Roy Cloud School Newsletter

June 13, 2013

Dates to Remember

Last day of school - 1:30 dismissal 6/14
First day of school 8/26

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents, As this year is coming to an end, I would like to acknowledge so many people for the success of this year!

Parent Volunteers - Roy Cloud has so many amazing parents volunteering their time to make it a wonderful place to learn. Yesterday the Roy Cloud teachers put together a coffee/tea honoring all parent volunteers at Roy Cloud School. Thank you to the many volunteers who have helped out this year with a variety of things: Art in Action, science lessons, classroom helpers, room parents, field trips, PE, etc. We couldn't do it all without our wonderful parent volunteers. There was also a special dedication yesterday to a few of these parents who were awarded Roy Cloud's Honorary Service Award for 2013.

This award was started last year to honor volunteers who have given years of service to the school. Thank you so much this year's Roy Cloud 2013 Honorary Service Award winners:

Suzy Rohlfes, Susie Peyton, Meredith McLean

Site Council- Thank you for all those who served on this year. Jennifer Pagano, our president, Robin Klein, Amy Truesdale, Adrian Smith, Lily Morrison, Linda Keifer, Nick Tsivikas, Dee Miller, Dana Hardester, and Judy Venezia. I would also like to welcome our newest members to the School Site Council. Yvonne Sarles and Elizabeth Rockwell are volunteering to help us with the 2013-2014 school year.

PTO - This year we have implemented so many new programs and enrichments for our students, thanks to the efforts of our PTO leaders, Sarah Orton and Meredith McLean! This year we have a fabulous new counselor, Juli Stringfield, who has contributed so much to our school this year. Our Learning Garden has never looked better thanks to the efforts of our own Denise Chappelle, the Dad's Club and Josie Watson, our Hidden Villa docent. Thanks to the PTO funding, we were able to work with Hidden Villa this year to make our garden an amazing place for our students to be. The whole PTO team has worked diligently to make our school activities happen! There were so many people who made this year work, and I can't thank them enough.

Teachers and staff - Our staff has done an amazing job of moving our school in a new direction. With the implementation of Tribes, our school is working towards becoming a more inclusive and caring community of learners. With the new implementation of the Common Core Standards, we are working on more project based learning, deeper critical and thinking skills. I have to commend our teachers for all their hard work in creating new and innovative lessons this year. We have only just begun!

Retirees - It really feels like an end of an era. Having both Karen Rende and Jeanne Panos leaving, is a huge loss for our school. While my time at Roy Cloud has only been since 2001, I don't know what our school is going to be with out them. These two epitomize what our school stands for. They have been the most devoted teachers, always looking out for their students. I will miss both of them so much but I know we will still see them both from time to time.  They are both always going to be part of our Roy Cloud Family!

Finally, I would like to say goodbye and best wishes to our 8th grade students and families. Tonight will be a wonderful night to remember for all of us who are going to the Promotion Ceremony.

Sincerely,

Greg Land

School News

8th Grade Dance Chaperones Needed The 8th Grade Graduation Dance is Friday, June 14th at 6:30pm. It is customary for the 7th grade parents to chaperone this dance for our children, although any middle school parents would be appreciated. Please volunteer your time and be a chaperone for our kids. It will be very much appreciated by all. Thank you in advance! Click here to sign up:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E054DAAAC2CA75-chaperones

GATE Testing Information

Parents will be notified in late August if their child is qualified to enter the Gifted and Talented Program (GATE) in the Fall based on May 2013 STAR scores. The RCSD will receive STAR scores in late August and if students score 582 or higher in either Total Reading or Total Math, students will be qualified for GATE. Parents will receive a letter in the mail in late August if their child is qualified.

PTO News

Used Book Fair a Success!

We hope your kids enjoyed the used book sale last week. Many kids bought a lot of great books for summer reading, and it was fun to see them so excited. Thank you to Jennifer Clark for organizing this great event. In addition to re-purposing a lot of wonderful books, this event also raised $2,000 for the school.
2013-2014 PTO Officers and Committee Chairs

Thank you to everyone who voted to approve our 2013-2014 PTO Officers and Committee Chairs. We have amazing group of leaders for next year!

President - Tammy Cattarin

VP of Communications - Kay Newby

VP of After School Programs -Janet Scoville

VP of Direct Donations -Valerie Peoples

VP of Fundraising - Saskia Brussee

Secretary - Julie Lanz

Treasurer - Jim Balestieri

Financial Secretary - Dina Borg

Parliamentarian - Kathy Smith

Room Parent Coordinator - Alicia Truby

Dad's Club Coordinator - Bill King

Website - Robin Klein & Sarah Orton

Facebook - Mary Askins & Robin Bulanti

Staff Appreciation Coordinator - Yvonne Sarles & Victoria Melamead

Directory - Jim Balestieri

Auditor- Lisa Kapral

Escrip - Natalia Latimer

Fall Book Fair - Rebecca Ratcliff & Linda Brobeck

Spring Used Book Sale -Jennifer Clark

Gift Wrap Chairs - Tammy Cattarin, Danielle Ryan, & Kay Newby

Auction Chairs - Amy Truesdale & Sarah Orton

Jog-a-thon Chair - Michele Harkov

Principal's Coffees - Dina Borg

Art in Action Coordinator - Staci Homrig & Gina Magliocco

MSI/LHS Science Coordinator - Julie Snyder & Allison Benjamin

Drama Coordinator - Kathy Smith

K/1 Music Coordinator - Beth Nowell

Parking/Safety Coordinator - Jacquie Eichhorn

Father/Daughter Dance Coordinator - Alicia Truby & Nancy Mein

Mother/Son Event Coordinator - Tricia Faggiolly & Lisa Furtado

Learning Garden Coordinator - Denise Chappelle

School Beautification Coordinator - Lisa Furtado

Wellness Coordinator - Meredith McLean

Safe Routes to School - Julie Crouteau & Rebecca Ratcliff

Emergency Preparedness Coordinator - Susie Rohlfes

RCEF Ambassador - Mary Askins

Turn in Box Tops

The end of the school year is almost here! Turn in those Box Tops for Education before they expire. You can turn them in to your child's classroom teacher or to the school office.

SAVE THE DATE for Back-to-School Clean Up!

Save the Date to make our campus beautiful for the first day of school. Join us for the first annual Roy Cloud Family Fall Cleanup Day on Saturday, August 24th at 9am. Bring your wheelbarrows, rakes, garden tools, gloves, hats and sunscreen. We will be pulling weeds, planting flowers, and trimming things up to make our school sparkle. Students welcome. We will bring the coffee and donuts if you bring the elbow grease. Together we will inspire children to work together as a Roy Cloud community to create a beautiful campus.

Roy Cloud Newsletter

June 6, 2013

Dates to Remember

Last day of school Friday, 6/14 – 1:30 Dismissal

First Day of School 2013-2013 Monday, 8/26

Message from the Principal

Greetings Parents!

Can you believe it's June?! We are at the tail end of a great year of new experiences with TRIBES and Technology! We now have a mission statement developed by our stakeholders:

Developing a community of students empowered with knowledge and skill for the future

Not only that but we are beginning to shift towards the National Common Core Standards. We have come a long way this year. There has been so many great experiences that have been created by and for our students! Here are some pictures to enjoy from our classes just this last two weeks:

Mrs. Panos' and Ms. Bacigalupi's class working on their Native American Presentations.
3rd grade's "Vacation on Mars" play by our favorite director Karen Rende!

Eighth grade Career presentations (This one is Cosmetology!)

First Graders during International Day!

