THE PINK
PANTHER
KAISER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
CHECK OUT
THE DATES
OCTOBER
1
3
3
6
6
8
10
10
13
14
15
17
17
17
20
20
22
24
24
25
28
29
31
31
Minimum Day
Bake Sale/Stenger
African Dance
Brownie Meeting
Dad's Club Meeting 6:30pm
Minimum Day
Bake Sale/Staples
African Dance
PTA Board Meeting
Staff Development Day/
School Closed
Staff Development Day/
School Closed
Bake Sale/Reese
African Dance
Latino Heritage Potluck
6:00pm Multi-Purpose Room
PTA Board Meeting
Brownie Meeting
Minimum Day
Bake Sale/Neat
African Dance
WALK-A-THON
Picture Day
Minimum Day
Halloween Festivities
African Dance
NOVEMBER
3-7
3
5
7
7
11
12
14
14
17
19
21
21
27-28
Parent- Teacher Conferences
MINIMUM DAYS
Brownie Meeting
Minimum Day
African Dance
Bake Sale/
VETERAN'S DAY HOLIDAY
Minimum Day
African Dance
Bake Sale/
Brownie Meeting
Minimum Day
African Dance
Bake Sale/
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS
HENRY J. KAISER, JR.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
25 SOUTH HILL COURT
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 94618
(510) 879-1710
A MESSAGE FROM
MS. MCLANE
People often ask me why I think
Kaiser is such a special school and
I believe that there are at least
seven areas in which we continually
strive to raise the bar:
1) We truly believe in and commit
to success for all students. We
measure this by monitoring each
student’s academic and social
growth and providing challenges
and interventions when
appropriate.
2) We encourage each other to
deliver responsive, challenging and
exciting instruction.
3) We strive to deliver a high
quality instructional curriculum.
4) We try to meet the creative and
artistic needs of students.
5) Our staff collaborates with
each other and practices a culture
of continuous learning. Our staff
development meetings are filled
with questions, analysis of practice
and sharing of current literature
or training which we have received.
6) We value diversity and practice
cultural togetherness.
7) We welcome, care for, and
connect with our staff, students,
families and community.
We are always seeking our families’
input as to how we can improve in
each of the above areas and feel
confident that Kaiser will never
settle for being just a “good”
SEPTEMBER 30, 2003
school. We will always strive to be
“great”.
In the August 17th edition of the
Tribune’s “Bay Area Living” section,
there were ten tips for parents to
help make this a great school year.
The job of being a parent is a
tough one and one which many of
us can still use some helpful
reminders. We appreciate all that
our families do to support our
children and hope that these
reminders might serve to help us
all focus on the toughest, yet most
rewarding job of all, that of being
a parent. To paraphrase:
1) Set down rules and routines
that will save the hassle of
changing bad habits mid-year.
2) Keep a separate calendar for
homework and project due dates so
that planning family activities can
take these dates into account.
3) Give your child a distractionfree workspace with necessary
tools. Some children do better if
they are near a parent when
working on school projects.
4) Ask your children what they are
doing instead of how well they are
doing. This encourages them to
value learning.
5) Take time to participate in your
child’s school by talking to the
teacher, supporting classroom and
PTA projects.
6) Encourage children to get
involved in the day-to-day lives of
their parents. Cook, run errands
and shop for groceries together.
Kids can develop math and reading
continued on page 2
SEPTEMBER 30, 2003
KAISER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Ms. McLane continued…
skills by measuring, counting skills
by measuring, counting change or
reading recipes and ingredients on
packages.
7) Make sure your child eats a
nutritious diet. Children should
start the day with a healthy
breakfast and eat five servings of
fruits and vegetables a day. Cut
down on foods that are high in
sugar and fats such as soda and
chips. Get them to drink plenty of
water and get plenty of exercise.
8) Talk to your children and get to
know what they care about. Spend
at least ten minutes a day sitting
down and showing your child how
the world is manageable.
