Weibel PTO Newsflash - 9/13/2015

School Website: www.fmtusd.org/weibel
School Phone: 510-651-6958
Principal: Catherine Strommen (x47102) cstrommen@fremont.k12.ca.us
Secretary: Dora Vasquez (x47101) dvasquez@fremont.k12.ca.us

PTO Website: www.weibelpto.org
Facebook Group (parent organized for misc. Q&A, announcements,... - not associated with school): "Weibel Elementary School"
Room Group Email support/requests: tech@weibelpto.org
Send Announcements for Future Newsflash: info@weibelpto.org

UPCOMING WEIBEL EVENTS

  • Tue Sep 15 - 5-6pm MUR - Back To School Night for Grades 2-6 - Adults only.
  • Sat Sep 26 - Annual PTO Family Pancake Breakfast Social
  • Thu Oct 1 - Picture Day
  • Tue Oct 13 - 7-8pm MUR - PTO Meeting (every 2nd Tues of Month)
  • Fri Oct 16 - Wildcat Run
  • Oct 26-30 - Library - Book Fair

Early release and holiday schedules can be found at:
Weibel Bell Schedule: http://fmtusd.org/domain/1842
FUSD Online Calendar, Board Mtgs : http://fmtusd.org/Page/2
FUSD 2015-16 Instructional Calendar:
http://fmtusd.org/cms/lib04/CA01000848/Centricity/Domain/10/B.W_Adjusted_8.30.15for_website.pdf

SCHOOL / PTO ANNOUNCEMENTS (Community announcements below)

First PTO Newsflash

Welcome to this year's first PTO Newsflash! This is a weekly collection of upcoming school and community events and announcements sent out via the classroom email groups and is created by parent volunteers. We try to limit the announcements to once a week, but if there are things we missed which cannot wait until next Newsflash, we will send follow-ups announcements. We welcome non-school announcements from community groups, clubs, classes, etc... which may benefit the Weibel Community.

Please send newsflash items to: info@weibelpto.org

Allow 1-2 week lead time as the Newsflash will be sent the upcoming weekend. Makes no sense to announce an event happening on the weekend the newsflash is sent. Indicate if the announcement is to be repeated in future newsflashes.

Preferred Format of newsflash item (in final-no-need-to-edit form):

===
Title of Item
Short summary of what, when, where, contact info (email, phone, website, ...) and any attachments.
===

Please, no fancy fonts (bold/italic is ok), colors, layouts, graphics...in the summary. All items will be grouped one after another in a plain text message w/ any attachments.

Classroom Email Groups

You are receiving this email because you've been added to your child's classroom. The email groups are intended for group communication between parents of a single classroom. The PTO sets up and maintains the groups with parent volunteers from the PTO Technology Committee. The PTO and Principal also sends out broadcasts using this system.

Not everyone in your room will have received this email because the PTO Technology group is working to finalize the members of each room group. If you know anyone who has not received this Newsflash email OR your email is part of the wrong room, OR if you do not go to Weibel anymore,

Please send requests to: tech@weibelpto.org

with the email(s) involved and request (add to room#, remove from room#, change from room# to room#)

Back To School Night

Tuesday Oct 15 will be Back To School Night for Grades 2-6. Parking should be available on the playground black top. All parents are to meet in the MUR at 5pm for short introduction of teachers and a welcome announcement from the Principal, Mrs. Strommen. Parents will then be released to meet in their classroom for individual teacher presentations. Please no children in the classrooms during the Teacher presentations as there will be limited space. It will end at 6pm as the teachers need to return home and prepare for the next school day.

Annual PTO Family Pancake Breakfast Social

The Annual PTO Family Pancake Breakfast Social is coming up on Sat. Sept 26.
There are two seatings 8:30-9:30 and 10:00-11:00. The flyer is also attached to this email announcement.
Send in your order form and payment in your child's WC folder or drop it off in the office. You can also buy tickets online at: http://www.store.weibelpto.org/.

Principal's September Newsletter posted here

Weibel Rocks SBAC Assessment!

Congratulations Weibel students, teachers, and families! We are very proud of how our students performed. It's clear our children are shining stars in a stellar district. Parents can access the CAASPP data portal via the link below and see how Weibel and other schools performed. Individual student scores will be mailed soon to parents. http://caaspp.cde.ca.gov/

Noon Supervisors

Noon Supervisors still needed - Paid Positions (PTO will reimburse for TB test and fingerprinting - contact: info@weibelpto.org) Do you enjoy interacting with children and have a talent for helping them solve problems in a fair way? We need adults like you to assist with lunchtime supervision. Moms, dads, grandparents, anyone over 21 is welcome to join us. This is really a fun way to connect with your child and their friends. The more adults we have, the safer our lunch time will be! This can be either a paid or a committed volunteer position. If you can commit to at least one day a week from 11:25 AM to 12:50, please email Mrs. Strommen (cstrommen@fremont.k12.ca.us) Even those times are a little flexible, and you don’t have to commit to 5 days per week. A current (last 30 days) TB test and fingerprinting are required. The PTO will reimburse for these cost. Please contact: info@weibelpto.org for more info.

