The School Talent Show is rolling out the Red Carpet on March 5 & 6 BUT it’s not too early to start thinking about your “Movie Themed Act”!

Get creative, watch some old movies to get inspired, and most of all Be Original! All types of acts will be considered!

More information about the January Auditions will come home soon –
please look for it in your backpacks.

Questions?
Contact Jessica Good – ingoodco@me.com (818) 281-9476
OR Emma Clarkson – emma@xurble.org (818) 861-7139

Our Annual Holiday Boutique is always a favorite of our students. It’s a safe, kid-friendly, affordable “boutique” where kids can shop on their own for parents, grandparents, and friends – with most items costing $1 – $5. Parents will have an opportunity to prepare a shopping list and budget for their child while volunteer “elves” will help them shop and wrap their gifts in special gift bags.

The children are invited to come to the library, leave their backpacks outside, and do some holiday shopping. We ask that parents wait outside while their kids shop. This way, our students will have the fun of surprising friends and loved ones with secret gifts they have bought themselves.

The boutique will be open Monday November 30th through Thursday December 3rd. More information will be coming home with your kids soon.

We will be signing up Helper Elves at the next PTA meeting. If you are interested in signing up and won’t be at the meeting contact me and I’ll add you to Santa’s list!

Emma Clarkson: (818) 861 7139 emma@xurble.org

We are always looking for new ways to help our families stay involved and informed about school life. We currently offer a weekly e-mail blast and a monthly newsletter. This year with the support of our Principal, Teachers & Room Representatives we are launching classroom blogs.

Each room has its own blog run by our fabulous Room Reps. They are a place for you to get information specifically about what’s going on in your child’s classroom. They are the perfect way to stay informed about homework, classroom themes, upcoming events, teacher wishlists, student of the month and much, much more.

As one of the smaller schools within the Burbank Unified School District (BUSD), we have a strong home-school connection, active Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and Families for Stevenson (FFS) Booster Association. But with so many demands on parents’ time we understand that getting involved at school can sometimes be challenging.

The major goal of these blogs is to offer an insight into your child’s classroom and keep you feeling connected. We hope that over time you’ll find them to be a valuable reference point. So the next you just can’t remember when that assignment is due or where that class trip is off to check out your classroom blog. That’s my plan anyway!

All our blogs are in their infancy and some of our Room Reps are quite new to blogging too! So we ask that you support them as they develop and grow over time. When you visit your classroom blog sign-up as a follower/supporter and feel free to post comments and feedback. With your support our blogs and our classrooms are sure to go from strength to strength.

Now for the important bit!
Visit http://stevensonpirates.net/classroom-blogs/ and click on your child’s teacher and room number. Simple!!

I would like to give special thanks to all the RRs who have risen to the challenge and fearlessly blogged for their school. You guys rock!

I am passionate about the importance of communication between school and parents. The school website is constantly evolving and is a great way to stay current.

Best Wishes
Emma Clarkson emma@xurble.org (818) 861-7139

So sorry I missed contributing to the last newsletter with the Wellness Column but life took over. We moved our home (we are still in the Stevenson School District, yeah!) and all of my boys came down with a very bad cold that included double ear infections for my husband.

Now there is a reason I am telling you all of this. This month’s column is dedicated to destressing your holiday season. At the end of the column I will also include my “Tip from your Trainer”.

I was stressed over our move but didn’t get sick, knock on wood while I am throwing salt over my left shoulder. I took care of my family and myself. NOTE: I took care of myself. As caregivers the first thing that tends to go is the “Taking care of myself” part of that statement. Just like the stewards and stewardesses tell us on airplanes, “Put the mask over your mouth first, then any dependents traveling with you.”

As we travel through the busy holiday season we tend to forget what is best for ourselves. We are making sure our kids, our spouses or our extended families are happy and THEN we take into consideration our needs. We know what we would like to do but more often than not we do what we feel we should do.

Well, if the main caregiver in the family is happy, everyone tends to be happy. So I am here to remind you to DESTRESS this holiday season. Say no more often. Do the things that are important to you. Eat well, drink your water and during the course of your week, do one thing for yourself. Whether it’s getting your nails done, playing 18 holes of golf instead of 9 this week, volunteering at your kid’s school or a soup kitchen, or taking ten minutes to have a cup of tea and flip through a magazine, do something that will make you feel good.

