ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
February 2, 2017
 

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

• Wednesday, 2/8
  • SSC Meeting (Library, 3pm)
  • Information Night at Egan for Incoming 7th Graders (Egan Multi, 6:30pm)
• Thursday, 2/9 - School Coffee w/Keith Rocha (Library, 8:35am)
• Thursday, 2/16 - DELAC (LASD iLearn, 8:45am)
• Monday thru Friday, 2/20 to 2/24  - Holiday, Winter Recess (NO SCHOOL)
• Wednesday, 3/1 - Family Science Night (Multi, 6:30-8pm)
• Friday, 3/3 - Incoming 7th Grade Parent Tours (Egan Multi, 9:30am)
• Tuesday, 3/7 - Minimum Day, School Ends at 12:15pm
• Thursday, 3/16 - Bookwave Blast (Multi, 6-8pm)
• Thursday, 3/30 - Incoming 7th Grade Parent Panel (Egan Library, 7:00pm)
• Friday, 3/31 - Incoming 7th Grade Student Tour & Elective Faire (Egan, 8:30am)
• Monday, 4/3 - STEM Expo School Day Showcase
• Tuesday, 4/4 - STEM Expo Community Night (Multi, 4:30pm - 6:00pm)
• Monday thru Friday, 4/10 to 4/14 - Spring Break (NO SCHOOL)
• Saturday, 4/29 - LASD Junior Olympics (MVHS, 8am - 4pm)
•  

SCHOOL MESSAGE

...from Mrs. Benadom

There is a bench at Almond School.  It is green.  It sits outside of room 15.  I go to this bench when I need perspective.  My favorite time to rest on this bench is at lunch time.  I see so much.  So much beauty.  So much joy.

Every so often someone comes and sits with me on this bench.  

This week Devin joined me for a chat. He wanted to know what I was doing.  I explained that I was watching kids play and -  just thinking.  Devin is new to our school this year.  He is a first grader; a bundle of energy and he shines so brightly.  I asked where his family is from.  He told me all about his grandfather and his aunties in Kenya.  I looked into Devin’s incredible eyes and said, “Devin, promise me something.   Promise me that you will always be proud of where you came from.  You came from a very special place and it’s important that you never forget its magic.”  He said he promised. Then he ran off to play with his friends.

A whole group of fourth grade girls stopped by and offered a greeting.  Some in this group (Julia, Ruby, Kimmie, Sammie) have known each other since long before kindergarten. Other friendships have flourished in recent years.  They are so very kind.  Generous and thoughtful.  Brilliant thinkers who have much to contribute to this world.

During the transition from lower grade lunch to upper grade lunch many students flittered by and either waved or simply shouted out their hellos.  Each one made me smile.  There was Jacob and Kobe engrossed in conversation.  And right behind them the group of 5th grade boys probably debating stats about basketball.  Then came the crew that invented the cities out on the perimeters of the field.  You know, Stick City and Dirt City.  Many of them are 5th graders now.  These invented worlds have evolved since they started them as 3rd graders (when they were little).  

While a great many of our Almond students were born in the U.S., about one fifth come from far away, magnificent places; Australia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, Vietnam.  Each of these children and their families have brought with them traditions, diverse experiences, and a world lens that contributes to a kaleidoscope of iridescence.

There is a bench at Almond School.  It is green.  It sits outside of room 15.  I invite you to come by.  From this bench, you will see a microcosm of beauty that exists at Almond School.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL (SSC) MEETING
What is SSC?  It is a meeting that brings together staff and parents around school topics.  We are required to have this meeting per the California Department of Education.  The two teacher representatives (Mrs. Wishnack, Mrs. Burke) and myself will meet on the designated day whether or not parents attend.  We would much prefer and welcome parent representatives who are interested in collaborating with us as opposed to working in isolation.  On Wednesday, 2/8, we will see input from the parent committee on survey questions that the staff has crafted and continue discussing how we might create a more culturally responsive environment on our campus.

