Pacific Pawprints - November 10, 2011

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Dear Panther Families,
 
It is hard to believe it is already November. The year is flying by - probably because we are doing so much and having such fun!
 
Our KSR-HELPR focus for both November and December is on Responsibility. Mr. Keldrauk will be taking my place this month with the Principal's KSR-HELPR visit. In September we learned the kindness song. In October we had a safety assembly. This month we will be reading a book with the theme of responsibility recommended by Mrs. Julie Jones, our librarian. I know the children will enjoy Mr. Keldrauk's visits as much as they have enjoyed mine. Each classroom will be doing activities throughout the month to reinforce the importance of responsibility at school. We hope to instill in our Panthers a sense of responsibility for his or her own world as well as the world around them. 
 
Mrs. Jones will again pull together a list of books on Destiny as well as a book display in the library for parents who wish to continue this discussion after school and at home. We hope you will share with us what you are doing at home around this theme. We appreciate the home support.
 
Have a wonderful November!
Mrs. Linz, Pacific Principal
 
 
 
Dear Pacific Families,
It is a great pleasure to participate in this edition of Pawprints for the month of November. It is very impressive that Pacific students publish their own monthly newsletter, which is distributed to the entire school community. November is quite an eventful month with many exciting activities; including last night’s highly successful Parent Technology Night, yesterday’sspirit rally, and today’sPanther Night at the MCHS vs. RBHS football game at Mira Costa, as well Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and upcoming Report Cards and Parent-Teacher Conferences. As you can see, we have a great many things going on at school.
 
During my short time at Pacific, I have become very impressed with Pacific’s KSR-HELPR program. For the months of November and December, the focal area is “Responsible” from the KSR-HELPR acronym representing Kind, Safe, Responsible, Honest, Empathetic, Logical, Positive, Respectful. Throughout the two-month period, Pacific students will be learning about Responsibility, as it applies to a school setting, as well as at home and out in the community. Students in all grade levels will have the opportunity to listen to the principal read them a responsibility-oriented book, and to participate in a discussion following the reading. A big “Thank You” to Pacific’s wonderful librarian, Julie Limbach-Jones, for finding excellent books for the principal to read. Teachers will also be taking opportunities to infuse the topic of Responsibility into their daily lessons.
 
The month of November features two important holidays; Veterans Day Holiday on Friday of this week and Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 24. These holidays provide great opportunities to focus on the courage and responsibility that the Pilgrims of the 17th century and United States veterans of the past and present have demonstrated by giving unselfishly of themselves to create, protect and preserve the rights and freedoms that we hold dear. While your children are home enjoying these days off from school, I encourage you all to take a moment or two to discuss with them the significance of these great American holidays, and how they relate to courage and responsibility.
 
As we enter the holiday season, we certainly have much to celebrate and much for which to be thankful. Pacific students and parents are truly fortunate to have such a wonderful school that is staffed with capable and talented individuals who truly care about the children of our community. And speaking of our community, I cannot imagine a better place to live, play and raise a family. We truly do have much for which to be thankful. As for myself, I am thankful for the opportunity of being your acting principal these past 3½ weeks. It has truly been a pleasure. I know that you all will join me in welcoming back your terrific principal, Mrs. Linz, as she returns to Pacific next week. 
 
Sincerely,

Mr. Keldrauk, Acting Principal  

 

 

 

 
An Interview With Pacific’s New Vocal Instructor, Ms. Lindsay Quiroz
by Maya B.-C., Vincent R., and Abby G., 4th Grade
 
Ms. Quiroz, pronounced “Key Rose,” is a new vocal teacher at our school, so we decided to find out more about her life. Here are our results:
 
Maya: What is something interesting about your life that might surprise the students?
Ms. Quiroz: I sang at Carnegie Hall in New York and I sang “The National Anthem” at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
 
Vincent: Why did you pick singing over an instrument?
Mrs. Quiroz: Actually, I play the French horn, and I was a band teacher, but I like them equally.
Abby: Have you taught at other schools? Which ones?
Ms. Quiroz: Yes! I teach at all five Manhattan Beach elementary schools.
 
Maya: How long have you been singing?
Ms. Quiroz: I have been singing my whole life.
 
