Dear Family,
Welcome back--it's great to have your kids in our care again!
Over the break, you may have heard your child mention "bucket filling!" Or talk about "bucket dipping." School counselor Jason Mountsier and I have been visiting classrooms to read and discuss the book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud. It teaches kids that when you treat others kindly, you don't just make them feel good--you feel good, too! You're "filling" their bucket and yours. By the same token, saying or doing unkind things--bucket dipping--hurts everyone.
I want to thank you for making our Holiday Food Drive a big success. We donated more than 1,800 pounds of food to help feed more than 1500 Marin families! Special thanks to Whole Foods for donating grocery bags and Sasha E. Sanchez for coordinating with the Marin County Food Bank.
Finally, I'm excited to announce that our Conflict Managers have reported for duty! The following students have spent many weeks learning how to resolve conflicts on the playground: Koa Ahumada, Kaia Arvilla, Aaron Bukary, Natalie Bricker, Sophie Cabral, Maeve Cain, Amanda DoValle, Mikey Evans, Ben Gillmer, Audrey Herrera, Lili Ignon, Lauren Marler, Catherine Morgan, Keri Nakae, Dara Noonan, Fiona Norton, Phoebe O'Donnell, Lillian Penther, Juliette Perkins, Gracie Salcunni, Piper Santos, Christian Schultz and Corey Whitehead.
At our last Life Skills Assembly, several members of the team performed a skit to illustrate their new duties. A special thanks to teachers Mrs. Govi and Mrs. Dann for training our Conflict Managers!
Happy Bucket Filling!
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Families,
I wish you all Happy Holidays! Thank you for supporting our Food Drive-- it's been very successful. Your donations will help make the holidays a little happier for families in need in Marin. Enjoy the break with your children and families, and I'll see you in the New Year!
Warm Wishes,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
With our annual fundraiser, Steeplechase, behind us, words can't adequately express my gratitude for your continued support for our school programs. I also want to thank Cathy Wilmoth, our Steeplechase coordinator, for working tirelessly to organize this event-- and counting every penny that came in!
Our student leader teams, comprised of fourth and fifth graders who want to make a difference in our school, have also been working hard. They are busy with philanthropy projects, recruiting students to be conflict managers and participating in Edna's Student Council.
Our philanthropy team recently collected candy for our troops and is now organizing a Dollar Day for Children in Somalia coming up on November 30. Meanwhile, our Student Council is coordinating a food drive for the Marin County Food Bank that will be held in December. We have a food drive every year. But this year, we also have a chance to win money for our school, thanks to a challenge sponsored by Lindsay Olives (see the LindsayOlivesFlyer.pdf for more details).The group that collects and donates the highest percentage of canned goods and other non-perishable food items for its local food bank will win $3,000 for its school!
Teachers Mrs. Govi and Mrs. Dan are training our fourth and fifth grade conflict managers. These students are learning how to help their fellow students resolve small conflicts on the playground and problem-solve issues as they arise. Look for them in their bright green t-shirts out on the playground soon!
In case you haven't heard, on Fridays, I've been handing out "Oscar Awards" (coveted stuffies of Oscar the Grouch) to the classes with the tidiest lunch areas. As you know, Oscar LOVES trash. Especially when it's put in the trashcan! Mrs. Marks's kindergarten class and Mrs. Stachon's first-grade class are currently tied for earning the most Oscar Awards AND the chance to win an afternoon dance party!
Finally, I want to thank all the parents who attended conferences these past couple of weeks. A strong home-school connection is very important to us and benefits our students.
All the Best,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
By now you probably know that Steeplechase, our annual PTA fundraiser, is quickly approaching. But did you know that PTA funds cover 95 percent of ALL the things that make Edna Maguire a great school? Only a very small percentage of funding comes from the state and district.
Too often, we think of school needs as supplies like paper, pencils and books. Although Steeplechase does help cover these kinds of costs, it is also critical to our ability to deliver the hands-on, project-based and cross-curricular approach to learning that is the foundation of instruction at Edna Maguire.
In project-based learning, students meet state learning standards by asking questions about a topic and arriving at their own answers. They demonstrate what they've learned by creating projects--often as part of small, teacher-guided teams--and presenting their final work to others. Cross-curricular education strengthens students' skills in science, math, reading, art and music by integrating these subjects into projects related to a specific topic they are studying. Together, these approaches to learning help our students master essential 21st Century Skills, including the very important 3 Cs- Communication, Collaboration and Critical thinking/problem-solving. Project-based learning and cross-curricular education wouldn't be possible without YOUR support through Steeplechase.
