Rachel McMullin, one of Matan's (5th grade) moms, wanted to pass along this information she received from momsrising.org It is a heads up about some Halloween candy that could be bad for kids and that email is copied below:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to consume White Rabbit Creamy Candy or Koala's March Crème filled Cookies because they may contain melamine. And, the Canadian government is warning the public not to consume Sherwood Brands Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate Coins, which may also have reached the U.S.
What's wrong with these candies? You've likely heard about the dangerous chemical, melamine, which was recently found in the Chinese milk supply and sickened thousands of children in China. We've now seen reports that melamine tainted milk has been used in some Chinese candy products that have been shipped to the United States.
The good news is that Chinese candy makes up only 0.7% of the candy sold in the U.S. and the risk of serious harm from minor exposure to melamine is considered low by the World Health Organization. That said, we wanted to send this out to you because we don't want our kids eating candy with any toxic ingredients.
*Please forward this email to friends, family, and your school email list so all can be on the lookout for this tainted candy on Halloween. (And, if you're not already a member of MomsRising, please sign on now so we can keep you informed: http://www.momsrising.org/fighttoxins)
MomsRising has created a page where you can easily share this information with friends, as well as see pictures of the tainted candies, get more information, and download a flyer that you can post on your school or other community bulletin boards.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Let's Cross the Finish Line Strong
Dear Archway Families,
A highlight of fall at Archway is the annual walkathon—an event as colorful and exciting as our community itself—and this year's event was no exception. 85% of our students participated; and along with a number of costumed dogs, siblings, teachers, and supporters, we enthusiastically came together to raise money for our school's visual and performing arts programs. On top of that, the walkathon (as many of you are aware firsthand) is produced entirely because of the efforts and countless volunteer hours of its planners, all of whom are parents, and all of whom are invested in its success. Once again, the Archway community has stepped up (literally) to put feet where mouths are in a meaningful and gratifying demonstration of community support.
In a time of economic queasiness, it takes a little more courage than usual to ask friends and grandparents and colleagues for their pledges. With that in mind, the good news and the not-so-good news are the same. The goodnews is that walkathon pledges, based on preliminary calculations, total around $14,500. The not-so-good news is that pledges, based on preliminary calculations, total around $14,500.
Why? Even taking into account the pledge amounts not yet turned in, we are not on target to reach our goal of $20,000, and what's more, our enthusiastic participation belies the fact that the average per-student contribution appears thus far to be at an all-time low. Regardless of the reasons, we urge you to think about the following:
25% of the pledge sheets submitted at the Walk-a-thon were blank.
40% of the pledges we are expecting, based on the pledge sheets submitted at the Walk-a-thon, have not been turned in.
$60 per family is the average cost to host this event including incentive prizes.
If you did not sign up any pledges or if you have not collected all of your pledge money please consider a donation as a way to show support for your child's efforts and to cover the costs of the walk-a-thon -- the food, prizes, and all the fun activities throughout the day. There is no minimum contribution requirement, and any amount helps.
Without question we all feel in some way the effects of the current economy. Perhaps some of us feel uncomfortable about being asked to support the Annual Fund while also trying to raise Walk-a-Thon pledges. You may feel you have done what you can do, and we want you to feel no less appreciated.
Our Walk-a-thon chairs have said that they need ALL PLEDGE MONEY BY THIS WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29 IN ORDER FOR PARTICIPANTS TO BE ELIGIABLE FOR INCENTIVE PRIZES. Please help your children meet this final deadline and turn pledges in to Angela or Kym in front office of either campus. You may choose to write a single check to cover the whole pledged amount and then collect individual pledges at your leisure. Make checks payable to Archway School, with your child's name on the memo line, and please, no cash.
We appreciate all of your contributions and hard work. Thank you, once again, for illustrating the heart of our community so brilliantly.
Sincerely,
Bridget Rivezzo
Development Director
A highlight of fall at Archway is the annual walkathon—an event as colorful and exciting as our community itself—and this year's event was no exception. 85% of our students participated; and along with a number of costumed dogs, siblings, teachers, and supporters, we enthusiastically came together to raise money for our school's visual and performing arts programs. On top of that, the walkathon (as many of you are aware firsthand) is produced entirely because of the efforts and countless volunteer hours of its planners, all of whom are parents, and all of whom are invested in its success. Once again, the Archway community has stepped up (literally) to put feet where mouths are in a meaningful and gratifying demonstration of community support.
