Fun Run in Downtown Redwood City, July 4

The 4th of July Parade Run is coming up soon! This family-friendly 5k run and walk kicks off Redwood City’s famous Independence Day celebrations. Family t-shirt sponsorships available until June 1, 2013 – make your family famous! Click here for more information and registration.

Proceeds benefit the Redwood City Education Foundation.

¡El maratón “Parade Run” del 4 de julio se aproxima! Este maratón de 5 km. Es ideal para familias, se puede correr o caminar. Además, inaugura las festividades del Día de la Independencia. Su familia puede estar incluída en la parte de atrás de la camiseta si nos apoya con dinero hasta el 1ero. de junio. ¡Haga famosa a su familia! Más información y registro.

Las ganancias benefician a la Fundación para la Educación de Redwood City.

Clifford Spring Raffle

Support Clifford School and buy tickets for the Clifford Spring Raffle, happening Thursday, May 30th (same night as Open House, Grades 2 through 8). 6PM to 8PM.

Brace yourselves! We have a selection of outstanding prizes that will fit into everybody’s budget.

How much are tickets? You can buy three levels of tickets, based on the value of the prize:

$3 per ticket (yellow color)
$10 per ticket (green color)
$25 per ticket (red color)

Buy $100 worth of tickets and get a FREE Clifford School car magnet!

What’s on offer? Here’s our prize list, as of May 29, 2013:

$3 ticket items (yellow)

  • Nothing Bundt Cakes gift certificate ($40)
  • Race time at GoKartRacer in Burlingame ($50) [2 prizes]
  • Piacere restaurant gift card ($50)
  • JoeyRae women’s clothing (San Carlos) gift card ($50)
  • Bay Area Discovery Museum, free admission for up to 5 visitors [2 prizes]
  • Delivery of two dozen home-made scones and jam on a weekend morning
  • Century Theater movie passes for 4 [2 prizes]
  • 231 Ellsworth Restaurant gift certificate ($50)
  • Canyon Inn gift certificate ($50)
  • Buck’s restaurant in Woodside gift certificate ($35) [2 prizes]
  • Hobee’s Restaurant gift certificate ($25)
  • Picnic Essentials™ backpack picnic set + wine
  • Beauty Lounge gift certificate ($50)
  • Captain’s Redwood City (skate, surf, choppers) gift certificate ($50)
  • Golden Time Jewelers gift certificate ($30)
  • 2 lbs and 2 mugs from Peet’s coffee
  • Cold Stone gift certificates ($50 total)
  • [3] PS3 Games: ModNation Racers; NBA09 “The Inside”; Ratchet & Clank, “Future: A Crack in Time”
  • (3) PS3 Games: Ratchet & Clank “Full Frontal Assault”; Little Big Planet 2; Jak and Daxter Collection
  • MLB2013 “The Show” for PS3
  • “Box Ready Movie Date:” $25 Fandango card, candy, microwave popcorn, popcorn box, 2 bottles water

$10 ticket items (green)

