APRIL 2011

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Dear Vinci Park Families:

Happy Spring!

As you may imagine, we are beginning to prepare for the upcoming 2011-12 school year, and in doing so, last month, we sent to your home, via the Wednesday envelope, the “Intent to Return” form. We ask that you complete and return it to our school office as soon as possible, if you haven’t already done so.

In addition, for your information, included in this newsletter is our school policy for “Class Placement”. We hope it will clarify some of the questions you may have regarding class placement for your child next year.

With the Spring break upon us, I encourage you to visit your local library and check out a few books for your child(ren). Feel free to visit our website at http://californiayoungreadermedal.org/nominees.htm for some suggestions. As you can imagine, good reading habits is a cornerstone to success!

Speaking of which, at our April 13th PTA, I will be conducting another short session on “How to Read to Your Child” at 6:30 p.m. This will be a great opportunity to learn how to go about instilling the love of reading in your child!

Along the lines of parent support programs, our District is hosting its annual Parent University workshops. The next workshop will be held on Saturday, April 9th at 9:00 a.m. at our District Office.

As you may know, beginning on May 2nd, students in the 2nd-5th grades will take part in the State mandated Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program. This test measures how well students are achieving in relation to the California Content Standards for each subject area tested. The results of the STAR test provide us with valuable information about the academic achievement of our students. Hence, in an effort to ensure that your child’s progress and achievement is reflected in our school, we ask your help to ensure that an optimal testing environment is established. As a result, during the two weeks of State testing, we ask that:

You ensure that your child attends school every day

No appointments be made prior to noon

Your child gets a good night’s rest, at least 8 ½ hours/night

Your child has a healthy breakfast before coming to school.

We appreciate your support in ensuring that your children perform at their best!

Finally, as you may have noticed, graffiti and vandalism have been a challenge these past few weeks. However, we are working closely with our Facilities Department and the San Jose Police Department to address this growing issue and to try to deter the people responsible. We are also asking for our community’s help, especially our neighbors, to report any suspicious activities during non-school hours (evenings and weekends) to the SJPD as soon as possible. Your support and assistance will help alleviate the crime that is taking place in our neighborhood and community at-large. The non-emergency SJPD number is 311 or 277-8000.

As always, if I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to call me. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming PTA meeting and getting to know you better at our Wine & Arts Festival on Saturday, May 7th!

In partnership,

Dr. Sandra Jewett,

Principal

Trong trường hợp yêu cầu, bản tin này có thể được dịch sang tiếng Tây Ban Nha, Tiếng Việt, Tiếng Trung Hoa và Tiếng Phi. Quí vị có thể gọi số 923-1903 và sẽ có người nói Tiếng Việt gọi lại nói chuyện với quí vị về bản tin này để quí vị biết điều gě đang xảy ra tại trường học. Esta información puede ser solicitada para ser traducida en español, vietnames, mandarin, cantonese y tagalo, Español: 923-1902. Alguien le llamara para que usted pueda saber que esta pasando en su escuela.

VINCI PARK SCHOOL CRITICAL POINTS

Friday, April 8th is our annual CalSkate family night. Come join the fun between 5:30 – 7:30. See you there!

Tuesday, April 12th, is Spring Picture Day, here at Vinci. Look for the picture packet information that will be sent home with your student(s).

April 18th - April 25th Vinci Park will be closed for Spring Break. Have a wonderful vacation and we will see you back on Tuesday, April 26th.

Thursday, April 28th is Vinci Park’s annual Open House. This is your chance to visit your child’s classroom, meet the teachers, and view your children’s science projects which will be on display for everyone to admire.

PUNTOS IMPORTANTES

El viernes 8 de abril es nuestra noche familiar anual en CALSkate. Únase a nosotros de las 5:30 a las 7:30. ¡Nos vemos ahí!

2. El martes 12 de abril es el día de las fotografías de primavera en Vinci. Usted recibirá un paquete con información que será enviado con los estudiantes.

3. Del 18 al 25 de abril Vinci Park estará cerrado por las vacaciones de primavera. Disfruten de sus vacaciones, las clases se reanudarán el martes 26 de abril.

4. El jueves 28 de abril es nuestro evento anual de Vinci Park Open House. Esta es la oportunidad de que visite el salón de su niño, vea a la maestra y revise los proyectos de ciencias que se exhibirán.

