March 2013

Character Trait of the Month:  Citizenship

Do your share to make your school and community better • Cooperate • Get involved in community affairs • Stay informed; vote • Be a good neighbor • Obey laws and rules • Respect authority • Protect the environment • Volunteer

Dear Parents:

Speaking of Citizenship!  Host Families needed for our Chinese visitors:Please consider being a host family for our Chinese visitors from our sister school in Hangzhou, China.  Country Club will be hosting 20 students and 5 teachers from Bachou School April 23-26th.  Students aged 9-10 will pair up with host families (2 students/family). Families with students of any age can sign up to be a host family. Families who hosted last year say it is an unforgettable experience! More information forthcoming.  If you are interested, please call Mrs. McCarthy.

Conference Week Reminders:  We are on an early dismissal schedule due to Parent/Teacher conferences.  Teachers have been preparing diligently for conferences with assessments and reporting. We know that establishing positive relationships and communication with your child’s teacher helps to foster student success.  Thank you for partnering with us.

Ability Awareness Fairis coming to Country Club. March 18-22.  During this week, our students will have the opportunity to hear guest speakers and experience activities.  Students will rotate through a variety of activities centered on understanding the special needs of many students.  Guide Dogs for the blind, Canine Companions are just a few. 

Parents are invited to a special event on Wed. March 20^th at 7:00 PM. Rosemary Wheeler, school psychologist, will be here to present Strategies for a Successful Transition to in Middle School. All parents, regardless of your student’s age, are invited to attend.  Snacks provided by PTA.

Roger Crawford, renowned Para Olympian, motivational speaker, and local star will be speaking to our students at an assembly on Thursday, March 21^st.  His message about how you can overcome any obstacle is so inspirational for all! Thanks to Mrs. Kamins and PTA Ability Awareness Committee for sponsoring these activities.

Our Transition to Common Core State Standards:Our staff has been hard at work studying and implementing activities based on math and English Language Arts Common Core.  This month, students will be working on math tasks, which will encourage students to employ the 8 mathematical practices. The 8 mathematical practices are:

1. Make sense of problems
2. Use numbers and symbols to show my thinking
3. Explain my thinking and listen to others
4. Use what I know to solve problems
5. Decide on the best tools to solve the problem
6. Solve problems correctly and explain clearly.
7. Find patterns and make generalizations
8. Use different strategies to decide if my plan and answer make sense.

Very Special People!  What a delight to see over 320 Dad and VSPs here on March 6^th.  Sponsored by our PTA, this event celebrates our community, our commitment to education, and fosters the love of reading.  Visiting classrooms, I was so impressed to see our VSPs taking time to sit on the carpet or in little chairs reading with one student or five students. Thanks to our PTA and our staff for your enthusiasm and dedication to providing opportunities in the celebration of READING!

I am off to China with a delegation from the SRVUSD, to visit our Sister School in Hangzhou.  I’m bringing gifts of Cougar spirit war to the principal as well as a movie about CC, created by some 5^th graders, photos, Jelly Bellies, and Ghirardelli chocolate.  I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with you, the staff, and our students!

Have a great month!

Sincerely,

Jenise Falk

Principal