Calendar

Aug 29 — Deadline for Submissions to the September Voice

Aug  30 –Back to School

Sept 9—  Welcome Back Social and Potluck

Sept 16– Walk-a-thon

Palo Verde PTA and School News

Get a glimpse into what your child does at school, at this all important night on Tuesday, August 30. This is a great opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and other fellow-parents in your child’s classroom. You will learn about the curriculum, daily routines, classroom expectations, homework and how to get involved in your child’s classroom.This is a great time to ask questions of the teacher and seek clarifications.

 Welcome Back Social and Potluck

Please join us for our first evening social event of the school year. It’s time for Palo Verde’s annual International Potluck Social. It’s a great chance to meet new families, reconnect with friends you haven’t seen over the summer, and sample a variety of delicious items from our diverse community. Please bring a main dish or side dish to share and your own reusable plates, cups and utensils from home to help us reduce waste and expenses. PTA will provide drinks and dessert items.

Calendar

May 26 — All Library Books Due

May 27 — Last Day for Book Exch. Donations & Box Top$

May 30 — No School, Memorial Day

May 30 — Deadline for Submissions to June Voice Newsletter

June 1 — Final Principal’s Coffee & Last Assembly

June 1 — Book Exchange, Helpers Needed

June 3 — Movie Night for Malawi

June 8 — 5th Grade Promotion

June 9 — Last Day of School, Minimum Day

Palo Verde PTA and School News

Dear Palo Verde Families,

In the district office this week, I was stunned by the student art show on display throughout the building.  There are lovely pieces selected from our own artistic Palo Verde students and works created by other elementary students throughout the district.  But my jaw dropped when I entered the gallery of art created by PAUSD high schoolers.  The quality and variety and depth are truly amazing.  It’s a window into the growth and development ahead for our children.  It’s also an opportunity to appreciate the value of supporting the arts in school.   If you can carve any time out of this busy month, the PAUSD Student Art Show is truly worth a visit.  I promise you will be glad you did.  The art will be on display through May 31 at 25 Churchill, Mondays-Fridays, 8am-4:45pm.

May is busy but joyous month.  There are so many end of the year culminating activities.  Concerts, displays, presentations, parties…  As we bustle back and forth from the school and the rest of our busy lives, I ask you to PLEASE remain extra cautious when traveling to and from campus, particularly if you are in a vehicle.   The car drop off areas can be crowded and potentially dangerous.  Remember many children are traveling on foot and bike.  The mornings are bright, maybe set your alarm seven minutes earlier so you can drive to school a bit earlier, feeling calm and patient.  Better yet, take those extra minutes to walk or bike with your child to school.  You’ll all get a bit of fresh air and start your day together with a nice conversation.  We’ll all be healthier and safer.

Warmest regards,
Heather Schultz
PTA President

Library Important Dates

Please pay attention to some IMPORTANT upcoming LIBRARY DATES:

• Thursday, May 19: Last Day of Checkout

• Thursday, May 26: All Books Due & Payments Due

• Friday, May 27: All Books for Book Exchange Due

• Tuesday, May 31 12:40-3:30 PM: 5 Parent Volunteers Needed for Sorting Books

for the Book Exchange

• Wednesday, June 1: Dress as Your Favorite Storybook Character Day

• Wednesday, June 1: All day (shifts ok), at least 3 parents needed all day to help

assist students, replenish books, and clean up

• May 30 & 31 and June 2, 6, 7 and 8: Parents needed to help shelf-read the

library to ensure library is in correct order prior to summer. Many people needed.

Schedule is very flexible.

Book Exchange

This year we will hold our first annual Book Exchange on Wednesday June 1. The Book Exchange gives children at all grade levels an opportunity to donate books and take home other gently used books for summer reading. 

What you can do to help:

Please help your children go through their books at home. The books to be donated should be placed in a bag marked “Book Exchange” and left in the office, classrooms, or brought to the library. 

What kinds of books can be donated?

1. Books must be in readable condition (no torn or missing pages and no coloring over illustrations)

2. Books must be appropriate for elementary students (no board books, high school or adult books)

3. Books can be in other languages.

4. Books can be fiction or nonfiction.

5. Please do not bring in magazines.

6. We especially need books at the 4th and 5th grade levels (challenging chapter books)

7. “Beginning Chapter” books can be in sort supply too. (Thin chapter books such as Geronimo Stilton, Andrew Lost, Junie B. Jones, Secrets of Droon, etc. are very popular!) 

