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The lazy days of summer are behind us, and with the beginning of this school year come new teachers and families, a new playground, and a chance to make new friends. We are so lucky that all of us are part of this amazing school and each one of us adds special talents, time, and energy to building the academic lives and character of each one of the children here. I encourage all of you to get involved in the many opportunities that Edna Maguire offers through volunteering, PTA, fundraising, room parents, garden parents, and the like. Please come to Edna’s many events, such as the International Potluck Dinner, Steeplechase, Family Math/Science Night, and the Interactive Art Show. I really want everyone to feel like an integral part of this school because it wouldn’t be the stellar school that it is without the staff, students, and families working together.
Working tirelessly with me this year are the PTA co-presidents, Mari Allen and Katrina Kehl. Behind these two ladies are a wonderful group of parents who make up the PTA Board and many different kinds of committees. Within each committee are volunteers who help run each event or initiative, and each one plays an important role in the success of our school.
If you haven’t noticed our new playground, come and take a look! It’s wonderful, and the students couldn’t wait to try it out! This structure could not have been built without the effort of Aniko Molnar and Christine del Castillo, who worked on the layout and design and negotiating the best deals with vendors. They worked with a group of interested parents and the P.E. teachers to gather input for the project, then Katrina Kehl and Nancy Felder took on the huge task of fundraising. To date, with family and community support, they have raised over $60,000. Many heartfelt thanks to all the families and community members who donated to this effort. We are so grateful – the smiles on the students’ faces are the reward for all of that hard work.
The garden is blooming with pumpkins, tomatoes, apples, pears, melons, zucchini, corn, and blackberries! Lee Budish, our garden coordinator, worked all summer with volunteers to care for and water the garden so the children would be able to come back and see the fruits of their labor. They will soon be harvesting the crops and marketing their organic produce. Our beautiful garden has generated a huge response in the community as well. It was recently named a National Wildlife Habitat and the sign is now posted. I want to thank Wells Fargo for its donation of $5,000 toward the garden initiatives, as well as Smith & Hawken, which has also donated $5,000 and is using our garden as part of its catalog. Goodman Building Supply of Mill Valley has joined our fundraising efforts by matching any donation made to the garden through their store. Finally, students from Tam High will be working in our garden as part of a community service project.
Val Lindsay is spearheading the Steeplechase Fundraiser this year. This lapathon event takes place October 19 and will need many volunteers to get it underway. Let us know if you would like to help.
With our Bay Area late summer weather we need to be aware of skin damage. We remind students to apply sunscreen and bring hats for recess and P.E. Students can bring their own sunscreen to school to apply at lunch time if they like. I suggest that it gets applied every morning, and if you would like to have your child reapply, please teach them how to do this. Under California Education Code, teachers are not allowed to apply sunscreen.
Our school is a peanut-alert school. We have many students who are allergic to peanuts and peanut products. Please be cautious when bringing treats to school; talk to your child’s teacher first! The Site Council is working to create some guidelines and ideas on healthy choices for classroom parties and treats. We will keep you posted.
Thanks to everyone for the great start of a wonderful school year! It is great to see you all back safe and sound.
Best regards,
Lisa Zimmer, Principal
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We hope you have had a fantastic start to the 2007-08 school year. So far, we have had a few opportunities to introduce ourselves. We hope that if you have any questions or concerns, you will feel free to contact us! Edna Maguire is a special place where collaboration, communication, and enthusiasm permeate everything we do.
Edna Maguire thrives because of the commitment of our volunteers. The 380 information packets that went home on the first day of school were collated by an army of volunteer parents and students. The First Day Coffee was a big success thanks to a handful of parents who made sure that welcoming you back was a top priority. The school garden is overflowing and ready for harvest due to the dedicated families who watered throughout the summer, but especially because of the ceaseless efforts of Lee Budish. Our 2nd – 5th grade play structure is up, open, and paid for because of four especially hard-working parents: the Development Team of Christine del Castillo and Aniko Molnar and the Fundraising Team of Nancy Felder and Katrina Kehl. THANK YOU!
All of you have now had the opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and learn what amazing things are in store for the year. Our staff is dedicated, innovative, and committed to helping our children continue along the path to becoming lifelong learners. THANK YOU!
