Dear White Hill Families,
 
Week 5 is in the books!  We hope your kids are into their books! Sorry – short on material this week. Please keep your eyes peeled for grade books that are being mailed out today/Monday from each of your child’s teachers. We have reached the midway point of Quarter 1 and are sending out reports regarding how things are going to date.

Staff Appreciation Recap

Holy smokes was that an amazing Staff Appreciation Day yesterday! Thanks to all of you who were able to donate items for the Harvest Festival. We are all so grateful to work in such an amazing community.
 

Independent Study Requirements

Please make sure that you give White Hill 5 business days or more notice for any independent study trips that you set up with your family.  Independent studies can be set up for any child missing a minimum of 5 consecutive school days but we must have at least 5 days notice to prepare the study packets.  Contact Vicki Bornstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. arrange for an independent study trip or with any questions.

Being Neighborly

Please, please, please do not park in our neighbor’s reserved spots along Glen Drive or use their driveways as temporary waiting zones.  Also, please avoid double parking in front of our school as it creates chaos in front of the school with buses, etc.  Our neighbors have immense patience but when they come home and can’t park in their spots it’s especially frustrating and does not shine a positive light on our parents or our school.  Thank you for your consideration.

Snack and Lunch Drop off in the Office

If you must drop off a snack or lunch in the office for your child during school hours please try to let him/her know that morning that you will be dropping it off and ask him/her to look in the office for it later that day. We are getting tons of requests in the office to get kids their snacks and lunches after school has begun and soon we will need to hire a snack-lunch delivery person! Thanks for thinking ahead!

Aeries?  Edmodo?  What is for What?

Aeries is for checking if a student has turned in his/her assignments and staying up to speed in each class.  You can also get a child’s current grade by checking Aeries (disclaimer:  it takes time to grade assignments – not every grade is real time but teachers update grades as quickly as is possible).  Edmodo is for checking a student’s assignments/homework and communicating with other kids (or the teacher in some cases) re: what is due, when, etc.  Two very helpful services with different purposes!

Aeries Student/Parent Portal Log-In Information

Have you logged into Aeries yet?  Has your child?  Please go to this link to get on and get in the game!  
https://parent.marinschools.org/rossvalley/LoginParent.aspx?page=default.aspx
If the portal does not seem to be working for you, please email me here with a explanation of exactly what the problem is and I will make sure our IT department addresses it immediately.  Every family should be viewing the Portal by now if at all possible.
 

Edmodo for Parents!  Need Some Tips?

Please go to this link for a TechTip from our very own White Hill technology teacher, Kaki McLachlan - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H06GhhjXshA&feature=youtu.be

Homework – How is it Going?

We care a lot about how homework is going at home and we are especially concerned when a child is overwhelmed by homework.  If this is the case for your child, please contact the relevant teacher immediately and ask to talk by phone or in person so we can help determine next best steps.  Kids should not be spending more than 1 – 1.5 hours a night on homework M-TH.  No homework on F-Sa-Su unless it is for a project over time.  Please let us know if homework is a problem for your child/family – we want to help!

White Hill Disaster Preparedness Parent Representative

White Hill is looking for a parent to represent our school at County quarterly disaster preparedness meetings.  Please contact Ms. Hoyt at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you can help!

YES Fundraiser!

Join the 3rd Annual Co-Ed Mountain Bike Ride and After Party for YES on Sat. Sept. 28 hosted by White Hill parent, Michael Lipson.  Enjoy any of 2-3 group local trail rides, an afternoon BBQ and a live house blues band (attendees invited to join the jam), and renown bike schwag lottery. Click here to make your reservation now.

Full Color White Hill Yearbooks For Sale Now! - White Hill Yearbooks Are On Sale For $36.50 -  Get your yearbook today by ordering online!

Order your yearbook online at  http://jostensyearbooks.com?REF=A00597768.
 
Financial assistance is available for families in need. Forms for check purchases and financial assistance information are available. 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..

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!

6th Grade BBQ and Bingo Night – Get Those Forms In!

RSVP today!  Send your form in with your child or email a scanned form back to me. Deadline is Monday!  Thank you!

School Picture Proofs

School picture proofs are here and they will be distributed to students on Monday.  Pictures can be ordered online -just follow the instructions on the proofs envelope.  If you prefer to write a check you can fill out the information on the envelope and return it to the school office no later than Wednesday, Sept. 25th. You can also elect to have your student take a re-take. The envelope states that  the deadline for electing a re-shoot is Monday, Sept. 23rd. That deadline has been extended to Wednesday, Sept. 25th. If you would like your student to take a re-take please check the appropriate box and return the entire proof page to the office by Wednesday, Sept 25th.

Art Room Needs

Cleaning out your sock drawer this weekend?  Please collect your gently used children’s colorful socks (or yours) and send them to the art teachers!  We are looking for stripy, patterned, and colorful knee socks. We do not need any boring old plain black or white socks, or any sports socks-thanks anyway.  We will take them all year, so please file this bizarre request away for later if you don't have any that are outgrown right now.

