Somalia Dollar Donation Day is TOMORROW! We are asking students to bring in a dollar (or more) to combat the Humanitarian Crisis in East Africa. Famine has left 320,000 children so severely malnourished that they will starve to death unless they get immediate help. The money we collect will go to UNICEF, which will mobilize food and medical supplies to six key areas in Somalia. All students who donate will get a star to hang on our new "thankful tree." Please contact Sasha Eakle Sanchez (sasha_eakle@hotmail.com) if you have any questions.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

Join us in the lab--AKA the multi-purpose room--from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for Family Science Night. Mad Science is hosting this year's event, so get ready for some crazy science and a whole lotta fun! The night will also include a Fire and Ice presentation, opportunities to sample a special "burp" potion, foggy dry ice storms and two stations where students can interact with the Mad Scientists.

At the Slippery Slime Station, kids will learn the basics of polymer construction and molecular bonding while making a batch of ooey-gooey slime to take home. At the Dry Ice Station, Mad Scientists will carefully use dry ice to help kids concoct bubbling potions, color-changing mixtures and freaky fog effects! For more information visit: www.madscience.org.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

Attention Edna Children's Garden supporters! Sloat Garden Center's next Growing Up Green Week is December 5 -12. Bring in this flyer and Sloat will donate 10 percent of your purchases to our Children's Garden. The more people who participate, the more we'll receive! Our rainy season has begun, so it's a great time to head to Sloat's to buy trees, shrubs or flowers that need extra water! Or to pick up a gift for the gardening enthusiasts on your list-- or  yourself. Thanks for supporting the garden and for shopping locally at Sloat's!

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

Recently, we've received reports of kids riding scooters and bikes around campus without helmets. This is not only extremely dangerous, it's against school policy. Please remind your child to wear a helmet whenever he or she is on a bike, scooter or skateboard ANYWHERE on school grounds, including the playground and corridors. And don't forget--students are ONLY allowed to use their wheeled vehicles on campus BEFORE 8 a.m. or AFTER 4 p.m. Thank you for your cooperation.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

We have so much to be thankful for. Now let's give children who aren't as fortunate something to get excited about for the holidays. Please bring new, unwrapped toys to the front office now through December 16. The Mill Valley Fire Department will collect the toys and distribute them to needy children in Marin County. Contact Sasha Eakle Sanchez with any questions: sasha_eakle@hotmail.com

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

Edna's annual food drive, coordinated by our Student Council, is happening now. Please drop off your canned and other non-perishable food items in the big red bins in the office. All donations will go to the Marin County Food Bank. And remember--thanks to a challenge sponsored by Lindsay Olives, the group that collects and donates the highest percentage of food items for its local food bank will win $3,000 for its school! 

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

Our days are getting cooler, but that doesn't mean our county-wide Travel Green to School Initiative is taking a break. We're lucky to live in a climate that makes traveling green to school year-round a realistic goal. Help your child bundle-up and continue walking or biking to school whenever possible. Starting the day with a little exercise is a great way to wake up your child's brain! Exercise enhances mood, concentration, memory and behavior. Teach your child at an early age how fortunate we are to live in California where traveling green to school really IS possible every day of the year!

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

This holiday season, give yourself the gift of hassle-free shopping on Amazon. When you do, Edna will get a gift, too! Ten percent of your total Amazon purchases will go to our school. And yes, this means ALL purchases, not just books. You're sure to find something to please everyone on your gift list.

Just enter Amazon.com through this link or the Amazon School Rewards Program link on our home page. Be sure to share the link with your friends and family--their Amazon purchases can support Edna, too! Please Note: When you enter Amazon.com through our link, your Amazon page won't look any different. Don't worry--as long as you click on the link to get on Amazon, Edna will get credit for your purchases! 

Prefer shopping locally for the book lovers on your list? Head to Book Passage, and our school will receive a percentage of your purchases. Just mention Edna Maguire at the register. 

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

We want to extend a HUGE thank you to the businesses that sponsored this year's Steeplechase t-shirts:

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

Many thanks to the entire Edna Maguire community for supporting our Book Fair. Birthday Books and the fair are the ONLY SOURCES OF FUNDING for our library --- we get no money from the Mill Valley School District or the State. This means that the success of the Book Fair is crucial. Thanks to you, we sold about $26,788 worth of books and $1444 worth of special red tickets --- that's about $6800 for the Edna Library!

