Dear Parents:

By now many of you are familiar with the valet drop-off area in front of the school. We have 5th grade volunteers and a supervisor (Mrs. Seta) out there every morning to assist you in dropping off your children.

On Tuesday morning, a student was almost hit by a car in the crosswalk. If you are driving through the valet area in front of the school, there are some safety rules you should follow:

• Use your right signal to alert the cars behind you of your intention to turn into the valet area.
• Always stop at the stop sign before crossing into the valet area.
• Never drop off your child in the red zone.  You will be ticketed by the police.
• Going through the red zone to enter the valet area okay, but stop at the stop sign and don’t allow your child to get out in the red zone.
• Do not drop off your child in the middle of the street.  You will be ticketed by the police.

If you find yourself rushing to get to school on time, get up 15 minutes earlier. Tickets in a school zone are doubled! And, we want every child to arrive at school unharmed.

Thank you,
Yvonne Seta
Valet Supervisor

2010-2011 PARENT ACADEMY
“Become and active parent in your child’s education”

ADVANCING AND SUPPORTING K-12 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT – ONE STUDENT AT A TIME!

All Sessions from 6:30 – 8:00pm

Dear Stevenson Families,

The staff and I so excited for the start of the school year! Rooms have been cleaned, books have been placed in desks, pencils are newly sharpened, and teachers are preparing lessons for the first week of school. We are looking forward to working with you and your child.

I am excited to welcome Mrs. Jessica Kern, who will be teaching first grade in Room 3, to our Stevenson team. She has taught for over thirteen years at McKinley Elementary School in Burbank.

Class lists will be posted on Friday, August 13. You might notice an increase in the number of students in grades K-5. The Board of Education in May voted to increase class size to help offset the budget deficit. You may notice a number of changes in grade level assignments for teachers. Due to carefully chosen placements, class balance, and the need to meet each child’s academic expectancies, it will be unlikely that any student’s class assignment can be changed. We have a very full enrollment, affording us little flexibility.

I want to invite you to become involved at school. Your involvement at Stevenson demonstrates your commitment to your child’s education. Being a volunteer, attending school events and special activities send a powerful message to your child that you value education and expect him or her to do their best. I hope to see many of you this year.

School begins Monday, August 16, 2009. Parents may accompany their children onto the playground and meet the teachers. The gate will be opened at 8:15. Then join the PTA and FFS for welcome back tea in the lunch shelter at 8:30.

The staff joins me in saying we’re happy to have you as part of the Stevenson family. We hope this will be a successful and satisfying year for you.

Sincerely,
Miss Ginnetti

Stevenson is full of super scientists! Here is a list of all of the participants and winners. Each and every student worked so hard to complete their projects. We are so proud of everyone!

Earth Science

1st Place Maddie Simpson – Can A 7-year-old Reduce The Amount of Waste Going Into A Landfill?
2nd Place Sambodh Mitra – My Green Project…
3rd Place Tie Luke Boag – UV Rays at Stevenson & Ivy Rodwong – Erupting Volcano of Fire

Participants
Hank Matusek – How Do You Make A Crystal?
Roberto Castellanos – Metals around Us
Noel Shil – How Does a Rainbow Form?
Chloe Caneday & Emmalee Trotta – Why Does The Moon Change Shape?
Katherine Segura – The Solar System
Aidan Cremarosa – What Is It Like To Be On The Moon?
Rylie Cremarosa – Volcano Hazards and Their Effects
Krisha Nair – How Did The Hawaiian Islands Form?
Siya Joshi – Our Solar System

Thank you for all of your hard work!
Gina Boulais and Michelle Shandy

Dear Parents,

This past year at Stevenson has been one of excellence in the quality of educational experiences for our students.  As the year draws to a close I would like to take the opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the students, staff, and parents here at Stevenson.  I am constantly reminded, “it takes a community to teach a child.”