ĐầuTrọng Điểm Của Cuộc Nhắn Tin

1) Thứ Sáu, Ngày 8 Tháng Tư là đêm gia đình hàng năm của CalSkate. Hãy đến tham gia những niềm vui giữa 5:30 – 7:30. Hẹn gặp bạn ở đó nhé!

2) Thứ Ba, Ngày 12 Tháng Tư, là ngày chụp hình của Mùa Xuân Tại Vinci. Hãy tìm những gói thông tin đó sẽ được gởi về nhà cùng với học sinh.

3) Ngày 18 – 25 Tháng Tư Trường Vinci Park sẽ đóng cửa cho Kỳ Nghĩ Mùa Xuân. Chúc bạn có kỳ nghĩ tuyệt vời, và chúng tôi gặp lại bạn vào Thứ Ba, 26 Tháng Tư.

4) Thứ Nam, ngày 28 Tháng Tư là ngày Open House hàng năm của trường Vinci Park. Đây là cơ hội cho bạn đến thăm lớp học của con em bạn, gặp gỡ thầy cô giáo, và thấy những đề án khoa học được trưng bày cho mọi người ngắm nhìn ngưỡng mộ.

CAL SKATE FAMILY NIGHT—April 8th

Vinci Park PTA will be sponsoring our annual Cal Skate family night again this year on Friday, April 8th. Times will be, as usual, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Glow Sticks will be on sale at the rink for $1.00 each. Join us at CalSkate for another fun evening.

SPRING PICTURES—Tuesday, April 12th

On Tuesday, April 12th, we will be having our spring pictures taken. After the pictures are taken, a proof will be sent home. If you want to purchase the picture, send the envelope back with your payment.

KINDER INFO SESSION FOR NEW PARENTS

On Thursday, April 14th, parents with children who will be attending Kindergarten here in the fall are welcome to join us from 9-10 AM for a tour of our Kindergarten.

SPRING BREAK – NO SCHOOL 4/18-4/25

Vinci Park will be closed for spring break from Monday, April 18th through Monday, April 25th. School resumes on Tuesday, April 26th. Please enjoy a safe and relaxing vacation. Don’t forget to check-out some books at your public library for your child(ren).

PARENT TITLE I MEETING—4/26/11

Parents of 2nd-5th grade students are encouraged to attend our upcoming, Title I parent information meeting on April 26th to find out more about the upcoming California Standards Test (CST) goals, expectations and procedures. This is a great opportunity for parents to learn tips on how to best support their children during the upcoming testing period. In addition, Dr. Jewett will be demonstrating some easy strategies to help parents of K-5th grade students in the area of reading.

We look forward to seeing you then!

OPEN HOUSE

Thursday, April 28th from 6:30-7:30

Our annual Open House will take place on April 28th. Come and meet the teachers, visit your child’s classroom and take time to see all the wonderful science projects our 3rd – 5th graders have made.

CITIZEN OF THE MONTH - MARCH

Gr.	Teacher	Rm	Citizen of the Month
K	Mrs. Carr	3	Sophia T.
K	Mrs. Emoto	2	Saray G.
K	Mrs. Hashimoto	7	Katherine L.
K	Mrs. Katsuyama	1	Vincent Z.
K -1st	Mrs. Pitts	17	Francesca V.
1st	Mrs. Escobar-Ausman	12	Crystal T.
1st	Mrs. Du Bose	4	Nathen S.
1st	Miss Salvador	18	Katrina N.
1st	Miss Tanaka	8	Amber R.
2nd	Mrs. Jenzen	6	Vanessa T.
2nd	Mrs. Kirby	13	Tristen L.
2nd	Mrs. Plaza	16	Jared S.
2nd	Mrs. Trowell	15	David N.
2nd/3rd	Mrs. Wong	21	Athena V.
3rd	Mrs. Byma	22	Jenny N.
3rd	Ms. Finkas	19	Nicholas R.
3rd	Mrs. Huynh	26	Aaron R.
3rd	Mrs. Obara/Shem	20	Naerya O.
4th	Miss Fujikawa	23	Anthony L.
4th	Mrs. Nguyen	28	Alberto A.
4th	Mrs. Patterson	24	Winnie X.
4th	Mrs. Stone	29	Shayla T.
5th	Mr. Kato	30	Brian L.
5th	Mrs. Nakano	25	Lisa C.
5th	Ms. Schmidt	32	Nicholas K.
5th	Ms. Tsoi	31	Tyler Y.