9) Prepare your child for new
situations by visiting a new school,
setting up a play date with new
classmates, etc.
10) Spend time reading with your
children. Take your children to the
library, the zoo and educational
places where both children and
parents can connect, learn and
enjoy things together. Celebrate
the magical moments!
Our staff is looking forward to
meeting with each of our families
during
the
first
week
of
rd
November, the 3 through the 7th.
We will have minimum days all week
that week, so plan ahead for
coverage. Also, know that if you
have questions or concerns, our
staff is ready to help work with
you to resolve the situations.
VISIT KAISER'S
WEBSITE:
www.kaiserelementaryschool.com
The Clock is Ticking Down
for Walk-A-Thon
The kick-off assembly for the
Walk-a-Thon was a huge success
thanks to our emcee, Trish
Wittmer, who happened to dressed
in a poodle skirt (along with
Mrs.McLane and Robin).
The
children
were
excited
and
enthusiastic with the kick-off
presentation, 50's music and
dancing by our teachers.
You child should have brought
home their Walk-a-Thon packets
on Wednesday and hopefully have
begun collecting pledges.
As
always, especially with our younger
children, please be sure they have
a grown-up with them if they go
door-to-door collecting pledges. If
your child didn't get his/her
packet, check his/her backpack
and if it's still missing, we do have
some extras in the office.
The T-shirt contest is up and
running, so bring your designs, done
on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and in black and
white, to the office. The deadline
for entries is October 6th.
We still need volunteers to lead a
couple of committees. Please see
Robin in the office if you would like
to help out. Sign-ups for volunteering on the day of are on the
rolling bulletin board in the
hallway. Please indicate where you
would like to work and desired
hours. For of all our families, this
is a wonderful way to spend some
time meeting Kaiser families and
getting to know each other. The
Walk-a-Thon
is
a
wonderful
community building event.
Thank you,
Robin Sasada and Kristin Alvarez
PAGE 2
Membership/Pledge
Drive 2003-2004
Lesley Clark/Cynthia Thompson
The Membership/Pledge Drive is now
at $12.953 of our $35,000 goal.
Special kudos and congratulations to
the following leaders who are still
holding on to their impressive leads
and are on their way to pizza parties
by getting 100% participation: Ms.
Apaydin's class, now in the lead at
78.26%, Mr. Aurelio's class at 71.43%
and Mr. Rust at 58.00%. Outstanding
performances!! It should also be noted
that Mr. Wade's class has moved up
well this week, trailing Mr. Rust's class
only slightly at 56.00%. Please check
the bulletin board in the main hallway
and the great charts in your children's
classrooms for updates.
Remember
that
our
first
goal
is
100%
participation on the part of all Kaiser
families and $35,000 to help make the
money we need to install and provide
matting for our new play structure for
all Kaiser students!
If you need another Membership/
Pledge brochure, they are available on
the counter in the Main Office and at
all school and PTA events. It's never
too late to join and ensure that your
child's class makes their goal of 100%
participation.
We want all Kaiser
classrooms eating Pizza for the great
job that they have done!
Thanks to the following Kaiser students
who have joined this week:
Jacquelie Christie
Marina and Sierra Donaldson
Alistair and Annelise Eeckman
Jonathan and Benjamin Fratti
Imani James
Billy Johnson II
Alyssa Kunesh
Jill Reese
Tori Thomas
Savannah Whaley
Lily Viek
SEPTEMBER 30, 2003
KAISER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Kaiser's Family
Directory:
Please Help Us
Out!
PTA
Our first General PTA meeting took
CORNER
place
last Wednesday. Thank you to
As we prepare our PTA directory, we
want to have as much information as
you wish us to print.
If you do not wish to have either your
address or your phone number listed
in the PTA directory, please call the
school or drop us a note as to
what
information you wish to delete.
If you wish us to print information
from both households (in the case of
joint custody), please
notify us as well.
