October 24, 2007 

IMPORTANT CALENDAR DATES

If you have items to add to the calendar, please e-mail the date and time along with a description to calendar@pacificaschool.org

THE MONSTER MASH

Are you ready for the Monster Mash? Well, we had a minor setback this weekend: the wild winds blew away our big brown sign-up chart! So if you had already signed up PLEASE SIGN UP AGAIN! From what we remember about the sign-up sheets, we were still especially in need of: 

• Electricians – (you don't have to be certified, but you do need to be able to wrangle extensions to various outdoor locations and make it all safe);
• Decorations – we need any Halloween decorations for general use, but there are some specific requests as well from the Haunted House designers (roll of muslin, skeletons, hay, lamp, strobe light, outfits for stuffing [to make dummies: hoodies, pants, boots, wigs, etc.], rope, large boxes, cobwebs, a coffin, stuff for making creepy-feeling things, like spaghetti, oil, grapes or olives, any great ideas you have).

Also, the Haunted House designers could really use some adult support during the school days: Tues 11-12, Wed and Thurs whenever you can come, Fri all day. Please let Brandi know you can help! 

So, PLEASE SIGN UP again TO HELP at this great event. Get a discount on buying tickets early: before and after school this week. Buy them for neighbors, friends and family as well! 

And please remind your ghouls that no masks or weapons are allowed at this evening event: same rules as the school day.  

Can't wait to see you all there! 

CARE PACKAGE & BEST WISHES FOR MELISSA

Our 4/5 Group Teacher, Melissa is out of commission for a couple of weeks due to a car accident. She is doing fine, just a bit bruised. We’re putting together a care package for her: if you would like to contribute a food item, magazine, book, plant, etc., please put it in the designated box in the 4/5 classroom. The care package will be delivered on Thursday, October 25th.  Please bring in items before then. 

COMMUNITY WORKSHOP: BRAIN GYM®

Our next Pacifica sponsored (in association with the Palms Neighborhood Council) workshop is coming up on Saturday, November 10th from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm: Brain Gym, presented by Denise Hornbeak, licensed consultant. Brain Gym is an innovative system of simple and powerful physical activities that facilitate mind/body integration. The Brain Gym activities have been shown in clinical experience, in field studies and in published research reports to prepare people with the physical skills they need in order to learn and to function effectively in their Life.  This workshop is FREE and open to the entire community, not just Pacifica families, so please invite friends and neighbors! 

SITE COMMITTEE UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

More Fabulous Work Days Scheduled. Come join us for hard work, good camaraderie, and bagels. Mark the following Saturday work days down in your calendar: November 17, January 26, March 15 and May 17. 

Our next Site Committee Meeting: Tuesday, October 30 at 9:00 am. We will try out this time of day.  (If it is bad for you and you want to be able to attend let me know.) Darby (323) 737-1163 and darby@pacificaschool.org 

PARENT VOLUNTEER WORKSHOPS

Don’t forget our upcoming Parent Volunteer Workshops given by Chrys Massey-Rhodes: Pacifica-Speak for Parent Volunteers. The first workshop will be held Tuesday, October 30th from 3:30-4:30pm, and the second will be held Thursday, November 8th from 6:00-7:00pm. 

HALLOWEEN!

REPEAT ANNOUNCEMENT: Halloween is fast approaching!  In order to help this day be as joyful as possible we have developed some guidelines that we'd like you to READ AND DISCUSS WITH YOUR CHILD:  

• NO WEAPON ACCESSORIES (PURCHASED OR HOMEMADE, including knives, bows, guns, etc.)
• NO VIOLENT/GORY COSTUMING OR MAKEUP
• MASKS WILL BE WORN ONLY INSIDE CLASSROOMS
• PLEASE DO NOT SEND CANDY, SODA OR GLASS CONTAINERS

Each group will have an agreement about limits. Your child's teacher will inform you of any classroom activities or requests. 

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR TEACHER

There are many ways to contact Pacifica teachers, including e-mail (see our website’s Contact page for a listing of e-mail addresses). A truly effective way to contact your teacher is by leaving a note in his or her mailbox in the office. 

KNOW YOUR COUNCIL!

