1. education
2. school

HORIZONS
MARCH
From the Principal’s Desk
Hello Holly Avenue Families,
It is amazing to think that we are already into the third trimester. So much is
PTA President Letter 2
happening around campus. Right now we
Father/Daughter Dance 3 are in the midst of preparing for the
Smarter Balanced Assessment. Testing for
Muffins with Mom 4
grades 3-5 will take place during April 21May 29. Each grade level will be given a two
Dancing Scientist/
week window to test. Please do not plan
Volunteers of the Month 5
trips or appointments for your child during
Spring Book Fair/The Bul- this time. It is very important that your
lying Game Assembly 6
child takes the test with his or her classmates. Please be sure your child is on time
PTA Calendar/Meet Mr.
each day. Once the test has started, the
Renfrew/Canned Food
students will not be admitted into the classDrive Results 7
room until the test is completed. As a re3rd Grade Updates 8—9
sult, they will be required to make up the
test at a later time.
Scrip 10
Testing time may create some anxiety
in students. Please encourage your student
to do their best. Remind them that their
teachers have prepared them all year long
and they are ready. A good old fashioned
pep talk may be just what they need to give
them a boost in their confidence. Provide
for them a healthy breakfast and make sure
they get plenty of sleep.
Every year special awards are given to
AUSD employees. The Profiles of Excellence award is given to staff members who
exemplify the traits of an outstanding Arcadia Unified School District employee. This
year 3 of Holly Avenue staff members were
nominated and awarded Profiles in Excellence. Please help me congratulate Mrs.
Chang, Ms. Hesler, and Mrs. Hurley. I
Inside this Issue:
would also like to congratulate Miss Dahle
for being the recipient of the Holly Avenue’s Rotary Teacher of the Year. We are
so proud and excited for all of them.
We have more wonderful news to
share. Holly Avenue has students in three
Destination Imagination teams that placed
at regionals. They will be advancing to
state competition on March 28th. We are
also proud of four 5th grade students that
were invited to Chicago to compete in
Mathcon in April. Three students have decided to attend. We wish them the best of
luck! Finally, two former students, Jeffrey
Wang and Titus Wu received perfect
scores on the SAT. This truly is rare, and
how wonderful that both young men attended Holly Avenue. We are so proud of
them and all of our students.
Please save a couple dates in your calendar. Our PTA’s Honorary Service
Awards dinner will be held on May 27th.
This will be a wonderful time to celebrate
individuals who volunteer at Holly Avenue
and to honor our incoming and outgoing
board. I personally cannot thank the PTA
enough for all that they have done for us
this year. Also, May 28th is our school
Open House. This is a time for your children to share all the remarkable work they
have done. Every year I am so impressed
by all the beautiful and impressive work on
display. I look forward to seeing you all
soon.
Sincerely,
Teresa Oakland, Ed.S.
Editor: Stacia Ibrahim
Page 2
From our PTA President:
Happy Spring Holly Avenue Families! It is hard to believe
that we are in our last trimester of the school year! We
have had a very fun and busy 2014-2015 and Holly Ave
PTA Volunteers continue to work hard to provide great
events and activities for our community!
In our last newsletter, I listed the many events and activities
Holly Ave PTA VOLUNTEERS organize for ALL OF YOU!
Over 350 Moms and Students were treated to delicious
Muffins at Muffins with Moms on March 6th! This was a
great sister event to our Donuts with Dads, which brought
over 300 Dads and Students together! These events were
just a few of the many activities Holly Ave PTA has been
committed to bringing to our families to engage and create
a close knit community at Holly Ave.
We hope you have enjoyed these events as much as we
have!
Since our Winter Newsletter, Holly Ave PTA has
sponsored these great events!
5th Grade Walk Through American Revolution (fully
paid for by HAPTA)
Dancing Scientist School Assembly (fully paid for by
HAPTA)
International Grandparent Dolphin Day on January 30,
2015 (Fully Paid for by HAPTA)
Father Daughter Valentine’s Dance on February 6,
2015 @ 7:00 PM (PTA Event)
Spring Book Fair March 2-6, 2015 (PTA Event)
Muffins with Moms Event March 6, 2015 @ 7:30 PM
(fully paid for by HAPTA)
The Bully Game School Assembly (fully paid for by
HAPTA)
AVID Parent Seminar and PTA Meeting March 25th,
2015 @ 6:30 PM (PTA Event)
We are now in our final planning stages for our last few
events before Summer Break. Please mark your calendars!
