A Special Wish and Celebration!

Today marks a very special day as we celebrate the end of our portable classrooms!  The students, staff and myself could not be happier about the move to our brand new school!

I want to thank all of you for your support, kindness and enthusiasm, as this was not an easy feat!  In 3 weeks, we will walk into our new buildings and begin a new era of Edna Maguire.  The plans and possibilities for learning, celebrating and growing as a community in our new school are endless.  I’m finding it hard to put into words how excited and grateful I am. 

I owe a huge appreciation to the staff and teachers for their flexibility, leadership and positive attitude through the huge task of moving twice and setting up beautiful classrooms for our children to learn in.    I am looking forward to putting my construction hat away and enjoying spending more time with students in the school’s wonderful surroundings!

January 6^th will be a special Spirit Day!  This is going to be a “black tie” affair!  Please plan on wearing something special for this very exciting day.  (Anything that is considered “dress up.”)    We will be having an all school assembly at 9:30 a.m.  It will be so much fun to be back together again!  The classrooms will also be open from 8:30-8:45 a.m. for all families to walk their children into the building.

On Sunday, January 12, from 2-4 we are having an Open House to say thank you for your support in this process.  WE MADE IT!  J

 Sending a Happy Holiday Wish to all of you for a safe and happy winter break.

I will see you in 2014!

Trash Free Tuesdays - Starts December 10th

Trash Free Tuesdays- Starting December 10th!

Edna Maguire's Green Team is excited to announce that we will be having our first Trash Free Tuesday on December 10th!  All students will be asked to pack their lunch with food and materials that can be reused, recycled or composted, as opposed to thrown away.  Please help us on our first Trash Free Tuesday by avoiding disposable packaging when preparing your child's lunch.  Thank you for your support!

Moving in Details and Save the Date!

We are getting SUPER EXCITED!  The EM Staff have one week before we can start moving in some of our classroom and school items into the new buildings!  The new furniture starts to arrive this coming week as well!

It's hard to believe we are almost to the GOAL LINE!  Two weeks until Winter Break, with Friday, Dec. 13 as our last school day.  During the week of Dec. 16-20, the larger contents of the classrooms will be moved into the new school and the portable buildings will be removed from the property.  There is a lot to do!  January 6th is our exciting, first day in the new school!

Sunday, January 12th, from 2-4 we will be hosting an Edna Maguire Open House so that the new school can be toured!

And to think...... It feels like we just broke ground! 

We've come a long way !  

  Stay tuned for the invite!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

Edna Artists on Display!

Congratulations to the Edna Maguire Featured Artists at the Bank Of Marin Art Show!

The show will run from Monday, December 2nd  - Wednesday, January 15th. 

There will be a reception for the artists on Tuesday, December 3rd from 4:00 - 6:00pm. 

Featured Artists

Skyler Cecchi  - 1st Grade

Audrey Lowell  - 1Grade

Aakash Valdivia - 3rd Grade

Raphaela Farahani - 4th Grade

We are proud of you!

Kiddo Donation Challenge - We are almost there!!!

Dear Parents,

Kiddo! recently announced an exciting challenge as the Kiddo! 2013 Annual Campaign comes to a close. If the family participation rate across the district reaches 75% by the end of the Campaign on December 31st, not only will every student in the district be able to continue to benefit from our fabulous Kiddo!-funded programs and teachers, but every student in the district will also receive a free 8 oz. frozen yogurt from Swirl!

As of this weekend, slightly more than 52% of district families have donated to Kiddo! since the 2013 Campaign kick-off in May. If you haven't already donated this year, I encourage you to do so and help earn all our kids a tasty reward!  Donations of any size count!

Edna Maguire would not be the same without Kiddo!  Your donation to the 2013 Annual Campaign pays for the following at Edna this school year:

·       The salaries of our two art teachers, Katie and Jackie, and all of our art materials

·       The salaries of our three music teachers, Nora (K-2), Darren (3-4) and Anna (5), and all music supplies

·       The salaries of our two chorus teachers, Nora (3-4) and Jessica (5)

·       The salaries of our orchestra and band directors, Phoebe and Cayce

·       The salaries of our two P.E. teachers, Schuyler and Elaine

·       The salaries of our library aide, Anne, and our seven classroom aides

·       Our dance instructor, Alan, and our poetry specialists

·       Our 2^nd Grade Performing Arts program, our 4^th Grade Walk Through California program, and our 5^th Grade Performing Arts Program

·       Technology support and innovative teaching grants at our school

Let’s increase our Kiddo! participation this year!  My goal is to have 100% of all Edna Maguire families donate to Kiddo! in 2013. We currently need 227 more families to donate in any amount to reach that goal.  Signs counting down the families needed to hit our target are up at the upper school entrance (by Room 25) and by the main entrance (on the admin building wall) through the end of December. Please donate and be counted today! 

