Hope you enjoyed Halloween Fun Night!

Wow - we had about 500 people in the door for the annual Halloween Fun night, sponsored by Mt. View PTA!

We had a busy time in the cafeteria with the cupcake walk, face painting and temporary tattoos. There were a bunch of "trick-or-treat" stations down the main hallway, plus many activity stations in the gym. To top it off, there was a "haunted hallway" for those fearless adventurers!

I hope that you enjoyed the evening - we sure saw some smiling faces!

This event could not have happened without your support. So many people chipped in by volunteering their time, bringing in candy and cupcakes. Timberline HS students, as well as several middle schoolers, chipped in several hours and lots of their energy. Thank you, thank you for supporting these events!

In particular, I want to thank:

• Shawn Smith, who coordinated the entire event and spent all afternoon setting up, with several helpers
• Jodi Boutin, who helped funnel volunteers to Shawn
• Jodi Boutin and Sabrina Hageman for working the book fair tirelessly. Jodi, thanks for coordinating the whole thing again!
• Heather Armstrong, who was a huge asset in setting up and filling in wherever needed
• Teri Palazzo, for helping organize, set up and for her obvious love of Halloween and face-painting!

There are so many of you to thank!! I hope I can do so, personally, as I see you again soon. PTA is fully staffed by volunteers and it was fantastic to see this evening come together and run so smoothly. And I've never seen so many wonderful and beautiful cupcakes!

If you are interested in having fun night events in 2010, please consider stepping forward to help coordinate. Without a Fun Night Coordinator, we will be unable to have any more of these events. This is your chance to really do something worthwhile for Mt. View!

Many thanks,
Brian Morgan
PTA President 2009-2010

PTA survey - 10 quick questions

Please take 10 minutes to take our latest PTA survey here. We are looking for your confidential feedback about several events and programs and need your input!

Thanks very much!

PTA President Brian Morgan

PTA Board meeting minutes posted

Here are the minutes from the October Board meeting, for your review before the November general membership meeting. If you have any questions or comments, please contact President Brian Morgan.


See you in November, if not before!

Communicator Kudos

At a recent principal's meeting, the Community Relations department recognized Mountain View's principal Randy Weeks for getting out a succinct first newsletter of the year. Don Duncan was also recognized for his technical expertise and assistance in launching the new School Messenger system and assisting in staff training.

From NTPS Community Relations - 10/23/2009 update

Focus on Fitness

Two schools recently encouraged fitness events in the name of health education and fun! Olympic View Elementary found a healthier way to do a fundraiser this year with a PTA-sponsored Walk-a-thon.

Across town, Mountain View Elementary held a school-wide Fun Run, despite pouring rain. Each grade level ran together, with race numbers donated by South Sound Running and the PTA provided pencils and snacks for everyone who participated. They found a great cheerleader and running partner in Supt. Raj Manhas who ran two laps around a fairly long track with the 2nd grade students.

From NTPS Community Relations - 10/23/2009 update

Adopt-a-Road - Mt. View PTA & City of Lacey

Well, now we know that a team of two volunteers can pick up all trash on both sides of a 0.5-mile stretch of road in two hours!

We will give you more notice for the next opportunity to join us for our Adopt-a-Road volunteer day so that you can join us.



I suspect that today's efforts were more labor-intensive than those to come, simply because it was the first time the sides of the road had been cleared of trash in quite some time.

We will back on the side of the road some time in November!

Thanks,
Brian Morgan
PTA President 2009-2010

Adopt-a-road trash pick-up on Saturday!

Yes, it's short notice but if you want to pitch in for an hour or so, we'll be doing roadside clean-up on 37th Avenue in Lacey (by Komachin MS) on

Saturday, October 24th - 1-2 p.m.

We'll meet at Mt. View to pick up our safety gear and bags from the PTA shed. I'll be at Mt. View by 12:45 p.m. and want to leave Mt. View no later than 1 p.m. If you're running late or joining us at the site, please let me know so I bring safety gear for you. We've got bags, hard hats, plastic gloves and trash pickers. Feel free to bring work gloves, if you like.

As much as we would love to have our elementary and middle school kids join us, the City of Lacey will not allow anyone under the age of 15 on our crews, for safety reasons. Our stretch of roadway on 37th runs from College Street to the Chehalis Trail, which is 0.5 miles.

