Content Row
Dear Almond Families:
We had a welcoming and fun first day at Almond! To start, every member of our Almond Ohana was greeted by their school teacher and given a colorful lei to gently welcome them into the start of a new school year. During mid-morning, students attended a First-day assembly with me to talk about the meaning of ohana and our own Almond family, to set expectations for the year and hear about our first school-wide project together (more to come on that soon!). Interspersed throughout the day, teachers were beginning to form a picture of your child’s unique personality and sense of curiosity through conversations, games and other “getting-to-know-you” activities. Thank you to our teachers, staff and parents for all of your effort and care. It was an amazing start to what will be an incredible school year! You can see highlights from the day captured in the pictures below.
Here's to our Almond Ohana!
Raquel
---------------
Dear Parents,
Welcome back to school! We are seeking your help for group photos on the First Day of School for our yearbook. Please feel free to upload images to this link from the Almond website: https://www.almondschool.org/Almondes/6662-Year-Book.html . It would be greatly appreciated if you can only upload the best image, not a series of the same image. We welcome all photos, the more variety, the better your yearbook content will be. We are additionally looking for parent photographers that might have photography experience to help capture photos, and also need a 6th-grade parent to help us create and manage the 6th-grade supplement this year. If you need more information, feel free to email me or Shikha. We are looking forward to a great new school year!
Best wishes,
Chi + Shikha
School photos will be taken on August 28 and 29. We need a few parent volunteers to ensure photo sessions run smoothly and help keep our kids looking their best! Check out the schedule and sign up here.
The Almond PTA invites students and their families to join us for our annual ice cream social on Friday, August 23 at 7pm. Enjoy free ice cream while connecting with old and new friends. See you on the blacktop!
We are proud to support the Los Altos School District (LASD) to provide a well-rounded education for your student this school year. Visit LAEFonline.org and watch our new 2-minute video, “Funding an Excellent Public Education”. Learn why our local public schools need your financial support, and how LAEF and your school’s PTA work together to support your student.
This school year, with your support, LAEF will fund teachers and staff for STEM, Wellness, Literacy, and Arts for every LASD student in grades TK-8. LAEF is also a co-sponsor of the MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series, which had over 1,100 LASD attendees in the past school year. Whether your student’s favorite part of the day is PE, art, music, STEM, computer science, library, or a junior high elective, your donations to LAEF help make that possible.
Parents are encouraged to donate $1,200 per student to LAEF this school year. We welcome and encourage donations of any amount. Our goal is to raise $3.4 million for LASD, and 100% participation from our parent community.
Visit LAEFonline.org to learn more about LAEF and Donate Today!
Living Classroom is seeking volunteers! With more teachers than ever before signing up for our fun and engaging lessons, we need your help to meet our lesson demand! Come to our Informational Meeting and Garden Tour to learn how you can get involved! Feel free to invite a friend, neighbor or grandparent to attend with you! Also, please mark your calendar for our upcoming Fall Docent Training on Monday mornings from 9-Noon September 9th through October 14th at the Los Altos School District iLearn Studio.
Living Classroom Info Meeting & Garden Tour
Monday, August 26th, 2019 10-11:30 am
Los Altos School District – iLearn Studio
201 Covington Road, Los Altos
Living Classroom Fall Docent Training
Mondays 9-Noon September 9th – October 14th
Los Altos School District – iLearn Studio
201 Covington Road, Los Altos
*Can’t make Mondays? Ask us about our apprentice-style training!
Click here to view and/or print out the flyer!
RSVP/Questions? Email livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call (650) 947-1103.
Check us out at www.living-classroom.org!
Who we are:
We are a dedicated group of trained volunteers who teach hands-on garden-based lessons to students in grades K-8.
Why volunteer?
Living Classroom is about more than just teaching students how to plant in the garden. It’s about using the edible and native plant gardens at each school as living laboratories and engaging student learning in fun and relevant ways. Most of our standard-aligned lessons are interdisciplinary and tie into science, social studies and math curriculum. Our hands-on lessons also get kids outside (green time vs. screen time), encourage healthy eating habits, and promote environmental literacy and stewardship.
Volunteering with Living Classroom offers a way for docents to act locally to help protect our environment and nurture our future environmental stewards!
You don’t have to have a green thumb to be an amazing Living Classroom docent. In fact, our program is a great way to learn how to turn that black thumb into a green one!
Living Classroom docents enjoy ongoing educational programs, hikes, field trips, social activities and a wonderful sense of community. Just seeing the students smile and get excited when a docent arrives to give a lesson is rewarding and priceless!
The commitment is only 6 hours (3 lessons) a month and you can tailor the program to fit your interests and availability.
Thanks, and we hope to see you in the gardens soon!
Interested in submitting a blurb for the Thursday Word? Please send an email to almondthursdayword@lasdschools.org for consideration. The deadline is Tuesday by 4:00 for that week's newsletter.
Dear Almond Families,
As I write this last message before the summer break I find it unbelievable to think that we only have four more school wake-ups. Time really does fly when you are having fun! So much of our work this year was focused on building school community, continuing to offer the rigorous and engaging learning experiences your children have come to expect and infusing it all with fun and joy. I cannot wait to return in August to continue on this path. I would also like to say a special thank you to everyone in the Almond community for being so welcoming in this, my first year at Almond school as the site leader.
