Welcome To Pine Hill School
South Bay Scores Big At History Day
Congratulations to all the students and staff who participated in History Day at Humboldt State University on January 28, 2012. South Bay School showed very well, winning several awards (see below). Overall, South Bay School had 65 students who participated, more than any other school in Humboldt County. Our students represented 24% of the 271 total student participants in History Day. I am very pleased with the number of students who participated and very proud of their accomplishments for the day. Good work everyone!
Award winners:
Special Award
Humboldt County Historical Society
Alexandra Pena, Ms. Lenz, “Indian Island Massacre”
Northcoast Dance
Alexandra Pena, Ms. Lenz, “Indian Island Massacre”
Individual Posters
Alternate Award
Caitlyn Nolen, Mrs. Rains, “Trail of Tears”
Group Posters
Award Winner
Juliaeta Velazquez & Taniya Borden, Ms. Lenz, “Alcatraz Prison”
Award Winner
Nayelli Bravo & Ashley Jamarillo, Ms. Lenz, “The Gold Rush”
Alternate Award
Dylan Gross & Drew Blackwell, Mr. Grimmett, “Vietnam Napalm”
Performances
Alternate Award
Martina Shannon, Ms. Schinke, “Eleanor Roosevelt: First Lady of the World”
Family Movie Night
The Pine Hill and South Bay Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) proudly presents Family Movie Night on Friday, February 10, from 6:30-8:30 pm in the South Bay School library. The movie will be "The Iron Giant" which is rated PG for fantasy action and mild language. Come enjoy the fun! Popcorn and baked goods will be sold. Please bring your own pillows and blankets to make your movie experience more comfortable.
2012-2013 Kindergarten Registrations
South Bay Union School District is currently accepting registrations for the kindergarten class of 2012-2013. Registration packets are available at the school office. We have some important events planned for parents, guardians and other caregivers of prospective kindergarten students.
First, there will be a Kindergarten Panel Night on Wed., February 15. We will serve a dinner of soup and salad from 6:00–6:30, followed by
a panel discussion from 6:30-7:30. Childcare will be provided.
Kindergarten Orientation is scheduled for Wednesday, March 21 from 2-3 PM in Room 9 at Pine Hill School. Childcare for prospective kindergarten students will be provided free of charge in Room 10.
Our annual Open House will be held on Wednesday, March 28. You will be able to visit the classrooms and see the wonderful things the kindergarten students are doing this year.
You and your child are also invited to Pine Hill School‘s Kindergarten Visitation Day on Saturday, May 5 from 10:00 – 11:00 am. Starting in Mr. Lentz’s room (#9) at 10:00 am, there will be activities for prospective students. We will then move to Mrs. Blanchard’s room (#10) for more classroom experiences, concluding at 11:00 am.
Tours of the school will be given to parents during this time.
If you wish to visit classrooms at a different time, please call the school office to schedule an appointment.
Click here to visit the Kindergarten Registration page to see more information and download resources.
Principal's Message
Click here to download the newsletter as a pdf.
Safety: We have had several requests to remind everyone not to enter the school through the exit-only drive way. We recently put up a Do Not Enter sign to do just that, so please remember to avoid accidents by avoiding this short cut. Also, please pull to the curb when dropping off students.
Lost and Found: Our lost and found will be on display outside the doors to the multipurpose room on Friday during our Winter Assembly. Please stop by and take a look. Clothes without names inside will be donated during the holiday break.
Birthday Parties: In order avoid disrupting class time and to prevent hurt feelings, please do not send party invitations to school with your child unless you will be inviting all the students in the class. If you are inviting just some students or students from different classes, we would be glad to address and mail them for you. Just provide us with the invitations in stamped envelopes and drop them in the office. We will add the addresses and send them on their way.
Kindergarteners Learning About Space
The four kindergarten classes are now studying about Space. We have created a wonderful page of links to great resources about many things related to space. You can extend your child's learning at home by taking time to visit some of these sites with them. Click on the link to the left or here to go to the Space resource page.
February Menus Now Online
Just added - nutrional information for February menu items. You can click the links to download, view, or print the information about February breakfast nutrients and/or February lunch nutrients.
