Chrysalis Newsletter, February 16, 2012

Submitted by ChrysalisNews on Thu, 02/16/2012 - 5:34pm

 Chrysalis News – February 16, 2012

Chrysalis Announcements:

REMEMBER – NO SCHOOL MONDAY, February 20 - PRESIDENTS’ DAY HOLIDAY. SCHOOL WILL RESUME ON TUESDAY; REMEMBER SCHOOL IS OUT AT 2:00pm ON TUESDAY. THANKS!
 
Chrysalis Parent Club Meeting
Attention all Chrysalis Parents! Our Chrysalis Parent Club (CPC) meeting this month will be Tuesday, February 21st 6pm at Chrysalis. Please plan to attend if at all possible. We will be addressing several important decisions that need as much input as possible. Topics to be discussed include budget amendments, distribution of existing funds and planning for the rest of the year. Thank you in advance for taking time out to attend and have your voice heard!
 
Enterprise Starship Concert Field Trip – Shasta Learning Center
On Wednesday, February 22nd, all of our students will attend a concert by Enterprise High School Starship music organization. It is always a great concert. Sara, Cheri, and Crystal’s classes are attending the first performance in the morning. They will leave campus at 8:25am and return at 10:45am. All other children, from Emily’s class up, will leave campus at 10:15am and will return at 12:15pm.

Romeo and Juliet - Oregon Shakespeare Festival - Friday, April 13
Once again we will be taking students to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s production of Romeo and Juliet up in Ashland Oregon. The Festival is world-class theatre, providing an outstanding opportunity for students to experience the power of the stage. The Festival is very supportive of educating the next generation so the group tickets are quite reasonable and the same for students and accompanying parents alike. After the production, students will have the chance to ask questions of one of the actors. As a teacher, I have found that an especially wonderful experience for the students - to talk to an adult about their craft.
It is now time to decide if you wish to come. Though we have reserved seats in advance, we must make final payment by mid-March. Therefore, we need to receive checks from all those interested by Friday, March 9th.
Tickets are $21 each. We will try to carpool as much as possible. Add $5 per rider to help with gas costs if you ride up with someone else. Please fill out the accompanying form and return by March 9th.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
OregonShakespeare Festival - Romeo and Juliet - April 13
Family Name _________________________________ # of tickets _____________

_____ We will drive up by ourselves.

_____ We will drive up and have room for ____________ more.

_____ We will need a ride.

Please enclose a check made out to Chrysalis Charter School for $21 per ticket.

Chrysalis Family Needs Help
You may remember a news report from a week ago about a pregnant woman who was involved in a hit and run accident here in Redding. Her car was hit by another car which caused her car to flip over. The woman, Marcella Mae Wagner, is the aunt of one of our students and the sister of Melissa Campbell who was an instructional aide for us last year and now substitute teaches for Chrysalis.
 
Though Marcella’s baby had to be taken by C-section a month and a half early, we are happy to report that the little boy is doing well. He is the first child for Marcella Wagner and David Campbell who have been married for 2 years. Unfortunately, Marcella has a great challenge ahead of her because she has suffered a broken neck and spinal injuries that have left her paralyzed from the chest down.
Marcella does not have medical insurance. Friends and family have begun remodeling their home so it will be wheelchair accessible when Marcella is able to go home. All of this costs money.
 
There are several ways you may help the family:

  1. Go to www.youcaring.com, search for Marcella Mae Wagner to make a donation on line.
  2. Contribute to the Marcella Wagner New Beginning Fund at any North Valley Bank.
  3. Give your time to help with the construction. Builders, electricians, those who know about handicap regulations and building codes, etc. are needed. Call Melissa Campbell at 524-4702 to leave a message.
  4. Donate handicap equipment or custom items to make life comfortable, safer, and easier for a paraplegic. Donate building supplies.
  5. Donate baby things. Needed right now are preemie size clothing and diapers. The family is registered at Target. Look under Marcella Wagner or David Campbell.
  6. Send cards to Chrysalis and we will get them to the family.
  7. The family requested all the prayers they can get.

STAR Writing Test for 4th and 7th graders
We need all our 4th and 7th graders (including home schoolers) at school on Tuesday, March 6th to take the California State Writing Test. We will let you know the time for testing next week.
 
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR 6TH GRADERS AND THEIR PARENTS
Please get your 6th grader into your doctor, a clinic, or to the public health Immunization clinic to get a Tdap Immunization and while there check if any other immunizations are needed. All 6th grade students will need proof of a Tdap Immunization before starting the 7th grade in August 2012. It is suggested that you get the Tdap during spring break and bring the documentation to our office when the student returns to school. Getting this Tdap immunization and the documentation to our office before June will really help us be ready for the new school year.

Love & Logic:

Taking Away Privileges VS. Energy Drain Technique
Today I am responding to a question that was posted on the Love and Logic Facebook page.
"Ok, I need some help here. I cannot get my kids to stay in bed after I put them to bed. They come out 5 times a night to go to the bathroom, open my bedroom door to ask questions, and are loud and wake people up. No matter how many privileges I take away, they are still coming out."
After reading this question, I have some guesses, and several suggested strategies to try.
GUESS NUMBER ONE
This parent answers the kids' questions when they call out from the bedroom and reminds/begs them to stay in the room. This encourages them to continue doing that.
It helps to put the kids to bed with this statement: "You've had your time, now it's my time to rest up." When they open the door to ask questions, they don't get answers because this is the parent's time. Don't reward them by answering. Remember that this is now "your time."
GUESS NUMBER TWO
This parent tries to stay calm while dealing with this problem.
Don’t believe the myth that Love and Logic parents are always calm and sweet. Love and Logic parents are calm when delivering consequences, but they are human and their voices are sometimes stern and forceful when necessary.
If one of these children comes out of their room they are met with a parent who gets right in their face and orders them back into the room. The voice is low, determined, and unpleasant. "Bad decision! You get back in that room! This is my time! See you in the morning."
TAKING AWAY PRIVILEGES VS. ENERGY DRAIN TECHNIQUE
Love and Logic does not teach parents to take away privileges as a disciplinary technique. We use the Energy Drain Technique instead. Even though it is similar, the wording creates a different thought process.
If any of these children were to come out of the room for a second time, they would hear, "Bad decision! That's draining my energy! You're going to need to put that energy back tomorrow. I'll let you know how in the morning. Now, back to bed!" If necessary they are physically escorted back to the room.
Plan on consistently using this approach. Expect the kids to keep testing you on it for a while, but don't give in. Keep it simple.
Occasionally we have strong-willed children who need a Strategic Training Session. I will write about that in the near future.
 
Jim Fay

Community Announcements:

Guitar Teacher, Mike Gregory 229-0419
Mike Gregory is a guitar and electric bass teacher who has worked and taught at Bernie’s Guitar for 10 year. Unfortunately, Bernie’s Guitar store is closing so Mike will be relocating his studio to Music Maxx here in Palo Cedro. He has room for new students. Call him at 229-0419 or 547-7070.

Calendar of Events:

February 14-17          Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 20                No School – Presidents’ Day
April 2-9                      Spring Break
April 13                       Romeo and Juliet
April 30-May 4            STAR Testing
May 24                        Talent Show at 7:00pm
May 28                        No School - Memorial Day
May 31-June 3             Spring Camping Trip
June 5                          Graduation
 

Chrysalis Newsletter, February 9, 2012

Submitted by ChrysalisNews on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 1:08pm

 

 Chrysalis News – February 9, 2012

Chrysalis Announcements:

No School - Monday, February 13
The next two Mondays are holidays so school is closed on February 13th and 20th.
 
Parent/Teacher Conferences Next Week - February 14-17
Please be prompt to your appointments.
 
Minimum School Days Next Week- February 14-17; School Will Be Out at 12:15 for All Students

  • Project SHARE will begin at 12:15pm Tuesday through Friday next week.
  • Minimum Week Afternoon Bus Schedule: Leave Chrysalis -12:25pm; Shasta View – 12:35pm; Lake Blvd.-12:45pm; Pine/Trinity- 12:55pm.
  • Book Fair during Conference Week – Buy books and earn new books for Chrysalis.

Book Fair February 14-16
This coming Tuesday through Thursday, February 14th-16th; we will be holding a Book Fair to earn free books for Chrysalis.  Last year Chrysalis earned over $400 in free books!
Ms. Dawn, (Derrick's mom) will be there with wonderful books from Usborne & holding daily Chrysalis Only Book Specials.  Why not get your son or daughter the perfect Valentine's or Easter's Day Gift!  Book Fair hours are from Noon to 3:00pm daily; we accept cash, credit cards & checks and are conveniently located in the office.
 
HomeSchoolFamily Night – February 16
Our next Home School Family Night is coming up on Thursday, February 16th 6:30-8:00pm. The whole family is invited. For those of you new to the program, this is your child’s chance to give a 3-5 min. presentation to an audience. It could be reading an original story, reciting a memorized poem, explaining a science experiment – anything that they’ve been learning! You can also come and just be audience. This is also a great chance to meet the other Chrysalis Home Schoolers. We will do a science activity together: WAVES IN THE AIR. Please bring something to snack on afterwards if you can.
 
