This week Thomas Worley was Caught Being Good.
Please come by the office to pick up your prize. Who will be caught next? |
VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH
Thanks to all the volunteers who give Los Cerros their time, effort and enthusiasm. Our school and community are better for it! We would like to honor a volunteer a month this year to spotlight their efforts. Thanks again to all!
August: Stevie Sturla for creating the online registration packet and
Marcy Casement for designing LC's use of the data in BlueBear
September: Lisa Knebel, PTA President, for leading the PTA volunteers
October: Michelle Miller for her leadership and organization with the Fall Book Fair
From the Principal:
Next week we begin a time honored tradition at Los Cerros, the Basket Brigade. For those of you new to our community the Basket Brigade is organized by PTA and places 300 food-laden laundry baskets in the hands of families in need within Contra Costa County. Those baskets contain all of the things needed for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner and include donations from students, parents, and many local businesses.
Last year was the first time I had the joy of watching students, scouts, staff, and parents assemble these gift baskets. The organization this event involves is phenomenal and PTA coordinators past and present are to be commended for their efforts in positively affecting the lives of others and in modeling the spirit of giving for our students. You can't buy this type of character education!
The food drive runs Oct.26th - Nov. 6th. Please see Robin Greenblatt's information below about the types of donations needed and the drop-off procedures. Your spirit of generosity will brighten the holidays of many others.
Have a wonderful fall weekend,
Phyllis Roach
LEADERSHIP CORNER:
--Any day, during lunch, bring your lunch to the counseling office and prepare to relax! we will play stress bingo, learn visualization, and practice ways to deal with all kinds of stress. See Ms. Schubb for more information
--Leadership will be judging a Halloween door decorating contest on Thursday Oct 29th. Decorate the inside of your door in Halloween style and leave it open Thursday morning for the judges to see it. This competition is optional, however, the top three doors will earn points for their homeroom.
--Here are the dates for the remaining magazine sale prizes.
1) Wednesday, October 28th – After school in the front, Jamba Juice will be given out to students who sold 8 or more magazines. Please bring your ticket. If you have lost your ticket, you can check your name off on the list with the magazine representative.
2) Thursday, November 5th – Limo to Lunch to In N Out Burger will be during your lunch hour for those who sold 20 or more magazines. Permission slips will be coming to you soon.
--Remember that this week is red ribbon week! Wear you wristband to school every day this week for a chance to win prizes. Mr. Cannon will be giving out prizes each day at lunch.
-- Basket Brigade drive starts Monday. Please remember to bring in items for the drive + turn in tickets that you collect to your teacher.
--The leadership class will be selling Halloween Duck grams next Mon, Tues and Wed at lunch. These are Halloween themed rubber duckies that you can send to a friend as a fun Halloween surprise. The ducks will cost 75 cents each or 3 for $2 and will be delivered next Thurs during homeroom.
--W.O.W- “if I won’t be myself, who will?”- Alfred Hitchcock
PTA UPDATE
Thanks to all the parents that attended the George Papageorge night. It was a great evening and very educational!
Please keep a look out for the a second night in late January for the 2nd of a 3 part series with George Papageorge.
We also wanted to thank all the parents that came to the PTA meeting this week. Kerry Sloss, school police resource officer, was the guest speaker. She shared with us suggestions on how to keep our kids safe from cyber bulling. PTA will be working with Kerry and the Violence Prevention Center to come out and have a night to speak with the parents on how to keep our kids safe.
The PTA has been working hard to support our kids and teachers. Please see the upcoming events and meetings:
- Red Ribbon week 10/19-10/23
- Basket Brigade Assembly of Baskets- 11/8-11/19
- PTA meeting 11/19 @ 9:00
Thank you all for supporting the PTA, it makes a real difference!!!
We hope to see you all at the next PTA meeting on 11/19.
"Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light somewhere nearby."
