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SCHOOL NEWS
A Message from Principal Lisa Zimmer
As we look ahead to next year’s classroom placements, we know that some parents would like to request a certain teacher or a certain friend in the class with their child.
All of our teachers are wonderful and represent a wide range of teaching styles. Your child will profit from working with all kinds of “mentors” during the six years they may study with us.
Our staff spends many hours working in teams to establish balanced classes that assure a mosaic of students with varying interests, needs, strengths, cultural backgrounds, and languages. For children with very specific and individualized needs (e.g. physical, emotional, or learning disabilities), we again work as a team to assure those special areas will be accommodated by the new class placement. Because of these factors, we will take into consideration only extraordinary circumstances that you may share with us about your child. A desire to be with a certain teacher or with a certain child is not an extraordinary circumstance.
Once the classes are set, there will be no changes unless there is a truly unusual situation that is discussed fully with the parent of the child, teacher, principal, and superintendent. Even with this, changes will not be made during the first two weeks of school. We generally find that once students settle into the new grade, they acclimate quickly and make new friends. The children will always see their other friends during recesses, field trips, and other all-grade activities.
We ask for your trust and we thank you for respecting our professional judgment. Please do not put teachers in an awkward position of answering to your requests for a certain person. We appreciate your cooperation with this placement procedure.
- Lisa Zimmer and Mill Valley School District Principals
Fourth Grade Trip To Sutter’s Fort:
What You Can Do
In April, the Edna Maguire fourth grade went to Sutter's Fort in Sacramento and lived like true pioneers. The overnight field trip was part of their in-depth study into the history of California. View a terrific video of the event. After a ride on covered wagons, the 4th graders arrived at Sutter's Fort and learned how to cook over an open fire, spin yarn, lasso a bull, make candles from molten wax, build a stool, churn butter, and much, much, more. Memories for a lifetime were made for both the children and more than 30 parents and adults who accompanied them.
Unfortunately, future trips to Sutter's Fort are in jeopardy. Governor Schwarzenegger recently proposed the closure of a number of state parks and historic sites, including Sutter's Fort. The loss of Sutter's Fort would be a huge loss to every upcoming fourth grader at Edna Maguire. To learn more about the closure and what you can do, go to www.calparks.org. Let your voice be heard!
Volunteer Needed for Edna Maguire Website and Emails
If you have a computer with Internet access and are an "online" kind of person, this is the job for you! We're looking for a volunteer to post news on the EdnaMaguire.org home page and send out important emails on a regular basis. Estimated time commitment: 1/2 to 1 hour a week. Work with great people from the PTA and the website team, learn how to post blog entries and photos (no previous experience necessary), learn to use our email delivery system (very user-friendly), and become part of the team that delivers the latest school news to Edna parents. Please contact Linda Dunne at ldunne@dunne-design.com or 381-8893 for more information.
Muffins with Mom
Parents, teachers, and children of Edna Maguire Elementary School, mark your calendars–it’s Muffins with Mom! Join our school to celebrate the untiring efforts of the moms.
Volunteer husbands will joyfully greet everyone and serve muffins, coffee, juice, milk and fresh fruit. The social event is a big hit each year. Do not miss the fun and opportunity to rub shoulders with the important behind the scenes school operators: the Moms!
Muffins with Mom will be held May 16, from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. in the multipurpose room. See you there!
Towel Drive
Edna’s first grade Brownie Troop #30768 has been busy organizing a used towel drive on behalf of the PTA’s Emergency Prep Committee. Look out for their delightful posters around school and the wonderfully decorated collection box in the school office. Collection dates are May 9th through 15th. The towels will be used in the classroom emergency kit bags. The gear inside these bags is entirely PTA funded and maintained and will help our children get through an emergency situation until medical help arrives. If you have some old, gently used bath or beach towels, please take the time to bring them in to the collection box in the office. Your help is truly appreciated. Any questions please contact Lucy Hampton at lucyhampton@comcast.net.
GARDEN NEWS
Ladybug Release Day – A Big Hit!
View a video of our fantastic ladybug release.
Kudos to Barbara Zamost, who was instrumental to our garden and our school in getting the word out to the rest of the world about how wonderful Edna Maguire is. She is the reason for the great front-page San Francisco Chronicle piece and video. More of her amazing handiwork about Edna Maguire will be displayed in the media this summer. Stay tuned!
Thank you to our TV news reporter parent Stacey Ciauri. Stacey pitched the ladybug story to her TV station, NBC 11 and they loved it and covered it on the five o’clock news that night.
Thank you to Yoni and Bowen Cassel who gathered and sold our produce this past Friday after school.
Our parents, dedicated staff, and Kiddo! make this an amazing place to grow and learn. Thank you!
District Survey
Please take a few minutes to complete the annual Mill Valley School District Parent Survey. The District wants your feedback!
Are You Ready for an Emergency?
You have probably seen the yellow Get Ready Marin banners all over town. Now is your chance to participate in a Get Ready presentation at Edna Maguire. Mike Maguire, a member of the Southern Marin Fire Get Ready program, has already given presentations at Park and Tam Valley schools. His presentation will cover the basics of emergency preparedness.
The presentation will be held Thursday, May 29th from 8:40 to 10:40 a.m. in the multipurpose room. Please RSVP to Mari Allen (allenmari@hotmail.com) by Wednesday, May 21st.
Fridays are Frequent Rider Miles Prize Days!
Safe Routes to Schools Frequent Rider cards with at least 20 points can be turned in every Friday through May 30th in front of the school office. Don’t forget to walk/roll/carpool to school every day! The contest runs through May 23rd. If you need help finding other Edna families to SchoolPool with, see the new MVSD directory on page 13.
At the end of the contest, all cards that are turned in with at least 20 points are entered into a drawing for larger prizes, such as a new bicycle, Razor scooter, backpack, or bike lock. Be sure to fill in the entire card with student’s name and room number when you turn it in!
Thanks for supporting your school, the community, and the environment!
KIDDO!
Don't Forget Kiddo's! Annual Campaign
In case you missed it, May 1st was Kiddo! Donation Day. This year, in response to the serious funding gap faced by our school district, Kiddo! has committed to raise over $1.6 million in its Annual Giving Campaign for the 2008-09 school year. These funds will pay for arts and technology programs as well as to save library and classroom aides from budget cuts.
It's not to late to give. Drop your envelope at the school office; click on www.kiddo.org; or mail in your donation to Kiddo! today.
On behalf of Kiddo! and all the children, THANK YOU!
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
May at the Mill Valley Public Library
Attention third grade history buffs: the Mill Valley Public Library has the information you need on Mill Valley’s colorful history. Historical files are available in the Children’s Room or the History Room (check our website for hours).
Got piles of homework? Live Homework Help, our FREE online tutoring service for students in grades 4 through 12, will chase away the end-of-semester homework blues. Visit http://millvalleylibrary.org/homework.html to get started.
Summer’s around the corner and our best ever Summer Reading Program is in the works. The program runs from June 23 through August 15, so watch our website for updates. Librarians will be at school in early June to tell you all about it.
And don’t forget, you can help shape the Library's future by participating in a series of focus groups. Questions will center on your use of the Library, your satisfaction with existing services, what new services you would value, and what you think is important for the future of the Library. Please contact Library Trustee Mary Lansing at maryhlansing@aol.com or 415-383-9189. |
