April Smoke Signals

SMOKE SIGNALS
Redeemer Lutheran School
468 Grand Street * Redwood City * CA * 94062
(650)366-3466 * www.redeemer-school.org
“Be kind and compassionate to one another,
forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32
April 2015
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FINANCIAL AID
Redeemer Lutheran School offers financial aid. Amount of aid granted is based on income and funds
available. Aid applications for the 2015-16 school year are due by May 1st. Applications received after
May 1 will still be considered based on available funds remaining. We use an outside online program
called TADS (Tuition Aid Data Services) to determine scholarship eligibility. The application process is
fair and confidential. TADS worksheets are available in the school office or visit http://www.mytads.com
to begin the application.
Please note that you must reapply every year for financial aid. Grants are awarded on an annual
basis and are not guaranteed for future years. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Mancini.
TRACK MEET
SATURDAY, MAY 9
NEWARK HIGH SCHOOL, 39375 CEDAR BLVD, NEWARK
Our annual track meet is coming up soon! Mr. Wright has selected students in grades K-8 to represent
Redeemer. Even if your child is not participating in an event, please come over and cheer on the other
athletes. It’s a lot of fun. Wear your “Redeemer Red” and show your school spirit. Bring an ice chest or
purchase food and drinks at the concession stand. Don’t forget a hat and sunscreen!
Directions from Redwood City: Dumbarton Bridge, 880 south, Mowry Exit - turn right (west), Left on
Cedar (2 lights). Newark High will be on your right about 1/4 mile. Parking can be pretty bad... unless
you get there early you will most likely have to park in the shopping center across the street. Leave
yourself some extra time!
Students who participate in the track meet will be issued a t-shirt to wear for the day. These t-shirts must
be LAUNDERED & RETURNED to your child’s teacher the week following the track meet. Lost and/or
damaged shirts must be paid for at $30/each!
RLS 4th Annual Golf Tournament
Proceeds to benefit RLEAF
(Redeemer’s tuition assistance program)
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Moffett Field Golf Course
Cost $100/person, $400/foursome
Pick up a registration form in the school office.
Please contact Mr. Mancini with questions.
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MANDATORY PARENT PARTICIPATION HOURS
Hours for the 2014-2015 school year must be completed by April 30, 2015.
Forms with hours worked are due in the school office by May 8, 2015.
Hours worked after May 1, 2015 count for the 2015-16 school year.
Thank you to all of our volunteers for your countless hours helping out
throughout the school year. Redeemer is a better place because of you!
REQUIRED HOURS:
Two-parent returning families = 35 hours
Two-parent first year families = 25 hours
Single-parent returning families = 20 hours
Single-parent first year families = 15 hours
Unfulfilled hours are billable @ $20/hour
SPORTS AWARDS
Redeemer’s sports teams had quite an exciting year. The Flag Football team won first
place in the PAL league. Both the girls and boys Varsity Basketball teams took first
place in their respective end of season tournaments.
Outstanding athletes were recognized at our annual Sports Awards Banquet on March
26th. Congratulations to all the award recipients. Thank you to our volunteer coaches for
your countless hours spent working with and teaching the teams. Thank you to the
parents for your support. Thank you to all the student athletes for your dedication and
enthusiasm!
LADY BRAVES BASKETBALL
• Most Valuable – Marley Langi
• Most Improved – Clairese Muckel
• Most Inspirational – Alexis Navarra
BRAVES BASKETBALL
• Most Valuable – Colin McGrath
• Most Improved – Clayton Cosentino & Zach Lewman
• Most Inspirational – Opeti Fangupo & Trevor Leon
LADY BRAVES VOLLEYBALL
• Most Valuable – Clairese Muckel
• Most Inspirational – Caroline Potvin
• Most Improved – Sammy McCollum
BRAVES FLAG FOOTBALL
• Most Valuable – Opeti Fangupo
• Most Improved – Clayton Cosentino & Jagger Healy
• Most Inspirational – Colin McGrath
• Rookie of the Year – Ri Chan
CHEERLEADING
• Most Valuable – Tyler Madsen
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READING COUNTS AWARDS
Congratulations to our 2
nd
trimester Reading Counts award recipients!