COSTUME RULES FOR LC
Parents and students, please keep in mind that dress code is applied and enforced if Halloween costumes are worn on Friday, October 30th. Students will be asked to change if clothing is too short, inappropriate in nature, a distraction in class, etc. Also, props that are inappropriate (i.e. weapons of any nature) should not be brought to school. Teachers will ask students to change or take off parts of costumes if it is a distraction to class. Students at Los Cerros do dress up, please just keep all of these rules in mind and use common sense.
CJSF NEWS
CJSF Special Olympics U Summit committee met on 10/21/09 during lunch with 20 students attending. The group is actively engaged in support of several upcoming Special Olympics events including th Polar Plunge on February 27, 2010 and the Basketball Tournament at LC on March 12, 2007.
U Summit committee will meet for lunch on Wed., Nov. 4, 2009. For additional information see any committee member, and yes, you still may join this group. See the sign up in room 1 under the Green Treasure chest.
CJSF (8th Grade) will meet on Tuesday 11/10/09 during lunch. Mark the date on your calendars-- you do NOT want to miss this meeting.
BASKET BRIGADE:
Next Monday the 26th begins our Food Drive for our very special community service project, the Basket Brigade. The Food Drive will last for two weeks, until November 6th.
Donation times are while the students are arriving at school. There will be two locations along the curb to drop off. Look for the grocery carts with the Basket Brigade signs. For the students who ride the school bus there will be leadership students to assist them in carrying their donations to the Basket Brigade carts.
The items being collected are: canned corn, canned green beans, canned black olives, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy, chicken broth, boxed stuffing mix, cornbread mix, and $10 Safeway gift cards.
When the students drop off their donation they receive at ticket. A $10 Safeway gift card counts as 10 items. For every 20 items donated they will receive a yellow ticket. For less than 20 items, they will receive a blue ticket with the quantity written on it. The ticket will also have the student's name and Homeroom teacher written on it. The students will turn in their ticket/tickets to their homeroom teachers. At the end of the Food Drive prizes will be given out. There will be a pizza party for the homeroom with the most donated items for each grade level. There will also be 6 run day passes given out, 2 to each grade level. The run day pass winners will be drawn from the 20 item yellow tickets.
We have Los Cerros parents who have generously volunteered their time to help with the Food Drive. There are still a few openings if you would like to help, Monday, the 26th - one spot, Thursday, the 29th -
one spot, and Thursday, November 5th - 2 spots; from 7:25 -7:55 a.m. At 7:55 the carts are taken to room 26 and emptied. Please notify me if would like to help with this.
If you have any questions please contact me at rgreenblatt@sbcglobal.net. Your donations to the Basket Brigade are greatly appreciated!!! Robin Greenblatt
Grade Level Book Clubs are forming
If you like to read and discuss books think about signing up for a Lunch Book Club. Yes, you can bring your lunch, talk about books. We will be discussing, which books to read at our first meeting. Plus, we may begin with the Middle School/Jr. High California Young Reader Medal books. Remember students who read all the books in a particular category are eligible to vote! Questions? Contact Ms. Davis ddavis@srvusd.net
Please sign up now in the library!
6th Grade Lunch Book Club
We will meet in Room 12 – Mrs. Roudman’s Room.
Our first meeting will be Wednesday October 21!
The other dates we have picked are:
11/4, 11/18, 12/9, 1/6, 1/20, 2/3, 2/17, 3/10, 3/24, 4/14, 4/28, & 5/5 final meeting
7th Grade Lunch Book Club
We will meet in Room 18 – Goodrick-O’Neil’s Room.
Our first meeting will be October 22!
The other dates we have picked are:
11/5, 11/19, 12/10, 1/7, 1/21, 2/4, 2/18, 3/11, 3/25, 4/15, 4/29, & 5/6 final meeting
8th Grade Lunch Book Club
We will meet in the drama room – Mrs. Kaplan’s Room.
October 29 is our first meeting!