Sewing Project Help Needed for Cheri’s Class
Cheri’s class needs sewn dog booties for their study of the Iditarod race. The booties are needed by Feb 24th.  If you sew and can do this job, please contact Miss Cheri ASAP.  Parents could also count volunteer hours for purchasing the supplies needed to make the booties.
 
Friday Electives
Last day for this Semester is Friday, February 10th.  Electives will resume for 2nd semester on March 2nd.  Parent teachers needed.  Call Karen Howe, Cheri Relph, or the office if you can teach an elective class on Friday afternoons March – May.
 
NorCalGrade SchoolChallenge
Does your child like to run?
There will be a 1 mile race for students in grades K-8 Saturday, March 3rd at 8:30am at Lake Redding Park Pavilion. It is free to participate and there will be a lot of prizes for the winners. If you plan to take your child to this event, notify Miss Emily by February 18th so she can sign you up. You can write a note to Miss Emily, go to her website, or leave a message at the office (547-9726).
 
PE Program Needs
Our new PE teacher, Dianne would like to introduce some “life related” physical education activities into our PE program.  If you have golf clubs and/or tennis rackets to donate, please send them to our office.
 
Dianne needs a Parent Volunteer to assist during the middle school PE class from 2:45-3:15pm a few days a week.
 
Parent Service Opportunities
Volunteer Help Wanted to do one or some of these jobs:

  1. Set thermostats in our classrooms so they work consistently.
  2. Listen to Love and Logic CDs and take typewritten notes.
  3. Wash and dry our school rain jackets.
  4. Rake wood chips on our playground.
  5. Casey needs help copying materials.
  6. Chrysalis has educational videos and Chrysalis historical videos we would like to convert to DVD's.  If anyone has the technology for converting VCR tapes to DVD's, talk to Paul about this project.

Monterey Camping Trip
Plans for our camping trip are coming together. Today we confirmed that we have a group camp site at the Veterans Memorial Park which is a lovely little campground very close to town. We will have room for 100 people for tent camping. There is hot water and showers and flush toilets. The cost is $6.00 per person per night. Families will sign up for camping at our group site in April when we get out the camp information and reservation form. We will send out our campout forms and information in late April.
 
The park has about 30 camp sites that are large enough for trailers. The cost is $27.00 per night. But – there are no reservations; it is first come, first serve. Since we will be there the beginning of the summer season the single camp sites could be full. It is suggest that if you have an RV, you should find an RV Park. Search the web and see what you find. One place that may be available is Laguna Seca Race Track if there are no major events that weekend. You can check out the Fairgrounds too, and there may be private RV Parks as well. You can try Sunset Beach State Park, but it is a 45 minute drive from Monterey.
 
Love and Logic Seminar – Great Information!
Most of our teaching staff and classroom aides attended a Love and Logic seminar last Saturday. We received positive feedback about what they learned. Tim Fay shared a couple of simple ideas, one of which he said is the most important thing to learn first. If children are whining, or complaining, or tattling, or being just annoying, the parent should look brain dead and say in a quiet voice with no inflection, “I know.” And then leave the presence of that child. No arguing. Don’t let the child pull you into that trap!
When children are disobeying or misbehaving; Casey liked the response, “I have lost my trust in you. Think about what you can do to gain my trust back.”
Love and Logic has some great books that share these simple approaches to teaching children self discipline. Check out their website at www.loveandlogic.com.
 
Student Work
Middle school students invented words using the Greek and Latin word parts they are studying this year:
Will Hoxie: Endomegaphoto- (endo meg photo) powerful light within. We all have endomegaphoto; it’s what makes us all different and unique.
Taye Falconer: Ducmortbiofer – (duc mort bio fer) to lead while carrying life and death.
Kara Stewert: Contrainterhood – (contra inter hood) opposition between members of a group. The group was in contrainterhood about what their symbol should be.
Cambrin Miller: Hypermicrobiologist - (hyper micro bio ologist) One who studies excessively small life. The hypermicrobiologist tried to see the virus.
Kaela Jacobson: depathopan – (de patho pan) to reverse the world’s suffereing.
Jon Weber: Missmalregtemp – (miss mal reg temp) to send bad kings through time. The boy got mad and missmalregtemped the king.
 
8th Grade Analogies:
School is to learn as job is to money. Austin
Elevator is to stairs as first class is to coach. Josiah
Attitude is to drama as emotion is to singing. Caitlin
Cow is to milk as cloud is to rain. Mackenzie
Kermit the Frog is to Miss Piggy as Ken is to Barbie. Mackenzie
Jello is to rock as water is to fire. Damian
Iron is to steel as pen is to marker. Damian
Superman is to Batman as tank is to car. Cameron
Federalism is to anti-federalism as black is to white. Caleb

Love & Logic:

You Can Do It!
Do you ever feel discouraged because you’re having a tough time remembering to use a Love and Logic skill? Does it make you feel any better to know that I experience the very same challenge? Experiencing setbacks doesn't mean failure. It simply means that the road to personal change is always under construction. You can be successful…as long as you remember the following:

  • Take it slow.
    The most successful people experiment with one skill at a time.
     
  • Focus on the controllable.
    We're far more successful when we focus on our own behavior rather than on the behavior of other people. For example, we can't make our kids behave respectfully. We can control whether we say, "I'll be happy to do the extra things I do for you when I feel respected."
     
  • Don't be surprised when others don't thank you for changing.
    When we change…even for the better…it typically leaves others a bit off balance. Their natural human tendency will be to get you back to your old way by complaining, arguing, or acting out. Don't let this scare you. They'll just need some time to get used to you and your new Love and Logic skills.
     
  • Don't look back.
    Unsuccessful people focus on trying to stop doing what they've done in the past. Successful ones focus on doing what they want to do in the future. For example, instead of saying to yourself, "I'm not going to get angry anymore," say to yourself, "I'm going to say 'I make better decisions when I'm calm. We'll talk later.'"
     
  • You only fail if you give up.
    One of the most important things you can model for your kids is perseverance.

Dr. Charles Fay

Community Announcements:

Parents Helping Parents – Discipline that Works!
Free training for adults taking care of children.  Drop-in format; come once or come often. Free Childcare Provided. Wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:30pm at Lassen View Elementary School (705 Loma Vista Dr.).  Classroom and parking are to the left of the playground area. For more information contact Bridges to Success at 225-0350.
 
Nurturing Fathers Group – Every 3rd Saturday of the Month
Fathers supporting fathers.  Free pancake breakfast and free childcare.
For more information on location and time call Eric Friend 242-2020, ext. 241.
 
Affordable Counseling for Families – Call 226-5100
Couples counseling to improve your relationship, and your children’s behavior will improve!
Counseling services include issues concerning depression, anxiety, trauma, child abuse, sexual abuse, Marriage and Family, Parent and Child interaction, Behavior Problems, Anger Management.
Supervised Visitation is also provided in a safe neutral setting.  Affordable rates based on family income and size.
REFLECTIONS
3328 Churn Creek RD, Suite C, Redding, CA 96002, 226-5100, www.ReflectionsCounseling.org

Calendar of Events:

February 13                 No School - Lincoln’s Birthday
February 14-17           Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 20                No School – Presidents’ Day
April 2-9                       Spring Break
April 30-May 4           STAR Testing
May 24                         Talent Show at 7:00pm
May 28                         No School - Memorial Day
May 31-June 3            Spring Camping Trip
June 5                           Graduation
 

Chrysalis Newsletter, February 2, 2012

Submitted by ChrysalisNews on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 4:51pm

Chrysalis News – February 2, 2012

Chrysalis Announcements:

More Friday Elective Teachers are Needed for our New Elective Program
We do not have enough elective classes to make this program beginning March 2nd successful.  If you would like to teach a class, please contact Cheri Relph, Karen Howe or our office and view the attached form/application for additional information.  
http://chrysalischarterschool.com/sites/default/files/Teach%20an%20Elective.docx
You receive volunteer hours for teaching these classes.  If you would like to volunteer but don’t have any ideas of what you could teach, we have a solution. You could supervise children while they build models with Lego’s, Connects, or Kapla Blocks.  Many children enjoy this activity.

Love and Logic Seminar
Dr. Charles Fay of Love and Logic will be in Redding for a seminar on Saturday, February 4th. You won’t want to miss this presentation if you need help and ideas on how to teach your children responsibility and self-discipline.
Some of the topics that will be addressed are:

  • How to avoid unwinnable power struggles and arguments.
  • Techniques for teaching respect and responsibility.
  • A step-by-step plan for gaining cooperation from the most challenging kids.
  • How to stay sane even when nothing seems to be working.
  • Many more Love and Logic skills for parents and educators.

Most of our classroom aides and teachers will be attending. Not only is this presentation informative, it is very entertaining.
 
Location: Red Lion Hotel, 1830 Hilltop Drive, Redding
Date and Time: Saturday, February 4, 8:30am – 2:30pm
Cost: $99.00
Register: Phone: 1- 800-338-4065 or online at: www.loveandlogic.com.
 
Parent Math Classes
Help your child do better in math. Several parents have recently commented on how strong their children are doing in high school because of our math program. Do you know that our program is very rare and is designed to create understanding and mathematical power not simply a pile of memorized recipes?

