Print View

March 30, 2018

ALMOND ~~THURSDAY~~ WORD [Friday Edition]
March 30, 2018

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Saturday, 3/31, Almond Community Service Event (9:30am, Multi)
Tuesday, 4/3, STEM Expo (4:30-6pm, Multi)
4/9 - 4/13, Spring Break - NO SCHOOL
Wednesday, 4/18, PTA General Meeting (8:30am, Multi)
Friday, 4/20, School Coffee re: TBD (8:30am, STEM Lab)
Tuesday, 4/24, Almond Singer Concert (7pm, Multi)
Saturday, 4/28, LASD Junior Olympics (8am-4pm, Mountain View High)
Tuesday, 5/8, LASD Gr. 4-6 Music Concert (1pm, Multi)
5/14 - 5/18, 6th Graders at Science Camp
Friday, 5/18
- Fifth Grade Colonial Day
- School Coffee re: TBD (8:30am, STEM Lab)
Saturday, 5/19, Los Altos Pet Parade
Wednesday, 5/23, PTA General Meeting (8:30am, Multi)
Thursday, 5/24, Open House (6pm - 7pm)
Friday, 5/25, Minimum Day - Dismissal at 12:15pm
Monday, 5/28, Holiday - NO SCHOOL
Friday, 6/1, Minimum Day - Dismissal at 12:15pm
Tuesday, 6/5
- TK/K CSMA Parent Concert (1pm, Multi)
- Gr. 1 - 3 CSMA Parent Concert (2pm, Multi)
Thursday, 6/7
- Last Day of School
- Morning Assembly (8:30am, Multi)
- 6th Grade Promotion (8:45am doors open for seating, 9:00am ceremony begins)
- Minimum Day Dismissal - 12:15pm

PRINCIPAL MESSAGE

Yesterday morning I had the privilege of attending the Project Cornerstone Asset Champions Celebration that included a keynote from Chip Heath, author of “The Power of Moments.” He challenged all of us to consider how we might create even more transformative moments for others that include elevation, insight, pride, and connection.

It is a pleasure to be part of a community that embeds these types of opportunities into our shared experience.

At the International Festival last Friday our multi was filled with beautiful humans from all walks of life. We broke bread together with dishes from many different continents and we watched some amazing performances. While the professional dancers were marvelous in their own right, those who most stole our hearts were the five young people who stood before us with courage and pride. Gabriel Barisic, Almond 3rd grader, performed a song from Croatia. Zsiga, a visiting student from Hungary, played two songs on our grand piano after only 6 months of lessons. Luca Yao, a second grader, dazzled us with the Chinese Drums. Richika Pandrala, a 5th grader who just joined us this year, danced to an enchanting Indian song. And finally, Zhaoyuan Wang, a kindergartener, sang two Chinese songs to express gratitude. I hope these moments were as magical for them as they were for us!

On April 3rd, students once again will have an opportunity to shine at the STEM Expo. They’ve been working hard on their projects and they will be able to showcase their brilliance at a late afternoon event from 4:30pm - 6pm. I encourage you to come, even if you didn’t participate, so that we may honor the efforts of all the contributors.

Finally, on Thursday evening (April 5th @ 6pm), our 6th graders will gather with their teachers and families for a Learning Celebration. I could not be more proud of our 6th grade team of teachers as they continually push themselves to innovate on behalf of student learning. They will guide students through sharing their second learning expedition, “Human Impact.” In their first, they focused on what it means to be human; scientifically, culturally, and historically. This past trimester they have examined human interaction with the environment from early civilizations to modern day. While their culminating products will be displayed at the STEM Expo, they will delve into the process of their learning at their celebration. Feel free to experience this moment of connection even if you’re not a 6th grade student or family member.

“CONNECTION. The energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” - Brené Brown

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

ATTENTION PTA MEMBERS - BOARD POSITION OPEN FOR 2018-19
Your PTA is in need of a Few Good Board Members for the 2018-1019 school year! We are currently in search of parents to fill the following Board positions:

Treasurer - Use quickbooks to keep all the financial records of the PTA, prepare and disperse payments, prepare and reports a Financial report at every General and Board meeting of the previous month's financial activities, remit dues and some copies of taxes, financials LAMV PTA council, prepare for and deliver tax information to our accountant to file taxes,
Financial Secretary- Receive and deposit all monies. Work with treasurer to ensure all receipts and records are accurate.

If you would like to learn more about these positions please contact the Chair of the Nominating Committee Stephanie Ballabio, sballabio@gmail.com or Marcsi Elovson mkratochwill@yahoo.com.