Please have your child tell his or her teacher how many books were donated. Each class will keep track of the number of books donated and will determine how many books each student in the class may take prior to coming to the Book Exchange. (Formula used: Total # of class books divided by # of students in the class = number of books per student + one bonus book) Every child will take home at least 2 books. Thanks for supporting the Book Exchange! (Please give as generously as possible.) 

• All books need to arrive by Friday, May 27. It would be a HUGE help if you could start sending your books now. It’s easier to sort small groups of books at a time.

 • We need a group of parent volunteers to help setup for the book exchange on Tuesday, May 31 from 12:40-3:30 PM and clean up on Wednesday, June 1st from 1:30-3:30pm. We also need extra help all that do. Please email or call Laura if you can help. (llosier@pausd.org or 856-1672)

LAST WEEK to Turn in Box Top$

Will Your Class Win the Ice Cream Party?  This is the final week to turn in your BoxTop$ for Education.  Bundle up your BoxTop$ into Ziploc bags, 50 BoxTop$ per baggie.  Label the bag with your classroom number and turn it in to your teacher or the front office.  If you have fewer than 50 BoxTop$, still turn them in.  Just write the number of BoxTop$ contained on the baggie and your room number.  You have until Friday, May 27, to collect and hand them in.  The winning classroom gets ice cream in June!

Share Your Feedback and Great Ideas with the PTA

Time is running out to complete the very short PTA Survey and tell us what you want from PTA social and fundraising events and programs.   There are only 10 questions and only the first 100 responses will be counted (the limitations of the free Survey Monkey level) so find a few minutes today to click here to complete the survey:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JHZ6KTM

The International Fair was a great success!

We had booths  from Germany, India, Thailand, Holland, Vietnam, Turkey, France, Mexico,  Italy, USA, Israel, Japan and Russia. Though the weather was unpredictable, Palo Verde was bustling with people, old and young. We  also had performances by Ballet Folklorico de Oro, Basmati Raas, Shaolin Kung Fu. We want to give a heartfelt thanks to the International Fair volunteers! Alma Mendoza, Pareeja Virek, Liliana  Briseno, Ritu Das, Pak Panitchpakdi, Boris & Simone Schubert, Diane  Jakubowski, Maarten Lansberg, Angie Harshfield, Tatiana Toloknora,  Heather Shultz, Carleen Ho, Anna Linetsky, Mayumi Kikuhara, Mimi Truong, Mariya Starostina, Girl Scout Troup #60801, Bina Shah, Krishna Varia, Deepika Thukral, Johanna Bouyer, Anne Loviton, Anne-Sophie Laboisse, Thuong Luu, Hung Nguyen, Nam Truong, Michal & Avi Yaron, Ira  Livneh, Carmela Gries, Maria Lam & Michael Loran.

On a separate note, if you lost anything during the International  fair, do let us (Kala Mehta or Ani Gnanalingam) know. And check your kids’ pockets and see if they  accidentally came home with something from the International Fair.  Missing items include: a di (singular dice) with a star on it.

— Ani Gnanalingam & Kala Mehta Lansberg

Movie Night for Malawi

Room 18 will be hosting a “Movie Night for Malawi” on Friday, June 3rd from 5:30pm to 9:00pm.  Despicable Me will be shown on the big screen at Palo Verde!  Bring a comfy seat, like a bean bag, beach blanket or small beach chair, and relax…

All proceeds from the evening will be donated to Kasimu Education Fund which has helped to build school buildings, feed children, provide micro-business loans to community members to create a local, self-sustaining economy, etc.  Room 18 students have been touched by the story of the children and all year have chosen to raise and donate money to KEF. 

Suggested donation for entry is $10 or $25 for a family.  Pizza, salad, nachos, smoothies, and baked goods will all be available for very reasonable purchase.  Tickets for the evening will be on sale at recess and lunch next week.  There will also be the opportunity to purchase tickets through the office.  A note will be sent home to all students on Monday the 23rd.

Calendar

May 13 — Spirit Day – Eagle Gear

May 15 — International Fair, 3-5:30pm

May 17 — Open House & Family Picnic, 6pm

May 19 — Talent Show, 6:30pm

May 26 — All Library Books Due

May 27 — Last Day for Book Exchange Donations & Box Tops

Palo Verde PTA and School News

Dear Palo Verde Families,

I hope to see all of you this Sunday during Palo Verde’s International Fair.  Kala and Ani and their team have put together a fabulous event for our community.  In addition to the numerous country booths to tour, there will be several professional cultural performances.  It will be a thrilling afternoon!  Your family can tour the world without leaving the schoolyard and stay for an easy dinner option as well.  The cultural booths, activities, and performances are sponsored by the PTA and free of charge.

