Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MON-THU., NOV. 2-5 Please see the Calendar for the full list of LeConte events (we
Parent Conferences - EARLY recommend that you put the Calendar on your fridge to keep track of
DISMISSAL:
Kindergarten: 12:25PM;
important school events).
st rd th th
1 – 3 1:05PM; 4 – 5 1:10PM
1
day, NO SCHOOL for STUDENTS
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NOTICES: SCHOOL CLOSED – Mon., October 12
(Staff Professional Development Day)
The next PTA will be meeting on Tuesday, October 20. A free dinner will be available at 5:45PM and the meeting
will be held from 6:00 to 7:30PM.
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School Governance Council (SGC)
As a result of the ballots sent home last week and the first SGC meeting held on Tuesday, September 29, the elected
SGC officers are: Denise Montgomery and Chris Martin, Co-Chairs; Secretaries: Susanna Moore and Gopal Dayaneni;
Planning & Oversight Committee Representative: Jenny Lipow; Survey Point Person: Jacqueline Bott; and Budget
Point Person: Jocelyn Bale-Glickman. Topics included the function of SGC, which is develop and monitor LeConte’s
student achievement plan, propose expenditures, and evaluate results. Many good ideas that support our school start at
the SGC. Meetings will be held on the third Wednesday of every month, so the next meeting will be Wednesday,
October 21, 6:30PM, in the Library.
SCHOOL-WIDE NEWS
New Staff Members
This year we added a new instructional assistant, Sara Levine. Sara was selected because of her desire to support the
educational and social/emotional needs of students who have unique learning differences. She is a welcome addition to
our staff of instructional assistants, who work with our highest-need students.
We have also added a new noon supervisor, Deanna Hancock. Deanna loves working with children and helping them
work through conflicts. Some of our upper grade girls have already designated her as their onsite counselor and
mentor. Deanna joins Irene Leja, a LeConte parent who has not only worked as a noon supervisor for the past two
years, but consistently volunteers her time every day to support all students. Within the next few weeks, we will also
have about six new staff members—four tutors and two additional noon supervisors—thanks to the wisdom and
support of our PTA and School Governance Council.
So please look through the Sally Foster catalogue and contact your friends and family to see what items they might
like to purchase. You’ll find other gift items and goodies too, such as candles, chocolates, and decorations. Orders
can be made online at SallyFoster.com (then the items are shipped directly to the customer, so you won’t have to
deliver them). Our school’s account number is 220838. This program also provides incentive prizes for students,
depending on the number of items they sell. Orders can be picked up at LeConte on Wednesday, November 18.
LeConte Lamppost 3
“One More Month” Campaign: please make an early gift to LeConte
The PTA is asking all LeConte families to join the PTA and make a gift to LeConte equal to one month of preschool
tuition, childcare, or summer camp. Your gift will help us meet the challenges of the terrible state budget cuts, which
reduced the amount of money we have for our basic school programs – from classroom supplies to playground
supervision, tutors, field trips, and teacher professional development.
For families that can’t make cash donations now, we hope you will join the PTA ($5 suggested donation per person).
PTA membership forms and donation forms can be found near our school office. Please help us reach 100%
participation in this campaign to jump start our school year and support school programs. Thank you for your PTA
membership and your generous gifts!
1. LeConte News Listserv (via a Yahoo Group): This is our well-established School News Listserv, also
known as the LeConte Yahoo Group and the LeConte PTA listserv) which will keep you informed of
school events and news, including links to the electronic version of our Lamppost (our school newsletter) and
other information. The amount of email through this group is typically 1-5 messages per week. Moderator:
Sian Shumway (sianatcafe@gmail.com).
2. LeConte Discussion + News Listserv (via a Google Group): We are introducing a NEW school discussion
listserv for all LeConte community members who would like to share questions, recommendations, advice,
etc. This discussion group will automatically receive the school news info, so you only need to sign up for
one listserv - LeConte news OR discussion plus news. The amount of email for this group depends on the
numbers of emails sent by group members. Moderators: Anya de Montigny (anya333@gmail.com) & Penny
Peak (pennyalp@yahoo.com).
Family Advisory Council – LeConte Orientations: Thursday, Oct. 8 & Friday, Oct. 16
Do you have some questions about LeConte? Are you wondering how to handle a particular situation? The Family
Advisory Council (FAC) invites you to attend a LeConte Orientation on Thursday, Oct. 8, 6:30-8:00PM (RSVP
by Monday, Oct. 5 if you would like childcare provided during the meeting) or Friday, Oct. 16, 8:15-9:30AM (coffee
and pastries provided). Both meetings will be held in the Library. We especially invite families new to LeConte in all
grades who would like more information or support. The agendas will be flexible in order to accommodate your
questions. RSVP to Penny Peak, FAC co-chair, at (510) 849-3202, pennyalp@yahoo.com.
