“Gratitude bestows reverence...changing forever how we experience life and the world.”  John Milton - English Poet

• Thank YOU to everyone who attended the Walkabout.
• Thank YOU to every volunteer who lent a hand at the Walkabout.
• Thank YOU to the families who cooked food for the Walkabout.
• Thank YOU to the children who walked/ran laps with joy in their hearts.
• Thank YOU to the parents who cheered on their children.
• Thank YOU to the staff members who joined in the merriment.
• Thank YOU to the district leaders that showed support with your presence.
• Thank YOU for your financial donations and contributions.

I extend to you my profound admiration.  

Almond School is a remarkable community because YOU are in it!

It’s finally here – the WALKABOUT!  This is a wonderful event that brings us all together as a community.  There will be fabulous music to add some pep to our step as we walk or run laps, delicious food prepared by our very own parents to keep our energies high, and a myriad of silent auction items geared to offer fun while also filling the functional goal of raising funds to maintain a top notch instructional program at Almond School.

I offer a few reminders:

• While the Walkabout spans the duration of 9:30am – 3:00pm, you are not required to attend all day.  Come when it fits best with your family’s schedule.
• Please ensure your children wear their Walkabout shirts if you have one.  If you didn’t get one, do not worry…we still want you to participate!
• Wear comfy walking shoes – not cowgirl boots like I’ve been wearing this week.
• We encourage students to protect their skin by wearing sunscreen and/or wear a hat.
• Bring a water bottle to keep hydrated throughout the event.

Personal Best / Intrinsic Motivation – Each grade level has a maximum number of laps for which they will receive a tangible prize.  If a child chooses to walk more than those number of laps, as long as it’s okay with the student’s parent, the additional walking will be rewarded through a sense of personal satisfaction.  We encourage each child to accomplish his/her personal best!  This is different for each and every person.  We ask our walker/runners to listen to their bodies and only push as hard as their body permits.

Finally – our children have a surprise for you that will take place at 11:15am on the day of the Walkabout.  Without giving it all away, if you are able to be here at that time, it would be ideal.  However, if you have a commitment (like soccer) that impedes that ability, do not fret.  Our surprise is all in good fun.  I will be reminding students on Friday that there are to be no tears shed if children can’t be present at 11:15am.  Come when you can, we’ll be glad to have you.

See you Saturday!

Empathy is a current buzzword in education.  In addition to growing the academic prowess of our youth, how do we nurture a genuine concern and care for others?  While this may be a topic of emphasis right now, the necessity to place ourselves in the shoes of another human being to understand their situation…is not new.  As wonderful as life can be, heartache is a reality that unfortunately finds its way to almost every human on this Earth. 

In one of my most favorite youth novels of all time, The Giver by Lois Lowry, a fictional society establishes a structure to shield its citizens from emotions (hatred, pain, loss, and even love) by having a single elder in the community serve as the curator of all memories associated with feelings.  The story focuses on a young boy named Jonah who is identified as the “Receiver,” the person to whom memories will be transferred.  Near the end of the story, the Giver shares, “The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain.  It’s the loneliness of it.  Memories need to be shared.”  When we are there for each other, and allow someone to share their excitement, or their pain, we function in a state of emphathy.

At one point in my life I learned that each and every one of us has and will likely continue to suffer distress of some kind.  While on the outside a person may wear a smile and seem skillfully put together, that is often what that individual needs to do to get through the day.  This is why I remind myself to think before I react to any situation.  When interacting with others, I try to keep in mind that I have no idea how that person’s morning started, the phone call they might have received sharing devastating news, or the long night they may have ahead of them. 

Empathy is an abstract concept to teach.  We can define it, read about it, and even discuss it.  The internalization of empathy however comes with time and experiences.  It is not necessary to be the recipient of pain to establish an understanding of empathy.  As adults, we can create opportunities for our children to engage in acts of kindness for others and open into the dialogue that life’s journey is quite different for many people.