Tuesday evening, families will gather again for a casual school-wide picnic dinner before viewing classrooms during Open House Night.  Your students and teachers are proud to show off the year’s work, and everyone loves peeking into next year’s classes as well.  Thursday evening, Palo Verde has even more reasons to be proud as our talented students take to the stage for the Talent Show.  Kudos to Mrs. Ghiorso for organizing this great evening of home-grown entertainment!

So many fun events for the whole family!

 -Heather Schultz

International Fair

The world comes to Palo Verde at the Palo Verde International Fair on Sunday, May 15th!! Take a journey through Thailand, Holland, Russia, Italy, India, Japan, Vietnam, Germany, USA, Mexico, Turkey, Israel and more.  Booths open at 3pm.

3:00-4:15pm kids visiting booths & ‘stamping passports’

4:15-5:00pm cultural performances ( this will be a fun surprise for all! )

5:00-5:30pm dinner for purchase

Please sign up outside your child’s classroom so that we have an accurate count of food for purchase. Food will be brought in from Buca di Peppo: Pasta, Sauce ( veg and meat ), Salad and Bread. Each plate will be $5.

Contact Kala Mehta 650 739 0506 or Ani Gnanalingam 650 857 9026 if you would like to volunteer or if you have any questions.

Palo Verde Open House & Picnic – Tuesday, May 17

All our classrooms will be open from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. for family viewing following the picnic on Tuesday, May 17. Come see all the amazing work your students have done this year. Check out what it’s like in next year’s grade level. The teachers and students prepare all year for this showcase evening.

Pack up your kids, a beach blanket and a picnic dinner and join the whole Palo Verde family for a school wide picnic on May 17. It’s a great time for a casual gathering in the midst of this busy month.

Palo Verde’s Fifth Annual Talent Show!

Thursday May 19 – 6:30 PM in the MP Room

Come see all of our wonderful talented students!

Hope to see you there!

Palo Verde Spirit Gear Orders

The ordered items were passed out to the kids on Tuesday. If you didn’t receive your items or if you have any questions about your order please email Ritu Das (rituparnad at yahoo dot com) asap.

Entering Kinders Party

$15     Sunday, June 5, 2-5pm

As a fundraiser for the Palo Verde PTA, Emily Jaquette and Callie Turk are hosting an “Entering Kinders” Party.  We will have a jumpy house, some games to help the kids get to know each other, and some snacks.  Parents are welcome to stick around and get to know each other too. To help make sure the kids get to know their new classmates, the party is for entering kinders only (no older or younger siblings, please). Space is limited, but if you’re interested, contact ebreuner at gmail dot com.

Share Your Feedback and Great Ideas with the PTA

The incoming 2011-2012 PTA Board is in the early stages of planning for next year and would like feedback and ideas from YOU, the parent community. 

Palo Verde PTA members volunteer many hours and raise funds to support classrooms, provide enrichment activities and events, encourage communication, and develop community among the families of Palo Verde students.  We want to make sure these efforts continue to be reflective of the needs of the students and families of Palo Verde. 

We truly appreciate your time in taking a short ten question survey.  Your detailed responses will help us improve existing programs and generate new ideas for the coming year.  The survey is specific to Palo Verde PTA social and fundraising goals, activities, and events which are separate from PiE (Palo Alto Partners in Education).

Please click here to complete the Survey Monkey survey:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JHZ6KTM

The survey is completely anonymous.  However, if you wish to be contacted for more discussion or to share your ideas in more depth, please leave your name in the optional last question at the end of the survey.  Thank you!

New Family Welcoming Committee:

We are looking for families who would like to be mentors to new families coming to Palo Verde for the next school year. This would be for families of 1st to 5st graders as there is a separate committee for the Kindergartners. You will be paired with one or 2 families and your only job will be to welcome them and make them part of the Palo Verde community. We will also organize a few events throughout the day (coffee, park outing, etc.). To sign up or for more information contact Katie Renati at windkatie at gmail.com or (650) 856-6005.

Calendar:

 May 7 – May Fete Parade, 9:30am, Downtown Palo Alto

May 11 — Principal’s Coffee, 8 am

May 13 – Spirit Day – Eagle Gear

May 15 — International Fair, 3-5:30pm

May 17 — Open House & Family Picnic, 6pm

May 19 – Talent Show

Palo Verde PTA and School News 

May Voice is Here

Please look for your copy of the Voice in today’s Friday Folder. 

