Monday's Mistake

There was a mistake on the earlier blog.

The 3-5 trip to the Arcata Math Fair
is on Friday March 13th- not February 13th.

I guess we have plenty of time to get parent drivers.
Sorry about that.

February 9-13, 2009

Reminders for this week:

Monday at 5:30: Steering Committee Meeting

This month's meeting will include updates about the budget,
upcoming STAR testing, and fundraising.
We will also review our Single Plan for Studnt Achievement.
Everyone is welcome to attend these meetings.


Wednesday and Thursday: School Pictures
Wed: K-2 pictures
Thurs: 3-5 pictures

We will also take class picutres on these days.
Please send your order form and payment on picture day.
Pictures will be back the week of Feb. 23-27,
and we will also do retakes if needed.

Friday at 9:30: 3-5 class is going to the Arcata High Math Fair
We need signed permission slips and parent drivers.
PLease sign up if you can drive.

Next week is Presidents Week.
School is closed.

I wanted to remind everyone that lunches are ordered
every morning at 9:30.
If your child is coming to school late but needs to order lunch,
please call ahead.

Snack does not need to be ordered in advance,
but we cannot guarantee your child can order lunch after 9:30.
Thanks.

Science Fair is coming up soon.
Trillium's fair is on March 3rd,
and the winning projects will go to the county fair the next day.

All students should be well underway with their experiments or research
working on their backboards.

Remember that everything needs to be in the logbook,
including research, trials, graphs, observations, and a bibliography.

Every time your student even thinks about their project, they should log it.
At the county science fair, the majority of scoring is based on the logbook,
and the backboard is secondary.
The backboard is just a visual a summary of the project.

If you need any help with this, Aly and Marianne are available.

January 27th, 2009

Hi everyone,

Just a few updates for our busy winter weeks.

This Friday we were invited to join the students at Pacific UNinon
for a concert by singer & songwriter Joe Craven.

This was just scheduled today,
so permission slips are now in your boxes.
PLease return them ASAP.
Thanks!

Also, it is returning enrollment time again.
Returning studnets and thier siblings get priority
for next year. Please return those forms
before Frbruary 15th to the bottom of the office stairs.
After Feb. 15th enrollement will be open to the general community.

It is science time again for alll students.
The K-2 class has been exploring matter in it's changing forms
in their classroom through experimenation.

The 3-5 students are getting ready to do thier science experiments.
All students should have an idea by now
and be ready to start experimenting.

Because we are low on funds this year,
any parents who can purchase their own backboards
are encouraged to do so. They can be found at Staples.

Each student has a staff member available to help
with science projects, but support and help from
home is essential to this process.
If you need any guidance, please come see Aly or Marianne.

Science Night will be held on Tueday March 3rd at Trillium.
We are also inviting any interested families form the community
to join us for open house.

This is an opportunity to see our kids shine
and get a sense about what we do at our school.
We are hoping that poeple will come and get excited about Trillium for next year.

Also, word of mouth always helps, so please spread tell
people about our program. We need full enrollment
to combat all the butget cuts next year.
Thank you!

Wednesday, November 19th

There is so much going on at Trillium right now
I thought everyone could use a quick reminder.

So...parent conferences and minimum days are continuing through Thursday.
If you did not get a chance to meet this week with your child's teacher
don't hesitate to schedule a meeting after Thanksgiving Break.
The teachers are available.

Congratulations to our new Steering Committee members
and thanks to everyone who voted in this years election.

The new committe has five parent representatives:

Jill Frizzell
Rachel Iverson
Ciara Hunt
Suzanne Swagert
Stephanie Silvia

and one community member:

Lynn Szabo (an alumni Trillium parent).

These are the voting members of the committee.
We will have our first meeting and orientation this Thursday at 6:00.
All parents are welcome to attend.

Friday is an exciting day.
We have a Center Arts fieldtrip in the morning,
and our annual Harvest Potluck in the afternoon.

Please return signed permission slips for the fieldtrip.

All families are invited to join us for the potluck from 1:00-3:00.
This is always a great way to end before we disperse for Thanksgiving Break.
We hope you can make it.

The fundraising committe is currently accepting coffee orders.
This fundraiser is through Humboldt Bay Coffee Co.
and the bags come with our own Trillium label.

They make excellent holiday gifts,
or if you buy coffee anyway, you can buy it here
and some of the money will benefit the school.

The coffee will be ordered the week after break.

I also wanted to thank our parents who have been working
so hard on their contributions to Trillium.

