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Thursday Word February 15th

ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
February 15, 2018

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

2/19 - 2/23, Winter Recess - NO SCHOOL
Thursday, 3/1, Family Science Night, (6:30-8pm, Multi)
Saturday, 3/3, Spring Gala and Auction (6:00-11pm, Computer History Museum)
Thursday, 3/8, Bookwave Blast (6:30, Multi)
Wednesday, 3/21, PTA General Meeting (8:30am, Multi)
Friday, 3/23
- School Coffee re: Beyond Academics (8:30am, STEM Lab)
- International Festival (PM, Multi)
Tuesday, 4/3, STEM Expo (TBD, 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, School Coffee re: TBD (8:30am, STEM Lab)
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

On my email signature I have this quote by Elie Wiesel (1986 Nobel Peace Prize winner), “We know that every moment is a moment of grace, every hour an offering; not to share them would mean to betray them. Our lives no longer belong to us alone; they belong to all those who need us desperately.”

Professor Wiesel taught at Boston University where I received my undergraduate degree. I was blessed to hear him speak and received a signed copy of his book Night. I have learned a great deal in my 45 years on this planet, and one of those things is to savor every present moment because we know not what tomorrow brings.

I genuinely love your children. All 511 of them. Each and every single one of them is remarkable! They didn’t come to this world on their own. They gained passage onto this Earth through you and continue to be supported by you.

I have had the wonderful privilege of serving the Almond community as principal, as well as being a mother to two incredible children (who attend our neighborhood schools in Los Gatos). Like Los Gatos, The Los Altos School District depends heavily on our PTAs to augment school funds to provide for excellent programs that extend beyond traditional academics.

As a parent, I look forward to my children’s annual Gala/Auction each year. My husband and I put on our best formal attire and join dear friends in a night of celebration - all for the benefit of raising dollars for our children’s education.

As your principal, I am eagerly anticipating our own Great Gatsby themed Almond Gala/Auction on March 3rd. Many of the Almond staff will be present! The Mission Possible Agents of Change are thrilled to attend to show our gratitude for your generosity and magnanimity. It will be a gift to spend time chatting with many of you whom I see in passing as I’m often rushing from one moment to the next. The event is being held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. That alone entices my curiosity a great deal.

If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, please do so. HERE is the link.

It would be an honor to share this evening with you! We need each other to amplify the beauty that exists in this world. By coming together on March 3rd, we can capture together - “a moment of grace.”

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

LOST & FOUND
Tomorrow, at 1pm, all lost and found items will be bagged and prepared for donation. If you are missing items, please come find them ASAP.

FAMILY SCIENCE NIGHT IS COMING THURSDAY MARCH 1ST 6:30-8:00PM!

What is Family Science Night?
- An amazing night of science exploration at Almond School! 25+ stations for children TK-6th grade to interact with everything from robotics to anatomy!
  - Navigate through a laser maze
  - Create amazing lego structures with Kidizens
  - Program a robot
  - Make slime that glows and your own flavored lip balm
  - Interact with bugs in the Insect Discovery Lab
  - Observe bats, reptiles, and much more!
Family Science Night is not a drop off event, children must be accompanied by adult.
Do you enjoy science or helping children explore and experiment?
- We still need a few volunteers to run a table or help set up the morning of the event at 8:30am.
- Sign up here! Questions? Dharti Dhami dharti@gmail.com or Melissa Neal mbryantneal@yahoo.com

SPRING GALA AUCTION

Last call for Spring Gala auction donation items! Today is the last day to submit your donations. If you still have something you'd like to donate, but haven't had the opportunity to submit the donation in the online donation form, please contact Nina at nkrammer@yahoo.com to make arrangements as soon as possible.
Pre-bidding on silent auction items is scheduled to begin on Monday, February 26. In order to pre-bid, you will need to pre-register online. See the Gala FAQs that were sent out last week through Almond Announce for more information.

STUDENT COUNCIL
Thank you for participating in the Valentines Card Making Week! Altogether we made 136 Valentine Cards to be delivered in lunches from the Community Services Agency to seniors in need.

52 SO FAR - LET’S KEEP CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
HERE is the slide deck. We have had 52 contributions out of 512 students. Please take some time to learn about an amazing champion of African heritage and create a slide to honor their achievements. Remember to check your information for accuracy; multiple sources are always best. Please take this time with your child to remind them that in a group project, there is a responsibility to safeguard the work of others while adding your own contributions. Therefore please scroll all the way to the bottom and edit from there.

LAEF

We invite you to join us as we recognize the realtors in our community who participated in our Honor Roll of Realtors program this year! Since 1995, LAEF and MVLA education foundations’ Honor Roll of Realtors program has brought real estate experts and philanthropy together in support of our public schools. This year we raised over $102,000 for quality education for TK-12 students in Los Altos public schools! Find out who is on the 2018 Honor Roll of Realtors at laefonline.org, and when the time comes to contact a realtor, select one of these professionals committed to a strong school community.
Donate to LAEF today and help us raise an additional $700K to reach our goal of $3.7M by April 27th. Gifts of any amount are appreciated. Learn more & make your tax-deductible donation today at www.laefonline.org.

EARLY MAN MOVIE FUNDRAISER: AVAILABLE THROUGH MARCH 31

The 6th graders are fundraising with a Filmraiser to the movie EARLY MAN. The 6th graders will earn $1.00 for the North Bay Fire Victims from every ticket purchased for shows in February and March, 2018 when you click this link.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!
Click this link and $1.00 from every ticket to EARLY MAN bought during February and March supports Almond Elementary School's 6th Grade North Bay Fire Victims fundraising.
PLEASE NOTE: There will be no mention of our cause past this link. The custom link tracks our sales, but Fandango does not host 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 6th Grade, please use: https://www.fandango.com/early-man-200804/movie-overview?a=13034&cmp=13034:early001004
Thanks in advance for your support! Almond 6th Graders

BOOKWAVE BLAST

All Almond Families, please mark your calendar for Bookwave Blast taking place on Thursday, March 8th from 6:30pm to 8pm. We will be showcasing all the books written by our students between 6:30pm while refreshments are served, and our featured speaker Jennifer Rahardjanoto will begin her presentation promptly at 7pm.
Jenn Rahardjanoto is a visionary who's inspired by the power of design to tell stories. She's lived in many different parts of the world and graduated with Honors from Art Center College of Design. She's well known in the children's entertainment world as one of the best creative mind behind a kid's brands. She is currently the Chief Creative Officer at GoldieBlox inc. Prior to that, she worked as the Marketing Creative Director at Playstudios, Story Art Director at Mattel Playground Production, and designer in entertainment production world in Los Angeles.
Because of Jen's connection to Mattel and her current role at GoldieBlox, there will be raffles and drawings with fun prizes (may I say TOYS!!). It will be an inspirational and FUN evening for sure!
Special Thanks to all the families who turned in the Bookwave Packets! They have been sent out and are being "published" as we speak!
If you have any questions and/or are able to help set up/take down for Bookwave Blast, PLEASE contact Lily at lily@alexwang.com. Truly appreciate support from the parent community at Almond!

5th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION - SEARCHING FOR PERFORMERS!

We are pleased to announce the 4th Annual International Celebration slated for Friday, March 23rd. The event brings together Almond families for a fun, casual evening while celebrating the diversity and vibrancy of our school community. All families bring a favorite "international (or favorite)" dish to share (appetizer, entrée, or dessert) and catch up with friends (or make new ones!) and are able to watch various ethnic dance and music performances including appearances by our own Almond School students and alumni. In addition, families are encouraged to come dressed in ethnic wear (anything that you identify with your heritage is fine!).
How can you help:
- 1) Sign up if your child or you would like to share a performance specific to a heritage. If your child participates in local classes bring the troupe or if a solo performer or if your child just loves to perform - let us know! The evening is a perfect opportunity for kids to perform in a welcoming environment.
- 2) Have any suggestions for a local dance or performance group - please send us the information.
- 3) Interested in helping with the planning and execution - we definitely would love to grow the group.
We hope you and your family can join us at the International Celebration! More details to follow. For information or to signup to perform - please contact Lori Sevcik (loriandshea@me.com) and Seema Chavan (bhimsee@yahoo.com).

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.

PILATES AFTER SCHOOL - EARLY BIRD SPECIAL!

Pilates After School wants your child to join us this Spring! Learn basic anatomy, body alignment and Pilates moves! We play lots of fun movement games and wrap each class with meditation.
Dates: Mar 6 - May 15 (no class April 10 for Spring Break
Time: 3:00-4:10pm (Grade 1 and 2 students meet at 2:40 and will be supervised)
Price: $325 (includes healthy snacks, mat use, course materials, and t-shirt)
Early Bird Special: $25 off (automatically calculated at check-out)
Please go to http://www.pilatesafterschool.com/register.html to register.
For questions, please contact amie@playitfitnow.com. We hope to see your child in our class!
From Coach Amie & Olivera

BECOME A LIVING CLASSROOM DOCENT...SHARE YOUR LOVE OF NATURE WITH KIDS!

It's time to plant tomatoes, dissect flowers, and make yummy pretzels from the wheat the students planted last Fall! If you like all those things and more, please consider becoming a Living Classroom docent! Living Classroom is looking for docents to help deliver hands-on garden-based lessons to the students of the Los Altos School District. No experience necessary as we provide all the training needed! Our Spring Docent Training will take place at the LASD iLearn Studio (201 Covington Road, Los Altos) from 9-Noon on Monday mornings in March (3/5, 3/12, 3/19 and 3/26). Please click HERE to view our Spring Training Flyer. Apprentice-style training also available to those who can’t make our Monday morning trainings.
Questions? Email us at livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call (650) 947-1103. For more information about Living Classroom, please visit our website at www.living-classroom.org.

LIVING CLASSROOM EVENT: NATIVE PLANT TALK “RESTORING NATURE ONE GARDEN AT A TIME: HOW NATIVE PLANTS ARE KEY TO BRINGING BACK OUR BIRDS, BUTTERFLIES, AND ENTIRE ECOSYSTEMS”

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH, 10:00-11:30 A.M., LOS ALTOS SCHOOL DISTRICT (IN THE ILEARN STUDIO), 201 COVINGTON ROAD, LOS ALTOS, CA 94024
Living Classroom founder, Vicki Moore, will present research from the recent California Native Plant Society conference that has major implications on the way we look at plants, gardens, and landscaping. There will be special emphasis on what each of us can do to bring back our local ecology at our own homes. Easy to use online references will be shared so attendees will have the tools to create their own native habitat garden.
Free native pollinator plants will be available! Everyone is welcome! Bring a friend!
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT CAROLINE CHAN: CCHAN@LASDSCHOOLS.ORG

REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS

LASD HEALTH SERVICES
The District Nurses will be doing Hearing screening at Almond for all Kindergarten, 2nd, 5^th grades on 3/7/18. If your child has a known hearing loss, please notify the Health Services Staff (nurses@lasdschools.org) before the day of the screening. The nurse will mail a referral form and call the parents of students who do not pass the Hearing screening.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

The MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series

Please join us for an evening with Dr. Leonard Sax
Boys Adrift: Raising Authentic Boys Engaged in School and Life
Tuesday, Mar. 6, 2018 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | LAHS Eagle Theater |201 Almond Avenue, Los Altos, CA
From kindergarten to college, American boys are less resilient and engaged than they were two decades ago and the gender gap in academic achievement continues to widen. Drawing upon 26 years of clinical experience and scientific research, Dr. Sax will explore how social, cultural, and biological factors have created an environment that impedes the healthy development of many boys today. Dr. Sax will share concrete strategies to help us as parents connect more deeply with our sons and guide our boys to stay engaged - and grow into productive, self-reliant, authentic young men.
- Topics include:
  - How much time spent playing video games is too much time, and how do we know?
  - Which video games are OK, and which are not, and how do we know?
  - What has caused the dramatic drop in the testosterone levels of young men over the past 60 years? Why does it matter?
  - What research has been conducted regarding the effect of medications for ADHD on the developing brain?
Dr. Sax is internationally recognized for his four parenting books, Why Gender Matters (2nd Ed., 2017), Boys Adrift (2^nd Ed., 2016), Girls on the Edge (2010), and The Collapse of Parenting (2015) – a New York Times best-seller and has appeared on the TODAY show, PBS, NPR, CNN, Fox News, and the BBC, and many other national and international media.

To register for this free event, go to https://mvla2017-2018-leonardsax.eventbrite.com
Sponsored by Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF), MVLA High School Foundation, Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF), and Los Altos-Mountain View PTA Council.

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

Lola Bacchi, 2/14/18, Owning learning. Asking for math support during workshop. Mrs. Burke :-)
Michael Ballabio, 2/8/18, Solving problems, Owning learning, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Way to SOAR!! I am proud of you! <3 Mrs. O'Dell
Ethan Bao, 2/13/18, Owning learning. Ethan advanced 5 reading levels since the beginning of the year!
Ruby Border, 2/14/18, Owning learning. Applying new methods during math workshop. Mrs. Burke :-)
Chloe Chan, 2/13/18, Owning learning. Chloe challenged herself by purposely picking an addition strategy she was as comfortable using to grow her brain! :-)
Aidan Cuppett, 2/14/18, Always making good choices. Always making good choices in class and in the STEM lab.
Cole Massey, 2/14/18, Always making good choices. During morning meeting, he shares insightful and meaningful things. Mrs. Burke :-)
Sasha Middleton, 2/13/18, Owning learning. Sasha challenged herself by purposely picking an addition strategy she was as comfortable using to grow her brain! :-)
Naveeen Mukherjee, 2/14/18, Owning learning. Finding a good seat during math workshop to ensure he could stay focused and on task. Mrs. Burke :-)
Trisha Shetty, 2/14/18, Respecting self and others. Taking on leadership responsibilities in our classroom. Mrs. Burke :-)
Kendra Sims, 2/14/18, Respecting self and others. For choosing to help clean up a sixth grade classroom.
Sophie Tressler, 2/14, 13, Respecting self and others. Taking on leadership responsibilities in our classroom. Mrs. Burke :-)
Liv Weiner, 2/14/18, Respecting self and others. Taking on leadership responsibilities in our classroom. Mrs. Burke :-)

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.

Thursday Word February 8th

ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
February 8, 2018

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Thursday, 2/8, School Coffee re: 6th Grade Transition to 7th Grade at Egan (8:30am, Multi)
Tuesday, 2/13, Strictly Strings Concert (7pm, LAHS Eagle Theatre)
Wednesday, 2/14, PTA General Meeting (8:30am, Multi)
Thursday, 2/15, District English Learners Advisory Council - DELAC Meeting (9am, iLearn Studio)
2/19 - 2/23, Winter Recess - NO SCHOOL
Thursday, 3/1, Family Science Night, (6:30-8pm, Multi)
Saturday, 3/3, Spring Gala and Auction (6:00-11pm, Computer History Museum)
Thursday, 3/8, Bookwave Blast (6:30, Multi)
Wednesday, 3/21, PTA General Meeting (8:30am, Multi)
Friday, 3/23, School Coffee re: Beyond Academics (8:30am, STEM Lab)
Tuesday, 4/3, STEM Expo (TBD, 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, School Coffee re: TBD (8:30am, STEM Lab)
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

That green bench. It’s still there. It beckoned me Monday while I wore my solar flame white sunglasses, ate my Five Guys, and allowed the warmth of the sun to raise my spirits.

What brought me the most joy though...was an interaction I observed between two 6th grade girls who had just finished their lunches and were strolling together to their next destination.

Millie (standing to the right of Rachel) said, “Rachel, you are a wonderful human being.”

I have no idea what prompted this exclamation. And, these were her exact words, said in her charming British accent.

Wow! To be told you are a “wonderful human being.” That might be the most incredible compliment one might ever offer another. It was beautiful to witness.

Almond Community - I need your help. There are 50 plus staff members on this campus that work tirelessly to provide the best learning experience for your children. In the next week, please take time with your children to complete THIS form for a staff member you’d like to celebrate as “a wonderful human being.” Feel free to complete as many forms as you wish.

Please complete your forms by Tuesday morning (2/13, 9am). Next Thursday, February 15th, I will present each staff member on our campus with their very own SOAR ticket keepsake.

For our staff, SOAR stands for...Serving students selflessly, Owning the success of each other and all of our students, Always striving to be our best, Respecting our gifts and those of each member on our team.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

LET’S KEEP CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
HERE is the slide deck. We have had 6 contributions out of 512 students. I believe we can do better!!!! Please take some time to learn about an amazing champion of African heritage and create a slide to honor their achievements.

REMINDER - SCHOOL COFFEE RE: TRANSITIONING TO JUNIOR HIGH ON 2/8
Keith Rocha, Egan Principal, will host a coffee for any parent interested in learning more about Egan Junior High. While this event is typically attended by 6th grade parents, it is open to parents of children at any level. Due to the prior arrangement of this date, it must still take place on its designated Thursday. However, instead of beginning after the assembly, it will start at 8:30am in the multi.

FAMILY SCIENCE NIGHT IS COMING THURSDAY MARCH 1ST 6:30-8PM!
What is Family Science Night?
An amazing night of science exploration at Almond School! 25+ stations for children TK-6th grade to interact with everything from robotics to anatomy!

Navigate through a laser maze
Create amazing lego structures with Kidizens
Program a robot
Make slime that glows and your own flavored lip balm
Interact with bugs in the Insect Discovery Lab
Observe bats, reptiles, and much more!

Family Science Night is not a drop off event, children must be accompanied by adult.
Do you enjoy science or helping children explore and experiment?
We still need a few volunteers to run a table or help set up the morning of the event at 8:30am.
Sign up here! Questions? Dharti Dhami dharti@gmail.com or Melissa Neal mbryantneal@yahoo.com

LAEF

LAEF funds your students STEM education. Students visit the STEM lab where STEM ISTs (Instructional Support Teachers) provide opportunities for hands-on exploration and critical thinking. New this year, LASD is bringing STEM into each classroom, where STEM IST’s help teachers integrate STEM with their cross-discipline instruction. Find out more about the LASD STEM program at laefonline.org.
Donate to LAEF today and fully fund STEM teachers this school year. We need your help to raise an additional $800K to reach our goal of $3.7M by April 27th. Gifts of any amount are appreciated. Learn more & make your tax-deductible donation today at www.laefonline.org.

