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OCTOBER CALENDAR
10/6 - Spirit Day
10/10 - PTA General Meeting, MPR, 8:45 a.m.
10/11-13 - 5th Grade Astro Camp
10/17 - Disaster Drill
10/17 - TNT Dunk Squad Assembly
10/18 - No Homework Night
10/22 - Halloween Harvest Festival
10/23 -27 - Red Ribbon Week
10/27 - PTA Executive Board Meeting
10/29 - Skechers Walk to benefit Peninsula Education Foundation
10/31 - Halloween Parade
 MOVIE NIGHT SUCCESS! Thank you to all of the Movie Night volunteers for making it an extra fun night! it was a great way to start off the new school year. The event could not have been possible without you. And a special thank you to Stephanie Fleck for chairing and organizing a fun-filled night!
We would like to especially thank:
Brett Egan
Emily delaCruz
Pauline Matarazzo
Todd Corcoran
Sumitha Viswanathan
Anthony Todora
Jen Bader
Christine Armstrong
Melinda Mascola
Miguel Guerrero
Richard Fleck
Tatian Tomasevich
Charleene Magbanua
Nidhi Kapoor
Melissa Mercurio
Trisha Flores
Nicole Wakefield
Joaquin Hernandez
Anne Cruz
Meera & Vishal Ailawadhi
WELCOME BACK TEACHERS!
The PTA welcomed the teachers back for another great year at Mira Catalina with a Hawaiian BBQ luncheon! Thank you Courtney Amorajabi and Ann Weinland for coordinating an ONO delicious meal for our teachers!
WE NEED YOUR INFO!
If you would like your child to be included in the electronic Student Directory, please be sure to provide the information and sign the form as soon as possible! The Student Directory is a great way to stay in contact with friends at school. Only families who sign the form will have access to the online directory. Please click here to sign up today.
CORPORATE MATCHING GIFTS
Does your company offer matching gifts or service dollars to organizations you volunteer with or designate? If so, consider Mira Catalina PTA as your service organization to support to help fund our programs! For more information, contact Alyson McFerson at lov2punt@yahoo.com. Not a Mira Cat PTA member? Join now by clicking here.
Connect to Mira Catalina PTA on Facebook to stay connected and informed!  Like what you're reading? Please forward our newsletter to other Mira Catalina families!
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Dear Mira Catalina Parents,
What a fantastic first month of school we have had here at Mira Cat! We had our first homework free night and a great family evening with Movie Night! (Thank you to Stephanie Fleck and Todd Corcoran.) Mira Catalina is a fantastic school and one that I feel very lucky to be able to come to and see your children each and every day.
Important dates and upcoming events:
Monthly PTA meeting: I would love to see many of you at our October PTA meeting on Tuesday, October 10. We will start at 8:45 am in the MPR. Come be a part of it!
Family Fun Night: As a staff, we want to help remind one another of the importance of family and balance by holding a “Family Fun Night” (aka no homework night) once a month during the 2017-18 school year. Our October family fun night will be on October 18. Please view our website (http://miracatalina.pvpusd.net/apps/news/article/592492) for ideas on a variety of activities you can do to enrich your child’s life that does not involve homework.
Halloween Harvest Festival: On Sunday, October 22, Mira Catalina will have its annual Halloween Harvest Festival. This is sure to be a fantastic afternoon. I’d like to thank Danielle Thom and Sophia Eng for all their work in organizing this day as it is a very large project. I can’t wait to see all of you there as this is a great day for our entire community and one that my children truly enjoy.
Skechers Pier to Pier Walk: The Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk will be held Sunday, October 29. Join us for a walk between the Manhattan Beach Pier and the Hermosa Beach pier and raise funds for the Peninsula Education Foundation (PEF) and our Palos Verdes Peninsula schools! The pier to pier loop is just over 3.5 miles. Come out for a little exercise or register as a "virtual walker" and stay home. PEF still gets credit for your participation! Support PEF and sign up for Team “Mira Catalina” by clicking here.
Halloween Parade: On Tuesday, October 31, we will have a Halloween parade on the blacktop at school starting at 1:20 pm. Students will be advised to put on their costume during lunch to prepare for the parade. This is to prevent the costumes from deteriorating throughout the day. Costumes must be school appropriate e.g., no weapons, masks on only during parade, no inappropriate subjects. Halloween is a very special holiday for elementary school age students and one that we look forward to celebrating at Mira Catalina.
Have a great week!
Brett Egan
Principal  MIRA CATALINA PTA RAISES FUNDS FOR OUR KIDS
Happy fall to all of the Mira Catalina community!!! I hope that everyone has had a chance to catch their breaths and settle in to yet another interesting and action-packed school year. I would like to take a brief moment to share with you the fundraising events that PTA creates and supports in the coming school year.
In September we enjoyed a very successful Movie Night on the field. We also debuted and continue to release our Mira Catalina spirit wear for our students and families. In October, we will have the excitement of our annual Halloween Harvest Festival. November will see the addition of our Scholastic Book Fair. Mira Catalina normally has the Book Fair in the spring, however we decided it would be a great opportunity for people to shop for books as part of their holiday gift giving by planning it very close to the Thanksgiving holiday. Another great company we are teaming up with again this year is Lynch Creek Farms. Lynch Creek Farms is a Washington-based company that sells beautiful holiday wreaths and arrangements for the winter season.
