Pawprints - March 15, 2011

Details:

 

 

Dear Pacific Parents and Guardians,
 
Pacific strives to provide a safe and caring community for all students and staff. We recognize that our immediate community and world have changed and we must be prepared to address a variety of emergencies. As a school team, we continually evaluate our responses to emergencies and school events. Pacific School has a wonderful partnership with Manhattan Beach Police and Fire Departments and they share their expertise with us. On a monthly basis, we practice fire, earthquake, critical emergency or lockdown drills so that students and staff are well prepared for a true emergency.
 
Pacific has developed a well-organized emergency bin, in addition to the classroom-based emergency cans. Our emergency bin stores water, food, and supplies for the entire school community. Thank you PTA for your generous donation to the safety needs of Pacific School.
 
Given a true emergency, the safety of students and staff are the immediate priorities, as well as constant communication with the District and community agencies (e.g. police or fire department). In order to provide Pacific parents/guardians with factual information, we may need to wait for information/direction from an outside agency. This information will be forwarded to you as soon as possible. MBUSD has recently purchased School Messenger. School Messenger is a notification service used by the nation's leading school systems to connect with families and staff through voice, SMS text and email messages. Please refer to http://schoolmessenger.com/ for additional information. 
 
MBUSD has been inputting the contact information for all parents/guardians and staff members over the past several weeks in preparation for a launch of this system on March 17th. Dr. Matthews provided a test run of School Messenger notification to MBUSD administrators and site principals early last Friday morning in conjunction with the tsunami watch. The message that our students/schools were not in danger and all schools were directed to proceed with their typical school day was successfully delivered in a timely manner to each school site principal. In the event, that we had critical information to share you would have been contacted with emergency notification via Pacific’s e-blast system. 
 
As earlier stated on this Thursday, MBUSD will provide a test of the new system. Please read this important message from Dr. Matthews:
 
Testing the MBUSD Emergency Notification System
MBUSD now has an emergency notification system that can communicate with parents and employees via phone, email and text message regarding any emergency information that may arise.  The system is called School Messenger.   The messages can be sent to all MBUSD parents or to parents in a particular school.
On Thursday, March 17th at 3:30 p.m., the District will conduct a test.  The test message will go out via phone, email and text message.  The message will only reach you if the information we have in our system is accurate.  If you do not receive a message at or around this time, please contact your school office and make sure the correct information is there.  The text message will only reach you if (a) you have given us a cell phone number, and (b) your cell phone receives text messages.
We are running this test to make certain that the information we have is accurate, so that if we need to use it, you can be reached.  Thanks for helping us to have the most accurate information possible.
Dr. Matthews, Superintendent of MBUSD
 
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Pacific School Office. Thanks for you help in supporting safety practices at Pacific School.
 
Warm regards,
 
Debbie Mabry
Principal

 

 

 

Pacific PTA is proud to announce the launch of the PACIFIC PARENT PARTY web-site! 

 

The highly anticipated unveiling of the "new' PACIFIC PARENT PARTY web-site is available for your viewing pleasure!!!  To access the site, simply click here, www.ParentParty.PacificSchool.com for your first look and use your 'User Name' and 'Password' already established on the pacificschool.com site. This site has all the Parent Party information, including general information, how to purchase tickets, items/events to bid on or buy, and sponsor/support recognition. 

Enjoy the site....and bid, buy, bid, buy, bid.....

 

 

 

Thank you to all the families who contributed to MBEF! Your donations helped raise $4.4 million and the results are in- NO pink slips will be issued to teachers in MBUSD.

Thank you for your support in keeping class sizes small and vital programs intact.

 

 

 

School Supply Drive
We would like to thank Kristin Coons and Shawne Spelke for gathering the much
needed school suppllies for the 68th street school…  we are positive that the
children at 68th street school are very appreciative too.  Thanks again for your

efforts. 

'Race to Nowhere'
Thank you to Mickie Kingston for organizing the screening of Race to Nowhere which was supported by all seven MBUSD PTA/PTSAs.  It was an informational and awareness raising event, with over 1,200 RSVPs!  Wow!  Great job, Mickie!
 
