April 20, 2007 - El Carmelo PTA - Palo Alto Council of PTAs

CarmeletterIssue 13 El Carmelo PTA Newsletter April 20, 2007“The LoveBoat”set saillast Saturday,April 14th!CALENDARApril 25—April 26—May 1—May 5—May 7-17—SPIRIT DAY—Be Cool DayCarmeletter Submission Deadline @ 3:00 pmBoard of Education Meeting @ 7:30 pmMay Fete ParadeSTAR Testing (2nd—5th grades)Volunteers Needed!May Fete Booth(see page 4)www.elcarmelo.paloaltopta.org1

Issue 13 El Carmelo PTA Newsletter April 20, 2007Carmeletter Publication MembersPTA PresidentEric SchuurPTA Executive Vice-PresidentAna-Maria DiasPrincipalLupe GarciaEditorFaith W. BrigelLayoutErina DuBoisDistributionWilfredo GonzalezSpanish Translations byHortensia HalstedPublished BiweeklySubmissions may be sent to:Carmeletter@yahoogroups.comA printed copy may be left in theCarmeletter editor folder in the mainoffice (below the mailboxes).Submissions will usually bereformatted, so plain text ispreferred. Although we try to includeeverything submitted, please beaware that we need to keep thelength of the newsletter reasonable,so we may shorten articles.Next IssueSubmission PublicationApril 26 May 4Principal’s LetterDear El Carmelo Parents, Students, and Community,“Thank You” El Carmelo Community for your support! Each year youraise the bar a bit higher and keep meeting and surpassing all expectationsin your commitment and effort when it comes to our children, while at thesame time enhancing the sense of community. The El Carmelo Auction issuch an example. Hundreds of individuals “come together” in the spirit ofcommunity and work feverishly for a common goal: to support ourchildren. You surpass yourselves every year for this hallmark event for ourschool.On behalf of the entire El Carmelo Community I also want to acknowledgethe many individuals who specifically contributed to making the ElCarmelo Auction such a SUCCESS. A SPECIAL “Thank You” goes toJill Spain for spearheading such a large and wonderful communityundertaking. This event is a yearlong effort that requires single-mindedfocus and commitment. Another VERY SPECIAL “Thank You” to the“relentless efforts” of the tremendous supporting cast that worked quietlyand feverishly behind the scenes. You are an inspiration to all of us! It trulytook hundreds of hours of personal, behind the scenes efforts to plan,contact, persuade and bring this event to fruition. What a magnificentrendition by the El Carmelo Team!General Information and Upcoming Events:STAR Test: The mandated State Testing and Reporting Program(STAR) for grades 2-5 will take place from May 7 through May 17. TheSTAR Test assesses students by grade level in the areas of reading,language, mathematics, spelling, and science at fifth grade. The informationwe receive for each individual student allows us to plan thoughtful, relevantinstruction to meet the child’s needs. Information regarding our schoolresults assists us in reviewing the success of our curricular program. Theseassessments are an opportunity for students to show at least one aspect ofwhat they have learned to date, as measured against grade level curriculumstandards. For now, please help your student and us by NOT schedulingfamily excursions or medical/dental appointments, especially on themornings of the dates indicated above. If you have questions, pleasecontact us directly.The end to the school year is fast approaching and we only have 8 weeks ofschool left. Typically, students have long-term culminating projects andactivities that require them to plan, organize and manage their time andactivities well so that their work is done thoughtfully and the finishedproduct represents their best effort. You can help your child by stayingabreast of what needs to be done so you can guide and counselappropriately. You may need to contact the classroom teacher for specificsso you and your child can be on the same page. Let us know how we canhelp.Warmest regards, Lupe Garcíawww.elcarmelo.paloaltopta.org2