Your PTA /Steeplechase dollars enable our teachers to provide these types of learning opportunities. The funds are allocated for classroom supplies and grade-level activities. They also allow our teachers to take students on field trips to places such as Point Bonita, rivers to release trout, NASA, nature preserves, aquariums, farms and Sutter's Fort, to name only a few. In addition, PTA/Steeplechase funds support cross-curriculum studies of topics such as the Miwok Indians, animals, family heritage, the solar system, communities and many, many more. Such projects pique student's curiosity, which in turn encourages them to ask questions about what they are studying.
Without your financial support, we couldn't pay for these hands-on, eyes-on experiences--both in our classrooms and out in the beautiful world we are so lucky to live in. We have a wonderful learning community, and I want to thank you for making it possible!
All the best to you,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
We're well into our school year, and we're really rolling! I'm proud to announce that Edna Maguire recently won a cash prize of $2,000 from Safe Routes to Schools for increasing our walking, rolling and carpooling to school.This is SO exciting, and it wouldn't have happened without your support! You can read more about our win in this article in the Mill Valley Herald.
Please be sure to sign up with School Pool Marin. The site connects families who want to carpool, bike or walk to and from school together. We get credit for every Edna family that signs up. And be sure to join us on October 12 for our first SCHOOL WALK AND ROLL of the year. We'll meet at the Mill Valley Community Center at 8:00 a.m. and head to Edna at 8:10 sharp.
Because Halloween falls on a Monday this year, I decided it would be less disruptive to our school week, and less tiring for our kids, to hold our annual Halloween Parade and classroom parties on Friday, October 28. The Halloween Parade is one of Edna's most highly-anticipated and fun traditions--you don't want to miss it! The kindergarteners will march through the classrooms at 1 p.m., followed by the remaining grades at 2:15. The parade will culminate on the playground for a final viewing of all the costumes and photo ops. Your child may bring a costume to school to change into, but please leave daggers, knives and other sharp items at home. Watch for more information about the festivities in your classroom newsletters.
Thanks to our third grade classrooms who have been diligently working Car Line since school started, and will continue to do so through October. If at all possible, please sign up when it's your classroom's turn. New this year, you can sign up online with Sign Up Genius. When you do, you'll get a reminder two days before your shift. If you haven't already received your classroom link, you will get it from your child's teacher soon. Even if you don't use Car Line, it's important to support it for our traffic flow and the safety of our students. Plus, it's fun to see our kids' smiling faces first thing in the morning!
Finally, for a short, sweet and easy way to keep up with what's happening at Edna, you can follow me on Twitter (LisaZimmer1)! If you don't have a Twitter account, just go to www.twitter.com to sign up.
Best to you all,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
I hope you enjoyed meeting with your child's teacher at Back to School Night! It's so great to get all our families together! I really enjoy seeing everyone.
I also love seeing the new dragon protecting our school! In case you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, it's on the wall of the first and second grade building. I want to extend a HUGE thank you to artist Zio Ziegler for this amazing mural, and for donating his time and talent to our school! You can read more about Zio in this issue of the Pony.
Another new addition to our school this year are the following members of our support staff. I'm excited to welcome them to the Edna community:
Megan Flom, School Psychologist. Megan's life began in the Oakland hills, and after living in Texas and Minnesota, she says moving back to the Bay Area feels like "coming home."
She earned her doctoral degree in School Psychology from Texas Woman's University. Megan is also a certified Montessori teacher with educational background in autism, play therapy, crisis prevention and intervention, positive behavior management, transdisciplinary assessment teams, staff training and parent support.
Kristin Kuykendall, Speech Pathologist. Kristin completed her undergraduate degree at Oklahoma State University and received her master's degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Oklahoma. Kristin has been working with school-age children in the Bay Area since 2006. She has experience in evaluating and treating a variety of speech and language disorders, including apraxia of speech, autism spectrum disorders, fluency, articulation and specific language delay.
When Kristin's not working she enjoys reading, yoga, hiking and traveling.
John Haskell, P.E. Teacher. John comes to us from Old Mill School where he taught P.E. instructor for four years. He hopes to help Edna Maguire students gain confidence and discipline in P.E. as they develop healthy living habits.
Originally from Fresno, John fell in love with the hills and greenery of Marin while attending college in the Bay Area. He now lives in Novato with his wife, Maria, and dog, Mocha .