New this year: Breakfast is free for all students, regardless of family income. The salad bar will only be available at South Bay School and will NOT be available at Pine Hill. At lunch, students will again have the option to order peanut butter and jelly sandwiches if they do not what the entree that day. The menus for school breakfast and lunches will soon be 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.
Click on the links to 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 a student breakfast is $1.00 for children and $1.25 for adults. Student lunches are now $1.85 per day and adult lunches cost $3.50.
Dear parents and guardians:
Last year we instituted a district wide policy limiting the amount of meal charges. As of October 1st, 2011, we will lower this limit to $50 per child. While we wish to continue the occasional charged meal, we must also keep an eye on our food service dollars. Your assistance in pre-paying, or promptly addressing, your child’s meal balance allows us to continue offering the best nutrition possible for all students. Beginning October 1st, students who exceed $50 in meal charges will not have full access to our meal program.
Your school secretary is available to work with any family that needs to establish a payment plan for past balances. They can also assist you in reapplying for the federally funded free and reduced meal program. Families that have had changes, even temporarily, to income or family size may qualify to begin receiving free or reduced price meals immediately. Families that receive state benefits, such as food stamps, TANF, CALWORKS, and those families with foster children may qualify regardless of income. Please see your secretary for more information.
Please note, this policy does not affect our school breakfast program, which this year is free for every student. We are excited to offer this pilot program, and about the potential benefits. Multiple studies have shown; increased test scores, decreased absences, tardiness and behavioral problems when students eat a balanced meal just before the beginning of each school day. I would highly encourage you to take advantage of this program. Your child can enjoy a free breakfast, every day, without adding to their meal balance! Because this is a pilot program, it is dependent on student participation. In order to continue the program, we need to serve breakfast to as many kids as possible. Please talk with your child and encourage them to eat breakfast at school.
Sincerely,
Mason Clark
Food Service Director
Become A Fan of Pine Hill On Facebook
Kindergarten Newsletter #20 Posted
Mrs. Blanchard, Mrs. Lindblom, 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
Mr. Lentz's Class Site Updated 2/3/11
Mr. Lentz has created a class web site where parents and the community can see pictures, movies, songs, read weekly newsletters, podcasts, and access resources such as Alphafriends. When you click on Mr. Lentz's song page, you can listen to the songs your kindergarten student sings in class so they can sign them to you at home. Check it out!
Mrs. Romick's Newsletter #10
Every week Mrs. Romick produces a newsletter informing the parents of her students about happenings in the classroom. She sends home a printed version but wants to also make it available online. You can either view it on your computer or other mobile device or download it and print is as a pdf. Click here to go to the newsletter site.
Mrs. Bergenske's Class Web Site
Mrs. Bergenske, the new first grade teacher has created a web site for her class. Once there you can select from announcements, homework, class calendar, links, supply list, wish list, classroom schedule, about the teacher and an email link. Click here to go to her class web site.
Pine Hill Studios
Embedded on the Pine Hill Studios page are YouTube videos made by Mr. Lentz. The videos are set to play at 360p, but you can reset them to HD if you wish. You can view them on this page, subscribe to the Pine Hill Studios channel, share them with others, or embed them in your own site. We would appreciate it if you would "like" us on YouTube.
Click here to visit Pine Hill Studios.
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.
Volunteer Handbook Now Available Online
Volunteers play an important and valuable role in education. The volunteer program provides you with an opportunity to increase your knowledge of the educational process. Regardless of the type of volunteer work you do, you will play a key role in helping our students. You will receive satisfaction for doing an important job and have an opportunity to meet other members of the community. Volunteering may help you acquire new skills and work experience for future jobs. Volunteers enable teachers to maximize their time. Our children benefit from more individualized attention and an enriched curriculum. Teachers, students, administrators, parents, and the community benefit from the work of people like you, who freely share their talents and resources. There is a place for every kind of volunteer talent.
Pine Hill Wins 2nd Consecutive Award
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces
2011 Title I Academic Achievement Award Schools
SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that 209 California public schools have been selected for the 2010-11 Title I Academic Achievement Award.
“These schools have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the education of their students and have achieved impressive results,” said Torlakson. “I congratulate all those who put forth the extra effort that resulted in this prestigious award—school administrators and staffs, teachers, parents, and, of course, the students themselves.”
