Secretary: LeAnne Kodama
Clerk: Vaishali Parikh
Principal: Murriel Evans
HIRSCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
A CALIFORNIA DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL
41399 Chapel Way, Fremont CA 94538
Telephone: 510-657-3537 Fax: 510-657-9574
PARENT NEWSLETTER
Regular School Hours:
Grades 1 – 3
Grades 4 – 6
Kindergarten AM
Kindergarten PM
8:30am to 2:31pm
8:30am to 2:46pm
8:20am to 11:40am
11:11am to 2:31pm
Every Wednesday:
(Minimum Day)
Grades 1 – 3
Grades 4 – 6
Kindergarten AM/PM
8:30am to 1:14pm
8:30am to 1:29pm
8:20am to 11:40am
February 2015
CALENDAR
February
3
Coffee with the Principal
4
Early Release Day
7
FUSD Science Fair
10
Basketball Game vs. California School for the Deaf (CSD) @ CSD
11
Early Release Day
12
Basketball Game vs. Warm Springs @ Warm Springs
13
Spirit Day – “Gotta Wear Shades Day / Rainbow Neon Bright Day”
13
Early Release Day
16
NO SCHOOL – President’s Day
18
Early Release Day
19
Basketball Game vs. Weibel @ Weibel
20
Young Composer’s Contest Due at Hirsch
24
Family STEM Night
Hirsch Activities/News
RESERVATION FORMS
In February, we will be mailing out the 2015-2016 Reservation Form for current Transitional
Kindergarten through 5th grade students. Please attach the two proofs of residency
outlined on the form and return them to the office by March 2, 2015. If you are
Very
currently on a Declaration of Residency, you must attach or bring in two proofs of
Important
current business mail addressed to you at your resident address. If you have
!
changed residence or plan to change residence by August, please notify the school
immediately. Failure to return the Reservation Form and documentation of
residency by March 2, 2015 will result in your child not being on a class list in the fall.
New Staff Members
Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Laura De La Cruz our new Library Media Clerk, Jessica McFarland
our new Night Custodian and Nicole Frediani our 6th Grade long-term substitute teacher in room 16.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SPELLING BEE WINNERS!
Congratulations to our Sixth Graders, Lola and Emily, for winning the Hirsch Spelling Bee!
They represented our school at the District Spelling Bee on January 29th! Way to go
Bulldogs! They both did an awesome job!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR HIRSCH SCIENCE FAIR WINNERS!
Kindergarten
1st Place
Sahanna and Diego
2nd Place
Sophia
Color Changing Flowers
Best Eraser
Mrs. Orr
Mrs. Orr
1st Grade
1st
2nd
3rd
Akshaya
Harshini
Neeya
Heat Absorbtion
Density
Mixing Liquids
Mrs. Mendoza
Mr. Papa
Mrs. Mendoza
2nd Grade
1st
2nd
3rd
Alisha
Jazib
Francis
Soil Erosion
Rotting Paper
Parachutes
Mrs. McWilliams
Mrs. McWilliams
Mrs. McWilliams
3rd Grade
1st
Reet
Gravity and Plants
Mrs. Taylor
4th Grade
1st
2nd
3rd
Selina, Isabelle and Helen
Sissi
Rebecca
Earthquake Safety
Desalination
Heat Absorption
Mr. Paltrineri
Miss Martin
Mrs. Cosgrove
5th Grade
1st
2nd
3rd
Imam and Ibrahim
Kailen
Serena
Light and Plants
Thermal Energy
WiFi Effects
Mrs. Landre
Mrs. Landre
Mrs. Nesbitt
6th Grade
1st
2nd
3rd
Jayita and Eshna
Lillian
Brandon
Sound Insulation
Bridge Capacity
Color and Memory
Miss Gouveia
Mrs. Cain
Mrs. Cain
STEAM Night
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math
Hirsch will be hosting its first Family “STEAM Night”, Tuesday February 24th from 6-8 pm.
Parents and their students are invited to come and take part in an evening of hands-on fun and
learning. We will have activities in all the STEAM areas for you to enjoy and learn with your students.
Hirsch Talent Showcase,
Please join us for our annual Hirsch “Talent Showcase” on Thursday, February 26th
at 6:30pm in the Multi Purpose Room. Students in grades 3 through 6 were invited
to participate in the showcase. Acts will include musicians, dancers, singers, and
much more! It is wonderful to see all our talented students. Volunteers are always
welcomed. If you have any questions, please contact either Angie Sheldon
(aksheldon@att.net) or Suzy Young (young.suzy@gmail.com).
Schoolyard Habitat
Hirsch Elementary has been selected as a Schoolyard Habitat site by the National Wildlife Federation
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We are partnering with Don Edwards San Francisco Bay
National Wildlife Refuge to create a small refuge at Hirsch Elementary. The nursery at the refuge is
providing us with drought tolerant CA native plants to start our Schoolyard Habitat for beneficial
pollinators and small migratory birds. We have also had Irvington Freshman help us with this project as
part of their Environmental Change project.
Next week all students at Hirsch will take part in planting the new habitat. Please ask your
students to come to school in clothing appropriate for gardening (they may get a little
dirty). Please remind your students the night before they have Science Lab.
Student Council’s “Roving Reporter” Report
Hirsch’s Coach Paltrineri
Mr. Paltrineri, one of our amazing fourth-grade teachers, is also Hirsch’s
new basketball coach for the year. In speaking with some of our players about
Coach Paltrineri, one athlete from the girls’ basketball team shared how the
coach helps them improve by pointing out how to change mistakes into improved
skills. “Coach Paltrineri is fun, but he’s also competitive,” said another player from the girls’ basketball
team. A couple of guys from the boys’ team said that Coach Paltrineri motivates them and that he is a
great coach. Talking about motivation, Coach Paltrineri’s own motivational quote is, “There is no ’I’ in
team, so that means we all have to work together.”
Additionally, we asked Mr. Paltrineri which was harder: Being a basketball coach or a fourthgrade teacher? His response was, “As a teacher, I have textbooks and I have lesson plans that tell me
what to do. When I coach basketball, I don’t have textbooks or lesson plans, so I teach what needs
improvement for the individual – as well as how it fits into what the team needs as a whole. Both jobs
are challenging and very rewarding!”
Even with this incredible coach, the players need support, which is where each of us can help
out. Below is the schedule of the upcoming Hirsch basketball games and it would be fantastic to have
as many of us there to cheer the two teams on! The girls’ games are approximately from 3:30pm to
4:30pm, and the boys’ games follow from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.



Tuesday, February 10 CSD vs. Hirsch at CSD
Thursday, February 12 Warm Springs vs. Hirsch at Warm Springs
Thursday, February 19 Weibel vs. Hirsch at Weibel
Your Student Council Roving Reporters,
Kiely, Hailey and Neeraja
HEALTH SERVICES CORNER
(Information on general topics to help keep our students and community
healthy.)
What is Influenza (Flu)?
INFLUENZA (also known as the Flu) is a contagious respiratory illness
caused by flu viruses (Influenza A or B viruses). It can cause mild to severe
illness. The flu is different than a cold.
The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination every year.
Symptoms include:
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
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Fever or feeling feverish/chills
Coughing
Sore Throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Muscle or body aches
Headaches
Fatigue (tiredness)
Vomiting and Diarrhea (more common in Children)
Reminder: Students are to be kept at home after a fever of 100 F or higher. They can return to school
when they have been without a fever and without using a fever reducing medication for 24 hours. If
they have diarrhea or vomiting they need cannot return to school for 48 hours after diarrhea or
vomiting has stopped.
How flu spreads: Through tiny wet drops produced when a person coughs, sneezes or talks. A person
can get the flu by breathing in these wet drops or by touching items and surfaces covered with these
drops and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.
You can help protect yourself by washing your hands often with soap and water especially after using
the restroom. Hand hygiene with soap and water is preferred as alcohol based hand sanitizers have
limited effectiveness against the flu. If possible avoid other individuals who have the above symptoms.
There is no specific treatment for the flu. However some things can be done to relieve symptoms:
 Taking over the counter medications to relieve fever (Caution: Aspirin should not be given to
children.)
 Drinking liquids to stay hydrated.
Persons who are concerned about their symptoms should contact their health care provider.
For more information: http://www.acphd.org/flu
If you have any questions please contact your school nurse.
Cheryl Knight RN, PNP—Health Services Coordinator, Student Support Services
Measles/Rubeola
With the Alameda County Public Health Department’s (ACPHD) recent report of five confirmed cases
of measles within the county so far in 2015, the Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) is providing
families with information regarding the illness.
FUSD reminds families there are currently no known cases of measles within the District. The ACPHD
is investigating and will notify the District immediately with any reports of confirmed cases or suspected
exposures.
Measles, also called rubeola, is a highly-contagious illness caused by a virus that causes fever, cough,
runny nose and watery eyes, as well as a rash. More serious cases of measles can cause diarrhea,
middle ear infection, pneumonia, or encephalitis (brain infection). Measles is spread person-to-person
when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or shares food/drink. If your child demonstrates any of the
above symptoms, please do not send child to school and contact your physician immediately.
Immunization is the best protection against measles. There are typically two doses given: one at 12-15
months, and a second time as soon as 28 days later. Many children receive their second dose before
kindergarten. FUSD, as well as all California public schools, requires both doses be administered prior
to enrollment.
Please contact FUSD Student Support Services at 510-659-2534 with questions or for more
information.
School Accountability Report Cards (SARC) Publication
"Federal and state laws require school districts to make accountability reports available to the public
online. Accountability report information is based on data and information from the previous
year. Dates will run one year behind.
We are pleased to inform you that our district's School Accountability Report Cards (SARCs) are
available in English, Spanish, and/or Chinese, as required. You may view the SARCs on the Fremont
Unified School District web site at www.fremont.k12.ca.us under Parents & Students, or by visiting your
school office. To answer any questions regarding the SARCs, there are designated personnel available
at each school site.
For more information about SARC requirements, see the California Department of Education
(CDE) SARC web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/sa/."
“Las leyes federales y estatales requieren que los distritos escolares publiquen en su sitio web los
informes de responsabilidad escolar para el público. La información contenida en el Informe de
Responsabilidad Escolar se basa en los datos del año anterior. Las fechas en el informe son de un año
atrás.
Nos complace en informarle que los Informes de Responsabilidad Escolar (SARC por sus siglas en
inglés) de nuestro distrito están disponibles en inglés, español y/o chino, tal como corresponda. Usted
puede consultar los Informes SARC en el sitio web del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Fremont en
www.fremont.k12.ca.us bajo Parents & Students o puede visitar su escuela. Para contestar cualquier
pregunta sobre el SARC, tenemos personal específico disponible en cada escuela.
Para mayor información sobre los requerimientos del SARC, consulte el sitio web del Departamento de
Educación de California (CDE por sus siglas en inglés) http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/sa/.”
聯邦和加州法律規定各學區必須將其教學責任報告在網路上公開發佈。教學責任報告是依據前一
年的資訊和數據而產生的，所以報告日期將會比數據日期晚一年。
我們很高興地通知您，我們學區的學校教學責任報告(School Accountability Report Cards, SARC)
依規定有英文，西班牙文和/或中文版本。您可以到Fremont聯合學區的網站
(www.fremont.k12.ca.us)，點選“Parents & Students”，或到貴校辦公室閱覽此報告。
各校都有特別人員為您解答任何有關學校教學責任報告的問題。
有關學校教學責任報告的規定，可參考加州教育局(CDE)的學校教學責任報告網站
(http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/sa/)。
Congratulations to our STAR Students for the
Month of January for the trait of:
Room 6
James, Ruby, Edan and Shuaib
Room 9
Umar, Angela, Alexa and Dominic
Room 7
Francis L., Orlando Y., Rahma A., Nidhi B., and Sampada V.
Room 14
Rylan, Raza, Shruti, and Ashmi
Room 4
Melika, Isabelle, Ethan, Andrea, Stephanie, and Marc
Room 5
Mandy, Sahil, and Jonathan
Room 21
Sri, Gaganpreet, Manya, and Mihir
Room 18
Aaron, Agam, Daniel, Dylan, Eshna, Jenny, and Lola