Principal's Newsletter

March 2010

Dear Edison Families & Friends,

I want to thank Edison teachers for organizing and hosting our Family Math Nights in January and February. Thanks to Mrs. Branley, Mrs. Bubica, Ms. Marra, Mrs. Matoba, Mrs. Richardson, and Mrs. Viera for putting on these fun and educational events! Thanks to the YMCA for providing child care and to all the families that came in spite of the rain and rescheduling.

Jump Rope for Heart was another great event in February. Thank you, Mrs. Bubica for organizing this event each year. It is a worth while cause where students can make a difference and improve their heart health in the process. Thanks to Mrs. Branley and Mrs. Polun for helping with the event and all the families who contributed to the cause. Also, special thanks go to DJ Ozzie Vinueza for providing the upbeat tunes while we jumped!

Congratulations to our newly elected Student Council Officers!
Secretary of School Spirit - Jillian Glickman
4th grade Secretary of Activities - Samantha Pena
5th grade Secretary of Activities - Taylor Proo
Secretary - McKenna Peneueta
Vice President - Ikenna Maduno
President - Cruz Padilla

Thanks to these student officers, student council room representatives, and teacher Mr. Bradford, they are already hard at work. Their efforts helped with relief for Haiti and raised over 10 boxes of shoes for Souls 4 Souls and approximately $715 for the Red Cross. Way to go, Student Council and Mr. Bradford!

The Torrance Unified School District Board of Education and Cabinet Members held a special budget workshop on February 25, 2010 in order to hear concerns and work with Torrance community members. The District has to recommend budget cuts to the Board of Education before the March 15, 2010 deadline for the Board to take action. The ongoing budget crisis continues to impact school districts throughout California. Visit www.TUSD.org or www.cde.ca.gov for more information and to follow developments.

A few dates to note include:

•    The 5th Grade Physical Fitness Test will take place in March. So, keep your children active and healthy so that they will be in great shape and ready to take on the challenges.
•    Minimum days will be held March 29-April 2 for Parent Conferences with dismissal 1 hour earlier each day. The trimester ends March 12 and Report Cards will go home on March 26.
•    Open House will be April, 22, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Please refer to the Edison website, www.EdisonElementary.org and the Edison Eaglet for additional calendar items and other important school news.

It’s a great day to be at Edison! Go forth Eagles…

Sincerely,
Mrs. Erin Lahr
Principal

December 2009

Dear Edison Families & Friends,

Hello and Happy New Year! I would like to congratulate Jill Nowak and Toni Sciacqua on their elections as parent representatives to the Edison School Site Council for January 2009- December 2010. I also want to thank outgoing member Shannon Ahlemeir for her service. Thank you all! The next School Site Council meeting will be held on January 21, 2009 at 3:30 in Room 33. Anyone is welcome to attend.

I also want to thank PTA and many volunteers for the fabulous programs and events you have brought to Edison so far this school year including:

•    Monika Ortiz and the entire PTA Board for taking on their positions, setting the calendar, and delivering          programs
•    Tina Ortega for Fall Fundraiser
•    Gina Taualii for Membership
•    Sandra Olmos for the Directory
•    Toni Sciacqua for the Eaglet
•    Wendy McGuire, Dawn Mikkelson, & Marilyn VanHarligen for our Library and Book Fair
•    Jill Nowak for Volunteer Coordinator
•    Jill Nowak and Amy Caponpon for the Copy Center
•    Cynthia Gasparro for Adventures in Art
•    Dave Gasparro for the Marquee
•    Jo Telkamp for the Communicator
•    Tammy Clark for Red Ribbon Week, Safety & Jog-a-thon
•    Barbara Smith for Reflections & Fifth Grade Committee
•    Sugheim Gonzalez for Family Library Night
•    Beth Bedrosian, Dawn Mikkelson, Jill Nowak, Amanda Sheldon for the Canned Food Drive
•    Cheri Lackyard for the Winter Assembly
•    Tom Hua, Sandy Sanchez and George Cable for Valet, etc.

While this is only a partial list and does not name the many volunteers who helped out with each program, I appreciate all that has been done and your efforts have helped make Edison the great school that it is! Thank you!

Our community garden needs volunteers to help with maintenance and up keep. Currently the garden has been vandalized and needs help. If you would like to help clear away and trim the plants, please let me know. I have some North High students willing to help, yet we are seeking interested volunteers with gardening expertise to give input. Please call or email me if you can help!

As California continues to face financial challenges, districts and schools are experiencing budget shortfalls. Unfortunately, budget cuts have impacted many programs and services throughout the State. To stay informed, you can visit www.TUSD.org or www.cde.ca.gov. However, if you would like to help, there are many ways to support Edison in these tough times and some can be done without spending additional money. Click on the Fundraising link on the homepage of Edison’s website to learn more. Also, many employers have matching donation programs. Thank you for your continued support!
It’s a great day to be at Edison! Go forth Eagles…

Sincerely,
Mrs. Erin Lahr
Principal

November 2009

Dear Edison Families & Friends,

Hello and happy November! The School Site Council just approved our Single Plan for Student Achievement and I want to thank everyone for their commitment to serving our school. Teachers and parents put in extra effort recently to represent our community’s vision for student success. Thank you! I will share Edison’s plans at the next “Coffee with the Principal” on December 11.

School Site Council elections will be this month. Two terms are ending for parents and 1 term for staff, which will create 3 openings. Please watch for information in the weekly communicator on how to become a member. I look forward to elections and if you have any interest or questions please contact me. I am happy to chat with you about the important role that School Site Council members play.