Finally, I'd like to leave you with a friendly reminder to be courteous to our neighbors when you park to drop off or pick up your child. The Scott Valley area has been especially inundated with Edna folks parking during these times. Please, please use your best Edna Maguire manners when parking in our surrounding neighborhoods! And consider using car line instead--it's fast, easy and convenient!
Warm Regards,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Edna Maguire Families,
Millions of Americans are allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. Thousands of kids now have emergency doses of epinephrine in spring-located injectors (EpiPens), to be administered if they go into anaphylactic shock. This is a life-threatening allergic reaction characterized by a swelling of body tissues including the throat, difficulty in breathing, and a sudden fall in blood pressure. It can be brought on by a single exposure to peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oil or peanut flour and many other nuts and nut-based products.
At Edna Maguire, we hold EpiPens for many students. I am asking for your support and collaboration in protecting these children. I will be spending time in each classroom discussing peanut allergies and reading the book The Peanut Pickle by Jessica Ureel. It's about a 6-year-old boy with an allergy to peanuts and how he lives with it during school, playdates and family events.
Meeting with our students is important to help them develop a sense of compassion and to learn what a good friend does to help and understand classmates who have allergies. Although I can't mandate a "peanut free" school, I want to encourage you to join us in developing and maintaining a school-wide awareness that enables us to work together as a community to minimize the risk to these children. We are taking specific precautions for them in their classrooms, but there are some simple things we can ALL do:
• Watch for "Peanut Alert" signs posted in and outside classrooms with students who CANNOT come in contact with peanuts or peanut-based products.
• Contact the teachers in these classrooms BEFORE bringing food or snacks that will be distributed to students.
• Teach children to wash their hands before and after eating breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Consider alternatives to peanut products for lunches in classrooms where students have severe allergies to them.
Thank you for your understanding and support!
Sincerely,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Families,
I hope you are starting to settle into your school-year routines. The staff and I are all very excited to have your children back at Edna Maguire and to welcome our new students.
This is our last year in our current building! Construction for interim housing begins next spring. We are committed to maintaining effective communication and building a strong community during this time of transition. To help us accomplish this, it's essential that you read ALL communication that comes through our website: ednamaguire.org, our bi-weekly newsletter, the Pony Express, and-- new this year--the Pony Scan and Plan (see the article below for more information). I urge you to bookmark www.ednamaguire.org and visit it frequently for important school news and information! Also, if you use Twitter, you can follow me at LisaZimmer1. I promise to post only Edna news and events!
With the large number of students we serve, we have created several initiatives to ensure a safe and cooperative environment. Please read all the information included in your first-day packet regarding parking, where to drop-off and pick-up students, carline and food guidelines to keep our students with allergies safe. You can also find this information on the website.
Speaking of food allergies, I would like to tell you about our Birthday Food/Treat Policy. If you wish to celebrate your child's birthday with his classmates, please bring FRUIT ONLY. Do not bring cookies, cupcakes or other baked goods! We will continue to celebrate with healthy food and limited sweet treats at our classroom parties for Halloween, Winter Holiday, Valentine's Day and end of the year. Thank you for your cooperation.
Our staff and parent leadership team have been working incredibly hard to prepare for a wonderful year. We look forward to enjoying the rich traditions that make Edna Maguire such a special place--and sharing some exciting new initiatives--with you!
Warm Regards,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family:
The end of another great year is already here! This one is especially poignant for me as I feel like I've come full circle. Our graduating fifth grade class started here at Edna six years ago, the same time I did. It is surreal to experience this and to wonder how it happened so fast! I hope you enjoyed this year as much as I did.
A parent suggested a lovely idea that I think our kids will love. This summer, whether you're staying in town or heading out of the country, please mail us a postcard! We'll display all the cards for everyone to enjoy when school resumes. It's always fun to send and receive mail the good old-fashioned way! So share a bit of your summer with us by mailing a postcard to:
80 Lomita Drive
Mill Valley, CA. 94941
This year, we focused on appreciating the many things that have come our way at school and in life. Words cannot adequately express how much I appreciate all of you! Our school wouldn't be what it is today without your support. I also want to extend a special thank you to our PTA co-presidents, Janie Karp and Kit Harris. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty for our school.
Behind them are many, many people who make great things happen at Edna on a daily basis. By sharing your special talents and gifts, you make our children's education and experiences at Edna so much richer. For everything you have given to us, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Finally, if you want to keep up with Edna news over the summer, you can follow me on Twitter. Stay well and safe, and we'll see you in September!