There is no one more integral to the success of our school than our principal, Lisa Zimmer. Lisa’s persistence, encouragement, leadership, and understanding are invaluable. Her passion for pursuing excellence in education is contagious. THANK YOU!
We look forward to seeing you at the International Potluck and Play Structure Celebration on Friday, September 14 at 5:30. What a wonderful opportunity this will be to meet and greet old friends and new, and to celebrate the opening of our brand new play structure.
We encourage YOU to get involved, and to discover why Edna Maguire is the magical place it is.
Your PTA co-presidents,
Mari Allen and Katrina Kehl
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Endless gratitude goes to the Play Structure Development Team of Christine del Castillo and Aniko Molnar and to the Fundraising Team of Nancy Felder and Katrina Kehl for their blood, sweat, and tears throughout the summer.
A big pat on the back to Cate Elsten for working to streamline our One-Stop Shop and PTA forms for the First Day Packet.
Bouquets to our Queen Bee Lee Budish for her endless effort to create magic in our garden, and to the countless number of volunteer waterers who worked throughout the summer to ensure our bountiful harvest! The reason our garden looks so magical and amazing is because garden fairy godmothers and godfathers and assorted elves came to water and tend to plants over the summer. Thank you to: Saor Stetler — Compost King, Jill Anderson, Susan Johnson, Ken and Rhonda Campbell, the Ryder family, Janie Karp, Karen and Nicolette Michel, Lisa Levin, Amy Whitelaw, Cherry Jones, Marta Betzabé Villela, the Gilmore Family, Heather and Willow Miller, Anne Zarraonandia, Linda Dunne, Craig Reiss, Lyra Kelly, the Allen family, Kelley Fullerton-Bloom, Kristin and Lucy Silmore, Tracy Ginther, the Young family, Joe Locke, Catherine Cadloni, Zoe Fry, and Dani Budish.
Many thanks to Jennifer Oreste for creating the beautiful signboards at the front and back of our school.
Applause goes to Margaret Krivoruchko, Valerie Wynn, Amy Frost, and Kristin Silmore for hosting an amazing First Day Coffee. Thanks to Christine del Castillo for all of her preparation.
Standing ovation to Linda Dunne for spearheading the development of our new website. Big thanks also to Jason Snell for all of his work on the site.
Thanks to Leslie Fielder for all of her hard work this summer on the First Day Packets and on getting Edna ready for the new school year.
Thanks to 4th graders Kate Vangelos and Ilyana Mush for having a lemonade stand to benefit our play structure.
Huge thanks to Tracy Ginther, Josie Viscardi, and Lisa Church for taking on the new PTA hot lunch program.
For beautifying Edna before school started, many thanks go to Bruce and Linda Berlinger.
Thanks to the following people for attending the Collating Party and risking many paper cuts: Jessica, Cate and Elise Ryan; Lisa and Miranda Church; Kirsten and Ryan Treais; Molly, Makenna, and Lochlin Farrell; Janet Fox; Steph Ryder; Lee and Dani Budish; Valerie and Megan Lindsay; Deb and John Luster; Kathy, Andrew, and Hannah Bishop; Michelle Zimmermann; Jodi, Natalie and Ella Bricker; Lauren and Jamie Snell; Josie, Lucille, and Marcus Viscardi; Heather Miller; Valerie Wynn; Kristin Silmore; Barbara Zamost; Christina Michael; Margaret Krivoruchko; Katrina Kehl; Maria Ask-Hed; Caryn, Ryann and Steven Johnson; Deborah Cole; Lucy Hampton; Anne Fretes; Lyra, Carina, and Caelum Kelly; Leslie Ford; Mari, Mika, Lucy, and Thomas Allen.
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Book Passage in Corte Madera will donate up to 6 percent of all proceeds throughout the year from sales designated to Edna Maguire. At the checkout, simply tell the salesperson that you’d like to donate to Edna Maguire School, and a portion of your purchase will benefit our school library!
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Join us for the annual Edna Maguire International Potluck Dinner this Friday! We will also be celebrating the grand opening of our new play structure with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
When: Friday, September 14 at 5:30 p.m. Brief ribbon cutting ceremony and recognitions followed by International Potluck.
Where: Around the Barney Tree, near the picnic tables.
What to bring: Please bring your favorite food dish to share, along with cutlery, plates, and drinks for you and your family.
