by Lucia Sullivan on 01/30/2019

Dear Canyon Community,

We are enjoying the rain when we get it! Please make sure your kids have warm, dry layers for colder and wetter days.

Thank you to Raphaelle Steinzig who has graciously volunteered to serve on the School Site Council in addition to her role in CEF. We have worked hard to create a parent survey that should help give us valuable information to continue to support and strengthen the school experience for kids and families. PLEASE carve out some time in the next two weeks to complete this survey. Your responses and feedback are invaluable to us. We are asking open response questions on a range of topics to ensure that we capture the most helpful feedback. Please share your thoughts! https://goo.gl/forms/baFLp1w71l7cbDRz2

Sequoia will be starting a PhD program in the fall in earth and atmospheric sciences! Please join me in congratulating her! And this means we will be looking for a math/science instructor for the fall.

John Heylin is planning a community potluck on March 16th– He’s planning to reinvigorate community association support for the building– if you are interested in helping him please let him know.

Ways to get involved–
Suzy McAllister, the art teacher, is looking for yarn donations for an art project. Do you have any random yarn you’d like to get rid of? Please send it in!

We will be waxing the classroom floors over the holiday weekend in February. Can you help move furniture after school on Friday, 2/15? Many hands make light work! If we can get a number of people to help, it will be quick work. Please email Ramona if you can come help with this.

One exciting thing that has happened as a result of the changes in 678 is that we have hired Sita Davis (Ollin’s mom) to teach Spanish. She is also starting a weekly class with the younger students. So far the feedback from all grades has been fantastic! We are really thrilled to be able to offer some Spanish in school this year.

Unrelated to the start of in-school Spanish class, the after school Spanish class seems to be winding down. A few students are needing to leave because of spring sports which makes the class no longer sustainable. There could be an opportunity to offer Mandarin after school if we had a critical mass who was interested. Can you let me know if you’d be interested in after school Mandarin class for your child?

As you may know, Ramona is the primary caregiver of her 94 year old mother. Sometimes she needs to step away from her desk to check on her. If you pop into the office and nobody is available to help you, please just leave a note. You may see Monica Santiago, our Chief Business Official, working in the office. Please resist the urge to interrupt her with questions. She is hard at work managing our finances and each time she is interrupted it takes time to get back into her work.

Mile markers have been put in on Pinehurst. If you were to get stuck or see a stranded motorist on Pinehurst. We can now provide tow trucks and emergency service personnel with mile marker information.

I got some resources from Alameda county and thought I would share them with you.
Tobacco prevention information:
https://med.stanford.edu/tobaccopreventiontoolkit.html

Upcoming Calendar events:
1/31 K12 field trip to St. Mary’s
1/31 345 field trip to the dump
2/04 678 field trip to Cal Performance Kodo drummers
2/11 345 field trip Bay Area Children’s Theater
2/12 Hundredth day of school and kids’ Centennial celebration, Board Meeting @ 7
2/14 Valentine’s Day, CATSS meeting
2/15 move furniture
2/18 No School
2/27 345 field trip EBMUD Valle Vista

by Lucia Sullivan on 01/10/2019

Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful break. We spent time with family on the east coast. In addition to spending time in Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC we also visited Knoxville and Nashville, TN for the first time.

Though the break was great, it is wonderful to be back to regular routines. I had the opportunity to join the middle school teaching team’s class meeting Monday. I was so impressed with the poise the middle school students showed explaining the Canyon mission statement and their program to new staff. The new team seems to be working well. Please contact me if you have any concerns or wonderings.

If your child is having any issues at aftercare, please contact Camille so that she can work with staff to ensure the issues are resolved. Her email is: camille120@gmail.com Please contact Camille if you anticipate an inability to pay your aftercare bill. Families with bills more than 60 days past due can NOT leave children at aftercare.

Board meeting recap. We discussed the new schedule and staffing for 678. Mr. Day will continue on in the mornings and we are adding Spanish with our very own Sita Davis along with snack and lunch supervision and 6th grade math with Arthur Peterson. Another topic raised by a parent was about getting all families to volunteer to support the school. We discussed why some families may volunteer more than others and strategies to increase volunteerism. Ideas included but were not limited to:
Spaghetti dinner or other community building event
A Volunteer coordinator to call all families and discuss volunteering options that may work within the structure of their families
Website information and handouts specifying ways that families can volunteer
Reiterate to parents importance of volunteerism

The staff discussed parental involvement today and were in agreement that most parents drive on field trips, or volunteer in other ways. And we all understand that sometimes people have a lot on their plate and need to focus on their own health or their loved ones at the moment. However, we realized, that many parents (especially new ones!) may not know all the ways they can help, and how vital that help is to our little school.