Trimester 3 Report Cards will be emailed home by Thursday, June 13. Your child’s report card will be sent electronically via email. Please let the office know if you would like a hard copy of the report card sent to you.
Staffing for Next Year
I am excited to share our 2019-2020 tentative staffing! Please read below:
Kindergarten:
Joan O’Dell, Haley Graves, Laurie Lamb
1st Grade:
Savanna Goltzer, Brianna Lopez, Samantha Nguyen
2nd Grade:
Annie Daggett, Rachel Gassner, Tammy Reilly
3rd Grade:
Kathy Day-Bobb, Sarah Hall, Joann Martinez
4th Grade:
Kelsey Greene, Emily Simon
5th Grade:
Vicki Burke, Kaitlyn Pasket
6th Grade:
Bret Linvill, Jasen Stuart, Anju Vriksha
STEM IST- Alison Gentile 3rd-6th, Ricky Hu (K-2)
RSP- Melissa Powell
Literacy IST - Jill Croft
Speech and Language- Julie Chen
PE- Doug Core (1st-6th), Mary Alber (TK/K)
Please join me in wishing Leanne Kridle well as she seeks new adventures in Shanghai, China as a teacher at an international school!
Please join me in welcoming Alison Gentile who will be one of our STEM Instructional Support Teachers! She has been working at Santa Rita as their STEM IST this year and, prior to that, was a 6th grade teacher at Springer. You and your child will enjoy getting to know Alison as she joins Ricky Hu in supporting Almond in all things STEM!
One last note: please make sure to send your child with a hat, sunscreen and a thermos of water as we will be kicking off our first Almond field day! It is a minimum day so school lets out at 12:15.
Here’s to scavenger hunts, water races and a day of outside fun at field day tomorrow!
Raquel
This year we are working with 1st Day School Supplies. They have kindly extended the deadline to June 30, and here is the School Store Link. If you order by the deadline, the supplies will be delivered to the school before the first day--so convenient!
If you currently have any Box Tops saved, please drop them off in the collection bin in the office so that they can be included in the final submission for the academic year.
Please continue to collect the pink Box Tops for Education labels from General Mills products during the summer. It’s a simple and fun activity for your kids to get involved in fundraising for Almond. It can bring hundreds of dollars into the school with a minimal amount of effort- 10 cents at a time. The more coupons, the more money! Students in grades K-5 will receive collection baggies to help them store the coupons and return to the office in the fall. Thank you for your continued support!
For participating products, click on link:
https://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/participating-products
Dear Almond Families,
We are very lucky to have a great school for our kids. We believe that After School Activities also play an important role in shaping our kid’s overall development. Our new After School Program Coordinator for the next year needs your input. This will help maintain the quality of good after-school activities and fill any gaps that we have.
Please fill in this short survey and email it to me at Almondactivities@gmail.com
Thank you!
LOST AND FOUND:
There is a TON of found items in our collection! This will all be donated to a charity after the last day of school. Please take a look to see if any of these treasures are yours!
PICK UP STUDENT’S MEDICATION - From School Office
Medications will be available for pick up from June 13th 2019 (last day of school) to June 18th2019. We cannot store medications over the summer. If you are leaving before school ends, please pick up medications early.
The yearbooks will be distributed to the students that ordered them on Monday, 6/10. For those families that didn't order them, they will be for sale after school on Monday and Tuesday near the multi.
Dear Almond Parents,
I am excited to share with you that next Friday, June 7th, Almond will be holding its first annual Field Day!! For those of you who haven't experienced it, Field Day is an opportunity for students to play with their friends in various games, including the incredibly popular GaGa ball, and is a fun capstone event for students to remember as they prepare for summer vacation. From 8:30-12:15, all Almond kiddos will rotate through various structured activities on the field, blacktop and in the multi. Thank you again to all of the parents who have volunteered to make this event happen!
Here's to water games, scavenger hunts and yummy treats on Field day!
Raquel
Dear Almond families,
We see a problem! Kids in the hospital have nothing to do. We want to collect crayons so we can recycle them to give out. Please donate crayons to the front office or to Room 4. We will give them to The Crayon Initiative where they melt the crayons down and make new ones. We want to help the children feel happy and calm. We will take crayons until the last day of school. Thank you!
From,
Room 4
Important Dates
Dear Parents,
This is the last reminder to order your copy of the 2018-19 Almond Yearbook!
There are 2 easy ways to purchase 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 during the last week of school and quantities are limited, so order your Yearbooks now!
Email Leon with any questions (leonyao.pta@gmail.com)
HELP STUDENTS PRODUCE THEIR OWN BOOKS
The Almond PTA is looking for a parent (or a few parents) to run our popular Bookwave program next year. With Bookwave, students write or illustrate their own stories and receive a professionally bound and printed hardcover book of their own creation. When the printed books come back from the publisher, we’ll celebrate and showcase the children's work at a Bookwave Blast, a bash celebrating all of our student authors, held in the Almond Multi. Throughout the year, Bookwave may also support other activities related to writing, such as hosting guest authors or writing workshops. If you're interested in helping with Bookwave, please contact Andrea Bocking (andreabocking@gmail.com).
June 4th, 2019
4:00 – 7:00
Covington Multi
In preparation for choosing a musical instrument to play in 5th grade, the LASD Music Department will host an instrument selection event called “Instrument Quest” for all 4thgrade students in the district. Your child will be able to try out every instrument we offer in our Band and Orchestra (flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello).