In addition to your support, the Book Fair would not have been successful without the dedication of our volunteers and support crew. It is with deep gratitude that we recognize the following people:

Decorators
Christine Freda
Annemarie Coen
Lauren Snell
Maddie Trainer
Janie Karp
Cathy Wilmoth
Mari Allen

Book Unloaders & Set-up
Chloe Lagier
Don Reed
Annemarie Coen
Tina Taylor
Jennifer Foskett
Kristin Silmore
Bethany Conybeare
Sean Norton
Suzanne Alpert
Maddie Trainer
Rich Allen
Lauren Snell
Cathy Wilmoth
Dorothy O'Donnell
Stephanie Philipp
Lisa Barnes
Simone Slattery
Ann Mason
Kit Harris
Lin Porter
Deborah Huber
Mika Allen
Lucy Allen
Thomas Allen
Cate Ryan
Elise Ryan
Brooke Wimmer
Julie Kennedy
Briana Kennedy
Lucy Silmore
Oliver Silmore
Christine Freda
Jessica Ryan
Mari Allen

Author
Mac Barnett

Story Time Reader
Naima Dean

Donors
Annemarie Coen
Daria Painter
Christine Freda
Simone Slattery
Donna Wenig
Deb Monti
Jessica Ryan
Mari Allen

Teacher Preview Breakfast Hosts
Lisa Barnes
Leslie Ford

Book Chat Hosts
Ann Riley
Judy Safavi

Book Chat Presenters
Jessica Ryan, Children's Librarian, Mill Valley Public Library
Lisa Monge, Edna Maguire Librarian

Door Security
Mieko Maeshiro

Book and Tchotchke Sellers (AKA The Red Apron Army)
Lisa Barnes
Ann Riley
Simone Slattery & Ava
Trina Rivera
Tina Taylor
Jennifer Foskett
Bethany Conybeare
Kristin Silmore
Janie Karp
Kit Harris
Vyvianne Kiriakis
Lin Porter
Cathy Wilmoth
Suzanne Alpert
Karen Olson
Dawn Davis
Lauren Snell
Deborah Huber
Annemarie Coen
Laura Spence
Kari Chalstrom
Jed Smith
Leslie Ford
Stephanie Philipp
Kori Stevenson
Dorothy O'Donnell
Ann Mason
Merrie Jaffe
Ahtossa Fullerton
Julie Kennedy
Suzy Slomiak
Germaine Chee
Christine Freda
Jessica Ryan
Mari Allen

Evening Event Helpers
Cate Ryan
Elise Ryan
Kerry Taylor
Corey Whitehead
Tessa Keane
Sky Somers
Luca Citroen
Briana Kennedy

Clean-up Crew
Suzy Slomiak
Chloe Lagier
Kellie Minor
Ann Riley
Leslie Meyers
Betsy Kennel
Laura Spence
Simone Slattery
Trina Rivera
Sean Norton
Suzanne Alpert
Don Reed
Michael Freda
Rich Allen
Christine Freda
Jessica Ryan
Mari Allen

Support Crew
Lisa Zimmer
Leslie Fielder
Maija Muncy
Dave Rintelman
PTA Presidents: Janie Karp & Simone Slattery (plus Eva!)
PTA Treasurer: Jeannine Berman
PTA FinancialSecretary: Christine Freda

Book Fair Orphans (for the 4th year in a row)
Cate Ryan
Elise Ryan
Patrick Ryan
Kate Freda
James Freda
Gavin Freda
Mika Allen
Lucy Allen
Thomas Allen

Book Fair Coordinators
Christine Freda
Jessica Ryan
Mari Allen

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

Thank you to all the families who dined with us at the Book Fair Café! You helped us raise $1317.20 to offset costs related to the fourth grade's Sutter's Fort learning project. Hats off to everyone who donated food, beverages and supplies for the event. Special thanks go out to those who worked in the café and helped with set-up and clean-up. And a BIG thank you to Lyra Kelly for her amazing leadership in organizing this evening.