Vincent: Have you ever performed for a live audience?
Mrs. Quiroz: Yes. I sang the “Star Spangled Banner” at Staples Center and sang in a choir.
Abby: Do you like teaching kids? Why or why not?
Ms. Quiroz: I love teaching kids. Every morning I wake up with excitement in my step and I am eager to start teaching!
 
Maya: What inspired you to become a singer?
Ms. Quiroz: I love musicals. Singing is just fun. My grandma was an opera singer.
 
Vincent: Who are your favorite singers?
Mrs. Quiroz: My favorite singers are Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
Abby: Did you ever have a music coach for singing?
Ms. Quiroz: Yes, I did.
 
Maya: Do you always sing solo or in a group?
Ms. Quiroz: I sing mostly solo, but sometimes in a group.
 
Vincent: Besides singing, what do you like to do in your free time?
Mrs. Quiroz: I love to travel and snowboard.
Abby: What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? Why?
Ms. Quiroz: My favorite Thanksgiving food is yams. I love Thanksgiving so much that I have my husband cook me a Thanksgiving meal twice!
 
Maya: What is the largest crowd you’ve ever sung in front of?
Ms. Quiroz: I have sung in front of a few thousand people.
Vincent: What is your inspiration?
Mrs. Quiroz: My inspiration is when I teach kids new music and they get into it.
Abby: Have you ever had stage fright?
Ms. Quiroz: Yes I have! Once, my grandma volunteered me to sing at her bingo game in front of many elderly people and I got really scared.
 
Maya: Since I know you like to travel, how many countries have you been to?
Ms. Quiroz: I have visited about 15 countries.
 
Abby: If you could have any job in the world what would it be? Would you stay with the same job?  
Ms. Quiroz: I would stay with the same job. I love teaching music and I love teaching kids.
 
Maya: Have you ever auditioned for a singing contest?
Ms. Quiroz: I have been on “Singing Bee,” and they kicked me off because I was too good. The prize was one million dollars. Too bad I didn’t win.
 
We learned a lot about Ms. “Q.”! Now you know some interesting things about her, too!
 
 
Getting To Know Our New Band Teacher, Mr. Spencer Dorn
by Sam M., Tony A., Natalie F. and Bryce Y., 4th Grade
 
 
Mr. Dorn has recently taken the job as our band teacher at Pacific School. We had an opportunity to learn more about him recently, and this is what he had to say:
 
Sam: Why do you like teaching band?
Mr. Dorn: I like to play instruments and teach others.
 
Tony: How long have you been playing an instrument?
Mr. Dorn: Sixteen years.
 
Natalie: How long have you been teaching band?
Mr. Dorn: I have been teaching band for about four years, but I’ve done personal tutoring even longer.
 
Bryce: What is your favorite instrument?
Mr. Dorn: I worked with the bassoon so it is my favorite.
 
Sam: When did you start teaching band?
Mr. Dorn: Eight years ago.
 
Tony: Where did you grow up?
Mr. Dorn: I grew up in the Coachella Valley in the desert.
 
Natalie: What is your favorite thing to teach?
Mr. Dorn: I enjoy teaching recorder the most because in recorder class they all have the same instrument.
 
Bryce: How did you get into music?
Mr. Dorn: I started playing instruments in 3rd grade. My mom was a music teacher and she taught me.
 
Sam: What is your favorite song?
Mr. Dorn: I like a lot of songs - but if I had to choose today my top three, they would be “Smooth Criminal,” “Brown-Eyed Girl,” and “Intermezzo.”
 
Tony: What is your main instrument?
Mr. Dorn: Bassoon
 
Natalie: What are the hardest and the easiest things to teach?
Mr. Dorn: I think that the hardest thing to teach is the importance of practice outside of class. The easiest thing to teach is keeping rhythm.
 
Bryce: What kind of music do you like?
Mr. Dorn: I like a lot of different kinds of music but oldie’s from the 1960’s are my favorite.
 
Sam: What is your favorite note?
Mr. Dorn:   “C” because it sounds good on every instrument.
 
