School Carnival This Friday, June 4

Friday is the annual school carnival to be held at South Bay School on June 4.  Plan on not cooking that evening and purchase dinner before you go on to play games and contests in the booths. There will be jolly jumps, a cakewalk, clowns, face painting, and lots of other fun activities. We are still in need of volunteers to make this event a success and are asking for your help. Please consider helping out in my booth for one hour during the carnival. Let your child's teacher know this week if you can help and they can schedule a time.

Register Your Kindergartener For Next Year

You may visit the school office to pick up a registration packet. In the packet you will find the Pupil Registration, Oral Health Assessment, and Report of Health Examination for School entry and the Directory Release Refusal forms along with resources to help you determine if your child is ready for kindergarten.

You can also click here to go to our ABC's of Kindergarten Registration page where you can find more information and download registration forms as well as our Welcome To Kindergarten brochure.

Getting Ready for Kindergarten: A Parent's Guide

Getting Ready for Kindergarten: A guide for parents of children entering Kindergarten in the Fall, is now available online. It includes information about afterschool options, and activities for children. Click on the links below to view the materials via PDF. To request hard copies call 445-7006.

"Getting Ready for Kindergarten"

"Preparación paraEl KindEr"

Is Your Child Sleep Deprived?

May 14, 2010

Article by Mary Daniels Brown
Education World®
Copyright © 2006 Education World

Click here to read the article online.

The problem of sleep deprivation in adolescents is well documented. But what about sleep deprivation in younger students? Is a lack of sleep interfering with your students' learning? Education World recently talked with two experts about the effects of sleep deprivation on elementary school students. Included: Resources on the importance of sleep to share with students and parents.

"Studies looking at kids in kindergarten through third or fourth grade show that 85 percent [of kids in those grades] are not meeting their nightly sleep requirements," James B. Maas told Education World. Maas, a professor of psychology at Cornell University, is the author of two books about sleep, Power Sleep for adults and the recently published Remmy and the Brain Train: Traveling Through the Land of Good Sleep for children.

"Kids tell me that they fall asleep on the bus," Maas continued, "and teachers say that they have to send kids to the nurse's office to nap."

Dr. Carl Hunt, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR), a component of the National Institutes of Health, agrees. "We know from talking with teachers that children are sleepy in the classroom and that this is a significant problem," he told Education World.

CAUSES OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Both Hunt and Maas said that elementary school children require at least nine hours of sleep a night to be well rested, and some need even more. Activities such as after-school athletics, watching television, and using the computer often take away from sleep time, however.
Families in general are not going to bed as early as they need to, both experts add. Parents who are staying up too late to get everything done, often keep their children up too late as well.

SIGNS THAT A CHILD IS SLEEP-DEPRIVED

Maas and Hunt both say that children react to inadequate sleep differently than adults do. Adults who do not get enough sleep generally yawn and feel sleepy all day. Like adults, sleep-deprived children are hard to rouse and exhibit sleepiness in the morning. Unlike adults, however, children generally become more active -- and less able to concentrate -- later in the day.

Because they become increasing more "wired" as the day progresses, sleep-deprived children often have trouble going to sleep at night. Parents may not realize that their children are not getting enough sleep.

EDUCATING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ABOUT SLEEP

Most people don't know much about sleep, according to Maas. "Forty-seven percent of the American population thinks the brain shuts down in sleep," he said. "But during sleep the brain is highly active, perhaps even more active than when we're awake."

Parents and children can learn what goes on in the brain during sleep by reading Remmy and the Brain Train together. Reading, the author points out, also is a good way to relax before going to bed.

Teachers can help children learn about the importance of sleep through the NCSDR's Sleep Well, Do Well Star Sleeper educational campaign, featuring cartoon character Garfield the cat. This program is aimed primarily at third graders, Hunt said, but will appeal to all young children.

"Parents, teachers, and children need to recognize that good sleep habits are just as important to overall health as diet and exercise," Hunt said, adding that a chronic lack of adequate sleep can exacerbate a tendency toward diabetes and being overweight, two growing health concerns in the United States. He also noted that sleep-deprived children are more accident prone than adequately rested children.

"Children develop habits when they're young," Maas said. "If they develop careless sleep habits as kids, they will retain them as adults. We have to learn to value sleep. Sleep is essential; it is not a luxury."

