Serrania Elementry March 2013 Newsletter

Serrania Charter Newsletter
MARCH
2013
Welcome to the March edition of the SCES Newsletter! As always, we’ve included a number
of valuable articles as well as information about upcoming events we hope you’ll find helpful.
Our Serrania Kids are
MARK YOUR
CALENDARS:
Read Across America
Week
3/4–
3/8
5th Grade Catalina
Trip
3/6–
3/8
Parent Discussion
Group
Making the world a better place
See page 5 –6
3/6
Daylight Savings
3/10
Walk-a-thon
3/11
School Tour
3/15
St. Patrick’s Day
3/17
ELAC meeting
3/18
Restaurant Night
3/20
Governing Council
Meeting
3/13
PTA and FOS meeting
3/21
Spring Break
3/254/1
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Dear Parents,
This month I’d like to highlight the tremendous contribution that parents make to Serrania Avenue Charter for
Enriched Studies. I feel very fortunate in my first year here at Serrania to have received so much support from
such a strong parent community. Thanks to the efforts of these involved parents, our kids have enjoyed a variety
of opportunities students at other schools simply do not have. Our PTA works tirelessly to make available activities that aren’t just fundraisers, but opportunities for students, parents and staff to interact together as a community.
This past February was another fabulous example of the special events these parents make possible, featuring an
after-school Valentine’s Arts and Crafts event, Movie Night featuring Hotel Transylvania and “Restaurant Night”
at Islands. In addition to these three community events, our PTA sponsored another of our monthly Parent Discussion Groups, provided special Valentine's Day goodies for the Serrania staff and collected a $250 bonus prize
in the local malls' Earning 4 Learning contest! Lastly, I must say how much fun everyone had at the PTA’s annual
school dance on March 2. What a terrific energy-filled night!
Working along side our PTA team is another organization of dedicated parents who have labored equally to create
a number of marvelous events. The “Friends of Serrania” (FOS), Serrania Charter for Enriched Studies own nonprofit booster club, hosted a series of fund raising events that included; ‘SCES Valentine Gift Shop’ which offered
students an opportunity to purchase gifts for their family and friends, the successful “Luck of the Draw” fundraiser, which not only raised money for a number of worthy school activities, but rewarded participating students
with amazing prizes….one deserving student won $100.
Looking forward, this month FOS is organizing our annual ‘Serrania Walk-a-thon!’ event. Students will have the
chance to secure sponsors and “walk” to earn money for our school. I know all the kids feel so proud when they’re
able to make a contribution to their school. In this time of severe budget cuts in education, everyone’s efforts
make a tremendous difference in what Serrania provides for its students. The money they raise goes to support a
list of great programs, including;

PE with coach Danni - who teaches them not only sports skills, but communication and teamwork as well.

Additional resources to provide teachers with an opportunity to meet in grade level teams to design engaging learning experiences for students.

Updated computer lab – FOS provided funds this year to contribute to our new Mac Computer Lab. It’s also worth noting that all the computers in our current lab will be distributed so that soon, every classroom
will have multiple computers.

Additionally, if you join us at a Friday Morning Assembly, you’ll hear how well the new PA system – another gift provided by FOS – is working. After years of struggling with a wholly inadequate system, the entire
school can now hear the assembly.

Subscriptions for all students to participate in the highly acclaimed Accelerated Reader program together
with a Teacher Assistant in the Computer Lab afterschool to allow students a chance to take part.

Our long awaited Art Lab will soon open with Laurel Schwartz acting as our visual art teacher!

Dancing Classrooms for the 5th grade – designed to give students the chance to not only learn to dance but
develop their communication and etiquette skills as well. FOS funded the program this year and has promised that all future fifth graders will have this opportunity as well.