Tony: Which do you like more, jazz or classical?
Mr. Dorn: I like all types of music
 
Natalie: What is the most important advice you’d give a student?
Mr. Dorn: The most important advice for my students to know is to have a positive attitude and to keep trying. 
 
Bryce: What is your favorite movie?
Mr. Dorn: I haven’t seen too many good movies in a while but “The Incredibles” was a good movie.
 
Sam: What is your favorite music book?
Mr. Dorn: “The Encyclopedia of Instruments.”
 
Tony: Do you have a pet?
Mr. Dorn: No. I don’t want one right now because I don't have time.
 
Natalie: What do you like to see in a student?
Mr. Dorn: I like to see a student that is motivated to learn.
 
Bryce: What is your favorite sport?
Mr. Dorn: I like bicycling, but I like watching basketball.
 
Sam: What is your favorite home activity?
Mr. Dorn: I like video games, board games and puzzles.
 
Tony: What is your favorite subject besides music?
Mr. Dorn: I like math.
 
Natalie: What do you do when you face a challenge or difficult task?
Mr. Dorn: I remind myself of great past achievements to motivate myself.
 
Sam: What is your favorite animal?
Mr. Dorn: I like lizards.
 
Mr. Dorn has good experience with teaching instruments and will definitely make a good band teacher!
 
 
An Interview With Mrs. Paula Noda About The 4th Grade iPad Pilot Program At Pacific
by Katie A., 5th Grade
 
To all Pacific Panthers! I’m sure you've heard about the new iPad pilot program. This program lets students explore new things, such as Apps and iBooks. Since 4th grade is experiencing the iPad pilot program here at Pacific, I asked Pacific 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Noda, what she thought about the program.
 
Katie: What is it like being one of the first fourth grade classes testing out the iPad?
 
Mrs. Noda: The five fourth grade teachers at Pacific were very excited to have been chosen to take part in the iPad pilot program. We all agreed that we wanted to be part of something new and integrate a new type of technology into the classroom. The students came into fourth grade so excited about the iPads; it has been fun to introduce them to different apps and ways to access information. One thing the teachers didn’t expect is that we would be learning about the iPad right alongside the students as we all try new things. We have barely begun to understand how they will benefit the students, but as the fourth grade pilot continues, we are excited to learn more.
 
Katie: What are some things you could do now with the iPad you couldn't do last year with the smart board or smart response?
 
Mrs. Noda: We are still learning about different ways to use the iPad, but one area that we are excited about is using QR codes to give students access to information on the internet or from other sources. Each student can read or see the information on their individual iPad, then highlight it or manipulate it for themselves. The Smart board only allows one student at a time to manipulate the information. The iPad also gives the teachers and students access to response type information that we will use as the year goes forward. The concept is similar to Smart response, but just uses different technology. They both help the teacher and student find out what the student knows about a subject.
 
Katie: How is the iPad different from the smart board last year?
 
Mrs. Noda: The iPad allows each student to access the instructional information and highlight it or otherwise manipulate it for his or her individual needs. They can also practice math concepts individually. Actually the iPad and the Smart board work well together, because the teacher can use the Smart board to introduce content and explain how to use the iPads, but then each student can benefit from individually accessing the information. For example, the teacher will show how a math app works using the Smart board, and then the student will use the app to practice their double digit division.
 
Katie: Which do you prefer the iPad or the smart board?
 
Mrs. Noda: They work together very well. I would want to continue using both of them. The Smart board has become such an important part of our instructional day, and as we become more familiar with how the iPads can be used in the classroom, I expect that we will be soon saying the same about this new technology.
 
Katie: Is it easier to function the iPad or the smart board, how and why?
 
Mrs. Noda: The iPad is very easy to use and the students have adjusted to it very well, but we all still have much to learn about using it in the classroom. I think over time the students will find the iPad works well for research and individual practice, but the Smart board will be important for the teacher to use for the whole class.
 
Hopefully, this fun, new program will continue to bring knowledge to the students. 
 
