Back by popular demand will be the multicultural fashion show, but we're also planning some new events including a cultural foods cook-off and lots of booths with fun games and activities for the whole family. If you would like to run a booth, organize a cultural dance, or help with the planning, please contact Mr. Jones or any member of the Diversity Committee.

We are offering a series of classes for your child to learn and practice personal safety skills. Areas covered will include dealing with strangers, emergencies, protecting your personal boundaries and asking for help. The curriculum uses ideas and educational materials from Kidpower's well-known and respected program.

Kidpower is highly recommended by experts worldwide for enabling children to feel positive and strong about their own abilities and to take care of themselves, as well as empowering them to get adult help and attention when it is needed to keep them safe. The program is very upbeat and fun for children, enabling them to cover some serious subjects without making them frightened or anxious. For more information, please visit http://www.kidpower.org/.

The classes will be taught by Marina Shepherd, Counseling Intern from San Jose State University, and will run for five weeks, starting Wednesday, March 11th. They will be in the GLC from 2:15pm-3:15pm. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend and observe, but this is not mandatory. Classes are offered for 1st through 3rd graders. If you have a child in another grade and would like classes to be offered for your child's grade, please indicate below.

Questions? Contact me at marinashepherd@sbcglobal.net. Please complete the form below if you would like your child to attend and return it to the office by March 2nd. Thank you.

Parents are invited to join us in celebrating Read Across America Day on Monday, March 2nd, from 1:00- 1:30pm on the Nimitz School Field. Nimitz students and parents are encouraged to bring a book, a blanket and pillows. In the event of rain, this activity will be moved to the classrooms and/or the GLC.

This will be our second meeting and we are looking forward to new members. Parents often have insights and tips to help guide children in organization, academics, and friendship. Please come to our meeting and share your ideas and questions about children.

The Cupertino Middle School Parent Information Night for next year's 6th, 7th, and 8th graders will be held Thursday, March 5 in the gym. The 6th grade presentation will be at 6:00 pm and the 7th/8th presentations will be at 7:00 pm. The presentations will cover course selection, homework, expectations, extracurricular activities, and other topics. These presentations are open to all families who will have students at CMS next year.

Additionally, at 7:00 pm in the multi-use, our PTA will host an informal gathering so that incoming 6th grade parents can talk with CMS parents who have already experienced their student's transition from elementary to middle school. This was a very popular event last year.

Due to facility limitations, these presentations are for parents only. An electronic copy of the presentation and any handouts will be made available upon request for any parents unable to attend the March 5 meeting.

Money raised goes to research in finding a cure for these blood cancers, the number one killing disease of children. Students may donate change, bills, and/or checks payable to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and bring them to his/her classroom. The fundraiser will run for three weeks, ending on Friday, March 13th.

We have three Nimitz sweatshirts that are still available for purchase from the office. These are:

• 1 Black Youth Small (6-8) Hooded Sweatshirt for $18.00
• 1 Black Youth Medium (10-12) Hooded Zipper Sweatshirt for $28.00
• 1 Navy Blue Youth Medium (10-12) Hooded Zipper Sweatshirt for $28.00

These sweatshirts are first come first serve! Please make checks payable to Nimitz School.

Your artwork must be done by a Nimitz student (not a parent or older sibling), should be in color and avoid using a blank or white background. Any art medium may be used - crayons, paint, pastels, markers, color pencils, etc. The cover should include the school name (Nimitz Elementary) and the year (2008-2009). Spelling counts, so check your spelling. Remember to put your name, room number, and teacher name on the BACK of your entry. The deadline for submitting covers is Friday, February 27th.

The Nimitz 2008-2009 Yearbooks in full color are now on sale. Yearbooks are just $20 if purchased before March 13th and $23 after March 13th, so hurry and buy yours now. 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.

Studies show that kids who grow up in homes without discipline are the ones at highest risk of alcohol and drug use. To make sure your discipline is effective, follow the "Five C's":

1. Clarity. Be clear when setting the rules (involving your child in the rule-making process), and explain the consequences of breaking them. Consider posting the rules on the refrigerator.

2. Consistency. If you've set a consequence for breaking a certain rule, stick with it. Don't invent a new one each time. If a rule needs to change, talk about it before your child breaks it. Also, be flexible. As your child gets older, some rules may need to be modified.

3. Communication. Listen to your child no matter what the problem. Does he think the rule is unfair? Is he upset about something? Let him know that he can always talk to you.

4. Caring. Discipline out of love. Show your child you care by giving him praise and support. When he does something right, say so. And when he messes up? Criticize his action, not him.

5. Creation. Model good behavior yourself. Also, nurture his sense of self-respect.

Source: "Tip Sheet: The Five C's of Effective Discipline," - National PTA

Students in grades 4 and 7 will take the STAR Writing Test on March 3, 2009. The STAR Writing Test addresses writing application standards for grades 4 and 7. At grade 4, these standards require students to produce one of four types of writing: narrative, summary, information report, or response to literature. The grade 7 standards require students to produce one of five types of writing: narrative, persuasive essay, summary, response to literature, or research report. Students at both grade levels read a task and write a first draft of their essay. First drafts are submitted to the state for scoring.

The two-week multiple choice STAR Test window begins May 4, 2009.

"Beside the Book! What else can students do to meet their yearning for learning more mathematics...?"
Thursday, March 19, 2009
7:00 ? 8:30 p.m.
Collins Elementary School, GLC
10300 N. Blaney Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014
No RSVP Needed District students and their parents are invited to participate in the final installment of the Mathematics Speaker Series. The previous speakers have been focusing on middle school students. The target audience for this presentation is students in grades four and five who are eager to learn more, deeper mathematics (to go Beside the Book!) and their parents; interested sixth grade students and parents are also welcome.

The speaker will be Joshua Zucker, a very talented and knowledgeable teacher whose accomplishments in the field of mathematics have been recognized both in his tenure as a writer for the national MATHCOUNTS competition and as the Director of the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival. Mr. Zucker discovered his love for number theory at Dr. Arnold Ross's summer program at Ohio State University many years ago. As a student, he was invited to the US Math Olympiad Summer Program and was a member of the first US Physics Olympiad team as well as a top-10 scorer on the Putnam. Joshua is an excellent presenter who will challenge students with insightful, intriguing problems and offer parents words of wisdom about math education that will help them work with their sons and daughters in productive ways.

The Speaker Series is part of the district's Math Initiative Plan and is sponsored by the Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation (CEEF) and a grant from Microsoft Corporation.

De Anza College in partnership with the Cupertino Union School District will offer the Extended Year Program this summer, mornings only, from June 22 to July 17, 2009.

Students entering grades 6 through 10
Classes will be held at Cupertino and Miller Middle Schools, and will include: Speech and Debate, Japanese, Advanced Writer's Workshop, Intro to Algebra 1&2, Geometry, Lego Robotics, ML Cad Design, PSAT Prep-Verbal, Fashion Design, and many others.

Students entering grades 1 through 5
Classes will be held at Collins Elementary School, and will include: Math Applications & Concepts, Writing: Paragraphs to Essays, Reading Intensive, Geology, Math & Art, Mandarin, Journalism/Writing, First Grade Block, and more!

Program brochures will be sent home in early March and will also be available at your school office. More information is available at www.extendedyear.deanza.edu. Early registration is by mail only and will begin on March 9, 2009 and ends on May 23, 2009. There will also be walk-in registration available from June 1 to June 8, 2009.