Dear Parents,

It is hard to believe that one third of our school year is nearly over and winter is approaching. This past month flew by with many outstanding activities and much learning having occurred. Though I missed the Halloween Program, I was able to view the video and saw why I heard so many great comments about the various classrooms’ performances. The students really enjoy presenting in front of their families, so thank you for taking time to attend.

I want to offer another large thank you to everyone involved in making our Fall Festival such a success. All in attendance seemed to enjoy the camaraderie and fine weather, not to mention the outstanding food. Even our outstanding Garden benefited from the day by the addition of 85 “freed” worms that will enhance the soil.

Speaking of our garden, kudos to the parent committee that secured the grant monies used to develop the garden. They spent many hours of hard labor creating a learning space for our children that is very impressive. The teachers are putting it to good use and the students love to be able to have lessons in the garden area.

Thanks to the efforts of Audrey Fann, we have begun a series of evening Parent Education sessions designed to provide you with more information about important aspects of our school and how you may be able to follow-up at home. For our first session held in October, Tiffany Miller presented information on our Cool Tools program (see page 4). Our most recent session featured information about Thinking Maps and their use by the children. Alana Cortez, our staff’s Thinking Maps trainer, presented and again, Audrey Fann hosted the evening. I encourage you to attend future Parent Education sessions, so watch for information regarding them.

I want to share with you what the staff will be doing during the student-free Staff Development days scheduled for January 14, February 4, March 3, and April 7. The staff and I will attend the Critical Thinking Institute that is offered each spring by Seeds Elementary School, the lab school at UCLA. In continuing our commitment to align our program with Seeds Elementary, we will work with their staff on the Saturday prior to the student-free Monday and then observe the students at work on the following Monday, at Seeds. Later on each Monday afternoon, our staff will have an opportunity to debrief their observation and new learning with the Seeds staff. We are excited about what the Institute offers for our program’s continued growth.

Finally, I want to extend my wish for you to have a wonderful holiday with your children during our winter break. It is a time for families to join together and create memories that will last a life time. If you travel during the two weeks, be safe and come back on January 7th excited and refreshed.

Karin