Tom Kitayama Elementary School - New Haven Unified School District

Tom Kitayama Elementary School
March 2012
New Haven Unified School District http://www.nhusd.k12.ca.us
~ PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE ~
Dear Kitayama Families,
Lisa Metzinger
Principal
Kitayama Elementary
1959 Sunsprite Drive
Union City, CA. 94587
Office 510.475-3982
Facsimile 510.475.3988
WHAT’S HAPPENING
March
10 Daylight savingsspring forward
14 SSC 5:30 p.m.
PTA 7:00 p.m.
15Alvarado Middle
School & CCMS
Parent
Orientation Night
6pm @ AMS & CCMS
15 ELAC 8:15a.m.
15 Modified Day
All grades
8a.m.-12:05p.m.
16 Multicultural
Potluck
6:00 p.m.
April
2nd-6th SPRING BREAK
11 Spring Concert
7pm
17 SSC 5:30
PTA 7:00pm
18 ELAC 8:15am
20 Budget Cut Day
SCHOOL CLOSED
April 23-May 4 is STAR
Testing.
School Office Hours
7:30 – 3:30
March is a busy time at Kitayama. Our fourth graders take the STAR Writing Test on Tuesday, March 6. I
know you join me in wishing them success on this important test. In addition, the annual Multicultural
Potluck is on Friday, March 16 at 6:00 p.m. Bring a dish to share and enjoy the entertainment our students
will provide. I look forward to seeing you there!
In February, with the support of our PTA, we held our annual Dance-A-Thon during Fitness for Life
classes. Coach Chong and Coach Sowell did an outstanding job preparing our students for this healthy
and fun event. We earned over $6,000 for classroom supplies. Thanks to everyone for your generous
donations of time and money.
As we progress through the winter and early spring months, I want to remind you of the importance of
having students arrive to school on time. It is imperative that students arrive as soon as school begins at
8:00 so they can begin learning. Make sure to give yourself extra time on rainy days, as the traffic is
heavy.
Sincerely,
Lisa Metzinger
Principal
~ LITERACY ~
Critical Literacy
The students and staff at Kitayama are continuing
their thinking work in critical literacy. Students in
grades K are working on character development,
studying the archetype of the wolf. They will soon
be starting nonfiction. In 1st – 5th grades, students
are continuing their work on nonfiction. As
always, when your children read every night, ask
them to talk about the concepts and themes in the
story they’re reading, or to share the arc of that
story. You’ll be impressed with their ability to
understand what they read at a very deep level.
Writing Workshop
Currently, kinder students are working on letter
writing. In first and second grade, students are
working How To’s and will start all abouts and
research reports. In 3rd – 5th grade they are working
on information/research reports. The reports become
increasingly more advanced as the students progress
through the grades. Students are enjoying reading
and writing about a variety of topics, including
animals, explorers, the solar system, and the
circulatory system
Lost and Found
Please take a moment to search through our Lost
and Found in the Cafeteria for any missing coats or
jackets. We will be donating any items left in the
cafeteria after March 23rd.
~ PARENT INVOLVEMENT ~
School Site Council (SSC) and ELAC
Our next SSC meeting is on March 14 at 5:30 p.m.
The next ELAC meeting is on March 15 at 8:10
a.m. in Room 30. We hope to see you there.
PTA
The PTA is the parent group that helps to organize
the many fun events that happen at our site. If you
are interested in being involved the next meeting is on
March 14 at 7 p.m. We will be planning for
Multicultural Night. All parents are encouraged and
welcome to attend.
~ UPCOMING EVENTS ~
STAR Writing for Fourth Grade
The STAR Writing Test for Fourth Grade is on
March 6. All fourth graders need to be here and on
time for this very important test. The fourth
graders and their teachers are working very hard
preparing for the writing assessment.
Multicultural Potluck
The annual Multicultural Potluck is on March 16 at
6:00 p.m. All families are welcome. You may
bring your favorite dish to share. Drinks and
entertainment will be provided. There is also a
silent auction, and you can bid on baskets to
support your child’s classroom. We have an online auction site at www.bluetreemarketing.com.