We all look forward to seeing you and having a chance to catch up, meet new friends, and enjoy different dishes from around the world.
If you would like to help set-up or take-down, please email Amy Sherman at hyde-sherman@msn.com.
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Friday, September 21, is our first lice check of the year. Please have your children arrive to school with clean, loose hair that day.
Volunteering to help out is a great way to meet other children and parents in your child’s classroom. We need two or three volunteers per class. We commence lice check one hour before pickup, at 1:00 p.m. for Kindergarten and 2:00 p.m. for grades 1 through 5. On-the-job training is available! Please sign up on your classroom door, contact your Room Parent, or email Josie Viscardi at jv64@sbcglobal.net.
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Wednesday, October 3 is the ever popular International Walk and Roll to School Party. Join other Edna students in walking, biking, and carpooling. There will be meeting locations for students who wish to walk or roll (bike and scooter) to school in a group for fun and safety. Parents should escort children under the age of 9 as they can get distracted in the party atmosphere. The group leaves at 8:10. Carpooling is encouraged if you can’t bike or walk to the meeting locations.
Use a meeting location if one is on your way to school:
- Mill Valley Community Center parking lot in the far end corner, closest to the bike path (The group crosses E. Blithedale with the crossing guard to the bike path.)
- The old Albertson’s parking lot in front of Rite Aid.
If no one is there, do not leave your child. Groups leave by 8:10.
Stop by the Welcome Table for goodies and snacks for all participants.
Join the Fun and Cool the Earth! Walk, Bike or Carpool with family and neighbors.
For questions contact Rik Barr at rik_barr@pacbell.net.
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The Bloomathon fall planting will be held Saturday, October 20 at the Mill Valley Community Center. Please bring gloves and a trowel. If you have any questions, contact Mary Lou Ibershoff at 383-5107.
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We are still collecting SchoolPool Surveys. These are needed from every family in order to collect travel data for our school and to give you the choice of being in a Neighborhood SchoolPool Directory. Turn them into the office envelope or to your teacher. If you have any questions, contact conybeare.mitchell@comcast.net.
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Sign up for the latest Mill Valley School District news at www.mvschools.org.
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On Thursday, September 20, at 7:00 p.m., the Strawberry Point School auditorium will hold a GATE event entitled Parenting Gifted Kids: Tips for Raising Happy and Successful Children. All parents are invited to this parent education opportunity, whether their children are GATE identified or not. For more information on this event please visit www.mvschools.org/gate.htm.
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On November 17, the Mill Valley Middle School will host a Parent Education Mini Conference featuring the authors of The Roller Coaster Years: Raising Your Child Through the Maddening Yet Magical Middle School Years.
Authors Charlene Giannetti and Margaret Sagarese will give the keynote address providing insights, empathy, and practical tools that address the challenges of parenting Middlers, who are up one minute and down the next.
Following the keynote, there will be a choice of six hands-on, proactive workshops. The workshops will cover “tween” issues such as drug and alcohol awareness, moods and emotions, safety on the internet, social challenges and cliques, raising healthy girls, and raising healthy boys. The workshops will be led by experts in their fields. Margaret Sagarese and Charlene Giannetti will each present a workshop.
Please save the date and plan to join us. The conference is free and it will be an extraordinary event!
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September is New Library Card Sign-up Month – get your first library card! Children accompanied by a parent will receive the royal treatment from our librarians, who will commemorate this momentous occasion with a photo and special gift. You can also enter our wildly popular Annual Bookmark Design Contest for a chance to have your artwork made into professionally printed bookmarks for library visitors.
With your own library card, you can check out books, place holds, and take advantage of the many services we have to offer, including Live Homework Help and our FREE online tutoring service, which is now Mac and PC compatible. The popularity of this service is growing as students learn just how easy it is to connect with a virtual tutor for help with math, science, social studies, or English. It’s available for grades 4 through 12 from your home, office, or at the library seven days a week.
Heard a good story lately? Join us for one of our four fabulous weekly Story Times. Little babies, grown-ups, and everyone in between will find stories to their liking. Check out our online calendar at www.millvalleylibrary.org or call us for the complete schedule.