The Title I Academic Achievement Award is given only to schools receiving federal Title I funds as authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Title I is the single largest federal educational program for K-12 public education. Title I funds assist schools in meeting the educational needs of students living near or at the poverty level. Of the more than 9,000 schools in California, more than 6,000 of them participate in the Title I program.
The criteria to qualify for the Title I Academic Achievement Award have become more rigorous in recent years. To meet the criteria for this distinction, the school must demonstrate that all students are making significant progress toward proficiency on California's academic content standards. Additionally, the school's socioeconomically disadvantaged students must have doubled the achievement targets set for them for two consecutive years.
The 2010-11 awardees will be honored at a reception and banquet at the Disneyland Hotel on May 20, 2011. For more information about the California Title I Academic Achievement Award reception and banquet, please visit the California Department of Education Web site at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/aa/index.asp.
Library Catalog Available Online
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:
- Provides easy access to our library collection through the Web
- No installation required
- No software update hassles
- Find out if the book has an 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.
- 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.
Accelerated Reader Resources
Here are some resources to help families help support their children in using the Accelerated Reader program.
The Parent’s Guide to Accelerated Reader
This document gives parents a complete reference to Accelerated Reader, including common questions and answers about the software. Parents will receive a comprehensive overview explaining how you can help your students become stronger readers with AR™.
A Parent’s Guide to Accelerated Reader: Questions and Answers
A Parent’s Guide to Accelerated Reader - Spanish Version
The Parent’s Guide to AR BookFinder
If parents want to help their children choose books, or if they want to help their kids learn how to choose the right books for themselves—AR BookFinder™ is the answer. With a few clicks of a mouse, parents and children can search for titles at the appropriate level, so they will find books that are both interesting and enjoyable.
A Parent’s Guide to AR BookFinder
A Parent’s Guide to AR BookFinder - Spanish Version
AR BookFinder Quick Link
Encourage parents to help their child search for appropriate books based on their child’s interests and ZPD at: http://www.arbookfind.com/default.aspx.
The Parent’s Guide to Renaissance Home Connect
Research confirms that parental involvement in a child’s education is a strong predictor of student achievement. Encourage your students’ parents to log onto Renaissance Home Connect™ to get instant updates on their student’s reading progress!
A Parent’s Guide to Renaissance Home Connect
A Parent’s Guide to Renaissance Home Connect - Spanish Version
Click here to log on to Pine Hill School's Home Connect™
After using AR Bookfinder to find a book that your child would like to read and then take an Accelerated Reader test on you can use the link to the Pine Hill School library computer and search to see if the book is in our collection. If not, you can use the link below to go to Humboldt County Library website to see if it in their collection.
Humboldt County Library Online Library Catalog
Click here or on the graphic below to go the Humboldt County Public Library Online Library Catalog.
STAR Information
The STAR Program is an annual state assessment that measures your child’s progress in meeting California’s Content Standards. These standards indicate what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.
Students in grades 2 – 6 take the California Standards Tests in English Language Arts and Mathematics in May each year. In addition, students in Grade 5 are tested in Science. A summary of your child’s results are mailed home in August. Student performance is reported in five achievement levels ranging from Advanced to Far Below Basic. The report will also show the percent of questions that were answered correctly on each test.
If you wish to know more about the STAR Program, go to the California Department of Education’s Website at: www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/resources.asp. The state has prepared many excellent resources for parents related to the STAR. One of the best resources is a new site that the California Department of Education developed last year. This new site can be found at: http://www.starsamplequestions.org/. The site has sample test questions available online so that students and parents can become familiar with the format and level of difficulty at each grade level. Sample test questions include the standards being assessed, questions as they appeared on the tests, and their related proficiency levels, correct answers to questions, and the percent of students that answered the questions correctly. The information will help parents and students to understand how children are performing and will identify areas where children need additional help.
Click here to get more information about STAR testing.
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
- TV watching is associated with bullying and lowered overall math achievement
- Negative effects of TV could be symptoms of broader family and household dynamics
- Another theory is that the act of watching television can harm developing brains
- 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.
Healthy Choices
South Bay Union School District has a Wellness Policy that is in line with state mandates. The following are the goals of this policy:
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 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.
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