It's been a great year! Thank you all for your support and efforts this year,

Greg Land

School Events

8th Grade Dance Chaperones Needed- The 8th Grade Graduation Dance is Friday, June 14th at 6:30pm. It is customary for the 7th grade parents to chaperone this dance for our children, although any middle school parents would be appreciated. Please volunteer your time and be a chaperone for our kids. It will be very much appreciated by all. Thank you in advance! Click here to sign up: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E054DAAAC2CA75-chaperones

Roy Cloud Girl's Soccer Team Wins Championship

After losing to the McKinley Bulldogs in the first game of the regular season, the Roy Cloud girl's soccer team set the record straight and beat McKinley 3-0 on Monday to win the championship! The win is the second middle school girl's championship in a row for Roy Cloud.

Congratulations to this year's team!

Karina B., Giana B., Madison C., Hayley C., Morgan G., Sarah G., Estela G., Kayla H., Giselle H., Mollie K., Kimberly M., Hailey M., Jessie M., Kira N., LeAndra Q., Brittany T.,

Coaches Wendy C. and Kurt B.

PTO News

The Used Book Fair has begun!

Hours are:

Thursday 12pm-3pm
Friday 8am-9am and 12pm-3:30pm
Come see the amazing selection of books for all ages! On Friday, beginning at 1:45, you may fill a grocery bag full of books for $5! Note that we are open during your child's lunch so they may want to browse and buy then too! If you still want to bring books in to donate we will take them on Thursday only.

Fund-a-Need Update

Thanks to the many generous donations make at the auction this year, we generated funds targeted for technology at Roy Cloud. We are happy to report that we have ordered two Chromebook carts with 32 Chromebooks each, and additional ipads for the younger grades to keep in the classroom. In addition, we are sending 10 teachers to a Google Summit this July to learn more about Google Docs and Chromebooks. It is our hope to start the fall off ready to go with our new technology. We will keep you posted on our progress. Thank you again to those of you who donated to this fund!

Turn in Box Tops

The end of the school year is almost here! Turn in those Box Tops for Education before they expire. You can turn them in to your child's classroom teacher or to the school office.

SAVE THE DATE for Back-to-School Clean Up!

Save the Date to make our campus beautiful for the first day of school. Join us for the first annual Roy Cloud Family Fall Cleanup Day on Saturday, August 24th at 9am. Bring your wheelbarrows, rakes, garden tools, gloves, hats and sunscreen. We will be pulling weeds, planting flowers, and trimming things up to make our school sparkle. Students welcome. We will bring the coffee and donuts if you bring the elbow grease. Together we will inspire children to work together as a Roy Cloud community to create a beautiful campus.

Roy Cloud Newsletter

May 30, 2013

Dates to Remember

Last day of school 6/14

Message from the Principal

Greetings Roy Cloud Families!

I have the honor of presenting three new Principal's for the Day today. As part of my message today, I am going to let each of them send you a short message as part of their special day! Before they write you a message, I just have to tell you how great it is to have days like this. Seeing the students observe our school from Kindergarten to Eighth grade is something not many of us get to see. It always amazes and inspires me when I see the older students reading to Kindergarteners in the library or younger students disciplining the older students during lunch in the MUB! This day always reminds me of how lucky I am to be the principal at this school. It's not an easy job with all the budget cuts, the growing enrollment, and the complaints (which I am working on). It is, however, an exciting and rewarding one when I get to see the wonderful things that go on at this school on a regular basis. Have you seen our garden lately? Or have you seen all the classroom performances that are being practiced right now? Just stopping by the MUB, you'll find the first graders practicing their International dancing, or the 3rd graders getting ready for a trip to Mars!

Here's what our new principals think:

Hi I'm Madison and I'm principal for the day.I think that this school is awesome! :)

Hi I'm Oscar, and I think that Roy Cloud is a great school! I am enjoying being principal for today!

Hi I'm Zachary I think this is a great school. I really like that this school has a library. I have got to agree to what Mr. Land said about older kids reading to younger kids. Have a great day!

Warm Regards,

Greg Land

School Events

8th Grade Dance Chaperones Needed- The 8th Grade Graduation Dance is Friday, June 14th at 6:30pm. It is customary for the 7th grade parents to chaperone this dance for our children, although any middle school parents would be appreciated. Please volunteer your time and be a chaperone for our kids. It will be very much appreciated by all.Thank you in advance! Click here to sign up: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E054DAAAC2CA75-chaperones

Roy Cloud Girl's Soccer Team to Defend Championship Title!

Next Monday, June 3, the Roy Cloud girl's soccer team will defend its championship title at 4:00p.m. at Kennedy Middle School. After a 7-1 season, the team will play the McKinley Bulldogs -- the only team Roy Cloud lost to in its regular season. Come support your fellow students, and cheer on as they set the record straight and defend last year's championship title!!

Important Safe Routes to School Information

GRAND PRIZE RAFFLE
The final raffle of the year will be held next week. Walk home from school on Thursday or to school on Friday to earn your raffle ticket. Three lucky walkers will win their own iTouch!

SAFE MOVES
Safe Moves, a non-profit organization recognized as the leading authority in traffic safety education in the country, will be at Roy Cloud on Monday, June 3 and Tuesday, June 4 to present traffic safety education for all students - kindergarten through eight grade. Safe Moves has been featured on "The Today Show", "Good Morning, America", "20/20", "Dateline" and "Oprah" as well as in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Newsweek, Time Magazine and Sports Illustrated.

PLANNING
You are invited to attend the City of Redwood City's Safe Routes to School Recommendations Report Review at Roy Cloud School on Wednesday, June 5th from 6:30- 8:00 PM. This meeting is an important opportunity to share your thoughts on the draft of recommended improvements to improve walking and biking access to school for students and their families.

PTO News

All Jog-a-thon Pledges Due Tomorrow!

Remember that Jog-a-thon Pledges are to the office tomorrow, May 31^st. Top fundraising prizes will be announced next week! Make sure all your pledges are counted! Questions about pledges? Contact Erica Vairora.

Used Book Sale coming soon!

The Used Book Fair is next week! Check with your child's teacher to see if their class will be visiting the book sale.The book sale will also be open on Thursday 6/6 from 12-3pm and on Friday 6/7 8-9am or 12-3:30pm. Thank you to those who have donated! You can still donate your books by bringing them into the library. We also need helpers! Please sign up to help at:
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/70A084DACA829A57-used

Turn in Box Tops

The end of the school year is almost here! Turn in those Box Tops for Education before they expire. You can turn them in to your child's classroom teacher or to the school office.

2013-2014 PTO Officer and Committee Chairs

It is time to vote for our PTO officers next year: Click here to submit your vote. The survey will be open until Monday, June 3rd. Thank you so much to all of our wonderful volunteers to help run the PTO and support Roy Cloud!

Other News

4th of July Parade Run

The 4th of July Parade Run is coming up soon! This family-friendly 5k run and walk kicks off Redwood City's famous Independence Day celebrations. Family t-shirt sponsorships available until June 1, 2013 - make your family famous! More information and registration at: www.paraderun.org . Proceeds benefit the Redwood City Education Foundation (www.rcef.org).

Roy Cloud Newsletter

May 23, 2013

Click here for a printable PDF of the May 23rd Newsletter

Dates to Remember

Memorial Day holiday - No School- 5/27
Last day of school 6/14 - Minimum Day

Message from the Principal

Greetings Roy Cloud families!