ABC (Asset Building Champion)/ Project Cornerstone

This month for grades 1st - 5th, the ABC Program chose a powerful, true story to share with our children. Through My Eyes /Ruby Bridges tells the story of Ruby Bridges, a six-year old black girl who on November 14, 1960 walked through a mob of screaming segregationists escorted by Federal Marshals into her new school in New Orleans, Louisiana. Surrounded by racial turmoil, Ruby spent first grade learning to read and add with one supportive teacher.
For our children, racial tensions and struggles to achieve civil rights may sound like ancient history. However, research in today’s schools shows that over the course of a year, nearly one-fourth of students across grades report that they have been harassed or bullied on school property because of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or disability. Intolerance and injustice are still painful obstacles our society strives to overcome.
To promote a more caring school climate, this lesson provides the opportunity to discuss the following important topics:
- tolerance and the acceptance of differences.
- how it feels to walk in someone else’s shoes
- what it feels like to be targeted by others because we are “different.”
- Students will be encouraged to think about UPstander techniques discussed in previous ABC lessons to brainstorm something they could do or say if they saw a person being treated unfairly at Almond.
We recommend you continue this discussion at home and share your own personal stories of times when you have been treated unfairly, and who you rely on in your own web of support.
Kindergarten students will be reading Understand and Care which focuses on explaining empathy to children. This lesson will help teach children how to identify emotions and understand how another person feels.
6th Grade will continue to read from Annie Fox's Middle School Confidential: Real Friends vs The Other Kind. This month’s chapter, “So-Called Friends”, is about unbalanced friendships. We will talk about some ways to handle situations when friendships aren't going right.
For more information about the ABC program contact: Mona ElNaggar (monayousuf05@gmail.com) or Jen Walker (jenswalker5@gmail.com) Almond Project Cornerstone Co-Leads

REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS

STRICTLY STRINGS CONCERT
6th Grade Orchestra Students from Almond, Covington, Gardner Bullis and Santa Rita will be featured in a performance with Egan and Los Altos High School Orchestras. Come to see the progression of string students from elementary to high school. It is a free concert, everyone is invited! Tuesday, Feb. 13th, 7:00 PM, Los Altos High School Eagle Theatre.

LET’S PARTY LIKE GATSBY!

The Bi-Annual Spring Gala and Great Gatsby themed Gala is right around the corner on March 3 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View! Join your fellow Almond parents at this adult-only event that will include a limited timed Silent Auction starting promptly at 6:00pm, dinner and a lively live auction and then dancing the night away - until 11pm. Themed attire is encouraged and a cash bar will keep the good times rolling.
Tickets are limited, so get yours right away on the Almond Website, where you can also pre-register for purchases like grade-level kid parties, sporting event tickets and other awesome auction items.

SPRING GALA AUCTION

The biannual spring gala is fast approaching and there are a few very important things we need to bring to your attention.
PRE-REGISTER
- Pre-registration allows you to browse the entire silent auction catalog, place bids on selected items – with the option of setting a maximum bid – and you can depend on a text notification when/if you’re outbid. Simply register here to get started. (Even if you’ve purchased a ticket, you will still need to register in order to bid on auction items.)
DONATIONS
- If you’ve been considering donating a weekend at your family vacation home or hosting a party, now is the time to do so! Donations should be made by February 15 and can be done online using this link.
WINE WALL
- Due to popular demand, we will be having the “wine wall” at this year’s gala. Please consider donating your favorite bottle of wine or making a monetary donation where the auction committee can purchase a bottle on your behalf. The suggested donation amount is $25, but any amount is appreciated. To donate wine, please drop off a bottle at Gabby Gomez’s house: 269 Marich Way. If you’d like to make a monetary donation, please use PayPal or write a check to Nina Krammer (nkrammer@yahoo.com). Please make your donations (either wine or monetary) by February 15.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns please contact Nina Krammer at nkrammer@yahoo.com or Gabby Gomez at gabbygirl_915@yahoo.com.
Thank you for your support. - Almond Gala Auction Committee

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

SAFE ROUTES IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
When: Monday, Feb 12, 6:30pm Open House, 7:00pm Complete Streets Commission Meeting
Where: Grant Park Community Center, Rooms 2 and 3, 1575 Holt Ave., Los Altos
Hosted by: City of Los Altos Public Works Department and Completes Street Commission

City staff will provide a brief history of the project.
Engineering consultant, CSG Consultants, will provide the concepts for proposed crosswalk and intersection improvements
Residents can gather info, voice support for, and concerns about, the proposed improvements
Featuring improvements on/at the following streets/intersections:
- Los Altos/West Portola Ave
- El Monte Ave
- Covington Road/Riverside Ave
- Springer Road/Fremont Ave
- Grant Ave/Morton Road
- St. Josephs Ave/Deodara Drive

Parent Chat

Tue. Feb. 13, 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. Feb. 12, 2018, 7-9PM,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.

Platica Para Padres

Martes, Feb13 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, Feb 12 , 2018, 7-9 PM, 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.

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

Benji Barton, 2/2/18, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Great job, Benji, in helping others without being asked, and for being a great friend to others as well! :-)
Chloe Bradbury, 2/1/18, Always making good choices. Being a great friend to others.
Anthony Cruz Benitez, 1/30/18, Owning learning. Anthony kept trying, even thought the math was challenging. Way to SOAR! Mrs. O'Dell
Ida Davidsson, 2/2/18, Respecting self and others. Helping a friend by showing and not telling.
Aseem Dekhane, 2/1/18, Owning learning. Aseem taught his class all about orcas!
Ben Elkin, 2/7/18, Respecting self and others. Ben always finds ways to help others without being asked.
Jagger Heath, 2/6/18, Solving problems, Owning learning. Jagger has demonstrated outstanding leadership during Walk Through the American Revolution practice, and stepped up to take on an absent student's role during the final performance.
Sean Lim, 2/2/18, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Great job, Sean, in helping a friend with a spelling activity! :-)
Arin Prakash, 2/6/18, Respecting self and others. Arin was comforting a friend that was feeling scared.
Arhan Schulze, 2/7/18, Solving problems. Arhan stepped up to take on an extra role during Walk Through the American Revolution for an absent student.
Harry Tang, 2/8/18, A great help in translating for our new student.
Sarah Tressler, 2/7/18, Solving problems, Owning learning, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Sarah is always very dependable and always puts forth a great effort in all she does.
Elijah Udoh, 2/7/18, Owning learning. Elijah met the target growth for first grade in iReady Reading! :-)
Jessie Yan, 2/1/18, Always making good choices. Jessie is consistently upbeat and helpful. She keeps a positive attitude and a strong work ethic.
Alyssa Yang, 1/31/28, Solving problems. Trying her best even when things are hard. :-)
Stephanie Yen-Ko, 2/7/18, Owning learning. Steph has willingly exceeded the minimum expected time on iReady reading and math.

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Thursday Word February 1st

ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
February 1, 2018

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Friday, 2/2,
- Sports Spirit Day
- Final Final Bookwave Deadline
Thursday, 2/8, School Coffee re: 6th Grade Transition to 7th Grade at Egan (8:30am, Multi)
Tuesday, 2/13, Strictly Strings Concert (7pm, LAHS Eagle Theatre)
Thursday, 3/1, Family Science Night, (6:30-8pm, Multi)
Saturday, 3/3, Spring Gala and Auction (6:00-11pm, Computer History Museum)
Thursday, 3/8, Bookwave Blast (6:30, Multi)
Saturday, 4/28, LASD Junior Olympics (8am-4pm, Mountain View High)

PRINCIPAL MESSAGE

February 1st marks the beginning of Black History Month. Today’s Google Doodle (which is really fun to say fast five times) depicts an incredible champion of Black History. Carter G. Woodson, a scholar and author, played a prominent role in bringing awareness and pride to the African-American experience in the 1920s that ultimately inspired this one month celebration.

At this morning’s assembly, I shared a whiteboard on which I will display slides created by our students honoring other African-American champions who have encouraged progress and been brave risk takers. Here is my sample, and lots of extra slide templates. Please take some time with your child this month to do some research of your own to learn about a changemaker with African heritage, who influenced civil rights in our country, or in the world, in a positive way. This person could be someone from long ago, or a current advocate.

Once you’ve identified someone you’d like to pay tribute to, please modify one of the slide templates. Here are some suggestions as our community comes together to create a digital collection of champions.

Explore beyond the famous examples below and contribute information about a champion that might not be as well known.
As you create your own slide, look at the ones already created so that you don’t duplicate.
Modify the slide template that comes next in the stack.
If you want to change colors and spice it up, go for it. Be sure to include the essential elements on the template.
Anyone with this link has access to edit this slide deck. That means you are being given the great privilege and responsibility of caretaking a compilation created by our own community.
Please allow your child to be the author of the information blurb. Allow their voice to come through.
Be sure to encourage your child to be a responsible writer by citing his/her sources.
Please only create one slide so that all have an equitable opportunity to participate.

We played the Jeopardy Game this morning with some of the most famous of these heroes. For example, “This champion was an incredible orator and addressed the nation with his ‘I Have a Dream Speech’.” Who is Martin Luther King Jr.? “This champion decided she wasn’t going to sit down in the back of the bus.” Who is Rosa Parks? “This champion was the first African-American child to desegregate an all white school.” Who is Ruby Bridges?

Every morning I will look at the new contributions in the slide deck, I will print them, and add them to the mobile whiteboard.

Hmmm...with 28 days in February, I wonder how many whiteboards it’s going to take to display all of these incredible champions.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

STUDENT COUNCIL

Do you remember what spirit day it is tomorrow? SPORTS DAY!!!!! Come dressed in your favorite jersey or sports-related apparel.
Next week Student Council will host a Valentine card making! The cards will be going to the Community Services Agency, to seniors over 60 years old. We will have a table outside on the blacktop from Feb 5th to 9th, at lunch and recess. Feel free to stop by for 5 minutes to make a card to brighten the day of a local senior.

LAEF
LAEF supports teachers and staff for STEM, arts, literacy, wellness and personalized learning. We need your help to raise an additional $950K to fully fund these programs for the 2017-18 school year. Every TK-8^th grade student in LASD is benefitting from LAEF-funded programs, and that’s why we strive for 100% parent participation. Gifts of any amount are appreciated. Learn more & make your tax-deductible donation today at www.laefonline.org.

LET’S PARTY LIKE GATSBY!

The Bi-Annual Spring Gala and Great Gatsby themed Gala is right around the corner on March 3 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View! Join your fellow Almond parents at this adult-only event that will include a limited timed Silent Auction starting promptly at 6:00pm, dinner and a lively live auction and then dancing the night away - until 11pm. Themed attire is encouraged and a cash bar will keep the good times rolling.
Tickets are limited, so get yours right away on the Almond Website, where you can also pre-register for purchases like grade-level kid parties, sporting event tickets and other awesome auction items.

SPRING GALA AUCTION

The biannual spring gala is fast approaching and there are a few very important things we need to bring to your attention.
PRE-REGISTER
- Pre-registration allows you to browse the entire silent auction catalog, place bids on selected items – with the option of setting a maximum bid – and you can depend on a text notification when/if you’re outbid. Simply register here to get started. (Even if you’ve purchased a ticket, you will still need to register in order to bid on auction items.)
DONATIONS
- If you’ve been considering donating a weekend at your family vacation home or hosting a party, now is the time to do so! Donations should be made by February 15 and can be done online using this link.
WINE WALL
- Due to popular demand, we will be having the “wine wall” at this year’s gala. Please consider donating your favorite bottle of wine or making a monetary donation where the auction committee can purchase a bottle on your behalf. The suggested donation amount is $25, but any amount is appreciated. To donate wine, please drop off a bottle at Gabby Gomez’s house: 269 Marich Way. If you’d like to make a monetary donation, please use PayPal or write a check to Nina Krammer (nkrammer@yahoo.com). Please make your donations (either wine or monetary) by February 15.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns please contact Nina Krammer at nkrammer@yahoo.com or Gabby Gomez at gabbygirl_915@yahoo.com.
Thank you for your support. - Almond Gala Auction Committee

REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS

FAMILY SCIENCE NIGHT IS COMING THURSDAY MARCH 1ST 6:30-8PM!

What is Family Science Night?
- An amazing night of science exploration at Almond School! 25+ stations for children TK-6th grade to interact with everything from robotics to anatomy!
  - Navigate through a laser maze
  - Create amazing lego structures with Kidizens
  - Program a robot
  - Make slime that glows and your own flavored lip balm
  - Observe bats, reptiles, and much more!
- Family Science Night is not a drop off event, children must be accompanied by adult.
- Do you enjoy science or helping children explore and experiment? Please volunteer to run a table here (we provide everything you need including instructions.) We could also use help setting up the morning of the event after drop off. Questions? Dharti Dhami dharti@gmail.com

OPT IN TO TEXT MESSAGING SERVICE FOR SCHOOL EMERGENCIES
This week Gardner Bullis experiences a water main break that necessitated students to be sent home for the day because there was no running water to support basic needs. The school was able to notify parents of this situation in an efficient way as a result of so many families having subscribed to text messaging school announcement. Please consider opting in so that in the event of an emergency at Almond, we can notify you of the situation quickly.

You can participate in this free service just by sending a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587.
You can also opt out of these messages at any time by simply replying to one of our messages with “Stop”.
SchoolMessenger is compliant with the Student Privacy PledgeTM, so you can rest assured that your information is safe and will never be given or sold to anyone.

STEM CAREER DAY EVENTS AT EGAN AND BLACH

LASD & LAEF are excited to kick off the 2nd STEM Career Day Events at Egan and Blach Jr. High Schools this spring. STEM pervades every part of our life and STEM education creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators. We believe that exposing our students to different aspects and careers in the STEM fields inspire and spark a passion for learning.
We are looking for parents, grandparents or anyone in our community who would like to share their knowledge. If you are interested in presenting at Egan on March 19 and/or Blach on March 20, please contact Karen Wilson, STEM Coordinator at kwilson@lasdschools.org or Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney, LAEF Board member at anjana.nagarajan1@gmail.com

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

IT IS GIRL SCOUT COOKIE TIME!!!

Almond Girl Scout troops are now selling all your favorite girl scout cookies right after school in the rotunda!!
Cookies are $5/box; S'mores and GF ToffeeTastic are $6/box. Cash and checks accepted. We are also accepting donations to send cookies to our Troops.
- Feb 1st- 5th Grade (61025)
- Feb 2nd- 6th Grade
Thank you for your support! Meredith Hiltgen - Almond Girl Scout School Manager (meredith@hiltgen.com)

SAFE ROUTES IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
When: Monday, Feb 12, 6:30pm Open House, 7:00pm Complete StreetsCommission Meeting
Where: Grant Park Community Center, Rooms 2 and 3, 1575 Holt Ave., Los Altos
Hosted by: City of Los Altos Public Works Department and Completes Street Commission

City staff will provide a brief history of the project.
Engineering consultant, CSG Consultants, will provide the concepts for proposed crosswalk and intersection improvements
Residents can gather info, voice support for, and concerns about, the proposed improvements
Featuring improvements on/at the following streets/intersections:
- Los Altos/West Portola Ave
- El Monte Ave
- Covington Road/Riverside Ave
- Springer Road/Fremont Ave
- Grant Ave/Morton Road
- St. Josephs Ave/Deodara Drive

LOCAL RESOURCE GUIDE FOR LEARNING CHALLENGES
Do you need help finding summer camps to fit your child's needs? Recreational opportunities that are accepting and inclusive? Therapists, advocates, tutors? Please check out SELPA1CAC's Local Resource Guide! at www.selpa1cac.org or tinyurl.com/localresourceguide. We are always interested in updates and additions, let us know how we can make the Guide for useful!

Better Communication with Your Teen, DBT w/Michael Fitzgerald, SELPA 1 CAC Parent Education Event

Wed. Feb. 7, 2018, 7PM-9PM Santa Rita Elementary School
Michael Fitzgerald, Executive Director of Behavioral Health Services at El Camino Hospital will discuss the benefits of DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy). Learn why DBT is so effective and how parents can use the concept to have better communication with their teens. “Sometimes parents are unaware of how their teens are reacting to their verbal and nonverbal cues…at times teens don’t feel validated by their families...teens crave acceptance…parents can learn to avoid phrases that reinforce negative self images...both parents and teens can learn how to communicate more positively.”
DBT combines cognitive behavioral techniques for emotion regulation with concepts of mindful awareness, distress tolerance and acceptance.

Parent Chat

Tue. Feb. 13, 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. Feb. 12, 2018, 7-9PM,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.

Guía de recursos locales para desafíos de aprendizaje
¿Necesita ayuda para encontrar campamentos de verano que se adapten a las necesidades de su hijo?Oportunidades recreativas que son aceptables e inclusivasTerapeutas, defensores, tutores? ¡Consulte la Guía de recursos locales de SELPA1CAC!en www.selpa1cac.org o tinyurl.com/localresourceguide.Siempre estamos interesados en las actualizaciones y adiciones, ¡háganos saber cómo podemos hacer que la Guía sea útil!

Mejor Comunicación con Su Adolescente, DBT con Michael Fitzgerald SELPA 1 CAC Evento de Educación para Padres

Miércoles, Feb 7 2018, 7-9 PM Santa Rita Escuela, Los Altos, 700 Los Altos Avenue, Los Altos
Michael Fitzgerald, Director Ejecutivo de Servicios de Salud en el Comportamiento del Hospital El Camino, hablará acerca de los beneficios de DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy – Terapia Dialéctica Conductual). Aprenda por qué el DBT es tan efectivo, y cómo pueden los padres utilizar el concepto para tener una mejor comunicación con sus adolescentes. “Algunas veces los padres desconocen cómo están reaccionando sus adolescentes a sus señales verbales y no verbales… en ocasiones los adolescentes no se sienten validados por sus familias… los adolescentes buscan la aceptación… los padres pueden aprender a evitar las frases que refuerzan las autoimágenes negativas… ambos padres y adolescentes pueden aprender a cómo comunicarse más positivamente.” DBT combina las técnicas conductuales cognitivas, para controlar las emociones con conceptos de atención plena, la tolerancia a la angustia y la aceptación.

Platica Para Padres

Martes, Feb13 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, Feb 12 , 2018, 7-9 PM, 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.

