Follow Us: 
Everyone is invited to our Open House on Sunday from 1-4 PM, where there will be lots of fun activities for the whole family (see Mr. Lehmunn’s message for more information). One of the activities we’ll be offering will be guided hikes in the Conservation Area, every half hour during the Open House. If you plan to go on one of these hikes, please be sure to dress appropriately with long pants, closed-toed shoes, sunscreen, and a hat.
The ECDS School Calendar has been updated to include all of the upcoming events that are currently scheduled from February through June, so you can click on the blue link to download and print it for your reference.The calendar is also located on our website under the “ECDS Calendar” link at the bottom of the page, or on our Edline home page.
I want to encourage everyone to come to this Sunday’s Open House from 1-4 PM, and bring along a friend. I know that you have all received a flyer in your boxes describing all the events that will be going on that afternoon, and it is a great chance to have your child show off their classroom to you and chat with your current teacher. In addition, this is a great opportunity to go to your child’s next year’s grade teachers and talk to them face to face. At this time of year, a lot of chatter is going on about this teacher or that, or rumors about what is or isn’t taught at different grade levels, but nothing takes the place of going to the teachers and looking them in the eye and getting information about next year first-hand.
March 4 is rapidly approaching, which is the beginning of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation team visit. WASC is the highest level of accreditation a school can achieve, and a term of accreditation from this group stamps your child’s education with a high degree of credibility when your child moves on to another school. On Monday, March 5 at 9 AM in the Library, the accreditation team would like to talk to parents about their experiences at the school. We invite any parent to attend and let your voice be heard. The team will be on campus until the end of the school day Wednesday, and they will be talking to students, visiting classrooms, talking to teachers and staff, and writing their report to the WASC Central Committee while they are here. Parents and students are also invited to the Library at 3:30 on Wednesday to hear a summary of the team’s report. Final word on the team’s recommendation will be sent to us after the Central Committee meets in June.
Due to the WASC team’s visit and the need to provide them with a quiet, confidential place to write their report and meet with the various groups, the Library will be closed for use from Monday, March 5 until after the team reads their report to us on Wednesday afternoon, March 7.
— Mr. Lehmunn
Welcome Back Everyone! We hope you all managed to take advantage of the four day weekend. February is almost over, if you can believe that. This year has flown by so quickly, and it has been a pure joy to watch the children grow up so fast. There are only four more months of school left, and summer is just around the corner. Hopefully, those of you who have children graduating have checked out the Manchester Ave. campus. If you have not, I would definitely recommend visiting that campus during their Open House on Sunday afternoon from 1-4 p.m. The teachers will all be in their classrooms that day so you will be able to get a good feel for what life is like at that campus.
Rada the Rabbit will be visiting our school on Monday, February 27, to show all the children the importance of dental hygiene and eating healthy foods. It is always a great time when he teaches us to brush our teeth and have a healthy smile. Also, even though the sun has been out, it is still quite chilly in the mornings and late afternoons so please remember to pack something warm for your child to wear. Have a great weekend.
— Ms. Safarik
The Admission Agreements for the 2012-2013 school year are available to be signed. Parents, please stop by the front desk to sign your agreement and complete your student’s enrollment. You may stop at the desk any time between 7:30am and 4:00pm on any day.
Please check the Lost & Found rack for any of your child’s belongings. The rack is located by the back door of the office. Everything that is left in Lost & Found will be donated next Friday, March 2.
Stop by our PTO Lounge at the Open House on Sunday, to chat with some of the PTO Board members and other parents! We also welcome you to attend our Open Forum PTO meeting next Tuesday Feb. 28 at 9:00 in the Library. Every parent is a member of our PTO, and we’d like to talk with you about your experiences at ECDS and how we can make our PTO the best it can be.
Our third ECDS Kids Korps service project this year is at the San Diego Food Bank next Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 9:00-11:30 am. Join other volunteers in packing, sorting, taping and labeling food for over 7,000 people who count on the San Diego Food Bank for their meals. The minimum age for participation is 5 years old (Children under the age of 5 will not be allowed in the warehouse). Space is limited, with a total of 30 spaces including Adults & Kids. Please “RSVP” to Leila Ghaemi as soon as possible if you are interested in participating. Parents must accompany their children. Adult supervision is required. *All volunteers must wear closed toed and closed heels (no flip flops, no heels, tennis shoes are best!) Please do not bring valuables to the distribution center. The distribution center is sometimes cool, so please dress appropriately and bring a sweatshirt. The Project Address is 9850 Distribution Avenue, San Diego, CA 92121. When you arrive, take the stairs or ramp up to the patio and enter through the double doors on the right side of the building. Contact Leila Ghaemi by email or (760) 845-9371 if you have any questions about this event. Thank you for your participation in ECDS Kids Korps Chapter.
The annual ECDS Jog-A-Thon is coming up on Friday, March 9. This is the biggest service project of the year for students in Kindergarten through 8th Grade, benefitting the “Gift of Life” charity which will be providing lifesaving heart operations for 10 children in El Salvador. You and your children can see photos of these 10 children on posters in the Library. All parents received the Jog-a-thon Announcement Letter in your mailbox, as well as a Jog-A-Thon Pledge Sponsor Sheet for each child. Please help your children collect pledges from family and friends, and the pledges can be an amount per lap or a flat pledge. This is truly a heartwarming event, so make plans to volunteer for your child’s classroom that day if you’re available. The Jog-A-Thon Schedule is taped to each classroom’s door, and you can sign up on the signup sheet next to it. Each classroom needs 2-3 volunteers to help. You don’t need to be there the whole day – just plan to be at the school 15-30 minutes before your child’s class starts and leave 30 minutes after your child’s class ends their Jog-A-Thon run. Contact Shannon Everett, the Jog-a-thon Chair, if you have any questions about the Jog-A-Thon.