CLASS PLACEMENT POLICY

As professional educators, we take great effort in the development of our class rosters. We take into account the needs of individual children and the ways they relate to various teaching styles. We know which children work well together and those that do not. Each class is balanced as much as possible with an equal number of boys and girls with a range of academic ability levels. We are careful not to place too many children with behavioral challenges in a single classroom. We consider the best learning situation for all of our children and we make these decisions very carefully. The principal, along with teachers’ input, makes classroom assignments. The following guidelines are used:

Classes are balanced in terms of gender, abilities and behavior.

Students in special programs, such as RSP/SDC or ELD, may be clustered to maximize in class support from resource teachers and/or instructional aides.

Parents are encouraged to visit classrooms at Open House to become familiar with what is happening in the classrooms. Observation in individual classrooms during instructional time is discouraged, and will occur only after meeting with the principal.

COMBO CLASSES – Why do we have combination classes? Multi-grade classrooms, otherwise known as combination classrooms, are formed out of necessity. Often, student enrollment in residential public schools does not always fit into the scheme of having straight classes. Every year, we do our very best to fill classes based on projections and past year experience to create the best scenario for our students. It doesn’t always work. This common scenario and budget constraints requires us to create combination classes. When this happens, we apply the same placement process as we would for putting together a straight class.

All classroom assignments will be posted in the school window after 4:00 PM on Friday, August 19th. School will start on Monday, August 22nd at 8:10.

MEGASKILL OF THE MONTH--TEAMWORK

Teamwork is defined as a joint action by a group of people, in which each person subordinates his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group. This does not mean that the individual is no longer important; however, it does mean that effective and efficient teamwork goes beyond individual accomplishments. The most effective teamwork is produced when all the individuals involved harmonize their contributions and work towards a common goal.

ATTENTION!!!! OUR CHILDREN’S SAFETY MUST COME FIRST!

Though we are all busy people, on route to an important appointment, work, or errand, we ask that when dropping off or picking up our students, you are careful with both your driving and your temperament. As our children’s first role models, it is important that we keep our tempers in check and that we model both courtesy and good driving habits for our children. Thank you!

PARKING LOT - REMINDER!

School parking lot is CLOSED during pick up.

PLEASE DO NOT ENTER!

Please slow down and obey ALL traffic rules:

DO NOT leave your car unattended in the pick-up & drop-off zones around the school.

DO NOT double-park to pick up your child.

NO u-turns in the middle street.

DO NOT jay-walk. Use the crosswalks.

Follow the directions of our safety patrol, staff and parent volunteers.

PLEASE BE AWARE that you will be CITED if you violate these traffic laws by the SJPD.

BOOK OF THE MONTH - READ IT!

“The OK Book”, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld. The OK Kid loves to try lots of different things. Even though he’s not good at everything he tries, he has fun giving it all a go, because he knows that’s how he’ll find out what he’s really good at.

STATE MANDATED TESTING

The state mandated testing for grades 2nd-5th will take place from May 2nd through May 13th. MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW with these important dates. There will be no independent study contracts approved during this testing period. The California Department of Education provides printed parent guides containing samples of the STAR Program released questions.

http://starsamplequestions.org/index.html

HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR CHILD PREPARE FOR THE TESTING

The role you play to help your child to be successful is very important. You can help your children prepare adequately for the tests by doing several things to provide support and encouragement and create a positive test-taking experience.

See that your child gets a full night's sleep every night during the testing weeks.

Make sure that your child eats a good breakfast on the day of the test. Hunger can detract from a good test performance.

Make sure that your child is in school during the testing sessions. Do not plan any vacation leave, doctor or dental appointments on test dates.

Get your child up early enough to arrive at school on time without rushing.

Have your child dress in something he or she likes so that he/she feels confident and comfortable.

Be positive when you send your child to school. Acknowledge that the tests are difficult, but encourage your child to do his or her best.