All the best to you,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
As we begin the countdown to summer, many of us have developed a serious case of CAR LINE FATIGUE. But we must find a way to re-energize ourselves! Car line is an important service that keeps our school safe and makes it easier for you to drop-off and pick-up your child. It's a strictly volunteer operation and we need YOUR help.
Not enough people are signing up for shifts when it is their classroom's turn to run car line. Julie Kennedy has worked tirelessly to coordinate volunteers but often ends up manning it with just one other person. We need three or four people per shift. If you notice car line is under-staffed and can spare a few minutes to help, please do so! Thank you to all the parents already doing this or volunteering for car line even though they don't use it. And please check the revised schedule for the rest of the year in this Pony and lend a hand when it's your classroom's turn!
You can also help keep car line running smoothly by following these guidelines:
• Pick up K-3 students in the back parking lot car line.
• Pick up 4-5 students in the front circle.
• If you're picking up multiple kids, go to the designated area for the youngest child.
• Remind your child to go DIRECTLY to car-line and wait on the bench.
• Make sure your child is ready to exit your car with his backpack/supplies. Do not get out of the car to help him!
• Be on time!
• If you see dangerous driving, please report it to the MV Police department here.
You may also notice we have new parking signs in the drop-off/pick-up areas. Please DO NOT park in these areas between 8:30-9 a.m. and 1:15-3:30 p.m. As the signs indicate, the police CAN ticket you even though our school is private property!
As we approach the end of the school year, I also need to remind everyone NOT to request a specific teacher for your child next year. We have a great school and wonderful teachers! Our staff spends many hours matching students and teachers based on learning styles and personalities. Please read the Do Not Request Teacher Letter.pdf for more information.
Finally, I want to congratulate Ronnie and Amelia Sharpe for winning the Whole Foods Birthday Earth Day Contest and $1,000 for our garden! See the article in this Pony for more details.
Best Regards,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
Please pay particular attention to our Earthquake/Tsunami Relief efforts for Japan (see the article below for details). Any help you can give, through your children, to the victims of this devastating disaster is appreciated.
This event is also a reminder to be grateful for all that we have, including the wonderful people we celebrate in our lives. I want to recognize two such individuals here at Edna Maguire.
First grade teacher Nandita Stachon is Edna's nominee for this year's Golden Bell and Elizabeth Terwilliger Teacher Award for excellence in teaching. She and other Mill Valley school nominees will be honored at an awards ceremony on April 29.
Nandita has been a teacher in the Mill Valley School District for 11 years. She is well respected at our school and in the community. Nandita holds her students to high standards for behavior, manners, social skills and achieving their personal best. In addition, she contributes her time and talent to various school and district organizations, including the PTA, School Site Council, Sunshine Committee and the District's Report Card Design Team.
The Elizabeth Terwilliger Foundation also grants a Student Community Service Award, and this year's recipient is Edna Maguire fifth grader Alana Reis. Alana, along with her synagogue, donated trees through a non-profit organization after major fires in Israel. She and her family buy and donate food and toys to homeless shelters in San Francisco. They also make matzo ball soup for families with sick members. And each year during Chanukah, Alana and her brother pick a charity to give money to instead of receiving gifts themselves. If that's not enough to impress you, Alana is also involved in animal charities, homeless kids' programs and a nonprofit that helps poor kids in Southeast Asia.
It is my pleasure to honor these amazing members of Edna Maguire who benefit our community and beyond. Congratulations Nandita and Alana!
All the Best,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
Earlier in my career, I had the horrible experience of teaching in a school where a 5-year-old child was hit and killed by a car. Our entire community was devastated by this tragedy, and I have never forgotten it. Research shows that 50% of children hit by cars near schools are struck by parents of other students.
Recently, we have noticed an increase in adults letting children out of their vehicles in the middle of the street. The children must then run around the vehicles to get to a sidewalk. In addition, people are still parking in loading zones, not using designated drop-off areas, ignoring speed limits, and cutting off bicycle riders! To control these dangerous practices, we've asked the Mill Valley Police Department for help. You may see officers patrolling our parking lot and crosswalks.
I URGE YOU - PLEASE PRACTICE SAFE, FOCUSED, RESPONSIBLE DRIVING! Here are some guidelines we should all follow when driving, walking or biking to school:
Drivers
- Stop and look for pedestrians crossing the street
- Expect the unexpected - be prepared to stop suddenly!
- Drive at or under the speed limit, especially in our school zone.