Volunteer opportunity. We will be having the floors waxed in February over the holiday weekend. All parents and community members are invited to come and move furniture out of classrooms after school on 2/15/18. Please help! Many hands make light work.

Should you be interested in attending, the next CEF meetings:

Mon Jan 14, 6pm
Wed Feb 20, 6pm
Mon Mar 25, 6pm
Mon App 29, 6pm

It sounds like a lot of halloween stuff has wound up thrown over the railing where the kiln is supposed to go behind Building C. Camille is unclear if this is trash or useful Halloween decorations. It needs to be moved because it is just sitting in the rain getting ruined and the staff has no idea what it is or where it should go. We don’t want it slide into the creek.

Calendar:
1/10 345 field trip Peralta Hacienda
1/10 NO CATSS meeting, rescheduled (new date forthcoming)
1/17 678 field trip Exploratorium
1/21 No school MLK day
1/25 semester ends
1/28 No School Teacher work day
1/31 K12 field trip St. Mary’s Theatre
2/12 Board Meeting @ 7 pm
2/12 Hundredth day of school & Centennial celebration
2/14 CATSS meeting @ 8 am
2/15 Volunteers needed to move furniture
2/18 no school President’s day

by Lucia Sullivan on 12/13/2018

Dear Canyon Community,

Before things get too crazy, I want to thank everyone for all their support and community in 2018. It takes a village to run this school. Jim Smith, Board President is fond of calling it a Do-It-Yourself school, and in many senses it is true. We rely on the incredible skill and vitality of our community to make things run. We could not do it without all of you! Our little community has suffered some losses and endured some hardships this year, and I am continually touched and heartened by the way the people in this community show up to take care of each other and support one another. Thank you for that. You are a wonderful loving, kind and resourceful group of people and I am grateful to have you in my proverbial fox hole.

Our new Governing Board met on December 11th. Our current Board members are: Jim Smith, President; Brain Coyle, Vice President; Kaya Westling, Clerk; and please welcome new board members Peggy Lynch and Esperanza Surls. We want to thank outgoing board member, Ian Llewelyn, for his many years of service!

Thank you to everyone who worked on the art faire. It sounds like a good time was had by all. I was so sorry to miss it. I took my kids to see the Raiders before they head off to Vegas. The vendors contributed more than $1100 for the lunch program!

The facilities committee had its first meeting of the year on Saturday, December 8th. I was so impressed by the breadth and depth of skills, talent, commitment and energy we have in our community. As soon as the group stopped talking (and it was just supposed to be an organizational meeting), people started actually tackling tasks. We left the meeting with 12 immediate action items and half of them were done before I got back to school the following week! A huge thank you to Tim Quayle, Juan Juarez, Patrick Riley, Ian Llewelyn, John Heylin, Jeff Pratt, James McNeil, Wendy Avellino, Adam Styles, Kaya Westling and Esperanza Pratt.

The dress rehearsal for the winter performances will be Thursday, December 20th at 9 am. We will start with K12, followed by 345, a brief intermission and snack break and then the 678. I would tell you exact times if I knew them! Anyone is welcome to attend the dress rehearsal! It is especially nice for those who have difficulty getting here in the evening. The actual performance will be that evening at 7 pm.

We were so fortunate to find Mr. Day when Esperanza was preparing to retire. As you may have known, he was in the process of re-certifying in order to accept the position as he had left teaching for a while and his certification had lapsed. We were able to secure a one year emergency credential for the calendar year of 2018. During the intervening time, Mr. Day has both been teaching full time and studying for the extremely rigorous CTEL (which is a 6 hour exam and the last essential requirement for him to gain a new teaching license). Despite great effort, Mr. Day was unsuccessful in his attempts to re-certify before the deadline.

Sadly, this means that he will be finishing out the calendar year with us and then moving on to other opportunities. Mr. Day shared this news with his class on Wednesday. We will all miss his critical thinking puzzles, rigorous teaching, charming personality, fascinating hobbies and wonderful rapport with the students. I know Mr. Day is looking forward to continuing the friendships he has established with kids and families.

He wants you all to know that he deeply appreciates the warmth, support and openness with which he was welcomed into this special community. And that it has been a pleasure to teach your children. He really appreciated the individual efforts by members of the community to make him feel welcome, supported and provided with feedback.

I recognize that this is a challenging and upsetting turn of events. I share your disappointment. It is my goal that we take this crisis and use it as an opportunity to create an even stronger middle school program here at Canyon School.

