Manor News # 10
Included below in the News:
 Message from Jason
 PTA News
 Message from the Manor Art Room
 YES Foundation News
 School Lunch Program News
 Manor Freecycle Corner
Included as attachments:
 Ross Valley Community News
 Choice Lunch Menus for November and December (plus a recipe)
 Word Version of this Newsletter
Message from Jason:
Greetings Manor Community,
Halloween is coming up. As you hopefully already know, there will be no school on Halloween or
the day after (October 31st and November 1st). On those days staff will be participating in some
important professional development.
We will have a Halloween parade and celebration however on Wednesday October 30th from 1:001:30. Please help us ensure that Halloween is fun and safe by avoiding the following costume
components:
 No masks
 No weapons of any kind (no matter how unrealistic they may be)
 No bloody or overly scary costumes (we have children here as young 5 years old)
Our plan for the afternoon is as follows (Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Mathis and Mrs. Skelton have made
different arrangements for their Kindergarten classes; please refer to their communications for their
plan):
For 1st-5th Grades and the MAP K/1 classes:
1:00 pm – A parade will spiral around and around on the blacktop. Then Mr. Santucci will lead
different grade levels through songs they’ve been practicing in Music class. Next, kids will spread
out across the blacktop to do the Thriller dance as a whole school.
1:30 pm – Kids follow teachers back to classrooms for a short class party. Regular 2:10 Wednesday
release for kids 1st – 5th grades. Regular 1:55 release for Kindergarteners.
Halloween in Fairfax:
The Dominga / Napa neighborhood again will be closed for Halloween Festivities for the kids in a
car-free environment. This year again the Town Council has agreed to allow a collection box for
families to donate treats to be handed out ahead of time to the neighborhood.
The volume of participants is immense in this neighborhood, and to help the neighbors out
financially you can drop off donated Halloween candy each week leading up to the event. This also
will help them know how much more they need to purchase.
The box is at the front desk at the Police Dept/ Town Hall, and Manor dad Ryan O’Neil will be
picking it up each week and dropping it off as it comes in.
Bike Safety:
This is a friendly reminder that it is not safe for cyclists to cut through the parking lot of the Fairfax
Community Church neither to nor from school. Many motorists are dropping off and picking up
children there at the same time we start and end school. Please stay in the bike lanes!!
Dates to Remember:
 October 31st—No School—Teacher Work Day
 November 1st—No School—Teacher Work Day
 November 11th—No School—Veterans Day
 November 16th Manor Winterfaire!!!!!!
Click here to view the Manor calendar: http://www.rossvalleyschools.org/index.php/manor.
PTA News:
Winter Faire:
The countdown has started for Winter Faire. Go to www.winterfaire.com to sign up to volunteer
on the day of the event. One 2 hour commitment is all we need from everyone to make it work.
Fifth graders and up can volunteer too!
Do you have an item or a service you want to donate to the Winter Faire auction? You can go to
www.winterfaire.com and donate there, or there are forms in the office.
Winter Faire Used Book Sale - Please donate your gently used book, DVD's, and CD's for the
Winter Faire Used Book Sale. Good quality only! Please no Textbooks, Manuals, Encyclopedias or
Magazines. Drop them off in the tub in front of the Manor library or in the courtyard in front of
Ms. Williams and Ms. Mathis Kindergarten classrooms. Questions please contact Monica Bergman
at mbergman4@gmail.com Thank you.
Hay Bale Movers Needed:
On Saturday, Nov 2, we need to move all the hay bales for Winter Faire from the Nicasio Pumpkin
Farm to Manor. We have a LOT of bales to move. We need trucks and people to load them. If
you have a truck and don't want to lift bales, that's fine. If you have a small car, but are able to lift
bales, that great too.
We'll be meeting at the Nicasio Pumpkin Farm at 9AM on Saturday Nov. 2.
Anyone who can help out, please email Todd Schopp
(todd@deerparksoftware.com) and let him know you're coming and what kind of vehicle you have.
And if you still need a pumpkin for Halloween, check out http://www.nicasiovalleyfarms.com
Lost and Found:
Halloween is a hoot
just not if you are missing a boot,
or a shoe on the ground,
cause that's what's in Lost & Found.
Today I found a metallic leather coat,
parents walk by (and I quote):
"So much cool stuff - you could open a store"
there are so many things in Lost & Found it's hard to ignore.
But let me tell you something gross,
there are spiders in the clothes - and when they come close,
I wanna run away and SCREAM.