- Look for pedestrians when pulling out of driveways or driving around parked cars.
- Use our car-line for drop off and pick up--it doesn't take long!
- Be especially watchful for families and children on bikes on Lomita. The sidewalk is uneven and narrow, often forcing cyclists into the road.
- Check your side mirrors for pedestrians or bikes when you are avoiding oncoming traffic due to the narrow road.
- Stay off your phone--no call is that important!
- Remember -- your vehicle is a deadly weapon when it comes in contact with a human body or animal.
Pedestrians and Cyclists
- Use crosswalks and obey the crossing guard
- Dismount from your bike in crosswalks
- Don't cross a road between parked cars
- Wait for the "walk" signal when crossing a street with traffic lights.
- Talk to your child about traffic rules; model behavior you want him to practice
- Walk alert! Never assume a driver can see you.
Our car-line program also plays an important role in helping to make our school safer. We rely on volunteers from each classroom to keep it running smoothly, and to help kids get in and out of their cars each morning and afternoon. Please check the schedule and pitch in to help when possible! Click here to see the calendar.
Finally, I want to thank Safe Routes to School of Marin and the Mill Valley Police Department for their time, support and guidance. For more information, go to www.dhs.ca.gov/routes2school or http://www.saferoutestoschools.org.
Sincerely,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
Our school flag is once again flying high! Our lovely front-office manager, Leslie Fielder, and indispensable custodian, Pat Barron, recently trained the Student Council how to raise and lower the flag. Students are now responsible for this daily task.
The council has also been busy writing and gathering articles for our first 2011edition of Eye on Edna, our student newspaper. The paper will include reviews of books, restaurants, movies and music, plus sports stories and other exciting features. Look for it at the end of this month!
I want to extend a HUGE thank you to Nancy Turner and Gideon Bernstein, parents of second-grader June Bernstein, for helping the Student Council run our See's Candy sale. The money raised will help fund the fifth grade's field trip to Walker Creek, fourth grade's trip to Sutter's Fort and other PTA activities.
Edna students recently participated in an All School Writing Exercise. Working in teams, students used pre-writing activities, such as reading aloud, looking at pictures and discussing vocabulary, before writing stories inspired by the prompt "Something Happens in the Forest." Our teachers will gather the stories and use them to discuss ways in which students can improve their writing through word choice, content, organization, voice, sentence fluency and other key elements of good writing.
All of our teachers are working to strengthen the common language they use to talk to students about their writing, and to share strategies for teaching writing. Teachers across the school are reading the works of different authors out loud to students. This is just one example of how they are encouraging kids to read like writers and write like readers! Our teachers will have the opportunity to hone their existing strategies for teaching writing--and learn some new ones-- when they meet with a writing expert during our next Staff Development Day, March 18.
Writing isn't the only part of our curriculum where exciting things are happening. On Thursday, March 31, we will hold our first Science Fair! This optional, independent event will give students in third through fifth grades a chance to practice scientific inquiry. They'll attend a presentation to get all the details and--only if they are interested in participating--a packet of information. Graduate students from UCSF will be at the fair to work with our budding scientists and provide feedback on their projects.
I look forward to seeing all of you at the Family Dance this Saturday. The amazing band, Close Enough, featuring Chris Newell--dad of Edna third-grader, Aidan Newell--will be performing! Come join the fun!
All the Best,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
Welcome back to school and Happy New Year! I want to thank all of you for your generous donations to our food and toy drives. The Student Council set a goal of collecting one food item per student (476 total). We received more than 600 food contributions! And they also collected more than 200 toys--that's more than double their goal of 100!
After a lovely break, we are back in full swing. This Friday, January 14, is a professional development day for our district's teachers. We will focus on technology integration and building our classroom websites. In addition, teachers will work on writing curriculum instruction for their grade levels. These are very valuable days for our staff to collaborate and make our school even better!
Please save the date for another valuable event, the Lawrence Hall of Science's Art of Math program. It's happening in the multi-purpose room on Thursday, January 27. Students will work their way through a series of interactive stations, such as Quilt-O-Rama and Kaleidoscope makers, that intertwine art and math concepts. The program is geared to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. I hope you'll join us for this fun, engaging evening!
If you purchased or received new electronics over the holidays and need to get rid of old ones, bring them to our Green Team's E-Waste Drive on Saturday, January 29. (see the Green Team's article for more details). It's a great way to declutter your home or office for the New Year, protect our environment and raise money for our school.
