Dear Pennekamp Families,

            With the coming of the month of May, we now enter the most important stretch of the school year. Over the next 6½ weeks, we have quite a full program of activities and festivities before the school year closes. This first-Tuesday-of-the-month “hardcopy edition” of the Green Sheet will be devoted to delineating the highlights of this vital period of time.

STAR Testing - The biggest event of this month, (if not the entire school year!) is the annual California STAR  (State Testing and Reporting) assessments. Over the course of this week and the next, our 2^nd-5^th grade students will be undertaking this very-important battery of assessments which will measure their progress in relation to the state standards for academic achievement. Both staff members and parents are in full support of our students as they put forth their best efforts. They will undoubtedly perform well, and make us all very proud of them.

National Teacher Appreciation Week – May 5^th - 9^th   We are fortunate to have a great crew of teachers and paraprofessionals here at PK. Show your appreciation with a kind note and/or a flower from your garden to show your appreciation for all that they do for the children here  at Pennekamp.

Pride Day – This Saturday, May 10th, 9:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m.  Come out for the day, or for an hour or so. We will be doing light gardening and general clean-up. Children and adults are welcome. All students who work one hour or longer will receive a Gold Card. Enjoy a nice spring day with friends, and help beautify Pennekamp!

Movie Night – Friday, May 16^th, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. All PK families are cordially invited to this outdoor, big-screen showing of “Ice Age”. Come out for the fun, food, and friendly atmosphere!  
Movie Night Information  Teacher Time Raffle Information

Science Fair – Wed., June 4^th, after school, Room 25. This is PK’s 2^nd annual display of student-generated projects which follow the scientific method of determining a subject, testing the hypothesis, and analyzing and reporting the results. This judged event is open to 4^th and 5^th graders. Projects will be on display at Open House.

Open House – Thu., June 5^th, 6:00 p.m. -7:30 p.m. Parents, students and friends are all invited.

*Minimum Day on June 5^th: All K’s = 8:00 a.m.-11:20 a.m. / 1^st-5^th = 8:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Kinderthon – Fri., June 6^th, 10:00 a.m. – Kindergarteners will engage in an array of fun field events under the guidance of our 5^th grade students. Parents are encouraged to attend.

STAR Education “Animals” Assembley - Wed., June 10^th, 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Pennekamp students will see an array of exotic creatures from the STAR Eco-Station at this free assembly from STAR Education.

STAR Extravaganza – Wed., June 10^th, 6:00-9:00 p.m. This is the culminating activity from STAR Education, which provides our after-school enrichment programs. Parents and students are cordially invited to join in this showcase of students’ accomplishments in STAR classes, and pot-luck dinner. A fun evening for kids and parents!

Flag Ceremonies – Fri., June 13^th, 9:00 & 10:00 a.m. Students will be recognized for the Character Counts quality of “Leadership” at these last Flag Ceremonies of the year.

5th Grade Party – Fri., June 13^th, 3:00 p.m. -5:30 p.m. Our 5^th graders are excitedly looking forward to this entertaining afternoon of field activities to celebrate their last year at Pennekamp.

Parent Softball Tournament – Sat., June 14^th. This will be the 3^rd annual MBAF softball event which raises funds for our schools.   More information to follow.

MBEF Wine Auction – Saturday, June 14^th at the Manhattan Beach Country Club. A great event which raises funds for our schools!
MBEF Wine Auction Information

5^th Grade Promotion Ceremony – Thurs, June 19^th, 11:00 a.m. – PK Cafetorium, 5^th grade parents invited!

Last Day of School – Thursday, June 19^th

*Minimum Day on June 19^th: All Ks = 8:00 a.m.-11:20 a.m. / 1^st-5^th = 8:15 a.m.-12:45p.m.

 

            As you can see, we have quite an exciting time ahead. We encourage you to get involved and enjoy the culmination of the school year. And remember to show appreciation for teachers this week!

Sincerely,

Dale Keldrauk

 

MBUSD Summer School – The district will be providing remediation summer school to general education students currently in grades 2-7 based upon California Education Codes regarding supplemental instruction.  Students who qualify will be specifically identified by multiple performance measures that have been calculated to determine core proficiency.  Parents of students who qualify for these Summer School programs will receive an invitation by mail, providing details of the program the week of April 21, 2008.  Summer School will be held at Pennekamp Elementary from Monday, June 23^rd – Friday, July 18^th.  There will be no school on Friday, July 4^th.