Thanks for volunteering: Anne Buxton, Meera Dolasia, Jennifer Gillmer, Lisa Gilmore, Tracy Ginther, Patty Hubbard, Dan Kelly, Lyra Kelly, Kira Keane, Hillary Lester, Soo-Hi Nayer, Dorothy O'Donnell, Karen Olson, Kathy Reed, Suzy Slomiak, Eric Somers and Phillip Suh,

Thanks for donations: Michelle Barenbaum, Laura Bowman, Susan Burgess, Anne Buxton, Nora Clifford, Meera Dolasia, Ahtossa Fullerton, Lisa Gilmore, Madeleine Gish, Cambria Hicks, Patty Hubbard, Deborah Huber, Merrie Jaffe, Kira Keane, Jeanette Layden, Jill Lebsock, Hillary Lester, Leslie Lewczyk, Shawn Marshall, Christina Michael, Asia Nana, Soo-hi Nayer, Bonnie Neulight, Dorothy O'Donnell, Karen Olson, Barbara Polster, Carolyn Preis, Kathy Reed, Eric and Stirling Somers, Denise Steele, Sarah Suloff, Justine Whitehead, Cathie Wilmoth and Julie Zener.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

Join us in Old Mill School's auditorium from 7 to 8:30 p.m. to see the film Irreversible Damages, which addresses issues arising from kids' use of social media, like texting and Facebook. After the film its creators, Dr. Michael Grogan, LCSW, PhD and Marin County District Attorney Ed Berberian, will discuss how to use electronic media safely and responsibly. This event is a joint presentation of Edna's PTA and ITAV. To register or for more information, please contact Ross Buffington (ross@itavmv.org).

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

Now you can help raise money for Kiddo! every time you shop at Whole Foods! For each $100 scrip card you buy, Whole Foods will make a 4% contribution to support our schools!

Just pick up a Whole Foods scrip card form from the Kiddo! envelope in the office. Fill it out and leave it, along with a check, in the envelope. Checks and forms will be collected daily, and Caitlin Smith or another Edna Kiddo! representative will pass out the cards at pick-up or drop-off. You can also purchase Whole Food scrip cards from Kiddo! by downloading and completing this form. For more information about the cards, click here. 

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

Click here to check out some before and after pictures of Mill Valley schools now that the first round of modernization projects have been completed. The photos feature Mill Valley Middle School, along with Tam Valley and Old Mill Elementary Schools. These improvements wouldn't be possible without funding provided by Measure C!

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

Happy Winter! There's a lot going on at the library this month: craft-making, movie-watching, game-playing, and, as always, cozy winter reading with loads of great books. Don't forget to pick up the winning bookmarks for 2011; they're available in the Children's Room in December. The library will be closed on December 25 - 26 and January 1-2.

Winter Wednesday Craft Drop-ins: 3- 4:30 p.m. Make holiday cards on December 7 and create laminated ornaments and gift bookmarks on December 14. We'll supply everything you need, including hot apple cider and seasonal tunes. (Creekside Room, all ages, no sign-up needed.)

SHARE-A-Book Dogs will be here on Friday, December 16, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. This is your last chance to read aloud to a furry four-legged friend until June 2012! (Children's Room, Grade K+, advance sign-up required.)

You're invited to a Gingerbread Person Party on Wednesday, December 21 from 2:30 - 3:15. Find out what makes the cookie run and decorate your very own gingerbread boy or girl. (Creekside Room, age 4 and up, advance sign-up required.)

Join us for FREE family movies and fresh popcorn during our Winter Break Film Festival. We'll show new movies like "Cars 2" (12/19) and "Mr. Popper's Penguins" (12/22) as well as the classic holiday films "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Frosty the Snowman" (12/23). Films screen at 2:30 p.m. on weekdays during Winter Break. Check our website for the complete lineup.

Game and Puzzle Day - yay! Wednesday, December 28 from 2:30 - 4 p.m. Come to the cozy Creekside Room for old-fashioned board and card games, big puzzles, and family fun. Everyone welcome!

Contact us: Mill Valley Public Library, 415-389-4292 x106.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 28

Posted by Kathy Bishop on November 22

Our annual Book Fair delighted students and parents and in keeping with our theme, Time to Read, a whole lot of Edna students and their parents made time to buy books to read! If you didn't make it to the Book Fair or the Evening Cafe, check out what you missed here!

