Disney's Diary

April 27, 2011 - Placements & Enrichment

2011-04-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents,

Placements for Next School Year

Soon the teachers and I willbegin to look ahead to class assignments for next year. Much time and effort isput forth by the staff to create balanced classes. Every year, we areasked many questions about how students are placed in classrooms from year toyear. The intent of this letter is to share the most frequently asked questionsand provide you with answers.

Question: Whatis the process for creating new classes each year?

Answer: Atthe end of each year, the staff and principal get together and create balancedheterogeneous classes using the following criteria: academic performance (math,reading, and language arts), student behavior, leadership, gender, and additional needs identified by this year’s classroom teacher.

Question: If parents knowtheir child best, why shouldn’t they make the decision for placement of theirchild?

Answer: Becauseclassrooms are very complex, interactive places of learning, and group dynamicsplay a significant part in the overall effectiveness of the classroom learningenvironment. When classes are put together, a high priority is placed onmatching complimentary personalities of student to student and student toteacher.

Question: ShouldI ask my child who he/she wants for a teacher?

Answer: Thisis not a good idea. If a child isasked and the request is not granted, the child may not

understand why and can feel anoverwhelming sense of disappointment and even rejection.

Question: Do you purposefullyplace students with their friends?

Answer: No,we do not. Our goal is to create a school climate in which all students feellike they

belong and can foster existingfriendships or form new friendships with whomever is in their class.

Question: Ifa parent makes a request to this year’s teacher, or the principal, will they beassured of getting the teacher requested?

Answer: No,parents are not to request a teacher by name. If they do and a student does notget the teacher requested, this usually causes disappointment and anger whichcan lead to an unhappy situation for the child as well as the teacher. Allparents want a teacher who is caring, sensitive to individual needs,knowledgeable, and can provide engaging, academic challenges in anon-threatening learning environment. If a child has a learning need, thisinformation may be put on a “Student Educational Information” form. Please submit completed forms to the office. Completed forms for the upcoming year will not be accepted afterMay 20. Only the specific information relating to your child’s specific needwill be considered when making placements.

Thank you for your continued support in working with the staffhere at Walt Disney Elementary. If you have any questions, please feel free tocontact me or your child’s teacher.

After School Enrichment Classes

We recently opened registration for two quality after school enrichment classes here at Walt Disney. While the Video Production class sold out in one day, there is still space in our Spectrum of Science workshops. Download the flyer here and register soon directly through Spectrum of Science.

March 28, 2011 - Rainbows, Ballgames, and Enrichment

2011-03-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, we had three members of the Contra Costa County Search and Rescue team present to a group of our GATE students the importance, preparation, and benefits of their job. Our students had the opportunity to utilize their questioning skills. Our guests answered questions ranging from "How did you get started?" to "How much do you earn in your career?" Our students were probably most enamored by the third member of the Search and Rescue team, the canine member. One of the members was a search and rescue dog who showed her stuff while meeting our students. A special thank you to 4th/5th grade teacher Mrs. Becky Rodriguez and parent volunteer Eve Ridgers for organizing this opportunity for our GATE students. It is part of a series, called "Lunch Bunch," when guest speakers present different professions within our community. Earlier in the school year, students listened to a college professor share details about his job.

Help Save the Rainbow Program at WDES

We have a wonderful program, called the Rainbow program, available to all Walt Disney students. While all of our teachers and staff know the value of the Rainbow program, I recognize that if your child has needed the Rainbow program, you may not know about the benefits, or even that it exists. The fact is that we may lose the Rainbow program due to lack of funding for the 2011-2012 school year. Please review the following information about Rainbow and see if you can help.

Why Rainbow?

Intoday’s fast-paced, stress-filled, not-enough-hours-in-the-day world, evenchildren can feel the pressure. We know that children who feel comfortable andconnected at school and who possess positive social skills and competence insolving problems experience greater success in academics and throughout life.

What is Rainbow?

TheRainbow Program provides children with nurturing individual attention andsmall- group learning opportunities led by a specially trained paraprofessionalunder the supervision of a credentialed professional. The Rainbow Program(under various other names) has been in existence across the country since1957. Currently most of the elementary schools in San Ramon offer the RainbowProgram. Each year data is collected that demonstrates the effectiveness of theRainbow Program. Year after year the data demonstrates that with the seeminglysimple proactive support of the Rainbow Program, children show immediatebenefits in the short-term, and also demonstrate long-term benefits, includingacademic success and pro-social decision making. The Rainbow Program is uniquein that it is designed as a pro-active, preventative opportunity for children,instead of intervening after problems have already been demonstrated.

Why Support Rainbow?

TheRainbow Program at Walt Disney was made possible by a three year matching-fundsgrant from the State of California. Together with the financial contributionsof San Ramon Valley Unified School District and Walt Disney site funds, thegrant has provided the start-up costs, materials costs, and most importantly,the personnel costs of our two wonderful Rainbow Paraprofessionals (Mrs. DeniseBringer and Mrs. Corrie Sharp), professional supervision provided by our SchoolPsychologist (Mrs. Linda Taylor), and additional consultation with our MentalHealth Consultant (Mrs. Julie Dolle`). 2010-2011is the final year of our three year grant. For the coming year, the programwill need additional financial support to make up for the monies that had beenpart of the grant. Walt Disney parents have already been generous in theirsupport of the Rainbow Program and we hope that with additional financialsupport we will be able to retain our full staffing level and continue seeingchildren five days per week in the Rainbow Room. To listen to a podcast of student testimonials of the Rainbow program, click here.

