ROAR November 2014

DBPC Newsletter 1 November 2014

2014-2015 DBPC Executive Board

PRESIDENT: Jenifer White

VICE PRESIDENT: Kristine Cortes

SECRETARY: Kathy Weires

TREASURER: Claire Weer

WAYS & MEANS: Ann Nelson

MEMBERSHIP & Bryn Boughton &

COMMUNICATIONS: Julia Flinker

Mrs. Susan Peters, Principal November 2014

IN S I DE THI S IS SU E . . . 1 DBPC President and School Principal messages

2 Important Dates

3 Announcements

6 Events, Fundraisers

7 Volunteer, Reminders

8 DBPC Committee Feature, Staffing Transitions

9 Introducing New Teachers!

12 DBPC Board & Committee Chairs

13 Year-at-a-Glance Calendar

14 Methods of Communication

A Message from the Principal

Dear Parents,

We have had a wonderful opening of school this year with many exciting and successful events. We had beautiful, but warm, weather for our Day on the Green. We appreciated the shade from our solar panels! We had a great turn out and the cafeteria provided a delicious lunch. Our Book Fair was well attended and supported by our community. Students were so excited to be able to purchase books at school. It was a pleasure to watch the students shop and share their joy with parents and grandparents. Lastly, our major event – Carn-O-ween! After a rainy morning the clouds parted just in time for us to open the festivities. Everything about this day was spooky and magical! The haunted house was amazing! Classroom booths and games were great fun. The pumpkin and costume contest were entertaining for all. The food trucks offered many tasty choices. We sincerely appreciate all of the parents who volunteered their time to make these events happen for our students! We are able to do so much more for our students with the support of our Monte Gardens parent community. You are the best!

Our school year has had a successful beginning, in part because we have been fortunate to find some highly qualified and dedicated teachers to join our excellent teaching staff. We have included some brief interviews with our new teachers (see page 9), along with photos, so you can begin to get to know them.

(Continued on page 2)

A Message from the DBPC President

Dear Monte Gardens Families,

As fall slowly turns to winter, ‘tis the season for reflecting on things which fill our hearts with gratitude and for spreading peace and joy. We are so grateful for the support and participation of our Monte Gardens families, for our devoted teachers, our helpful staff and for our dedicated principal. We are very fortunate to have our children surrounded by so many caring people who spend countless hours enriching their learning experience and helping them become responsible, respectful and hard-working students.

October was a very busy month at Monte Gardens with Day on the Green, our annual Spell-A-Thon, a jam-packed Restaurant Night at Digger’s Diner, our annual Scholastic Book Fair, and finally, we had our 3rd annual Carn-O-ween - where we added a silent auction and state board as well! What a spooktacular treat that was! Even the rain couldn’t hold us back! Hats off to all of our wonderful parents, students and staff who gave countless hours, donations, treats, and talents to make it a fun-filled day. A huge Thank You to all for making the beginning of the school year a success!

(Continued on page 2)


President’s Message, cont.

On November 3, a really special fundraiser came home in your student’s Monday envelope called Square 1 Art. Your child has created their own original art piece that will be showcased on great products for you to purchase for family members as gifts for the holidays. On November 7 the S.F. Opera will come to our school and perform, along with a cast of our very own students, La Bohème by Puccini for our 2nd through 5th grade students and parents! We will have our first free Family Bingo Night and another Restaurant Night at Sweet Tomatoes. And speaking of food, our wonderful Food Service Manager, Jill, will be whipping up a delicious school-cooked Thanksgiving Feast for parents and staff to purchase. Then it will be time to be with family, friends and loved ones where we can fill our hearts with gratitude and recharge our spirits! In the first week of December, fifth grade students will embark on a memorable Outdoor Education journey to Camp Loma Mar where they will experience “self,” have lessons under majestic redwoods, explore tide pools and may even experience their very first kiss…with the illustrious banana slug! There will also be many grade-level holiday performances planned during this time, too. Please join us for our 18th annual Gail Adams Winter Social which will be held on Saturday, December 13. And finally, those who ordered special gifts through our Square 1 Art fundraiser will receive their goods just in time for our Winter Recess break. And then it is time once again to be with family, friends and loved ones where good will, fellowship and merriment resound! Thank you so much for all of your support and we look forward to a prosperous and wonderful new year!

