The Pink Panther Henry J. Kaiser, Jr. Elementary School

25 South Hill Court Oakland, CA 94618 510.549.4900

The Pink Panther Newsletter

M E S S A G E F R O M P R I N C I P A L G U I K E M A

School & Community Newsletter

K A I S E R C A L E N D A R

Save the Dates!

September 26, 2017

Monday, 9.25.17 – Friday, 9.29.17

MINIMUM DAYS* 1:30PM Dismissal

Friday, 9.29.17 6:30PM – 10:00PM

Dad’s Club: Movie Night

See Page 5 to Sign

Up!

*F&P Reading Assessments ** Teacher Professional Development ***Parent (Guardian) / Teacher Conferences

Saturday, 11.04.17 Kaiser

Walk-A-Thon

Page 1 of 5

Monday, 10.16.17 – Friday, 10.20.17

MINIMUM DAYS*** 1:30PM Dismissal

T H E P I N K P A N T H E R

The Pink Panther is distributed every other Tuesday (subject to change during holidays). If you have any updates you would like to include, if PTA related, please send to Linda Handy OR if general community / activity related, please submit directly to the Editor at celiacarter@gmail.com. We are always looking to improve! If you have any feedback or suggestions, please send them to the Editor!

Hello Kaiser Families: This is one of my favorite times of the year. We get to enjoy near perfect Oakland weather; the school year is fresh with excitement; and our children are eagerly learning with a new cohort of peers and teachers. This week Kaiser teachers will be meeting with students, one on one, for Fountas & Pinnell reading assessments. This is just one way that we use real-time assessments to guide learning and provide students the individual supports needed. The time that you spend reading with your child at home also has a significant positive influence on your child’s literacy. Elementary school literacy is a predictor for success in high school and college, so this home-and-school reading partnership truly shapes your child’s future. Meanwhile, Gayle Peterson, our attendance clerk, and I are taking a new approach to addressing chronic tardies and attendance this year. We will be meeting twice a week to review trending attendance data. If there are concerns, I will reach out personally. Thank you for doing all you can to prioritize excellent and on time attendance. We are including a flier for Running for a Better Oakland (RBO) in this edition of the Pink Panther (Page 4). I am HUGE fan of this organization! A $30 fee for the season (or less if there is financial need) includes weekly practices with a team of outstanding volunteers, entry to two 5K running events, an RBO running shirt, and more. Most importantly, it is a fun way to stay healthy! They also have programs for middle and high school aged kids as well. I encourage you to check it out. (I will be at several practices to cheer you on!) Happy Autumn! -Dennis Guikema, Prinicipal

Friday, 10.13.17 NO SCHOOL**

PTA News P T A P R E S I D E N T ’ S U P D A T E

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Greetings Kaiser Family,

Where were you this Friday at 1:30pm when fall officially arrived in the Bay Area? I will tell you where I was on the next page, but first I have to welcome and thank the wonderful Kaiser parents who have assumed leadership of two strategic projects that enable the Kaiser PTA to successfully accomplish its financial goals for the school year.

K A I S E R W A L K A T H O N ! N O W , S A T U R D A Y N O V E M B E R 4 T H !

The Kaiser Walk-a-thon will NOW take place on Saturday, November 4th! This event raises between $20-$30k of our entire budget, and we had lost both of our original project leaders. Then three ladies stepped forward and assumed the task. Ursula Radics, Cara Longpre, and Tugce Karagoz have hit the ground running! We want to welcome these ladies and thank them for their service in advance. I also want to thank our outstanding linebackers, Carolyn Sacramento, Jennifer Seldachek, last year’s Walk-a-Thon leaders, Jim Armstrong, Parliamentarian and Damian Pouzo, Executive VP. Their support is invaluable. With leadership in place, all we need for a great Walk-a-Thon is your help. We still have openings for over 80 volunteers to manage and help staff the activity stations on the day of the event. If you are planning to attend and can offer an hour or two on that day, please go to Konstella and sign up as soon as possible. We want to let these ladies know that they have Kaiser Style Support… the best in the world!