Thank you for helping us toprovide this unique opportunity to start our children out on a positive journeyof learning and belonging in their school community. If you would like to make a private donation towards our Rainbow program for 2011-2012, or if your employer has grant opportunities for community programs such as Rainbow, please contact Joe Nguyen or Linda Taylor right now.

If you would like furtherinformation about the Rainbow Program, please feel to contact Linda Taylor at(925) 479-3914.

Walt Disney's Night at the Ballpark

Last year was our first year of this PTA family fun night at the Oakland Athletics game. For our first year, we did well in dominating two entire sections of seats at the Oakland Coliseum. This year's event will be on Friday, April 29, as the Oakland Athletics host the Texas Rangers at 7:05 pm. Download the following order form to join fellow Walt Disney families and staff enjoy a baseball game. You can also order tickets to additional games (listed on the form). The Oakland Athletics will donate 50% of all ticket prices back to Walt Disney's PTA.

SRVUSD Summer Enrichment Program

Our district is providing a 4 week summer enrichment program for students. It is important for students to be involved in some form of academic learning during the summer months to avoid academic regression. We know there are many summer opportunities within our community, including just having students be involved in reading/writing/math opportunities at home. A wonderful option is to take advantage of the SRVUSD Enrichment Program. Go to the Summer Enrichment program website to learn more details and register your students. Registration opens on Monday, March 28, and is on a "first come, first served" basis.

Shared Definition of "Bullying"

2011-03-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

Recently our staff worked on coming up with a shareddefinition of “bullying.” Ourschool district has a renewed focus on sending a clear message that bullyingbehaviors are not accepted on our campuses. I would like to ask that ourstudents, and parent community play a role in sending this same message. Inorder to work together, I felt it was critical to have a common definition ofwhat “bullying” is, and perhaps just as importantly, what bullying is not. As astaff, we came up with the following draft definition for “bullying”:

Aggressive behavior that isintentional, repeated over time and involves an imbalance of power. Bullyingcan take many forms, such as hitting, teasing or name-calling, verbal threats,intimidation through gestures, social exclusion and sending or postinginsulting messages or pictures by cell phone or online.

Note that bullying is repeated over time. An isolatedincident can be very hurtful and against school rules, but is not consideredbullying. It is very important to note that our teachers explicitly teachanti-bullying lessons as a part of our “Second Step” curriculum in grades Kthrough 5^th grade. Strategies such as using “I messages” andexpressing ourselves through our words help lesson the presence of bullying atWalt Disney. Additionally, students are given praise and WOW slips for demonstratingpositive character traits such as responsibility and respect while atschool.

If your child does encounter bullying please support us inmodeling the following behavior to your child:

Encourage your child to communicate to the bully “Stop or I will report.”
If the behavior persists, please report (or have your child report) bullying to your child’s teacher. Teachers and/or I will follow up on incidents of bullying with the appropriate measures.

I invite you to post a comment toprovide any input or feedback you may have on our shared definition of“bullying.” We will soon work with PTA to finalize our definition.

February 17 - "Reading for Meaning"

2011-02-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it. ~James Bryce

The purpose of reading is to be able to decode the words on a page and make meaning out of the words. Reading specialists will explain that a mature reader masters the 5 components of reading -- phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. The more we can expose children to print and sounds, the better most children will develop these early building blocks to read. As early readers develop into mature readers, phonemic awareness and phonics skills become more automatic. For some readers, their memory of specific sight words aid greatly in their ability to read. Regardless, the purpose of reading, whether it be reading a novel, newspaper, or the internet is to comprehend the author's message at a deep level.

We often hear from parents, how can I help my child develop his or her comprehension skills? It is important to work with your child's teacher. Do not be afraid to communicate your observations about your child's reading strengths or weaknesses. Do you know what level books your child is reading at school (instructional level) or should be reading at home (independent level)? If not, do not hesitate to ask. If you are concerned about comprehension, your teacher can share with you age appropriate strategies that he/she uses in the classroom to exercise your child's comprehension "muscles."

Consider using the following strategies to give your child a "reading rich" environment that will support his or her reading abilities:

Read together at home -- let your child see you read. It sends a positive message about the importance of reading.
Partner read or read to your child -- in addition to having your child read independently or reading to you, partner reading (child reads a page, parent reads a page) and reading to your child models how a mature reader sounds.
Make reading fun -- allow your child choose a book or magazine that is interesting. If your child likes a specific topic, read about that topic. Non-fiction materials or articles on the internet about a specific topic are great. Another way to make reading fun is to infuse technology. Consider using web resources such as Tumble Books or Starfall. To view more online reading resources, visit the WDES Library website.
Ask your child one or two comprehension questions (don't overdo it) after reading. This will help your child to better understand what he or she reads. Here are some resources for effective comprehension questions: Book Talk Questions 1, Book Talk Questions 2.

One More Day of Bidding!
If you have not heard about our DESEF online auction or the live auction event, you must have been staying away from our school, our emails, and any piece of paper with the words Walt Disney Elementary written on it for the past month. We hope that we have not driven anyone away with our advertising. The reality is that we greatly depend on the funds we will raise in this year's auctions to maintain our programs, and therefore staffing, for the 2011-2012 school year. Our Dragon Academy, classroom paraprofessionals, library, technology program and equipment, and Meet the Masters art program are just a few of the programs that are directly funded by this money. If our state continues to cut funding to education, we will depend on this private fundraising even more.

There are some great deals to be had on the online auction (See the San Ramon Patch article). Bidding ends Friday (tomorrow), February 18. Due to community feedback, some of the items starting bid prices are being lowered. Go to our auction website to place your bids, sponsor a program, or buy tickets to the March 12 live auction event.