Sincerely,

Jenifer White, DBPC President

[email protected]

Principal’s Message, cont.

Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place December 8 - 19, 2014 and school will be on a minimum day (Wednesday) schedule. Teachers will be sending out schedules soon. It is essential that all parents sign up for a Parent Conference. You will receive your child’s report card at the meeting and will have a chance to ask questions. Keep in mind that each conference is scheduled for about 20-30 minutes, so it is important to be on time. We are aware that many families have to make arrangements with their employers, for child care and alternate transportation due to early dismissal. These meetings are critical to our partnership in working together with each child. Thank you for all you are doing to be involved and informed regarding your child’s education!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Susan Peters, Principal [email protected]

IMPORTANT DATES (See Calendar Pg. 13)

Nov 3 Square 1 Art Fundraiser Nov 7 SF Opera – La Boheme for grades 2-5 Nov 11 Veteran’s Day – No School Nov 12 Restaurant Night – Sweet Tomatoes Nov 14 Family Night: Bingo 7-8pm in the MUR Nov 20 Thanksgiving Feast $5 per TAKE OUT meal Nov 21 Parents Club Meeting 8:15am MUR Lost and Found: Donation Day Nov 24 -28 Fall Recess – No School Dec 1-5 Fifth grade Outdoor Education Dec 8-19 Early Dismissal (12:45pm) Grades 1-5 (12:30pm) K - Conference Weeks Dec 10 Restaurant Night – Taqueria Classico TBD Kinder Holiday Performance Dec 12 1st Grade Holiday Performance Dec 13 2nd Grade Holiday Performance during Winter Social (Saturday Morning) Dec 19 No Parents’ Club Meeting in December Dec 22 – Winter Recess – No School Jan 2 (School Resumes on January 5th)


iReady Diagnostic Benchmark Assessments While we have been having fun, we have also been working hard to meet grade level Common Core State Standards. All students in grade Kindergarten through grade 5 have been assessed in Math on the new iReady Adaptive Diagnostic Assessments in our computer labs. Students in grades 2-5 have also taken the iReady assessments in Reading. These assessments break skills down into domains and allow us to determine which students may need additional support in specific skill areas to meet the end of year grade level standards. For more information you can go to: www.iready.com/Tour. A video will explain the iReady Diagnostic Assessment. (Note-We do not have the iReady Instructional Modules, but we are looking into purchasing some licenses so that we can utilize this resource as well). Please support your child by reading to and with your child daily. Discuss the books you are reading, and ask questions that require your child to think about the story, and to analyze, evaluate or compare and contrast stories. While reading ask them to predict what might happen next. Help them to analyze characters and what the character might be thinking or feeling. Remember that Raz-Kids.com is an excellent resource for building reading comprehension (Kindergarten - Third grade

students).

ANNOUNCEMENTS

School Governance Our next School Site Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 12 at 1:00- 1:55 PM. Please join us to hear about the strategies we are using in alignment with the district to meet the needs of all of our students. We welcome your feedback and ideas! We are also continuing our English Learners Advisory Committee (ELAC). Please join us at our next ELAC meeting on Friday, November 21 at 10:00 AM (after the Parents’ Club General Meeting) to learn about the services we are providing for our English Language

Learners.

4th Grade Parents Needed Fourth grade parents are needed to plan and support fundraising activities for Outdoor Education. One way to begin is with the Recycle Program: It is time to pass the baton from fifth grade to fourth grade parents. The Recycle program to benefit Outdoor Education has been highly successful in raising funds to reduce costs for Outdoor Education for all fifth grade students. The fundraising year is over for fifth grade and beginning as of December 1, 2014 for fourth grade students. Parents are needed to help promote recycling, collect cans and bottles on Thursday mornings before school and take the recycled items in. This is a great way to reach your 20 Volunteer Hours. Contact Heather Hannon for more information

([email protected])

Attention Room Representatives

Did you know that Room Representatives are more than just Room Parents? The duty of a Room Representative includes more than simply communicating the needs of your student’s teacher and organizing classroom events. Room Parents also act as liaisons between their teacher and the Parents’ Club, DBPC. Room Reps are contacted throughout the year to help organize and solicit volunteers for many of the social and fundraising events that DBPC sponsors. In order to provide the best service to their classroom teacher, Room Reps are strongly encouraged to attend monthly Parent Club meetings and report back to their teacher any valuable information. This is a magnificent way to be involved. Thank you for serving our wonderful school!

