Here's how the Book Fair works: On Monday, students will visit the Book Fair with their class during school hours and have the opportunity to write favorite titles on their Student's Wish List. Parents are encouraged to review the Student Wish List with their child. Book Fair sales will begin on Tuesday during school. Students will be allowed to purchase books during their class time slot (with permission from their teacher) and everyone can make purchases after school until 3:15pm and on the evening of Open House, Thursday, April 12th, from 5-8pm.

Parents, grandparents and caregivers are invited to come during our open hours, Tuesday through Thursday from 8am-3.15pm. You may wish to time your visit to coincide with your child's class time slot! We will have books for all ages, at affordable prices. When visiting the fair, please consider buying a book for your child's classroom library or the school library by checking the Teacher wish list display, or please consider making a $1 donation (One For Books), which will be matched by Scholastic. Remember, if you spend over $25, you will receive a free raffle ticket. Prizes will be on display at the fair and awarded on Monday April 23rd at the morning flag ceremony at 8am. We hope you will enjoy the fair. See you there!

Order your Nimitz Spiritwear tee shirt this week! Order forms will be included in students' Blue Folders on Thursday, April 5th. Order forms will be accepted only until Friday, April 13th. A white tee-shirt (with the Nimitz Dolphin logo in blue & gold) is the perfect class souvenir for end-of-year autographs by classmates and teachers!

All Nimitz students are involved by creating clay sea sculptures for the aquatic scene. If you would like to have a personalized fish sculpture permanently displayed in your name, please make a donation of $50 or more by May 7th. These contributions will be used to help restock our library with new books. This is a great way to make a mark in the history of Nimitz Elementary!

We will start installation of the mural on the GLC wall the week of May 7th and continue the next 2 weeks until completed. If anyone is interested in helping students with the tiles and ceramic sculptures, please contact Tracy Burriss at Burriss_tracy@cupertino.k12.ca.us We will also be collecting found metal objects such as nuts, bolts, and washers for the anchor and parts of the octopus. If you have any of these to include in the mural, please send in a bag or box to school. We will also be collecting rags, Spackle knives, plastic sheeting, and large sponges for grouting. Please let Tracy know if you have any of the above items that we can use. Keep updated about the mosaic mural at http://www.nimitzpta.org/ Click on "wall mural project".

The Nimitz 2006-2007 Yearbooks are now on sale. Yearbooks are just $20. Order forms are available through your child's teacher or in the school office. Please attach your check payable to NIMITZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL to the order form.

http://www.nimitzpta.org/parentsurvey/.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to provide us with valuable feedback about our school. Please fill out the survey for each child enrolled at Nimitz School. Your answers will be completely confidential, since you provide no personal data. Paper copies in English, Spanish and Chinese can be obtained by filling out the green form available in the office. The deadline to submit your survey is this Friday, April 6th. Thank you to those of you who have already completed your survey!

At the end of the school year, a student must be in attendance on the last day of school to retain his/her place on the roster for the following year. For this school year, students must be in school on June 15, 2007, to retain their space for the 2007/08 school year. At the beginning of the school year, a student must be in attendance on the first day of school or they will not retain their place on the roster. When you are making travel plans, please consider the possible ramifications. If you have any questions, please contact Student Assignment at (408) 252-3000, ext 110.

The STAR Testing dates are being published so that parents can plan ahead. STAR Testing will be held from April 30, 2007 through May 11, 2007 for grades 2-5. Your child will need to take the entire test in order to receive complete STAR scores. Please do not schedule family trips or make appointments during this time.

As you look forward to transitioning to Cupertino Middle School next fall, keep in mind that involvement at your child's school doesn't end in elementary school! In fact, since there is less chance to interact on campus every day, being a part of the PTA Executive Board or a Committee gives you a chance to get involved. Please feel free to contact CMS Nominating Committee members, Lillian McCrorie, (408) 746-0845, mccroriel@comcast.net, or Karol Smith, (408) 737-2828, Karol753@yahoo.com, to find out how you can be a part of the Bear family!

Research shows that attendance is the single most important factor in school success. Here's how you can improve your child's school attendance:

• Talk with your child about the importance of attending school regularly.
• Avoid scheduling family trips or doctor appointments during school hours.
• Make sure your child stays healthy by eating nutritious food and getting enough sleep and exercise.
• Don't accept excuses for why your child "must" miss or be late for school.

• Discuss with your child what happened at school each day.
• Support school rules and consequences for skipping class and being tardy.
• Show your child why education is important. Give specific examples of how education helps people succeed.

Don't make it fun when your child does stay home from school. This is a way to be sure the child who says he/she is not feeling well is really sick.

Lead by example. If children see parents taking off work for no real reason, they may expect to be able to do the same thing. -From "Parents Make a Difference!"

After the close of the open enrollment period, there are still a few spaces available for incoming kindergartens for the 2007-2008 school year at the McAuliffe Alternative Program. McAuliffe is a K-8 parent participation, experiential program based on an education philosophy that emphasizes the needs of the whole child. Additional information is available at www.mcauliffeschool.com or by contacting the McAuliffe school office at (408) 253-4696, Extension 100.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007
6:45 - 8:00 p.m.
Sedgwick Elementary School
19200 Phil Lane, Cupertino
If you live in the Cupertino School District, bring your 3 to 4-year-old & learn techniques for reading to your child, and enjoy the wonderful storyteller, Kristin Link. The Sedgwick State Preschool Program, a free preschool for low-income families, sponsors this event. Call 252-3103 ext. 202 to reserve your place.