 

 

Kindergarten Orientation
Thank you to Karla Cameron, Dawn Bush, Jeri Vick, Jenny Sampson, Staci Carey, Jodie Kase and Jania Fox for welcoming the new Kindergarten families at Kindergarten Orientation!  Thanks to Donnelle Weaver for an always beautiful refreshment area."

 

 

 

SHOPPING for STUDENTS

HELP YOUR SCHOOL EARN CASH!

It’s easy when you shop at Manhattan Village, it helps the Manhattan Beach PTA’S earn a share of $7,500! Bring your original receipts dated from September 1, 2010 through April 30, 2011 to the Concierge Booth, (located adjacent to the Apple Store near Macy’s). Your school earns five (5) points for every dollar spent at any store, (including Fry’s, Pacific Theaters, Ralph’s and CVS), restaurant, eatery or vendor cart at Manhattan Village. You can view current points and flyer information by visiting shopmanhattanvillage.com. Shopping for Students

questions? Please call (800) 539-3273.

 

Triple Points For All Receipts Dated And Logged In March

Please see the attached flyer for all the details:

www.pacificschool.com/sites/default/files/webform/mvmbflyer0311.pdf

The Pacific School Book Drive is coming soon!
 
Once again, Pacific School will partner with the charitable organization, Access Books, to collect books for under-served schools in the Los Angeles area. Collection boxes will be placed in each classroom beginning Monday, March 14th. This year all books collected will be donated to Lincoln Elementary School in Los Angeles to build the school's in-classroom libraries. Books of all types, from children's picture books to beginning readers to youth novels will be happily accepted in new or gently used condition. Cash donations for the Book Drive will be welcome in the school office, please make checks out to the Pacific PTA. Get ready to make this Book Drive a great success! Please see the flyer for more information and a bookplate that each student may use with their donations.
 
Please see the attached flyer for all the details:
 
 
  
Safe Routes To School Grant Survey, Coming Next Week (March 21st - March 25th)
 
Pacific Elementary School, in cooperation with the City of Manhattan Beach, is preparing to apply for a Safe Routes to School grant from the Federal Government.  This money would go toward physical improvements which would make it easier for our children to walk and bike to school.  In order to gather information for our grant application, we ask that all Pacific parents complete a short survey when it is released.  We appreciate your cooperation and promise to keep you posted on any developments.
  

 

 

Walk or Wheel Wednesday with Mrs. Colleen Pachler
by Anna M., Sofie K. and Olivia T., 4th Grade
 
On Monday, March 7, we met with Mrs. Pachler who gave us the inside scoop on some green tips on walking and wheeling to school and other going green topics. Now here for you for the first time ever, we have the green scene on going green:
 
Anna: How did you think of this program?
Mrs. Pachler: It was part of Grades of Green. Mrs. Servier, Mrs. Mabry and teachers asked to help get kids out of the car through the school’s valet program and then they started the walking program.
 
Sofie: Do you think parents should participate in Walk or Wheel Wednesday?
Mrs. Pachler: Yes, I do.  I believe it's really important for parents of younger children to walk or wheel so they can walk and wheel when they are in 4th and 5th grade alone and know the way to school without getting lost.
 
Olivia: What made you interested in using your time to support this program?
Mrs. Pachler: My husband and I always walked or biked to school when we were younger. We think that it is a better opportunity for our kids to walk to school so they can start with fresh air before going into the classroom. We moved so that our kids could walk to school.
 
Anna: Does it help our community more than just reducing pollution from users?
Mrs. Pachler: Yes, once people get used to it, it helps them think of new ways to walk or wheel and it benefits the kids to start the morning with fresh air.
 
Sofie: Approximately how many people participate in Walk or Wheel Wednesday?
Mrs. Pachler: This year not as much.  But, last year, when we had the competition we had an average of 300 kids each Wednesday.  This year we haven't been counting.
 
Olivia: When you were younger were you taught about the three R’s (reduce, reuse and recycle)?
Mrs. Pachler: Yes but not exactly that way. We always did a lot of reduce and recycle and we always walked. There was also an oil shortage at the time.
 
