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

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