Ink Cartridge Recycling Did you know that DBPC has an Ink Cartridge and Cell Phone Recycling Program?! If you have ink cartridges cluttering your computer space or cell phones that no longer work, just place them in a bag and drop them off in the bin inside the Multi Use Room doors. Please see the sign before you leave as there are some items that we cannot accept such as certain toner cartridges. A HUGE thank you to Maria Bangalan, who volunteered to chair this program!

http://www.iready.com/Tour


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lost and Found Donation Day 11/21/2014! Hello Monte Gardens Families! The Lost and Found is getting full! There are a large amount of nice jackets, hats, lunch boxes, scarves, shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts that are piling up on the cart. Please remind your students to check it frequently, so we can get these items reunited with their owners. The next donation of items will happen right before Fall Break on 11/21/2014. Details about the exact time will be forthcoming. The Lost and Found cart is kept in the MU room where it can be checked daily. It is usually pulled out at least once a week next to the bike racks near the playground during school hours for students to check at recess, and then rolled in front of the school for parents to check at drop off. If items are labeled I will attempt to locate the owners before submitting for donation! Thank you and

contact [email protected] for info!

Thank You! Day on the Green: A huge thank you goes out to Jill, our Food Service Manager, and to all of those who volunteered, for a wonderful lunch and for all of your hard work! The event was a perfect way to showcase our school spirit and community! Book Fair: Teri Rossi, once again, you did a fantastic job coordinating this program (and spending half your life in D-2)! To those who volunteered -we are indebted to your services! And to those who purchased books for teachers or for your children, Thank You! All proceeds from the book fair support our library and students! Carn-O-Ween: It truly was a wonderful event! What a lovely way to build our community at Monte Gardens. There have been so many great stories and pictures from that day. Thanks to everyone who volunteered and supported the event!! We can’t even begin listing the names of those that put time into the event for the list would be SO long! Thank you from all the happy kids and the Carn-O-Ween committee! We hope you all had a very Happy Halloween! – Jana Pappas and her ghoulish crew We would like to take a moment to recognize the group of folks that worked on the Haunted House. From the weeks leading up to it people constructed props, loaned and donated items. The day before, helpers jumped in and stayed late and arrived early the next day to finish the setup. On the day of, cast members came ready to work and enjoyed the spirit of the Haunted House. When it was all over, dozens jumped in to take it all down and worked tirelessly until the last item was put in the truck and carted away. There were dedicated and helpful families that made it all come together. Not to mention the several responsible fifth graders who joined the cast and took ownership of their booth as they played the parts of creepy cast members. Thank you Joel for being extra helpful in lending us ladders and cords and for saving the day when the flood waters threatened the cemetery. And a special thanks to Carolyn Radocaj, Katy McDonough and Jason Pappas for helping to create some of our props! Thank you for visiting us in our Haunted Mansion, hopefully next year’s fifth graders will be inspired to carry on the tradition of hosting the Haunted House!!

-From the partnership of Scott and Kathy Weires and Sara and Tim Martinez

Donations and AB1575: - From one parent to another

Public education is supposed to be free, right? Well, yes and no. While every child has the right under the law to have access to a free public education, let’s face it – public schools are no longer funded the way they used to. Unfortunately, parents have had to make contributions to their child’s school in one way or another by supporting that school financially or by providing materials or various other items. With the passage of AB1575, schools must now request fees to cover costs and, for MDUSD, use the word “donation.” So what does this mean? There is still a cost for things such as field trips, classroom projects, much-needed supplies, and outdoor education, etc. and parents are still asked to contribute as they always have in the past. However, some parents may now read the word “donation” and define it as “optional” rather than “essential.” So what can we do to help? When your child brings home a request for a “donation,” please contribute the requested amount, or the highest amount your family is able to give. Monte Gardens provides a rich educational experience and because of generous support from parents, like you, we are grateful to provide our students with so many opportunities.

