January 16, 2008

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  

EARLY RELEASE DAY THIS FRIDAY (REALLY!)

Sorry about the typo in last week’s Wed Weekly – this time, it’s correct! This Friday, January 18 is a half day. Pick up is 12:45. Extended aftercare is available for those students whose parents are unable to pick them up at 12:45. Pre-enrollment and pre-payment for this service is required. The fee is $10 for care up until 3:20. After 3:20, regular aftercare billing kicks in. See Carmen in the office to sign your child up and make your payment. Thanks!  

TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY THIS FRIDAY (REALLY!)

Please bring your choice of breakfast, juice, snacks or lunch, paper plates, paper cups and utensils to the office at drop-off or pick-up time to celebrate our teachers! 

NO SCHOOL NEXT MONDAY, JANUARY 21ST (MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY)

Just a reminder that next Monday is a school holiday. Have a great weekend! 

MEET YOUR COUNCILPERSONS!

In our continuing series of introductions to your council members, this week, please meet Stephanie Balikos, co-chair of the Fundraising Committee: 

“My name is Stephanie Balikos and I am addicted to getting wacky jobs (which might be how I ended up co-chairing a committee in the middle of the controlled chaos that I call my life). I grew up in Los Angeles, moved to Portland, OR to attend Reed College, and then hung around for 7 more years before getting sick of the weather and coming back home. Shortly after that, I met Erika, my co-chair, in auto repair school. I then got married, had a couple of kids and got on with the whole middle class family thang. During my life I have worked as a: movie extra, forest fire fighter, go-go dancer, crisis line operator, women’s self defense teacher, social worker at a methadone clinic, hat sales person at a rodeo, housecleaner, auto mechanic and airport baggage handler. I am currently in law school and hope to use my legal career to finance med school.” 

COOKBOOK FUNDRAISER

The Fundraising Committee will be publishing the first Pacifica Community Charter School Cookbook, and we need your help! Please start gathering up your best recipes to share. We will need at least 150 recipes of all kinds, including kid friendly recipes. Soon there will be recipe forms available at school for you to fill out. We plan to sell cookbooks, in the spring, for $10 each (about $5 in profit per book for the school!).  More presales and sales information will be coming soon. 

Anyone interested in reviewing recipes or helping choose a publishing company, cookbook formats, sales, distribution, etc., should contact Jeannette Orlando (Allen McLain's grandma grade 4/5) at 213-383-1300 ext 627 (work on weekdays) or 310-391-0372 (home, evenings/weekends), or by email @ jeannettev47@aol.com.

ANNUAL GIVING!

Thank you for your participation in our first Non-Event! Special thanks to those whose extended families contributed. We had a very positive response and some generous donations. This was a great start to our Annual Giving campaign, which is now shifting into high gear. We will be contacting you to let you know more about the school's funding needs and how you can help. Please remember: Pacifica's small scale and low student to teacher ratio absolutely requires us to raise significant funding beyond what the state provides. We look forward to talking with you about this.

BLAST FROM THE PAST?

Did you lend an item for the Monster Mash that you haven't gotten back yet? Please let us know. We have some items (fog machine, strobe light type stuff) that you may want back. Put a note in the Mokhtari box or email fundraising@pacificaschool.org and we will find a time to meet with you to look for it in the shed.

SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION DAY SCHEDULED FOR SATUDAY, JANUARY 26TH

We will be having a big 'shed clean-out' at the next school beautification day: Sat. January 26!  All are urged to come and help! 

CLASSROOM UPDATES

2/3 Group

Here is what is going on in the 2/3 space: We are nearing the end of "The Wheel on the School" and are heading into the building of "Shora". Students have been enthusiastic about building their houses, tiling the roofs, and adding the wheels for the storks. Jenny and I are really appreciating the effort and creativity they are putting into this project. Also, our wheat berries have sprouted. The students will observe their germinated seeds and discuss the various seed parts and their functions. 

Rita and Jenny