Encourage your child to listen carefully to all test-taking directions given by the teacher and to ask questions about those directions that are not clear.

YEARBOOK ARE STILL AVAILABLE!!!!

Vinci Park Yearbooks are being sold for the 2011-12 school year. The yearbooks cost $20.00 each and will be delivered in June of 2011. Check with our school office if you need an order form.

TEACHER WISH LIST

Due to budget challenges and our school budget in emergency status, we are asking for your support. Please keep Vinci park in mind if can help with the following items:

Copy paper (1 ream of copy paper per child)

#2 pencils

binder paper

You can also check with your child’s teacher for specific needs. Thank you for your support and generosity.

MORRILL PARENT ORIENTATION

On Thursday, May 26th at 6:30 in the school library, Morrill Middle School will be having a 5th grade parent orientation. If you live in the Morrill attendance area, please take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about your child’s Middle School.

FIT FOR LEARNING

Consumer Beware

Even though we all know how and why to eat healthy, it appears that, for many of us, it is still hard to make healthy choices. Why? Perhaps a reason is that we are constantly exposed to advertisements that tempt us to eat foods that may not be the best choice for our bodies. We are bombarded with ads everywhere -- newspapers, magazines, TV, billboards and even on the food packages themselves! As a marketing strategy, many companies will often times include a gift to lure us to buy their products; and restaurants will let you play a game or super size an item for a few pennies more just to get you in the door. It is important for us to read the labels carefully to help us make healthy purchases.

Speaking of media and marketing, the last full week of April is National TV Turn-Off Week. It encourages everyone to turn off the TV for only seven days during the entire year. It is meant to provide people with an opportunity to take another step away from the constant barrage of advertisements. It is also a good opportunity for kids and adults to spend less time in front of the TV and discover more physically active things that could be done. Get off that couch and do something physically active instead of watching TV!

Ideas for Implementation:

Take note of how many times your family buys food or goes to a restaurant because of something that is being advertised.

Set up a competition between family members to design or come up with the best advertisement for a healthy food or activity. This could be done as a print ad or as a mock-TV ad.

As a family, participate in TV Turn-Off Week (the last week in April).

Make a list of things you can do instead of watching TV. Keep the list posted on the refrigerator or better yet, on the TV.

Make healthy choices despite advertisements that encourage you to do otherwise.

Find an alternative to watching TV during National TV Turn-Off Week – go for a walk, read a book, go to the park with your friends, play a game with your family.

KINDER REGISTRATION for 2011-12

Do you have a child starting kindergarten next year? Know someone else who does? Registration packets can be picked up NOW from the school office between 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and at the Berryessa District Office at 1376 Piedmont Road from 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Completed packets may be turned in at the Vinci Park School office from 9-1 daily. Only parents and guardians can turn in completed packets. If you have a neighbor with a child who will attend kindergarten next school year, please share this information. Children who were born before December 2, 2006 are eligible for kindergarten for 2011-2012 school year.

MONTHLY MEETINGS

PTA

Our next PTA meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 13 at 6:30pm.

Buổi họp kế tiếp cho PTA sẽ là vào ngày 13 thang 4, 6:30p.m.

Nuestra próxima junta del Club Escolar se llevará acabo el 4/13 at 6:30p.m.

School Site Council

Our next School Site Council meeting will be held on April 6 at 6:00pm.

Buổi họp kế tiếp cho Hội Đồng Nhà Trường sẽ là vào ngày 6 thang 4 6:00p.m.

Nuestra próxima junta del Concilio Escolar llevará acabo el Apr 6 at 6:00p.m.

BERRYESSA DISTRICT BOARD MEETINGS

Location: 1376 Piedmont Rd. San Jose

Tuesdays @ 7p, Board Room

Dates: April 11, May 17, & June 7.

DATES TO REMEMBER

May 2-13	S.T.A.R. testing

May 4	Site Council Mtg. 6:00p

May 11	PTA Mtg. 6:30p

May 23	Teacher Appreciation Week

May 23-27	Aluminum Can Drive

May 30	NO SCHOOL—Memorial Day

June 1	SSC Mtg. 6:00p

June 1-3	Olympics

June 8	9:30 5th Grade Recognition

June 9	8:30-12:30 5th grade picnic-

Flickinger

Last day of school

1:00 PM dismissal