 
 
 
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
by Rachel C., 4th Grade
 
They’re cute! They’re cuddly! And they’re back! Yes! You got it- it’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked! When the Chipmunk crew (including the Chipettes) board a crew ship as a vacation, they’re like celebrities (of course). They sing for people on the ship and even have their own private club! But, like something the Chipmunk crew would do, they (of course) go overboard!! They end up on an island and at first they try to do whatever it takes to get home, but they soon figure out that the new island is not as bad as it seems. Do they stay lost forever? Will they be found? These are questions that will only be revealed if you watch the movie, so make sure you see Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked when it is released on December 16, 2011!! I know that I'm seeing it!  What about you?
 
 
 
 
Veterans Day - 11-11-11
by Kendal C., 4th Grade
 
Hip hip hurray! It’s November and guess what that means? It is time for Veterans Day. If you’re not sure what Veterans Day is, it's a celebration to honor America's military servicemen for their patriotism and willingness to serve and sacrifice their lives for our great country. In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first Veterans Day Commemoration. He chose this date because World War I ceased fire on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918.  This is a great day for people to find out ways to help those who are fighting in the war right now and helps us realize how lucky we are to live here. So ask yourself, what are you going to do to help our Veterans today? 
 
 
Can it be recycled?
by Janet Anderson, Pacific Parent
 
Recycling can be confusing at times. We hear conflicting information about what can and can’t be recycled. We’re fortunate that our waste management company allows us to lump all recyclable items together in one bin. They do the sorting for us! We can make their jobs a little easier by making sure the items in our blue bins are, indeed, recyclable. The Los Angeles Times has compiled a great list of the items most often asked about, along with a detailed account of which cities’ waste management companies allow the items to be recycled. Manhattan Beach specifically appears on the list several times. Take a moment to test your knowledge of whether you can toss those wooden chopsticks or empty deodorant containers. You may be surprised by the answers! Check it out at http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-can-i-recycle-photos,0,7031146.photogallery. 
 
 
Get Your Braced-Lets and Help Others!
by Sofie K., 5th Grade
 
Far away, in lands that are less fortunate, Dr. Patricia Panucci provides dental care in some parts of Mexico with the money she raises from selling “braced-lets.”  Braced-lets are colorful bracelets made of rubber links connected by metal brackets used in braces. My friends and I have been working together to help Dr. Panucci raise money and awareness about these less-fortunate people by selling braced-lets.  Using her skills as an orthodontist here in Manhattan Beach, Dr. Panucci fixes all the teeth of kids in an orphanage in Mexico and their neighboring community.  Braced-lets are only $5 each!  They are really cute and totally "in."  Made from REAL BRACES, they will be the next big thing, like silly bands! To get a braced-let and support those in need, contact Pawprints at bellaluke@verizon.net. Think of the children. Thank you!
 
 
Being Responsible
by Mary Clare P., 4th Grade
 
There are many ways to be responsible. Here are some tips:
 
Ways to be responsible at school:
 
*  Pick up your trash after you finish eating your lunch. You are being a responsible person because you are picking up after yourself.
*  Have all of your things nice and neat. It makes your life easier and you’re being responsible by making sure everything is in the right place so it is all ready to go the next day.
*  Do all of your homework and study for your tests. You want to be as prepared as you can when you walk into your classroom and you are being responsible by making sure you are prepared for     the day.
*  Don’t be lazy, be interested and focused during class. All of the things your teacher tells you have a meaning to them.
 
Here are some ways to be responsible outside of school:
*  Get a good night’s sleep. You want to be well-rested so you’re not tired all day at school and you are being responsible by making sure you take care of your body.
*  Eat well and exercise, eat all of your fruits and vegetables, run around and play some sports. You are being responsible by getting fit and healthy.
 
As you can see, being responsible isn’t the hardest thing to do, I hope you take these tips and use them whenever you can! 
 
 
Paw Poll~

What do our Pacific Panthers like to eat the most on Thanksgiving?  Our staff asked and the top five are:

1.  Turkey! 
2.  Mashed Potatoes
3.  Pumpkin Pie
4.  Stuffing
5.  Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

We can see why Ms. Quiroz, our new vocal instructor, loves to eat two Thanksgiving meals each year!  You can read more about her in our interview in this issue of Pawprints!
 
Fun Facts~
by Priscilla Y., 4th Grade

Did you know:
*  A turkey can have 3,500 feathers at maturity and
*  Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to represent our country instead of the bald eagle? 
 