Thank you!

mailto:[email protected]



Girl Scouts One Warm Coat Drive November 10th – 21st

Girl Scouts of Monte Gardens will be collecting gently used coats November 10th – 21st. Collection bins in the MU and at morning carline. Accepting coats of all sizes, but coats for women and children (up to 2T) are most needed.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Thank You!, Cont. The "50 State Board" Fundraiser at Carn-O-Ween would not have been possible without the support of these local businesses, please support them in return. Thanks so much: Autopia Car Wash, Bambino's Restaurant, Bay Leaf Cafe, Belle Nails and Spa, Buttercup Grill & Bar, Chuck E. Cheese's, CK Hair and Nails, Clayton Valley Bowl, Clif Bar, Country Waffles, Digger's Diner, Ed's Mudville Grill, E.J. Phair Brewing Company, Five Little Monkey's, The Hair Studio, Jamberry Nails, La Pinata, La Tapatia, Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar, Lettuce In, Min's Kitchen, Palermo Cusina Italiana – Benicia, CA, Parlor Barber Shop, Peet's Coffee and Tea, Pump It Up, P-ZA pie, Ravioli's Italian

Market Place, Skipolini's Pizza, Sports Basement, Starbucks Coffee Company, Taqueria Classica, Thirty-One, Tower Grille, Yoga Sol, and Sarah Buhre (handmade hats).

Memory Book Needs Your Photos!

Each year a few parents head up the task of putting the Memory Book (aka Yearbook) together. This year Kathy Weires, Seena Larkin and April Jacobs are those volunteers. In order to build a great book filled with memories for each grade, we ask that parents look through their photos and find some to share with the school and submit them to us for consideration.

Over the past few months there have been numerous opportunities for parents to snap photos of students engaging in fun school activities: field trips, holiday class centers, Heritage Day, performances, Day on the Green and the Carnoween to name a few. Please review your images and get them to the Memory Book Team.

Don't miss upcoming opportunities either; Pancake Breakfast, holiday activities in the classroom, SF Opera, Family Night, etc.. Catch a great photo or two of your student and some of their friends and send them to us. You can start submitting them now, or save them to deliver to us all at one time on a CD, deadline is in March.

When submitting please: identify the teacher and grade, files should be about 1MB, should be from a school activity and group photos preferable (2-8). Thank you so much! Kathy Weires ([email protected]), Seena Larkin ([email protected]) and April Jacobs ([email protected])





EVENTS

San Francisco Opera presents, La Bohème, by Puccini: La Bohème is about a poet who falls in love with a fragile seamstress. Last Friday, Nov. 7, eleven students from Monte Gardens performed on stage along with the actual opera singers in front of our students in grades 2 – 5. We were thrilled to host this event as this was a unique opportunity for students to hear the transcendent beauty of opera right here at MG. This amazing exposure to the arts would not have been possible without our dedicated music instructor, Ge Blind. Thank you, Mrs. Blind!!!

Family Bingo Night: Join us on November 14 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the MUR. FREE to all grades – parents and siblings welcome and encouraged to attend! Popcorn, drinks and cookies will be provided. Come spend a night having fun and meet your MG community! Look for a flyer in your student’s Monday envelope. Questions? Contact Brooke Giordano ([email protected]) or Amanda Hernandez ([email protected])

Thanksgiving Feast: Thursday, November 20 from 11:00 – 11:30 AM, Jill, Monte Gardens Food Service Manager, will be cooking up a feast for parents and staff to purchase for pick-up and take home to enjoy! ADULTS ONLY. The cost is $5 per meal (cash or check made payable to Monte Gardens Cafeteria) and includes Roast Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce, Multi-grain Whole Wheat Roll, Green Salad w/Dressing and Fresh Fruit. $20 to feed a family of four! All you have to do is come to the front of the school in the Multi-Use Conference room between 11:00 and 11:30 AM and purchase your meal, which is packaged and ready TO GO (sorry, no dine-in). Purchase extras to freeze and enjoy later! Thank you for supporting our Cafeteria! Winter Social & Candy Cane Lane: SAVE THE DATE – December 13, 2014: Our 18th annual Winter Social All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast (pancakes, sausages, orange juice and coffee) and Candy Cane Lane is Saturday, December 13th. Our second grade level will perform holiday songs on stage and kids can take a picture with Santa! This is a great time for students to purchase inexpensive gifts for parents, siblings and relatives as well at “Candy Cane Lane.” Information, cost, seating times and ticket order forms will be sent home in your child’s Monday envelope closer to the date.

