Details:
Dear Pacific Parents and Guardians,As we move into the last two months of the school year, the pace quickens because we have to accomplish so much before the last day of school on June 22nd. Please check the Pacific School website often so you do not miss a single memorable event.
During the first two weeks of May 2nd to May 13th, students in grades 2-5 will be participating in state mandated testing. The Standardized Testing and Reporting program (STAR) is part of the state’s accountability system and it provides a measure of student progress across California.
The STAR tests allow us to compare Pacific student results individually, across grade level, and across the state. The Pacific staff will use this data to evaluate instruction and student learning. However, it is important to remember that your child’s day-to-day work and teacher’s perspective of progress are more authentic measurements of growth.
The Pacific staff provides daily instruction utilizing a standards-based curriculum, which in turn, is the content of the test. Dedicated and high quality instruction, over the past eight months, has prepared your child for the STAR. However, we would appreciate your assistance during the testing period.
-Your child should go to bed early so he/she will be well rested. Homework is minimal during testing so encourage your child to read and play each evening. Challenge all family members to be “TV Free” for two weeks! Information regarding this challenge can be found on our website.
-Ensure that your child eats a nutritious breakfast.
-Your support at home builds confidence in your child. Test taking requires skills, strategies, experience, and a positive attitude.
-Arrive to school on time each morning. Students arriving after testing begins will not be allowed to the enter classroom and they will need to take a make-up test on a later date. Students perform better in known environments with their peers and teacher.
-Please do not schedule any appointments or vacations during this two-week period.
The Pacific staff will establish a calm and natural tone for testing days and we know that our students will be comfortable, confident, and successful.
Sincerely,
Pacific Teachers (Grades 2-5) and Debbie Mabry
ATTENTION ALL 5th GRADERS!!!!
Please mark your calendars for an exciting afternoon at the annual Manhattan Beach Middle School Ambassador Carnival. All 5th graders are invited to come join the fun and get acquainted with the Middle School on Friday, May 13th from 3:15-5:00. Fliers will be coming home soon with more information. Game/food tickets will be sold at the carnival. Most games and or food items are $1.00...dunk tank, climbing wall, cotton candy, pizza, hot dogs and more!!!
Cami Wedbush
MBMS 2011 Carnival Chair.
Attention 3rd Grade and 4th Grade Parents~
Can you help run Pawprints next year? Would you like to see how we run our meetings? If so, please contact Kim Noonen - bellaluke@verizon.net.
Jog-a-Thon
Thank you so much to Susan Blake who hosted an amazing jog-a-thon! This is the first time we have had the jog a thon in quite a few years and it was a great success. The kids had a great time jogging and it was a great, healthy way to start the day. Thank you also to everyone who pitched in to support Susan with this event. Thank you to the kids for their cooperation in going green and bringing your refillable water bottles. All in all everyone had fun and everything ran smoothly! Thanks again Susan:)
Yearbook Committee
A Huge PTA Thank You to the Yearbook Committee (Sejal Sood, Kim Petri, Theresa Wood, Heidi Walter, Stephanie Siddons, Dawn Bush, and Phyllis Calza) and the Fifth Grade Yearbook Club for making sure each and every Panther was included in the 2010-2011 YB. All proceeds from yearbook sales will be used towards the 5th grade promotion and carnival.
Food Truck Fundraiser to benefit MBEF
Meadow's is having "A Food Truck Fundraiser to benefit the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation" on Friday, May 13th from 6pm-8pm. Join in on an evening of socializng with friends and families from all MB schools! It will be a night of fantastic food and a movie for the kiddos. Bring blankets and beach chairs or get dinner to-go and raise money for our school. Click here for more information.
Round Table Pizza benefit for Richstone Family CenterRound Table Pizza is very generously hosting an event on April 25th from 5:00 to 9:00 pm, where a percentage of each diner's purchase goes to the Richstone Family Center. When a diner gives their school's name at the register, that school gets credit towards their donation total for the walk. This benefits all of our area schools so please make Monday your Round Table Pizza night!
Also, registration for the Pier-to-Pier walk can be done that night at Round Table on April 25th , or online at www.richstonewalk.org, or at the walk event itself on April 30th.
Relay for Life 
Relay for Life in Manhattan Beach is coming up on May 14th. It is the largest American Cancer Society Fundraiser and a huge community event. The event is enjoyable for all ages and supports a great cause. For more information, click here.
