This month our LifeSkill is Responsibility. This is what Edward Everett Hale had to say about it.
“I am only one.
But still, I am the one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something.
And because I cannot do
everything, I will not refuse
to do the something
that I can do.”
I encourage parents to discuss with their children what responsibility looks like at home. We do the same here at school. Some of the ways we know a child is acting responsibly are:
Asks questions to expand understanding of ideas and concepts.
Seeks lifelong interests and hobbies by participating in class and school activities.
Commits to improving his/her skill, knowledge and behavior.
Brings necessary supplies for projects.
Returns materials to people or to their places.
Replaces torn or lost library books.
Accepts responsibility for negative actions and stands up for others who have been rudely or unfairly treated.
Working together we create children who will be responsible adults from which all society benefits.
“If you want to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.”
Illnesses
If your child is sick and misses school, please call the office and let us know what is wrong with your child. Please be specific with what illness your child has, and if the diagnosis was confirmed by a doctor. This will allow us to better keep track of the types of illnesses currently in the school. If you have any questions or medical concerns feel free to call me anytime 492-3718.
-- Deborah Meshal, School Nurse
International Walk To School Day Wednesday, October 7
This year Andy Falk and Joe Pirini are coordinating our Safe Routes to School Program (SR2S). They are developing a program that really encourages us to find alternate ways of coming to school; i.e. walking, riding bikes, busing, and/or carpooling.
Our first major event is participating in International Walk to School Day. This will be the seventh year Vallecito has participated. We urge all families to get out of their cars and find an alternative way of coming to and from school. There will be parents at various locations to help kids cross streets.
A group will be meeting at the Safeway parking lot closest to school, while another group will meet at the water park by Kaiser, and both groups will start walking to school together at 8 a.m.
Students riding their bikes to school must wear a helmet and bring a lock for their bikes. All students walking, biking or busing will get double SR2S points! We encourage kids to wear their Vallecito shirts and/or sweatshirts that day. Please remember, skates and scooters are not allowed on our campus.
Conference Week
With conferences week coming up this month (Oct 19 – 23), I thought I’d give you a couple of tips so you can make the most out of your special time with your child’s teacher.
First of all, remember that students are released at 12:25 in order for the teachers to be able to schedule all their conferences. The kindergartners who ride the bus will take the same bus as the older students. The students will probably come home starved so pack a substantial snack or take advantage of snacks being sold in the inside quad. They will be selling a variety of snacks for 50 to 75 cents each (muffins, fresh fruit, granola bars, yogurt and water, milk and assorted juices.)
Conferences are crucial in developing the team approach to educating your child. The key to a successful conference is open communication. By exchanging information, teachers, parents and students work together to build a successful school year. There are some things you might think about before coming that you might want to share with the teacher.
Anything new and /or different in your child’s life?
How is the homework coming?
What areas of the curriculum your child is most enthusiastic about? What does s/he complain about?
Does your child talk about any peer problems?
What interests your child the most?
What do you find motivates your child?
Please come on time and leave siblings at home. It is important that neither you nor the teacher be distracted. If an emergency arises, please phone Ms. Kitty (492-3750) so we can notify the teacher that you will not be attending. The conferences are scheduled very closely together in order to facilitate everyone. This is why promptness is a necessity.
Spelling Bee Winners!
Representing Vallecito at the Dixie-San Rafael Districts Spelling Bee on October 21 at Dixie School starting at 3:30 will be Aiko Johnson, Adrian Tabassi and Greg Hill. These students have obviously already started practicing. Best of luck Vallecito Eagles. Way to SOAR!
SchoolPool Program To Go Online County-wide
Safe Routes to Schools is launching a SchoolPool Trip-Match system that allows parents to register online at no charge to find companions for carpooling, walking, and biking to school together, or for bus buddies.
Later this Fall, families will be able to register on the system, indicating the school the child attends and the route they use to get to school, and the system will send back a match-list of other registered families who are looking for SchoolPool companions. Contact information will be included so families can e-mail or call one another. The system will be similar to a 511 commute rideshare system, with the latest in features, security and ease of use.
Support for the new Marin County SchoolPool Trip-Match system was provided by a grant from Marin Community Foundation and continued Measure A support from Transportation Authority of Marin.
About 2-1-1
I have just learned about a new service available across the Bay Area. For every day needs and in times of disaster, dial 2-1-1 to access hundreds of community services, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Trained, caring professionals can help you answer questions such as:
What do I do if I don't have enough food for my family?
Is there an after-school program in my neighborhood?
Where can I get my flu shots?
Where can I get help in times of disaster?
Where can I donate food, clothing, toys, etc.?
Where can I find volunteer opportunities?
and so many more!
2-1-1 phone service is free, confidential and available in over 150 languages. You can also find the help you need by searching our online database.2-1-1 can provide information about emergency shelters and evacuation routes during natural and man-made disasters.
We are interested in starting lunch clubs. If you have an interest you would be willing to share with a group of our students one day a week for approximately 20 to 25 minutes please let me know. Just email me a note and we’ll coordinate. You can even choose the day! In the past we have had crochet club, knitting club, book club, story time, French club, Spanish club, games, chess, gardening club and puzzle club. Last year we started a writing club and the kids loved it. Anything you have a passion for generates interest with our students.
NEWS FROM THE VALLECITO PTA
Can Do!
The CanDo! campaign is under way and many families at Vallecito have already contributed. The classrooms with the highest percentage of participation are 2nd grade Ms. Nahreini, 1st grade Ms. Stewart and in a tie for third place are Ms. Bruton's Kindergarten and Ms. McKeon's 3rd grade. Remember, the campaign is about giving what you can and all classrooms that reach 100% participation will receive a $100 prize.
Book Fair
The Book Fair is during conference week this year, October 19th - 23rd with additional hours on Friday October 16th which is a no school day. Please plan on stopping by to pick up some recommended reading material for your child. All money raised by the fair goes right back into supplying books for our library. Want to help?
Volunteers are needed for set up, sales days and take down. Contact Alaina Yoakum at yo.alaina@gmail.com.
Fall Festival
October is here which means we are busy getting ready for the Fall Festival on the 31st. There was information regarding donations for the fabulous raffle baskets in last week's Friday folders; please return those ASAP! Volunteers are a vital part of making this event FUN for everyone; download a volunteer form and return it to your teacher or sign up on line at http://vallecito.wikispaces.com/Fall+Festival
Vallecito Wikis
We are trying to make volunteering easier for everyone! Additionally, we are trying to be a little more green! Rather than making 400+ copies every time there is a need for helping hands, we are working toward using the wikispace website. We currently have links to 2 pages where you can sign up for whichever events are currently in the planning stages. The link is included below. Once at the page look at the navigation bar on the left to see what events are in need of help. Please take a few minutes and familiarize yourself with this great tool. It is our hope to greatly cut down on the amount of paper that is used every year when requesting volunteers.