January 30, 2011 - "A Light at the End of the Tunnel?"

2011-01-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

Budget Update & Auction Event

We are in a similar positionas last year, discussing the potential ramifications of (another) year ofbudget cuts to education from Sacramento. You may have read or heard thatGovernor Brown released an initial state budget that proposes no significantbudget cuts to education for 2011-2012. This is the “light at the end of thetunnel” that we have been waiting for in education. However, this budget isdependent on a June ballot measure to increase tax revenue to the state. Schooldistricts in the state, including SRVUSD, are preparing to enter the summerwith two different budgets – one if the June measure passes, and one budget ifthe measure does not pass.

Here in SRVUSD, we haveresources that allow us to raise funds privately. While I wish that we did nothave to depend on private funds and go to our community, the reality is thatthis resource allows us to keep some programs afloat for our students.

We are very fortunate towork in a district and school where we have parents and staff working side byside to raise private funds. While our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) does do some fundraising, our Disney Elementary School Education Foundation (DESEF) is the main fund raising group in our community. DESEF’s number one fundraising event is getting ready tostart this Friday with the online auction. The live and silent auction dinneris scheduled for Saturday, March 12. We have had a dedicated group of individuals working tirelessly to plan and execute this year's auction events. There is an incredible lineup of products and experiences that will be offered either in the online, live, or silent auctions. A special "thank you" to our DESEF auction committee for their dedication and countless hours.

Here is the website for the online auction and for purchasing tickets to our "Disney in the Carribean" auction event/dinner/casino night -- auction website.

Microwave Oven?
One of our microwave ovens in the staff lunch room recently went out. If you have an available microwave that you would like to donate, please let me know or call the front office. Thank you so much!

January 19, 2011 - The "New" Disney Diary

2011-01-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Disney Dragons! To read or listen to my latest Principal's message, click here. I tried something new this month by creating and posting a podcast of my message.

It has been a while since I have last posted on the Disney Diaries, as I have been considering the role of the Diaries within our school community. This year, we have the Disney Digest email blast that PTA has been managing that pushes out announcements that pertain to PTA, DESEF, and focuses on important events and opportunities within our school and district community. You have probably also noticed that I am using a format called "Principals' Post-it" for announcements that come from my office. Of course, we still have our Dragon's Den newsletter that comes out every other month with a comprehensive look at everything happening at Walt Disney Elementary. So, where does that leave the Diary, a blog that I started last year to really push out information? Do I take the Diary offline?

After some thought, I have decided to take a little bit of a risk and design the Disney Diary to be a true blog that will provide the community the opportunity to post comments in response to my postings. I will turn on the "comments" feature which will allow viewers to post comments, suggestions, ideas, etc. to the school and/or to each other. I will not post messages every week, but as needed. I may include in postings an opportunity to hear input from the community about our programs, opportunities, vision, etc. Many parents have the opportunity to attend PTA, DESEF, Site Council meetings to give input, but we recognize that most of our parents can or do not make it out to these meetings. While we encourage maximum parent involvement, perhaps the "new"Disney Diaries blog will provide a channel for your thoughts and comments.

I believe that you will begin seeing more Disney students participating in blogging as a part of their curriculum in the coming years, so let's start modeling this skill among the adults. I invite you to become a regular follower of the Disney Diaries and participate in the blog. To get us started, I'd like to establish norms for what "good bloggers" do in their posts:

This blog is not a substitute for communicating directly with your child's teacher, Principal, WDPTA, DESEF, or School Site Council.
Assume that all contributors have good intentions
Be respectful at all times in your communications

Here we go...

It's Time!
Once again the Walt Disney Elementary Education Fund is now selling tickets for it's Annual Live Auction on March 12th at the Canyon View Dining hall and you are invited. All profits will be benefiting the Children at Walt Disney Elementary school. The proceeds will be used to help pay for many of the programs and items the state no longer funds. Such as Paraprofessionals (teachers aides), Librarian, Computer Lab educator, student reading and math skills intervention programs, such as the Dragon Academy. New technology like the Apple Mac books bought last year from the Auction proceeds and classroom Audio aids. Your support will help keep those programs going and help continue funding the need for future programs at Walt Disney.

Our theme this year is "Disney in the Caribbean", so wear your island dresses and best tropical shirts. We will be serving up Mai Tai’s, Hurricanes, Margaritas and plenty of wine at our full bar. Enjoy listening to Derek Smith's Steel Drum Trio while dining on the Buffet Dinner and dessert. Invite your friends and family, there will be casino style gaming, raffles, games, prizes, silent auction and of course the main event, the Live Auction.

This year there will be wonderful items to bid on such as a Hawaiian vacation, Mexico getaway, San Diego retreat, great buy in parties and who wouldn't want their child to be principal for a day, or a veterinarian for a day, or Mayor for a day? All of those will be available.

Tickets are now selling for $55 dollars per person until February 18th, which is when the price goes up to $65 per person, so purchase your tickets soon. When you are ready to purchase your tickets, follow this link, http://auctions.readysetauction.com/disneyelementaryscho/home or drop your check made out to DESEF off at the Walt Disney office.

February 4th, our online Auction will begin with over 300 items!! There is something for everyone. Tell a friend or Facebook it, and help spread the word. We need your support.