LeConte’s FAC exists to help answer questions about LeConte, proactively provide avenues for parent to parent
problem-solving, and help provide follow up information to parents about questions that are raised. The committee
members have all been active parent volunteers at LeConte for several years and have a collective body of experience
about how to answer (or find answers to) various kinds of questions. In addition, you can reach FAC by putting a
question in the Question Box near the school office or contact FAC co-chair Penny Peak.
Twelve Volunteers Needed – Paint Maps on LeConte Playground: Saturday, Oct. 10, 10:00AM-2:00PM
On Saturday, October 10, 10:00AM to 2:00PM, we are seeking 12 volunteers (ages 4th grade or older) to help paint
world and U.S. maps on the big playground on the west side of our school. These maps are part of the Peaceful
Playgrounds program purchased last year by LeConte’s PTA to bring a wide variety of colorful new activities to our
playgrounds, along with a conflict resolution system that complements our current program. LeConte parent Basia
Lubicz has done a wonderful job of implementing the program, securing help from the district to paint some of the
stencils. BUSD is planning to paint the rest of the games and templates on November 6. To volunteer, please contact
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Basic Lubicz in advance at (510) 601-5014 or basia_lu@yahoo.com. For more information about Peaceful
Playgrounds, please visit www.peacefulplaygrounds.com.
On Monday, October 12, there is no school for students because teachers will be learning how to use a new system
for completing the report cards; the PowerSchool software, which is a student information system. For more
information about PowerSchool, go to http://www.pearsonschoolsystems.com/products/powerschool/. Later in the
year, you will receive information from our district about how to logon to the system to obtain information about your
children’s academic performance.
See the attached flyers, “It Conference Time!” for background information about what to expect and questions to ask
during the conference. You will also receive your child’s report card. Since the conference lengths are very short,
please DO NOT hesitate to arrange an additional meeting with your child’s teacher. You can reach your child’s
LeConte Lamppost 5
teacher by leaving a message with our school secretary or by email. All district email addresses use the following
format:
first name_last name@berkeley.k12.ca.us. If you have difficulty reaching your child’s teacher, please contact Principal
Wilson, Cheryl_Wilson@berkeley.k12.ca.us.
Classroom Newsletters
Our community indicated on the family survey that it is very important to have regular written communication from all
teachers. To help teachers fulfill this request, because their time is very limited, Principal Wilson is making an effort to
give teachers time to complete a brief newsletter each month. Therefore, please look for a classroom newsletter from
your child’s teacher every month. The goal is for families to know in advance about important classroom activities and
to be informed about classroom needs, specific areas of study, and so on.
At least five teachers are also willing to tutor students after school. This will begin once funding has been confirmed.
Currently, at least 27 students are enrolled in an afterschool literacy program that provides one-on-one tutoring, called
BUILD (Berkeley United In Literacy Development). Thanks to Charity DaMarto, our After School Coordinator, this
program is running smoothly.
Halloween Festival: Request for Volunteeers & Meeting: Friday, Oct. 9, 8:15AM
The Halloween committee is holding a planning meeting next Friday, October 9 in the cafeteria at 8:15AM. Bring
your ideas and energy to make this our most fabulous Halloween event ever! We will be coordinating the decorations,
prizes, food, etc. If you can't make the meeting but would like to help, please contact Catarina Negrín, PTA Volunteer
Coordinator, at (510) 435 9043 or canoa@sbcglobal.net.
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Halloween Parade: Friday, Oct. 30, 12:45PM
Every year the students celebrate Halloween at school by marching around the playground or the block in costumes.
This year’s parade will be Friday, October 30 at 12:45PM. PLEASE NOTE: students bring their costumes to school
and change during lunch recess. STUDENTS DO NOT WEAR THEIR COSTUMES TO SCHOOL! Adults are
needed in the primary classrooms to help students change in time for the parade. Kindergarten students usually parade
around the playground area due to their dismissal time and all other grades parade around the block. Families are
encouraged to attend this festive event. Also, be sure to see our school secretary, Donna, who always has a hilarious,
picture-worthy costume.
