Community, Fundraising

Read-A-Thon Starts This Week!

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The Read-A-Thon starts on Jan. 17 and will be running for 30 days (until Feb. 16). Your child should have already recieved their Read-A-Thon packet. If not, please contact your homeroom teacher. Included is a sponsor sheet, instructions, a reading log and three “thank you” slips that include our tax id.

Please spread the word about getting sponsors for the students. Friends, family, co-workers, even the kids themselves can be a sponsor. Sponsors can donate as little as one cent a minute or even a flat donation. Minutes are based on the grade that the student is in and reading to your child counts as part of the minutes. (K-2 = 20 minutes, 3-5 = 25 minutes and 6-8 = 30 minutes). Please check to see if your employer will match donations.

Half of what your child raises stays in their homeroom class. This is a great opportunity for your teacher to purchase items specifically needed for THEIR curriculum to enhance your child’s experience!

Thank you all for your support and hopefully we can include this as an annual event to coincide with Literacy Month. Please contact Christina Sullivan with any questions.

Community

Movie Night at Clifford

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As the morning sun released the grip of the evening’s frost from the Clifford dumpster, small wisps of steam streamed up from the stack of cardboard pizza boxes and half eaten bags of popcorn. Vestiges of another successful Movie Night at the Clifford MUB!

Yes, my friends, that wonderful tradition most recently embraced by John Nelson has returned to Clifford. Last Friday a little over 100 students and family members were treated to several hours of Christmas Classics – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Charlie Brown Christmas! Other than the fact that Little Caesar’s shorted us half a dozen pizzas resulting in a half hour delay in the arrival of dinner, all went reasonably well. I was sitting on pins and needles during that delay given the fact that due to lack of volunteers, I had to deploy the services of my mother-in-law…needless to say, I had to cash in a number of chits on that deal so I urge you to please volunteer and help at our next movie night!

So I am ever confident to pursue the planning for the next Movie Night. I have learned to make friends with Oscar the Janitor, the ladies in the kitchen who gave me the key to the freezer, and have identified which door jams to strategically pack with paper so as to not be locked out of operation. I now know which lights in the MUB work and those which don’t. I have also learned that one cannot have enough $1s and $5s in the change box. I have also made new friends who stayed afterward to help clean up after the soiree. And lastly, I have experienced the reward of hearing the applause from the children who have enjoyed a wonderful evening with family and friends. I hope you will have an opportunity to do so as well at the next Clifford Movie Night! See you at the movies!

– John Claude

P.S. If you would like to get involved with our next movie night (set up, clean up, concession sales etc), please email Carol Donnelly at carolkdonnelly AT yahoo.com and she can put you on the list!

Volunteering

Traffic & Safety Update (Plus, A Message for Kinder Parents)

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Many thanks to Maria Moreno, Tia Knuedler, Maria Martin, and Sam Faus for joining the traffic & safety team! Thanks to them, we now have 3 crossing guards in the morning and in the afternoon. In order to have all crosswalks covered, we are still in need of 1 more person in the morning & afternoon.

For anyone who prefers not to do crossing but would like to help us out, we have added 3 positions as a “Safety Monitor”. These folks will either supervise the children at pick up, ask cars to pull up in the car line, or supervise children & drivers in the upper parking lot. If interested for either role, please contact Nanette Silverman at (650) 678-1112 or at nsilverm AT pacbell.net.

Also, it has come to our attention that many cars are being parked in the main circle during dismissal time for Kinders. As a friendly reminder, the circle is only used for the purpose of loading/unloading therefore parking or leaving your car unattended is not allowed at any time. There are some parents that would like to have their children walk out to the circle to be picked up but they are not able to do so in a safe manner if cars are parked. The Sheriff’s Department is monitoring our school and you will be at risk at being ticketed or having your car towed. Thank you for your cooperation.

Enrichment, Volunteering

The Clifford School Garden

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Have you ever wondered how you might get your child to eat more fruits and vegetables? In our veggie lab behind the kindergarten and first grade classrooms, we have discovered that a child who would otherwise run from anything green will eat a whole bush of snow peas if they have grown it themselves. It’s also a fact that they have higher IQs. We have discovered crafty ways of sneaking scientific information into their heads while we distract them with worms and seeds.

Obviously, the Clifford School Garden Science program is a wonderful way to enhance your child’s academic program at Clifford school. The Garden Science Program is run by volunteers and there are ways that you can help. If you would like to ensure that your child’s class is taught Garden Science please contact one of the Volunteers so you can learn to be a docent or help out another parent who is doing so. It’s easy, fun and requires very minimal time commitment. If you don’t have a green thumb we will teach you how to grow one!

A second way to help is as easy as recycling your plastic pots. Please save those small plastic pots and donate them to the school Garden Science program. You can leave them in the office in a bag labeled Garden Science or simply toss them over the fence into the garden. Its an easy step for you, saves space in your garbage and reuses plastic containers that are not accepted in our recycling bins.

Questions? Contact Chris 650-678-4152.

Community

Nov. 10 Meeting Highlights

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Thank you to those who came to our PTO meeting last Thursday. For those who weren’t able to attend, some brief highlights of the record are below. For more detailed information, please check out our meeting minutes.

  • There is a Mom’s cookie exchange on Dec. 1 from 7-9pm at the home of Amy Stanbery. This is an adult-only party. Look for detailed information in the Wednesday folder.
  • The Clifford Holiday Boutique is coming Sat., Dec. 10, in the MUB. Please look for more information on the website or contact Barbara Nyland (bfnyland AT gmail.com) for more information on how to participate.
  • Traffic help is needed!! For the safety of your children, there needs to be at least 4 guards. Right now there are only two. Please contact Nanette Silverman if you can help! There is a FULL TURKEY DINNER from Nob Hill Foods for the first 2 people who commit to helping through the end of the school year!!
  • January is Literacy Month at Clifford!! A Read-A-Thon is scheduled for January. If you are interested in helping coordinate the Read-A-Thon, please contact Christina Sullivan (bandcsully3 AT yahoo.com). Check the website for information on Literacy month.

We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting on Thurs., Jan. 12.

Fundraising

2nd Annual Holiday Boutique

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Clifford’s PTO is excited to announce that it will be holding its 2nd Annual Holiday Boutique on Saturday Dec. 10, 2011, from 10am to 6pm in the MUB.

We are now accepting vendor applications.  This is a perfect opportunity for Clifford parents to showcase their baking, artistic and crafting skills while making a little extra money to buy those special gifts for your loved ones.  We will also be accepting applications from independent sales reps from home sales companies such as Cookie Lee, Avon, Tupperware etc.

If you are interested, please contact Barbara Nyland at bfnyland AT gmail.com or 650-366-6699.