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.