The Bobcat News
Two Rock Union School--May 2009
- Mike Simpson, Superintendent/Principal
- 707-762-6617
- website-www.trusd.org
- e-mail: msimpson@trusd.org
A 2008 California Distinguished School
Principal’s Message
Here it is - the month of May and we have lots of information to share with you as we charge toward the end of this school year. In this issue of the Bobcat News, I will provide you with the most recent update of the H1N1 (swine) flu and will make an earnest appeal for your help with next year’s TRSEF organization. You will also find information regarding progress on STAR testing and several activities remaining in the school year.
H1N1 (Swine Flu) Update
We are monitoring the situation closely. I have been receiving regular updates from the State Department of Public Health Services and Center for Disease Control. The Sonoma County Public Health Division website has been updated to reflect this new information and will be posting additional information for the public as it becomes available. This information is available at www.sonoma-county.org/publichealth.
The letter we sent home with all students last Tuesday, April 28 (“Swine Flu: A Guide for parents – Information for Families Living in Sonoma County”) provides specific and helpful guidelines to follow. Additional information on the H1N1 flu can be found at www.cdc.gov/flu/swine or at 1-800-CDC-INFO.
I will continue to keep you updated with any relevant information related to the H1N1 outbreak and the impact the illness may have on our students, school, and the greater community.
Look What We Just Did!
With all of your volunteer help, we collectively raised over $5,000 at the Chicken BBQ-Spring Fling Carnival! We need to keep this positive trend going!
We really need your help! In fact, without it, and in light of the state’s fiscal situation, we are at risk of losing our Physical Education, Music, and Library programs.
TRSEF members and teachers met last week to plan for next year. Bottom line: we will be replacing the President, VP, and Secretary positions due to parents relocating at the end of this school year. Sounds like an ominous job but, in fact, none of these positions require a lot of time. We will have no more than three meetings next year and we are asking for just a few hours of volunteer time to help organize fund raising activities which provide us with our Physical Education teacher, and Music and Library programs.
This year’s fund raisers were a huge success and everything’s in place for next year. In more specific terms, we need help with Pizza Lunch Days (Wednesdays), the Spaghetti Dinner, Chicken BBQ, the Staff Appreciation Luncheon, and the end of the year picnic. With enough of us involved and teachers and parents working side-by side, we can continue to provide our kids with the kind of invaluable programs that enrich and strengthen our school’s academic program.
I would be happy to meet with anyone who would like to discuss volunteering for TRSEF next year (everyone’s time is valued and appreciated.) Please call me at school or drop by – I guarantee you’ll be surprised at how little time is needed to sustain the greatness we’ve begun!
Arbor Day Activity
On Friday, April 24, we held an assembly in front of school to accept the donation of four plants and trees from the Petaluma Garden Club. Their donation of a Japanese Maple and several native plants greatly enhances the plantings in our “ Flagpole Garden.” Last year, the Garden Club donated the plants, grasses, mulch, and irrigation drip system in honor of a former Two Rock School teacher. We are truly grateful for the thoughtfulness of this generous organization and their members and plan to make Arbor Day an annual tradition at our school.
STAR Testing
This week marks the second week of STAR testing for students in grades 2-6. We are very pleased and proud of the effort students have been applying to these important tests. STAR tests are designed to measure your child’s progress in meeting California Content Standards in Reading/Language Arts and math. 5 th grade students are also tested in Science. The standards describe what all students should know and be able to do at each grade level. Each family will receive a report in late summer/early fall which shows your child’s score on the tests. Your support and encouragement is greatly appreciated as we strive toward understanding how well our school is doing and how we might better prepare your child for academic success.
English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC)
On Friday, May 8, we will have our last official ELAC meeting at 8:30 a.m. in Room 13. We hope you won’t miss this important meeting. We will have our officer nominations for the 2009-2010 school year, plan our end of the year party, and discuss important information to close the year. Our ELAC fiesta will be Wednesday, May 27, from 12:30-2:15
A huge thanks goes out to our 2008-09 officers: President Evelia Hermosillo, Vice Presidents Sonia Mata Martin and Cristina Garcia, Secretary Marta Ornelas, and interpreter Helen Mainaris. Your participation made our meetings a great success this year!
