FAL

L 20 11

“Good things happen here everyday!” The 2011/2012 school days are well underway at Mound. The children are working hard, learning much, and, once again, we feel privileged to be chosen to partner with your family in their educational experience. We depend on our partnership with parents in order to best serve your student's needs, and in my opinion this is the critical piece of the puzzle that makes Mound such a special place. Next to the opening day of school, the two events that really get the year up and running are Back to School Night and the Jogathon. We had an incredible turnout for both events, and much appreciation goes to the PTO and the Outdoor Education Team for their help with planning and delivering food, drinks, sound, music, shirts and all the set-up that goes into making these events a success. And, of course, thank you to our amazing group of teachers for their efforts each and every day! Some nice improvements have come to Mound since summer: we have new blacktop throughout the campus, Mrs. Miller's kindergarten “cottage” has received new fencing and fresh paint, and the shade structure over the lunch tables has been completed. With gratitude to Brandy Chappell, Tyler Batton, Kelley King and a committed team of parents, the lunch tables have all been painted and the old bus barn has been cleaned out. Throughout VUSD, there is an emphasis on recycling and energy efficiency. Some of the plans we have at Mound include the use of that barn as a recycling center, so it is exciting to see that project begin to come together. One of our chief focuses during this year will be to establish the direction of the new magnet at Mound. As you are aware, the Everyday Math program that for 15 years was unique to students at Mound has been adopted by all elementary schools in Ventura Unified School District. Therefore, it is time to look at other possibilities and we have a team of teachers and parents who are doing just that. We invite the entire Mound community to be part of the process and will keep you posted on upcoming gatherings to discuss a variety of exciting options. Good things are happening, and I look forward to another great year at Mound, Todd

We need volunteers to oversee the Salad Bar at lunchtime! If you know anybody who can scoop cucumbers on a plate, and is available from 11:15-12:15 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday would you please get in touch with Mr. Tyner? Thank you! Our teachers need a new refrigerator in their Lunchroom! It isn’t pretty in there, folks. If you can help in any way please speak with Mr. Tyner.

School Site Council Congratulations to Mound parents Rhonda Evans and Karrie Carey, who were elected to the School Site Council. Karrie and Rhonda join Kelley King, Julie Bergman, and Marcia Thompson as the parent reps to SSC, a group that meets regularly with Mr. Tyner and staff to advise budget expenditures, programs, and academic achievement at Mound.

455 S. Hill Road Ventura CA 93003

(805) 289-1886

venturausd.org/mound/

Fall 2011

Page 2

Hello Mound Families and Staff, We are off to a great school year once again! So many wonderful ideas and many people are volunteering to help at the school. Mound is a very fortunate school. The CST scores are out, and the Mound students did a fantastic job. Congratulations to them for their hard work, and to their dedicated teachers and parents. Our jog-a-thon was a spectacular event and fun was had by all. Surfs up! The committee works very hard on this event every year, so that the Mound families only have to participate in one fundraiser. Thank you for all of the donations that have been collected and all of the volunteer time. The students can't wait to go on the fun and educational field trips their teachers have planned to take them on with this money. Unfortunately, they're not going to Hawaii. The PTO committees also have many events planned for the students this year. Please check the school calendar and website for upcoming events. In addition, the school will be getting some new technology for the teachers and students to use. Everyone is working hard to get it in soon. Stay tune! It's not too late to join the PTO. You can join anytime you'd like...the sooner the better! The membership pays for the insurance needed to hold all of the events at Mound School. About 65% of our families are already members and we'd love to have the rest of you join the Mound Family. Have a fantastic fall break! Kelley King PTO President

Thank you to all the families and teachers who participated in our PTO Membership Drive. We finished the drive with 65% school-wide PTO Membership. If you haven't already joined the PTO, you can still do so at any time during the school year. Also, even if you do not plan on becoming a member, please still turn in the Membership & Volunteer Opportunities form. (Copies are available in the office.) Volunteerism is the heartbeat of Mound. Congratulations to the following top membership classes (in their grade level) which will all be receiving gift certificates to be used for classroom supplies: Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Tyner, Mrs. Shamblin, Mrs. Huizenga, Mrs. Hoover, Mrs. Brenner and Mrs. Friedman! Finally, I want to throw out a challenge to every Mound parent … attend at least one PTO meeting this school year. Be in the know and let your voice be heard. Put the “U” into MoUnd! Shannon White, PTO Membership Committee Chair