Student Conflict Managers – Three Adult Volunteers Needed on Oct. 26 & Oct. 27
Our training for student Conflict Managers is scheduled for Monday, October 26 from 9:00 to 11:00AM and Tuesday,
October 27 from 9:00 to 11:00AM. We need at least three adult volunteers to assist with the training. Volunteers will
help students to: understand the concepts (“I” messages, listening skills, etc.); create role plays; and stay focused. All
volunteers who are available and would like to assist should contact Principal Wilson.
Here are the links: I Still Walk Alone (about a young woman’s walk alone through life as she looks for her own future):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgGoyAA_Upk
Endless Summer (about two people who meet on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXsUzkXEvVk
LeConte Lamppost 7
that are part of the STAR Program. A few months later, students and their parents receive individual test results
showing how the student is meeting the state’s academic standards. Test results are used for student and school
accountability purposes and are reflected in LeConte’s scores for the state’s Academic Performance Index (API) and
the federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
November Lamppost
To submit information for the November Lamppost, please email Principal Wilson at
Cheryl_Wilson@berkeley.k12.ca.us or Penny Peak at pennyalp@yahoo.com. Deadline: October 30, 2009.
ask anna
advice from a LeConte mom
Dear Anna,
I'm so confused! When does school start and finish each day?
- Confused
Dear Confused,
Honestly, I can never remember either! I actually try to keep a small sheet of paper with the school hours in my wallet,
in my car and on my fridge. If I knew how to work my cell phone better I could enter the information in there too...
Mornings are a little easier. School starts for everyone, everyday at 8:10. Principal Wilson and the teachers gather
on the playground and classes walk into the school together at 8:10. Most classes head to their rooms to begin the day,
but some stay in the cafeteria first thing for breakfast. (Did you know that a healthy breakfast is offered to every child
at LeConte everyday?). If you enter the school after 8:40 you must get a slip from Donna in the office before you go to
your classroom, and you will be marked tardy .
The end of the day is more confusing. Kindergarten has an earlier dismissal. Our dear Kinders get out everyday at
1:25. Older grades are released at intervals; 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade are out at 2:15. 4th and 5th are out at 2:20.
EXCEPT Wednesday! Wednesday is a shorter day so that the school staff can have meetings. Wednesday the 1st,
2nd and 3rd graders are released at 1:25 and the 4th and 5th graders are out at 1:30. Whew!
(Of course, that doesn't include community kidz, after school programs, or teacher conference days!)
Dear Anna,
What happens if my child loses a tooth at school?
- Wiggly
Dear Wiggly,
Losing a tooth is fun and exciting for our kids. Luckily, LeConte is a fun and exciting place to lose a tooth! Our school
secretary, Donna Chan Chu, is in charge of helping out the tooth fairy (she is in charge of many many things!)...
Donna has a special tooth case that she gives to kids who lose a tooth at school. The necklace opens up to hold the
precious lost tooth, so that it doesn't get really, truly, actually lost before it makes it home to the tooth fairy.
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MEET OUR WONDERFUL STAFF
In each issue of the Lamppost, we are pleased to introduce you to a few members of LeConte’s talented staff.
Natalia Bernal
Kindergarten Teacher, Two-Way Immersion, Room 110
Awilda Logan
Second Grade Teacher, Two-Way Immersion, Room 105
I was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I was raised speaking
Spanish as a first language and learned English with my peers in school.
I worked as a social worker in the County of San Mateo for ten years and saw many
unhappy school and home situations; consequently I returned to school to become certified as a teacher. I wanted to
help children learn and feel positive about themselves.
As a young student, I loved math, especially algebra. Inspired greatly by a teacher in Mount Holyoke College, I
gained confidence and learned to love Latin American literature. I enjoy my students because they often share their
impressions about their friends and family as well as those of characters in their readings.
I am a mother of three children who I exposed to a variety of interests. They have rewarded me with their challenges
and abilities. I think that it is important to teach children to accept who they are and embrace life.
LeConte Lamppost 9
Loraine Woodard
Fourth Grade Teacher, English & Two-Way Immersion, Room 204
I am very glad to be teaching 4th graders at LeConte this year: English in the
morning and Spanish immersion in the afternoon.
I lived in Cuernavaca, Mexico for many years, where I did freelance work
writing curriculum, interpreting and working at a Spanish-language school. I also gave workshops to English teachers
at the local university. My husband is from this area and we decided to give our kids (who are 14 and 16) the best of
both worlds, so they have grown up in both Mexico and the U.S.
I taught 6th–8th grade in San Francisco’s Mission District for nine years, mainly ESL, Language Arts, Bilingual
Social Studies and Reading Intervention. I am very committed to providing differentiated instruction so all students
improve academically and are challenged at their level.