11/12,12/10,1/14,1/28,
2/11,2/25,3/11,3/25,
4/15,4/29, & 5/13 final meeting
HEALTH CHALLENGE TEST
What is the Health challenge Test? The Health Challenge Exam is a test which is available to 8th grade students only. The Exam consists of 106 questions. The Exam questions come directly from the New Glencoe Health textbook. Those students who pass the Exam will automatically have their passing grade entered on their official high school transcript. The students can then choose another elective in lieu of "Health," a mandatory class for freshman. This Exam is offered only once. The 8th grade students, who are interested in taking the Health Challenge Exam, can pick up the Petition in the Counseling office from Ms. Williamson - October 15th through December 4th. The Exam will be Wednesday, December 9th, at 3:10 PM, at Dougherty Valley High School. cwilliamson@srvusd.net
YEARBOOK NEWS:
**LAST CHANCE to buy the yearbook at $55** Price will be $67 after November 1st.
ACADEMIC BOOSTER UPDATE- 39.6%
Our goal this year is 100% family participation. Any amount is appreciated and will help us to support the Los Cerros class size reductions. Today we are at 39.6% participation. If you have not yet had the opportunity to send in any size donation to this cause please do so now by check or on the webstore. The webstore is open 24/7 and is convenient.
Boosters Quick Link: http://loscerrosatbf.revtrak.net/tek9.asp
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8th grade parents – In order to provide a smooth transition from middle to high school, please take a few minutes to complete this brief, 16 question on line survey. http://apps.srvusd.net/survey/TakeSurvey.asp?SurveyID=599
Academic
October 30th is the end of the 1st quarter and grades will be posted by 11/2/09. The end of the quarter is half way to the semester and a good time to check in with your student to make sure they know if their grades are on track.
Peer tutors are still available. If your student would like one on one assistance every Wednesday from 2:30-3:30pm, please have them see Ms. Schubb.
Math – please note that 7th grade students currently in pre-algebra will be recommended either for algebra 1 (grade level) or transition to algebra (below grade level) in 8th grade. The criteria include: C or better in pre-algebra; 70% or higher on an algebra readiness test; 75% or higher on the district final; proficient or advanced on STAR testing; and teacher recommendation. To be recommended for algebra 1 students must meet 4/5 criteria. If you would like more information, please contact your child’s math teacher.
Organization bootcamp will start 11/3. 6 1/2 hour after school sessions designed to improve organization, time management and breaking down large projects. Class size is limited to 6 students and will be determined by student need and teacher recommendation(s). Parents must attend a mandatory evening introduction on Monday 11/2 7-8pm in room 2. email nschubb@srvusd.net to be placed on the list.
Students who were recommended at conferences for any of our after school interventions (i.e. math help, homework support) will be receiving “reminder notices” the next few weeks. If you do not want your child to participate, please let Ms. Schubb know. nschubb@srvusd.net
Personal/Social
Mix it Up date 11/10 – Sponsored by Southern Poverty Law Center/Teaching Tolerance, Mix it up day is a fun opportunity to make new friends in school. It's when you sit with a new crowd of people at lunch. It is a great way to end cliques in schools or make new friends. The event is a simple call to action: take a new seat in the cafeteria. By making the move, students can cross the invisible lines of school division, meet new people and make new friends. Mix it Up at Lunch Day helps students become more comfortable interacting with different kinds of people. Students will be randomly assigned a lunch table on 11/10/09 and leadership students will be facilitating table discussions about diversity, tolerance and acceptance. For more information see www.tolerance.org Please encourage a conversation at home about this activity with your students.
STRESSBUSTERS- As a support to our students, the counseling department is offering a group for 6th-8th on stress management. The group will last approximately 5 sessions and will run on WEDNESDAYS during sixth, seventh and eighth lunches. They may bring their lunch with them. The groups will begin on Wednesday October 21, 2008. This group will be focused on the use of music and visualization as a stress reducer, to improve social interactions, promote positive peer relationships, and enhance social understanding by others. We will be using “Ready, Set, Relax, a research based program of relaxation, learning and self esteem for children” Your student will have the opportunity to increase self-understanding, as well as learn new skills and behaviors that may help her personal development. If you think your student could benefit from this, please email Ms. Schubb at nschubb@srvusd.