455 S. Hill Road Ventura CA 93003

(805) 289-1886

venturausd.org/mound/

Page 3

Fall 2011

Jog-a-thon The 2011 Jog-A-Thon team would like to thank all the parents and teachers for their help and support with this years JogA-Thon. We were blessed with perfect weather, lots of Helpers, and everything went smoothly! We will start planning for the 2012 Jog-A-Thon in January, which is a perfect time to get involved! Just fill out a volunteer form in the office. Beautification I have to admit , our campus looks pretty nice, but could definitely use a little spring cleaning! So save the date and mark your calendars: Saturday April 14th 2012 will be Mound’s Extreme Makeover date ... more info to follow! — Brandy Chappell

Can Drive News

Big News from the Green Team! The Can Drive as Mound has known it has been expanded, and we are now adding glass and recyclables numbered 1-2 to our regular aluminum & plastics bottles. We are very excited about our new program and more information will come once it's launched. Meanwhile, keep saving! There will also be a brand new e-Waste category of recycling at Mound that will include cell phones, ink cartridges, hand-held gamers (such as old Nintendo Gameboys), laptops, or iPods. If you have these items and they are broken or otherwise no longer of any use to you- please consider donating them to Mound. They will go to a good cause, while also raising funds for Mound. — The Green Team

StoryFest! The Ventura USD’s fifth annual Young Readers' StoryFest will be held Saturday November 19, 2011 9am-2pm at the Education Service Center, 255 W. Stanley Avenue, Ventura. We enjoy special appearances by children's authors and local celebrities, and fun children's activities. Readings in English, Spanish and American Sign Language.

455 S. Hill Road Ventura CA 93003

(805) 289-1886

venturausd.org/mound/

Fall 2011

Page 4

The library hours for this year are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9:00 to 2:00 and on Friday 8:00 to 10:30. Our Library always welcomes volunteers!!! We need help on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays starting 9:00 and 8:00 on Friday to help check in books and throughout the day to assist with various other tasks including shelving, covering and processing new books and assisting the students.

Happy Reading!! Robin Todarello 289-1886 x2113 [email protected] Birthday Books Our Birthday Book Program is a wonderful way to celebrate your student's special day. You can adopt a book from our new book collection. We place a personalized label in the book and your student will also receive a personalized bookmark. The Birthday book will be checked out to your student for 30 days and when returned it becomes part of our permanent school library collection. You donation is tax deductible too!! Please come by and choose your Birthday book during your birthday month. Summer birthdays are welcome anytime!

Book Fair This year's Fall Book Fair will be held in Room K-2 during conferences on Nov. 17, 18, 21 and 22. Come with us on an adventure as we hunt for good books! Treasure maps with more information will go home soon.

Keep clipping those Box Tops for our Library! Box Top coupons are on hundreds of participating products. Box Tops coupons are worth 10¢ each when our school redeems them from Box Tops for Education. Collection sheets are in the school office and the library or just place them in a baggie with your student's name clearly marked. When 50 Box tops are turned in, the student can get a prize from the Treasure Box. For an updated product list, coupons and special promotions go to www.btfe.com Speaking of the Boxtops Treasure Box, we need your help! Do you have any treasures you would like to donate? The students love “beanie baby” sized stuffed animals or toys as prizes. Thank you for supporting the Library!

455 S. Hill Road Ventura CA 93003

(805) 289-1886

venturausd.org/mound/

Page 5

Fall 2011

Technology Update At the September meeting, PTO members approved several technology upgrade projects. This article will give an overview of the projects, explain the process that led to their selection, and update you on the status of their implementation. The projects which received approval from the PTO included: ¡ Laptops for teachers to use in their classrooms ¡ Campus-wide Wi-Fi network access

