The Bobcat News
Two Rock Union School--October 2008
- Mike Simpson, Superintendent/Principal
- 707-762-6617
- website-www.trusd.org
- e-mail: msimpson@trusd.org
Principal’s Message
The month of September has zipped by! We have had a great opening to the school year and look forward to a very successful year of academic and social growth for your children. As the month of September draws to a close and we move into the fall season I’d like to bring you up to speed on the highlights of this past month and some upcoming activities and events.
We have experienced a significant growth in student enrollment since the close of school last June. At this time last year, we had 152 students in our school. That number has grown to 186 students which created the need to hire add an additional third grade class which is located in Room 10, the former location of the school’s before and after-school Daycare program. The Daycare program will take place in the portable classroom which is located on a portion of the school playground and adjacent to the main parking lot.
Each month we hold an Awards Assembly in the multipurpose room to recognize our students for being good classroom citizens and doing the right thing around school. “Doing the right thing around school” creates the opportunity for staff members to award any students with a “Caught-ya” Card. In addition, one child from each class receives the Student of the Month Award. Recipients of the Student of the Month Award and the student with the most Caught-ya cards have their picture taken to be posted on our Student of the Month display board located outside the main office. The Awards Assemblies are normally held on the first Wednesday of the month at 12:45 p.m. and we love to see parents in attendance. It is also a time when we announce the summary of pages read by students and staff in the previous month as we attempt to better last year’s Reading Challenge goal of 600,000 pages by the end of May! I will, again this year, visit every classroom once a week to read to or along with the students during instructional time.
Developing a love of reading at an early age holds a lifetime of promise for children. I’m pleased to report that we’re off to a great start and many of the children are enjoying reading both in school and at home. As parents, I encourage you to discuss the joy of reading with your child and ask them about their progress with the Reading Challenge as time progresses. And may I suggest that a visit to a bookstore can be a rewarding and fun experience for kids? I’ll make a point of updating you with our progress toward our “600,000 pages” goal and will keep you posted on our school-wide progress.
In the month of October, we will be holding a 5K Run/Walk and Walk-A-thon on Saturday, October4 at 8:30 a.m. as a fund raiser for our Physical Education program. The 5K race is open to all runners and walkers and will take place on the paved Coast Guard path. Students are also welcome to participate in the 5K. K-3 students must be accompanied by an adult in order to participate. At the same time, students not participating in the 5K take part in the Walk-A-Thon which will be located on the school’s softball field. We hope to see you at this great family event!
Additional school events will include the October 6-10 Parent Conferences and Book Fair, Fire Prevention activities and assemblies on October 3, a Red Ribbon Week Assembly on October 13, and an after-school flag football program for 4-6 grade students at the end of the month. Lots going on!
In closing, I’d like to thank all of you who attended our Back to School Night on September 9. It was great to see so many of you that evening and I look forward to seeing you at parent conferences during the week of October 6-10.
Driver and Student Safety
In the past week, we have learned of two separate accidents involving elementary school students who were struck by a car during drop-off or dismissal at a Petaluma school. The accidents occurred in the school crosswalks. Fortunately, neither student was seriously injured. This brings to mind the urgency of having a safe arrival and dismissal process at our school. That said, I’m asking all parents to continue to follow these guidelines:
- Please drop off and pick up your kids in the lower parking lot and not in the parking lot outside of the multipurpose room.
- If it is necessary to come to the office please park in the lower parking lot and use the crosswalk when coming and going.
- All parents, visitors, and volunteers must sign in on the designated log at the office counter while on campus.
We are committed to making Two Rock School a safe place for all students. Your assistance and cooperation is greatly appreciated.
ELAC News
Our next English Learner Advisory Committee meeting will be held on Friday, October 17 at 8:30 a.m. in Room 13. We will be discussing the Master Plan for English Learners. We will also introduce our new Buddy Reading books. We hope to see you there!
TRSEF Corner
The Book Fair will be held the week of October 6-10. The hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday will be 12 -3. Thursday night is Family Night from 6-8. Please remember to check your kids’ backpacks for their $10 vouchers! Each child at Two Rock receives a $10 voucher to buy free books!
If you are interested in volunteering, please call Janine McCready at 766-9198. Janine can also be reached at that number if you can help on Pizza Days (Wednesdays) during lunch time.
Please mark your calendars for this year’s Spaghetti Dinner and Auction which will take place on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 (Election Day!) More information will appear in next month’s Bobcat News.
TRSEF is still in need of help and would greatly appreciate support from parent and community volunteers for a variety of projects and events. We are asking all parents to donate one hour per year of their time. Please email amyd@tworock.comor call the school at 762-6617 for more information or to volunteer.
Instructional Materials Sufficiency
California Education Code (EC) Section 60119 (a) (1) (B) requires the governing board of every local educational agency (LEA) that receives state instructional materials funds to hold an annual public hearing before the end of the eighth week from the first day pupils attend school for that year. This public hearing will take place at the next meeting of the Two Rock Board of Trustees on October 9, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. at Two Rock Union School.
The California Department of Education (CDE) has provided information on the Williams settlement and the sufficiency of instructional materials, including frequently asked questions on the CDE website at http://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/ce.wc.
Parent Conferences
Teachers will conference with parents during the week of October 1-5. Your child’s teacher has provided you with a schedule and students will be dismissed at noon all that week. Our After-School program will be open from noon to 6:00 p.m. all week during Parent Conference week. Students who order school lunch will receive them bagged-up to take home. Please call Mrs. Terribilini in the office at 762-6617 if you can help with packaging lunches that week. Many thanks.
Halloween at Two Rock
We celebrate Halloween in a special way here at Two Rock! A paper bag mask project will begin in mid-October and culminate with a celebration on October 31. This project is not just about designing something to wear. It is also a writing project, a planning and design project, and a celebration of creativity. Please note that students do not wear costumes to school on Halloween. Instead, the paper bag masks they create become the center of our Halloween celebration. You will receive additional details from your child’s classroom teacher.