  • Peninsula Swim School—$100 off a full series, 9-lesson package
  • Nazareth Ice Oasis Skating School—Free, 8-week, group ice skating lessons
  • Sequoia YMCA—3-month family membership including joining fee
  • Four day passes to Great America
  • Peninsula Humane Society—gift certificate for free pet adoption
  • Furry Friends Pet Sitting Service—2 drop in sitting services
  • Happy Tails dog grooming—2 free grooming sessions
  • Urban Combat—1-month free pass for MMA self-defense courses [2 prizes]
  • “Family Day in Monterey” complete with 4 passes to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and a one-night stay with an ocean-view condo at the Seascape Resort
  • Day pass to Emerald Lake Country Club (up to 10 people) [2 prizes]
  • Pickled clothing store gift certificate ($150)
  • American Girl® themed basket
  • “Mix with the Best” gift package 750ml each Grey Goose vodka, Cazadores tequila reposado, Dewar’s white label Scotch whisky, Bacardi rum, Bombay Sapphire gin with cocktail-condiment tray
  • Keratin Complex Coppola Express Blow Out & haircut, Gretchen Schroeder Salon
  • DXA personal body composition scan (lean muscle–to-fat assessment), Bone Density & Body Composition Center
  • (2) Giants tickets, Club Level, Sunday, August 11, Orioles
  • (2) Giants tickets, Lower box, Section 112, Wednesday, July 24, Reds
  • “Lunch Date with the 4th Grade Team”
  • “Movie Outing with Ms. Smith”
  • Case of 2009 WL Butler Family Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
  • “Lunch in the Clifford C-Suite” with Principal Behrendt and Assistant Principal Dees
  • 2-night campsite under the redwoods at Smithwoods RV Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains (plus additional basket items)
  • 2 “unlimited-rides plus 2 attraction” passes to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (along with additional basket items)
  • “At-Home Movie Night” themed basket, with cool popcorn maker, popcorn, new DVD releases, and more
  • Italian themed basket
  • “Local Artisans” themed basket, includes $75 gift certificate to Mayers Jewelers
  • Gyrowheel by Gyrobike® (battery powered, front training wheel for kids)
  • KOA Airstream camper weekend (plus additional basket items)
  • “Instant 4th of July” themed basket
  • Mystery Bag: A cornucopia of treasures, including $100 in restaurant gift certificates

$25 ticket items (red)

  • 4-night stay in a Lake Tahoe cabin (Chamberlands with pool pass)
  • “The Office Bar & Grill Evening Out” — $100 worth of The Office gift certificates; also includes babysitting; private car to and from; 1 dozen farm fresh eggs; 32 oz. R.W. Knudsen organic orange juice (2 of Men’s Health’s “Top 10 Hangover Helpers”)
  • 7-night stay at Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
  • Sony PlayStation (PS3) 250GB gaming system
  • 3-month family membership to Pacific Athletic Club
  • [2] 49er tickets: Monday, December 23, 2013 vs. Falcons 5:40pm. Upper reserved section 22
  • New Android Nexus 7 (tablet), with a 7-inch display, along with $50 Google Play gift certificates

When and where can I buy?  You can buy tickets in the library starting Tuesday, May 28th. After buying tickets, place them in the raffle boxes of the prizes you hope to win. All prizes will have their own “color coded” box.

Sales Dates & Times (in library):

Tuesday, May 28
8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
1:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday, May 29
8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
1:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Thursday, May 30
8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Can I view things first? Absolutely. Items and/or item descriptions will be on display in the library during ticket sales (see schedule above).

I have a 1st Grader and/or a Kinder, do I have to come back May 30th to buy tickets?! No. You can buy tickets during preview/sales hours. You’ll be notified if you’re a winner.

What happens May 30? The library will be open during Open House where you can buy and place your tickets into the appropriate raffle boxes! Winning tickets will be drawn Friday, May 31st. If you win, you will be contacted by phone or email. Make sure you provide this info when you submit tickets!

The view from above at Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa in Cabo San Lucas: one of our $25 vacation raffle items.

For more information, contact Christina Sullivan, bandcsully3@yahoo.com

Important PTO Meeting, Thursday, May 9

Hi everybody,

Come to the library on Thursday, May 9, at 7PM for a light home-prepared meal and other refreshments. We’ve a lot to discuss during our PTO meeting, so please come and join us. Children are always welcome, and Spanish translation is available! (Yes, the PTO meeting happens right after Open House ends for Kinder and 1st Grade parents.)

First of all, we’ll have a guest speaker, Shelly Masur, President of the Redwood City School District Board.