Wildcat Run

Wildcat Run is on Friday Oct 16, See attached flyer for more info. Volunteers needed, please sign up here.

Email gitavellanki@gmail.com with questions. All parents are welcome to come cheer on the kids, we hope to see you all there!

Weibel Chess Club still has Openings

The Weibel Chess Club still has space for students of all skill levels. We begin our 2015-2016 year on Tuesday, September 29.
Further information can be found from the Application 2015-2016 tab at http://www.WeibelChess.org
-Dr. Kirshner, Weibel Chess

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Want to be a part of FUSD Time Capsule?
Fremont is creating a time capsule to celebrate the City's 60th anniversary and you can get involved! For more information, download the registration form at www.fremont.gov/timecapdule starting Tuesday, Sept 15 or email: timecapsule@fremont.gov.
Essay and Art Contest, Instagram Contest, Survey...
Please see attachment

Cub Scouts Pack 152: Info Mtg Sept 17 @6:45pm in
Calling all boys in 1st - 5th grade. Join our action-filled cub scouts pack now.
Please come to our informational meeting on Thursday, September 17 at 6:45 pm Weibel Multi-Use-Room.

With our group, the boys play, learn, explore and grow. They play team games, learn new skills, build model cars (and even race them!) receive citizenship and safety lessons, explore nature and the outdoors, do community service, go hiking, camping and more....

Unable to make the meeting or have questions or need more information, please email Swati Patel at sdhulesh@gmail.com.

New Coding Class at Weibel starting 9/16
For Grades 4-6
The students will learn in depth:

  • How to create new blocks to code their own functions
  • The different data type supported by Scratch and how to use variables to enhance a user interface
  • How to create and manipulate lists
  • How to manipulate strings
The students' projects portfolio will become a series of problems they need to remix and solve. Far beyond just making games, they will learn how to simulate gravity, create a quiz to learn math, biology or geography, create their own educative project using all the concepts they learn Unplugged activities provide a complement to explore more computer science concepts like learning how fax machine send digital images etc...
Register at www.codeforfun.com/classes
See attached flyer

Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind is a creative competition where kids work in teams to solve a "problem" over a period of a few months. They get to present their solution in the form of a short ( about 8 minute) play in front of an audience and judges. A parent volunteer coaches the team but the kids are responsible for the storyline, the props as well as costumes. This is a great way for kids to explore their creativity while learning to work as a team.

More information is available at odysseyofthemind.com

If interested please FB message me Mugdha Patil. Also join the "Weibel Elementary OOM" Facebook page.

Public Speaking and Debate Class begins Sept 28 in MUR
After school Public Speaking and Debate Classes (1-6) grade classes in Weibel Multi Purpose Room begins Monday Sept 28 and will be held every working Monday 3- 4 pm after.
Early Bird Expires Sept 18!
Register at : GURUSEDUCATION.COM
-Ritu Khurana

ALERT: ACWD plans to raise water rates for next FOUR YEARS at one meeting:
Currently, the ACWD Board proposes and approves water rate increases one year at a time.
The Board wants to change this process and approve FOUR annual rate increases (for 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019) all at the next rate increase public hearing (which has not been scheduled yet). ACWD projects 8% rate increases for each of the next four years.
Regardless if you support or oppose rate increases, this is a significant policy change that will reduce accountability, transparency, and public engagement and it must be stopped.
The last public hearing in April was standing room only and residents were eager to voice their opinions (for and against the rate increase). ACWD also received 1,500 emailed comments.
However, if the Board changes this annual rate increase process to once every four years, there will be NO public hearings in 2017, 2018, and 2019 because rate increases for those years will have already been approved. The Board will be able to fly under the radar without public scrutiny for the next several years because, the fact is, people only pay attention when there's an imminent rate increase. Even if drought conditions change significantly in 2019, the Board will not have to justify the 2019 rate increase in 2019 because it was approved in 2015.

Please contact the ACWD Board of Directors and urge them to consider only one rate increase at a time.

Methods to contact the Board:
1. Email the Board Secretary and ask to have your comments included in the next Board meeting:

  • gina.markou@acwd.com

2. Email the Board directly:

  • james.gunther@acwd.com
  • judy.huang@acwd.com
  • martin.koller@acwd.com
  • paul.sethy@acwd.com
  • john.weed@acwd.com

Sample Email to Board
----
The Board is considering proposing and approving four annual rate increases all at one time. Changing the annual rate increase process to once every four years will significantly reduce accountability, transparency, and public engagement.
As you know, the last public hearing in April was standing room only and ACWD received over 1,500 emailed comments. Clearly, the public wants to be engaged in the rate increase process. However, if the Board changes the process to every four years, the Board will not give the public ample information and opportunity to voice their opinions. Because there is not much media attention on ACWD, the public relies on the Prop. 218 mailers, town hall meetings, and public hearings, which would not occur every year if the process is changed, to learn about rate increases.
Since it is difficult to predict conditions in one year let alone in four years, it will be tough to justify a rate increase for 2019 today. This may be why the Board does not produce four year budgets. To ensure rate increases are economically justified, rate increases should be proposed, justified to the public, and voted on one year at a time.