FUNDRAISERS

Square 1 Art: Want to know how you can support our school in a fun, easy and stress-free way… and have all of your Holiday shopping covered? Your student’s personalized Square 1 Art catalog came home on November 3. This fundraiser takes your child’s artwork and makes it into wonderful keepsakes and gifts that you can purchase for yourself, family and friends. Your child has been busy in the classroom making original artwork that can be made into many fun products such as water bottles, cell phone covers, magnets, t-shirts, mouse pads, ornaments and much more! Two Easy Ways to Order

1. ONLINE at www.square1art.com/shop Create an online art gallery using the access code located on your catalog. Shop useful custom products that display your child's artwork!

2. PAPER order form located on the back of the catalog that your child brings home from school. Your child's very own artwork and name will be printed on the front!

DEADLINE FOR HOLIDAY ORDERS IS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2014!

Restaurant Nights: Congrats to us! We made $162.09 at Digger's Diner in October!!! Coming up before the end of the year are two more fabulous restaurant night fundraisers. First, Sweet Tomatoes in Pleasant Hill from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12th. Dine-in only, must bring flyer. Second, Taqueria Classica (right in between Bambino's and Digger's) from 1 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10th. Dine-in or take-out. Flyer preferable or can just say "I'm with Monte Gardens." Both restaurants will donate 15% of our purchases back to the Diablo Basics Parents Club. If you have restaurant suggestions, contact me at [email protected] or (925) 437-6738. Go Team MG!

Shop Sports Basement: Shop at Sports Basement throughout the year. Mention “Monte Gardens” at checkout and get 10% off your bill, while 5% goes back to the school. How easy is that? Holiday shopping is done!

EVENTS FUNDRAISERS

http://www.square1art.com/shop



VOLUNTEER

Volunteer Hours Make a Difference

It’s amazing that our community has logged over 1,900 volunteer hours on OurVolts to date! Many have already met their 20 hour commitment for the year! Thank you to all who are volunteering and tracking hours. If you haven’t logged on yet, it’s simple, log on to OurVolts at: http://www.ourvolts.com/site/monte-gardens-elementary. Volunteer resources can be found on the Homepage of the Monte Gardens website, including FAQs for OurVolts. Email [email protected] with any questions.

REMINDERS

2015-2016 Kindergarten Waiting List Lottery & Pre-Registration

To be eligible to start Kindergarten for 2015-2016, a child must be 5 years of age on or before September 1, 2015. Children who will be starting Kindergarten at Monte Gardens for the 2015-2016 school year, must be put on the waiting list by December 3, 2014 – THIS INCLUDES SIBLINGS of students currently attending Monte Gardens. If you have not already signed up your child, you need to do so before the Kindergarten lottery. Sign ups are on Wednesdays from 1:30 – 3:00 PM. The Kindergarten lottery will be held on December 9, 2014. Notifications will go out by early January.

2015-2016 Kindergarten pre-registration: Pre-registration of children to attend Kindergarten at Monte Gardens will be on January 23, 2015. Only children selected from the waiting list who have received written confirmation will be registering on that day. The hours will be 9:00 – 10:30 AM and 1:00-2:30 PM.

REMINDERS

Campus Safety For student safety and to respect instructional time, all parents and family members must sign-in in the office before any activity on campus and obtain a visitor’s pass- - unless it is a special, whole class event-then you may sign-in in the classroom or MU. All hallways are off limits before school, during the school day and after school unless you have a scheduled appointment with a teacher. If you are not using the car pool area, please drop students off and pick them up in front of the school-not in any of the hallways or behind the fence by Dianne Adair. For everyone’s safety, please do not allow children to play on the bars, fences or electrical boxes. If you bring children to the front or back of the school during pick up or drop off, please hold onto them and provide close supervision. Please be sure not to drop students off too early. Campus supervision is available after 7:45 AM in the MU or in the front of the school. At the Car Pool Area, please remain to the right side of the fence when dropping students off or picking them up so that we can see through the fence to provide supervision, and for your safety.

Limiting Classroom Disruptions

Our school policy is to limit interruptions and distractions to the learning environment. Please help us to limit distractions. It is distracting to children and teachers to have groups of families visiting or observing just outside the fence or on the school grounds. Once the school bell rings, it is time to go, unless you have a scheduled appointment or a volunteer assignment.

