April
MPF Donation
Please drop it off at one of the convenient donation boxes located in the main office of either Gravenstein or Hillcrest schools.
Or, you can send your donation to:
MPF
708 Gravenstein Hwy. North #211
Sebastopol, CA 95472 |
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Dear ENRICH! Families,
There have been numerous studies looking at the impact of parent volunteers on public schools. The overwhelming consensus is that, "Schools that work well with families, where parents are involved, outperform identical programs without parent and family involvement". (Click here to read the entire brief.) A savvy administration will do everything it can to involve parents in the school community and to ensure that parents who volunteer feel comfortable in the school setting.
In the ENRICH! program, there are many ways to volunteer, and there are a host of committed parents who devote many hours to supporting our children's school. From driving and chaperoning on field trips, to helping teachers in the classroom, to serving as classroom social coordinators, to serving on one of the two parent boards (MPF and GSF), parent volunteers significantly strengthen the ENRICH! program.
One of the ways Angela and I have volunteered over the last three years is by publishing this newsletter. When we started MPF Notes back in 2009, there was a dearth of readily available information about the program: it was hard to find news of what was going on outside of our own children's classrooms. MPF Notes aimed to address that information gap, and it's been very gratifying to be able to disseminate news of some of the many wonderful things happening on a daily basis in ENRICH! However, after three years, we find that our available volunteer time has decreased. Therefore the June issue of MPF Notes will be our last. We'd love for someone to step up and take over the newsletter. The newsletter team needs a few inspired writers, a technical coordinator and a photographer or two; please contact Angela or me if you are interested.
Katrina Irving and Angela Jamar
Editors |
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MPF Board News
MPF Special Projects Fund - The MPF Board approved two new special project applications in February. It approved the purchase of a MacBook Pro laptop for Allie Brown's fourth grade ENRICH! class, to be used in conjunction with the ELMO/projector purchased last year. The laptop will support Allie's daily teaching practices, and she intends to use it to project images, videos and power point presentations. The Board also approved a request for a set of Jeopardy! team remotes and two science cartridges for Kelly Sporrer's eighth grade ENRICH! class. Kelly currently uses the Jeopardy! game in both social studies and algebra (the game is aligned with current state standards in both subjects). By incorporating the additional remotes, Kelly will be able to increase the amount of participants from 3 to 15; and by adding the science-focused cartridges, she will be able to use the game to review additional material with her students. |
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Important Dates!
April 1....................................................MPF Tailgate Party at Hillcrest(3:30PM)
April 15....................................................................Spring Social (6:00-9:00PM)
April 20.......................................................MPF Elections for Board of Directors
April 20.....................ENRICH! Program Advisory at Hillcrest Room 6 (3:45PM)
April 20..........................MPF Board Meeting at Hillcrest Room 6 (5:30-7:30PM)
May 13.......................Teacher Appreciation Evening at Hopmonk (4:00-6:30PM)
June 5.................................................Ives Pool Party (more information to come) |
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Magnet Program Foundation (MPF) Elections
Elections for the 2011-2012 MPF Board of Directors will take place on Wednesday, April 20th. The ballot and voting details will be sent out separately.
The Board is a dedicated group of parents who plan social events, create MPF Notes, build community within ENRICH!, and work together with the District to enhance and financially support the ENRICH! classes and enrichment programs.
The MPF Board may have up to 13 members. There are 7 candidates. (*Indicates a current MPF Board member.)
Board Candidates:
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Seana Gause |
My name is Seana Gause. I am a transportation professional at the Sonoma County Transportation Authority. Before that, I was a professional archaeologist and environmental planner. My husband John and I have two sons in the ENRICH program, John E. at Hillcrest and Sean at Gravenstein. I have a long history of volunteering for parent organizations associated with my sons' education. I have served on our former school's PTA as president, vice-president, secretary and historian. I feel strongly that participating on the MPF board is one of the best ways for me to be involved in the program.
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Jackie Richmond* |
My name is Jackie Richmond. My husband, Chris, and I are the parents of second grader Allie. Allie has been in the ENRICH! program since kindergarten and has thrived with the quality of teaching, variety of enrichment activities and nurturing community that make up this exceptional program. Chris and I believe active, involved parents are essential to the healthy development of our children. I am currently a student at Santa Rosa Junior College in the web development program. Formerly, I enjoyed a career as a diamond cutter and an information technology professional. I joined the Board last year in the role of Secretary and more recently, assumed responsibility for support of the MPF website. I serve on the Board because I believe our combined talents contribute to the continued evolution and growth of the program. I offer my technical, analytical and organizational skills to the MPF Board again this year.
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Mike Bollinger* |
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Beth Bollinger* |
We are the parents of Madison in the 8th grade, Lauren in the 7th grade, Camille in the 4th grade, and our two year old son, Nolan. We share one position on the ENRICH! board. We have been a part of the ENRICH! community for five years now. Our girls are thriving in this program of academically high expectations coupled with the arts and a nurturing environment. Mike is a local doctor and Beth is a stay-at-home mom with a background in design. Supporting the school that our children attend is a high priority for us.