This Friday night, at 5:30pm in the multi, numerous Almond families will gather to put together Blessing Bags for the Homeless. Homelessness and hunger are realities that many of us grapple to understand.  We have a great many blessings in our lives and it seems unfathomable that one might find themselves without a roof over their head or food in their bellies.  While the root cause of such realities is sure to generate varied opinions, the stark truth remains that many people are homeless or hungry, some even children.

The Blessing Bags event is structured in such a way that it brings us together as a community in service of others.  We encourage you to bring dinner, or have pizza delivered, and to enjoy time together as we create care packages for those who need them.  It’s also a wonderful opportunity to talk with our children about why we are doing what we are doing and to plant a seed of empathy inside of their hearts that may potentially grow and bloom into a beautiful tree!

I extend a heartfelt thanks to Polly Liu and Shail Sirkay for their leadership in organizing this event.  The outpouring of support in terms of materials needed has been heartwarming.  Project WeHOPE will participate as well and share the impact these Blessing Bags will have on the life of another human being.

It is a true gift to be part of this remarkable Almond community! 

Q:  What do the Almond ball pit, design thinking, teamwork, Project Cornerstone and learning all have in common?

A:  They’re all woven together in this message.  Read on to see how they each relate to one another.

This is one of my lengthier messages, but one I certainly hope is worth the extra minutes.

ALMOND BALL PIT: A year ago, the Almond Ball Pit came to life through a collaborative effort amongst staff, a talented parent, and our students.  It was a work of art and became a symbol of all that was possible in terms of dreaming big and building relationships.  The 1.0 version had a 1.1 update in which a built-in ladder was added to one side.  There also came a 1.2 update that added a bottom and wheels to increase portability.  Students strengthened connections with peers during conversations at the Walkabout and during lunch on several occasions.  There was a much greater demand to use the ball pit than there was a supply of all that was necessary to set it up and to ensure appropriate use.

Tomorrow, at the Friday assembly, the Almond Ball Pit 2.0 will be unveiled.

DESIGN THINKING:  Both the 1^st and 2^nd prototypes were approached through a design thinking process.  The University of Stanford’s d.school outlines this generative process as follows:  understand, observe, define, ideate, prototype, and test.  IDEO, a global design agency, explains it as:  discovery, interpretation, ideation, experimentation, evolution.  This is not a linear process; one might cycle through a few steps several times before moving onto a different step.  Each step serves a purpose towards the end goal of creation.

Almond Ball Pit 1.0-1.2 illuminated a few questions to ponder in the next iteration:

• How might we make the ball pit more easy to move?
• How might we make the entry and exit of the ball pit more safe?
• How might we construct a ball pit that is more easily stored?
• How might we create a ball pit that does not require any additional tools in its set up?

These questions cycled me back to the ideation phase where I sought expert advice that lead to my brother-in-law (set designer) building a paper model of a collapsible ball pit made with hinges.  Next, I needed a builder.  The lucky winner…my husband.  Over the course of the last several weeks, this ball pit has brought us to uncontrollable laughter, tears (literally), and moments that required lots of deep breathing.

TEAMWORK: For Team Benadom, our first task was to figure out HOW to work together on this project.  That might seem silly…but those of you married folk out there know this is no small feat.  We have been married for 14 years, successfully self-renovated our first home in LA, and are raising two remarkable daughters.  The secret to our success thus far has been to divide and conquer.  In our first home, I did all the tile work, ceiling resurfacing, and electrical rewiring.  Chris did the hardwood floors, painting, and took on the more elaborate construction.  In raising our daughters, we’ve developed roles over the years and permit the other leadership in that area.  There has been a lot of negotiation over a variety of topics, but this was the first joint endeavor to actually build something…to “work” together side by side.

For a team to be effective, communication is paramount and an understanding and appreciation for the other’s work style is essential.  That’s where our fun began.

Erika:  “Here’s the model.  I’m so excited to build it.”

Chris:  “So what material do you want to use?”

Erika: “I don’t know.   Something strong enough that it doesn’t break.”

Chris:  “…and you want to do this with hinges?”

Erika:  “Yes.  Let’s go buy what we need and get started.”