                                   

                                     DONATE NOW: https://secure.kiddo.org/d/

On Thursday, December 5, our Kiddo! School Representative, Ahtossa Fullerton, and other volunteers, will be at school for Kiddo! Participation Day. Stop by to ask questions about Kiddo!, or to make a donation.

Thank you for your consistent and generous support of our schools!

Sneak Preview - Something Cool in the New School!

Yesterday, I was able to walk the New School Campus!!!!  It was so stunning and beautiful, I was brought to tears.  I can't wait for our families, students, staff and community to experience this incredible learning space.  As I look at the faces of our students, I just can't wait to see and hear what they will have to say about their new "home!"

How awesome is this???? :)

Driving with Intention and Good Manners!

I have been inundated with emails from our school neighbors, families and concerned citizens about the lack of courtesy and manners with regards to parking and car line.  Ughhhh!  This takes up a lot of valuable time away from students and teachers.

I do know the parking situation is horrific!  Currently we have construction workers taking up most of the available parking on the street and in front of Ring Mountain.  This will cease as the new school opens.  By the end of the 2013-2014 school year, we will have the additional parking which is currently our Interim Campus.

We have approximately 51 parking spaces and over 60 staff members, so this has also been an issue.  We will persevere through this but it will take courteous behavior by everyone.

During the drop off and pick-up times YOU MAY NOT PARK IN FRONT OF THE NEIGHBORS DRIVEWAYS!  Not for a second or a minute!  This is illegal and incredibly rude, to say the least.  Imagine trying to leave your driveway for work and you can't get out because there is a car parked at the end of your driveway!  It is happening on a regular basis.

I expect the same Life Skills from our parents as I do the students.  These include: Cooperation, Effort, Friendship Integrity, Patience, and Responsibility to name a few.  I take great pride in our school and our reputation in the community.  Please be a good citizen and member of the Edna Maguire Community with your words, behavior and actions!

International Walk to School Day - Wednesday, Oct. 9th! Join in on the fun!

Join us at the Mill Valley Community Center and walk together!
"Join use to celebrate International Walk to School Day this week, Wednesday, October 9th. Walk and roll (bikes, scooters, carpools) with friends and neighbors. This is always great fun for the kids and parents alike and helps reinforce the healthy and green habits of walking and biking to school and the importance of carpooling.

Steeplechase Spirit Week - Oct. 7- 11

This coming week is Steeplechase Spirit Week!  If you are in grades 1-5, you have a Steeplechase shirt from last year or previous years!  Please wear a vintage shirt anytime this week.  Friday, Oct. 11  your child will receive their new shirt for our RUN on Friday!  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Spelling Bee Contestants!

Congratulations to the Edna Maguire students who will advance to the 

Regional Spelling Bee Competition on Monday, October 28th at Old Mill School from 3:30-6:30 p.m.  

Julian Reiss - 5th grade

Adam Guggenheim - 5th grade

Spencer Tsuchiyama - 5th grade

Bennet Matazzoni - 4th grade

We are very proud of you and good luck!

Interesting News and Information from some 5th Grade reporters!

I was recently approached by several young ladies in the 5th grade about bringing some news items to the attention of our families.  I always find what kids have to say is much more interesting and fun than perhaps my own "words of wisdom!"  Enjoy!

Excuses, Tips and Tricks
 By: California Girl

Okay, so we all know the "the dog ate my homework" excuse.  We also know that teachers know this is not true!  Unless of course you come to school with an x-ray of the inside of your dog's stomach. Here are a list of working excuses by a California Girl for missing homework:

1. My mom was vacuuming and she sucked up my homework.
2. My little sister grabbed it and flushed it down the toilet.
3. My babysitter had papers and accidentally took it home.
4. My dog soiled on it.
5  My brother tossed it out of a ten story building.

My recommendation is to not do #5 if I were you!
Good Luck,
California Girl

The Personal Peeker!
Our classroom aide, Annette is on a diet.  She drinks Pellagrino water and eats candy, which I happen to think is a crime!  One time I caught her drinking a Coke.  "So far I've lost 3 pounds," says Annette, the awesome yard duty.  However, I also caught Annette chewing sweet gum.  She cares a lot about calories, that's why she is on a diet.  "I want to look my best for the students!  Edna is a treasure," Annette says!  She also added that she has 14 more pounds to lose!
(Please note - Annette is aware that her interview is going public!  LOL!) 

Kat's Interviews
(The questions were posed to random students and teachers.)
1. What do you like about Edna?
It's Fun!
2.  What do you look forward to this year?
Moving into the new school and using it!
3.  So what do you think about the new school?
It is the most stunning school in the world of schools!  It will blow your mind!
4.  Is there going to be a new track and new playground?
Yes, there will be both! It's very exciting!

