Upcoming Events and Activities Recap

4th grade students got to try out musical instruments provided by the San Luis Symphony's Music Van.

Our science fair was a huge success, with 100% participation by students from 3rd through 6th grade at Teach and Bishop's Peak Elementary Schools!  Photos are coming.

Special Olympics Update

Very special thanks to all the people who have volunteered to help out during Teach's Special Olympics event.  The day's schedule for April 17 and more information is coming up.  We're so excited to make this a great community event with help from students, families and staff.  There's a great lineup of events, including wii games, so this will definitely be a unique event for the Special Olympics.  Stay tuned!

Garden Update

(from the Teach Newsletter) Some of you may know that a small group of Cal Poly architecture students have been studying ways to make an experiential garden teaching space back by our school garden. These students have been talking to staff, students, and parents about their design ideas, which they call "a space to learn, explore, and be inspired by nature." They are in the design phase now, and hope to begin constructing the "space" in late spring. Any design or material ideas, or any other thoughts will be most welcome! Please contact Sandy Stannard at stannard@calpoly.edu or Mavis Wong at maviswong@charter.net

For a current look at their developing design please see our Design Flyer.

Want to get involved in charity events?  Here's a nice list of ways kids can help!

The Canned Food Drive is still ongoing.  Hunger knows no season - please bring your canned and dry goods in and deposit them in the canned food collection bin.

Walk for Water provides clean and save drinking water for children in Kenya.  With a $10 donation, you can provide clean water to a child in Kenya for 10 years.  The walk for water is April 18 at 2:00 at the Bob Jones Trailhead.  Please visit www.walkforwells.org for more information, or email Arielle Stallman (see directory for her email address) to let her know if you can walk on April 18!

Give a Day, Get a Day at Disneyland:  Sam Eisendrath and Madison Musgrave and local administrators for Disney's Give a Day, Get a Day.  Anyone who donates a day of time to Prado Day Center or Homeless Shelter can get a free day at Disneyland!  Email Sam and Madison (see the directory for Sam's email address) for more info.

Akshaya Patry offers school lunches as an incentive for students to attend.  For many, it's their only meal of the day.  Sam Pal will be selling bracelets after school for $2.50 to support this group.  For every seven bracelets bought, a child is given food and education for a year!

Kids 4 Kures - see the banner in our right column.

Teach/Bishop's Peak Donation to Red Cross

Many children donated personally from their own allowances and savings for this particular charity.  We are all so very proud of you!

Dear Children:  Our change collection for caring for the children of Haiti is over.  You were all so very generous, digging deep into your pockets and banks and giving to those who have been in so much pain and distress and desperately needing water, food, medical supplies and staff.  We will be giving our check to the American Red Cross.  I will report the total amount collected in the next newsletter.  So to all of you I say, "BE PROUD OF YOURSELF; WALK STRAIGHT AND TALL, FOR YOU ARE THE CARING CHILDREN WHO HAVE CARED FOR OTHER CHILDREN IN DESPERATE NEED."  Thank you, Ronni Johnson

March-a-Thon is Next Friday!

Our 2010 March-a-thon will take place Friday, March 19!  Please return all pledge envelopes no later than March 24 for gift certificate and party credit.  There will be prizes for total money collected, 100% class participation, and most laps run.

Parents are encouraged to join us for this exciting event!  The Custom House (in conjunction with March and John Rourke) has graciously offered to provide us once again with a hot dog lunch, including chips and a drink for just $3.  All proceeds from the lunch will benefit Bishop's Peak.  Families may also bring a lunch of their own if they wish, a picnic blanket, and join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of our students and enjoy the company of our fellow families.  Wear your Teach tee shirts and come on out!

The March-a-Thon classroom walking schedule will be sent home with your child the day before the event, so you can be there to cheer your child on!

Anyone wishing to donate fruit the morning of the march-a-thon to give our kids a little extra energy (and a treat) is encouraged to do so.  Orange and apple slices, bananas, grapes, strawberries and pineapple can be dropped off at the snack table (washed and ready to serve), and will be most appreciated by our budding athletes.  Thank you in advance!

Book Fair

The book fair is coming!  The Scholastic Book Fair is an important fundraiser for our school, and it's fun for the kids too!  We may still need volunteers for lunchtime, afternoon and one evening shift during the week of 3/22-3/26.  A sign-up sheet is posted in your child's classroom, or you can call Belinda Morrill at 534-1878 or email her (see the directory) to help with planning and setup.  And of course don't forget to stop in and browse - there are always so many great books, games and gifts! Thanks in advance.