Chris:  “Hold on Turbo…there’s a bit more that we need to figure out.”

Erika:  “We have a model.  This is not that complicated.  All we need is wood, hinges, and some sort of latches.  Can we please just go get what we need and start?”

Chris:  “I need to talk through this a bit more.”

My teammate requires time to process and to think through possible scenarios and outcomes.  He ruminates on ideas for quite a bit of time before he’s ready to take action.  I, on the other hand, like to jump in, and adjust along the way.  He thinks of the pitfalls, all I see are opportunities.  Our challenge: how to accept each other’s process as we worked together towards the product.

I am pleased to report that we found our way and created some great memories.  My favorite moment was my husband’s response to the Ace Hardware employee who wished him luck after he explained what he was trying to accomplish, “Listen man.  I’m building this thing for a school and all I gotta say is…my wife is the principal.”  Or there was also an utterly comical 2-hour Home Depot visit where I learned more about latches than I ever want to know and had to do a tremendous amount of self-talk to not go out of my mind.

This past Saturday, we were so proud of ourselves.  We did it!  We constructed a ball pit that had hinges, latches, and was collapsible.  That excitement evaporated when I began walking through how it would be unveiled and set up.  It was almost impossible for me to move due to its weight.  I became overwhelmed with frustration.  That was one of the initial design challenges that we wanted to solve.  It needed to be more easily moved. 

We had both invested so much energy into this idea and our thoughts were clouded with emotions.  We agreed not talk about the ball pit for two whole days to give us some distance (from the project, not each other ;-)) and thinking time.  I think the cosmic forces of the universe also came into play by giving me the flu to make absolutely certain that last thing I thought about was the ball pit.

Last night, with clear minds and hearts, we both stood around the ball pit and brainstormed the, “How might we make this ball pit lighter?” question.  We put every idea out there, even those that were preposterous.  Could we use a different type of material?  Could we bore sizable holes in the wood (my crazy thought) to take some of the weight out but to keep the balls in?  Could we remove sections of the wood and replace with some other type of material?  We agreed on the final approach and talked through the specifics.  This time I steered clear from Home Depot and handled bedtime with the girls, but once they were asleep I joined in the sawing and drilling.

It’s not completely finished, but I have all the confidence in the world that by the end of the day today, Almond’s Ball Pit 2.0 will be ready for the Friday assembly.

PROJECT CORNERSTONE:  You might be wondering…all this effort for a ball pit.  Why?  Who cares?  The ball pit is a vehicle to develop connections with others.  In this Soul Pancake video, adults on a busy street corner stop and take a moment to get to know another person.   The September book for Project Cornerstone in grades 1 – 5 is Friends to the End: The True Value of Friendship, by Bradley Trevor Greive.  In order to make a friend, we need to stop and make an effort to build that relationship. 

The ball pit will give us that opportunity in a fun, inviting way.  Inside the ball pit are balls that have conversation starters to get dialogue going.  By having a ball pit that is more easily portable, we hope that it becomes a more frequent tool to foster relationships at our school.  Students will be encouraged to step into the ball pit with someone new and to discover how they are the same and what qualities make them unique. 

As the ball pit is unveiled, the song Rather Be by Clean Bandit will be playing.  I am inspired by the lyrics that proclaim, “When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be.”  That’s what friendship is all about – being in the present moment with another human being and connecting to that person!

WHAT’S THIS GOT TO DO WITH LEARNING?:  Our calling as educators is not simply to fill children’s minds with content.  This is emphasized in our LASD Learning Principle that details the importance of Process & Outcome.  In Los Altos, we “value the approach as much as the result.”  We strive to create thinkers who know what to do with that content and who can bring some of their own ideas to life.  As our children grow and mature, they’re going to need to work with others.  Some of these partners will have like-minded approaches and some will have drastically different ways of doing things.  They will need strategies and skills to handle a variety of people and situations.  It is our goal to support them in growing these abilities.

Students are not the only learners at Almond School!!!  Almond staff will be in learning mode tomorrow at Ed Summit: Breaking the Silos in Education.