Posted by Kathy Bishop on November 21

Our recent school spirit day was themed "Crazy Hair and Hat" day. Taking a very quick look around that day, one could easily see that we definitely have a lot of school spirit! Take a look at some of these pictures to see for yourself!

Posted by Kathy Bishop on November 21

Our students generously donated their Halloween treats to send to our troops based in Afghanistan. Over 10 large garbage bags full of candy were collected and sent to Blue Star Moms of Marin. From there, the candy will be packaged and shipped to First Sergeant Kristy Swofford in Afghanistan. Sergeant Swoffird is very appreciative that we thought about her troops! See some pictures of the candy collection here.

Posted by Kathy Bishop on November 10

Dear Family,

With our annual fundraiser, Steeplechase, behind us, words can't adequately express my gratitude for your continued support for our school programs. I also want to thank Cathy Wilmoth, our Steeplechase coordinator, for working tirelessly to organize this event-- and counting every penny that came in!

Our student leader teams, comprised of fourth and fifth graders who want to make a difference in our school, have also been working hard. They are busy with philanthropy projects, recruiting students to be conflict managers and participating in Edna's Student Council.

Our philanthropy team recently collected candy for our troops and is now organizing a Dollar Day for Children in Somalia coming up on November 30. Meanwhile, our Student Council is coordinating a food drive for the Marin County Food Bank that will be held in December. We have a food drive every year. But this year, we also have a chance to win money for our school, thanks to a challenge sponsored by Lindsay Olives (see the LindsayOlivesFlyer.pdf for more details).The group that collects and donates the highest percentage of canned goods and other non-perishable food items for its local food bank will win $3,000 for its school!

Teachers Mrs. Govi and Mrs. Dan are training our fourth and fifth grade conflict managers. These students are learning how to help their fellow students resolve small conflicts on the playground and problem-solve issues as they arise. Look for them in their bright green t-shirts out on the playground soon!

In case you haven't heard, on Fridays, I've been handing out "Oscar Awards" (coveted stuffies of Oscar the Grouch) to the classes with the tidiest lunch areas. As you know, Oscar LOVES trash. Especially when it's put in the trashcan! Mrs. Marks's kindergarten class and Mrs. Stachon's first-grade class are currently tied for earning the most Oscar Awards AND the chance to win an afternoon dance party!

Finally, I want to thank all the parents who attended conferences these past couple of weeks. A strong home-school connection is very important to us and benefits our students.

All the Best,

Lisa Zimmer

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

Edna's Book Fair is in full swing! Through November 17, stop by the multi-purpose room from 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to shop for great books, support the library and attend fun, informative events!

Don't Miss the Book Chat: TOMORROW, 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. Enjoy breakfast treats with Real Books owner Angela Cozad, Edna's librarian Lisa Monge and children's librarian Jessica Ryan of the Mill Valley Public Library. These knowledgeable, book-loving ladies will fill you in on must-reads for adults and kids.

Other Events to Note:

Wednesday, November 16 - Children's librarian Naima Dean will read selections from the fair to students in grades K-2

Thursday, November 17 - Author/illustrator Mac Barnett will join us for assemblies throughout the day; Book Fair Café and Evening Event from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Dine at the cafe until 7 p.m., then stick around until 8 to shop and see if you're a winner in our raffle drawing!

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

Join us for dinner at the Book Fair Evening Café from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Fill up on pizza, pasta, salad, drinks and yummy baked goods before shopping for books. Get a complete dinner for only $5 and, for an extra buck, add a baked treat for dessert.

All proceeds help fund the Fourth Grade Overnight Environmental Learning Project at Sutter's Fort. Come support the café by eating, eating, eating--everyone is welcome! We still need volunteers to help out in the café. If you can pitch in, contact Lyra Kelly at clyrago@gmail.com or click here to sign-up online. See you there!

