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International Walk and Roll to School Day
This Wednesday, October 7th, watch the traffic levels drop and happy children take to the streets to celebrate the 10th anniversary of International Walk and Roll to School Day. Join students and families from around the world in a mass effort to walk, bike and carpool to school. Join walking buses and neighborhood bike trains at 8:00 a.m. at the Community Center parking lot, near the E. Blithedale crossing guard. For more information, contact Lisa Gilmore, Rhonda Campbell, or Laura Foley.
Book Fair News
Our first and only Book Fair informational meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 14th at 8:40 a.m. in the multipurpose room. Even if you have not yet signed up to volunteer, you are welcome to join us. We will be unveiling our theme for this year's Book Fair (November 16th through 19th), and will outline the various volunteer opportunities that will be available. Looking forward to seeing you! Questions? Email or call Mari Allen at 730-1522.
Help Prepare a Dinner for Families in Need
Edna Maguire volunteers provide hot, healthy, fresh meals once a month to nine families in need at the Homeward Bound Family Resource Center in San Rafael. Edna parents and students can help prepare dinner on October 14th from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room. Come ready to cook; no need to bring anything with you. Together we will prepare salad, hot entrée, side dish and dessert. We also need a driver who can deliver the prepared meals.
Fall Harvest Festival - New Date November 8th
Mark your calendars for Edna’s Fall Harvest Festival on Sunday, November 8th, from noon to 4:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing you at this great event.
Edna FAQs about Fundraising
Check out answers to some frequently asked questions about fundraising for Edna Maguire and the Mill Valley School District. If you have additional questions, please contact Leslie Lewczyk or Janie Karp.
Impressive International Potluck
At the International Potluck, Edna families enjoyed a wonderful selection of family recipes from around the world, listened to Drew Pratt's great music, and enjoyed an impressive martial arts demonstration. Many of us came home decorated with Hajara's gorgeous henna tattoos. A huge thank you to coordinator Amy Sherman and her team of volunteers: Courtney Wimmer, Negissa Araghi, Claudia VonWelczek, Marie Cardinal, Libby Brockhoff, Jamie Passot, Annie Fretes, Rob Gold, Lou Hexter, Sean Norton, Mari Allen and Katrina Kehl.
Thanks to You, Edna's Looking Beautiful
Thank you to Libby Brockhoff and her mother Sue, Gary Batroff, Lou Hexter, and Jessica Jones, who showed up on Saturday, September 26th to help make our school beautiful. The corridors and gathering areas are sparkling! Thanks also to the two little elves who came late Friday afternoon to clean up the garden beds in front of the main office: Sean Cain and son Ronan. Great initiative!
Our next clean up will be held Saturday, November 7th. Please contact Laura Figueirinhas for more information.
Edna Maguire Green Team
The Edna Green Team is comprised of dedicated third, fourth, and fifth graders who give up their lunchtime recess in order to serve our school and environment. The Green Team began two years ago when several students were rummaging through the trash looking for a lost item. When they realized just how much waste was in the cans, they took action and the Green Team was born!
Green Team members now stand by trash cans at lunchtime and persuade students to reuse, recycle and compost. After lunch, Green Team members bring recyclables to the large bins and the compost to our worm bins in the garden. Fifth graders Brooke Wimmer,
Cate Ryan,
Elise Ryan,
Jordan Krasniewicz
, Mika Allen,
Nell Mitchell, and
Kerry Taylor have been visiting classrooms to share a presentation they made about being green at Edna. Thank you to all of our Green Team students and their teacher leaders, Lisa Stapp and Carrie Morgan. Families can help by packing lunches with reusable containers, utensils and water bottles. The Green Team also collects juice pouches. Uneaten food can be brought home.
PTA Executive Board and Association Meeting October 7th
At our PTA meeting on October 7th at 8:40 a.m. in the staff room we will vote to approve 2009/10 PTA programs and release all funds and operating costs. This year's line-item budget was approved at the June 2009 Association meeting. Everyone is welcome!