One Stop Shopping Forms -Carline Duty - and January 17th date reminder!

Dear Family,

My Blog....  theprincipaldiary.blogspot.com is going live this next week through the Pony!  You can access it through the Edna Maguire website or sign up to receive the updates as I post them!  I hope to add more pictures and fun items as we go along!

One Stop Shopping Form
This form was in the First Day Packet and this includes many important items that pertain to school needs and items that you may want to order for your child. (If you have lost or misplaced this form you can click on the link here or find it under Forms on our Edna Maguire Website.)

Steeplechase Pledge Packets
Our Steeplechase Lapathon is quickly approaching on Oct.11!  It is our primary source or revenue for our school and students for the year.  Specific details on how the money is used can be found on the back of the One Stop Form.  The school's goal is a $300.00 donation per student, however any amount is greatly appreciated!

Carline Volunteers and Schedule
We have worked diligently with the City of Mill Valley police department, the school district and our traffic patrol to assist with the heavy flow of traffic and lack of parking.  I expect the parking on the streets and in front of Ring Mountain to subside once the construction workers start to leave once we are back on January 6th.
As part of our effort we have Carline Volunteers scheduled by class all year!  Carline Schedule - by class is used to schedule our volunteers.  You will receive notice when your child's classroom is scheduled and you can sign up through Sign-Up Genius.  However, if you happen to notice that the car line is short volunteers either in the morning or at pick-up, please stop and lend a hand if possible. It is greatly appreciated.

Mill Valley School District Student and Teacher Calendar 2013-2014
On the original Mill Valley School District Student and Teacher Calendar, Friday, January 17th was designated as a Teacher, Professional Development Day with no student attendance.  I am bringing this to your attention because Monday, January 20 is a school holiday- Martin Luther King Day.  The teacher staff development day has been changed to Friday, March 21st!

Safety First!
At recess and lunch all adults are wearing our new "fashion forward" high visibility vests!  This allows students to find an adult that can easily be seen! Check it out!

Edna Maguire School Early Morning Drop-Off Option!

Starting Monday, Sept. 23^rd Edna Maguire School is providing an early drop off option to alleviate some of the 8:20 traffic that occurs each morning. 

We now have two playground supervisors that are going to be placed on Alto Field (Upper Campus) and the courtyard blacktop (Lower Campus) area from 8:00-8:30 a.m. 

·      Grades 3-5 are suggested to start dropping off at 8:05 a.m.

·      Grades K-2 are suggested to start dropping off at 8:15 a.m.

We are splitting the times in order to stagger the traffic if possible.  We do realize that some families carpool and have siblings in the various grades.  The above times are suggested times and if you need to utilize one or the other, please do. 

The goal is to stagger the traffic and provide supervision for the students who can be dropped off early.  Once our playground is open, we will provide supervision in that area for the morning as well. 

We continue to work with Safe Routes to School with their “Green Ways to School” program that includes, Walk and Roll Incentives and School Pool which connects families to share rides. www.saferoutestoschools.org  In addition we are working with Cole Transportation Alternatives www.coletransalt.com , California Highway Patrol, City of Mill Valley Police and our contracted crossing guards. 

A BIG THANK YOU to our Walk and Roll to School parent volunteers, Mara Connor, Ryan Erving, and the Jeremy Rivitch Family for coordinating our first, monthly Walk and Roll to School Campaign!

All of these efforts help our families, neighbors and students get to and from school safely!

Sept. 11, 2013

Dear Family,
Over the years I have always addressed the school community as "family" because it is my school family!  Many "editors" have tried to change it to "families."  I prefer to leave it as FAMILY  :)

This is my first attempt at blogging so I hope you will forgive my "newness" to this type of forum!  It will allow me to add things as needed and communicate better!  That is the goal anyway!

It was wonderful to meet all of you at Back to School Night this past, Sept. 11.  The school is big and wonderful, with 604 students!  A big THANK YOU goes out to all the teachers who prepared so well to meet all of their new families.

As it was mentioned, we need CAR LINE VOLUNTEERS each morning and afternoon.  Each class is assigned a time frame in which we ask each family to help out whether you use the car line or not.  It really helps with traffic flow.  In addition, if your child uses car line, please reiterate the importance of getting out the curb in a timely manner.  Often times, students aren't out there and it backs up traffic.  Please refer to our website for CAR LINE information.  ednamaguire.org

Now for the bad news..... you have to leave your dogs at home!  Dogs are not allowed on school district property.  Many children are afraid of dogs and they are not allowed!  :(
Please do not tie them up on picnic tables or other school property areas.

Stay tuned.... lots more information will be coming your way!  I will have this linked to the website but you can also choose to get updates as I post them.