Our fundraising committee has been resurrected and is working hard.
The Steering Committee has all seats filled with voting members,
our grounds are looking good thanks to volunteers,
and the overall sense of community is growing.

Thank you all, because we can't do it without you.

October 20

I wanted to let you know about all that is coming up at Trillium.
First off, we have a great fieldtrip scheduled for tomorrow- Tuesday,
but we are short on drivers.

The students are scheduled to visit the Old Town farmers Market
where they each get a dollar to spend at the booth of their choice,
then on to the Discovery Museum.
Last they will have lunch by the waterfront.

We need seats for seven students.
Please help out if you can,
even if you cannot stay for the whole trip.

This Saturday, the fundraising committee has a rummage sale planned.
If you have donations, you can bring them in this week,
and they will also need help setting up and selling items throughout the day.

Also, the Halloween Carnival is coming right up.
We love to have a s many parents as possible to join in the fun.
Sign-ups to run games will be posted this week.

The first week of November,
we will be holding our Steering Committee Elections.
This is a non-profit board that governs Trillium,
and is responsible for fiscal oversight, policy development, and ongoing
program assessment. If you are interested in getting on the ballot
let Marianne know.

I also wanted to mention that our budget is currently in peril
due to low enrollment and the state budget cuts.
I am working on creative ways to supplement our finances this school year,
and I am asking for any help you can provide.

The easiest way to increase our funding is to increase our enrollment.
Word of mouth recommendations go a long way,
so if you know anyone who is unhappy with their child's current school,
let them know we have six spaces in the K-2 class
and an active waiting list for the 3-5.

Also, if you have any grant writing experience, we could use your skills.

Of course, we also accept donations,
so if you happen to know someone looking to make a tax-deductable donation
to a non-profit (large or small), tell them about our small school.

I would be happy to discuss what I am working on,
or you can find out the details at the next board meeting in November.

Tuesday, Oct. 7th

Hi everyone.

Everything at the school is moving right along into
the busy fall season, and I wanted to give you
some updates.

First off, I would like to welcome Michaela Murphy to our staff.
Michaela has taken over Jen's position,
and is excited to be a part of our school community.

MIchaela comes to us with an extensive background in
child development, parent education, and social work.
She and Jen have known each other for 15 years,
and her children went to Gateway School in this building over 20 years ago
which makes for a nice connection.

Please take a moment to introduce yourself
when you pick up your kids.


This Friday, Oct. 10th, the kids are taking their annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch.
The bus will leave at 10:45, and they'll be back for lunch.
Please return signed permission slips in the kitchen.

Parents are welcome to come along,
but there is a waiver you must sign to ride the bus.
Younger siblings cannot ride the bus,
so if you are bringing them you can just meet us there.


This weekend is also the Festival of Courage
and our annual bakesale fundraiser.
Many parents have signed up, but there are some
holes in the schedule for sitting at the table.
Check the sign-up sheets.

All volunteers will get in free, we just need you
to work for an hour or two, then you can go and play
at the festival!

The money raised will go to replenish the petty cash
for the classrooms.

Next Tuesday, October 14th will be a Steering Committee meeting
at 6:00. All parents are welcome to attend and participate.
This will be the last meeting of the current committee,
as elections are coming up in a month.

We will have three openings on the committee
for voting members this year.
If you are interested in becoming a parent representative,
Marianne can answer any of your questions
or just come to the meeting.


Looking further ahead in the month:

Tuesday October 21: K-5 trip to the Eureka Famer's Market
and the Discovery Museum
* Parent drivers are needed.

Friday, October 31: Halloween Carnival 1:00-3:00 PM
* We will need parents to help run games for the kids.
Look for sign up sheets closer to the event.


We would love some feedback on the blog.
Let us know if you find it helpful or how you really feel about it.
Thanks!

Thursday, September 25

This is a reminder that both classes are having
parent meetings today.

The meetings will cover information about your
child's classroom, what they are working on,
upcoming events, and more.

Of course, you will be able to ask questions, share ideas,
sign up to volunteer, or raise concerns.

We hope you can make it.

The K-2 class: 5:00-5:45
3-5 class: 5:45-6:30

For parents of kids attending the Wolf Creek camping trip
next week (3-5 class only),
there is a short informational meeting at 5:30.

Childcare is available, and is FREE if you pick up your kids at 3:10.
If your kids stay in extra aftercare for the meeting,
the usual charges will apply.