October 26, 2010

2010-10-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Disney Parents/Guardians:

I wanted to send out a quick reminder that this Friday, not only do we have our Halloween parade at 1:35 pm on campus, but also our very first WDPTA Walkathon at 2:30 pm and then WDPTA's free Boo-fest. These are wonderful events to let the kids dress up in their costumes and have a fun night with the WD community. There have been a load of dedicated volunteers led by Matt Macedo organizing our walkathon and Boo-fest. If the rains come on Friday, we will move the walkathon to an alternate "rain route" and shorten the walkathon, but it will happen rain or shine. Our PTA is depending on the walkathon as its main fundraiser (replacing product sales that were done in the past) to fund programs such as Art-a-Palooza day, character education programs, assemblies, and community building events throughout the school year.

Make a Few Clicks on the Computer and Raise $$$ for Walt Disney

Bing will announce the 15 finalists on the What Schools Need contest and ask America to vote to determine the 4 winners – 1 grand prize winner will get $100,000 for their school, and the 3 first prize winners in each grade category will get $50,000 for their schools.

While we did NOT submit an application to the "What Schools Need" contest, there is a guaranteed way to raise $3,000 for Walt Disney Elementary. During the 10-day voting period starting Oct 27th (tomorrow) through Nov. 5th, the first 30,000 people who vote each day will receive a $3 gift code that to apply to any classroom project of their choice on DonorsChoose.org not just the finalists. That’s $30 per email over the 10 days.

The voting website is

http://ourschoolneeds.discoverbing.com

Currently we have 4 current Donors Choose grant applications from Walt Disney teachers (2 teachers). Click here to see these grants. The balance of these grants are approximately $3,800. That means we are targeting 130 people (or emails) to commit to voting once a day for 10 days.

$30 x 130 emails= $3900 of materials/equipment for Walt Disney teachers and students....all for a few clicks.

Restoration of two “Budget Cut Days” means that school WILL be in session on February 18, 2011

The San Ramon Valley Unified School District has restored two of the four “budget-cut” (furlough) days for the 2010-2011 school year, one instructional day and one staff development day.

The school day that has been reinstated is: Friday, February 18, 2011

Monday, March 21st will now be a staff development day instead of a “budget cut” day which means that students will not attend school on this day but teachers will participate in professional development at their schools.

This change is due to the district’s promise to its employee groups to return to the negotiation table to discuss any significant changes in its financial picture. Enrollment growth, as well as some new federal stimulus funds, did improve the financial status of the district. The district in consultation with the employee groups agreed to restore two budget cut days to all employees.

October 19, 2010

2010-10-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

With the first rain of the season hitting this past weekend, fall has announced its arrival. Thank you to all of the Walt Disney families who participated in Primo's Run. We had an incredible showing, coming in second out of all district elementary schools with over 40% of families participating. With fall comes a flurry of activities that are just around the corner. Our PTA has worked extremely hard to build its membership this year and has added a few very positive events for the 2010-2011 school year.

While most of PTA's events are designed to build community and create a positive environment for our students and families, we do also have to raise funds in order to conduct the myriad of other programs. PTA is organizing our first annual walk-a-thon, scheduled for Friday, October 29. The walk-a-thon event will cap off Red Ribbon Week, a week about making healthy choices. It is our hope that the entire Walt Disney Elementary community will support our walk-a-thon so PTA can raise enough funds to support other programs that inject art, character education, and community building into our school environment.

Please download and read a letter from our PTA President, Trish Baer, and the walk-a-thon chairperson, Matt Macedo. To download, click here. Thank you for supporting Walt Disney and the staff and I look forward to seeing you and your children on October 29 at the walk-a-thon.

In our ongoing Walk, Bike, Bus Challenge sponsored by our PTA and Street Smarts, it isn't too late to sign your children up and log trips to school either by walking, biking, or taking the school bus. The winning class wins an extra recess complete with activities facilitated by the Street Smarts staff plus the teacher receives a $50 gift card to Target for school supplies. The update for the challenge are as follows:

Top 5 Classroom Leaders
1. Tayeb - 94 trips
2. Blair - 77 trips
3. Hansen - 66 trips
4. Thelen - 65 trips
5. Hughes - 63 trips

The challenge goes through November 12.

Sincerely,

Joe Nguyen
Principal

October 6, 2010

2010-10-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

As we enter our 7th week of the school year, I believe teachers and children are hitting their "groove." Our teachers have completed their start of the year assessments for each student, are getting to really know their students as children and students, and are preparing for next week's Parent/Teacher Fall conferences.

Recently, the state released the results of last spring's California Standards Test (CST's). Many of you may know these tests as the STAR (State Testing and Reporting) test. Each year, the state goes through a complicated calculation that yields each school and district's Academic Performance Index (API) and I am happy to report that Walt Disney Elementary's API grew 10 points from 917 to 927!! While this is only one measure of a high performing school, we should all feel good about this validation. As a school district, SRVUSD continues to perform on the STAR as one of the higher performing school districts in the state. It is sure nice to hear good news from our state.

One of the things that I am most proud to say about our start of the year is that each individual teacher and staff member is doing their best to shelter our students from the recent cutbacks due to budget constraints. As adults, it is frustrating to see schools have less and less resources from the state. While the state's lack of a budget is still problematic to our schools, and while the adults in our community and state carry on discussions and problem solve how to rectify the budget problems, our teachers and staff recognize that we need to do all we can to create an environment that is a "great place to learn and grow" for our students.