Blue Level Awards – 25 points
Ilya Kiplalov (2), Elizabeth Doherty, Kaitlyn Shade, Michael Sarboraria, Ryan Dodge, Ty
Ferrario (3), Christian De La Cruz, Gabriella Kehr, Karly Miller (4), Ava Lough, Michael
Fraser Hall, Noah Khavara (5), Ella Davis, Kaitlin Studt, Matthew Nave, Miguel
Gutierrez, Taylor Ferrario (6), Antonette Peterson, Brendan Shreve, Clairese Muckel,
Karl Flick, Lauren McNaier, Leilani Gellner, Meagan Trowbridge, Natalia Lazzareschi,
Sarah Perry, Zach Lewman (7), Meri Klingelhofer, Tyler Madsen (8)
Red Level Awards – 50 points
Izzy Madden (1), Alex Simms, Ali Leon, Mason Courcier, Milan Zencirci, Nick Dilg (4),
Dillon Goetz, Kaitlyn Huntington, Lily Cerrillo, Makena Conneely (5), Lauren Kreuger,
Natalee Cross (6), Joelle Harding, Serena Bujtor (7)
Bronze Level Awards – 100 points
Kenya Sweatt (2), Abby Goetz, Ainsley Kelm, Georgia McDougall, Zach Graham (3),
Caleb Gox, Daphne Potvin, Ethan Jaworski, Ian Holt, Jennifer Reynolds, Joe Apodaca,
Logan Marrow, Robynne Blackmond, Will Slautterback (4), Abby Walsh (5), Frankie
Flynn, Spencer Graham (8)
Silver Level Awards – 250 points
Angelina Alvarado, Caroline Rankin, David Smith, Hana Sweatt, Julia Bujtor, Lindsey
Harris (4)
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With Power, Might, and Determination...
By Mrs. Wright, Cheer Coach
I will admit that cheer does not get the respect that it deserves. Many times people talk over the cheers or
leave during the half-time show. Many times, cheerleaders are asked to “get out of the way”. All the while,
keeping a smile on their faces, the cheer squads show their school pride and keep cheering on their
home team.
There is always the debate of whether cheer is a sport. Well, no matter which side of the fence you stand
on, we can all agree that cheer is hard work! Our cheer squad practices at least twice a week for six
months including weekends, lunch recess, and many times PE. They are expected to push their bodies
through the soreness and exhaustion. On top of this, they are expected to keep their grades up. Cheer is
a HUGE commitment and it takes a dedicated person to make it through the season. Even JV was given
high expectations and they did not disappoint. I was amazed by the work ethic of even our youngest
members.
There were many challenges for us this year. First, we started out with only five Varsity members despite
having squads of fifteen or twenty in the past. Our choreographer moved away and I had to throw
together a few routines myself. With only a few weeks until competition, one of our members sadly
suffered a fracture. We were down to four and then two new members stepped in with only two weeks
until competition and no uniform. Together they worked as a team; we pieced together parts from past
uniforms, and somehow managed to look like we had been practicing together for months.
Then the day of the Notre Dame High School competition arrived. The sea of squads filled the room.
United, along with our JV squad, we filled our space and made our presence known. Nerves rattled as the
larger squads and the tough competition intimidated us. Our JV displayed for the first time ever at Notre
Dame and they did it with grace and pride. Their ending, with cartwheels, splits, jumps, and kicks, made
quite an impression! Next up, Varsity took the floor and rocked it! Leilani danced with elegance
highlighting her impeccable form; Giovanna displayed high energy and her fierce dance training was
undeniable; Maddi looked beautiful as she lit the room with her smile and confidence; Antonette
commanded attention with her strong presence and great personality; Tammy’s sassiness brought the
routine to life; and Tyler finally had his moment to shine as he mesmerized his audience with his
incredible fouette turns!
Quiet prayers filled the room as they began announcing the results. Redeemer had never placed in this
competition before and when they announced third place, we started to lose hope. Then Redeemer had
its Cinderella moment; the announcement of SECOND PLACE was met with roars and tears from our team
and from the crowd! 