Parents and community support are key components in the success of the programs at Stevenson School.  Parents and community members volunteer thousands of hours a year.  A special thank you goes out to our outstanding PTA.  This group consists of hard-working, positive, supportive, and extremely capable members who always give so willingly of their time, talents, and energy whenever and wherever they were needed. Whether it’s planning the Science Fair and Reflections contest, providing buses for field trips, or working the Book Fair, our PTA is always there to help.  Their tireless energy and willingness to take on any task have enriched the lives of all students.

A special thank you is in order for those highly dedicated Families for Stevenson (FFS) members.  This fundraising group has made it possible for our students to experience art, music, and dance instruction by specialized teachers.  They are creative and hard working parents who dedicate their valuable time and efforts toward supporting arts education for every child. Parents have been so supportive of our fundraising efforts and their contributions have been greatly appreciated.

We are thankful for all our many Parent Volunteers who are a valuable and important component of the success of our school programs. We could not do what we do without your help.

Every child is surrounded by teachers, support staff, parents, and community members who strive for student success. Our Teachers have worked tirelessly to provide a productive and positive learning climate.  Our support and classified Staff have consistently demonstrated the highest degree of dedication and professional performance.  We greatly appreciate the unfailing support for and involvement of our wonderful parents.  And a special note of thanks to Joyce and Deidre who handle the incredible demands and interruptions of the office with skill, tact, efficiency, and patience.

You can help our school and your student by participating in the Stevenson Read-a-thon during the summer!  Research shows that students who don’t read during the summer actually LOSE reading skills that must be relearned in August. Your support will help raise the necessary funds for field trips and library books.

It is with mixed feelings that we must say good-by to our 5th grade students.  It has been our privilege to be a part of their educational journey.  They are very capable young people who we hope will do exceedingly well in the future years.

Miss Ginnetti

Summer is here!  Whether you’re a regular beach-dweller or you only step in the sun once in a while, sunscreen is of the utmost importance to protect your skin. So when you stock up on your UV-ray protection, make sure the product you choose is not only safe for your body, but for the environment as well!

Chemical Sunscreens can be comprised of estrogenic toxins when absorbed by your skin can affect reproductive health and development. A study has shown that chemical sunscreens may harm coral reefs, so be on the look out for natural and biodegradable sunscreens for use on the beach.

Natural Sunscreens often include plant-based ingredients such as hemp seed oil, shea butter, jojoba oil and coconut oil that naturally provide UV protection – it helps that you can pronounce these ingredients too!

Check out http://www.allterrainco.com/sun_protection.html

Reapplying sunscreen and simply using enough throughout the day has a greater effect on protecting you from sunburn and UV-rays than using sunscreen with a higher SPF (and usually a higher price!). If you plan to spend a day outdoors, doctors recommend using a “shot glass” amount to cover all of your exposed skin, and to apply approximately 20 to 30 minutes before heading out in the sun.  Apply every couple of hours.

Before we know it, summer will be over.  As you start shopping for next years’ lunch boxes remember this:  During the average school year, each child throws out approximately 67 pounds of waste!  Think about purchasing reusable containers instead of plastic bags.

Laptop Lunch Boxes were created by two eco-conscious moms about seven years ago when the savvy pair realized that the best way to help parents pack wholesome, low-waste lunches was to “provide them with a lunch system that was not only convenient and economical, but also appealing to kids.” Made of lead-free plastic, its unique design, features single-serve individual containers, reusable utensils, a water or juice bottle and a handy carrying case.

Everyone from Wal-Mart to Land’s End to The Land of Nod are making eco-friendly backpacks now.  So keep that in mind too.

Our Sun Safety Committee members have offered their time and energy and will continue selling gift cards at school on Fridays during the summer. If every family purchased at least $100.00 a month, in grocery store cards, Stevenson would earn $4,000.00 a month!  At that rate, the kinder yard and possibly even the pirate ship would have a sun shade next year!  I don’t know about you, but I easily spend over $100.00 a month at Von’s alone!   And don’t forget about gas cards!  It’s SO easy!

Have a great summer everyone!  And remember, it is easy being green.

by Jennifer Jesperson