October 2010 Newsletter and News!

The October Newsletter is available! Thank you to everyone who contributed!

For those of you that have already joined the PTA this year, we thank you for supporting PTA programs and donating your time and energy for Mountain View Students!

Our PTA meetings this year are on the second Thursday of every month (except November, because the school is closed on the 11th). November's meeting will be that Tuesday, November 9th. Location is still to be determined.

This month we have a new location for our meeting!

We will meet at Charlie's Safari on Martin Way (next to Regal Cinema). The address is 5400 Martin Way, Lacey, WA 98516.

The meeting runs from 6:30pm-8:00pm. Please identify yourself as a Mt. View PTA member. (If you bring your child, they are reducint the admission fee to only $5 per child, for unlimited "AAA Reserve.")

If you haven't joined PTA, please consider showing your support for PTA by sending in your membership dues. Even if you can't attend PTA meetings or volunteer for a specific activity/event, you can show your support by simply becoming a member! The more members we have, the stronger voice we have when we need to make a difference. Members do NOT need to have a child at Mt View. In fact, you can ask your extended family and friends to join!

How can you join?

1. You can pick up a form or envelope at the front table at Mt. View.

2. You can print off the form and fill it out and return it to the school with the dues.

An individual membership is $11, a family membership (you and your spouse) is $19. If you need to mail your membership dues, please send to:

Mt. View PTA-Memberships
1900 College St SE
Lacey, WA 98503


Please check our website frequently for updates and news about Mt View, the school district, and the PTA. Thank you for helping us partner with the school, a new principal, the staff and teachers so that we can make a difference in our children's lives and education.

2010 Holiday Bazaar info

It's almost that time again... please join us for the 32nd annual bazaar at Mt. View Elementary, put on by Mt. View PTA.

Click here for the welcome letter for vendors

Click here for the vendor contract, should you want to reserve your space now.

Questions about the bazaar? Contact PTA President and Bazaar Coordinator Tara-Lyn Poole (360-455-0357).

2010-2011 school calendar

Here's a link to the 2010-2011 school calendar. See you in the fall!

June newsletter - last edition for 2009-2010

Here is the final PTA newsletter for the school year, complete with news about the upcoming field days, etc.

I hope you have a safe and wonderful summer with your families!

Thanks very much to Tara-Lyn for editing and publishing the newsletter for the past few years. As incoming President, she'll have lots on her plate and needs your support. Please think about offering your time to PTA in the coming year. It'll be here before you know it!

Congrats to Margie Yelenich!

Congratulations to the North Thurston Education Association Teachers of the Year:

Lisa Lamoreaux - River Ridge High School
Minda Concha - River Ridge High School
Christina Dahl - South Sound High School
Jeremiah Tuckett - South Sound High school
Chris Traber - Aspire
Sally Jamison - Chinook
Kate Reece - Komachin
Heather Hettinger - Nisqually
Sindy Deming - Lacey
Gail Martin - Lacey
Meghan Ohumukini - Lakes
Paul Johnson - Meadows
Margie Yelenich - Mountain View (Congratulations on your retirement!)
Meryl Metlen - South Bay (Congratulations on your retirement!)
Cathy Healy - Woodland
Janet Jones - Woodland (Congratulations on your retirement!)

From the NTPS Success pages

St. Martin's - Opportunity to host exchange students

Sarah Younkin from St. Martin's University recently spoke to Mt. View PTA and presented information about short-term hosting opportunities. Now we have more specific information about the dates for these opportunities. Please contact Sarah ASAP if you would like more information or know you would like to volunteer!