Latino
Herit age
The
for the Latino Heritage potluck
Potdate
luck
th
has changed to Friday, October 17 at
6:30pm in the Multi-Purpose Room. If
you are interested in planning this funfilled cultural evening or are interested
in helping the night of the event, please
contact Ana Patterson at 251-1177 or
Linda Pulido-Esquivel at 569-2048.
Please plan to bring your favorite Latin
dish to the first Kaiser Family Potluck of
the new schoolyear. Gracias!
ADHD STUDY
ADHD STUDY and information is
available
at
AttentionDeficit/Hyperactivity disorder at
866-587-2575 or www.chadd.org
SEPTEMBER 30, 2003
PLEASE COMPLETE
EMERGENCY PACKETS,
INCLUDING CARDS
Linda
all
thatPulido-Esquivel
joined us and we look forward
President
to seeing more of our members at
the next meeting on November 12th.
We received updates from our
committee chairs and reviewed and
adopted the 2003-04 budget at the
meeting. The budget was include-ed
in the last issue of the Pink Panther
for your review. If you have any
questions please feel free to contact
me or any of the other PTA officers.
You will notice that this year we are
spending quite a bit more than in the
past, due primarily to the budgeted
play structure project. We are
currently looking at the next steps in
order to get the play structure project
kicked off.
Our Membership and Pledge Drive is
underway. If you haven't already
become a member, I encourage you
to join the PTA today. As you have
heard, the
PTA is responsible for funding Orff
Music for our students, providing
resources for art instruction, paying
for Ms. Pearl's salary, supporting our
family events, and paying for multicultural assemblies, and more. Our
goal is to attain 100% participation of
all Kaiser families. Help us reach our
goal by participating at whatever
membership/pledge level that you
can.
Basic membership starts at
$25 with additional levels to $360.
There is also an installment plan
available for your convenience.
KAISER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
LIBRARY HAS
BOOKS TO
DISTRIBUTE
If your child’s name appears on this
list and you know that you completed
and sent back the emergency
packet, please check the backpack,
contact your child’s teacher, check
the desk and look under the seat of
your car. Sometimes the best laid
plans do not pan out! We MUST
PAGE 3
Please remember that we raise
money for the upcoming year,
meaning that the programs that your
student will enjoy this year, including
the play structure, come from money
raised last year and in prior years.
Therefore, it is very important that we
raise
the
money
required
(approximately $60,000), to continue
to offer these programs to our
students next year. Your participation
in the Membership and Pledge Drive
is one way of raising this money. The
auction and walkathon are the two
other major fundraisers sponsored
by the PTA.
Walk-a-thon is a way that your
student can participate in raising
funds for their programs. This year,
Kaiser's 27th Annual Walk-a-thon,
"Walk Around the Clock" will take
place on Saturday, October 25th.
Students received their information
packets and sponsor sheets in last
week's wild assembly. Please read
more about the Walk-a-Thon in every
edition of the Pink Panther.
We appreciate your continued
support.
It is families, working
together thatallow us to provide our
students
with
an
exceptional
educational experience and also
what makes Kaiser such a wonderful
school.
DAD'S CLUB MEETING TIME
CHANGED!!
Kaiser's new Dad's Club, led be
Michael Campbell will be meeting
tomorrow, Wednesday, October 1st
at 6:30pm in the Library. Come
join this group that plans to work
on projects to upgrade and beautify
NEWSLETTER
PAGE
our school!!
4
have the forms in the packets
returned ASAP. If there were to be
an emergency, we need to be able to
reach you.
