After the students finish their lunch period (around 12:45), students' families are invited to come and share the remaining food.

Sign up with the flyer in the blue folder (extra flyers are available in the office) or online at http://www.nimitzpta.org/feast/ by Monday, October 27th. If you are interested in volunteering to help setup, serve, or clean up at the Thanksgiving Feast, you can also let us know through the flyer or online site. If you have questions, please email diversity@mrjim.com

      - Nimitz Diversity Committee

Please be sure that costumes are comfortable, provide good visibility, and are easy for your child to remove. All costumes must be non-violent in nature and follow our Zero Tolerance policy. Weapons (guns, swords, knives, martial arts weapons, etc.), fake blood, and hairspray containers must be left at home. Children must bring a set of school clothes in a bag, clearly labeled with name and room number.

Ask your children to tell you about the Red Ribbon activities.

Nimitz' curriculum addresses refusal skills and drug, alcohol and tobacco awareness. Teachers will have grade level appropriate discussions and projects in their classrooms designed to help our students begin building their own value system that will make them able to say "No" to the peer pressures involved in drug abuse.

You can support our curriculum through discussions at home on your values. A strong value system can empower students to make educated decisions rather than simply be influenced by peer pressure.

We are selling markers, cups, scented tanbark, origami, art sculptures, bracelets, necklaces and tickets for a drawing. Tickets are 50 cents and 5 winners will be announced on November 4th. Look for us at the bench near Room 19. All the proceeds will go for Nimitz school supplies and field trips. We will be open from 2:30-3:00pm every day except Tuesday when the hours are 1:25-2:00pm. For more information, please email jedijon98@comcast.net or bbchin@comcast.net Thank you!

        -Fun and Fascinating Stick Designers

The PTA would like to thank our generous community for your support. We have received donations from 101 families totaling $14,952 so far this year! It is not too late to make a donation. Please visit http://www.nimitzpta.org/ for more information. Thank you!

Research shows that children with consistent school attendance learn more. Punctuality also promotes learning. A student who is 10 minutes late every day will miss 30 hours of instruction during the year. Children who are late or absent can copy notes or make up an assignment, but they can never get back what's most important - the discussion, the questions, the explanations by the teacher and the thinking that makes learning come alive. Your child's success in school depends on having a solid educational background - one that can only be gained through punctuality and regular school attendance. Research shows that attendance is the single most important factor in school success.

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!

The goals set during the October Parent-Teacher conferences can be a powerful tool for academic progress and self-esteem for your child. These goals need to be reviewed on a regular basis and in a positive manner. Here are some ways to keep those goals in the forefront:

• Re-read the goal setting conference form with your child.
• Ask your child how they are doing on their goals.
• Check your child's homework folder/backpack and give pointers to reorganize if needed.
• Ask your child where they need help.
• Review the completed work in the Thursday folder with your child about what learning is going well and what needs to be improved. Praise him/her for success and progress and help where support is needed.

Breakfast gives kids energy, and skipping it can hurt concentration at school. To help your child eat well throughout the day:

• Make breakfast appealing. If your child doesn?t go for classics such as cereal and fruit, get creative. Give her a ?frozen banana? (a banana coated in yogurt, rolled in crushed cereal, and then frozen) or a smoothie (blend skim or 1% milk, fruit and ice). Leftovers, such as pasta, are great, too?even cold.
• Prepare lunches together. When your child helps pack lunches, she?s more likely to eat them. There are lots of ways to make ?brown bagging it? more attractive. For example, decorate the bag. Use cookie cutters on bread. And mix ingredients in new ways, such as putting strawberries in cream cheese.
• Don't give up on dinner. If your child resists certain nutritious foods, brainstorm about alternatives. For example, some kids refuse raw carrots but like cooked ones, and vice versa. And if your child turns up her nose at milk, she may love cheese. You can also sneak items (such as pureed spinach or sweet potato) into recipes.
• Keep offering options. Your child may try something new if it?s presented with a food she loves (especially if it?s in a fun pattern, like a rainbow made out of veggies). Remember that it can take several tries for your child to like new foods, so keep trying and don?t get discouraged.

      -Reprinted with permission from Parents make the Difference! ®