Chinese Programs:

Guang Hua Middle School:

July 4 Host Family Day

July 25 Host Family Day

August 12 Farewell Dinner

Shanghai Maritime University (Pudong):

July 23 Dessert Reception

July 23-25 Host Family Weekend

August 4 Farewell Dinner

Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine:

July 30 Dessert Reception

July 30-August 1 Host Family Weekend

August 5 Farewell Dinner

Japanese Programs:

Okazaki Women’s Junior College:

July 23 Dessert Reception

July 23-25 Host Family Weekend

July 29 Farewell Dinner

Mukogawa Women’s University:

August 13 Dessert Reception

August 13-15 Host Family Weekend

August 18 Farewell Dinner

Academy of International Education (AIE):

August 13 Dessert Reception

August 13-20 Host Family Week

August 20 Farewell Dinner

*Dessert Receptions are “meet and greets” where you pick up your students; they are in the evening and last for less than one hour.

*Farewell Dinners are not mandatory, but we encourage your attendance; they last for a couple of hours in the evening.

Host Family Orientation is scheduled for July 13th at 6pm in the Worthington Center. Please join the Office of International Programs and fellow host families in this one-hour information session. We will discuss how to best prepare for your exchange student, review customs among the Japanese and Chinese cultures, and answer any questions you may have.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions. Thanks!

Sarah Younkin

Host Family & Community Relations Coordinator

Office of International Programs & Development

Saint Martin's University

360.438.4304

Last PTA meeting for the school year!

Friends of Mt. View,

Well, we’ve made it to our last scheduled general membership meeting of the school year and we will do as little business as possible, in order to concentrate on enjoying each other’s company for a BBQ at my house! Yes, your kids are more than welcome. They can enjoy the trampoline, if it’s not raining!

Here is a link to the June agenda and here is a link to the May minutes, for your review. We were able to approve a draft budget for 2010-2011, with my sincere thanks to those of you who attended and counted towards our necessary quorum. Thank you, thank you!

Please join us on Tuesday, June 8^th – 6 p.m. (note the earlier start time since it includes dinner)

Please bring a side dish or dessert of any sort – homemade or store bought! We’ll have a variety of items for the grill, including dogs, turkey dogs, burgers and garden burgers. Call or email me for address/directions, which were sent by email to all members.

Take care,

Brian

WA State PTA – Region 4 Service Specialist

Mt. View PTA President 2009-2010

360-970-9513 (c)

NTPS Superintendent Coffee Chats

Join us for the May meeting - 11th (6:30 p.m.)

Here's your May meeting agenda - come join us, please!

Tuesday, May 11th
6:30 p.m.
Mt. View Elementary library

If we have a quorum of ten members, we'll be able to review and hash out a budget for next year!

Latest newsletter - come and get it!

Here's your fabulous May edition of the PTA newsletter - enjoy!

From PTO Today - Top 6 Exercises

From the April 2010 issue of PTO Today - "The #1 Resource for Parent Groups":

Top 6 Exercises for PTO Leaders

1. Cookie dough shrugs - Hold a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough in each hand; scrunch shoulders upward. Repeat until cooke dough thaws.

2. Dunk Tank Water Aerobics - March in place or swim in circles for one hour. Who cares who's watching - you've just burned 500 calories!

3. Welcome Lunges - Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, step far forward with one foot and hug new parents as they enter the school building. Repeat as needed, alternating sides.

4. Budget Crunches - Do a sit-up for every dollar your teacher luncheon committee has spent over its budget.

5. Principal Pilates - Bend over backward, jump through hoops, and stand on your head until he approves the space permit for bingo night.

6. Student Bench Presses - Lying on a cafeteria bench, lift a student above your head. Start with the little kindergarteners for the first few weeks, then work your way up to the bigger weights, like 5th graders.

PTO stands for Parent Teacher Organizations, which includes those units similar to a PTA or PTSA but who don't fall under the national umbrella of National PTA.

One member's poem about bankruptcy

From PTA member Glenn Grimm:

"Bankruptcy - Foreclosure"

With a credit card
and their good name
They were drawn
like a moth to a flame

-GG

Cookie dough pick-up times

Don't forget to pick up your cookie dough orders at Mt. View Elementary:

Wednesday, April 28th - 2-6 p.m.

Please come by to pick up during these times or have your student pick up as they are leaving school!