On February 9th, Alysia will be teaching about one of the strongest parts of our math program, Fractions. If you had difficulty in Algebra it is nearly certain that part of the problem is that you didn't really understand fractions. Alysia's way of teaching is not scary and can help even those of you who think you are weak in math. COME LEARN ABOUT OUR MATH PROGRAM. There will be two classes on fractions, one on Jan. 9th and the second on March 8th. PLEASE RSVP to Alysia at akrafel@gmail.com.
 
Monday Holidays are Coming Up
We will not have school on February 13th and 20th.  March will be a full month with no holidays then our Spring Break is April 2nd – 9th.
 
Parent/Teacher Conferences February 14 – 17 Minimum School Days – School is out at 12:15
Parent/Teacher conferences are coming up quickly.  Most of you have probably received appointments from your children’s teachers.  If you have not received an appointment, please email the teacher, or leave a message at our office.  Please be prompt to your appointment.
 
Minimum School Days February 14-17 – Project SHARE
School will be out at 12:15pm (after lunch) on these days. Project SHARE will begin supervision of the students at 12:15pm.  Please be prompt picking up your children if they do not participate in Project SHARE.  All children who are on campus after 12:30pm must be in Project SHARE.
 
Book Fair Coming to Chrysalis February 14 – 16 During Parent /Teacher Conference Week
A display of beautiful Usborne books will be set up and on sale at our campus on the afternoons of February 14 – 16th. Thank you to Dawn Suttmoeller for providing this service. Last year our school received $500 worth of free books as a result of the sales.
 
Yearbook Time
We are working on the 2011-12 yearbook. This year’s yearbook will be a little bit different. Students will all have their picture in the yearbook as usual; however, instead of a student yearbook page for each student, we will feature selections of student art and writing in a separate section. Students who choose to, may submit their own artwork or writing. Art may be in color and must be no more than 1/4 of a page. Writing must be typed or neatly written on a ½ page. Writing must have correct grade-level spelling and grammar. Student’s first and last name must be clearly marked on the front of the submission. Only submissions that are very neat and thoughtful will be considered for inclusion in the yearbook. All art and writing submissions are due by Wednesday March 28, 2012.

WE REALLY NEED PICTURES TO INCLUDE IN THE YEARBOOK. All pictures will help, but we especially need pictures for grades k-5. Some of the events we have had this year are: rafting, camping, Christmas Program, Fall Festival, Field study, Veteran’s Day Tribute, option classes, community tree meetings, trip to Sacramento Wildlife Refuge and class parties. Pictures of everyday classroom activities are great too. Pictures can be submitted on CD or flash drive or Karen can download pictures right from your camera. If you need help copying to a flash drive or CD, Karen can help, you can find her in room 6B.

We are now taking yearbook orders. Yearbooks will be $15.00. Yearbook orders are due by Wednesday May 2, 2012. Fill out the attached yearbook form and return with your check. http://chrysalischarterschool.com/sites/default/files/Yearbook%20Time.docx

STAR Writing Test – March 6
The California State testing for this year will begin on Tuesday, March 6th.  All 4th and 7th graders only will be taking the writing test. It is very important that your child be at school on that day. Please don’t make any appointments or plan to be away at that time.
 
Holiday Market WOW! Points
Holiday Market has a program "CASH for KIDS". For every 1,000 WOW! Points, they will donate $20 to a local school. To donate to Chrysalis Charter School, tell the cashier when you check out, you want to donate your WOW! Points. Our school code is 387.

PE with Teacher Dianne
When we get a chance to watch the children while they have PE with Ms. Dianne, we are truly grateful that she has joined our staff. She is full of energy and has developed a PE program that addresses the needs of children at each grade level. She has a heart for making children active and healthy. It is fun to watch the activity and hear the happy sounds of children engaged in the games they play. Thank you Ms. Dianne!

Do you have a new phone or address?
If you have changed your phone number or moved to a new address, please let the office know.

Check our 'Lost n Found'
The number of items in our 'Lost n Found' has grown. Please have your student check the 'Lost n Found', often students find items they didn't know were lost. We have jackets, sweaters, lunch pails, books, notebooks and even completed assignments.

Wish List
Ms. Emily's classroom would appreciate a CD player.

Love & Logic:

The Basics of the Love and Logic Approach
When you tell people you use Love and Logic techniques in your home or classroom, do they really know what "Love and Logic" means?
Do some think it is a cult you joined?
Do some say that "Love AND Logic" is an oxymoron?
Do you sometimes find it difficult to explain?
With a flexible menu of skills in our approach, and common sense at work, adults using Love and Logic skills may come across quite differently at times. Nevertheless, the "Love and Logic" approach should always look like the following:

  • A loving attitude toward the young person. A key principle of the Love and Logic approach is that we preserve the dignity - of the child AND the adult. Does yelling and threatening preserve kids' dignity? How about ours?
  • Shared thinking and control. Adults using Love and Logic techniques resist the urge to come up with all the answers and solve all the problems. Instead, they give kids the gift of thinking about and solving problems. They ask lots of questions and give lots of choices so kids stay in on the action.
  • Empathy before consequences and bad news. We are sad for kids and we hurt for them when they struggle. Our sadness (instead of our anger and frustration) helps them own problems and learn from the consequences. None of this works without empathy.
  • Relationships are paramount. If we are not preserving or enhancing relationships, we are not really using Love and Logic techniques.

Take heart! This is a process, not an instant transformation. them remember to consistently apply these very important basics of the Love and Logic approach.

Community Announcements:

None this week.

Calendar of Events:

February 13                No School - Lincoln’s Birthday
February 14-17          Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 20               No School – Presidents’ Day
April 2-9                     Spring Break
April 30-May 4          STAR Testing
May 24                        Talent Show at 7:00pm
May 28                        No School - Memorial Day
May 31-June 3           Spring Camping Trip
June 5                          Graduation

Chrysalis Newsletter, January 26, 2012

Submitted by ChrysalisNews on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 12:36pm

Chrysalis News – January 26, 2012

Chrysalis Announcements:

More Friday Elective Teachers are Needed for our New Elective Program
We do not have enough elective classes to make this program successful. If you would like to teach a class, please contact Cheri Relph, Karen Howe or our office and view the attached form/application for additional information. http://chrysalischarterschool.com/sites/default/files/Teach%20an%20Elective.docx 
You receive volunteer hours for teaching these classes. If you would like to volunteer but don’t have any ideas of what you could teach, we have a solution. You could supervise children while they build models with Lego’s, Connects, or Kapla Blocks. Many children enjoy this activity.
 
Book Fair Coming to Chrysalis February 14 – 16 during Parent /Teacher Conference Week
A display of beautiful Usborne books will be set up and on sale at our campus on the afternoons of February 14 – 16th.  Thank you to Dawn Suttmoeller for providing this service. Last year our school received $500 worth of free books as a result of the sales.
 
Yearbook Time
We are working on the 2011-12 yearbook.  This year’s yearbook will be a little bit different.  Students will all have their picture in the yearbook as usual; however, instead of a student yearbook page for each student, we will feature selections of student art and writing in a separate section.  Students who choose to, may submit their own artwork or writing.  Art may be in color and must be no more than 1/4 of a page.  Writing must be typed or neatly written on a ½ page.  Writing must have correct grade-level spelling and grammar.  Student’s first and last name must be clearly marked on the front of the submission.  Only submissions that are very neat and thoughtful will be considered for inclusion in the yearbook. All art and writing submissions are due by Wednesday March 28, 2012.
 
WE REALLY NEED PICTURES TO INCLUDE IN THE YEARBOOK.  All pictures will help, but we especially need pictures for grades k-5. Some of the events we have had this year are: rafting, camping, Christmas Program, Fall Festival, Field study, Veteran’s Day Tribute, option classes, community tree meetings, trip to Sacramento Wildlife Refuge and class parties.  Pictures of everyday classroom activities are great too.  Pictures can be submitted on CD or flash drive or Karen can download pictures right from your camera.  If you need help copying to a flash drive or CD, Karen can help, you can find her in room 6B.
 
We are now taking yearbook orders.  Yearbooks will be $15.00.  Yearbook orders are due by Wednesday May 2, 2012.   Fill out the attached yearbook form and return with your check. http://chrysalischarterschool.com/sites/default/files/Yearbook%20Time.docx
 
Monterey Camping Trip Dates – Calendar Change
The Chrysalis Council set the dates for our Spring Camping Trip to Monterey for Thursday, May 31st to Sunday, June 3rd.
There will be no school on Thursday, May 31st. This gives families and staff time to drive to Monterey and set up camp.  May 31st is not considered a school day, so Independent Study is not required for that day for students not going on the camping trip.
Friday, June 1st is the official first day of the school camping trip. The first prepared meal of the camping trip will be Friday morning breakfast. We will be doing a variety of activities in the Monterey area. This is a school day so students not going on the camping trip will need to do an Independent Study packet.
The awesome Monterey Bay Aquarium will be our focus for Saturday, June 2nd. We can easily spend a whole day there enjoying all of the exhibits. Our students will be given free admission. We can't promise this for non-Chrysalis siblings.  We are entitled to free admission for some chaperones. We will figure out what to do about that when we know how many children and adults will be participating on our trip.
Sunday, June 3rd will be family time to sightsee and drive home.
Monday, June 4th will be a school day. Since Tuesday, the 5th is graduation we will need to have school on Monday rather than take the usual rest day.
Tuesday, June 5th is the last day of school. It is a minimum day, getting out at noon. That evening, a community potluck dinner ushers in the graduation program.
 