Some students feel that after our state testing or STAR testing is completed that the school is at it's end. It is unfortunate that some feel this way because so much more is going on! I've been in the classrooms watching some incredible lessons using novels and experiments.  Students are coming back with some fantastic tales about their field trips and what they learned. My favorite story was how the 5th grade classes had gone on a boat in the bay and worked on the boat to pull up a net full of what was at the bottom of the bay. They discovered some interesting items that they described. They learned about bio-mimicry and created submarines based on the sea animals they saw and studied. It is important to remind our student that there are so many great moments of learning for the rest of this year. Engage in them and enjoy them!

Warm Regards,

Greg Land

School Events

Buy Your Yearbook Today!

Have you bought your yearbook yet? If not, don't fret; there is still time to order one. If you want to be the owner of a nice, new, shiny 2013 yearbook follow these simple steps: First, go on to our online store at www.balfour.com. Then, type in Roy Cloud and click the icon/picture of last year's yearbook. This will take you to a page where you type in your first name, last name, your grade, and your homeroom. Finally, select the quantity of books you want to order, click add to cart, and you are good to go. You won't be sorry - this year's book will be the best yet, with eye-popping color and some cool new features. Order your yearbook today! Hurry, because yearbooks will only be available online until May 24, 2013.

PTO News

Roy Cloud's Jog-a-thon

Wow! Roy Cloud Students were awesome at our Jog-a-thon last Friday! It was amazing how many laps they were able to complete in a day's time! Thank you for your running efforts, and your Roy Cloud Spirit! This year's Jog-a-thon was a huge success!

Lap Winners - You will be announced next Tuesday! In order to be eligible for a prize, you need to be a participant in the pledge drive.If you have not had a chance to complete your pledges and donations, make sure that they are complete this weekend. Thanks for your Roy Cloud support!

Jog-a-thon 2014

Love the Jog-a-thon? Be part of the team for 2014! Thank you to those who have already volunteered to help with next year's Jog-a-thon. We are just looking for one more person who can coordinate our online pledging next year. This a job that can be done at home and on your own time. And with online pledging, things are so much easier to manage. Please contact Sarah Orton or Meredith McLean if you are interested.

Used Book Sale coming soon!

The Roy Cloud Used Book Sale is a favorite for kids! They can get a lot of fun books for very little money. Thank you so much to those parents who have already dropped off books to the library. If you have forgotten, next week is your last chance! Please drop off gently used books to the library with attention to Jennifer Clark. You can also email her if you are able to help at the book sale on June 5th, 6th, and 7th. Thank you!

The PTO Needs You!

We are already gearing up for next year with an awesome crew of PTO officers and committee chairs. The one position we still need filled is the VP of After School Programs. If you are able to coordinate some of our wonderful programs and vendors, please contact us as soon as possible. As of right now, we will not be offering any after school programs for the next school year.

-Sarah Orton & Meredith McLean

Other News

4th of July Parade Run

The 4th of July Parade Run is coming up soon! This family-friendly 5k run and walk kicks off Redwood City's famous Independence Day celebrations. Family t-shirt sponsorships available until June 1, 2013 - make your family famous! More information and registration at: www.paraderun.org. Proceeds benefit the Redwood City Education Foundation (www.rcef.org).

Roy Cloud Newsletter

May 16, 2013

Dates to Remember

Message from the Principal

Greetings Roy Cloud families!

First of all don't forget about the upcoming Jog-a-thon! These last few years, the Jog-a-thon has been an incredible event! I love running with the students. The kids are smiling and running and it is such a fun time for them! Get your pledges in as well! Friday, May 17th is the day.

On Wednesday, May 15th, we had the Redwood City Police Department here for our 2nd Lockdown/Code Red drill. The teachers and students did a fabulous job. The officers noted that our school was a "ghost town" as we walked around the school. The classes did a great job of building barricades and staying quiet while the police and I surveyed the school site.

Finally, I sent out a notice from the CDC or Center for Disease Control. It seems that there is a stomach virus (not Noro-Virus) that seems to be spreading in our Kindergarten classes. We sent out the email blast with the information that the Center recommended we send out. We will also be thoroughly cleaning the rooms over the next few days as well. The district is devoting extra resources to make this happen.

Warm Regards,
Greg Land

School Events

Free Screening of movie, Bully, on May 16th- Please join Girl Scout Troop 61796 on Thursday, May 16th in the Roy Cloud MUB from 7 to 8pm for a free screening of the 45 minute re-released and edited version of the movie Bully (PG). This award-winning, Lee Hirsch film follows several students and their lives as victims of bullying.The version of the film we will be watching was condensed by the original film makers to target younger students. We are hosting this screening as part of our Take Action project in order to bring attention to this problem in schools. *Please note that only 6th grade and older students may attend and students must be accompanied by an adult. Reserve your space at http://bullyscreening.eventbrite.com.

Car Wash and Bake Sale 

Buy Your Yearbook Today! - Have you bought your yearbook yet? If not, don't fret; there is still time to order one. If you want to be the owner of a nice, new, shiny 2013 yearbook follow these simple steps: First, go on to our online store at www.balfour.com. Then, type in Roy Cloud and click the icon/picture of last year's yearbook. This will take you to a page where you type in your first name, last name, your grade, and your homeroom. Finally, select the quantity of books you want to order, click add to cart, and you are good to go. You won't be sorry - this year's book will be the best yet, with eye-popping color and some cool new features. Order your yearbook today! Hurry, because yearbooks will only be available online until May 24, 2013.

PTO News

Roy Cloud's Jog-a-thon is TOMORROW! Are you ready?

Have you?...

1. Set up a pledge page for your student(s) on our online site or filled out a pledge sheet?

Click here for a paper copy of the pledge sheet.

www.roycloudjogathon.dojiggy.com

2. Pledged your teachers? Participating teachers can be found on the Dojiggy teacher page!

3. Signed up to Volunteer tomorrow or to bring an item for the event? http://vols.pt/QWp1JC

4. Bought a Roy Cloud Jog-a-thon t-shirt? Wear spirit wear tomorrow to show your Roy Cloud Spirit and a chance to win some amazing prizes. T-shirts for sale after school today.

Any questions? Please email Meredith McLean.

Here is the Jog-a-thon schedule for tomorrow:

• Kindergarten 8:30-8:50

• First Grade 9:00 - 9:20

• Second Grade 9:30 - 9:50

• Third Grade 10:45 - 11:05

• Fourth Grade 11:15 - 11:35

• Fifth Grade 11:45 - 12:05

• Sixth Grade 12:20 - 12:40

• Seventh Grade 1:30-1:50

• Eighth Grade 2:00 - 2:20

Other News

Wednesday May 22nd - Whole Foods 5% Day BENEFITS the RCEF

The Redwood City Education Foundation & Whole Foods Market KEEP MUSIC in OUR SCHOOLS Event. Here is a great opportunity to support music education in our schools. It's easy -- just stock up at the Redwood City Whole Foods Market on Wednesday May 22 (perfect timing for your Memorial Day gathering that weekend!). 5% of all sales, all day, go to keep music education for our kids. Last year's event raised $5,200! From 9 am to 7 pm, stop by the RCEF table by the cash registers and meet some of our RCEF volunteers and local education leaders. From 9 to 11 am, enjoy a free cup of coffee and pastry, free morning makeover for Mom and face painting for children. At 3:15 pm, The Orion School Chorus will sing led by teacher Robbie Fredericks. At 5 pm, buy some delicious dinner from the Whole Foods pop-up kiosk and have a seat while enjoying musical entertainment by the Woodside High School Band (led by Bill Tolles), featuring some of our talented Redwood City School District alumni. Face painting for children. The Keep Music in Our Schools Campaign supports the middle school Instrumental Music Program. RCEF has been working since 1983 to advance and enrich education opportunities for all students in the K-8 Redwood City School District. Learn more at: www.rcef.org .