This is a great opportunity to see which instrument best suits your child. Parents are welcome to ask questions and to meet the LASD Music teachers.
Support LAEF!
We are very close to reaching our $3.5M goal! We are grateful for each family who donated to LAEF this school year. You have invested in excellent neighborhood schools and a strong community! If you've made a pledge that is yet to be fulfilled, we are still counting on your donation to cross the finish line.
Here's a big THANK YOU to our wonderful teachers, staff, parents, and volunteers for contributing to our student’s success this year!
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @LAEFonline
REMINDER: PICK UP STUDENT’S MEDICATION
Medications will be available for pick up from June 13th, 2019 (last day of school) to June 18th, 2019. We cannot store medications over the summer. If you are leaving before school ends, please pick up medications early.
LOST & FOUND:
The mountain of sweatshirts and jackets is growing! Please take a look and see if you recognize any of your belongings before the last day of school.
AFTER SCHOOL:
Please do not take your younger children to play on the blacktop, upper or lower playgrounds or field before our upper-grade students are dismissed for the day. Our teachers (classroom and PE) need access to these areas for instruction. Thanks!
Dear Almond Families,
Carla Schick, our amazing school librarian, has been part of our Almond family for the past 5 years. In those 5 years she has probably read to every child on campus during weekly story time in the library. She has made the library available to students during recess and lunch for those who prefer to relax with a good book or two. Students and staff have enjoyed countless author visits due in large part to her outreach and coordination. Her caring and positive presence has touched us all. It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to her this year. Please read below the message she wanted to share with you.
Best,
Raquel
************************
Dear Almond Community,
I am very sad to have to inform you that I can no longer work as Almond's school librarian. A change in rules from the California Public Employees Retirement System now prohibits those who are retired from holding a regular job, even if it is part-time. Since I began receiving retirement pay at age 50 with I retired from the Anaheim Public Library, this new rule applies to me. My last official day will be May 30th.
I cannot leave without saying what a tremendous privilege it has been for me to work with the children of Almond. They have given me great joy, and I love each and every one of them. They have taught me so much; I will often take notes of the clever and funny things they say so that I can tell my husband "Almond stories" at the end of the day (yes, there IS a Mr. Carla, as so many of the younger kids have asked!)
I would like to thank Principal Raquel Matteroli, and all of Almond's wonderful teachers and support staff, for your collegiality and friendship. You obviously care very much for each student's unique needs, and I love you for that. Thank you for the overwhelming support you provided me during my extended illness last year. I will never forget your kindness.
Finally, I would like to thank all the parents of Almond for your children. You are obviously doing something terribly right, because I have never worked with such caring and brilliant kids. I will miss working with your kids more than you can know.
With gratitude,
Ms. Carla
P.S. The new retirement rules do allow me to work in a substitute capacity, so the kids might see me next year in the classroom!
Medications will be available for pick up from June 13th, 2019 (last day of school) to June 18th, 2019. We cannot store medications over the summer. If you are leaving before school ends, please pick up medications early.
Please do not take your younger children to play on the blacktop, upper or lower playgrounds or field before our upper grade students are dismissed for the day. Our teachers (classroom and PE) need access to these areas for instruction. Thanks!
This is the last reminder to order your copy of the 2018-19 Almond Yearbook!
There are 2 easy ways to purchase 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 during the last week of school and quantities are limited, so order your Yearbooks now!
Email Leon with any questions (leonyao.pta@gmail.com)
In preparation for choosing a musical instrument to play in 5th grade, the LASD Music Department will host an instrument selection event called “Instrument Quest” for all 4th grade students in the district. Your child will be able to try out every instrument we offer in our Band and Orchestra (flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello).
This is a great opportunity to see which instrument best suits your child. Parents are welcome to ask questions and to meet the LASD Music teachers.
There are a few activities our kids are in jeopardy of losing for next year because we do not have parent volunteers to run them. If you have enjoyed any of these activities or would like to ensure we have them for next year, please consider helping out. Contact Andrea Bocking (andreabocking@gmail.com), PTA President 2019-2020. Thank you!
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. Without someone to lead this group, we will need to cancel community service opportunities.
Yearbook - this is a fun project that involves helping student council make the yearbook and distributing it to students. Let your creative side shine and keep a wonderful Almond tradition alive. Without someone to oversee and help produce the yearbook, we will not be able to offer this to our students.
Drama Club - if your child enjoyed this year's production of the Lion King, then consider helping out the Drama Club! We need a co-chair for next year's Drama Club that can help and learn from our expert returning chairs.
We are currently seeking volunteers to help with serving hot lunch during the 2019/2020 school year. Time commitment on scheduled days is approximately 11:40am-12:40pm. You may specify how often and what weekdays you are available. Main responsibilities are helping to hand out food and ensuring children in the lunch line are moving through quickly.
If you are able to volunteer, please email Laura Gao at lauvid@gmail.com or you may sign up on this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TjluEZuTIOZb13mg7SW95of5oFMerts9KPr9T2Vao9o/edit#gid=1896942969
Help us raise the final $49K to meet our goal of $3.5M this school year.
We have a $5K challenge match! Your donation can be doubled.
Donate online or drop off a check in your school office.
Donations to LAEF are making a difference for every student!