STUDENT COUNCIL

• Almond has decided to fight homelessness this year. This year’s goal is to raise $2,750! Money can be donated by check, bill, and/or coins. The student council has done lots of research to conclude that we will be working with (CHP) Community Housing Partnership. Our donations to them will help buy materials for their Learning Academy, which trains and prepares people without homes to get and keep a job. We will begin collecting donations shortly – please stay tuned for more information!
• The next upcoming spirit day is crazy hair day! This is where your kids can have the opportunity to do whatever they want to their hair, make an afro, color it, add everyday objects to it, and much much more. Make sure they get as creative as possible. This spirit day will take place on February 17th.
• The winners for stuffed animal day last week were Mrs. Eldridge, Ms. Schubert, and Ms. Greene. Congratulations!

STEM DAYS at EGAN & BLACH

• LASD & LAEF are excited to kick off the first ever STEM Days at both Egan and Blach schools this spring. STEM pervades every part of life. STEM education creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators. Exposing our students to different aspects of careers in the STEM fields could inspire and spark a passion in learning.
• We are looking for parents, grandparents or anyone in our community who would like to share their knowledge. If you are interested, please contact Anjana Butaney at: anjana.nagarajan1@gmail.com or Karen Wilson at: kwilson@lasdschools.org.

LAEF’S BILLBOARD UPDATED TO THE $3M MARK!
Did you notice the growing arrow on the LAEF sign in front of our school? The 21 parent volunteers on our Board of Directors are pleased to announce that LAEF just reached the $3,000,000 mark! 100 families contributed in December, with donations ranging from $20 to $5,000. Thank you! With $700,000 to go to meet our $3.7M goal, every dollar counts. That’s why we’re counting on another 400 families to participate this school year. To donate or learn more about the many ways to give, please go to www.LAEFonline.org.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - REPEATED

SCHOOL COFFEE
Keith Rocha, the Egan Principal, will be our honored guest at the school coffee on Thursday, 2/9.  He will discuss how parents can support the transition from elementary school to junior high.  You do not need to be a 6th grade parent to attend.  It will be valuable information for any Almond parent with children in any grade level.  We hope you’ll join us.

REMINDER OF LOST & FOUND PURGE PROTOCOL
Starting with January, we will clear out the Lost & Found at the end of each month to keep it from getting ridiculously full.  Please put your child's name or at least a family name in your children's clothing and we will do our best to return it to you.  Remind your children to look in the Lost & Found regularly.  

AFTER SCHOOL OPPORTUNITY
Egan Girl Scout Troop 61015 is holding an after-school playdate on Friday, February 10 from 2:25 - 4:45 in the Almond multi. The troop will provide supervised play and activities to Almond students in grades K-3 (and siblings ages 3 and up who are potty trained). The kids will have a lot of fun with board games, legos, arts and crafts, and play time on the playground, and snacks will be provided. Most of the scouts have earned their babysitting badge and are Red Cross babysitting certified, and several adults will be on hand to help supervise. The fee is $25 per child and $10 for each additional sibling - you can pay at drop off or pick up. We plan use use the funds for our summer trip. To sign up, please click here by February 8th. Please email Sara Elkin with any questions.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

It is Girl Scout Cookie Time!!

• Starting Feb 1st, Almond Girl Scout troops will be selling all your favorite girl scout cookies right after school in the rotunda!!  Cookies are $5/box; Smores and gltuen free ToffeeTastic are $6/box. Cash and checks accepted.
• Please come support your Almond Girl Scouts!   
  • Feb 2nd- Troop 61026 6th Grade
  • Feb 3rd- Troop 61070 2nd Grade
  • Feb 6th- Troop 61025 4th Grade
  • Feb 7th- Troop 61016 4th Grade
  • Feb 15th- Troop 61077 6th Grade
• Thank you and if you have any questions, please contact Meredith Hiltgen - Almond Girl Scout School Manager (meredith@hiltgen.com)

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.

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