February 14, 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

WE’RE CHANGING OUR NAME & PUBLISHING SCHEDULE!

This weekly publication will be distributed on Thursdays instead of Wednesdays, starting with this issue. To avoid future confusion in case we change the schedule again in the future, we’re shortening the name of this thing to simply: “Pacifica Weekly”. Watch your mailbox for upcoming issues on Thursdays henceforth!

EARLY RELEASE

Friday 2/15 is a half day. Pick up is 12:45. Extended after care 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!

RE-ENROLLMENT TIME

Have you turned in your re-enrollment form? To guarantee enrollment for September 2008, we must have the form by 11:00 am, Friday, February 15, 2008. If your child has a sibling that will be entering Pacifica next year, please pick up an application from the office and return it by this date, as well.

PARENT STUDY AND SUPPORT GROUP FACILITATED BY LAURA BEGINS 2/23

Based on the responses received, the beginning parent study and support group will be held on Saturdays from 10:30 - 11:30 AM, beginning on 2/23. It is open to everyone, even if you didn't previously respond, but especially geared towards those who are new to Pacifica or our philosophy. If you haven't already done so, let Laura know you would like to attend and if you would need childcare.

NOW SERVING…  AT CAFÉ PACIFICA!

Hopefully by now you have seen our new café and maybe enjoyed your morning coffee with us. We offer coffee and tea by donation in the mornings. You can bring your own cup or use one of ours. You can even buy a reusable cup! If you have special preferences (a particular kind of coffee, tea, cup, etc), we encourage you to bring some and donate them to the cause.

We need volunteers to help staff this morning event. We will have a calendar for sign-ups available at the café table. It takes about an hour, which includes setting up, staffing, and cleaning up from about 8:30-9:30 am. We especially need volunteers on Tuesdays.

Please note that we will not sell coffee, tea, or any other goodies to students unless they are accompanied by their parents to the table, so that your consent is clear.

Thank you for your support of this fundraiser for our school! And a special thank you to Ijeoma for her dedication!!

COUNTDOWN TO THE ART PARTY: 16 DAYS!

The Art Party is happening on Saturday, March 1st, and it promises to be a night of conviviality, with lovely food, drink and music. Please plan to come, bring friends and enjoy a wonderful evening out, while helping to support our school.

We have some great donations of art and fun services that our community members can provide… but we still need more. Please think about ways that you like to have fun in the community and figure out how you can offer that at the auction. Remember that if you have a favorite music store or restaurant, you can ask them for a donation – you can even buy it yourself at a better than usual rate! The earlier we get donations, the better we will be able to acknowledge donors and display items properly.

We also need you to sign up to help with the various aspects of the evening. A sign-up sheet will be posted within the next week of possible roles and shifts. Please plan to spend a portion of your evening helping out!

MEET YOUR COUNCILPERSONS!

In our continuing series of introductions of your Organization Council members, this week we present to you our Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee, Stacey Montalto:

“Hi! My name is Stacey Montalto and I am the Treasurer for Pacifica Community Charter School. I grew up in Belmont, Massachusetts and went to college at Cornell University, where I spent at least as much time managing the Marching Band and conducting the Pep Band as I did on my studies - which launched my not-for-profit management career with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Newark Symphony Hall. My husband Steve's career brought us to L.A. in 1992 and I decided to build my business credentials with an MBA from UCLA, which led to ten years in management/human resources consulting, HR project management, and finally to my current role as Management Recruiter for The Cheesecake Factory.

“My love of community and not-for-profit organizations never waned, however, and as my two girls started at Manhattan Beach Nursery School, I found myself serving on the Board as well as participating in every way possible to keep the co-op organization alive and well. Pacifica was the natural evolution from MBNS's humanistic approach, but it took us a couple of stressful years in Hermosa Beach public school to convince us that we should undertake the daily "commute" to join Pacifica's unique and wonderful educational community. And I have to say, we have never looked back - Meagan (grade 4) and Kelsey (grade 2) are thriving in the open, supportive teaching environment, and coming into the Pacifica community has felt very much like coming home for all of us. I am happy that my business background has enabled me to contribute to Pacifica's growth and success, and am looking forward to many more years with all of you!”

CLASSROOM UPDATES

4/5 Group:

We're starting a new project and are desperately in need of supplies. We just finished our project on how the Tongva Indians met their needs. Students’ individual research topics included Japan, Medieval Times, Hopi Indians, Incas, Romans, and Africa.

P.S., Don't visit the Ballona Wetlands after the rains. They're flooded!