Edna Maguire Family- Welcome Back Letter- 2014-2015

EDNA MAGUIRE P.R.O.U.D.  (Polite-Responsible-Outstanding-Understanding-Dependable) Dear Families,  Welcome back to this exciting 2014 - 2015 school year! We are happy to welcome all 608 students this year! I hope you had a fun summer and are ready for another great year here at Edna Maguire. Please read all of the information in this letter as well as the information in the "First Day Packet" that your child will bring home. Your main source of information throughout the school year will be on our website,www.ednamaguire.org. Please refer to this website for all school information. For classroom specific information, you will receive news from your child's teacher. I am using a blog format this year that will also have a link through our school's website www.theprincipaldiary.blogspot.com  Twitter: LisaZimmer1  For time sensitive news, I also have the capability of emailing the entire school, specific grade levels or individual classrooms. I will try to consolidate information so that you are not inundated with emails.  PARKING/ DROP OFF/ PICK-UP 8:00-8:30 a.m - Free supervision on the playground for early drop-off option. We continue to have a CAR LINE drop off and pick-up system in our parking lot. While the CAR LINE will be coordinated and serviced by parent volunteers, 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. Each class has certain times during the year in which families are requested to sign up through Signup Genius, which is emailed directly to the class. We ask that you consider volunteering even if you don't use CAR LINE.  In the First Day Packet, you will receive your CAR LINE Placard. This needs to have your family name written on it and placed in a visible location on your dashboard so that CAR LINE volunteers can get your child to your car safely at the end of the day.  CAR LINE Procedures/Schedule Birthday Food/Treat Policy  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!) . It is our continued plan to celebrate each child's birthday with special recognition in each of their classrooms. 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. 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.  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 nut allergies. More information on Peanut/Peanut Product Allergies can be found in the First Day Packet and on our website.  Campus Map Lunch/Snack/Recess Schedule  (All students need to bring a snack for the 10:10-10:25 a.m recess)  Lunch can be ordered through Choice Lunch on our website. Information is also in the First Day Packet.  Transitional Kindergarten - Determined by the teachers  Kindergarten - Determined by the teachers  1st and 2nd Grade - 11:25-12:10  3rd Grade - 11:50-12:40  4th and 5th Grade - 11:55-12:40  Daily Attendance Schedule  Transition Kindergarten - 8:50-12:50 (M-F)  Kindergarten - August 27-September 19th - 8:30-11:50  Kindergarten - September 22-June 18th - 8:30-1:30 (M-F)  Grades 1-5 - 8:30-2:50 (M, T, Thurs., Fri.)  Grade 1-5 - 8:30-1:45 (Early Release Wednesday Schedule)  I have high expectations for student behavior on our campus.  Our School Community Campaign - I AM EDNA MAGUIRE P.R.O.U.D! (Polite, Responsible, Outstanding, Understanding, Dependable) Everyone will be held accountable to these expectations! If you have specific questions about your child's behavior at school, you should first contact your child's teacher. If you still have questions or concerns, please contact me.  Please Welcome Our New or Transferring Staff:  Transitional Kindergarten: Anna Harris (From K)  1st Grade Team Teachers: Tammy Harper and Julie Bremer  2nd Grade: Jessica Steinau, Jennifer Foskett (From 1st grade)  3rd Grade: Katie Seavey  Reading and Math Support (RAMP): Gina Munoz  School Counselor:Jenn Grouf joining Jason Mountsier  P.E.: Will Mosley  Occupational Therapist: Marla Kelly  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. (Please note that I get many, many emails and I respond as promptly as I can but my first priority is the staff and student contact time.)  All the best,  Lisa Zimmer, Principal  Mark Your Calendars:  New Family Orientation Night , Monday August 25th - 6:30-7:30 (Multi-Purpose/Gym) Best Suited for incoming families grades 1-5 First Day Coffee - Wednesday, August 27th after 8:30 drop-off in the covered lunch area  Back to School Night - Wednesday, September 10 (No Children in Attendance)  5:30-6:15 - K-2  6:30-7:00 - Principal Welcome/Teacher Introductions  7:15-8:00 - Grades 3-5

New Family Orientation Night for all families NEW to our AMAZING SCHOOL!

New Family Orientation Evening!

Monday, August 25^th

6:30-7:30

Edna Maguire Gym

First of all, I would like to WELCOME all of you to our AMAZING school!

As you may now we are spending our first whole year in our brand new school and have many new families joining us!  Our enrollment includes two Transitional Kindergarten classes all the way through 5^th grade equaling 609 students so far!

This evening event will give you information about our school, programs and a small guided tour with an opportunity to ask questions.

I hope you can join me!

All the Best,

Lisa Zimmer, Principal

Teacher/Aide Appreciation Week - May 5-9

Teacher Appreciation Week – May 5-9

Please join me in celebrating our teachers and aides during this special week!  

I am very grateful for the staff here at Edna Maguire! I'm constantly reminded how 

special they truly are when I walk into one of their classrooms.  Teachers that visit

from other parts of the country are in awe of this beautiful school and the 

classrooms they see.  We are extremely fortunate to have the parents, 

students and teachers that make up the Edna Maguire Community.

Please take a moment to send a note of appreciation!  Your kind words are very much appreciated 

to these staff members that work so hard to create a special learning environment.

"One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, 

but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. 

The curriculum is so much necessary raw material,

 but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child."
--Carl Jung

To Bake or Not to Bake.........

This is your chance to impress all of us with your Baking Skills!

Our Garden Faire on April 27th is approaching.

Please sign up today for our annual Bake Off at The Faire!

Information below....

Use this form:

http://ednamaguire.org/2014bakeoffEDNA.pdf

Order Your Child's Classroom Supplies On-Line for 2014-2015!

Order your child’s 2014-15 School Supply Kit online now!

Edna has partnered with 1st Day School Supplies which allows parents the ease of ordering next year’s school supplies online.  Edna teachers have supplied and approved each grades' school supply lists on the 1st Day website. Parents select their child's grade, checkout, and forget about it! The kit will be delivered to each child’s classroom labeled with their name before the first day of school. It's easy for parents, and teachers and kids get the exact supplies they need!  Go to www.1stdayschoolsupplies.com.  Check it off your list now!

This is the first time we have tried this!  We are excited to see how it works!

I hope this is the last PAVING the PARKING LOT date change!

Thursday( 4/10/14)  -  First Lift Paving at New Entry Loop @

                                       Parking lot (Upper) starting in a.m.

                                     3:30p.m. -  Close Entry Drive and

                                       pave at East / West cross drive.

Friday (4/11/14)  -     Complete second lift of paving at New

                                       Entry Loop and Parking Lot. (Upper)

                                       3:30 p.m. - Close Entry Drive and

                                       complete paving at East / West cross

                                       drive.

As previously noted, vehicles in the existing parking lot will

be able to exit at the southwest exist near Lomita / Lomita.

Visitors to the site after 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday or 3:30 p.m.

on Thursday should use the lower parking lot or park on the

street for these two days. 

Paving is postponed again due to rain!

Paving schedule will move from 4/3/14 and 4/4/14 to next week.  The base rock is saturated and we cannot pave until it drys out and is re-compacted.

 

I will provide dates later this week.  Forecast for next week looks much better.

 

Thanks,

 

Pete Norgaard

VPCS