|
Upcoming Events
|
January 23-27
6th Graders to Sly Park
January 30-31
Bravo training
February
2nd Annual Love a Picture Book Month
February 3
Parent University speaker: Robert Emmons, 7-9 pm Davis High Brunelle Theatre
February 21
Montessori guest speaker: Judi Bauerlin 7-8 pm MPR
February 23
Explorit Night
March 1
Love a Picture Book Family Night
April 9-13
Spring Break
May 12
Spring Fling
|
Do you Have a Computer to Donate?
We are looking for a gently used laptop computer or two that will run Windows XP. If you or your business would like to donate to Birch Lane please contact:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
Hospitality Volunteers Needed for Chocolate Fountain and Extravaganza!
|
The Staff Appreciation Committee
will be hosting a "Chocolate Fountain and Extravaganza" on February 1st for the Staff Meeting.
Hospitality volunteers should look for an email about this event.
Steff Moss
Staff Appreciation Co-chair
|
|
Reminder!
|
|
|
The "PTA" parking space in the staff lot is reserved at all times for the Birch Lane parent who holds the permit for the space for the month - monthly permits are available to the highest bidder at the Spring Fling Auction every May! Thanks for your cooperation!
|
|
|
|
|
President's Message
Dear Birch Lane Families,
There is so much going on this time of year. Your children are back into the routine of school after winter break and are hard at work in their classrooms, 6th Graders are off to Sly Park this week, the Library is gearing up for another wonderful Love a Picture Book Month in February, the PTA is beginning to think about Spring Fling (see article below!), and the Measure C campaign to renew the parcel taxes of Measures Q & W is well underway (please read the article below).
The Birch Lane PTA has officially endorsed Measure C and encourages everyone to vote Yes on Measure C to keep the educational programs that are so valued by Davis parents intact. Measure C is a mail- in only election. Ballot envelopes will be mailed out the week of February 6th and must be returned to via mail by March 6th.
Questions? Please feel free to contact me at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Thanks for your support of Birch Lane!
Holly
|
|
Measure C - What's at Stake at
Your School?
Dear Birch Lane families,
As many of you know, Measures Q and W will sunset in 2012 resulting in a $6.5 million or approximately 10 percent loss to the school district's overall budget.
If the parcel taxes are not renewed, every elementary school will lose its science teachers, its librarians, its reading and math support, its music program and class sizes in K- 3 will most likely go to 30 students.
In February, all Davis residents will be asked to vote on Measure C, which will replace the funds from Q and W.
The Measure C campaign will have two walking weekends and a number of phone banking nights. You can come with a group or as an individual.
Please visit the websites below for sign up information.
Precinct Walking
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F094AADAC2FA64-precinct
Phone Banking
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054DA4AA28AA8-phonebanking
Please visit yesforourstudents.org for more information, or contact Lori Duisenberg,
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or Barbara Archer,
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
|
Sign up for Spring Fling!
Birch Lane Families,
The Annual Spring Fling is May 12th this year. It is time to start preparing for our big day. In order to pull off a successful day, a small army of volunteers is needed. In an effort to organize our volunteers and their responsibilities a Google document has been set up online. Anyone can access and sign up on this list. There are many ways to contribute before, during, and after the Spring Fling. Please take the time to look at all of the volunteer options available. Many hands make light work. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly.
Thank you in advance,
Aaron Wright PTA Vice President
|
|
Montessori News
Thank you to everyone who came to our January Montessori Parent Advisory Committee (MPAC) meeting! We had a great turnout. Minutes will be sent via the MPAC listserv shortly.
In lieu of our February MPAC meeting, we'll be welcoming a special guest speaker named Judi Bauerlein. Please join us on Tuesday, February 21 from 7-8 p.m. in the MPR room. Judi is a pioneer in Montessori education, who has trained many Montessori teachers, including some of Birch Lane's. She was also one of the consultants who helped to start Birch Lane's Montessori program eleven years ago. In 2010 Judi was honored by the American Montessori Society as a Living Legend. We are opening Judi's presentation up to the Davis community, so please invite people who might be interested. This could be a great opportunity for incoming kindergarten parents to learn more about Montessori.
Thanks, again, to everyone who donated to our Montessori program in December. We raised over $4,000 in direct donations. A few people have asked if it is too late to give. No! Anyone wishing to support the Montessori program can make a check out to Birch Lane Elementary and put "Montessori" in the memo line. Checks can be turned in to the office.
Questions? Please contact Allison Chilcott at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
|
The second BRAVO training will take place at Pioneer Elementary in the MPR on the following dates:
Mon. January 30, 2012 7 - 9 PM Cycle 1
Tues. January 31, 2012 9 - 10:30 AM Kindergarten
Tues. January 31, 2012 7 - 9 PM Cycle 1
Volunteers need to bring their BRAVO Study Manual to the training.
If you have any questions, please contact Kim Maslaniak at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or 759-1060.
|
| ,
Love a Picture Book Month
Love a Picture Book Month is just around the corner. Our reading campaign starts the first week of February. Watch for a reading punch card and letter with all the details to come home with your child.
Let's top our reading record of last year - 4,590 picture books. Don't forget to ask family and friends to mail you a postcard from another city or state and bring them to the library to add to our USA display as we read our way across the country.
Start thinking of those picture books that have made a difference to your family and mark your calendars for Love a Picture Book Family Night on March 1st. Happy travels/reading!