Issue 13 El Carmelo PTA Newsletter April 20, 2007PTA President’s LetterWe loved it! The Love Boat set sail Saturday night at the Stanford FacultyClub in great style to offer its passengers an evening filled with glamorouswomen, handsome men, fine dining and dancing the night away. At the endof the evening the passengers disembarked with their winnings that includedfabulous trips across the globe, as well as beautiful treasures and warmmemories.We want to thank the “crew” that put this wonderful evening together forsacrificing their time to bring us a great event and to bring El Carmelo fundsthat will keep our programs going for another year. Jill Spain providedoutstanding leadership to the auction team. We never worried about theauction because we knew Jill and her team would make it look easy. Thankyou, Jill!The other members of the Auction Committee put in many, many hours tomake all of the details just right. Thank you to Debra Wittenbrink, LizCowie, Megan Fogarty, Melinda Schuur, Erina DuBois, Sripriya Kannan,Sheila Castro, Hilda Espinoza, and Mona Napaa for gathering so many greatdonations. Thanks to Stephanie and Mike Youngquist, and Laurie Smith fortracking purchases and sending us home with the right stuff.Thanks to Kathleen Ford, Jane Garvey, Lisa Hartwell, Jennifer Allen, Pam Sherwood, and Tanya Wingfor creating the atmosphere and for organizing the Quilt Project. Job well done!And, thanks to all of you who donated or purchased items at the auction. Your support is vital to ElCarmelo. We emphasize community rather than fundraising at El Carmelo because we believe that it isthe “people piece” that is most important in supporting our children and our families. However, we doneed money to support the PTA programs that help build community and enrich the students’ experienceat El Carmelo. We are fortunate to have such a generous community at our school.Bon Voyage until next time!Eric SchuurPresidentAna-Maria DiasExecutive Vice-PresidentTen Mile Club: CongratulationsCongratulations to Trisha for making the 10 Mile Club, and a "high five" to all of our runners whocome out Tuesdays during lunch recess in front of Mr. Danie's room! A number of students are close tothe goal of running 50 laps, or 10 miles, within El Carmelo. We are looking forward to seeingmore runners now that the weather is so nice -- remember your sneakers on Tuesdays.Also, parents: please contact Liz Cowie, Cowies @sbcglobal.net if you'd like to help out the 10 MileClub crew from 12:00-12:45 any Tuesday.Thanks,Lizwww.elcarmelo.paloaltopta.org3

Issue 13 El Carmelo PTA Newsletter April 20, 2007Congratulations to two El Carmelo Sweethearts!Carrie Manley, carrie_manley@yahoo.comThe Sweetheart Awards salute Palo Alto Unified School Districtteachers and staff for outstanding commitment to helpingchildren with special needs. The recipients this year include twodedicated educators here at El Carmelo: 4 th grade teacher JaneenSwan and Principal Lupe Garcia.One of Mrs. Swan’s students nominated her for the Sweetheartaward, and wrote the following testimonial: “Mrs. Swan makeslearning fun. I like the way she teaches because she is veryunderstanding and encouraging. With our Mission reports, shehelped us learn to be organized. She taught me how to takegood notes for a big report… I just really want to thank Mrs. Swan for all the work shehas done to help me and all my classmates.”Mr. Garcia was commended for his “rare ability to make each person, young and not-soyoung,his highest priority. He is a leader who is always encouraging new ideas andprojects that put kids first. One might take Mr. Garcia’s commitment and dedication forgranted, but day-by-day and year-by-year, his encouragement and support make such apositive difference to the individuals and the community. He knows how to get thingsdone in an effective way that will work with everyone. At El Carmelo, he creates astrong sense of community—rich in diversity—and united in the privilege andresponsibility of supporting all our children.”Congratulations to these two 2007 Sweethearts and to all the teachers and staff here whoare all so dedicated to helping all the children at El Carmelo.El Carmelo "Love Boat" Auction 2007Parents and Teachers,What a great night! From the staff at the StanfordFaculty Club, to Bizzarro Auctioneers and DJ RicWilliams, the night couldn't have run smoother. Ihope you enjoyed the evening that was plannedespecially for all of you.THANK YOU to all who donated their time towork check-in, beverage ticket sales, processingand check-out. Your efforts were greatlyappreciated.www.elcarmelo.paloaltopta.orgTo all who bid high and often and to those luckybidders, THANK YOU for supporting El Carmelo.The night was a success thanks to all of you.On behalf of all those who worked on puttingtogether this fun evening, thank you for comingaboard the El Carmelo "Love Boat" auction!Jill M. SpainAuction Chair5

