Ways to Support FGIS this Holiday Season

Happy Thanksgiving to All,

We ask you to take a minute to check out some ways you can support Fiesta Gardens during your holiday preparations and celebrations:

• Shop through our Amazon Associates store by clicking here, you'll donate 4% or more of your purchase to Fiesta Gardens PTA.
• Sign up for OneCause, an online fundraiser that lets you select Fiesta Gardens as your cause and a percentage of your online purchases at many retailers will be donated to our school. They offer some great discounts too.
• Make sure your cards are signed up for eScrip, when you use credit or debit cards or store loyalty cards like Safeway's, a portion of your purchase with go to Fiesta Gardens PTA.
• Buy Gift Cards through our Gift Card Fundraiser, you'll need this number 966F4B8E11354, and when you order the cards online, our Gift Card Fundraiser volunteers will contact you to collect payment and deliver your cards. You can buy Arco cards and avoid that annoying fee.
• Shop at Talbot's Toystore through December 4th and mention that you'd like to support Fiesta Gardens, and 10% of the purchase price will go to Fiesta Gardens.
• Don't forget the Box Tops! Tear off and save your Box Tops for Education, we made more than $400 as a school last quarter.

And, saving the best for last, don't forget our great events here at school:

• Holiday Boutique, December 5th 10am-2pm, with free crafts for the kids, more than 20 vendors, bake sale, raffle, musci and more! You can help us spread the word by printing and posting this where you work, work out, shop or anywhere there's a bulletin board
  
• PTA Parents/Kids Night Out Fundraiser, December 11th evening, for school age children $15 for the first child and $10 for addtional kids, more info forthcoming
• Holiday Book Fair to benefit our Library and Media Center, December 14th-18th, this year we are excited that Kepler's Bookstore is working with us
  

And when that spirit of giving really needs expression, you can donate to the Fiesta Gardens PTA online, or by dropping off a check made out to FGIS PTA at the office or with your child's teacher.


Wishing You All Happy and Peaceful Holidays,

Your Fiesta Gardens PTA

Please pick up your lost items!

CLAIM YOUR LOST AND FOUND ITEMS
Thursday(12nov.) and Friday (13Nov) ONLY
at Kinder Playground
Notice: Items unclaimed will be donated to the FGIS clothes sale on Nov. 20th.

RECLAMA TUS ARTICULOS PERDIDOS
SOLO Jueves(12 de Nov.) y Viernes(13 de Nov.)
(Nota: Ropa no reclamada sera donada a la venta de ropa de FGIS (20 de Nov.)

First PTA Meeting minutes: It was a blast!

We introduced our new PTA board last Friday evening, at our first meeting which featured free pizza and a performance by magician Jeff Haas. Parents joined the PTA and signed up to volunteer and for eScrip and kids had a great time. One FGIS third grader said (while making circles with her hands),"First you looked at that spinning disc and then you looked at your friend and their eyes went woo-ooo, woo-ooo!" If only the PTA could get Jeff to teach us how to make those coins magically appear.

See you at the next meeting.

Garden Day August 22nd 8am-12pm

You may have noticed the mountains of wood chips on in the Bermuda Drive garden area. Randy got tree service companies to donate them. And we need to help spread them out in the garden. Our work day is scheduled on August 22nd at 8am. Bring rakes if you have them, or just bring yourself and borrow a rake.

We hope to see you there!

Volunteer!

Fundraising Alert: Amazon Gift Cards 6% for FGIS

Buy an Amazon Gift Card using this link and Fiesta Gardens will get 6% of your purchase.

Thanks for supporting your PTA!

FREE PIZZA DINNER AND MAGIC SHOW! August 14th, 2009 at 6:00pm in the LGI

You will also have the opportunity to meet our new PTA board members and help support our PTA by signing up for a membership!

Dinner will be served promptly at 6pm!
An interactive 45 minute Magic Show, by Jeff Haas, will follow afterward.
Plus, there will be hats, magic wands and kits for sale too!