MAY FETE Parade, May 7th

Come show your school spirit and join Palo Verde in the parade.  It’s a great opportunity to walk with our Palo Verde eagle mascot, help carry our banner & pull our float. Our float is a ship this year & we’ll be The Palo Verde Treasure Seekers (this year’s theme is “Books are Hidden Treasures – Dig in!”)

Please wear your Spirit Gear, the school colors (blue & white), or dress up as a pirate or captain of a ship. Kids will be marching together & we’ll have some signs for them to carry (made by the kids during noon art this week). Parents can bring wheeled- transportation such as wagons for their little ones but please let’s have the older kids march together so that we have enough space for the float, banner & eagle. Motorized vehicles, commercial or political materials, & leafleting are not allowed in the parade.

• Meeting Time: NO later than 9:30 AM (please leave plenty of time to find parking & our staging area)
• Meeting Location: Emerson St. between University & Lytton (Palo Verde is staging number #57)
• Parking: Parking will be available at City Hall or anywhere outside of the staging area & parade route. Carpooling is encouraged. 

We hope to see you there!

Principal’s Coffee on Wednesday Morning

We hope you’ll join us for a cup of coffee and a little chat time on Wednesday morning, May 11 at 8am.  Stay an extra 15 minutes after dropping off the kids.  The weekly assembly will start your day with a smile. 

Spirit Day – Eagle Gear

Next Friday, May 13, put on your Palo Verde Eagle Gear or deck yourself in Blue & White.  Show off those school colors and show off your school pride!

Calendar:

Apr. 29 — Noon Art, Helpers Needed

Apr. 30 — Mother/Son Dance, 6pm

May 1 — Garden Work Day

May 2-6 — Teacher Appreciation Week

May 3 — Parent Ed Night & PTA Meeting, 7pm

May 7– May Fete Parade

Palo Verde PTA and School News

Dear Palo Verde Families,

The front office looked like a florist’s shop this week.  The flowers brought in by the children and staff were spectacular and well-deserved! Wednesday was “Chris and Joan Day” at Palo Verde in recognition of all the the ways our office administrative staff serve the school on a daily basis.  These two ladies are magicians, cheerleaders, and bonus mothers for all of Palo Verde school.

Next week will be devoted to recognizing all our fabulous teachers and staff.  The PTA teacher appreciation leaders, Susan Papp and Padmini Krishnan, have organized a fun week of themed days to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week.  Check with your room parents for how to help with your classroom’s recognition activities.

I hope to see you all next Tuesday evening at our Parent Education Evening and PTA Meeting.  The meeting will be short but very important since we are electing our new officers.  In addition we’ll have the list of committee leader positions for next year available.  The parent education topic is very appropriate since summer is right around the corner.

Warmest regards,

Heather Schultz

Open House — Change of Date!!

To avoid a conflict with the middle school evening event, Palo Verde’s Open House will be held on TUESDAY, May 17th.  All families are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner for a casual social on the lawn from 6 to 6:30p.m.  Classrooms will be open from 6:30 to 7:45p.m.  Please update your calendars with this important new date.  Thank you!

Reading Garden – Come plant with us on Sunday!

Spring is here and we are ready to add new plants to the Reading Garden at Palo Verde. We will be adding plants, shrubs, decorative boulders and gravel to bring this space to life.  Weather permitting, our planting day is set for Sunday, May 1st.  If you are interested in putting in plants that day or have some decorative boulders to donate, please contact Sheri Tye at sherilyn.tye at stanfordalumni dot org. 

Preventing “Summer Slide” – Special Parent Ed Evening

May 3, 7:00pm

This Tuesday evening, please join us for a special Parent Education Evening, “How Can Summer Change My Child’s Life?” presented by Edventure More.  Learn about the latest scientific research on preventing learning loss over the long summer break.  Parents of all ages are encouraged to attend.  If needed, your children are welcome to accompany you.  We’ll have a kids video set up for them.

Noon Art Needs Help Again Thursday and Friday

This Thursday and Friday, May 5 and 6, the noon artists will be busy making items for the May Fete Parade. Thursdays the 4th-5th graders work on projects; Fridays are the noon art day for the 1st-3rd graders.  Additional adults helpers are needed.  Please come to the school at noon to lend a hand.

Palo Verde Teacher Appreciation Week  May 2- May 6

The First week of May we ask our PV community to take some moments to recognize and show our Appreciation to our Teachers, Aides and All our Extended Staff!

