|
Principally Speaking
A message from Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
I hope you are able to attend parent/teacher conferences during these early dismissal weeks. Our teachers work hard to prepare very thoughtful reports that provide a snapshot of academic progress and goals. Thank you to everyone who provided snacks to the teachers during this time; it is greatly appreciated.
Our Steeplechase Fundraiser was an astounding success! "The Power of We" is truly how we accomplish our goals at Edna Maguire. Our community comes together each and every time to help make this school even better. We met our fundraising goals through the participation of our families, staff, students, and the love we all feel for this amazing and beautiful school. It would take hours to thank each of you individually, but I must send out a very special thank you to organizer Janie Karp and her dedicated team of volunteers. The staff and I are truly grateful.
The Harvest Festival was wonderful and the day's weather could not have been better. We caught some great photos of the event. The beauty of the garden continues to amaze me every time I visit. More than 30 volunteers built the games, made the chili, baked treats, provided public relations, donated to the auction, and stood at the cooking cart all day. Special thanks to Barbara Bleckman and Jennifer Sheetz for coordinating the fabulous event. I looked over the long list of volunteers, then took a moment to count my blessings – I am so fortunate to be part of this school. In this season of gratitude, I thank all of you for sharing with Edna all that you have in time, talent and resources.
All the best,
Lisa Zimmer
Edna Maguire Families, You Are The Best
Thank you Edna Maguire parents, students, and teachers for making Steeplechase 2009 a resounding success! Thanks to each of you, we beat our goal and Steeplechase raised $128,000! An amazing 90% of Edna students donated to Steeplechase, and Rooms B, 4, 8, 10, 15, and17 all reached 100% participation! This money pays for supplies and programs here at Edna and will make a difference in your child's education this school year. We couldn't have done it without your enthusiasm, support and incredible generosity. We are looking forward to a fantastic 2009/10 school year!
A huge fundraiser like Steeplechase takes a lot of helping hands. Thank you to all of the question askers, lap card markers, course monitors, water sprayers, ice cream scoopers, sign makers (including Sabrina from Room 8 and Audrey from Room 18), and volunteers who set up the course and broke it down (including Adam and Pearson from Room 7). Thank you Steeplechase committee members for your countless hours behind the scene: Lisa Zimmer, Leslie Fielder, Janie Karp, Cathy Wilmoth, Katrina Kehl, Ahtossa Fullerton, Julia Evans, Deb Luster, Trina Rivera, Meera Dolasia, Stirling Somers, Sean Norton, Jennifer Oreste, Julie McCrady, Kit Harris, Mari Allen, Justine Whitehead, Stacey Ciauri, and Barb Gerraty.
The following Steeplechase T-Shirt sponsors donated more than $16,000 to help our children's education. Please support and thank them in the coming year:
Camino Alto Veterinary Hospital & Wellness Center, Falkow Orthodontics, Hillstone Restaurant Group, dogonews, Mill Valley Investments, Green Beans Coffee Company, lola of north beach, West America Tae Kwon Do, Faubel Construction Incorporated, Amazing Adventures Travel, Catamount Ventures, Pizza Antica, Fullerton Soccer Camps, Town Hall Restaurant, Main Street Research LLC, Vasco Restaurant, Milvali, Gila C. Dorostkar, DDS, Wimmer Plumbing, Inc., Marin Honda, gelateria cici, Art Start, Tamalpais Pet Hospital, Cat Clinic of Mill Valley, John E. Boland, DDS, MSD, Dorothy J. Slattery, DDS, Tamalpais Bank, Zak Plumbing, Vivian Broadway, DDS, Ciauri Media, Tamalpais Paint & Color, Woodlands Pet Food & Treats, Doggie Styles, Shere Goo, State Farm Insurance, Harambe, The Store, Critterland Pets, Siciliano Nails, E & O Trading Company, The Performing Arts Academy of Marin, Lexington Law Group, Presidio Sport & Medicine, Terra Teak & Garden, Jessup Associates Architects, Malugani Tire, Can Do Kid, Inc., Fertility Connections, Goodman Building Supply, Redwood Security Systems, Inc., Carlson Orthodontics, Revolution Foods, Green Space, Baby & Kids Co., LBD Productions, Woody's Yogurt Place, Honig Vineyard and Winery, and Serena & Lily.
The Book Fair Is Here! Taking Flight With Books
The Book Fair opens today! It runs through Thursday, and daily hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Your kids have already filled out their wish lists – come and take a look! All proceeds from the Book Fair will benefit our school library.
At 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, join us for morning snacks and the Lafayette Book Store Book Chat! We'll get recommendations on great adult books and current bestsellers, then children's librarians Lisa Monge and Jessica Ryan will discuss their top picks in children's books.