If you are able to attend, PLEASE help us out with our dinner planning by returning the bottom part to your teacher by Tuesday, August 11th


La PTA invita a miembros de las familias de Fiesta Gardens a una

CENA DE PIZZA GRATIS Y ESPECTACULO DE MAGIA

También tedrán la oportunidad de conocer nuestros nuevos miembros del consejo administrativo de la PTA y de apoyar la PTA haciendose miembros.

La cena será servida puntualmente a las 6pm!
Un espectáculo interactivo de magia de 45 minutos será presentado por Jeff Hass después de la cena. También habrán gorros, varitas y kits a la venta.

SI van a asistir por favor rellene el talón y entrégueselo a su maestro(a), a más tardar,bel martes 11 de agosto.

- - - - - - - - - - Regrese el talón/ Return this portion- - - - - - - -

Para poder pedir suficiente pizza por favor indique si asistirán al evento / Please let us know if you are attending the meeting so we can order enough pizzas.

Estudiante/Student:______________________________________________________

Cuantos niños vendrán/ How many kids will attend: ___________________________

Cuántos adultos vendrán/ How many adults will attend: _______________________

To Incoming First Grade Families: Kinder BBQ Help Needed

Dear Incoming 2009 - 2010 First Grade Parents:

Remember the Kinder Barbeque - the kids, the other parents, the food, learning about all the upcoming school activities, joining the PTA?!?! The 2009 - 2010 Kinder Barbeque will be led by your grade level and will be your opportunity to help usher in the new Kinder families. A brief overview of the tasks is outline below.

9am - 11am Set up
10:30am - 1pm Barbeque
10:30am Make Lemonade/Water jugs
11am - 12pm Help label the dishes (owner name) that people bring in and make sure that there are spoons, plates, etc. at the table
11am - 1pm Sit at the PTA table to help people sigh up for PTA

If you are able to help out during any of these times on Sunday, July 26, 2009, please contact the 2009 - 2010 PTA Board President, Melissa Perez at dm-perez@sbcglobal.net.

Thanks in advance for all that you do for your kids!!

Regards,
Brenda

Ask Your State Senator to Help Our Schools

SCA 6: Lowering the Threshold
for Local School Parcel Taxes
Please ask your state senator to vote 'Aye'

SCA 6 (Simitian) is a bill that lowers the threshold for passing local school parcel taxes to 55 percent from the current two-thirds majority. A parcel tax is essentially the only way that local school districts can raise funds for school programs.

California State PTA has a strong support position on SCA 6, as it reflects the resolution on this subject passed by Convention delegates in May 2008.

The bill has passed through committee and will be heard on the Senate floor possibly as soon as Monday, June 15.

We need your help! Please call, e-mail or fax your state senator immediately and urge him or her to vote yes on SCA 6. Also, please forward this email to anyone who cares about school funding.

• SCA 6 is important because local school parcel taxes are essentially the only tool that California school districts have at their disposal to supplement funding from the state.
• California's schools are chronically underfunded, and this year's budget cuts are unprecedented. Local control options are urgently needed.
• Voters have shown in past elections that they are willing to lower the threshold for education measures. In 2000, Proposition 39 reduced the threshold for local school facilities bond measures. As a result, school facilities have improved dramatically throughout the state. A similar threshold reduction is needed for school programs.

To find contact information for your senator, please click here.

Kinder Playdates for July

Fiesta Gardens International School PTA would like to

Welcome the Incoming Kindergarten Class

Come and meet your classmates at our Saturday, Summer Playdates.

We have scheduled summer playdates so your children can meet their new classmates and get acquainted with the Kindergarten playground. These informal playdates will help your child with the transition into Kindergarten and also provides a great opportunity for parents to meet.

When: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
June 27, July 11, July 18 and July 25

Where: Fiesta Gardens International School – Kindergarten Playground

The PTA will provide water and juice.

Hope to see you there !!




La Asociación de PTA de la Escuela International Fiesta Gardens
le da la bienvenida a los nuevos alumnos de Kindergarten

Ven y conoce a tus futuros compañeros en un sábado de juego

Hemos organizado un horario de dias de juego para que su hijo(a) conozca a sus futuros compañeritos y se sientan cómodos en nuestro patio de recreo. Estos dias de juego pueden ayudarle a su hijo(a) con la transición a la escuela y también promueven amistades entre los padres de familia.