We still need volunteers for PTA, computer lab, classrooms, and the community garden. Please see me if you would like to get involved! Edison has had a long-standing tradition of help from the community and we want to keep that spirit alive!

On October 15 we, along with other schools, districts, families and business throughout California participated in the Great California Shakeout. This was the largest earthquake preparedness activity in U.S history. Due to the rainy weather, Edison held a Duck, Cover, and Hold drill without the Search and Rescue simulations. We will hold monthly drills for the reminder of the year, including Fire, Shelter-In-Place, and Evacuation drills. For more information on how prepare for the “big one” visit www.shakeout.org.

I look forward to seeing you at our Book Fair during November 17-24 and at Family Library Night on November 19th.

It’s a great day to be at Edison! Go forth Eagles…

Sincerely,

Mrs. Erin Lahr
Principal

October 2009

Dear Edison Families and Friends,

Congratulations are in order for Torrance Unified School District Teacher of the Year, Martin Bray, who teaches the Preppy class in Room 1. Mr. Bray was honored at the September 21st School Board meeting and at a luncheon hosted by the Los Angeles County Office of Education on September 29th. We are fortunate to have him as part of our faculty. You can read more about Mr. Bray in the November Eaglet online at www.EdisonElementary.org. Congratulations and thank you Mr. Bray!

I want to thank everyone for returning registration forms and emergency kits promptly this year. Also, it was nice to see so many of you at Back-to-School Night. I hope you enjoyed the evening and had a chance to hear about the exciting plans your child’s teacher has underway.

This month teachers and School Site Council members will come together to refine Edison’s Single Plan for Student Achievement. We will analyze last year’s progress toward school goals and set new targets for academic growth. Edison met State Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals, yet school-wide proficiency levels on STAR achievement tests dropped slightly in English language arts from 74% to 67% and in mathematics from 73% to 69%. The District and State goal is to have 100% of our students score proficient or above by 2014. To hear more about Edison’s achievement and how you can help from home, please attend Coffee with the Principal on October 9, at 9 a.m. in the Café.

Fire Prevention week is October 4-10. Please ensure that you have established an evacuation route and meeting spot at home in the event of an emergency. October is a good time to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and replenish your emergency supplies. We are doing the same at school and will practice evacuation drills on a regular basis throughout the school year. Edison will participate in the “Great California Shake Out” with an evacuation drill on October 15th. Safety and emergency preparedness are top priorities. Also, fifth grade students will receive Basic Aid Training on October 23rd sponsored by the Torrance Fire Department.
Please look for the Wednesday Communication Packet and check out the school website for important details and upcoming events.
It’s a great day to be at Edison. Go forth Eagles and have a great month!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Erin Lahr
Principal

September 2009

Dear Edison Families & Friends,

Welcome to the start of the 2009-2010 school year. I hope everyone had a great summer break and is ready to return to school. As a California Distinguished School, Edison Elementary continues to soar on many fronts and your children will experience many exciting programs, events and educational opportunities this year. The Edison faculty, staff and parent volunteers work hard to set high standards, ensure that every child is an integral part of the community, and see that every child reaches his or her full potential. I want to thank this year’s PTA President-Monika Ortiz, the entire PTA Board, and the many volunteers who help make Edison such a special place! I encourage everyone to get involved and join PTA. Whether you help from home or at school, there are many ways to make a difference. Thank you all!

Families are invited to join us at morning flag ceremonies in the Quad each day at 8:50 a.m. Our first flag ceremony will be held on September 14. Also, Back to School Night on October 1 is an important evening for us all. You will get a chance to hear about the educational programs and specifics of your child’s class. Save the date and come meet the fabulous teachers as well as our amazing PTA. Our first Open Association meeting of the year will take place and you will have the opportunity to provide input on the school’s functioning. I hope to see you there!

We want to work closely with families this year to ensure the success of each child. In turn we ask that your child arrives at school on time each day, rested and ready to learn. With regular attendance and working together we can make a powerful and positive difference in the life of your child. With that said, the Center for Disease Control has issued guidelines for schools to help prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu. Please visit www.TUSD.org for current information, policy, and web-links regarding prevention and responses to influenza. While attendance is important, so is preventing the spread of illness. Families need to keep children home when they have a fever in excess of 99.9° or flu like symptoms. In fact, students need to be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school. Covering mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing, washing hands frequently with soap and water, and staying home when sick are among the most important things we can do to prevent the spread of illness.

Traffic safety is an important topic at Edison. Please obey traffic laws at all times and practice safe, patient and courteous driving in front of our school. Our children and community require such diligence! We are located very close to a busy intersection and adjacent to the North High parking lot. Refer to the letter in your first Wednesday Communication Packet from the Torrance Police Department. They review the rules, state what will be cited, and frequently can be seen patrolling in front of school. It is best to park and escort your child to the front gate or use the “valet service” in the North High parking lot.

I have an open door policy and want to hear from you. Please stop by and introduce yourself or join me for “Coffee with the Principal” throughout the year. What a great way to stay informed on school happenings and share your thoughts. Our first “Coffee” will be held October 9th after morning flag assembly in the cafeteria. I look forward to many great conversations and I wish everyone a positive, productive and successful school year!

It’s a great day to be at Edison! Go forth Eagles…

Sincerely,
Mrs. Erin Lahr
Principal