Finally, if you resolved to make your life easier in 2011, I encourage you to bookmark ednamaguire.org. Doing so will provide you with easy access to all the latest school-related information and news--at your convenience.
Best to you,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
I would like to thank all the families who participated in our Halloween celebration. The children always look forward to this event. But probably not as much as I do! I LOVE Halloween--dressing up in costumes is fun for kids of ALL ages! And at Edna Maguire, we love to have fun while we're learning.
In keeping with this mission, I'm pleased to tell you about an exciting new program coming to our school. Thanks to funding from Steeplechase and the PTA, our staff will be trained in the Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) program. VTS uses visual images to help students build language literacy. Working in groups, students learn to listen attentively to others and to share their own ideas. By stretching their vocabulary and learning to clearly articulate their thoughts, they in turn strengthen their writing skills. They also learn to expand their visual memory, which leads to better reading comprehension.
The VTS program is an ongoing, three-year project. For more information about VTS, please visit www.visualthinkingstrategies.org. Or go to http://www.edutopia.org/visual-thinking-strategies-art-curriculum to find a great article about the program: The Eyes Have It: Potent Visuals Promote Academic Richness
In other news, on Wednesday, October 13, we participated in our annual school emergency disaster drill. This drill prepares us to react quickly to an event such as an earthquake. We coordinated it with the Mill Valley Fire Department, which allowed us to practice our procedures with them, and receive feedback on ways to improve our process. Thanks to Edna Maguire parents Ken Campbell and Steve Podesta for assisting us with the drill and providing valuable feedback. And thanks to our PTA for all your efforts to collect disaster drill funds to keep our emergency container stocked with supplies, food, bandages and water.
Finally, I want to express my appreciation to all of the Car Line volunteers. You are out there rain or shine, and I thank you! Please remember - children are not allowed to assist with duties such as being a crossing guard. And please keep them back from the sidewalk and on the benches.
Go Giants!!!
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
This year's Chicken Run, also known as Steeplechase, was a big hit! Students love this event--it's great to watch them challenge themselves as they take another lap or cheer on their classmates. Thanks to all who ran, walked, cheered or volunteered on the course. And I want to extend a special thanks to Cathy Wilmoth and her team of volunteers for organizing this year's event.
As our primary fundraiser, Steeplechase is more important than ever this year. Your donations help pay for classroom supplies, technology and hands-on-learning for EVERY student. As you know, our state is experiencing major cut backs in education funding. Our local fundraising is critical to support programs here at Edna Maguire and throughout the district.
The teachers and I would like to thank you for all the support you give us to make our school such an incredible place to learn and grow. Our goal is to get 100% participation by every student in our school. We are asking each family to contribute $300 per student, but any donation is appreciated. Please turn in your pledge packets by October 29!
Lisa Zimmer and the Edna Maguire Teachers and Support Staff
Dear Families,
This Wednesday, October 6, is International Walk to School Day. I'd like to invite everyone to join me in walking to Edna Maguire! Along with Mrs. Harvey and Mr. Jett, I will meet you at the Community Center at 8:10 a.m. From there, we'll all walk or ride bikes together.
When you register for International Walk to School Day at School Pool Marin
(www.schoolpoolmarin.org) you'll be eligible to win a $5 Jamba Juice gift card. Plus, you'll help Edna compete for cash awards in the SchoolPool Challenge. The school with the most SchoolPool Early Bird sign-ups will win $500 contributed by Kaiser Permanente! It only takes a few minutes to register, so please sign up today. Put your best foot forward and join friends and millions of students worldwide by choosing a green way to get to school.
Silly Band Ban
On another note, students may no longer bring or wear Silly Bands to school. We have had incidents of students trading them, taking them from each other and arguing over them. They have been a constant disruption to our learning environment. The teachers and I appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Families,
I hope you are settling into a routine of getting everyone up and ready for school! The staff and I are truly happy to have your children back in our care. Thank you for trusting us with them - they give us so much joy!
The Mill Valley School District is committed to building Character Education into our curriculum. To achieve this, Edna Maguire's Life Skills Program helps students gain the tools they need to be good citizens. Each month, our teachers select a skill for your children to incorporate in their day. At the end of the month, we hold an all-school assembly and hand out Life Skill Awards to students in each grade who did an especially good job of practicing that skill. We also hand out Random Acts of Life Skill Tickets all month!
September's Life Skill is RESPONSIBILITY. We're encouraging kids to respond to people, animals, things and circumstances--moment by moment--with decisions based on integrity and caring. The goal is to help them understand what's right and wrong. By developing a strong "moral compass," they can analyze what's going on at any particular moment and make the best choice about how to respond.