I look forward to getting to know my students and their families and hope to establish a classroom environment that
inspires the children to do their best.
“Farmer” Clio Kirkman
LeConte’s Americorps Member, assisting Farmer Ben in Farm & Garden
Farmer Clio really likes gardening with kids and is excited to be working with
Farmer Ben at LeConte. Our children have already impressed her with their level of
farm and garden knowledge and their adventurous spirit, especially their willingness to
taste new foods. Before she came to LeConte, Clio worked at City Slicker Farms in West
Oakland and the Manzanita Elementary School garden in Oakland. She grew up in Washington, DC and received a
BA in Comparative Literature at Smith College, where she also took horticulture classes. Clio grew up helping with
her grandmother’s garden and hearing stories about her great grandfather’s efforts at organic gardening in the 1950s.
She also loves cooking.
The cost for LeConte’s Americorps Member is paid in part by BSEP (Berkeley School Excellence Project)/Measure A
funds, a parcel tax created in response to school funding shortages.
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LeCONTE CALENDAR
OCTOBER 1 – NOVEMBER 6, 2009
LeConte Lamppost 11
LeConte felicita a sus...
ESTUDIANTES DEL MES
(determinado por los maestros del salón)
Vea sus fotos y certificados en el tablón de Estudiantes del mes
LeConte congratulates its...
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
(Determined by the classroom teacher)
See their pictures and certificates on the Student of the Month bulletin board
Teachers/ Students/Estudiantes
Maestros
Ms. Aguas MATILDA LOVE HOWELL and MATEO GRAU-RODRIGUEZ
Mr. Argueta CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ, ARRION PETERSWARD,
REBECA TORRES, and DAKARAI WILLIAMS
Ms. Barer CHASE DURKEE, RUBEN ESTRADA, JULIUS RAI, ZOE SEALE,
and MILES SHELTON
Ms. Bernal NAUTICA CHARLES, BELINDA HUERTA-GARCIA,
and CYRUS SOTTANI
Ms. Blanchard JUAN DeDIOS MUNOZ and ADORA WEBB
Ms. Carriedo MAYA KITTREDGE-MARTINEZ,
Ms. Lewis LILLIAN SCHOUTEN, and COLE SHUMWAY
Ms. Citrin MEKHI McELROY, JOSEPHINE JOLIVETTE, ANAI SANCHEZ,
and ISAAC TORRES
Ms. Cross ROBERT BOSTONIAN, JORDAN CHRISTOL,
POWER HEFFERTON, XYRA MARTINEZ, TYLIN ROBERTSON,
and YASSER ZINABIDINE
Ms. Gearring THE ENTIRE CLASS
Ms. Gee KALEEL GARRETT, RILEY LOW, and
JUDE ROCKAFELLOW
Ms. Katz CARLOS SAMUEL ESTRADA LUNA,
ELAM DANG-RICHARDSON,
ISRAEL ROMERO LUNA, and CHARLOTTE SHELTON
Ms. Logan EVA FIEDLER, AKIRA ISHIZU, and
KIAN LENIHAN
Ms. Louie MARLENE HEIDHUES, JAKARRI LINDSEY,
ANDY VARGAS, and MARIE WILSON
Ms. Roberts ZAKI NADEEM and CAMARIA PATTON
Ms. Torres AZARIA BARHAM, JOAQUIN SAAVEDRA-MacCARTHY,
and NATALIE MILIAN-CARRETERO
Ms. Woodard HOWARD CARMICHAEL, DONTAE DENNIS,
DIANA PACHECO REYES, and SIMELIA ROGERS
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LeConte Lamppost 13
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR GIFTED YOUTH
VENTURA HALL, STANFORD CA 94305
We cordially invite your families to join us at what we expect will be an informative and
rewarding event. Enclosed please find a flyer that provides an overview of the Open
House, which we encourage you to share with your families. Feel free to make copies for
posting and to download and forward the electronic version (http://sn.imlepgyflyer).
Although the program will be offered free of charge to attending families, space is
limited, so we do ask that families wishing to attend the Open House reserve places as
soon as possible so that we may plan effectively. To receive updates and further Open
House details, families should register online at: www.scholarsearchassoc.com.
I do hope that your families will take advantage of the Open House at Stanford, and I
look forward to meeting them on Sunday, November 15th• I also hope to welcome you to
campus as our guest at the Open House.
Yours,
Raymond Ravaglia
Deputy Director
ravaglia@stanford.edu
Scholar Search Associates
co-hosted by the Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) at Stanford University