 
Comics
by Katie A., 5th Grade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ice Cream Social

"I Screamed, You Screamed ...We all Screamed with excitement as our ice Cream Social was celebrated on Friday, October 14th. Thanks to our wonderful chair, Staci Trief who pulled off another great event. Everyone had a great time dancing to great music and we all walked away whistling a happy tune with bellies full! Thank you Staci!

 ~ PTA Board

 

Thank you to those of you who were such a tremendous help with the Ice Cream Social! We could not have done it without you!

Ann Powell and Jill Bell for helping to collect and keep track of raffle tickets, Tracy Chaney for all your wonderful writing skills and for helping to keep me on track, Nicole Hirshberg for donating and blowing up over 200 festive polka dot balloons, Cathy Hobart and Jane Stavropoulos for coming to the rescue and helping get the balloons to school, Ann Powell, Karla Kelly & Summer Sheets for helping set up, Tracy Chaney, Ann Powell, Jill Bell, Stephanie Siddons Donna Mathis, Phyllis Calza, Suzanne Tynan, Summer Sheets, Kristi Knowles, Kay Sheth, Tracy Welzel, Amy Steinbacher & Kristen Fraunces for helping pass out ice cream, distribute raffle tickets, sell raffle tickets and of course last but not least clean up! Thank you Mrs. Lawaii King and Mr. Tyron Dixon for helping set up and clean up our Ice Cream Social area!

A HUGE THANK YOU to all the wonderful teachers, Mrs. Linz, Mrs. JOnes, Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Lee for donating their precious time to have a "date" with our children!

~ Staci Treif

  

100% Amazing

Thank you to our incredible PTA VP's of Membership, Shannon Nicholson and Jenny Sampson. They lead an extremely successful PTA drive and managed to get everyone to sign up to be a member...phenomenal! Thank you ladies!!! And thank you Pacific families for joining us and making a difference!

~ PTA Board

 

Halloween Parade

Fun, fun, fun...everyone had a great time as our kids paraded around the field showing off their cool, creepy, funny and cute costumes. Thank you Deb Morrell and Tracey Daley for doing a fantastic job of putting together our annual Halloween Parade. 

~ PTA Board

 

Reflections Art Contest

Thank you Tanja Canada who wasted no time in getting involved and taking charge of our Reflection Art Contest..."Diversity Means." We appreciate you getting involved as a new family at Pacific and are looking forward to the positive contributions you will make. Thank you Tanja!

~ PTA Board

 

Pier to Pier Friendship Walk

We're walking...and walking....and walking...with Kristina Schrader leading the way. Thank you Kristina for helping Pacific participate in the 3rd Annual Pier to Pier Friendship Walk. Together with so many in our community helped this wonderful charitable organization to raise $600,000 for all the kids if impacts. Thank you Kristina!

~ PTA Board

 

Book Fair


 Thank you to Kelly Kelley, Susan Lynch and Teri Hampton for another great BOOk Fair! Books seemed to disappear off the shelves as going to the Book Fair was a favorite destination for Pacific families the week of October 24th. As always, our chairs put together a great theme, a wonderful selection of books and flawless execution. Thank you Kelly, Susan and Teri for another wonderful job!


~ PTA Board

 
The Book Fair co-chairs are truly grateful to all the people who helped make this fall's BOOk Fair a success.  

First, we would like to thank our committee, Tracey Daley, Kate Malik, Lisa Whitman, Dana Mahony, Audrey Ritterman Estes and Robyn Glasgow.  Ladies, you are dedicated, creative, brilliant & fun!  We love working with you.

Second, big thank you's and kudos to Mrs. King & Mr. Dixon for all they do to help us get up and running & stay running smoothly.  And to Mrs. Jones for her "book talking", expertise and inspiration.