Eighth Grade Analogies
Door is to out as ladder is to up. Damian
Pancakes are to syrup as oreos are to milk. Caitlin
Dragon is to fire as snake is to venom. Josiah
Chef is to food as teacher is to student. Mackenzie
Brain is to person as programming is to robot. Cameron
Nucleus is to electrons as sun is to planets. Will H.
Black hole is to matter as censorship is to free speech. Will H.

Love & Logic:

Winning through Losing
Do you like to lose? Most of us don't. In fact, some of us dislike it so much that we'll do whatever it takes to make sure that our kids are always winners. When they win this way, they always lose.
I sat on the living room floor, playing a simple board game with our four-year-old, Cody. As we took turns picking cards, the odds seemed consistently in his favor…he was nearing the always coveted goal of being the first to enter Candy Land.
Luck is a fickle friend.
Based on some quick calculations, it was clear to me that doom was on the horizon. His next card was sure to send him back a long way…far from carbohydrate heaven. Tension filled my body. Surely there was something I could do to prevent him from experiencing such despair. Maybe I could distract him and rearrange the cards so that he'd win.
Fighting this desire…I allowed him to be the loser. The tears and crying were heartbreaking. That is, until I remembered that learning about losing is part of life.
We teach that loving parents allow their children to develop winning skills by allowing them to experience disappointments, make small mistakes, and experience the natural and logical consequences. Shielding them from all of life's hardships sends the message that they aren't strong enough to cope with their losses. Loving them through their sadness allows them to win every time they lose.
 
Dr. Charles Fay

Community Announcements:

Love and Logic Seminar
Dr. Charles Fay of Love and Logic will be in Redding for a seminar on Saturday, February 4th.  You won’t want to miss this presentation if you need help and ideas on how to teach your children responsibility and self-discipline.  
Some of the topics that will be addressed are:

  • How to avoid unwinnable power struggles and arguments.
  • Techniques for teaching respect and responsibility.
  • A step-by-step plan for gaining cooperation from the most challenging kids.
  • How to stay sane even when nothing seems to be working.
  • Many more Love and Logic skills for parents and educators.

Several members of our staff will be attending.  Not only is this presentation informative, it is very entertaining.
 
Location: Red Lion Hotel, 1830 Hilltop Drive, Redding
Date and Time: Saturday, February 4, 8:30am – 2:30pm
Cost: $99.00
Register: Phone: 1- 800-338-4065 or online at: www.loveandlogic.com.
 
Dyslexia: Symptoms & Solutions Presentation
This is a free presentation by Susan Barton, a leading dyslexia expert from San Jose, California. We have great recommendation about her presentations. They can be very helpful. The presentation is Friday, February 10th 6:00 – 9:00pm in the David Marr Theater at the Shasta Union High School District Building (2200 Eureka Way in Redding). Reserve your seat online www.DavidMarr.EventBrite.com. For more information, contact Victoria Tyra at 227-4400 or Tricia Zane at 515-4177. This presentation is open to teachers and parents.

Calendar of Events:

February 13                No School - Lincoln’s Birthday
February 14-17          Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 20               No School – Presidents’ Day
April 2-9                      Spring Break
April 30-May 4          STAR Testing
May 24                        Talent Show at 7:00pm
May 28                        No School - Memorial Day
May 31-June 3           Spring Camping Trip
June 5                          Graduation
 

Chrysalis Newsletter, January 19, 2012

Submitted by ChrysalisNews on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 4:39pm

 Chrysalis News – January 19, 2012

Chrysalis Announcements:

Talent Show and Spring Camping Trip Dates
Last week’s newsletter had incorrect dates which caused confusion among careful readers.
The Talent Show will be on Thursday, May 24th.
The Spring Camping Trip is scheduled for June 1-3.  We are still looking at going to Monterey and we have reservations to tour the aquarium on Saturday, June 2nd at 10:15am. We have not yet decided as to whether May 31st will be a school day, a minimum day, or no school.
 
Snow Day?
Now that some winter weather has finally arrived, there is a possibility that we might have to cancel school because of a Snow Day. If we do, it will be announced via local radio so listen to the radio early in the morning if there is a question.
 
Tae Kwan Doe Elective Class Will Continue
Due to a college class cancellation, our parent teacher, Gary McRoberts will be able to teach Tae Kwan Doe during Friday electives as he has been doing.  He will not offer Tae Kwan Do during Project SHARE as reported in last week’s newsletter.  Thank you, Gary, for offering this popular class for our children.

Electives
Electives in January and February:
Ms. Cheri and Ms. Crystal’s classes: every Friday through February.
Ms. Emily’s class and older: electives will be held on Jan. 27; Feb. 3, 10. Electives will not be held on Jan. 20; Feb. 17, 24.

Fieldtrip for Independent Study Students
Our Independent study students have an opportunity to visit VCA Asher Animal Hospital with teacher Karen Shuster. Grades K-2 are scheduled to visit January 19th at 1:00pm. Grades 3-8 are scheduled for January 26th at 2:00pm.

Attention 8th Grade Students and Parents
There will be a Curriculum Fair at Foothill High School on Monday, January 23rd at 6:30pm. This is a time to meet teachers, get more information about classes, and WIN prizes. It is a good idea to get your high school plans made early!

Spring Electives
A new set of electives will begin on March 2nd. We seek parents to teach elective classes. More classes allow smaller, more personal classes. Teach something you are passionate about. This is a wonderful way to contribute to the school while sharing something you love and fulfilling parent hour requirements. If interested or want more information, contact Ms. Cheri for the younger grades and Ms. Karen for the older grades.  Deadline for letting us know is February 3rd.  Thank you.

Alysia will be conducting her next math class for parents on Feb. 9th at 6:30pm.  The following class will be on March 8th.

Chrysalis Talent Show
It is time to start getting ready for the 2012 Chrysalis Talent Show that will be held on May 24th. If you haven’t chosen what you’ll be doing for your act, it is time to do that and start rehearsing on your own time. Last year’s show was a tremendous success! Please turn in the form (below this announcement) and all applicable items to Ms. Cheri. There are some important deadlines and guidelines that you need to take note of.

  1. The form below along with a copy of the lyrics or any speaking parts that will be done need to be turned in to your teacher by March 14th. A copy of the lyrics for any music that will be used at all - dancing, singing, etc. is needed. The lyrics need to be appropriate for school.
     
  2. Students may perform in no more than 2 acts (an individual act and a group act). This may have to be limited to only 1 act if we have a large number of acts wanting to perform.
  3. Performances need to be no more than 3 minutes long. This helps keep the audience engaged in the performance. Please check the timing of your song or act because I am firm on the 3 minutes.
  4. Performers will audition for their teacher during the week of April 16th – 20th, so practice and be prepared.
  5. No lip-syncing.
  6. In addition to a copy of the lyrics due by 3/14; anyone that is using background music for singing, dancing or any other reason needs to have a copy of the background music CD to Ms. Cheri no later than Friday, March 23rd.If you are singing to music you need to find a karaoke version (background vocals only) of the song you will be singing.

Chrysalis Talent Show Form 2012
This form needs to be turned into your teacher by March 14th with a copy of your lyrics or speaking parts. Lyrics need to be included for any music that will be played for singing, dancing or just background music.
Name of Act: ________________________________________________
Description of your Act: _________________________________________
Names of People in the Act: ______________________________________
How many minutes long is your act? (No more than 3 minutes) _____________
Does your act have background music that will be used? Yes___ No___
If so, the background CD needs to be turned in to Ms. Cheri by March 23rd.

Volunteer Jobs Available
Playground maintenance- Call Virginia
General maintenance – Call Virginia
Cleaning and Organizing- Call Virginia
 
Wish List
2 pencil sharpeners (heavy duty, hand-held, bolt down kind).
 
SALE!  Chrysalis Long Sleeved Shirts
We have children, youth, and adult sizes of long sleeved Chrysalis T-shirts. They are forest green with the Chrysalis logo on the front. During our sale the price is $10.00 per shirt. Come to the office to make your purchase.

Love & Logic:

Make Them Part of the Family
One of our basic human needs is to be needed and to be a part of a family.  When children live their lives as guests in a four star hotel instead of as a contributing member of a family, this basic need is denied.  The usual result is for them to feel increasingly resentful without knowing why.
One way to help a child feel needed, important, and valued in the family is to put him/her in charge of one family meal per week.  This means planning, cooking, serving, and cleaning up.  Most kids are capable of doing this by the time they are eight years old.
Of course the quality of the food will suffer temporarily while they are in training mode.  But this changes dramatically as they learn and become excited about being able to cook.
Many parents report to us that their kids resist at first, but soon think that they enjoy cooking.  In many cases, what the kids enjoy and don't recognize are the wonderful feelings of being valued.
 
Jim Fay

Community Announcements:

None this week.