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

Caelus Balucan, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Math.
Alison Bolanos Diaz, 1/29/18, 1/26/18, Owning learning. Met the target growth for the end of first grade in reading and she grew 3 levels in F&P!
Danny Bouchan Lara, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Math.!
Ayda Chaffee, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Math!
Parker Chang, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Math!
Logan Chung, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Math.
Aiden Cwik, 1/29/18, Owning learning. Met target growth for the end of first grade in reading!
Svea Delingat, 1/22/18, Solving problems. Helped organize books without being asked.
Ava DePristo, 1/26/18, Owning learning. Ava met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Math!
Matias Enos, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Math AND iReady Reading. You made 94 points growth in iReady Reading!
Alex Federov, 1/25/18, Owning learning. Asked teacher for help to make sure he understood a math concept.
Ryan Ghasemfar, 1/29/18, Owning learning. Met target growth for the end of first grade in reading!
Kyle Hiltgen, 1/29/18, 1/26/18, Owning learning. Met the target growth for the end of first grade in reading and math!
Shintaro Ikeda, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Reading.
Maddy Lee, 1/29/18, Owning learning. Met target growth for the end of first grade in reading!
Olivia Lee, 1/25/18, Solving problems. Helped organize books without being asked.
Tommy Lee, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Math.
Ella Liniger, 1/24/18, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Ella always has a positive attitude and demonstrates responsibility inside and outside the classroom. <3 Mrs. Better
Sasha Middleton, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Reading!
Robin Olteanu, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Math and iReady Reading.
Andy Palant, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Math.
Akhul Pandrala, 1/26/18, 1/26/18, Owning learning. Akhul met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Reading AND Math.
Chloe Pasket, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Math.
Gissel Plantillas, 1/29/18, Owning learning. Met target growth for the end of first grade in reading!
Elyse Pollmann, 1/29/18, Owning learning. Met target growth for the end of first grade in reading!
Darian Romero, 1/17/18, Owning learning. Completed all classwork on time without reminders this trimester.
Leonardo Romero Fernandez, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Reading.
Avani Sastry, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Math!
Yuika Sun, 1/24/18, Solving problems, Always making good choices. Always willing to lend a helping hand to keep our classroom clean! (even when the mess to clean up wasn't left by her...) Mrs. Better (-:
Blake Thompson, 1/29/18, Owning learning. Going above and beyond on your weekly reflection!
Dmitri Titov, 1/25/18, Solving problems. Helped organize books without being asked.
Tony Zhai, 1/26/18, Owning learning. You met the target growth for the end of first grade in iReady Reading AND Math.

Thursday Word January 11th

ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
January 11, 2018

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Friday, 1/12,
- Pajama Day
- ~~Bookwave Deadline~~
Monday, 1/15, Martin Luther King Jr. Day NO SCHOOL (Holiday)
Tuesday, 1/16, NO SCHOOL (Professional Development)
Thursday, 1/18, 21st Century Parenting: Raising gritty, compassionate, problem-solvers in the digital age (7pm, Multi)
Friday, 1/19
- Bookwave Deadline Extended
- School Coffee re: Math Problem of the Month & Number Talks (8:30am, Library)
Wednesday, 1/24, 5th Grade Makey Makey Night (5:30-6:30, Multi)
Thursday, 2/8, School Coffee re: 6th Grade Transition to 7th Grade at Egan (8:30am, Multi)
Thursday, 3/1, Family Science Night, (6:30-8pm, Multi)
Saturday, 3/3, Spring Gala and Auction (6:30-9pm)
Saturday, 4/28, LASD Junior Olympics (8am-4pm, Mountain View High)

LASD MESSAGE

LAEF Informational Coffee: January 23rd, 8:45 am, Los Altos School District Office Board Room (Covington Campus)

Call for volunteers! The Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF) plays a vital role in funding programs that provide our students with a world class, future-oriented, personalized education. From our STEM teacher, librarian, music and PE teachers, to our Art Docent Program, our children benefit from these LAEF sponsored resources.
Come to the informational coffee to learn more about LAEF and how volunteering your talents a few hours a month will have a positive impact on your child’s education.
- Listen to our Superintendent, Jeff Baier, share about the partnership between LASD and LAEF and district leaders highlight the terrific curricula our children are being taught.
- Consider volunteering for a project or on an ongoing basis, at school with your friends, or at your home. LAEF is looking for help with social media, marketing, videos, events, office support, school site representation, and identifying board members from each school.
As an LAEF volunteer, you can provide the vital connection to your school community to ensure ongoing financial support, and help LASD strengthen so many of the exceptional programs which make our schools unique.
RSVP at laefonline.org and bring your friends! Thank you for your support.

SCHOOL MESSAGE

...from Mrs. Benadom

Monday, January 15th, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

I did a bit of information gathering to better understand the significance of this day. The data at the end of this message only comprises two industries; government & entertainment. There are many more relevant accomplishments outside of these fields that would take pages and pages to include.

Nevertheless, my greatest take away was that while America has come a long way in the last two hundred years, we still have MUCH further to go.

Each year that I have been principal at Almond Elementary there has been an opportunity to engage around the topic of race or ethnicity. As a result of these experiences, I continue to recognize that many people face difficulties day in and day out as a result of their race and ethnicity.

Through reflection, I have committed to the following practices: listen with compassion, address challenges around race and ethnicity when they arise, frequently check in with personal biases, engage in uncomfortable dialogue around this issue with the goal of seeking understanding through connection, teach children to value cultural differences, and treasure the richness that every single child brings with them to school each and every day.

Feel free to share some of these significant dates* in history with your children as you enjoy your 3 day weekend in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

1789: First U.S. president, George Washington, began his presidency.
1863 (+74 yrs.): The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1. It changed the federal legal status of more than 3 million enslaved people in the designated areas of the South from slave to free.
1870 (+7 yrs.): Non-white men and freed male slaves are guaranteed the right to vote by the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution. However, for many years, some states were very successful at suppressing this vote..
1887 (+3 yrs.): Citizenship is granted to Native Americans who are willing to disassociate themselves from their tribe by the Dawes Act, making the men technically eligible to vote.
1920 (+33 yrs): Women are guaranteed the right to vote by the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution. In practice, the same restrictions that hindered the ability of non-white men to vote now also applied to non-white women.
1924 (+4 yrs.): All Native Americans are granted citizenship and the right to vote, regardless of tribal affiliation. By this point, approximately two thirds of Native Americans were already citizens.
1929 (+5 yrs.): Martin Luther King Jr. born on January 15 in Atlanta, GA.
1943 (+14 yrs.): Chinese immigrants given the right to citizenship and the right to vote by the Magnuson Act.
1952 (+5 yrs.): 1st honorary Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award presented on February 21 to celebrate "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment".
1954 (+2 yrs.) Brown vs. the Board of Education, segregation of public school systems ruled unconstitutional.
1955 (+1 yr): Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, arrested when she refused to vacate her seat in the white section of a city bus on December 1.
1963 (+8 yrs.): Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered “I Have a Dream” speech to a massive group of civil rights marchers gathered around the Lincoln memorial in Washington DC onAugust 28.
1964 (+ 1yr.) The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson just a few hours after House approval on July 2.
1964: Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his dynamic leadership of the Civil Rights movement and steadfast commitment to achieving racial justice through nonviolent action.
1965 (+1 yr): Protection of voter registration and voting for racial minorities, later applied to language minorities, is established by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This has also been applied to correcting discriminatory election systems and districting.
1968 (+3 yrs.): Dr. King assassinated on April 4 by a sniper's bullet while standing on the second-floor balcony of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
1982 (+14 yrs.): Sidney Poitier, 1st black honorary Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award winner, 30 years after the first award was bestowed.
1987 (+ 5yrs.): Anthony Quinn, 1st Mexican honorary Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award winner.
2009 (+22 yrs.): Barack Obama became the first black president, 220 years after the first president of the United States.
2012 (+ 3yrs.): Morgan Freeman, recipient of honorary Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award winner, who also happens to be African American.
2016 (+4 yrs.): Denzel Washington, recipient of honorary Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award winner, who also happens to be African American.
2018 (+2 yrs.): Oprah Winfrey, 1st female black honorary Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award winner on January 8.

*Facts above from Wikipedia.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

STUDENT COUNCIL

Friday, 1/12 is Pajama Day. We can't wait to see everyone in their PJs!

BOOKWAVE DEADLINE

It turned out that the order forms for bookwave were not included in the envelopes, so please see THIS link, download, print & fill out the order form and attach a check in the envelope with the amount you need to pay for additional orders.
There will be copies of order form at the office to pick up as well.
We’ve extended the deadline to collect bookwave booklets to next Friday 1/19/18 due to the inconvenience this may cause.
However, we are already collecting bookwave at the front office. Please make sure to turn it in any time between now and 1/19/18.
Great job to everyone who went through the process as authors & illustrators! Thanks in advance for turning the packets in on-time! If you have any questions, please contact Lily atlily@alexwang.com

FIFTH GRADE MAKEY MAKEY NIGHT
Makey Makey night allows 5th grade students to showcase the work that they did researching a Native American Tribe. The students have created a game board that include summaries on five different topics. Students created a game on Scratch using their computer programing skills that utilizes Makey Makey to play the game.

SAVE THE DATE: LASD JUNIOR OLYMPICS
...will be Saturday, April 28, 2018 from 8am - 4 pm at Mountain View High School. Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Graders will start training during their regular PE classes the end of February. For more information, please check out www.lasdjo.com or contact your Almond JO Chairs: Suzanne Jensen (suzcjensen@yahoo.com), Kirsten Sirey (ksirey@yahoo.com) and Vicky Lee (vicster_chin@yahoo.com). Go Almond!

PROJECT CORNERSTONE FOR JANUARY:

Kinder will read Accept and Value Each Person, which teaches children about living in a diverse world. It talks about accepting and valuing people different from oneself and one's family.
1st-5th Grades will read When Sophie Gets Angry -- Really, Really Angry. This lesson focuses on how to handle strong emotions like anger and teaches that while we can't stop getting angry, we can control our response. We will discuss calming strategies and the important difference between reacting without thinking and stopping to reconsider before responding.
6th Grade will continue reading Real Friends vs. the Other Kind. This chapter talks about pressure and how sticking to your values can help you stand up for yourself.

Please contact co-leads Mona ElNaggar (monayousuf05@gmail.com) or Jen Walker (jenswalker5@gmail.com) with any questions.

SPRING GALA AUCTION
We are less than two months away from the Almond Spring Gala and continue to need your help! In order for the gala to be a success, we rely on donations for both the silent and live auctions. Consider donating a week or weekend at your vacation home, sporting events tickets, free classes to an activity, theatre tickets, spa packages, wine/vineyard tours, a tour to a Bay Area tech company, camp sessions, Almond parent parties, Almond student/class parties, etc. Please contact Nina Krammer (nkrammer@yahoo.com) or Gabby Gomez (gabbygirl_915@yahoo.com) if you have any donation ideas or questions. Submitting your donation online is simple and easy! Visit https://501auctions.com/almondgala2018/itemdonor.

PERTUSSIS BOOSTER FOR STUDENTS IN 6TH GRADE:
Students currently in 6th grade must have proof of a Tdap or Dtap (Pertussis or Whooping Cough) booster given after their 7th birthday (after 10th birthday is recommended) in order to begin 7th grade in August of 2018. Please provide a copy of your child’s immunization record to your school office as soon as possible!

NEW AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM AT ALMOND BEGINS 1/9

It's hard to believe but another year is upon us! With it comes a brand new after school program for your creative kids. 3DKids will be offering our popular Fashion Accessory Design program with a new seasonal twist--adding in some fun fleece hats, mittens and other cozy accessories along with some new jewelry making and other fashion projects.
Class will meet on Tuesdays, 1/9/17-3/20 (no class 1/16/ 2/20) 3pm-4:30, with supervision provided for 2nd graders from 2:40.
Register online at https://www.3dkids.academy/after-school-programs.html and pay at https://www.3dkids.academy/after-school-programs-payment.html
Wishing you and your family happiness, fulfillment and creativity for the New Year!
Kathy Bonte, 3DKids Academy, Dream it. Design it. Do it., www.3dKids.academy.com, 650 346-5896

STEM CAREER DAY EVENTS AT EGAN AND BLACH

LASD & LAEF are excited to kick off the 2nd STEM Career Day Events at Egan and Blach Jr. High Schools this spring. STEM pervades every part of our life and STEM education creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators. We believe that exposing our students to different aspects and careers in the STEM fields inspire and spark a passion for learning.
We are looking for parents, grandparents or anyone in our community who would like to share their knowledge. If you are interested in presenting at Egan on March 19 and/or Blach on March 20, please contact Karen Wilson, STEM Coordinator at kwilson@lasdschools.org or Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney, LAEF Board member at anjana.nagarajan1@gmail.com

LASD HEALTH SERVICES: WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME FROM SCHOOL

Sometimes it is difficult, especially early in the morning, to know whether or not to send your child to school. The following guidelines are indications that you should keep him/her home. In this way, you are helping to control the spread of colds, flu, and other contagious illnesses.
Keep your child at home when he/she has any of the following symptoms: Fever of 99.6 or higher, Chills, Vomiting or Diarrhea, Nausea, Sore throat or trouble swallowing, Coughing, sneezing, and/or runny nose, Rash or unusual sores or spots, Headache, Generalized muscle aches and pains, Wheezing or trouble breathing, Unusually red, crusted or burning eyes, Head Lice.
You need to keep your child home until he/she has been symptom free without medication for 24 hours.
Also, NOTIFY THE OFFICE IMMEDIATELY if your child is exposed to or contracts chicken pox, mumps or measles or whooping cough (pertussis). These conditions can be life threatening to students who are undergoing therapies that suppress their immune systems.
This information is only a guide to common childhood health concerns. Call our District Nurses (650-444-9702 or 650-537-8119) or personal health care provider for more information. Always bring a copy of a physician’s note to school and/or notify the school if your child will have an extended absence due to a health condition for 10 days or longer.

REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS

ALMOND DRAMA PROGRAM - MULAN JR. - OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT
The Almond Drama Program is excited to announce that enrollment is open for our Spring production of “Mulan Jr."

Students in Grades 2-6 are encouraged to sign up for this wonderful experience as enrollment is limited to the first 90 students.
Story: The Huns have invaded, and it is up to the misfit Mulan and her mischievous dragon sidekick, Mushu, to save the Emperor! Defying the village matchmaker, Mulan takes up arms and disguises herself as a boy in order to spare her father from having to serve in the army. As the great battle with the Huns approaches, Mulan must choose between revealing her true identity or saving all of China with her clever plan.
Start Date: Thursday, January 18, 2018
Grades: 2-6
Rehearsal Days/Times: Monday 3:00pm - 4:45pm and Thursday 1:45pm - 4:00pm
Additional/extended rehearsals May 7-10
Performances: May 10-12, 2018
Enrollment DUE date: January 17, 2018
- To participate:
  - 1. Complete this registration form (one per child).
  - 2. For each child participating, write a $150 check made out to "Almond PTA" with your child's name in the memo.
  - 3. Drop the check off in the box labeled "Almond Drama Program" in the school office.

If you have any questions please email Luisa Smith at smithluisa605@gmail.com or Lori Sevcik at loriandshea@mac.com.

LASD PARENT ED TALKS - READING WORKSHOP

DESCRIPTION: In this one-hour parent information session, literacy experts from LASD will share how students are developing and practicing skills and dispositions to become lifelong readers of relevant and complex texts. Learn how students engage in the Reading Workshop and how the structure and curriculum support rigorous learning for all students.
DATE AND TIME: Friday, January 19, 2018, 9:30am - 10:30am
LOCATION: Los Altos School District Offices, iLearn Studio, 201 Covington Road, Los Altos, CA 94024

SCHOOL COFFEE RE: MATH PROBLEM OF THE MONTH & NUMBER TALKS
Beth Leach (Almond’s STEM IST) will host a coffee regarding current research and math instruction. While automaticity is still a necessary skill for students to master, and algorithms are essential in efficiently solving math problems, there is abundant research that visualizing and conceptual understanding lead to deeper and more sustained math proficiency. You will hear about this research and how LASD and Almond support learners in growing their math brains. This talk will be at 8:30am, in the library, on FRIDAY, 1/19.

PARENT EDUCATION AT ALMOND

Almond Elementary and Project Cornerstone is sponsoring a parent education event on Thursday, January 18th at 7:00 pm in the Almond multi. Annie Fox, M.Ed., an award-winning author and educator in the realm of character education and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) will be presenting on: 21st Century Parenting: Raising gritty, compassionate, problem-solvers in the digital age.
This highly interactive discussion focuses on the unique challenges of 21^st century parenting as well as the unique challenges of growing up in the 21^stcentury. We’ll talk about what’s needed to help our kids develop into fully functioning, resilient young adults with the confidence, compassion and creativity necessary to solve all kinds of problems, throughout their school years and beyond.
This is a unique opportunity for parents of K – 8^th graders to:
- Tune in to your child’s psychological/ emotional needs
- Appreciate the social pressure to “fit in” (online and off) and how that affects the choices your child makes in-and-out of school
- Understand how your child's “still-under-construction” brain can make it hard for him or her to make safe, ethical choices
- Explore the role stress and distractions play in preventing parents from doing their most effective job
For more information contact Jen Walker at jenswalker5@gmail.com. Annie Fox is the host of the popular podcast Family Confidential: Secrets of Successful Parenting. Annie’s books include: The Girls’ Q&A Book on Friendship, Teaching Kids to Be Good People and the ground-breaking Middle School Confidential™ book and app series. Learn more atwww.anniefox.com

FATHER/DAUGHTER DANCE, 2/10, 6:30-9PM IN ALMOND SCHOOL MULTI

Make memories that will last a lifetime during this special semi-formal event for Fathers and Daughters of all ages. Enjoy dancing, photos, decadent desserts, handcrafting mementos and a very special dance with your daughters.
Please note- there will be light snacks, desserts and lemonade. Dinner is not served.
There are still tickets available. $45/attendee- please RSVP to Meredith Hiltgen at meredith@hiltgen.com. Write the check to the Almond PTA and place in PTA box in office.

SCHOOL COFFEE RE: TRANSITIONING TO JUNIOR HIGH, 2/8
Keith Rocha, Egan Principal, will host a coffee for any parent interested in learning more about Egan Junior High. While this event is typically attended by 6th grade parents, it is open to parents of children at any level. Due to the prior arrangement of this date, it must still take place on its designated Thursday. However, instead of beginning after the assembly, it will start at 8:30am in the multi.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

FROM THE SELPA

Learning Challenges Resource Fair
- Tues. January 23, 2018 6-8 pm, Crittenden Middle School MUR, 1701 Rock St Mountain View
- Heads up for the 4th Learning Challenges Resource Fair coming up in 2018. Does your child need tutoring? Do you need to find a summer camp that fits your student’s needs? Are you interested in finding local therapists, advocates, recreational programs and more? Come join us at the SELPA1CAC/Learning Challenges Committee Resource Fair and talk to dozens of local providers about services that can help your child thrive!
Parent Chat
- Tue. Jan. 9, 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. Jan 15, 2018, 10AM-12PM, In Front of Whole Foods Market Los Altos
- 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.