Almond Smartphones and Communications Workshop April 20 6:30 - 8:00 pm in the Library
The TechBridgers Club run by Los Altos High School students will be offering a Smartphone and Communications Workshop on Friday, April 20th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in the school library. We will teach parents how to use your smartphone to check your child’s grades and homework assignments, connect to school website, use Google Translate and check your email. Light refreshments and child care will be provided. Please register here by April 16th. Questions? Please contact Jessica Mountz at jmountz@lasdschools.org

[en Español]
Almond Smartphones and Communications Workshop Viernes, el 20 de Abril 6:30 - 8:00 pm En la Biblioteca
El Club TechBridgers dirigido por los estudiantes de la Escuela Secundaria Los Altos ofrecerá un taller de teléfonos inteligentes y comunicaciones el viernes 20 de abril de 6:30 a 8:00 pm en la biblioteca de la escuela. Les enseñaremos a los padres a usar su teléfono inteligente para conectarse al sitio web de la escuela y los programas de su hijo, usar Google Translate y consultar su correo electrónico. Se proporciona una comida ligera y cuidado de niños. Por favor regístrese aquí antes del 16 de abril. ¿Preguntas? Por favor, póngase en contacto con Jessica Mountz en jmountz@lasdschools.org

READY PLAYER ONE MOVIE FUNDRAISER: AVAILABLE MARCH 29 - APRIL 1

The 6th graders are fundraising with a Filmraiser to the movie READY PLAYER ONE. The 6th graders will earn $1.00 for the North Bay Fire Victims from every ticket purchased for movies showing March 29 - April 1.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW! Click this link and $1.00 from every ticket to READY PLAYER ONE purchased for movies showing March 29 - April 1 supports Almond Elementary School's 6th Grade North Bay Fire Victims fundraising.
PLEASE NOTE: You will purchase tickets through the Atom web site, not Fandango. This custom link to Atom tracks our sales, but you will not see any information about the schools or causes that FilmRaiser supports.
If you would like to post or share the ticket link with friends and family throughout the US that benefits Almond Elementary School's 6th Grade fundraiser, please use: https://www.atomtickets.com/promotions/ready-player-one-filmraiser-school-rebate-terms?ref=PLAYER21004
Thanks in advance for your support! Almond 6th Graders

LAEF
We’ve raised $3.3 Million - the next big milestone on our way to $3.7 Million! Thanks to everyone who has generously donated to LAEF this school year! You are making a difference in the education of every TK-8 grade student in LASD. We still need to raise $400,000 to finish funding the current school year. If you have yet to give, donate now and help us fully fund STEM, art, literacy, wellness and personalized learning.

LAEF #MarchMatching
If you've made a donation to LAEF this school year, thank you! Be sure to take the next step and request a company match, if you have not done so already. Request your match now and, if your company is in our #MarchMatching tournament, your match might help them win! We appreciate matches from all companies, whether they are in the tournament or not! All contributions to LAEF will help us reach our goal of $3.7M.

REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS

YEARBOOK PICTURES NEEDED
If you have pictures that you would like to submit of your children, please look for the correct category below and select the link to upload. If you don't see a category, please submit under "General Almond Pictures.” Things to keep in mind: Need pictures that are NOT blurry - higher the resolution the better. Pictures that have clear faces do best.

1st Day of School
Almond Singers
Almond Music Program
Walkabout
General Almond Pictures
Halloween Carnival
Spirit Days:
- PJ Day
- Crazy Hair
- Winter Week
- General Spirit Days
- Community Service Projects (Santa Rosa Fire Events, Giving Tree, etc)
6th Graders
5th Graders
4th Graders
3rd Graders
2nd Graders
TK/Kinder
1st Grade

ATTENTION 6TH GRADE PARENTS

Each year, there is a slideshow during the 6th grade Promotion event highlighting our amazing kids and their time at Almond. I am working on the yearbook and slideshow right now and could use a few more photos as I want to make sure *ALL your* children are included in the slideshow.
Here is my ask:
- Send me your good pics from K-6th grade of your class
- Group and individual photos are welcome
- School events only — on campus, field trips, Jr. Olympics, class parties/projects, etc
- Deadline — We appreciate if you can upload any photos as soon as possibLe.
  - Monday 4/16 for the 6th Grade Yearbook Extension pages
  - Monday 5/21 for the Graduation Promotion slideshow
Upload your photos to these links: Please drop your children's photos into these folders according to his/her years in school.
- Early-Year (K-2nd Grade)
- Mid-Year (3-5th Grade)
- Current-Year (6th Grade)
You can check out the photos uploaded so far by clicking "Done" (top right corner) from the page linked above. Please feel free to forward the link to anyone who might have photos, but not be on this list.
I know that everyone is super busy right now. Thank you in advance for taking some time to send in photos - I am hoping to showcase all the kids in the slideshow.
If you have any questions at all, please email me <tvsatam@gmail.com>.