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Marin Theatre Company comes to Edna Maguire School for fun after school drama classes that will inspire and amaze. We’ll play games that stretch the body, voice, and imagination. Classes will cover such subjects as playing characters, singing and dancing, storytelling and playwriting, improvisation, and acting. Drama increases self-esteem, encourages teamwork, and inspires creativity. The instructor is a professional teaching artist from Marin Theatre Company, the North Bay’s premiere theatre located right in Mill Valley. Students and families will be invited to a special class performance on stage at MTC’s Lieberman Theatre.
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Welcome back to school! To all of you who have already donated to the 2007-08 Annual Campaign, THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS! Your contributions, along with those from the business community and projected eScrip proceeds, make us confident that this year’s fundraising goal can be reached. Kiddo! has therefore committed to fund ALL programs outlined in the giving campaign!
For Edna Maguire, this means:
- Art with Jackie LaLanne, Amy Faulkner, and Katie Mostert
- K-2 Music with Nora Thomas
- 3-5 Music with Anna Stearns
- 3rd and 4th Grade Chorus with Nora Thomas
- 5th grade Chorus with Jessica Stewart
- 5th grade Band with Cayce Carnahan
- 4th and 5th grade Orchestra with Phoebe Dong
- 2nd grade drama
- K, 4th and 5th dance with Alan Scofield
- Poetry specialist at 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade
- School Site Technology Specialist
- Mobile Laptop Carts
- Art and music supplies
- Teacher Mini-Grants
If you have not yet pledged, we still need your help to bring in the last $300,000.
Make your contribution today and ensure that these essential programs continue. Please consider giving at the highest level possible for your family circumstances, with a recommended donation of $600 or more per child. Contributions at all levels are greatly appreciated and our goal is 100-percent parent participation. Mail your contribution today to Kiddo!, 409 Sycamore Ave., Mill Valley, 94941; donate online at www.kiddo.org; or call the Kiddo! office at 389-7789 to arrange for an installment plan that meets your family’s needs.
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Mark your calendars for Thursday, September 13 for the 10th Annual Mill Valley Community Block Party, sponsored by Famous 4. This year’s party is from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and includes clowns, face painting, kids' games from Steve and Kate’s Camps, food treats from Ora, and lots of great music and very special guests. Musical directors will be Mill Valley’s own Austin Delone and Aram Danesh. Proceeds will benefit both Kiddo!-funded art programs for children in Mill Valley and public schools in New Orleans that are still rebuilding from Katrina. Larry Lautzker is asking that everyone bring extra school supplies to send to New Orleans (pencils, pens, paper, anything that you have to donate – the schools there need everything!) For more information call Larry at 388-2550.
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The Mill Valley Film Festival’s Children’s FilmFest christens its 13th year with some extraordinary international crowd pleasers. The festival opens October 5 with the U.S. premiere of the Danish feature animation The Ugly Duckling and a great opening party for kids at the Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley. It closes October 15 with the incredible puppet animation comedy from Denmark, The Three Musketeers, followed by a concert by youth group Crunchy Frog at the Marin Youth Center. Both of these films are in English, and the festival also includes films in foreign languages with subtitles read by actors over our special headsets. There will also be a kazoo parade and ice cream treat from Double Rainbow after one of our shorts programs, Bunnies and Butterflies, designed for kids up to eight years old. Eight feature films and two shorts programs from dozens of countries all over the world make for excitement in any language. Tickets will be available very soon. Go to www.mvff.com for more information.
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Get your clubs ready for Kiddo!’s Third Annual Golf Tournament, which will be held on Friday, November 2 at the San Geronimo Golf Course. This is a fabulous event that benefits the Kiddo! Endowment Fund. The $300 cost per player includes:
- Barbeque lunch and golf cart
- Prizes and contests on all par 3s and for the longest drive
- Prizes for overall team scores
- Dinner and Awards Banquet (which includes live music and a hosted bar) at the Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club. Additional banquet tickets can be purchased for $125.
Sponsorships are available for $2,000, which includes four players’ registration and banquet, or $1,000 without golfers and party. Please call Alex Taft, Tournament Chair, at 954-6888 or email alex.taft@ubs.com for registration forms and sponsorship information. Registration forms are also available at the school offices. Space is limited, so sign up today!
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We would like to introduce ourselves. We are It Takes a Village, Special Education PTA, Mill Valley. We are at all of the District’s schools.