DE LA SELPA

Feria de Recursos para los Retos en el Aprendizaje
- Salón de Usos Múltiples (MUR) en la Escuela Secundaria Crittenden
- Martes 23 de enero del 2018, de 6 a 8 pm
- ¿Necesita su hijo tutoría? ¿Necesita usted encontrar un campamento durante el verano, que se acomode a las necesidades de su estudiante? ¿Está usted interesado en encontrar un terapista local, defensores, programas recreativos y más? Venga y acompáñenos a la Feria de Recursos del Comité para Retos en el Aprendizaje (SELPA1CAC/Learning Challenges Committee Resource Fair), y hable con docenas de proveedores locales, acerca de los servicios que pueden ayudar a su hijo a avanzar!
Platica Para Padres
- Martes, Ene 9 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, Ene 15 , 2018, 10AM-12PM, Whole Foods Market, Los Altos
- 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.

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

Aaron Baum, 1/10/18, Owning learning. Aaron has been diligently practicing fluency in reading and has increased by over 45 words per minute since August.
Natalie De la Cruz, 1/10/18, Always making good choices. Natalie noticed that someone left their books behind after leaving school and kindly brought them back to my homeroom without being asked.
Kate Kostow, 1/4/18, Owning learning, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. You are attentive, focused, and always ready to learn.
Anthony Tam, 1/10/18, Owning learning. Anthony has been focused on improving his fluency and improved by 40 words per minute since August!

Thursday Word January 4th

ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
January 4, 2018

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Friday, 1/12,
- Pajama Day
- Bookwave Deadline
Monday, 1/15, NO SCHOOL (Holiday)
Tuesday, 1/16, NO SCHOOL (Professional Development)
Thursday, 1/18, 21st Century Parenting: Raising gritty, compassionate, problem-solvers in the digital age (7pm, Multi)
Friday, 1/19, School Coffee re: Math Problem of the Month & Number Talks (8:30am, Library)
Wednesday, 1/24, 5th Grade Makey Makey Night (5:30-6:30)
Thursday, 2/8, School Coffee re: 6th Grade Transition to 7th Grade at Egan (8:30am, Multi)

SCHOOL MESSAGE

Welcome back! May 2018 be filled with blessings for everyone.

If you don’t yet follow Almond on Twitter, now’s a great time to start. It gives you peek into the awesome happenings at our incredible school.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM LAEF!
We hope you had a wonderful break and are looking forward to a great second half of the school year. The end of 2017 brought in many contributions and we met our $30K matching gift! Special thanks to those families who made a tax-deductible gift or requested a match from their company. Stay tuned for an exciting update on our fundraising progress. In the meantime...for more information about LAEF or to donate, please go to www.LAEFonline.org.

BOOKWAVE DEADLINE

Reminder that Bookwave booklets are due by Friday 1/12/18 but we can start collecting them now at the front office. There is a box that is labeled "Bookwave", please place the booklet in the box.
A few tips on finishing up Bookwave:
- 1. Make sure to write & color with pen & markers, color pencils/crayons will not work.
- 2. Make sure to fill out your child's information in the back of the envelope & seal it before you turn it in.
- 3. Leave a 1/4" margin around all sides of each page so contents are not cut off!
Great job to everyone who went through the process as authors & illustrators! Thanks in advance for turning the packets in on-time! If you have any questions, please contact Lily at lily@alexwang.com!

STUDENT COUNCIL

We hope you all had a wonderful winter break! We can’t believe that 2017 flew by so fast. Now it’s time to start fresh!
It’s time for another spirit day! On January 12th we will be having pajama day, so make sure you dress in your favorite PJs!

Father/Daughter Dance- Feb 10th 6:30-9pm in the Almond School Multi

Make memories that will last a lifetime during this special semi-formal event for Fathers and Daughters of all ages. Enjoy dancing, photos, decadent desserts, handcrafting mementos and a very special dance with your daughters.
Please note- there will be light snacks, desserts and lemonade. Dinner is not served.
There are still tickets available. $45/attendee- please RSVP to Meredith Hiltgen at meredith@hiltgen.com. Write the check to the Almond PTA and place in PTA box in office.

SCHOOL COFFEE RE: TRANSITIONING TO JUNIOR HIGH
Keith Rocha, Egan Principal, will host a coffee for any parent interested in learning more about Egan Junior High. While this event is typically attended by 6th grade parents, it is open to parents of children at any level. Due to the prior arrangement of this date, it must still take place on its designated Thursday. However, instead of beginning after the assembly, it will start at 8:30am in the multi.

WANT TO JOIN THE ALMOND SINGERS? (It's Not Too Late!)
Is your child interested in joining the Almond Singers? Registration is now open for the 2018 Spring Semester (Jan-May). Enrollment is open for students in grades 2-6. Mrs. Barnett, Almond Singers Director, has some great things planned for the group, including participating in the Los Altos Festival of Choirs Concert in March! Rehearsals are every Tuesday morning, and resume on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 in the Multi at7:30am (yes, we know it's early;)! Please email Sandrine Steciw at sandy94025@yahoo.com to register your child. The cost to join is $65 (which is prorated for 1/2 year). Checks should be made out to 'Almond PTA,' and can be dropped off in the PTA box in the school office, or brought to the first rehearsal in 2018. Have your child join their friends and classmates in making beautiful music together!

ALMOND DRAMA PROGRAM - MULAN JR. - OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT
The Almond Drama Program is excited to announce that enrollment is open for our Spring production of “Mulan Jr."

Students in Grades 2-6 are encouraged to sign up for this wonderful experience as enrollment is limited to the first 90 students.
Story: The Huns have invaded, and it is up to the misfit Mulan and her mischievous dragon sidekick, Mushu, to save the Emperor! Defying the village matchmaker, Mulan takes up arms and disguises herself as a boy in order to spare her father from having to serve in the army. As the great battle with the Huns approaches, Mulan must choose between revealing her true identity or saving all of China with her clever plan.
Start Date: Thursday, January 18, 2018
Grades: 2-6
Rehearsal Days/Times: Monday 3:00pm - 4:45pm and Thursday 1:45pm - 4:00pm
Additional/extended rehearsals May 7-10
Performances: May 10-12, 2018
Enrollment DUE date: January 17, 2018
- To participate:
  - 1. Complete this registration form (one per child).
  - 2. For each child participating, write a $150 check made out to "Almond PTA" with your child's name in the memo.
  - 3. Drop the check off in the box labeled "Almond Drama Program" in the school office.

If you have any questions please email Luisa Smith at smithluisa605@gmail.com or Lori Sevcik at loriandshea@mac.com.

LASD PARENT ED TALKS - READING WORKSHOP

DESCRIPTION: In this one-hour parent information session, literacy experts from LASD will share how students are developing and practicing skills and dispositions to become lifelong readers of relevant and complex texts. Learn how students engage in the Reading Workshop and how the structure and curriculum support rigorous learning for all students.
DATE AND TIME: Friday, January 19, 2018, 9:30am - 10:30am
LOCATION: Los Altos School District Offices, iLearn Studio, 201 Covington Road, Los Altos, CA 94024

REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS

PARENT EDUCATION AT ALMOND

Almond Elementary and Project Cornerstone is sponsoring a parent education event on Thursday, January 18th at 7:00 pm in the Almond multi. Annie Fox, M.Ed., an award-winning author and educator in the realm of character education and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) will be presenting on: 21st Century Parenting: Raising gritty, compassionate, problem-solvers in the digital age.
This highly interactive discussion focuses on the unique challenges of 21^st century parenting as well as the unique challenges of growing up in the 21^stcentury. We’ll talk about what’s needed to help our kids develop into fully functioning, resilient young adults with the confidence, compassion and creativity necessary to solve all kinds of problems, throughout their school years and beyond.
This is a unique opportunity for parents of K – 8^th graders to:
- Tune in to your child’s psychological/ emotional needs
- Appreciate the social pressure to “fit in” (online and off) and how that affects the choices your child makes in-and-out of school
- Understand how your child's “still-under-construction” brain can make it hard for him or her to make safe, ethical choices
- Explore the role stress and distractions play in preventing parents from doing their most effective job
For more information contact Jen Walker at jenswalker5@gmail.com. Annie Fox is the host of the popular podcast Family Confidential: Secrets of Successful Parenting. Annie’s books include: The Girls’ Q&A Book on Friendship, Teaching Kids to Be Good People and the ground-breaking Middle School Confidential™ book and app series. Learn more at www.anniefox.com

SPRING GALA AUCTION
We are gearing up for the Almond Spring Gala and need your help! In order for the gala to be a success, we rely on donations for both the silent and live auctions. Donations can be anything. Consider donating a week or weekend at your vacation home, sporting events tickets, free classes to an activity, theatre tickets, spa packages, wine/vineyard tours, a tour to a Bay Area tech company, camp sessions, Almond parent parties, Almond student/class parties, etc. Please contact Nina Krammer (nkrammer@yahoo.com) or Gabby Gomez (gabbygirl_915@yahoo.com) if you have any donation ideas or questions. Or, simply visit the donation link and submit your donation online at https://501auctions.com/almondgala2018/itemdonor

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

Angeline Mu, 1/3/18, Respecting self and others. Went out of her way to make a new student feel welcome.
Sara Ruhela, 12/14/17, Owning learning. Making her writing stronger by editing and staying focused!
Avani Sastry, 12/14/17, Owning learning. Editing her writing to make it stronger!
Charlotte Wolfe, 1/3/18, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Encouraged our new student when he shared for the first time in our class!

ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
January 4, 2018

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Friday, 1/12,
- Pajama Day
- Bookwave Deadline
Monday, 1/15, NO SCHOOL (Holiday)
Tuesday, 1/16, NO SCHOOL (Professional Development)
Thursday, 1/18, 21st Century Parenting: Raising gritty, compassionate, problem-solvers in the digital age (7pm, Multi)
Friday, 1/19, School Coffee re: Math Problem of the Month & Number Talks (8:30am, Library)
Wednesday, 1/24, 5th Grade Makey Makey Night (5:30-6:30)
Thursday, 2/8, School Coffee re: 6th Grade Transition to 7th Grade at Egan (8:30am, Multi)

SCHOOL MESSAGE

Welcome back! May 2018 be filled with blessings for everyone.

If you don’t yet follow Almond on Twitter, now’s a great time to start. It gives you peek into the awesome happenings at our incredible school.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

BOOKWAVE DEADLINE

Reminder that Bookwave booklets are due by Friday 1/12/18 but we can start collecting them now at the front office. There is a box that is labeled "Bookwave", please place the booklet in the box.
A few tips on finishing up Bookwave:
- 1. Make sure to write & color with pen & markers, color pencils/crayons will not work.
- 2. Make sure to fill out your child's information in the back of the envelope & seal it before you turn it in.
- 3. Leave a 1/4" margin around all sides of each page so contents are not cut off!
Great job to everyone who went through the process as authors & illustrators! Thanks in advance for turning the packets in on-time! If you have any questions, please contact Lily at lily@alexwang.com!

STUDENT COUNCIL

We hope you all had a wonderful winter break! We can’t believe that 2017 flew by so fast. Now it’s time to start fresh!
It’s time for another spirit day! On January 12th we will be having pajama day, so make sure you dress in your favorite PJs!

Father/Daughter Dance- Feb 10th 6:30-9pm in the Almond School Multi

Make memories that will last a lifetime during this special semi-formal event for Fathers and Daughters of all ages. Enjoy dancing, photos, decadent desserts, handcrafting mementos and a very special dance with your daughters.
Please note- there will be light snacks, desserts and lemonade. Dinner is not served.
There are still tickets available. $45/attendee- please RSVP to Meredith Hiltgen at meredith@hiltgen.com. Write the check to the Almond PTA and place in PTA box in office.

ALMOND DRAMA PROGRAM - MULAN JR. - OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT
The Almond Drama Program is excited to announce that enrollment is open for our Spring production of “Mulan Jr."

Students in Grades 2-6 are encouraged to sign up for this wonderful experience as enrollment is limited to the first 90 students.
Story: The Huns have invaded, and it is up to the misfit Mulan and her mischievous dragon sidekick, Mushu, to save the Emperor! Defying the village matchmaker, Mulan takes up arms and disguises herself as a boy in order to spare her father from having to serve in the army. As the great battle with the Huns approaches, Mulan must choose between revealing her true identity or saving all of China with her clever plan.
Start Date: Thursday, January 18, 2018
Grades: 2-6
Rehearsal Days/Times: Monday 3:00pm - 4:45pm and Thursday 1:45pm - 4:00pm
Additional/extended rehearsals May 7-10
Performances: May 10-12, 2018
Enrollment DUE date: January 17, 2018
- To participate:
  - 1. Complete this registration form (one per child).
  - 2. For each child participating, write a $150 check made out to "Almond PTA" with your child's name in the memo.
  - 3. Drop the check off in the box labeled "Almond Drama Program" in the school office.

If you have any questions please email Luisa Smith at smithluisa605@gmail.com or Lori Sevcik at loriandshea@mac.com.

LASD PARENT ED TALKS - READING WORKSHOP

DESCRIPTION: In this one-hour parent information session, literacy experts from LASD will share how students are developing and practicing skills and dispositions to become lifelong readers of relevant and complex texts. Learn how students engage in the Reading Workshop and how the structure and curriculum support rigorous learning for all students.
DATE AND TIME: Friday, January 19, 2018, 9:30am - 10:30am
LOCATION: Los Altos School District Offices, iLearn Studio, 201 Covington Road, Los Altos, CA 94024

REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS

PARENT EDUCATION AT ALMOND

Almond Elementary and Project Cornerstone is sponsoring a parent education event on Thursday, January 18th at 7:00 pm in the Almond multi. Annie Fox, M.Ed., an award-winning author and educator in the realm of character education and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) will be presenting on: 21st Century Parenting: Raising gritty, compassionate, problem-solvers in the digital age.
This highly interactive discussion focuses on the unique challenges of 21^st century parenting as well as the unique challenges of growing up in the 21^stcentury. We’ll talk about what’s needed to help our kids develop into fully functioning, resilient young adults with the confidence, compassion and creativity necessary to solve all kinds of problems, throughout their school years and beyond.
This is a unique opportunity for parents of K – 8^th graders to:
- Tune in to your child’s psychological/ emotional needs
- Appreciate the social pressure to “fit in” (online and off) and how that affects the choices your child makes in-and-out of school
- Understand how your child's “still-under-construction” brain can make it hard for him or her to make safe, ethical choices
- Explore the role stress and distractions play in preventing parents from doing their most effective job
For more information contact Jen Walker at jenswalker5@gmail.com. Annie Fox is the host of the popular podcast Family Confidential: Secrets of Successful Parenting. Annie’s books include: The Girls’ Q&A Book on Friendship, Teaching Kids to Be Good People and the ground-breaking Middle School Confidential™ book and app series. Learn more at www.anniefox.com

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

Angeline Mu, 1/3/18, Respecting self and others. Went out of her way to make a new student feel welcome.
Sara Ruhela, 12/14/17, Owning learning. Making her writing stronger by editing and staying focused!
Avani Sastry, 12/14/17, Owning learning. Editing her writing to make it stronger!
Charlotte Wolfe, 1/3/18, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Encouraged our new student when he shared for the first time in our class!

Thursday Word December 14th

ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
December 14, 2017

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Thursday, 12/14, ~~School Coffee re: Math Problem of the Month & Number Talks (8:45am, Multi)~~(Postponed until Friday, 1/19 - a request was made to offer on day other than Thursday.)
Monday, 12/18, December Vacation Starts
Tuesday, 1/2, School Resumes
Friday, 1/12, Bookwave Deadline
Thursday, 1/18, 21st Century Parenting: Raising gritty, compassionate, problem-solvers in the digital age (7pm, Multi)
Friday, 1/19, School Coffee re: Math Problem of the Month & Number Talks (8:30am, Library)
Thursday, 2/8, School Coffee re: 6th Grade Transition to 7th Grade at Egan (8:30am, Multi)

SCHOOL MESSAGE

...From Mrs. Benadom

As we close the 2017 calendar year, there is much for which to be grateful.

Almond Teachers - Your commitment to working together in service of each child’s academic and social/emotional needs is unsurpassed. You are brave, innovative, reflective, and inspiring. You push each other to become the best educators you can be. You are honest, forthright, and solution oriented. You weather many storms and demonstrate resilience daily. You care deeply about your students. You go above and beyond to support each and every one of them. You are appreciated. You are loved. Thank you for being who you are.
Almond Support Staff - At times you are the unsung heroes. You dress up in Winnie the Pooh outfits to build rapport with students. You take your lunch time to visit with students at lunch to make connections with kids. You take the time to support students who need breaks by chatting with them in the office. You retrieve the principal’s keys out of the dumpster on a day that turns out to be filled with various challenges. You exhibit love and understanding to students when they are letting out their tough moments on you and start each day as though it’s going to be the best day ever. You are appreciated. You are loved. Thank you for being who you are.
Almond Parents - Your hearts are filled with endless generosity. You are compassionate. You treat students and staff with respect through your words and actions. You entrust us with your children and we hold this responsibility with incredible regard. You support each other in times of need. You express your gratitude. You volunteer countless hours of your time to helping in the classroom and various other school events. You model the behavior we teach our children to exhibit. You are appreciated. You are loved. Thank you for being who you are.
Almond Students - You are the reason we exist. You are extraordinary - each and every single one of you. No two of you are the same; and that is beautiful. You are the future of this world. It is our privilege to contribute to your growth. You make us laugh. You challenge us. You keep us on our toes. You hold each others’ hands. You read quietly on benches during recess. You run at every chance when a grown up is not within eye shot. You are perfectly designed. You are appreciated. You are loved. Thank you for being who you are.

The new year can afford us the opportunity to reset and start fresh.

When we return on Tuesday, January 2nd, our parking lot will once again be fully accessible to the entire staff and our community. Our two lane drive through will be restored, yet the two lane traffic that formerly existed between the first and second rows of parked cars will be reduced to one due to new regulations regarding handicapped parking.

Please - I beg of you, when you are traveling by car into our parking lot or making your way along the drive through area, please do so with extreme caution and attentiveness.

Please put down your mobile devices.
Please turn down your music.
Please look in all directions.
Please drive slowly.
If you are arriving late to school, take a deep breath. All that ultimately matters is - you made it.
If you are late picking up your child, take a deep breath. All that ultimately matters is - you made it.
If you’re rushing to your next commitment, please, take a deep breath. Your life, and the life of every child and adult on this campus are priceless. It only takes one instant for carelessness to turn into tragedy and that moment can never be rewound.
Let us all work together to keep every person that visits our campus safe.

In closing, enjoy the upcoming weeks with your families. Whether you celebrate Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, something else, or nothing at all - we are grateful for the richness that you and your children bring to our diverse community.