This spring, contributions to LAEF are funding
The Viking Showcase will be held this year on Thursday, June 6, 2019. Over 200 parent and community volunteers will be needed for this extraordinary event. Please sign up!
For over 20 years, the Viking Showcase Day has been a rite of passage for Egan 8th graders. This is a special event for 8th grade students, faculty, and adult volunteers.
Details are available on the Viking Showcase page on Egan Web site:
https://eganschool.org/egan/6696-PD.html
Any questions, please contact Lauren Hasenhuttl lhasenhu@gmail.com
Co-chair of Viking Showcase
Technique, String ensemble repertoire,
Basic music theory
Music History
Please email Dahnarudin@gmail.com
Monday 7/15 to Friday 7/19, 2-5pm
Rudin Cello Studio, Mountain View
Fee: $200
Enjoy a fun-filled week at the Golden Eagle Summer Sports Camp and support the PTA at the same time!
By using the promo code almond19 you will save $20 off your registration and Golden Eagle will donate $20 directly to the PTA.
Golden Eagle Summer Sports Camp is a family run all-sports day camp for boys and girls K-8th grade. With a wide variety of sports and activities to choose from, including swimming, basketball, volleyball, soccer and more, it's one of the most loved camps in the Cupertino and San Jose communities. Camps this summer are running at both Homestead and Los Altos High Schools. Visit www.goldeneaglecamp.org or contact Carly at carly@goldeneaglecamp.org for more info.
Dear Almond Families,
Last week, I had the pleasure of watching both student casts perform the musical, “The Lion King,” in our Almond multi. Our students were, in a word, BREATHTAKING! They were at times funny, serious, engaging but always invested in the work they were performing. What a great opportunity for our young people to be involved in a project where they have spent several months developing their 21st Century skills of creativity (the nuanced art of acting), collaboration (interacting and negotiating the theater space, dialogue and music with their fellow actors), critical thinking (understanding the motives of each character and story) and communication (playing off each other and emoting to the audience).
Activities such as this drama production allow students a safe space to take risks. That word “risk” can often be considered negative, but it is a fundamental part of growing up and learning to be a well-rounded adult. We want our children to grapple with and negotiate all aspects of winning, losing and working through challenges as these are experiences they will encounter throughout their lives. The trick is to steer our young people towards activities that lead to positive risk taking (sports, theater, music, student government) instead of negative ones.
So, whether your child is interested in athletics, singing, chess or public speaking, encourage him or her to take positive risks! And in the case of those with a proclivity towards musical theater, there will be another opportunity for them to flex their acting chops in next year’s production.
An extra special thank you to Luisa Smith and Christi Crosby for leading the drama production this year.
Here’s to our Almond PTA for supporting the many wonderful programs our kiddos enjoy,
Raquel
P.s. Check out the picture below of students playing in the newly installed gaga ball pit. Thanks again to our 6th grade students and families for this gift to the school. It has been a hit with students of all ages!
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Family Picnic this Sunday, May 19, has been canceled!
We will be opening our doors to celebrate student learning at Almond on Thursday, May 23rd from 6pm-7pm. Also, come by a little early or stay a little late for the Almond Art Show in the Multi from 5:30pm-7:30pm.
Monday, May 20, 2019
Concert for Parents – begins at 1pm
Please do not take your younger children to play on the blacktop, upper or lower playgrounds or field before our upper grade students are dismissed for the day. Our teachers (classroom and PE) need access to these areas for instruction. Thanks!
SELPA 1 CAC will be holding their last meeting of the school year on May 23 at 9:30 in the MVLA Board Room at 1299 Bryant St, Mountain View. Please come and find out more about what we are planning for special education related events next year, and take part in our election. Our website is www.selpa1cac.org
SELPA 1 CAC llevará a cabo su última reunión del año escolar el 23 de mayo a las 9:30 en la sala de juntas de MVLA en 1299 Bryant St, Mountain View. Venga y descubra más sobre lo que estamos planeando para los eventos relacionados con la educación especial el próximo año, y participe en nuestra elección. Nuestro sitio web es www.selpa1cac.org
We are currently seeking volunteers to help with serving hot lunch during the 2019/2020 school year. Time commitment on scheduled days is approximately 11:40am-12:40pm. You may specify how often and what weekdays you are available. Main responsibilities are helping to hand out food and ensuring children in the lunch line are moving through quickly.
If you are able to volunteer, please email Laura Gao at lauvid@gmail.com or you may sign up on this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TjluEZuTIOZb13mg7SW95of5oFMerts9KPr9T2Vao9o/edit#gid=1896942969
There are a few activities our kids are in jeopardy of losing for next year because we do not have parent volunteers to run them. If you have enjoyed any of these activities or would like to ensure we have them for next year, please consider helping out. Contact Andrea Bocking (andreabocking@gmail.com), PTA President 2019-2020. Thank you!
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. Without someone to lead this group, we will need to cancel community service opportunities.
Yearbook - this is a fun project that involves helping student council make the yearbook and distributing it to students. Let your creative side shine and keep a wonderful Almond tradition alive. Without someone to oversee and help produce the yearbook, we will not be able to offer this to our students.
Drama Club - if your child enjoyed this year's production of the Lion King, then consider helping out the Drama Club! We need a co-chair for next year's Drama Club that can help and learn from our expert returning chairs.
