Manor News # 35
Included below in the News:
 Message from Jason
 Manor PTA News
 Ross Valley School District Board of Trustees Briefs
 Manor Art Room News
 School Lunch Program News
 Manor Free-cycle
Included as attachments:
 YES Theater Letter
 School Lunch Menu for June
 Word Version of this Newsletter
Message from Jason:
Greetings Manor Community,
I hope you are enjoying your Memorial Day weekend. We are so fortunate to have all this beauty
around us.
Please note: we will have our last PTA meeting tomorrow (Tuesday 5/27) from 3:15-4:45 in
the Manor Library.
Agenda: Budget review, volunteer sign up for next year, end of school activities (field day, end of
School Fiesta (instead of BBQ), graduation) year book update, misc business, Volunteer
Appreciation, Calendar planning for 2014-2015.
Book Drive for Bahia Vista School:
Please consider cleaning out the books your children have outgrown, and donate them to children
who don't have many books at home. Ms. Chris's class is collecting children's books and will deliver
them to Bahia Vista School in San Rafael. The books will be given to kids to take home in time for
summer. Please drop off your books in Room 15 by next Friday, May 30th. Gracias!
Manor Structure Conversation:
At this time of year it is not easy to find a date to bring a group together. I am working with our
facilitators to come up with a date or two to have another meeting before the end of year. Stay
tuned.
Upcoming Music Performances involving Manor Students:
Spring Music Evening Concerts
CHORUS: Thursday, May 29, 7pm, White Hill Middle School Gym
BAND (flute/clarinet/trumpet/trombone): Tuesday, June 3, 7pm, White Hill Middle School Gym
Dates to Remember:
 May 29th DELAC (District English Learn Advisory Committee) Meeting, 6:30pm—
Fairfax / San Anselmo Children’s Center
 June 2nd Field Day
Click here to view the Manor calendar: http://www.rossvalleyschools.org/index.php/manor.
Manor PTA News:
We are recruiting for 2 PTA co-president for next year. Preferably we will have one co-president
from K5 and one from MAP. Having co-presidents that come from both our programs is a
promising thing. Please contact Jason directly if you have interest.
FIELD DAY, Monday, June 2, 1-2:30:
Come out and join in the FIELD DAY fun! Monday, June 2 from 1 - 2:30, Manor students will be
running, jumping, shooting, racing, throwing, and kicking, and we need adults to help keep it fun
and safe! We need 30 volunteers to help set up (beginning at 12:30) and run events. To sign up or
for more information, contact Scott Hummel (Finn's dad) at (415) 342-7527 or at
scott@soarcreative.com.
Library News:
Calling all library books! The last day of library is Friday, May 30, and all books are due on that day.
There will be a friendly competition between classes to be first to get all books in.
Thanks to Copperfield's Books for bringing us the Amy G. author visit this week. She was really a
great presenter, and encouraged students to show respect to fans of different teams, a lesson we
could all be reminded of (yes, even Dodger fans.).
Many students at Manor participated in the bookmark contest two weeks ago. There will be an
awards ceremony this Sunday, May 25th, at 4:00 for all participants. There will be refreshments and
prizes, and all the bookmarks will be exhibited. Hope you have time to join in the festivities.
Copperfield's Books is located at 850 4th Street in San Rafael.
LibraryAnne
We are so fortunate to have the amazing Library Anne at Manor. She supports our children beyond
their allotted classroom library time by being available and open during lunch, break recesses, before
and after school. All these extra hours of love creates more shelving and organizing time. It is end
of the year push, let's all show Library Anne how much we appreciate her by stopping by and
donating time (any amount of time will help) to help prepare the library for next year.
Here are a few ways you can help beginning May 27th:
- shelving
- reading shelves, put books in order
- preparing for inventory
- label new books
If you would like instruction on how you can help stop by and chat with Library Anne at 8:30am8:40am or 2:05pm-3:15pm beginning May 27th.
Ross Valley School District Board of Trustees:
Board Brief
Special Board of Trustees (BOT) Meeting
May 13, 2014
District
Board discussed a draft of the Ross Valley School District Strategic Plan. A revised draft will come
before the Board before it is finalized.
Jim Cerreta, Business Manager, presented the Local Control Accountability Plan ( LCAP), the 4th
preliminary budget report and the proposed budget for 2014-15 to the Board for review and
direction. The Board discussed a tentative budget, but agreed it would be best, as we continue
transitioning into the new funding model, to push the items not already allocated to future years.
The Board will re-examine the budget in September of 2014 as a clearer picture emerges about
resources available to the District.
Governance
Superintendent Rohan presented a recap of priority projects and initiatives that will be completed
before her retirement in July.
Board Brief
Regular Board of Trustees (BOT) Meeting
May 20, 2014
School Connection
Brookside Principal, Billy Cameron, and students, Danielle McPherson, Madeline Alsterlind, Ella
Schulze, Grace Sykes, Claire Ridella, expressed their views on the removal of 8 redwood trees from
the Brookside campus. The trees were cleared to accommodate two new classroom buildings, (5
new classrooms and restrooms), and the children wanted to express their feelings and understanding
of the decision. The students suggested that they would plant some new trees to enhance the shade
and natural setting, in honor of the imaginative play that the trees inspired in them. The trustees
also received letters and cards from students who were unable to make the meeting, all mourning
the loss of their trees.
Facilities/Maintenance
Brian Crawford from San Anselmo Open Space Committee presented to the Board, a plan to
reconstruct the Red Hill Trail. Ross Valley School District owns a small strip of land that is needed
to complete the reconstruction and provide a trail head. The Town is requesting that the District
grant a permanent easement to facilitate the completion. If approved by Council, the Town will take
responsibility for all development, liability and maintenance costs. The Board expressed support for
the project and looks forward to receiving a formal request from the Town. For more information
on San Anselmo Open Space Committee, their website is www.sananselmoopenspace.org.
Human Resources
Interdistrict Transfer Revision: The Board approved very specific changes to Board Policy 5117 to
allow students who were accepted on an interdistrict transfer before November 2011 to remain in
the district through their 8th grade years. The Board will look at the policy in whole at a date in the
near future.
Declaration of Need for Fully Credentialed Staff for the 2014-15 School Year: The Board approved
the Declaration of Need for the 2014-2015 school year.
Bond Program
George Baranoff, Bond Program Manager, reported that the modular classrooms for Brookside
School have been approved by the Department of State Architect, and are in the process of being
fabricated at the factory. The developer is progressing with the foundations and the project is on
schedule for completion in time for the start of school in August. The redwood trees that were cut
down are being recycled into benches and stools to be used on the campus.
The Board directed staff to study possible options to expand the railing on the second floor of the
7th and 8th grade buildings.
Business
Jim Cerreta, Business Manager, recommended a funding allocation for the elementary technology
installation project. The net result is that $46,505 will be allocated from the Common Core grant in
order to fulfill the planned installation of instructional technology for the elementary schools in
2014-15 school year.
The Board awarded a contract to Bockmon & Woody Electric Company for their bid of
$458,258.00 to install the in elementary infrastructure and equipment. The work is to be completed
over the summer in all four of the elementary schools.
The Board reviewed and discussed the second draft of the Local Control Accountability Plan
(LCAP). The LCAP was developed by district staff in conjunction with all of our stakeholders. The
Board reviewed what was important to students, teachers, principals, YES foundation, parents, and
community members. The Board will take this list as well as the current unfunded list (most of
which overlaps) and develop a prioritization plan.
However, the Board also discussed Governor Brown’s revision to state budget proposals for the
2014-15 year (a.k.a. the May Revise) which came out on May 15, 2014. Governor Brown proposed a
plan to fully fund the retirement plan of all the state’s teachers in the next 6-7 years. This plan will
cost the district about $1million over the next three years, leaving little funding available for other
initiatives. The legislature will discuss this proposal and must have an approved budget by June 30.
The Board of Trustees will receive an update from staff at our next meeting on June 3rd.
News from the Manor Art Room:
Greetings Manor Community,
Thank you so much to the parents who came out to support the Art program by attending Yesfest
and viewing art at Open House. Both were a huge success because of our students who have done a
great job learning and creating this year.
I want to also give a big thank you to the parents that donated their time to help me set up for
Yesfest and Open House, as well as those parents who have donated their time all year. I really
could not do this with -out your support.
Thank you for helping me in the classroom: Susan, Carrie, Kim, Jennifer, Joanne, Scott, and Rodney
Thank you for helping me with Yesfest and Open House:
John, Meg, Gina, Roxanne, Tracy (T-bone), Jonathon, Harmony, Nick and Ryan’s Mom, Kirsten,
Danielle, Molly, Nancy (sorry if I left anyone out).
Anything your child made with me in Art that you have not received will make its way home in the
next couple of weeks. Thanks for donating your bags and if you have any time at 2:30 any day of the
week to help distribute student work, stop by the art room.
Thank you,
Nicole Diosdado
ndiosdado@rossvalleyschools.org
Manor Art Teacher
School Lunch Program News:
Hello Ross Valley Community,
We are on the home stretch with only 3 weeks left until the end of the school year. Please remember
to check your students schedule for upcoming field trips, so that you can cancel their Choice Lunch
order for that day if needed. On June 11th, last day of school, we will have a Choice Lunch delivery.
If you want your child to receive a lunch that day, please remind them to pick it up before they leave
school. We find that the kids are so excited for summer to start, they often forget their lunch order.
I will ask each school site to help by making an announcement before the final rings.
Thank you and have a wonderful Summer Vacation,
Lisa Sabia
Food Service Coordinator
Ross Valley School District
110 Shaw Drive
San Anselmo, CA 94960
415-451-4074, Fax 415-454-6840
lsabia@rossvalleyschools.org
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:
 Mrs. Mathis, room 1, would like an old iron to melt plastic fuse-beads
 Ms. B, room 13, would like some big storage tubs with lids
 Mrs. Cole, room, 14, would like some big storage tubs with lids
Have a great weekend.
Jason