Other highlights

  • Vote for the incoming Executive Board
  • Open Positions on the Executive Board and other committees (e.g. VP Communications, Volunteer Coordinator)
  • Learn about the amazing Spring Raffle (May 30 and ticket purchases/sneak peak prior)
  • Lap-a-thon lowdown (May 17)
  • Multicultural Festival (June 7)
  • Art-in-Action (kiln repair and general supplies & Art in Action licensing)
  • Final-final PTO meeting of the year at the Canyon Inn, June 6, 7PM

View the full agenda here.

 

May Day & Clifford’s Kindergarteners: Gifts For Our Neighbors

Kindergartener Coco Lindars is all smiles holding her own May Day basket creation!

Clifford parent Julianne Lindars spearheaded a project to celebrate May Day this year, which directly involved our school’s neighbors. Julianne wanted to focus on all those people who live near our school, and have to deal with heavy traffic and parking for nine months of the year.

Working with our three Kindergarten teachers and parents, Julianne came up with a plan from scratch: Clifford’s littlest students decorated and colored miniature “baskets” made of paper, shaped into cones with small handles. Julianne and her family arranged a variety of flowers into roughly 80 dainty bouquets, and these mini-floral arrangements were placed in the cones. An adorable message from the Kindergartners was added to the outside of the cone. (Note: Every year, two of the Kinder classes typically work on a May Day basket craft project.)

On the morning of May 1st, Julianne and another Clifford parent strolled around neighboring streets — Clifford Avenue, Scenic, Lemoore, Timothy, and Eaton — and delivered the flower baskets right to our neighbors’ doors. In a couple of cases, neighbors saw these parents walking around with flowers, and Julianne handed flowers right into their hands! The neighbors were delighted. And some residents contacted the school to pass along their gratitude.

The May Day basket-drop was a pilot program this year, and the plan for next year is to have Clifford’s First Grade students go on a field trip around the immediate neighborhood to leave the baskets on residents’ door knobs and welcome mats!

Heartfelt thanks to Julianne for dreaming this up — and making it happen. Julianne pored over aerial maps, trekked to local florists, reviewed permission slips (for next year, we hope), and recruited parents to help.

Thank you also to our Kinder teachers: Mrs. Wilkerson, Mrs. Edelstein, and Mrs. Overbey, for their willingness to engage the kids in basket creation! Big kudos to Anjanette Lundell for working on the beautiful stickers — designing and printing them.

Finally, a shout-out to Ralston Florist in Belmont and Trader Joe’s in San Carlos for donating buckets and buckets of flowers to us!

Coco Lindars pauses for the camera before leaving a floral treat for a Clifford neighbor!

Moms’ Night Out: Saturday, May 4, 2013!

Get out your calendars. It’s time for Moms And Margaritas again!

Grab a friend––and come make new ones––on Saturday, May 4th, from 6PM to 10PM. We will enjoy margaritas and a delicious Mexican feast at Casa de Donnelly, 2768 Bromley Drive, San Carlos.

This is a terrific way to get to know fellow Clifford moms and help support the PTO and our school!

$50 per person:

Attendee Name

RSVPs are required by April 15: CliffordPTO@yahoo.com

See you there!

Fun Run for Funds: This Year’s Lap-A-Thon

Friday, May 17, is this year’s grand Lap-A-Thon.

All students have a special window during the school day where they run laps together around our Olympic track on the upper campus! Help your kids obtain donations from family, friends, and neighbors.

The fundraiser’s fabulous organizers — Katherine Schembri, Sam Eterovich, Solly Catiis — are looking for volunteers: Class Escorts (to escort kids from class to the upper field); Lap Markers (mark wrist cards as students complete a lap); Refreshment Helpers (refill water cups/bottles, and hand out otter pops); Setup/Cleanup.

Volunteers can be engaged for as short as 30 minutes, or for the entire morning (8:30AM-12:30PM), so come and help as your schedule allows. Can’t commit? Come and cheer on your student!