Lastly, in conjunction with both the PTA and FOS, our Green Team has planted trees, cleaned the school,
replanted planters and given us beautiful murals throughout the campus.
I feel extremely lucky to work with such a tremendous community of parents. I know as a working parent myself
that it is sometimes hard to find time to be at school to contribute, and I am impressed daily by how many of our
parents find the time to contribute on a regular basis...THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!
Regards, Theresa Wedaa
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Show me the money!
This table illustrates the important enrichment programs that all of our students receive
during the regular school day with funding from FOS and PTA, as compared to what
LAUSD provides.
These enrichment programs are made possible only through funding from FOS and PTA.
When you donate to FOS and support PTA, this is where your money goes… Thank you!
What FOS and PTA Fund
Cost 2012-13
School Year
What LAUSD
Provides
(Funds raised during 2011
-2012)
M.U.S.I.C. Foundation:
$22,000
No formal music instruction for K-2nd graders.
LAUSD only provides
funding for 3rd grade
piano and 4th - 5th
grade orchestra.
$20,000
P.E. activity led by the
regular classroom
teachers.
$8,500
No funding provided
$6,000
No funding provided
th
K - 4 graders attend the M.U.S.I.C. (Music Unlocks Success In Children) program once a week for enriching, ageappropriate instruction in singing, exposure to instruments,
music theory, reading music, and keyboarding. Research
shows that music instruction reinforces skills used in other
academic subjects and also correlates with higher overall
academic performance.
P.E. Program by Coach Danni:
Coach Danni, a licensed P.E. Instructor, does P.E. instruction for all K-5th graders. She and her assistants plan curriculum, teach age appropriate games and exercises, and
prepare our students for the President’s Physical Fitness
exam in 5th grade.
Computer Lab and P/A System:
Contributions to FOS and PTA funded the purchase of 17
desktop computers last year including flat screen monitors
and new keyboards. FOS and PTA funding exists to purchase 17 more computers this year and several other technology needs including a new P/A system.
Dancing Classrooms:
th
All 5 graders participate in this 10-week program in classic dance. Through dance, students gain greater selfconfidence and learn about breaking barriers, honor and
respect, communication and cooperation, and accepting
others. Our 5th grade team won a Gold Medal at competition in December and will compete at regionals this spring!
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Show me the money!
Cont.
$4,000
LAUSD provides one half
-day school psychologist
five times per month.
Most of that time has to
be spent testing students
for learning challenges.
No other LAUSD funding
exists for counseling,
social skills training, antibullying meetings, etc.
$2,130
No funding provided
$4,000
No funding provided
$2,200
LAUSD provides gardening services only once a
month.
Phillips Graduate Institute Counseling
Services:
Two certified counselors are at Serrania for a full day every
week offering individual and family counseling, crisis counseling, social skills counseling, and assisting staff and students
on the playground.
Accelerated Reader Program:
This interactive reading program, available to all Serrania students, is an engaging tool that gets students excited about
reading, and incentivizes them to read more. It includes an
initial reading assessment, online comprehension tests, tracks
reading level, and monitors student progress, number of
books read, and points earned for prizes. Parents can also
access the program online. This program helps students develop a love of reading.
Accelerated Reader Program Aid:
The “AR” aid supports the Accelerated Reader program four
hours per week by opening up the lab in the mornings and
afternoons, giving students more opportunities to use the program. The more students can participate in the tests…the
more points and prizes they earn…the more excited they are
to read…and the stronger they get at it!
Gardener and Green Team:
FOS and PTA fund weekly gardening services to maintain our
lawns and shrubbery. Also with help from FOS and PTA funding, “The Green Team” planted and maintains hundreds of
trees and plants around the campus perimeter and in the expansive planters on campus. The Green Team also organizes
Big Sunday and other school beautification projects.
VALENTINE’S GIFT SHOP SUCCESS!
Thank you Serrania Charter Families for your outstanding support of our holiday gift shop and a HUGE
"Thank You" to all of the moms who volunteered. Your help was SO appreciated! The
kids had a great time shopping for fun toys and gift items for Valentine's Day, and we
raised $2,200.00 for the school! Thanks to the entire staff as well who also supported
the event by shopping for gifts and doing walk throus so kids could see what was available. It takes a lot of work to put on a fundraiser like this - from shopping to stocking, setting up and tearing down, and "staffing" the store for 3 hours every day. We'd like to especially thank Karen Solari and Tracy Leiterman who worked in the store every day at
every shift! We could not have done it without you!
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FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT SERRANIAAVENUE.ORG
PARENT DISCUSSION GROUP: ANGER MANAGEMENT FOR
PARENTS AND CHILDREN
by Gitu Bhatia- volunteer facilitator, Serrania Charter Parent Discussion Group
Anger is as normal an emotion as any other, but one that often
evokes a lot of negative associations. People think of anger as
difficult to control, overwhelming, leading to aggression and a
cause of broken relationships. Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. are not the images that come to mind when speaking of
anger. However, clearly they were angry at the injustices they
saw around them and were motivated to change the world as a