Warmly,
Lucia

Community notes:
From Miles Jensen: Check out the new Kickstarter for our business! Video made by Clara! Thanks

by Lucia Sullivan on 11/15/2018

Dear Canyon Families,,

After a day of worsening air quality, and uncertain forecasts for tomorrow, we have made a decision to close our schools on Friday, November 16. We have been working with the County Office of Education, our partner districts including the Acalanes Union High School District, the Governing Board and our own district leadership to make the best decisions throughout the week on behalf of our students and our district staff. We believe that closing the schools will best serve the needs of all our stakeholders.

We have been closely watching a variety of sources of information, including PurpleAir.com, airnow.gov, and sparetheair.org, tracking both the current status and the forecasts. Based on the current forecasts and the experience of the week, the air quality is not likely to improve substantively tomorrow. There are reports of many other institutions closing their doors today and tomorrow to facilitate healthier options for students and employees of all ages.

I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause for you and your family. I want to assure you that we take this step only after careful consideration and collaboration with a wide circle of colleagues. The safety, health and comfort of the entire school community is paramount. Please contact me with any questions or concerns

Sincerely,
Lucia

by Lucia Sullivan on 11/14/2018

Hi Folks,

The air quality forecasts continue to be in the “unhealthy” range (red) for the next few days. Kids will be kept inside for recess and PE. Kids had an active day today with Capoeira, art and music. Esperanza led a dance party during assembly. I am noticing that people (kids, adults, parents) seem a little out of it, vaguely distracted, and a little sad about current conditions. Many people have friends and loved ones being displaced by the fires. I would suggest everyone just do their best to take care of themselves and each other. Drink a lot of fluids. Rest. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Tomorrow we have Opera a la Carte! Students in 678 need to arrive by 8:15 for their run through. The performance is at 9:30 and all of you are welcome to attend! Friday the 345 class has their field trip to Peralta Hacienda. Thanksgiving week there is no school all week. Hopefully when we all return the fires will have been contained and the air quality will have dramatically improved.

Contact Esperanza if you want a table at the art faire.

Board meeting recap:
The Board met last night and Cassie and Esperanza were in attendance. As you know, Esperanza Surls and Peggy Lynch will be assuming new Board posts at the December meeting. There were recognitions for the walkathon ($28,000!!! Wow! Almost all the kids participated and they fundraised their hearts out!); the Halloween Carnival (amazing, best ever!), Ian for his service to the Board, Aaron Webster for his volunteering with the tech and of course Gloria for her amazing tenure at the helm.

The two main discussion items at the meeting focused around facilities and fundraising. The board will be taking on a greater role in managing facilities. Kaya Westling will be heading up the facilities committee. My hope is that the group will be able to assess the capital improvement and maintenance needs so that we can forecast cots several years out.

We also discussed fundraising within the Canyon community beyond current school parents. The school building belongs to the community and functions as a community center. The whole of Canyon should be invited to take an active part in its upkeep.

Centennial:
Cassie also reminded me at the board meeting that we had discussed a Centennial Party for the kids at the CATSS meeting. The staff discussed this today and we will hold a Centennial Party for the students on the 100th day of school, February 12th. Activities will include but not be limited to:
A time capsule with 100 wishes for Canyon school written by kids, parents and community members/alumnae
Math activities related to 100
Misty’s famous carrot cake

I would like to gather anecdotes for a compendium of Canyon stories. Please let me know if you would like to help with this!

CATSS:
CATSS met last Thursday morning before the 345 field trip. There was a review of the super successful walkathon. Cassie also did a recap with the kids. Everyone agrees that incentivizing the kids to get ten sponsors with an ice cream certificate was wildly successful. All but 6 children attended and/or fundraised! Cassie realized that 30 laps (about 10 miles) was a big threshold and identified the 16 or so kids who met or surpassed that. All those children were recognized at the assembly last week. In total the kids walked over 1300 laps!

Top fundraisers received Fandango gift cards. The top fundraisers in each grade were:
K- Daphne
1-Levi
2-Teddy
3-Jasper
4-Asher
5-Jasia
6- Orion
7-Sebastian
8-Miles

K12 class raised- 9k
345 class raised- 16k
678 class raised – 3 k
(these are rough estimates from my notes:)

The group at the CATSS meeting (Maggie, Cambria, Kelley, Maybelle, Cassie, Melanie, Lisa, Jocelyn, Greg, I know I am forgetting people!) also discussed fundraising with an event. Ideas that were floated (with much enthusiasm!) included a Luau in the grove and a raffle with amazing prizes (like plane tickets for 4 to Hawaii!). Maybelle even discussed the possibility of hosting a fundraising calligraphy workshop.

