1. education
2. school

!
MARCH 25, 2015
Los Gatos Union School District
Bulldog Beat
www.lgusd.k12.ca.us
Dear Van Meter Community,
KOKONUT KAPERS IS UPON US!!! The first
of two teacher preview evenings was held last
night and buzz is growing about its opening
performance on Thursday! Tickets are going
fast so if you plan on attending one of the
shows please visit http://
vanmeterhsc.seatyourself.biz. Seating is
limited. Thank you to all of the parent
volunteers that helped make this production
possible. Please check the Van Meter Home and School
Club update and website for more information. The Dad's Club is hard at work planning a fun
outing to Kirkwood Ski Resort. This amazing
event is set for March 28th and is being
organized by Dad's Club co-chair Ryan
Fenchel. For more information, contact Mr.
Fenchel at [email protected].
Just a heads up for parents that we will be
starting our state testing, Smarter Balanced
Assessments, the week of April 13th. Fourth
and fifth grade will begin their testing that first
week while third grade will begin the week of
April 27th. Have a great week Bulldogs!
Rick Rauscher
Principal
Van Meter Elementary School
(408) 335-2280
DATES TO REMEMBER
March
26 Spring Photo Day/5th Grade Pano Pic
26-29 Kokonut Kapers Performances MPR
April
1 Kinder spring concert 8:30 - 9:00 A.M.
1st Grade Spring Concert 9:30 - 10:00 AM
2nd Grade Spring Concert 10:30 - 11:00 A.M.
3 Cornerstone Parent Meeting 8:30 A.M.
6-10! Spring Break - NO SCHOOL
13 Smarter Balanced Assessment Window
Begins
14 LGUSD Board Meeting 6:30 P.M. DO
15 Home and School Club Mtg. 6:00 PM MPR
16 CASA General Mtg. 10-11:30 LGHS Comm.
22 Bulldog Stampede
24 Cornerstone Parent Meeting MPR 8:30 AM
MAY
6 New Kindergarten Parent Orientation
1:00PM MPR
8 Cornerstone Parent Meeting MPR 8:30 AM
14 LVM Open House
25 MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY - NO SCHOOL
JUNE
4 Last Day of School - Minimum Day
AUGUST
17 2015-2016 School Year Begins
March 25, 2015
H&SCH&SC
UPDATE
General Meeting
HELP WANTED
Lots of volunteering
opportunities through
iVolunteer (Parents on
Campus, FunZone,
and Clay)
DATES
• Mar 26 - 29
Kokonut Kapers
(School Play)
• Mar 28
Dad’s Club Ski Trip
• April15 @ 6:00pm
H&SC General
Meeting
April Meeting is On the 15th @ 6pm
Mark your calendars for next month’s H&SC General meeting.
The H&SC is looking for board members. Please contact the H&SC by April 15 if
you are interested in volunteering. Open positions: President, PresidentElect, Technology, Volunteer, and Secretary. Our bylaws can be located on
the H&SC website. Next year’s election will be held at the H&SC General
Meeting on May 20.
2015 Bulldog Players
Opening Night is This Thursday!
Buy your tickets now before it’s too late! Online
ticket sales will end 24 hours before each performance. There
are 6 performances running from Thursday through Sunday. Purchase now online at
http://vanmeterhsc.seatyourself.biz. Tickets will be sold at the door 30 minutes prior
to the start of each performance, if seats are still available. This is an event you won’t
want to miss! For questions, please contact Karen Evenden at [email protected]
2014-2015 Yearbook
Have Your Ordered Your Copy Yet?
Make your child’s memories at Van Meter last forever by purchasing
a Yearbook today.
Order online at http://www.vanmeterhsc.org/yearbook/
OR
Fill out a Yearbook order form in the front office and return with a check payable
to Van Meter H&SC.
Prices increase after April 17th!
• $25/copy until April 17th
• $30/copy after April 17th
Volunteering Corner
RESOURCES
H&SC Website
School Calendar
Volunteering
Donations
Bulldog Store
Like us on Facebook
Parents on Campus Needs Volunteers!
Have an hour during lunch time? Parents on Campus (POC) needs your help. We are
short of volunteers everyday. Spring is here and it will be a great way to get some sun
while lend a helping hand.
Bulldog Stampede
Look for more information in your Wednesday envelope and the Bulldog Beat for this
year’s Bulldog Stampeded on Wednesday April 22!
Thank You Willow Street!
Thank you to Willow Street Pizza and Main Street Burger for their March 11 fundraiser
for Van Meter. We raised $350 for the H&SC just by eating out! Stay tuned for more
community partnerships next month that give back to Van Meter.
We would love to hear from you! You can email the H&SC board at [email protected].
Mrs. Martin’s Art Lessons
Please visit Mrs. Martin’s Art blog at: http://www.mrsmartinartclass.blogspot.com/
for updates on what is happening in your students art classroom, student artwork from across the district
and parent child activities that connect to each lesson!
LGUSD Elementary Art Program is funded by LGEF
CORNERSTONE CORNER
Kindness Counts: 2015 Asset Champions
(Published from materials on the project cornerstone web site)
Developmental assets are the positive experiences, values, behaviors, and relationships that enable
young people to thrive. Asset Champions are individuals or organizations that make extraordinary
efforts to build developmental assets, create positive connections with young people, and inspire
others to do the same.
An awards breakfast was held last Friday to honor these community heroes, as well as to celebrate
the leadership of the inspirational Linda Silvius as she nears a May retirement. Linda was the original
consultant when the Project Cornerstone organization launched back in 1998. Her leadership, vision,
and commitment to all youth in our community have been remarkable. She has trained and inspired
thousands of parents and school staff in the power of building developmental assets.
The following awards were presented March 20 2015 by Project Cornerstone:
Adult Role Model: Nancy Koble, School Crossing Guard, City of Santa Clara
Positive Peer Influence: Sabrina Ma, Acts of Random Kindness Club Founder, Independence High
School
Positive Cultural Identity: Veronica Trejo, Moreland Middle School
Community Values Youth: Community Against Substance Abuse (Los Gatos)
Caring Elementary School Climate: Marshall Lane Elementary School, Campbell Union School
District
Caring Middle School Climate: Graham Middle School, Mountain View-Whisman School District
Caring High School Climate: Live Oak High School, Morgan Hill Unified School
Of special note was the award granted to Ms. Ma, who is now at Georgetown University. A
documentary profile shown at the awards banquet profiled this brave young lady, who by choosing to
tackle her own insecurities and adversity head on, channeled her energy into growing a sizeable
school club with the singular charter of filling buckets with random acts of kindness every day.
In concert with Home and School Club, K-Kids, Student Council, Project Cornerstone and other
campus programs and organizations, LVM embraces and models such programs through campus
clean-up, community outreach and more. However, acts of kindness – filling buckets – does not
necessarily extend out of planned initiatives, but can be as simple as smiling at someone who needs
it; or “paying forward” an act of kindness with two others, to two other people. Notice, name and
celebrate asset-building moments to build a culture of kindness at home, school, work and in the
community. Every interaction with our youth is an opportunity to nurture a purposeful life. Just ask
Linda Silvius.
The next Project Cornerstone book training for Sebastian’s Roller Skates will be held in the
MPR, right after drop off (8:20) on Friday April 3rd. For more information on becoming an ABC
reader, or to volunteer at lunch to staff FunZone, contact us at [email protected]