Onizuka Space Science Day - Sunday, April 30th
Come for a sciene filled day of fun! This event is FREE but you have to register to attend. Some of the activities include paper airplane and egg drop competitions, planetarium shows, and a lot of hands-on experiments. This is your chance to meet an astronaut. Check out this flyer to leran more!
Interview With One of Pacific’s Fabulous 2nd Grade Teachers, Miss Nanci Peitaby London F., Olivia W. and Alexandra S., 4th Grade
Since Miss Peita is such a wonderful teacher, we decided to interview her. We were all very excited to hear what she had to say!
London: What grades have you taught, and which one is your favorite?
Miss Peita: I taught 4th grade in New York and 2nd grade here for five years each. Second grade is my favorite.
Olivia: Why do you like teaching second grade so much?
Miss Peita: The kids are very excited to learn, are just the right age, and they’re becoming very independent. Also, they get my sense of humor.
Alexandra: What method do you use to discipline the students?
Miss Peita: I am respectful to my students, and I expect them to be respectful back to me. We also use a star system and class points.
London: How many years have you been teaching?
Miss Peita: I've been teaching ten years full time and I’ve done a lot of subbing.
Olivia: If you could use only one adjective to describe your teaching style what would it be?
Miss Peita: That’s a tough one! Inquisitive.
Alexandra: What do you enjoy the most teaching at Pacific?
Miss Peita: Everyday brings something new, and everybody at Pacific, such as staff and students, are so nice. I also enjoy getting the opportunity to run into my nieces, Samantha and Madison. Of course, my sister, Michele, too!
London: What's an interesting fact about yourself that most people might not know?
Miss Peita: I think most may already know this, but I am getting married this summer and coming back in the fall as Mrs. Schnebly.
Olivia: What and who inspired you to start teaching?
Miss Peita: I've always loved to learn, and my my sister, Mrs. Jordan, who is a great kindergarten teacher, inspired me to be a teacher!
Alexandra: What do you do for fun outside of teaching?
Miss Peita: I go to the beach, ride my bike, fly kites, and swim in the ocean. I do these activities with Mr. Schnebly most of the time.
London: If you could have any other job besides teaching, what would it be and why?
Miss Peita: I have three things I would like to do: voice-over actress, writing picture books, and be an artist. (Mr. Shnebly does voice-overs himself). Given one choice, however, I would definitely want to be an ARTIST. I enjoy getting dirty and I've always LOVED doing art!!
Olivia: Do you have any other family members that teach?
Miss Peita: I have a sister that teaches, Mrs. Jordan, and my parents aren't teachers but they taught me a lot.
Alexandra: What are your expectations for your students?
Miss Peita: That they will be open-minded, love learning, try their best and be good to each other.
London: Where did you grow up and can you tell us a favorite memory of your childhood?
Miss Peita: I grew up in Buffalo, New York and my favorite memory was playing outside and being with my family and friends.
Olivia: Where did you go to school?
Miss Peita: 1. State University of New York at Geneseo, 2. Buffalo State College and 3. University of Buffalo.
Alexandra: What's the most memorable emergency you had to deal with?
Miss Peita: I use to play softball. Excitedly, I was going for a home run at one time, but fell and sprained my ankle.
Olivia: When did you know you first wanted to be a teacher?
Miss Peita: When I was 13 years old when I was a camp counselor because I connected very well with the kids!
Miss Peita had many wonderful answers. We would definitely want to interview her again!
Interview with Pacific’s Well-Known School Nurse, Mrs. Donna Kimby Brendan R., Trever V. and Adam K., 5th Grade
On a Tuesday afternoon, we had an an opportunity to interview our popular school nurse, Mrs. Kim, and these were the questions and answers:
Brendan: Why did you become a school nurse?
Mrs. Kim: My kids went to Pennekamp. I became a school nurse so we could be a little closer.
Trever: How many people do you help a day?
Mrs. Kim: About 35.
Adam: How did you become acquainted with Pacific?
Mrs. Kim: I used to work at Pennekamp, where my kids went, but when they opened a nurses' job at Pacific, I moved here.
Brendan: How long have you been a school nurse?
Mrs. Kim: I have worked as a school nurse for 14 years.
Trever: What other job did you have before you were a nurse?
Mrs. Kim: Before I was a nurse, I was a ' stay at home mom ' with our three (3) children.