CEF update:
Currently 58% of families have returned their pledge forms. They have pledged to give $42,330 of the $75,000 target. Please return your pledge forms so CEF knows what they can expect and how much they need to fundraise. Whatever you plan to give (or not give) is helpful for them to know and will avoid having someone call you and ask.

Community notes:
Erika McDaniel could use help with dog sitting for adorable Idgie over winter break. If anyone is interested in hosting a 6 lb dog for the break, please contact Erika! She was at the walkathon; she’s fun, easy, great with kids and adorable!

Calendar:
11/15 Opera a la Carte 9:30 performance
11/16 Field Trip 345 Peralta Hacienda
11/19-23 NO School Thanksgiving week
11/29 Field Trip 345 Del Valle Geologic Park
12/02 Art Faire
12/06 Field Trip 678 Bay Model Sausalito
12/11 Board meeting 7 pm
12/20 Winter Performance
12/21 minimum day
12/24-1/04 No School Winter Break
1/07 Back to school!
1/08 Board meeting 7 pm
1/10 CATSS meeting 7 pm
1/17 Field Trip 678 Exploratorium
1/21 No School MLK day
1/25 Last day of the marking period
1/28 No School Staff Development
1/31 Field Trip K12 Field Trip
2/12 100th day of school, Centennial party!
Board meeting @ 7 pm
2/14 CATSS meeting 8 am
2/18 President’s Day no school

by Lucia Sullivan on 11/06/2018

Happy election day; I hope everyone voted!

How was the late start last Thursday morning? I am interested in any feedback on that to inform future planning. Should we do this again sometime?

It is not too late to sign Gloria’s card (Ramona has it in the office).

It sounds like conferences have been going really well. It is so important to have that home-school communication pipeline. Some common themes that have come up in several recap discussions are: parental frustration with their kids’ at home behaviors, concerns about inattention or lack of focus and concern about social relationships.

While I can not offer solutions to all parenting challenges, let me share a few thoughts. There are various forms of neurodiversity that have an impact on impulse control and executive function, some are related to attentional issues. Many parents have strong feelings about ADHD and medication, and those are medical diagnoses that we at school do not make. The articles in this ADD resource are insightful and offer many holistic approaches that have been successful in helping families manage tantrums, executive functioning issues, organizational issues and impulsivity. I am a fan of whatever works to help the child feel more in control and successful. So here is a link to one article (or two!), and you can easily go down the rabbit hole of clicking on related articles from here. I am NOT saying your kid has ADD, I am just saying these articles may be interesting and offer information that feels helpful to some of you struggling with these types of issues.

https://www.additudemag.com/symptoms-of-add-hyperarousal-rejection-sensitivity/?fbclid=IwAR0W_rhwllQbaZ1r_IshrfEOsUvu6_xtgHWv8dCotRyq5gQk5Z4YgQZ6lL4

https://www.additudemag.com/positive-parenting-challenging-kids-adhd-nurtured-heart/

Calendar:
11/08 CATSS meeting 8 am* Thank Cassie for time correction!
11/08 Field trip 345 Black Hawk museum
11/12 Veteran’s day no school
11/13 Board meeting 7 pm
11/15 Opera a la Carte 9:30 performance
11/16 Field Trip 345 Peralta Hacienda
11/19-23 NO School Thanksgiving week
11/29 Field Trip 345 Del Valle Geologic Park
12/02 Art Faire
12/06 Field Trip 678 Bay Model Sausalito
12/11 Board meeting 7 pm
12/20 Winter Performance
12/21 minimum day
12/24-1/04 No School Winter Break
1/07 Back to school!
1/08 Board meeting 7 pm
1/17 Field Trip 678 Exploratorium
1/21 No School MLK day
1/25 Last day of the marking period
1/28 No School Staff Development
1/31 Field Trip K12 Field Trip

Warmly,
Lucia

by Lucia Sullivan on 10/31/2018

Thank you to all the incredible volunteers who put on such a delightful and robust Halloween carnival. It was such a treat to see, not just the current students having so much fun, but also to returning students and families reconnecting with old friends. This is such a special community. A reminder that when we as a staff find random items like tupperware (or Halloween music CDs), we just leave them by the mailboxes for you to rediscover and take home. Please check that area out as there is a lot to claim!

The 678 kids have set up the Ofrenda in the foyer. Please feel free to contribute a picture of a loved one if you’d like to participate. It is not too late. It is lovely to see the faces of everyone’s loved ones.

It sounds as if parent conferences have been going well. The teachers love getting to have a dedicated time to really connect with parents to meet the needs of our students. Remember, tomorrow, Thursday November 1st is a late start to accommodate morning conferences (and tired kids!). School will begin at 11. You are welcome to drop kids any time after 8:30 for “before care” which Camille has generously offered gratis on this day only since we are piloting the idea for the first time.