Open Committee Chair Positions Hospitality: Our current chairperson will be moving on to another school and will therefore be unable to continue volunteering in this position next year. She is seeking someone to take on these duties for the 2015-16 school year and would love for someone to shadow her this year. This position includes hosting several events during the school year, including a back-to-school luncheon for teachers and staff, coffee socials for parents, teacher luncheons, teacher appreciation, etc. Read-A-Thon: For the avid book reader Fall In Love With Reading. Organize and oversee the various aspects of this major fundraising event in February 2015. Volunteers are needed to seek out prize donations, to distribute materials to students, send out inspiring messages, promote the event with flyers, compile information as pledges come in and manage the raffle at the end. If interested in either position, contact Jenifer White at [email protected]

http://www.ourvolts.com/site/monte-gardens-elementary

http://www.ourvolts.com/site/monte-gardens-elementary




DBPC COMMITTEE FEATURE

Landscaping Committee Monte Gardens is a beautiful campus and so much fun to landscape! Our committee works hard to keep plants watered, trimmed and pruned, and even adds a few new plants here and there. You may have seen some fun new yard accents we have added including seasonal flags, Autumn scarecrows and other welcoming decor planted throughout the grounds. We are hoping to keep building on what we have started. So far this year we’ve received some generous donations. We received a truckload of mulch this summer from Rivas Landscaping, which we used to refresh our flower beds and picnic area. The Butler family recently donated a crafty sundial (created by Monte Gardens alumni), which welcomes everyone to the Resource Room. Any family can help! We would greatly appreciate donations of yard decor to add to our growing collection. Keep it simple. Places like the Dollar or 99 cent stores offer great things like posts, flags, windchimes, etc., that won't break the family budget. Later in the year we plan to run a "Plead for Pots" day where families can donate new or used gallon sized (or larger) planter pots to our garden. We’ll also offer a Flower Power fundraiser where families and friends can buy beautiful bulbs, seeds and such for their own homes or the campus garden. We’ve collected names of several people who would like to get their hands in the dirt, and we’re happy to expand the list. If you have a group (including Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, or others…) looking for a service or craft project that could benefit our schoolyard, please contact the Landscape Committee. We’ll work with you to create a fun and successful event. Any questions, suggestions or donations can be brought to Denise Rodezno and Heather Minuk. You can reach us at [email protected] and [email protected].

STAFFING TRANSITIONS

Aimee Hauptman, kindergarten teacher, was selected to teach a first grade class at Quail Run Elementary School in San Ramon. Aimee expressed to me her mixed feelings as she has loved Monte Gardens, but she felt that this was the best time in her career to make a change. Katy Anderson is teaching Kindergarten in Room A-1. Katy's mom is a Kindergarten teacher at Strandwood. Katy did her student teaching at Cambridge and Bancroft. She has also worked as a special education assistant with students with autism at Fair Oaks and Strandwood. Mandi Smith, first grade teacher, was selected for a district teacher coaching position during our last school year. Jenni Gaston is teaching first grade in Room C-3. Jenni has taught for MDUSD at Holbrook and Sun Terrace (Kindergarten). For the past three years she has taught first grade at Lycee Francais de San Francisco. Catherine Harrod, fourth grade teacher, retired in June. Nancy Petruzzelli will teach fourth grade in room C-9. Nancy has experience in the MDUSD teaching at Woodside

Elementary School for many years. Denise Fischer, fifth grade teacher, is teaching in Brentwood. I talked with her during her first week and she sounded like she is loving it, especially not commuting so far. Lisa Swenson, MGE parent is teaching fifth grade in room E-2. Lisa has been a teacher at El Monte for nine years. At El Monte she facilitated the Conflict Manager Program. She has also worked with the Engage New York curriculum last year. Megan Gerdts, fifth grade teacher, was selected as a MDUSD technology coach in early August. Laura Todorow is teaching fifth grade in room E-1. Laura has been teaching as a third grade teacher at the Charles Drew College Prep Academy in Bay View/Hunter's Point. She has wanted to move to the East Bay and enthusiastically accepted the fifth grade position with us.

Scarecrows add whimsy to our Fall campus landscape!