T-shirts will be on sale. You can get yours at
Love a Picture Book Family Night, March 1st.
|
|
Scan & Notify Update
Polar Bear challenge:
Remember at the end of January we will have prizes based on a lottery system for the most scanning students:
Most trips in January per class:
Aradhya 75
Walther 74
Hilden 71
Long 56
Palow 48
For information on the Scan and notify program or to volunteer contact:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
|
Parent University 2012 Presents:
Gratitude Research Pioneer Robert Emmons, PhD
Robert Emmons has been a UC Davis Professor of Psychology since 1988. Emmons has spent more than two decades researching the nature of Gratitude, its causes, and its potential consequences for human health and well-being. He has authored over 100 original publications and several books on the topic of Gratitude.
As one of life's most vital ingredients, gratitude can make a profound difference through its ability to heal, energize, and transform our lives. At the February 3rd Parent University event, Professor Emmons will draw upon recent advances in gratitude research, and teach us how scientifically validated principles can be applied to make kids (& parents) happier and more successful in every aspect of life.
WHEN: Friday, Feb 3rd, 7:00PM- 9:00PM ,
WHERE: The talk is FREE and will take place at the Brunelle Theater on the Davis High School campus.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: This FREE event brought to you by Davis PTA's & DJUSD. No pre registration required but seating is limited so come early
Doors open at 6pm - delicious wraps and salads by Davis Own Gourmet Solutionz available for purchase for $5.
QUESTIONS: Carin Lenk Sloane -
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or Jodi Liederman -
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or 916-730-3413.
Supported by Parent Education K-12 PTA's/ PTO's and the DJUSD Climate Committee.
|
|
GROWING FOR SPRING
With Spring just around the corner, we're starting seed now for planting once our ground warms. Tomato, pepper and eggplant seed along with basil and others we'll want to have growing through spring and into fall can be started now indoors. Grow lights can be set up in many classrooms, bringing gardening indoors for the winter.
HARVEST
Some of our classes have already harvested from fall plantings like lettuce, kale and chard. Our Fuyu persimmons in the Kindergarten yard were harvested and enjoyed by many of our classes too. This winter Citrus will be a focus and a great thing to share with classes if you have an abundance from your home trees. A truly memorable experience is to bring a variety in for a citrus taste test! Throughout the spring, we should be harvesting food from the garden like carrots, lettuce, kale, chard and peas. In late spring we'll harvest garlic too! Mmmm Garlic bread...
PRUNING
Bob Redfield is pruning most of our fruit trees this winter, as he has graciously volunteered to do for the past few years. We are trying to keep them at or below 10' to make it easier for us to harvest. Others are encouraged to help prune some of the woody ornamental plants and small trees, especially in the far North and South sides of campus.
LUNCH TIME GARDEN CLUB
Debra Ariola has partnered with Molly Kenneth to make the Margaret O'Brien Arboretum available during lunch recess each Friday. Nature crafts and gardening are overseen, and exploration of nature is encouraged. This has become something many children look forward to each week.
SUCCESSFUL GARDENING.
Thanks to all of our garden volunteers for all the support we've received this year so far! We have volunteers that work with students in the garden and we have volunteers that help maintain our whole school site which could be considered a garden itself. Our winter garden sale went well and we'll have another in the spring. Many of our classes had volunteers that made successful gardening happen for our kids.
ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE HELP
If you are interested in maintaining one of the garden spaces, keeping pathways clear of weeds, pruning back woody perennial shrubs or trees, please let Garden Coordinator Debra Ariola know. Check out our garden sites on-line as well!
|
|
The Academic Talent Search (ATS) Program at CSU, Sacramento provides academically challenging, fast-paced courses to highly able and motivated 4th through 9th grade students in the greater Sacramento area. Participating students enjoy the chance to take classes with like-minded students and to move through curriculum at a faster and deeper level.
Students in the 4th and 5th grades can discover new approaches to traditional topics and experience enrichment opportunities in new subjects. More than 20 classes are offered each summer in one-week sessions. Last year, each class cost $259. There is financial aid available.
Students in 6th through 9th grades have the opportunity to experience a collegiate environment on the campus of CSUS. More than 100 classes are scheduled each summer and range in length in one-, three-, and five-week sessions. Students have the opportunity to accelerate their learning in traditional subjects like mathematics and to explore new topics which are not always available in regular school. Fees ranged from $125 to $419 depending on the length of the course. Again, financial aid is available.
To qualify for Academic Talent Search classes, students must take the ATS Qualifying Exam which will be offered throughout Davis. We suggest you attend your school or the one nearest you, but if dates conflict, you may go to any session as long as you register ahead of time. Registration forms are available at the sites listed or from the DJUSD District Office, GATE Program, 526 B Street. The ATS website is: http://edweb.csus.edu/Projects/ats . Turn in registration form to school office prior to date of testing to reserve a space. Bring $15.00 fee on day of testing (check payable to "ATS" or cash). Scholarships are available.
This year's testing schedule is as follows:
Korematsu Elementary on January 18
1:45-3:15 pm, and February 15 from 1:45-3:15, Library
Pioneer Elementary on February 8
2:00-3:30 pm, Rm. C18
Montgomery Elementary on February 8
2:00-3:30 pm, Room TBD
Willett Elementary on February 15
2:00-3:30 pm, Rm. D20
North Davis Elementary on February 23
3:30-5:00 pm, Rm. E32
Harper Junior High on February 28
3:45-5:15 pm, Rm. E23
Birch Lane Elementary on March 7
2:00-3:30 pm, Rm. 20 & 21
Holmes Junior High on March 15
3:45-5:15 pm, Rm. B19
|
|
|
|
