Science Fair
Top six reasons to love Science Fair:
1.     Before middle school, Peterson students have 6 years experience using the scientific method with an area of interest (opposed to specific topic assignment).

2.     Students become skilled at presentation board organization, utilizing writing skills, record keeping, and materials layout organization.

3.     Opportunity to prepare and improve public speaking, including interactive demonstrations and questions and answers sessions.

4.     Enormous excitement in the air during the school day and evening of the science fair.  Students are very excited to present their work and are very encouraging of fellow classmates’ accomplishments.

5.     Sense of community:  students invite parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and friends.

6.     The science fair is an inexpensive PTA program ($300) and not subject to government cuts.
 
Peggi Fowler, PTA Science Fair Chairperson

In an effort to help the environment and encourage our students to recycle, we are collecting juice bags and energy bar wrappers.  These "non-recyclable" items are shipped free of charge to a company called TerraCycle were they recycle these items into new and exciting products and in return give us a donation.   The children have been recycling the items that they bring to school in their lunch bags but items from home can also be brought in.   Any brand juice bags and all foil lined energy bar wrappers (Cliff, Odwalla, Z Bars, etc.) or granola wrappers can be brought into the green containers in the cafeteria.  Thank you for helping the environment and Peterson!
 
Debbie Helenihi, PTA President

This spring will be an enjoyable time for our students and families.   Next month we will focus on Healthy Lifestyles Week.  All week long students and families will work on smart eating choices and exercising.  The week will bring our most popular PTA program, the Jog-a-Thon.  This event is all day long with each class room assigned a designated "jog" time.   Our DJ will keep the students motivated and pumped up! Teachers will send home more information as March 26 draws nearer.  Look for the volunteer sign-up; this program is successful because of the volunteer help.   We would love to see you there!  All parents are welcome!!

Amy Morris, PTA Jog-a-Thon Chairperson

“Fun”Raising Updates
 
We are very disappointed to report that Albertson’s has discontinued their Community Partners Program as of January 31st, 2010.  Last year we earned almost three thousand dollars from Peterson families and friends who had registered their Albertson’s cards and did their grocery shopping at Albertson’s.
 
Without this source of income, it is more important than ever to register your preferred cards and shop at Vons and Ralph’s.  Even if you have already turned in the forms at school to have your cards registered, please take an extra moment to make sure your cards designate Peterson to receive the Community Contributions by following the steps below:
 
·       
To register your Ralph’s Card visit: http://www.Ralphs.com
Sign-in to your existing account or create a new one.  Then choose “My Account” from the menu on the left-hand side of your page.  Scroll down to “Community Rewards Information” and choose Peterson as your organization.  Peterson’s Organization Number: 82719
Every time you swipe your Ralph’s Rewards card, Peterson PTA earns money to help support our many programs!
 
To register your Vons Cards, and various other participating merchant’s and your credit/debit cards visit: http://www.escrip.com
Enter Peterson’s ID #: 6668729

January’s Family “Fun”Raiser at McDonald’s was quite a success! Despite one of the biggest storms of the year, Peterson earned over $260.00 dollars! Thank you to all of the teachers who braved the rain and worked behind the counters and to all of our families who came to support the event!

This month’s Family “Fun”Raiser will be at Chuck E. Cheese, in Huntington Beach, located at 15511 Edwards Street on Thursday, February 25, from 2:00 – 9:00 PM! They serve up more than just pizza, so come and play, and a percentage of all purchases will be donated to Peterson!
 
Our “After School Cool” with Dippin Dots for February was cancelled due to weather conditions, but we look forward to celebrating the approach of springtime next month with Jamba Juice on Friday, March 5th from 2:00-3:30 in front of the cafeteria.  We hope to continue to bring our families closer together by providing more opportunities to make some new friends and hang out with old ones!  Parents, please remember no Peterson staff will be supervising these events, students will not be allowed to purchase a treat or stay on school grounds without a parent or guardian present and that you must monitor your children while on campus for these events.
 
If you have any questions regarding fundraising, please call Marcela Alban (714) 625-2109.
 
Marcela Alban, PTA Fundraiser Chair

The 4th Grade classrooms have had our new SMART Boards for a mere month and every class is using them differently throughout the day. We calculate with them, we use them as whiteboards, we interact with them and it enhances our teaching. Teachers are sharing ideas and fun SMART Board tricks to enhance the students’ learning. Thank you PTA; we appreciate this amazing piece of technology that brings us up to the 21st century, tech wise. 
 
In additional 4th grade news, summary writing and the world of Electricity and Magnetism are energizing all of our classrooms. California History marches on, including Explorers who left their mark on our state and the Mission Period. The 2nd Accelerated Reader period ends March 12th, so please encourage your child to read within his/her ZPD, and test ASAP to reach his/her personal goals.

Thanks so much! 



