Almond Thursday Word

Dear Almond Families:

This entire week our 6th grade students have been learning/hiking/exploring at Walden West Camp with Gardner Bullis 6th graders. On my hike yesterday with a small group, I learned that some trees not only grow from seeds but can also sprout from stumps (Redwoods)! Who knew? You can explore more online here: Redwood Regeneration. Please see below for some fun pictures from Walden West so far. What a fun opportunity for our younger kiddos to look forward to!

Here's to learning out in the world!

Raquel

Tomorrow, Fri, 11/8, 6th graders return from Walden West Science Camp at noon--Welcome home!

Tomorrow, Fri, 11/8, ELAC meeting, 2:20, Almond library

Mon, 11/11, NO SCHOOL

Wed, 11/13, PTA Board Meeting, 8:30, conference room

Wed, 11/13, Parent Ed event, Adolescent Wellness, Session 1, Springer School, 6:30pm

Thur, 11/14, DELAC meeting, iLearn Studio at LASD District Office, 9am

Mon, 11/18, Student Council Food Drive begins

Mon, 11/18, FINAL Community Engagement Workshop, Egan School, 6:00

Wed, 11/20, Parent Ed event, Adolescent Wellness, Session 2, Springer School, 6:30pm

Mon and Tue, 11/25-26, Parent/Teacher Conferences, NO SCHOOL

Wed-Fri, 11/27-29, Holiday, NO SCHOOL

Sun, 12/1, Festival of Lights Parade, Downtown Los Altos, 6pm

Tue, 12/3, Family Literacy Night, Almond Library, 6-7:30

Wed, 12/4, Almond Singers Winter Concert for families, 7pm

Thur, 12/5, New Family/Kindergarten Information Night, 7pm -- tell your neighbors with young children!

Wed, 12/11, PTA Board Meeting, 8:30 am

12/23-1/3, December Recess

Mon, 1/6/20, School resumes

Buy your tickets now before they run out! Purchase Here!

The Gala Auction is Almond's biggest PTA fundraiser and a great way for parents to mix and mingle while supporting our school. It is an adults-only event.

Break out your Ray-Bans, neon clothes, crimping iron and Walkman and get ready to go "BACK TO THE 80'S" with your fellow Almond parents. The evening will include dinner, dancing, silent and live auctions!

Do you or your spouse need help translating? Almond New Family Ambassadors and Translators are happy to help you - just get in touch! Please contact kristina.hehrne@gmail.com

Would you be able to help translate for our families that speak other languages? Spanish for example? If you are able to help, please contact kristina.hehrne@gmail.com to be added to our list of available translators. We appreciate your assistance, your help is of great value!

Please help us spread the word! Each LASD elementary school will be hosting a Kindergarten and New Family Information Night on Thursday, December 5, 2019, at 7pm. Let your friends and neighbors know!

We’re making good progress! Thank you. You've given over $2M, well on our way to our goal of $3.4M for this school year.

If you have yet to make your annual donation to LAEF, Donate or Pledge today and help fund teachers at your neighborhood school this school year. The suggested donation is $1,200 per student or $120/month per student. Every donation of any amount is appreciated.

Once you’ve made your donation to LAEF, increase your impact by requesting a corporate match today. Find out if your company offers corporate matching.

Our Student Council is working with Second Harvest Food Bank for families to drop off food donations starting Monday, November 18th, through Friday, November 22nd.

These are the food items they need most:

Canned foods with pop-top lids, including:

• Tuna, salmon or chicken
• Fruit in its own juice or water
• Low-sodium vegetables
• Soup, stew or chili

Peanut butter
Olive or canola oil
Spices (cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, salt-free spice blends)
Low-sugar whole grain cereals
Nutritious snacks (granola bars, nuts, dried fruit)
Bottled water

These are the household items they need most:

• Toiletries

• Baby formula and diapers

• Paper towels and toilet paper

• Can openers

• Reusable tote bags

• Laundry detergent

In addition, Second Harvest says monetary donations are really important, here's why:

while both help eliminate hunger in Silicon Valley, monetary donations can make a big difference. With a $1 donation, Second Harvest can buy the equivalent of $3 worth of food from a local grocery store.​ We've set up a unique fundraising page for monetary donations here: ​http://fundraise.shfb.org/goto/almond-food-drive. Please share this information with your friends and neighbors!

We are having our first ELAC (English Language Advisory Committee) meeting of the year next week, Friday, Nov. 8, at 2:20 in the Almond library.

What is ELAC? ELAC is a committee that offers suggestions to strengthen the school’s English Language Learner program.