The resolve and willingness to help of our WD community continues to impress me. In addition to the continuing programs through WDPTA, DESEF, and the school we have started a new Helping Hands program. Helping Hands is a centralized program of parent volunteers who come in on a regular basis to make copies and/or prep materials for teachers, freeing up our teachers to spend their time and energy collaborating with grade level teams and planning curriculum. We have started small, but Joni Schaeffer (3rd grade teacher and Teacher on Special Assignment) has our small team almost ready to go. Helping Hands is a perfect opportunity if you are interested in a low commitment level volunteer opportunity. If you have an hour here or an hour there available and are interested in our Helping Hands program, contact Joni Schaeffer.

One of our staff goals this school year (as well as a district goal) is to investigate new strategies to maximize 21st Century teaching and learning strategies. Last year, the WD community did a great deal of work to acquire technology tools that now make our classrooms relevent technologically again. Thank you! We recognize that our students are "digital natives" (they were born into our digital world) while many of us on staff, including me, are "digital immigrants" (recognized the need to move into the digital world) or even "digital refuges" (were forced to move into the digital world). The use of technology is an important part of 21st Century teaching and learning, and can create learning opportunities for students that are not available using more traditional methods. To our teachers' credit, they are open to learning new tools and teaching strategies that will enhance 21st century student learning. In some ways, we are learning together with our students and that is exciting. Some strategies will involve technology, but some will be just strategies that promote the 5 C's of 21st century learning -- creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and curiosity. We will also explore methods to provide parents with technology learning opportunities through our PTA or Site Council. As always, thank you for your support of Walt Disney Elementary and its students.

Joe Nguyen
Principal

September 13, 2010

2010-09-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

New Announcements:

· Important Upcoming Dates :

Sept. 14:	Lifetouch School Picture Day
Sept. 15:	Disney Education Foundation (DESEF) Mtg – 3:30 pm, Library
Sept. 16	Room Parent Meeting, 9:00 am, Room T7 WDPTA Meeting – 7:00 pm, Library
Sept. 20	School Site Council Meeting, 3:20 pm, Library
Sept. 22	WD Dinner Day at Sweet Tomatoes (make sure you mention you are from Walt Disney Elementary and you raise money for our school)
Sept. 24	WOW Lunch with Mr. Nguyen begin WDPTA Family Fun Night – Bingo Night, Time: TBD, Multipurpose Room

· Join me at the 2010 Primo’s Run for Education: Last year, my family and I started a tradition of running (ok…I walked most of the way) the 5k Primo’s Run for Education sponsored by the San Ramon Valley Unified Education Foundation. This is an event enjoyed by the entire community of San Ramon, Danville, and neighboring towns and cities. The proceeds of this event and the Carbo Load event the night before go right back to our schools through grants awarded to teachers and direct proceeds to our PTA. Last year, I believe we totaled in the hundreds of dollars that were returned to Walt Disney Elementary. Wouldn’t it be nice to see that total be in the thousands of dollars this year? Come join me, members of the staff, your friends, and neighbors in this year’s event on October 10, 2010 (it’s 10-10-10!). To register online or read more information, go to the Primo’s Run website. Here is some additional information about this event:

1. Since 1972, SRVEF has given more than $2.7 million to the schools;
2. This year, there will be more money than ever paid out to our PTA if we reach a certain number of registrants from our school;
3. The Foundation anticipates giving more grants than ever after this year's run;
4. This is the biggest run in the East Bay, and apparently school districts all over the nation are trying to mimic this model of fundraising (with less success);
5. The Rotary Club's Carbo Load will be held the night before, and this year all of the proceeds go directly to SRVEF;
6. There is a special program for 5th graders this year: they will receive an extra t-shirt from Scholarshare College Savings Plan, a Cold Stone Creamery gift card, and the six classes in the district registering the most 5th graders will receive Flip Video Cameras for their teachers to use in the classroom.

Recurring Announcements:

· Playground Supervision Begins at 8:25 am: Our staff starts supervising arriving students on our playground in the morning at 8:25 am. In order to provide the safest environment possible for your child, we ask that students not be dropped off until after supervision begins. However, if your child must be dropped off before 8:25 am, please make sure they stay on the parking lot side of the broad white line painted near the entrance to our playground. Students may enter the playground once our supervisors (in yellow vests) arrive.

· New After School Enrichment Class: We have started a partnership with Spectrum of Science to offer a new series of after school enrichment classes for students. Would your child enjoy building a robotic vehicle, splitting a beam of light, or dissecting? Spectrum of Science will integrate a number of hands on science experiments and make learning S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fun. Download this flyer and sign up directly with Spectrum of Science. Classes start September 7.

August 30, 2010

2010-08-28T03:59:00.001-07:00

New Announcements:

· Important Upcoming Dates :

Sept. 1:	5^th Grade Camp Arroyo Info Meeting (5:45 pm – 6:30 pm) Back to School Night (adults only), 6:30 pm – 7:15 pm = Kinder, Gr. 4-5 7:30 pm – 8:15 pm = Gr. 1-3 (Prochazka and Frank’s classes is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug 31
Sept. 3:	Budget Cut Day – No school
Sept. 6:	Labor Day – No school
Sept. 7	Early /Late Reader Schedule Begins for K-2

· Lunch Duty Supervisors Needed: Are you interested in helping out at our school supervising students during their lunch and lunch recess? Would you like to be paid for this? We have one open positions for up to 6 hour/week lunch duty supervisor position. If you are interested, go to this website to apply. If you have any questions about this position, feel free to contact me by calling the office or emailing me.