Welcome to Mrs. Van Vleck, Interim Principal

May 3, 2010

To All the Students, Staff, Parents and Guardians of Pine Hill Elementary School,

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, Ms. Olson will be gone for the remainder of the school year.  Assuming her duties will be Ms. Cynthia VanVleck.  Ms. VanVleck retired as the Pine Hill Principal eight years ago and has such dedication to our school that she is willing to return as our interim principal.  Coming out of retirement for the second time  to serve at Pine Hill Elementary, some of you will remember that she was interim principal in 2006-07.

Ms. VanVleck’s schedule will vary, however, she plans to be there 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each day.  I will continue to be available on as needed basis.   I feel so grateful that
Ms. VanVleck continues to give support to our Pine Hill School Community and the South Bay Union School District.  Thank you Ms. VanVleck!

Please welcome Ms. VanVleck back!  If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at the District office.

Sincerely,

Marie Twibell
Superintendent/Principal

New Superintendent Hired

Mrs. Marie Twibell, current superintendent of the South Bay Union School District is retiring at the end of the school year. The district's Board of Trustees screened and interviewed applicants and at the last board meeting announced that they hired Mr. Paul Meyers to be Mrs. Twibell's replacement, starting in July. He is currently the principal at Ferndale Elementary School.

He was invited to introduce himself to our community via the web page. Please read below to learn more him.

March 21, 2010

Dear Parents and Guardians,

My name is Paul Meyers, and in July I will be assuming the role of superintendent/principal for South Bay Union School District. I am excited to have the opportunity to serve as your school leader. I have over twenty-five years of experience in education. From 1984 to 1998, I served as a teacher and as a school counselor at Big Bear Middle School in the Bear Valley Unified School District in San Bernardino County. In 1998, I was hired by the California Department of Education as an Educational Programs Consultant in the School Counseling and Student Support Office. In 2003, I became the principal of Ferndale Elementary School.

I live in Ferndale with my wife, Melody, and our four daughters: Kayleigh (15), Kelsey (14), Ashleigh (8), and Shelby (7).  I believe in educating the whole child, and in providing a nurturing and supportive environment for all students to achieve at their highest potential.  I look forward to working together with you and the staff to provide the students at Pine Hill and South Bay schools an outstanding education. 

Sincerely,
Paul Meyers
pmeyers@humboldt.k12.ca.us

Mr. Storts's Class Web Site!

Mr. Storts has updated his class web page. It is now live and online. You can now check classroom updates, weekly assignments, and links that Mr. Storts recommends. He has also added a new page of photos. Click here to check it out!

June Menus Now Available

The menus for school breakfast and lunches are now available online. They are in the pdf format so that anyone with a connection to the Internet can download them onto their computer can use the free program Adobe Reader® to view and/or print them.

Download the Menus: Breakfast or Lunch

If you do not have Adobe Reader on your computer, you can download it for free by clicking on the link. Download Adobe Reader

The cost of student lunches to $1.75 per day.  The cost for one week is $8.75.  Breakfast cost will remain the same.  Adult lunches are $3.50.

Kindergarten Alphafriends

As part of our Houghton Mifflin language arts curriculum, we use Alphafriends to help the students learn their letters. Alphafriends, a collection of characters designed to teach children about the alphabet and the sounds of the letters, come with their own songs, activities and take-home books. Each week the kindergarten students are introduced to a new Alphafriend who will teach them about a new letter of the alphabet. The students will learn the name of the letter, the shape of the letter and the sound of the letter.

We have created an entire page of resources for families to use. Click here to link to the Alphafriends resource page.

Mr. Lentz's Class Web Site

Mr. Lentz's kindergarten class web site is now up and running. Mr. Lentz writes a weekly blog and produces a podcast each week too. See pictures, listen to songs, and see the newest Alphafriend. Click here to go to Mr. Lentz's class web site.

34th Kindergarten Newsletter Posted

Mrs. Blanchard and Mr. Lentz send a note home with their kindergarten students every Friday during the school year. If your kindergartener did not bring the note home or if you would like to view it now, you can click on the newsletter link on the left side of the page.

All newsletters are saved in .pdf format. You can read them using the free program Adobe Reader. If you do not have Adobe Reader on your computer, you can download it for free by clicking on the link on the right side of the newsletter page.