We hope to see you at these events!
Our FINAL Upcoming Events before Summer
Break:
Restaurant Night at BJ’s Arcadia March 26th (Don’t
forget your flyer!)
Moms and Sons Bowling March 27th, 2015 @ 3:30 PM
(PTA Event)
Sweet XO Fundraiser Sat &Sun, March 28 & 29th
(Don’t forget your flyer)
PTA Meeting & Parent Nutrition Seminar April
22nd @ 6:30 PM
Family Movie Night April 24th, 2015 @ 6:30 PM (fully
paid for by HAPTA)
Teacher Appreciation Week Lunches and
Treats May 4-8, 2015
Gift Cards for Teachers to buy School Supplies (fully paid
for by HAPTA)
Do you have a talent or skill that would be a great asset for
Holly Ave PTA?
We are looking for next year’s 2015-2016 Chairs for these
following committees.
AEF Representative (Holly Liaison for AEF/Scrip)
Donuts with Dads Event Chair
Family Movie Nights Chair
Muffins with Moms Event Chair
Mom & Son Bowling Event Chair
Hospitality Chair/Teacher Treats (Put together teacher/
staff treats for holidays, etc.)
Red Ribbon Week Chair (Coordinate Red Ribbon Week,
Say “No!” to Drugs Week)
Reflections Chair (PTA Reflections Art Contest Chair)
Welcome Back to School Coffee Chair (Organize the
Parent Welcome Back to School Coffee on 1st day of
school)
Website/Technology Chair (Update PTA Web Page,
Email Lists, etc.)
Please let us know if you are interested in one of these positions by emailing Shirley Yee @ [email protected]
It is a great way to get more involved with Holly Avenue
and your kids and to make lifelong friends!
Lastly, I would like to recognize these following parents for
going above and beyond in donating their time and always
helping us organize and run all of our successful events this
year. Without their dedication, we would not be able to have
any of these great events and activities.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN THANKING: Stacia & John Ibrahim
(Dylan -4th and Kayla- 3rd), Laurie Yamashiro (Kailani –
3rd), Claudia Bocanegra (Arianna-K), Aileen Trusedale
(Avery – 2nd), Michelle Holbrook (Hailey -5th ), Darla
Steindler (Zane-4th and Liam- 1st), Lucy Barnett (Angelica
– 2nd and Isabella –K) , Lisa Baikie (Kenny -5th).
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to
email me at [email protected]. I hope to meet you at
our next event!
Warmest regards,
Shirley Yee, Parent of Ella (5th) and Madison (3rd )
2014-2015 Holly Avenue PTA President
Father Daughter Dance!
Holly Avenue Fathers and Daughters celebrated Valentine’s with a special
night out at the second annual Father Daughter Dance on February 6th!
Guest DJ Blake Harris (Mrs. Harris’s son) rocked the house as dads and
daughters danced the night away. Photobooth pictures provided fun and
precious memories of this special night. Thanks Fathers and Daughters!
Muffins with Mom
The Dancing Scientist
Holly Ave PTA's 2nd Assembly was a huge hit with the
kids! The Dancing Scientist brought fun dance moves
along with awesome Scientific experiments! Student volunteers made polymers and air rings and even had them do a
dance contest! This assembly is definitely one that we will
have again at Holly Ave!
Volunteers of the Month!
A special thank you to these special people who donate their time to help in our student’s classrooms.
Nidia Ornelas Chavarria room 28, Mrs. Sukwanto for room 23 Mrs. Olivia Flores room 30
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOLUNTEERISM!!
Spring Book Fair
The Holly Avenue Book Fair held March 2-6th was a HUGE success. Thank you to Claudia
Bocanegra and Aileen Trousdale who chaired the Fair and exceeded the Book Fair goal! At the
Family Night at the Book Fair on March 4th students were challenged with a Treasure hunt thru
the Book Fair as well as Coloring Contest which earned them raffle tickets for prizes at the end
of the night. One lucky student guessed the # sea creatures in the jar and took home some
great book fair prizes.
The Bully Game Assembly
Holly Ave PTA's third and last assembly was "The Bully Game" which used a fun game to remind Holly Avenue students that gossip, teasing, taunting and being a bystander is not how we
treat others at Holly Avenue! Students had a great time playing the Bully Game!
PTA Calendar - Save the Date!