Thanks very much for supporting Mt. View and PTA through this fundraiser!!

Our 2009-2010 Business Partners

Please support our Business Partners! If you would like to become a Business Partner of Mt. View PTA, please contact Tara-Lyn Poole. Click the ads below for a larger picture.

You can visit them on the web:
Van Dorm - Annie Robinson & Beverly Thomas
Mary Kay - Tara-Lyn Poole
Akbar's Karate School
Pampered Chef - Tabitha Gant
Edward Jones - Janelle Embrey
Sunshine Cleaning - Laura Herrick (http://www.olympiasunshinecleaning.org)

Please send in your pics for the yearbook

If you have any fabulous pics that should be considered for the upcoming yearbook, please send them to our Yearbook Chair, Jodi Boutin. She asks that they be received by the 20th - a mere two days away. This was announced at last week's PTA meeting but I failed to publish this to the web site immediately. Please accept my apologies for the delay!

- Brian Morgan
PTA President (2009-2010)

Here are your April meeting minutes!

Here is a link to April's meeting minutes, in case you weren't able to join us. We had a slightly longer meeting, with my apologies, but elected next year's officers, appointed a Budget Committee and a Financial Review Committee - all important and necessary business! Thanks so very much to those of you who could attend and make sure we could have a quorum of at least ten members.

See you in May! We need a quorum yet again so that we can review and hopefully approve a budget for 2010-2011, allowing next year's Board to spend PTA monies over the summer, if necessary. This is frequently helpful in preparing for the year, particularly for Open House before the 1st day of school.

Here is the link to the list of next year's officers - please congratulate and thank them!

Mt. View PTA reimbursement form

Here is the Mt. View PTA's reimbursement request form (Adobe or Word), especially handy for teachers who are requesting either reimbursement for school supplies or for upcoming field trips and the like... please submit either electronically to us at mtviewpta@hotmail.com or put it in the PTA mailbox in the staff lounge.

Thanks!

Budget update from NTPS Superintendent

Good morning!

As you may have heard, the Legislature finally passed the state budget. The forecast for state funding for the near future is still rather grim, but a long-term plan is in place for the state to fully-fund basic education by 2018.

Today, I am pleased to announce that our own budget reductions will be much less than originally anticipated. At this time, we expect net reductions for our district to come in around $500,000. This will be covered for the most part by the elimination of a state Learning Improvement Day (LID) and attrition. We will also need to continue to find efficiencies and continue to be good stewards of the resources that we are provided. That said, the good news is in short – no staff cuts.

This is possible in part because the state has raised the levy lid to 28 percent, providing the opportunity for districts to raise more local resources on their own. Though North Thurston Public Schools will not take advantage of this full amount, it will allow us to collect more local levy funding based on February’s election. While I am thankful that we will not need to make any significant reductions in our classrooms, and appreciate the tough decisions that legislators had to make this year - I am disappointed that they did not fulfill their constitutional responsibility and again passed the burden of Basic Education funding further onto the shoulders of local voters.

This is the least we have had to cut from our budget in many years and for that we should be grateful, but also not lose site of the task we all have in keeping full funding of basic education at the forefront of our district and state.

Thank you again for all you do each and every day for children despite these obstacles and tight resources. You are doing an amazing job for students and our community and I continue to be inspired by your dedication!

Sincerely,

Raj Manhas

April PTA newsletter posted

The latest and greatest edition of the PTA newsletter is now available here. It will also come home via kid mail as soon as possible. If you have anything you would like considered for publication in the May edition, please contact Tara-Lyn Poole no later than Friday, April 30th.

Congratulations to your 2010-2011 officers

Congratulations to the incoming officers, elected at tonight's meeting and who will take office on July 1, 2010:

President - Tara-Lyn Poole
Co-VP - Raegan Stevens
Co-VP - Jodi Boutin
Co-Secretary - Cat Potter
Co-Secretary - Laura Herrick
Treasurer - Tabitha Gant

You'll see above a nice mix of current and new Board members, with Tara-Lyn serving as Co-VP this year and Tabitha as Treasurer. It's always good to have some new faces and ideas!

