It’s hard to believe, but we’re back to school. As parents, we’re concerned about creating a healthy environment that is free of toxins that might inhibit learning.

Here are some tips to help you and your children to have a healthy, happy school year!

1. Keep Swine Flu In Perspective

Because it’s a new virus, there’s no telling how bad it will be this year, but so far H1N1 has proven to be a virulent strain of the flu, similar to the one that goes around every winter. The same basic rules apply:

1. Keep your child home if you think he/she is sick.
2. Wash your hands frequently with warm, soapy water or use a hand sanitizer if soap & water are unavailable.
3. Cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow, not your hand!

2. Recess Rocks!

A 15-minute break seems to be key not only for learning, but for social development and good health! Unstructured play is as important as structured play with emotional, social and cognitive growth.

3. Reconsider The Cell Phone

Many parents see cell phones as an important tool for staying in touch with their children and for emergency situations. Some children consider them to be a status symbol. There is still a lot of debate about the safety of cell phone radiation and its effect on growing brains. Kids are particularly vulnerable to environmental insults. Give it some careful thought.

4. Head Lice – The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Head lice is unpleasant and a fact of life for many school children.  The most common over-the-counter products contain actual pesticides!  Old-school treatments include olive oil, essential oils, Moroccan oil, even mayonnaise! There are tons of web sites that can help.

5. Check those backpacks!

Six out of 10 children will experience back pain before their 18th birthday and heavy backpacks are one of the reasons why. Pack wisely and use wide, padded shoulder straps. No backpack should weigh more than 10%-20% of a child’s weight. No more than 14 pounds for a 70 pound boy or girl.

6. Pack Healthy Lunches

Buy organic foods and pack them in nontoxic containers whenever possible. Use BPA-Free water bottles. Bisphenol A is a synthetic estrogen used to make some plastics and it’s been linked to a number of health problems including obesity! Pack a lunch with a healthy sandwich or wrap and a drink that isn’t loaded with extra sugars. Applesauce, yogurt, carrots, hummous and raisins are also great choices.

7. Vaccinate With Care

Vaccination is important for public health and is responsible for the eradication of several debilitating childhood illnesses. Discuss the necessary vaccines with your child’s doctor. Avoid immunizing when your child is sick. Take note of allergens like MSG or eggs and be sure to let your doctor know.

Have a fantastic year and remember, it is easy being green!

Jennifer Jesperson

The opening of school is such an exciting time for all of us. We can’t wait to use our new pencils, notebooks, backpacks, and basically have a fresh start all around. Our school is shiny and clean thanks to the hard work this summer of our wonderful custodian, Oscar.

All of us at Stevenson Elementary School want to make this a successful year for your child. Your active support and cooperation, combined with our best professional efforts, will ensure academic success for your child. We are proud of our staff and students and I invite you to be involved in Stevenson School.

The goal of our school is to provide each student with a challenging and rigorous curriculum appropriate to his/her academic level. We believe every child can learn and achieve. To this end, every child will be provided with quality instructional experiences which recognize, support and maintain high expectations for all students.

Our mission is: To ensure the learning success of all of our students in a safe, nurturing environment, and to inspire them to become productive members of society who take an active role in positively changing the world around them.

Our PTA and Families for Stevenson (FFS) Booster Association have planned many wonderful activities for this school year. To make them successful, we rely on the support and assistance of our parents. When you receive the calendar of events, start planning how you can get involved and help our school. Parents are a major part of what makes Stevenson so successful.

The staff and I look forward to working with you to provide the best possible educational experience for your child. If I can be of help or answer any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Stevenson Elementary is proof that Together We Make a Difference!

Fondly,
Miss Ginnetti

The Stevenson Garden had a fabulous summer! Thanks in large part to volunteers who helped water and weed! The reward was getting to take home veggies as they ripened! And there are still plenty growing. Melons, tomatoes, squash, eggplant, oranges, apples and more. Toward the end of summer we inherited a giant pile of garden stuff from the Kinder Garden area, because they had to make room for many new munchkins coming to our school. That’s ok Kinders, you can come visit all your dirt and pots at the big garden just across the playground.

Cartoon Network is hosting a volunteer day at the garden on Saturday September 11th from 9am – 1pm and we would love it if you could come and bring your parents! There will be all kinds of things to do to help get the garden ready for fall. We will also be planting three new trees!! If anyone is interested in getting involved in the garden in any way, feel free to e-mail Jennifer Hughes at GardenSquad@Liloebe.com

Bang! Did you hear that? We just started the year out with a bang! Just prior to the start of this school year the Made in the Shade Committee received some very exciting news. RL Stevenson Elementary is one of 37 schools nationwide to receive an $8000 grant through the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) through its 2010 Shade Structure Program.

During the last school year, local dermatologist Dr. Jeffrey Ashley agreed to sponsor our efforts and we applied for the grant, which required demonstrating an ongoing commitment to sun safety education, a need for playground shade and the funds and ability to complete the project. We were one of just 4 schools/organizations in California to earn the award.

In the coming months, we will work with Principal Ginnetti and Families For Stevenson to solidify building plans. We can’t wait to celebrate the realization of this goal that many have contributed to and worked toward. Special thanks to every parent, teacher, and extended family member who has done their part through signing up for escrip, purchasing gift cards and also – applying sunscreen liberally!