Socks can be dropped at the office or left in front of Room 302. Thank you! Questions? Emil This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

White Hill School Site Council Meeting Recap

Our official minutes will follow but we had a very productive meeting last Tuesday.  Please consider joining us for our meetings if you are able.  We will meet this year from 3:45-5:15 in the White Hill Library on the following dates.  Upcoming topics will include awards assemblies, dress code update, student surveys and much more! For more information on dates and to read minutes go to our Site Council page.

White Hill Sports and Activities are all sponsored by the YES Foundation! Go YES!

Your generous contributions to the YES Foundation support all of our awesome activities and sports at White Hill!
 
Go Wildcats!! White Hill Girls Volleyball Is Here! - We have some fantastic parents and Drake High School students who have stepped up to coach our 2013 volleyball season!  Our volleyball clinics are still open to all girls to learn skills and positions and play round robins.  At the end of September, the coaches will hold assessments for those interested and select a smaller travel team of about 10 to 12 girls per grade that will continue practicing through early November and travel to weekly games against other Marin County schools. If your daughter is interested in playing volleyball for White Hill, please fill out the attached permission slip and have her bring it on the first day of practice. Please remember that permission slips are MANDATORY to play sports at White Hill.

New Schedule Information Our White Hill travel volleyball teams will start games the week of September 30th: 6th grade games will be on Mondays, 7th grade on Tuesdays, and 8th grade on Wednesdays. All games will be held at Davidson Middle School in San Rafael; game times will be at 3:45 pm.
 
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.
 
Fall Volleyball Practice Schedule
 
Monday        
4-5:30        6th grade                                          
6-7:30        7th grade       
 
Tuesday        
3:15-5        8th grade       
 
Wednesday  
2:30-4        8th grade       
4-5:30        6th grade       
 
Thursday       
6-7:30       7th grade       

Most White Hill Clubs have started!! If your child would like to join a club, please have them show up and see if they like it!!

Here are the clubs offered to students for this Fall.
 
Lunchtime Clubs
 
Art with Miss Emma
Mondays at 6th Grade Lunch, starting on October 21, Room 302
(10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/12 [Tues that week], 11/18, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16)
6th graders, this club is just for you! Gather with your old friends and new in Ms. Emma's art room. We will draw for fun andmake some art that you can use for gifts.  Club time is your time so if you want a place and space to tap into your creative side-this is it! Materials will be provided. For those that like to follow a project we will be creating pinwheels, greeting cards, pop-ups, bookmarks, and doing rubber stamping, and spirograph.
 
Cartooning and Comics Club with Stephen Ezell from Golden Gate Tutoring
Fridays at 6th Lunch, Room 107 and 7th/8th Grade Lunch, Bungalow 12
This club will be a fun time for students to learn about Comic Book history, writing, art, and much more. Sixth grade students will have the opportunity to place an order for Larry Marder's Beanworld. Seventh and eighth grade students will have an opportunity to orderAsterix the Gaul, which is the first volume of the widely popular French comic Asterix by Goscinny and Uderzo. These are all age comics that will enthrall all readers. We will analyze and discuss these books during the latter weeks of the club. Each book is $20 for the collected edition. Students will design their own character and give him traits and will have the opportunity to present their creation to the rest of the club. This club is centered around Comic Books, but will also be a nice gateway to creative endeavors for students to do together. The goal is to have the club members create and learn while having a lot of fun!
 
New!  Flying Pigs Club
Tuesdays at 6th Grade Lunch, Room 101
Ever seen a stuffed pig fly? Join Ms. Marrero and 6th graders to build catapults to make stuffed pigs fly, create tools to track their flights, advertise your findings and have lots of fun!!
 
Geography Club with Mr. Krause
Fridays at 7th/8th Grade Lunch, Room 303
Do you know where Mongolia and Marrakesh are? Curious about how many mountain ranges we have in North America? Join other students to learn about different parts of the world and prepare for the White Hill Geography Bee! There will be theme days to celebrate different countries, and some quizzes and competitions.
 
New!  Knitting Club with Ms. Ruzzier
Tuesdays at 7th/8th grade Lunch, Room 301
Learn how to knit or sharpen your skills with Ms. Ruzzier!
 
Myth Club with Ms. Politzer                                               
Mondays at 6th and 7th/8th Grade Lunches, Room 97
If you love Mythology, Holidays and Urban Legends, if you suspect that one of your relatives may be a werewolf, or if you are a regular kid with an inquiring mind, MYTH CLUB is the club for you!  Club Mentor Ann Politzer returns to lead this fun club.
 