Teach Booster Meeting Notes - March 5, 2010

Present: Jen Flachman, Erica Stewart, Cheryl Clark, Susmita Gupta Pal, Grace Kim-Abroms, Taffy Gonzalez, Sunshine Cowgill, Ahmad Amir, Anne Slocum, Altec Vigil, Kathryn Rogers, and Jocelyn Leonard


Meeting called to order at 8:35 a.m.

Financial Report:

We need to do another fundraiser. All trips for this year are now paid for, and 95% of the students have paid their share. We need to earn more money to get ready for next year. Ahmad suggested that people with connections at local community banks, ask them for donations. Some local, community banks have funds set aside for education. A few people volunteered to contact the various banks in the community regarding this.

Principal's Report:

Dan is not available today to give a report.

Teacher's Report:

Mr. Crabb is asking for support for the Special Olympics event. Sue Pal let us know that her daughter is going to bring 20 volunteers from the high school to help. Grace Kim-Abroms suggested that the Leadership Group at Laguna Middle School could come and help. She will follow up on that.

Mrs. Jones feels very welcome, she may want a set of Battle of the Books for her classroom, Anne will follow up on that. Mr. Crabb may also want a set. Taffy will follow up on that one. Mrs. Kelly is on the Yosemite trip.

Miscellaneous:

Jill Chan is working on the Box Tops. Call her is you can help, or if you have any questions.

Paige Wright is working on the Script for the Spring break vacation. Contact her with any questions. Janet will attach the form for ordering to the newsletter, and Sunshine will put it in the blog.

Open Enrollment: Feb. 23-Mar. 23. Open house will be on the 10th. We need donations of cookies, lemonade, and coffee, and someone to decorate the goodie table. Jen will send out an e-mail. Contact Jen Flachman if you can help. Open house is 6:30-7:30 on the 10th (Wednesday). Prospective students and their families come at 6 p.m. Cookies could be brought in and dropped off in the morning. Put them in the corner of the teacher's lounge--where the construction rolls are--on the back counter. Put a note on them, so they don't get eaten by mistake.
Ads for open enrollment are going to run in the newspaper next week--Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Sunshine will put the ads in the blog if you would like to see them. We voted on the expenditure of the ads. The cost is $330. Anne moved to approve the expenditure. Ahmad seconds this, but adds the we include up to $500 in case the price is up this year. Taffy seconded this. All were in favor.

March-a-thon is March 19. There will be a kick-off assembly next week. Volunteers are needed. You are all welcome to come out and cheer on our kids. Cheryl will find out what time our kids are running, so that parents can come watch. There will be a hot dog lunch available for anyone interested in staying for a picnic lunch. Also needed: cut up fruit--to give to the kids, and sponsorships. Jen will send the sponsorship letter around again to everyone.

Bookfair: Belinda Morrill is in charge of this . It will run March 22-26. Belinda needs help the Friday before, to help set up all of the books, and she needs help at lunchtime and after school to sell the books. Belinda will set up a sign-up sheet. Several people signed up to help at the beginning of the year. You will be contacted soon.


Chili cook-off: Set for May 5th. We will have a chili-cookoff and a Big Buck Bingo games. It will be a Cinco de Mayo theme, so bring in your salsas and chili! We will be sending out more information as it becomes available! Jen will send out an e-mail to everyone. Sunshine will work on the flyer. Flyers will be passed out at Open House to prospective parents also.

6th grade play: Kathryn is looking for more sound mikes for the kids to use. Does anyone know anyone with sound mikes? Someone suggested Victoria Doust who is the artist in residence at Cayucos Elementary. Someone else suggested we consider buying them so we have them from year to year. Kathryn will look into this.

Helen had an update about Spanish afterschool classes. She contacted Laguna and spoke with their Spanish teacher. She estimated that the cost of a teacher for after school classes would be approximatelyI $500/month. There was discussion about a field trip to Laguna Middle School and a task force to further investigate foreign language opportunities for Teach. Helen and Kathryn to follow up.

Monday is the distinguished school visit. Kathryn moved that the Boosters pay for breakfast and lunch for the delegation. Anne Slocum seconded, and the motion was passed.

Meeting adjourned at 9:55 a.m.

Submitted by Jocelyn Leonard, Secretary