At 6:30pm tonight, at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts, our district will kick off two days of professional learning for all interested in deepening their knowledge around a variety of topics in education.  Warren Berger, author of A More Beautiful Question, and Lisa Kay Solomon, author of Moments of Impact:  How to Design Strategic Conversations that Accelerate Change, will partake in a provoking conversation around “creating conditions of discovery & inquiry in our schools.” 

On Friday, all LASD staff have the opportunity to engage in a variety of sessions to expand their collection of instructional tools.  Some of our very own Almond superheroes are leading workshops:  Samantha Nguyen (Aurasma: Using Augmented Reality in the Classroom), Joe Chan (Using Twitter in the Classroom), Melissa Dowling (Mystery Skype in the Classroom), Elizabeth Leach (Learning Circuitry Basics Maker Style!), and Erika Benadom (Integrating Growth Mindset into your Classroom and School Community).

Saturday is dedicated to an EdCamp experience.  What is EdCamp?  (I’m so glad ;-) you asked.)  It is based on Open Space Technology which states that "whoever comes are the right people and whatever happens are the only things that could have."  Educators will convene in the morning and bring ideas for what they want to learn.  These ideas will be posted and grouped and then space will be provided to allow these groups with similar learning interests to work together to broaden their knowledge on a topic of their choice.

Talking about Saturday...the Almond Walkabout is only 4 Saturdays away!!!  Our campus will be buzzing on October 11th with music, walking, food, families, and fun!  Our theme is the Boot Scootin’ Boogie and there will be an annual surprise for all to enjoy.  I can’t wait.  We have a goal this year to have 100% of our families participate.  While it would be wonderful for each student to raise $75, participation will be counted at any dollar contribution.  We want everyone out there because this is a hallmark Almond event that brings us all together. 

What is leadership?  What makes a great leader?  And…what does this have to do with Almond School?

Let’s start with the last question.

Our school is full of leaders; students, staff, and parents.  I have the blessing of intersecting with each of these leaders and watching their magic unfurl. 

Students organize basketball games at recess, campaign for “mix it up Fridays” at the lunch tables, request help for friends dealing with conflict, coordinate the work of peers in classroom presentations, acquaint new students with our campus, and the list goes on.  Some of these student leaders lead with flare and enthusiasm, while others take a more subtle approach and lead not through loud gestures or overtures, but through example.

Almond’s staff leaders utilize their talents to negotiate a common time during the day to implement Targeted Instruction Groups (TIG) and facilitate the “getting connected” portion of our staff gatherings.  Parent leaders problem solve distribution in the hot lunch lines, enlist volunteers for Helping Hands, spearhead events like the Walkabout, and so much more.  Each leader incorporates his or her style into how they bring people together.  Those that are most effective have the capacity to empower and galvanize others into action.

Leadership is at the forefront of my mind today because tomorrow some student leaders will stand before our student body at the Friday assembly and share why they should be selected to lead various positions on the Student Council. Whether a student is elected or not, this is not what identifies them as a leader.  It is one’s actions, not their position, that establishes their leadership. My reflections on this topic have led me back to one of my favorite leadership books (The Servant by James C. Hunter) and to some insightful TED talks (Itay Talgam’s “Lead like great conductors,” and Simon Sinek’s “Why good leaders make you feel safe”). 

Itay Talgram (international orchestra conductor), and renown authors Simon Sinek and James C. Hunter all speak about the conditions that leaders create.  Talgram explains that leadership is the practice of empowering the stories of others to be heard at the same time.  One of the most powerful phrases he shares is a leader’s ability to open a space for others.  Sinek speaks about trust and cooperation and how leaders put the needs of others, or the organization, before their own. Hunter’s story reminds us that to lead you must be willing to serve.

I had the great privilege of speaking with one of our students about the difference between a leader and a boss as he directed his peers in a kickball game.  The term “boss” simply means that someone has a supervisory role over others.  Sinek emphasizes, “leadership is a choice…not a rank.”  So what distinguishes someone who solely functions at the boss level as opposed to someone who leads?  Bosses often tell people what to do; leaders know the talents of those with whom they work and inspire their team to perform.  Bosses micromanage; leaders create a culture of trust and cooperation.  Bosses talk more; leaders listen more.  Bosses consider themselves in charge; leaders consider themselves partners.