Ian Alexander
Vivian Allen
Colin Babich
Alexis Carney
Ishaq Cash-Jauregui
Ashiian Castillo
Jacquez Clifton
Briya Daniels
Caleb Davis
Kira Debro
Amya Deslierres
Gracie Feferman-Perez
Ayren Griffin
Amari Harmon
Asia Howard
Alina Hubbard-Riley
Jennifer Hyde
Emahni Jackson
Kyle Lamberson
Maya Lopez
Alexandria Manouphath
Bryn Matthiasson
Katharine Mayer
Bryan Morris
Olu Nalls-Agbeti
Angela Nam
Dakota Plunkett
Jonathan Rice
Aaryn Cammri Smith
Erica Smith
Kyra Smith
Nicholas Smith
Arther and Yoichi Suruiki
Dashiell Tavernit
Marquis Taylor
Christopher Thaxton
Ch’Kia Tucker
Kevin Walker
Yasmine Wilson
Skyla Wincher
Reginald Woodard
Alicia Zahn
Parents who have extra time and
would be willing to help enter the
books into our computerized system
should sign up and receive training
from
either Joy Marcelle, Nicol
Blakely or other trained parents.
Thanks to all of you!!
PTA
LEADERSHIP
TEAM
part of the national effort which was
begun ten years ago as part of the
“Points of Light.” Thank you in
advance!!
POODLE SKIRTS AND SWING
DANCING KICKED OFF THE “WALK
AROUND THE CLOCK”
Thanks to Robin Sasada, Kristen
Alvarez and Trish Wittmer for their
enthusiastic approach to the Walk-athon kick-off assembly. The children
couldn’t believe their eyes when the
staff got up and danced with each
other! What fun! If you didn’t receive
the packet, please contact the office
and we will see that you get another
one.
Parents who are teachers or work in
the education field may select books
from our library that are boxed or
are stacked horizontally on the
shelves. We are hoping to have all
the “overflow” books recycled by
the end of the week, October 3rd.
We will then put the fabulous books
from the Arts School on our shelves
and be ready to open the Library to
our children to check out books.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2003
the library. We would love it if those
parents who enjoy gardening would
plan to bring gardening gloves that day
so that we could plant the hundreds of
bulbs that have been donated, as well
as help weed the gardens. We will be
DRAMA CLUB IS
PLANNING TO
Students interested in joining the
ADAPT
"THE
LION,
Wednesday
after-school
drama club
THE
WITCH
AND
which is led by Carmen Campanioni
THE
shouldWARDROBE"
contact her at her cell phone
#332-7563. An eight week session
is $50.00 and can be paid in two
payments of $25.00 each. The first
session will begin Wednesday, October
1st and end November 19th.
"MAKE A DIFFERENCE”
DAY
ON SAT., OCT. 25TH
Our Walk-a-thon is scheduled for the
25th and we also have volunteers from
Community Impact coming to help in
PRESIDENT
LINDA PULIDOESQUIVEL
lindape@jps.net
569-2048
EXECUTIVE VICE PRES.
SASADA
robsada@aol.com
TREASURER
SPEERS
speersmc@pacbell.net
OUR MEL
IS SWELL!!
Mel Stenger has been teaching for
over 23 years, 18 of them here at
Kaiser.
He's taught almost all
grade levels from Kindergarten to
8th grade and still remains energetic, enthusiastic and compas-
Mr. Stenger received his BA in
Philosophy from Seminary College
in Detroit. He was a Franciscan
632-6062
CYNDY
534-7134
SECRETARY
BETSY PORTS
bottomfeeder@batnet.com 530-8849
CORRESPONDING SECT'Y Cathy
McKay
336-9103
FINANCIAL SECT'Y KRISTEN
CASHMORE
<removed 01-10-08>
VP/PROGRAMS
debraannek@aol.com
DEBRA KAY
531-3654
VP/MEMBERSHIP CYNTHIA
THOMPSON
cynthomson@mac.com
268-1478
VP/MEMBERSHIP
lesleyrc@aol.com
LESLEY CLARK
531-0114
VP/FUNDRAISING KRISTIN
CASHMORE
morecash@earthlink,net
530-0378
COMMUNICATIONS
NICOL
BLAKELY
nicol@theblakelygroup.com 451-8445
KAISER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
ROOM PARENT COORD.
sionate with his students. What
Mr. Stenger enjoys most about his
students is that there is always
something changing and shifting
with them, and that brings new
learnings for him as well as his
students.
