Dear Almond Families:

Over the next two months there will be many opportunities for Almond students to engage in science learning beyond the classroom. Please read below for upcoming events!

Family Science Night

We would love for you to join us next Wednesday, March 6 from 6:30-8:00pm in the multi, for an evening of fun at our Almond Family Science night. With over 25 stations to explore, you and your child can create, tinker and even interact with creepie crawly bugs! There will also be an interactive station involving slime and yours truly.

Thank you to our PTA for funding this amazing event and to Melissa Neal, Family Science Night chair, and all of the other volunteers who are helping to make this event fun for our kiddos. If you can help, please contact Melissa or Dharti at dharti@gmail.com or mbryantneal@yahoo.com. You can sign up to help with a station or set up/clean up here: 2019 Stations.

STEM Expo

Do you want to design a robot? Do you think you have the next big invention or piece of wearable tech? Do you love taking things apart and figuring out how they work? Or do you just love science? Then STEM Expo is an opportunity for you!

It’s not too late to sign up (alone or with up to 2 friends) for the Almond STEM EXPO, happening on April 9. Signups end on March 8, 2019.

Check out the website at www.tinyurl.com/LASDStemExpo to find out more! Be sure to click on the Almond link to get school specific information and to sign up.

If you have any questions please email Ricky Hu, Almond STEM IST at rhu@lasdschools.org

Parents: STEM Expo doesn’t happen without the help of parent volunteers! We need parents to:

- Help set up the Expo the morning of April 8

- Review projects throughout the school day on April 9

- Be runners for students throughout the school day on April 9

- Help take down the Expo the afternoon of April 9

Please consider volunteering for one of these roles.

More information is available here: https://sites.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/lasdstemexpo/wish-list/almond/almond-get-involved

You can sign up to volunteer using the google form here:

https://goo.gl/forms/wui2Eo27ptBnejLo2

Thank you for helping to make STEM Expo a success and a meaningful experience for students. And a huge thank you to Ricky Hu, our STEM IST, for coordinating the event for Almond students!

STEM Lunch Club

This engaging club happens on Fridays during lunch in the STEM lab for 1st through 6th grade Almond students. STEM IST Ricky Hu leads students through activities include STEM challenges, coding and tinkering. Early sessions have been really well attended and students are excited about a space to create and explore outside of the classroom.

Here’s to pursuing our curiosity in the sciences!

Raquel

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EVEN MORE SCHOOL EVENTS

AUTHOR VISIT--KATHRYN OTOSHI, FRIDAY, 3/8

Bookwave is sponsoring a morning assembly featuring Award Winning Author and Illustrator Kathryn Otoshi on Friday, March 8th between 10:30-11:15 for TK-3rd graders and 9:00 to 9:45 for 4-6th Graders. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Otoshi's illustrated story, "ONE" is a Project Cornerstone Book for this year, it will be a Blast for all Almond families and staff to meet the author of the book Almond students will be familiar with and to hear Kathryn Otoshi's journey to become a renowned author and illustrator!

If you are interested in purchasing one of Ms. Otoshi’s books and having her autograph it, there are order forms available in the office, and are due with payment TOMORROW, Friday, 3/1.

6TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION - SEARCHING FOR PERFORMANCES!

We are pleased to announce the 6th Annual International Celebration slated for Thursday, March 21st, 6:00-8:00pm.

The event brings together Almond families for a fun, casual evening while celebrating the diversity and vibrancy of our school community. All families bring a favorite dish to share (appetizer, entrée or dessert) while supporting various dance and music performances including appearances by our own Almond School students and alumni.

How can you help?

1) Sign up to share your talent!

- You or your child can showcase your unique talent.

- If your child participates in local classes bring the troupe or solo performance; or if your child just loves to perform - let us know! The evening is a perfect opportunity for kids to perform in a welcoming environment.

2) Have any suggestions for a local dance or performance group - please send us the information.

3) Interested in helping with the planning and execution - we definitely would love to grow the group.

We hope you and your family can join us at the International Celebration! More details to follow. For information or to signup - please contact Marcsi Elovson (mkratochwill@yahoo.com) and Lori Sevcik (loriandshea@me.com). 

NEW AND PROSPECTIVE FAMILY TOURS

We are proud to show our campus and classrooms to our new and prospective families! If you know of neighbors or friends that are in our attendance area, please invite them to visit us. Mrs. Matteroli will be leading these tours, beginning in the multi:

March 20: 11:30-12:15 - March 21: 11:30-12:15

LAEF SUPPORTS SO MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS!

As you may know, LAEF funds our STEM, PE, Living Classroom, Art Docent, Music and other programs.