Adam: What do you think Pacific's students and teachers can do to have a better "Fitness For Life"?
Mrs. Kim: It seems like they're already on track. They're conscious about their diet, so I have no advice.
Brendan: What do you do for fun?
Mrs. Kim: I like to knit, cook (trying new recipes), craft towel bunnies and sew.
Trever: What do you do for fun on the weekends?
Mrs. Kim: On the weekends, we love to cook and BBQ with our family and three (3) grandchildren.
Brendan: What is your favorite color?
Mrs. Kim: My favorite color is Pink.
Trever: What was your inspiration to become a nurse?
Ms. Kim: I love kids and working with children.
Adam: Are there any downsides to being a nurse? If there are, what are they?
Mrs. Kim: I guess the paperwork, and I'm always behind.
Brendan: How does the sight of blood make you feel?
Mrs. Kim: Blood doesn't bother me at all. It doesn't make me feel gross.
Trever: If you could cure any disease what disease would it be and why?
Mrs. Kim: If I could cure any disease I would cure ' breast cancer ' because I am a ' Breast Cancer ' Survivor.
Adam: Do you think in the past year, that Pacific's health and injury rate has become better or worse?
Mrs. Kim: I think that there have been more injuries, because most kids play here after school and play harder. It seems that kids are more experienced this year, which gives them the confidence to play rough.
In conclusion, aside from learning that Mrs. Kim has three children and three grandchildren, we learned much about our school nurse and about fitness for life!
The Five Ancestorsby Jonathan C., 2nd Grade, Mrs. Lautanen
The series the Five Ancestors by Jeff Stone is an amazing series about the monks in China a long time ago. The problem of the series is that there's an ex-monk named Ying who attacks his former brothers and grandmaster at Cangzhen Temple. Only the five youngest monks survive: Fu, Malao, Seh, Hok, and Long. Now they have to survive on their own. Read the series to find out what happens next.
Must See Movies
by Dylan K., 2nd Grade, Mrs. Lautanen
Over the past week and a half, I got to go see “Hop” and “Rio.” Hop is about a little rabbit named “EB” who ran away from home because he did not want to become the Easter Bunny. He wanted to be a drummer instead. On his adventure, he found a friend and together they have a lot of fun.
I also got to go see “Rio.” “Rio” was a good movie about a bird named ‘Blu’ trying to find his friend in Brazil and making lots of friends on the way. I can’t tell you what my favorite part was because I liked the whole movie. I want to see it again and again and again. The story was good and the music was great. You must go see this movie!
Book Review: Fairest
by Lauren M., 5th grade
A tyrant queen from a distant land? A king who had been sick for weeks on end? A lonely innkeeper’s daughter who suddenly moves to a castle to become a lady in waiting? These are just some of the crazy adventures in the New York Times bestseller Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine. Gail Carson Levine is also the mastermind behind Ella Enchanted.
The story starts out in a cottage in the kingdom of Ayortha, where the main character Aza lives. Aza was born singing. Most babies cry, but Aza was different. Her birth parents left her at an inn when she was less then a month old; the innkeeper and his family took her in as if she was their own child. Besides being probably the best singer in Ayortha, Aza has one flaw; she is uglier than an ogre. But one person looks past her hideous appearance, the Duchess of Ayortha. She takes a liking to Aza and asks her to accompany her to the King and his new wife’s wedding. It is here that Aza meets Ivi, the new Queen of Ayortha. Ivi was born a peasant in the land of Kyrria, ruled by Ella of Frell. Aza soon becomes close to Queen Ivi, and also meets Prince Ijori, the king’s nephew. After the wedding, Aza is asked by Queen Ivi to be her new lady in waiting, and of course she cannot refuse.
Things seem to be going great, until Ivi, King Oscaro, and the entire kingdom attend a centaur show and the beloved king suffers a serious injury to his head. In the land of Ayortha, everyone is a great singer, and they conduct “sings” every month to heal the sick, lift spirits, and to bring the citizens together. This month’s sing was dedicated to helping their adored king get well, and all of the nobility are to sing a healing song for the king. But Queen Ivi could not sing a single note, and she asks Aza to lip sync for her. While still at the Featherbed Inn, Aza has figured how to use her voice and make it sound like anyone and make it seem to come from anywhere. She called this “illusing”. Only Aza knew how to illuse, and soon, Queen Ivi had Aza illusing for her at every sing. But this special talent eventually becomes her downfall when the court discovers the trickery, Ivi lies about everything, and Aza gets thrown in the dungeon. Not even her true love, Ijori stood up for her when he knew that Ivi was lying.