Happy Holidays. See you next year.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

SCHOOL COFFEE RE: MATH PROBLEM OF THE MONTH & NUMBER TALKS
Beth Leach (Almond’s STEM IST) and Karen Wilson (LASD STEM Coordinator) will host a coffee regarding current research and math instruction. While automaticity is still a necessary skill for students to master, and algorithms are essential in efficiently solving math problems, there is abundant research that visualizing and conceptual understanding lead to deeper and more sustained math proficiency. You will hear about this research and how LASD and Almond support learners in growing their math brains. This talk will be at 8:30am, in the library, on FRIDAY, 1/19.

WANT TO JOIN THE ALMOND SINGERS? (It's Not Too Late!)
Is your child interested in joining the Almond Singers? Registration is now open for the 2018 Spring Semester (Jan-May). Enrollment is open for students in grades 2-6. Mrs. Barnett, Almond Singers Director, has some great things planned for the group, including participating in the Los Altos Festival of Choirs Concert in March! Rehearsals are every Tuesday morning, and resume on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 in the Multi at 7:30am (yes, we know it's early;)! Please email Sandrine Steciw at sandy94025@yahoo.com to register your child. The cost to join is $65 (which is prorated for 1/2 year). Checks should be made out to 'Almond PTA,' and can be dropped off in the PTA box in the school office, or brought to the first rehearsal in 2018. Have your child join their friends and classmates in making beautiful music together!

ALMOND DRAMA PROGRAM - MULAN JR. - OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT

The Almond Drama Program is excited to announce that enrollment is open for our Spring production of “Mulan Jr."
Students in Grades 3-6 are encouraged to sign up for this wonderful experience as enrollment is limited to the first 90 students.
Story: The Huns have invaded, and it is up to the misfit Mulan and her mischievous dragon sidekick, Mushu, to save the Emperor! Defying the village matchmaker, Mulan takes up arms and disguises herself as a boy in order to spare her father from having to serve in the army. As the great battle with the Huns approaches, Mulan must choose between revealing her true identity or saving all of China with her clever plan.
Start Date: Thursday, January 18, 2018
Grades: 3-6
Rehearsal Days/Times: Monday 3:00pm - 4:45pm and Thursday 1:45pm - 4:00pm
Additional/extended rehearsals: May 7-10
Performances: May 10-12, 2018
Enrollment DUE date: January 17, 2018
To participate: 1) Complete this registration form (one per child). 2) For each child participating, write a $150 check made out to "Almond PTA" with your child's name in the memo. 3) Drop the check off in the box labeled "Almond Drama Program" in the school office.
If you have any questions please email Luisa Smith at smithluisa605@gmail.com or Lori Sevcik at loriandshea@mac.com

PARENT EDUCATION AT ALMOND

Almond Elementary and Project Cornerstone is sponsoring a parent education event on Thursday, January 18th at 7:00 pm in the Almond multi. Annie Fox, M.Ed., an award-winning author and educator in the realm of character education and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) will be presenting on: 21st Century Parenting: Raising gritty, compassionate, problem-solvers in the digital age.
This highly interactive discussion focuses on the unique challenges of 21^st century parenting as well as the unique challenges of growing up in the 21^stcentury. We’ll talk about what’s needed to help our kids develop into fully functioning, resilient young adults with the confidence, compassion and creativity necessary to solve all kinds of problems, throughout their school years and beyond.
This is a unique opportunity for parents of K – 8^th graders to:
- Tune in to your child’s psychological/ emotional needs
- Appreciate the social pressure to “fit in” (online and off) and how that affects the choices your child makes in-and-out of school
- Understand how your child's “still-under-construction” brain can make it hard for him or her to make safe, ethical choices
- Explore the role stress and distractions play in preventing parents from doing their most effective job
For more information contact Jen Walker at jenswalker5@gmail.com. Annie Fox is the host of the popular podcast Family Confidential: Secrets of Successful Parenting. Annie’s books include: The Girls’ Q&A Book on Friendship, Teaching Kids to Be Good People and the ground-breakingMiddle School Confidential™ book and app series. Learn more at www.anniefox.com

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

Yasmeen Alaghbash, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Brooke Anderson, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Ashley Avidan, 12/7/17, Owning learning, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Ashley is always focused and ready to learn. She continues to make great choices every day! Yay! :-)
Benji Barton, 12/7/17, Owning learning. Benji did a great job owning his learning during a Reader's Workshop by actively listening and taking notes while reading. Yay!
Igor Borysov, 12/7/17, Solving problems, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Igor has been making lots of great choices. In the STEM lab he offered for his partner to do the activity first rather than arguing about the choice!!
Paula Casares, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Kayla Chin, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Logan Chung, 12/13/17, Owning learning. You wrote an interesting introduction in your nonfiction book that inspired others.
Ellie Clark, 12/12/17, Owning learning, Always making good choices. Ellie owns her learning every day. She made a presentation for her student-led conference and brought work samples as evidence. She was so prepared!
Adam Daniels, 12/12/17, Owning learning, Always making good choices. Adam is focused and always puts forth his best effort in class. He consistently makes good choices and takes responsibility for his actions. -Mr. Stuart
Axel Edin, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Sofie Edin, 12/7/17, Owning learning, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Sofie is always making great choices and doing her best in all subjects. Awesome job, Sofie! :-)
Lily Elovson, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Sam Friedland, 12/12/17, Owning learning. Sam bravely volunteered to speak in front of the parents at the winter music concert! (-:
Mariam Garnica, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Emma Guillory, 12/11/17, Solving problems, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. You are kind, patient and helpful. Thank you for helping your classmates without being asked.
Thea Halkola, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Emmett Heath, 12/12/17, Respecting self and others. Helped settle a disagreement.
Jagger Heath, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
LuLu Hanna, 12/12/17, Owning learning, Always making good choices. LuLu takes ownership of her learning in all classes, especially Reading Workshop where she uses her notebook to record her thinking.
Paavo Lahdesmaki, 12/12/17, Always making good choices. Paavo consistently makes good choices and is always ready to learn! -Mr. Stuart
Ziana Merchant, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Zack Meyer, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Lesley Munoz, 12/12/17, Owning learning. Lesley always has enthusiasm for learning and a smile on her face! (-:
Riley Nguyen, 12/12/17, Owning learning, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Riley is always enthusiastic about learniing! He is an excellent role model for his peers! (-:
Si-woo Park, 12/12/17, Always making good choices. Si-woo takes responsibility for his actions and is respectful in class.
Chloe Pasket, 12/8/17, Owning learning. You asked to have your desk moved to a different spot because you had a challenging time focusing at your previous spot.
Chaitrashree Raja, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Granine Read, 12/12/17, Always making good choices. Granine consistently meets or exceeds school expectations and is always respectful of her teachers and peers. She has been a wonderful addition to our school. -Mr. Stuart
Trisha Shetty, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Hayden Tank, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Mark Tanner, 12/12/17, Owning learning. Removing self from a situation so that he could stay focused on the lesson! <3 Miss Pasket
Liv Weiner, 12/12/17, Always making good choices. For your enthusiasm during morning meeting. (-: Mrs. Burke
Liv Weiner, 12/7/17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Sandy Xu, 12/7//17, Owning learning. New Family/Kindergarten Information Night.
Sandy Xu, 12/12/17, Solving problems, Owning learning. Supporting a new student transitioning into our classroom, school, and country! <3 Mrs. Better

Thursday Word December 7th

ALMOND ~~THURSDAY~~ FRIDAY WORD
December 8, 2017

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Monday, 12/11, LASD Music Concert Gr. 4-6 (1pm, Multi)
Wednesday, 12/13, PTA General Meeting (8:30am, Multi)
Thursday, 12/14, School Coffee re: Math Problem of the Month & Number Talks (8:45am, Multi)
Tuesday, 12/12
- CSMA Music Concert Gr. 1-3 (10:30am)
- CSMA Music Concert Gr. TK/K (11:30am)
Monday, 12/18, December Vacation Starts
Tuesday, 1/2, School Resumes
Friday, 1/12, Bookwave Deadline
Wednesday, 1/17, 21st Century Parenting: Raising gritty, compassionate, problem-solvers in the digital age (7pm, Multi)

SCHOOL MESSAGE

A huge thank you to the many students, staff, and parents who contributed to last night’s Kindergarten & New Family Information Night.

Rachel Harnish - You beautifully shared the value of the partnership between home and school on behalf of the Almond PTA. Together we can accomplish any mission!

Jane Sanders - Everything was set up and ready for showtime. You welcome all of our families with a loving heart. You are remarkable!

Jessica Mountz - Thank you for setting up a table with information packets in a variety of languages.

Leanne Kridl, Laurie Lamb, Joan O’Dell, and Lisa Schubert - Sincere thanks for being present and for opening your rooms open to allow parents a peek into the world of kinder and TK at Almond.

Laura Better - Through your leadership, your 5th grade students and our student council members were brilliant. Here is a Tweet. It was a testament to our Almond mission, “Empower our students to OWN their learning in a collaborative community.”

Axel, Brooke, Chaitrashree, Hayden, Jagger, Julia, Kayla, Lily, Lola, Mariam, Paula, Sandy, Trisha, Yasmeen, Zack, and Ziana - WOW! You were articulate, poised, full of enthusiasm, authentic...you shined so very brightly last night. Thank you for sharing yourselves with us. We are who we are as a result of your awesomeness!

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

STUDENT COUNCIL

Most of you know the feeling when someone gives you a present. Well, we’re trying to share that feeling with others! We’re hosting a Gift
Drive and all the proceeds are for the CSA. This drive will be going from the 4th of December to the 15th. Please help us by donating new Toys to the blue bin (s) in front of the office. We are hoping to collect gifts for children of all ages.
Next week is Winter Wonderland Week, we are having a whole week of spirit starting on Monday, December 11th
- Monday 12/11: Winter Color Day (wear white, blue, red, and/or green)
- Tuesday 12/12: Scarf Day
- Wednesday 12/13: Festive Sock Day
- Thursday 12/14: Winter Hat Day
- Friday 12/15: (Ugly/Festive) Sweater Day
Hope to see you participating all week long!

LAEF: A Milestone and a Match
We've raised $2.5 Million – the next big milestone on our way to $3.7 Million! Thanks to the 1492 LASD families who have generously given to LAEF this school year. Their contributions are helping fund teachers and staff for STEM, arts, literacy, wellness and personalized learning. Make your tax-deductible annual donation to LAEF by December 31st and it will be DOUBLED by a generous LASD family - up to $30K.

LAEF: Two weeks left for Corporate Matching in 2017
Did you know that in 2016/17, LAEF received more than $700,000 in corporate matching funds? With less than 20 days until the end of the tax year now is the time to submit a matching request to your company. Find out if your company matches by going to www.doublethedonation.com/laef or select “Donate” at LAEFonline.org.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO FILL 2 PTA COMMITTEE CHAIR POSITIONS

Hot Lunch Vendor Liaison - stock napkins, paper plates and food handling gloves in the lunch room kitchen, post menus 3x a year in bulletin board cabinet and send to the Almond webmaster, communicate with Pasta Market via e-mail regarding menus, parent requests. At this point in the year there will only be 1 more new menu in March.
Bulletin Boards - update Bulletin board in front of school and in the locked cabinet above the drinking fountains with current events, calendars.
If you can help please e-mail PTA President, Rachel Harnish, rachelharnish@yahoo.com.

BOOKWAVE

Reminder that due date for Bookwave Booklets is Friday, January 12, 2018.
If are still interested in purchasing booklet(s), Jane Sanders at the front office has offered to pass them out at $15 per booklet until Dec 15, 2017.
Bookwave BLAST will be at 7pm on Thursday, March 8th, 2018. A sneak peak at our special speaker - Jennifer Rahardjanoto - Chief Creative Officer at Goldie Blox. She is a Creative Storyteller and has also worked at Mattel and Play Studios on projects such as DC Super Hero Girls. A little fun fact about her, she was the visual designer for Capital Cities' Music Video "Safe and Sound" which was awarded the VMA MTV Best Visual Effects award in 2013.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Lily Wang at alexandlily@gmail.com

AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS

Are you looking for interesting programs after school right here at Almond?
Take a look at the options we offer including Sports, Technology, Design, Art and Music
*Winter schedule is now posted* – Many of your favorites will continue. Note Speak Debate is back starting this Winter session!
- Mission: To help students express themselves with confidence in their personal and professional lives and be more: confident, humble, respectful, responsible, assertive, better listeners, critical thinkers, organized, team players, optimistic
- Syllabus: Includes activities that focus on improving body language and self-confidence like: Role Play, Presentations, Speeches, Drama, Story telling, Debates, Stand Up Comedy, Talent showcase, Poetry recitation, Impromptu Speaking
It’s simple to sign up! Go to the After School Programs schedule on the Almond website.
Please contact Jennel Massey with any questions.
Also if you missed the end of year Survey and have feedback on how we can continue to improve the after school offerings, please complete it HERE!

6TH GRADE WONDER MOVIE FUNDRAISER: AVAILABLE THROUGH DECEMBER 31

Thank you to everyone who helped the 6th Graders raise money for the North Bay Fire Victims by purchasing a ticket to see the Wonder movie in November. There is an additional opportunity to raise funds through the remainder of December, and any Wonder tickets bought will benefit 6th Grade Fundraising when you select "Almond Elementary - 6th Grade" on filmraiser.com/tickets before purchasing.
1. VISIT www.filmraiser.com/tickets
2. TYPE "Almond Elementary - 6th Grade" for your cause
3. CLICK through to Fandango. Tickets purchased track back to the 6th Grade North Bay Fire Victims Fundraising. Please consider inviting friends and family at other schools and in other cities. Anyone in the US can help, and there is no limit to ticket sales.
Thanks in advance for your support!

PARENT EDUCATION AT ALMOND

Almond Elementary and Project Cornerstone is sponsoring a parent education event on Thursday, January 18th at 7:00 pm in the Almond multi. Annie Fox, M.Ed., an award-winning author and educator in the realm of character education and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) will be presenting on: 21st Century Parenting: Raising gritty, compassionate, problem-solvers in the digital age.
This highly interactive discussion focuses on the unique challenges of 21^st century parenting as well as the unique challenges of growing up in the 21^stcentury. We’ll talk about what’s needed to help our kids develop into fully functioning, resilient young adults with the confidence, compassion and creativity necessary to solve all kinds of problems, throughout their school years and beyond.
This is a unique opportunity for parents of K – 8^th graders to:
- Tune in to your child’s psychological/ emotional needs
- Appreciate the social pressure to “fit in” (online and off) and how that affects the choices your child makes in-and-out of school
- Understand how your child's “still-under-construction” brain can make it hard for him or her to make safe, ethical choices
- Explore the role stress and distractions play in preventing parents from doing their most effective job
For more information contact Jen Walker at jenswalker5@gmail.com. Annie Fox is the host of the popular podcast Family Confidential: Secrets of Successful Parenting. Annie’s books include: The Girls’ Q&A Book on Friendship, Teaching Kids to Be Good People and the ground-breakingMiddle School Confidential™ book and app series. Learn more at www.anniefox.com

Pilates After School - SPECIAL PROMOTION & Space Available!

Pilates After School wants your child to join us this Winter! Learn basic anatomy, body alignment and Pilates moves! We play lots of fun movement games and wrap each class with a short meditation.
NEW Dates: Dec 5 - Feb 27 (no class Dec 18-Jan 1, Jan 16, Feb 19-23)
Time: 3:00-4:10pm (Grade 1 and 2 students meet at 2:40 and will be supervised)
Price: $325 (includes healthy snacks, mat use, course materials, and t-shirt)
SPECIAL PROMOTION - get $55 off Winter Session with code PRPRO55
Please go to http://www.pilatesafterschool.com/register.html to register. Register now and remember to use code PRPRO55.
For questions, please contact amie@playitfitnow.com. We hope to see your child in our class!
From Coach Amie & Olivera

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

Connor Daniel, 12/4/17, Owning learning. Staying focused during Writer's Workshop!
Sasha Middleton, 12/4/17, Owning learning. Staying focused during Writer's Workshop!
Tanya Ruiz, 12/5/17, Respecting self and others. For cleaning up after her peers left a mess in the classroom.
Alex Winny, 12/4/17, Owning learning. Staying focused during Writer's Workshop!

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mon. Dec. 11, 2017, 7PM-9PM, Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Rd.
Let's Talk: 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.

Tue. Dec 12, 2017, 7PM-8:30PM, Los Altos Library
Parent Chat: 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.

Tues. January 23, 2018 6-8 pm, Crittenden Middle School MUR, 1701 Rock St Mountain View
Learning Challenges Resource Fair: Heads up for the 4th Learning Challenges Resource Fair coming up in 2018. Does your child need tutoring? Do you need to find a summer camp that fits your student’s needs? Are you interested in finding local therapists, advocates, recreational programs and more? Come join us at the SELPA1CAC/Learning Challenges Committee Resource Fair and talk to dozens of local providers about services that can help your child thrive!

Lunes, Dec 11 , 2017, 7PM-9PM, Biblioteca de Los Altos, 13 S. San Antonio Road
Vamos a Platicar: 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.

Martes, Dec 12 2017, 7-8:30 PM, Biblioteca de Los Altos, 13 S. San Antonio Road
Platica Para Padres: 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

Martes 23 de enero del 2018, de 6 a 8 pm, Salón de Usos Múltiples (MUR) en la Escuela Secundaria Crittenden
FERIA DE RECURSOS PARA LOS RETOS EN EL APRENDIZAJE: ¿Necesita su hijo tutoría? ¿Necesita usted encontrar un campamento durante el verano, que se acomode a las necesidades de su estudiante? ¿Está usted interesado en encontrar un terapista local, defensores, programas recreativos y más? Venga y acompáñenos a la Feria de Recursos del Comité para Retos en el Aprendizaje (SELPA1CAC/Learning Challenges Committee Resource Fair), y hable con docenas de proveedores locales, acerca de los servicios que pueden ayudar a su hijo a avanzar!

ALMOND ~~THURSDAY~~ FRIDAY WORD
December 8, 2017

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Monday, 12/11, LASD Music Concert Gr. 4-6 (1pm, Multi)
Wednesday, 12/13, PTA General Meeting (8:30am, Multi)
Thursday, 12/14, School Coffee re: Math Problem of the Month & Number Talks (8:45am, Multi)
Tuesday, 12/12
- CSMA Music Concert Gr. 1-3 (10:30am)
- CSMA Music Concert Gr. TK/K (11:30am)
Monday, 12/18, December Vacation Starts
Tuesday, 1/2, School Resumes
Friday, 1/12, Bookwave Deadline
Wednesday, 1/17, 21st Century Parenting: Raising gritty, compassionate, problem-solvers in the digital age (7pm, Multi)

SCHOOL MESSAGE

A huge thank you to the many students, staff, and parents who contributed to last night’s Kindergarten & New Family Information Night.