Schedule for Teacher Appreciation week:

Monday, May 2nd : Decorated Classroom Doors

Tuesday, May 3rd : Staff Appreciation Luncheon Hosted by Room 2

Wednesday, May 4th : Students to share a Favorite item or a Colorful garden flower with their Teacher, Aide and our Extended Staff members! (Binder of Staff “Favorites” in Main Office!)

Thursday, May 5th : Coffee Cart (organized by PTA)

Friday, May 6th : Picnic Snack for Teachers, Aides and Extended Staff  (organized by PTA)

Thank you!

Calendar:

Apr. 20-28 — Charity Food Drive

Apr. 26 — Restaurant Night @ Chevy’s Apr. 28/29 — Noon Art, Helpers Needed

Apr. 30 — Mother/Son Dance, 6pm

May 1 — Garden Work Day May 2-6 — Teacher Appreciation Week

May 3 — Parent Ed Night & PTA Meeting, 7pm

May 7– May Fete Parade

Palo Verde School and PTA News

From our PTA President…

Dear Palo Verde Families,

Believe it or not, there are only seven more weeks left in this school year. We all know from experience this time will fly by. There are so many exciting happenings in the next few weeks. Among the upcoming events is our Parent Education Night and PTA Meeting on Tuesday evening, May 3rd. We have a timely presentation planned on preventing “the summer slide” now that your children have learned so much this year. It’s very encouraging to see food already being donated to our food drive barrels.

The four barrels will be picked up by InnVision next Friday, April 28. Palo Verde is always such a caring, generous community. Let’s send the barrels back overflowing. Mark your calendars now for Palo Verde’s evening Open House on Wednesday, May 18th. The teachers plan for this evening all year.

We invite all Palo Verde families to bring a picnic dinner before the classrooms open for a casual schoolwide get-together. The following night will be Palo Verde’s ever dazzling Talent Show. In the midst of all this busy-ness, you can give yourself a break from cooking dinner next week and join us for family restaurant night at Chevy’s.

Warmest regards, Heather Schultz

Palo Verde Cares — Food Drive

After the holiday season is over, many local food banks find their shelves emptying since donations have tapered off but the need hasn’t. This week, Palo Verde is helping to restock the Palo Alto food closet for InnVision, Silicon Valley’s leading provider of housing and services for homeless and at-risk families and individuals. What’s needed most are “meal in a can” items and foods that do not require preparation. You’ll find a longer list in today’s Friday Folder. Look for collection barrels near the school office, the MP room and the kinder gate. Let’s share our good fortune with others in the community.

Noon Art Needs Help Thursday and Friday, Next Two Weeks

This Thursday and Friday, April 28-29, our noon artists will be creating Teacher Appreciation crafts. If you have a lunch hour to spare, please come lend a hand. For upcoming Noon Art projects, we still need your unwanted printed color book jackets from children’s hard-backed books and empty egg cartons. On May 5 and 6, we’ll make items for the May Fete Parade. Thursdays the 4th-5th graders work on projects; Fridays are the noon art day for the 1st-3rd graders.

Prevent Summer Learning Loss – Special Parent Ed Evening May 3, 7:00pm

Following our brief PTA Meeting and Elections, we are hosting a special Parent Education Evening, “How Can Summer Change My Child’s Life?” presented by Edventure More. Learn about the latest scientific research on preventing learning loss over the long summer break. All parents are encouraged to attend. If needed, your children are welcome to join you.

The International Fair is Coming!

Share your heritage and help bring our community closer! We are still looking for parent volunteers to make the 2011 Palo Verde International Fair a great success. The fair will be on Sunday, May 15th, 3-5:30pm. We need volunteers to lead country booths and to help out in general during the event. Do you or your children have a short cultural performance that you can bring to Palo Verde? To help, please contact Kala.Mehta23@gmail.com or Ani_Gnanalingam@hotmail.com.

Palo Verde Teacher Appreciation Week May 2- May 6

Mark your Calendars! The First week of May we ask our PV community to take some moments to recognize and show our Appreciation to our Teachers, Aides and All our Extended Staff!

Schedule for Teacher Appreciation week:

Monday, May 2nd : Decorated Classroom Doors

Tuesday, May 3rd : Staff Appreciation Luncheon Hosted by Room 2

Wednesday, May 4th : Students to share a Favorite item to a Colorful garden flower with their Teacher, Aide and our Extended Staff members! (Binder of Staff “Favorites” in Main Office!)

Thursday, May 5th : Coffee Cart (organized by PTA)

Friday, May 6th : Picnic Snack for Teachers, Aides and Extended Staff (organized by PTA) Thank you!

Sign Up This Week for the Mother-Son Dance! Hip Hop Lesson, Pizza, and More!