Mathletes with Mr. Pommier
Tuesdays at 7th/8th grade lunch in Room 4, plus 4 Tuesdays after school for competition
Mathletes is a great activity designed to challenge students at all levels to USE their math skills to solve interesting and unusual problems.  The topics we cover are very different from topics you are learning in Math 7A, Math 8A, or Geometry.  We focus on unusual topics, which include changing bases, geometry, probability, word problems and math riddles.  Join Mathletes’ mentor, Juan Pommier, and exercise your brain with critical thinking and problem-solving while having fun as we compete against teams from other schools throughout the county.  Go Wildcats!
 
Minecraft with Mr. Pommier
Thursdays at 7th/8th grade Lunches in Room 4
Join Mr. Pommier and explore the online world of Minecraft!
 
Ping Pong Club with Ms. Vidal or Ms. Krick
Thursdays at 6th and 7th/8th Grade Lunch near Room 100
Do you like to play ping pong? Join Ms. Vidal, Ms. Krick and some friends and play some ping pong each Thursday at lunch.
 
New!  Sewing Club with Miss Emma
Wednesdays at 7th/8th Grade Lunch, starting on October 23, Room 302, (10/23, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18)
Join Miss Emma and your friends and learn how to sew or work on your budding skills!!
 
New!  Volunteer Club with Ms. Hickman
Fridays at 6th grade Lunch in Room 105
Come find out what this club is all about!
 
Strategic Games with Mr. Dines                 
Tuesdays at 7th/8th Grade Lunch, and Fridays at 6th Grade Lunch, Bungalow 7
The Strategic Games Club is a safe and relaxing place for students to make friends and interact in an environment where they have common interests with their peers.  The room is stocked with card games to board games and we encourage students to bring in their own as well.  Over a dozen students take part in the Strategic Games Club every week and get to eat lunch and hang out in a positive social environment.
 

After School Clubs
 
Advanced Mountain Biking Club with Coach Desmond
Thursdays after school, starting in October
Join Coach Kirk Desmond and have fun exploring the back trails in Marin.  Coach Kirk will lead mountain bikers with advanced experience, weather permitting.  Days may change and there may be some opportunities for weekend rides.  Bike handling skills and safety will be discussed.  Parents are welcome and encouraged to ride along.  Contact Kirk to volunteer or if you have questions:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
New!! Guitar Club with Joe Marquez from the Marin Community Music School
Wednesdays after school, in Room 97
Join guitar teacher and Manor School parent Joe Marquez and play guitar! Beginning and intermediate levels welcome.
 
Hiking Club with Ms. Bodle and Ms. Krick         
Some Thursdays after school (Sept 19, Oct 10, Oct 17, Nov 14, Nov 21), 3:30-4:30pm
& one weekend hike (2-3 hours), date to be determined
Join Club Leaders, Natasha Krick and Liz Bodle, and enjoy hiking in the beautiful Open Space near White Hill.  All levels of experience welcome.
 
New!  Photography Club with Reid Thaler
Wednesdays after school, classroom to be determined
Local, professional photographer Reid Thaler offers students a photography course that teaches a variety of skills, ranging from learning to use an adjustable camera, optimizing images using image editing software, and taking photowalks, along with other exercises. For more information on Mr. Thaler, please go to: lumiograph.com.
 
New!  Boys’ Volleyball with Ms. Pelton
Thursdays after school, 3:15-4:30, White Hill Gym
Join your White Hill friends and play some volleyball! We will have practices and games at White Hill, and scrimmage with other Marin County boys’ volleyball teams.

Important!  Messages for Kids Should be for Emergencies Only

Please refrain from calling in messages to kids during the school day that pertain to play dates, who is going on what bus, change in soccer practice times, etc. unless it is absolutely essential that your child has this information and you were not able to get it to them before they left for school.  We could hire a full time person to simply run messages around campus all day and we’d still not get to everyone!  Please do your very best to give your kids the information they need for the day before they go to school.  We completely understand that things come up and we are happy to help but it should be a last resort.   Thank you for your understanding.

TLC Homework Club at White Hill

Directors:  Bonnie and Mike Zaleski
Homework Help and Foundation Review, Improve Study Skills and Organizational Skills, Prioritize Workload, Learn How to Keep up with your Planner, Supervised Tutoring Instruction
 
Tutors:       Excellent, Responsible, Knowledgeable, Accessible
 
Hours:        1.5 hrs after school Mon-Th
                   Mon/Tu/Th’s:       3:15-4:45pm
                   Wed’s:                 2:15-3:45pm    
                   
Where:       White Hill Room 103
 
Fee:            $30 per hour (1 time per week minimum participation)
 
Register:   Contact TLC Tutoring directly at 415-453-1852 or email us at:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or visit our website:  www.tlctutoring.org

Upcoming YES Fundraiser

Community News

See RVSD Community News for important info from around our towns.

That will do it for this week.  Bucky rebounds after experiencing some interesting (to say the least) PAC-12 officiating in Week 3.  Wisconsin 45  Purdue 13.
 
Go Wildcats!

David