With more teachers than ever before signing up for our fun and engaging lessons, we are struggling to meet our lesson demand. Come to our Informational Meeting and Garden Tour to learn how you can help! Feel free to invite a friend, neighbor or grandparent to attend with you!
Living Classroom Info Meeting & Garden Tour
Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 10am
Los Altos School District – Board Room
201 Covington Road, Los Altos
Click here https://www.losaltos.k12.ca.us/files/user/1/file/LASD Recruitment Flyer May 2019.pdf for a flyer for this event!
RSVP/Questions? Email livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call (650) 947-1103.
Check us out at www.living-classroom.org!
Who we are:
We are a dedicated group of trained volunteers who teach hands-on garden-based lessons to students in grades K-8.
Why volunteer?
Living Classroom is about more than just teaching students how to plant in the garden. It’s about using the edible and native plant gardens at each school as living laboratories and engaging student learning in fun and relevant ways. Most of our standard-aligned lessons are interdisciplinary and tie into science, social studies and math curriculum. Our hands-on lessons also get kids outside (green time vs. screen time), encourage healthy eating habits, and promote environmental literacy and stewardship.
Volunteering with Living Classroom offers a way for docents to act locally to help protect our environment and nurture our future environmental stewards!
You don’t have to have a green thumb to be an amazing Living Classroom docent. In fact, our program is a great way to learn how to turn that black thumb into a green one!
Living Classroom docents enjoy ongoing educational programs, hikes, field trips, social activities and a wonderful sense of community. Just seeing the students smile and get excited when a docent arrives to give a lesson is rewarding and priceless!
The commitment is only 6 hours (3 lessons) a month and you can tailor the program to fit your interests and availability.
Thanks and we hope to see you in the gardens soon!
Living Classroom Staff
The Viking Showcase will be held this year on Thursday, June 6, 2019. Over 200 parent and community volunteers will be needed for this extraordinary event. Please sign up!
For over 20 years, the Viking Showcase Day has been a rite of passage for Egan 8th graders. This is a special event for 8th grade students, faculty, and adult volunteers. Details are available on the Viking Showcase page on Egan Web site:
https://eganschool.org/egan/6696-PD.html
Any questions, please contact Lauren Hasenhuttl lhasenhu@gmail.com
Co-chair of Viking Showcase
The 72nd annual LOS ALTOS PET PARADE will be held on Saturday, May 18th at 10 a.m.
Please join your fellow Almond families and their pets (dogs, cats, birds, goats, reptiles, stuffed animals or no animals at all) to meet at 9:30am in the parking lot behind The Post (formally First & Main) restaurant.
Look for the Almond balloons and the Almond Eagle mascot!
Please RSVP at http://evite.me/CMnsd7t6rp if can so we can get a preliminary head count. -- Come Join the Fun!
Hello Almond Families!
A group of teens will be traveling to Nepal with the local nonprofit organization One Dollar for Life (www.odfl.org) that was started at Los Altos High School. They will be helping build a library at an all-girls school and installing some playground equipment.
We are collecting new and used educational supplies to take with us. Here is a list of desired items:
Used laptops or notepads
Sports equipment - any kind of balls, frisbees, jump ropes, badminton
Sports uniforms (shirts, shorts), clothes, cleats, athletic shoes
Musical instruments (they make instruments out of gourds, wood, metal piping, coconut shells, etc)
Toys, puzzles, games (nothing with too many pieces that will get lost and become useless) Legos (Bricks only) Duplo Blocks
Toothbrushes and toothpaste (ask dentists)
Spiral Notebooks, Backpacks, Pencils, Crayons, Rulers Etc.
Books (for children, in English)
There is a bin in the office for donations. Every little bit helps!
Please contact Shandell Randall, shandellr@odfl.org, if you have any questions.
June 4th, 2019
4:00 – 7:00
Covington Multi
In preparation for choosing a musical instrument to play in 5th grade, the LASD Music Department will host an instrument selection event called “Instrument Quest” for all 4th grade students in the district. Your child will be able to try out every instrument we offer in our Band and Orchestra (flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello).
This is a great opportunity to see which instrument best suits your child. Parents are welcome to ask questions and to meet the LASD Music teachers.
By using the promo code almond19 you will save $20 off your registration and Golden Eagle will donate $20 directly to the PTA.
Golden Eagle Summer Sports Camp is a family run all-sports day camp for boys and girls K-8th grade. With a wide variety of sports and activities to choose from, including swimming, basketball, volleyball, soccer and more, it's one of the most loved camps in the Cupertino and San Jose communities. Camps this summer are running at both Homestead and Los Altos High Schools. Visit www.goldeneaglecamp.org or contact Carly at carly@goldeneaglecamp.org for more info.
Help us raise the final $49K to meet our goal of $3.5M this school year.
We have a $5K challenge match! Your donation can be doubled.
Donate online or drop off a check in your school office.
Donations to LAEF are making a difference for every student!
This spring, contributions to LAEF are funding
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @LAEFonline
Dear Almond Families,
Please join me in congratulating Almond’s Teacher of the Year: Ms. Kelsey Greene and Support Staff of the Year: Mr. Marcus Coleman! Both recipients were nominated and honored by their peers yesterday in our district-wide Employee of the year celebration, along with recipients from all 9 LASD school sites. Both Ms. Greene and Mr. Coleman are true representatives of the core values of Almond staff including being caring, compassionate and committed to the educational and social growth of ALL students.