And last, but not least, we thank our many volunteers who come and give us time out of their busy days - we appreciate you so much!
Mary Yolin, Joanie Misley, Kim Noonen, Kelley Storer, Toni Blakeman, Jen Brumley, Shelly Stutz, Annette Lewis, Andrea Custer, Colleen Soulis Pachler, Becki Mollareza, Kathleen Johnson, Michelle Childs, Cindy Zielinski, Staci Carey, Donna Brenton, Jane Davis, Christine Rawson, Genette Davis, Carol Bernstein, Stephanie Streader, Kari Estrin, Sandy Rathbun, Laura Spencer, Julie Johnson, Phyllis Calza, Ellen Hotchkis, Karla Cameron, Tracee Farrell, Jill Hansen, Erin Shippey, Mimi Rumpp, Elaine Weddell, Monica Kwon, Shawne Spelke, Jenny Sampson, Ellen Chao, Dawn Bush, Val Brunner, Kay Sheth, Kristi Knowles, Donna Mathis, Robyn St Germain, Elisa Johnson, Stephanie Rudy, Christa Colvin, Carla Fritsch and Linda Kupiec.

We will see you in the spring!

Susan Lynch, Kelly Kelley, Teri Hampton

 

 

Family Science Night 
 
 
Thank you Cathy Hobart and Jane Stavropoulos for an incredible night of exploration and experiences at Science Night on Wednesday. October 26th. Kids and Parents had a great time running from room to room to take in the next experiment and see what they could learn, do, or taste (who knew there was a science to be learned in making cotton candy!) Thank you Cathy and Jane for providing us with a wonderful night filled with exploration for us all!
 
~PTA Board
 
 
 
First, we would like to thank our incredibly hard-working committee: Jania Fox, Justine deGrandpre, Christa Colvin, and Marcie Cullen. They did an incredible job planning, organizing and executing Family Science Night!
 
We would also like to thank the teachers and staff who support us with the use of their classrooms including Mrs. Diamond, Ms. Sayre, Mrs. Murphy, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Stern, Ms. Huckabay, Ms. Atia, Mrs. Stelter, Ms. Helwani, Mrs. Liu, Mrs. Fulton, Mrs. Noda, Mrs. Hubbard, Mrs. Krzmarzick, Mrs. Jackson, Ms. Rech, Mrs. Abrams, Ms. Loker.
 
Jania Fox organized an incredible Room Committee to prepare and clean up the classrooms, they are: Antoinette Gill, Phyllis Calza, Lui Rongzhi, Hans Naepflin, Tara Connor, Dawn Bush, Ellen Hotchkiss, Jessica Moffett, Christine Rawson, Michelle McDonald, Cat McComb, Jackie Ray, Amy Lange, Shannon Nicholson, Maria Rivera, Whitney Sargent, and Karen Randall.
 
We would also like to thank Kay Sheth and Kristi Knowles and the PTA Board for their continued support of our event.
 
As always, Shirley Rickard and Susie Howat help us with all of the details.
 
We would also like to thank Principal Kim Linz for help in planning, and Interim Principal Mr. Dale Keldrauk for supporting our event.
 
Thank you Mrs. Jackson for mentoring and hosting our very own 5th grade science presenters.
 
We greatly appreciate Ms. Atia and Mrs. Liu and the newly elected student council and their parents for running the pizza booth!
 
We had some resourceful parents helping us with exhibits once again: thank you to Sven Hackmann with Siemens Corporation for facilitating the MRI Exhibit and the amazing partnership with Vision Motor Corporationʼs Hydrogen Powered Truck, and thank you to Dr. George So for leading the Medical Mysteries exhibit with the support of Torrance Memorial Medical Center. We are grateful to James Locke who returned from MBMS to support our CSI/Forensics exhibit!
 
We appreciate the volunteers who staffed our exhibits, prepared the campus, and put everything back in order, this event could not happen without you: Cat McComb, Robin Betanzos, Janell Perez, Karla Kelly, Shannon Nicholson, Chris Ryan, Karla Cameron, Michelle Moeller, Kim Noonen, Rhett Thompson, Nancy Wisniewski, The Naepflins, Monica Kwon, Regina Schroeder, Scott Anderson, Shannon Ryan, Karla Cameron, Sandy Rathbun, Kristina Schrader, Wendy Walsh, Lisa Woomer, Ellen Chao, Alicia Kling, Machelle Baliton, Donna Mathis, Mike Horowitz, Becka Gill, Norm Yamamoto, Theresa Vaughan, Nadine Jackson, Mary Yollin, Kurt Moeller, Kevin Smith, Sherryl Ray, Elaine Weddell, Cindy Zielinski, Tina Stout, Dario Delgado, Audrey Ritterman-Estes, John Arvin, Michelle McDonald, Anne Gumm, Andrea Custer, Oren Benami, Terri Warren, Nancy Harada, Staci Trief, Joanie Misley, Kristin Coons, Kay Sheth, Kristi Knowles, Tracy Chaney, Amy Steinbacher, Robyn Rogoff, John Yanez, Whitney Sargent, Solange Haaland, and Geoff Kelsch.
 