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

With 95% participation in this year's Steeplechase fundraiser, the Edna community raised over $132,000. Thanks to you, we met our goal and will be able to provide all of the budgeted assemblies, supplies, books, materials, equipment, programs, specialists and so much more for our students this year. A special thanks to the students, teachers and families of Rooms B, 1, 4, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17 and 20 for reaching 100% participation in Steeplechase donations. Thank you EVERYONE for contributing, and being part of, Steeplechase 2011. Your contribution will make a difference for EVERY Edna student, EVERY single day.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

Before your day gets too busy, stop by the Coffee Cart in front of the office. Savor a fresh cup of coffee with your fellow Edna parents. Catch up with old friends! Make new ones! And find out what's brewing at Edna!

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

The Third Grade Garden Work Day is Sunday, November 20, 2 to 4 p.m. Help the garden get ready for winter! No gardening experience needed. We promise it will be a fun afternoon working alongside classmates, friends and teachers. Whole Foods will keep us energized with drinks and snacks.

And don't forget THE GARDEN CONTEST! The sponsoring grade with the biggest turnout of students for its Garden Work Day wins a party--pizza or ice cream - at the end of the year! So tell your friends (especially your fellow third graders), bring your family and spend a great afternoon outdoors. As always, all other grades are welcome! Contact Saor Stetler (sstetler@earthlink.net) for more information.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

Be sure to check out the very special tree spreading its branches across the wall of Edna's main corridor! The leaves of our "Thankful Tree" feature messages of gratitude from our students. This lovely tree is a great reminder of the many things we all have to be grateful for. A special thank you goes out to Cambria Hicks for creating the tree. And a Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

Score some great buys on unclaimed Lost and Found items during our pre-holiday rummage sale! The sale will be going on in the multi-purpose room. We've got LOTS of unclaimed items, so be sure to check the racks for any missing belongings before the sale begins. All items will be available for $3 each. Please bring your payment to the office. Anything that isn't sold or claimed will be donated to charity. Proceeds from the sale support the PTA.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

We are asking students to bring in a dollar (or more) for Somalia Day to combat the Humanitarian Crisis in East Africa. Famine has left 320,000 children so severely malnourished that they will starve to death unless they get immediate help. The money we collect will go to UNICEF, which will mobilize food and medical supplies to six key areas in Somalia. All students who donate will get a star to hang on our new "thankful tree." Please contact Sasha Eakle Sanchez (sasha_eakle@hotmail.com) if you have any questions.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

Join us in the lab--AKA the multi-purpose room--from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for Family Science Night. Mad Science is hosting this year's event, so get ready for some crazy science and a whole lotta fun! The night will also include a Fire and Ice presentation, opportunities to sample a special "burp" potion, foggy dry ice storms and two stations where students can interact with the Mad Scientists.

At the Slippery Slime Station, kids will learn the basics of polymer construction and molecular bonding while making a batch of ooey-gooey slime to take home. At the Dry Ice Station, Mad Scientists will carefully use dry ice to help kids concoct bubbling potions, color-changing mixtures and freaky fog effects! For more information visit: www.madscience.org.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

If you have a child who will be attending kindergarten next fall, you can register him or her at the Mill Valley School District office, from 1 to 7 p.m., on the following dates:

Monday, January 9

Thursday, January 12

Monday, February 6

Thursday, February 9

To download registration forms, go to www.mvschools.org.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

Our Disaster Preparedness Drill on October 26 was a big success! A special thank you goes out to Edna parent John Cronander for organizing an authentic drill and making sure our emergency supplies container is well-stocked and organized. Parent volunteers, students and staff created a mock earthquake disaster drill. After "ducking and covering" in their classrooms, students were led outside to organized groups. Staff members then performed tasks such as search and rescue, first aid and damage assessment. Student Council leaders simulated various injuries so we could practice treating them.

Your donation of $7.00 enables the PTA to ensure we have enough first aid materials, food, water, tarps, sanitation and hygiene supplies in the event of a real emergency. Thank you for helping to keep our students safe!

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

Parents Place of Marin and the Marin County Office of Education present "Relational Bullying - What It Is and How To Stop It." Join us from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Marin County Office of Education for a presentation that will help you identify and learn how to prevent this common and dangerous form of bullying. Click on the Relational Bullying Workshop.pdf for more details.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 10

Posted by Kathy Bishop on November 9

School will let out at 1:45 p.m. during our two weeks of parent-teacher conferences.

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 2

In honor of Veterans Day, there will be no school on Friday, November 11. Enjoy your three-day weekend!

Posted by Dorothy Odonnell on November 2