September 11, 2008

SCHOOL SCENEin Almaden Valley

Almaden elementary school PTAs, Home and School clubs back in action

By Shana McLean Moore
Staff Writer

Almaden elementary schools are jumping right in to the new school year as their Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and Home and School clubs begin their monthly meetings and plan their first social events and fundraisers of the year.

Guadalupe
The big news at Guadalupe this year is the launch of efforts to “go green.” According to Home and School Club President Jeannie Hamchuk, they will start by making changes to their annual walk-a-thon to produce less waste. Some of the steps they will take this year include electronic sponsoring and marking laps directly on T-shirts rather than paper cards.

They will also be putting more of a focus on eScrip, an electronic system in which corporations reward customers by giving a percentage of their purchases back to the school of their choice. By focusing on the electronic version of the service, the school can avoid selling paper and plastic giftcards.
 
The funds raised through the walk-a-thon, eScrip and at the second annual gala – an adult evening with dinner, dancing and a silent auction – will support enrichment programs. Music, PE, art instruction, and the accelerated reading program will all benefit from the fundraising efforts. Hamchuk hopes there will be enough funds to also make improvements to the school grounds as they did last year by replacing two of Guadalupe’s play structures.

Simonds
The PTA at Simonds welcomes six first-time board members that collectively have enough enthusiasm to overcome the lack of experience.

According to President Irene Paquet, they have started the year with an annual membership to attract more parents. Through increased membership and fundraising efforts, their goal is to raise enough money to be able to continue the enrichment programs that they have put in place over the past years, such as Art Vista, Reflections, Science Fair, Math Olympics and the Young Author’s Fair, as well as the assemblies that are organized by the vice president of Student Programs. The largest percentage of their PTA monies goes directly back into the classrooms and pays for field trips.

Within the first couple of weeks of school, Simonds has already hosted a successful uniform exchange, as well as a welcome-back coffee on the first day of school. The Kindergarten Welcome Picnic took place Sept. 9, and the PTA is looking forward to Simonds Cougar Spirit Day on Sept. 12, their first general meeting during back-to-school night and the kick-off for the Reflections program in October.

Graystone
Graystone’s Home and School Club’s membership drive is in full swing through Sept. 19. The school is already two-thirds of the way toward achieving its goal of raising $72,000.

The school’s social calendar is just as bustling with a scheduled Diner’s Night at Sonoma Chicken Coop on Wednesday, Sept. 17, Movie Night on Oct. 3 and Pumpkin Bust on Oct. 24. In an effort to lighten their usually full spring schedule, the school will celebrate its annual Heritage Day celebration on Nov. 14.

Co-president Elise Newton hopes to use the funds raised to continue to support the school’s science, computer, music and media programs. She also hopes to install a new electric sign for the front of the school.

“Our goal for the Home and School Club is to be open and welcoming to all Graystone families and to foster a strong volunteer base to help Graystone continue to succeed,” said Newton

Williams
The PTA at Williams is also in high gear, having already hosted an ice cream social and an outdoor movie night last Friday. According to PTA President Tina Lien, they had a wonderful turnout. “Families enjoyed pizzas, hot dogs and, of course, popcorn with their movie under the stars. The warm evening weather was a perfect end to summer,” Lien said.

This week, the PTA officially welcomes the school’s new kindergarten class with its annual welcome picnic. At the end of the month, they will celebrate First Grade Night and then, just days later, Heritage Day. October will wind up with the Jack o’ Lantern Jam.

The next several months will include regular meetings peppered with family fun nights where families are encouraged to gather at local restaurants for a social opportunity that is also a fundraiser for the school.

Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos recognized a catchy theme when they heard one and, like Obama supporters, is rallying under this year’s PTA membership theme of “Together We Can.”

Its goal is to meet and surpass last year’s 544 members with this year’s student population of 695. PTA President Simone Nelson says, “Our goal is to maintain our membership numbers from last year. We don’t take it for granted that so many of our families are members. We want to continue to make PTA relevant and fun, while remembering that it isn’t just about the money we raise to give back to our children’s classrooms—it is just as important to recognize that we are part of the larger picture of state and national PTA and that each new member strengthens the voice of PTA as a whole.”

In addition to focusing on membership, Los Alamitos has been busy welcoming back the staff after a summer of school remodeling. The staff was invited back to school with a boxed lunch from the Sandwich Mill as a reprieve from unpacking boxes of materials that spent the summer in storage. The first PTA meeting took place this past Tuesday night with a separate welcome to parents who were new to the school.

Los Alamitos’ PTA is busy planning its annual walk-a-thon for Oct. 4 with a theme of “Walk on the Wild Side,” complete with custom T-shirt designs by Los Alamitos parent and artist Nicole Ison. The event is one of the highlights on the school calendar as it brings entire families out together to visit, walk, enjoy music and eat a barbecued lunch while also shopping for a good cause at the silent auction. The event kicks off with an outdoor movie night on the field for families on Sept.19.

Leland students receive scholarship

The Circle of Neighbors, a community nonprofit, recently announced winners of its annual scholarship. Aysuhi Roy, a student at Leland High School, is the winner of the $5,000 college scholarship; runner-up scholarship recipients from Leland High School include Michelle Ko, Harsh Modi and Zade Shakir. Information on the 2009, $5,000 college scholarship can be requested by e-mailing to gsutton@circleofneighbors.org.

Presentation High to fight cancer with volleyball showcase

Presentation High School’s volleyball team is taking on a mighty opponent this month: Cancer.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Panthers will host the inaugural “Dig for the Cure,” a varsity volleyball showcase featuring St. Francis (Mountain View) against Ripon Christian (Ripon) and the Panthers against Highland Christian (Sacramento).

Presentation volleyball players – who have seen cancer take a toll on the lives of many students, athletes, coaches, family members and fans – will be asking for flat donations or pledges for digs earned against their respective teams. All four teams are participating in the fund drive, and proceeds will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

“I saw Stanford do this fundraiser last year, and I felt it was a great way for our program to give back to the community, as well as act on something that affects all women,” Coach Ryan Cooling said.

At the event, volunteers wearing pink shirts will collect donations throughout the gym, and players will wear pink bows in their hair. Fans can show support by wearing pink or purchasing a pink T-shirt at the door.

Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for students and seniors, and $3 for kids under 12. Price includes both the 5 p.m. match between St. Francis and Ripon Christian and the 7 p.m. match featuring Presentation and Highland Chris-tian.

For more information, visit the high school Web site at www.pres-net.com of the Susan G Komen site at www.komen.org.

Pyle, Nguyen sponsor youth job fair, workshop at Oakridge Mall

City Councilmembers Madi-son Nguyen and Nancy Pyle are sponsoring a youth job fair on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sears’ Court in Oakridge Mall.

The event is designed for 16- to 20-year-olds looking for a job. Participants will have the opportunity to attend workshops, which highlight interview skills, resume writing and guidance for completing job applications. The fair also will feature successful local businesses in a professional job fair environment.

The purpose of the fair is to educate participants on workplace preparedness training to ensure a higher caliber of employees and to streamline the hiring process and make the connection between businesses and quality job candidates even easier.

The day will begin with registration from 8:30 to 9 a.m. Workshops will run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. followed by the job fair.

Oakridge Mall is located at 925 Blossom Hill Road.

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