Westside Relays
On Monday, May 11, our 5 th and 6 th graders will compete in the Annual Westside relays at Petaluma High School. Mrs. Donnelly, our teacher of Physical Education, has been running our students through the paces for the past few months. Students will compete in a range of track and field events and again this year, will be defending their 2007 and 2008 First Place Award! Go Bobcats!
Sports Corner
Our 4 th, 5 th, and 6 th graders had the opportunity to participate in interscholastic volleyball with the other small schools for the past four weeks. On Thursday, April 30, we participated in a Volleyball Jamboree with six other schools at Petaluma Junior High School. Our students played well and finished with a winning record but, more importantly, exhibited good sportsmanship and teamwork and had the chance to get to know some of the students they will meet in the future at Petaluma Junior High. Special thanks to Mr. Michael Walker for volunteering to help with the team and to the parents of our athletes who cheered on the Bobcats and supported this year’s sports program. Next year we plan to offer soccer, flag football, basketball, and volleyball as part of our school’s after-school enrichment program.
Anderson Family Bluegrass Band in Concert
This family event will take place at Miwok Valley Elementary School, 1010 Saint Francis Drive in Petaluma on Friday, May 15 at 7:00 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Guitars in the Classroom - a program which trains teachers to play guitar and sing with their students for fun and curriculum support. Mrs. Karin Beddow, our ELD teacher will join the Opening Act of guitar-playing teachers! Please contact Ingrid at (415) 663-1342 or ingrid10@sonic.net for more information. Admission is $10 for adults and kids are free. Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door. Hope to see you there!
Two Rock School Open House
Open House will take place on Wednesday, May 20 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. The evening will feature displays of student’s academic and elective work and has proven to be a great night for parents and families to see many examples of the wonderful work their children have produced this year.
Principal’s Message
At the top of this busy month’s news is a reminder about the upcoming TRSEF-sponsored Spring Fling Chicken BBQ and Carnival which will take place on Saturday, April 4 from 11:00 – 4:00 at our school. Please bring your family and friends and enjoy a day of games, music, and great food! It all begins at 11:00 a.m. and each grade will sponsor an activity. In addition, we plan to have large-group games such as soccer, softball, and whiffle ball. All proceeds will continue to benefit our music, computer, and physical education programs. Hope to see you there on Saturday!
In last month’s Bobcat News, I discussed the impact of the state legislature's approval of the state budget on February 20, 2009. In this month’s newsletter, I will provide you with the most recent information on what we currently know about the overall budget situation and the potential impact on our school.
The budget enacted in February is designed to cover the remainder of the 2008-09 fiscal year and all of 2009-10. However, the 2009-10 spending plan will likely have to be revised at least once before the end of that fiscal year, and much depends on the outcome of a May 19, 2009 special election. As previously outlined, the overall budget solution includes $15 billion in cuts, $ 14.4 billion in temporary revenues and $11 billion in borrowing ($6 billion from Revenue Anticipation Warrants and $5 billion from lottery securitization.) Revenues include five major elements:
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1-cent increase in the state sales tax
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Vehicle License Fee increase to 1 percent of the car’s value
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0.25 percent in the state income tax
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Reduction of the dependent care tax credit
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Income tax surcharge of 2.5 percent
Revenues are tied directly to the passage or failure of a modified spending cap that will appear on the May 19 special election ballot. If the spending cap is approved by voters, then the revenues will stay in effect through the 2012-13 fiscal year. If the spending cap is not approved by voters, then the revenue will stay in effect for only 24 months after enactment.