As we continue talking about superpowers, leadership is one of the skills we strive to cultivate on our campus.  Thank you to all the student, staff, and parent leaders in our community who exemplify best practices in this area.  You teach me greatness on a daily basis.  Please continue contributing your gifts to Almond.  Together we can accomplish anything!

We are an international school community!

At last week’s Friday assembly, I shared that our students were born in 25 different countries all over the globe (Australia, Belgium, Belarus, Canada, China, Finland, Ireland, Israel, India, Italy, Jordan, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Republic of Moldova, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, and Uzbekistan).  What a blessing!  Each child, whether born abroad or on domestic soil, brings with him/her rich variety in regards to customs, celebrations, beliefs and…LANGUAGE!

One’s ability to communicate in multiple languages not only grows and develops the brain, it also creates the ability to connect with a diverse group of people, and to learn information specific to a culture or society in that native language.  While some of our students are bilingual/biliterate, others are in the process of adding English to their communication arsenal. 

It typically takes a child between 4-7 years to become proficient in a second language.  This development includes four domains of language; listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  Let us relate this to the language development of a baby in his/her native tongue.  While a newborn infant cannot communicate with the same words that the adult world uses, those ears are on and listening to every single sound and word around them.  Baby’s brains are usually able to crack the auditory code of language and begin using intelligible words around 12 months and their vocabulary grows exponentially each week, month, and year.  This verbal use of language eventually advances into the realm of reading and writing.  The most complex skill to develop is one’s ability to articulate thoughts and ideas in the written form.  It takes years to master this skill.

How does language acquisition differ for a second language learner versus a baby?  Greatly!  A baby does not have a base language from which to draw whereas a second language learner does.  Parallels can often be made between one language and another.  At times there are similarities with alphabets, depending on the language there may be cognates or similarities in word roots, or even common patterns in regards to syntax and grammar.  There are also instances where the differences in language are great and this launching pad is less robust.  Nevertheless, while the endeavor of becoming bilingual/biliterate seems daunting as an adult, for children, it’s akin to learning music…a set of individual symbols that when brought together make meaning.  As we mature in years our brain keeps developing, yet alongside this learning process we develop ideas around what is hard and what is easy and that often affects the pace/progress of our intellectual growth.

Therefore, I ask for your help!  Let’s embody a growth mindset around language and let’s encourage a positive perception around the ability to speak multiple languages.  We can do this by paying close attention to how we speak about those in the process of learning English.  If introducing a new student to someone else on campus, rather than saying, “This is Erika and she doesn’t speak English,” I invite you to rephrase that statement into, “This is Erika.  She is new to the United States and she’s learning English.”  Our new friends are often able to understand a lot more than they can communicate and we honor their hard work and effort with the latter statement versus the former.

Finally, to be bilingual/biliterate requires one to maintain their native language.  There was a time in our country when whole generations lost their native languages in an effort to assimilate.  It’s a different day and age where we value the gifts that diverse cultures bring.  I very much enjoy hearing different languages spoken on our campus.  I reminded students that while language has the power to bring people together, it may also lead to a sense of exclusion.  Allow me to explain.  I am able to speak Spanish, and I love doing so.  Let’s say there were a group of students who wanted to chat with me at lunch and it included some students who spoke English and Spanish and others who spoke English, but not Spanish.  If I engaged in the conversation solely in Spanish, I would exclude those who do not speak Spanish.  This is something that I pay close attention to because I want to build relationships and fortify connections.  At last Friday’s assembly I asked students to be thoughtful in the language they choose to communicate in and to focus on bringing people together versus leaving anyone out.

We are a very lucky community to have such a culturally and linguistically diverse student population!

It’s our 7th day of school and incredible work is underway!!! 