We are so excited that the Almond student drama production of The Lion King kicks off this afternoon at 4pm! Both casts of students have been working hard and are excited to perform for our community. If you haven’t yet purchased your tickets, there are some still available and are being sold before every show. Here are the showtimes and dates:
In addition to ticket sales, orders are also being taken if you would like to purchase a recorded DVD of the Almond show.
Here’s to committed and passionate Almond adults and students!
Raquel
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ALMOND DRAMA PRESENTS - THE LION KING! May 9th -May 11th
Lion King SNACKS & FLOWERS
The 6th graders will sell $1 snacks and drinks at each Lion King intermission and immediately after each performance. In addition, $2 flowers will be sold. The 6th graders will use the proceeds to purchase and install their class gift to the school. They are excited to give Almond School and all of the current and future students a GaGa Ball Pit! Thank you for your support.
The student council has announced Spirit Week to celebrate the end of CAASPP testing. Here is the proposed schedule:
Almond Open House and Art Docent Show 5/23!
Please join us in celebrating all the wonderful work your students have done over the course of the school year! You are welcome to visit the classrooms from 6:00-7:00. And please visit the Multi, where your students' artwork will be on display.
It’s time to order your copy of the 2018-19 Almond Yearbook!
(Yearbooks were **not** ordered during the Back-to-School Registration, so you need to do it now!)
There are 2 easy ways to purchase 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 will be available in the school office by Wednesday 8th.
Yearbooks will be delivered to the classrooms during the last week of school and quantities are limited, so order your Yearbooks now!
Email Leon with any questions (leonyao.pta@gmail.com)
School Supplies for 2019-20!
As we are counting down the days to summer vacation, we are planning ahead as well! For your convenience, we are working with 1st Day School Supplies. If you order by the deadline, the supplies will be delivered to Almond school, making it so easy!
Below is the user-friendly link to our school store! You will notice that the headphones and earbuds are listed separately.
Almond Family Picnic
Back by popular demand, the Almond Family Picnic is scheduled for Sunday, May 19, from 4:00-7:00pm. Pack up your picnic blanket and join your fellow Almond Families for a fun, casual afternoon on the Almond Field.
We will have a couple of food trucks available to purchase food or you can pack your own dinner.
Worried about missing an NBA Playoff Game? We will have an outdoor screen set up in the event a game is scheduled.
We hope to see you there. Questions? Email Leslie Lee at LeslieHerbertLee@gmail.com
Congratulations, Almond Singers!
Congratulations to the Almond Singers Chorus on two great Spring Concerts! The Almond Singers performed 5 concerts during the 2018-2019 school year, learned lots of great music, and had fun! If your child will be an Almond student in grades 2-6 in the Fall of 2019, and would like to join the Almond Singers, make sure to sign up online in the PTA Back to School Registration this summer. Questions? Contact Margaret Barnett, Almond Singers Director, at margaretmbarnett@gmail.com. We hope to see you in the Fall!
Almond Activities to be Cancelled Unless Parent Volunteers Available!
There are a few activities our kids are in jeopardy of losing for next year because we do not have parent volunteers to run them. If you have enjoyed any of these activities or would like to ensure we have them for next year, please consider helping out. Contact Andrea Bocking (andreabocking@gmail.com), PTA President 2019-2020. Thank you!
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. Without someone to lead this group, we will need to cancel community service opportunities.
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. Without someone to produce the directory, we will be considering not having a printed directory.
Yearbook - this is a fun project that involves helping student council make the yearbook and distributing it to students. Let your creative side shine and keep a wonderful Almond tradition alive. Without someone to oversee and help produce the yearbook, we will not be able to offer this to our students.
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, such as graduation, a pool party, class gift to the school and fundraising to support these events. If you will have a 6th grade student next year, please consider volunteering or these fun and special events will not be able to take place.
Volunteers needed for Hot Lunch for 2019-2020 School Year
We are currently seeking volunteers to help with serving hot lunch during the 2019-20 school year. Time commitment on scheduled days is approximately 11:40am-12:40pm. You may specify how often and what weekdays you are available. Main responsibilities are helping to hand out food and ensuring children in the lunch line are moving through quickly.
If you are able to volunteer, please email Laura Gao at lauvid@gmail.com or you may sign up on this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TjluEZuTIOZb13mg7SW95of5oFMerts9KPr9T2Vao9o/edit#gid=1896942969
Living Classroom Info Meeting & Garden Tour
Thursday, May 23, 2019, at 10am
Los Altos School District – Board Room
201 Covington Road, Los Altos
Click here for a flyer for this event!
RSVP/Questions? Email livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call (650) 947-1103.
Check us out at www.living-classroom.org!
Who we are:
We are a dedicated group of trained volunteers who teach hands-on garden-based lessons to students in grades K-8.
Why volunteer?
Living Classroom is more than just teaching students how to plant in the garden. It’s about using the edible and native plant gardens at each school as living laboratories and engaging student learning in fun and relevant ways. Most of our standard-aligned lessons are interdisciplinary and tie into science, social studies and math curriculum. Our hands-on lessons also get kids outside (green time vs. screen time), encourage healthy eating habits, and promote environmental literacy and stewardship.
Volunteering with Living Classroom offers a way for docents to act locally to help protect our environment and nurture our future environmental stewards!