Many thanks!
Cathy Hobart and Jane Stavropoulos, Co-Chairs Family Science Night, Sponsored by Pacific PTA

 

 

Thank You to Red Ribbon Week Volunteers!

 
What incredible involvement and dedication to 'Saying No to Drugs!' our kids demonstrated during Red Ribbon Week! For a little window of time, our school colors actually looked like it was 'red' (yes...Mrs. Linz would love that). Thank you Tracee Farrell for leading Pacific with our commitment to living a clean life!
 
~ PTA Board
 
 
I would like to extend a HUGE thank you to all of the students, teachers, parents, and staff who celebrated Red Ribbon Week last month and helped make it so fun and meaningful.  
 
I would especially like to thank Pacific Brownie Troops 7535 and 7655, and Junior Girl Scout Troops 155, 6045, and 8415 and their wonderful leaders for making all of the fabulous posters that decorated our campus.  Great job girls!  
 
Thank you also to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to come out on Sunday afternoon to tie hundreds of red ribbons around campus in preparation for the big event: Memphis, Murphy, and Robyn Glasgow; Georgia Burks; Ally and Katie Kennedy and Kathleen, Jody, Coco, and Kyle Johnson; Charlotte, Chloe, and Kari Estrin; Jax, Shelly, and Pete Stutz; Catherine and Theresa Wood; Katie, Ava, and Jill Bell; Virginia and Melissa Chapman; Riley, Shannon, and Mike Farrell; Jessica, Madison, Tyler, Scott, and Nicole Hirschberg; Taytum Cameron; Riley and Jill Hansen; Mirabella and Margaret Musante; Nicole Matsumoto and Shari Gong; Kenzie Packer; Shannon Knight and Sandy Rathbun; Mia, Anna, and Jenny Sampson; Natalie and Susan Lynch; Julia and Erin Shippey; Sarah Cameron; Sierra and Whitney Sargent; Claire and Louise DuMont; Katherine, Jackson, and Mary Yollin; Matalee and Desiree Brown; Sofie Kupiec; and Hanna Enomoto.
 
Your help was invaluable and RRW will be remembered because of YOU!  Thank you so much!!!

Tracee Farrell
Committee Chair

 
 
MBEF Pledge Day
 
 
What a great kick off! Thank you Jeri Vick and Erin Gordon Grady for making MBEF Pledge Day a huge success! We look forward to a wonderful campaign that is sure to impact all our kids in MBUSD! Thank you Jeri & Erin!
 
~PTA Board
 


A huge THANK YOU to all of our volunteers, students, and families who helped to make the MBEF Pledge Day a huge success! Thank you to the 50% of Pacific families who have made a donation or pledge to the 2011/2012 MBEF Annual Appeal. Together, Pacific families have raised over $375,000 to date. Thank you for making a great investment in our schools and our children.  
 
Thank you to our amazing volunteers who helped us spread the word during Pledge Day: Dawn Bush, Kristi Knowles, Kay Sheth, Mickie Kingston, Kristin Coons, Tina Stout, Staci Trief, Jennifer Brumley and Karla Cameron. We couldn’t have done it without you!  We would also like to thank Principal Linz for helping us get ready for Pledge Day and Principal Keldrauk for assisting on campus the day of the event.  We also appreciate Susie Howat and Shirley Rickard for their assistance in handling donation envelopes and making sure they get to the MBEF office.  Thank you to Ms. King and Mr. Dickson for making sure everything was set-up and ready for the day.
 
Together we can keep our Manhattan Beach schools strong!