!
• Email Leon with any questions (leonyao.pta@gmail.com)
• Thanks, Fintan McCabe & Leon Yao (Yearbook Committee)

S.O.A.R. CELEBRATIONS
(listed alphabetically by last name)

• Kseniia Antipina, 5/12/17, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Great listener!
• Amelle Badey, 5/12/17, Always making good choices.
• Kavya Bhaskaran, 5/12/17, Owning learning. Challenging herself by choosing higher level books.
• Aiden Chavda, 5/12/17, Always making good choices.
• Zoey Chong, 5/12/17, Owning learning. Hard worker and knowing all math facts!
• Alena Gonebnaya, 5/17/17, Owning learning. Alena is patient with whomever she works and works very hard on her own work.
• Oliver Heit, 5/17/17, Owning learning.
• Reina Ishii, 5/17/17, Always making good choices, Solving problems. Reina and a classmate picked up other students' paper towels off the floor without prompting.
• Liam Jensen, 5/12/17, Respecting self and others. Being positive and helping others.
• Joohee Kim, 5/12/17, Owning learning. Hard worker and learning all math facts!
• Tabs Lee, 5/10/17, Solving problems. Tabs was an upstander who helped friends solve a conflict.
• Yunia Lee, 5/17/17, Owning learning, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others.
• Kavin Lingham, 5/17/17, Owning learning.
• Misael Lopez, 5/17/17, Owning learning. Refocusing during learning time at the back table.
• Nate Mauss, 5/17/17, Owning learning. Great job owning his learning by asking for help and diligently working.
• Ella McFarlane, 5/12/17, Owning learning. Engaged learner!
• Isabel Solis, 5/17/17, Always making good choices, Solving problems. Isabel and a classmate picked up other students' paper towels off the floor without prompting.
• Meena Stanger, 5/17/17, Always making good choices. Did a great job using her time to help others in class when she finished work early.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

70TH ANNUAL LOS ALTOS PET PARADE

Mark Your Calendars! The 70TH ANNUAL LOS ALTOS PET PARADE will be held on Saturday, May 20th at 10 a.m.!

Almond families and their pets (dogs, cats, birds, goats, fish, horses, reptiles, stuffed animals or no animals at all) will meet in their green Almond wear at 9:15am downtown (details on where in a few weeks). If you child wo