You don’t have to have a green thumb to be an amazing Living Classroom docent. In fact, our program is a great way to learn how to turn that black thumb into a green one!
Living Classroom docents enjoy ongoing educational programs, hikes, field trips, social activities and a wonderful sense of community. Just seeing the students smile and get excited when a docent arrives to give a lesson is rewarding and priceless!
The commitment is only 6 hours (3 lessons) a month and you can tailor the program to fit your interests and availability.
Thanks, and we hope to see you in the gardens soon!
Living Classroom Staff
Egan Viking Showcase
The Viking Showcase will be held this year on Thursday, June 6, 2019. Over 200 parent and community volunteers will be needed for this extraordinary event. Please sign up!
For over 20 years, the Viking Showcase Day has been a rite of passage for Egan 8th graders. This is a special event for 8th grade students, faculty, and adult volunteers. Details are available on the Viking Showcase page on Egan Web site:
https://eganschool.org/egan/6696-PD.html
Any questions, please contact Lauren Hasenhuttl lhasenhu@gmail.com
Co-chair of Viking Showcase
The 72nd ANNUAL LOS ALTOS PET PARADE will be held on Saturday, May 18th at 10 a.m.
Please join your fellow Almond families and their pets (dogs, cats, birds, goats, reptiles, stuffed animals or no animals at all) to meet at 9:30am in the parking lot behind The Post (formally First & Main) restaurant.
Look for the Almond balloons and the Almond Eagle mascot!
Please RSVP at http://evite.me/CMnsd7t6rp if can so we can get a preliminary head count. -- Come Join the Fun!
Help us raise the final $49K to meet our goal of $3.5M this school year.
We have a $5K challenge match! Your donation can be doubled.
Donate online or drop off a check in your school office.
Donations to LAEF are making a difference for every student!
This spring, contributions to LAEF are funding
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @LAEFonline
Dear Almond Families,
Our very own Almond Singers held their Spring concert last night and I wish that I could bottle up and share their exuberance, dedication and gorgeous singing. Thank you to Margaret Barnett, Mary Hamilton and Sandrine Steciw for supporting our students all year in this wonderful musical endeavor!
It was fun to see the many students, parents and community members that joined us last Saturday at Mountain View High School for Junior Olympics. Almond students really represented! Thank you again to Alix Apfelberg, Kirsten Sirey and Vicki Lee for all of their hard work over the past year in support of this community-building event. Thank you also to all of the parents who volunteered their time to coach and train students as well as oversee the events on Saturday.
I am happy to share that our first week of CAASPP testing for grades 3-6 has been off to a great start. Thank you to our PTA room parents and Christi Crosby for supporting our kiddos with special treats every day during testing. Almond staff also collaborated on an encouraging (and hilarious) video we shared with students, which you can check out below.
Here's to meaningful community events!
Raquel
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Come see our wonderful Almond actors and actresses bring the exciting tale of The Lion King to life next week!
Performances
Thursday, May 9th - 4:00 Cast A
Friday, May 10th - 7:00 Cast B
Saturday, May 11th - 2:00 Cast B, and 7:00 Cast A
Tickets $10.00 each
Tickets will be available for purchase beginning on Friday, May 3rd at 3 pm. They will also be available at drop off and pick up the following week and immediately before every performance. Cash or check only.
For more information email Luisa at smithluisa605@gmail.com or Christi at cdcrosby@gmail.com
SNACKS & FLOWERS available for purchase!
The 6th graders will sell $1 snacks and drinks at each Lion King intermission and immediately after each performance. In addition, $2 flowers will be sold. The 6th graders will use the proceeds to purchase and install their class gift to the school. They are excited to give Almond School and all of the current and future students a GaGa Ball Pit! Thank you for your support.
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 6th grade year a blast!
We are currently seeking volunteers to help with serving hot lunch during the 2019/2020 school year. Time commitment on scheduled days is approximately 11:40am-12:40pm. You may specify how often and what weekdays you are available. Main responsibilities are helping to hand out food and ensuring children in the lunch line are moving through quickly.
If you are able to volunteer, please email Laura Gao at lauvid@gmail.com or you may sign up on this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TjluEZuTIOZb13mg7SW95of5oFMerts9KPr9T2Vao9o/edit#gid=1896942969
Our Almond Bollywood party is happening soon on May 11! Only a few tickets left. Men are welcome too!
Join us on a trip to Mumbai, the heart of Bollywood! What LA is to Hollywood, Mumbai is to Bollywood. There will be Indian food, Bollywood music, dance, and more surprises. This is a party you don't want to miss! Adults only.
https://almondschool.schoolauction.net/auction2018/catalog?id=138
Free Magic Show at Los Altos History Museum – Magician Phil Ackerly performs tricks and comedy in a family-friendly show at Los Altos History Museum, Wednesday, May 8 at 6:30 pm. Before and after the show, attendees may browse the Museum's exhibition, "Silicon Valley Eats: a Taste for Innovation."
YogaKids classes are active and fun educational experiences! Lesson plans are designed to be interactive, engaging, inclusive, and playful. By creatively blending the scientific benefits of yoga poses, breathing techniques and philosophies with games, reading, math, science, music and art, children are empowered to learn about and love themselves, each other, and the world around them! Contact teacher Holly Love yogakids.com/teacher-directory/Holly-Love/ to sign up TK-2nd graders for Almond’s afterschool YogaKids class Tuesdays 2:45-3:30.