GATE Testing – Spring testing for current 4^th grade students is on June 2, 2008.  This testing opportunity is for any current 4^th grade student who did not take the test in September of this school year.  The test will be given in Room 27 at Pacific Elementary School at 8:30 a.m.  In order to reserve a spot, please fill out a Permission to Test form and send it to:  Alyse McDonald, 1200 Pacific Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, or it can be dropped off in the Pacific office.  The office also has copies of the permission slip.  Students who have already qualified for GATE do not need to retake the test.  The district will test 6^th grade students in October, 2008 at MBMS.

Parent Talk Lecture Series – “Nurturing the Nature of your Child” - Speaker Michael Gurian, NY Times bestselling author, will be speaking at MCHS on Tuesday, May 13^th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  Register online at www.southbayadult.org or at the door. 
Parent Lecture Information

Odyssey of the Mind – Odyssey of the Mind is a creative, problem- solving program for students at the high school, middle school, and elementary school levels. A DVD and PowerPoint presentation from the April 18^th informational meeting are posted at the following link for your review: http://mbusd.org/edsvc/GATE/Odyssey.htm. You may also access this information by logging in onto www.mbusd.org    and clicking on Odyssey of the Mind under the “News” heading.  Using the link above, you will also find information about Odyssey of the Mind coaches’ training that is being held in the MBUSD board room on Saturday, June 7^th.   If you’re interested in being trained to coach an OM team, please follow the directions on the website to RSVP for the training.  Thank you for your interest in Odyssey of the Mind!               

Take a Step: Reduce Irrigation – You can reduce your water usage by 30% – 65 % through changes to your landscape irrigation.  Mulching with bark or grass clippings will help retain moisture in the soil.  Choose drought tolerant plants that thrive in our area.  Ask your local nursery for suggestions or find a plant list online at www.bewaterwise.com. Replacing your old irrigation timer with a new “smart timer”, will make watering easy by automatically adjusting to the outside weather and moisture conditions. Go to www.weatherset.com for an example and make sure your timer is set to come on in the pre-dawn hours to reduce evaporation. Please contact Heather Spadone at teamspadone@yahoo.com with any questions or suggestions that you may have.                   

STAR -  It’s not too late to enroll in STAR classes!  4^th and 5^th grade students will get 10% off enrollment for the Science Fair Project class with Mrs. Ibrahim.  Please contact Beverly Powell at (310) 877-9047.
STAR Class Schedule    STAR Class Registration Form

Camp VIP – Attention 5^th graders – There are several wonderful options just for you!  Getting Ready for Middle School is a great way to learn about what goes on at MBMS, engage in activities that will prepare you for the 6^th grade year, as well as meeting new kids and having a lot of fun while learning new skills. Also, Mrs. Daly’s Book Club is a great way to accomplish some of your required summer reading in small groups, with skill-based activities that will give you a boost of confidence and preparedness for your  6^th  grade Humanites class.  Call Director, Nancy Rosenberg, at (310) 376-6115 with any questions you may have.  Camp VIP Website

MBUSD Summer Enrichment Camp – Camps will be held this year on the Pacific and Pennekamp campuses.  All South Bay residents are invited to join us for some outrageous summer fun! Campers from Kdg. – 8^th grade can register for any or all of the nine, one-week sessions.  Please contact Becky Hausken at (310) 318-7345 ext. 5840 with any questions. MBUSD EDP Camp Information

Author’s Week Coloring Books by Michael Wright are Here – The official Authors’ Week coloring books created by Michael Wright have arrived!  Each class has a drawing and poem in the book. The cost is $1 each and the money should be given to your child’s teacher.  Books will be distributed when paid for.  For any questions, call Shirley Ritter at (310) 798-7932

 

IMPORTANT DATES

·          Mon., May 5^th – May 16^th – State testing

·          May 5^th – 9^th – Teacher Appreciation Week

·          Wed., May 7^th - School Board meeting at District Office 6:30 p.m.

·          Thurs., May 8^th - 1^st grade field trip to Long Beach Aquarium – 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

·          Sat., May 10^th – Pride Day at Pennekamp -  9  a.m. – 2 p.m.

·          Mon., May 12^th – 5^th grade field trip to House of Blues 8 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.

·          Tues., May 13^th – 5^th grade Panorama Photo - PK Field  2:15 p.m.

·          Fri., May 16^th – Family Dragon Movie Night – “Ice Age”  6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

·          Mon., May 26^th – Memorial Day – No School

·          Wed. June 3^rd – 5^th Grade Transition Breakfast – 7:45 a.m.

·          Wed., June 4^th – Science Fair

·          Thurs., June 5^th – Open House

·          Fri., June 6^th – Kinderthon – 10 a.m.

·          Fri., June 13^th – 5^th grade Promotion Party – 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.