What do we do? We provide information and resources to help parents and the schools understand, identify, and teach students with learning differences. We identify concerns of parents and collaborate on solutions.
When do we do it? We have monthly educational nights, a holiday party in December, and four parent coffees a year. Many of our speaker events are attended by parents of children without learning differences who want to learn strategies to enhance their children’s education.
Why do we do it? We know families with children with learning differences have different challenges. We also want to provide information that parents of all children will find useful.
How do we do it? We act through school liaisons, who are typically interested parents. We are still searching for an Edna Maguire representative. Please contact Andrea Brandeis at abrandeis@aol.com to learn more. Won’t you join us?
Here are some of our upcoming events:
Parent Coffee: Wednesday, September 19, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
A casual morning of conversation hosted by Marianne Shine, 11 Hill Street, Mill Valley. Contact Marianne at marianne@bssp.com or 389-0168.
Speaker: Thursday, September 27, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Technology and Learning – What Is In It For You? Dan Phillips from the Technology Resources of Marin will discuss how technology can be used to improve reading and writing skills. District Office, 411 Sycamore Ave. Contact Janet Miller at janetm@ri-net.com or 380-0631.
Play Group: Thursday September 13, 20, 27, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Some children with learning differences (or not!) have a hard time making friends. Our play group is a great chance for kids to build relationships. We meet at Eastwood Park in Mill Valley. Let Pam Sowerby know if you can make it and check for weather cancellations at psowerby@comcast.net or 380-9680. Please note that play group dates have changed from previously-announced dates.
Thank you,
Andrea Brandeis, President
It Takes a Village
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The new play structure is in and it is fabulous! What a wonderful place for our children to play. We would not have this beautiful new play structure if not for the generosity of many people. We received donations from our great Edna parents and businesses, as well as the neighbors surrounding our campus and also local businesses. Here is a list of those people who, through their financial support, made the dream of a new play structure into a reality:
Mari & Richard Allen
W D Allen
Jill & Robert Anderson
Dr. Henning & Lieselotte Bauer
Margaret Bluth
Blythedale Rebekah Lodge #305
Joseph Bodovitz
Joan & EJ Boessenecker
Glenn & Deena Burger
Lisa Joss & James Cabral
Luz Elena Castro
Dean & Lisa Church
City Carpets
CMP Community Foundation
Chris Colladay & Rich Hake
Robert & Julanne Crockett
Juliette Dangeard
Robert Demattei
Rupen & Meera Dolasia
Deborah Dorosin
Linda & Alex Dunne
Cate Elsten & Art Beeman
Douglas & Julia Evans
Dr. Falkow
Faubel Construction
Andrew & Amy Faulkner
Nancy & Ron Felder
Carol Fraker
Arthur & Debbie Friedman
Christina Friedman
Mark & Patricia Goodman
Sidney & Deanne Gottfried
Erin & David Griffis
Mark & Lucy Hampton
Tommy & Mary Hom
Patrick & Kristin House
Lars & Jean Ihle
Susan Lee Janson
Janie & Joseph Karp
Maureen Keefe
Katrina Kehl & Andrew Pratt
Michiko Kumataka
Patricia Lakner
Jennifer & Andrew Levine
Steven & Leslie Lewczyk
Joseph Locke
Barbara Merino
Meisler/Wade Family
David & Jan Mishel
Jennifer & Philip Oreste
John Palmer
Ellen Pichey
George & Barbara Pratt
Georgia Pung & Juanito Villanueva
Steve & Dana Rieger
Kurt & Elizabeth Rieke
Richard & Phyllis Schlobohm
Martha Siegel
Eric Somers
Dr. Paul & Eleanor Stanger
Denise & Mark Steele
Brewer & Pamela Stone
Strawberry Point School PTA
Julia Sze
Tamalpais Bank
Louis & Janet Tomimatsu
Toyota Scion Marin
Elizabeth Warren & Jason Zada
Washington Mutual Bank
Ellen & Ken Weber
Wells Fargo Bank
John & Susan Whitaker
Amy & Matthew Whitelaw
F. & C. Wilson
Howard Wynn, Pacific Union Real Estate
Janet & Cedric Young
Kristina Zdan
Zener Art Group
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