Page 7
Moms and Sons Bowling March 27th, 2015
Family Movie Night April 24th, 2015 (fully paid for by HAPTA)
Teacher Appreciation Week Lunches and Treats May 4-8, 2015
Meet Mr. Renfrew!
Please welcome Mr. Renfrew to our Holly Avenue Family! Mr. Renfrew is our English Language
Development (ELD) specialist. He works with our students learning English as a second language.
Each day he meets with over 60 students. They come to his room in small groups.
This is Mr. Renfrew’s 32nd year in education. The last 16 years have all been in Arcadia. His wife is
the ELD teacher at Highland Oaks and they have two college age children. Mr. Renfrew grew up in
Arcadia and went to Holly Avenue as a student so he is a fellow Dolphin!
Please welcome Mr. Renfrew when you see him on campus.
Canned Food Drive
Holly Avenue held it’s annual Canned Food Drive 6th-February 20th. All donations went to the Food
Pantry at Foothill Unity which helps local families and individuals in need. Holly Avenue Students
collected over 2,000 cans! This is a record number of cans collected. Foothill Unity was so grateful
they sent representatives to each of the Character Counts Assemblies on 3/13 to thank the children
personally and share with them how and who their canned food donation will help. Mrs. Oakland
pledged if we collected over 2,000 cans students got a day of free dress which was held on 3/12!
Way to go Holly Avenue Students and Families!
3rd Graders Field Trip Fun!
We are extremely fortunate this year to have four exciting field trips planned for the 3rd Grade class. This is all
thanks to the generosity and parent chaperons from all of our classes.
All of our classes had the opportunity in the Fall to visit the California Science Center and experience the IMAX
theater with the movie Galapagos Island. Students had a wonderful time exploring sound, in a hands on exhibit,
and seeing the space shuttle Endeavor.
Our second field trip this year was right in our backyard, Santa Anita Park. All classes had a chance to take a police escorted walk down Holly Avenue and then hop aboard a tram ride for a tour of the stables at Santa Anita
Park. The students met a few of the 1,000 horses that live at these stables, learned about how to care for horses,
watched some horses train, visited the jockey locker room, and enjoy the scenic view from the grandstands. This
trip was only a peek into the rich history of Arcadia.
We have two additional field trips coming up, Monrovia Canyon and the Los Angeles Arboretum. Both of these
field trips will help bring 3rd Grade Social Studies alive as students lean about Native American Indians who lived
in the San Gabriel Valley and the history of Arcadia.
Again, thank you parents for your generous support!
The Third Grade Teachers
3rd Graders Know their Math!
Third Graders at Holly Avenue have been busy learning all about area and perimeter. We can help you
figure out how much tile to buy when remodeling your kitchen, or even how much paint you need for
your living room makeover. All this can be done because we know the
CCSS 3.MD (California State Standard of Measurement and Data). So if you need to
purchase fencing for your backyard, or order sod for landscaping, just ask a Third Grader
at Holly Avenue. We'll be glad to help you measure for all your home improvement
needs!!
Calling All Art Lovers
Watch out Picasso! Here come Holly Ave’s third graders. Students are exploring many areas of art. First,
they are learning about famous artists and the contributions these artists have made. They are using their
reading and writing skills to research and write informative pieces about these artists. Then they are using
Google docs to publish. Also, students have been experimenting with the various styles and movements
of these artists. For instance, some students have emulated Matisse’s cut-outs with their own version of
cut-outs.
In addition, students are working with an array of mediums, such as: crayons, pastels, watercolors, markers, colored pencils, tempera paints, charcoal, and papier-mâché. Students are using these different mediums to learn about the elements of art. Some of the pieces of art students have created are: name color
wheel, ice cream tints and shades, 3-D bowls, positive and negative space portrait of Martin
Luther King Jr., and a portfolio cover using shapes. The third grade is full of wonderful
artists. Come by at Open House to view some of the beautiful work students have created.
Mrs. Englund’s 3rd Graders Follow the Rules!
“Silence in the court! Court is now in Session.” Did you know that our country,
state and cities have laws to keep us safe? For example, you need to cross the
street at a cross walk, otherwise it is jaywalking and illegal. In addition, there are
three branches of government that help to make the laws. The reason we have
three branches is so one branch wouldn’t take over all the power. The Legislative
Branch makes the laws. Next, the Judicial Branch asks questions about the laws.