Name: Miss Anderson Job Title: Kindergarten Teacher When I started at Monte Gardens: This year! My education and other teaching experience: I got my BA in English and Linguistics at BYU, and my teaching credential at CSUEB, where I am currently working on my Masters in Reading Instruction. This is my first year as a teacher, but I basically grew up in my mom's Kindergarten class at Strandwood in Pleasant Hill. Something you don’t know about me: I am a bookbinder! I restore old books and make new ones from paper, leather, and wood. One fact about the town I grew up in: I grew up in Pleasant Hill, about 15 minutes away from Monte Gardens. The most rewarding part of my job: Watching kids grow and change so much in so short a period of time.

Introducing New Teachers!

MISS ANDERSON - KINDERGARTEN

MISS GASTON – FIRST GRADE

Name: Miss Gaston Job Title: 1st Grade Teacher When I started at Monte Gardens: August 2014. My education and other teaching experience: I obtained my BA in Liberal Studies with a minor in Early Childhood Studies from CSU East Bay. I have taught for MDUSD at Holbrook and Sun Terrace. For the past three years I taught at Lycee Francais in San Francisco. This experience has taught me many great lessons and made me the teacher I am today. Something you don’t know about me: I have a twin brother named Kenney and my dream job would be to work on Saturday Night Live. One fact about the town I grew up in: I grew up in Concord and my favorite thing about it is being near my family and best friends.

MS. NIXON – ESL TEACHER

Name: Ms. Nixon Job Title: English Language Support Teacher When I started at Monte Gardens: August 2014 My education and other teaching experience: Bachelor of Science-University of Southern California, Master of Education-St. Mary’s College. I have worked in MDUSD since 1992 as a classroom teacher, program specialist, elementary vice principal, and EL support teacher for the last 7 years. Something you don’t know about me: I have a 4th grade son, Jack, and 7th grade daughter, Lauren. We love to travel and spend time in San Francisco as much as possible. Our favorite places to visit are New York City and Colorado. One fact about the town I grew up in: San Francisco’s first professional baseball team was called the San Francisco Seals. The most rewarding part of my job: I love working with and learning about students and parents from different cultures.


MRS. SWENSON – FIFTH GRADE

Name: Mrs. Swenson

Job Title: 5th Grade Teacher

When I started at Monte Gardens: Before Monte Gardens I had previously taught for 9 years at El Monte Elementary School. Megan Gerdts' mom was actually my master teacher! While at El Monte I taught Kindergarten for a year, 1st grade for 3 years and 4th grade for 4 years. I also have a second grader who attends Monte Gardens and I will have a Kindergartener starting in the fall.

My education and other teaching experience: I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies at Sacramento State University and received my teaching credential from California State, East Bay.

Something you don’t know about me: I grew up in Canada, but I'm not Canadian! I moved to Sacramento in 4th grade and I lived there with my parents and brother and sister until I went to college and met my husband. My husband and I have been married for 12 years and I am a mother to three amazing children! My husband coaches football at the junior high level for Clayton Valley Falcons and I help to run a ministry for young families at St. Bonaventure Church. I love to practice yoga, however I haven't had as much time for it recently! I love the outdoors and would prefer to be going for a hike, riding my bike or hanging out with great friends than doing dishes, but even those have to be done!

One fact about the town I grew up in: We had a creek in our back yard and as gross as it sounds during the summers I loved to ride my bike, with my friends, in the creek which led all throughout the town. We had great adventures!

The most rewarding part of my job: I love when they finally get a big concept. I love when I am working with a child and they surpass their goals. I love hearing their thought process. I love seeing a child years down the road and see that they are still succeeding knowing that I was a small part of that process.

MS. PETRUZZELLI – FOURTH GRADE

Name: Ms. Petruzzelli Job Title: 4th Grade Teacher When I started at Monte Gardens: August 2014 My education and other teaching experience: I have taught in the district at Woodside Elementary and taught many grades. Something you don’t know about me: In my free time I enjoy walking around my neighborhood and staying active. One fact about the town I grew up in: I grew up in Walnut Creek and now live in San Francisco. I enjoy the city life of experiencing new restaurants, walking everywhere, and the wonderful culture. I also like to spend my time staying active by running, taking some gym classes, and walking around town or scenic areas of the city. The most rewarding part of my job: Working with people and helping others.

