Make a Snowflake for the Children of Sandy Hook

Please help the Cherry Valley PTA support the students of Sandy Hook Elementary by joining National PTA in making snowflakes! The National PTA sent out an email this week offering options for people who want to help support the students returning to Sandy Hook in January. The following is copied from that email:

“When school resumes for Sandy Hook, it will be in a new building. Parent-volunteers are working to ensure that the students are welcomed back by a winter wonderland with the entire school decorated with as many unique snowflakes as possible. We encourage senders to be as creative as possible, remembering that no two snowflakes are alike. Please make and send snowflakes by January 12, 2013 to the Connecticut PTSA.”

This would be a very meaningful project to work on as a family over the winter break. There will be a drop box in the Cherry Valley front office on January 7th. Please bring in your snowflakes that day and the PTA will mail them, or you can mail them directly to:

Connecticut PTSA
60 Connolly Parkway
Building 12, Suite 103
Hamden, CT 06514

This is also the correct address to send monetary donations. Connecticut PTSA is accepting monetary donations to the “Sandy Hook Fund” to provide ongoing support to the community. To contact Sandy Hook PTA, please email sandyhook@ctpta.org.

In addition to the excellent resources sent out by Riverview School District last week, National PTA has information on how to talk to your children about school violence. http://pta.org/schoolviolence

PTA members, we need your help!

The PTA would love to have more members to support our kids and school activities. And if we increase our numbers from last year, we could even win money from the National PTA! We have a goal of 70% enrollment this school year, which means we currently need about 120 more PTA members.

As incentive, we'd like to throw a cookie party for the class with the most PTA memberships, and we need your help in spreading the word! Do you know any Cherry Valley parents who aren't PTA members? Encourage them to sign up! Did you know any family member or involved person in our community can join PTA? Can you think of someone who isn't a PTA member but should be?

For reasons to join the PTA, click Why Join the PTA? in the sidebar at right, --------->
and there is also a great list of reasons here on the national PTA website.

We appreciate your help in spreading the word about why its important for our children and our school to be a PTA member! 

Family Movie Night Time!

Cherry Valley PTA presents:
FAMILY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES!

Movie: How The Grinch Stole Christmas  (2000 version starring Jim Carrey, rated PG)
Date: Thursday, December 20
Time: 7pm
Place:  Galaxy Monroe 12, One Galaxy Way, Monroe 98272 (behind Fred Meyer)
Price: $3 per ticket, no matter what age

Tickets are being presold in order to keep better track of each prepaid ticket holder. Forms were sent home.

 

Please email Melissa McDowell at mcdows4@yahoo.com with any questions. This is a great way to kick off winter break! We hope to see you there!

Bingo, Book Fair, Reflections, Oh My!

Its time for Family Fun night!

Join us for BINGO!

Date: Friday, November 16
Time: 6pm to ???
Price: $2 per Bingo card, or $5 for three cards. Blackouts $3 each, or $5 for two.

Dinner will be served! Pizza slice & a soda or water for $3, each additional slice $1.

We will have approximately 10-12 games with two blackout games. Fabulous prizes await, so come join the fun! Please email Melissa McDowell at mcdows4@yahoo.com if you would like to volunteer.

Reflections is on the same night!

And the Book Fair will be open too, so stop in before or after Bingo and see what's available. Teachers have a book bag filled with books they would love for their classrooms. Books make a great gift that keeps on giving! We also have an online book fair that you can access through the CVE homepage (www.cv.riverview.wednet.edu). So if your child's wants are too big, maybe grandparents or other family members can buy the books as Christmas presents. The books will be delivered to the library. The online book fair will continue a few days after the book fair closes. Book fair is open November 9-16 in the afternoons from 12:30 to 4.

Riverview Family Advocacy Mentors

Riverview Family Advocacy Mentors - "Fostering connections between families for the purposes
of sharing resources and strengthening advocacy." This program is a result of a partnership between Snoqualmie Valley Community Network, Riverview School District, and the Division of Vocational Rehabilition.  The intent is to connect families with information and skills that will hopefully improve long-term outcomes for students with disabilities (any level of disability).  While this program was designed with families of students with disabilities in mind, any family who is interested in improving their communication and advocacy skills is welcome to attend the event or sign-up for a mentor match. 

Now connecting MENTOR CANDIDATES — parents of students (middle-school aged or higher) that have received support through an IEP or 504 plan and would like to give back by sharing experiences and resources with families who are new to advocacy, with PARENTS SEEKING SUPPORT THROUGH MENTORING (MENTEES) who wish to strengthen advocacy skills and gain information about navigating disability services in the schools and in the community from trained parents of older students with disabilities.

Kick-off event: Community Resource Training
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Riverview School District - Educational Service Center
15510 First Avenue NE; Duvall, WA 98019
6:30-8:00 pm (light dinner provided) - Advocacy Strategies and Community Resources to Support Students during their School Years
8:00-9:00 pm Developing Mentoring Relationships *for mentor candidates only*

Space is limited. Reserve your spot at http://www.RiverviewFAM.eventbrite.com/.

For more information about the Riverview Family Advocacy Mentors Program or to get involved as a mentor or mentee, contact:
Sandy Dempsey
DVR Outreach Coordinator
Snoqualmie Valley Community Network
dempsey.sandy@gmail.com

Cheetah Walk Update

Our Cheetah Walk was PAWS-itively successful! The weather was beautiful, and our Cherry Valley Cheetahs were enthusiastic! We raised over $15,000, and still look forward to corporate-matched donations. The Cherry Valley PTA will be able to purchase a new workroom laminator, and an in-ceiling projector screen to be installed in the gymnasium.

A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers, parents, and teachers who support our PTA fundraisers!!

Cheetah Walk is coming up!

Pledge Sheets went home on Friday for our annual Cheetah Walk that will be held on Thursday, October 4.  Cheetah Walk is one of two yearly PTA fundraisers.  Your child will have 30 minutes to walk/run the track and earn money per lap.  The Pledge Sheets are due back no later than October 3rd. 

We always need lots of volunteers on the day of the Cheetah Walk.  If you would like to help count laps or hand out water, please email Nancy Perry at tnraperry@msn.com.  (If you would like to be there during your child's lap time, please indicate your child's teacher.)

This year's funds will go toward a workroom laminator and an in-ceiling projector screen for our gymnasium.