Click here for map.

Thanks! If you can't join us on Saturday, we'll be doing this at least once per month to keep our section of roadside free of trash! Even if it's just two of us, we'll be able to say we've done our duty to the city of Lacey for October.

- PTA President Brian Morgan

Book Fair - volunteers?

The Mountain View Scholastic Book Fair will be open from Tuesday, Oct. 27 through Friday, Oct. 30. We still need many volunteers to help run the fair. Duties basically consist of helping bag books, help children find or price books, or possibly, help run the cash register. If you are available, here are the times:

10/27 - Tues. lunch recess, (11:00-1:30). Start at 11:00 for training

10/28 - Wed. lunch recess and after school until 2:00. Basically from 11:00-2:00, again, training at 11:00. This is an early release day.

10/29 - Thursday, all day, conference hours, 8am-3pm, hopefully 2 shifts. If training needed, we'll set up a time for you.

10/30 - Friday, all day, conference hours. Would like at least 2 shifts. If training needed, we'll set up a time for you.

10/30 - During Fun Night (6-8 p.m.). These shifts are covered but we will still take volunteers!!

Please contact Jodi Boutin for more information, questions, or to volunteer!! You must be a cleared volunteer through the district to help at this event!!

Thank you,
Jodi Boutin
Bookfair Chairperson
360-413-1721

Call for bazaar volunteers

The 31^st Mt. View PTA annual bazaar is fast approaching – only a month away now! Many vendors and Lacey residents attend this event every year. This is a great fundraiser that has netted $1,000 for a one-day event, in the past. Tara-Lyn Poole is again coordinating (thank you!) and has done great work for many years now but needs volunteers to help set up, staff the PTA table (raffle), Hall/Kitchen monitors and clean-up etc. on the following days:

Friday, Nov 20^th & Saturday, Nov 21^st:

Volunteers:	Day	Shift	Duty
	Friday	4-6pm	Set-up
	Friday	4-6pm	Chairs & setup
	Friday	4-6pm	Set-up
	Friday	4-6pm	Floor marking
	Saturday	8-10am	Set-up
	Saturday	8-10am	Set-up
	Saturday	10-12pm	PTA table
	Saturday	10-12pm	PTA table
	Saturday	10-12-pm	PTA table
	Saturday	10-12-pm	PTA table
	Saturday	12-2pm	PTA table
	Saturday	12-2pm	PTA table
	Saturday	12-2pm	PTA table
	Saturday	12-2pm	PTA table
	Saturday	2-4pm	PTA table
	Saturday	2-4pm	PTA table
	Saturday	2-4pm	PTA table
	Saturday	4-5pm	Clean-up
	Saturday	4-5pm	Clean-up
	Saturday	4-5pm	Clean-up
	Saturday	4-5pm	Clean-up

Please contact Bazaar Coordinator Tara-Lyn Poole for your shift request. Sign up sooner rather than later, please.

Mountain View PTA on Facebook

We are now on Facebook, if you'd like to stay current on Mountain View and PTA goings-on via Facebook!

Big thanks to our (wet) Fun Run volunteers!

Wow – you guys weathered the storms (literally) for Wednesday’s Fall Fun Run. I am in your debt and hope that it was still worth it, donating your time in the rainy weather! At least the 5th graders escaped dry!

A big thanks to you all but especially to Tabitha Gant, Jim Stanton and Teri Palazzo, who were there early to help get set up. Tabitha was the trooper who agreed to be there all day, on behalf of PTA, in the midst of several abrupt shifts and changes. Flexibility is key! And, of course, thanks very much to our fabulous PE teacher, Karen Steen, who motivates our students each time they see her!

Here is a partial list of our volunteers - please thank them when you see them next:

• Claudia Alvarado
• Joy Myrick
• Aubrey Steedman
• Heather Maxwell
• Tabitha Gant
• Teri Palazzo
• Cathy Potter
• Tara Spencer
• Lee Anne Velez-Fucal
• Jim Stanton
• Cynthia Coble
• Lindsay Bush
• Annetha Caswell
• Krista Stevenson
• Kris Stark
  
• Jennifer Norby

You guys rock!!

October newsletter posted

Here is the link to October's newsletter, courtesy of our intrepid newsletter editor, Tara-Lyn Poole!