In a time of economic queasiness, it takes a little more courage than usual to ask friends and grandparents and colleagues for their pledges. With that in mind, the good news and the not-so-good news are the same. The goodnews is that walkathon pledges, based on preliminary calculations, total around $14,500. The not-so-good news is that pledges, based on preliminary calculations, total around $14,500.
Why? Even taking into account the pledge amounts not yet turned in, we are not on target to reach our goal of $20,000, and what's more, our enthusiastic participation belies the fact that the average per-student contribution appears thus far to be at an all-time low. Regardless of the reasons, we urge you to think about the following:
25% of the pledge sheets submitted at the Walk-a-thon were blank.
40% of the pledges we are expecting, based on the pledge sheets submitted at the Walk-a-thon, have not been turned in.
$60 per family is the average cost to host this event including incentive prizes.
If you did not sign up any pledges or if you have not collected all of your pledge money please consider a donation as a way to show support for your child's efforts and to cover the costs of the walk-a-thon -- the food, prizes, and all the fun activities throughout the day. There is no minimum contribution requirement, and any amount helps.
Without question we all feel in some way the effects of the current economy. Perhaps some of us feel uncomfortable about being asked to support the Annual Fund while also trying to raise Walk-a-Thon pledges. You may feel you have done what you can do, and we want you to feel no less appreciated.
Our Walk-a-thon chairs have said that they need ALL PLEDGE MONEY BY THIS WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29 IN ORDER FOR PARTICIPANTS TO BE ELIGIABLE FOR INCENTIVE PRIZES. Please help your children meet this final deadline and turn pledges in to Angela or Kym in front office of either campus. You may choose to write a single check to cover the whole pledged amount and then collect individual pledges at your leisure. Make checks payable to Archway School, with your child's name on the memo line, and please, no cash.
We appreciate all of your contributions and hard work. Thank you, once again, for illustrating the heart of our community so brilliantly.
Sincerely,
Bridget Rivezzo
Development Director
Monday, October 27, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Learn more about Natural Playgrounds from the Experts
Tonya has made an appointment with Sharon Danks, the environmental planner for Bay Tree Design. http://www.baytreedesign.com/. Ms Danks wrote the Green Schoolyard Resource Directory and is a trustee on the SF Green Schoolyard Alliance. Ms. Danks, Tonya and another planner who specializes in natural landscaping will be getting together Monday morning prior to the next task force meeting. The goal is to get some direction and a realistic idea of what can be done.
Also, thank you to David Early, father of Julian Early, in 7th Grade. He is loaning one of his associates, Melissa Erikson, on a pro bono basis to our cause. She has agreed to attend the Task Force Meeting on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008, 6:00PM, Oakland Campus. His company, Design, Community & Environment (DC&E), based in Berkeley, includes landscape architects and experts in green building and design. They have expertise in alternative play areas and sustainabe design.
You can visit that website at http://www.dceplanning.com/ .
Also, thank you to David Early, father of Julian Early, in 7th Grade. He is loaning one of his associates, Melissa Erikson, on a pro bono basis to our cause. She has agreed to attend the Task Force Meeting on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008, 6:00PM, Oakland Campus. His company, Design, Community & Environment (DC&E), based in Berkeley, includes landscape architects and experts in green building and design. They have expertise in alternative play areas and sustainabe design.
You can visit that website at http://www.dceplanning.com/ .
Playing Naturally
Dear Archway Community,
We are creating a Green Task Force to investigate natural alternatives to the existing synthetic turf on the lower campus play yard. The current turf (now covered with plastic and plywood) contains lead and needs to be replaced. Although the temporary cover alleviates any possible risk of exposing children to lead, the school has plans to replace it with a “lead-free” alternative over the November break. However, in an effort to provide the children with the greatest opportunities for growth and development as well as a desire to be environmentally responsible, this Green Task Force is exploring the innovations occurring in schoolyard design in the hopes of finding a natural alternative.
