1. education
2. school

Kensington Elementary School
Judy Sanders, Principal
May 7, 2015
I have sent out a version of this letter for the past few years. Each time I reread it, I’m reminded of
how relevant it continues to be for me and my family, and hopefully you will find something in it that
speaks to you, whether it’s the first time you’ve read it or the second or third.
As the end of the school year looms closer, I am reminded of the challenges we all face when confronted
by transitions, and of the universality of the struggle. No matter how much we may look forward to an
ending, or a beginning, the anticipation as well as the reality is often very stressful. Some of our
discomfort stems from our own ambivalence. When my girls were growing up, we often talked about
feeling “happy/sad.” This was our way of acknowledging that curious mixture of emotions one so often
feels during a transitional time – the happiness and anticipation when faced with something new
combined with the sadness and sense of loss when giving up the familiar and comfortable.
Anticipating the ending of a school year is always one of those happy/sad times for my family. We’re
tired, ready to be done with the routines of early bedtimes and grading papers. We’re excited to think
about vacation, travel, gardening, lazy days at the pool or the beach. Yet along with those feelings is a
curious sense of loss – the ending of friendships, relationships, and routines that have punctuated our
days.
I still remember the summer between third and fourth grade when I was a child. Someone had told me
that fourth grade meant “long division.” In my mind I had no idea what long division was, except that
the person who told me about it made it sound very ominous. I spent the summer dreading fourth
grade, with the impending doom of long division! I often wonder what demons inhabit the heads of our
children; what are they anticipating, or perhaps dreading, about their new school year.
This may be a good time to start the conversation about endings and beginnings. Talk about what they
will miss, and what there is to look forward to. Give your children the space to express their concerns,
their fears, and their excitement. Let them know that it’s all right to feel happy/sad about change, and
that you will be there to listen and share their feelings. Life is filled with transitions; learning to
navigate them comfortably is among the skills that we teach our children. The end of each school year
gives us another opportunity for practice.
Upcoming Dates to Remember:
• May 7 – PTA Meeting – 7:00 - MPR
• May 8 – Coffee with the Principal – 8:30 - Library
• May 9 – School Carnival 11:00-3:00
• May 13 – SSC – 6:30 – Faculty Room
• May 21 – Tile Project
• May 25 – Memorial Day Holiday – No School
• May 29 – 6th grade promotion ceremony
KHS PTA
Events
KHS PTA invites you to join us for a
Discussion of Carol Dweck’s
book Mindset
Thursday, May 7, 7:00 PM in the MPR
Please join us on May 7 for a facilitated discussion of Carol Dweck’s book Mindset. We’ll explore how to encourage our children to be resilient, to embrace
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come even if you haven’t read the book!
Free childcare provided.
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PTA & DADS’ CLUB 68TH ANNUAL
SPRING CARNIVAL
SATURDAY, MAY 9 + 11 AM - 3 PM at 90 HIGHLAND BLVD.
RAFFLE + Grand Prize: HANDMADE QUILT! + Runner Up Prizes:
SHOPPING SPREES AT ARLINGTON AND COLUSA CIRCLE SHOPS!
Proceeds fund the PTA's purchase of school supplies, assemblies, & emergency readiness kits.
+ COTTON CANDY + CARNIVAL RAFFLE + PLANT SALE + WHITE ELEPHANT SALE + SNO CONES + GAMES +
+ CRAFTS + PIE BAKING CONTEST + USED BIKE SALE + DADS' CLUB GRILL + CAKE WALK + PHOTO BOOTH +
+ KENSINGTON HILLTOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PTA +
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S H + PTA & DADS’ CLUB SPRING CARNIVAL +
SPRING CARNIVAL CHECK LIST
SATURDAY, MAY 9TH 11 AM - 3 PM
+ 33RD ANNUAL CARNIVAL RAFFLE +
Tickets – Sell’em
+Students received $20 worth of tickets to sell. +Turn in raffle ticket money by Friday,
May 8th. +Prizes for top individual seller and top classes! +Top 3 sellers
receive cash prizes!
Tickets – Buy’em
+$2 a ticket, sold individually or in packs of 5. Contact Serena Heaslip
at [email protected] if you need additional raffle tickets.