Finally, the Executive Branch either approves or vetoes the laws. Our class wants to
pass a law that our playground is made out of different types of yummy
candy. But we know there is a 99% chance Mrs. Oakland will veto that idea! Written by Room 31 students
Science in Room 14
Inspired by the Mad Science After School Program, Room 14 and Room 31 have literally taken a
"hands on" approach to learning about Science. Not only are we reading and learning about Energy,
Light, Matter, and Space. All students have accepted the challenge to be hands on Scientists to
explore the wondrous and interesting world around us. Each week two students (Scientists) are
assigned "cool" and fun experiments to present and amaze the class with. Ooohs and aaahs have
definitely filled the room on more than one occasion! Get ready Arcadia, some inspired Holly Avenue students may
be the first to shed light on new and important Science discoveries in the near future! - By: Mr. Passow
3rd Grade Writing News from Room 18
To help students develop as writers, teachers implement a variety of writing mini-lessons with their students.
These lessons focus on specific strategies including how to select and write a topic sentence that tells what an
entire paragraph is about, or how to add supporting details to a single paragraph. Through practice, students
learn how to support and elaborate upon their ideas. Furthermore, students learn how to state their opinion
in a clear and convincing manner, but also they also provide evidence to support their reasons.
One of the on-going assessments used in our school district is the writing benchmark. 3rd grade students just
completed their 2nd benchmark focusing on Opinion writing also known as “how to explain why”.
Reading and writing are tightly linked together and when 3rd graders read the classic story, Stone Fox,
they couldn’t wait to write about it. After much discussion and analysis of the characters and plot, students
were able to write an independent written response about the story. They also had to explain why they would
recommend this book to someone else.
Today, writing is not limited to a writing block. 3rd grade students are learning to write across
the curriculum including in math, social studies, and in science.
For example, Room 18’s 3rd graders did an informative writing about multiplication and division. Using thinking
maps, they compiled likeness and differences between these two math concepts before reporting their information.
In social studies, students learned about the 3 branches of government. After discussing the differences and
similarities between them, they were asked to describe a specific situation where the principles of checks and
balances could be used for the good of the people.
In science, students are exploring Space and will soon write their own planet report. They will gather data
using different sources and report their information in front of their peers.
So next time you ask your child about his/her day, ask:
“What did you write about today?”
Mrs. Jogminas and her Students
Scrip at Holly Avenue
What is Scrip?
Scrip is a program that lets you donate to Holly Avenue Elementary through your usual purchases - without
paying any extra. You can purchase Scrip or gift cards from several major retailers for the face value on the
card. The retailers donate a percentage of the proceeds back to Holly Avenue. For example, if you spend
$100 for a Target gift card, Holly Avenue will receive 2% or $2.00. Scrip sales add up quickly and Holly
Avenue can benefit from your usual purchases at no cost to you.
Gift Card Sales for one month $10,000
Holly Avenue earnings (average) $300
Earnings over 10 months $3,000
How to buy Scrip?
There are three ways you can purchase Scrip:
1) Complete the attached order form and submit your cash/check to your child's teacher or the front office
Monday - Friday. Your Scrip order will be ready for pick up afterschool the following Wednesday.
2) Visit the AEF office on the Holly Avenue campus (located in the bungalow near the tennis courts)
and receive your Scrip immediately. Please remember to bring cash/check and credit Holly
Avenue for your purchase.
3) Join the Scrip Club! The Scrip Club is a great way to receive your frequently used gift cards on a monthly basis.
This is the easiest way to buy market, gas, and other gift cards without having to remember to place
an order every week. Your cards will be sent to you (postage free!) on a monthly basis. Please complete
the attached Scrip Club form and start receiving your Scrip today!
Why to buy Scrip?
Scrip sales are a wonderful opportunity for Holly Avenue to earn extra funds, improve our school and
enhance our childrens' experience. There are many items that can make a difference, such as
new computers, printers, Robotics Programs, etc.
Scrip sales are a wonderful opportunity for parents, friends and family to donate without spending
any extra dollars. Scrip can be used for your daily grocery or gas purchases, as well as for
gifts. The AEF office can accommodate small or large orders. Consider asking your employer
to purchase their employee gifts through our program. Every purchase counts!
Who are our Retailers?
Amazon
Target
AMC Theatres
Arcadia Supermarket
99 Ranch Market
Albertsons
Arco
Chevron
Starbucks
Chipotle
Cheesecake Factory
and many, many more…..