Carpenter Walk-A-Thon Steps Out on Friday

NEWS IN THIS ISSUE:
- Reminder: 17th Annual Walk-A-Thon - FRI, 2/24
- Don't forget your Box Tops!
- Spirit Store Sale Tomorrow At The Walk-A-Thon
- California PTA Needs You
- Carpenter Charter Hikers This Saturday
- Governance Council Election Mtg - Mon 2/27
- PTA Elections Are Thursday 3/15
- Reminder: The Spelling Bee is Coming Up

REMINDER: WALK-A-THON
100 DAYS, 100 DOLLARS, 100% PARTICIPATION

It is time for everyone to grab their walking shoes! The 17^th annual school wide Walk-A-Thon is this Friday, February 24, 2012!

Thank you to everyone who has already begun bringing in donations and remember - it is not too late to start. The student who raises the most money will win an iPod Touch. You can make an impact!  If you haven't already, please reach out to friends and family.

Here's how:                      

1. Go to http://carpentercharter.org/
2. Click on the Walk-a-thon Donation Button
3. Find your class team (name of teacher) and look for your child's name on the team list
4. Fill out the donation form and credit card information, and that’s it!

*Note all donations are tax deductible.

Come out and Cheer! We need volunteers to help make this a super fun event. We need help marking lap tags, handing out water and cheering on your children and their classmates.

EVENT SCHEDULE

8:15 - 8:35        Kinder
8:40 - 9:10        Grade 2
9:20 - 9:50        Grade 1
10:45 - 11:15    Grade 4
11:25 - 11:55    Grade 5
1:15 - 1:45        Grade 3 & Room 1

Any questions contact Anita Kuzmarskis –
anitarunner@hotmail.com

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION = $ for CARPENTER

Although we collect Box Tops during the entire school year, our next formal submission to Box Tops for CASH must be postmarked by March 1st, so it is extra important to clip & submit as many box tops as possible this week, and next Mon/Tues/Wed!  

There are envelopes with the Box Tops logo in your child's classrooms, please ask your teacher if you don't know where the envelope is located.  Again, the class with the highest number of Box Tops collected will receive a special treat!  Please contact Lisa Misraje at ljm@misraje.com or Marilyn Salinger at marsalinger@sbcglobal.net with any questions, and THANK YOU for your Box Tops!!!!

SPIRIT STORE SALE DURING THE WALK-A-THON

The Spirit Store is having a sale this Friday during the Walk-a-thon ~ from 8AM to 3PM. We're having a clearance on old inventory: $10 for old Carpenter hoodies and $5 for the peace sign long sleeve and short sleeve shirts. Get them while they last! Other items you can buy this Friday are: new Carpenter Cougars Zip Jackets for kids, new kids and adults short sleeve t-shirts,  knit caps, water bottles, coffee mugs, flashlights, pencils, backpack tags, hats and more. Come see us by the field and stock up on some great Cougar Spirit Wear. If you have questions or you want to volunteer to help, contact Stacey (schirchick@mac.com) or Adina (adina_barco@hotmail.com).

CALIFORNIA PTA SUPPORTING THE OUR CHILDREN, OUR FUTURE EDUCATION BALLOT INITIATIVE

The California PTA is endorsing the Our Children, Our Future Education Initiative. The initiative seeks to raise $10 -$11 Billion annually for 12 years in new, dedicated funding for education. The revenue will be generated through a sliding scale income tax increase. The money raised would be kept in a separate trust fund that can only be spent on education. 

Over the next 45 days, the PTA is actively seeking signatures to add the initiative to the ballot. If you're interested in being involved in the effort or if you'd like to learn more about this initiative, please visit www.ourchildrenourfuture2012.com, read the PTA's FAQ on the initiative here or contact carpenterpta@gmail.com and we will direct you to further information. California is in a funding crisis and education funding is being affected. We encourage you to learn about all of the various initiatives and efforts to generate funding for education so you can better advocate for our children.

CARPENTER COMMUNITY CHARTER HIKERS TAKE TO FRYMAN THIS SATURDAY

Join the Carpenter Charter Hikers for a hike in Fryman Canyon this Saturday 2/25 at 8:30 am! You'll need sturdy hiking shoes, sunscreen, water and a hat.  Parents must accompany their children on the hike.  We will meet at the trailhead on the south end of the parking lot at 8:30 am.  Questions?  Email lydiafriedlich@aol.com.

GOVERNANCE COUNCIL ELECTION COMMITTEE MTG ON MONDAY AT 2:40PM

The Election Committee will be meeting on Monday, February 27 at 2:40pm in the main office. The committee will develop the timeline, communications, and election materials for the upcoming Governance Council elections in May/June (for teachers and parents). This meeting is open to all members of the Carpenter Community. Please contact Cindy Abrams cabrams@agmblaw.com or Michellene DeBonis Michellene@debonisconsulting.com with any questions.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: PTA ELECTIONS ARE THURSDAY 3/15 AT 7:45AM

The Nominating Committee of the PTA has presented their slate of officers for the 2012-2013 School year. The slate includes:
 
President: Andrew Silver
Vice-President: Yanti Palleschi
Secretary: Joel Botwinick-Madison
Treasurer: Anthony Benenati
Financial Secretary: Danielle Peretz
 
The elections will take place on Thursday, March 15^th at 7:45am in the Auditorium. You must be present at 7:45am in order to participate in the voting. Please feel free to bring your kids along with you before you drop them off in their classrooms. We expect to have the elections completed by 7:55am.
 
At the start of the elections, the Nominating Committee will call for additional nominations from the floor. If you are interested in running for one of the officer positions, you must be present at the start of the meeting at 7:45am. If you have questions or concerns about the PTA Elections process, please contact Marjan Sagheb at marjansagheb@yahoo.com or carpenterpta@gmail.com

REMINDER: THE SPELLING BEE IS COMING UP!

Save the date!  Carpenter will soon be hosting it's 9th Annual Spelling Bee the week of March 19th. Third Graders will start the week on Monday, March 19th, followed by the Fourth Graders on Wednesday March 21st and ending with the 5th Graders on Friday, March 23rd.  Each Spelling Bee will begin at 3:30pm and will end with 1st Place and Runner-Up Winners.    Pre-qualifying spelling tests will be given in the classrooms Tuesday and Wednesday this week.  Finalist invitation letters will go home on Friday, March 2nd.  Volunteers are welcome.  Please contact Lisa Misraje at ljm@misraje.com for available opportunities during each Bee.  For any additional information regarding the Bee please contact Mindi Pfeifer at mindilp@aol.com.  We look forward to a fun and exciting even