Also, each fall the escrip program requires that you ‘re-up’
your grocery cards into the program. So if you are registered already, please go to the website and with only about 2 clicks, you’ll be set for the year. You can also register your credit cards so that they earn contribution to our school. If you haven’t registered, there has never been a better time. Through Sept. 15, many items that you purchase at the store earn 10% back for Stevenson. For more information click here.

Melissa Boag Made in the Shade Committee Member

Tiffany with Scotty & Niko

Welcome Stevenson Families to a new school year! This is my second year as your PTA president. I can honestly say I am happy to be doing it again! I think back to when it was my first year as a parent and remember being a “newbie”. Wondering what all goes on at the school, wondering how I could be involved etc. I remember not knowing the difference between things. Let me give you newbies a heads up on a few things around our school:

PTA- stands for Parent Teachers Association. We are a children advocacy group. We also fundraise for many different programs and events such as; field trips, assemblies, teacher assistants and many other things. PTA has a meeting on the second Thursday of every month. PTA is ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW PARENTS!

FFS- stands for Families for Stevenson. This is a booster club that raises money for the arts and dance programs at our school. They also support many other events and programs. FFS has a meeting also, the second Thursday of each month. FFS and PTA take turns on which meeting goes first. FFS is also ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW PARENTS!

Sun Shade Committee- This is a specific committee that’s sole purpose is to raise money for sun shades. Even though we have had a cool summer, be assured we will have heat coming. Kids get burned playing on hot equipment. We are one of the few schools left who still do not have sun shade above their play structures. This committee needs more voices! Come to a PTA/FFS meeting and see how you can help!

You will see tons of fundraisers from FFS, Sunshade and PTA. This is because we need to raise so much money to pay for many different things. My advice to you is, choose a few fundraisers that appeal to you and please do support them! Don’t feel like you have to support all of them. It can be overwhelming. But, remember the fundraisers benefit your child!

Sometimes it’s overwhelming to come to a meeting and not know anyone. My advice- take a deep breath and just “DO IT”. After a few meetings you start meeting new people. You get to be in “know” of what is happening at your child’s school and you just plan have a good time. Best advise- introduce yourself to me, or Jennifer and De (the CO-presidents of FFS). I promise we’ll introduce you around and hopefully make you feel a part of the team.

For the latest news at our school visit our website- www.stevensonpirates.net You will find all you need to know about our school. You can sign up for emails and be informed of upcoming programs and events.

I hope that clears a few questions up for you all. Please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email with any more questions. I am here for you as well as the kids of Stevenson!

Cheers,
Tiffany Bakas PTA President

Jennifer Jesperson with Autry

Stevenson Elementary is a very special place. Families For Stevenson is our school’s booster organization. FFS works together with the PTA, our office staff, parents, teachers and the community to give our children the best elementary school experience that we can possibly give them. The mission of Families for Stevenson is to enrich the education of our children by providing Art, Music, Dance and other specialty programs to Stevenson Elementary. FFS is dedicated to refining our children’s education when our state government can no longer afford to.

We start out the year with fantastic news: R.L. Stevenson is one of 37 schools nationwide selected to receive the $8000.00 sun shade grant this year from the American Academy of Dermatology!   There were only four recipients total in California!  This would not have happened if it weren’t for our amazing Sun Safety Committee.  Please congratulate them when you see them by purchasing the gift cards that they sell at school every Friday. It’s SO easy! They’ve got cards for all of the grocery stores, gas stations, department stores, book stores, Starbucks, virtually everything you can think of. If every family purchased at least $100.00 in grocery store cards, the school would earn $4000.00 per month — expediting the ability for Stevenson to create a safe & shady place to play on our playground.

De Eldridge with Arthur

The FFS “main event” is Stevenson Rocks! which will take place May 6th, 2011. Last year’s was our most successful event yet! Stevenson Rocks! went retro and everyone had a blast! We couldn’t have done it without the parents who volunteered in so many ways – from making signs to making phone calls, to working at the event, and spending their hard earned cash! For those of you who aren’t sure that you have the time to volunteer, take it from me, it’s worth it.

FFS believes that focusing on The Arts not only enriches our children, but it helps to bring our children together and allows them to speak a “common” language. When our children study The Arts, they discover how people communicate not only with words, but through music, dance and the visual arts. WE are committed to giving your children every opportunity to expand their minds. We want our kids to be interested and interesting. To be the best they can be. To be happy.

De Eldridge, our co-president, and I want you to know that no matter how much or how little time you have to help FFS and PTA – we appreciate it. We work hard, but we have a great time doing it! Along with your Families For Stevenson board; Kym Wheeler, Emma Clarkson, Renee’ Kregler, Laura Grote, Jessica Good, Kari Conahan and Michelle Thornsbury, we are here to help make R.L. Stevenson Elementary the best school in Burbank!

We can’t do this without you so please contact either myself or De at:

Jennifer.jesperson@mac.com / 818-415-9025 or

de@5dspectrum.com / 818-415-8487

Thank you and have a great year!

Jennifer Jesperson and De Eldridge Your Families For Stevenson Co-Presidents