The CEF update is that we have 44% participation and 46% of our goal has been promised (largely due to matching of funds). Please turn in your pledge form. Our target was for 100% return of pledge forms. Please return the form. If you know that you can’t give, returning the form will ensure that people do not call you. I understand that times are tight for many people. Please consider giving something, even if it is less than the ask, if everyone participates it creates a feeling that the whole community is supporting the school program. If you have access to corporate matching, please utilize it; It is a powerful tool!

As you all know by now, Gloria Faircloth retired today after 24 years of service to Canyon School. She will be sorely missed! The kids serenaded her at lunch and made her cards during art. It is not too late for YOU to sign a card, share a memory for the memory book and/or contribute to her retirement gift. Check in with Ramona. She can help you with this. Monica Santiago has been our new Chief Business Official since July 1st. Pop by and say hi if you have not already done so.

Every year 6 Flags does a reading incentive program whereby kids read and get a free pass to 6 Flags. Some people love this and some people hate it. I have no opinion– but 6 Flags is expensive and if you want a free ticket why not make your kid read 6 hours? Disclaimer: You still need to pay for the adult/s and that is not nothing! I am attaching the parent letter and the reading log. If you do it, just drop the log in my mailbox by the first week of January.

There is no minimum day the Friday before Thanksgiving break.

11/04 Daylight Savings ends
11/06 Vote!
11/06 K12 field trip
11/08 CATSS meeting 9 am
11/08 Field trip 345 Black Hawk museum
11/12 Veteran’s day no school
11/13 Board meeting 7 pm
11/15 Opera a la Carte 9:30 performance
11/16 Field Trip 345 Peralta Hacienda
11/19-23 NO School Thanksgiving week
11/29 Field Trip 345 Del Valle Geologic Park
12/02 Art Faire
12/06 Field Trip 678 Bay Model Sausalito
12/11 Board meeting 7 pm
12/20 Winter Performance
12/21 minimum day
12/24-1/04 No School Winter Break
1/07 Back to school!
1/08 Board meeting 7 pm
1/17 Field Trip 678 Exploratorium
1/21 No School MLK day
1/25 Last day of the marking period
1/28 No School Staff Development
1/31 Field Trip K12 Field Trip

by Lucia Sullivan on 10/18/2018

Dear Canyon Community,

First of all a huge thank you to Cassie and Kelley and all the parents who helped make the walkathon such a wonderful success. It is always such a wonderful fun day. It is such a treat to get to walk around the beautiful campus and chat with children and parents in a relaxed atmosphere. I am already excited for next year’s walkathon!

Reminder: it can be much colder, darker and damper in Canyon than it is elsewhere. Remember to dress your kids in layers. Unless it is pouring rain kids will be outside for parts of the day (recess, PE, etc). It is helpful to always have a cozy fleece or sweatshirt in the backpack.

We are piloting a mindfulness curriculum called Inner Explorer. Judy has already started with great impact and the other classes will start soon.

Important- Please read: The schedule on 10/31 has been confusing and reported in different ways. HERE IS THE ACTUAL AND FINAL SCHEDULE FOR HALLOWEEN-
8:45-9:15 HALLOWEEN PARADE
9:15-10:15 ROTATION 1
10:15-10:30 SNACK
10:30-11:30 ROTATION 2
11:30-12:30 ROTATION 3
12:30-1:00 LUNCH
1-1:35 RECESS

EQUALLY IMPORTANT:
November 1st is a reverse minimum day! School will begin at 11:00 am. Camille has offered (FOR THIS ONE TIME), to make beforecare free to anyone who participates. So you are welcome to drop your kids off at 8:35. Please drop them at the red field and sign them in to beforecare any time between 8:35-11. Do not go to classrooms as teachers will be holding conferences. Regular aftercare will also be available on this day.

Community notes—————————-
Revi wanted to let you all know:
I have space for one more kid for violin lessons this fall at my home in Oakland. I am about 20 minutes from Canyon. I have room for one more weekly half hour lesson on Wednesday evening either at 7 or 7:30.
The cost is $35 per half hour.
I have been teaching for 25 years, mostly beginners but also those more advanced. I teach by ear and reading music, all styles. I myself have played since I was 4, and was trained classically, but since have played styles from English/Irish dance music through Eastern European and klesmer into Americana (my current band!) and jazz. I love improvising and teaching how to improvise!
Take care!
Revi
————————————————–

​As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, please let me know!
Warmly,
Lucia​