Issue 13 El Carmelo PTA Newsletter April 20, 2007Service Learning and Awareness10 Activities To CelebrateNational Volunteer Month• Donate nutritious canned foods to thestudent council drive.• Reach out to younger children by playing orreading to them.• Make a new friend by introducing yourselfto a student you don’t know.• Bring cookies or flowers to a homeboundsenior, in your neighborhood.• Read about kids who make a difference –Pick a book off the list in office window andcheck it out at the library.• Pick up trash when you see it.• Volunteer at a senior center or foodprogram.• Offer to help a neighbor with yard work orpet care.• Get together with siblings or friends andshare your talents with others.What Else Can You Do ToHelp Our Environment?• Walk, bike, carpool anywhere andeverywhere you can!• Bring you own bags when you go shopping.• Recycle everything you can! Bring your inkcartridges to the school office!• Simplify your life by giving unused toys,games, and books to others who need them.• Get a library card and check out booksinstead of purchasing new ones (see bookslist in office window).• Plant a vegetable garden or pumpkins thismonth to enjoy in the summer and fall.• Make a Cool School Commutes Plan onApril 19th!• Commit to purchase items with fewer layersof packaging.• Reduce junk mail. See the City of Palo AltoRecycling website for steps to make ithappen.PARENTS: Please take sometime and review this list withyour child(ren). Choose a few totry this week!Megan Fogarty, meganfogarty@sbcglobal.netPTA Chair of Service Learningwww.elcarmelo.paloaltopta.org6

COMMUNITY KIOSKCommunity Events for the Palo Alto Area –April 20, 2007– Issue 14Klutz Give-It-All-Away DayFor the 12th year in a row, Klutz, the creativechildren's publishing company, will be holdingtheir Give-It-All-Away School Benefit Day onSaturday, May 19 th from 10 to 6pm. Klutz willdonate 101% to the school of your choice forevery dollar you spend at their store.The Klutz Store572 College Avenue, Palo Alto650-493-2481PiE NEWS! Thank You Donors!Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Palo AltoPartners in Education (PiE) is donating $2.1 million(11.1% more than last year) to PAUSD for the2007-08 school year. Elementary schools willreceive $1.38 million; secondary schools, $720K.All funds will be allocated on a per-student basis.Details:http://papie.org/newsletters/march2007.pdfPALO ALTO LIBRARY PROGRAMS Toddler Storytime (18 mo- 3yrs) Mon: 10or 11am at Main. Fri: 10am at Mitchell Park Preschool Storytime (3-5yrs): Tues: 10amat Main Library. Weds: 11am, at CollegeTerrace Library. Fri: 11am at Mitchell Park Lib.All programs are free & open to all!Middle School MathematicsWhat’s the Right Approach?Dr. Jan Scheer, author and math consultant,will answer these questions and more.Wednesday, April 25, 7– 8:30pm.Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School450 San Antonio Road, Palo AltoRSVP to Audrey Fox at 650.494.8200 ext. 104or afox@hausner.com. Space is limited.What About Me? What About Us? How to takeCare of Your Family and Yourself While Caringfor a Special Needs Child presented by CharleneCanger, LCSW, MFTThe often overwhelming world of “special” can makeus lose sight of our family’s needs, including our own.How can we foster the well-being and resiliency ofALL our family’s members? What does research tellus about handling challenges and strengtheningcoping skills? What practical wisdom can we learnfrom other parents? Charlene Canger will helpilluminate the issues that we all face as parents of achild who requires more attention than usual.Wednesday, May 16, 2007 – 7-9pm. Hospitalitybegins at 6:45pm. Covington Elementary SchoolMulti, 205 Covington Rd, Los Altos.This parent education event is sponsored by theSELPA 1 CAC (www.selpa1cac.org) All of ourevents are free and open to anyone who feels theymight benefit. No registration is necessary.PTA Wardrobe and Snow Clothing RentalThe Palo Alto Council of PTAs is pleased to offer to the Palo Alto Unified School District community the PTAWardrobe and Snow Clothing Rental service. The Wardrobe maintains a variety of clothing, from infantthrough adult. The clothing is available at no charge to families within PAUSD. The Snow Clothing Rentalservice rents entire outfits for the snow. Cost is $15 for children and $20 for adults for a 2-week rental period.The PTA Wardrobe is located in a portable at Jordan Middle School, 750 N. California Ave. on the MiddlefieldRoad side. Enter the Jordan parking lot on Middlefield, the PTA Wardrobe will be directly in front of you.Hours: Weds 2-5pm and Sat 10-1pm. The Wardrobe is closed on school holidays. Donations are welcomeduring open hours: clean, gently used clothing & books; new underwear & socks especially appreciated.Donations are tax-deductible and receipts are available.Questions? Maria, at the Wardrobe, 858-0654. Info: http://paloaltopta.org/news/wardrobe.html.