Each week the kindergarten students are introduced to a new Alphafriend who will teach them about a new letter of the alphabet. The students will learn the name of the letter, the shape of the letter and the sound of the letter. Use the links below to find the Alphafriend song you want to practice. Go to the Alphafriends page

Staff Lists, School Calendar, & Handbook

Click here to see the list of staff for 2009-2010.

Click here to see the 2009-2010 school calendar.

Click here to see the 2009-2010 Parent/Student Handbook

Click here to download the 2009-2010 Parent/Student Handbook.

Library Catalog Available Online

This fall South Bay Union School District acquired new library management software called Alexandria. One of the exciting new features is Alexandria WEB. Alexandria WEB opens the Pine Hill library to the Internet, where our community can search our collection and online databases from home (no installation required). Students, parents, teachers, and administrators at home, school, or at the office can easily access all library resources using any Web browser on any computer.

There are many benefits:

1. Provides easy access to our library collection through the Web
2. No installation required
3. No software update hassles
4. Find out if the book has a PERK (Accelerated Reader) test at school. To do this: 1.) type title of book and press the TITLE button, 2.) Pick your title from the list of books that appears, 3.) Scroll down on the screen to "Accelerated Reader" to see the book's reading level and point value, 4.) If your book does not show up on the list, we do not thave that book in the library, 5.) If you scroll down the page and do not see "Accelerated Reader" we do not have a test for that book.
5. Patrons can check the status of their account, see what items they have checked out. To use this feature you must know your password. See Mrs. Wilson to get your password.

Internet Explorer or Netscape 5 or later recommended with Java enabled. Firefox and Safari browsers also supported. Click on the graphic below to access the Pine Hill School library computer.

Kids' TV time linked to school woes, bad habits

By Amanda Gardner, Health.com

Click here to download a pdf of this article.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

1. TV watching is associated with bullying and lowered overall math achievement
2. Negative effects of TV could be symptoms of broader family and household dynamics
3. Another theory is that the act of watching television can harm developing brains
4. The best way for young children to watch TV is with a parent

(Health.com) -- Young children who watch a lot of TV aren't just missing out on more stimulating activities. They may also be destined for problems at school and unhealthier habits later in life, new research suggests.

Each additional hour of TV that toddlers watch per week translates into poorer classroom behavior, lower math scores, less physical activity, and more snacking at age 10, according to a new study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

"Kids should be doing things that are intellectually enriching: playing with board games, playing with dice, playing with things that will improve their motor skills, reading," says the lead author of the study, Linda Pagani, Ph.D., a professor in the School of Psychoeducation at the University of Montreal, in Quebec. "All that is replaced by sitting on the couch."

Pagani and her colleagues followed more than 1,300 children for over seven years. Using parent surveys, the researchers measured the amount of TV the kids watched at age two-and-a-half, and again at age four-and-a-half.

Then, when the children were in fourth grade, the researchers asked the kids' schoolteachers to rate their academic performance, how well they got along with peers, and how well they listened and followed instructions. They also asked parents about the child's diet and level of physical activity.

Each additional hour spent in front of the TV per week at age two-and-a-half corresponded to a 7 percent decrease in classroom engagement, a 6 percent decrease in overall math achievement, and a 10 percent increase in being bullied by peers. (Interestingly, TV time was not associated with reading skills.)

These findings suggest that kids who watch too much TV are "learning to be just a passive receptacle," Pagani says.
TV watching also appeared to have negative effects on physical health, with each additional weekly hour resulting in a 9 percent decline in overall physical activity, a 9 percent increase in soft-drink consumption, a 10 percent increase in snacks eaten, and a 5 percent increase in body mass index.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of 2 watch no television at all, and after age 2 watch no more than one to two hours of quality programming a day. But nearly half of 1- to 2-year-olds and more than 40 percent of 2- to 3-year-olds are estimated to watch more than the recommended amount, the study notes.

How does TV harm kids?

Pagani's study is merely the latest to call attention to the drawbacks of childhood TV-watching. A number of studies have linked too much TV to a range of negative effects in kids, including shorter attention spans, slower language acquisition, increased aggression, and weight gain.