Qué sábados: 27 de junio, 11 de julio, 18 de julio y 25 de julio

Hora: de 10:00 am a las 11:00 am

Dónde: en el patio de recreo de Kindergarten de la escuela

La Asociación de PTA proveerá agua y jugos para todos

¡¡¡Esperamos verlos pronto!!!

Gryphons Soccer Fundraiser--for Kids!

Sign up as a new Gryphons participant to camp this summer and the for Kids! fund gets 10% of the cost of the camp. Be sure to let them know the name of your school at registration.

Open House and Art Show, Thursday, June 4, 6:30- 7:30pm

Our annual Open House and Art Show is happening Thursday evening. Take the opportunity to visit your child's class, talk to other parents, check out all our kids' great art.
And don't forget to vote for your new PTA Board and Site Council members.

And remember our Art program needs your support, so please make a donation to assist in all Maestra Ana's great projects.

The PTA Board Needs You!

May is time to elect a new Board and we need your help. Please take a look at the following and let us know how you'd like to help. Nomination forms are in the May 6 communicador. You can also make nominations (including self-nomiations) here:



And view online nominations here


PTA BOARD POSITIONS & SUMMARY OF DUTIES

PRESIDENT

• Meets with its board during the school year to plan future events and get feed back from previous events.
• Responsible for organizing the committees for each of the PTA events during the calendar year.
• Brings forth and proposes ideas suggested by the members.
• Conducts the general meetings.
• Works closely with the board members to ensure good communication between the school administration, teachers and board members.
• Assists and helps during school as well as PTA events.
  

Outgoing president: Annie Naar


VICE-PRESIDENT:

• Steps in for President as needed (eg. PTA Board meetings, PTA General meetings, etc.)
• Attend PTA Board meetings as well as PTA General Meetings
• Assist with logistics of PTA general meetings.
• Hire childcare assistants. Provide childcare sign-up roster, ensure that the caregiver gets paid, submits the rosters to the secretary.
• Assist with fundraising events (eg. Spring Fiesta, Jog-a-thon, See’s Candies sales, etc)
• Assist with school function events (eg. Fiesta Hispana, Ice-Cream Social, etc)
• Room-Parent Coordinator – meet with room parents at the beginning of the year and establish a connection between the room parents and the PTA Board. Send out reminder notices of up-coming events to room parents as needed.
• Assists and helps during school as well as PTA events.
  

Outgoing vice-president: Marcella Rentería-Dew


TREASURER:

• Write and record checks for reimbursements or bills at least every 2 weeks.
• Reconcile checking account statement monthly using Quick Books. (PTA has its own lap-top computer where all records are logged)
• Prepare Budget for the school year with the help of the PTA Board.
• Maintain Budget on Excel and Quick Books.
• Send in Membership Dues and other required forms to SMFC PTA Council.
• Coordinate Audit Reviews and Taxes.
• Assists and helps during school as well as PTA events.
  

Outgoing Financial Secretary: Julie Adams


FINANCIAL SECRETARY:

• Records and deposits all the money received by the PTA.
• Tracks deposited monies by category.
• Provides written documentation (letters) to donors for IRS purposes.
• Responsible for communicating amounts of classroom funds to the teachers.
• Responsible for confirming corporate match donations.
• Assists and helps during school as well as PTA events.

Outgoing Treasurer: Gloria Jue


SECRETARY:

• Records minutes of all meetings.
• Responsible for printing sign-up sheets.
• Responsible for emails to each grade level
• Assists and helps during school as well as PTA events.
  

Outgoing Secretary: Brenda Pérez


MEMBERSHIP CHAIR:

• Organizes membership-drives to recruit members at various times during the school year.
• Collects dues and gives the money to the treasurer.
• Keeps a roster of members.
• Assists and helps during school as well as PTA events.
  

Outgoing Membership Chair: Michelle Zalba


FUNDRAISER CHAIR:

• Organizes committees for the various fundraisers during the school year. (This year there were 4 events during the school year).
• Serves as a liaison between the PTA Board and the fundraise-committees.
• Is in charge of the Direct Donations drive during the fall.
• Schedules the Wednesday Food Nights.
• Assists and helps during school as well as PTA events.
  

Outgoing Fundraiser Chair: Danielle Martínez


PARENT EDUCATION CHAIR:

• Researches ideas for potential speakers that we present on our Tuesdays PTA meetings.
• Hires the speakers once the board has approved them.
• Attends PTA meetings and organizes the refreshments and snacks for the PTA meeting on Tuesdays.
• Creates a Wednesday flyer, has it translated, gets it approved by President and office. Once approved, makes 200+ copies, puts them in the teachers box.
• Advertises the meetings. Distributes flyers around the school about the PTA meeting's topic and date. Places a flyer at every classroom door and in the courtyard area.
• Updates the front announcement board with meeting information.
• Acts as a liaison between the board and the general school population.
• Assists and helps during school as well as PTA events.
  

Outgoing Parent Ed: Melissa Pérez


WEB-SITE MANAGER:

• In charge of obtaining information and maintaining the PTA Wed site.
• Assists and helps during school as well as PTA events.

Current Web-Site Manager: Karen Jensen

Teacher Appreciation Week, 2009

We will celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week from Monday, May 4th through Friday, May 8th, 2009. To express our gratitude we have a few token surprises planned. (Remember, it is the thought that counts! The students should bring the following items to their classrooms:

Monday, May 4th: All Students please bring a flower for their teacher. (There will be vases in every room)

Tuesday, May 5th: (Kindergarten & First grades ONLY) Please bring a delicious fruit to add to a special appreciation basket in each of your classrooms. These baskets will be taken to the teachers lounge later in the day for all teachers to enjoy their sweetness.

Wednesday, May 6th: (Second & Third grades ONLY) School supplies day! Please bring pencils, erasers, stickers, glue sticks, etc. to add to a special appreciation basket in each of your classrooms. These baskets will be taken to the teachers lounge later in the day for all teachers to share.

Thursday, May 7th: (Fourth & Fifth grades ONLY) Please bring a cookie or a chocolate to add to a special appreciation basket in each of your classrooms. These baskets will be taken to the teachers lounge later in the day for all teachers to enjoy these treats.

Friday, May 8th: All students. Please bring homemade cards for your teachers . Let’s all thank them for their continuous hard work!

Thank you all for your support and well wishes to our teachers!
La semana del maestro

La semana del 4 al 8 de mayo del 2009 es la semana en la que se le agradece a los maestros todo su arduo trabajo. Teniendo en mente que ¡la intensión es lo que cuenta! hemos planeado algunas pequeñas sorpresas. Los estudiantes deben llevar lo siguiente a sus salones:

Lunes 4 de mayo: Todos los alumnos de la escuela hagan el favor de traer una linda flor a su maestra. (Habrá floreros en cada salón)

Martes 5 de mayo: (Kindergarten y primer grado SOLAMENTE) Por favor traigan una deliciosa fruta para poner en la canasta de agradecimiento que estará en sus respectivos salones. Una vez llenas, las llevaremos a la sala de maestros para que todos disfruten de ellas.

Miércoles 6 de mayo: (Segundo y tercer grado SOLAMENTE) ¡Día de materiales escolares! Por favor traigan lápices, borradores, calcomanías, pegamento, etc. para ponerlo en la canasta de agradecimiento que estará en sus respectivos salones. Una vez llenas, las llevaremos a la sala de maestros para que todos compartan .

Jueves 7 de mayo: (Cuarto y quinto grado SOLAMENTE) Por favor traigan una galletita o un chocolate para poner en la canasta de agradecimiento que estará en sus respectivos salones. Una vez llenas, las llevaremos a la sala de maestros para que todos gocen de su duzura.

Viernes 8 de mayo: Todos los alumnos de la escuela. Por favor háganle la tarjetita en casa a sus maestras para agradecerles todo su arduo trabajo.

¡Muchas gracias a todos por su apoyo y sus buenos deseos a nuestros maestros!

Spring Fiesta, Saturday March 21

Get your tickets now! If you have last minute ticket needs contact Maribel Nix at 650-704-4480 or at Mnix@cheskin.com by Wednesday at the latest.