MRS. LIGOURI – LIBRARIAN

My name is Mrs. Ligouri. I am the librarian “The Keeper of the Books.” In the library we learn library skills, research skills, reference skills and enjoy literature. I started working at Monte Gardens in the fall. I enjoy working with the students, parents and staff. I have been in the MDUSD for forty-four years. I have taught kindergarten through third grades at four schools and after retiring from teaching I have been a librarian for the past five years. I am an avid reader of both adult and children’s books. I enjoy traveling and I went dog sledding in Alaska this summer. I am a diehard Giants fan. You can find me in Orange every Friday Night the Giants are in town at the game. I have two cats and collect gnomes.


MS. TODOROW – FIFTH GRADE

Name: Ms. Todorow Job Title: 5th Grade Teacher When I started working at Monte Gardens: This is my first year working at Monte Gardens! My education and other teaching experience: I have taught 1st Grade in Los Angeles Unified School District as well as 3rd Grade in San Francisco Unified School District. This is my fourth year teaching since I finished graduate school at Pepperdine University and earned my Master's Degree in July 2011. Something you don’t know about me: I love to travel! As an undergraduate student, I lived overseas for 6 months in both London, England and Sydney, Australia. During this incredible opportunity I visited Dublin, Edinburgh, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam & New Zealand! I have also traveled to Mexico, Canada, & Israel! One fact about the town I grew up in: I grew up in the suburbs of NY in Plainview, Long Island just 30 minutes outside of the exciting New York City. One great benefit of this is that while growing up I was lucky enough to see almost 50 Broadway shows! To this day, I am still an avid theater goer :) The most rewarding part of my job: Being a teacher is rewarding because I get to be a part of such a dynamic and generous community of fellow educators, other colleagues, families and incredible students! We all continue to grow together, and I am so lucky to have such rich experiences every day!

MRS. ASHFORD – INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Name: Mrs. Ashford Job Title: Instrumental Music Teacher When I started working at Monte Gardens: I originally began working at Monte Gardens (as Miss Simon) in 1994. My education and other teaching experience: After attending MDUSD schools, I graduated from Holy Names College (now University) in Oakland, CA cum laude with majors in music and psychology. Something you don’t know about me: I used to be a volunteer assistant dog trainer, I am [always] a beginning knitter, and I serve as president of a local chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon. I performed in Europe with a band when I was in high school. I have played the oboe in several community bands and orchestras, but now I spend most of my free time with my biggest joy: my 1 1/2 year old daughter. One fact about the town I grew up in: I remember good times at the roller skating and ice skating rinks, when Concord still had them. The most rewarding part of my job: I am most rewarded when I see students grow, musically and otherwise, in the short amount of time between August and June.

MR. VISPERAS – P.E. TEACHER

Name: Mr. Visperas Job Title: 4th-5th Grade P.E. Teacher When I started working at Monte Gardens: 2014-2015 My education and other teaching experience: I have a degree in kinesiology from Fresno State, and a single subject credential in physical education from Cal State East Bay. I also worked at a youth center as a Sports Conditioning Trainer for more than 4 years. Something you don’t know about me: I collect memorabilia from multiple sports. Something people don't know is, I used to be a professional photographer. One fact about the town I grew up in: I actually grew up in Concord, since I was eleven. The most rewarding part of my job: In P.E. not only do we get to teach proper form for skills and exercises, we teach students sportsmanship.


WAYS WE COMMUNICATE:

In an effort to reach our school community, the Diablo Basics Parents’ Club, uses the following methods of communication:

Monday Envelope – Web based platform

View all of the DBPC calendar of events, newsletters, documents, important information, notifications – and even volunteer right from your phone. Go to: http://mondayenvelope.com/

Monthly Newsletters

Printed and distributed in Monday envelopes and in office (more in-depth) September (BTS edition at Bonanza) November 2014 February 2015 May 2015

Emailed school-wide (condensed, bullet-style layout in the email body) October 2014 December 2014 January 2015 March2015 April 2015 June 2015

School website http://montegardens.mdusd.org/

School Facebook page Monte Gardens Parent Community

Paper, take-home Monday envelopes Check your child’s weekly Monday envelope for printed newsletters,

flyers, promotional and fundraising materials, etc.

If you are not receiving our emails or Monday Envelope notifications, please first check your spam folder and then contact our Communications team at [email protected]

http://mondayenvelope.com/


ROAR November 2014

Documents

Transcript of ROAR November 2014