Are you looking for a fun way to spend time with your son? Then sign up for the Mother-Son Dance! It’s a once-a-year chance to hang out with the special boy(s) in your life with no purpose other than having a great time.

What? We’ll have pizza, a disco ball, a hip-hop demonstration & lesson, glowsticks, a photo station, beach balls, and more.

Who? All Palo Verde boys and their moms (limit: 50 boys)

When? Saturday, April 30, 6 to 8 p.m. Cost? $20/child.

Where? Palo Verde Multipurpose Room

How? Contact Callie Turk at callie_turk@yahoo.com or 650-888-3549 to sign up.

This fun evening is hosted by Tammy Huyhn, Susan Papp, Alpa Shah, Rama Srinivasan, Rebecca Thompson and Callie Turk as part of the PTA Auction “Get Togethers.”

Reading Garden – Come plant with us May 1st!

Spring is here and we are ready to add new plants to the Reading Garden at Palo Verde. We will be adding plants, shrubs, decorative boulders and gravel to bring this space to life. Weather permitting, our planting day is set for Sunday, May 1st. If you are interested in putting in plants that day or have some decorative boulders to donate, please contact Sheri Tye at sherilyn.tye@stanfordalumni.org.

Introductory Aikido Lesson 50% off from MyTownDeal

This week’s MyTownDeal offer is half off a special introductory Aikido package from Rocky Valley Aikido in Menlo Park. A portion of your purchase comes back to Palo Verde. Check it out at: http://www.mytowndeal.com/silicon-valley?x=2802&c=PALO_VERDE_PA

Calendar:

Apr. 9-17 — SPRING BREAK

Apr. 20 — Earth Day Events

Apr. 20-28 — Charity Food Drive

Apr. 26 — Restaurant Night @ Chevy’s

Apr. 28/29 — Noon Art, Helpers Needed

Apr. 30 — Mother/Son Dance, 6-8pm

May 3 — Parent Ed Night & PTA Meeting, 7pm

Palo Verde PTA and School News

Have a great Spring Break!

We’ll see you back at school on Monday, April 18th!

Earth Day Celebration On Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Walk, Bike, Ride the Bus, Carpool to School
Palo Verde Elementary School will celebrate Earth Day on April 20 as part of a district-wide event designed to teach students and families about greenhouse gas emissions and to encourage more students and families to walk, bike, ride the bus, or carpool to school.

Drive Less Pledge
Students can make a “Drive Less Pledge” to help reduce school commute related greenhouse gas emissions by using alternative transportation as often as possible. (Pledgecards will be provided before Spring Break.) Students can decorate and post their “Drive Less Pledge” card on our Earth Day collage.

This Year We Would Like To Emphasize More Carpooling To School
Leave your car at home. Share a ride to school with your classmate, friend or neighbor. Remember: Riding to school just with your parents and siblings is not considered carpooling.

Double Punch
If you walk, bike, ride the bus, or carpool to school on April 20, you will receive double punch on your Green Wednesdays Punch Card.

Happy Green Commuting!

Silvie and George Pierce
Palo Verde PTA
Bike & Traffic Safety Team

Food Donations for Charity, April 20-28

After Spring Break, Palo Verde is hosting a food drive to collect non-perishable food items for InnVision, a local non-profit organization serving homeless and needy families.  Look for the collection barrels on campus starting Wednesday, April 20th.

Fabric Needed for Girl Scout Service Project

The junior girl scouts of troup 60801 are working on their Bronze award by making quilts for families in the NICU at the hospital.  You can help by donating fabric for the quilts.  The fabric pieces should be at least 6 by 6 inches square.  A collection box will be in front of the school office after spring break.  Thank you!

Join Us For the First Ever Palo Verde Mother/Son Dance!!!

Hey Moms, are you looking for a fun way to spend time with your son? Then sign up for the Mother-Son Dance! It’s a once-a-year chance to hang out with the special boy(s) in your life with no purpose other than having a great time.  We’ll have pizza, a disco ball, fun music (think Phineas & Ferb, not foxtrot), glowsticks, a photo station, and a hip-hop lesson. Actual dancing is totally optional – jumping, wiggling, and clapping are encouraged.  The event will be Saturday, April 30, 6 to 8 p.m. in the MP Room;  $20 per child. For more info contact Callie Turk at callie_turk at yahoo dot com or 650-888-3549 to sign up.