FUN AND HANDS-ON COMMUNITY SERVICES EVENT - RSVP REQUIRED

Please join us in the multi on Saturday, March 31st, from 9:30am to 10:30am to make comfort bags for foster children! We will fill pillowcases with stuffed toys, books, socks, games, etc. and make personalized name tags and cards for each foster kid.
In order to fill 50+ comfort bags, we need your help Almond Families!
There are three ways to help and you have till March 21st:
- 1) Sign up here to donate an item (or more!)
- 2) Sign up here to make a complete comfort bag for a specific child.
- 3) Paypal Cash - If you would prefer to donate cash and have us shop, please Paypal your cash donation to Seema at bhimsee@yahoo.com.
RSVP Required for Event
- To RSVP for the comfort bag making event, please email Polly at polly@beau-coup.com with number of attendees. Space is limited so please RSVP as soon as you are able.

ATTENTION 4th • 5th • 6th GRADERS - THE 58TH LASD JUNIOR OLYMPICS IS COMING!

Saturday, April 28, 2017 / 8am-4pm / Mountain View High School
The LASD Junior Olympics Committee has already been working hard to make Junior Olympics 2018 a day to remember. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, April 28th for a fun-filled day at Mountain View High School. It will begin with the 1320 yd run at 8:00am, followed by opening ceremonies at 9 am. From about 9:30-1:30 will be most of the track and field events. (listed below). You won't want to miss the very popular Mascot Mania which takes place around 1:30pm. The day ends at roughly 3:45 with the dash finals, hurdle finals and the relay races. Bring the whole family but please leave your pets at home. There will be lunch, snacks and drinks for sale AND plenty of opportunities for you to volunteer your time to make this day extra special for your child!
General Information
- Every 4th, 5th and 6th grader in Los Altos School District is invited to participate in the 57th Annual Junior Olympics! This event brings together the seven LASD elementary schools for a friendly track & field competition, in which everyone is encouraged to strive for their personal best and cheer on their classmates as they compete. More information and important Junior Olympics dates available atlasdjo.com.
- Save the dates!
- We Need Your Help Training our Young Athletes! Click 2018 Almond JO PE Training Volunteers to sign up.

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

Macie Benson, 3/26/18, Owning learning. Macie has been working hard reading at home and school and has advanced 4 levels!!
Ayda Chaffee, 3/26/18, Respecting self and others. Showing respectful listening! :-)
Chloe Chan, 3/26/18, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Consistently listening and following directions in music class.
Connor Daniel, 3/26/18, Respecting self and others. Showing respectful listening! :-)
Ava DePristo, 3/26/18, Respecting self and others. Showing respectful listening! :-)
Quinn Daniel, 3/28/18, Always making good choices. Quinn is always respectful to his teachers and sets a great example to other students.
Adam Daniels, 3/28/18, Owning learning, Always making good choices. Adam is on task and ready to learn even when his Reader's Workshop book club was not ready.
Rohan Desai, 3/28/18, Solving problems, Owning learning, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Rohan is always participating during class discussions, helping others, and overall, making great choices! :-)
Liana De Witt, 3/28/18, Owning learning, Always making good choices. Liana is always making good choices and owning her learning in math. She perseveres even when tasks get challenging.
Emmanuel Esquivel Pena, 3/27/18, Owning learning. You took your time and worked carefully to read and add accurately.
Krish Grover, 3/26/18, Respecting self and others. Showing respectful listening! :-)
LuLu Hanna, 3/28/18, Owning learning. LuLu created a digital book club, checklist and calendar to help keep her Reader's Workshop book club organized.
Eleanor Hsu, 3/28/18, Respecting self and others. Eleanor has done a wonderful job making a new to class student feel welcomed.
Maddie Hu, 3/28/18, Owning learning. Maddie always puts forth her best effort in all she does.
Kavi Jain, 3/26/18, Respecting self and others. Showing respectful listening! :-)
Prisha Jain, 3/28/18, Solving problems, Owning learning, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Prisha always does an awesome job making great choices! :-)
Sooyoung Lee, 3/26/18, Respecting self and others. Showing respectful listening! :-)
Pete Lin, 3/28/18, Owning learning. Pete has been doing a great job in math by going above and beyond the regular assignement! :-)
Sasha Middleton, 3/26/18, Respecting self and others. Showing respectful listening! :-)
Songee Park, 3/26/18, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Consistently listening and following directions in music class.
Alex Sofinksi, 3/22/18, Owning learning. Alex is doing excellent at learning his letters and numbers! :-)
Kyle Stadler, 3/28/18, Always making good choices. Working SMART! :-)
Max Sun, 3/26/18, Owning learning, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Makes always checks in to make sure he is on task and doing his work correctly. He also continues to work towards staying focused at all times.
Hayden Tang, 3/12/18, Owning learning. Mastering the 5th Grade Math Mission on Khan Academy!!! <3 Mrs. Better
Jessie Yang, 3/26/18, Owning learning. Mastering the 5th Grade Math Mission on Khan Academy!!! <3 Mrs. Better

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

SELPA 1 CAC Steering Committee Meeting
Monday, April 16, 9:30-11, Los Altos School District Office, 201 Covington Rd
Come on and help us finalize Parent Education selections and plan for next year. SELPA 1 CAC helps families of students receiving special education services and educates the public about disabilities and inclusion.