In other news, we had a Staff Development Day on August 23. We spent time sharing our summer vacation moments (you can read about them on the office bulletin board), but more importantly, we revisited our school's Vision and Mission Statements. These statements drive what we do as a learning community and describe our beliefs about how we should interact with students. They cover a wide range of topics, including curriculum delivery, building self-esteem and character, encouraging environmental stewardship and fostering critical thinking. This year, I also tied the statements to the PTA and its connection to the vision and mission of our school. You can read them here.
It's important for all of us to adopt our school's practices and beliefs so we can optimize each child's opportunity to learn and grow. When we all act together, our children benefit. Thank you for your help!
All the Best,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Families,
As many of you might have seen in the paper, each school in California receives what is called an API (Academic Performance Index) score. All of our Mill Valley schools earned scores of over 900, with Edna Maguire receiving 947.
The API is a single number, ranging from a low of 200 to a high of 1000, which reflects a school's performance level, based on the results of statewide testing. Its purpose is to measure the academic performance and growth of schools. The Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA), a landmark state law passed in 1999, established the API to create a new academic accountability system for K-12 public education in California.
The API is calculated by converting a student's performance on statewide assessments across multiple content areas into points on the API scale. These points are then averaged across all students and all tests. The result is the API.
Key features of the API:
- The API is based on an improvement model. It is used to measure the academic growth of a school. The API from one year is compared to the API from the prior year to measure improvement.
- The API is a cross-sectional look at student achievement. It does not track individual student progress across years but rather compares snapshots of school.
- The API is used to rank schools. A school is compared to other schools statewide and to 100 other schools that have similar demographic characteristics.
- The API is currently a school-based requirement only under state law.
This information was obtained from the
California Department of Education website.
I hope this helps! I am very proud of our students and teachers for the great work they do every day!
All the Best,
Lisa Zimmer
Dear Families,
Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year. The staff and I are all very excited to have your children back at school! I hope you had a fun summer and are ready for another great year. Each new school year gives us the opportunity to build upon the previous school year so that each child's learning and growth is optimized. Although we are growing in size with a student population of 473 students, we are committed to maintaining effective communication and building a strong community.
With the large number of students we serve, we have created several initiatives to ensure a safe and cooperative environment. Please read all the information included in this letter with regards to parking/drop off/pick up of students.
PARKING/ DROP OFF/ PICK-UP
We will continue to have a CAR LINE drop off and pick-up system in our back parking lot. While the CAR LINE will be coordinated by parent volunteers Debra Carney and Julie Kennedy; the success of CAR LINE really depends on you. We need all drivers to follow the rules of CAR LINE and all parents to volunteer for a CAR LINE shift. Please read the enclosed CAR LINE information and review the CAR LINE volunteer schedule prior to the start of school.
Please do not park in the numbered spaces that are reserved for teachers and staff. Whenever possible, carpool, bike or walk! We have bike racks for your use located near the library. It will be very congested the first week of school as parents want to walk their children to their classrooms, so please plan accordingly. There is some parking in the back lot or you can park on Lomita Drive in front of Ring Mountain School or you can park further away and walk! Please drive slowly and allow plenty of time to get your child to school by 8:30am. We want all 473 of our students to arrive and depart safely each day.
Please remember that the front driveway is for drop off and pick up of fourth and fifth grade students ONLY.
LUNCH / RECESS
We have two different lunch /recess times due to the number of students on the playground. Kindergarten classes have their own lunch times and families with kindergarten students can check with their classroom teacher for specific times. Last year we instituted a Play First, Eat Last pilot program in the 1st grade. It went well so we will continue the program for the first grade again this year. This is logistically possible for the 1st grade because they have their own lunch aides and their own playground. With grades 2-5, this program is not possible because the playground is being used for P.E classes during the first lunch period and because of other conflicts with the master schedule of art, music and dance teachers that are shared with other schools. Children who wish to take longer than 15 minutes to eat lunch can do so. We also have a snack time at the 10:00am recess. The split lunch allows for more playground space and less conflicts among students.