Please thank them and support them as they take on these roles. Thanks for stepping up and volunteering to serve as officers and Board members! Mt. View and PTA will be better off with you being involved and integral in what PTA does best - supports students and the learning environment.

Have you ever seen your principal in a tutu?

Around the District

Principals dress up for reading and hearts: To an outside visitor, seeing two grown men dressed up in a purple tutu and tiara, and a Sponge Bob costume (respectively) might have been a bit shocking, but then they don't know much about principals Randy Weeks (Mountain View) and Gary Culbertson (Lacey). While the dynamic duo donned their costumes for different causes on the same day, the support and giggles they received from students were universal and well worth any humiliation suffered. Mountain View raised nearly $3,500 for the school's annual "Jump Rope For Heart, Hoops For Heart," fundraiser, which supports research and awareness for heart problems by the American Heart Association. Lacey students made reading their cause, by circling the school twice with paper chain links earned by reading 10 minutes for kindergartners to an hour for staff for over a month. To honor them, principal Culbertson dressed up as cartoon character Sponge Bob Sponge Square Pants. Read more in The Olympian.

The above is taken from the NTPS Success pages

Message from Raj Manhas

Message from the Superintendent

Dear North Thurston Public Schools staff, families and community members,
I have always believed that accountability and transparency are key components to building public trust and-- more importantly -- success in an organization. This applies to a business, nonprofit, government agency and also North Thurston Public Schools!

Over the past several months our staff leadership and School Board have been hard at work drafting a long-term strategic framework that will be used to communicate district focus areas as well as measures of success. This plan encompasses five key focus areas that we believe are vital when it comes to student success, including:

• Student learning at the center of everything we do
• Supporting the needs of the whole child
• Strengthening community engagement to support student learning
• Building a culture of trust through effective leadership
• Accountable and efficient use of public resources

Developing and refining this framework will be an ongoing process in which you, our community, will play an important role. North Thurston has a deep-rooted belief that each and every student can learn, but it is the responsibility of all of us to help ensure the success of all our students, regardless of their background.

The community showed their support of our school system with the recent support of the levy. Parents and families show their support when they attend school conferences or a career fair, such as the recent "Find Your Future" event sponsored by the Thurston County Chamber at Timberline High School. Businesses help through donations of time and supplies, such as Home Depot and Ostrom's support in building a community garden at Olympic View Elementary. The common factor here is that we all show our support for each child however we can in our daily lives and together those little efforts will make a difference!

We will keep you posted on the progress of our strategic focus areas and of course, the measures of success. In return, I encourage each of us to remember that we are all in some way responsible for the success of all our students…tomorrow's generation of leaders!

"Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back." ~Chinese Proverb

Raj Manhas, Superintendent
North Thurston Public Schools
rmanhas@nthurston.k12.wa.us

Message from Raj Manhas

Message from the Superintendent

Dear North Thurston Public Schools staff, families and community members,
I have always believed that accountability and transparency are key components to building public trust and-- more importantly -- success in an organization. This applies to a business, nonprofit, government agency and also North Thurston Public Schools!

Over the past several months our staff leadership and School Board have been hard at work drafting a long-term strategic framework that will be used to communicate district focus areas as well as measures of success. This plan encompasses five key focus areas that we believe are vital when it comes to student success, including:

• Student learning at the center of everything we do
• Supporting the needs of the whole child
• Strengthening community engagement to support student learning
• Building a culture of trust through effective leadership
• Accountable and efficient use of public resources

Developing and refining this framework will be an ongoing process in which you, our community, will play an important role. North Thurston has a deep-rooted belief that each and every student can learn, but it is the responsibility of all of us to help ensure the success of all our students, regardless of their background.

The community showed their support of our school system with the recent support of the levy. Parents and families show their support when they attend school conferences or a career fair, such as the recent "Find Your Future" event sponsored by the Thurston County Chamber at Timberline High School. Businesses help through donations of time and supplies, such as Home Depot and Ostrom's support in building a community garden at Olympic View Elementary. The common factor here is that we all show our support for each child however we can in our daily lives and together those little efforts will make a difference!

We will keep you posted on the progress of our strategic focus areas and of course, the measures of success. In return, I encourage each of us to remember that we are all in some way responsible for the success of all our students…tomorrow's generation of leaders!

"Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back." ~Chinese Proverb

Raj Manhas, Superintendent
North Thurston Public Schools
rmanhas@nthurston.k12.wa.us

St. Martin's Host Family Short Stay program

Guest Speaker Sarah Younkin from St. Martin’s University attended this month’s PTA meeting and she asked for support and promotion of St. Martin’s Host Family Short Stay program.

Beginning in mid-July, approximately 300 international students will be visiting St. Martin’s and will need families to host a pair of students on weekends. Host families can volunteer for one or more weekends.

• Experience firsthand the joy of exchanging cultures

• Build friendships with students from around the world!

• Provide your family with an experience and education you can’t get through a textbook!

• Contribute in a small but meaningful way to global peace and understanding!

The goal is simply to incorporate these students into your normal weekend routine (cooking, shopping, sports, etc.). They do not require a separate bedroom or special events, per se. The age range is general high school to college age. English-speaking homes are preferred. Sarah can provide full details, expectations and walk families through the application and background check process. Those who are interested should contact:

Sarah Younkin - Host Family and Community Relations Coordinator

Ph: 360-438-4304 or

Email: SYounkin@stmartin.edu

March newsletter - get the latest news!

Want to stay current on Mt. View Elementary and Mt. View PTA each month? Check out our monthly newsletter so you don't miss any announcements, important school dates, PTA events and opportunities to help Mt. View from time to time... thanks very much to our editor, Tara-Lyn Poole. If you have questions about the newsletter, please contact her.

Deadline for submissions for the April edition is April 2nd.

Draft of March meeting minutes

Here is the link to a draft of the unapproved March minutes, to be reviewed for approval at the April meeting. Stay tuned for the April agenda and the official report from the Nominating Committee, as well.

We did not have a quorum for the March meeting and must have one (at least 10 members) for the April meeting, in order to conduct some important business.

What a great turn-out for Fun Night!

Wow - we had over 200 people in the door for tonight's Family Fun Night! I hope you had a great time with the karaoke, deejay, cupcake decorating and tacos in a bag.

We'll have another Fun Night in May - stay tuned for which Friday to put on your calendar that month.

Thanks very much to our volunteers, especially our first-time volunteers and middle schoolers. Thanks to Randy Weeks, Tara-Lyn Poole and Jodi Boutin for spearheading most of the evening's details. And where would we be without Rich, our faithful custodian, to help set up, break down and clean up?! Thanks to you all!

Please feel free to give us your feedback about these events, positive and/or negative.

Have a great weekend!

Check out Mt. View's new reader board!

Mt. View Elementary just had installed, courtesy of the school district, a new electronic reader board! It should be operational soon - so keep an eye out for Mt. View news on it! Note in the picture, our beloved "old-fashioned" reader board, mounted on the school. I know that our staff will be sad now that they don't have to stand on a ladder in the rain to put up the message manually!

Mt. View Marimba - still going strong!

Mountain View Marimba: The Mountain View Marimba Ensemble performed at the Lacey Chamber Forum on March 3. Directed by teacher Sheila Whybrow, the group started in 2002 and is open to all sixth graders. Students do not audition, the group is open to anyone who is interested and motivated and they perform throughout the district at events.

Taken from this week's NTPS Success! page.

Congratulations to Mt. View employees!

Classified Employees Week, March 8-13: The Board recognized Classified Employees for their contributions to student success and approved Resolution #813. Employee group leaders present included Mary Fluke, Gary Thompson, Janice Kilgore, Tricia De La Cruz, Derek Stewart and Gary Byard. Amanda Nix, paraeducator from Nisqually was also honored.

Perhaps you recognize a few faces here...? Gary was recently recognized by Mt. View PTA with a Golden Acorn Award and Tricia De La Cruz has been a staunch supporter of PTA and is a current member, to boot!

Taken from this week's NTPS Success! page.

Apex Karting partnering with PTA

You will probably see a small flyer come home on Friday, March 5th via kid mail... it's an Apex Karting "Family Day Sunday" announcement. Apex is partnering with several local PTA's and schools to donate some of the day's proceeds on designated days back to PTA.

All you have to do is head down to Apex Karting and enjoy their "Family Kart Races" - a special deal at $20 for three races and one 1/4-lb hot dog and one fountain drink (or three fountain drinks if you opt out on the hot dog). These races are with the slower of the track's go-karts, not the really fast ones that you adults may enjoy. I'm told that these karts are geared for ages eight and older.

This one is short notice, I'm afraid... but if you don't have firm plans for this Sunday, March 7th, you can take advantage of this deal from 1 to 10 p.m. Please let Apex know that you want the Family Day Special. Mt. View PTA does not get any proceeds for any other Sunday you attend Apex (for now).

Click here for more information about Apex Karting in Tumwater. They are considering another Mt. View day in the future, depending on interest and turnout.

Apex Karting
7960 Center Street Southwest
Tumwater, WA 98501
(360) 705-2739

New date for Mt. View at Skateland

In April, Skateland will shift our Mt. View skate night to the 4th Tuesday of each month. Look for your reminder flyers immediately before then (Tuesday, April 27th).

Dust Off Your Dancing Shoes!

Mt. View PTA Family Fun Night

March 5, 2010, 6:00-8:00 pm

*DJ in the gym *Karaoke in the library

*Cupcake decorating in the cafeteria

*Tacos in a bag in the cafeteria. $2.50 ea. $.50 drink

*Wear GREEN for St. Patrick’s Day!!

*No entrance fee. Canned food donation requested!!

*Children must be accompanied by an adult!!

Thanks very much for your donations - they make a difference!

You can also buy your Mt. View spirit wear (Mt. View t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts - adult and youth sizes available).

Any questions or if you want to volunteer to help out, please contact coordinator Randy Weeks (who happens to double as your proud principal). If you are able to donate your time as a volunteer or drop off green cake decorating supplies, we need you! Please drop off any items at the front office.

Here is the link to the full flyer and volunteer form - see you on Friday!

Mt. View PTA joins with ACE

Starting this Thursday, close to 30 Mt. View students will start their twice-a-week excursion to a far-off land, with the help of Mt. View PTA and Associates in Cultural Exchange (ACE) - World Language Program. This is an after-school program funded almost entirely by Mt. View PTA. Half the students will enjoy an introduction to German each Thursday and the other half Spanish, each Tuesday and Thursday.

Thanks very much to Mr. Weeks and Mr. McCann for providing space for these classes.

Click here for more information about ACE. If you have questions, please contact Olympia Area Coordinator Elke Armajo - 360-456-1402

March meeting agenda

Please join us for the next general membership meeting:

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Mt. View Elementary library

Click here for the agenda, which includes a guest speaker from St. Martin's University about opportunities to host foreign students this summer. We'll also have a report from our elected Nominating Committee.

See you there! Contact me with your questions and comments about the agenda.

- Brian Morgan
Mt. View PTA President 2009-2010

Congratulation to Daniel Grimm!

Congratulations to Aspire student Daniel Grimm - he attended Mt. View years ago but his parents, Lucia and Glenn are both PTA members and constant, quiet contributors to Mt. View, particularly with their time and energy. The below is taken from the weekly NTPS Success page.