See you at Halloween Fun Night, if not before! Please check the calendar and web page often for updates, news and calendar items.

Juice boxes needed - Mt. View emergency preparedness

Mt. View needs 316 more juice boxes to make sure that there is one for every student in case of an emergency this year, whether it be an extended lockdown, earthquake, whatever. If you can drop off whatever juice boxes you can at the front office, you'll have my thanks and that of Randy Weeks and staff!

I know that everyone is stretched thin and appreciate your support for Mt. View!

Fall Fun Run - October 14th

Mt. View's PE Department, under the leadership of Karen Steen, is partnering with PTA for a Fall Fun Run:

Wednesday, October 14th
During school (your child's specialist period)
Early release day

We need volunteers as course monitors and to hand out goodies and keepsakes for the kids, as well.

We'll have goodies, juice and water for all runners.

Contact Brian Morgan ASAP to RSVP as a volunteer/course monitor, please. Thank you, in advance! The kids are looking forward to it and we're always glad to promote an event which involves fitness!

Public Law 81-874 - Federal Impact Law

Perhaps you noticed the flyer in your recent kid mail, a half-page yellow sheet titled North Thurston Public Schools #3 from NTPS Superintendent Raj Manhas... if you're like me, you may not have known what this is for or why you should fill the form out and return it to Mt. View.

Below is what I have gleaned from some web searches. I am no expert in the matter but hope that this is helpful. Essentially, the form is for those of you who are active duty military because the school district receives federal funding because of the proximity of military installations (McChord and Lewis, primarily).

Public Laws 81-815 and 81-874 were approved by the U.S. Congress in 1950 to assist local school districts with the construction and cost of public educational activities impacted by federal defense efforts. The so-called impact laws were an extension of a 1941 federal emergency measure, the Lanham Act. The precedence of the Lanham Act, the rising educational burden placed on local school districts near military bases, and the advent of the Korean War (1950–1953) contributed to the subsequent passage of the impact laws. A House Committee on Education and Labor studied the strain on local districts and concluded that unless federal assistance were provided, "more than 1.8 million children in these federally impacted areas would not receive normal school services" (National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, p. 9).

To ameliorate the loss of local taxes from personnel residing on federal lands, the authorizing committees of both the House and the Senate passed legislation (H.R. 7940 and S. 2317) to provide federal aid for the construction and maintenance of new schools in defense areas.

Read more: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2079/Impact-Aid-Public-Laws-815-874.html#ixzz0TfVXS5CX

Early Release Wednesdays @ Lacey Timberland Library

School's out early! Looking for something fun to do? Visit the library meeting room for a variety of activities that may include crafts, board games, Wii gaming, , along with reading programs with puppets, pooches and more. Start time is 1 p.m. To learn more go to www.trlib.org and click on events.

Office Max honors teachers: Margie Yelenich

It was hard to tell who was more excited when Office Max staff (Olympia), recently surprised Mountain View teacher Margie Yelenich with over $1200 of school supplies - the teacher or her first grade students!? Yelenich, who has taught kindergarten for 27 years until this year, kept her cool as a huge box, office chair and a crowd entered her room Wednesday to honor her as "A Day Made better" recipient.

"She has the perfect blend of kind, caring, nurturing teacher coupled with just the right amount of structure and academic focus," said her Principal Randy Weeks. "She rarely asks for things herself with her focus so directed to the needs of her students."

Across town, the Hawks Prairie Office Max also surprised teachers Todd Ostling, Pam Blume and Lynn Creasey at Evergreen Forest Elementary. Office Max awarded a pizza party for each teacher's class and the teachers received gift certificates.

NTPS Star Staffer: Karen Steen

From NTPS Success Weekly:

During the week she's a fabulous P.E. teacher at Mountain View. But in the summer and personal time, Karen Steen is a running star on many tracks. This summer she broke the World W45 record in the 2000 meter steeplechase at the 2009 USATF Masters Outdoor National Track and Field Championship in OshKosh Wisconsin. She had the fastest time for ALL the women in her event - even the 30-year-olds. More recently, Steen won the Bellingham half-marathon! Congrats Karen!