Tracy Andersen, Petersen Teacher

During these difficult economic times, the Peterson community comes through again! The Partners In Progress Program strives to make available to our teachers at Peterson money to use in their classrooms for supplies that our school’s limited budget can’t provide. Because of generous donations, our students will have the supplies they need. Sincere thanks to all of the following Partners in Progress for helping us to meet the goal of finding a sponsor for each of our classes. They are: Darren Moffett / Innovision Media Group, Boy Scouts Pack 290, Dennis & Sons Machinery Dba PM Machines, Anthony and Stacy DeBernardo, the Caring Parents of Room #3, Linda and Alan Bearden - Luna Azul Properties, the Caring Parents of Room #P-2, Brad and Karen Plantiko, Bruce and Christine Ennen, the Sager Family, Greg and Trish Raupp, Terranova Pools Inc., Michael and Christa Hill, Klass and Jan Volbeda, DJ and Shavon Pierce, Clennair AC & Heating, Ketan and Sunita Bhakta, S & A Management Co., Marshall Pools, Inc., The Tutoring Club, Jon and Leslie Greer, Ann M. Belles - First Step Supported Living Services, Donald and Andrea Willerth, Sham and Shilpa Telang, John and Sheila Lyons, Cassandra and Mark Nguyen, and Grace Cleaners. Thank you again for all your generous donations.
 
Myra Klepinger and Linda Bearden, PTA Partners in Progress Chairpersons

Mrs. Fassnacht’s 4th grade is dialed into our new fabulous PTA funded SMART BOARD. (Thank you PTA!) There isn’t a day we don’t use it to get the whole class interacting in subjects from Math, to Science to Critical thinking in Reading. The energy it brings into our class is overwhelming and every day we learn a new trick or two enabling us to create more enthusiastic learning activities. We are presently researching and writing California Explorer reports while using technology to the fullest. While studying figurative language we realized that our awesome rain poems needed even more of a boost, so we took poetry “Over the Rainbow to a place behind the sun…” Using the SMART board, our newly acquired figurative language skills and our musical and artistic talents we created an entirely new style of poetry. Come see our masterpieces posted on Science Fair night when our Scholars have the opportunity to show off their scientific discoveries.


Carol Fassnacht, Peterson Teacher


On February 17, the 1st and 2nd graders are "half-way" through their Whale
 Tales year: 50 days finished and 50 days to go.  Their goal is to read 50
 books by May 27 so that they can attend the Ice Cream Party on June 8 and
 9.  Many students have already met their 50 book goal and Noah Alban has read
100 books!!
 
Remember, you get "1 book" credit for every 50 pages in a book, so consider choosing a longer book to check-out on Thursday and read it over the weekend.  We have a different gift certificate and prize for you all the way up to 170 books.  After that, you get to pick your gift certificate and choose a "treasure box" prize after every 10 books that you read.
 
On March 1, the Kindergarteners will be "half-way" to their goal of 11books read. We're happy to have all of the kindergarteners participating this year.  They are having a great time checking out their books and winning their prizes.
 
Thank you to the following volunteers who make Whale Tales a success week after week: Amy Houwen, Amy Morris, Bridget Jacobson, Caitlin Ritchey, Carmela Valinsky, Carolynn Fung, Cathleen Wall, Chris Ennen, Daisy Dumesnil,
Dawn Campbell, Doris Chan, Doug Britton, Elise Crocker, Emily Real,
GretchenWoodard, Holly Romley, Jane Ooms, Jeanine Benson, Jennifer Dater, Jim
Sims, Kasper Kasper, Kati Puentes, Kelene Thome, Kevin Anderson, Kim Felix, Kim Geroch, Kimberly Loughery, Konstanze and Carl Alvarez, Kristina Suhr
Andersen, Sara Valinsky, Sarah Fitzgerald, Shelley Kottman, Shelly Tovatt,
Teresa Bailey, Tomia Hicks, Tong Smythe, Victoria Dunn, and the classroom
volunteers for Mrs. Arriola and Mrs. Bakx who bring drop-in's.
 
Whale Tales appreciates your book donations also.  If you have books that your family have outgrown and they are in good condition, Whale Tales is always happy to accept donations of simple books and chapter books.  Don't forget us at Book Fair, too.  We will have a "wish list" of books that we would like to add to our inventory.
 
Keep up the enthusiastic reading!!
 
Alyce Britton and Angie Dargavage, PTA Whale Tales Chairpersons

Hello Healthy Families! Have you lived up to your "I'm going to live a healthy lifestyle" New Year's resolution? It's not too late! Please place your order for the next cycle of Tanaka Farms. 

The next cycle dates are:
          2/22, 3/01, 3/08, and 3/15.
 
Please send your check made payable to Peterson PTA for $120.00 for all four weeks. You may also pay $60 and choose which two weeks you'd like delivery. Also, please indicate if you'd like veggies, all fruit or alternating weeks.
 
Thank You!
Deanna Zamiska, PTA Tanaka Chair
714-378-1515

The Peterson Yearbook is getting ready to print.  We're accepting last minute photographs through 2/24/10.  Pictures can be submitted via CD.  Please drop off CD's to the office and mark them with the teacher’s name and grade level.  If you have any questions, please contact Millie Starks at hbmillie@gmail.com.
Thank you,
Millie Starks, PTA Co -Yearbook Chair