Having friends makes school more fun and encourages kids to share, cooperate, and solve problems. Use these ideas to help your child make and keep friends.

Role-play. At home, set up situations that your child will encounter on the playground. For example, if he/she finds it hard to approach other children, try this: Toss a ball with your spouse or other child. Have your child ask, “Can I play catch with you guys?” Encourage him/her to look one person in the eye, rather than addressing the group.
Share activities. Help your child find friends with similar interests. If he/she is interested in gymnastics, look for someone he/she knows who is signing up. Take them to the first class together, and share a snack afterward. If your child likes computers, encourage him/her to join a computer class with him/her.
Try groups. Children sometimes struggle at playing with more than one person at a time. Your child can practice by inviting three friends over. Suggest an activity, such as four square or a board game, where everyone participates. Your child will see how much fun it can be to play with several friends rather than just one.

(Adapted from Home & School Connection, November 2007)

Debbie Ginnetti, Principal


Spring is here and Families for Stevenson is in full swing preparing for Stevenson Rocks! which will be held on Friday, May 4th from 5 to 9 p.m. This annual event includesgreat music, games, food, an amazing silent auction, opportunity draws and a classic car show. If you or your business is interested in becoming a sponsor or donating items to our silent auction, please contact Karen Gainer at gainerkaren@gmail.com or Shelby Bowne at shelbybowne@hotmail.com. We hope to see you all there.

The 10 week art instruction program sponsored by Families for Stevenson is jus finishing up. We would like to thank to our fantastic art teacher Mrs. Barbara Eisner for making art fun and educational for our students.

Recently, Families for Stevenson added another new affordable after school enrichment program called Circus Skills. This 8 week class is taught by Donna Wood-Babcock who has performed and/or taught circus skills for Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Bros., Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm. Students are being introduced to plate spinning, juggling, feather balancing, clown skills, hula hoop tricks and much, much more.

Thank you to all our parents, teachers, staff and community partners for your continued support of arts education at Stevenson Elementary.
Talent Show 2012

Thank you!
Emma Clarkson Co-President, FFS emma@familiesforstevenson.org
Renee Kregler Co-President, FFS renee@familiesforstevenson.org

•Special Breakfasts for Dads and Moms
•Science Fair
•Green Week
•Stevenson Staff Appreciation Week
•Spring All School Picnic
•5th Grade Field Day
•5th Grade Promotion

And I have a feeling, given our great Stevenson community, that we’ll have a few more fun things tossed into that mix. Enjoy the countdown to summer vacation and enjoy all the wonderful opportunities Stevenson has to offer you and your child!

Jessica Good – PTA President

Friday, February 3, 2012

Dear Stevenson Parents,

Thank you for your continued support and investment in our school! The mission of our Fun Run is to promote a healthy and active lifestyle for our students and raise money.

The way it works is as follows: each student finds as many sponsors as possible and asks them to pledge one flat rate amount. Help your child get pledges from friends, family and co-workers! Bring the completed pledge forms and donation money back to school NO LATER than Thursday, February 2nd.

Come cheer your child on! Below is the schedule for our event:
Kinder 12:30-12:40
1st 12:50-1:05
3rd 1:15-1:30
2nd 1:40-1:55
4th 2:05-2:20
5th 2:30-2:45

Prizes

The class that raises the most money will be awarded a popsicle party and extended recess! Each student that collects at least $25.00 in pledges will be entered into a drawing to win Pirate Gear (T-Shirt & Baseball Hat) and lunch with Miss Ginnetti.

There will be a scheduled time for each class to run, walk, or a combination of the two. Since the Fun Run takes place during school hours all students will participate. Each participant will receive water, fruit and a Clif Kid Organic Zbar. Parents are invited to come and cheer on the runners. A schedule will be sent home prior to the event to let you know when each class will be running.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer for this event please contact us conahans@sbcglobal.net.

Thank you for your support!

~Made In The Shade

Donna is currently Assistant Choir Director at Burbank High School. She has many years of experience creating music curriculums, working with school choirs and has a Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance from Indiana University School of Music.

The choir met for the first time last week and I can honestly say that it was a pleasure to see Donna at work. Her warmth, experience and enthusiasm shone. The auditorium was filled with laughter and song, and boy can those kids sing!

After talking to my daughter and her friends, it’s clear that “Miss Donna” has the Stevenson seal of approval.

The High Cs choir will be performing at Talent Show, Friday, March 9th and Saturday, March 10th.

As the High Cs choir is only open to grades 2-5, we are working to bring an affordable after school singing program for our kindergartners and first graders. We’ll keep you posted.

Emma Clarkson
Co-President Families for Stevenson
emma@familiesforstevenson.org

FFS’s mission is to bring Arts education to all our students. This includes bringing quality, affordable after school enrichment classes to our families.

Instructors and programs have been approved by the FFS board directly and FFS handles program administration to keep the final cost down.

True wisdom is the ability to learn from other people’s experiences. Therefore, child psychologist, Dr. Charles Schaefer, asked this question of 50 parents who had successfully reared children: “Based upon your personal experience, what is the best advice you could give new parents about raising children?” The most frequent parental advice offered was:
Love abundantly
Discipline constructively
Be clear, consistent and authoritative
Punish in private
Be flexible, reasonable, and understanding
Discourage continued dependency
Spend time together
Develop mutual respect
Really listen
Tend to personal and marital needs

Parents and teachers function like a mirror to a child by letting him or her know what they are really like. Parents who are proud of, have confidence in, and like their child are strengthening their child’s ego and helping them to develop self acceptance and inner harmony. As parents and teachers we can:

Love and accept our child as they are from the day they were born.
Respect individual differences and appreciate each child’s unique characteristics.
Show affection frequently; physically through a hug or a pat on the back and verbally through our choice of words and tone of voice.
Really listen as a child talks to us. Listening attentively gives insight into how he/she feels, builds rapport and acceptance, and gives a child a sense of significance.
Help your children see themselves accurately so they can appreciate their strengths or accept their limitations.
Set realistic expectations so a child can feel adequate in keeping up.
Praise more than criticize.
Set limits so our children know for sure what gets our approval and disapproval.
Treat your child with respect and consideration. Children really do learn what they live.

How can we as teachers and parents build a child’s self esteem? Enjoy them and value their uniqueness. Celebrate their achievements and let them know you love and appreciate them.

Sincerely,
Debbie Ginnetti

Families for Stevenson is off to a busy start this year offering many great art and music education programs to our students over the next few months.

Veteran art teacher Barbara Eisner has begun a 10-week in-class art instruction program for our students. This is a continuation from 2 weeks of instruction at the beginning of the school year. The new and much anticipated 13-week High-C’s after-school choir program has started under the direction of Donna Dandino who is the Assistant Choir Director at Burbank High School. The choir enrollment is closed, but if you are interested we can put your child on a waiting list. Choir students are receiving group vocal instruction and will perform in the FFS Talent Show and at Stevenson Rocks!

Sponsored by FFS, the Talent Show 2012 themed “Dream Out Loud” is off to a great start. Talent show student participants are diligently practicing and refining their performances. The Talent Show will take place on Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10. Don’t miss this amazing show.

Thank you again for supporting arts education here at Stevenson Elementary. Together we are making a huge difference in the lives of our students!

Emma & Renee