Our Back to School Night showcased Almond’s value system around learning and community.  In each classroom or grade level presentation you likely experienced a twist to the traditional.  Perhaps you were asked to introduce your own child to the class, maybe you rotated through stations, participated in a Think-Pair-Share activity, or were even challenged to build a self standing tower with marshmallows and spaghetti.  Whatever it might have been, it was our way as a staff of involving you in an interactive experience that reflects the active learning we strive to include in our classrooms.

While we all gathered on the blacktop at the general session, you were introduced to our extraordinary staff superheroes that are working to unleash student superpowers each and every day.  Each teacher has his/her own group or grade level of students, yet every single staff member on the Almond campus works together to ensure the safety and learning of all students during critical times like arrival, recess, lunch, and dismissal.  In addition, our classrooms are all paired with a buddy class to foster relationships between upper and lower grade students.  We believe in taking care of each other.

A critical component to our sense of COMMUNITY is the partnership we have with our parent superheroes.  You leap tall buildings in a single bound each and every day by getting your children here on time and supporting them in following our school expectations, through your acts of service when you volunteer, and your generous financial contributions.  There will likely come a time that you may wish to communicate a concern.  If the issue pertains specifically to your child, please first reach out to your child’s teacher to seek a solution.  Should my support be needed after your initial conversation, I’m always here problem solve.  In the event you have an issue with an activity run by our PTA, or that involves the school as a whole (please direct to me) - when you express your concern, I ask you to please model for our children effective communication.  Please factually state the challenge you’re experiencing and offer a potential solution.  When we work as partners, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

FIRST DAY REFLECTIONS

We’re off to an AMAZING start!  Every one of our 531 students found their way to their new classrooms.  Teachers welcomed students into rooms that were organized, inspiring, and prepared with great care.  The hard work of our custodial team (and the Sunday visit from the Cub Scouts) paid off as our school was clean and ready for opening day.  Our office and support staff handled each and every question that came their way with grace and attention to ensure families had every need met for the day.  In the classrooms, students met their new classmates and built connections through a variety of activities.  The excitement of scouring through school supplies and bringing order to chaos was evident.  I sincerely appreciated the opportunity to visit with parents at the Welcome Coffee sponsored by our PTA and thank you all in advance for the various ways that you will serve our school through your volunteer efforts.

And, on top of all that…learning began on day 1.  I Tweeted my absolute favorite take away from the day.  A 5th grade student approached me at dismissal beaming with enthusiasm.  He said, “This was the best first day ever!”  Of course I had to know more.  He elaborated, “My teacher gave us a pretest in math so that she could teach us what we NEED to know, not what we’ve already learned.  My goal is to learn 6th grade math.”  At that very moment I felt a sense of pride for the remarkable staff with whom I have the privilege to work.  Our teachers teach children, not subjects and not grade levels.  Yes, our students are organized into groups around age/grade and yes, we have content standards that establish a target.  But our goal each day is to grow and stretch the brains (and hearts) inside each child that crosses our threshold.

EXPECTATION ASSEMBLIES

At the Expectation Assemblies for students in grades 1 – 6 yesterday, we covered how to work together as a school community to maintain our focus on learning (even on the playground).  Our school handbook will find its way to you in the coming week and I know each and everyone of you will dutifully read and cover the dozens of “rules” with your children.  In an effort to synthesize what is most critical, students were introduced to this chant, “I am a superhero; an ordinary person who does extraordinary things.  It’s as easy as 1 – 2 – 3.  1) Show Respect, 2) Make Good Decisions, 3) Solve Problems.” Students watched this Kid President video about superheroes that will fold into messaging at tomorrow’s Friday assembly.  They heard Kid President exuberantly share these messages:

• “If you want to be awesome, treat people awesome.  It’s about strength.  Firepower.  It’s about compassion.  Nothing is stronger than that.”
• “You have everything right now to change the world.  Everything!”
• “Kids can change the world and grown ups can change the world.  It would go a whole lot faster if we worked together.”
• “The little things that we do are a BIG DEAL!”
• “You don’t need a cape and you don’t need money.  You don’t even need to be bit by something radioactive.  You just need to care.” [about what it takes to be a superhero]
• “The world needs heroes and that hero could be YOU.”
• “You’re already filled with superpowers.  So don’t wait for a signal in the sky.  Look a little closer at the world around you.  You’re ready right now.  It’s time to be the hero you were meant to be.”