Noon Art needs egg cartons

For the upcoming Noon Art projects, we need empty egg cartons and your unwanted printed color book jackets from children’s hard-backed books.  On April 28 and 29, Noon Art will create Teacher Appreciation crafts.  On May 5 and 6, we’ll make items for the May Fete Parade in keeping with the theme:  Books are Treasures.  As always, we need additional adult helpers during these lunch hours.  Thursdays the 4th-5th graders work on projects; Fridays are the noon art day for the 1st-3rd graders. 

MyTownDeal local discounts

MyTownDeal offers discounts to local businesses while donating a percentage to schools and non-profits.  Join other Palo Verde families getting great local deals from businesses like Young Builders, Keplers, and Cheeky Monkey and bringing money back to the school.  You can check out the latest deal using this link: http://www.mytowndeal.com/silicon-valley?x=2802&c=PALO_VERDE_PA

Calendar:

Apr. 8 — Backwards Spirit Day!!

Apr. 8 — Spirit Gear Orders Due

Apr. 9-17 — SPRING BREAK

Apr. 20 — Earth Day Events

Apr. 20-28 — Charity Food Drive

Apr. 26 — Restaurant Night @ Chevy’s

Apr. 28/29 — Noon Art, Helpers Needed

Apr. 30 — Mother/Son Dance, 6-8pm

Palo Verde PTA and School News

Have a great Spring Break!

We’ll see you back at school on Monday, April 18th!

Earth Day Celebration On Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Walk, Bike, Ride the Bus, Carpool to School
Palo Verde Elementary School will celebrate Earth Day on April 20 as part of a district-wide event designed to teach students and families about greenhouse gas emissions and to encourage more students and families to walk, bike, ride the bus, or carpool to school.

Drive Less Pledge
Students can make a “Drive Less Pledge” to help reduce school commute related greenhouse gas emissions by using alternative transportation as often as possible. (Pledgecards will be provided before Spring Break.) Students can decorate and post their “Drive Less Pledge” card on our Earth Day collage.

This Year We Would Like To Emphasize More Carpooling To School
Leave your car at home. Share a ride to school with your classmate, friend or neighbor. Remember: Riding to school just with your parents and siblings is not considered carpooling.

Double Punch
If you walk, bike, ride the bus, or carpool to school on April 20, you will receive double punch on your Green Wednesdays Punch Card.

Happy Green Commuting!

Silvie and George Pierce
Palo Verde PTA
Bike & Traffic Safety Team

Food Donations for Charity, April 20-28

After Spring Break, Palo Verde is hosting a food drive to collect non-perishable food items for InnVision, a local non-profit organization serving homeless and needy families.  Look for the collection barrels on campus starting Wednesday, April 20th.

Fabric Needed for Girl Scout Service Project

The junior girl scouts of troup 60801 are working on their Bronze award by making quilts for families in the NICU at the hospital.  You can help by donating fabric for the quilts.  The fabric pieces should be at least 6 by 6 inches square.  A collection box will be in front of the school office after spring break.  Thank you!

Join Us For the First Ever Palo Verde Mother/Son Dance!!!

Hey Moms, are you looking for a fun way to spend time with your son? Then sign up for the Mother-Son Dance! It’s a once-a-year chance to hang out with the special boy(s) in your life with no purpose other than having a great time.  We’ll have pizza, a disco ball, fun music (think Phineas & Ferb, not foxtrot), glowsticks, a photo station, and a hip-hop lesson. Actual dancing is totally optional – jumping, wiggling, and clapping are encouraged.  The event will be Saturday, April 30, 6 to 8 p.m. in the MP Room;  $20 per child. For more info contact Callie Turk at callie_turk at yahoo dot com or 650-888-3549 to sign up.

Noon Art needs egg cartons

For the upcoming Noon Art projects, we need empty egg cartons and your unwanted printed color book jackets from children’s hard-backed books.  On April 28 and 29, Noon Art will create Teacher Appreciation crafts.  On May 5 and 6, we’ll make items for the May Fete Parade in keeping with the theme:  Books are Treasures.  As always, we need additional adult helpers during these lunch hours.  Thursdays the 4th-5th graders work on projects; Fridays are the noon art day for the 1st-3rd graders. 

MyTownDeal discounts on Camps and More

MyTownDeal offers discounts to local businesses while donating a percentage to schools and non-profits.  Join other Palo Verde families getting great local deals from businesses like Young Builders, Keplers, and Cheeky Monkey and bringing money back to the school.  You can check on the current offer of 33% off robotics camps by using this link:

http://www.mytowndeal.com/robotics-for-fun-summer-jun-27?x=2802&c=PALO_VERDE_PA

Calendar:

Mar 25 — Noon Art, HELPERS NEEDED

Mar 31 — Pinocchio Show, 4:30pm

Apr 1 — Pinocchio Show, 7:00pm

Apr 2 — Pinocchio Show, 2:00pm

Apr 6 — Principal’s Coffee

Palo Verde PTA and School News

From our PTA President…. 