Calendar of Events:

February 13                No School - Lincoln’s Birthday
February 14-17          Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 20               No School – Presidents’ Day
April 2-9                      Spring Break
April 30-May 4          STAR Testing
May 24                        Talent Show at 7:00pm
May 28                        No School - Memorial Day
May 31-June 3           Spring Camping Trip
June 5                          Graduation

Chrysalis Newsletter, January 12, 2012

Submitted by ChrysalisNews on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 1:55pm

  Chrysalis News – January 12, 2012

Chrysalis Announcements:

Happy New Year to All of Our Families
It is our desire that being part of the Chrysalis community will help to make this a bright and happy new year.  It is our goal to make sure every child looks forward to school each day and feels safe and cared for.  Please let us know if this is not the case so we can work on making it happen.
 
REMINDERS:
NO SCHOOL MONDAY, JANUARY 16TH, IN HONOR OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.  School will resume on Tuesday, January 17th.  Remember that is a short day and school is out at 2:00pm.

Alysia’s Math Class on Fractions is this Evening (Thursday, Jan. 12 at 6:00pm)

Sara's Kindergarten Field Studies this Friday
Sara's class will be staying in Palo Cedro. We might go over to the park if we have enough parent helpers.

Change in Tae Kwan Do Elective Class - from Gary McRoberts
I regret to inform you that Jan. 13th, 2012, will be our last class for Friday Electives due to my schedule changing for the spring semester at Shasta College. Therefore, I will be offering a combined class at a different time: Fridays during Project Share from 3:30 to 4:30pm.  If your children are already part of Project Share and staying, this is wonderful.  If not, please make it possible for your children to continue by having them stay on Fridays for after school care, if possible.  As I would like to have all of the children that were originally signed up at the beginning of this school year plus any new children that might be interested in participating.  Thank you Chrysalis and parents for this opportunity to work with your children.  I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
 
Electives
Electives in January and February:
Ms. Cheri and Ms. Crystal’s classes: every Friday through February.
Ms. Emily’s class and older: electives will be held on Jan. 13, 27; Feb. 3, 10.  Electives will not be held on Jan. 20; Feb. 17, 24.
 
Welcome to Our New PE Instructional Aide
Dianne Nelson began teaching all PE classes at Chrysalis today.  She comes to us with high recommendations, lots of experience, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Movement Science. Students and teachers were impressed with her enthusiasm and professional skills when she came for a teaching interview on our campus in December.  We are thankful that she has joined our staff.
 
Field Study – Tuesday, January 17
The first through eighth grade classes will spend a beautiful day exploring the Parkville Ranch off Dersch Road next Tuesday.  Casey’s class and the Middle School will leave campus at 10:00am.  The younger classes will leave at 10:30am.  All classes will return to campus by 2:00pm.  Children will need sack lunches. Children who have ordered school lunches will receive a sack lunch.  If bringing your own lunch, pack one appropriate for out in the field.  Students need to wear appropriate walking shoes and a full water bottle.
Kindergarten will remain on campus all day.
 
Kindergarten Health Screening – Tuesday, January 17
All of our kindergarteners will be screened for vision and hearing by our school nurse on Tuesday, the 17th.  The nurse (Kara Jones) will contact parents if she has any concerns.  Please call our office if you do not want your child screened.
 
Fieldtrip for Independent Study Students
Our Independent study students have an opportunity to visit VCA Asher Animal Hospital with teacher Karen Shuster.  Grades K-2 are scheduled to visit January 19th at 1:00pm.  Grades 3-8 are scheduled for January 26th at 2:00pm.
 
Attention 8th Grade Students and Parents
There will be a Curriculum Fair at Foothill High School on Monday, January 23rd at 6:30pm.  This is a time to meet teachers, get more information about classes, and WIN prizes.  It is a good idea to get your high school plans made early!

Spring Electives
A new set of electives will begin on March 2nd.  We seek parents to teach elective classes.  More classes allow smaller, more personal classes.  Teach something you are passionate about.  This is a wonderful way to contribute to the school while sharing something you love and fulfilling parent hour requirements.  If interested or want more information, contact Ms. Cheri for the younger grades and Ms. Karen for the older grades.  Deadline for letting us know is February 3rd.  Thank you.
 
Chrysalis Talent Show
It is time to start getting ready for the 2012 Chrysalis Talent Show that will be held on May 10th.  If you haven’t chosen what you’ll be doing for your act, it is time to do that and start rehearsing on your own time.  Last year’s show was a tremendous success!  Please turn in the form (below this announcement) and all applicable items to Ms. Cheri.  There are some important deadlines and guidelines that you need to take note of.

  1. The form below along with a copy of the lyrics or any speaking parts that will be done need to be turned in to your teacher by March 14th.  A copy of the lyrics for any music that will be used at all - dancing, singing, etc. is needed.  The lyrics need to be appropriate for school.
  2. Students may perform in no more than 2 acts (an individual act and a group act).  This may have to be limited to only 1 act if we have a large number of acts wanting to perform.
  3. Performances need to be no more than 3 minutes long. This helps keep the audience engaged in the performance.  Please check the timing of your song or act because I am firm on the 3 minutes.
  4. Performers will audition for their teacher during the week of April 16th – 20th, so practice and be prepared.
  5. No lip-syncing.
  6. In addition to a copy of the lyrics due by 3/14; anyone that is using background music for singing, dancing or any other reason needs to have a copy of the background music CD to Ms. Cheri no later than Friday, March 23rd.  If you are singing to music you need to find a karaoke version (background vocals only) of the song you will be singing.

Chrysalis Talent Show Form 2012
This form needs to be turned into your teacher by March 14th with a copy of your lyrics or speaking parts.  Lyrics need to be included for any music that will be played for singing, dancing or just background music.
Name of Act: ________________________________________________
Description of your Act: _________________________________________
Names of People in the Act: ______________________________________
How many minutes long is your act? (No more than 3 minutes) _____________
Does your act have background music that will be used?  Yes___   No___
If so, the background CD needs to be turned in to Ms. Cheri by March 23rd.
 
Parent Volunteer Opportunity
Home job for Ms. Crystal
Laminating phonics cards and washing math manipulatives.  Contact Ms. Crystal.
Sara needs help with at-home prep for some upcoming units.
Karen would love to have an electrician disable the motion sensor on her classroom lights.
 
Eighth Grade Analogies
Clock is to time as ruler is to length.  Lukas
Pencil bag is to pencils as bookbag is to books.  Mackenzie
Pop is to quiz as unprovoked is to attack.  Cameron
Vampire is to Buffy the Vampire Slayer as villain is to Batman.  Caitlin
Gun is to bullet as pencil is to lead.  Josiah
Water bottle is to cup as flash drive is to desktop.  William
Undead is to necromancer as living is to paladin.  Schuyler

Love & Logic:

Four Tips for Soothing Sibling Rivalry
Why is sibling rivalry such a perplexing issue for so many parents?  Simply because we can't make our kids love each other.  That's completely out of our control.
Listed below are just a few of the many things we can control:

  • Whether we do extra things for kids who are battling with each other.

It's perfectly reasonable for a parent to say, "This is such a bummer. I'm tired-out from listening to you arguing with each other. I don't have the energy to drive you to your friends' houses."

  • Whether we allow certain items to remain in our homes.

A friend of ours said to her kids, "This is so sad. Every time you guys play with that game you get in a fight. I gave it away so it wouldn't be a problem anymore."

  • Whether we allow their fighting to interrupt our responsibilities and time.

Have you ever noticed how kids tend to argue and bicker with each other when you are trying to do something that requires your complete attention such as trying to talk on the phone? If you feel secure that your kids won’t harm each other, it's probably best to say, "This is really draining my energy. You guys need to work this out or go your separate ways."

  • Whether we give them "bonding opportunities."

When your kids start to battle with each other, experiment with saying, "Sounds like you guys need some bonding time." Then assign them some chores to give them an opportunity to feel the love.
 
In my DVD, How To Make the Best of Sibling Rivalry, I give a variety of additional tips for upping the odds that your home will remain a peaceful place.
 
Dr. Charles Fay

Community Announcements:

Palo Cedro Youth Soccer - Spring 2012 Registration
REGISTER ONLINE at www.palocedrosoccer.com starting 12/16/11
OR Register In Person:
Sat., Jan. 14th 11am-2pm, Goodtimes Pizza
Wed., Jan. 18th 5-8pm, Goodtimes Pizza
Sat., Jan. 28th 11am-2pm, Goodtimes Pizza    
Registration will also be available at Junction Sat., Jan. 21st & 28th until 11am.
 
Early Bird Discount (-$5.00) December 12th – January 14th, 2012.
Late Fee of $10.00 assessed after Jan. 29th until close date Feb. 4th, 2012.  
*See chart on website for correct fee for age group*
Please bring the following to register: 
1. Two complete registration forms (downloaded from our website); 
2. 1” x 1” photo of player;
3. Official copy of player’s birth certificate (for NEW players only);
4.  A check for the correct fee.  
PCYS is not affiliated with any school district.
Any questions, please call 547-SOCR.
 
BellChoir Concert - Saturday, January 28
Julie Hunziker’s (a long-time Chrysalis parent and former aide at the school) bell choir will be hosting a concert on Saturday, January 28th at 4:00pm at First Presbyterian Church on Placer St.  It is an advanced choir made up of ringers from Redding, Medford, Sacramento, and Mountain View.  They will play a variety of music...Spiritual, Celtic, Japanese, Sacred, etc.  Julie will be joining a few of her fellow Carillon ringers in this group and they are excited to play the music as it is more challenging than usual!  It should be a good performance for everyone to enjoy.