Community Events for the Palo Alto Area – April 20, 2007El Camino Youth SymphonyMembership Auditions For 2007-2008 Season. AuditionAppointments Available NowECYS invites musicians ages 6 - 20with at least 1 yr of experience on amusical instrument. The ECYS SeniorSymphony, the most advancedorchestra, goes on tour every 2 yrs, inaddition to regular performances.ECYS also hosts a SummerWorkshop. We are currently takingaudition applications for all levels. Toapply for program membership, pleasesubmit an audition application online atwww.ecys.org or (650) 327-2611.STORY TIME AT KEPLER’S• Sunday, April 22 at 11:30am-Balloon Story Time• Sunday, April 29 at 11:30am- NEABig Read Event: Amazing GraceStory TimeKepler's Books- 1010 El Camino Real,Menlo Park, 650-324-4321www.keplers.comStanford Typhoons, Looking forPlayersStanford Typhoons, U11 Girls (bornafter July 31, 1995), a Stanford SoccerClub teamwww.stanfordsoccerclub.org . We arelooking to add motivated and skilledathletes to the team. If interested orhave additional questions, pleasecontact team manager Cathy or CoachAvi at abmaharaj@comcast.net.Dyslexia Workshop-Comprehensionthe Ultimate Goal of ReadingAt Nueva School, HillsboroughSaturday, May 12, 9:00-noon, $30 student,$50 Adult. Call 650-328-7667 to registerParents Place Spring WorkshopsWorkshops of interest to parents of school-age children:• It’s Not Fair, You’re Ruining My Life (1 st -5 th grade),4/25, Noon-2pm with Marleen Didech, MA, $30• Raising Girls (K-3 rd ), W, 5/9 & 5/16, Noon-1:30pm withAly Yisrael, MPH, MSW, $50• Making and Keeping Friends (1 st -5 th ), 5/10, 7-9pm withDenise Salin, LMFT, $30• Putting Family First: Building Resilient Kids (6-18 yrs),5/15, 7-9pm with Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet, LCSW, $30Parents Place, 200 Channing Ave, Palo Alto.To register: 650-688-3040 or www.ParentsPlaceOnline.orgSUMMER OPPORTUNITIES• Pacific Art League Summer Camps- Hands-on programs,designed for ages 4-14 -- drawing, painting, sculpture, &more. Info: 321-3891, http://pacificartleague.org• CFA Summer Studios (Art Camps)-Classes for teens tokinders at the Children's Fine Arts Summer Studios. Forinfo & to register for classes see the Enjoy! Catalog, or callPA Art Center 329.2366 or online: www.paenjoy.org• USHA Hindi Camp- All Grades. Hindi Immersion camp.USHA India Camp- Pre-K to 3 rd Grades. Indian culturecamp. Reg & Info: www.eduhindi.com Contact: PreranaVaidya / customerservice@eduhindi.com / 650-384-0412• A Sports Camp for Girls by Girls by Cindy Pappas/AimeeBecker/Megan Meyer. Jordan Middle School, June 18-22 nd9:30-12:30. $150.00 Info: pappas.cindy@comcast.net• California Theatre Ctr's Summer Conservatories. Ages8 and up. For reg & info www.ctcinc.org or (408)245-2979.• Kids Cooking Camp- June 25-29, 8:30-2:30pm. GradesK-5. For info: Melissa Fassler 322-5946 ext. 106 orkidscookingcamp@yahoo.com• Hidden Villa Summer Camp- Day Camps: Ages 6-9 ▪Residential Camps: Ages 9-16 ▪ Leadership Camp: Ages16-18. 650-949-8641 ◦ www.hiddenvilla.org• Friends, Fitness and Fun- A fitness program for ages 7-12 by The Santa Clara Aquamaids. Spring & summersessions. For info 408-988-9936 or info@aquamaids.us orvisit www.aquamaids.org.• Chinmaya India Camp- June 25 – June 29, 9:30-3:30 or9:30-12. Grades 4-12. Contact Aarti Johri (aarti_johri@hotmail.com / 650-941-8685).Community KioskA bi-weekly publication of the Palo Alto Council of PTAs. The mention of any business or service does not implyan endorsement by the Palo Alto council of PTAs or the Palo Alto Unified School District.Submissions may be edited for clarity or space.Next Deadline: Wednesday, April 25, 2007; 5:00pmPlease email submissions to kioskeditor@paloaltopta.org

