Dear White Hill Families,
 
We've had a terrific week here on campus and everyone is looking forward to our Halloween Costume Contest and 3-day school week next week! Reminder: No school next week on Thursday and Friday. Both days will be dedicated to professional development as our staff will be working on integrating the Common Core Standards into our program and creating units of study aligned with the Common Core. 

Halloween Costume / Dress Code Questions - We have had a lot of questions from kids regarding the dress code and Halloween costumes (we will celebrate on 10/30). The short answer is that the dress code will be in effect with a few exceptions. The exceptions are:  If a child wants to be a baseball player, for example, and is going to wear a baseball jersey and yoga pants or tights - the pants/tights will be allowed for this one day as long as the rest of the outfit is appropriate. A half shirt Giants jersey with yoga pants will not be acceptable. A full shirt and yoga pants or tights will work for Halloween at White Hill. Another example - If a child wants to be Peter Pan and wear tights and short shorts over them - we will allow that dress for Halloween.

Tank tops with thin straps or low cuts on the torso, cut off shirts, short shorts, short skirts - none of this clothing will be appropriate unless it is part of a school appropriate costume. Please work with your son or daughter to wear something on 10/30 that will work. We would rather not have to have a child spend his/her day in a PE uniform when they want to celebrate Halloween with their friends and wear a costume. Have a costume for your child that won't work with these expectations? Please have them change into it after school when they get home! Lastly, no weapons of any kind and masks will only be allowed during the contest/parade. Thank you for your support.

PLEASE NOTE: Ross Valley Emergency School Closure Hotline is 721-4751. As winter approaches, keep this number in your phone for updates in case our schools are closed due to power outages, flooding, etc.

Upcoming Events & Important Dates

Bake Sale at Lunch on October 29th! - The bake sale will be hosted by Ms. Krick’s Workshop class. Treats will mainly be Halloween themed. All proceeds will go to helping the Ritter Center provide turkeys and other traditional Thanksgiving foods to people in need.

October 29th - Iron Springs – 7th- and 8th-Grade Celebrity Teacher Night! – Please plan to help support our YES Foundation and enjoy our celebrity waiters. Ms. Garrabrant, Ms. Krick, Ms. Neal, Mr. Pommier, Ms. Noyer and Ms. Mitchell will serve tables from 5 - 8 p.m.! This is a great night of fun and who can beat having your teacher wait on you?! Get out to Iron Springs next Tuesday night– you’ll be glad you did!

October 30th - White Hill Chorus Masquerade Concert - 7 -8:30 PM - White Hill Gym - This concert will feature our middle school choirs plus several talented small groups.   Bake Sale!  Costumes!  Please come!

Report Cards / Honor Roll Certificates Mailed Home Today!

Please look for your child's report card in the mail by early next week. They were printed and mailed home this afternoon. As a new touch this year, our report cards will also have honor roll certificates enclosed for those students who earned a grade point average of 3:5 to 3:99 and 4.00. We have had honor roll assemblies for the past five years but after a lot of thought and consideration at our Site Council meetings and with our full staff, we made the decision to send home certificates this year. We are hoping that each family is able to celebrate the success your child had this first quarter and if you are concerned in any way please contact your child's teacher to further discuss his/her progress.  

Conference Week - November 4th - 8th - 2:15 PM Release All Week Long!

Please don't forget that all WH students will be released at 2:15 p.m. during the week of November 4th - 8th. If your child currently has a C- or below in any class and/or any behavior issues that need to be addressed, Meg in the office or a teacher will be contacting you to schedule a conference. If you would like to meet with your child's teachers but he/she does not meet the criteria above, please contact Meg for assistance in scheduling a conference. We would love to offer a conference to every student and parent but, with 700 kids we would need two months of early release days to make it happen!

White Hill Student Poets to Peform in San Francisco! Thanks to YES for Bringing Poetry to White Hill

Eighth graders Jack Root, Maya Krause, Elena Laughlin, Hannah Levenson and Blake Nelson were selected out of 150 Marin students to read their poetry on stage Saturday, October 26 from 1 - 3 p.m. in the Koret Auditorium at the San Francisco Main Public Library at 100 Larkin Street. The event, We Are All Poets, was co-organized by poetry teacher Virginia Barrett and unites middle and high school students with government officials through poetry that envisions a shared future of greater social justice. YES-funded poetry is currently being taught to all White Hill students by poets Matt Davis, Elizabeth Miller and Virginia Barret. Read more about the We Are All Poets event.

Lunch Menus for November and December Now Online - Send In Your Favorite Family Recipes 

Lunch menus for November and December are now here. Moms and Dads, give yourself a break for these busy holiday months and let Choicelunch feed your kids for you!

This recipe for Rockin’ Whole Grain Pasta with Chick Peas is not only good, it's good for you. I would like to invite White Hill families to send me a favorite family recipe to share with our RVSD community. I often find myself yearning for a new adventure when it comes to cooking! You can send them to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or drop off to your school office and I will include them in a future newsletter.

Thank you! Lisa Sabia, Food Service Coodinator

And Now a Word from Our Lunch Vendor- Interesting Facts About Pineapple

Here at Choicelunch, we receive a lot of customer feedback each and every day, and if you've ever had the inclination to reach out, you know firsthand how appreciative we are of you and your thoughts. You know why? Because it honestly helps make our jobs a little easier. To put it simply, we want to give you what makes you happy, so whether that means adding the Chicken Caesar Salad to the menu more often (done!), less sauce in our Cheese Pizza Pockets (check!), or an abundance of pineapple in the produce bin at your school - we thrive off of making that all happen for you.