Who is ELAC? ELAC is you! As a parent of a student learning English, your feedback and ideas are essential to helping us improve the way we support our English Learners and their families.

During this first meeting we will discuss:

– How are ELLs identified and tested?

– What does Almond’s ELD program currently look like?

– How is Almond helping new families feel included and informed?

Please attend to learn more details about the program and offer suggestions for welcoming new families. Change begins with you, so if you have great ideas please come to share them tomorrow! Feel free to bring your students--they are welcome to read during our meeting.

Jessica Mountz and Raquel Matteroli

11/14/2019 – 9am – iLearn LASD District Offices

DELAC is an important advisory committee of parents of English Language Learner (ELL) students from Los Altos School District elementary and junior high schools. The District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) meets 3 times per year with district administrators and staff to learn about, discuss, and provide input on topics related to English Learners, such as:

• EL student achievement
• ELPAC testing and reclassification criteria
• District programs and services
• District's Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)
• Parent education and involvement

Due to extremely high demand and participation in our last community engagement workshop, there will be a third and final workshop to help LASD understand levels of support for various potential options to house Bullis Charter School in the long term.

Final Workshop

Monday, November 18, 2019

Open House: 6-6:30pm

Workshop: 6:30-8:30pm

Egan Junior High School Multipurpose Room

The workshop will allow participants to review potential facilities options and show their support for each possibility. To review materials for the workshop, including translated materials in Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish, please visit our Community Engagement Webpage.

Please only attend one workshop. The format is the same for all workshops. There is no need to participate in more than one. Attendance is limited to 400 people. Please give others the opportunity to participate on November 18th if you have already had the chance to participate in a workshop. Participants and community members are asked not to distribute materials related to the facilities discussion at the workshop.

Join us in this two-class series on ways to support your child’s mental and physical

wellness at home. Learn how to improve communication with your child, to

recognize warning signs of distress, and to help your teens cope with stress and

prevent reaching levels of distress. Class will include issues relevant to all children of

all ages, however the techniques are specifically targeted to 5th grade and up.

Dr. Moira Kessler is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. She is on faculty at Stanford

University and also in private practice. Dr. Kessler specializes in school mental

health and suicide prevention and provides consultation to the school psychologists

at the nine schools in LASD.

November 13 and November 20, 6:30-8 pm. Springer Elementary

Session 1 on 11/13: Learn tools on how to communicate effectively with your child, how to validate yourself and your child, and how to increase desirable behaviors and decrease undesirable behaviors
Session 2 on 11/20: Learn about typical and atypical adolescent development, the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety in teens, and about risks factors for and protective factors against suicide

Evento de educación para padres Serie de bienestar para adolescentes con la Dra. Moira Kessler. 13 de noviembre y 20 de noviembre, 6: 30-8 pm. Springer Elementary.
Sesión 1 el 13/11: aprenda herramientas sobre cómo comunicarse efectivamente con su hijo, cómo validarse a sí mismo y a su hijo, y cómo aumentar los comportamientos deseables y disminuir los comportamientos indeseables
Sesión 2 el 20/11: aprenda sobre el desarrollo adolescente típico y atípico, los signos y síntomas de depresión y ansiedad en adolescentes, y sobre los factores de riesgo y factores protectores contra el suicidio

Almond is conducting its annual Candy Drive! If you find your family has had its share of sugar, please consider bringing your extra candy to the school office! Some officers from Moffett Field will be picking up our donations next Friday to send to deployed troops, and will share with other local veterans' groups. Thank you!

Los Altos High School invites you to attend all or part of their annual Fall Music Festival on Saturday, November 9 from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM.

This is a free celebration of music for family, friends, and neighbors. The music festival starts in Eagle Theater (on the LAHS campus off the large parking lot) where Los Altos High School musicians from Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble (at 10 a.m.), and Chamber Orchestra (at 10:30 a.m.) will play programs showcasing their work.

After the performances in Eagle Theater, visitors are invited to the LAHS football field where the 2019 LAHS Marching Band and Color Guard will present their award-winning competition show, Les Plumes (11:00 a.m.). After the show, per tradition, the members of the audience are encouraged to join the musicians and dancers on the field and learn firsthand what it’s like to be in the marching band or color guard. All are welcome to try out drills and participate with the musicians and dancers. This is your chance to bang on a bass drum!

This event includes a silent auction of items from local vendors as well as coffee and baked goods for sale (from 9 a.m.). All proceeds from the auction will help fund the instrumental music programs at Los Altos High School.