Volume 52, Issue 8May 2007Palo Alto Council of PTAs25 Churchill AvenuePalo Alto CA 94306Phone: 650-326-0702Web: http://www.paloaltopta.orgOn the Calendar May-JuneAll PTA Unit President, Council, andSchool Board meetings are at 25 Churchillunless otherwise noted. PAUSD SchoolBoard meetings are usually broadcast oncable channel 28 and streamed live athttp://www.communitymediacenter.net/watch/schedules/index.htmlMay 3-6, State PTA Convention, SacramentoMay 8, 7:00 pm, School Board Meeting,May 9, 9:00 am, PTA Council Exec BdMay 11, 7:30 pm, SOS Keynote: DrsMadeline Levine & Wendy Mogel.Open to Public, Kresge Aud, StanfordMay 16, 9:00 am, PTA Unit PresidentsMay 19, San Mateo PTA Council LeadershipTraining ($10)May 22, 7:00 pm, School Board MeetingMay 23, 8:30-Noon, PTA Unit LeadershipTraining Day, 25 ChurchillMay 24, City of Palo AltoGREENLIGHT Earth Day FilmFestival, CubberleyJun 1, 11:30am, PTA Council HonoraryService Awards LuncheonJune 2, 8:30 am, 6 th District LeadershipTrainingJune 5, 7:00 pm, School Board MeetingJune 6, 9:00am, Incoming/Outgoing PTACouncil Exec Board Meeting,25 ChurchillJune 14, School Ends, Summer VacationBeginsJune 19, 7:00 pm, School Board StudySession, Work PlanJune 26, 7:00 pm, School Board MeetingThe CouncilorThe Newsletter of the Palo Alto Council of PTAsWhat Would You Do With $2.7 Million?When school districts across California opened their doors last Fall, Palo Alto Unified found a nicesurprise from Sacramento – an unprecedented $2.7 million payable to our students. Here’s the lateston how this money will be spent.Questions or ideas?Contact Lauren Janov (JanovLL@yahoo.com) your PTA Council Legislative Co-Chair.Spending Not Yet ApprovedArts, Music & PE -- one-time grant of $855,0003% for administrative indirect costs8% for professional developmentThe remaining 89%:- 1/3 will be used for PE (including dance for secondary schools)- 2/3 will be used for visual arts, music and drama (including dance for elementary schools)Arts & Music – recurring grant of $177,4013% for administrative indirect costs8% for professional development89% will be spent on K-12 visual arts, music and drama.Funds will be allocated on a per student basis district-wide. At the elementary schools, fundswill remain at the district. At the middle and high schools, funds will be disbursed to thesites. The District expects to report spending decisions to the School Board in May.District Discretionary – one-time grant of $64,000Anticipates that these funds will be pay for a Charter School Task Force if needed and toextend the work of the Attendance Area Advisory Group Task Force.Spending Approved by School BoardOne-Time GrantsSite Discretionary -- $677,000 ~ $58.74/studentTo be spent as proposed by each school's Site Council.Instructional Materials, Library & Technology -- $171,000- Half will be used to purchase library books- The other half will go to selected elementary sites which in Fall 2007 will set up prototypetech classrooms.District Discretionary -- $160,000Will fund the High School Task Force and Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools(FLES) Implementation Plan.(Continued on page 2)Palo Alto PTA Council Honors Outstanding Service To ChildrenMembers of Palo Alto’s PTAs, schools and community devote energy, enthusiasm and initiative in countless ways that benefit ouryouth. Each year, PTA awards are presented to individuals who have given outstanding service to children. This year’s awards willbe presented at the 2007 PTA Council Honorary Service Award Luncheon on Friday, June 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the UniversityClub. This event is an annual highlight!The Palo Alto Council of PTAs honors service with local and California State PTA awards in several categories. Among considerationsare longevity and significance of service, breadth/depth of service, and contributions that benefit more than an individualschool. Questions? Contact Dan Dykwel, PTA Council EVP at dykwel@comcast.net.