So next time you think a cheerleader is in the way, take a moment to stop and listen. Keep in mind the
hard work they put into everything they do. They say that singing is like praying twice. Well, cheering is
like shouting praise to the Lord!
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PSC Meeting
Attendees:
Lisa May
Julie Costa
Kathy McNair
Elaine De La Cruz
Stephanie McCollum
April 14, 2015
Wendy Zimmer
Tinka Blackmond
Victoria Trowbridge
Jaime Nelson
Craig Guinasso
Sara Booker
Jennifer Mariuc
Janna Sverdrup
Karen Wedel
Opening Prayer - Lisa May
Let’s Celebrate! Committee Updates:
Armadillo Willy’s Dining for Dollars - Elaine said it seemed to go well given it was on a Sunday and a little
further away than most of our events. They would like to see us back. The event raised $ 228.
School-wide Raffle Update - Lisa May
The remaining tickets and all monies are due by April 23. There was a question about whether the weekly raffle
prizes have been awarded as there has not been an update. Apparently, the updates are announced in the
classroom. A suggestion was made to have a weekly email update as well as a gauge of the amount of money
raised (like a thermometer).
ChoiceLunch feedback - Kathy McNair
Kathy visited the school and checked with school administration, the lunch volunteers and some upper class kids.
The kids and the administration were very enthusiastic about the food offered. There was discussion of a survey
going out to the school to get a widespread opinion of the program. There is possibility of having a testing period
for some of the other vendors before a decision is made for next year. Please let Kathy or Lisa May know your
feelings.
There was also a question about the school looking into moving the recess time prior to the lunch period as there
are studies that show children eat more after activity rather than before. It is a question that will be directed to
Mrs. Graham.
City of Redwood City - Hudson Street Improvement Project
A tentative decision on part of the city is to have a raised crosswalk on the south side of the intersection at
Hudson and Harrison Streets. Although most of the pedestrian crossing happens on the north side of the
intersection there are sewer and utility conflicts that make it very costly and difficult to move the raised crosswalk
to that side. A thank you goes out to the parents and community members who attended the city planning
meetings to make their concerns known. Some neighbors, who do not have children at any of the local schools,
showed up to support the safety improvements. We are truly blessed to live in such a caring community.
Snack Shack Update and Volunteers
Nicole Hoefer and Melissa Jaworski have agreed to co-coordinate the Snack Shack next year. They are meeting
with Marsha Huggins and transitioning with her. A huge thank you to Nicole and Melissa for keeping Snack
Shack open and a great source of revenue for the PSC. Also a very special thank you to Marsha for all the years of
making the Snack Shack what it is and for sharing all your tips with the new coordinators!
Teacher Appreciation Day - Lisa May
Information will be going out to room parents this week. A wonderful group of volunteers have stepped up to
make out teachers feel as appreciated as they are by all the school families. Thank you Jodie, Ryann, Sara, Jaime
and Gina for heading up the day.
Family Fun Day - Lisa May
Everyone should have received the Save the Date cards for Sunday, May 17th, at Huddart Park’s Werder Shelter.
Please come out and celebrate our wonderful community of Redeemer. In response to last month’s question of
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having a bounce house, the County does not allow bounce houses anywhere within Huddart Park.
See’s Candy We missed the deadlines for the Easter fundraiser this year. As it turns out, the fall See’s fundraiser made more
money than the budget projected for the entire year so there is no loss of income.
Raffle Reimbursements Allocation - the PSC money raised by the raffle will go to the Music for Minors program
to offset some of the school’s cost.
Graduation Banquet - 7th grade parents have been planning the banquet. They have made deposits into the PSC
account to add to the PSC allocated banquet money so they are able to reimburse parents who are making
purchases. This allows for better tracking and documentation.
Treasurer’s Report - Sara Booker
The budget is almost $49K; we were at $46K last month. As of the last report we were about $2800 short of
hitting the income budget. Currently we are about $800 short of it with some items still outstanding.
Let’s Update - Lisa May
Teacher Wish Lists - Lisa is working on a way for the teachers to make their purchases of the approved wish list
items. She will be going back to some teachers who had items on the list that were picked up by Mr. Mancini out
of the school’s budget. The items need to be purchased and receipts received by the end of the PSC budget year
on June 30.
