Happy Friday

Hi Trillium folks,

I am putting out information about fundraising.

I know that fundraising is one of those topics that
can instantly stop pepole from being interested (myself included)
because it often means extra work!

So, I wanted to share with you two simple ways that you can
raise money for Trillium by doing what you already do.

1) If you have a Washingtom Mutual checking account you can
sign up for Wamoola for Schools.

All you do is choose Trillium as your school of choice
and every time you use your debit card Wamu dontes some
money to our school.

Last year we had three participants and made $85.00,
so if we could get a few more it could be substantial.


2) If you shop online (like I do),
you probably like Ebay, Amazon, or Target online - to name a few.

If you go to http://www.yellowbrickmall.com/trilliumcharterschool.php
you will see a page for Trillium,
and if you go to your favorite online shopping sites through this site
they will also donate money to Trillium based on your shopping.

This one is even easier. because you don't have to
register or give any personal information at all.
You just have to begin your shopping on this site.

The last thing I wanted to mention is that it is time
for Trillium tee-shirt, sweatshirt and tote bag sales again.

If there is anyone with a little free time
who could volunteer to help organize sales or ordering
we would appreciate the help.

Fundraising is more important this year than it has ever been.
We have swimming lessons coming up and we will need parent contributions-
money raised could subsidize this cost.

Also, we are thinking ahead to our end-of-the-year trip.

This year we are stayiong local again due to high gas prices and Wendy's infant.
We have reserved Pamplin Grove for the last three days of school,
and will need money for food and fun for all.

We will have a planning meeting later in the spring-
but any little bit of help to raise funds goes a long way.
Thanks.

Have a great weekend.
-Marianne

Fieldtrip tomorrow

I wanted to remind everyone about tomorrow's
fieldtrip to HSU to see the Peking acrobats.

We are going to the 9:30 show,
so we have to leave the school, right away in the morning-
9:10 at the latest,
so we can park and walk to the theater.

We still need a few parent drivers,
so please sign up if you can drive.
Also, make sure you sign the student fieldtrip slips
and return them to the office door.

Thanks!

I also wanted to mention to the parents in the K-2 class
that I am really proud of your kids.

It is not easy to change teachers mid-year,
especially in Kindergarten.

There have definitely been some rough moments,
but overall everyone has been doing really well.

Wendy will be pleased to hear a good report.

If you have any extra time in the mornings,
this would be a great time to volunteer to help out in class.
Let Jen, Marianne or Stephanie know if you can help out.

Thank you!

Next Monday- Steering Committee at 5:30.

K-2 Class Update

Here are some announcements for the K-2 class
for the week of January 14-18:

The letter for the week is M and the number is 7.
1st and 2nd graders will also study the ee sound,
as in "feet" and "see".

If you have any objects that express
the letter, sound, or number of the week, send them in to share.

Also, if you have any magazines, calendars, greeting cards,
or fabric scraps that could be used for collages and art projects,
please bring them in.

Thank you!

Lastly, we are going to try a new
No toy rule in the K-2 class.

In the past, we have asked kids to keep toys from home
in their cubbies during class and only bring them
out at recess or during share time.

Unfortunately, this has not been working.

There has been a lot of toy controversy, including
arguments, hurt feelings, and even some unauthorized borrowing
(otherwise known as stealing).

We have plenty of toys available to play with at school
and are asking kids to leave their personal
toys at home for now.

Kids who do bring items to school
will be asked to leave them in the safe toy space
in the office.

They will be available for pick up
along with your children.

We hope that you understand why this is a necessary measure
for now, especially in Wendy's absence, to maintain a peaceful
space in the classroom.

We ask for your support and assistance.
Thank you all.

Have a great week.

2008

Hello Trillium families,
and welcome back all students.

I hope you had an enjoyable break.

As you may have heard,
Wendy had a baby boy just one day into the break.

Everything went well, and they have a healthy baby boy-
Gianni Orlandi.
His picture is hanging in the kitchen.

Stephanie Silvia, Wendy's long term substitute,
is doing a great job,
and the kids are making a smooth transition.