Prizes
+Grand Prize: Handmade Quilt +Runner up prizes #1: Arlington Avenue Shopping
Spree +Runner up prizes #2 & 3: Colusa Circle Shopping Sprees
+PRE-ORDER CARNIVAL TICKETS +
Carnival game punch cards & lunch tickets can be pre-ordered on the school website!
www.kensingtonhilltop.org/carnival
Tickets will be delivered to your child’s classroom on Friday, May 8th.
+ENTER IN THE PIE BAKING CONTEST +
+Submit a Pie Contest Entry Form (www.kensingtonhilltop.org/
carnival) and pay entry fees prior to 11:00 am Friday, May 8th.
+On Saturday, May 9th, bring pie to the MPR between 11:00 11:30 am. No refrigeration will be available. Winners will be
announced at 1:45 pm.
+Kids 13 and under will compete in the Student Baker Category.
Everyone else will compete in one of three categories: Nut, Dairy and Fruit.
+Pies will be judged on taste, presentation, and flakiness of crust.
+DONATE USED BIKES TO DEALS ON WHEELS! +
+Bicycles + Tricycles + Foot-to-floor Mobiles + Anything with wheels! +
+Drop your bike off at Kensington Chevron Station before May 8th and receive 10% off
labor for any service! Services must be completed in the month of May.
+Drop off your bike at Kensington Hilltop on Friday, May 8th behind
the MPR or contact Rob Dunn ([email protected]) to arrange a pick
up.
+DONATE TO THE WHITE ELEPHANT SALE +
One of the highlights of Hilltop’s Carnival! It’s like hitting 100 garage sales
all in one place! Bring us your gently used items and we will help the find
a new home!
What we need
+Clothing – Women’s gently worn only please, jewelry, housewares,
craft supplies, pottery, china, toys, musical instrument.
+No computers, electronics, large furniture or baby clothing.
Drop off donations
+Leave smaller bagged items at the front of school during morning drop off between
8:00 - 8:45 am from Monday, May 4th through Friday, May 8th.
+Drop off at the MPR between 9:00 - 6:00 pm on Friday, May 8th.
+Contact Mary Shaughnessy at [email protected] to arrange a pick up.
+DONATE YOUR TIME +
Over 200 volunteers shifts are needed that weekend! Sign up to volunteer
through your child’s classrooms, Dads' Club! It’s a fun and rewarding way
to spend time with the kids and other parents.
+Each classroom will be assigned a booth (i.e. game, activity, tickets, prizes, lunch, plant
sale or white elephant sale). Sign up for your classroom’s assigned booth at www.kensingtonhilltop.org/carnival/volunteer/classroom. Sign up for more than one shift if you can!
+Dads’ Club will need additional volunteers for set up and tear down on Friday and Saturday. Please sign up at www.kensingtonhilltop.org/carnival/volunteer/dc.
+ SPRING CARNIVAL The PTA & Dads’ Club only fundraiser of the year +
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IT'S + PTA & DADS’ CLUB SPRING CARNIVAL +
33RD ANNUAL CARNIVAL RAFFLE
TICKETS – SELL ‘EM
Thanks so much to those of you who have
already sold your tickets! Students went
home with two $10 packets of tickets to
sell. Our goal is for every child to sell both
packets….and with your support and this
year’s prizes, it should be easy!!!
As an incentive to students, the Top 3 sellers
get prizes of their own!!
+ Top Seller receives $75
+ Second Top Seller receives $50
+ Third Top Seller receives $25
Need more tickets?
Contact Serena Heaslip at (510) 290-8095
or [email protected].
The Raffle Ticket winners will be announced
at the Spring Carnival on Saturday, May
9th.
TICKETS – BUY ‘EM
$2 a ticket, sold individually or in packs of 5
Grand Prize Handmade quilt
“Water Garden”
Arlington Avenue Shopping Spree
Gift certificates to The Arlington +Country
Cheese Coffee Market + Inn Kensington +
Kensington Fine Foods + Kensington Home
& Hardware + Kensington Nail Spa +
Ele Thai Cafe + Pacific Acupuncture +
Young’s Market
Colusa Avenue Shopping Spree #1
Gift certificates to 4 Cats +Kensington Vet
Hospital + Circle Salon +The Fuse Fitness
+ Kensington Optometry + Semifreddi’s
Colusa Avenue Shopping Spree #2
Gift certificates to Alchemy Skin Spa +
The Fuse Fitness + Hendrickson's Clinic +
Colusa Market + White Magnolia Tai Chi
School + Benchmark Pizza
A special thank you to Mark Choi of Marvin Gardens for underwriting raffle ticket costs.