Upcoming Spring Activities Mother/Son Cook-off and Basketball Game - The date has been postponed and an update will be sent out when
decided.
The Father/Daughter Dance is Saturday, April 25
RLEAF Golf Tournament is Saturday, May 30, at the Moffett Field Golf Course. A church member is sponsoring
two ladies teams. The first 8 women to sign up will be sponsored.
Track Meet - the date for the track meet is still not determined.
Call for Volunteers - Praise God
School Supply fundraiser - Catherine Medin has offered to help Sonia Lough with this wonderful offering. Thanks
to both women for taking some of the sting of back to school out of our hands! If you have not used this
opportunity before think about it for next year. The PSC gets only $10 per student and the prices are excellent.
Other Business WBAL - the new sports league will need to be budgeted for the 2015-2016 school year. There will be league fees
and field reservation fees to be considered. How exciting to be allowed to play in a league so close to our school
making it easier for parents to attend and safer for all who travel! Thanks to the West Bay Athletic League!
Closing Prayer - Lisa May
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UPCOMING EVENTS
MAY 2015
1, Fri ............ Chapel @ 8:25am, Moms in Prayer 9:00am
1, Fri ............ Mother/Son Cook-off and Basketball Game 7:00-8:30pm
4, Mon ......... Printer Cartridge Recycling
6, Wed ......... 1:45pm Dismissal, 2:00-3:00 Weds Enrichments Clubs
8, Fri ............ Chapel @ 8:25am, Moms in Prayer 9:00am
8, Fri ............ Middle School Musical @ 6:30pm (The Sound of Music)
9, Sat ........... Track Meet
11-15, M-F... Family Life Classes (5th grade)
11, Mon ....... Girls Friendship Assembly @ 1:45pm (middle school girls)
12, Tue ........ 8th grade field trip to Alcatraz (bus)
13, Wed ....... 1:45pm Dismissal, 2:00-3:00 Weds Enrichments Clubs
13, Wed ....... 7th grade High School Information Night (parents & students) @ 7:00pm
14, Thu ........ 7th grade field trip to Rosicrucian Museum (bus)
15, Fri .......... Chapel @ 8:25am, Moms in Prayer 9:00am
17, Sun........ Family Fun Day @ Huddart Park noon-4:00pm
19-22, T-F.... Christian Book Fair in Room 2
19, Tue ........ 6th grade field trip to Recology
19, Tue ........ Author’s Night grades 1-2 @ 6:30pm
19, Wed ....... 1:45pm Dismissal, 2:00-3:00 Weds Enrichments Clubs
20, Wed ....... Author’s Night grades 3-5 @ 6:30pm
21, Thu ........ Author’s Night grades 6-8 @ 6:30pm
22, Fri .......... Chapel @ 8:25am, Moms in Prayer @ 9:00am
25, Mon ....... NO SCHOOL Memorial Day holiday
27, Wed ....... 1:45pm Dismissal, 2:00-3:00 Weds Enrichments Clubs (LAST CLUB)
28, Thu ........ Authors Tea grade 2 @ 2:00pm in FH
28, Thu ........ Talent Show Dress Rehearsal @ 3:15pm in FH
29, Fri .......... Chapel @ 8:25am, 1st grade leads chapel, Moms in Prayer 9:00am
29, Fri .......... Talent Show @ 6:30pm in FH
30, Sat ......... RLEAF Golf Tournament at Moffett Golf
JUNE 2015
2, Tue .......... 8th grade Banquet 6:00pm (invitation only)
2, Tue .......... Happy Birthday Miss Wilson (kindergarten)
3, Wed ......... 1:45pm Dismissal (NO WEDS CLUBS)
4, Thu .......... Kindergarten Graduation 9:00am
5, Fri ............ Chapel @ 8:25am
5, Fri ............ LAST DAY OF SCHOOL 11:00AM DISMISSAL
5, Fri ............ 8th grade Graduation @ 7:30pm
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2015-2016 = WEDS, AUGUST 19, 2015
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