March 25, 2008

Dear Parents,

          Within the past week we have seen St Patrick’s Day, Vernal Equinox and Easter. Seldom do these three occur in so close to one another. In addition, the Iranian holiday Noruz (Iranian New Year) also occurred. Like Easter, Noruz is connected to the Vernal Equinox. Many cultures celebrate the onset of spring with rites and festivities which historically were intended to bring about a bountiful growing season. While we are no longer an agrarian society, we still view spring as a time of rebirth, renewal, and hope for good times ahead. Yes, it truly is a great time of year.

            Here at Pennekamp, the sprit of spring is certainly in the air. In addition to the flourishing flora and fauna around the campus, the activity level is heating up along with the weather. This is the time of year that many grade levels take field trips in order to take advantage of the balmy conditions while visiting exciting venues which add interest and richness to our educational program. We also have a number of great events for both children and parents. Please take note of the following activities and announcements.

Jogathon is Coming! – Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 3^rd at 10:00 a.m. This is not only a fun event, but also one of our PTA’s biggest fundraisers of the year. Last week your children’s Tuesday Envelopes contained bright-yellow Pledge Sheets. Students are encouraged to solicit pledges from parents, relatives, friends, neighbors, etc. on per-lap basis (e.g. 50¢, $1, etc.) or as a flat donation (e.g. $10, $25, $1,000 – just kidding!). Once again I will be issuing my annual challenge for kids to “Beat the Principal!” by running more laps than me in 30 minutes. I usually run about 20 laps. We encourage all PK students to run in our Jogathon, and to gather pledges to earn money for our school. See you on the field! 
Jogathon Pledge Sheet

Parent Basketball Tournament – It’s this Saturday, March 29^th! A team of Pennekamp dads will play games at 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. at the MBMS Gymnasium. Come out and root on the PK Dragons team. Any students who attend will receive a Gold Card.

PK Blood Drive – Wednesday, April 2^nd from 11:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. The American Red Cross Bloodmobile will be in the Peck Avenue (East) parking lot on that day. For appointments, go to www.givelife.org and enter the code “Pennekamp”, or email patti.bundy@gmail.com. Your donation of blood can literally save lives.

Kindergarten / DK Screening – Sat., March 29 & Sat., April 19 at Pennekamp, Room 8. Parents of incoming kindergarten students for 2008-09 are strongly encouraged to have their children undertake this screening, In addition to determining which students will qualify for DK, it also will provide teachers with information on all students which will help in placement and curriculum planning. All screenings are done by appointment only. If you need an appointment, contact the Pennekamp Office.

Science Fair – Yesterday, PK’s 4^th and 5^th grade students received information on this event. Participation is voluntary. Detailed instructions are available in packets that can be obtained from their teacher or Mr. Ahrens’ website: www.schoolnotes.com. The timeline is as follows:

4/28 – permission slips with topic due to teachers

6/4 – Science Fair judging, room 25

6/5 – Open House Science Project Display

Students are encouraged to create their own projects and participate in this fun learning experience. STAR Education is offering an after-school science class, taught by our Science Specialist Christina Ibrahim, which will focus on helping students with their projects. For information call, Beverly Powell, Director of STAR education at (310) 877-9047.

Playground Usage After School – Children should not be on our playground unsupervised during non-school hours. This includes younger children (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd) waiting until older siblings are dismissed at 2:45. Parents who are using the playground along with their children must be respectful of classes still in session during school hours, as well as EDP after school hours. Thank you for monitoring your children and supporting our policy.  Please inform caregivers.

Pride Day Rescheduled – New Date: Saturday, May 10^th (not March 29). Mark your calendars.

 

Sincerely,

Dale Keldrauk

Instrumental Music Mini Concerts – On Monday, March 31^st, our instrumental music students will be performing mini concerts throughout the school day.  Parents are invited to attend these informal concerts which will showcase our strings, recorders and band students. The concerts will be in the Pennekamp Cafetorium and will last about 35 minutes each. The schedule is as follows:  8:20 a.m. = 3^rd gr. recorders and strings (Hooper, Moreno) /  9:00 a.m.= 3^rd gr. recorders and strings (Horowitz, Hunt) /  10:30 a.m. =  4^th gr. strings and band /  12:50 p.m. =  5^th gr. strings and band.  Please contact Ms. Johnson at BandisFun.com or Mr. Mollick at mbstrings@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

Green Ideas - Switch to fluorescent bulbs – Replacing just one frequently used light bulb in your home with a compact fluorescent bulb can save you money on your utility bill and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. If every household in the United States replaced one incandescent light bulb in their home with a compact fluorescent, it would be like taking 6.3 million cars off the road.  Though compact fluorescent bulbs are more expensive than regular incandescent bulbs, they last 10 times longer!  Replacing one bulb can lower your energy bill by $15 annually and reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 150 lbs.

Scrip News – Our March Madness contest is here!  Help your child earn free ice cream on Ice Cream Friday!  We will track each order for the entire month of March, and the class that buys the most scrip will earn a free ice cream. The teacher of that class will also receive dinner and movie tickets. Let’s help our school!  Your children and their teachers could also benefit!  Thank you so much for supporting the scrip program.  If you have any questions, please contact Christy Mancilla at (310) 679-2093. 
Scrip Order Form

Camp VIP – Camp VIP brochures regarding summer registration will be coming home this week in your child’s Tuesday Envelope.  Check out the new classes being offered. For any questions please call Nancy Rosenberg, Program Director, at (310) 376-6115 or email her at nrosenb@aol.com.  See you at Camp!

Asthma Education Program – We are pleased to announce that the American Lung Association is hosting an asthma education program for 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th  grades at no charge to MBUSD students.  The program “Open Airways for Schools” is conducted in six sessions of about 40 minutes each. Each session includes written communication with parents.  If you are interested and have not received a letter, please contact District Nurse Colleen Egan RN (ext.6525) or Tami Simmons RN (ext. 6520) for more information.

 

IMPORTANT DATES

·          Tues., March 25^th – 1^st gr. field trip to Santa Monica City College Planetarium  8:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

·          Wed., March 26^th – Room 29 (4^th) field trip to American Pride, Long Beach 8:15 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

·          Thurs., March 27^th – Room 31 (4^th) field trip to American Pride, Long Beach 8:15 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

·          Fri., March 28^th – Room 27 (4^th) field trip to American Pride, Long Beach 8:15 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

·          Sat., March 29^th – Kindergarten screening at Pennekamp in Room 8 (Parents will wait in Room 9).

·          Sat., March 29^th - MBAF Parent Basketball Tournament at MBMS Gym –Games at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

·          Mon., March 31^st – Kdg. field trip to El Camino (9:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.). All Kindergarten students (except K+) are on an early schedule: 8:30 a.m. – noon.

·          Mon., March 31^st - Instrumental Mini Concerts – Pennekamp Cafeteria, 8:20 a.m. = (Hooper, Moreno) / 9 a.m.  = (Horowitz, Hunt) / 10:30 a.m. = all 4^th grade /  12:50 p.m. all = 5^th grade

·          Tues. April 1^st – 5^th grade field trip to the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion  8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

·          Wed., April 2^nd – PK Blood Drive – 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the staff parking lot on Peck Ave.

·          Wed. and Thurs., April 2^nd and 3^rd     - 4^th grade GATE

·          Thurs., April 3^rd – Jogathon – 10:00 a.m. PK Field - all Kindergarten students will be early  8 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.