Starting the week of 11/2 Ms. Schubb will be providing “A Friend for Life” curriculum. The classroom presentations will be offered during 1 period of the core class and is an age appropriate, asset based curriculum that focuses on problem solving and sources of support during adolescence. If you would like more information or a copy of the curriculum, please contact Ms. Schubb at 552-5620 or nschubb@srvusd.net.
Parents of 6th grade girls – Girls Leadership Institute What is the Girls Leadership Institute?
GLI teaches girls assertive self-expression, emotional intelligence, and conflict management skills for success in leadership and life. It works with girls, their families, and school communities through camps, after-school programs and in-school resources.
4th to 6th graders
• Time: 6 - 8p
• Dates: Feb 4, 11, 18, 25
• Cost: $175 per parent and child combination • Each additional child is $87.50 Please reach out if you have any questions: leslie@deliberatecommunications.com or (925) 838-9806.
College/Career
College bulletin board- Immediately to the left inside the library is our new college bulletin board. We will be adding information here should your student be interested. We are currently working on a plan for “March Madness”. In the spring we will introduce interested 8th grade students to more detailed college and career planning.
Parents - if you would like to volunteer to help with career day or have a career you would like to share with the students, please let us know. Career Day is April 23rd from 8-10am. nschubb@srvusd.net
Parenting tip
“Talk Slower” – did you ever get that mystified glaze from your son/daughter? Like they have no idea what you just said? Try slowing down your speech. The average adult speaks at a rate of almost 170 words per minute, according to Wichita State audiology professor Ray Hull. But the average 5-7 year old processes speech at a rate of just 150 words per minute. By high school, it grows to a rate of 140-145 words per minute- still slower than most adults speak! So take a hint from the late Mr. Rogers! The late TV star captivated children’s attentions, Hull suggested to The Wichita Eagle, because at an average speaking rate of 124 words per minute, “he may have been one of the only adults many children were able to understand.”
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SRVHS EPIC Healthy Choices
Empowering Parents and Involving Community can transform at-risk teen behaviors!!
Parents - Participate with your students in Red Ribbon Week!!
Join us for a special double feature event with speakers Ralph Cantor and Michael Curran Wednesday, Oct 28th, 7PM SRVHS Commons
Michael Curran graduated from De La Salle in the late 1980s as the baseball team’s star player. He, like many high school athletes, began partying and drinking in high school. What many parents today may see as harmless experimenting, preparation for college, or just normal teenage activities became for Michael a 20-year descent into hard alcohol and drug use, occasional homelessness, and years of lost opportunities. Michael has regained his life, and has a powerful story to share with us, a stark reminder that it can happen to any one of our kids. Michael’s story was published in the Contra Costa Times in September, and you can read it online at http://www.contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_13292200. Athletic study hall students will hear Michael during Red Ribbon Week. Bring your students and come hear his powerful testimony.
After Michael’s testimony, parents and students will gain a better understanding of adolescent brain development and chemistry, what students are exposed to and why they respond to drug/alcohol use, and which students are most at risk. Ralph Cantor spent time with our students last spring, and will be talking to many students again during Red Ribbon Week on campus. Students indicated an interest in hearing him again regarding the effects of certain drugs on the brain and how their interpersonal relationships were impacted by their choices. Ralph is experienced working with students, parents and teachers and can offer insights on communication and how parents can influence their students.
Q&A time will follow Michael and Ralph’s presentations!
All parents, middle- and high school students, teachers, counselors and community adults are enthusiastically welcome!
A $5 donation will be accepted at the door!Questions? Contact Alyson Colton, alyson@coltonfamily4.org
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