Daisy Troop Meeting
Edna Maguire's new first grade/kindergarten Daisy Girl Scout troop will have a parent information meeting and play date this Wednesday, October 7th at 2:15 p.m. Meet up outside the first grade classrooms. Please rsvp to Laurie Mandigo-Stoba (Skye's mom, Room A) or Lyra Kelly (Cassie's mom, first grade) for more information.
Mill Valley School District Bond - Measure C
With only a few weeks left before Election Day, now is the time to learn more about Measure C! On November 3rd, Mill Valley voters will have the opportunity to approve a bond to fund Phase 1 of the Mill Valley School District’s Facilities Master Plan. Measure C would upgrade and modernize our middle and elementary schools to address critical safety and capacity issues, including:
- Updating aging and outdated fire safety and emergency communications systems
- Repairing and replacing leaking roofs and windows
- Providing sufficient classroom space for all students and teachers
- Repairing and replacing aging plumbing and electrical systems
- Improving access for the disabled, as required by law.
All of the work in Measure C was identified during an exhaustive two-year public process led by a volunteer group of parents, teachers, administrators and community leaders to develop the District's long-term Facilities Master Plan. Please learn more about this important measure by visiting www.SafeModernMVSchools.org. Or contact your school’s field representatives: Ronnie Sharpe and Tim Peters.
Register to Vote Deadline is October 19th. Please also make sure you’re registered to vote and that your registration is current. Deadline to register is October 19th. If you’ve changed your address, name or political affiliation since the last election, you must update your registration. Call the Marin County Registrar at 499-6456. And remember, please vote on November 3rd.
Kiddo!
Kiddo! 2009 Annual Campaign Update
Thank You to the families who have already donated to the 2009 Annual Campaign. Your generous contributions will help us preserve many important programs for our students. However, we still haven’t reached our goal, so we need everyone’s support. The recommended donation is $750 or more per student. Contributions at all levels are appreciated and our goal is 100-percent family participation. Donate online at www.kiddo.org, mail your contribution to Kiddo!, 409 Sycamore Ave., Mill Valley, 94941, or call the Kiddo! office at 389-7789 to arrange for an installment plan that meets your family’s needs. Thank you for helping Mill Valley kids reach their full potential!
5th Annual Kiddo! Goblin Golf Classic. Mark your calendars and scare up your costumes, because October 30th is the Kiddo! Golf Classic – with a Halloween theme. Tee off at the Mill Valley Golf Course at 2:00 p.m., then have dinner hosted by Maria Maria at the Golf Clubhouse at 6:00 p.m. Costumes are encouraged! For registration forms, see www.kiddo.org. There are still opportunities for sponsorship as well, so please contact Louis Stervinou. Lastly, we also need volunteers. Please call the office at 389-7789 or email Wendy Johnson.
Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival. Thanks to the wonderful volunteers who helped make the Kiddo! Food Booth at the Arts Festival such a success. We couldn’t do it without you! We would also like to give special thanks to our wonderful food sponsors – Stefano’s Solar Powered Pizza, LaCoppa Coffee, Noe Valley Bakery, and Sweet Things for making the event so successful and delicious!
Shop for the Arts in our Schools. Last year Kiddo! and Mill Valley Schools received nearly $80,000 from eScrip contributions. This program costs you nothing! If you are already signed up, you must renew your grocery loyalty cards (like Safeway) and update your credit and debit card information by October 31st in order for your purchases to continue generating rebates. Just fill out and return the bright green 2009 Shop-4-Kids Sign-Up & Renewal Form that was in your first day packets and is available at the front office, or go on line to eScrip.com to enroll or update. Our goal is 100-percent parent participation. Remember that grandparents, relatives and friends can also register with eScrip.
