Where were you the night of April 24th? Chances are you were one of the 850 district parents, teachers and staff who celebrated our schools with the party of the year! At Rock the Foundation, you helped us raise over $340,000 for the District, including an amazing $140,000 for Fund-A-Teacher! This money will go exclusively toward teacher salaries for the 2010-2011 year.

 

We sold 50 adult and 20 kids parties, 150 exciting teacher-donated experiences, and 650 raffle tickets for great prizes. And we had a fabulous time doing it. We rocked out to the sounds of Pop Fiction, enjoyed the full bar (with no lines), and danced like it was 1999. But, most importantly, we came out in support of our outstanding schools to raise much-needed funds. Counting the days until we rock out again...

 

See the World . . . Through the Eyes of Our Children 

 

We all crave a trip around the world, and many Laurel and Encinal parents were in luck during the month of May! Their first grade students took a trip around the world without leaving school with the Globetrotters event. Students prepared for a tour of continents and countries through research, learned regional geography, received postcards from every continent, and deepened their knowledge of local cultures and traditions. The Globetrotters program culminated on May 4th, when passport-toting first graders visited various classrooms that represented each of the seven continents or major countries. Teachers and volunteers facilitated interactive stations within each region through art projects, music appreciation, science experiments, language art lessons, foreign language and math activities.

 

Globetrotters is one of many innovative programs funded by the MPAEF's Jeanie Ritchie grant program, which encourages teachers to bring interesting new ideas to the classroom. The Globetrotters program and grant application was led by enthusiastic teacher Courtney Shackleton, with help from many other teachers at Laurel. A few representative tours included:

A sojourn to Africa where Denise Shackleton shared her collection of African instruments made from bamboo, wood, gourds and animal skins. Students were able to create a symphony of sound and even made their own "shakers" in class. While "touring" Africa, first grader David B. commented, "I liked that we got to play a lot of cool instruments."

A trek to Antarctica including the physical and animal wonders of this polar continent. The room was cold and full of ice (jackets required!) to create a realistic experience. Luke O. observed that "Penguins have special feathers that keep them warm and help them survive in cold weather."

A jaunt to India where "visitors" learned fun facts, wore Rakhi bracelets, discovered the variety of spices from the world's largest spice producer and made rangoli-like art projects. Tori L. learned "that India has the second biggest population in the world and invented chess."

We thank all the teachers and parents who made Globetrotters happen and brought global culture to our campuses. Don't be surprised if your first grader asks you for a first class ticket around the world!

We all remember those special teachers who go beyond their job to really make teaching their passion. For the lucky students at Encinal, PE specialist Kathy Smithlin is one of those teachers. If you've ever dared enter the Multi around Halloween you know the extra mile she goes. Every year she turns the plain room into a spook-tacular haunted house for the children who get to take PE amidst crazy lights and fun decorations. And when you hear the familiar beat of country music, you know it's line dancing time. Kathy brings her love of dancing to the curriculum as a fun way to get kids moving. Those who want to delve deeper into the world of line dancing take her after school classes, which she gives free of charge to any 3rd-5th graders!

 

We can all agree that what makes our District most special are our teachers. We salute Kathy Smithlin for bringing so much care and fun to her job and her grateful students.

 

This Teacher Feature subject was submitted by Encinal third grade teacher and District parent Janet Delgado. If there is a special teacher you would like to highlight, please let us know at foundationoffice@mpaef.org. 

We can all breathe a little easier with the passage of Measure C behind us, but the hard work of maintaining our excellent schools goes on. Many District parents worked long hours for weeks to ensure that our community knew what was at stake for the kids if Measure C didn't pass - fewer teachers, larger classes, and less time in library, science, PE and music. But, we came together and voted to keep our schools strong, and the 14 teachers who had received preliminary layoff notices will keep their jobs. However, Measure C does not fix all our budget woes. The District still faces growing enrollment
and budget deficits. Our Foundation support is critical in meeting the challenge of serving more students with our existing staff. By supporting our schools together, we can keep our teachers, keep our rich curriculum, and keep our students thriving. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation held a donor thank you event at the home of Andrea & Geoff Ralston in Atherton on Monday, May 17th.  Enjoying a few minutes between raindrops to celebrate the great schools of the Menlo Park City School District, Laurel, Encinal, Oak Knoll and Hillview, are (left to right above) Jill Andre, Tony & Allison Pereur and host Andrea Ralston. 

 

 

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