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.