Calendar of Events:

January 16                   No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday
February 13                 No School - Lincoln’s Birthday
February 14-17           Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 20                 No School – Presidents’ Day
April 2-9                       Spring Break
April 30-May 4           STAR Testing
May 10                         Talent Show at 7:00pm
May 18-20                   Spring Camping Trip
May 28                         No School - Memorial Day
June 5                           Graduation

Chrysalis Newsletter, December 22, 2011

Submitted by ChrysalisNews on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 4:39pm

 Chrysalis News – December 22, 2011

Chrysalis Announcements:

REMEMBER:
School Begins on Tuesday, January 10th.  Happy New Year to you all!
 
Dear Families,
We want to wish each one of you a very happy holiday season. We hope there will be fun, joy, and peace in your homes as you make memories together.
 
A Day in the Life of Chrysalis, Your Kids
Thanks for all the support many of you have given in the classrooms.
 
Parents helped provide and assist with craft projects 3 days last week in Cheri’s and Crystal’s rooms. What fun the children had in creating beautiful Christmas items. Right now many parents are here setting up for a Christmas around the World Breakfast for Cheri’s and Crystal’s students. Parents have fun and form friendships over griddles and mixing bowls when they are cooking together!
 
There are several parents of Kindergarteners who have brought goodies to eat and craft projects; their table is full of supplies for a very fun day ahead. Miss Jody and some parents are outside with all the kindergarteners and they are all dancing with pompoms (Jody and parents included)!
 
I saw parents helping their kids bring in homemade mission models this morning. They are beautiful displays of creativity and look wonderful set up in Emily’s classroom. Right now the children are happily tearing through newspaper ads choosing gifts for their different family members.
 
Casey’s kids have been learning physics and math with Kapla blocks. They built towers on clipboards and then tried to pull out the clipboards without destroying the towers. They discussed how to build a tower that could withstand stress. Some were successful! Right now they are happily creating new and unique towers.
 
Karen’s students all have lap top computers. They have been working on a type of dynamic Power Point presentation about themselves and what makes them special. I noticed a table full of party goodies brought from your homes. Thank you.
 
The 8th graders in Laura’s class are very engaged looking at Google Earth, Australia. Laura is giving them a tour of the places she will be visiting this vacation way down under. When I left they were looking at shadows of people on a beautiful beach. Laura was asking a question about which way shadows would fall in the southern hemisphere; I’ll have to find out what the answer is. Bon Voyage, Laura!
 
Congratulations Gingerbread Man Run Winners!  - December 21, 2011
Sara’s Class:
1st Kaila, 2nd Sarah, Trinity, 3rd Caleb, Aidan, Chloe.
Cheri’s Class:
1st Trezden, 2nd Taylor, Serena, Sean, 3rd Madeline, Ava.
Crystal’s Class:
1st Terrance, 2nd Aaron, Owen, 3rd Ethan, Elijah.
Emily’s Class:
1st Evan, 2nd Derrick, 3rd Austen.
Casey’s Class:
1st Bailey, Simon 2nd Jared, 3rd Christian, Zion, Saige.
Middle School:
1st Jacob, 2nd Naomi, Will S., Tyler, Violet.
 
Spring Electives Teachers
In January, we will start organizing for our spring series of Friday afternoon elective classes. Please let a teacher know if you would like to teach a series of classes. Share your passion! (The time counts towards parent service hours.)
 
PE Teaching Aide
We are hiring someone to help our teachers with their PE programs.  We received applications from many talented people.  After careful consideration, we have hired Dianne Nelson who has been doing PE at Evergreen School.  She will be starting in mid-January.  Hopefully you will start hearing good things about her from your child next year.
 
Parent Volunteers
Our stream table needs some repair.  Some of the PVC plumbing components cracked during the freezes and need to be replaced.  If you are interested, please contact Paul.
 
Spring Campout
The date for our campout will most likely be May 31st – June 3rd.  We have been looking for good camping spots close to Monterey.  We will get some confirmations made soon.  If you would like to search for information on the computer in relation to this campout, please give Paul or Virginia a call at 547-9726.

Lost and Found - Items Left during Winter Break will be donated to Charity
The number of items in lost and found has almost doubled since the cold temperatures arrived.  Please have your student/students check our lost and found.  Often students find items they didn't know were lost.  We have numerous jackets, lunch boxes, refillable water bottles and even items left from our camping trip.  

Love & Logic:

Have a Perfectly Imperfect Christmas
What was your best Christmas as a kid?  Was it the one where there was a lot of stress about a perfect meal elegantly served-on time-to a perfectly dressed family?  Or was it the one where the dog pulled the turkey off the stove and dragged it away through the dog door?  There was no perfect meal that day.  Everyone rolled with the punches.  They rolled up their sleeves and worked together in the kitchen to salvage a makeshift meal.
 
The beauty of that memory is not in perfection and organization, but in remembering the joy of being together and doing things together.  It was the laughter.  It was one of those days when the choices were to laugh or to cry, so you all laughed it off and enjoyed one another.  It brought you all together in a different way.
 
Holidays are times for enjoying one another.  We are not suggesting that you purposely feed the turkey to the pets, but we strongly suggest that an imperfect day with little stress will create better memories of loving relationships.
 
We wish you a perfectly imperfect holiday season.
 
Jim Fay

Community Announcements:

None this week.

Calendar of Events:

Dec. 23-Jan.9              Winter Break
January 16                   No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday
February 13                 No School - Lincoln’s Birthday
February 14-17           Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 20                 No School – Presidents’ Day
April 2-9                       Spring Break
April 30-May 4           STAR Testing
May 10                         Talent Show at 7:00pm
May 18-20                   Spring Camping Trip
May 28                         No School - Memorial Day
June 5                           Graduation

Chrysalis Newsletter – December 16, 2011

Submitted by paul on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 1:08pm

REMEMBER, NO PROJECT SHARE, TODAY, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16. 
Please plan to pick up your children when school is out or to have your child ride the bus. It is best to let the office know what your plans are to get your children home.
 
Middle School Film Festival this Friday
Paul will be showing Strictly Ballroom (rated PG) after school this Friday for middle school students who arrange to stay. (Remember there is no Project SHARE.) The movie will be done by 5:15. Please pick your child up by 5:30. 
 
Chrysalis Council Meeting
Our next council meeting is Tuesday, the 20th, at 2:30 in Laura's room. These meetings are open to the public.
 
Gingerbread Man Run
Next Wednesday the 21st, the Chrysalis community is invited to walk, run, or jog with us out around the football field. We will be celebrating this community activity from 1:15 - 2:15. Breathe deep, the brisk, crisp wintery air.

Mr. Casey’s class
is going to have a gift exchange party. He will be doing a white elephant game, and every student needs to bring a $5 or less wrapped gift. It must be a gift your child would want to receive. As this notice and plan is coming out very last minute, if there is any problem financially getting a gift, please let Mr. Casey know and he will provide one.
 
REMEMBER:
CHRISTMAS BREAK IS DECEMBER 23rd THROUGH JANUARY 9th.  SCHOOL WILL RESUME ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 10th.
 
Family Survey
Chrysalis seeks feedback from parents and students to help us stay on track. One way we do this is we conduct a family survey part way through the year. The online survey contains 6 questions for parents and 4 for the student. The typical survey will probably take 5-10 minutes.
Go to the following URL to take the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T87T2C6  Thank you.
 
Congratulations
Ms. Crystal's class won for the “Treats 4 Troops” candy challenge sponsored by Shasta County Office of Education.  The students donated over 19 pounds of their trick-or-treat candy to troops overseas.  Representatives from the program will be coming to their classroom in January to give them a "Healthy Smoothies Party."  Congratulations Ms. Crystal's class!

Thank you
Thank you to the Chrysalis Parent Club and all the parents who helped organize Wednesday’s dinner and created the dessert auction. It was amazing how smoothly it all went, thanks to your help.
Thank you to the parents who helped children create bird feeders at Turtle Bay Museum last weekend. Your work helps create a stronger community, both within Chrysalis and beyond.
 
Parent Service Opportunities
Our ball shed needs a carpentry fix involving some glue and nails.
Home job – cleaning binocular lenses over the holidays.
Emily’s class needs help supplying food for the Mission Fiesta. Check on either Emily’s website (missemilyscorner.com) or signupgenius.com.
Karen needs help with some simple sewing.
Crystal has phonics cards that can be cut out at home.
We need a parent volunteer to go to a Petco every few weeks to buy food for our snake. 
Collect box tops for Chrysalis and turn in to your child’s teacher (see info on Ms. Crystal’s website).
 
Eighth Grade Analogies
Jim Henson is to puppets as Miles Davis is to music.   Lukas
Plaucostimus is to lazy guy as barracuda is to athlete.   Schuyler
Monkey is to human as dinosaur is to bird.    Sean
An analogy is to literature as a crumb is to bread.    Caleb
Hippo is to human as whale is to shark.    Damian
Etymology is to words as forensic anthropologist is to bones.   Caitlin
Stalactite is to roof as stalagmite is to floor.    Josiah
Water bottle is to cup as flash drive is to desktop.   William H.
Knife is to blade as gun is to bullet.   Schuyler
Yin is to yang as hot is to cold.   Lukas
Oil is to cars as food is to humans.   Caitlin
4 is to 16 as 2 is to 4.    Sean
Tissue is to nose as bandaid is to wound.   Sean
Talent is to skill as wisdom is to experience.   Caleb
Book is to words as molecule is to electrons.   Damian
 
 
Love and Logic

Video and Computer Games
 
"My typically nice and responsible kid turns into a monster after he plays his computer games."
 