Dear Palo Verde Families,

What a fabulous science extravaganza this week!  Over 250 projects were on display.  My family had a wonderful time perusing the science boards on Wednesday night.  A couple of times I was even lucky enough to find a young scientist standing near the project and was treated to a personal explanation of the experiment’s details.  Biology, physics, chemistry, geology, psychology, robotics … the range of topics explored was exhilarating and extensive.  The children’s pride in their discoveries and their families’ support and enthusiasm were fully evident. 

Many thanks go out to our Science Fair Coordinators and their team of volunteers who smoothly organized the event early Wednesday morning, with special gratitude to our custodial staff who set-up all the tables in the MP room in advance.

Warmest regards,
Heather Schultz

Come see Pinocchio at Palo Verde

Hop a ride with Pinocchio as he takes off on his classic adventure!  This children’s play adapted by Kathryn Schultz Miller is faithful to the original beloved story by Carlo Collodi with lots of fun and comedy! One lonely night the Blue Fairy grants Geppetto’s wish and brings his little wooden puppet to life.  So begins Pinocchio’s journey as he tangles with the tricksters, Fox and Cat, and meets up with Lampwick and his no-good buddies in the Land of Toys .  Will he save Geppetto from belly of the whale?  Will he ever prove to the Lucky Stars that he is good enough… to become a real boy?

All performances at Palo Verde Elementary School

Performance dates:

Thu March 31 at 4:30pm, Fri April 1 at 7:00pm, and Sat April 2 at 2:00pm

Box Office hours: Tuesday – Saturday 2pm – 6pm

Box Office number: 650-463-4970

Tickets will also be on sale one hour before each performance at the school if they are still available.

Calendar

Mar. 23:  Science Fair – project registration 7:30-8:15a.m. – HELP NEEDED

Mar. 23:  Science Fair Open Viewing – 6-8pm

Mar. 24:  Noon Art, 4th-5th gr.

Mar. 25:  Noon Art, 1st-3rd gr., HELP NEEDED

Mar. 31-Apr. 2:  Pinocchio Performances

Palo Verde PTA and School News

Science Fair Next Week

The Science Fair will take place on Wednesday, March 23. Students’ science projects will be on display at the MP room from 6-8pm for students and their families to visit.  Please bring the completed projects to the MP room early before school on the morning of the Science Fair. We recommend that you not leave any expensive gadgets or computers that were a part of the science project in the MP room.

In the days following the Science Fair, students will be able to present their projects to their teachers and classmates during class time. A volunteer parent may attend these presentations. Please arrange this directly with the class teacher.

All Science Fair students are automatically entered in a raffle drawing. The winners will be announced during school hours after the Science Fair.

It has been 14 years since the first Palo Verde Science Fair, with excellent participation each year. Last year 261 students prepared 254 science projects! We look forward to even greater participation this year.  Thank you for your support and cooperation.  The schedule will be as follows:

Wednesday, March 23

7:30-8:15 am         Bring projects to MP room before school – Helpers Needed

6-8pm                    Science Fair in the MP room

Thursday, March 24

8:00 a.m.   Move projects to classrooms

Science Fair Needs Volunteers

The Palo Verde Science Fair grows and grows each year.  Parent volunteers are needed to help with checking in, arranging, and ribboning all the student projects on the morning of Wednesday, March 23.  If you can help that morning from 7:30-8:50a.m., please contact the science fair leaders, Pavan Desikan, pavand@gmail.com, or Pandu Nayak, nayak@cs.stanford.edu.

Noon Art Helpers Needed Thursday/Friday

If you can spare a lunch hour next week, please come by the school on March 24th or 25th to help with Noon Art.  4th and 5th graders will work on their projects Thursday.  1st through 3rd graders will have Noon Art on Friday.  Questions?  Contact Rita Wiseman or Katharine Saunders.

Leader Needed for May Fete Parade

Palo Verde needs an adult leader for the city May Fete Parade this year.  The traditional children’s parade will take place Saturday morning, May 7th, through downtown Palo Alto.  Our new May Fete leader will decide whether or not to have a school float in this year’s parade.  If we don’t have a parent leader by the end of March, Palo Verde may not participate in the parade this year.  To volunteer, contact Lili Nova-Roessig, roessig4 at yahoo dot com.