+ SPRING CARNIVAL The PTA & Dads’ Club only fundraiser of the year +
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IT'S + PTA & DADS’ CLUB SPRING CARNIVAL +
PRE-ORDER CARNIVAL TICKETS
PRE-ORDER YOUR CARNIVAL GAME PUNCH CARDS & LUNCH TICKETS!
....and avoid lines on Carnival Day.
All pre-ordered tickets will be sent home with your student on Friday, May 8th. See you
at the Spring Carnival on Saturday, May 9th, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.!
Student Name
Teacher & Room No.
Carnival Game Punch Cards
(Cannot be used to purchase lunch)
Game and booth tickets will be sold
in the form of a punch card. One
punch card contains 10 ticket punches.
Games/activities range in price from 1
to 8 punches each, with most costing 2
punches. How many ticket punch cards
would you like to buy?
Game Punch Card
x $5 = $
Total Game Punch Cards $
Carnival Lunch Orders
(All meals include a slice of watermelon,
a bag of chips, and a drink)
Hot Dog ................ $5 x
=
Double Dog ........... $7 x
=
Sausage ................ $7 x
=
Hamburger ............. $6 x
=
Veggie Burger ......... $6 x
=
Tri Tip Sandwich ...... $8 x
=
Additional Drinks ..... $1 x
=
Total Lunch $
ORDER TICKETS ON THE SCHOOL WEBSITE!
WWW.KENSINGTONHILLTOP.ORG/CARNIVAL
Game Punch Cards $
Lunch $
Total $
Cash or check payable to Dads’ Club + Include form and payment in an envelope
labeled Carnival Tickets. + Turn in to class or office by the morning of May 8th. +
Questions? Contact Amy Mullarkey at [email protected] or Christina Pollack at
[email protected]
+ SPRING CARNIVAL The PTA & Dads’ Club only fundraiser of the year +
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The 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake) has killed
more than 7,000 people and injured more than twice as many. UNICEF
appealed for donations, as close to 1.7 million children have been driven out
into the open, and is in desperate need of drinking water, psychological
counsel, temporary shelters, sanitation and protection from disease outbreak.
*(=)%')=(94$5
Spare Change donation boxes have
been placed in your child’s classroom. Any extra pennies,
nickels, dimes, and quarters that you have stuck in that sofa
can be brought in and placed in the box. Student Council
will collect the boxes until the end of the year and all
change will be donated to UNICEF.
LIBRARY NEWS May 2015 x Look for the Adopt-­‐a-­‐Book table at the Carnival May 9! x May 11 is the last week classes have library. x The last day for students to check out books in the library is Friday, May 15. All school library books are due Monday, May 18. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * x At recess students may bring their own book to read in the library until the library is too messy to have students inside. A note will be posted on the door when the library is closed to students at recess. x Read this summer and Feed Your Brains! The yearbook order has been placed but
100 EXTRA COPIES
WERE ORDERED
70 left to be sold on a first come
first serve basis until sold out!
Just $30.00
per copy.
Order online at
www.kensingtonhilltop.org/yearbook
Or
You can also pay by check — make your check payable to
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Or
Simply click on the big blue button
on the right column of the Thursday Packet.
!
!
Thank you Hilltop families for participating in the
Box Tops for Education™ program!
Thanks to Ms. Sierra Veenbaas, our parent volunteer,
for working all year to rally Community support
and for collecting and turning in all the box tops
for our school to earn extra money to buy school supplies.
We have earned $249.30 as of April 30.
Don’t forget to drop off your Box Tops in the collection box in the hallway by the
front office
You can also visit btfe.com to track our school’s earnings throughout the year and find out more
ways to earn Box Tops for our school.
Kensington Hilltop School's
Summer Reading Program
We want to keep the used books rolling for the summer months
and the kids to NEVER STOP READING!
Got some of that spring cleaning done during the break?
Have your kids outgrown their old books?
Need to clear some shelf space?
Please donate used children's books
We especially want paperback books in good condition
No sticker books or books with toys PLEASE
Donated books can be dropped off in a box
next to the Swap Bookcases in the Front Hall
Let's share our books with friends and classmates There are so many good books to read!