Open House 2013: See What’s Been Growing On At La Mariposa

Like our gardens, our students are in full bloom and larger than life!  Join us this evening to see how they’ve grown.  The evening promises to be filled with music, art, smiles, & success.

This evening’s schedule:

• 5:00 – 6:30   Family Picnic Dinner in the Quad
• 5:00 – 8:00   “The Artist In Me” School-Wide Art Show
• 5:15 – 5:20   Welcome
• 5:20 – 6:30   Musical Performances by ALL students
• 6:30 – 7:30   Classrooms Open*

Don’t forget to stop by the Tech Lab to see what the kids have been learning in Tech Class!

 

LM Gets Technology Boost from PVSD

Kindergarten team received training on heir new SMART boards! Leading the training were LMS’ own Mrs. Alvarez and Mrs. Armas. K students can look forward to some great SMART lessons soon!

Thanks to valiant fundraising effort over the last few years, La Mariposa has equipped teachers and students with technologies such as SMART classrooms, laptops, tablets, and desktop computers. In addition, LMS has received donations from local organizations, such as CLU and Naval Base Ventura County.  We have worked hard to leverage our resources in order to make classroom technology a significant part of teaching and learning at La Mariposa. But, did you know that the Pleasant Valley School District recently decided to help improve the classroom technology available to students and teachers?

The Board of Trustees and our Superintendent, Ms. RaeAnne Michael, allocated $61 per student for the purchase of classroom devices! With our current enrollment, La Mariposa will have approximately $42,000 to spend on devices for students and teachers.  Since our school’s goal is to provide students with a connected learning experience, we are basing our improvements on our desire to give students and teachers broad access to online content while also providing the tools to collaborate and create together. 

Check Out This Fun Video From The Dinner Dance

5th Annual Dinner Dance Hits the Mark

Last Saturday, the La Mariposa PTA sponsored our 5th Annual Dinner Dance & Auction.  Held at the Camarillo Ranch Red Barn, we all had a blast raising money for technology and music.  When all was said and done we raised $36,000!  That means by the end of the year ALL of our classrooms will have SMART boards installed and guarantees funding for our music & tech teachers for the 2013-14 school year!

None of this would have been possible without your generous donations and the tremendous amount of hard work of the Dinner Dance committee led by our extremely dedicated Dinner Dance co-chairs Aaron Laskey and Kat Gregory.   Huge tiger hugs go out to:  Rachel Barlow, Denise Bolish, Lisa Carraway, Darby Catalano, MIdhelle Fisher, Romey Henderson, Jill Heybl, Jill Hodges, Elizabeth Jensen, Kathryn Masci, Beth Sassower, Natasha Scrivner, Tom Scrivner,  Patti Stouch, Kelly Widerburg, all their HUSBANDS, and everyone else that we may have forgotten to mention!

Special thanks to Cindy Laudato-Wong for sharing her photos with us!

Great Online Educational Resources for Rainy Days

This article was inspired and written with the help of one of our 4th grade Tigers, Sassin!

Have you checked out the Tiger Tech Lab Webpages?  Mrs. Barnes has put together some wonderful online resources for our kids including:

• Keyboarding Practice
• Kinder Keyboarding
• Educational Websites
• Weekly Activities

Trust us when we say these are an impressive list of resources covering math, literacy, social studies, science, art, & music.  There are also some relevant research links for 4th and 5th graders.  

Top 8 Reasons To Attend the Dinner Dance

The 2013 Dinner Dance is Sponsored by: Caulfield Consulting, LLC;Laube TechnologY; and Koppel Patrick Heybl & Philpott.  Contacts:  Aaron Lasky & Kat Gregory

2012 Dinner Dance, Camarillo Ranch Red Barn

5th Annual La Mariposa Dinner Dance & Auction

• Saturday, February 23, Camarillo Ranch Red Barn
• Learn more at our Event Website
• Make your reservation now!

Top 8 Reasons To Attend

8.  You can get a great deal on braces.  Wright Orthodontics once again is donating a set of braces valued at up to $5380.  What would you bid?

7.  It’s cheaper than sending your kids to private school.  The way state funding is these days, unless your paying $1000+ a month for tuition at a private school, chances are you are child is not getting DEDICATED MUSIC INSTRUCTION and does not have the option of singing in a chorus.  Thanks to our Annual Dinner Dance & Auction La Mariposa students get a well rounded education that includes the arts.

