Almond Thursday Word

Dear Almond Families,

Happy Halloween! I hope you all have a safe and fun evening with your family. My boys and I will also be out later tonight combing our neighborhood for tricks and treats on this spooky night. If you would like to learn more about how you can help support your child’s reading at home, keep reading below!

One thing I have discovered about myself over the course of my life is that I adore stories. I like hearing them, watching them, listening to them, thinking about them, and I especially like reading stories to myself. I am one of those pesky people that used to lug a book around everywhere with me as a kid and not much has changed since then, except now I can be more discreet reading on my Kindle and New York Times apps. I am a Reader (capital R) and I think everyone should be too. So, you can imagine how I felt one day when my 10 year-old son told me, “I don’t like books.” This is a child who has quite literally had at least one book read to him every day of his life since the time of his birth, either by me, my husband, grandparents, teachers, etc., so how did I fail him so spectacularly in developing a sense of being a Reader? I have been thinking about this quite a lot over the past couple of months…

When I was at Teachers College at Columbia University a couple of weeks ago, I attended a session for school leaders that was about how parents can support kids’ reading at home. One really important takeaway was to get kids reading A LOT; few things matter more than increasing a child’s reading volume. We know that a child’s reading level is correlated to having access to higher courses in high school and college. Kids should really be reading about 30 pages a night or roughly 70-80 books a year! Another phrase I heard that really stuck with me was this: “You can’t discipline kids into reading, you have to love them into reading.” Which basically means if you want kids to read more, find books they LOVE! If your child loves Pete the Cat, get them every book in the series you can find; studies show that kids who read book series tend to be lifelong readers. If your child is into extreme weather, run out to your local library as they will surely have a variety of books on cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes (Those are all the same weather events by the way. Check out this article that explains how: Typhoon, Cyclone or Hurricane? Different Names for the Same Storms). Yes, this also means that we have permission as parents to supply a steady diet of graphic novels to our kids if that is all they want to read at home. Or, if you have a reluctant chapter book reader (like my 5th grader), it is ok to find books on Audible and let him listen to them. (Last night he begged me to let him listen to his book for an hour! I will make a “Reader” of him yet!) The important thing is that kids are reading every day, thinking about stories, and developing their ability to understand them. We as adults can also support their reading habits by modeling those behaviors we want to see in our kids: read every day, include them in conversations about stories or articles we are reading and/or build in routine, weekly family library/bookstore visits.

Here’s to lifelong reading!

Raquel

Today, Thur, 10/31, Halloween! Be safe, everyone!

Sat, 11/2, Turn back your clocks! Daylight Savings Time ends

11/4-11/8, 6th graders at Walden West Science Camp all week! We'll miss you guys!

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

Mon, 11/11, NO SCHOOL

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

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

Wed, 12/4, Almond Singers Winter Concert, 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, School resumes

You’re Invited to the Workshops!

After hosting three well-attended charrettes where over 470 community members engaged in active discussion of facilities solutions, the Community Engagement for Facilities Project Team (“Project Team”), led by MIG, received over 50 ideas to help resolve our complex facilities issue. We invite the community to consider these options and indicate their level of support for each idea during the next stage of the public engagement process at upcoming workshops.

Please join us for one of the below workshops:

Saturday, November 2

Open House: 9:00-9:30am

Workshop: 9:30-11:30am

Egan Multipurpose Room

OR

Monday, November 4

Open House: 6:00-6:30pm

Workshop: 6:30-8:30pm

Blach Multipurpose Room

Each workshop begins with a 30 minute open house for participants to review information. Both workshops will have the same format, so please only attend one workshop.

Thank you for actively participating in this important process. We have provided answers to the questions asked at the charrettes related to the ongoing facilities discussion here. If you have any additional questions, please email us at communityengagement@lasdschools.org.

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

We’ve raised $2 million, but still need another $1.4 million to fully fund this school year. Thank you to those who have donated.

If you have yet to make your annual donation to LAEF, Donate or Pledge today and help fund teachers at your neighborhood school this 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, be sure to request a corporate match, if it’s available. Find out if your company offers corporate matching.

STEM Career Days

Interested in igniting young minds? We are looking for volunteers to help us plan the 4th Annual STEM Career Days at Egan and Blach. STEM careers incorporate and extend beyond just science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The intent of this day is to give our 7th and 8th grade students an opportunity to learn about the different professions within the STEM field. This school year, the event will be held on Feb 3 & 4.

If you would like to get involved, please email LASD STEM Coordinator Karen Wilson (kwilson@lasdschools.org) or Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney (anjana.nagarajan1@gmail.com).

Please let your friends and neighbors know about our upcoming Information Night! It's a great opportunity for incoming parents to see what is special about our school, to learn about the District's vision, and to learn what is needed to register their students for next school year.

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)?

Parties are filling up fast and we want you all to be there. If you didn't get a chance during the Walkathon Silent Auction to sign-up for parties, now is your time. Do it before it is too late and they are all sold out!

* Bollywood Garba Night: Sign Up Now! THIS SATURDAY NIGHT!

* Mother / Son Sports Night: Sign Up Now!

* Father / Daughter Dance: Sign Up Now!

(Any special adult who loves your son or daughter is welcome to attend either party!)

* Self-Defense Class: Sign Up Now!

* 80's Orangetheory Fitness Class: Sign Up Now!

Los Altos High School's Green Team is collaborating with Green Mouse Recycling to host an e-waste collection drive that is scheduled for Saturday, November 2nd, from 9am to 2pm, at 201 Almond Ave, Los Altos. Accepted items include monitors, computers, laptops, cell phones, telecom equipment, TVs wires/cables, PC boards, scrap metal/aluminum, computer mice, keyboards, printers, toner and ink cartridges, stereo equipment, and DVD/CD/MP3 players. Smoke detectors, fluorescent lights, and alkaline batteries are not permitted. The event will include a bake sale and the proceeds will benefit LAHS Green Team.

The Vaping Crisis: What Is It Doing to Our Kids?

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 - 7:00 - 9:00pm, LAHS Eagle Theatre, 201 Almond Ave., Los Altos, CA

Join us as Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University, discusses the harmful impacts vaping has on the minds and bodies of adolescents.

Dr. Halpern-Felsher will provide an overview of current tobacco/nicotine products, including vapes, Juuls and other pod-based systems, which are more commonly used among teens than combustible cigarettes. Drawing upon on-going research, Dr. Halpern-Felsher will address why adolescents are drawn to using these products, dispel common misperceptions held by both adults and teens, and share effective, evidence-based strategies that parents, caregivers, and teachers, can leverage to help prevent and reduce the use of these addictive products.

To register for this free event, go to https://mvla2019-20-bonniehalpern-felsher.eventbrite.com

Sponsored by Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF), MVLA High School Foundation, Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF), and Los Altos-Mountain View PTA Council.