result. The actions they took were not violent or aggressive.
Anger gets expressed in many ways; physically, verbally, and sometimes even in passive and indirect ways. Men, women and children may have different ways of expressing their anger. It is important to recognize effective ways of dealing with normal feelings like anger as opposed to problematic and destructive ways of coping with anger. It
is time to be conscious of when anger starts to impact your health, friendships and
family relationships in direct and indirect ways.
Parents and children can learn to understand and manage emotions together. It is
helpful for children to know that both, grown ups and children, can benefit from similar strategies. There are physical and cognitive aspects of anger. We are responsible for
how we assess a situation and how we behave in that situation. Parents and children
can develop a list of coping strategies including, calming activities that help soothe the
physical body and thinking strategies like affirming thoughts.
Lecturing children when they are angry or upset is generally ineffective. If parents tend
to blame others for their problems or let off steam at family members, children model
that behavior. However, if parents allow for communication of emotions and are flexible in use of coping strategies, they teach similar skills to their children. Children learn
better by observing how others in their environment behave and through stories. Normalizing different emotions and planning ahead on how to work with intense emotions
is far more effective in the long term.
Finally, it is important for parents to highlight the concept of forgiveness and model for
their children, the role of mistakes in the learning process and in life. Much of the emotion of anger, internalized or externalized, is related to mistakes made by us or others.
Food for thought.
Dr. Bhatia has extensive experience working with individuals, couples and families. She
provides psychotherapy, parent training, psychological assessments, mediation and
collaborative law. She has been trained as a divorce coach and child specialist. She also
serves on the Board of Directors of Los Angeles County Psychological Association and
co-chairs the Diversity Committee. For more information: www.gitubhatia.com
PARENT DISCUSSION
GROUP
Don’t forget to attend these
FREE discussions.
These Discussion Groups
are open to everyone and
feature volunteer professional facilitators at every
meeting. The groups are a
place for parents to discuss
relevant topics and share
ideas and strategies.
Meetings are held at 8am in
the Parent Center, Room 1
March 6: Parents Taking
Care of Children and Parents: The Sandwich Generation
April 3: Should We Encourage Children to be Independent?
May 1: Is Earning Allowance Important?
More to Come!
Any Questions?
Andy Weisser:
[email protected]
ARTS AND CRAFTS CLUB
Did you know... there is a FREE arts and crafts
club during lunch on Thursdays! All students are
welcome to join the activities held at the tables outside the library. Our arts and crafts is run by a parent volunteer, Sigal Eliav. Please let your children
know they are welcome to join. You may see the
kids artwork displayed at our school office.
Art Club
by Tayllo
r
Kirkwoo
d
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KIDS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY
The Gift of Dance
As many of you know, the Dancing Classrooms program for the 5th grade has
already proven a huge success - having introduced the students to a great
new activity, enhanced their communication and etiquette skills and
even afforded them the opportunity to win a gold medal at the citywide “Colors of the Rainbow” dance competition earlier this year.
As part of their ongoing efforts to help ‘make a difference in our
community,’ the students of the competition team decided to give a
“Ballroom Dancing Valentine’s Gift” to a welcoming audience of seniors at the Avant Garde Senior Living Center on February 13, 2013.
The competition team performed a collection of classic ballroom
dances that included the Foxtrot, Tango, Merengue, Rumba and
Swing, and then personally delivered hand-made Valentines
to every member of the audience. Reaction to the performance and heart-felt Valentine wishes was tremendous, and
the residents were obviously charmed and impressed by the
entire Serrania team.
Though seemingly a small gesture, it is clear that the efforts
and enthusiasm of the kids touched everyone who attended,
and we hope this might be the beginning of a new Serrania
Valentine’s Day tradition. Congratulations to the entire competition team and 5th grade teacher / dance coach Mrs. Rodstein on a job well done!
Here's what the Director at Avant Garde Senior Living Center had to say ….
“This year was by far one of the best performances we have seen. The
staff and the students of Serrania Charter went above and beyond to
create a magical experience for our seniors. We are extremely lucky to
have experienced such a wonderful program. The program Danceing
Classrooms is not only instilling the love of dance into young children, it
is teaching them team work, respect, hard work and it is evident. Programs such as these are truly a gift to our community. The performance
was fun, beautiful, and in the words of our Seniors; "The best time they
have ever had.”
Erin Mahoney
Executive Director
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One Day
One Night
One Community
Help Fight Cancer!
Join the “Serrania Suns” Team
@ Relay For Life!
April 20th – April 21st at Pierce College
WHAT IS RELAY FOR LIFE?
Relay For Life is an inspiring 24-hour event bringing the community together with teams of
friends, family and colleagues who take turns walking a track relay-style to raise awareness,
funds, and tremendous support in the fight against cancer!
Relay For Life is all about celebrating cancer survivors, remembering those we have lost,
and fighting back against a disease that takes too much from us!