The philosophy behind going natural is that it not only connects children with the natural world (a real concern in an urban environment), but it also improves their performance in the classroom as well as their motor development, flexibility, and balance. The greener the spaces children have to play in, the better their attention in the classroom after play.
We have just begun to access the many resources available to facilitate the development of these kinds of natural spaces. For example, the San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance provides a Green Resource Directory with information about design, gardening, energy conservation, building materials, educational opportunities, and a directory of schools in the bay area with green schoolyards. After just a brief look we saw some beautiful and amazing spaces created for children by using indigenous vegetation, wood, boulders, sand, soil, rocks, and water. There are play yards with shrub mazes, wood tunnels, sitting rocks, climbing walls, and living willow arbors, tunnels, and domes.
Although these may feel like big ideas for a small space, wouldn’t it be nice to create something exceptional for our children? These areas could be pieces to a larger design or plan, starting small and building out. Considering there are some exciting choices as well as resources out there, it seems a shame not to at least consider them.
For all those interested, we have scheduled a meeting on Tuesday, October 28, 6:00 pm at the Oakland campus. If you plan on attending the meeting or even if you can’t attend but want to participate please contact Jackie Lemoine (jklemoine@alamedanet.net) or Tonya Hersch (tonyahersch1@earthlink.net). Those of you who have any knowledge or experience with landscaping, horticulture, ecological design, or environmental sustainability we urge you to help or possibly nudge us in a viable direction.
Here are a few links you might want to visit.
http://www2.ku.edu/~sustain/Documents/Student_Projects/Playgrounds_Support.pdf
http://www.sfgreenschools.org/resources.html
http://www.planetearthplayscapes.com/home.html
http://www.naturalplaygrounds.com/
http://www.edutopia.org/sustainable-schoolyard-design
Sincerely,
Tonya Hersch
Jackie Lemoine
We are creating a Green Task Force to investigate natural alternatives to the existing synthetic turf on the lower campus play yard. The current turf (now covered with plastic and plywood) contains lead and needs to be replaced. Although the temporary cover alleviates any possible risk of exposing children to lead, the school has plans to replace it with a “lead-free” alternative over the November break. However, in an effort to provide the children with the greatest opportunities for growth and development as well as a desire to be environmentally responsible, this Green Task Force is exploring the innovations occurring in schoolyard design in the hopes of finding a natural alternative.
The philosophy behind going natural is that it not only connects children with the natural world (a real concern in an urban environment), but it also improves their performance in the classroom as well as their motor development, flexibility, and balance. The greener the spaces children have to play in, the better their attention in the classroom after play.
We have just begun to access the many resources available to facilitate the development of these kinds of natural spaces. For example, the San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance provides a Green Resource Directory with information about design, gardening, energy conservation, building materials, educational opportunities, and a directory of schools in the bay area with green schoolyards. After just a brief look we saw some beautiful and amazing spaces created for children by using indigenous vegetation, wood, boulders, sand, soil, rocks, and water. There are play yards with shrub mazes, wood tunnels, sitting rocks, climbing walls, and living willow arbors, tunnels, and domes.
Although these may feel like big ideas for a small space, wouldn’t it be nice to create something exceptional for our children? These areas could be pieces to a larger design or plan, starting small and building out. Considering there are some exciting choices as well as resources out there, it seems a shame not to at least consider them.
For all those interested, we have scheduled a meeting on Tuesday, October 28, 6:00 pm at the Oakland campus. If you plan on attending the meeting or even if you can’t attend but want to participate please contact Jackie Lemoine (jklemoine@alamedanet.net) or Tonya Hersch (tonyahersch1@earthlink.net). Those of you who have any knowledge or experience with landscaping, horticulture, ecological design, or environmental sustainability we urge you to help or possibly nudge us in a viable direction.
Here are a few links you might want to visit.
http://www2.ku.edu/~sustain/Documents/Student_Projects/Playgrounds_Support.pdf
http://www.sfgreenschools.org/resources.html
http://www.planetearthplayscapes.com/home.html
http://www.naturalplaygrounds.com/
http://www.edutopia.org/sustainable-schoolyard-design
Sincerely,
Tonya Hersch
Jackie Lemoine
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