The CouncilorThe Newsletter of the Palo Alto Council of PTAsis published monthly.Melissa Baten CaswellPTA Council PresidentMona SiegelCouncilor EditorDr. Mary Frances CallanPAUSD SuperintendentThe mention of any business or service in thisnewsletter does not imply an endorsement byeither the Palo Alto Council of PTAs or thePalo Alto Unified School District.New on the PTAC Website!Parent Education Resourceshttp://www.paloaltopta.org/parentedOffering book titles, links, and past presentations.Have a book title or link to suggest? Send toCarolyn Williams carolyn@vtmedia.comThe Klutz Store 12th Annual Give-it-all-Away Day!Saturday, May 19, 10 AM - 6 PMWhat Would you do with $2.7 Million? (Continued from page 1)Recurring GrantsCounselors -- $340,000 ~ $66.22/studentUsed to hire more school counselors in Grades 7-12.Economic Impact Aid -- $246,710 expectedWill fund the English Language Master Plan for English language learners and help closethe achievement gap.District Application Not Yet Approved by the StateEnglish Language Learners – one-time grant of $25,384 expectedWill upgrade instructional materials and pilot Dyn-Ed (a computer-basedEnglish language program) at Briones.Career Technology – one-time grant of $15/Regional Occupational Programstudent expectedWill buy equipment and supplies if Santa Clara County Office of Educationdistributes these funds to school districts.Help Students in Need: Ecumenical Hunger Program’s Back to School Supply DriveMost of us don’t think twice, when we pay for lengthy lists ofbinders, folders, scissors and glue sticks. But back-to-school necessitiesare simply not a priority when a family struggles to affordhousing or food.Friederike Buelow is working on a School Outreach program toprovide back to school supplies for students in need. She is workingin partnership with two nonprofits: East Palo Alto’s EcumenicalHunger Program (EHP) and Kits for Kidz.EHP is a 32 year old, private, non-profit, community-based organizationthat provides emergency food, case management andhousehold essentials to families in need.Kits for Kidz is a program dedicated to supplying new schoolsupplies to children who otherwise might go without.The mission of the partnership program is to provide school suppliesto less fortunate children in East Palo Alto and surroundingcommunities. Last year about 200 out of 1000+ students receivedthis assistance.Several PAUSD classrooms have joined with EHP to help. MargoWixsom, photography teacher at PALY, integrates fundraisinginto her curriculum as “service based learning.” Some students arefilling backpacks with pencils, highlighters, boxes of crayons,binders and notebooks for this program. “Backpack Rally” is thename they gave the project. Others have chosen to raise money tobuy backpacks filled with Back-to-School supplies for a bargainprice of $17 at www.kitsforkidz.org . The class will document theprocess in a photography project; everybody who participates- inreal time or virtually- earns extra credit towards the final grade.Jordan Middle School’s Teal Team is assembling kits in Aprilunder the orchestration of teacher Tami Warr. Meanwhile, Gunn’sGerman Club, under the leadership of teacher Kertin Helbling, haschosen to do a fundraiser to buy backpacks online.Palo Alto’s PTA Council has endorsed the partnership programand EHP hopes to grow the effort in 2007, so that every child inour community will be prepared to begin a new school year.If you would like to help, EHP encourages student groups andtheir families to:• Collect supplies, assemble them into kits, and deliver them toEHP.• Raise money to order fully assembled backpack kits to be distributedthrough EHP from www.kitsforkidz.org .The website has a drop-down menu listing EHP as its partner.Any number of kits can be ordered.Questions?Contact: Friederike Buelow, rolbue@aol.com , orMaleah Choi, maleah@ehpcares.org.Incoming PTA officersMandatory Training by PTA Council - May 23, 8:30 AM to noon, 25 Churchill Avenue