Hello Everyone;

This morning we in San Mateo; Foster City; Halfmoon Bay and Pacifica etc were asked to be safe because of the possible high waters. Japan was hit this morning with a 8.9 Tsunami; which killed and devastated Japan.

As you also do; I put the kids to pray for the families and children affected by this tragedy. I asked what else we should do. Stefano offered to donate his piggy bank money and some toys he said " it is obvious the water ruined their toys and pushed away their wallets/money"

Therefore I hope that we as a school of many families and great kids show compassion and share our things with kids in Japan.

I offer my time and services to locate a public elementary school in Japan and I ask the directors of the PTA and parents of the PTA and join my family in doing something special from our kids to Japan's kids.

Stefano and Paola each offered $ from their piggy bank; the following are things we might be able to do.

1: simple collection of $ and letters

2. the kids donate $ from their piggy banks and the PTA matches.

3. Do a school pizza party and donate the earnings

Regardless of what our children do. Children in Japan get warmth and greeting from FGIS kids.

Perhaps in class our kids can write letters of hope and well wishes; to be sent with our offerings.

Again my services are for you to use. Do you ALL our kids want to give to Japan's kids?

Buenos Dias; Esta mañana los habitantes de San Mateo; Foster City; Halfmoon Bay y Pacifica etc fueron avisado de busca protecion de las olas alta que llegaron. Japon sufrio un tsnumi de 8.9; el cual mato mucho niños y devasto familias.

Como usted: puse los niños a rezar por estas familias y por los niñs affectados por la tragedia. Stefano ofrecio donarlas plata de su alcancia y juquetes; dijo "es obio que el agua les dañio los juquetes y se les llevo su plata".

En mi opinion pienso que somos muchas familias y tenemos fantasticos niños y puedemos demostrar compasion. Nuestros niños pueden comparir sus cosas con los niños del Japon.

Por esto ofresco mi ayuda y tiempo. Puedo localizer una escuela en Japon. Le pido el favor a los directors del PTA y los padres del PTA que con mi familia hacemos algo para que nuestros ayudan a los hijos del Japon. Lo lindo que los niños del Japon reciben cariños de los estudiante de FGIS. Gracias y espero que my acompañan en este regalo.

Maria "Paola y Stefano"

--

FGIS meeting 3/9 at 2:45pm at the district office

Dear Parents,

 

We need your voice and your help!  If you have the time, please come !  Fiesta Garden's Parents has an appointment at 2:45 pm - 3:15 pm ( the only one left) tomorrow, Weds 3/9 at the district office in the bowditch room. This is our chance as parents to voice our input about the personal and professional qualities desired in an incoming Superintendent.  Especially for 5th grade parents that want to encourage the support of our Immersion Program at Abbot.

 

 

Please join Melissa Perez and Colleen Nguyen!  Our school needs as much support with sharing how we care about the qualities of an incoming Superintendet.  

 

Colleen had mentioned in response to Rebecca's e-mail:

 

 "Thanks for your email message. It was a good reminder to me that I do want to share my values especially from the perspective of a fiesta gardens parent and the importance of our two way immersion program in our district and how we need an individual that can see the value of such a program despite a disparity that can be reflected in our test scores.

Often times we can be so busy that we can miss the opportunities to have a say in our childrens' education in such a large way.

 

 

Below is an original invitation, noting times and dates that you can voice your concerns for picking the next School District Superintendent.  It is also provided below in Spanish Translation:

 

 

Dear Parents,
 
The San Mateo-Foster City School District Board of Trustees is in the process of selecting a new District Superintendent.  They are seeking community input about the personal and professional qualities desired in an incoming Superintendent.  The Trustees are soliciting your response to the following question: What are the qualities, characteristics, background and experiences (professional and personal) desired in the next Superintendent of the San Mateo-Foster City School District?
 
Leadership Associates Executive Search Advisors Peggy Lynch and Larry Aceves were chosen by the Board to conduct the recruitment and comprehensive search process for the selection of the district's next leader.  They will be in our district on Wednesday, March 9, 2011.
 
Individual input from members of the community (parents, employees and others interested in our district) is desired.  People may meet as individuals, in small groups, or in an Open Forum.  Input may also be offered through fax, letter or email.  Direct telephone conversation may also be arranged.
 
Individual and small group appointments will be held in the District Office, 1170 Chess Drive, Foster City, between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm on Wednesday, March 9, 2011.  To arrange an appointment, please call Ellen Macaulay at (650) 312-7348.
 
If you are unable to meet during the individual and/or small group appointment time, you may attend an Open Forum on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 from 6:00-7:00 pm.  Two Forums will be held during this time, one at the Borel Middle School Library, 425 Barneson Avenue, San Mateo and the other at the Bowditch Middle School Library, 1450 Tarpon Street, Foster City.  No appointment is necessary to attend these forums.
 
If none of the options to meet personally with our advisors matches your schedule, you may contact them by email at leadershipassociates.upland@gmail.com  or by fax at (909) 985-1051.  To speak by phone to either Peggy Lynch or Larry Aceves, you may call (909) 985-7814.
 
The advisors will compile a report of comments received during the community input sessions.  They will share these comments with the Board and with the new Superintendent.  The comments will also be used to guide the development of the recruitment brochure, the recruitment process and reference checking.
 
Thank you for your attention to this important process.
 