Anna: How does sharing our spectacular program with "Vitality City" help Pacific or Manhattan Beach?
Mrs. Pachler: The Vitality City promotes the idea of getting everyone out of their cars every day of the week - walking, taking the bus, etc.  Volunteers walk the kids to school and, therefore, we get cars off the road during school hours.
 
Sofie: What would you like to achieve with this program?
Mrs. Pachler: I would like to have as many kids as possible walk or wheel as much as they can.
 
Olivia: Over the weekend what do you spend most of you time doing?
Mrs. Pachler: Probably going to baseball games and basketball games for my kids. Also, I go to tennis and yoga.
 
Anna: Do teachers walk or wheel on Wednesdays?  If not, why?
Mrs. Pachler: No, most teaches live too far away and they need to carry supplies, but all the teachers support it.
 
Sofie: How do you think you can increase the number of participants?
Mrs. Pachler: Well, we are going to have giveaways once a month, we'll have teachers announce it every Tuesday, student council announces it, and we have posters all over the school.  At the giveaways we will give away pencils, fruit twists, cliff bars, health bars, and maybe silly bands.  A lot of fun stuff!
 
Olivia: Do you enjoy doing this amazing program?
Mrs. Pachler: I do. A few programs I love a lot. This one is one of my favorites along with Growing Great.
 
Anna: Do you or any other Pacific PTA parents have other ideas to keep our city and school green?
Mrs. Pachler: Mrs. Servier has TONS of ideas. Mrs. Anderson has ideas too.  Some ideas are: composting, worm gardens, recycling, reusing bags for lunch.
 
Sofie: What do you see in the future for this program?
Mrs. Pachler: I would like to work with Vitality City to get kids to walk 5 days a week.  I want it to get into everyones' minds to get up and walk or wheel to school.  But, not just for toys.
 
Olivia: Counting desserts, what is your favorite food and why?
Mrs. Pachler: I love Mexican food for the spiciness and sushi because it is so healthy.
 
Sofie: How do you think Walk or Wheel Wednesday can help the community?
Mrs. Pachler: I think it will reduce pollution and car traffic in areas where kids walk or wheel.  Yes, I do think it will help the community a lot.
 
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Let’s walk or wheel every day! Hooray! And thank you, Mrs. Pachler!

 

 

Interview with Mrs. Nicole Sevier, Pacific's "Grades of Green" Chair
by Jack W., Adam K. and Brendan R., 5th Grade.
On a recent Wednesday, Jack, Adam and Brendan had an interview with Mrs. Sevier, who was kind enough to answer some of our questions about Grades of Green: 
 
Brendan: What is Grades of Green?
Mrs. Sevier: Grades of Green is an environmental program started at Grand View and was started in 2006 as Planet Pals. It's goal was to educate and inspire people to take care of the earth. 
 
Jack: What motivated you to start Grades of Green for our school?
Mrs. Sevier: I feel passionate about being a good steward of our earth.  I feel if we all make better choices that help our earth, it will be a better place to live and we will be better people because of it.
 
Adam: How long have you been a helper at Pacific school?
Mrs. Sevier: I have been a helper at Pacific since 2007.
 
Brendan: How did you hear about this program?
Mrs. Sevier: The object was that it would be a district wide program started by moms at Grand View and hope to go on to Pacific.  
 
Jack: What is the greatest aspect or benefit that you see from Grades of Green?  
Mrs. Sevier: It's positive impact on Pacific's immediate environment and knowing that it’s impact's range is growing back outside of Pacific.
 
Adam: What kind of changes have you noticed at Pacific since all of the Go Green helpers started working here?
Mrs. Sevier: I’ve noticed less lunch time trash. When we first started with the trash assembly line (started by Mrs. King), we had 14 trash cans, but now we’re down to 4.
 
Brendan: Why are you involved in recycling?
Mrs. Sevier: Because I know it helps the earth. 
 
Jack:  What have you seen a student do, which made you the happiest?  
Mrs. Sevier: Probably bringing a trash-free lunch and turning off the lights when they leave the room.
 
Adam: What is your favorite part of working at Pacific?
Mrs. Sevier: My favorite part about working at Pacific is seeing the kids.
 