Experts have suggested several possible explanations for these findings. One theory is that time spent in front of the tube is time that could be spent on more enriching activities. As Dr. Jeffrey Brosco, M.D., a professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, puts it, "Every hour that you're watching TV, you're not talking to someone, not playing a game, not building something with your blocks."

Another theory is that the act of watching television can harm developing brains. A child's brain triples in size within the first three years of life in response to external stimulation, says Dr. Dimitri Christakis, M.D., a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and the country's foremost expert on the health effects of TV in childhood.

"Early exposure to [television] can actually be over-stimulating for the developing brain, and that can lead to shorter attention spans [and] cognitive difficulties," says Christakis, the author of "The Elephant in the Living Room: Make Television Work for Your Kids."
The rapid edits and quick sequences found in many of today's TV shows may be especially harmful in this respect, Christakis adds. "The hypothesis we have is that this conditions the mind to expect high levels of input, and by comparison, reality is boring -- it doesn't happen fast enough," he says.

Yet another possibility is that the negative effects of TV that have been reported in studies are in fact a symptom of broader family and household dynamics. In the new study, for instance, the children whose mothers were less educated and children from single-parent families tended to watch more television. Although Pagani and her colleagues controlled for these and other factors in their analysis, household habits can shape studies like this in ways that can be difficult to tease out.

"It's always possible that what you're measuring is not TV itself, but families that are more likely to let their kids watch TV versus families that don't want them to watch TV, or maternal education," says Brosco. "No one really understands what the effects of TV truly are, but so many studies--like this [one]--suggest TV is just plain bad for you."

Some TV shows are better than others

Watching television isn't necessarily harmful, however, and it doesn't have to be a mindless activity, says Christakis. He points out that Pagani and her colleagues did not ask about the specific programming that kids watched, which may weaken the findings.
"The results of this study probably in some ways misrepresent the reality," Christakis says. "Studies that we've done find that what kids watch--and how they watch--is as important as how much they watch."

Christakis believes that children should watch no more than an hour of television a day at any age. But, he says, parents should distinguish between mind-numbing cartoons and educational programs such as Sesame Street. "Parents need to know that the best-quality shows have a curriculum," he says. "They're trying to teach your child something, anything from the letter k to skills like how to share or how to handle a conflict."

According to Christakis, the best way for young children to watch TV is with a parent. This allows parents to use potentially negative content (such as violence or advertising) as a learning experience, and also provides an opportunity to engage with the children and reinforce the message of educational shows.
Copyright Health Magazine 2010

Health.com: 10 habits of healthy families
Health.com: 8 reasons to make time for family dinner
Health.com: Too much TV linked to earlier death
Health.com: Make play areas greener and safer for kids
Health.com: Is it baby fat or obesity?

Healthy Choices

Last year South Bay Union School District adopted a Wellness Policy that is in line with state mandates. The following are the goals of this policy:

1. Child Nutrition Programs, comply with federal, state and local requirements and are accessible to all children
2. All foods and beverages sold on campus during the school day are consistent with current federal, state and local requirements
3. The school environment is safe, comfortable and pleasing with ample time and space allocated for eating meals
4. Sequential and interdisciplinary nutrition education and physical education are provided to promote student wellness
5. All students are provided the opportunity to be physically active on a regular basis through physical education and physical activity programs designed to meet or exceed the California Department of Education regulations
6. All school based activities are consistent with SBUSD Wellness Policy goals
   

Celebrations, Rewards, Marketing

The school district will encourage the use of healthly foods and/or activities for school celebrations.

1. School staff and Parents will be notified of the school’s preference for healthy food or activity based celebrations
2. School will inform parents of health alternatives whenever possible
   Celebrations should occur after the class’s lunch period
3. School personnel will take opportunities to model healthy food choices while engaged in school and/or district activities
4. The school district will discourage the use of food or beverages as a reward for student accomplishments nor will they withhold food or beverages as punishment
5. The school will limit the marketing and advertising of unhealthy food and beverages
6. Food or beverages that do not meet the nutrition guidelines stated above will not be heavily promoted.

With Halloween on the horizon please check with your child’s teacher regarding any questions you might have. Thanks for supporting this change.

Standards & Frameworks

Information regarding standards and frameworks designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level.

Content Standards

Content standards were designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level.

Curriculum Frameworks

Frameworks are blueprints for implementing the content standards adopted by the California State Board of Education and are developed by the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission