Enews September 11, 2017

Post date: Sep 19, 2017 6:13:34 PM

What's Happening at Walnut Acres * September 11, 2017

Mark Your Calendars

Sept 19: PFC Meeting, 7 pm, Library

Sept 25 & 26: iClickSmiles School Picture Days

Sept 27: September Sing Outs, 8 - 9 am, MUR

Oct 1: Tickets on Sale for “Live and Let Bid – An Evening of James Bond” Auction Event

Oct 4: Walk and Roll to School Day

Oct 14: WC Community Service Day, 9am - noon, Walnut Acres

Oct 17: PFC Meeting, 8:15am, Staff Lounge

Oct 18-21 CUYT Fall Play: 101 Dalmations, 7pm, MUR

For key dates 2017-18, click here

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Birthday Marquee

In case you missed this opportunity at the Ice Cream Social, we're opening the electronic marquee board for a fun way to contribute to your school while putting a smile on your child's face. For a $25 donation, the greeting “Happy Birthday ‘Your Child’s Name’” will be on display from 7am-9pm on your date of choice. We are currently only accepting dates that fall between October 2017- June 2018. To order, go to the Konstella Marquee Sales page by Friday, September 15th.

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Enrollment is Now Open for Fall Enrichment

First class begins September 22nd

Enrollment for the Fall Enrichment Classes is now open and classes begin next week. Enrichment classes are held after school hours and are available on a first come/first serve basis for Walnut Acres students, grade K – 5. All registration is by mail directly to the class vendors.Classes offered this Fall:

Monday: Black Dragon Chess (Grades 1 - 5)

Tuesday: Mundo Espanol Spanish Enrichment (Grades K - 5)

Thursday: One on One Sports Dodgeball (Grades K - 5)

Friday: Sarah’s Science - Toyology (Grades 1 - 4)

Go to the Enrichment page of the PFC website for more details.

Questions? Please email Kristen Gray at enrichment@walnutacrespfc.net

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Coming Soon: School Photos by iClickSmiles

We are excited to announce that iClickSmiles Photography will be taking Fall photos at Walnut Acres in two weeks!

Photos will be taken on: Monday September 25th

and Tuesday September 26th

There are no envelopes to fill out prior to photo day, and all students will be photographed for free. You will be able to view and order photos online about 10 days after pictures are taken. More details will be available next week.

Please mark your calendar now so photo day doesn’t sneak up on you, and visit the IClickSmiles website for tips for a successful photo day.

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After School Music Enrichment for 4th and 5th Graders

Begins Wednesday, September 27th

Attention 4th and 5th grade parents! The After School Music Enrichment Program is open for enrollment. This is a great way for your kids to learn an instrument in a fun and low stress setting. Classes are on Wednesdays from 12:45-1:45, from September through June. No prior experience is necessary. The first class is September 27 so get signed up soon to reserve your spot! Go to Music Enrichment on the PFC website for more details.* * * * *

Buy Your 2017-18 Yearbook Now!

This year, yearbooks are available for online purchase only. Buy a yearbook now to guarantee that your child receives a book. To purchase, go to https://www.yearbookordercenter.com. Enter school code10053.

Yearbooks are $25 dollars until October 1st and $30 dollars October 2nd- April 15th. April 15th is the last day to order a yearbook.

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Have photos to share for the yearbook? We would love to consider them for the yearbook! Go to www.hjeshare.com. enter school code ‘walnutacres’. Enter as much information about the event, grade or teacher please. We do not need student names (use unknown or n/a in the name field). The more you share the better our yearbook can be!

Thank you from the Yearbook Co-Chairs: Yearbook@walnutacrespfc.net

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Walk & Roll to School Day is Wednesday, October 4th!

Wednesday, October 4th is Walnut Acres first Walk & Roll to School Day of the new school year! We will be celebrating National Walk to School Day that day, along with Foothill Middle School.

WHY walk & roll? It's fun, healthy, reduces traffic, it's pollution-free, and it gives students responsibility and builds independence! Click here for event details and to find out where you can meet up with a Walk & Roll group near you. And, don't forget to check in when you arrive at school to be counted and get a prize!

Students are reminded to use Street Smarts to stay safe while biking, skateboarding, riding scooters and walking:

Always...

