Los Angeles Unified School District
Hancock Park School
323-935-5272 408 South Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036 hancockparkschool.org
Parent Newsletter March 2006
A Message from Dr. Judith Perez, Principal
The city of Los Angeles Board of Public Works just awarded our school our second beautification grant. Last year we received funds for our Welcome Garden project. This year the grant will help pay for creating an Art Patio, an outdoor classroom with a mural, raised garden beds and attractive outdoor furniture where students will be inspired to create art projects of all kinds. Community Member, and former parent, Theresa Feldman, prepared both grant proposals and is responsible for completion. Many thanks, Theresa! Each grant requires us to make a match in funds, donations of materials or labor. We appreciate the contributions of everyone who participated in our Booster Club’s school beautification days last year. This year’s School Clean-up Day will take place next Saturday, March 11th, 10:00 am-2:00 pm. Everyone is invited to help! Keeping our school clean and making it beautiful is an on-going project. If you wish to help with school clean-up or beautification, please contact Tracy Balsz, Booster Club President. You may leave a note for her in the office.
Thank you Kindergarten parent, Dania Almordaah, for spearheading efforts to improve traffic safety around our school. Following a meeting with City Councilman Tom LaBonge’s deputy, Carolyn Ramsay and representatives of the LA Department of Transportation, parent representatives and I met with Tom LaBonge himself, and his Chief of Staff, Renee Weitzer. Tom promised that LADOT will provide us with a crossing guard at the Ogden crosswalk near the Ross South parking lot. LADOT needs to recruit and train someone for the position, so we don’t know when the crossing guard will start. Tom’s office will also make sure that the crosswalk is aligned with the curb on the east side of the street, will paint it vivid colors and will replace the stop sign located at the Palazzo/Park La Brea exit south of Ross. LADOT is also looking into placing speedbumps on Ogden and Colgate. Please take time to send Tom a note of thanks for his efforts on behalf of our students.
Be aware that LADOT has installed a No U-Turn traffic sign on Colgate at the Park La Brea entry gate. To avoid receiving a costly ticket, please obey all posted signs. We urge you to use our one-way traffic pattern and drop children off curbside on the north side of Colgate. Remember, SAFETY FIRST!
Morning Drop-off Program:
Heartfelt thanks to our four new volunteers who answered our desperate plea to help keep students safe by helping with the morning drop-off program! These lifesavers are Tracy Balsz, Diana Machado, Connie Jarquin and Peggy Villafane. We still need someone to help on Wednesday morning. If you’re available that morning or any morning, 7:45-8:15 am, we welcome your help. To sign up, please call the school office.
Cross-Age Chess Tutoring, By Beverly Glass, Third-Grade Teacher:
Room 24 and Room 16 have been playing chess with each other for the last several weeks. Some students are matched by ability levels, while others are novices, paired with more experienced players. One of the more interesting aspects of our games is third graders with a good command of chess teaching fifth graders how to play the game. Everyone is having fun and learning new chess strategies. Third-grade student, Michael Kohanghadosh, wrote the essay below, describing the experience.
Teaching Fifth-Graders to Play Chess
It is easy to teach fifth graders how to play chess. It is fun to play chess with
Room 16. When I lost to some people in Room 16, I learned new moves. The
fifth graders also learned new moves when I won. I taught them moves like
three-move checkmate, and I also taught them how to move pieces. I help them
to be better chess players so they can also teach people how to play. They listen
to me and respect me. I feel good when they respect me. This is what I do to
teach fifth graders in Room 16.
A Note from Your School Nurse, Cindy Bitterman, RN:
As parents, we spend a lot of time planning our children’s day. We organize their activities, make sure homework gets done, and plan their meals. But how much time do we spend thinking about their sleep? School age children need 9-12 hours of sleep per night. A recent study showed that most get about 8-9 hours of sleep. Kids who don’t get adequate sleep may have trouble concentrating in school, seem over-active, complain of stomach and headaches, and of course, sometimes just fall asleep in class. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that bedtime should be regimented. The body likes consistency, and the brain does, too. A light bedtime snack of cheese and milk can help; both contain tryptophan, an amino acid that aids in sleep.
Avoid television and video games one hour before bedtime, and avoid active play that may increase your children’s adrenalin before bedtime. If you are going to change your child’s bedtime, do it over a three-week period, by making bedtime 30 minutes earlier per week.
National Nutrition Month 2006, By Turusew Wilson:
The food and physical activity choices made today—and every day—affect our health and how we feel. Eating right and being physically active are keys to a healthy lifestyle. To give our body the balanced nutrition it needs, we need to eat a variety of nutrient-packed foods every day and make smart choices from every food group. Healthy foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients. To get the most nutrition out of our calories and avoid gaining extra weight, we need to stay within our daily calorie needs.
Finding the balance between food and physical activity is important for our overall health and fitness, plus it helps control body weight, promotes a feeling of well-being, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. We need to prepare, handle and store food properly to keep ourselves and our family safe.
March 2006 Calendar:
Wed. 3/87:45-8:05 amGATE Parent Meeting
Sat. 3/1110:00 am-2:00 pmSchool Clean-up Day
Wed. 3/158:30 amELAC, Auditorium
Wed. 3/222:45 pmSchool Site Council, Room 23
Tues. 3/288:15 amGrade 2 Student-of-the Month Assembly
Wed. 3/29-Thur. 3/30Minimum DaysGrade 1-5: 8:01 am-12:30 pm
Parent Conferences
Upcoming Dates:
Thur. 4/69:00 amKindergarten Round-up, Auditorium
Mon. 4/10-Fri. 4/14Spring BreakNo school
Mon. 4/17First Day of School Following Spring Break
Wed. 4/19Minimum DayGrade 1-5: 8:01 am-12:30 pm
8:30 amELAC, Auditorium
Tues. 4/258:15 amGrade 2 Student-of-the Month Assembly
Wed. 4/266:30 pmSchool Site Council, Library
Tues. 5/16Last Banked-Time DayGr. 1-5 out at 1:30 pm
Wed. 5/178:30 amELAC, Auditorium
Sat. 5/20School Carnival/Family Fun Day
Mon. 5/29Memorial DayNo school
Wed. 5/312:45 pmSchool Site Council, Room 23
Tues. 6/78:15 amGrade 2 Student-of-the Month Assembly
Wed. 6/146:30 pmSchool Site Council, Library
Wed. 6/21-Thur. 6/22Minimum DayGrade 1-5: 8:01 am-12:30 pm
Wed. 6/218:30 amELAC, Auditorium
Thur. 6/22Last Day of Instruction
Fri. 6/23Pupil-free DayNo school for students
1