Recurring Announcements:
NA

August 18, 2010

2010-08-17T16:27:00.001-07:00

New Announcements:

· Important Upcoming Dates :

August 20:	Staff Development Day
August 20:	Class Assignments Posted on MPR doors at 4:00 pm
August 23:	1^st Day of School, Minimum Day Dismissal (Kinder orientation)– Bell schedule
August 23:	WDPTA Ice Cream Social after school, 12:10 pm – 1:00 pm
Sept. 1:	Back to School Night (adults only), 6:45 pm – 7:30 pm = Kinder, Gr. 4-5 7:45 pm – 8:30 pm = Gr. 1-3
Sept. 3:	Budget Cut Day – No school
Sept. 6:	Labor Day – No school
	Download the newly released District Calendar for 2010-2011 (includes “budget cut” days)

· Map for Vehicle Drop off & Pick-ups: As you prepare for the first week of school, I wanted everyone to be aware that we have worked together with San Ramon Police and San Ramon Transportation to revise the front of the school. Our 3 Traffix buses will pull all the way forward in our parking lot, which will enable cars to still use the parking lot for drop off and pick up even when the buses are present. The Pebble Place exit/entrance to our school is NOT a designated drop-off/pick-up location for students in vehicles. To view a map created by San Ramon Transportation of the endorsed drop-off/pick-up spots, click here.

I recommend, if you can, to walk to school on the first day of school. The parking and traffic tends to be heavy on this day.

· Lunch Duty Supervisors Needed: Are you interested in helping out at our school supervising students during their lunch and lunch recess? Would you like to be paid for this? We have two open positions for up to 6 hour/week lunch duty supervisor position. If you are interested, go to this website to apply. If you have any questions about this position, feel free to contact me by calling the office or emailing me.

· Starting the Day Together: Starting on the second day of school, Tuesday, August 24, you will see a change in how we start the day. Students who start their day at the 8:40 am start time (does not include Kinder or the K/1 combo class) will line up on the playground after the 8:35 am first bell. Teachers will come out to greet students and walk their students to classrooms. As a result, all students and parents should go out to the playground instead of lining up by classroom doors. Teachers will discuss and train students on the first day of school.

For the first day of school, students can go directly to their classrooms after the 8:35 am bell.

Recurring Announcements:
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August 3, 2010

2010-08-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

I trust that all of our Walt Disney (WD) families are enjoying some summer fun. As one parent recently shared with me, “I am in complete denial that the first day of school is only 3 weeks away.” I would especially like to welcome our new WD families to our community. Whether your child is about to enter Kindergarten, or you and your family are new to our neighborhood, on behalf of the entire WD community…WELCOME!

As a special reminder, our incoming Kindergarten “Getting to Know You” day is coming next Wednesday, August 11. During this day, your incoming Kindergartener will spend 40 minutes working with our Kindergarten teachers while parents will hear an orientation from me, our PTA President, Trish Baer, and our DESEF President, Jan Devilbiss. We will use the information gathered during this 40 minute “assessment” as one factor in creating balanced Kindergarten class assignments for the upcoming school year. If your incoming Kindergartener was enrolled in June, you had an opportunity to sign up for either the 10:00 am, 11:30 am, or 2:00 pm session. If you did not sign up, we will call you soon or you can call our front office (479-3900) to sign up for a session.

As all of our families prepare for the upcoming important dates while squeezing in your final summer activities, I wanted you to have a list of important dates to put into your calendar. Feel free to download it by clicking on the link in the previous sentence. Please note that these dates and events are subject to change.

Thank you and the staff and I look forward to seeing you later this month.

June 1, 2010

2010-05-29T06:31:00.001-07:00

New Announcements:

· Important Upcoming Dates :

May 31:	· Memorial Day – no school
June 2:	· Team 1 Trip to Boone Acres Park (10:30-1:50)
June 3:	· PTA Meeting, 7:00 pm
June 4:	· Art-a-Palooza Day
June 9:	· 5^th Grade Trip to Boomers (9:30-1:30)
June 10:	· Last Day of School (minimum day)
June 18:	· School Office Closes for Summer
August 2:	· School Office Opens
August 9-11	· Registration Packet Pickup
August 12 & 16	· Walk Through Registration
	Download the newly released District Calendar for 2010-2011 (includes “budget cut” days)

· Summer Resources: Are you looking for summer independent activities for your child(ren)? Research suggests that students’ skills can regress during the summer months . Programs like the school district’s summer enrichment program or local library programs can help. If a summer program isn’t available to you and your family, I encourage you to spend as little as 20-30 minutes on a regular basis having your child(ren) read during the summer days. I would like to also share an online summer resource that will help you vary your child’s summer program. This resource connects you to online resources in multiple content areas that can be fun and help keep their skills sharp for the fall.

· CONGRATULATIONS Ms. Downey: Shayne Downey has been named as Walt Disney’s San Ramon Rotary’s Educator of the Year! Ms. Downey, as our resource teacher, is an advocate and supporter of our Disney students and a wonderful resource to our staff and many parents. Ms. Downey will be recognized on June 3 at a luncheon hosted by the San Ramon Rotary Club. Great job, Ms. Downey!

· Thank you Parent Leaders: It truly does take a village to raise a child. I would like to all of our parent volunteers including our DESEF and PTA leadership for an incredibly successful year filled with new learning, memorable experiences, and fun family activities for our community. There are too many parents to list who are moving on who have contributed countless hours and resources to our school community. THANK YOU! The staff and I look forward to all of our parents who will be back next fall serving on leadership boards, committees, PTA, DESEF, School Site Council, volunteering in the library/classrooms, chaperoning on field trips, and helping in countless ways. Next year, we will start a new program entitled “Helping Hands.” This will be a program where a team of parent volunteers will be organized into teams who will help teachers make copies and prepare materials. This will provide a valuable service to teachers, freeing our teachers up to concentrate their “prep times” on tasks more directly connected to teaching and learning – collaborating with colleagues, planning lessons & assessments, analyzing student assessments and data, etc. If you are looking for a low-commitment way to serve in our community, sign up for Helping Hands in the fall at registration.