FRIDAY ASSEMBLY

Tomorrow is our first Friday Assembly and I can’t wait!!!  These gatherings provide our school with an opportunity to connect with each other and around ideas that build a common language and shared school wide experience.  Parents, you are encouraged to attend!!!  In fact, you might get tapped on the shoulder someday to actually participate in an assembly.  Tomorrow, students will hear the message that Almond is united on supporting them in unleashing their superhero superpowers.  Hope to see you on the blacktop.

BACK TO SCHOOL DETAILS

Next Tuesday, August 26th, we invite you to join us in the evening to visit your children’s classrooms.  We ask that you come without your children so that our focus may be on sharing information with you that you’re eager to hear.  We will gather together as a whole school community on the blacktop for a general session.  Below are the schedules and locations for each grade level.

• 6:00pm – 6:40pm | Grades TK/K – 3
  • In Classrooms: TK, K, 1, 2
  • Grade Level Presentation in Library: 3rd (classroom visits after)
• 6:45pm – 7:00pm | Everyone on Blacktop
• 7:05pm – 7:45pm | Grades 4 – 6
  • In Classrooms: 4th
  • Grade Level Presentation in Library: 5th
  • Grade Level Presentation in Multi: 6th (stop by classrooms from 6:30-6:45)

August 6, 2014

Greetings Almond Families,

Have any of you yet experienced Summer’s Paradox?  Summer’s what?

In early June, we were all counting the days for summer to commence. School playmates were striking every nerve of irritability with their dearest friends. The saintly patience of teachers embracing the uniqueness of each child began to be tested. Families had grown weary with the morning routine of being at school by a certain hour and yearned to begin summer travels and live in the spontaneity of the moment.

Summer arrived! 

I hope yours have been filled with relaxation, adventure, time with family, healing, and all that your hearts desired. 

In spite of all the fun our family enjoyed, last Friday, as I listened to my daughters negotiate (alright – it was actually downright bickering) how to get the paddle board back to shore, what they essentially were screaming was, “PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE bring back the structure that we said goodbye to almost 2 months ago.  WHEN DOES SCHOOL START?"

Something tells me that my kids are not the only ones who might be feeling this way…and I have a sneaking suspicion there might be some parents who are counting the days until August 20th, our first day of school.

During this summer, the Almond campus has been anything but quiet.  We…

• hosted Camp Galileo this summer
• resurfaced tile floors
• bid a farewell to our kindergarten castle that attracted non-royal mischief
• set up our new transitional kindergarten classroom and our extended day kindergarten classrooms
• added two new portable buildings at the back of campus
• moved the STEM lab to its new location
• are renovating the art room and former STEM lab into innovative flex rooms
• converted the library annex into a technology work room
• installed 14 new short throw projectors
• and (thanks to the brilliance of one of our very own parents, Tom Poppitz) have a beautiful storage system in the multi for our musical instruments.

In the final weeks we will be resurfacing our blacktop and adding some initial striping for our basketball and volleyball courts, wall balls, kickball and four square. The legacy yellow line that has segregated lower and upper grade students will be no longer.  Instead, we will utilize color to still provide some protected spaces for our littler Eagles.  This project will be completed in phases so that we thoughtfully lay out the remaining spaces.

When I joined the Almond Community a year ago, my excitement originated from the reputation of the school and district.  This year, I am ecstatic to traverse a path with you where I have some insight into what’s around each corner.  Having laid strong roots together as a staff and community last year, we intend to allow those roots to further develop and grow deeper.  The bloom that we are striving for is our LASD #1 goal:

1. Meet the individual learning needs of all students
   1. Ensure meaningful formative feedback is included as a constant in student/teacher interactions.
   2. Develop a communication process that allows teachers, students and parents to utilize actionable feedback about each child’s learning.
   3. Regularly incorporate small group instruction as a method for meeting individual student needs.
   4. Design learning opportunities that allow for student choice and passion.