ROBIN
KELLER
keller_c@sbcglobal.net.
PAGE
CHAD
562-9727
5
Friar for four years. He is still a
practicing Catholic today, and
works with incoming Christians at
his church, Our Lady of Lourdes.
Mr. Stenger had a short period in
his life where he worked in the
corporate world, in the insurance
business, but found that immoral
business practices we not for him.
He pursued his Teaching Credential
at Cal State Hayward and possess
a Masters of Education Supervision
and Administration.
Mel has
served as the Principal of
Oakland's GATE Summer Program
for the past several years. He has
certificates from the Bay Area
Science Project, Bay Are Math
Project, Bay Area Writing Project
and has taken workshop with the
Arts Project.
Mr. Stenger finds that teaching
Kindergarten is different from
other grade levels, in that he feels
strongly that he is not only
teaching his students, but he is
working with their families and
helping them adjust to having kids
in school.
He enjoys being
instrumental in this transition for
Kaiser families. Mel is accessible
to his students and families and
believes that communication is key
to
making
the
Kindergarten
transition smooth for his students
and families. If you have had the
opportunity
to
observe
Mr.
Stenger with students, you will
find him authentic, caring and
compassionate with our children.
Mel and his partner, Vince
Morgante will celebrate their 21st
anniversary on Friday. They have
two sons, Ian, 13, a student at
Montera Middle School and Paul, 10
a student in Mr. Neat's class. Mr.
Stenger loves to cook…it relaxes
him, and he has been performing
with the Gay Men's Chorus since
1987. Mel feels that Kaiser is a
good fit for him, as our school is
about building whole children,
families coming together and a
community that is inclusive. He
feels welcomed and respected as a
gay person, teacher and parent
which is something that he thinks
is special about Kaiser.
Pass
byTHRILL
Ms. Reese's class any
IT'S A
morning
and
WITH JILL you will hear the
music blaring as she works on
getting the blood flowing and
waking up her pre-teen fifth
graders. They have a busy day
ahead of them as they prepare for
the rigors of middle school. Ms.
Reese believes in making learning
as fun as possible. She wants her
students to enjoy it, to work hard
at it and to develop a love for
learning.
Jill believes that
knowledge is an accumulation of
learnings and an ongoing process.
It should never stop.
Ms. Reese is a constant learner, and
is always taking classes after she is
done teaching her class. She has a
B.A. from Mills College is Art
History, a Lifetime Elementary
Teaching Credential from Mills
and a GATE (Gifted and Talented
Education) Certificate from Santa
Clara University. Ms. Reese has
been a presenter at many
educational conferences, served on
task forces for educational projects
and causes, and takes computer
classes whenever she can. She
walks the walk when it comes to
promoting lifelong learning!!
Ms. Reese has been teaching at
Kaiser Elementary School for the
past 16 years and prior to that,
taught in the Piedmont School
Distirct. She feels that she learns
new things everyday when
observing her kids, and she
integrates those learnings into her
curriculum. She loves teaching
and her goals is to expose her
students to as many things, so she
can guide them in finding their
passion in life.
Jill is just as passionate about her
personal life. She and he husband
Chuck, a lawyer are the proud
parents of Clarissa, 31, a
Neuropsycologist who teaches at
UC San Diego and Alexandra, 21, a
Communications
and
Design
student at UC Davis. She has
somewhat of a zoo at home, and
assures us that there are fewer
animals than she has had in the
past; Angel, the yellow Lab, Gimlet
and Goose, the kittens, and Ash,
the cockatiel that survived the
Oakland Hills firestorm of 1989.
Jill loves roses and is an avid
gardener and a member of her local
Garden Club. She does volunteer
work
with
several
local
organizations. As you might have
guessed, our Jill is only starting her
day with teaching…she ends it
with learning and involvement in
her community.