The 72st ANNUAL LOS ALTOS PET PARADE will be held on Saturday, May 18th at 10 a.m.
Please join your fellow Almond families and their pets (dogs, cats, birds, goats, reptiles, stuffed animals or no animals at all) to meet at 9:30am in the parking lot behind The Post (formally First & Main) restaurant.
Look for the Almond balloons and the Almond Eagle mascot!
Please RSVP at http://evite.me/CMnsd7t6rp if can so we can get a preliminary head count. -- Come Join the Fun!
The 18th Annual Los Altos Hills Pathways Run/Walk: Saturday, May 11, 2019 – 9 AM Early Bird Registration Discount: for $10 off, use discount code “pathways19” Come out for the 18th Annual Los Altos Hills Pathways Run/Walk, and make Los Altos Hills Pathways your Run * Sweet * Run! This fun annual event begins at the Westwind Community Barn, runs through the Byrne Preserve and extends into the Los Altos Hills Pathways system. The run features a hilly and challenging 5K and 10K Pathways Run/Walk and a 1-Mile Fun Run. Special athletic race shirts will be provided along with finisher medals to those who register. To register, volunteer or for more race information contact Sarah Robustelli 650-947-2518, srobustelli@losaltoshills.ca.gov or visit the event website at www.lahpathwaysrun.org. New this year are “Team” registrations so that your family or group of friends can all register as a team to compete and compare your race results and registration numbers with other team members or other teams! Saturday May 11, 2019 (Mother’s Day Weekend) 5K/10K: 9:00 am Fees for 5K/10K: $45 ($50 on race day) Group Registrations of 10 or more: $35 per person – Acquire group discount registration code from Sarah at srobustelli@losaltoshills.ca.gov Time for 1-Mile Fun Run: 10:30 am Fees for 1-Mile Fun Run: $30 ($35 on race day) Location: Westwind Community Barn - 27210 Altamont Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
LAEF is proud to have sponsored PE teachers and the Junior Olympics. Remember to donate to LAEF and ensure that teachers and staff for programs such as PE continue next school year.
We’re on the home stretch!
Help us raise the final $64K to meet our goal.
A gift of $50, $100 or even $300 will make a difference!
Let's cross the finish line and raise $3.5M to fully fund this school year.
Donate online or drop off a check in your school office.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @LAEFonline
Mark your calendars:
June 4th, 2019
4:00 – 7:00
Covington Multi
In preparation for choosing a musical instrument to play in 5th grade, the LASD Music Department will host an instrument selection event called “Instrument Quest” for all 4thgrade students in the district. Your child will be able to try out every instrument we offer in our Band and Orchestra (flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello).
This is a great opportunity to see which instrument best suits your child. Parents are welcome to ask questions and to meet the LASD Music teachers.
The Viking Showcase will be held this year on Thursday, June 6, 2019. Over 200 parent and community volunteers will be needed for this extraordinary event. Please sign up!
For over 20 years, the Viking Showcase Day has been a rite of passage for Egan 8th graders. The Viking Showcase is a special event for 8th grade students, faculty, and adult volunteers. Through personal interviews with community members, graduating 8th grade students showcase achievements from their years at Egan. The event provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate professional skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. Students are divided into small groups and assigned to one or two adults. Student groups showcase their academic work as adult participants provide feedback, ask pertinent questions, and help the students celebrate their achievements. The review process increases student motivation, builds a sense of accomplishment, and fosters community involvement with the school. Past participants have truly enjoyed this invaluable experience.
Viking Showcase page on Egan Web site:
https://eganschool.org/egan/6696-PD.html
Any questions, please contact Lauren Hasenhuttl
Parent to Egan 8th grader, Covington 5th grader
Co-chair of Viking Showcase
Please join us to learn about our Art Docent Program!
Art du Jour
May 3rd from 10-12
iLearn Studio at LASD Office
201 Covington Road, Los Altos
Rsvp by May 2nd to ehongchin@gmail.com
Almond Community Services, working with Bay Area Chapter of There With Care, is hosting an Essential Cleaning Supplies drive to collect much-needed supplies for families with critically ill children. We will be holding the drive from April 25th through May 9th – please drop off donations in the collection barrel located in Almond’s front office. Supplies we are collecting include:
There With Care provides a range of services to families with critically ill children to help support families. There With Care works with local hospitals and social workers to identify and ease the stresses for families - giving them more time with their children. Programs include transportation services; meal programs; baby essential program; home maintenance program; sibling assistance and several other programs. To learn more about There With Care and volunteering opportunities please visit their website at bayarea.therewithcare.org or video (https://bayarea.therewithcare.org/videos/)
If you have any questions please contact either Polly or Seema
Thank you for your support in Advance!
Polly Liu and Seema Chavan, Almond Community Services
One Dollar for Life -- We will be traveling to Nepal with a group of teens in June with the local non-profit organization One Dollar for Life (www.odfl.org) that was started at Los Altos High School. We will be helping build a library at an all-girls school and installing some playground equipment.
We are collecting new and used educational supplies to take with us. Here is a list of desired items:
There will be a bin in the office for donations. Every little bit helps!
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank You,
Shandell Randall
831-247-3961
11/23/24 5:32 AM