February 17 Board Meeting Highlights

Student Recognition: The Board recognized Skye Aslaksen, 5th grader at Meadows Elementary and Daniel Grimm, 6th grader at Aspire Middle School, who were National Geographic Bee school winners. The National Geographic Bee occurs in three stages, beginning at the school level. This year both Meadows Elementary and Aspire Middle School participated. Aspire social studies teacher Paul Garrett , who helped organize the Geographic Bee at Aspire, noted how tough the questions were. One example question from the website, for instance, was "Which Canadian province produces more than half the country's manufactured goods?" Answer: Ontario. Each school winner takes a written test, and the top hundred scorers in each state and territory compete at the state level. State-level Bees are held in the spring, and the winner of each state Bee proceeds to the national competition.

The Board also recognized Daniel Grimm individually for his outstanding community service. Daniel spent the past several months supplying school libraries with books from their "wish" lists, often purchasing the books himself. Daniel has been involved in several community service projects throughout the district and his dedication serves as an inspiration and a great example of student leadership in our district. Daniel donated a total of 917 books to Aspire, Evergreen Forest, Lacey, Lydia Hawk, Mountain View, Olympic View and Woodland. The Board presented Daniel with a thank you bag from South Sound Reading Foundation.

Mini-Grant Recipients Announced - Vickie Hanson

Grant Recipients: Teachers and schools often rely on outside funding to enrich their programs. Congratulations to this year's MAC Mini- Grant Recipients and TwinStar Classroom Cash Winners!

MAC Mini-Grant: Karen Harris, Mari Knapp, Sara Bodigheimer & Pat Cummings (Olympic View); Heidi Roycroft, Norma Sassone & Chris Traber (Aspire); Joyce Ott & staff (Komachin); Norel Swanson (Pleasant Glde); Adina Brito (Pleasant Glade); Bethany Partin (Lakes); Karen Owen and Staff (Nisqually); Pam Morr (Woodland); and George Christoph, Sarah Applegate, Scot Haury , & Randy Keller (River Ridge).

Classroom Cash: Sarah Coulson (Lydia Hawk), Laura Giebelhaus (Seven Oaks), Nancy Hall (Lacey), Corie Hancock (Lydia Hawk), Victoria Hanson (Mountain View), Debbie Hathaway (Seven Oaks), Helen Henry (Seven Oaks), Tesa Manix (Lakes), Terri McCuiston (Pleasant Glade), Cynthia Monge-Eaton (Pleasant Glade), Jeanne Pittenger (Woodland), Cari Quiocho (Lakes), Katie Schmidtke (Horizons), Jennifer Trinidad (Lacey), and Claire Williams (Olympic View).

Mt. View teacher April Whitaker "hooping" it up

Mountain View Hoopsters: When sixth grade teacher April Whitaker started a basketball team for 5th and 6th grade girls at Mountain View Elementary four years ago, she opened new doors and mentorship opportunities with lasting impacts. "Many of these girls had never even seen a basketball team on TV, much less being played by women," said Whitaker, who says playing on the afterschool team helps prepares the girls for middle school sports.

The team is appropriately called "The Small Storm" and they recently had the opportunity to see the game in action at a women's basketball game at The Evergreen State College. Afterwards, the coach and members of the TESC team came and played with the girls after school as they wrapped up their season. TESC coach Monica Hever and her team, including Alex Saab, Ali Matisons and Mele Rich , says it's a great way to get out in the community. "It's wonderful for my team to be able to give back to these young girls and be role models."

One MVE hoopster, Hannah, has been playing for two years. "It's awesome…I love it!" She and her friends said they all plan to play middle school basketball too. The team's season will culminate in a field trip to opening night for the Seattle Storm game.

The above is taken from the weekly NTPS Success page.

Some resources for you and your family

101 Ways to Praise a Child
Being an Effective Parent - Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence
Raising Siblings

These and other resources are available at Mt. View, on the table just inside the main entrance.

February newsletter published

Here's the link to your latest and greatest Mt. View PTA newsletter! Please note that it includes a time-sensitive flyer, giving you the opportunity to send your student to an after-school language class. Check it out and turn your flyer back in to the school as soon as possible!

See you tomorrow (Tuesday) for our general membership meeting!