COMMON CORE USHERS IN NEW WAY OF LEARNING: PARENT INFORMATION MEETINGS PLANNED

Learn about the Common Core State Standards, and how the Redwood City School District is preparing to teach the new standards.

Date/Time: May 16, 7 p.m. OR May 22, 9 a.m.

Place: Redwood City School District Board Room, 750 Bradford St., Redwood City, CA

Teachers, principals and staff in the Redwood City School District are hard at work learning new ways to teach students that will prepare them for work and life in the 21st Century. Planning is well underway for the transition to teaching the new Common Core State Standards, now adopted by 46 states, plus the District of Columbia. The Common Core Standards emphasize depth and complexity, use of technology and evidence-based analysis of text. Students will explore, collaborate, and discuss complex ideas in depth. Teachers will nurture creativity and critical thinking, and use technology as a teaching and learning tool. Learning will be interactive, and teachers will ask probing questions as students discuss and analyze information together. We encourage you to attend one of the meetings to hear more details and ask questions. Deputy Superintendent John Baker and Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment/Staff Development Director Wendy Kelly will tell you the plans in place for RCSD classrooms, how teachers are being supported in this transition, and answer your questions about the Common Core Standards.

Roy Cloud Newsletter

May 9, 2013

Click here for a printable PDF of the May 9th, 2013 Newsletter

Dates to Remember

STAR Testing 4/30-5/10
Teacher Appreciation Day 5/10
Jog-a-thon 5/17

Message from the Principal

Greetings Roy Cloud Families!

Over the next few weeks Roy Cloud will be accepting nominations for our Honorary Service Award for parent volunteers who have given a countless number of hours to the school. Roy Cloud has so many amazing parents volunteering their time to make it a wonderful place to learn. We would like to honor these parents.

The first step is to ask the entire community for nominations, either of yourself or others. These recommendations will go to the Nominating Committee, which consist of the Principal, members of the PTO, and members of the Site Council.

Between now and May 20, please think of people who have given exceptional volunteer service to Roy Cloud and nominate them for this Honorary Service Award. You should consider their service not only this year but during their entire time at Roy Cloud. We encourage nominations of people who work behind the scenes, whose work may not be as visible as others but is just as valuable. Please tell us why you are nominating this person, providing any information that could help the Nominating Committee make a decision. All nominations are due by the end of the day on Monday, May 20. Please send all nominations directly to me, Greg Land. If possible, please write a brief paragraph on why you are nominating this person. Feel free to reply to this email.

And finally, please join me in saying "Thank You" whenever you see someone giving their valuable time to our school and students. This is what makes Roy Cloud the amazing school it is.

Warm Regards,
Greg Land

School Events

Washington D.C. Fundraiser at Johnny Rockets on May 11th

Please come and support the 8th graders going to Washington DC. We will have a second Johnny Rockets day on Saturday, May 11th. Flyers will go home in the Thursday folders today. Come by Johnny Rockets at Sequoia Station between 10:30 am and 11:00 pm.

Free Screening of movie, Bully, on May 16th

Please join Girl Scout Troop 61796 on Thursday, May 16th in the Roy Cloud MUB from 7 to 8pm for a free screening of the 45 minute re-released and edited version of the movie Bully (PG). This award-winning, Lee Hirsch film follows several students and their lives as victims of bullying. The version of the film we will be watching was condensed by the original film makers to target younger students. We are hosting this screening as part of our Take Action project in order to bring attention to this problem in schools. *Please note that only 6th grade and older students may attend and students must be accompanied by an adult. Reserve your space at http://bullyscreening.eventbrite.com.

Buy Your Yearbook Today!

Have you bought your yearbook yet? If not, don't fret; there is still time to order one.  If you want to be the owner of a nice, new, shiny 2013 yearbook follow these simple steps: First, go on to our online store at www.balfour.com. Then, type in Roy Cloud and click the icon/picture of last year's yearbook. This will take you to a page where you type in your first name, last name, your grade, and your homeroom. Finally, select the quantity of books you want to order, click add to cart, and you are good to go. You won't be sorry - this year's book will be the best yet, with eye-popping color and some cool new features. Order your yearbook today!Hurry, because yearbooks will only be available online until May 24, 2013.

PTO News

Got Pledges? Roy Cloud's Jog-a-thon is Friday, May17th

New this year! Online Pledging. Create your own web page and send it to family and friends so they can see your goals for this year's run!Or fill out a pledge sheet in the office. www.roycloudjogathon.dojiggy.com

Pledge your teachers! Participating teachers can be found on the Dojiggy teacher page!

Volunteers Needed! We need your help. Please sign up online to help out the day of the Jog-a-thon for a short shift. We need lap counters, data entry helpers, hospitality volunteers and a number of items to be brought ahead of time:

1. Go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/QWp1JC

2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot)

3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy! Any questions? Please email Meredith McLean at Meredith.mclean@me.com. Go Roy Cloud Thunderbolts!

Thank you for the awesome Mother/Son Event

Thank you to Lisa Furtado and Trisha Barrett for organizing the fun Mother/Son event last Friday - it was a blast!

Used Book Fair will be the first Week of June

We need your used books! Please drop them off in the school library. All age ranges accepted. Like-new puzzles and games also accepted. Questions? Contact Jennifer Clark.

The PTO Needs You!

Thank you to those listed below for volunteering for our much needed PTO positions next year! We are still in need of someone to coordinate the After School Programs at Roy Cloud. If you would like to see after school programs continue next year, please consider this role. Or work with friend and even co-chair this position! The VP of After School Programs organizes the various vendors we offer each trimester, so most of the volunteer hours occur just at the beginning of each trimester. If your child has attended any of our after school programs this year, we need your help. Unfortunately, there will NOT be any after school programs offered next school year if we do not have a coordinator. Please contact us this week if you are interested. Thank you! -Meredith McLean and Sarah Orton

2013-2014 Roy Cloud PTO Officer Candidates

President - Tammy Cattarin

VP of Communications - Kay Newby

VP of After School Programs - OPEN

VP of Direct Donations - Valerie Peoples

VP of Fundraising - Open

Secretary - Julie Lanz

Treasurer - Jim Balestieri

Parliamentarian - Kathy Smith

Financial Secretary - Dina Borg

Auction Chairs - Amy Truesdale & Sarah Orton

Room Parent Coordinator - Alicia Truby

Dad's Club Coordinator -Bill King

Other News

Wednesday May 22nd - 9 am to 7 pm- Whole Foods 5% Day BENEFITS the RCEF

The Redwood City Education Foundation & Whole Foods Market KEEP MUSIC in OUR SCHOOLS Event. Here is a great opportunity to support music education in our schools. It's easy -- just stock up at the Redwood City Whole Foods Market on Wednesday May 22 (perfect timing for your Memorial Day gathering that weekend!). 5% of all sales, all day, go to keep music education for our kids. Last year's event raised $5,200! Stop by the RCEF table by the cash registers and meet some of our RCEF volunteers and local education leaders. From 9 to 11 am, enjoy a free cup of coffee and pastry, free morning makeover for Mom and face painting for children. At 3:15 pm, the Orion School Chorus will sing led by teacher Robbie Fredericks. At 5 pm, buy some delicious dinner from the Whole Foods pop-up kiosk and have a seat while enjoying musical entertainment by the Woodside High School Band (led by Bill Tolles), featuring some of our talented Redwood City School District alumni. Face painting for children. The Keep Music in Our Schools Campaign supports the middle school Instrumental Music Program. RCEF has been working since 1983 to advance and enrich education opportunities for all students in the K-8 Redwood City School District. Learn more at: www.rcef.org .