Here's a link to the Auction Preview packet

If you can't make it or would like to take care of the bidding ahead of time--all the better to enjoy the dinner and dancing--you can contact Carla Torres with your proxy bid at 341-4440 or email her at familiatorres14@gmail.com

March Noticias

Hot off the presses!
March Noticias

March 3 PTA meeting 6:30-8pm in the LGI

If you're like many parents, you've tried lots of strategies to get your child to consistently act the way you think he should. At our March 3rd meeting, our speaker Connie Allen, will

"teach you a way to find the joy in parenting and to empower your child to grow on her own without having to work so hard. You relax and have a lot more fun!"

For a full description click here

Sound good? How about about pizza and child care too?

Please RSVP below--

RSVP for March 3 PTA meeting

Please RSVP only once, either here or in writing to school. Thanks!

---

* Required

Your Name

How many adults will attend the meeting? * Pizza will be ready at 6:30, speaker will start at 7 1 2

How many school age children will attend? * Child care is available 0 1 2 3 4

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Reading Rainbow Kickoff Event

Come to the Reading Rainbow Kickoff Event at the San Mateo Main Library today, Wedn, Feb 11 at 3:30pm to get inspired to enter the Young Writers and Illustrators Contest. This free program is oriented to the K through 3rd grade level (contest entry ages.) Learn about the contest and create stories and art work just for fun. KQED, Art in Action and the Library are offering this program. The Library is located at 55 W. 3rd Avenue. For more information, please contact (650)522-7838.

Membership Meeting March 3rd

The next PTA general meeting will be on March 3rd at 6:30pm with child care for school age children. We'll have a speaker, details TBA.

PTA's Economic Recovery Plan -- Facts about the latest California budget proposals

From the California State PTA:
• The Governor’s latest budget proposal calls for cutting almost $11 billion from
education over the next 18 months.
• That cut would come on top of $3.2 billion that has already been cut in the state
budget passed in September 2008.
• The Governor's proposal also includes manipulations to Proposition 98 that would
reduce the minimum funding guarantee to schools in all future years by $7 billion to
$9 billion.
• California is already ranked 47th – almost at the bottom – among all states when it
comes to spending on students. With this, we’d be likely to wind up in last place.
• Cuts to education have already led to larger class sizes, more than 10,000 layoffs of
teachers and other support staff, and the elimination of educational programs.
• More cuts would mean larger classes, and less access to quality programs, arts
education, counseling, school libraries and much more.
• A balanced approach to the state budget is needed, with sufficient revenues to prevent
such devastating cuts.

Click here to link to the PTA site with more info and ways to contact our legislators and governor.

Mom's Night Out, Thursday, February 5

Calling all moms for a night out! Let's go to B Street & Vine to enjoy good food and great company on Febrary 5, 2009 from 7pm to 10pm. Tickets are $15 per person adn 10% of this goes back to the 5th grade class. Please note that the cost covers food , but does not include wine /drinks which will need to be purchased separately. Invite your lady friends -- the more the merrier. We hope to see you there.

B Street & Vine
320 S. "B" Street
San Mateo, CA
650-347-8463

Please return your check for $15 per person by Friday, Jan. 30th, to the school office in a closed envelope addres to Marcella Renteria-Dew, Mom's Night Out and include the following info:

Your Name:
Telephone:
Email:
Child's Name:
Classroom No.:
Maestra/o:

DATE Change -- PTA Meeting now January 27th, 7-8 pm LGI -- GLAD Strategies

Our January PTA meeting topic is GLAD, or Guided Language Acquisition Development. Teachers Oscar Oyama and Maria Valencia will be presenting and will answer questions. Oscar sends this description:

GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Development) is a teaching strategy that uses visual input charts, chants and cooperative learning to help students develop high level language skills. This is a tool, not a new curriculum, that we are using to teach the State Standards at each grade level.

As a staff, we have all implemented three classroom rules that have worked well with all students. Maria and I will be addressing those rules in the meeting so parents can use them at home so students will know that there is a link between school and home behavior expectations.

As always, babysitting for school age kids is provided.