These technology upgrades solve several problems which were identified by the school staff. First, thanks to a technology upgrade a few years ago, the classrooms were outfitted with projectors and document cameras. This gives the teachers new ways to present content to their classrooms. However, the teachers had no way of displaying videos, pictures, or documents from the school network. The new laptops and wireless access will solve this problem. Second, the existing laptops on campus were tethered to the wired network, or had to remain near a single wireless access point. The new wireless network will enable students and teachers to use these devices anywhere on campus. A budget for technology upgrades was proposed at the end of last school year. Our PTO president, Kelley King, got the process started early in the summer. Todd Tyner, Kelley, and I met with Ted Malos and his staff at the district office to identify upgrades which would be compatible with their network. We learned from them that Amgen had generously donated many laptops to the district, and that these were available to Mound if we covered the nominal refurbishment cost. We also met with some of the staff at Saticoy Elementary to observe their electronic whiteboard, wireless network, and iPad deployments. Finally, we received many responses to a survey of Mound teachers about their use of technology and requirements. Based on the information gathered over the summer, the school staff determined that two of the technology upgrade projects, the laptops for teachers and the wireless network, were most important. The implementation of these projects is progressing with the goal of getting the system up and running for students and teachers to use this school year. A site survey has been done to determine the optimal placement of wireless access points on campus. The district technology services department has received our order for the laptops. We hope to add more equipment to this list soon. — Matt Wronkiewicz

Mound Apparel Keep an eye out for the new Mound Apparel order form coming soon! New styles will be available this year, including Ladies’ tank tops, V-neck shirts, and thermal long sleeves. Car window decals will also be coming soon! — Denise Bishop

455 S. Hill Road Ventura CA 93003

(805) 289-1886

venturausd.org/mound/

Fall 2011

Page 6

Mound Business Connection Watch in November for the Mound Business Connection registration form that will come home with your child. This will be your opportunity to register your business in the Mound Business Connection. Increase your business and help Mound School at the same time! The directory gets published in the New Year. All listings in the directory are complimentary. Businesses may make donations to our Mound School PTO as Mound families use your services, but is not required. For more information, email Chandra Weising at [email protected].

2012-2013 Outdoor Education The current 4th grade class will soon start their fundraising for the Outdoor Ed. trip to Catalina Island. They will once again be selling gift cards starting Nov. 1st. Please keep this in mind as you begin to think about the gifts you'll need for the holidays. The gift cards make great teacher's gifts! Look for the flyers coming home in November! — Carrie Spira

Mound Variety Show The Show Must Go On ... But Will It? The Mound Variety Show has been a fun annual event for many years now, but beyond this year, its future is in question. This is Shonda Vielbig's last year as a Mound parent and she is looking for someone (or a team) interested in serving as assistant director this year, with the intent to take over directing the show next year. She can walk you through the process this year so you can confidently take over leading your Mound volunteers in future years. We have so many talented kids at Mound who enjoy having the opportunity to perform in such a large venue, and it would be a shame to end such an anticipated tradition. This year's dates are as follows: Variety Show - March 2nd at Buena H.S. 7 pm Auditions: Jan 13 Rehearsals: Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 24 Dress rehearsal: Mar 1 at Buena H.S. 3:30 pm Please contact Shonda Vielbig at [email protected] if you can help.

455 S. Hill Road Ventura CA 93003

(805) 289-1886

venturausd.org/mound/

Page 7

Fall 2011

Lunchtime Sports More than 115 fourth and fifth graders participated our first lunchtime sports tournament in September/October. Congratulations to our champions on Team 6, captained by Makoa Gutierrez and Bella Shallenberger. Team 6 defeated Team 3 (captained by Griffen Fazzone and Lauren Kearney) on a strong goal by Archer Herring in a game that had gone into double overtime. Most importantly, all teams exhibited excellent sportsmanship!

455 S. Hill Road Ventura CA 93003

(805) 289-1886

venturausd.org/mound/

Fall 2011

Page 8

WE WANT YOU The students of Mound are looking for a team of parents to help as crossing guards for 15 minutes each morning or 15 minutes after school. We would like to form two teams of ten AM parents (7:40-7:55) and PM parents (2:35-2:50 M-Th, 11:45-12:00 F) to work one shift every two weeks at the upper parking lot crosswalk. We want to make sure our children can cross safely and also need an adult to keep cars moving during these peak periods of traffic. Staff Parking

Drop-off and Pick-up only - Please pull as far forward as possible

Parking

S. Hill Rd

If we can form two complete teams then each parent’s shift would be just 15 minutes every two weeks. If you would be willing to help please send the bottom portion of this flyer to the office ASAP. THANK YOU J ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Name ___________________________________

Monday

Tuesday

Phone ____________________________

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

AM PM Please prioritize (1,2,3) any days you would be available and we will assign accordingly

455 S. Hill Road Ventura CA 93003

(805) 289-1886

venturausd.org/mound/

Page 9

Fall 2011

Thanks to Our 2011/2012 Sponsors!

455 S. Hill Road Ventura CA 93003

(805) 289-1886

venturausd.org/mound/