Delia Plikuhn* - My name is Delia Plikuhn and I am currently serving as Magnet Program Foundation Co-Treasurer. I am interested in continuing to serve on the Magnet Program Foundation Board. My husband, Sean, and I are strong advocates of partnering with the schools to support positive academic and social opportunities that improve the educational foundation of the students. Our family is very happy to have had the option of participating in the ENRICH! Program due to its broad variety of opportunities in academics, creative arts, with in a positive social environment. With a B.A. in Psychology, I have worked in human resources management, sales, recruiting, and payroll for seventeen years. At Cross & Crown Lutheran School I served on the School Board as Treasurer for 2008/2009. For the past two years I have regularly volunteered in the classroom, taught Spanish, and organized fund raising events. The Magnet Program Foundation is a valuable asset to our community, and as such I look forward to continuing to work with other board members, teachers, and parents to keep this program going strong for our children today and to preserve it for the students of tomorrow.
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Angela Jamar* |
My husband Scott and I are parents to Blake, 8th Grader, and Genevieve, 5th Grader. This is our 4th year in the program and my 4th year on the board. Our children really enjoy all that ENRICH! has to offer. I am vice president of a locally owned financial planning and stock brokerage firm. On the lighter side, I enjoy playing volleyball and swimming.
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Arif Virji* |
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Tracy D'Ambrosi* |
We are the parents of Valentina Virji (3rd grade) and Dean Virji (1st grade). Both of our children are thriving in the ENRICH! program, and we serve on the Board as a way to give something back to the program and hopefully make it even better. Arif is an attorney with 23 years experience in employment law and general litigation. Tracy is the office manager at another law firm in San Francisco. Arif is on the Legal Committee and Tracy is on the Social Committee.
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Gary Giuliani* |
Gary is father of three children in the School and has previously served as Board Vice-President.
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| Garden-To-Table
Maraline Olson has combined two of her loves and given the students in Mrs. Lannon's First Grade quite a treat. She loves cooking and gardening! In the fall, Maraline and the students planted lettuce, broccoli, and snap peas amongst other plants. This week they harvested and ate those vegetables dipped in homemade hummus. Each month the students have been lucky enough to have Maraline come in and cook with them. So far this year they have made, apple crisp, pumpkin pancakes, buttermilk dressing for their romaine lettuce and most recently hummus. Mrs. Lannon's says, "The kids love when she comes, we call her our "TOP CHEF"!
Photos and article by Kelley Lannon
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"Science Fair Mania!" Article Correction
Forrest Horobin, ENRICH! 8th grader, was also invited to submit his science fair entry into the San Francisco bay area science fair. His entry compared varying rocket lengths and how changing length, but not weight, affects launch distance. He made a rocket launcher which uses pressurized air from a bicycle pump. Good luck Forrest and the rest of the science students! |
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Spring Social Fun
 Parent Social
The annual Spring Fling Parent Social is just around the corner. Parents of all ENRICH! students are encouraged to attend this fun event. Please bring a beverage (wine or other) and a finger food to share. When you RSVP to the Evite sent out, please give an idea of what food you will be bringing so that we have a nice variety of appetizers and desserts. We look forward to a fun-filled evening!
Tailgate Party
 We have the 'green light' to do a tailgate party (no alcohol- of course)...in the Hillcrest parking lot ! The four Social Coordinators (5th-8th) will be backing up their SUVs with tailgates down right before school lets out on Friday, April 1st. Park and gab! Bring an after school snack to share, MPF will provide the drinks. Hope to see you all there. Please keep in mind that this isn't a school function and there will not be school supervision at this event. There must be an adult responsible for each student attending the tailgate party.
Please e-mail Angela Jamar if you didn't receive an Evite invitation for either of these socials. |
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Fun with "The Veldt"
We have begun our Science Fiction cluster in Language Arts. This is a favorite of mine because of the rich, complex stories in the cluster. Yesterday, I read aloud "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury. Although it was written in 1951, it is incredibly relatable to life today. One of the reasons I enjoy this selection is because it generates amazing discussions about technology usage, parenting and an unusual comparison to Peter Pan.
Last night, the students were tasked with finding 5 examples of good parenting and 5 examples of bad parenting in "The Veldt." Today, they partnered up and shared these examples. As a class, we created a long list. The students were spot on with their examples of good parenting and bad parenting from the story.
The conversation then evolved into parenting and how George and Lydia (parents in story) could have been better parents. Believe it or not, the students said that the kids in the story needed more, "limits, boundaries, rules, control and consistency," from their parents. Yes, these very words came out of 6th graders' mouths. Their connections were remarkable.
Lastly, I asked the students to think of some themes for "The Veldt." We were running short on time but here are five that were suggested by students:
- Pay attention to kids
- Limits are important
- Balance between technology and other things is important
- Don't let technology replace humans
- Take a vacation (short break after school or a longer trip if necessary)
I know I have said it before, and I know I will say it again, but I love spending my days with these students. And bravo to you parents for raising such thoughtful and smart children.
I guess the message behind this post is although your 6th grader might fight you tooth and nail on parenting choices, he or she will one day appreciate the boundaries you have set. The discussion today was evidence that these students have great insight into what is right and wrong.
Blog excerpt from Allison Rich, ENRICH! 6th grade teacher |
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