Every holiday I try to make sure I stay on track while cramming all of the extra things into my schedule. As my kids are getting older, I am more conscious of time ticking away. I try to slow down and really enjoy my kids and my time with them.
Believe it or not, I also find that if I do something for others, I feel darn good. So as your wellness advisor, I am here to give you a gentle reminder to be good to yourself this holiday season, while you are being good to others!

Trainer Tip:

Remember to stretch even if you are doing the most mundane things like gardening or cleaning your house. Here is a simple one to add to your repertoire. Gently and slowly bend over and let your arms dangle in front of you while you exhale through your mouth. Make sure you have a slight bend at the knees and don’t worry if you don’t touch the ground. Just go as far as you can. Keep breathing in and out nice and slowly. Slowly stand up straight and imagine your spine unfolding little by little. Stand near a chair or wall just in case you get dizzy. Not only are you stretching out your spine, hamstrings and arm muscles but also you are breathing deeply. You are giving your body much needed oxygen.

Always be gentle with your body while you are exercising or stretching and remember to check with your doctor before starting any rigorous exercise routine.

We all have the best intentions of exercising and eating right. Don’t overload yourself during this busy holiday season. I will challenge you to do two things for yourself this season. Drink your water and if you can’t exercise, watch your caloric intake and do the simple stretch outlined above at least twice a day. Losing weight and staying healthy is really a simple calculation of calories in vs. energy out. Try not to take more calories in than you can expend in a single day.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember to enjoy yourself, your friends and your family.

LeeAnne Matusek, Wellness Committee

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

- Dr. Seuss, from The Lorax

Have you read The Lorax lately? When I reread it as an adult, I was stunned by how ahead of its time it was. He published this in 1971 and it’s about the plight of the environment. In 1971!!! No one was talking about the environment then – certainly not in a children’s book! Yet here it is for all to see with its lovely colors and Truffala trees!

In order to start making changes, we must start at home. The more we educate ourselves the more likely our children will follow in our footsteps.
Here are a few ways to have fun with our kids and enjoy the beautiful fall weather:
Go apple picking! Both Julian and Oak Glen have excellent harvests this year. Oak Glen was threatened by the fires, but fortunately, the area was saved.

By picking your own apples you not only enjoy the freshest fruit available, but you also support the livelihood of local farmers and orchards. Here are a few simple tips to follow on your apple picking adventure:

Ask the orchard owner/manager which trees flowered first in the spring. They will also be able to give you more information on the different apple varieties found in their orchards.

Select firm, bruise-free apples. Apples ripen from the outside of the tree to the center, so pick the ones located on the outer branches.

Don’t jerk apples off the branches. The proper way is to roll the apple towards the tree branch and then twist it until the stem breaks free.

Apples are free of fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and contain small amounts of potassium, which may promote heart health, help maintain healthy blood pressure and a healthy weight.

Grow a garden It’s a fun and easy eco-activity that kids always enjoy. For those with a yard, plot out a small portion for the garden. If you don’t have that much space simply get a pot to grow in a windowsill. We live in Southern California where we can grow our food all year long! Try lettuce, carrots, radishes, onion and garlic – look! You’ve got a salad right there!

Get kids involved by looking for programs like California Youth Energy Services (CYES). Their goal is to educate kids and the community on how to lower energy usage throughout the home. Youth and young adults are trained as energy specialists who offer “green house calls” and a free energy audit for your home!!!

So pull out your old copy of The Lorax or The Giving Tree or go to the library. You’ll be surprised – and delighted!

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” – Native American Proverb.

By Jennifer Jesperson

Time Travelers had a visit with Edward Jenner, the father of vaccination, to coincide with the PTA’s flu vaccine clinic.

The upperclassmen learned more than they wanted about vaccination, and how Edward Jenner created the first vaccine against small pox using cow pox from a young milk maid’s infection.

The visit was completed with volunteers from the audience playing the roles of the young milk maid and the boy Jenner used as his subject.

We’re looking forward to an upcoming Time Travelers visit with the namesake of our elementary school, Robert Louis Stevenson, on November 13th.

Susan Gold, Time Travelers Committee