After we recover from the rush of the holidays, we look forward to spring and to our biggest fundraiser of the year, Fun Run! It is a lovely community feel day with lots of parents and relatives turning out on our field to cheer on our students.
In addition, I would like to mention a couple of our “passive fundraising” opportunities where everyone can participate in all year – and it doesn’t cost you a thing! Our school wins every time you shop on Amazon when you enroll in the Amazon Smile program. Mira Catalina also wins every time you shop at Ralphs and register your Ralphs Club Card with Mira Catalina as your desired donation group. These programs donate a small percentage to our school every time you shop with them, and it really adds up.
So why do we fundraise? All of the enriching programs and experiences our children get to have at Mira Catalina simply would not exist without the generous support of our fundraising efforts each year. Our garden, with all of the regular classes it comes with, wouldn’t exist without the funds raised. The iPads our younger students use, and the Chromebooks our upper grades use were purchased by the PTA. Assemblies and field trips wouldn’t happen without PTA funds. These are just a few things that the PTA maintains and pays for on each school year for the benefit of our kids.
I encourage you to reach out to me at any time with any fundraising ideas you might have or any fun activity ideas that the PTA could support. Please do not hesitate to email me at jen6412@gmail.com with any questions, concerns, or thoughts.
Create a great year everybody!
Jen Bader, 6th Vice President, Ways & Means
To sign up for the Mira Catalina PTA, click here. The 2017-2018 (tax-deductible) PTA membership is $15 per member.Whale of a Donation helps fund our programs throughout the year, which include class field trips, assemblies, garden program, Art At Your Fingertips, Walk Through America, among the other events and activities. To donate, click here.
.jpg) MIRA CATALINA HALLOWEEN HARVEST FESTIVAL
Sunday, October 22 - Noon to 4 pm
Don't miss "the" fun-filled, family event of the school year!
The Mira Catalina Halloween Harvest Festival will take place on Sunday, October 22, from noon – 4 pm. It’s going to be a lot of fun so come out and enjoy the day with friends and family with lots of games, prizes, music, inflatables, sweet treats, food and more! Plus this year will have a silent auction to raise funds for our Mira Catalina school!
Purchase your wristbands for unlimited games and access to inflatables. Children 5 and older must wear a wristband to play games and inflatables. Wristbands purchased pre-sale are $12 each ($15 at the door). Pre-sale tickets must be purchased by October 16. In addition, purchase goody punch cards for $5 or $8 pre-sale ($10 at the door) to be used for face painting, sweet treats and more. We are also including a pre-order food menu. (Please note: wristbands, food and goody cards are being pre-sold for this event. However, food will be sold at the event and we will take cash payment.)
To purchase wristbands, cards and pre-order food, please fill out the backpack form being sent home this week with checks payable to Mira Catalina PTA and turn them in to the office by 3 pm on Monday, October 16. In addition, parents must sign and return the waiver to allow your children to access the event, no exceptions. Pre-paid items will be available at the check-in booth on festival day!
The event committee is also looking for volunteers who can help with set-up from 8 - 11:30 am (even if you can only spare an hour, your time would be greatly appreciated), game booth help as needed from 12 - 4 pm, and tear down from 4 - 6:30 pm. Here is the link to the event committee’s sign up genius if you have time to volunteer HHF 2017 Volunteers. If you would like to volunteer for your classroom booth, please contact your room parent directly for information.
Additional forms are available in the office, on the Mira Catalina PTA website or by clicking here.
 PVP COUNCIL OF PTAS CAPITOL COMES TO CAMPUSRegistration is open for PVP Council of PTAs Capitol Comes to Campus! Our guest speakers include California State Senator Ben Allen, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, California 33rd District Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, and our local city mayors.
Our speakers will share with our PVPUSD students and community members the role of government, the importance of civic participation and the issues impacting our students and community. The evening will include dinner and a panel discussion with our special guests. If you would like to attend, cost is $30. Register by October 6 by clicking here. October 19, 5 – 8 p.m.
Los Verdes Golf Course
7000 Los Verdes Dr., Rancho Palos Verdes
Capitol Comes to Campus is not related to, sponsored by or endorsed by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District.
LET'S WALK FOR PEF AT SKECHERS WALK OCTOBER 29 Mira Catalina's goal is to have 100 walkers sign up for the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk on Sunday, October 29. This year our PE teacher Kristy Winbauer will host a PE “party” for the grade with the most walkers – virtual and those who walk the event. And, as an added bonus, each student who walks the event on October 29 will receive a ticket for a popsicle to enjoy after school on October 30.
Here are the details:
The Skechers Walk supports our PV schools! With each $30 registration, the Peninsula Education Foundation (PEF) will receive 100 percent of the fee. Last year PEF received $240,000 and this year PEF’s goal is to have 4000 walkers.