COMMON CORE USHERS IN NEW WAY OF LEARNING: PARENT INFORMATION MEETINGS PLANNED

Learn about the Common Core State Standards, and how the Redwood City School District is preparing to teach the new standards.

Date/Time: May 16, 7 p.m. OR May 22, 9 a.m.

Place: Redwood City School District Board Room, 750 Bradford St., Redwood City

Teachers, principals and staff in the Redwood City School District are hard at work learning new ways to teach students that will prepare them for work and life in the 21st Century. Planning is well underway for the transition to teaching the new Common Core State Standards, now adopted by 46 states, plus the District of Columbia. The Common Core Standards emphasize depth and complexity, use of technology and evidence-based analysis of text. Students will explore, collaborate, and discuss complex ideas in depth. Teachers will nurture creativity and critical thinking, and use technology as a teaching and learning tool. Learning will be interactive, and teachers will ask probing questions as students discuss and analyze information together. We encourage you to attend one of the meetings to hear more details and ask questions. Deputy Superintendent John Baker and Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment/Staff Development Director Wendy Kelly will tell you the plans in place for RCSD classrooms, how teachers are being supported in this transition, and answer your questions about the Common Core Standards.

Roy Cloud Newsletter May 2, 2013
Click here for a printable PDF document of the May 2, 2013 Newsletter

Dates to Remember

Message from the Principal

Greetings!
What has two legs, striding arms and a whole lot of spirit and pride? You guessed it. A Roy Cloud student running at the Jog-a-thon! I love this day. This day is all about The Thunderbolts. They run. They earn. They cheer. What an amazing community event that brings together teachers, parents and students for a great cause. Our school, Roy Cloud needs your support this May! Please don't miss out on this fun day.

The Jog-a-thon will be held on Friday, May 17th. I encourage you to participate and volunteer. Join your child in a fundraiser that they can be the main character - the hero!

Congratulations to Adia H. for winning the Jog-a-thon t-shirt design contest! Her design will be on this year's Jog-a-thon T-shirt.

School Events

Thank You Roy Cloud Teachers for a Wonderful Open House!

As always, Open House was a wonderful evening to celebrate and see the special things that go on at Roy Cloud. A special thank you to the teachers and staff who worked so hard to get everything ready! What a great night!

Parent Education Night - Monday, May 6^th -We have another wonderful parent education night coming up on Monday May 6th at 6:45 pm in the Roy Cloud Library. The presenters will be from Adolescent Counseling Services, an organization based out of Palo Alto, who will be presenting on meeting the developmental needs of pre-adolescent and adolescent teens. Additionally, they will highlight ways on how to facilitate healthy growth during these crucial years.

Give your child a boost for STAR Testing
Walk to school from April 29 to May 10! Walking to school boosts students' concentration abilities by up to a half grade. Best of all, according to a recent Danish study of 20,000 school children, these benefits last four hours - through the whole morning of testing! Most of our Walking School Buses will be running daily through testing, so join an existing route or create your own. For more information on Walking School routes and stops, visit:http://www.rcsd.k12.ca.us/Page/3432
Questions? Contact Rebecca Ratcliff (Gellrich) cliffrat@hotmail.com

PTO News

Roy Cloud's 2013 Jog-a-thon is Friday, May 17th!

REGISTER YOUR CHILD ONLINE - NEW!This year we are using an online service, DoJiggy, to help us collect pledges for our runners and teachers. Please register your child today at roycloudjogathon.dojiggy.com. Once registered, your child can make their own webpage (very simple) by adding goals, pictures, and other pertinent information. This can be sent with a click of the button to family and friends, and be posted on Facebook and Twitter if you wish. All students that participate in the pledge drive and sign up online will receive a special prize the day of the Jog-a-thon! If you are unable to do online pledging, we have paper copies available in the office, and our PTO website has the downloadable forms.

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER ON MAY 17TH - This is a very fun fundraiser for the students, parents and teachers. It takes a lot of preparation and a LOT of help the day of, but we promise you it will be FUN! Please join us as a volunteer the day of, or volunteer to bring something or help with prizes. Here's how to help:

We're using VolunteerSpot to organize our upcoming activity. Here's how it works:

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/QWp1JC

2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account)

3. Sign up! Choose your spots - you will receive automated confirmation and reminders.
Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact Meredith McLean and she can sign you up manually at meredith.mclean@me.com.

PLEDGE YOUR CHILD's TEACHER: Go to roycloudjogathon.dojiggy.com and click on "pledge a teacher". Select your teacher (s) and you can prepay a fixed amount, or pledge an amount per lap. Thank you for your help and for helping us make this year's Jog-a-thon a success! See you on the blacktop Friday, May 17th!

Mother/Son Event - Tomorrow, May 3rdLace up and get rollin' to the RWC Roller Rink Friday night of fun! Join us for the Roy Cloud Mother Son Skate Date Friday, May 3rd , 5:30-7:30 pm Show off your skating moves, enjoy some treats, fun games, crafts and prizes to take home! Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the door. Cash only please. RSVP to trishafbarrett@gmail.com

The PTO Needs You!

Are you interested in having a voice in how PTO dollars are spent? Would you like to have a say in which enrichment programs we offer to your child next year? Please get involved! Listed below are the 2013-2014 PTO officer candidates. We still have a few spots open and we are looking for volunteers to fill these roles. Unfortunately we can not operate successfully without a board of directors. Please also note that we will not be able to offer any After School Programs next year, without a coordinator. We need your help!Please email us if you are interested. In addition to those listed below, we have a number of other committee chair positions open, such as Art in Action, eScrip, Jog-a-thon co-chairs, etc . Please also email us if you are interested in these as well. Thank you! -Meredith McLean and Sarah Orton

2013-2014 Roy Cloud PTO Officer Candidates

President - Tammy Cattarin

VP of Communications - OPEN

VP of After School Programs - OPEN

VP of Direct Donations - Valerie Peoples

VP of Fundraising - OPEN

Secretary - Julie Lanz

Treasurer -Jim Balestieri

Parliamentarian - Kathy Smith

Financial Secretary - Dina Borg

Auction Chairs - Amy Truesdale & Sarah Orton

Room Parent Coordinator - Alicia Truby

Dad's Club Coordinator - Bill King

Direct Donations - It's Not Too Late!

Forgot to donate in the Fall? Couldn't make it to this year's Auction? No problem! You can still help by contributing to the 2012-2013 Direct Donation Campaign! Our goal is to exceed last year's campaign total of $96K. At $84K to date, we still have a way to go. Remember, we need PTO funds in order to keep our existing programs at Roy Cloud (e.g., science, reading support, PE, library, art, music, field trips, middle school electives, after school programs such as drama, etc.). It's easy to contribute online - just go to http://roycloudinfo.com/fundraising/direct-donations/ and click on the Donate button! Alternatively, tear out the form on the 3rd page of your PTO Directory and return it to the office or your child's teacher. (Or pick up a donation form in the office.) While you're at it, take a look at the first two pages of the PTO Directory to see where your PTO funds go. (And see what disappears from our school if we do not continue to raise money!) Please do your part to help. Thank you Roy Cloud families and friends for helping to enrich our kids' school experience!

