“Pencils of Power”

Recognizes Students’ Writing

O ne of the more difficult tasks we all engage in is the writing process. To clearly define a

message, compose a draft, revise, edit, and pre-sent in a final form requires intensive labor. This task is also one required of students on the Measurements of Student Progress (MSP).

“P encils of Power” at Mt. Pilchuck Elemen-tary School provides an opportunity to

recognize the writing efforts of students engaged in the writing process. It also provides an oppor-tunity for me as principal to keep in contact with the instructional process from a student‟s point of view.

E ach month beginning in October, teachers select, and I meet with, students from each classroom, providing them an opportunity to share their work with their peers as well as

an opportunity to be recognized for their efforts.

S tudents attending a “Pencils of Power” session tell a bit about how they selected the topic, read their work, and receive a certificate and a charm for their incentive chains.

“Pencils of Power” work is then displayed on a school bulletin board for all to see.

A t P.O.P., students routinely encourage those who are just beginning the writing process with applause and positive comments and benefit from hearing the thoughtful work of

other students in school. From a principal‟s point of view, “Pencils of Power” also provides an opportunity to hear the students from different grade levels progress as they learn how to expand their sentences or are learning to use a different form of writing.

B e watching the PTA Newsletter for a list of our Pencils of Power recipients each month. It‟s just another way we “Make it a Great Day on the Mountain!”

Kindest Regards,

Chris Larson

October 2011

Visit our PTA Website www.ParentTeacher.net

Parent Login: “MtPilchuckPTA”

Follow us on Facebook at Mount Pilchuck PTA

Visit us on the School Website www.lkstevens.wednet.edu/

mtpilchuck/

Click “Parents & Students” Then select “PTA”

Email us at Mt.PilchuckPTA@gmail.com

Monthly Meetings 2nd Thursday of the month

7:00pm in the Library

L i‟l Hungry Hearts is a Mt. Pilchuck ASB/PTA sponsored program that is totally run by volunteers (students and adults) and supported by dona-

tions and sponsorships from our community. The program provides staff referred Mt. Pilchuck students who also qualify for the free or reduced-priced school lunches with an opportunity to receive supplemental food

items (easy to prepare, nutritious and kid-friendly) to fill their backpack with each Friday for the weekend and holidays.

T his program is limited to a first-come basis and is dependent totally on

funding and food supplies. Donations are accepted at all times throughout the school year. For more information con-tact:

Tracy Elwell at Tracy_Elwell@lkstevens.wednet.edu

Or Phyllis Leavitt at

Phyllis_Leavitt@lkstevens.wednet.edu

M r. Elwell would also like parents to know that he needs volunteers for

a variety of projects around the school and would really appreciate any help.

P lease help us meet our goals to make sure that “No Child is Left

Hungry” by “Taking a Bite Out of Childhood Hunger!”. If you are inter-ested in making a difference in the life of a hungry child by being a sponsor or do-nor please contact us.

e Scrip is a great way to earn money for our school without

having to spend any more than we already do.

L ast year we registered a total of 95 families, and from Au-

gust 2010 to August 2011 we earned over $1000 for our school! We have well over 600 kids at our

school and I think we are missing out on a lot of free money!

D id you know that you need to renew your registration every year? Many of you may not even be contributing any more.

Please make sure to log in and renew. If you are not sure how to do this, please contact Robyn Kudo at 425-238-3981 or RobynKudo@comcast.net.

A lso please consider adding your credit or debit card. There are sooo many more

opportunities for donations and you don‟t even have to think about it once signed up. If you don‟t feel comfortable giving me your CC num-ber please log in on your own and add it to the eScrip website www.escrip.rewardsnetwork.com. It‟s easy!

D id you know that our school gets $100‟s of

dollars each month just because our parents take the time to cut Box Tops? Talk about Extreme Cou-poning.

J ust last week our Box Top Coordinator, Jenni-

fer Ormiston, sent in 4.5 pounds of Box Tops worth over $125!

W e will try to give to-tals each month so

that you can see firsthand that it really is worth your time. Thank you and happy clipping.

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011 5pm – 8pm

J oin us for McTeacher‟s Night at Frontier Village McDonalds (507 Hwy 9). See YOUR teacher take your

order, make fries and ice cream, hang out in the drive thru, and walk around selling pies and cookies. They will also be selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a com-plete set of the display toys, along with other prizes!