Best to you all,
Brian

Brian Morgan
Mt. View PTA President 2009-2010

February meeting agenda

Please join us for our February general membership meeting next week:

Tuesday, February 9th
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Mt. View library

We will discuss 2010 Fun Nights - looks like we may have one in February or March and then again in May! Come provide your ideas and input or at least find out what is coming up!

Click here for the draft agenda. Questions? Contact President Brian Morgan.

See you there!

Congratulations to student Natalie Stark!

Lacey Loves to Read 2010 Bookmark winners:

Congratulations to the following students whose artwork was selected for the 2010 Lacey Loves to Read bookmarks. They had surprise visits last week from Lacdey Loves to Read reps and Lacey City Council members. Thanks to the hundreds of students who participated this year. The top 12 winners will have their artwork published to help publicize the Lacey Loves to Read events and 2010 Native American author Jospeh Bruchac. To learn more, visit http://www.nthurston.k12.wa.us/read.

Grand Prize winners:

• Richelle Jones, North Thurston


• Regan Rudy, North Thurston


• Lashay Jimenez, Nisqually


• Natalie Stark, Mountain View


• Owen Carroll, Evergreen Forest


• Tristan Johanson, Pleasant Glade

Honorable mentions:

• Maddelin McElroy, Faith Lutheran (Community Winner)


• Nicole Parsons, Lakes


• Miles Thibodeaux, Horizons


• Briana Scheffer, Lacey


• Sammi Minter, Meadows


• Amy Conklin, South Bay

We need you in February!

Mt. View PTA members and friends of Mt. View,

I am sad to report that we were unable to conduct our important January business at the last meeting. We failed to draw a quorum (minimum of ten, per our rules) of members and thus could not elect our Nominating Committee. For this reason, we have shifted the 2010 meeting schedule and will have another general membership meeting in February, rather than a Board meeting.

Please join us:

Tuesday, February 9^th

6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Mt. View library

If we fail to draw a quorum at that meeting, then we will not have a Nominating Committee elected and will be forced to hold our election for 2010-2011 officers during the April meeting, simply asking for nominations and self-nominations from the floor.

I certainly realize that some of you simply cannot attend PTA meetings. However, if we cannot even draw ten paid members to take care of important business every other month, then perhaps the PTA does not have enough support to do its business. Please consider whether you find value in PTA and mark your calendar for February 9^th, if at all possible. The point of having a quorum requirement is so that a handful of members cannot dictate the agenda and business decisions for all of you. This is YOUR PTA, after all!

Thanks for continuing to support your PTA. We are proud to do what we can to benefit our kids and students.

Take care,

Brian

January newsletter posted

Here's your January installment of the Mt. View PTA newsletter, thanks to our faithful editor and co-VP, Tara-Lyn Poole! If you have submissions for consideration for February's edition, please submit prior to February 5th.

PTA meeting - join us on Tuesday the 12th

Happy New Year and welcome back to the swing of the school year! I hope you had some time, over the winter break, to spend time with family and reflect over the year of 2009. I admit that I did that and took off my PTA hat for much of the break! But now we’re back to work and we have our next general membership meeting next Tuesday, the 12^th, at 6:30 p.m (Mt. View library).

This is an incredibly important meeting because we will elect our Nominating Committee, which is made up of paid members and is charged with recruiting and finding eligible and interested officer candidates for 2010-2011. Elections are scheduled for the April meeting and officers serve from July through June.

In addition, we are lucky to have two guest speakers on Tuesday:

• Elke Armajo – World Language Program
• Cynthia Coble – North Thurston Citizens for Schools (upcoming levy)

Please join us on Tuesday! If we do not have at least 10 paid members in attendance, it will be a short meeting and we will be unable to elect a Nominating Committee, nor vote on any business. Please help support your PTA by attending and learning more about how PTA works for the students of Mt. View.

Click here for the agenda for Tuesday's meeting and here for the December Board meeting minutes.

As always, thanks for supporting your PTA!

Brian Morgan