Recurring Announcements:

· Free & Reduced Lunch: we have all felt the crunch of our recent economy in one way or another. Our school district does offer school lunch service on a free and/or reduced fee basis for families who qualify. I invite families to consider this option as a nutritious lunch makes a big difference in our children’s day. Visit this website below to download the application, and return it to the Disney office. All applications and information are kept confidential.

· Summer Enrichment Program : as many of our families may have already heard during conferences with teachers, our district will not have an intervention summer program for elementary students (except for some cases of special education and English learners). However, enrichment summer school will continue. To see what classes are available, go to the K-4 district summer programs website where you can also sign up your child(ren). Online registration opens on March 24.

May 17, 2010

2010-05-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

New Announcements:

· Important Upcoming Dates :

May 17	Staff Development Day – No school for students
May 18	· 5^th Grade Visits Pine Valley Middle · Parkhurst Trip to In-n-Out
May 19	· Garrahan & Koby Trip to In-n-Out · DESEF Meeting, 3:30-4:30
May 20	· Schaeffer & Drain/Fissore Trip to In-n-Out · DESEF Popsicle Giveaway in MPR, 6:00 pm · Open House/Science Fair, 6:30-7:30 pm
May 21	· “Hawaiian” Spirit Day · PTA Family Fun Night – Hawaiian Family Dance
May 26	Parent Volunteer Tea – 8:00 am in MPR
May 27	2^nd Grade Trip to Sunol Niles Canyon Railroad
May 28	WOW Pizza Luncheon

· THANK YOU for the Teacher Appreciation Week: On behalf of all of our teachers and staff, we’d like to thank the entire Walt Disney community for this past week’s flowers, treats, gifts, cards, and words. I feel truly honored to work and serve in our community. The staff and I were treated this Thursday to a wonderful luncheon served by our generous WDPTA. To see a “thank you” video on location, click here.

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Please note our school district’s newly published policy on the inappropriate use of technology, possible consequences, and action steps for responding to bullying/harassment:

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ACCEPTABLE USE OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION -  As the use of digital technology becomes more prevalent throughout our schools, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District is committed to helping students learn the responsible use of such technology in a safe and appropriate manner. This document serves as a reminder to parents and students that cell phones, cameras, video cameras, websites and other means of transmitting electronic data can be disruptive and/or harmful, with respect to themselves, other students and staff, as well as the overall school environment. The following information has been developed with the safety of all students and staff in mind.

CYBER BULLYING

Cyber Bullying is the use of electronic information and communication devices to willfully and repeatedly harm either a person or persons through the medium of electronic text, photos, or videos. Examples of this behavior include but are not limited to:

· Sending/posting false, cruel, hurtful or vicious messages/comments

· Creating websites that have stories, cartoons, pictures, and jokes ridiculing others.

· Breaking into an email account and sending vicious or embarrassing materials to others.

· Engaging someone in electronic communication, tricking that person into revealing sensitive personal information and forwarding that information to others.

· Posting of a student picture without their permission.

Bullying of this nature creates a hostile, disruptive environment on the school campus and is a violation of the student’s and staff member’s right to be safe and secure. Actions deliberately threatening, harassing, intimidating an individual or group of individuals, placing an individual in reasonable fear of harm or damaging the individual’s property; or disrupting the orderly operation of the school, will not be tolerated.

INAPPROPRIATE USE OF TECHNOLOGY

The fundamental principles behind these policies are that students should never do anything that harms another student or prevents them from learning. Any use of technological media that interrupts with a student’s right to learn will not be tolerated. Electronic media includes, but is not limited to: social networking sites, chat rooms and discussion groups, instant messaging, text messaging, computers, cell phones and personal digital devices, digital cameras, cell phone cameras, and web cams. As new technologies emerge, they too may be included with the above forms of electronic communication. Examples of this behavior include but are not limited to:

· Sending, sharing, viewing, or possessing pictures, text messages, emails, or other material of sexually explicit, graphic, or disruptive nature on any device is prohibited on a school campus.

· If the conduct occurs off school grounds and causes or threatens to cause a substantial disruption at school or interferes with the rights of students or school staff to be secure, school administration may impose consequences. The Administration may also report the Cyber Bullying or Harassment to the police.

CONSEQUENCES - INAPPROPRIATE USE OF TECHNOLOGY

Education Codes 48900.4 and 48900 (r), strictly prohibit harassment or bullying of any kind and such behavior is subject to consequences, including possible expulsion.

· Sexually explicit material that is transmitted electronically may result in parents or police being notified, and that material may be reported as suspected child abuse or neglect.

· All students involved in the transmission and/ or possession of such images or text may be disciplined under California Education Code 48900 (i): Committed an obscene act or engaged in habitual profanity or vulgarity.

· If reasonable suspicion exists that a student has been involved in possessing or transmitting such material, the electronic device involved may be confiscated and searched by school officials.

· The transmission of such material involving another student may be punished under California Education Code 48900 (r): Engaged in an act of bullying, including, but not limited to, bullying committed by means of an electronic act, as defined in subdivisions (f) and (g) of Section 32261, directed specifically toward a pupil or school personnel.