  • Wear helmets,

  • Ride on the right side of the road (go in the same direction as traffic),

  • Stop at red lights and stop signs,

  • Make eye contact with drivers,

  • When walking: Use crosswalks and Stop, Look, & Listen before crossing streets!

Parents are also reminded to use Street Smarts while driving in the 20 MPH school zone. Your children - and their classmates - are worth the extra time it takes to drive safely.

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Please join us for Community Service Day 2017! Walnut Acres Elementary School

Saturday October 14, 2017 (9am - 12noon)

Please sign up on the City of Walnut Creek's Community Service Day website which includes all the project details and required registration information. This year's Walnut Acres projects are Landscaping Beautification and Map and Checkerboard Repainting. Questions? Contact Courtney Wasserman at communityserviceday@walnutacrespfc.net.

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NEW! Drive Thru Sign Ups by Grade Level!

This year, we are trying something a little different at the Drive Thru. Each month, a different class level will be responsible for opening doors and greeting our students in the morning. We will begin in September with the 5th Grade parents, then the 4th Grade parents will help out in October. Click here for 5th Grade September sign ups and here for 4th Grade October sign ups. We need 4 parents per day, Monday - Thursday. Fridays will continue to be Father Fridays with our awesome dads greeting the kids in the morning. Please sign up now - it's a short commitment - just 20 minutes from 7:40 - 8:00 am, but it makes a huge difference in getting our school days off to a good start!

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Get Ready for the “Live and Let Bid” Auction Event of the Year!

Our live auction fundraiser is back this year with a fantastic James Bond theme, and now’s the time to get involved!

What is it?

  • Glam evening of dinner, dancing, and fun with fabulous items up for bid

  • Friday, March 9, 2018 at Boundary Oaks Golf Course (buy tickets starting October 1,2017)

  • Money raised goes to support Walnut Acres Elementary programs for OUR KIDS!

We need donations of items that will attract bids – more details on our Donation Inspiration page: http://www.walnutacrespfc.net/fundraisers/auction/auction-donation-inspirations

Learn more about what to expect and how you can help on our Auction website:

www.walnutacrespfc.net/fundraisers/auction

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Seeking Lunch Patrol Volunteers

Did you know that we depend on parent volunteers to help our students during lunchtime? Lunch Patrol volunteers assist at lunch and recess between 11:20 am and 1:00 pm. It's a great way to visit your kids and get to know their friends, all while helping out the school. If you are a first grade parent, we encourage you to sign up in September when our newest lunch buddies (the first graders) are getting used to doing lunch at school. They really love seeing mom or dad helping out! We request that each family volunteer for Lunch Patrol at least 3 times per school year. Please sign up on Konstella or email lunchpatrol@walnutacrespfc.net.

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Box Tops for Education: Turn your Box Tops into $ for Walnut Acres!

Have you been saving your Box Tops throughout the summer? Bring them to the office (or send them in a ziploc bag with your student) and put them in the Box Tops container. Box Tops collected by Friday, September 15 will be turned in for the Fall Box Top collection.

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Shop and Earn... Sign up NOW to earn money for Walnut Acres ALL YEAR LONG!

When purchasing items on Amazon, be sure to click on our Amazon Linkbefore you check out. You can also find the link at the bottom left-hand side of your Konstella screen. (You might need to refresh Konstella to see it.) This is a new program that will donate a larger percentage of your purchase to WAPFC. Save this link to your favorites and use it every time you shop with Amazon.

And, be sure you sign up to be a Sports Basement Basementeer. Sign up in the store the next time you go to check out. (They do not currently offer online enrollment in the program.) The Basementeer program gives you an instant 10% off purchases at Sports Basement AND Sports Basement donates another 10% to our school. When you sign up, be sure to designate Walnut Acres Elementary as your beneficiary school.

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Volunteer Fingerprinting Information If you are new to our school and plan to volunteer in the classroom or on campus, we suggest you get fingerprinted as soon as possible. It's strongly suggested that you take care of this detail as soon as possible. If you wait, there will likely be a long wait list (and therefore a long delay) for the fingerprinting appointments.

Volunteers are a vital part of Walnut Acres, but only authorized volunteers are able to participate in classrooms and on campus. The MDUSD website outlines all the information you need. Click here: volunteer information.

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Community Announcements

Check out upcoming Community Events listed on our Community Announcements page.