! SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

1

Los Gatos Union School District

Bulldog Beat www.lgusd.k12.ca.us

Dear Van Meter Community,

As many parents may have seen over the first few days of this week, caution tape has been placed around the trees outside of the first and second grade classrooms. Last Friday, at dismissal time, a significant sized branch fell from one of the trees. Luckily, nobody was injured. These areas will remain cordoned off until a health assessment of the trees can be completed ensuring that the safety of our students will not be compromised.

The Los Gatos Union School District has already had an arborist on campus to begin the assessment process. The safety of our students is the number one priority and the necessary steps are being taken to keep that commitment. 

This is a reminder that students will not have school next Monday, October 5th due to a District-wide Professional Development day for all LGUSD staff. School will resume Tuesday, October 6th @ 8:10 am. 

Rick RauscherPrincipal- Louise Van Meter Elementary SchoolLos Gatos Union School District(408) 335-2280

REMINDER:MONDAY, OCTOBER 5th IS A DISTRICT WIDE IN-SERVICE DAY. THERE IS NO

SCHOOL ON MONDAY.

DATES TO REMEMBER

October

5 Professional Development Day - No School8 CASA Meeting 8:30 - 10:00 A.M. Fisher MS12 School Board Meeting 6:30 P.M. - D.O.21 Home and School Club Meeting 8:30 A.M.23 Pumpkin Patch 5:30 - 8:30 P.M.26 Special Board Meeting 6:30 DO30 Halloween Parade 8:30 A.M.

November

2-6 Parent Conferences - Minimum Days2-6 Book Fair11 Veteran’s Day - NO SCHOOL16 School Board Meeting 6:30 PM DO18 Home and School Club Meeting 6:30 P.M.17-20 5th Grade Science Camp25-27 Thanksgiving Holidays30 - Dec. 4 Bulldog Players Auditions

December

16 Home and School Club Gen. Mtg. 8:30AM18 - Jan. 2nd, 2016 Winter Break

We would love to hear from you! You can email the H&SC board at communications@vanmeterhsc.org.

H&SC UPDATESe

ptem

ber 3

0, 2

015

DATES

RESOURCES

Volunteering

H&SC Website

Donations

Like us on Facebook

Bulldog Store

• Oct 2 Fresh Air Fridays

• Oct 9 @ 8:20AM in MPRABC Reader Training

• Oct 16 @ 3PMMath Fun Game Hour

• Oct 21 @ 8:30AM in MPRH&SC General Meeting/Principal Chat

• Oct 23 @ 5:30PMPumpkin Patch

• Oct 25 @ 2PMDad’s club FootGolf

School Calendar

Volunteer Corner

Annual Donation DriveAre you on the online Donor Roll yet?

Don’t delay, donate today at https://vanmeterhsc.myshopify.com/collections/donations

Donate by October 16th and receive:• Donor ($300 per child) 1 Buzzbook and 1 Yearbook• Benefactor ($600 or more per child) 1 Buzzbook, 1 Yearbook, and 1 Spirit-

Wear T-shirt

HELP WANTED!

PAGE 1 OF 2

Next Session Oct 16 @ 3PMLove math? Hate math? It’s for everyone! Join us at the new Math fun Games Hour at Van Meter.

Come and play fun math games with Fisher Middle school kids. Open to kids from 3rd-5th grade. Space limited to first 25 kids- Register or ask questions at mathfun@vanmeterhsc.org.

Math Fun Games Hour

Do you have financial, legal or marketing expertise?  We are seeking a parent to represent Van Meter on the LGUSD Financial Advisory Committee, which meets just 5 times a year.  Please contact president@vanmeterhsc.org for more information.

• Red Ribbon Week/CASA representative (2 chairs desired): Passing along information about community wide activities and discounts for kids last week of October.  

• Parenting Continuum (2 chairs desired): Bring parent education to our local communities in the school district, such as speaker/author series, speaker panels, classes, parenting oriented book club, education related movies, etc.  

• VM LGEF representative (1 chair desired): We need a Van Meter LGEF captain!• Safe Routes to school (2 chairs desired): The SRTS programs promote walking

and bicycling to school in a safe and healthy environment.