How will all of this impact our school or next year? In addressing this question, we have formed a Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) to plan for the unknowns and variables that await us in the next several months. These include the outcome of the May 19 special election, the amount of Federal Impact Aid we will receive, the cost of special education, and the uncertainty linked to student enrollment. The BAC will meet again on April 28 to identify and prioritize areas we may need to cut for next year, including personnel and programs. The hopeful side of this situation lies in the fact that our student enrollment for next year looks strong. In addition, the state has divided categorical programs into three tiers with special provisions for each. In Tier 1, programs such as K-3 class size reduction, Title 1, and lottery revenues will receive no funding cuts. In Tier 2, we see little impact of the 15.38% cut to our school programs. Tier 3 programs will also take a 15.38% cut, but with "maximum flexibility.” This means that school districts will be able to use these funds for any purpose. The list of these programs includes: Art/Music/PE; Professional Development; School Improvement Program (SIP) funds, instructional materials funds, and Routine Repair and Maintenance reserves.
We have a lot of work ahead of us in the next few months and your support of our school is greatly appreciated. We will continue to operate in a fiscally responsible manner while protecting vital services to students and I will keep you informed with the changes at both the school and state levels.
STAR Test Information
All California public school students in grades 2-11 are required to take the California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) tests. The STAR Program measures each student's progress in meeting California's content standards in math, and English-language arts. 5 th grade students are also tested in science content standards. A key measure of school achievement based on the results of the STAR tests is the Academic performance Index (API). In the past several years our school’s API scores have steadily increased among all of our student subgroups.
We will begin STAR testing on April 28 and continue until May 8. While not every child will test every day, we allow those two weeks for testing since some grades have more tests than others or need more time with their tests.
By law parents have the right to exempt their child from testing. Any parent wishing to exempt their child must submit a written request to the school office.
In order for students to perform to the best of their abilities on the STAR tests it is recommended they be well-rested and have eaten a full breakfast when they arrive at school. Many teachers will not assign homework during STSAR testing. Doing their best on these tests is important because it provides us with valuable information in monitoring each student’s individual academic progress.
Sports Corner
Our sports program continues through the spring months! We will be playing volleyball through the month of April and will finish the school year with soccer in the month of May. Permission slips have been sent home with students and the schedule of games includes:
Monday, April 6 Wilson School at Two Rock at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 9 Dunham School at Two Rock at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 23 Harvest Christian at Two Rock at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 30 Jamboree at Petaluma Junior HS at 3:30 p.m.
The May soccer schedule will be released soon. Students playing soccer will be required to wear shin guards and soccer cleats are optional. If you have any shin guards or soccer cleats you’d like to donate to school please drop them off in the main office. Many thanks!
Some ABC’s of Family Reading
One of the most important skills your child will ever learn is how to read. Reading opens doors to great ideas, unlimited information, and rich, full lives.
Children are taught how to read in school, but studies show that families are an essential part of this learning process. In other words, by reading to and with your child at home, you can make a great difference.
Each family is unique and each family will create its own traditions of reading together. What will help a child be a successful reader? Here are some suggestions:
- Build a home library by collecting inexpensive books from stores, garage sales, school book clubs, and used book sales at the library. Clear a shelf on the family bookcase for your child’s books, or get him/her a bookcase of their own. Encourage your youngster to branch out and read different kinds of books, including poetry, nonfiction, and mysteries.
- Make reading fun by finding new spots for it. You can sit around the dining room table, stretch out with pillows on the family room floor, or go outside. When you have time, follow up with activities that relate to the subject you’re reading.
- Reading is the easiest way to build your child’s vocabulary. And a good vocabulary makes reading easier! When you read, have your child point to the words he/she doesn’t know. Together, look them up in the dictionary. Keep the growing list of words learned in a notebook.
- Children learn to read by being read to and reading. It’s often said that the most important thing parents can do to make their children better readers is simply to read with them – and the more the better!
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When you’re reading with your child, remember that pausing gives children time to work out words for themselves, praising helps children know when they are doing the right thing and encourages then to keep on trying, and prompting gives children assistance so they don’t get frustrated.
The next ELAC meeting will be on Friday, April 10 at 8:30. Larry Wagner from Migrant Education will be at the meeting this month.
TRSEF News
The next TRSEF meeting will be on Tuesday, April 28 at 6:00 in the multi-use room. WE NEED YOUR HELP!! We will be discussing plans for new committees next year. Pizza will be served!!
