Inside This Issue:

Hot off the presses is the McNear News Update. Here are a few odds and ends I am sure you are wondering about or possibly some things you should be wondering about. 
Garden: The garden committee struggled at the start of this year because we suffered the loss of a number of key families in August. However, the garden still looks great due to the efforts of a number of dedicated McNear families. The garden committee met on October 29, 2009 to get us on track for this year. Our plan for the year will be to develop our garden program as a variation of the program currently used at Valley Vista. This will allow students to work in the garden and learn about science, cooking and nutrition, and garden maintenance. This model will rely on support from our families, so please keep an eye open for the request to be coming in the January newsletter. 
Swings: Wondering what has been going on with the swings? Our swings were installed about 5 years ago, and the footings have cracked three times since that installation. A cracked footing makes the swings unsafe. We will be working on the swings in December and hope the swings are back in action early in the New Year.

Performances: We had an amazing upper grade performance of "Elementary School Musical" last week. We hope you were able to catch one of the shows on Friday or Saturday. This adapted version of "High School Musical" with some custom bonus scenes really gave the students an opportunity to shine. Our performing arts program is unique and successful due to the commitment of our parent volunteers. We want to especially thank the directors, coordinators, and other talented adults that worked tirelessly to pull off an amazing performance. 
PTA Meeting: We have a PTA Meeting on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 6:30 pm in the Multi Use Room. The first part of this meeting will focus on Accelerated Reader and Accelerated Math. We will be demonstrating how to access the parent features of the software at home. Regardless of whether your child is currently using the program in class, you will be able to use portions of this program at home to support your child's learning. We hope to see you at this meeting.

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, we hope your family will enjoy some time with each other. We have many reasons to be thankful. I know I speak for the staff in saying that we are thankful for your children, for all the parent support that infuses our school, and for the opportunity to be part of such a vibrant learning community.

Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.

In the upcoming weeks, McNear will be holding our annual Holiday Giving Program. Our hope is that this event will help make this Holiday season a special time for all families in our own school community. Our Giving Board will be set up near the school office during the first week of December. It will have star tags with gift selections for some of our McNear students whose families are experiencing challenging circumstances. The star can be picked up by any adult. After the family purchases the gift for the chosen anonymous family, the wrapped present should be brought back to McNear’s office by December 9th. Last year, over 50 tags were turned into gifts of joy for many in our school community. 

We are expanding our program to include donation of both grocery gift cards and child selected toys or gifts. This ensures families in our school community receive not only the essentials, but the joys of the season. We are also encouraging the connection of giving, by requesting each donating family to create an anonymous card to attach to the donated gift. Specifics about the Giving Program will also be posted on our Holiday Board. Please contact Brandi Gordon, Holiday Giving Program Coordinator, at bgordonleno@aol.com with any questions or comments.
 

If you have a REDcard (Target Visa Credit Card, Target Credit Card, or Target Check Card), PLEASE go to www.target.com and select McNear Elementary as your designated beneficiary for the “Take Charge of Education” program. 1% of your purchases will go directly to our school to fund essential supplies and programs. If you would like a Target Visa, Credit, or Check card, you can also apply online or at the store! Thank you for your continued support!

 

Tamara Lelie is the new Branch Director of the Cavanagh Clubhouse - welcome!. As a reminder, the regular Club hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - 2:30-6:00 p.m., and Wednesday - 12:30-6:00 p.m. Registration Fees are $400 for the academic school year, or $5.00 daily drop in option (instead of paying for the full year). Special scholarships are also available; check with Tamara.
 

Come visit the HomeSpun Craft Fair fundraiser and see what talents McNear parents have to offer! Not all the 20+ vendors are McNear Falcons, but our school will still benefit with 20% of all sales during the Fair. We have had an amazing response from artisans and crafters, with items ranging from beaded jewelry to repurposed tote bags, from painted birdhouses to painted bird portraits, reclaimed wood blocks, homemade body lotions, crocheted hats, and more! Plus, we'll be offering limited edition McNear t-shirts, so get yours while you can. We are so excited to present this event - plan on coming by! The Fair will be held in the multi on Saturday, December 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
 

Forms are due today, Monday November 23rd. Please turn in forms and checks to either your child's teacher or the office. Thank you so much for your support in our Fundraising efforts. If you have any last minute orders don't hesitate to contact us. We will also be at the December 5th Craft Fair at McNear School. 
Sandy Jurek - 707-327-8124 Leslee Lauritzen - 707-763-8938

 

 

"Joy is the simplest form of gratitude." --Karl Barth

As the thanksgiving holiday approaches, it is tradition to reflect on the people and gifts in our life. But the attitude of being thankful is useful to us and our families every day of the year. Studies have shown that being grateful to people in our lives, actively thanking others, counting our abundance, and appreciating the present moment leads to the development of healthy relationships, increases our ability to cope with difficult situations, and contributes to our overall satisfaction with our lives regardless of our measurable good fortune. Here are as few things to consider sharing with your family...

There are many resources available on the web, and in your library, or local bookstore regarding the practice of cultivating gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Alegría es la forma más simple de agradecimiento” -- Karl Barth

Al aproximarse el Día de Acción de Gracias, es tradicional reflexionar acerca de las personas y las cosas en nuestra vida. Pero la actitud de ser agradecido es beneficioso para nosotros y para nuestras familias todos los días del año. Estudios han demostrado que el ser agradecido con las personas que forman parte de nuestra vida, el agradecer activamente a otros, el valorar nuestra riqueza y el apreciar el momento presente nos lleva al desarrollo de relaciones sanas, aumenta nuestra habilidad de sobrellevar situaciones difíciles y contribuye a la satisfacción de nuestras vidas sin importar nuestra fortuna. Estas son algunas cosas que se pueden tener en cuenta para compatir con su familia…

Hay muchos recursos disponibles en internet, en la biblioteca, o en su librería local acerca de cómo fomentar

el agradecimiento.

Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias!

 

In November McNear School is focusing on playing fair.

Here is an acronym we have shared with our students:

We will award Falcon Feathers to students who exhibit these qualities.

Playing board or outdoor games with your kids can provide great opportunities to reinforce these concepts.

Think of modeling and/or discussing the following with them:

Estimados Padres,

Ya tenemos un sobre en la oficina al lado del escritorio de nuestra secretaria Nancy Thro si gustan dejar una nota con las Senora Martinez sobre cualquier pregunta o preocupación que tendrán. Las notitas estan dentro del sobre si gustan escribir algo y dejarlo allí.

Gracias,

Departamento Bilingúe
 

Looking for that great sweatshirt you bought your child? Missing a jacket? A lunch box? ALL the lost and found items (and there are many, many lost and found items!) will be put out on the front benches Monday and Tuesday, 11/23 and 11/24. Please take a look and pick up any items that belong to you or your child. (Do you have your child’s name written on their clothes, lunch boxes, etc. - it really helps…!). Items not picked up by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 11/24/09, will be donated to the Salvation Army.
 

Thanks to all the staff, parents and friends who have participated in our Dine and Donate program! We have had a tremendous success with this and are thrilled that this is going so well. In November we made a total of $400 from Taqueria Mi Pueblo and $320 from Chinatown Restaurant. Thank you to all who have supported these events!
 

Our next Dine and Donate is on December 9 and will be at Tres Hombres Restaurant. Please be sure to bring the flyer with you, and enjoy a great meal out!!

 

PCS Elementary Music News - Fall 2009

Please visit the news page of the McNear Elementary School Website to see the PCS Elementary Music Newsletter for Fall 2009.