I have every confidence in our unwavering commitment to support each child in identifying and developing his/her SUPERPOWERS to succeed in life’s incredible journey.

Below are some details to get our year off to a successful start.

SCHOOL START and END TIMES

• Transitional Kinder, 8:45am – 2:15pm*
• Kindergarten, 8:30am – 2:15pm*
• Grades 1 & 2, 8:30am – 2:25pm
• Grades 3 thru 6, 8:30am – 2:45pm

*From 8/20 – 9/12, TK and Kinder will dismiss at 12pm to allow students a transition period to full day as well as an opportunity for teachers to assess students and collaborate with team members to ensure your child’s success.

STAFFING REMINDERS

• Transitional Kindergarten:  Lisa Schubert
• Kindergarten:  Jenny Eldridge, Laurie Lamb, Melissa Powell
• First Grade:  Sarah Hall, Alicia Peterson, Summer Reeves
• Second Grade:  Edana Conlon, Nancy Liu, Jill Williams
• Third Grade:  Tammy Reilly, Joann Martinez, Anna Uhm, Jenny Wishnack
• Fourth Grade:  Lisa Call, Annie Daggett, Melissa Dowling
• Fifth Grade:  Joe Chan, Laura Ohlund, Samantha Nguyen
• Sixth Grade:  Jessica Abraham, Allison Aubrey, Jasen Stuart
• STEM Teacher: Elizabeth Leach
• PE Teachers:  Mary Alber (K), Candice Marquis (Grades 1-6), Doug Core (Tuesdays, Gr. 3)
• ELD Teacher:  Janine Wulfsohn
• RSP Teacher:  Ginny Kalotihos
• Speech Teacher:  Carol Leamon

We are still in search of a librarian and a literacy aide for grades 1 & 2.  If you are interested, or know of anyone who might be interested, please let me know.

DISTRICT INFOSNAP – Online Registration

Please look for an email from Registrar@lasdk8.org with instructions about completing the InfoSnap Online Registration.  It is recommended that you add registrar@lasdk8.org  to your contacts to prevent the email from going into spam folders.

LASD InfoSnap registration is not the same thing as the PTA Back to School System.  You must complete BOTH.

PTA BACK TO SCHOOL SYSTEM IS ONLINE!

Complete your family’s registration in the back to school system any time between August 5th and September 3rd.  Log in via this link, http://losaltos.cyberschool.com/Almondes/5827-Back-To-School.html.  The password for the back to school system is “greatkids2014” (do not type the quotation marks).

If you do not have Internet access or require help with your registration, computer assistance will be available in the school library between 8:15am and 9:30am from August 21st – 22nd. 

UPCOMING DATES

Hot Lunch – Our vendor will be Pasta Market.  All entrees are in compliance with California SB12 and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) regulations, regarding portion sizes, calories, fat content, and sugar content for elementary schools.  Registration and ordering will open on August 11th at this link [http://pastamarket.orderlunches.com]. The school password is “AES181”. The first ordering deadline will be midnight on Sunday, 8/17.

Teacher Assignment Letters will be mailed to your homes on Friday, August 15th. 

First Day of School & Back to School Coffee - Wednesday, August 20th, 8:30am.  Once your child is in class, please join the PTA for coffee and snacks in the multi.  Learn about Almond events, sign up to volunteer, and catch up with friends!

New Family Orientation - Friday, August 22nd, 5:45pm – 6:45pm.  All families new to Almond (kindergarten and others) are invited to join Principal Benadom and the PTA for a short presentation in the multi.

Back to School Ice Cream Social   - Friday, August 22nd, 7pm.  All Almond families are invited to the Almond playground for FREE ice cream sundaes served by the Almond PTA.

Back to School Night – Tuesday, August 26th.  The time schedule will be divided by grade levels and communicated the first week of school.

Enjoy the remainder of summer, and I’ll see you all on August 20th!

Best regards,

Erika Benadom

Almond Elementary Principal