Help Wanted (Contact volunteer@vanmeterhsc.org)

Sunday October 25Combining two of your favorite sports! FootGolf is a combination of the popular sports of soccer and golf. The game is played with a regulation #5 soccer ball on shortened holes with 21-inch diameter cups.  Join us for the 2nd annual Dad’s club event. For more information and to register go to Dad’s Club H&SC Website.

Joey The Bulldog FootGolf Tournament

CASA General MeetingThursday Oct 8 @ 8:30AMWhen: Thursday October 8th @ 8:30 - 10AMWhere: The Professional Development Center @ Fisher Middle SchoolSpeaker: Lisa DiMarino of Pacific Wellness on “The Hidden Face of Anxiety”

!

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

We would love to hear from you! You can email the H&SC board at communications@vanmeterhsc.org.

H&SC UPDATESe

ptem

ber 3

0, 2

015

RESOURCES

Volunteering

H&SC Website

Donations

Like us on Facebook

Bulldog Store

School Calendar

LOOK BOTH WAYSAs you walk/roll to school, please take extra care crossing the roads. Remember to look both ways!

As you drive to school, please take extra care of children and parents walking to school and crossing the roads.

PAGE 2 OF 2

Cornerstone CornerBuilding and maintaining friendships are important skills that youth learn and develop throughout their lives. Encourage them to nurture relationships in the following ways:1. Be an UPstander. Be there for people when they need your help, your comfort

and your friendship.2. Be honest.3. Keep your promises.4. Know how to apologize. Be genuine. Use the steps for a real apology:

- Think about how the other person is feeling.- Take responsibility, and be specific.- Find a way to make it right.- Commit to not doing it again.

5. Be a forgiving friend. Everyone makes mistakes. Give second chances. Accept an apology with forgiveness.

6. Be helpful. Everybody needs help from time to time.7. Respect classmates’ feelings and their possessions.8. Gossip and rumors STOP with you!9. Tell friends and classmates how you feel:

- Sharing your feelings.- Using an “I statement”: I feel ___ when ___because____.

10.Be a bucket filler. Give lots of warm fuzzies by:- Being a kind, caring and generous person. - Being a good listener.- Involving people in your life and in your activities.- Inviting others to play and to join in!

(published from content on Project Cornerstone web site)

10 Ways to Build Relationships

Volunteers and Supplies Needed: • Parents to come for set-up, supervision and pack-up from about 11:30 to just

before 1• Parents with skills and interests to share who can run a specialized zone (singing,

dance party, Lego creation, etc)• Craft paper, rainbow loom bands, pipe cleaners, beads, soft/flex frisbees, stickers,

floor legos/tinker toys. • Percussion - bongos, maracas, etc. • Chess and checkers pieces • Markers and colored pencils

These are fun, supervised lunchtime activity stops where children feel known, respected and valued. 

Please donate in the office or let us know if you can come help at funzone@vanmeterhsc.org

FunZone (M/Tu/Th/Fri) & Running Club (Th/Fri) FunZone & Running Club

For the price of a daily cup of coffee, you fund the K-8 programs

that take your child’s  education  from good to GREAT.

Donate $50 per month per child today at LGEF.org

Let’s  Be  Great!  Together,  We  Educate.

September  2015

Notes  From  the  Nurse:

Flu  season  has  begun.    We  are  seeing  bacterial  and  viral  infections,  bronchitis,  and  cases  of  ?lu  at  each  school.    

Following  a  night’s  sleep,  it  may  be  dif?icult  to  determine  whether  or  not  to  send  your  child  to  school.    The  following  are  the  guidelines  to  use.    Keep  your  child  home  if  he  or  she  has:

• A  fever  of  99.4  or  more• Chills• Vomiting,  diarrhea  or  stomach  cramps• Nausea• Sore  throat  or  dif?iculty  swallowing,  cough• Unusually  red,  watery,  itchy  or  burning  eyes

Please  keep  your  child  home  if  he  or  she  is  generally  not  feeling  well  or  is  unable  to  actively  participate  in  school  activities.    Children  must  be  symptom  free,  without  any  medication,  for  24  hours  before  returning  to  school.

As  a  preventative  and  protective  measure,  wash  your  hands  frequently  and  thoroughly  and  keep  them  away  from  your  eyes,  mouth  and  nose.