Sces 2016 02

NEWSLETTER - FEBRUARY 2016

Serrania Charter for Enriched Studies inspiration

imagination

innovation

rt Suppo r ou P.E. in l! schoo

Classroo m Goals & Prizes to o!

Walkin’ On Sushine!

Us p l e H e!

Shin

Earn p ri at $25, zes $100 & $50, $150!

SCHOOL GOAL

$35,000

ecial p s a n Ear NCE E I R E t EXP you hi n e h w $250!

Donations Close on 2/12/16 Visit: www.TheGetMovinCrew.com

Serrania Charter for Enriched Studies • 5014 Serrania Ave. Woodland Hills, CA 91364 • (818) 340-6700 • www.SerraniaCharter.org

PRINCIPAL CORNER

A New Year, A New Start

H

appy New Year to all fellow Serrania families! What I love most about the change in years is that it represents a new beginning. 2016 is no different. It is a time for all of us to not only reflect on what has been achieved but also a time to focus on what we hope to accomplish and plan to improve, both personally and professionally. I would like to share some of my resolutions for Serrania that can easily be accomplished with your support. These resolutions will ultimately improve our school as a whole!”

First, I would like to address the ongoing safety issues concerning traffic conditions during morning drop off and afternoon pick up. Please, for the safety of our children, either park and escort your children onto campus by way of our crossing guards or utilize any of our three valet drop off points at Bascule, Quedo, or the Kinder gate on Serrania. I completely understand everyone’s need to rush off to work, but I urge everyone to please use caution, patience, and thoughtfulness so as not to jeopardize the lives of any of our Serrania students or family members.

The magic that we have at Serrania is unlike anything I have ever experienced in my many years in education. My ambition is to have all our families beam with the same pride I feel every day and for our children to think of Serrania as their “home-away-from-home.”

May our 2016 be an amazing year! Thank you parents for all your efforts and contributions to continuously empower and improve the school.

Words cannot express my eternal gratitude.

Sincerely,

Principal, Serrania Charter for Enriched Studies

Second, dovetailing off the resolve for more patience and thoughtfulness, I want to express how impressed I am with how culturally rich and diverse our school is and the tremendous respect shared between all of us, regardless of our differences. Let’s keep that spirit of love going throughout the new year, especially as our diversity expands, and we welcome the children and families of Porter Ranch. Serrania is now their home too! Welcome Porter Ranch students!

Third, this spring our children will take the SBAC test. The staff and I have been working hard to ensure that our students are in their best academic shape to complete this exam successfully.

However, we need to include you in our goal for their success by asking parents to make sure their children get plenty of rest every night, refuel with a nutritious breakfast, and help them get ready for the test.

Enrique - First Grade

Sarah - First Grade

Lastly, the best perk for me in 2016 is that I am thrilled and beyond proud to be your principal.

Student Corner Hey kids! Do you have a poem, art piece, cartoon, etc. that you want to submit to the newsletter? If so, please see Debby Dustin or, place it in the suggestion box, in the office along with your name and room number with a note stating it’s for “Kids Corner!”

Mason - First Grade

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Friends of Serrania is proud to announce the return of the OPEN

Thank you to all who participated in our first bike raffle at McDonald’s Night It was a huge success! Congratulations to two of our fabulous kindergarteners who won bikes: Jacob Feder and Ruby Dellinger! Principal Alvarado was on hand with his amazing DJ skills, along with Alan de la Rosa and Adrianne Doty who announced the winners of our McDonald’s Happy Meal toy and bike raffle prizes! It was great seeing some new families and some of the great families who continuously support Serrania.

GIFT

SHOP

OPEN

Your child will have the opportunity to “go shopping” and pick out their own inexpensive gifts for family, friends, and themselves!

Your child will build confidence by shopping on their own, practice money handling, math and decision making. Children like to shop for themselves, and they LOVE to shop and give to others. And remember...

Serrania benefits, too!

The Valentine’s Gift Shop will be held in the

Parent Center (Room 29) from Tuesday, February 9th through Friday, February 12th. Children can shop during snack, lunch, and after school. Prices range from $1 to $10, with most items only costing $1 or $2.

Why buy candy and cards when you could give your child a few dollars to buy something special from the gift shop? Serrania benefits, the kids have fun, and NO CAVATIES!

Yearbook Love Lines Show your child just how much you love them, write messages to your friends, thank your teacher or staff with LOVE LINES. It will be something to treasure for years to come.

ON sale

Create your message of 125 characters/spaces, $15 per message. Space is limited, so act fast!! Love Lines are available on a first come, first served basis.

$27

$32

soft cover

hard cover

ON sale

Love Lines deadline is February 26

Still accepting orders until April Get your order in early as quantities will be limited when they are delivered in May. Academic Parent Workshops

We look forward to seeing everyone at our next restaurant night on February 10th at CPK in Topanga Plaza.

Please drop in for lunch, dinner or take food to go!

There is a special prize associated with receipts from this event.

More information to follow.

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These workshops are presented every Wednesday from 8:15-9:15 am. Topics will vary but will focus on educating Parents on our curriculum program at Serrania. Parents can learn about Common Core, Balance testing, and methods that can use at home to help their kids.

Parent i ng S er i es March 1 Boundaries with Other Parents/

8 am, Tue.

Birthday Parties

Ryan Rosen, executive director of Camp Kinneret

April 5

Social Media

MAY 3

Self-Validation vs. The Need for Approval

JUNE 7

Media Use/App Watch

8 am, Tue.

FREE AND Open to ALL

Location: PARENT CENTER, Room 29

8 am, Tue. 8 am, Tue.

