The goal setting conferences will take place October 6th - 14th. Please be prompt in picking up your child at dismissal time (12:25pm).

Schedule: All Grades 8:00-12:25
• Recess: 10:00-10:20

• Lunch:
  Grade K     11:20 -11:50
  Grades 1-2     11:30 -12:00
  Grades 3-4     11:40-12:10
  Grade 5     11:50-12:20
  

Children may not remain on the school grounds unsupervised while waiting for a parent to arrive for a conference or during the conference. Students may be included in the conference, if specifically arranged by a teacher.

Please take the time to check your schedule to assure you will be able to attend at your scheduled time. It is very difficult to reschedule if you wait until the week of conferences. It is also important that you show up on time, as teachers have to adhere to a strict schedule to ensure that they are able to meet with all the parents in their classroom. Thank you.

We are raising money for the school by selling colored sticks and cups. The booth is open every day after school from 2:30-3:00pm beginning Monday, September 29th. On Tuesdays, we will be open from 1:30-2:00pm. During parent conferences, we will be open from 12:25-1:00pm. The booth is at the bench near Room 19. Thank you!

     -Fun and Fascinating Stick Design Club

• What skills will my child be expected to master this year? If you know that he's expected to know his multiplication tables by the end of the year, then you'll be prepared to help him master them. If fifth graders do a big project on ancient Egypt, then you'll be prepared.
• How will you evaluate my child's progress? Schools use testing in different ways. Kids who don?t do well on some tests might have to go to summer school. Other tests could decide who gets into a special program.
• What can I do at home to help? As a parent, you have a critical role to play in helping your child. Ask the teacher how much time your child should expect to spend on homework. Ask if there are other ways you can support learning at home.
• What is the best way for us to communicate with each other? You're still the best expert on your child. You'll know the day he's sad because his goldfish diedi or the day he struggled with his math homework. The more you can share those things with the teacher, the better your child's year will be.

-Reprinted with permission from Parents make the difference!®

So far this year, eighty-eight families at Nimitz have supported the school by making a tax deductible donation to Nimitz PTA. The PTA uses this money to pay for art and technology instructors, books and projection systems for the classrooms and many more programs and activities that support the health and welfare of our children at Nimitz.

We have raised $9,508 towards our goal of $25,000. We hope to reach our goal by October 31st, so there is still time to make a donation. Often companies can match your money to make double the dollars for us. Visit our website at www.nimitzpta.org for more information on the Direct Donation Appeal.

PTA has a fund to collect money for Nimitz families in need due to illness, death, etc. If you would like to donate to this fund, please make a check payable to Nimitz PTA with a note that it is for the helping hand fund and send it into the office.

If you are interested or would like to find out more information about the Barton reading program, you can email Rachel at Abramovitz_Rachel@cupertino.k12.ca.us.

n an effort to save paper and reduce duplicating costs, the Dolphin Newsletter will be emailed to parents who have signed up as part of the parent email group beginning October 9th. In addition, a paper copy of the Dolphin will be sent home with the youngest or only child of each Nimitz family. This will greatly help the school by saving over 15,000 sheets of legal-sized blue paper for the school year! Please note that all communication from teachers will continue to be sent home with each child. If you would like to be included in the parent email group, the forms are available in the office. We no longer receive a bounce message when sending to a non-existent outside email address. If you do not receive an email or a paper Dolphin newsletter on October 9th, please email nelsen_kristen@cupertino.k12.ca.us.

It's that time of year again when all eScrip members must renew their commitment to shopping at Safeway. Safeway requires all eScrip supporters to renew their commitment to them every year. For Nimitz to continue receiving your contributions made through your grocery shopping at Safeway, YOU MUST RENEW YOUR COMMITMENT BY NOVEMBER 1ST. It's so easy to renew! Choose one of these 3 easy ways!

1. By phone: Call 1-800-801-4973 (must have your Safeway club card number available)
2. Visit www.escrip.com and click the red checkmark "Yes! Renew" icon.
3. Contact your eScrip coordinator, Peggy Ngai to renew for you at (408) 720-8714, or email bradleyngai@yahoo.com (provide your first and last name).

If you do not renew by November 1st, your contributions to Nimitz will stop, so please renew today! . Have questions? Contact Peggy Ngai at (408) 720-8714 or by email at bradleyngai@yahoo.com. Thanks for your support!

Please remember that adults volunteering in any capacity, including noontime supervisors, classroom volunteers and field trip drivers, must have a current (dated within the last four years) negative tuberculin test on file with the school. The Intradermal Mantoux PPD Skin Test is given at most medical clinics. A voucher from the Cupertino Medical Clinic is available in the office. The test costs $15.00. Please bring documentation of your negative PPD Skin Test or X-Ray to the school office as soon as possible. Thank you!

All Nimitz students can benefit from parent volunteer help. If you have a few extra minutes, consider helping the Running Club, Copy Center, Library, Crosswalk Guards, etc. Some volunteer positions can be done whenever you have a few minutes (like after student drop-off or before pick-up) and do not require any commitment other then an initial training. If you have not already, please sign up online at www.nimitzpta.org > or fill out a Nimitz Volunteer Form in the office.

CEEF's 25th Anniversary Gala
SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Fairmont Hotel, San Jose
Join in celebrating CEEF's 25th anniversary with a promotional or celebratory advertisement in the CEEF Gala program. Salute a special teacher, honor a graduating student or class, or encourage your favorite professionals to sponsor an ad. Beyond the Gala event, 1,000 program copies will be distributed to all 25 district schools and throughout the community. Visit the CEEF website at www.ceefcares.org and click on "celebratory ad" under Gala on the right hand green column for ad specifications or call (408) 446-2333 for more information.

The Cupertino Union School District has revised the 2006-2007 School Accountability Report Cards (SARC). SARCs are an annual report on specified aspects of a school's operation, which is required as part of state and federal law. In addition, the district is required by law to translate SARCs into other languages if 15% or more of the pupils enrolled in the school speak a single primary language other than English.

English SARCs and translated SARCs (if necessary) for each school in the district are available on the district's website at www.cupertino.k12.ca.us, and in the school office. If you have any questions regarding the SARCs, please contact the school principal.

The 2007-2008 SARCs (published during the 2008-2009 school year) will be available on the district's website and the school office by February 1, 2009.