A HUGE thank you to the Dad's Club for their science night last week, it was a big success! "Your Science Night was a BIG hit with my kids.They found dissecting the owl pellets fascinating. Of course, dry ice, making one's hair stand up straight, and getting ice cream and pizza are always welcome. Best of all, the kids were talking about how things work and why.  They later asked lots of questions about temperature and dry ice and freezing nitrogen and so on. Please extend my appreciation to the whole Dad's Club and all the people who helped put on the Science Night. I hope we can have more events like this one that will inspire kids to experiment learn new things." - Roy Cloud Parent

Other News

RCEF's Benefit for a Brighter Future - this Friday, May 3!

5:30-8:30pm - Canada College

Get your tickets now, before we sell out!
Top 10 reasons to come to our party...

1. The food will be sensational, once again.

2. You can give 3 cheers when Barbara Pierce gets her Lifetime Achievement Award.

3. Our special birthday party magic show will wow you.

4. You can mingle with the who's who of Redwood City.

5. You can win a prize.

6. You can say thanks! to Silicon Valley Community Foundation, 2013 Investor Award winner.

7. Hosted bar with all kinds of drinks, including nonalcoholic.

8. You can clap wildly when Ron Talain and Tommy Vargas receive their Inspiration Awards.

9. Our student success stories will make you laugh, you'll cry (seriously, bring a hankie).

10. Birthday cake.

    
    

COMMON CORE USHERS IN NEW WAY OF LEARNING: PARENT INFORMATION MEETINGS PLANNED

Learn about the Common Core State Standards, and how the Redwood City School District is preparing to teach the new standards.

Date/Time: May 16, 7 p.m. OR May 22, 9 a.m.

Teachers, principals and staff in the Redwood City School District are hard at work learning new ways to teach students that will prepare them for work and life in the 21st Century. Planning is well underway for the transition to teaching the new Common Core State Standards, now adopted by 46 states, plus the District of Columbia. The Common Core Standards emphasize depth and complexity, use of technology and evidence-based analysis of text. Students will explore, collaborate, and discuss complex ideas in depth. Teachers will nurture creativity and critical thinking, and use technology as a teaching and learning tool. Learning will be interactive, and teachers will ask probing questions as students discuss and analyze information together. We encourage you to attend one of the meetings to hear more details and ask questions. Deputy Superintendent John Baker and Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment/Staff Development Director Wendy Kelly will tell you the plans in place for RCSD classrooms, how teachers are being supported in this transition, and answer your questions about the Common Core Standards.

Roy Cloud Newsletter

April 25, 2013

Dates to Remember

Open House - tonight! 6-7pm 4/25
Science Night by the Dad's Club 4/26
Teacher Appreciation Day 5/10
Jog-a-thon 5/17

Message from the Principal

Greetings!

A friend sent me a video of Will.I.am (the singer, artist) and Bill Gates. As you may agree, I thought it was an interesting duo on You Tube. I watched it to see they were talking about something quite interesting, coding and education. The video has testimonials from many of the CEOs and founders of the tech industry talking about the importance and relevance of learning how to program. I had to laugh because one of the stories talked about learning the computer language, "basic" and I remembered how in high school we learned how to move the turtle on the screen using "basic." The term now is how to code.

Preparing our students for the future is one of our most important tasks. It seems that this new language might be something we need to have as part of what we are teaching to our kids, according to the video. It truly feels that there is a change coming in education.

On the other side of the coin, it is the lack of time we have for cursive that also has my attention. When I was first starting to teach, it was a main part of my third grade instruction to teach handwriting from scratch. Many schools still have handwriting as an element of their instruction, and even here we have several grade levels have practice sheets on this. But is cursive a dying art? Of course we need to learn how to sign our name, but how much is cursive used on a regular basis in the "real" world?

Is this a sign of our changing times and what does it mean? Just recently, I was part of a meeting to discuss the use of technology for our schools. A friend reminded us that we must be able to continue to teach with pencil, book and paper. As many teachers know, when using technology, you always need a plan b. Mostly because you never know if everything is working. But it does remind us that we must be balanced in what we are teaching.

My final thoughts are surrounded by the experts out there who know this significant language of coding. If you are one of those technology experts who knows this new language, please contact me. If you can help teach our students these skills, please email me and we can continue the conversation.

Have a great week!

- Greg Land

Site Council Elections Coming, Please sign up!

Site Council has openings for 4 parent members for the 2013-2014 school year. For those interested in applying for Site Council, please pick up an application form in the school office. Forms are due back by Friday, April 26th. Site Council meets on the last Monday of each month at 3:15 P.M in the school library.

Intent to Return to Roy Cloud are due on May 2nd!

Please return the "Intent to Return" forms by May 2nd. The pink form went out in the Thursday folders!

School Events

Parent Education Night - Monday, May 6th

We have another wonderful parent education night coming up on Monday May 6th at 6:45 pm in the Roy Cloud Library. The presenters will be from Adolescent Counseling Services, an organization based out of Palo Alto, who will be presenting on meeting the developmental needs of pre-adolescent and adolescent teens.Additionally, they will highlight ways on how to facilitate healthy growth during these crucial years. More information and fliers will follow as the date nears.

PTO News

Roy Cloud's 2013 Jog-a-thon is Friday, May 17th!

We are going ONLINE!

This is an amazing event for the kids and a great fundraiser for the school. Please volunteer, cheer, pledge and support! Pledge information came home today in the Thursday folders. New this year - we are using an online service called DoJiggy to create special pledge pages for each student. Please visit roycloudjogathon.dojiggy.com to register your student online for our pledge drive. You can email friends and family the link to your student's page, and you can start collecting pledges right away. Supporters have the option of paying by a credit card, or by sending in cash or a check to you or the school. Plus you can customize your child's personal page to include a special message to supporters, or even add a picture! Please contact Erica Vairora if you have questions about the site or how to register.

Note: We are just finishing the last step for accepting credit card payments, and we will be all ready to go by the end of the day on April 26th. You can, however, register your child for Jog-a-thon pledges today.

If you are unable to do online pledging, we will have paper copies available in the office, and our PTO website will have downloadable forms.

Volunteers and Donations NEEDED for this year's Jog-a-thon on Friday, May 17th!

We're using VolunteerSpot (the leading online signup and reminder tool) to organize our upcoming activity. Please sign up for Roy Cloud's Jog-a-thon 2013 - here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/QWp1JC

2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot)

3. Sign up! Choose your spots - VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders. Easy!

Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact Meredith McLean and she can sign you up manually at meredith.mclean@me.com.

Roy Cloud Science Night for 3rd-8th Graders - April 26th

Attention 2nd to 8th graders... come to a fun filled evening at the MUB presented by our our Roy Cloud Dad's Club! It will be from 5-8pm on Friday, April 26th. There is a $10 materials fee, which includes pizza and drinks. There are still a few spots left!Sign up here:

http://www.yolandaraymond.com/madscience.html

Volunteers still needed for the check-in table, picking up pizza, set up & clean up. Please contact Yeuk Yuan if you can help – yeuk.yuan@gmail.com.

Mother/Son Event - Friday, May 3rd

Lace up and get rollin' to the RWC Roller Rink Friday night of fun! Join us for the Roy Cloud Mother Son Skate Date Friday, May 3rd , 5:30-7:30 pm. Show off your skating moves, enjoy some treats, fun games, crafts and prizes to take home! Tickets are purchased at the door RSVP to trishafbarrett@gmail.com

The PTO Needs You!