Please take a moment to introduce yourself
to Stephanie if you haven't already.

This weekend there is a work party planned for
Saturday at 11:00 to put up the rest
of our new playground equipment.

So far, we have two people ready to help out,
but they could use some more hands.
Let us know if you are available.
If it rains on Saturday, they will meet on Sunday.

We have a Center Arts field trip scheduled this month
on Thursday January 24th to see the Peking Acrobats.
This is a favorite show, and we will need parent drivers.

Look for sign-up sheets and permission slips next week.

Also, we are planning to do our annual swimming lessons
at the Arcata Pool this spring.
Unfortunately, we do not have as much
funding as we have in the past,
and will be collecting $20.00 for each student to
help with the costs of the lessons and the bus.

More information will be in the parent boxes soon.
If you cannot afford this fee,
scholarships or sliding scale rates are available-
talk to Jen or Marianne.

Our Steering Committee meeting this month is
scheduled for January 28th at 5:30.

If you have anything you would like to bring to the board-
ideas, concerns, etc.-
look for the agenda on the library bulletin board.
Anyone can sign up and attend these meetings.
The agenda will be posted on January 18th.

The spring months tend to be extremely busy
and filled with school activities.
Just some of the upcoming events include:
Science Night, Open Mike Poetry (3-5 class),
Spring Equinox family potluck,
and our final parent conferences.

We will put information out on the board out front,
in your parent boxes, and on this blog to keep you informed
so you won't miss any of the fun!

Monday's field trip

We have a field trip on Monday to HSU
to see Circus Oz at 11:00.

We were not able to get the bus for this,
so we need parents to drive.

Please sign up if you are available,
and be sure to give the office a copy of
your current car insurance.

Thank you!

Monday December 3

It is December, and the storms are upon us.
We held up pretty good in the wind,
but one of our trees in the back is broken.

Is anyone with a chainsaw willing to cut it all the way off
to make the back safe again?
Let Marianne or Jen know if you can help out.

Tonight is our Steering Committee meeting for the month.
There is one scheduled for December 17,
but I don;t think we will need a second meeting that soon,
so if you have anything to bring to the board,
please come tonight at 5:30.

Looking ahead, our annual Elves Workshop is coming up
on December 20.
This is an afternoon of crafts set up for the sudents to
make gifts for their families.

We need parents who have craft ideas and/or supplies
to run a craft table.
We have some ideas that have been popular in the past
and we just need people to volunteer.
Jen has the idea list and will be looking for people to
sign up.

Let us know how you can help out.

We'll keep you posted!

Wednesday Nov. 28th

I hope everyone had an enjoyable week off over Thanksgiving.
We are back in session, and thankful for the sunshine making outside recess possible.
This time of year can get crazy when the kids are stuck inside too long.

On that subject, I want to bring up the inevitable mud and rain
that we deal with each winter.

We believe in the importance of fresh air and exercise for the kids,
and even on the rainiest days we try to get outside in between downpours.

Any type of water proof footwear for the kids helps
their feet to stay dry and their bodies stay warm.
Rain boots are the best because they slip on and off easily
and dry quickly.

It makes winter recess more fun when you can splash and
run in the mucky field
and not come back with wet socks!

Also, if you ever have extra pairs of rain boots that you would like to donate,
we would be glad to keep some here for kids who need them.


Thank you to everyone who helped out in Trinindad last Saturday.
We made almost $600, and everyone who came to pick up their raffle
prizes said it was a lovely event.

We especially want to thank Penny, who organized the event, and
Michelle, Cierra, Heather, Green, Mary, and Jennifer
who put a lot of work into organizing and collecting raffle items,
and working at the event itself.


The month of December always goes fast,
and we have a lot planned.
I will update this as needed, but also read the board out in front
of the school to stay informed about weekly events.

Coming up next week is our Steering Committee meeting.
Racheal Iverson, Lilian and Faith's mom, was approved
by you to fill the empty seat on this committee.

Our next meeting will focus on:
budget updates,
Single Plan for Student Acheivement updates,
and current happenings.

Everyone is welcome to attend.