Here is the finalized schedule:

Lap-a-thon Schedule for Friday May 17th
8:30 to 9:00am   –   4th and 6th grades
9:10 to 9:40am   –   2nd and 8th grades
10:05 to 10:25am – 1st grade
10:45 to 11:15am –  3rd and 7th grades
11:30 to 12:00pm – 5th grade
12:10 to 12:30pm – Kindergarten

 

Click here to sign up for specific time slots. Thank you.

Contact: Solly Catiis, (650) 464-1023, vatormama@yahoo.com.

Donate Now To the PTO: It Takes A Village

Raising our children to be the best they can be takes the effort of every one in the Clifford community — our teachers, staff, children, and families. In that spirit, our goal is to have participation from 100 percent of our families in our PTO fundraising drive.

Currently, we’re at 30 percent.

Let’s keep it going and see what we can achieve. Your family’s hard-earned money helps the PTO fund P.E., art, marine science field trips, Outdoor Ed, middle school enrichment and so much else!

We need the help of every one of you to support all the wonderful programs and activities that help make Clifford one of the best schools in the district.

To donate, please drop a check  (made out to Clifford PTO) in the black locked PTO box in the school office. You can also donate here via PayPal.

Make sure to indicate your student’s name on the check or in the PayPal notes so we can track our participation progress!

Thank you.

Questions? Contact Amie O’Toole, otoolesnyc@mac.com.

Middle School Dance, Friday, May 10, 2013

The last Middle School Dance of the year is right around the corner!

Tickets are only $10, and they are on sale now after school in front of our school office!

The dance is for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, and will happen on Friday May 10, 2013 from 6PM to 8PM in the MUB/gym.

We need chaperone volunteers. If you can sign up––or if you have questions––please contact Krissy Merolla, 650.771.8488, kristinemerolla@hotmail.com.

See you there!

PTO Board: Your School Needs You

Please join us on Thursday, May 9, when we vote for our new Executive Board and volunteer positions. Your vote counts! The election process occurs during our PTO General Meeting in the library at 7PM. (This is the last meeting of this school year.)

The following roles carry one- or two-year terms:

PTO Executive Board:

  • VP Communication
  • VP Fundraising
  • VP Enrichment
  • Volunteer Coordinator
  • Middle School Liaison
  • Direct Campaign

PTO Roles: 

  • Auditor
  • Yearbook
  • After-School Enrichment
  • Escrip Coordinator
  • Eblast Manager
  • Display Case

Step up and take on a specific role with the Clifford PTO.

Contact Pamela Martin to learn more and put your name in the hat!

Contact details:
Pamela Martin
pmartin@sdi-insulation.com
650-492-3937 mobile

Our Multi-Cultural Day Is Coming, June 7th!

Clifford families and friends are invited to our 4th Multicultural Festival on Friday, June 7thm 2013, from 4PM to 8PM at Clifford School.

We will be hosting the “CLIFFORD’S GOT TALENT” Show from 5:30PM to 6:30PM, which will  showcase our own talented students.

Back by popular demand will be the mechanical bull, bouncy house, dunk tank – plus 2 new activities – inflatable obstacle course and slide! Carnival games you can look forward to include the pie-eating contest, marshmallow and pogo stick.

Delicious home-made dishes and desserts from around the world will be sold at the MUB.

In order to make all this possible….WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!

This event is getting bigger and better each year.  Let’s end this school year with this family-fun filled Multicultural festival.  Help us make this a spectacular event – sign-up to volunteer to setup or breakdown the games, collect tickets at an activity, manage a carnival game, sell at the food booths or cook at the grill.  You can also donate baked goods, ethnic dish, ethnic dessert or make a cash donation to help pay for supplies.

Please sign up here

For all other questions, please contact us:

Pamela Martin at (650) 492-3937 or pmartin@sdi-insulation.com

Suaima Figueroa at (650) 281-9157 or suaimab@yahoo.com

Bunnie Morrow at (650) 465-4297 or hulabun@yahoo.com