Read here an Ezine article about Karen's recent success:

Karen Steen Shatters World Steeplechase Record at the 2009 National Masters Meet

Levy renewal heads to 2010 ballot

The NTPS Board unanimously passed Resolution #797 which puts a 2-year replacement Educational Program levy on the Feb. 9, 2010 ballot. The levy amounts would be $27.5 million in 2011 and $28.875 million in 2012, making up about 19 percent of the district's total budget. Levy co-chairs from the North Thurston Citizens for Schools group, Jon Halvorson and Ruth Weigelt, spoke briefly asking the board for their support before the vote. "Both our children and now grandchildren have benefited from the excellent educational programs of NTPS and we strongly urge you to ask the public to continue to support these programs for the next two years," Halvorson said.

September PTA meeting minutes

Here are the minutes from our first PTA meeting of the year, so you know what business was discussed.

As always, if you have questions about PTA business, please ask! Contact Brian Morgan (360-970-9513).

Our October meeting is on the 13th but is a Board meeting. Does that mean you cannot attend? No, you're welcome to attend and see what the Board has on the agenda. We'll try to take care of as much perfunctory business as possible, in order to free up time during the November meeting to take care of important business that requires a vote by the entire membership.

See you at the next general membership meeting:

Tuesday, November 10th
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Mt. View Elementary library

Mt. View shirt order form

Has your child been asking you to purchase a Mt. View t-shirt or sweatshirt? Here is the order form for these short-sleeved t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts. Expect to see them come home soon via kid mail, as well!

What better way for your child to show their spirit for Mt. View Elementary?!

If you have any questions, please contact PTA President Brian Morgan (360-970-9513).

Volunteer opportunities – Can you chip in some time?

There are so many opportunities, large and small, for volunteers this year. Please take a look at this list and think about if your time, interests and skills might match these needs. Contact President Brian Morgan (360-970-9513) if you have questions or want to sign up! The pay isn’t great but I promise you’ll get plenty of genuine thanks and a great feeling inside.

• Adopt-a-road coordinator – we have signed up with the City of Lacey for a 0.5-mile stretch of roadway to keep clear of debris and trash. We need someone to coordinate volunteers for this program throughout the year, at monthly intervals.
• Halloween fun night general volunteers!! (Friday, October 30^th)
• Fun Run volunteers (course monitors, for the most part – Date TBD
• Bazaar volunteers (set-up, breakdown) – Saturday, November 21^st
• Newsletter – articles and editing (these are normally published monthly)
• Yearbook – we need photographers who are willing to snap pictures at school and PTA events, as well as people to help coordinate the yearbook itself with our publisher.
• Fundraising – we need some additional input and ideas, not only with the upcoming spring fundraiser but to provide suggestions for next year’s fundraising!
• Business partner volunteers – soliciting local businesses for donations, informing them of the benefits of partnering with us
• Website development – we use the user-friendly Google blogspot to manage our web presence. No software needed!
• Book fair volunteers – these will probably coincide with the fall conferences in late October and we’ll need volunteers to staff the book fair during its hours of operation. No experience necessary!
• Coordinators for simple programs that we would like to implement, including “Donuts for Dads” and/or “Muffins for Moms”. These two would include arranging for food (perhaps through donations by businesses), volunteers and advertising the event to Mt. View parents. These programs can only be instituted if we have someone to coordinate them!
• Coordinators for a proposed military appreciation dinner or event.

If you have a program you would like PTA to consider, please give us your idea by sending it in, dropping it in our PTA suggestion box at the front of the school or in person at a PTA meeting! If you have a great idea, please come prepared to help implement it, if at all possible!

Yearbook photographers needed!

We need some people throughout the year to take candid pictures of Mt. View and PTA events for the 2009-2010 yearbook! Are you up for the challenge? You don't need to be a professional - we just want to have a large selection of fun pictures so the kids can look back, laugh and remember their friends over the summer next year... please contact Jodi Boutin if you want more information or want to volunteer.

Thanks!

Voter registration drives target parents, seniors

Did you know only an estimated 50 percent of NTPS parents are registered to vote? Or that even at age 17 ½ you can still register to vote? As part of Voter Education Month, the district is encouraging citizens to register to vote at schools or online. For more information and ideas on voter registration, go to www.nthurston.k12.wa.us/vote. Remember: Your Vote Counts! To register online visit http://wei.secstate.wa.gov/osos/en/voterinformation/Pages/RegistertoVote.aspx.
Upcoming election dates: November 3, 2009 and February 9, 2010.