Ryan Rosen, executive director of Camp Kinneret Ryan Rosen, executive director of Camp Kinneret Mr. Paquini

Donate Your Hair To Help People With Cancer! Join Serrania Students, Teachers and Families at the

S E R R A N I A

2015-16 - Serrania CES

Student Council Serrania’s Student Council is comprised of 4th and 5th graders selected based on their applications and essays. Student Council meets regularly with their advisor, Mrs. Vassallo, and helps with many activities around campus including helping student shoppers at the holiday gift shop and the fall book fair, and helping to sell raffle tickets.

Student Council member Charlize said, “Student Council is a great aspect of my daily life. Student Council does everything they can to make Serrania shine! At Student Council meeting we all contribute...we all do it together! Student Council is a piece of the puzzle of success. The Student Council’s main priority is to help make Serrania shine and to help you be as happy as you can be.”

Student Council member Sophia reported, “I like that we get to help the school and help fundraise. We get to learn from this, and it helps me when I grow up. I really like working with others and meeting new friends.Working with other people can help me in life. I really like working in Student Council and would love to do this in the future.”

Student Council member Mantreh added, “I like Student Council because we work together as a team to accomplish many good activities at Serrania. Student Council is a very good idea to teach kids organization and leadership skills. I personally love Student Council. It teaches kids responsibility. We do special things and we inspire other kids to do important things too.”

Not only are they working to help the school, but they are developing great teamwork and leadership skills that will serve them well throughout their years of school and career.

Look for them around campus in their blue Student Council vests helping to make Serrania shine! They’re there to help you no matter what you need!

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and Relay For Life Kick-Off

Friday, February 26th at 8:00 am It only takes an 8 inch ponytail to help make a wig!

Layers are OK! Colortreated hair is OK, too!

Can’t donate your hair?

Show your support by purchasing an exclusive “Pony Up” beanie! On sale soon!

Read Across America Week

February 29th th thru March 4

Serrania will join schools ead throughout America in “R noring Across America Week” ho lebrating a love Dr. Seuss’ birthday and ce fun classroom of literacy! We have many ll as a few surprises activities planned, as we u will join us in in store! We hope that yo reading in a this tradition, whether it’s ur child at night, classroom, reading to yo that you’ve been or picking up that book wanting to read yourself!

There are so many benefits of reading including discovering new places, people, and things, developing empathy, relaxing the body and brain. Studies show kids who spend more time reading also do better in school!

e all of our Our goal is to motivat read, to students and families read, read!

SIGN UP NOW to receive your commemorative “Pony-Up” t-shirt! Contact Yevette at: ywpeterson@gmail.com - 818-378-3068 Even Little Kids Can Make A Big Difference!

Please join the Friends of Serrania every tuesday for Restaurant Night at

Pizza & Pasta 4861 Topanga Cyn. Blvd.

818-346-1500

20%

of all proceeds from this day will be donated back to Friends of Serrania

this applies to pick up, take-out and delivery orders. Just mention Friends of Serrania when ordering.

For menu visit

www.amecipizzaandpasta.com

Written by Jeff Sturges

On January 13th, 2016, the California Mathematics Council returned to Serrania. Following the tradition set last year, a day long Math Festival was held in the auditorium presenting a fun program designed to help students learn more about math. The theme this year was Geometry.

Classes were individually called to the auditorium throughout the day. After a short introduction and explanation, students were presented with challenging puzzles and problems to solve. Several stations were set up with activities such as Mirra and Polyhedral.

Worksheets of increasing difficulty levels were set out on these stations so the students could find a challenge that suited them. Kindergarten and 1st grade had their own set of activities where they could create, color, and cut puzzle pieces and then put them together. The children worked in pairs and were allowed to experience any station that appealed to them assisted by teachers and parent volunteers.

The goal of the event was to show the fun side of math, and it worked. The students approached the tables with great enthusiasm. And like last year. the students were surprised with how much they enjoyed the event. After about thirty minutes the students were sent back to class, but they were invited to come back in the evening with their parents. In the evening, Serrania families endured the cold weather and assembled in the auditorium to experience the event with their children. Some parents enjoyed the challenges just as much as the kids. One mom remarked, “my husband and I do not like math but I am having so much fun, you have changed lives with this event. Thank you.”

Thank you to the California Mathematics Council for coming back to Serrania and sharing more new ways to learn and enjoy math. And thank you to Mrs. Sperber for organizing and bringing the event to Serrania.

2015-16 - Serrania CES

Peer Mediators

We are the 4th and 5th grade Peer Mediator’s. We applied for our job by filling out an application and writing an essay about why we wanted to be Peer Mediators. We meet regularly with our advisor, Mrs. Sperber, to talk about how we can teach kids to solve their own problems and conflicts. It makes us feel good inside knowing that we are helping kids.

One of the funniest problems that we helped kids solve was the “Tunahead” problem. A kid came up to a peer mediator and said, “Somebody’s calling me mean names.” The peer mediator walked up with the kid to the name-caller. The name-caller said, “Hey Tunahead.” The peer mediator asked, “Why are you calling this kid Tunahead?” The name-caller answered, “Because she is a Tunahead.”

The peer mediator asked the name-caller how he thought it made the other person feel. The mediator and the 2 kids had a discussion about feelings and positive ways to communicate. Finally, the namecaller said, “Ok, do you want to go play?” The other student felt better and wanted to go play.

As peer mediators, our goal is to be able to help students recognize issues and help them to solve their own problems. We love helping student work through their own issues and learn how to solve them in the future for themselves.

We love being peer mediators!

All graphic design for our school newsletter is provided by our talented parent volunteer and Graphic Designer Jorge Melgar.

For inquiries about Jorge’s services, he can be reached at zip75247@gmail.com

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