..my thoughts with only one theme:
PLEASE COME TAKE A LOOK BEFORE EVERYTHING GETS
DONATED ON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30TH
Please join the Manor PTA!! http://www.manorpta.org/
Message from the Art Room:
Greetings Manor Community,
Manor students have been very creative and productive in Art this past month. In Kindergarten and
First grade students have been doing mixed media collage art that integrates literature. Second
graders are wrapping up a unit that makes connections to Art and Nature using all media. Third
graders and MAP 2/3 are working on a very long unit titled Art of The Americas and are now
focusing on multicultural art of Mexico. Fourth grade have making connections with Art and Music
and figure drawing. Fifth and MAP 4/5 have been working on a unit of Art and Design that looks at
art careers and multi-cultural art, they have made two sculptures.
Please remember that student art can be viewed in the office, breezeway, art room windows, and in
the community at Fair-Anselm Plaza and Redhill Shopping Center.
I also have an art blog that is updated by-weekly with pictures of current projects.
http://manorartroom.blogspot.com/
More work will be coming home at the end of the trimester.
Thanks for helping make Manor school great and thanks for supporting YES!
Sincerely,
Nicole Diosdado
Manor Art Teacher
YES Foundation News:
Parent Volunteer needed to serve on a new District/YES Technology Committee.
The District and YES are forming a new committee and need a parent representative from each
school campus. Parents have expressed interest in YES funding technology at our schools. The
YES Foundation is currently providing funding towards the RVSD Technology Plan for the 20132014 year. This new committee will evaluate that program as well as draft a new proposal for YES
for next year.
The Ross Valley School District has a Technology Plan and the District/YES Technology
Committee will work in concert with the District goals and YES to evaluate and set the foundation’s
goals and funding priority regarding technology. The current and immediate focus of this committee
is technology; however, it may increase in scope to encompass the larger STEM focus (science,
technology, engineering and math).
This position will be a one to two- year commitment. This committee will meet approximately 4
times in the 2013-2014 school year.
If you are interested in serving on this important committee or have additional questions, please
email YES Technology Liaison, Roxanne Ezzet-Lofstrom at roxanne.ezzet@gmail.com by October
23rd.
School Lunch Program News:
Attached are the November and December Menus. I have also included a recipe for Rockin’ Whole
Grain Pasta with Chick Peas that is actually very good. I would like to invite you to send me your
favorite family recipe that you don’t mind sharing with our RVSD community. I often find myself
yearning for a new adventure when it comes to cooking! You can send them to me at
food@rossvalleyschools.org or drop off to your school office and I will include them in a future
newsletter.
Thank you,
Lisa Sabia
Food Service Coordinator
And now a word from our Vendor;
Foodie Facts: Pineapple
Here at Choicelunch, we receive a lot of customer feedback each and every day, and if you've ever
had the inclination to reach out, you know firsthand how appreciative we are of you and your
thoughts. You know why? Because it honestly helps make our jobs a little easier. To put it simply,
we want to give you what makes you happy, so whether that means adding the Chicken Caesar Salad
to the menu more often (done!), less sauce in our Cheese Pizza Pockets (check!), or an abundance of
pineapple in the produce bin at your school - we thrive off of making that all happen for you.
Pineapple specifically has been a topic of conversation lately, as your (and our) children just can't
seem to get enough of it! And why should they? As far as we're concerned it's a sweet treat that just
so happens to be full of manganese and Vitamin C. What you may not know though is how
beneficial it can be to that beef brisket sitting in your fridge.
Pineapple just so conveniently contains a protein-digesting enzyme by the name of bromelain.
Bromelain is one of two enzymes found in various fruits that serve as natural tenderizers. These
enzymes work to break down proteins, which allows you to save a buck or two at the butcher
counter, while still allowing your family the gift of a warm tender Tuesday night meal. Be aware
though that when heat is applied, this enzyme is destroyed, so be sure to marinate prior to popping
into the oven. In the end, not only will you have a flavorful tender final product, but a sweet side
dish that we know your kids are "pining" for! ;)
Manor Freecycle Corner:
Freecycle: "to recycle (re-use) by giving away an item for free that otherwise would have been put in
the landfill." Here's an opportunity for Manor teachers or staff to post wanted items/material wish
lists on a school-wide level; things that our ever-shrinking budget can't afford. It's a fun way to
recycle and give to a classroom. If you have a desired item, please drop off to the specified teacher's
classroom. For more info., contact Manor parent, Gina Neri at ginamneri@gmail.com or mobile415-215-3458
Manor freecycle wishlist:


Ms. D, Art, Room 20, looking for small paint rollers, large paint brushes, small wood scraps
Mrs. Mathis, Kindergarten, Room 1, looking used spare clothing: size 5 and 6 pants, shorts,
sweat pants and elastic waist pants are great. Long sleeve shirts too
Have a great weekend.
Jason