As part of our continuing series of introductions of members of Pacifica’s Organization Council, this week, meet your Council Chairperson: 

Beth Abels

“I'm Beth Abels, Chairperson of the Organization Council. This is my third year as chairperson. I am mom to Hanan 7th grade ( he loves nature) and Dayo 4th grade (he loves to cook and direct movies). Both boys have been here since they were in kindergarten. I am one of the founders of Pacifica. We have been working on making this school happen for nine years! I have been on the Council every year except for one! I substitute teach and step in for the director as well. 

I am an architect, and sometimes college instructor. My husband Jim is an artist. My nephew also lives with us. He is a senior and loves photography. All five of us live in Mar Vista.  We have 2 dogs (1 foster who needs a home), four cats (one is a kitten also looking for a home), 5 frogs, a turtle, a bearded dragon, a crayfish and soon we will have baby chickens! 

I love being with my family. I practice yoga, carve stone, play cello, I love exotic fruit trees and organic gardening and camping.  I am thinking about going back to school for my PhD, archi-ethno-botany is holding my interest a lot, (ask me what that is if you have lots and lots of time). Gary Nabhan is one of my favorite naturalists. I am a fierce environmentalist and that infuses everything that I do.” 

CLASSROOM UPDATES 

2/3 GROUP:

2/3 is still recuperating after an amazing time at Kenneth Hann State Park, where we had a picnic and discovered many different types of animals and bugs. We attempted to go fishing with rods that we created from sticks and nature. To continue our theme of animals living within the environment, we have been talking about bees and their role within the community. We've been lucky enough to have the Center Theatre Group come into perform a play for us called "Animal Logic". They have further developed upon our learning of how to un-harm animals that live with in the environment. Through the actor's improv and movement, we became acquainted with Coco the gorilla and discovered hidden treasures about a platypus.   

During math we have combined our study of bees and insects with the use of honeycombs and hexagons. The class also understands how to graph and use statistics to figure out solutions to problems. We even created toy companies that presented their findings at a "toy business meeting".   The class continues to scaffold on old material covered, while incorporating new information too. 

Mr. Skelton has taken over our classroom as we are learning about the different bones of the body.   We have discovered we are not so different from a giraffe. The class will be conducting experiments to figure out just how strong our bones are and at the same time just how fragile they are.  

Mr. Skeleton has also evolved from the lesson on Day of the Dead. We have been incorporating this into our Writers Workshop and have created many emotional entries into our journals. Day of the Dead has also allowed us to embrace other cultures and the diversity that surrounds Los Angeles.   

We are excited for the Monster Mash and our "Day of the Dead Mask Making booth". The 2/3 class has many more field trips, lessons, art projects and science experiments to still complete. We just can't believe it's already the end of October!    

4/5 GROUP:

We’re having a Classroom Halloween Party on Friday, October 26th at 4:30 pm, before the Monster Mash. 

6/7/8 GROUP:

The 6th and 7th graders have been working on a variety of new things! Most groups have completed the construction of their huts and are now working on decorating the interior and exterior. Students are decorating with not only personally meaningful items and designs, but also artifacts from one of several ancient civilizations. We have a Pompeii hut, an Ancient Egyptian hut, a Mesopotamian hut, an Aztec hut, and a hut that is part Ancient India and part Ancient China.  

In addition to hut design, students are in the process of creating travel brochures to attract visitors to their "ancient home," the civilizations named above. Students will advertise various aspects of the ancient culture, possibly including the food, the religion, the festivals, the clothing, etc.  

Writer's Workshop happens in the 6/7 room every day after lunch. We have been developing strategies to generate ideas and also how to find a "seed" story instead of a "watermelon." Ask your student to explain! The students have been writing not only personal narratives, but also have been creating fictional stories from fantasy to science fiction. We enjoy sharing our work on a daily basis and are excited to continue developing our excellent writing skills.  

Spelling / vocabulary words are given each Monday – tying into our research and other class study topics.  Spelling Pre-Challenges are on Mondays. Students have the week to polish their spelling skills and track their progress for Friday's Spelling Challenge on the same words.   

We have been practicing our math skills – mostly operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) on positive and negative integers. We have also been solving problems with proportions and ratios, while working on our understanding of the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percents.   

Thank you to the parents who have been in to help out, and also to those who have sent supplies such as scissors, paper, rulers, and markers. We really appreciate it! 

As a final note, please remind students that Halloween costumes are only to be worn at school on Wednesday, October 31st. While the Monster Mash is this Friday, the 26th, costumes will not be allowed at school on Friday during school hours.