Somehow, Aza escapes with the help of a friendly guard and he takes her to safety into the underground Gnome Caverns, so she can stay with her good friend, widyeH zhamM. Aza stays with zhamM for many weeks, and they send out messengers telling the kingdom that she is dead, but they also send ones to her family and to Ijori to tell them the truth. But the tables turn when the enraged Queen Ivi disguises herself as a gnome and poisons Aza with a poison apple and she gets sent into the magical mirror that made Ivi beautiful. Will the king ever get well? Will Aza make it out of Skulini the magic mirror? Will Ijori come to his senses and come to save Aza? You can only find out in the amazing story: Fairest. I would recommend this book to all readers that enjoy fantasy, adventure, and ogres!!
Grunion Run! by Luke N., 2nd Grade, Mrs. Lautanen
Have you ever seen a grunion? I have! It is a small, silver fish, about 1/2 foot long. I saw many on a grunion run! A grunion run is where grunions go on the beach and start flopping around. But what they really are doing are laying eggs. It happens a few times a year during high tide at night. I learned all about grunions at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro. I even hatched some grunion eggs! I hatched them by shaking the eggs around in sea water and sand in a jar! But I couldn’t take them home. When we were at the beach for the grunion run, it was scary. We weren’t allowed to touch any of the grunions but they were all over. They burrow and sometimes get under your feet and I was very afraid I would step on them. But I did not! I recommend that everyone go check it out. I rate it 1,000 stars out of 5!
Green Tip - Unpacking lunches by Janet Anderson, parent
Do your kids throw their backpacks and jackets on the couch when they get home, knowing that you will pull out the papers, clean out their lunchboxes and hang their clothing? Certainly not! By now, they have learned to be responsible for their schoolwork and belongings. How about that lunchbox, though? Why not have your children use the water left in their reusable bottles to water the house plants or garden rather than pouring it down the drain. Sandwich crusts, banana peels, apple cores and cracker crumbs are all compostable. If you have a compost bin, ask your child to return their lunch remnants in the reusable containers or plastic baggies you used to pack their meal, and together you can add the items to your bin. Make sure there aren’t any animal products hiding in there, like a slice of sandwich meat. It’s an easy way to keep your kids thinking about how to better use what they don’t consume.
Growing Great "Grill Me" for Lesson 5 - "Heeding My Warning Light"
Click here to download the Growing Great "Grill Me" for Lesson 5 - Heeding My Warning Light. Learn about the nutrition lesson presented to the 3rd -5th grade students at Pacific School.
The 5th Grade Fitness Testby Lyndsey G., 5th Grade
The most conflicting activity in 5th grade you'll ever face is the physical fitness test! The physical fitness test is basically a quiz of what you learned in PE throughout your elementary school years. It includes aerobic exercises, endurance, flexibility as well as the pacer. The pacer is a running exercise that is loved but hated by everyone and it will leave you dying for water! You simply run back and forth over a distance with time limits that increase as you get farther into it. The goal is to do 40 within the set time limits. The other aerobic exercises just depend on how flexible you are and where you're most strong and powerful...like push-ups, curl-ups and trunk lifts. Each of these goals will depend on your gender and age. You practice all of these with your class until you have the test on a specific date. Most people look back on the test as fun and easy or hard but interesting. I did great on my test mostly because the teachers made it a lot more pleasant for me. I would recommend practicing a couple days before the test. There’s no pressure at all and there is no reason to be nervous. As long as you do your best you're sure to do good.
Paw Poll
For this issue of Pawprints, with a theme of "Fitness for Life," our staffers wanted to know: What is the strangest way that you get exercise? These are some of the responses they received:
~ 
finger push-ups
~ run in a shopping mall to buy clothes
~ run while trying to catch a fly
~ use crutches
~ sleep
~ walk the dog
~ throw a football and run down a hill
~ run a 10K in a ballet outfit
~ do push-ups under water
~ sit on the couch and eat potato chips (EXTRA-size)
Hmmm -- we have some funny Panthers! But we are certain you all know you need to eat nutritious foods, get out there and MOVE and enjoy being a kid!
Fit For Life Comic
by Lauren D. & Sophie K., 4th Grade
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