| Grade Level | Lunch Time | Recess Time |
| K | Obtain from Teacher |
| 1 (Play First, Eat Last) | 12:15-12:30 | 11:45-12:15 |
| 2nd - 3rd (Eat First, Play Last) | 11:45-12:00 | 12:00-12:30 |
| 4th - 5th (Eat First, Play Last) | 12:00-12:15 | 12:15-12:45 |
Birthday Food/Treat Policy Change for 2010-2011
Due to the number of food allergies and the California state nutritional guidelines, we are going to limit birthday treats brought in for distribution to FRUIT ONLY, should you and your child decide that a birthday treat is desirable. This can include something as simple as a bag of apples, blueberries, grapes, strawberries or fruit kabobs. (You can be as creative as you like with fruit!) Our nutrition committee has worked diligently over the past 3 years to send out nutritional ideas and facts which you can find on our website. We have discussed birthday celebrations over the years with the PTA, Site Council and teachers and last year, we piloted a no food birthday policy in the 1st grade. This created an issue with elaborate and sometimes costly birthday bags that included candy. It is our continued plan to celebrate each child's birthday with special recognition in each of their classrooms and at our Lifeskills Assemblies. Along with or instead of a fruit treat, students can buy a birthday book through the library or donate a book of their choice to their classroom. Often children invite a guest reader to share a book on their special day. Some children are also fine without a treat and are simply happy with the birthday celebration they will have with their friends and family outside of school.
Please do not bring in cookies, cupcakes, or baked goods for birthday treats!
Please do not put the teachers in a compromising position where they will be asked to enforce our policy!
We will continue to celebrate with healthy food and limited sweet treats at our classroom parties for Halloween, Winter Holiday, Valentine's Day and the End of the Year. The teachers refer to this as the 80/20 rule: 80% nutritious and 20% of a sweet treat. We will review how this is going midyear!
FOOD/PEANUT/NUT ALLERGIES
Edna Maguire continues to be a Peanut Alert school! All food brought in for distribution must be nut/peanut product free. Students are educated each year on what it means to have food/peanut allergies and how to be a good friend to someone who has these allergies. Signs are posted outside classrooms that have a student(s) with peanut product allergies. More information on Peanut/Peanut Product Allergies can be found in the First Day Packet and on our website.
Kindergarten Start and Shortened Days
Kindergarten students in our district have shortened days for 3 weeks, from Aug. 25th - September 17th. This short day will go from 8:30am-11:50am. Starting Monday, September 20th, kindergartners will have full days from 8:30am-1:30pm.
Our staff at Edna Maguire is committed to providing your child with an extraordinary year. I assure you that your child will have a wonderful year of learning, reading, experimenting, collaborating, laughing and reaching their personal best. Our teachers are committed to the learning process and teaching students to become life-long learners. Edna Maguire is warm, welcoming and committed to excellence.
As families, I invite you to join us in this process. Family involvement is critical for academic achievement and developing strong character. Volunteer, come to PTA meetings, attend functions and events, work with our children in the garden and more importantly, build a strong working relationship with your child's teacher. All this will keep you well informed of your child's progress and social development.
I urge all of you to come back to our website (www.ednamaguire.org) frequently. It is full of information that you will need to keep you up to date on things such as ordering lunches, scheduled events, classroom news, email addresses and forms, to name a few. All school news items that are not available online will come home in a Wednesday Folder with your child each week. We are trying hard to reduce our use of paper so most news will be online! You will also receive a bi-weekly news letter, the Pony Express, via the email address you have provided the school. You can also sign up directly on our website to receive the newsletter. You should consider the Pony your primary source of school information. Keep informed and up to date by reading it twice a month. The teachers also create classroom web pages and classroom letters to further our communication effort. The district uses School Messenger which will allow me or district personnel to call every family in case of any emergency in which you need to be notified. Please make sure that the school office has your correct phone number in our system for this purpose.
The staff and parent leadership have been working incredibly hard in preparing for a wonderful year full of rich traditions and new initiatives that make Edna Maguire so unique. I look forward to working with all of you this year. Our class placement letters will be mailed out on Friday, Aug. 20. Please do not hesitate to email or call me if you need assistance or have questions with getting started at our school! lzimmer@mvschools.org or 389-7733.
Warmest Regards,
Lisa Zimmer
Mark Your Calendars:
First Day Coffee - August. 25th, 8:40am after dropping off your child (Multi-Purpose Room)
PTA Executive Board and Association Meeting - September 1st, 8:40am (Teachers' Lounge)
Back to School Night - September 1st
| K/2 | 5:30-6:15 | Attend your child's classroom |
| All Families | 6:30-7:00 | Staff Introductions and Welcome Back Presentation in MPR Room |
| 3/5 | 7:00-7:45 | Attend your child's classroom |