On Wednesday, Mill Valley Children's Librarian Naima Dean will visit students in kindergarten, first, and second grades to read books available at our Book Fair.
On Thursday, local author and illustrator M. Sarah Klise (Regarding the Fountain, Dying to Meet You) will hold three assemblies geared to kids in third through fifth grades.
The Book Fair Evening Café is Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., and features Scott Ellison, photographer of the North Bay Farmers Markets Cookbook and brother of our own Shana Stewart! Scott will be signing copies of the cookbook during the evening. The café will be open from 5:00 to 7:00, and the Fair will remain open until 8:00. Join us for dinner at the Cafe before shopping for books at the Fair.
Finally, you can pre-order your copy of John Flanagan's newest addition to his Ranger Series, Erak's Ransom. Click here to download the form.
Questions? Contact Mari Allen.
Book Collection at the Book Fair
Bring your gently used children's books to the book fair this week. The fourth graders in Edna's Girl Scout Troop 30453 will be collecting them to benefit The Children's Book Project, which provides free books to children in the San Francisco area. Please consider donating a book or two – no adult books, please. We appreciate your help and generosity!
This Land was Made for You and Me
The weather was perfect and a record number of Edna families and staff came out to clean, prune, rake, sweep, weed, plant, wash, and prepare the campus for this year's wildly successful Harvest Festival. We would like to thank all the volunteers who made our campus look fantastic, especially the parents who worked so hard in the kindergarten area. Special thanks to Gary Batroff and Libby Brockhoff who helped recruit volunteers.
Our next Beautification date is December 5th. Mark your calendars and bring your friends! Contact Laura Figueirinhas for more information.
Revolution Foods Lunch Promotion
Our hot lunch vendor, Revolution Foods, is offering a special promotion starting this week – buy 5 meals for the price of 4! Order 4 meals online and get one FREE. Choose from Mill Valley favorites like cheese tortellini, all natural all beef hot dog, and natural cheese pizza. View the flyer here and see the easy ordering instructions on our website.
Adopt a Plot
Thank you to Mrs. Stachon and her students for launching the new Adopt a Plot Program. Everyone is enjoying the beautiful flowers planted in the inaugural area near the ramp to the kindergarten classes, which was adopted by Room 1. If you want to help your child's classroom adopt a plot, please contact Laura Figueirinhas.
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 this Wednesday, November 18th from 1:45 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. Please RSVP to Erin Griffis.
Toys for Tots
A Toys for Tots box is now in the front office. We'll be collecting donations of new, unwrapped toys through December 16th.
As a reminder, the gifts need to be New, Unopened and Unwrapped. Any donation is welcome, but please consider two age categories that are often overlooked: Infants and Preteens. No teddy bears please. For more information, contact Erin Griffis.
Piano Donation
Many thanks to Lise Salmon of McGuire Real Estate Mill Valley office for her very generous donation of a Baldwin upright piano for the multipurpose room.
It Takes a Village Special Education PTA
Annual Holiday Appreciation Party
Wednesday, December 9th, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Mill Valley Community Center
Mill Valley's special education staff members will be the guests of honor. Parents and children from all of the District's schools are invited to attend and support our teachers. We will have lots of food, beverages and fun activities. Please come and enjoy!
Middle School Tour Correction:
The Mill Valley Middle School tour on December 11th is by invitation only and requires an RSVP. It is specifically designed for those parents of students who have a particular Individualized Education Plan (IEP). This tour is to allow these parents to feel comfortable asking questions and to preview Resource Services and Special Day classes offered there. Contact 389-7711 ext. 2800.
Community Connection
The Sound of Music
This weekend you can see some of Edna Maguire's students – Anya Dimaio, Faryn Thomure, and Caden Hollander – in The Sound of Music, a production of 142's Marin Youth Performers.
Remaining show dates are November 20th and 21st. Tickets are $16 for general admission and $12 for students in advance, or $20 for general admission and $16 for students on the day of the show. Buy tickets on-line, by calling 383-9600, or at the Throckmorton Theatre. For more information, click here.
Traffic and Growth in Mill Valley
The Scott Valley Homeowners' Association is hosting a special program, "Traffic & Growth in Mill Valley – How Do We Strike a Balance?" The meeting takes place on Wednesday, November 18th at 7:30 p.m. at Ring Mountain Day School multipurpose room.
Guests from the City of Mill Valley and from Whole Foods will speak about upcoming building and expansion plans taking place in Mill Valley and how they will impact traffic and growth in our community. There will plenty of time to ask questions and make suggestions. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at scottvalleyha@aol.com. |
