The teachers have been working hard to prepare their classrooms and the entire staff has been getting the school ready for a smooth and enjoyable opening.

Learning should be fun, and going to school should be one of the most enjoyable experiences of childhood. Our staff is adept at creating exciting learning opportunities for children and creating a learning community that teaches kids about life and relationships as well as how to read, problem solve, and communicate effectively.

I encourage you to get involved with your child's learning. As a parent, you are your child's first teacher, and no one knows your child better than you do. As your child progresses through the grades, your continued involvement will be a critical factor in their success.

Please don't hesitate to call or e-mail if you have any questions or concerns. My phone number is 736-2180 X111 and my e-mail is jones_dale@cupertino.k12.ca.us.

   -Dale Jones, Principal

Nimitz is off to another great year. Thank you to James and Dora Liu and the PTA for providing a wonderful lunch on Tuesday, August 21st as well as welcome back gifts for the staff. Everyone truly enjoyed the delicious food. Thank you Nimitz PTA and Liu family!

Bring a blanket and a picnic dinner and enjoy a concert on the lawn. There will also be hot dogs, burgers, burritos and quesodillas or sale, as well as ice pops. If you sign up for eScrip, you will get a free ice cream. Please bring your grocery club card. Don't miss out on this fun event!

ALL VISITORS ON CAMPUS or entering classrooms as volunteers or meeting with teachers MUST sign in at the office and obtain a visitor's nametag when school is in session. For the safety of all, we need to know who is on campus. The only exceptions are at student arrival and dismissal times. If you are taking your child out of school for any reason, ALWAYS sign your child out from school through the office and back in when he/she returns.

Participate in the eScrip program and support the education of our children every time you shop! eScrip is a hassle-free way for Nimitz to raise money through everyday purchases made at eScrip merchants such as Safeway, Pak'n'Save, PW Market, and Whole Foods. Simply register your Safeway, Pak 'n' Save, PW Market, or Whole Foods grocery club card. Each time you grocery shop and use your card, eScrip will send us a percentage of the money you spend. You can also register a credit and/or debit card, and purchases made at participating merchants will benefit Nimitz.

To sign up is easy:

• Log onto www.eScrip.com and go to "welcome", then "sign up".
• Enter our School/Group I.D. 138057496.
• Register your grocery club cards from Safeway, PW Market, Pak 'n' Save, Whole Foods, and/or your debit and credit cards.

You can still register with eScrip even if you don't have access to the Internet! For more information, contact your eScrip Coordinator Pamela Berry at (650) 271-5272 or by email at pberrypie@sbcglobal.net. You shop - our school earns dollars!

Sign up today and get FREE ice cream at the Family Picnic on August 29th!

This will help expedite traffic flow during the morning rush.

• Unload and pick-up students at the white curb only.
• Never leave your vehicle while in the pick-up lane.
• Never double park.
• Use sidewalks to come/leave school.
• If you are parking, always use the crosswalk to get to the school campus. Children should not cross streets by themselves or be allowed to play or walk near traffic. Kids are small, unpredictable, and cannot judge vehicle distances and speeds.

• Never run or dash into the street.

We will be glad to show you how to do this. In order for the kids to enjoy the library, the books need to be shelved in a timely manner. Even if you can only help for a limited amount of time, we would love to see you. Please think about what this will mean to your child. You don't have to let us know you're coming. If you have a few minutes come on by. For questions, please call Mrs. Gallatin at 736-2180 ext. 150.

1. Look for the Yellow School bus in your store and buy participating products!
2. 10% of the purchase price can support Nimitz Elementary when you use your Safeway Club Card July 19th through September 5th, 2006.
3. Ask a cashier for your Rewards Certificate after September 10th and turn it in to the school office for the PTA.

IT'S THAT EASY! FILL YOUR CART. HELP NIMITZ SCHOOL.

The start of a new school year is exciting, but it means kids and parents will need to make some adjustments. Here are some ways to get your family back into a good routine for the school year.

• Set the rules. Make sure your kids know what you expect now that they are back in school. Set a specific time to do homework. Enforce rules for TV watching. Set aside some time each day for reading. Create a chart for the first few weeks of school until your routines become habits. Give your child a gold star on days when he does everything without being asked.
• Manage correspondence. The start of the school year means a lot of paper going between home and school. Set up a place where your child puts all the paperwork from school. Sign it and put it back in his backpack by the next day.
• Keep track of schedules. Post a calendar where everyone will see it. Then have everyone write down their activities as they are scheduled. This will help you plan ahead. If your child knows a book report is due the day after a soccer game, he'll see that he needs to finish it early.