· Additionally, Education Code 48900 (k) states that any disruption of school activities or otherwise willful defiance of the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials, or other school personnel engaged in the performance of their duties can also lead to suspension

*** Education Codes 48900.4 “Harassment, threats, or intimidation creating an intimidating or hostile educational environment”

***Education Code 48900 (k) “Disrupted school activities or otherwise willfully defied the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials, or other school personnel engaged in the performance of their duties”

***Education Code 48900 (i) “Committed an obscene act or engaged in habitual profanity or vulgarity

*** Education Code 48900 (r) “Engaged in an act of bullying, including, but not limited to bullying committed by means of an electronic act, as defined in subdivisions (f) and (k) of Section 32261, directed specifically toward a pupil or school personnel”

ACTION STEPS TO RESPOND TO BULLYING OR HARASSMENT

Any student who receives such an image or message against their will should:

· Inform a school official immediately.

· Save the evidence. Print the online harassing text if possible.

· Identify the Bully.

· Clearly tell the Bully to stop.

· Ignore the bully by leaving the online environment and/or blocking communications.

· File a complaint with the Internet or Cell Phone Company.

· Contact the Bully’s parents.

· Contact the police.
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· STAR Base API Scores Recently Released: As some of you may have read in the papers or seen on the internet, the 2009 Base API scores were released on Thursday by the California Department of Education. Disney’s Academic Performance Index was 917 and our “Similar Schools Rating” was a 9 (out of 10). These scores are NOT the results of our recently completed STAR tests. The 2009 Base scores are indeed the annual recalculated scores from the STAR tests that our students took last spring in 2009. “But we already saw those scores. Why is the state releasing these scores again?” you may ask. Every year, the state makes changes to the STAR tests that require the readjustment or recalculations of scores so schools and school districts can have a “base” score to more accurately compare the results of the upcoming 2010 Growth API scores that will be released in August/September. In summary, we do not know the results from the recently completed STAR scores that our 2^nd through 5^th graders just completed.

· Parent Volunteer “Thank You” Tea: There are so many different ways that WD parents’ contributions enhance the learning of everyone in our school community. There have been numerous parents who have helped teachers by performing cutting, copying, and sorting duties as well as providing instruction and support to small groups of students. Some parents volunteer in our library and cafeteria. Others have served on the boards and/or committees of our parent groups – DESEF and PTA. There are many, many, many more parents who volunteer in other capacities to enrich the WD school experience. We would like to invite and honor all of you to our Annual Volunteer Tea to be held on May 26^th. This year, we will have a Breakfast Tea from 8:00 am to 8:40 am. We hope all our parent volunteers can attend for we truly appreciate all that you do!

Recurring Announcements:

May 3, 2010

2010-04-30T18:57:00.001-07:00

New Announcements:

· Important Upcoming Dates :

April 27-May 6	STAR Testing for Grades 2-5
May 7	GATE Field Trip to Physics/Math Day at Great America
May 12	Fagerbourg’s Class Field Trip to In-n-Out
May 13	Siskind’s Class Field Trip to In-n-Out
May 13	GATE Parents Meeting (for current 2^nd-4^th graders), 3:30-4:00, Library
May 13	PTA Meeting, 7:00 pm, Library (Special presentation on school lunch program)

· Star Testing - April 27 - May 6

The following are some tips on how to help prepare your child for the upcoming STAR test:

Make sure that your child gets plenty of sleep each night
Make sure that your child eats a well-balanced breakfast (including proteins) before coming to school.
Please do not schedule any appointments for your child during the testing days.
Eliminate any unnecessary stress as much as possible. A worry-free mind helps students be successful.
Communicate to your child that STAR testing is a time to “show what you know!”

Quiet campus 8:40 am – 10:30 am each day. Tardy students must stay in the office once testing has started.

· PTA and DESEF Board Members for 2010-2011: I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our Disney Elementary School Education Foundation (DESEF) and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) outgoing board and committee members for your dedication to our school community. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated parents here at Walt Disney. To all of our incoming board and committee members, I would like to welcome all of our new members and thank our returning members. I look forward to working with each and every one of you to continue to make our community a “great place to learn and grow.” If you are still interested in working with DESEF or our PTA, please consider attending an upcoming meeting. Each parent group welcomes new members and values your input.

· Parent Volunteer “Thank You” Tea: There are so many different ways that WD parents’ contributions enhance the learning of everyone in our school community. There have been numerous parents who have helped teachers by performing cutting, copying, and sorting duties as well as providing instruction and support to small groups of students. Some parents volunteer in our library and cafeteria. Others have served on the boards and/or committees of our parent groups – DESEF and PTA. There are many, many, many more parents who volunteer in other capacities to enrich the WD school experience. We would like to invite and honor all of you to our Annual Volunteer Tea to be held on May 26^th. This year, we will have a Breakfast Tea from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. We hope all our parent volunteers can attend for we truly appreciate all that you do!

· Class Placements for 2010-11: The teachers and I will work together soon to create balanced classes for next year. If you have questions regarding how we create class assignments, download and read the FAQ sheet. If you would like to submit a Student Information Sheet based on your child’s learning needs, download and submit the Student Information Sheet to the front office by May 10. I ask that NO specific teacher requests or classmate requests are made. The teachers and I will review every form and do all we can to consider your feedback in our placements. You can also pick up a Student Information Sheet in the front office.

Recurring Announcements:

· Summer Enrichment Program : as many of our families may have already heard during conferences with teachers, our district will not have an intervention summer program for elementary students (except for some cases of special education and English learners). However, enrichment summer school will continue. To see what classes are available, go to the K-4 district summer programs website where you can also sign up your child(ren). Online registration opens on March 24.