April 2010

Welcome to our April Newsletter.  Hope you enjoy this newsletter. It's packed with news about our fundraising activities and other events.

Thank you very much for all your support!

 
For 2 days in March, I represented Peterson in Sacramento along with 80 PTA members from the OC area, called the Fourth District PTA.  We collectively represented 150,000 PTA members.
 
I will spare you the numbers and predictions for not only the financial crisis of education but for the whole state of California.  It just makes my head spin, everyone’s numbers are different and confusing.
 
What everyone agrees on is that the California economy, and the cuts to education, will continue for years to come, that the system is broken, and that the ideas out there collectively have some potential of helping some.  But, really, our state needs to throw out the whole constitution of how we do business here and start over from scratch.
 
On to something lighter.  Here are some eye openers that I really DO want you to remember:
1)      Some legislators say that they aren’t hearing about education concerns from their constituents
2)      The Governor’s “May Revise” of the CA budget includes more harsh cuts to education
3)      Sacramento believes there is still “fat” to be cut from the education system in local school districts
4)      These cuts in funding will be the same for every school district regardless of their budget status. (Some districts are still able to have the funding to keep 20:1, give teachers raises, and not have to cut the instructional year by 7 days while others are on the verge of bankruptcy.)
 
Please keep reading, because this is the good stuff.  YOU can help.  YOU HAVE to speak up.  Contact your legislators—email, write a letter or visit—with specific information about what is happening to your child’s education experience because of the budget crisis.  Include pictures.  Get personal.  The numbers don’t matter anymore, real stories do.
 
Hopefully, you can access these links right from this letter.  Please visit them today:
            Assemblyman Silva   www.assembly.ca.gov/silva 
                        Huntington Beach
            Senator Harmon  www.cssrc.us/web/35
                        Costa Mesa
            Congressman Dana Rohrabacher  http://rohrabacher.house.gov/
                        Newport Beach
            Governor Schwarzenegger  www.gov.ca.gov
                        Local offices in LA or Riverside
 
Please stay informed about what is happening in education:
Ø  www.capta.org  Check out the Legislation section and find the most recent “Sacramento Update”
Ø  Attend our local school district board meetings held at 20451 Craimer Lane on Tuesdays @ 7 pm on: April 20, May 18 or June 22.
Ø  PTA meetings: First Thursday of every month for Mrs. Crissman’s report
 
“We can not rise to the top if we sink to the bottom in support of our children” (Debbie Look—CA PTA Director of Legislation).  Peterson family and friends already know this.  We are proud, hard working volunteers here in support of our kids and Peterson staff.  It is time for us to step out of our little bubble and BE HEARD.
 
Alyce Britton, PTA member
 

Please mark your calendars for Friday, May 14th 5:00 to 8:00pm to join the Peterson PTA for its annual Family Dinner Night.  Coming soon in a backpack near you will be event information, meal and raffle ticket options.  This evening of community celebration will include a street fair, games, dinner, chance-drawing/raffle and, of course, entertainment!
 
It’s not too late to participate!  If you are interested in a street fair booth; donating a raffle item or volunteering, please email jdaterhb@verizon.net or call (714) 261-7059.   The next planning meeting will be Thursday, April 15th, following drop-off in the Clapp Wing.  We would love to have you join us!
 
If you have a home business and would like to have a street fair table or booth, please fill out the vendor agreement Form at the end of this newsletter and return it to the school office.  If you have any questions, contact Shavon Pierce at (714) 964-3924.
 
Jennifer Dater, PTA Family Dinner Night Chair

Pollution Solution!                                                                                                   
 
Announcing our Pollution Solution! Lunch room trays? Bottle caps? Plastic bottles? Milk cartons? Plastic bags? Pop tops? Straws? Old pencils?  In room 19, Mrs. Fassnacht’s 4th graders want to be “part of the solution, not contributors to the pollution.”  We believe in Re-use, Re-cycle and Re-create. Look for our products constructed out of trash, around the Peterson campus following spring break. We are creating jewelry, art, clothing, bags, sports equipment, guitar picks, children’s toys and more. Some of us are researching topics such as space debris, what happens to plastic bottles when recycled, Rainbow Disposal, landfills, the dirtiest rivers in the world and where the pollution originated, etc. There is so much to learn and when young minds are unleashed, they can make a difference in the future.  So, if you see our students digging in the lunchroom trash, be aware that they are probably finding valuable resources, not dumpster diving. Some of the prototypes need revisions but that’s part of the process and fun. Mrs. Fassnacht even wore Lauren’s beautiful, decorative headband the other day and it was made of golden pop-tops!  Who knows, we might even market some of these products and become entrepreneurs.
Get Ready To Recycle
 
April 22nd was Earth Day!  To recognize the importance of protecting our earth, the week of Monday, April 19th – Friday, April 23rd,  the Peterson PTA held a recycling drive.  This not only benefited our planet, but Peterson was  able to earn “cash for our trash.”
 
Robin Moses, PTA Member
 
 

This month’s Family “Fun” Raiser was held last Tuesday, April 20th at Round Table Pizza & Dippin Dots at the Newland Center located off of Beach and Adams.  Thank you to everyone that supported us. It was a huge success and so much fun.
 
Don’t forget… it’s never too late to register your preferred cards!  As of January 31st, 2010, Albertson’s discontinued their Community Partners Program.  Without this source of income, it is more important than ever to register your preferred cards and shop at Vons and Ralphs.  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.  Click on the Ralph’s Rewards icon in the upper right corner.  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 Von’s Cards, and various other participating merchant’s and your credit/debit cards visit: http://www.escrip.com.  Enter Peterson’s ID #: 6668729
 
If you have any questions regarding fundraising, please call Marcela Alban at (714) 625-2109.
 
Marcela Alban, PTA Fundraising Chair

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John R. Peterson Elementary School
Annual Family Dinner Night
May 14, 2010
Peterson PTA will be having its annual Family Dinner Night on May 14, 2010.  Family dinner night is a time where our students, faculty, school administrators and their families come together to share in the joy of watching entertainment, playing games, and catching up with friends.  This year we are staging a Street Fair on campus where guests can stroll along between vendor booths, play games, get a bite to eat and listen to our students entertain us.
 
Peterson Elementary School is home to over 500 students.  Our Family Dinner Night Street Fair is a great opportunity to showcase your business and sell your products.  If you are interested in signing up to be a vendor, please note the following:  Check in time is between 4:00 and 4:30 PM on the day of the event.  Vendors are responsible for supplying their own tables, chairs, canopies, etc.  All booths must be ready for business no later than 5:00 PM.  Break down will begin at 8 PM and vendors must have their stations cleaned up and off the premises by 8:30 PM.  If you are interested in hosting a booth, please complete the bottom portion of this letter, along with the attached two forms (Participant’s Waiver and Hold Harmless Agreement) and mail all three items, along with a $30.00 donation check to:  FDN Vendor Coordinator, Peterson PTA, 20661 Farnsworth Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92646.
 
Sincerely,
Shavon Pierce & Marcela Alban
Family Dinner Night Chairpersons – 2010
 
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NAME: ____________________________________          PHONE NO.:________________________
ADDRESS:______________________________________________________________________________
COMPANY NAME & PRODUCT: _____________________________________________________________
SIGNATURE: ___________________________________        DATE: _______________________
 

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