Weekly Reminders for the Week of Sept. 15

Subject: Weekly Reminders 9/15

Dear Parents,
Conferences are in full swing now, and I’m having a great time sharing your child’s learning with you! It’s great to see familiar faces and to meet new parents. The students are doing a great job during the conferences and are giving valuable feedback as we discuss their goals. I’m looking forward to the rest of the week when I can talk with everyone I haven’t had a chance to talk with so far!

Volunteer Opportunity Mania!

Thank you to the parents who volunteered to help in the classroom with our social studies project next Monday, September 22! This should be a fun project for all. Please arrive at 12:15 if you can, and I’ll show you what I’d like done, and if you are able to stay until 2:50 for clean up help, I’d really appreciate it. I’m really looking forward to this project!

Photographers Needed!
We currently need room parents to be photographers of major events that happen this year. If you enjoy photography, please contact Michelle Wissig at: wissigfam@comcast.net or 857-4819 for more information about the opportunity. Thank you!

! IMPORTANT !
Our School Needs Your Donation Support!

Welcome back to a new school year at Murdock-Portal. Here is a reminder, that your school of choice needs your Donation urgently. Please pay your donation by September 15th. Our Direct Donation Goal is $260,000. To date, we have received $135,300, which is 52% of our goal. We do not have funds to pay the district bill due in October because there are 208 families still to make their donation payment. PLEASE bring your check to the office by September 15th.

The New Technology Fund has a target of $55,000 and has so far raised $5,100 This is specifically for Technology upgrades and equipment for all students, all grades, for this school year 08-09. Forgot your Technology donation? It’s not too late, You can still donate $100 and it will be included in your fall tax receipts. Forms are in the office.

Do you know?
· Parents ranked specialist classes as the number one priority in the recent survey. Direct donations are used to pay the salaries for art, music, and hands-on-science teachers.
· Parents ranked in-class technology as the second highest priority. PSCO funds upgrades of hardware, software, and other equipment that is needed in the classrooms, so that our teachers and students have direct access to technology.
· Parents ranked PE as the third highest priority in the recent survey. The district only supports PE for grades 4/5. Currently 90 minutes of PE is being funded by PSCO for grades K-3.
· The district only supports Instructional Assistants for special education. Currently, we have six 3-hr IAs for grades K-3 and three 5-hour IAs for grades 4/5. Direct donations are used to pay the salaries for IAs. IAs often work closely with one or two students on the side, so that the teachers can concentrate on moving the class along for the rest of the students.

TO KEEP THESE PROGRAMS GOING WE NEED YOUR DONATION TODAY!
* All Donations are 100% Tax deductible! *
* Your Company may match your Donation! *

After the Sept. 15th deadline, to encourage donations, members of the PSCO Board will contact parents who have not yet responded to the Direct Donation campaign.

If you have already made your Donation, Thank you for supporting Murdock-Portal, your school of choice!
Thank-you for your on-going support,
Julie Ales (Principal) Elizabeth Delandro, Seema Shah, Paula Rowe, John Rowe, Geeta Garg, Sita Rani (PSCO Board members)

Important Dates to Remember:

Fri. 9/19 Staff Learning Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS!
Tues. 9/23 Room 20 Field Trip to NASA AMES center!
Tues. 9/23 SJ Police Department Presentation. 6:30 p.m.
Wed. 9/24 4th grade Math: Chapter 2 test
Wed. 9/24 PSCO meeting at 6:30
Thur. 9/25 SSC meeting at 3:00
Thur. 9/25 Learning Plans go home with students
Fri. 9/26 School Spirit Day – Hat Day!
Mon. 9/29 Social Studies Geography Test

California Trivia Question
Q: Much of the California coastline was created by what geological process?

Good luck and have a great day!

Mr. Roels