We STILL Need Volunteers!

HAVE YOUR STUDENT PARTICIPATE IN THE

T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST!

SUBMISSIONS DUE

PTA News

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A N N U A L A U C T I O N ( P L A N N E D F O R S P R I N G 2 0 1 8 )

Planning is already underway for our 2018 Kaiser Annual Auction! But we need more volunteers!! As you may have guessed, I am thrilled about the upcoming Walk-a Thon, but even more so about the Auction! We owe a debt of gratitude to Kristen Glass who has agreed to spearhead the Auction, our largest and most important fundraiser of the year. Kristen will need that excellent Kaiser support as well,. To Sign Up to Join the Team:

1) Please go to Konstella and sign up for a volunteer position. OR, 2) You may also contact Mary Young through the directory in Konstella at Mary.Young78@gmail.com or by phone 415-637-2005 for more information.

M E E T O U R N E W S T A F F : C O A C H W O O !

One of my favorite things about Kaiser Elementary is the amazing people I get to meet and work with. When fall arrived last Friday, at 1:30 pm, I had an appointment with one of these amazing individuals. I’d seen him around, wearing a safety vest sometimes, in a class room here and there or in the halls. Someone told me that he was my friend, Mr. Jay’s replacement. Mikael Wooten, known in Kaiser circles as Coach Woo, is a 30-year old aspiring Physical Education teacher. His role as STIP Sub at Kaiser Elementary requires him to be a Jack-of-all-trades. He provides coverage and assistance in classrooms as needed, conducts conflict resolution sessions, directs traffic and dries tears, among other things. Aware of the power of knowing students, Coach Woo said he knows about 80% of Kaiser’s students

by name, and it’s just his first month on the job. I was quite impressed with Coach’s awareness of his responsibility as a positive role model for the children he encounters in so many different circumstances daily. Coach Woo, a dad himself, with two little girls, 6 and 8 years old, loves working out and weight training. While studying for his teaching certification, he has taught high school P.E. and coached football. He is especially proud of the fact that he has been able to return to his own mater as a teacher. He told me he made the decision to become a teach when he was in 10th grade, and he is well on his way to accomplishing that dream. When you see Coach Woo around campus and at school events, be sure to say hello and welcome him to the Kaiser family. In closing, I want to invite everyone to our upcoming Dads’s Club movie night. The event begins at 6:30 when the Dads serve dinner, so don’t cook, ride over to school, relax, see a movie and enjoy the fun. Hope to see you there!

~ Linda Handy, PTA President

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Community News and Opportunities

The Pink Panther Newsletter Page 5 of 5

KID’S MOVIE NIGHT AND PARENTS NIGHT OUT

FOOD-DRINKS-POPCORN-MOVIE

FRIDAY, SEPT. 29th, 2017 FROM 6:30-10:00 P.M.$35 per kid (siblings an additional $10)

Scholarships available (contact Jim at asapqp@flash.net)

FILL OUT SLIP ON BOTTOM AND PUT IN THE BOX IN OFFICE WITH A CHECKMAKE CHECKS OUT TO KAISER DADS CLUB.

A LIMITED NUMBER OF SPACES ARE AVAILABLE SO PLEASE SIGN UP NOW!

COME IN YOUR PJ’S! BRING BLANKETS AND PILLOWS!EXCELLENT 1:10 SUPERVISION PROVIDED BY KAISER DADS CLUB

QUESTIONS: CONTACT JIM MOXON AT asapqp@flash.net------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please reserve ____spots for the following children:____________________________________________________________________________________

Attach check made out to KAISER DADS CLUB and drop it off in the box in the office labeled “MOVIE NIGHT”.

KAISER DADS CLUB PRESENTS A FUNDRAISER FOR THE PTA