If you've noticed this same thing with your kids, you're not alone. Listed below are some thoughts about why this is so common, as well as actions we can take to protect our kids:
 
Understand that Electronic Games can be Extremely Addictive
 
Since most of these games operate according to variable schedules of reinforcement (the user cannot entirely predict when something exciting will happen) our kids get hooked into thinking that they have to play "just a little bit longer" each time.
 
Even educational games present these risks. To grab the attention of the learner, our kids' favorite games are highly entertaining…and stimulating. Is it any wonder that kids who spend too much time glued to these games find everything else boring?
 
Real life is always a downer when you're hooked on electronic uppers.
 
The symptoms of withdrawal also indicate the addictive nature of these games: Irritability, extreme moodiness, and attempts to get a "fix" even if it requires manipulating and mistreating those who love you the most.
 
Set Enforceable Limits
 
Children under 5 should spend almost no time playing video games, computer games, or watching television. Again, this also applies to educational games and shows. Older children shouldn't spend more that 15-30 minutes per day engaged in these activities. Wise parents set the following limit:
 
I allow video games, computer games, or TV in our home
only when they are causing no problems.
 
Wise parents don't hesitate to remove these items from the home when "problems" begin. For more tips, listen to our MP3 download, Taming the Technology Monster in Your Home.
 
Replace Electronic Screens with Loving Relationships
 
Kids don't miss their computers and TVs near as much when they have parents who spend plenty of time with them playing catch, riding bikes, sledding, and doing other sorts of good old-fashioned things that build relationships.
 

 

Chrysalis Newsletter, December 8, 2011

Submitted by ChrysalisNews on Thu, 12/08/2011 - 8:22pm

 Chrysalis News - December 8, 2011

Chrysalis Announcements:

REMEMBER:
CHRISTMAS BREAK IS DECEMBER 23rd THROUGH JANUARY 9th.  SCHOOL WILL RESUME ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 10th.
 
Sara’s Field Study Cancelled
There will not be a kindergarten field study this week.
 
Sacramento Wildlife Refuge
Casey, Karen, and Laura’s homerooms will be going to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge tomorrow (Friday).  Forecast is for temperatures around 60 degrees with a north wind up to 10 mph. Students will be walking for about an hour. Students are encouraged to bring binoculars and cameras.  Children receiving a hot lunch will get a sack lunch.
Because students will spend a long time en route, we will allow them to use electronic games on the way down and back, but not while at the refuge.

TurtleBay Museum Holiday Festival – December 10 (Volunteer Hours Opportunity)
Get in the holiday spirit and create holiday-themed crafts or a gift for someone special while enjoying a festive atmosphere!  Spread the holiday cheer and make your own peanut butter pinecone bird feeder; a merry event for the whole family.  This event is free with Park admission at Paul Bunyan’s Forest camp.

Chrysalis supplies the bird feeder craft for this event. We are thankful that Ms. Sara has always headed up this project through the years. This year her calendar is very full on that day, so we need parents to help keep this community event going.  This is a fun way to get in some volunteer hours. We need parent help from 9:15am till 3:30pm.  Parents will assist community children in making their bird feeders. Our 7th and 8th graders are welcome to come with parents to help.  You can work all day or help for a couple of hours.  Please call our office to let us know that you are available.  We will be very grateful (547-9726)!

Chrysalis Parent Club Meeting Cancelled
Next Tuesday's December 13th CPC meeting has been cancelled since they will be prepping and revving up for the spaghetti dinner the next night (Wed., Dec. 14th).  The next meeting will be in January.
 
Chrysalis Parent Club Spaghetti Dinner - Wednesday, December 14th
Due to a shortage of resources and donations we are changing the CPC fundraising dinner to "Barb's Famous Spaghetti."   Dinner will be served from 5:00-6:15pm and it is $5 per adult and $2 per child.  We still need volunteers to help with the prep, set-up, dinner, and clean-up.  Any and all times are available.  If you have not signed up already, the website is: http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/95234563234598606

We also need donations for our dessert Silent Auction.  You may drop off the desserts in the morning and put them in the staff room.
 
COME TO OUR CHRISTMAS MUSICAL PROGRAM – WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14th
The evening will begin with the Chrysalis Parent Club hosting a family spaghetti dinner between 5:00-6:15pm in the gym ($5.00 for adults, $2.00 for children). There will be a dessert silent auction during this time (dessert donations will be most appreciated and this counts for volunteer time).
Children in grades K- Casey’s (K-5) classes must report to their classrooms at 6:40pm for program preparation.  The program will begin at 7:00pm in the gym.

WORKING PARENTS:
PLEASE REMEMBER THERE IS NO PROJECT SHARE ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16th.
THE STAFF WILL BE IN TRAINING. YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE AFTER SCHOOL PLANS FOR YOUR KIDS. LET US KNOW IF YOUR CHILD SHOULD TAKE THE BUS HOME OR WAIT FOR A RIDE. CHILDREN MUST BE PICKED UP BY 3:30PM. WE WILL PROVIDE CARE FOR THE K-3 CHILDREN UNTIL 3:15PM WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT FOR THE OLDER CHILDREN.

Cold Mornings
It was 25 degrees Thursday morning when campus opened at 7:30am.  Please assist your student in dressing appropriately for the weather.  Students have recess outside as much as possible, with weather permitting.
However, by the afternoon, it is warm and kids forget they had a coat in the morning - which leads to the next item.
 
Lost and Found
The number of items in lost and found has almost doubled since the cold temperatures arrived.  Please have your student/students check our lost and found.  Often students find items they didn't know were lost.  We have numerous jackets, lunch boxes, refillable water bottles and even items left from our camping trip.  Items left during Winter Break will be donated to charity.

Love & Logic:

Questions Create Thinking
At Love and Logic® we believe that kids are best prepared for the real world when we allow them to do as much thinking as possible.  It's good practice for the real world, and it keeps the monkey off of our backs most of the time.  Here's the problem.  Do you know kids who like to keep adults doing all of the thinking?  Do you know kids who are good at tricking us into doing so?  How do we avoid falling into this trap?  One strategy involves using plenty of questions!
 
The more questions we ask, the better thinkers our kids will become.
 
People who understand Love and Logic also understand that the human brain seeks closure.  When we use plenty of questions, children's brains are so busy searching for closure that they have less energy left over for power-struggles.

The more questions we ask, the fewer power-struggles we will have.
 
Kids grow the healthiest and strongest brains when they're fortunate to spend time around adults who say things like:

  • "I don't know. What do you think?"
  • "Are you sure that's the best idea?"
  • "How do you think that's going to work out for you?"
  • "Would you like to hear what some other kids have tried?"
  • "Do you think that's going to work out well or ________?"
  • "What do you think you are going to do?"
  • "Which one of these is the best solution to your problem?"
  • "Do you have enough money to pay for any possible damage?"
  • "Is that a wise decision?"

Give children the gift of good thinking skills. Perhaps the quickest way to start giving this gift is to get into the habit of asking instead of telling.
 
Dr. Charles Fay

Community Announcements:

None this week.

Calendar of Events:

December 14               Christmas Program at 7:00pm
December 16               No Project SHARE, Staff Training
Dec. 23-Jan.9              Winter Break
January 16                   No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday
February 13                 No School - Lincoln’s Birthday
February 14-17           Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 20                No School – Presidents’ Day

Chrysalis Newsletter, December 1, 2011

Submitted by ChrysalisNews on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 2:40pm

 Chrysalis News - December 1, 2011

Chrysalis Announcements:

THE PARKING LOT WILL BE CONGESTED, FRIDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 2nd.  PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY.
 
Redding Christian School will be selling Christmas Trees Friday, Dec. 2nd after school, the prices are $25-$35.  The trees are from Oregon and are supposed to be very beautiful.  They will have some extra to sell if Chrysalis families are interested.
 
Sara’s Field Study
Sara’s kindergartners will be going to the arboretum for their Friday field study tomorrow.
 
8th Grader Explore Test, Wednesday, December 7, 9:00 – 2:00pm
Parents should have received an information letter about this test; they were handed out on Monday to our 8th graders.  We will transport the students to Foothill High School and back to Chrysalis for this event.  Lunch will be provided.
Students will need a calculator, and a book to read if they finish early. Thank you to parent, Susan Butcher, who will be with the students at all times when on the Foothill campus.
 
Home School Project Evening
Families who participate in our Chrysalis Home School Program will meet on Thursday evening, December 8th, at 6:30pm.  Children will each present a project they are working on and then Ms. Karen Shuster will have a fun activity for the children to do.
 
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge – December 9
Have you ever heard a million ducks and geese flying and landing and calling all around you? The sound will form a lifetime memory. If the weather cooperates (so far it looks good), students in Casey, Karen, and Laura’s homerooms and older homeschoolers will visit the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge next Friday, December 9th.  We will take the entire school day to go down on the bus and spend a couple of hours in the presence of a million or more geese and ducks. If we go, we will not have electives that day for the older students.
 