The walk is super fun and is just over 3.5 miles and begins right next to the Manhattan Beach Pier and ends at Hermosa Pier. Come out to get some exercise, and there’s lots of entertainment and fun activities and free giveaways for families and kids. If you can't make it, no problem! You can register as a “virtual walker” and PEF still gets credit for your participation.
It's easy to register online by clicking HERE link to the team page. Or you can find the Mira Cat team by logging on to www.skechersfriendshipwalk.com:
1. Click “Search for a Team/Walker”
2. Search for "Mira Catalina Elementary" and click on one of the team members from Mira Cat
4. Click on "JOIN TEAM"
5. Registration fee for both physical and virtual walking is $30 (includes a t-shirt and goodie bag)
6. Remember to designate the Peninsula Education Foundation (PEF) as the organization you want to support
7. You can add a family member after you have registered yourself first
Click here to see Mira Cat 4th grader Madysen Fleck, who is featured as one of this year's Meet the Kids.
For questions, contact Diane Suzuki or Cherie Beffa, Mira Cat's PEF reps. In addition, if you plan to walk, we will meet in a designated area with Ms. Winbauer, so do please reach out to us!
Please note: While you are welcome to raise or donate additional funds to the Skechers Walk, those funds will not be credited to PEF. PEF only receives credit for funds from the support of those who sign up to walk or virtually walk.
In addition, if you have students at different schools and wish to have your child on that school's team, you will need to use different email addresses to register the students at each of their schools.
.gif) MR. PERKINS WRITING TIPS #1
I’m often asked what can I do to help my student become a better writer? Here are a few tips I share with all the writing students that I teach, from elementary to the college level:
You must build writing stamina! What is writing stamina? The state exam the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) is going to ask students in grades 3-5 to read lengthy articles, take notes and produce an extended piece. In the classroom and at home prepare your student to write (in the beginning of the year) for a 20-minute period. By continuously writing for an extensive period of time, the student builds writing stamina. I suggest using topics from their expert list (more info about creating an expert list on the Mira Catalina website on the Title 1 page) and scheduling two-three home practices each week. Hint: ask them to share it with you to build excitement for their pieces!
Help your student become an informative/expository writing expert! One of the websites I find very helpful is timeforkids.com. On the website, it has current event news articles for grades K-6, which can all be accessed for free! The type of writing I have found to be most targeted on the CAASPP is informative writing – writing that asks students to read, pull details and facts. On the timeforkids.com website it has new articles each week, videos and highlight high academic vocabulary. Tip: have students read the article and keep two lists: - Of the verbs in the article
- Of the high academic verbs they have highlighted
Use the lists of verbs and high academic vocabulary to write about the article. Remember, an informative piece of writing is a recount of the facts, not opinion.
Students who get “extra” practice with writing builds confidence in their writing. Working together, we can all guide our Mira Catalina students to writing success!
Mr. Richard Perkins is a Title 1 English teacher who works with our grades 3 - 5 students.
PTA REFLECTIONS 2017 - DUE OCTOBER 18!
.jpg) Click here for more information on the PTA Reflections program.MIRA CATALINA CUB SCOUTS WANTED!  RED RIBBON WEEK IS COMING TO MIRA CAT!
OCTOBER 23 - 27
.png) Mira Catalina Celebrates Red Ribbon Week October 23-27. The National Family Partnership started the first Red Ribbon Week in 1988 and the Red Ribbon symbolizes the commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. In keeping with this tradition, our theme this year is "Your Future Is Key, So Stay Drug Free!"
Look for more information to come in your student's backpack.
MIRA CATALINA BOOK FAIR NOVEMBER 13 -17! Hold on to your hats! The Wild Wild West is coming to Mira Catalina! This school year's book fair will be held November 13 - 17 in time for holiday shopping! We will celebrate with Donuts for Dads, a family picnic lunch, and much more fun! Can't wait to see you there!
We do need volunteers to help students select books and make purchases - no experience required. Working at the fair is "book loads" of fun! If you would like to volunteer, please contact Sherry Bojorquez at sherrybojorquez@gmail.com.
PENINSULA EDUCATION FOUNDATION - PARENT UNIVERSITY OCTOBER 3
Parent University, a collaboration between PVPUSD and the Peninsula Education Foundation, provides school parents and students support and education through a speaker series covering topics that will help your child navigate through school and life.
On October 3, at Palos Verdes Intermediate (MPR) from 6-7 p.m.
the first in the series will be held. Mindfulness: Practical Tools for Parents and Students (Parents Only) will be presented by Bryan Guthrie, M.S. LMFT LEP.
Guthrie is a licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed educational psychologist, and ,a member of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He has 17 years of experience working with families, children, teens and adults experiencing issues related to ADHD, depression, anxiety, behavior disorders, abuse/dependency disorders, autism spectrum disorders and learning disorders.
SHOPPING FOR SOMETHING, REMEMBER SMILE.AMAZON SUPPORTS MIRA CATALINA
Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Mira Catalina Elementary School PTA whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. You can select a different charitable organization after signing in. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com. IN SEARCH OF A COSTUME FOR HALLOWEEN?
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