Celebrate Survivors at the Opening Ceremony
Enjoy Music, Food, Entertainment, and the Kids Club
Remember Loved Ones at the Luminaria Ceremony
Register for the Serrania Suns team at:
http://main.acsevents.org/goto/SerraniaSuns
For more information, please contact:
Yevette Peterson, Serrania Mom and Relay For Life Team Development Chair
818.378.3068; [email protected]
or visit: www.relayforlife.org/woodlandhillsca
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BOOK CORNER: FEATURING FIFTH GRADE
Classic Childhood Favorites - Right from greatschools.org
Baseball in April and Other Stories by Gary Soto (Harcourt Paperbacks, 2000).
Set in a Latino community in Fresno, California, these contemporary short stories take on universal life lessons. Perfect for a fifth-grade reader, Soto is gifted at telling tales that intrigue and instruct kids. Baseball in
April is sure to inspire discussion, so chat about it with your child. Originally published in 1990.
The Light Princess by George McDonald, illustrated by Maurice Sendak (Farrar Straus Giroux, 1984).
Just when you think your child might be getting too old for fairy tales, along comes this amazing 19thcentury princess story to change both of your minds. Chock-full of puns and mixed with just the right blend
of whimsy and ethics lessons, The Light Princess deserves a fresh set of 21st-century eyes. Resoundingly
recommended. 110 pages.
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, illustrated by Jules Feiffer (Yearling, 1988).
Described by many children as "the best book ever," this is fantasy at its best. Full of irony and insights,
Juster created a masterpiece when he wrote The Phantom Tollbooth. Give this book to your child and let
the wave of words and numbers sweep them into a fantastical world. A clever, almost indescribable book
that you may already know about, but is too indispensable to keep from mentioning it here. First Published
1961. 255 pages.
ACCELERATED READER, WHERE READERS ARE LEADERS!
Read a book, take a quiz at school, and earn points for prizes! Please visit SerraniaAve.Org and our Accelerated Reader
bulletin board for more information. The computer lab is now open daily afterschool for students who’d like to participate and take quizzes. Please be sure to pick up and complete an Accelerated Reader Permission Slip, available from
the office.
Kindergarteners and 1st graders must be accompanied by an adult. Accelerated Reader is an on-line reading comprehension program that develops fluency and vocabulary. Points for next months award eligibility will be calculated
March 15th.
Congratulations to all of the following students for achieving outstanding Accelerated Reader point goals by February
15th:
100 Point Club
Daniel
Natalie
Joseph
Udbhav
5th Grade, Rm. 36
5th Grade, Rm. 36
4th Grade, Rm. 22
4th Grade, Rm. 21
200 pt club
Benjamin
5th Grade, Rm. 36
300 pt club
Serena 4th Grade, Rm. 22
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Serrania Charter Needs YOU
To run for PTA Board positions!
President
With the help of the Vice President and other PTA volunteers, oversee the planning of all PTA school events and
community building activities including restaurant nights, craft parties,
annual book fair, teacher and staff appreciation activities, food drives,
and Serrania fundraising events in the community such as bowling, ice-skating, etc.
Vice President
Assist the President with planning and oversight of all PTA activities.
Treasurer
Deposit checks, pay bills, and present budget reports at monthly PTA meetings.
Secretary
Take minutes and prepare agendas for monthly PTA meetings.
Serving on the PTA Board is an excellent opportunity
to be a part of Serrania leadership and truly make a difference in our students’ education and development!
Elections will be held in March.
For more information, or to run for a Board position, please contact:
Current PTA President, Jim Riley: [email protected] or
Jessica Gillearn: [email protected] or
Yevette Peterson: [email protected]
YES! I am interested in learning more about being on the PTA Board. Please contact me!