Taking Care of You: Mindfulness and Parenting with Challenges by Dr. Linda Lotspeich, Child Psychiatrist and Clinical Professor
Wed. Apr. 18, 2018, 7-9PM, Santa Rita Elementary School, 700 Los Altos Rd, Los Altos
Parenting a child with disabilities can lead to difficult emotions and stress. The practice of mindfulness, including meditation, can reduce stress, improve self-esteem and allow you to better manage these emotions. Learn to move from coping to living a more meaningful life in the present moment, while still planning for the future.

Parent Chat
Tue. Apr. 10, 2018, 7PM-8:30PM, Los Altos Library
Are you concerned about the emotional well being of your child? Come to Parent Chat, peer to peer support for parents of teens. Hosted by the Mental Health Subcommittee of SELPA 1 CAC.

Let's Talk
Mon. Apr. 16, 2018, 7PM-9PM,Los Altos Library
A chance to ask questions and share ideas, resources, and support with other parents of students with IEPs, 504s, learning differences, mental health challenges, etc. All are welcome, participants must respect confidentiality.

Reunión del Comité Directivo de SELPA 1 CAC
Lunes, 16 de abril, 9: 30-11, Oficina del Distrito Escolar de Los Altos, 201 Covington Rd
Venga y ayúdenos a finalizar las selecciones y el plan de educación para padres para el próximo año.SELPA 1 CAC ayuda a familias de estudiantes que reciben servicios de educación especial y educa al público sobre discapacidades e inclusión.

Cuidando de Usted: A tención y Crianza con Desafíos con la Dr. Linda Lotspeich, Psiquiatra infantil y Profesora clínica
Miércoles, Abril 18 2018, 7-9 PM Escuela Primaria Santa Rita
La crianza de un niño con discapacidades puede conducir emociones difíciles y estres. La practica de atención plena, incluyendo la meditación, puede reducir estrés, mejorar el auto estima y permitirle mejor manejar estas emociones. Aprende vivir de afrontamientos a una vida mas significativa en el momento presente, mientras sigue planeando para el futuro.

Platica Para Padres
Martes, Abr 10 2018, 7-8:30 PM, Biblioteca de Los Altos, 13 S. San Antonio Road
Le preocupa el bienestar emocional de su hijo(a)? Apoyo de colega a colega para padres con jóvenes de 14+. Venga a unirse a un grupo de apoyo organizado por el Subcomité de Salud Mental de SELPA 1 CAC.

Vamos a Platicar
Lunes, Abr 16, 2018 7-9PM, Biblioteca de Los Altos, 13 S. San Antonio Road
Una oportunidad para preguntas y compartir ideas, recursos, y apoyo de otros padres con estudiantes de PEIs, 504s, diferencias de aprendizaje, retos de salud mental, etc. Todos son bienvenidos, los participantes deben respetar confidencialidad.

The 17th Annual Los Altos Hills Pathways Run/Walk

Saturday, May 5, 2018 – 9 AM, NOTE: New date – 1st Saturday in May
For $10 off, use Discount Code “homerun”
Come out for the 17th Annual Los Altos Hills Pathways Run/Walk, and make Los Altos Hills Pathways your home run!
This year we are holding the event one week earlier than the normal scheduled weekend and it will be held on Saturday May 5^th, 2018.
This year's event will enjoy a special Cinco de Mayo theme so wear your favorite festive running attire. Free sombreros for interested participants will available at packet pickup and race day while supplies last.
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 comfy Home Run 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!
Date: Saturday May 5, 2018
- Time for 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

WANT TO SUBMIT SOMETHING TO THE THURSDAY WORD?
Send announcements to us at AlmondThursdayWord@lasdschools.org by 12:00pm Monday, for that week's Word. Keep your announcements brief and, if applicable, send a PDF version of any flyer or additional information to be posted on the website.
Quick Links…
School & Community News now found via Peachjar:
https://www.peachjar.com/index.php?a=28&b=138&region=53999
Almond Elementary School Website
Copyright © 2003-2016 Los Altos School District. All rights reserved.