3 de marzo de 2011
Estimados Padres,
 
El Consejo Administrativo del Distrito Escolar San Mateo-Foster City está en proceso de seleccionar a un/a nuevo/a Superintendente del Distrito.  Ellos buscan la opinión de la comunidad en cuanto a las cualidades personales y profesionales deseadas en el Superintendente entrante.  Los Administradores están solicitando su respuesta a la siguiente pregunta: ¿Cuales son las cualidades, características, antecedentes y experiencias (profesionales y personales) deseadas en el/la próximo/a Superintendente del Distrito Escolar San Mateo-Foster City?
 
Peggy Lynch y Larry Aceves, asesores de búsqueda de personal ejecutivo de la compañía Leadership Associates fueron seleccionados por el Consejo Administrativo para llevar a cabo el proceso de la búsqueda comprensiva y reclutamiento para la selección del/a próximo/a líder del distrito.  Ellos estarán en nuestro distrito el miércoles 9 de marzo de 2011.  
 
Se desea obtener comentarios individuales de miembros de la comunidad (padres, empleados y otros interesados en nuestro distrito).  Las personas se pueden reunir individualmente, en grupos pequeños o en un Foro Abierto.  Los comentarios también pueden ofrecerse por medio de fax, carta o correo electrónico.  También se pueden hacer arreglos para una conversación telefónica directa.
 
Las juntas individuales o para grupos pequeños serán en la oficina del Distrito, 1170 Chess Drive, Foster City, entre las 8:30 am y las 5:00 pm el miércoles 9 de marzo de 2011.  Para arreglar una cita por favor llame a Ellen Macaulay al
(650) 312-7348.
 
Si usted no se puede reunir durante las citas individuales y/o en grupos pequeños, usted puede asistir a un Foro Abierto el miércoles 9 de marzo de las 6:00-7:00 pm.  Habrá dos foros a esa hora, uno en la biblioteca de la Escuela Intermedia Borel, 425 Barneson Avenue, San Mateo y el otro en la biblioteca de la Escuela Intermedia Bowditch, 1450 Tarpon Street, Foster City.  No es necesario hacer una cita para asistir a estos foros. 
 
Si ninguna de estas opciones para reunirse personalmente con nuestros asesores se ajusta a su horario, usted se puede comunicar con ellos por correo electrónico leadershipassociates.upland@gmail.como por fax al (909) 985-1051.  Para hablar por teléfono ya sea con Peggy Lynch o con Larry Aceves, usted puede hablar al (909) 985-7814.
 
Los asesores compilarán un reporte de los comentarios recibidos durante las reuniones con la comunidad. Ellos compartirán estos comentarios con el Consejo Administrativo y con el/la nuevo/a Superintendente.  Los comentarios también se usarán para guiar el desarrollo de un folleto de reclutamiento, el proceso de reclutamiento y para verificar referencias.
 
Gracias por su atención a este importante proceso.

iPad raffle!

Want an iPad?  Here is a chance you don't want to miss!

 

Fiesta Garden's 2nd Grade class wants you to know:

 

There's still time to enter the iPad drawing!
Each tax-deductible $15 cash/check donation to the FGIS PTA earns the purchaser a chance to win a brand new iPad. So far, we have less than 100 entries so the chance to win is pretty high. Please turn $ and entries in to the front office by no later than 3:00pm on Thursday, 3/10. Additional entry forms are available at the front desk. 

Important Message from PTA

An important Message from your Fiesta Garden's PTA.  Please take the time to read:

 

Dear Friends-

I apologize for this mass email.

As parents of children in San Mateo-Foster City School District (SMFCSD) you may know that our current Superintendent of Schools is retiring at the end of this year. The school district has hired an agency to lead the search for a new Superintendent.

This transition is critical. The new Superintendent has the ability to make broad changes in the school district (for better or worse).  When San Francisco was searching for a new Superintendent, the agency listened to the input of parents and other stakeholders to find a good match for the district. Now is our chance. Thus, I am urging you to take advantage of the upcoming opportunities (see below) to communicate what you view as the important characteristics of our district - those that you would not like changed as well as what you view as important priorities so that your voice may be factored into this very important hiring decision.

For instance: do you feel that raising test scores must be accomplished at all costs (and would you be happy if teachers were pressured to only teach language arts and mathematics using a "drill and kill" style)? Do you want to see more science instruction in the elementary grades? Do you want SMFCSD students to learn how to think critically and creatively and learn how to be good problem-solvers?  Do you value the professionalism of our hard-working teachers and their accumulated expertise about how to teach our students?

For those of you who are parents at Fiesta Gardens, I strongly encourage you to advocate for the integrity of our program and emphasize that the successful candidate must be more concerned with the long-term, longitudinal outcomes for our students, which are strong, than obsessed with short-term test score improvement that will compromise learning of our children in all areas. Those of you who are parents at other schools will likely have other important concerns to address as well, both academic and non-academic, such as the overcrowding in Foster City schools.

The search firm, Leadership Associates, is holding individual and small group appointments to solicit community input into the search during the day on Wednesday March 9th (the day after tomorrow) at the district offices (1170 Chess Drive). You may arrange for an appointment by calling (650) 312-7348. They are also holding open forums that evening between 6-7 pm, one at Bowditch MS, and the other at Borel. Finally, you may communicate your thoughts by email (leadershipassociates.upland@gmail.com) or by calling (909) 985-7814 to speak with either Peggy Lynch or Larry Aceves.

I apologize for the length of this email and for the salesperson-like tone. My experiences observing San Francisco go through four Superintendents has shown me that this is not a transition to leave to chance. If we want a Superintendent who will be well aligned with the educational values of our community, we must communicate what those values are, and now is the time to do it.  Please feel free to share this email with other parents of children or future children in the San Mateo schools.

Best,

Rebecca Smith

p.s. please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want to talk about this further htims.acceber@gmail.com