Online Shopping Opportunities. Kiddo! encourages supporting local businesses, but sometimes online is the way to go. New this year, Kiddo! has partnered with Amazon at www.shopkiddo.org. When you shop Amazon (and its many partners) through this site, Kiddo! will receive between 4 and 15 percent of your total purchase. Wow!
Please call Patty Flax at the Kiddo! office 389-7792 with any questions.
Mill Valley Film Festival's Children's Filmfest - October 8 through 18
The Mill Valley Film Festival’s Children’s FilmFest is showcasing a unique and charming collection. Come check out films that appreciate the differences in people, reveal the power of friendship, and prove anyone is capable of anything. Visit the website www.mvff.com for a listing of films and showtimes.
It Takes a Village Special Education PTA
Speaker Event
“Mastery & Competence: The Role of Learning in the Emotional Development of the Pre-adolescent Child”
Dr. Matthew O’Byrne
Thursday, October 8th, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
MVMS Multi-Media Room, 411 Sycamore
The late elementary and middle school years can be a particularly challenging time for children and their parents. With the onset of puberty, the physical, emotional and social landscape becomes considerably more complex. Dr. Matthew O’Byrne’s presentation explores how learning, mastery, and the ability to feel competent are fundamental foundations of a healthy Self. He will identify several significant stressors facing our children and the crucial role parents play in providing the support needed to ensure continued learning, mastery, and competence.
Dr. O’Byrne is a Clinical Psychologist with a private practice in San Rafael. He has extensive experience working with children, adolescents and adults and spent many years working as a counselor in both the public and the private school systems. He currently sees many children and adolescents in his private practice, many of whom struggle with learning issues, emotional difficulties and substance abuse problems.
This education event for parents is presented by It Takes a Village in collaboration with the Mill Valley PTA Council.
Parent Coffee
Friday, October 23rd [date change from October 16th]
9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
405 Wendy Way, Mill Valley
Parents of children with learning differences face many challenges. Our coffees provide a chance for parents to share information and support each other. Please join us. If you have questions, please contact Tam Valley parent, Caron Stapleton (383-1192).
Playgroup Ongoing
Some children with learning differences may have a hard time making friends. Our play group is a great chance for them to build relationships with coaching from parents. This year, we will be hosting our playgroups at Strawberry Point School. General information will be posted on our website [link itavmv.org]. To confirm schedule or to check weather cancellations, contact Strawberry Point parent Mark McGahan (306-3463).
Community Connection
October News from the Mill Valley Public Library
Starting October 2nd, come see the top 30 bookmark designs and vote for your favorite five. All other entries will be available for your viewing pleasure in our Bookmark Design Contest binders. The final five winners will be announced on November 1st.
First and second graders: our popular after-school program Picture Books & More returns on Wednesday afternoons starting October 14th. This four-part series, “Monsters, Magic, Dreams and Screams,” features great stories, awesome art projects, and sensational snacks. Sign-ups begin on October 5th. Watch for the orange flyer in your child’s backpack or call the Children’s Room for more information.
Friday, October 30th at 3:30 pm: Celebrate El Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with bilingual stories, festive crafts, and a seasonal snack the whole family will enjoy. All ages; no advance sign-up needed.
Now, FREE online homework assistance for grades 3 through 12 is available daily from 1:00 to 10:00 p.m. through the library’s website. Use it in the library or at home. (Home users must reside in Mill Valley and have a library card.)
Bloomathon
Volunteers are needed for the Bloomathon Fall Planting on Saturday October 17th at 9:00 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center. Bring gloves and trowel. Questions, contact Mary Lou Ibershof at 383-5107.
Richardson Bay Audubon Center
In October, The Richardson Bay Audubon Center has some wonderful family programs, including a Worm Bin Workshop on October 10th, the Restoration Work Day on October 17th, and a Halloween Night Hike on October 24th. For more information, visit the Weekend and Family Programs section of their website. | 
