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August 30, 2010

In this issue:

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Dear Stonewall Friends and Families, 

 

I hope you all had a great first week of school! It was wonderful to see old friends and to meet new families. 

 

Many thanks to our social chairs, Dana Altman, Sherrie Horstman, and Debbie Wilson, for putting together our New Parents Coffee on Monday.  It was a nice welcome for families new to Stonewall.

 

On Friday, Rachel Buxkamper hosted an informative volunteer meeting for kindergarten parents.  We had a great turnout! The volunteer meeting for grades 1st - 5th will be this week.

 

We are off to a great start!

 

Elizabeth Greenwood

PTA President

Stonewall Jackson Elementary

 

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Stonewall has a great opportunity to introduce our garden program and school to the national media.  On Monday 9/13, the Garden Writers' Association (a national trade group of garden journalists for publications like the New York Times, Living Magazine, Fine Gardening, etc.) will tour gardens in Dallas as part of their annual conference.  The Stonewall Garden will be on that tour, welcoming hundreds of Association members throughout the morning.  We hope their short visit to the garden that day will interest them in our program so that they return to write articles about it. This is a great opportunity to showcase the garden, which in turn will help us in raising funds to keep the program thriving.

 

Volunteers will be working to show the garden, answer questions, and just help shepard the writers through.  If you can help or have questions, please contact Kate Cromwell (katecromwell@yahoo.com) or Kim Johnson (kimfrostj@sbcglobal.net).

 

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Thursday, September 2

7:00 pm

Snuffer's (on Greenville)

 

Come join other Stonewall dads as we kick off the year. We will discuss Carnival and hold elections. All Dads are welcome, come whenever you can!

 

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There will be an informational meeting for all parents with children in grades 1-5 on Friday morning, September 3, right after drop-off. Please join us in the cafeteria to find out how you can get involved in your child's class this year. 

 

You'll learn about:

...and much more!

 

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Dear Parents:

 

Welcome back! I hope you had a great summer and a smooth first week of school. I can't believe another school year has started. It's only August but the schedule is already filling up. As chair of the Site-Based Decision Making (SBDM) committee I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a little about what we do.

 

SBDM is a state-mandated, campus-focused advisory group that is responsible for evaluating and addressing various "school-business" issues. We help our Principal, Mrs. Henderson, focus on improving the educational experience for our students by focusing on six key areas: planning, budgeting, curriculum, staff development, facilities and safety. We also engage in outreach and advocacy on behalf of Stonewall with Dallas ISD as well as maintain a strong connection with the middle school, J.L. Long.

 

Our group is comprised of parents, community members, teachers, and administrators. We meet the first Thursday of every month and our meetings last about an hour.

 

This year we plan to continue working with Dallas ISD on the repairs going on at the school as well as continue to press our campus improvement needs, maintain connectivity with middle school J.L. Long, and address any issues or concerns that you might have.  

 

Please join us at one of our meetings to see first hand what we do.

 

Thanks for your time and I look forward to a great year.

 

Sincerely,

 

Alex Rapp

Chair SBDM

alexrapptx@gmail.com 

(214) 578-7295

 

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ALL volunteers MUST be registered with DISD. 

 

Registration is completed online through the DISD website at www.dallasisd.org/partners/. Upon completing the registration, print out a copy of the final page. Leave a copy in the counselors box in the front office.

 

ALL volunteers MUST sign in at the front office. Log into the computer to receive your volunteer sticker. Don't forgot to log out when you leave the school.

 

Thank you for volunteering!

 

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If you have any great photos or stories to share about your Stonewall class or student/s from the first day of school, your sports team, any accomplishments, or an event or special experience, please send them to Helene Honeybone, PTA Publicity Chair, at hembone5790@sbcglobal.net. 

 

We are working on articles for the Spotlight, the PTA website, and also send updates about our school to the Dallas media on a continuous basis. We would love your help!

 

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Support Stonewall Jackson - Join the PTA! 

 

PTA Envelopes will be coming home in your Wednesday envelopes this week.

 

Membership is $7. 

 

With each membership you receive a student directory.

 

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The Afterschool Karate program kicks-off this Wednesday, September 1st. New students will be accepted into the program for the 1st hour. Pick up a flier outside the front office for more information.

 

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The YMCA is holding informational meetings for new Adventure Guides and Adventure Princesses. This year the YMCA is offering the program to PreK 4 year olds. Please see the attached YMCA flier for details, or contact Brandi Thomas at 214-328-3849 or bthomas@ymcadallas.org.

 

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14 Annual Long Run!

J.L. Long Middle School

October 7, 2010

 

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9/2         Dad's Club Meeting

9/3         Volunteer Meeting-Grades 1-5

9/6         Labor Day (school holiday)

9/16        SBDM Meeting

9/16        Join Scouting Night (7:00)

9/23        Meet the Teacher/Hot Dog Night

9/27        Staff Development (Student Holiday)

10/1        Fair Day (Elementary Student Holiday)

10/7        JL Long Run

10/12      PTA Board Meeting

10/14      Parent/Teacher Conferences

10/16      2010 Fall Carnival

10/22      Early Release (12:30)

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