W e get a portion of all sales from 5pm - 8pm. Last year we made over $1100. Look for a flier in your

Wednesday envelope the week before to see when your favorite teacher is working.

F or more information please contact Jenifer LaCour-siere at clanof5@hotmail.com or 425-350-9919.

Chicken Noodle/Tomato Soup (Kid-Themed) Tuna/Chicken Helper Cans of Tuna/Chicken Boxed Stuffing Boxed Instant Potatoes Gravy Canned Veggies (carrots, corn, peas, beans, green beans) Soft Canned Fruits Mac „N Cheese/Easy Mac – Microwaveable Cups/Packages Top Ramen - Any Flavor Spaghettio‟s/Ravioli/Chili/Soups Graham/Goldfish Crackers Pancake Mix/Syrup, Cheerios, Baby Food Granola Bars/Nutrigrain Bars/Breakfast Bars Instant Oatmeal Packets - Any Flavor Cereal (Single-Serving Boxes) Pop Tarts – Any Flavor Fruit Snacks & Fruit Leathers Cookies - Individual Pack Sizes Crackers - Individual Pack Sizes Cheese & Crackers/Peanut Butter Crackers -Individual Packs Microwave Popcorn Pudding Cups Jell-O or Jell-O Cups (Not Refrigerated Type) Applesauce Cups & Fruit Cups Capri Sun Or Juice Boxes - 100% Fruit Juices Shelf-Stackable Milks - Not Refrigerated - 8oz Boxes Hot Chocolate Packets

A SB, behind the leadership of Mr. Elwell and Ms. Rock, is in full swing. These young leaders are

dedicated to making a difference at Mt. Pilchuck and in our community. To help with their endeavors they will be putting on a few fundraisers throughout the year so keep a watch for ways you can help.

O ne of their first fundraisers this year will be the sale of Halloween Candy Grams! These low cost candy

grams will be on sale during conference week. Students can purchase candy grams for their friends which will be delivered on Monday, October 31st to the child's class.

Y ou may have seen that we have a new addition to our PTA this year. The Lake Stevens Special Education Parent Teacher Group began a

couple of years ago as a grassroots organization that connects parents, teachers, staff and really anyone with an interest in the well-being of a child with special needs. It's a thriving organization that I'm delighted to have as an official committee in our PTA. I had the pleasure of attending their kickoff meeting for the 2011-2012 school year and even spoke briefly, because it's my job to encourage members of that group to participate in PTA.

I can imagine why joining a "regular" PTA can seem like a daunting task for a parent of a child with special needs. There is this life-changing

body of experience that most of the population doesn't share. I don't have a child on the spectrum, or with special physical needs, or with an intellectual delay. I haven't had that experience and I can see how someone who lives

it every day might find it cumbersome to even contemplate a first conversation with me. What if I don't understand? What if I minimize the experience, or, worse, lay blame for it on parenting problems or the 'wrong' diet? Then multiply the worries by the ten or twenty or more new parents one might encounter at a PTA meeting, and maybe it just seems like too much.

I 've been thinking a lot about this since I went to that meeting and I've begun to see it everywhere. For example, our military families probably have a similar experience. Living that life is fundamentally different, in some ways, that what many of us

experience. There's a language, a culture. Even though they represent a significant percentage of our kids, we don't get a lot of participation in PTA by our military parents. Why is that?

M ore recently, when I talked with the ONE Dad who came to this month's PTA meeting, I realized that maybe the men feel this way too, this fundamental different-ness, when they come to PTA events.

T he truth is, nobody wants to come to a meeting or a function filled with people with shared experiences and feel isolated. Inclusion is so important. It's important for our kids, but it's just as important for their parents. Just as we want to encourage

our kids to be friendly and share a smile with their Life Skills schoolmates, we need to be welcoming and kind to their parents. Just as we want to teach our kids what it means to have a parent who is serving our country, we need to reach out to our West-Pac Widows. And just as we want our kids to know that dads are just as much parents as moms, we need to be sure that a dad who volunteers at an event is not a novelty or a "token" male; he is a parent who values his child's school experience and wants to contribute to that.

T here are so many reasons we feel isolated. Do you work outside the home? Is your husband is in the Navy? Is your school-age child pre-verbal? Are you a single parent? Are you parenting a grandchild? I want you to know that whatever your life

looks like, we want you to be part of the parent leadership at our school if you want to. Your children are an important part of the fabric of Mt Pilchuck, and you are an important part of the population of parents.