~~~ SCHOOL SAFETY ~~~~~
Parking Safety
In order to keep our students safe as they arrive and depart
school, please follow these guidelines:
• Please do not park in any red zones especially by the gate
to the Kindergarten play area because it impedes the
entrance/exit of safety vehicles.
• The Pick Up & Drop Off area on Winchester Street is
one of the most dangerous areas we have for pedestrians
and students. There is no parking in that area. The signs
are clear that it is for picking up and dropping off
students ONLY.
• Calling to your child to cross the street alone could have
tragic consequences. Please park and walk across the
street with them.
• The entrance to the front of our school on Sunsprite
Drive is an area that often gets congested. Please use the
crosswalk in this area and make sure to allow pedestrians
to cross. They have the right of way.
• The entrance, driveway and parking area by Kidango
room 5 and behind rooms 6 through11 have NO
PARKING zones marked in red.
• Please do not block or park in any driveways if you do
not live there! We are receiving more and more
concerned calls from homeowners that live within our
neighborhood asking for traffic control.
• If we obey traffic laws, we can help ensure the safety of
our children.
~~~ SCHOOL CLIMATE ~~~~~
•
School Safety Drills
To ensure proper conduct and procedures in emergency situations,
school safety drills will be administered once a month.
Earthquake Safety and Procedures
Here is some basic information on what will happen in the event
of an earthquake during school hours:
• When an earthquake hits, students will duck and cover,
wherever they are.
• As soon as it is safe, students will exit the buildings and
line up on their classroom lines on the playground.
• Attendance will be taken.
• Parents/guardians will see tables organized in
alphabetical order on the sidewalk on Winchester St.
• Parents will line up at the appropriate table to sign-out
their children.
• Parents/guardians will need a photo ID in order to
pick up their child.
• Once ID is compared to the emergency form, verifying
the person may pick up the child, a runner will get the
student from their line.
We will also be administering first aid to students and staff who
require it.
. ~~~~~ DISTRICT NEWS ~~~~~
Budget Cut Days
Because of continuing state budget cuts, the District this year was
forced to adopt six furlough days for employees and reduced the
instructional year. As a result, there will be no school March 5,
April 20 and May 21.
As an option for parents in need of child care on budget-cut days,
Union City Leisure Services is offering “Escape Camps” for
children 5_ through 11 at the Holly Community Center and “Camp
Club Une” for middle school students, ages 11 to 14, at the Teen
Center in Kennedy Park. More information is available at
www.UnionCity.org or by calling 675-5488.
Board Approves Measure for June Ballot
In an effort to mitigate some of the cuts forced on the District
because of the state’s ongoing financial difficulties – such as the
non-student, budget-cuts days referenced above – the Board of
Education voted last week to place a measure on the June 5 ballot
that would raise an estimated $3 million just for New Haven
schools. The funds would “support high-quality local elementary,
middle and high school education to prepare students for college and
careers with outstanding core academic programs in reading,
writing, math and science and highly qualified teachers and
classified staff,” according to the ballot statement.
While New Haven employees cannot legally advocate for the
measure during work hours, the District is allowed to supply
educational material. The measure “would authorize a school a
parcel tax of $180 per year, for four years, with citizen oversight, no
funds for administrators’ salaries and exemptions available for
seniors and the disabled and all funds staying in our local schools,”
according to the ballot statement. It requires a two-thirds majority to
pass.
Students, parents, teachers, classified employees, administrators and
community members interested in passing the measure met at 6 p.m.
previously at the New Haven Teachers Association office, 32980
Alvarado-Niles Rd., Suite 812, Union City. Another meeting is
scheduled Thursday, March 15, and the group is planning a rally and
a march from James Logan High School to the Union Landing
shopping center on Saturday, March 31.
~ ATTENDANCE~
Regular attendance is a key to student success. This year, we are
also focusing on getting students to school on time. Each month
at the Spirit Assembly, we will honor students who have perfect
attendance for that month. Please do your part to get students to
school on time.