Brendan: Why is recycling in our schools so important?
Mrs. Sevier: Because of the impact it has and will have beyond our school. 
 
Jack: Is there a downside to this volunteer job?  If so, what is it?  
Mrs. Sevier: The downside is definitely getting my hands dirty.
 
Adam: Besides working at Pacific, what is your profession outside of the school?                                                                                                                 
Mrs. Sevier: I used to be a teacher at Pacific, but now I’m a “Green” mom.
 
Brendan: What's your favorite color?
Mrs. Sevier: Green

Jack: Is this your first involvement with preserving the earth?
Mrs. Sevier:  Yes.  My energies are spent at school and at home to try to make a difference for the environment, but the idea of doing it at Pacific was exciting.
 
In conclusion, we had a great time interviewing Mrs. Sevier and learned a lot about how to keep our Earth clean! Go Green!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Do We Have Daylight Saving Time?
by Molly G., 4th Grade
 
Every year on the second Sunday in March, we change our clocks forward by one hour.  When we do this, do you ever wonder how Daylight Saving Time came to be?  Well, here's why.  Daylight Saving Time is very important because it actually saves electricity and allows for more fun activities outside in the summer.  In November, we switch our clocks to Standard Time.  Daylight Saving Time was invented by Benjamin Franklin.  Some interesting facts are that DST is spelled without an “s” after Saving which people usually misspell.  Also, in most of Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, Daylight Saving Time is not observed.  After reading this, every year you'll understand why DST is important!
 
 
Green Tips
by Mrs. Nicole Sevier
1) Pour unused water from tea kettle, water bottle cup, etc. into any plants around your home.
2) If it takes a little time for your washing water to get hot, consider using that water for plants. Wash in "something" cooler than preferred temp while water is warming.
3) PLUG IN all technical devices into power cord then POWER OFF ALL devices at night to save energy.
4) ALWAYS ask yourself, "CAN I REUSE THIS in ANOTHER WAY" before throwing away or recycling items.
5) PURCHASE products that have AS LITTLE PACKAGING as possible.
 
 
What We Think We Know About St. Patrick’s Day
by Lauren M., 5th Grade
 
Though we still celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today, who knows if the story told about the saint is true? For all we know, it could be a made up story told to children to make them fall asleep at night. But still, it is an amazing tale of finding your true self and coming closer to God. 
 
Scientists and historians both agree that most of the little known information on St. Patrick has been twisted, bent, and simply just made up over hundreds of years. He was born around 387A.D. Then at only 16 years of age, he was kidnaped from his homeland in Wales by a band of marauding pirates. After his kidnapping, he was sold into a pitiful life of slavery in Ireland. During his six years as a slave, St. Patrick was converted to the Christian faith and saw it as a path of light that would lead him in the right direction. After 6 years, Patrick was able to escape Ireland and fled back to his home country of Wales. 
 
He decided to become a priest and go back to Ireland to convert the natives from paganism to Christianity. Some say he decided to do this because “the voices of the tortured Irish natives were calling to him in a dream”. After several years of studying, he traveled back to Ireland and first converted the people of power, which made a huge shift in the religion of the entire country. He faced many dangerous troubles with the pagans. 
 
There are many stories of how St. Patrick survived evil plots against him. If it weren’t for St. Patrick, Ireland might still be in the dark ages as pagans. He laid the groundwork for hundreds of Christian monasteries in Ireland, and gave the idea to other countries as well. Later, Spain had similar ideas when they sent priests over to America to convert the Indians. St. Patrick stayed in Ireland for over thirty years. It is commonly believed that he died on March 17th, which is the day St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year and for this one day each year, everyone is Irish!
 
Grill Me Lesson IV
Click here to download the Growing Great "Grill Me"... for Lesson IV - Choosing a Higher-Quality Breakfast. Learn about the nutrition lesson presented to the 3rd -5th grade students at Pacific School.
 
 
 
The Pawprints staff wanted to know where you would hide gold if you were a leprechaun, and these are the top 5 answers that we received:

1.  At the end of a rainbow!
2.  In my pocket
3.  In a flower pot!
4.  Inside a tree!
5.  In the bank!