S o I want to challenge all of you. If you are a parent who feels isolated at school put a toe in the water. Come to a meeting. Or, better yet, volunteer for an event where you can work side by side with other parents. Don't do it because I have some-

how convinced you that you "should". Do it because connection can only come if you reach out, and because you deserve to feel connected.

A nd if you see new faces at a meeting or event, speak up! Thank them for coming out. Hear their stories. Let them know that you value their participation. Just connect with them. It benefits us all.

Sincerely,

Janet Raynor, Mt. Pilchuck PTA President

Attention

Dads!!

B e watching future PTA

newsletters for information about the Mt. Pilchuck Watch Dog Dads! This will be an outstanding opportunity for dads to get involved at Mt. Pilchuck; interacting with the students and bringing your positive and protective vibe to the campus.

M ark your calendars now for our Annual Art Walk be-ing held Tuesday, May 15 from 6-8pm. Our theme

this year is “NW Mosaic”. Our Art Walk will feature art by our students inspired by a variety of NW artists. You can wander the halls exploring art, take part in the art scaven-ger hunt, visit our artists in action, listen to each grade level singing a mosaic of music, participate in a variety of art pro-jects in the gym, and even bid on your favorite art item at our silent auction!

I n addition, we will be presenting a permanent art display in the library. The entire school will participate in this

project, as each classroom will be represented in a NW theme on a banner! It will en-hance our school for many years to come!

ART WALK looking for a few good volunteers

A re you interested in helping to plan the art walk this year? As this event is grow-ing with each year, we need extra helpers in the planning process. Please con-

tact Kelly Dubyne at kdubyne@comcast.net or 425-238-3678 to let us know if a day or evening meeting works best for you. Come be a part of this fun event!

T he Lake Stevens Special Education Par-ent/Teacher Group meets on the 2nd

Monday of every month from 6:30-8:00pm in the Library. Each meeting features dynamic speakers and addresses important issues for children in both general classrooms and with special learning needs.

O ur next meeting on Monday, November 14th, will feature guest Alicen Burke,

M.A., C.C.C, Speech & Language Patholo-gist for LSSD, speaking on “Improving your child's communication skills to support literacy (reading & writing) development”.

T his group is sponsored by the Mt. Pil-chuck PTA, but is open to anyone in the

LSSD. If you have questions please con-tact Rebecca DeFrang at

rdefrang@comcast.net or 425-418-4532.

Schack Art Center Presents

The Annual Art Docent Fair! Tuesday, November 15th

6:00pm - 8:30pm 2921 Hoyt Ave, Everett

C ome and see artists in action! Learn about art projects you can

do in the classroom with students. Each art teacher/educator will focus on a different female artist while discuss-ing the art elements utilized, including Color, Line, Shape, Texture and Value.

T his is normally $15.00 per person, but our PTA is covering the $100

rate for the school.

**You don’t have to be an art docent to attend!

Please contact Kelly Dubyne at kdubyne@comcast.net

or 425-238-3678

T he Mt. Pilchuck School Store is planning to oper-ate this year on Fridays during lunch. If you are

interested in helping please email us at:

mt.pilchuckpta@gmail.com

W e will make sure your contact information gets to Jennifer Ormiston, School Store Coordinator.

T he end of the school year seems a long way off, but before you know it students will be flipping through their yearbook and getting

autographs from friends. We are thankful for the group of individuals who stepped up to put our yearbook together this year.

Now all they need are your photos!!

P lease email photos to mt.pilchuckpta@gmail.com or send in a CD to the office and mark it PTA - Yearbook. We need back-to-

school photos, playground candids, classroom candids and coming up...those all important Halloween Party pictures.

Lake Stevens

Challenge Our Children

Y ou‟re invited to help encourage a more chal-lenging educational experience for your

child! Challenge Our Children is a parent group that advocates for the needs of highly capable students attending grades 3 through 12 in all Lake Stevens public schools. We meet to discuss academic and other resources for sup-porting our children, their teachers and the

school librarians who help deliver the district‟s Highly Capable Program.

T he program serves students who have been nominated by teachers, parents (or even them-selves) and who have scored highly on a series of tests that measure academic ability in

mathematics and language arts. Students may qualify in language arts, math or both. For more information about the district‟s Hi-Cap Program, please visit the LSSD website at www.lkstevens.wednet.edu/22781062215599710/site/default.asp.