Rachel Harnish - You beautifully shared the value of the partnership between home and school on behalf of the Almond PTA. Together we can accomplish any mission!

Jane Sanders - Everything was set up and ready for showtime. You welcome all of our families with a loving heart. You are remarkable!

Jessica Mountz - Thank you for setting up a table with information packets in a variety of languages.

Leanne Kridl, Laurie Lamb, Joan O’Dell, and Lisa Schubert - Sincere thanks for being present and for opening your rooms open to allow parents a peek into the world of kinder and TK at Almond.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

STUDENT COUNCIL

Most of you know the feeling when someone gives you a present. Well, we’re trying to share that feeling with others! We’re hosting a Gift
Drive and all the proceeds are for the CSA. This drive will be going from the 4th of December to the 15th. Please help us by donating new Toys to the blue bin (s) in front of the office. We are hoping to collect gifts for children of all ages.
Next week is Winter Wonderland Week, we are having a whole week of spirit starting on Monday, December 11th
- Monday 12/11: Winter Color Day (wear white, blue, red, and/or green)
- Tuesday 12/12: Scarf Day
- Wednesday 12/13: Festive Sock Day
- Thursday 12/14: Winter Hat Day
- Friday 12/15: (Ugly/Festive) Sweater Day
Hope to see you participating all week long!

PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO FILL 2 PTA COMMITTEE CHAIR POSITIONS

Hot Lunch Vendor Liaison - stock napkins, paper plates and food handling gloves in the lunch room kitchen, post menus 3x a year in bulletin board cabinet and send to the Almond webmaster, communicate with Pasta Market via e-mail regarding menus, parent requests. At this point in the year there will only be 1 more new menu in March.
Bulletin Boards - update Bulletin board in front of school and in the locked cabinet above the drinking fountains with current events, calendars.
If you can help please e-mail PTA President, Rachel Harnish, rachelharnish@yahoo.com.

BOOKWAVE

Reminder that due date for Bookwave Booklets is Friday, January 12, 2018.
If are still interested in purchasing booklet(s), Jane Sanders at the front office has offered to pass them out at $15 per booklet until Dec 15, 2017.
Bookwave BLAST will be at 7pm on Thursday, March 8th, 2018. A sneak peak at our special speaker - Jennifer Rahardjanoto - Chief Creative Officer at Goldie Blox. She is a Creative Storyteller and has also worked at Mattel and Play Studios on projects such as DC Super Hero Girls. A little fun fact about her, she was the visual designer for Capital Cities' Music Video "Safe and Sound" which was awarded the VMA MTV Best Visual Effects award in 2013.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Lily Wang at alexandlily@gmail.com

AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS

Are you looking for interesting programs after school right here at Almond?
Take a look at the options we offer including Sports, Technology, Design, Art and Music
*Winter schedule is now posted* – Many of your favorites will continue. Note Speak Debate is back starting this Winter session!
- Mission: To help students express themselves with confidence in their personal and professional lives and be more: confident, humble, respectful, responsible, assertive, better listeners, critical thinkers, organized, team players, optimistic
- Syllabus: Includes activities that focus on improving body language and self-confidence like: Role Play, Presentations, Speeches, Drama, Story telling, Debates, Stand Up Comedy, Talent showcase, Poetry recitation, Impromptu Speaking
It’s simple to sign up! Go to the After School Programs schedule on the Almond website.
Please contact Jennel Massey with any questions.
Also if you missed the end of year Survey and have feedback on how we can continue to improve the after school offerings, please complete it HERE!

6TH GRADE WONDER MOVIE FUNDRAISER: AVAILABLE THROUGH DECEMBER 31

Thank you to everyone who helped the 6th Graders raise money for the North Bay Fire Victims by purchasing a ticket to see the Wonder movie in November. There is an additional opportunity to raise funds through the remainder of December, and any Wonder tickets bought will benefit 6th Grade Fundraising when you select "Almond Elementary - 6th Grade" on filmraiser.com/tickets before purchasing.
1. VISIT www.filmraiser.com/tickets
2. TYPE "Almond Elementary - 6th Grade" for your cause
3. CLICK through to Fandango. Tickets purchased track back to the 6th Grade North Bay Fire Victims Fundraising. Please consider inviting friends and family at other schools and in other cities. Anyone in the US can help, and there is no limit to ticket sales.
Thanks in advance for your support!

PARENT EDUCATION AT ALMOND

Almond Elementary and Project Cornerstone is sponsoring a parent education event on Thursday, January 18th at 7:00 pm in the Almond multi. Annie Fox, M.Ed., an award-winning author and educator in the realm of character education and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) will be presenting on: 21st Century Parenting: Raising gritty, compassionate, problem-solvers in the digital age.
This highly interactive discussion focuses on the unique challenges of 21^st century parenting as well as the unique challenges of growing up in the 21^stcentury. We’ll talk about what’s needed to help our kids develop into fully functioning, resilient young adults with the confidence, compassion and creativity necessary to solve all kinds of problems, throughout their school years and beyond.
This is a unique opportunity for parents of K – 8^th graders to:
- Tune in to your child’s psychological/ emotional needs
- Appreciate the social pressure to “fit in” (online and off) and how that affects the choices your child makes in-and-out of school
- Understand how your child's “still-under-construction” brain can make it hard for him or her to make safe, ethical choices
- Explore the role stress and distractions play in preventing parents from doing their most effective job
For more information contact Jen Walker at jenswalker5@gmail.com. Annie Fox is the host of the popular podcast Family Confidential: Secrets of Successful Parenting. Annie’s books include: The Girls’ Q&A Book on Friendship, Teaching Kids to Be Good People and the ground-breakingMiddle School Confidential™ book and app series. Learn more at www.anniefox.com

Pilates After School - SPECIAL PROMOTION & Space Available!

Pilates After School wants your child to join us this Winter! Learn basic anatomy, body alignment and Pilates moves! We play lots of fun movement games and wrap each class with a short meditation.
NEW Dates: Dec 5 - Feb 27 (no class Dec 18-Jan 1, Jan 16, Feb 19-23)
Time: 3:00-4:10pm (Grade 1 and 2 students meet at 2:40 and will be supervised)
Price: $325 (includes healthy snacks, mat use, course materials, and t-shirt)
SPECIAL PROMOTION - get $55 off Winter Session with code PRPRO55
Please go to http://www.pilatesafterschool.com/register.html to register. Register now and remember to use code PRPRO55.
For questions, please contact amie@playitfitnow.com. We hope to see your child in our class!
From Coach Amie & Olivera

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

Connor Daniel, 12/4/17, Owning learning. Staying focused during Writer's Workshop!
Sasha Middleton, 12/4/17, Owning learning. Staying focused during Writer's Workshop!
Tanya Ruiz, 12/5/17, Respecting self and others. For cleaning up after her peers left a mess in the classroom.
Alex Winny, 12/4/17, Owning learning. Staying focused during Writer's Workshop!

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Thursday Word November 30th

ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
November 30, 2017

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Tuesday, 12/5, Almond Singers Holiday Concert (8:45am-School Concert for Almond Students; 7pm-Evening Concert for Parents, Families & Friends)
Thursday, 12/7, Kindergarten / New Parent Info Night for Prospective Families (7pm, Multi & Classrooms)
Monday, 12/11, LASD Music Concert Gr. 4-6 (1pm, Multi)
Wednesday, 12/13, PTA General Meeting (8:30am, Multi)
Friday, 12/14, ~~School Coffee re: Math Problem of the Month & Number Talks (8:45am, Multi)~~(Postponed until Friday, 1/19 - a request was made to offer on day other than Thursday.)
Tuesday, 12/12
- CSMA Music Concert Gr. 1-3 (10:30am)
- CSMA Music Concert Gr. TK/K (11:30am)
Monday, 12/18, December Vacation Starts
Tuesday, 1/2, School Resumes

SCHOOL MESSAGE

SAFETY DRILL ON DECEMBER 7TH

We will conduct a “Lock Down” drill on December 7th. The “Lock Down” drill will be tailored by grade level bands. For example, kindergarten teachers will practice gathering students in an area of the room where they will quietly whisper read a book and explain that if there were ever told they needed to be quiet to keep them safe that they would need to make certain they follow directions carefully. In a 6th grade room, students will gather in an area of the room and quietly listen to the teacher explain how they might blockade an entrance if their safety were in jeopardy. We have protocols that we will check that we will not publish here.
The overall message is that school is a safe place and that we are practicing this drill to make certain in an unlikely event that they remain safe. In any scenario, students need to stay calm and follow adult directions. Feel free to discuss this in your homes prior to this date.
We will not practice an “Active Shooter” drill because this would cause emotional distress with students. However, our staff has spoken at length about how to support student safety in such a situation.

GAUGING INTEREST

Last year we welcomed visitors from Hangzhou Dayulu School in China. Our sister school would like to send visitors to Almond in March of 2018. The dates have not been finalized.
We received much feedback last year regarding what worked well, and what didn’t. This was shared transparently with the liaison organization. It was noted that the English of many of the students was quite limited and that this at times posed a challenge. We also shared that there are significant differences in our cultures and pleasantries like “please” and “thank you” are an important symbol of gratitude that are valued within our homes. We addressed the likeliness that some students were too young to travel such a long distance and that students rooming alone also heightened the homesick feeling some experienced.
There were of course many benefits. Our students were able to learn about another culture by engaging with peers from such a distant land. We experienced a wonderful performance that exemplified some of the beauty of the Chinese culture. Families were able to open their homes and share their traditions.
In order to determine whether we will move forward with another visit, we’d like to gauge how many Almond families would be interested in hosting a pair of visitors. If you are interested, please complete THIS survey no later than Wednesday, 12/13.

BIKE SAFETY REMINDERS
Many students are walking and riding to school as a result of the solar project’s impact on our parking lot and drive through. We only have 2 ½ more weeks to endure until it is complete. Thank you very much for your patience. Please review these recommendations with your children. Also - adult drivers - please be aware there are more bikers on the road to be careful swinging their doors open when close to the school.

Ride on the right side of the road.
Stop at all STOP signs before biking through an intersection.
Use hand signals when turning.
Look over your left shoulder before turning at an intersection that doesn't have stop signs. Countless children zoom out and turn across the street without looking.
Bike as close as possible to where the road meets the house curb except when there is a parked car to safely make room for passing cars.
Be prepared for someone in a parked car ahead of you to swing open the door at any second. Look over your shoulder and go out farther on the street when passing a parked car. (My friend's daughter broke several bones and ribs due to such an incident).
When biking with someone else or in a group, bike in single file when there are cars coming to make room for them.
Only overtake someone on a bike on their left not their right.
Walk your bike on all Almond or neighborhood sidewalks.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

LOST AND FOUND
We’ve cleaned it up and organized it. All items will be bagged at 12pm on Friday, 12/15 and donated to charity. Come claim your items now or forever bid them a farewell.

HOUR OF CODE
Next week is the Hour of Code. The STEM Maker Space will be open during lunch on Wednesday and Thursday. Classroom teachers will also be giving class time for coding during this week. Here is a website with some resources.

WE NEED 6 DOZEN HOLIDAY COOKIES FROM EACH CLASS!
On December 14 the PTA Staff Appreciation Committee is hosting a holiday cookie event for the teachers and staff at Almond. In order to have enough cookies, we need each class to provide 6 dozen cookies (or classes can provide more!) Currently we have 45 dozen cookies so we need MANY MORE! For more details and to sign up, please go to Holiday Cookie Sign Up or contact Lynn Kostow (lynnhkostow@gmail.com) or Andrea Bocking (andreabocking@gmail.com).

ALMOND DRAMA PROGRAM - MULAN JR. - OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT

The Almond Drama Program is excited to announce that enrollment is open for our Spring production of “Mulan Jr."
Students in Grades 3-6 are encouraged to sign up for this wonderful experience as enrollment is limited to the first 90 students.
Story: The Huns have invaded, and it is up to the misfit Mulan and her mischievous dragon sidekick, Mushu, to save the Emperor! Defying the village matchmaker, Mulan takes up arms and disguises herself as a boy in order to spare her father from having to serve in the army. As the great battle with the Huns approaches, Mulan must choose between revealing her true identity or saving all of China with her clever plan.
Start Date: Thursday, January 18, 2018
Grades: 3-6
Rehearsal Days/Times: Monday 3:00pm - 4:45pm and Thursday 1:45pm - 4:00pm
Additional/extended rehearsals: May 7-10
Performances: May 10-12, 2018
Enrollment DUE date: January 17, 2018
To participate: 1) Complete this registration form (one per child). 2) For each child participating, write a $150 check made out to "Almond PTA" with your child's name in the memo. 3) Drop the check off in the box labeled "Almond Drama Program" in the school office.
If you have any questions please email Luisa Smith at smithluisa605@gmail.com or Lori Sevcik at loriandshea@mac.com

LAEF: SHOP ART POP
A fabulous (but temporary) artisan market on Saturday, Dec 2, 11am-8pm will offer 15% of all proceeds will benefit local schools! Locally-made gifts for everyone on your list! 1939 West El Camino Real, Mountain View.

LAEF: Coming up … LASD Winter Music Concerts & Computer Science Ed Week

We hope you enjoy the sounds of the season coming from our 4th, 5th and 6th grade LASD Winter Music Concerts in addition to hearing inspiring stories of our K-8 students participating in “Hour of Code” during Computer Science Education Week. Parent donations to LAEF have made these enriching educational experiences possible.
That’s why we are requesting your support by donating at LAEFonline.org by 12/31.

Pilates After School - SPECIAL PROMOTION!

Looking a fun class for your kids to learn basic anatomy, body alignment and Pilates moves? That's us! We play lots of fun movement games and wrap each class with a short meditation.
NEW Dates: Dec 5 - Feb 27 (no class Dec 18-Jan 1, Jan 16, Feb 19-23)
- Time: 3:00-4:10pm (Grade 1 and 2 students meet at 2:40 and will be supervised)
- Price: $325 (includes healthy snacks, mat use, course materials, and t-shirt)
- SPECIAL PROMOTION - get $55 off Winter Session with code PRPRO55
Please go to http://www.pilatesafterschool.com/register.html to register. Register now and remember to use code PRPRO55.
For questions, please contact amie@playitfitnow.com. We hope to see your child in our class!
From Coach Amie & Olivera

6TH GRADE STUDENT & PARENT - TECH CHALLENGE

All LASD 6th Graders are invited to submit an application for the 2017 Synopsis Silicon Valley Science & Technology Challenge
What: Synopsis Silicon Valley Science & Technology Championship
Science and Engineering competition for middle school and high school students
Who: Students in Grade 6 only-no exceptions
Where: San Jose Convention Center
When: Thursday, March 15, 2018
Please click here for more information.

GRADE 4 THRU 6 - ANOTHER TECH CHALLENGE

What: Tech Challenge
Team Design Challenge for students that introduces and reinforces the scientific process with a hands-on project geared to solving a real world problem.
Who: Students in Grades 4-12 only-no exceptions
Where: The Tech Museum, San Jose
When: April 28, 2018 – Please note that this is the same day as Junior Olympics.
Please click here for more information.

REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS

PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO FILL 2 PTA COMMITTEE CHAIR POSITIONS

Hot Lunch Vendor Liaison - responsibilities include keeping lunch room stocked with paper plates, napkins and food handling gloves, communicate with Pasta Market regarding new menus, parent requests or comments, post new menus 3x/year.
Bulletin Boards - Update the front and interior bulletin boards with current important date reminders and calendars
Please contact Almond PTA President, Rachel Harnish, rachelharnish@yahoo.com if you can help with these positions.

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

Emilia Chen, 11/29/17, Owning learning. You have been working hard to make it to school on time. Way to go!
Christopher Flynn, 11/29/17, Owning learning. Working hard and persevering to achieve your math goal!
Ryan Ghasemfar, 11/29/17, Solving problems, Always making good choices. Ryan chooses to clean up trash and lunch with his friend.
Jungsoo Hahn, 11/29/17, Respecting self and others.. Jungsoo took the initiative to help clean up campus during her recess when she noticed trash on campus.
Everly Kraska, 11/29/17, Owning learning. You used post-it notes to trun tricky words in to "snap" words!
Kavin Lingham, 11/29/17, Owning learning. Kavin always shows excitement for learning new things and also loves to share his learning with others.
Joshua Lopez, 11/29/17, Owning learning. Using math tools to support his learning in problem solving. Mrs. Burke :-)
Andrew Onodera, 11/28/17, Solving problems, Owning learning. During math, I asked if anyone can explain their thought process. Andrew said he knew the answer but couldn't explain it. I asked him to try and he explained it beautifully. He was unsure but tried his best!
Andy Palant, 11/29/17, Owning learning. You used post-it notes to trun tricky words in to "snap" words!
Eva Rolnik, 11/29/17, Owning learning. Asking thoughtful, clarifying questions in Reader's Workshop. Mrs. Burke :-)
Ava Sabharwal, 11/29/17, Owning learning, Respecting self and others. You are always willing to help others. You also have a wonderful attitude towards learning.
Mayank Shah, 11/29/17, Owning learning. Working hard and practicing led to you becoming fluent in your addition and subtraction facts. Way to go!
Inika Sridhar, 11/29/17, Owning learning. Inika works to stay on task and learn new things.
Dmitrii Titov, 11/28/17, Respecting self and others. Thank you, Dmitrii, for picking up the calculator you found in the hallway and returning it to its home in Room 15! _Mrs. Vriksha
Aidan White, 11/28/17, Owning learning. For being deeply self-motivated and always striving for the highest quality of work, especially in Writer's Workshop and Reader's Workshop. -Mrs. Vriksha
Aiko Yamasaki, 11/29/17, Solving problems, Owning learning, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Aiko always works hard to do her best, help others and show kindness. she also always says, "Good morning!" to classmates and teachers.
Eric Zhang, 11/29/17, Solving problems, Always making good choices. Eric chooses to clean up trash and lunch with his friend.

ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
November 30, 2017

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Tuesday, 12/5, Almond Singers Holiday Concert (8:45am-School Concert for Almond Students; 7pm-Evening Concert for Parents, Families & Friends)
Thursday, 12/7, Kindergarten / New Parent Info Night for Prospective Families (7pm, Multi & Classrooms)
Monday, 12/11, LASD Music Concert Gr. 4-6 (1pm, Multi)
Wednesday, 12/13, PTA General Meeting (8:30am, Multi)
Friday, 12/14, ~~School Coffee re: Math Problem of the Month & Number Talks (8:45am, Multi)~~(Postponed until Friday, 1/19 - a request was made to offer on day other than Thursday.)
Tuesday, 12/12
- CSMA Music Concert Gr. 1-3 (10:30am)
- CSMA Music Concert Gr. TK/K (11:30am)
Monday, 12/18, December Vacation Starts
Tuesday, 1/2, School Resumes

SCHOOL MESSAGE

SAFETY DRILL ON DECEMBER 7TH

We will conduct a “Lock Down” drill on December 7th. The “Lock Down” drill will be tailored by grade level bands. For example, kindergarten teachers will practice gathering students in an area of the room where they will quietly whisper read a book and explain that if there were ever told they needed to be quiet to keep them safe that they would need to make certain they follow directions carefully. In a 6th grade room, students will gather in an area of the room and quietly listen to the teacher explain how they might blockade an entrance if their safety were in jeopardy. We have protocols that we will check that we will not publish here.
The overall message is that school is a safe place and that we are practicing this drill to make certain in an unlikely event that they remain safe. In any scenario, students need to stay calm and follow adult directions. Feel free to discuss this in your homes prior to this date.
We will not practice an “Active Shooter” drill because this would cause emotional distress with students. However, our staff has spoken at length about how to support student safety in such a situation.

GAUGING INTEREST

Last year we welcomed visitors from Hangzhou Dayulu School in China. Our sister school would like to send visitors to Almond in March of 2018. The dates have not been finalized.
We received much feedback last year regarding what worked well, and what didn’t. This was shared transparently with the liaison organization. It was noted that the English of many of the students was quite limited and that this at times posed a challenge. We also shared that there are significant differences in our cultures and pleasantries like “please” and “thank you” are an important symbol of gratitude that are valued within our homes. We addressed the likeliness that some students were too young to travel such a long distance and that students rooming alone also heightened the homesick feeling some experienced.
There were of course many benefits. Our students were able to learn about another culture by engaging with peers from such a distant land. We experienced a wonderful performance that exemplified some of the beauty of the Chinese culture. Families were able to open their homes and share their traditions.
In order to determine whether we will move forward with another visit, we’d like to gauge how many Almond families would be interested in hosting a pair of visitors. If you are interested, please complete THIS survey no later than Wednesday, 12/13.

Ride on the right side of the road.
Stop at all STOP signs before biking through an intersection.
Use hand signals when turning.
Look over your left shoulder before turning at an intersection that doesn't have stop signs. Countless children zoom out and turn across the street without looking.
Bike as close as possible to where the road meets the house curb except when there is a parked car to safely make room for passing cars.
Be prepared for someone in a parked car ahead of you to swing open the door at any second. Look over your shoulder and go out farther on the street when passing a parked car. (My friend's daughter broke several bones and ribs due to such an incident).
When biking with someone else or in a group, bike in single file when there are cars coming to make room for them.
Only overtake someone on a bike on their left not their right.
Walk your bike on all Almond or neighborhood sidewalks.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

LOST AND FOUND
We’ve cleaned it up and organized it. All items will be bagged at 12pm on Friday, 12/15 and donated to charity. Come claim your items now or forever bid them a farewell.

ALMOND DRAMA PROGRAM - MULAN JR. - OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT

The Almond Drama Program is excited to announce that enrollment is open for our Spring production of “Mulan Jr."
Students in Grades 3-6 are encouraged to sign up for this wonderful experience as enrollment is limited to the first 90 students.
Story: The Huns have invaded, and it is up to the misfit Mulan and her mischievous dragon sidekick, Mushu, to save the Emperor! Defying the village matchmaker, Mulan takes up arms and disguises herself as a boy in order to spare her father from having to serve in the army. As the great battle with the Huns approaches, Mulan must choose between revealing her true identity or saving all of China with her clever plan.
Start Date: Thursday, January 18, 2018
Grades: 3-6
Rehearsal Days/Times: Monday 3:00pm - 4:45pm and Thursday 1:45pm - 4:00pm
Additional/extended rehearsals: May 7-10
Performances: May 10-12, 2018
Enrollment DUE date: January 17, 2018
To participate: 1) Complete this registration form (one per child). 2) For each child participating, write a $150 check made out to "Almond PTA" with your child's name in the memo. 3) Drop the check off in the box labeled "Almond Drama Program" in the school office.
If you have any questions please email Luisa Smith at smithluisa605@gmail.com or Lori Sevcik at loriandshea@mac.com

LAEF: Coming up … LASD Winter Music Concerts & Computer Science Ed Week

We hope you enjoy the sounds of the season coming from our 4th, 5th and 6th grade LASD Winter Music Concerts in addition to hearing inspiring stories of our K-8 students participating in “Hour of Code” during Computer Science Education Week. Parent donations to LAEF have made these enriching educational experiences possible.
That’s why we are requesting your support by donating at LAEFonline.org by 12/31.

Pilates After School - SPECIAL PROMOTION!

Looking a fun class for your kids to learn basic anatomy, body alignment and Pilates moves? That's us! We play lots of fun movement games and wrap each class with a short meditation.
NEW Dates: Dec 5 - Feb 27 (no class Dec 18-Jan 1, Jan 16, Feb 19-23)
- Time: 3:00-4:10pm (Grade 1 and 2 students meet at 2:40 and will be supervised)
- Price: $325 (includes healthy snacks, mat use, course materials, and t-shirt)
- SPECIAL PROMOTION - get $55 off Winter Session with code PRPRO55
Please go to http://www.pilatesafterschool.com/register.html to register. Register now and remember to use code PRPRO55.
For questions, please contact amie@playitfitnow.com. We hope to see your child in our class!
From Coach Amie & Olivera

6TH GRADE STUDENT & PARENT - TECH CHALLENGE

All LASD 6th Graders are invited to submit an application for the 2017 Synopsis Silicon Valley Science & Technology Challenge
What: Synopsis Silicon Valley Science & Technology Championship
Science and Engineering competition for middle school and high school students
Who: Students in Grade 6 only-no exceptions
Where: San Jose Convention Center
When: Thursday, March 15, 2018
Please click here for more information.

GRADE 4 THRU 6 - ANOTHER TECH CHALLENGE

What: Tech Challenge
Team Design Challenge for students that introduces and reinforces the scientific process with a hands-on project geared to solving a real world problem.
Who: Students in Grades 4-12 only-no exceptions
Where: The Tech Museum, San Jose
When: April 28, 2018 – Please note that this is the same day as Junior Olympics.
Please click here for more information.

REPEATED ANNOUNCEMENTS

PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO FILL 2 PTA COMMITTEE CHAIR POSITIONS

Hot Lunch Vendor Liaison - responsibilities include keeping lunch room stocked with paper plates, napkins and food handling gloves, communicate with Pasta Market regarding new menus, parent requests or comments, post new menus 3x/year.
Bulletin Boards - Update the front and interior bulletin boards with current important date reminders and calendars
Please contact Almond PTA President, Rachel Harnish, rachelharnish@yahoo.com if you can help with these positions.

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

Emilia Chen, 11/29/17, Owning learning. You have been working hard to make it to school on time. Way to go!
Christopher Flynn, 11/29/17, Owning learning. Working hard and persevering to achieve your math goal!
Ryan Ghasemfar, 11/29/17, Solving problems, Always making good choices. Ryan chooses to clean up trash and lunch with his friend.
Jungsoo Hahn, 11/29/17, Respecting self and others.. Jungsoo took the initiative to help clean up campus during her recess when she noticed trash on campus.
Everly Kraska, 11/29/17, Owning learning. You used post-it notes to trun tricky words in to "snap" words!
Kavin Lingham, 11/29/17, Owning learning. Kavin always shows excitement for learning new things and also loves to share his learning with others.
Joshua Lopez, 11/29/17, Owning learning. Using math tools to support his learning in problem solving. Mrs. Burke :-)
Andrew Onodera, 11/28/17, Solving problems, Owning learning. During math, I asked if anyone can explain their thought process. Andrew said he knew the answer but couldn't explain it. I asked him to try and he explained it beautifully. He was unsure but tried his best!
Andy Palant, 11/29/17, Owning learning. You used post-it notes to trun tricky words in to "snap" words!
Eva Rolnik, 11/29/17, Owning learning. Asking thoughtful, clarifying questions in Reader's Workshop. Mrs. Burke :-)
Ava Sabharwal, 11/29/17, Owning learning, Respecting self and others. You are always willing to help others. You also have a wonderful attitude towards learning.
Mayank Shah, 11/29/17, Owning learning. Working hard and practicing led to you becoming fluent in your addition and subtraction facts. Way to go!
Inika Sridhar, 11/29/17, Owning learning. Inika works to stay on task and learn new things.
Dmitrii Titov, 11/28/17, Respecting self and others. Thank you, Dmitrii, for picking up the calculator you found in the hallway and returning it to its home in Room 15! _Mrs. Vriksha
Aidan White, 11/28/17, Owning learning. For being deeply self-motivated and always striving for the highest quality of work, especially in Writer's Workshop and Reader's Workshop. -Mrs. Vriksha
Aiko Yamasaki, 11/29/17, Solving problems, Owning learning, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Aiko always works hard to do her best, help others and show kindness. she also always says, "Good morning!" to classmates and teachers.
Eric Zhang, 11/29/17, Solving problems, Always making good choices. Eric chooses to clean up trash and lunch with his friend.

Thursday Word November 16th

ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
November 16, 2017

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Monday, 11/20, PARENT CONFERENCES, No School
Tuesday, 11/21, PARENT CONFERENCES, No School
Wednesday - Friday, 11/22 - 11/24, THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, No School
Thursday, 11/30, School Coffee re: Evidence of Learning (8:45am, Multi)
Tuesday, 12/5, Almond Singers Holiday Concert (8:45am-School Concert for Almond Students; 7pm-Evening Concert for Parents, Families & Friends)
Thursday, 12/7, Kindergarten / New Parent Info Night for Prospective Families (7pm, Multi & Classrooms)
Monday, 12/11, LASD Music Concert Gr. 4-6 (1pm, Multi)
Wednesday, 12/13, PTA General Meeting (8:30am, Multi)
Thursday, 12/14, School Coffee re: Math Problem of the Month & Number Talks (8:45am, Multi)
Monday, 12/18, December Vacation Starts
Tuesday, 1/2, School Resumes

SCHOOL MESSAGE

This week student safety has been a topic of conversation on many fronts at Almond; responding to injuries that take place at school, ensuring all students contribute to a safe environment, safeguarding against the potential of outside threats.

The entire Almond staff works together daily to ensure the safety of all students. Here is some information that we can share without exposing details which would render us vulnerable.

Responding to Injuries

At the beginning of every year we have a health training to review procedures and expectations.
Every teacher and the entire office staff are equipped with walkie talkies.
When a child is injured and not able to walk him/herself to the nurse, we go to the child to assess the situation.
If we do not have a nurse on location at the time, we call our district nurse team for guidance - if needed.
If an injury warrants a call to 911 (even without consultation), we make that call.
Our entire staff works together to address whatever issue surfaces. It’s all hands on deck.

Ensuring All Students Contribute to a Safe Environment

Students are expected to follow our SOAR principles; Solve Problems, Own Your Learning, Always Making Good Choices, Respect Self & Others.
Inevitably, children will make mistakes. Some will be minor. Some will be serious.
When a child’s actions are overtly incongruous with school expectations, a student is redirected immediately by an adult and respective disciplinary consequences are administered if necessary.
If information is reported to us by any student that causes alarm, the entire school team works together to respond immediately. We investigate all statements and handle them seriously.
If a child creates an unsafe environment in the classroom or playground, we take immediate action. This could be relocating students affected by the unsafe behavior, it could also mean removing the student posing the safety concern.
Because we are a team, every member of this staff works together to support student safety. We communicate frequently via walkie talkie, text messages, on the phone, and in person. We develop action plans to ensure there is adequate supervision for all students. When needed, that supervision becomes laser focused on an area or person in need.
We have contacted law enforcement before when needed and we will not hesitate to do so if a situation warrants it.

Safeguarding Against Outside Threats

We have an emergency response plan in place to protect our students and staff from the potential of a terrible event.
We review this plan at the beginning of each school year and revisit it throughout the year.
We work closely with our three local law enforcement agencies (Los Altos, Mountain View and Santa Clara County) to ensure our emergency practices are current, including response to a shooter on campus.
We practice various types of emergency drills monthly. In December, we will practice a Code Red. We will share the language we will be using with families before the drill. The language will be tailored by grade level spans (TK-1, 2-3, 4-6).
Student safety is a top priority; not only for parents, but also for our staff.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

CARD IN OFFICE FOR CARLA
If you would like to sign a card for our librarian, there is a large on in the office.

LAEF: Let’s Celebrate!
We've raised $2 Million! Thank you to the 1239 amazing and generous LASD families who've contributed to LAEF this school year and helped us reach this important milestone. We're over halfway to our goal of $3.7 Million. If you have yet to give, please donate and help us reach our goal.

LAEF: Your gift can still be doubled!
Donate to LAEF for your first time OR increase your donation over last year and it will be matched by our Board of Directors! The $50K Challenge Match ends on November 17th, so give today. New or annual gifts of any amount are appreciated, and help make a difference for all our TK-8 students by funding STEM, arts, literacy, wellness, and personalized learning. To learn more, pledge or donate at LAEFonline.org.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO FILL 2 PTA COMMITTEE CHAIR POSITIONS

Hot Lunch Vendor Liaison - responsibilities include keeping lunch room stocked with paper plates, napkins and food handling gloves, communicate with Pasta Market regarding new menus, parent requests or comments, post new menus 3x/year.
Bulletin Boards - Update the front and interior bulletin boards with current important date reminders and calendars
Please contact Almond PTA President, Rachel Harnish, rachelharnish@yahoo.com if you can help with these positions.

6TH GRADE MOVIE FUNDRAISER: WONDER MOVIE

Traditionally, the Almond 6th grade class raises money for a class gift like a bench, art work or the Eagle costume. The class of 2018 chose a slightly less traditional gift and decided to raise money for the North Bay Fire Victims. The 6th graders are kicking off the fundraising with a Filmraiser to the movie Wonder, based on the best-selling book. The Wonder movie opens this weekend, and all you need to do is buy a ticket. The 6th graders will earn $1.00 from every ticket purchased for shows on November 18, 19 and 20 when you select "Almond Elementary - 6th Grade" on filmraiser.com/tickets before purchasing.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!
- 1. VISIT www.filmraiser.com/tickets
- 2. TYPE "Almond Elementary - 6th Grade" for your cause
- 3. CLICK through to Fandango. Tickets purchased track back to the 6th Grade North Bay Fire Victims Fundraising. Please consider inviting friends and family at other schools and in other cities. Anyone in the US can help, and there is no limit to ticket sales.
Thanks in advance for your support!

ABC (Asset Building Champion) Reading/ Project Cornerstone

This month, our 1st -5th graders will be reading the book Big by Coleen Paratore. Students will explore their personal power with the concept of being a BIG person. Big is not defined as large or tall, but a person who thinks BIG about the world and their place in it. The reward for being BIG is not tangible, but something felt inside of each of us. We will challenge the students to look within themselves to see how they can tap into their personal power to become a valuable member of their family, school, neighborhood, community, country and world. You can support this at home by:
- Encouraging your child to reflect on how the little thoughts and actions they engage in on a daily basis add up to living in a Big way.
- Focus on daily acts of caring that kids can do to fill their own and other’s buckets.
- Catch them being BIG and fill their bucket with words of affirmation.
- Remind students that it is their efforts to be BIG that count. Research on mindset has shown that noticing and naming a child’s effort rather than their achievement, will lead them to experience feeling of success and create a desire to do better in future activities.
Kindergarten students will be reading Join In & Play which teaches children about being a friend, making a friend, and playing together. It emphasizes rules for getting along, being a good sport, and cooperating with others.
Our 6th Graders will focus on making genuine apologies, and respecting others by taking responsibility for their actions, both good or bad.
For more information about the ABC program, please contact Jen Walker (jenswalker5@gmail.com) or Mona ElNaggar at (monayousuf05@gmail.com)

Become a LIVING CLASSROOM docent... share your love of nature with kids!

It's time to build bird nests, make yummy soup from the veggies we harvest from our school gardens, discover symmetry inside fruit, and make natural dyes from plants! If you like all those things and more, please consider becoming a Living Classroom docent! LIving Classroom is looking for docents to help deliver hands-on garden-based lessons to the students of the Los Altos School District. No experience necessary as we provide all the training needed! Our Winter Docent Training will take place at the LASD iLearn Studio on Monday mornings from 9-Noon on 12/4, 12/11, 1/8 and 1/22. Please click HERE to view our Winter Training Flyer. Apprentice-style training also available to those who can’t make our Monday morning trainings.
Questions? Email us at livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call (650) 947-1103. For more information about Living Classroom, please visit our website at www.living-classroom.org.

CALLING ALL BAKERS - HOLIDAY COOKIES NEEDED FOR TEACHERS
Each year the PTA Staff Appreciation Committee organizes a holiday cookie event for the teachers and staff at Almond. On Thursday, December 14 staff will be invited to select from a variety of holiday cookies to take home and enjoy during the season. In order to host this event, we rely on parent volunteers to provide the cookies. We are looking for each class to provide 6 dozen cookies. For more details and to sign up, please go to Holiday Cookie Sign Up or contact Lynn Kostow (lynnhkostow@gmail.com) or Andrea Bocking (andreabocking@gmail.com).

Pilates After School starts on Tuesday, November 28, at Almond!