We are still looking for people to volunteer for a variety of positions and committee chairs for the next school year. And unfortunately, if we do not have a President and Vice President of Communications, we will not be able to write checks or even operate as a non-profit organization. We also will not be able to offer After School Programs if we do not have a VP of Programs, or have Art in Action if we do not have someone to coordinate it. We have had a very dedicated group of volunteers for these programs this year. We are hoping to add some new faces and new ideas to our existing programs. We want you to step up and be part of our team. While it may seem like a lot work, we all work as a team and everyone helps out. Some jobs are a couple hours a week, or month, while others are just once a year. Please contact Sarah Orton or Meredith McLean this week if you can help keep our school the wonderful place it is! Take a look at our "About Us" page to see the list of PTO officers and committee chairs. We look forward to hearing from you!

April 18, 2013

Dates to Remember

Message from the Principal

Greetings!

Our Spring Musical opens tomorrow! I hope to see you there. Below are some shots at their dress rehearsal of our amazing cast of "Twinderella." This proves to be an incredible performance by our students. Buy your tickets for Friday night, Saturday night or Sunday's performances. Details are in the section below.

- Greg Land 

Site Council Elections Coming, Please sign up!

Site Council has openings for 4 parent members for the 2013-2014 school year. For those interested in applying for Site Council, please pick up an application form in the school office after Spring Break. Forms are due back by Friday, April 26th. Site Council meets on the last Monday of each month at 3:15 P.M in the school library. Intent to Return are due on May 2nd! Please return the "Intent to Return" forms.

School Events

Get Your Tickets to Twinderella!

Performances:

Friday April 19th, 7pm

Sunday April 21, 1pm

Tickets for the show are available in three purchase options:
Pre-reserved seats (first five to six rows, center section):$15/seat, General admission (non-reserved):$10/seat, Family 4 pack of tickets (non-reserved) $30/4 seats

Tickets for the show will be made available in three ways:
1. General Admission & Family Four Pack Tickets are available for purchase in the office
2. All three ticket types are available online (small service charge applies) for purchase:  http://roycloudtwinderella.eventbrite.com
3. All three ticket types will be sold at flagpole the week before the performances

Questions? Please contact Kathy Smith

Celebrate Earth Day by Walking to School this Friday!

Earth Day is this Friday. Get out your walking shoes and join staff, teachers, student council members and your friends on your way to school. You can join an existing Walking School Bus routes or start your own route. For more information, visit:  http://www.rcsd.k12.ca.us/Page/3432

If you live too far away to walk the whole distance, safe drop off point and walk the rest of the way. After the walk, parents are invited to the library for coffee and light refreshments. Questions? Contact Rebecca Ratcliff (Gellrich)

Stuck in traffic on Red Oak or Jefferson? Try Park and Walk!

Do you dread sitting behind a line of cars during drop-off and pick up? Consider a small change to your daily routine. Consider Park & Walk. Instead of driving your car up Red Oak, try parking your car just one street over on Bret Harte and walk one block to school. This trip takes 1-2 minute and averages about 100 steps each way. Believe it or not, this small change adds 1.4 miles of exercise to your week (or about 51 miles per school year), saves you time, lessens your daily frustration and may give you a chance to hold your kids hand.

Parent Education Night - Monday, May 6th

We have another wonderful parent education night coming up on Monday May 6th at 6:45 pm in the Roy Cloud Library. The presenters will be from Adolescent Counseling Services, an organization based out of Palo Alto, who will be presenting on meeting the developmental needs of pre-adolescent and adolescent teens. Additionally, they will highlight ways on how to facilitate healthy growth during these crucial years. More information and fliers will follow as the date nears.

PTO News

Jog-a-thon T-Shirt Design Contest - Attention Students! Come up with a design and theme for this year's Jog-a-thon! Look for the entry form in today's Thursday folder to complete your design. Make sure you turn the t-shirt design into the Roy Cloud office by this Friday! Vote for your favorite design in the Roy Cloud Library April 22 - 25th. A winner will be chosen on April 26th. The design winner will be announced that afternoon, and will also receive a free t-shirt with their name and design. T-shirts will go on sale at school and pre-orders will go home in the Thursday folders April 25th. Save the Date... Roy Cloud's Jog-a-thon will be held on Friday,May 17^th

Auction Wrap-Up

• Sign up for a party and forget when it is? Click here for a list of parties with the hosts and dates.

• Have questions about what you purchased? Email Becky Jones

• Invoice or payment questions? Email Amy Truesdale

• Accidentally brought home your bidding paddle from the auction? Turn them into the office this week. We reuse them and re-order missing paddles each year

Roy Cloud Science Night for 3rd-8th Graders - April 26th

Attention 3rd to 8th graders... come to a fun filled evening at the MUB presented by our our Roy Cloud Dad's Club! It will be from 5-8pm on Friday, April 26th. There is a $10 materials fee, which includes pizza and drinks. Would you like to see how to build your own electric motor? Ever wondered how Chemistry can be applied to crime scene investigations? How do field biologists learn about the food web and animal behavior? You will even create and taste your own ice cream! Join your friends at Roy Cloud and be amazed by the list of activities that will spark your imagination. You will see some really cool demonstrations and get to work on experiments in Anatomy, Electricity, Chemistry and a lot more. Only 40 spots available. Register now and reserve your spot at our first Roy Cloud Science Night by going to the following link and signing up online: http://www.yolandaraymond.com/madscience.html Please drop off your registration fee at the office (there will be a "Science Night" envelope at the PTO corner).

Mother/Son Event - Friday, May 3rd

Lace up and get rollin' to the RWC Roller Rink Friday night of fun!Join us for the Roy Cloud Mother Son Skate Date Friday, May 3rd , 5:30-7:30 pm Show off your skating moves, enjoy some treats, fun games, crafts and prizes to take home! Tickets are purchased at the door RSVP to trishafbarrett@gmail.com

It's Not Too Late!

Forgot to donate in the Fall? Couldn't make it to this year's Auction? No problem! You can still help by contributing to the 2012-2013 Direct Donation Campaign! Our goal is to exceed last year's campaign total of $96K. At $84K to date, we still have a way to go. Remember, we need PTO funds in order to keep our existing programs at Roy Cloud (e.g., science, reading support, PE, library, art, music, field trips, middle school electives, after school programs such as drama, etc.). It's easy to contribute online - just go to http://roycloudinfo.com/fundraising/direct-donations/ and click on the Donate button! Alternatively, tear out the form on the 3rd page of your PTO Directory and return it to the office or your child's teacher. (Or pick up a donation form in the office.)  While you're at it, take a look at the first two pages of the PTO Directory to see where your PTO funds go. (And see what disappears from our school if we do not continue to raise money!) Please do your part to help. Thank you Roy Cloud families and friends for helping to enrich our kids' school experience! Corporate Matching Helps Your Donation Go Further! Did you know that the Direct Donation campaign received over $8,000 in Corporate Matching last year? If you donated to this year's campaign (or plan to), find out if your company will match your donation. Here are some of the many companies that match: Adobe, Agilent Technologies, AMD, AOL, Chase, Cisco, Dell, eBay, Electronic Arts, Gap, Genentech, Google, Intel, Intuit, Juniper Networks, Logitech, McAfee, Microsoft, Motorola, Oracle, PG&E, Qualcomm, salesforce.com, Sandisk Corp, SAP, Symantec, Synopsys, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Visa, VMware, Wells Fargo, Yahoo (and MANY more...) Find out if your company participates in Corporate Matching and make your Roy Cloud donation go further!

Teacher Appreciation Day - Friday May 10th

On Friday, May 10th, we will honor our teachers at Roy Cloud. To show our appreciation for all the hard work our teachers do for our school, the PTO will arrange a special lunch for our staff. In addition, please plan do something for your child's teacher to let them know much we appreciate them! An email will go out this week to the room parents for some suggested ideas. We love our teachers!