Rancho Las Palmas Resort, Rancho Mirage, CA

6.  It’s good for your marriage.  Who couldn’t use an evening off from the kids, looking fine, dancing the night away?  We’ll also have romantic dinners and weekend get aways up for bid, like a two night stay at Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage.  But, you’ll have to out bid us, first!

5.  It’s money well spent.  In the past four years, the Dinner Dance & Auction has funded the purchase and installation of 22 SMART BOARDS, two years of music instruction, one year of technology instruction, 2 sets of student response devices, wireless internet on campus, and an upgraded sound system in the MPR.  The event has raised $130,000+ in the last four years combined and made a real difference in our kids’ learning experiences.

Shot in Arrowhead Provincial Park. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4.  The whole family benefits.  We have great items for families like a four-day, three-night stay in a three story house with panoramic views of Lake Arrowhead.  With 4 bedrooms and three full baths, two families can go in together on this one!

3.  Your dollars go twice as far.  You’ll be able to bid on many items that your family already uses and enjoys.  Things like a family pack of Disneyland Park Hoppers or an American Girl Doll.  Many of these items go for 25-50% of their market value.  So not only are you getting a fantastic deal on something you would already buy, but you are also putting your dollars into instructional technology and music education for your children.

2.  It’s the best party of the year!  Whether you attend with your spouse or that group of ladies you love to be around, The Dinner Dance & Auction is a fabulous excuse to enjoy some food and drink, let you hair down, and live it up with your friends.  It’s really great chance to connect and get to know the people we see everyday in a different way.

1.  It’s SMART.  A successful Dinner Dance & Auction means ALL of our classrooms will be SMART Board equipped.  SMART boards allow our teachers to teach the way 21st Century kids learn.  Gone are the days of noses to the desk with pencils grinding away.

Make a Difference.  Even if you can’t attend the event, you can contribute by donating items, sponsoring a teacher, or bidding by proxy.  It’s also not too late to be an event sponsor.  You’ll be recognized in all our eBlasts, on our event website, and in our event program.  It’s a great way to share your business to 500+ La Mariposa families all while supporting La Mariposa!

Haven’t sent your RSVP back yet?  Lost your invitation?  Want to make a Flat Donation?  No problem.  RSVPs are due February 8 and you can donate or reserve your space at our online store.

Great Apps and Screen Smarts for Kids and Teens

By Kamala Nahas, President of Camarillo Council of PTAs

If your family is like ours, you probably added at least one new electronic device to your home in December.  So now that you have the device, how will your child get the most out of it?  How will you make sure your child enjoys the device without sacrificing their schoolwork or healthy physical activity?  

Acorn Article: Students Learn Old Lessons On New Tools

Photo Credit: Camarillo Acorn

This is an excerpt from an article published by Stephanie Guzman for the December 7 edition of the Camarillo Acorn.

Instructor Jamie Alvarez steps into Christina Culp’s third-grade class at La Mariposa Elementary School, and the students fidget eagerly, ready to practice their multiplication.

It’s not math problems that have the 17 students bouncing in their seats, it’s what Alvarez has brought to the Monday morning class…read the full article.

Talking Tips: The Conversation That Goes Along with Giving Your Child A Phone

It might seem early for elementary school, but believe it or not, it is time to start thinking about having a talk with your child about mobile phone use and internet etiquette.  The following article is adapted from Time for the Talk: Mobile Phone Use and Online Etiquette, by Valerie Vargas, Our Children, Vol 38, No. 3, National PTA.

One in five children ages 8-14 report receiving a bullying or mean text message.–AT&T Mobile Safety Study

As parents, we tend to agonize about the “talks”

Tiger Teachers To Attend SMART School

The Ventura County Office of Education and SMART have teamed up to offer teachers in Ventura County affordable professional development in the use of SMART boards. There are 13 LMS teachers attending these trainings. 9 are attending the bi-weekly classes through the middle of December, and 4 are attending the classes every other week until April! The training is paid for by the school, but the teachers attend on their own time (Tuesday or Wednesday from 4-6). The trainings give teachers the opportunity to learn skills in a small group setting.

Thank you to all of our Tiger Teachers that continue to build your skills for the benefit of our kids!