Name:___________________________________________________ Phone: ______________________
Email:________________________________________________________________________________
Please return this slip to the front office or to your child’s teacher. Thank you!
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LUCK OF THE DRAW RESULTS
Thanks to everyone who participated in the I Heart Serrania
Luck of the Draw fundraiser selling and purchasing tickets
to support our school. Together, we made over $5,600! Special congratulations go to our Kindergarten families for being
our top selling grade level! Our top selling class was Mrs.
Austin, Room 11! They’ll be rewarded with a special treat for
the whole class.
Our top sellers included:
Simone Mendiola
Daniel Volodchenkov
Ben Klosterman
Matthew Urguza
Bella Celestino
Alessandra Gorospe
Rm. 11
Rm. 12
Rm. 15
Rm. 19
Rm. 15
Rm. 21
Our TOP SELLER was Hannah Hall Rm. 18!!!!
All top sellers were given gift cards to Menchie's for their
hard work. (Thanks Menchie's!)
And the Drawing Prize Winners Are…
Grand Prize
Apple iPad: Tammy Martin
1st Prize
4 Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets:
Marcia Canazio
2nd Prize
Shop Til You Drop Basket: Ken
Weisbrod
3rd Prize
Restaurant Gift Card Package:
Chester
4th Prize
Go Pro Camera: Josie Velasquez
5th Prize
Kindle Fire HD: Anthony Vu
Community Support
We were lucky enough to receive several donations
from area businesses for our Luck of the Draw
fundraiser – and special thanks go to Tracy Leiterman's dedication and perseverance! Prizes included
goodies from:
Brent's Deli
Cheesecake Factory
Pavillion's
Trader Joe's
In-N-Out Burger
Starbucks
Blinkie's Donuts
Lollicut
Super Cut
Gymboree
Dodger's tickets
Diva's & Dude's
Kingfisher Road
Paoli's Italian Kitchen
Pizza Cookery
Amigo's
Stonefire Grill
Ruby's Diner
Bibi
The Baker
Woodland Hills Car Wash
Franklin's Hardware
Santa Anita Park
Soles by Warren
Sara Fine Persian Food
Additionally, we have secured many more exciting
donations for the upcoming Serrania Fun Fair: Sky
High Passes, Bead Lounge Jewelry Party, Hearst
Castle, Legoland tickets, San Diego Zoo/Safari Park,
Ultra Zone Laser Tag Party, Rocket Fizz, and more!!
Be on the lookout for more information...
Student Prize of $100 goes to: Daniel Martinez Room 10
Thanks again to everyone for showing your Love for
Serrania!
ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK TODAY
2012-2013 Yearbooks are on sale NOW!
Soft Cover $26.00 , Hard Cover $31.00
Don’t Miss Out
You can order online at ybpay.lifetouch.com, Yearbook ID Code 10244513 Or
Make checks payable to: Serrania Charter and turn it to the office
10
LAST MONTH IN A GLANCE
DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH….
RESTAURANT NIGHT
AND OUR SCHOOL
Jamb Juice
Thursday’s
We are serving fruit-blended
smoothies for $3 at the lunch
patio after school – and they’re
Between 4-9pm
(Corbin and Ventura)
donating a portion of each
COME HUNGRY... LEAVE HAPPY!!!!!
20% of your purchase will be donated to our school!
Don’t forget to BRING YOUR SERRANIA
RESTAURANT NIGHT FLYER and present it when
you order as that’s the only way we get credited for
your purchase.
purchase to Serrania Charter for
Enriched Studies!
Have a sip and support your school !
Advertise in our Newsletter
Introductory Low Prices
$100 - Full Page
$75 - Half Page
$50 - 1/4 Page
$25 - Business card
For more information
contact
Debbie Shaoalian
[email protected]
(818) 456-6837
SPONSORS
All types of roofing services, and installations.
Dance In Motion
Shingles, Tile, clay, Built up roof systems,
Title 24,Residential and Commercial.
Fun & Energizing Belly Dance Classes
Call for a Free Quote!!!
Monday Nights Women’s Classes from 8-9PM
(beginning level) First timers FREE!!
Winter Specials for Serrania family, friends and community members.
(877) 7663-023
(877) Roof-023
Licensed and insured
Proudly owned by a US
Military service member
Shiri: 818.743.3492
[email protected]
20017 Venowen street, Canoga Park
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