Used Book Sale - coming the 1st Week of June!

Our annual Used Book Sale will be held during the 1st week of June. Start collecting your gently used books for this book sale! This is a wonderful opportunity for our kids to get books for very little money. And it brings in a little extra funds to the school at the same time!You can start bringing them to the Roy Cloud Library - with attention to Jennifer Clark.

Roy Cloud Newsletter – Revised

April 11, 2013

Dates to Remember

Washington DC Fundraiser at Johnny Rockets 4/13
Twinderella Performances 4/19-4/21
Open House 4/25
Science Night by the Dad's Club 4/26

Message from the Principal

Greetings!

Last night's school report to the school board was a huge success! It was wonderful to showcase all of the amazing things our school is doing. And equally a wonderful to have many dedicated staff members and parents in the audience. The board was impressed by our innovation with technology, our work with Tribes and our social emotional learning, our wonderful counselor, Juli Stringfield, our work with Common Core standards, our amazing garden program, drama productions, and much, much more! A truly proud moment for Roy Cloud. Thank you to our teachers, staff, and community members for making our school such an amazing place!

Have a great week! Greg Land

Get Your Tickets to Twinderella

Performances:

Friday April 19th, 7pm

Saturday April 20th, 7pm

Sunday April 21, 1pm

Tickets for the show are available in three purchase options:
Pre-reserved seats (first five to six rows, center section): $15/seat, General admission (non-reserved):$10/seat, Family 4 pack of tickets (non-reserved) $30/4 seats

Tickets for the show will be made available in three ways:
1. General Admission & Family Four Pack Tickets are available for purchase in the office
2. All three ticket types are available online (small service charge applies) for purchase: http://roycloudtwinderella.eventbrite.com
3. All three ticket types will be sold at flagpole the week before the performances
Questions? Please contact Kathy Smith kathydnp@sbcglobal.net

Celebrate Earth Day by Walking to School on Friday, April 19!

Earth Day is just a week away. Get out your walking shoes and join staff, teachers, student council members and your friends on your way to school. You can join an existing Walking School Bus routes or start your own route. If you live too far away to walk the whole distance, safe drop off point and walk the rest of the way. Stuck in traffic on Red Oak? Do you dread sitting behind a line of cars during drop-off and pick up? Consider a small change to your daily routine. Consider Park & Walk. Instead of driving your car up Red Oak, try parking your car just one street over on Bret Harte and walk one block to school. This trip takes 1-2 minute and averages about 100 steps each way.  Believe it or not, this small change adds 1.4 miles of exercise to your week (or about 51 miles per school year), saves you time, lessens your daily frustration and may give you a chance to hold your kids hand. For more information, visit: http://www.rcsd.k12.ca.us/Page/3432 After the walk, parents are invited to the library for coffee and light refreshments. Questions? Contact Rebecca Ratcliff (Gellrich)

Roy Cloud Science Night for 3rd-8th Graders - April 26th

Attention 3rd to 8th graders! Come to a fun filled evening at the MUB presented by our our Roy Cloud Dad's Club! It will be from 5-8pm on Friday, April 26th.There is a $10 materials fee, which includes pizza and drinks. Would you like to see how to build your own electric motor? Ever wondered how Chemistry can be applied to crime scene investigations? How do field biologists learn about the food web and animal behavior? You will even create and taste your own ice cream! Join your friends at Roy Cloud and be amazed by the list of activities that will spark your imagination. You will see some really cool demonstrations and get to work on experiments in Anatomy, Electricity, Chemistry and a lot more. Only 40 spots available. Register now and reserve your spot at our first Roy Cloud Science Night by going to the following link and signing up online: http://www.yolandaraymond.com/madscience.html Please drop off your registration fee at the office (There will be a "Science Night" envelope at the PTO corner).

PTO News

PTO Officer Elections coming soon!Want to have a say in the PTO programs and funding? Have some new ideas on how to keep Roy Cloud an amazing school? We need you! In the next month we need to elect new board members. Please let us know if you can take on a role, either large or small. Specifically, we are in need of a PTO president or co-presidents for next year. This is a great role(s) that helps to coordinate the efforts of the team. If you and/or a friend are willing to help lead, please let us know. We will be there to help. Here is a link with more information about the PTO and various officers and committee chairs: http://roycloudinfo.com/about-us/ Please let us know if you have any questions. Meredith McLean & Sarah Orton

Jog-a-thon T-Shirt Design Contest

Attention Students! Come up with a design and theme for this year's Jog-a-thon! Look for the entry form in the Thursday folder to complete your design. Make sure you turn the t-shirt design into the Roy Cloud office by Friday, April 19th! Vote for your favorite design in the Roy Cloud Library April 22 - 25th. A winner will be chosen on April 26th. The design winner will be announced that afternoon, and will also receive a free t-shirt with their name and design. T-shirts will go on sale at school and pre-orders will go home in the Thursday folders April 25th. Save the Date... Roy Cloud's Jog-a-thon will be held on Friday,May 17th

Teacher Appreciation Day - Friday May 10th

On Friday, May 10th, we will honor our teachers at Roy Cloud. To show our appreciation for all the hard work our teachers do for our school, the PTO will arrange a special lunch for our staff. In addition, please plan do something for your child's teacher to let them know much we appreciate them! An email will go out this week to the room parents for some suggested ideas. We love our teachers!

Used Book Sale - coming this spring!

Our annual Used Book Sale will be held during the 1st week of June. Start collecting your gently used books for this book sale! This is a wonderful opportunity for our kids to get books for very little money. And it brings in a little extra funds to the school at the same time! You can start bringing them to the Roy Cloud Library - with attention to Jennifer Clark.

PTO After School Programs

Roy Cloud After School Spring Programs: You may still enroll in any after school programs. Below are a few programs. For full schedule, please check it out at: http://roycloudinfo.com/after-school-programs/

Spanish after-school starting next week
Apr 17 - June 7 ( 8-week session)
1st & 2nd grade - Wednesday 2:30- 3:30pm ($140)
Kindergarten - Friday 1:40-2:25 ($125)
Class size: 8-15 students
For further questions, please contact Valeria Causo Chalian at lpspanish@yahoo.com or at 650-218-1411

VisionTech After School Programs:
WeDo Robotics
Engineering
3D Video Game with Minestorm
Many of the classes still have space available. Enrollment at: http://www.visiontechcamps.com/roycloud

The Traveling Music school (TTMS):
There is one opening for private lesson starting on Apr 17 with Dario.  Please contact J.P. at office@thetravelingmusicschool.com

Art with Young Rembrandts:
Come and learn how to draw on Thursdays. Enrollment at https://www.youngrembrandts.com/class-enroll.aspx?id=24808

Chinese After School Class:
Contact Yolanda Ho at yolandahorcs@yahoo.com for any further details.

Other News

WASHINGTON DC FUNDRAISER!

Johnny Rockets is hosting a fundraiser THIS SATURDAY, April 13, between 10:30 AM - 11:00 PM to help send Roy Cloud 8th graders to Washington DC. They will donate 20% of their net sales toward our cause. It's easy! Just bring the orange flyer sent home in your child's folder this week to Johnny Rockets, and have a good time enjoying classic diner fare while raising funds for our kids. See you there!

Sequoia Stampede 5K Run/Walk April 13

We hope you can join us for this fun-filled community event fundraiser benefiting all of Sequoia's athletic programs! This event is open to the public so please spread the word around to your family, friends, and any businesses you frequent. To register online, print/forward flyers, or for further information, please visit www.seqstampede.com. For additional questions, please contact Gordon Bliss or Nanette Silverman.