C hallenge Our Children strives to:

offer parent education and resources related to the Hi-Cap program and the needs of excep-

tional children and their families,

plan educational opportunities and social events for Hi-Cap children outside of school,

support our school librarians and teachers in delivering Hi-Cap instruction during school,

maintain an open and positive flow of communication between parents, administrators and

teachers with an interest in Hi-Cap.

G eneral Challenge Our Children meetings are on the first Wednesday of each month at 7pm in Education Service Center, Room A, 12304 22nd Street NE, Lake Stevens. You can reach us

on Facebook, or contact your Mt. Pilchuck COC liaisons directly: Kristin Fetters-Walp at fettwalp@comcast.net or 425-397-8758, or Julie Smith at julieshairdesign@yahoo.com.

“Diversity Means…”

D o you know an enthusiastic young artist? Encourage that budding Pablo Picasso, Ansel Adams or J.K. Rowling to try creating original art around a focused theme –

diversity. It‟s time to begin preparing entries for the 2011/2012 National and Washing-ton State PTA Reflections Cultural Arts Contest.

T his year‟s theme is “Diversity Means . . .” According to Merriam-Webster.com, di-versity is “the condition of having or being composed of differing elements: VARI-

ETY .” When we picture or discuss diversity, we may mean anything from the shapes in a group of objects, to the cultural backgrounds of people in a class, to the variety of plant or animal life in a forest. The possibilities for considering this theme in art are endless!

S o, unleash the creative potential of the young artists you know: Present them with the theme, a dictionary, some free time and the art supplies of their choice. Please, do not try to influence their work – you‟ll be amazed at what they come up with!

Children of all ages, from pre-k to high school seniors, are encouraged to enter pieces artwork entirely of their own creation in one of six categories: literature, visual arts, photography, film/video, music composition and dance/choreography. All entries are due to classroom teachers or to the front office at Mt. Pilchuck, labeled “Reflections PTA Contest C/O Kristin Fetters-Walp” by 2:45pm on Friday, December 2nd.

L ook for other important details, including entry forms, contest rules and acceptable formats, in your child‟s Wednesday enve-lope! Also, watch for permission/registration slips for after-school workshops during November. Each one will offer brief in-

struction on a specific artistic technique, access to the school‟s art supplies and dedicated time to create in a fun, supportive en-vironment.

For more information or to volunteer your assistance, please email Kristin Fetters-Walp at fettwalp@comcast.net.

President Janet Raynor

Janet_Raynor@yahoo.com #425-374-3301

Vice President Rebecca DeFrang

RDeFrang@comcast.net #425-418-4532

Secretary Marianne Colvin

Marianne_Colvin@LkStevens.wednet.edu

#425-335-1525

Co-Treasurer Jodie Brown

JustBeamn@comcast.net #425-335-5450

Co-Treasurer Sheri Walker

vns1438@yahoo.com #858-722-5663

Your Mt. Pilchuck 2011/2012 PTA Executive Board Of Directors

Thank you to everyone who has stepped up to help on a committee!

Because of you our children and our school will now have a Yearbook,

Family Fun Nights, a Book Fair, Newsletters, Art, etc…. Membership: $10/individual, $18/family (Hardship waivers are available)

final

Next General Meeting - Thursday, November 10th 7pm - 8pm in the Library

G eneral Meetings are held the throughout the school year on the 2nd Thursday of every month from 7pm-8pm in the Mt. Pilchuck Library. If you‟re new, you are encouraged to meet President Janet

Raynor in the front hall at 6:45pm - we want to get acquainted and give you a chance to ask questions before the official meeting begins. No-cost child care will be provided in the gym, or you should feel free to bring children to the meeting if you prefer.

thoughts...

(In the Gym)

(In the former “Homelink Building”

west of the parking lot)

Admission by Donation to the Mt. Pilchuck Li’l Hungry Hearts Program

Please bring a can or box of food per person! For more information please contact your PTA Family Fun Night Chair: Rebecca Broadbent #425-315-6081

T here‟s still time to visit the Fall Book Fair! It will be going on in the Library through to Thursday, October 27th at 8pm. For more information please contact the PTA Fall Book Fair Chair, Liz Janssen at

#425-231-1409.

Monday, November 14th 6:30pm - 8:00pm in the Mt. Pilchuck Library