Turtle Bay Museum Holiday Festival – December 10 (Volunteer Hours Opportunity)
Get in the holiday spirit and create holiday-themed crafts or a gift for someone special while enjoying a festive atmosphere! Spread the holiday cheer and make your own peanut butter pinecone bird feeder; a merry event for the whole family. This event is free with Park admission at Paul Bunyan’s Forest camp.
 
Chrysalis supplies the bird feeder craft for this event. We are thankful that Ms. Sara has always headed up this project through the years. This year her calendar is very full on that day, so we need parents to help keep this community event going. This is a fun way to get in some volunteer hours. We need parent help from 9:15am till 3:30pm. Parents will assist community children in making their bird feeders. Our 7th and 8th graders are welcome to come with parents to help. You can work all day or help for a couple of hours. Please call our office to let us know that you are available. We will be very grateful! (547-9726).
 
Family Survey
Chrysalis seeks feedback from parents and students to help us stay on track. One way we do this is we conduct a family survey part way through the year. The online survey contains 6 questions for parents and 4 for the student. The typical survey will probably take 5-10 minutes.
Go to the following URL to take the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T87T2C6  Thank you.

Plan to Attend Our Christmas Musical Program – December 14 (Volunteer Hours Opportunity)
The evening will begin with the Parent Club hosting a family dinner with "Turkey and the Trimmings."
The cost for dinner is $5 for adults and $2 for children.
The Parent Club is also organizing and sponsoring the dessert auction for the second year.
Sign up today to donate a dessert or help with dinner.  http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/95234563234598606
These count for volunteer hours!
 
The musical program will begin at 7:00pm. Children will need to be early to prepare.  Information about times, etc. will be in next week’s newsletter.
 
WORKING PARENTS:  PLEASE REMEMBER THERE IS NO PROJECT SHARE ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16th. THE STAFF WILL BE IN TRAINING.  YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE AFTER SCHOOL PLANS FOR YOUR KIDS.  LET US KNOW IF YOUR CHILD SHOULD TAKE THE BUS HOME OR WAIT FOR A RIDE.  CHILDREN MUST BE PICKED UP BY 3:30PM.  WE WILL PROVIDE CARE FOR THE K-3 CHILDREN UNTIL 3:15PM WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT FOR THE OLDER CHILDREN.

Middle School Dance
The dance is tentatively set for Friday, December 16th from 7-9:30pm. We don’t yet have a set-up for music. There was so much help from students and parents for our Halloween Dance that the event went off incredibly easy. Hopefully we will have something similar with this one. Price of admission is bringing snacks.
 
Chrysalis Family Update
Thank you to all who have donated items to the Chrysalis family that suffered a home fire loss. Their needs for blankets, plates and cups have been met.
They still have the following needs:
Silverware, cooking utensils, bake ware (example 9 x 13)
Everyone in the family still needs socks and underwear
Boys’ clothes
33 x 32 pants, medium in men’s shirts
Size 14-16 pants & shirts
Size 12 pants & shirts
Girls’ clothes
Size 12 pants & shirts
Size 7-8 pants & shirts
Size 4-5 pants & shirts
 
Parent Service Opportunities that Can be Done at Home
Ask Crystal about a job she has that can be done at home.
We have a large number of Read Naturally CD’s that we want to convert to MP3’s so students can work with them on an MP3 player rather than CD players which tend to break over time. We need someone who has a computer with a program that quickly copies tracks over with the proper labeling of each track. If interested, contact Emily or Paul.

Shop With Scrip
Are you looking for that perfect holiday gift?  Need ideas for stocking stuffers?  The Parent Club has you covered with gift cards from Shop With Scrip!   We have direct access to gift cards for hundreds of LOCAL retailers Chrysalis parents use every day.  There’s just about every store you can think of: Best Buy, Food Maxx, GameStop, iTunes, Safeway, Starbucks, Target, WalMart, and more…
 
Check it out yourself at: www.ShopWithScrip.com
To order, simply create an account if you don’t already have one.
When creating an account, the Enrollment Code for Chrysalis is: L3ALAL7A25L92
 
When you purchase gift cards through The Parent Club, the companies you shop with donate to our school! 
 
Two convenient ways to order:

  1. Shop with Presto Pay by 12/15/11 to guarantee delivery by December 23rd.  For more information about Presto Pay, please contact Jennifer Snider at: jennsnider@gmail.com.
  2. Order in person at the 2011 Chrysalis holiday program.

 
E-mail Jennifer Snider at jennsnider@gmail.com if you have questions or for more information.
 
 
Romeo and Juliet
Every year Paul likes to take students to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to watch world-class theater. This year we will be going up on Friday, April 13th, to watch the 1:30pm performance of Romeo and Juliet. Tickets will be $20 plus $5 for whoever drives your child up.  Parents are welcome to come.  Paul won’t be collecting money until February so you have some time to think about it.
Here is OSF’s description of their production:
“Director Laird Williamson sets Shakespeare’s timeless tale in the 1840s. Two landed Old California families, the Capulet’s and Montague’s, have hated each other for so long that no one can even remember why. Over the course of five hot summer days, that hatred boils over into new bloodshed and death. But in the midst of the violence something unexpected happens. Juliet, only child of Lord Capulet, and Romeo, only child of Lord Montague, meet and fall in love. Romeo and Juliet seek the counsel of Friar Lawrence, who sees their love as a way to end the feud - but Fate has other plans. Shakespeare’s classic tragedy of young love is often funny and plays like a romantic comedy for much of its first half. Its combination of humor, romance, pathos and action make it a favorite with young and old alike.”
“Parents and teachers should be aware that Shakespeare contrasts the bawdy, sexual language of teenage boys (which may be physicalized onstage) with the true physical, spiritual and emotional love that exists between Romeo and Juliet. In addition there are several onstage deaths culminating in the double suicide of the heroes. With those cautions, the play is suitable for most students 12 and up, and speaks eloquently to young audiences.”

Facilities Grant
We recently learned that we will be receiving a $50,000 grant from the California School Finance Authority to help defray some of our facilities cost this year. We are grateful for this help, especially during this time of budget cuts.
 
Research of Interest
PISA is a rigorous test given to 15 year old students around the world. Researchers interviewed parents of 5,000 students from around the world to find relationships between parenting and student performance on the test. They found three main relationships.
“Fifteen-year-old students whose parents often read books with them during their first year of primary school show markedly higher scores in PISA 2009 than students whose parents read with them infrequently or not at all.
The performance advantage among students whose parents read to them in their early school years is evident regardless of the family’s socioeconomic background.
Parents’ engagement with their 15-year-olds is strongly associated with better performance in PISA.”
Researchers explained “just asking your child how was their school day and showing genuine interest in the learning that they are doing can have the same impact as hours of private tutoring. It is something every parent can do, no matter what their education level or social background.”
The kind of parental involvement matters, as well. “For example,” the PISA study noted, “on average, the score point difference in reading that is associated with parental involvement is largest when parents read a book with their child, when they talk about things they have done during the day, and when they tell stories to their children.” The score point difference is smallest when parental involvement takes the form of simply playing with their children.
 
Congratulations to Cheri’s Class
Cheri’s class is participating in a Reading Award Program - each student receives a certificate for a free pizza each month if they meet the reading requirements.  Cheri’s class read a total of 4,852 minutes in November; that’s 1,312 minutes more than October’s total.  We can’t wait to see what you accomplish this month.  Great Job!

Love & Logic:

The Power of Positive Feelings
I love the smell of burnt toast!  That aroma…coupled with the odor of overcooked coffee…always leaves a warm feeling in my heart.
 
I once met a woman who loved the sound of trains.  In fact, she loved this sound so much that she purchased a house near the tracks…so that she could experience the bone-rattling rumbles and blaring horns 24 hours a day.  Like this woman, I learned to love something because of the unconscious associations I developed through my experience as a child.  Every time I went to my loving grandparents' home, my grandmother managed to burn the toast…and burn the coffee.  This woman had a similar experience.  Her loving grandmother lived…you guessed it…next to the train tracks.
 
The power of positive feelings is immense! When our kids experience love and joy coupled with chores…they associate doing chores with positive feelings.  When they experience warmth and affection coupled with learning…they come to associate academics with positive feelings.  When they feel our joy as we parent or educate them, they’re far more likely to live a life filled with excitement and motivation instead of apprehension and apathy.
 
Sometimes I get shortsighted.  Sometimes I forget all of this.  Sometimes I allow myself to get cross and short and impatient, thinking that somehow my negativity will inspire my kids to cheerfully learn and complete their daily duties.  I forget all of this when I don’t take good care of myself.
 
Kids don't remember all of the things we try to teach them, but they will always remember how they felt when they were around us.  Take great care of yourself so that you can give them the gift of loving learning, loving responsibility, and loving themselves.
 
Dr. Charles Fay

Community Announcements:

None this week.

Calendar of Events:

December 14               Christmas Program at 7:00pm
December 16               No Project SHARE, Staff Training
Dec. 23-Jan.9              Winter Break
January 16                   No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday
February 13                 No School - Lincoln’s Birthday
February 14-17            Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 20                 No School – Presidents’ Day