Pineapple specifically has been a topic of conversation lately, as your (and our) children just can't seem to get enough of it! And why should they? As far as we're concerned it's a sweet treat that just so happens to be full of manganese and Vitamin C. What you may not know though is how beneficial it can be to that beef brisket sitting in your fridge.



Pineapple just so conveniently contains a protein-digesting enzyme by the name of bromelain. Bromelain is one of two enzymes found in various fruits that serve as natural tenderizers. These enzymes work to break down proteins, which allows you to save a buck or two at the butcher counter, while still allowing your family the gift of a warm tender Tuesday night meal. Be aware though that when heat is applied, this enzyme is destroyed, so be sure to marinate prior to popping into the oven. In the end, not only will you have a flavorful tender final product, but a sweet side dish that we know your kids are "pining" for! ;)

WH Fun Run Committee Members Needed!

Interested in serving on a committee that will help our parent club oversee our 2nd Annual Fun Run? We need you!  Please contact David at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you can lend a hand. Thanks!

Emergency Preparation Volunteers STILL Needed!

We are looking for 2 or 3 parents to help us inventory the red emergency prep bags that are kept in each classroom. The time for the task is probably a few hours on one day. The volunteers will first be trained on how to do the work. We are looking to have this happen in the next few weeks. If you are interested in helping us get these important bags restocked, please contact Maureen Moulton in the main office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

WH Full Color Yearbooks for Sale!

Order your yearbook online at josstensyearbooks.com?REF=A00597768.
 
Financial assistance is available for families in need. Forms for check purchases and financial assistance information are available. Forms are also available in the main office.  All yearbooks must be ordered on or before Dec. 20, 2013.  Sorry, yearbooks are not available after Winter Break.  Please order your copy today!

If you have questions contact Yearbook teacher- Emma Beauchamp at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

YES Foundation News - Looking for Volunteers

The YES Foundation is looking for some enthusiastic volunteers to help with critical fundraisers and events this year.



Parent-Hosted Parties: YES needs party people who can help other parents create ideas for and host YES Parent-Hosted Parties. Ideally, you'd work with a team, one person from each site, who can put out the word to parents at the school about hosting a party that raises money for YES then help them get it scheduled (YES staff supports the effort and we have a ton of very fun, creative party ideas!).



Gala Live Auction Chair: Do you like the challenge of helping to put together the best Live Auction packages you can find then watching them raise a ton of money for YES? YES needs someone to help their fantastic Gala Chairs create Live Auction packages that are auctioned at the event May 3 - it's a very fun committee and a rewarding effort. And, we've already got three fantastic Live Auction items to start.



Campus Assemblies Coordinators: Can you attend assemblies at the school and take some pictures or send a short description to YES for the website and Facebook? 

If you're interested in any of these positions, contact Julie Quater at 415-455-9209 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Site Council Meeting Minutes - Tuesday October 29th /  Next Meeting - Tuesday November 12th 

Mintues from our most recent meeting are available on our Site Council page. Also, please join us for our next meeting coming Tuesday, November 12th. All meetings are held at the WHMS Library from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. For all our 2013-14 meeting dates see the Site Council page.

White Hill Sports News -- WH Athletics Sponsored by the YES Foundation! Go YES!

Basketball Season has started! We still need basketball coaches for the 6th grade boys’ team and the 8th grade girls’ team!! Please contact Amy Forrest (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you would like to coach or can help us find someone who is interested.

“Two-Season” Schedule

This year we will have two “seasons” so that all students will have the opportunity to play regardless of experience or ability. Students that want to participate in White Hill Basketball will need to bring a completed and signed sports paricipation permisison form. The first 3-week season, starting in early November, will be an instructional-intramural league to learn skills and positions, play round robins and play with different groupings. Practices will be held at grade level twice a week. At the end of November, the coaches will have an assessment for those interested and select a smaller travel team of about 10 to 12 players that will continue practicing through early March and travel to weekly games.

Using this “two-season” approach, we are offering the opportunity for all students to play and creating a travel team with a manageable size to provide a better experience for both players and coaches. Note that players must participate in November (intramural season) to be considered for the travel team. Travel team players must be able to commit to both the practice and game day to be on the team. We do not have the travel team game schedule at this time and practices may need to shift at that when the travel team season begins.

Practice Schedule Beginning Week of November 4th, 2013  All practices will be held at the White Hill Gym                                     

Sixth-Grade Girls  Wednesdays 4-5:30 p.m. and Fridays, 5:30-7 p.m.
Sixth-Grade Boys   Mondays 3:15-4:30 p.m. and Wednesdays 2:15-3:45 p.m.
Seventh-Grade Girls  Mondays 6-7:30 p.m. and Thursdays 3:15-4:45 p.m.
(NOTE: 7TH-GRADE GIRLS’ PRACTICE ON THURSDAY, NOV 7 IS 2:15-3:45 p.m.)
Seventh-Grade Boys  Tuesdays and Thursdays 6-7:30 p.m.
Eighth-Grade Girls  Tuesdays, 3:15-4:30 p.m., Thursdays, 4:45-6 p.m.               
(NOTE: 8TH-GRADE GIRLS’ TUESDAY, NOV. 5 PRACTICE IS 4-5:30 p.m.)
Eighth-Grade Boys    Mondays, 4:30-6 p.m., Wednesdays, 6-7:30 p.m.  
                
Questions or comments, please contact Amy Forrest, White Hill YES Activities Coordinator: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 485-9255

Community News for This Week

This week's community news is available here.

Have a terrific weekend and thank you for helping your son/daughter get off to a fast start with the 2nd quarter!  We are one week in and it really helps to build momentum from the get-go.
 
Go Wildcats!
 
David

• Prev
• Next