Kids learn basic anatomy, body alignment and Pilates moves. We play lots of fun movement games and wrap each class with a short meditation.
Dates: Nov 28 - Feb 27 (no class Dec 18-Jan 1, Jan 16, Feb 19-23)
Time: 3:00-4:10pm (Grade 1 and 2 students meet at 2:40 and will be supervised)
Price: $325 (includes healthy snacks, mat use, course materials, and t-shirt)
Please go to http://www.pilatesafterschool.com/register.html to register. Register now and take advantage of the early bird discount.
For questions, please contact amie@playitfitnow.com. We hope to see your child in our class!
From Coach Amie & Olivera

ALMOND COMMUNITY SERVICES - FAMILY GIVING TREE EVENT AND WISH DRIVE

This holiday season, for the third year in a row, Almond Elementary Community Services group will be leading a hands-on, warehouse event to support a local non-profit organization called Family Giving Tree. Last year, Family Giving Tree fulfilled over 80,000 holiday wishes by working with over 500 homeless shelters, charitable organizations, etc. Join us to help select the perfect gift to match the requesting wish cards and/or help sort them in a giant warehouse before they make it into the arms of a deserving child. This is truly one of the best volunteer opportunities for families (open to all ages) in the bay area - super fun and meaningful! We have secured 50 spots for Almond families. These spots went super fast last year so please RSVP as soon as possible to reserve your spot.
- When: Saturday, December 16, 9 am-11am
- Where: Family Giving Tree Warehouse (TBD - Last year was 394 West Carribean Drive, Milpitas - maybe the same this year as well)
- RSVP: Email polly@beau-coup.com with # of people attending
- Deadline to RSVP: Wednesday, November 29th
- Note: Adult Supervision required - this is NOT a drop-off event.
WE NEED YOUR HELP: As part of this event, Almond is running a holiday wish drive to fulfill 75 wishes for children in need. Please sign up to grant at least one wish (multiple would be SUPER or one per child that is volunteering for the event) if you’ve signed up to attend the event. Even if you are not able to attend, we would greatly appreciate your help!
- Here is how to sign up to fulfil a wish:
  - 1) Pick a gift from THIS spreadsheet and enter your name in Column B for any wish you would like to grant. It's a great activity to look at the list with your child and go shopping together. It is truly eye opening to see an 8 year old boy wishing for a soccer ball and a 14 year old girl wishing for twin size sheets or VTA tokens.
  - 2) If you prefer to give a cash donation (we will shop) - please paypal Seema (bhimsee@yahoo.com) and we will fulfill a wish or two or three. Please email us and we will add your name to the spreadsheet so you can see the wish(s) you fulfilled.
  - Gifts are due to the Almond School front office or Seema's House (658 Spargur Drive) by Wednesday, December ^6th (Please drop off gifts starting November 27th) so we can have time to sort, tag and drive them over to the warehouse prior to our event.
  - A few details: Please label each gift with its corresponding ID # (column D) and name of child when dropping off. Gift should be unwrapped and the recommended value is between $20 and $40. You only need to purchase one gift for each child per row, either the 'Wish' or 'Alternate Wish' item. Donations can be dropped off to Seema's home or in the Almond office (box labeled Family Giving Tree)
  - Thank you so much for supporting this wonderful cause. Let’s all pitch in and do something GREAT together this holiday season!
Cheers, Seema and Polly - Almond Community Service

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

Mark Beliaev, 11/15/17, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Helping other groups clean up after a project.
Roman Beliaev, 11/3/17, Respecting self and others. Roman shared that he was proud of the success of his partner during fluency practice!
Shan Davey, 11/15/17, Respecting self and others. As the class was beginning a math project, Shan offered to partner up with a student who was having a difficult time finding a partner. -Mrs. Hall
Kate Kostow, 11/14/17, Owning learning, Always making good choices. You work quietly, ignore when necessary, and focus on your work.
Ryan Lee, 11/15/17, Owning learning. Ryan did a great job taking notes about main idea/details during Reader's Workshop and sharing with his classmates.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Registration for the 2018 Los Altos & Los Altos Hills Little League Spring Season is now open.

See our website for more details. Click here to register for Baseball (ages 5-14) or Girls Softball (TK through 3rd grade). Our registration software has changed this year - if you have any issues please email info@losaltoslittleleague.com.

ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
November 16, 2017

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Monday, 11/20, PARENT CONFERENCES, No School
Tuesday, 11/21, PARENT CONFERENCES, No School
Wednesday - Friday, 11/22 - 11/24, THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, No School
Thursday, 11/30, School Coffee re: Evidence of Learning (8:45am, Multi)
Tuesday, 12/5, Almond Singers Holiday Concert (8:45am-School Concert for Almond Students; 7pm-Evening Concert for Parents, Families & Friends)
Thursday, 12/7, Kindergarten / New Parent Info Night for Prospective Families (7pm, Multi & Classrooms)
Monday, 12/11, LASD Music Concert Gr. 4-6 (1pm, Multi)
Wednesday, 12/13, PTA General Meeting (8:30am, Multi)
Thursday, 12/14, School Coffee re: Math Problem of the Month & Number Talks (8:45am, Multi)
Monday, 12/18, December Vacation Starts
Tuesday, 1/2, School Resumes

SCHOOL MESSAGE

The entire Almond staff works together daily to ensure the safety of all students. Here is some information that we can share without exposing details which would render us vulnerable.

Responding to Injuries

At the beginning of every year we have a health training to review procedures and expectations.
Every teacher and the entire office staff are equipped with walkie talkies.
When a child is injured and not able to walk him/herself to the nurse, we go to the child to assess the situation.
If we do not have a nurse on location at the time, we call our district nurse team for guidance - if needed.
If an injury warrants a call to 911 (even without consultation), we make that call.
Our entire staff works together to address whatever issue surfaces. It’s all hands on deck.

Ensuring All Students Contribute to a Safe Environment

Students are expected to follow our SOAR principles; Solve Problems, Own Your Learning, Always Making Good Choices, Respect Self & Others.
Inevitably, children will make mistakes. Some will be minor. Some will be serious.
When a child’s actions are overtly incongruous with school expectations, a student is redirected immediately by an adult and respective disciplinary consequences are administered if necessary.
If information is reported to us by any student that causes alarm, the entire school team works together to respond immediately. We investigate all statements and handle them seriously.
If a child creates an unsafe environment in the classroom or playground, we take immediate action. This could be relocating students affected by the unsafe behavior, it could also mean removing the student posing the safety concern.
Because we are a team, every member of this staff works together to support student safety. We communicate frequently via walkie talkie, text messages, on the phone, and in person. We develop action plans to ensure there is adequate supervision for all students. When needed, that supervision becomes laser focused on an area or person in need.
We have contacted law enforcement before when needed and we will not hesitate to do so if a situation warrants it.

Safeguarding Against Outside Threats

We have an emergency response plan in place to protect our students and staff from the potential of a terrible event.
We review this plan at the beginning of each school year and revisit it throughout the year.
We work closely with our three local law enforcement agencies (Los Altos, Mountain View and Santa Clara County) to ensure our emergency practices are current, including response to a shooter on campus.
We practice various types of emergency drills monthly. In December, we will practice a Code Red. We will share the language we will be using with families before the drill. The language will be tailored by grade level spans (TK-1, 2-3, 4-6).
Student safety is a top priority; not only for parents, but also for our staff.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

CARD IN OFFICE FOR CARLA
If you would like to sign a card for our librarian, there is a large on in the office.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO FILL 2 PTA COMMITTEE CHAIR POSITIONS

Hot Lunch Vendor Liaison - responsibilities include keeping lunch room stocked with paper plates, napkins and food handling gloves, communicate with Pasta Market regarding new menus, parent requests or comments, post new menus 3x/year.
Bulletin Boards - Update the front and interior bulletin boards with current important date reminders and calendars
Please contact Almond PTA President, Rachel Harnish, rachelharnish@yahoo.com if you can help with these positions.

6TH GRADE MOVIE FUNDRAISER: WONDER MOVIE

Traditionally, the Almond 6th grade class raises money for a class gift like a bench, art work or the Eagle costume. The class of 2018 chose a slightly less traditional gift and decided to raise money for the North Bay Fire Victims. The 6th graders are kicking off the fundraising with a Filmraiser to the movie Wonder, based on the best-selling book. The Wonder movie opens this weekend, and all you need to do is buy a ticket. The 6th graders will earn $1.00 from every ticket purchased for shows on November 18, 19 and 20 when you select "Almond Elementary - 6th Grade" on filmraiser.com/tickets before purchasing.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!
- 1. VISIT www.filmraiser.com/tickets
- 2. TYPE "Almond Elementary - 6th Grade" for your cause
- 3. CLICK through to Fandango. Tickets purchased track back to the 6th Grade North Bay Fire Victims Fundraising. Please consider inviting friends and family at other schools and in other cities. Anyone in the US can help, and there is no limit to ticket sales.
Thanks in advance for your support!

ABC (Asset Building Champion) Reading/ Project Cornerstone

This month, our 1st -5th graders will be reading the book Big by Coleen Paratore. Students will explore their personal power with the concept of being a BIG person. Big is not defined as large or tall, but a person who thinks BIG about the world and their place in it. The reward for being BIG is not tangible, but something felt inside of each of us. We will challenge the students to look within themselves to see how they can tap into their personal power to become a valuable member of their family, school, neighborhood, community, country and world. You can support this at home by:
- Encouraging your child to reflect on how the little thoughts and actions they engage in on a daily basis add up to living in a Big way.
- Focus on daily acts of caring that kids can do to fill their own and other’s buckets.
- Catch them being BIG and fill their bucket with words of affirmation.
- Remind students that it is their efforts to be BIG that count. Research on mindset has shown that noticing and naming a child’s effort rather than their achievement, will lead them to experience feeling of success and create a desire to do better in future activities.
Kindergarten students will be reading Join In & Play which teaches children about being a friend, making a friend, and playing together. It emphasizes rules for getting along, being a good sport, and cooperating with others.
Our 6th Graders will focus on making genuine apologies, and respecting others by taking responsibility for their actions, both good or bad.
For more information about the ABC program, please contact Jen Walker (jenswalker5@gmail.com) or Mona ElNaggar at (monayousuf05@gmail.com)

Become a LIVING CLASSROOM docent... share your love of nature with kids!

It's time to build bird nests, make yummy soup from the veggies we harvest from our school gardens, discover symmetry inside fruit, and make natural dyes from plants! If you like all those things and more, please consider becoming a Living Classroom docent! LIving Classroom is looking for docents to help deliver hands-on garden-based lessons to the students of the Los Altos School District. No experience necessary as we provide all the training needed! Our Winter Docent Training will take place at the LASD iLearn Studio on Monday mornings from 9-Noon on 12/4, 12/11, 1/8 and 1/22. Please click HERE to view our Winter Training Flyer. Apprentice-style training also available to those who can’t make our Monday morning trainings.
Questions? Email us at livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call (650) 947-1103. For more information about Living Classroom, please visit our website at www.living-classroom.org.

Pilates After School starts on Tuesday, November 28, at Almond!

Kids learn basic anatomy, body alignment and Pilates moves. We play lots of fun movement games and wrap each class with a short meditation.
Dates: Nov 28 - Feb 27 (no class Dec 18-Jan 1, Jan 16, Feb 19-23)
Time: 3:00-4:10pm (Grade 1 and 2 students meet at 2:40 and will be supervised)
Price: $325 (includes healthy snacks, mat use, course materials, and t-shirt)
Please go to http://www.pilatesafterschool.com/register.html to register. Register now and take advantage of the early bird discount.
For questions, please contact amie@playitfitnow.com. We hope to see

Thursday Word November 9th

ALMOND THURSDAY WORD
November 9, 2017

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

Thursday, 11/9, District English Language Advisory Committee (LASD Board Room @ District Office, 9-10:30am)
Friday, 11/10, NO SCHOOL
Monday, 11/13, Report Cards Emailed Home by 5pm
Tuesday, 11/14, AMC8 Math Exam for Interested 5th/6th Graders (3:15pm, STEM Maker Space)
Thursday, 11/16, Crazy Hair Day
Monday, 11/20, PARENT CONFERENCES, No School
Tuesday, 11/21, PARENT CONFERENCES, No School
Wednesday - Friday, 11/22 - 11/24, THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, No School
Thursday, 11/30, School Coffee re: Evidence of Learning (8:45am, Multi)
Tuesday, 12/5, Almond Singers Holiday Concert (8:45am-School Concert for Almond Students; 7pm-Evening Concert for Parents, Families & Friends)
Thursday, 12/7, Kindergarten / New Parent Info Night for Prospective Families (7pm, Multi & Classrooms)
Monday, 12/11, LASD Music Concert Gr. 4-6 (1pm, Multi)
Wednesday, 12/13, PTA General Meeting (8:30am, Multi)
Thursday, 12/14, School Coffee re: Math Problem of the Month & Number Talks (8:45am, Multi)
Monday, 12/18, December Vacation Starts
Tuesday, 1/2, School Resumes

SCHOOL MESSAGE

Carla Schick, Almond’s librarian, underwent a quadruple bypass surgery this past Monday. After a few days in the intensive care unit, she is now on the road to recovery at Stanford Hospital. Her husband, David, has been at her side, along with her two sons. In the coming days she’s expected to return home where she will take the necessary time to heal.

Such an unexpected event can reminds us of the preciousness of each and every day.

May you all have a wonderful Veteran's holiday weekend filled with love and joy! Thank you to all those who have served our country in this capacity. We are grateful for your courage, commitment, and selflessness.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

AMC8 MATH - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH, 3:15pm

We currently have 5 students signed up.
The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development of problem-solving skills. The AMC 8 provides an opportunity for middle school students to develop positive attitudes towards analytical thinking and mathematics that can assist in future careers. Students apply classroom skills to unique problem-solving challenges in a low-stress and friendly environment.
Almond School will proctor the annual exam in the STEM Maker Space at 3:15pm for any interested 5th or 6th graders. If your child is interested, please reply to this email with your child’s name and ensure that they present themselves to the STEM Maker Space at 3:15pm on Tuesday, 11/14.

DAILY PLAYGROUND SUPERVISION FILLED - What does this mean?

We have an interested parent who will become employed by the district to fill this position. Thank you PTA for covering this cost.
Once we are set up (we’re working through the hiring process), Almond students and their younger siblings who are accompanied WITH parents will be permitted to play in the Kindergarten playground area.
After the first dismissal, any students who are waiting for parents will be required to sit in a designated area while supervised by this staff member.
Within 10 minutes of the last dismissal, all students and parents are expected to vacate the campus.

STUDENT COUNCIL

We will be having the one and only Crazy Hair Day on Thursday, November 16th. Remember to do your hair in a funky way next Thursday.
This week's meeting with the Classroom representatives went amazing! Thank you to all the reps for making your posters for the Spirit day and canned food donation for CSA.
We are having a canned food drive and all donations will go to the community services agency (CSA). The bins for the canned food will be in the office. Make sure to donate before November 16th. Also make sure all of the food is non perishable.
Come back next week for the next Thursday Word blurb by the Student Council of Almond School!

BOOKWAVE

Thank you for those that purchased bookwave booklets last and this week. If are still interested in purchasing booklet(s), Jane Sanders at the front office has offered to pass them out (THANK YOU!)
You can write a check for $15 payable to Almond PTA and label your child's name and homeroom teacher name on the check, or put cash in an envelope and label the envelope with the same information. There is a PTA folder in the office where you can drop off your payment and pick up the packet(s) from Jane.
For more info on Bookwave, as well as tips and tricks in "effortlessly" completing this project, go to https://www.almondschool.org/Almondes/Portal/214-Bookwave
If you have any questions, feel free to email Lily Wang at alexandlily@gmail.com

Pilates After School is coming back to Almond this Winter! Classes start on Tuesday, November 28!

Kids learn basic anatomy, body alignment with respect to gravity, Pilates moves and lots of fun movement games in our class. Each class wraps with a short meditation, allowing students to calm and sense their body in space. Please see testimonials here.
We're holding a FREE trial class next Tuesday, November 14, 3-4pm, in the Multipurpose room.
Please register at http://www.pilatesafterschool.com/register.html.
We hope to see your child next Tuesday! If you have any questions, please contact amie@playitfitnow.com
From Coach Amie & Olivera

PARENT EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

11/15- Wednesday- 11am to 1, Anxiety and Mood Disorder Support and Info Group at Parents Helping Parents, http://www.php.com/node/41657/view
11/28- Tuesday- 6:30 to 8pm, Parenting Wired Teens, Children’s Health Council, 650 Clark Way, Palo Alto, register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parent-ed-parenting-wired-teens-tickets-37735354461?aff=es2

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

Matthew Ballabio, 11/7/17, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Helped put away sports equipment.
Danny Bouchan Lara, 11/8/17, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Danny is ready to listen and shows respect to his teacher and classmates!
Vilhelm Eskilsson, 11/8/17, Owning learning. Working very hard at learning English and participating in class discussions.
Aleksey Krupin, 11/7/17, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Helped put away sports equipment.
Max Lee, 11/8/17, Respecting self and others. Max has been helping a student learning English, and has been a great friend to him.
Sabrina Neal, 11/8/17, Owning learning. Sabrina has been giving insightful and thoughtful input during classroom discussions.
Angel Oregon, 11/1/17, Owning learning. Angel owns his learning by showing excitement and passion for math. He helps explain concepts to his peers and always gives his best effort.
Tanya Robles, 11/2/17, Solving problems, Owning learning. For explaining challenging math concepts to her classmates. From Mrs. Vriksha
Konstantin Rolnik, 11/7/17, Respecting self and others. Taking the time to be a role model for a first grader.
Vivaan Sehgal, 11/7/17, Always making good choices, Respecting self and others. Helped put away sports equipment.

COMMUNITY ANNOUCEMENTS

SUPPORT PUPPY POUND RESCUE - With a link to make it easy!
Hi Almond families! We are girl scout troop 61016. We are here today to talk about doing a puppy food drive for the puppies at puppy pound rescue. There will be a collection in the office. ”Taste of The Wild” is preferred, (Available Here from Amazon, Prime!) but all donations are also appreciated. We will be collecting November 1 - 15. There are also cash donation boxes in every classroom to help puppies with medical needs. Thanks for helping!!! - Troop 61016

Almond's Annual - Halloween Candy Drive Benefiting our Local Troops (LAST DAY TO DONATE IS MONDAY 13th!)

Don't know what to do with all that Halloween Candy that your kids collected or you just didn't hand out? Please consider donating it to the Halloween Candy Drive at Almond Elementary School! Almond Community Services is conducting its annual candy drive - to help YOU get rid of all the candy and to help OUR TROOPS nearby! From November 2nd through November 9th (to give you the weekend to have the kids count and then forget their loot!), please bring in your wrapped candies and drop it in the marked box in the main office. All candy donated will be picked up by a local Military Unit through our partnership with Operation Care and Comfort (a non-profit organization) to be used for care packages, local military events, etc. Please note that all donations will be used for our local military professionals and sent abroad. Last year we collected over 350 lbs of candy and are hoping to reach the same! For more information on Operation Care and Comfort please visit their website (www.occ-usa.org).
If you have any questions please contact Seema Chavan or Polly Liu.

One Dollar for Life invites you to a fundraiser at Chef Chu’s! 15% of your total order (dine-in or takeout) will be donated to ODFL.
Date: Monday, November 13, 2017
Time: 11:00am-9:30pm Reservations are recommended for large groups
Every dollar donated will go directly to support a project. This year we are building projects in: Zambia; Kenya; India; Nicaragua; Nepal; and South Africa.
We build Bigger People and a Better World. It’s Working!
You MUST present this flyer when paying for ODFL to receive the donation!!
11/14- Tuesday- 7pm, walk-in Parent Chat for parents/caregivers of youth w/mental health issues. Free, anonymous, peer-to-peer support, at Los Altos Library, 13 South San Antonio Road.

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