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PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING
A Letter from Lisa Zimmer
Dear Family,
With what sometimes feels like a blink of an eye, this school year has come to the end. The fifth graders graduate on Wednesday and move on to middle school; the incoming kindergarten parents eagerly attended the Kindergarten Welcome Picnic. All the students look taller and seem excited for the lazy days of summer, while the staff ends one year and prepares for the year to come (although I’m pretty sure they are looking forward to those lazy days of summer as well!).
I wish I had the space to thank everyone by name for the volunteer hours, notes of good cheer, financial support, the strong home-school connection that you build with the staff, garden helpers, fundraisers, the parents who help at the school and those who help by doing things at home. We call on so many people to assist us in making this such a great school!
I do want to thank Mari Allen and Katrina Kehl for their leadership of the PTA as co-presidents. They worked tirelessly in every aspect with so many others they called upon. I will be forever grateful for their work. Lee Budish – I will never be able to put into words how much you have enhanced our garden and outdoor educational space. I appreciate you all and I know I speak for the staff as well. The parents here are the best!
I wish you all a happy summer and ask that you enjoy the time with your children; they grow too fast, and capturing the moments with them is a gift to cherish. I look forward to next year with excitement as the leader of this awesome, fun, and special school.
Warm Regards,
Lisa Zimmer
Letter From PTA Co-President Mari Allen
Once in a while, an opportunity arises that changes the course of one’s life. Three years ago, while I had only a first grader, I was given the opportunity to become a PTA leader at Edna Maguire. Now, years later, with a third grader, a first grader, and an incoming kindergartener, I feel that I have grown personally and professionally in ways I never could have imagined.
I often liken these past two years to having been enrolled in a dual program in Diplomacy and Business Administration! Being PTA co-president of Edna has afforded me the chance to get to know parents, teachers, staff members, and community leaders I may not have otherwise met.
I have also had the great privilege of working closely with Principal Lisa Zimmer and my co-presidents Deborah Luster and Katrina Kehl. These three insightful, passionate leaders have been invaluable to all of us at the school. I am grateful to have gotten to know and learn from them as colleagues; but feel even more fortunate to have formed lifelong friendships in the process.
Many of you would agree that our garden is one of the most important parts of our school. The uniqueness of our school spirit, warm and welcoming community, and dedication to our children’s growth as lifelong learners is mirrored in our garden. My heartfelt thanks to Lee Budish for nurturing this special part of our school; you will be profoundly missed.
The dedication of the teachers, staff, and parents at our school is extraordinary. It is what makes our school such a magical place. Thank you to the PTA Executive Board, the Committee Chairpersons, and the many volunteers who have made our programs such a success.
At the beginning of this school year my oldest daughter saw Deb Luster and her family walking across the parking lot. She asked me, “Are the Lusters a regular family now?” Confused, I asked her to clarify what she meant. She replied, “You know, a ‘regular family,’ one not doing PTA anymore. Will that be us next year?” It is with mixed emotions that I can finally tell her, “YES, we will now be a ‘regular family.’”
Thank you all for the honor of serving as a leader of Edna Maguire.
Yours truly,
Mari Allen
SCHOOL NEWS
America Sings!
Thank you to the entire fifth grade class for a beautiful and polished performance of America Sings! America Sings! is an reenactment through songs and skits of many historical moments in our rich American history. The fifth graders rose to the occasion with a polished and heartfelt performance. We'd like to thank fifth grade teachers Ms. Shern and Ms. Harr for helping make the performers Broadway ready and a very special thanks to Ricca, the Kiddo! music teacher who has worked with the children since January to prepare them for their turn on stage. Take a bow! To see the pictures, click here.
The Final Terrific Tuesday at Pacific Catch
Don't forget to eat at or take out food from Pacific Catch Tuesday, June 17th. Just mention Edna Maguire and our school will receive 20 percent of your total food bill. It's that easy!
Wear a Pair, Share a Pair!
Give back your worn-out pair of Crocs™ shoes, and they will be ground up and made into new shoes to be donated to people in need around the world. So when the tread becomes worn and they've reached their end-of-life, take the next step and drop them in the recycling bin located in the front office by Friday, June 13th. (NO knock-off brands, please, as they are not made out of the same recyclable material as Crocs™). For more information, please go to www.solesunited.org.
Kudos
Thank you to the PTA Executive Board, Committee Chairs and Play Structure Team. And many thanks to all who volunteered this year. We couldn't have done it without YOU!
Thank you to Suzanne Alpert, Jill Anderson, Negissa Araghi, Annie Asch, Jeff Asch, Teresa Baradaran, Rik Barr, Bruce Berlinger, Kathy Bishop, Jody Branham, Sheila Brear, Lee Budish, Jackson Butler, Ken Campbell, Marie Cardinal, Lisa Church, Deborah Cole, Bethany Conybeare, Shaila de Leede, Christine del Castillo, Jose del Castillo, Linda Dunne, Cate Elsten, Ed Faubel, Nancy Felder, Leslie Fielder, Anne Fretes, Janet Fox, Tracy Ginther, Lucy Hampton, Eileen Immethun, Janie Karp, Lyra Kelly, Val Lindsay, Deb Luster, Rob Luster, Stephanie Lynde, Christina Michael, Deb Monti, Nandita Morey, Jennifer Oreste, Max Perkoff, Cheryl Reiss, Jessica Ryan, Erin Salcuni, Amy Sherman, Teresa Shern, Kristin Silmore, Lauren Snell, Lisa Stapp, Saor Stetler, Rob Thomure, Josie Volker Viscardi, Valerie Wynn, Lisa Zimmer, and Michelle Zimmermann.
A HUGE thank you to the many, many people who helped with the yearbook this year! There were countless people who provided pictures, worked on collage pages, reviewed proofs, and helped with the design. Special thanks go to:
- Justine Whitehead – designed the beautiful cover and many of the pages, took lots of pictures, reviewed the book before it went to press, and was always ready and willing to help with anything. I really don’t know what I would have done without her!
- Eva DeFina - took all the class group pictures, all the teacher and staff pictures, and an innumerable amount of pictures for various pages throughout the book. Whenever I called, she always showed up with her camera ready and a smile on her face!
- Teresa Baradaran – assisted with pictures, and the second grade collage and Kiddo! art pages.
- Lisa Gilmore – assisted with the Kindergarten collage.
- Janie Karp – pulled everything together for the fourth grade collage pages.
- Sean Norton - single-handedly took on the fifth grade collage pages
- Amy Sherman - assisted with pictures and the third grade collage.
Finally, a HUGE thanks to Kathy Bishop for bringing all the components of this masterpiece together for the kids to treasure forever.
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
TOPSoccer is coming to Mill Valley!
The Mill Valley Soccer Club is starting a new soccer program, TOPSoccer. The program is designed to provide an opportunity for children with special needs, including learning differences, to play soccer in an environment that is less stressful than the traditional program. This program is associated with the United States and California Youth Soccer Associations.
Registration is now open on line at www.mvsc.org, or call 381-KICK. The program is scheduled for Sunday afternoons beginning September 7. There is a small fee for the program, but scholarships are readily available for those who would not otherwise be able to participate.
If you have questions about whether TOPSoccer is right for your child, please contact Frank Bonardi at futsal4u@hotmail.com or 847-4154.
We hope that many of you will take this great opportunity to have your child experience soccer without the pressure of being on a traditional team. |