Love Your Neighborhood School!

Donate to LAEF today and fund teachers at your neighborhood school. Help ensure that your student receives an excellent, well-rounded education. We need to raise the final $350K to reach our goal of $3.5M for this school year! Your donation funds STEM, Wellness, Literacy, and Arts.

The timing is just right because we have a $15K Challenge Match from The John and Liane Davila Foundation and an anonymous LASD family to DOUBLE all donations made by February 28th.

It couldn't be easier: Donate online or text "LAEF" to 50155 to donate. As always, our goal is 100% participation from all LASD families.

Become a LIVING CLASSROOM docent... share your love of nature with kids!

It's time to plant tomatoes, dissect flowers, and make yummy pretzels from the wheat the students planted last Fall! If you like all those things and more, please consider becoming a Living Classroom docent! Living Classroom is in need of more docents to help deliver hands-on garden-based lessons to the students of the Los Altos School District. No experience necessary as we provide all the training needed! Our Spring Docent Training will take place at the LASD iLearn Studio (201 Covington Road, Los Altos) on Monday mornings in March from 9-Noon on 3/4, 3/11, and 3/18. Please click HERE to view our Spring Training Flyer. Apprentice-style training also available to those who can’t make our Monday morning trainings.

Questions? Email us at livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call (650) 947-1103. For more information about Living Classroom, please visit our website at www.living-classroom.org.

STEM Career Day Events at Junior High Schools

LASD & LAEF are excited to kick off the 3rd STEM Career Day Events at Egan and Blach Jr. High Schools this spring. STEM pervades every part of our life. STEM education creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators. We believe that exposing students to different aspects and careers in this field will inspire them and spark passion.

If you are a parent, grandparent or community member who would like to share your career story with students at Egan on March 25 and/or Blach on March 26, please contact Karen Wilson, STEM Coordinator at kwilson@lasdschools.org or Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney, LASD parent at anjana.nagarajan1@gmail.com

Also, please mark your calendars for the STEM Night Event being held on Monday, March 25 at Egan Jr. High starting at 7pm. Speakers to be announced in the near future.

JUNIOR OLYMPICS!

LASD Junior Olympics - Coming on April 27th!

Junior Olympics training is now underway for the 4th, 5th and 6th grade classes. Please remember to have your student wear appropriate athletic clothes and shoes for PE days. We need volunteers to get our young athletes ready!!! Please consider signing up to help during one or more PE periods. It is an easy way to get involved and learn more about this fun district wide event and we cannot do it without your help! The volunteer sign up sheet can be found HERE. All students must have a signed permission slip to participate in the event. Please fill out this online form, whether your child will be participating or not: JUNIOR OLYMPICS PERMISSION SLIP. For more details on Junior Olympics, check out this information sheet: LASD JO INFO SHEET or contact the Almond JO chairs: Alix Apfelberg (alix_apfelberg@yahoo.com), Vicky Lee vicster_chin@yahoo.com) and Kirsten Sirey (ksirey@yahoo.com)

FROM THE HEALTH SERVICES STAFF

When to Keep Your Child Home from School

The following guidelines are indications that you should keep your student home:

Fever---Vomiting or Diarrhea---Sore throat or trouble swallowing---Rash or unusual spots or sores---Generalized muscle aches/pains---Chills---Nausea---Coughing, sneezing and/or runny nose---Headache---Wheezing or trouble breathing---Head lice

You need to keep your child home until he/she has been symptom-free without medication for 24 hours. Please be sure to call the attendance line 650-917-5454 when your child is absent.

Pertussis Booster for Students in 6th grade:

Students currently in 6th grade must have proof of a Tdap or Dtap (Pertussis or Whooping Cough) booster given after their 7th birthday in order to begin 7th grade in August of 2019. Please provide a copy of your child’s immunization record to your school office as soon as possible!

Please refer any questions regarding this requirement to our District Staff: Clare Luna 302-1448 and Sandy Anderson 302-1449.

ENJOY A FUN-FILLED WEEK AT THE GOLDEN EAGLE SUMMER SPORTS CAMP AND SUPPORT THE PTA AT THE SAME TIME!

By using the promo code almond19 you will save $20 off your registration and Golden Eagle will donate $20 directly to the PTA.

Golden Eagle Summer Sports Camp is a family run all-sports day camp for boys and girls K-8th grade. With a wide variety of sports and activities to choose from, including swimming, basketball, volleyball, soccer and more, it's one of the most loved camps in the Cupertino and San Jose communities. Camps this summer are running at both Homestead and Los Altos High Schools. Visit www.goldeneaglecamp.org or contact Carly at carly@goldeneaglecamp.org for more info.