The small, seemingly insignificant choices you make today are shaping the brain you live with tomorrow.

 

Hello Hidden Valley Families,

 

What is it about the month of October that speeds up time?!  So many amazing events and learning have happened this month.  Our kindergarten classes went on their first field trip to the pumpkin patch, the TKers are charming the entire school with their excitement and eagerness for all things Hawk, second graders visited the Marin Art and Garden Center, we practiced our first earthquake drill (which was coincidentally scheduled during the actual earthquake in the East Bay!), you all donated to our super successful Fun Run, fourth graders have learned about sound, fifth graders are deep into their book clubs and third graders are discovering activism and were able to have questions answered by Julia Butterfly Hill.  Hidden Valley is a busy place with learning happening as a whole class, in small groups, and catered to your individual child.  It is happening on the rug in partner shares, in quiet moments after struggling with a multi-step math problem and while working through conflicts on the playground. These  small and seemingly insignificant moments quietly mark our days.

 

Yet, it is often the insignificant moments and actions that affect our sense of time and shape our days.  If we slow down and pay attention, we become mindful of creating  habits to shape a life of curiosity and care, bringing forth what is finest in ourselves and others. 

 

As you know, attendance matters!  In order for students to thrive, ALL students need to be at school regularly. The month of November has a school holiday, a week of super minimum days and the Thanksgiving Break, so each day if school is important. There are many impacts on our campus when it comes to absenteeism.  Some of those impacts are felt by us all as we lose out on school funding. The biggest impact is felt by individual students that miss out on valuable instruction and classroom connections which impact their growth as learners. In the coming weeks, please make every effort to plan holiday trips around our school calendar. 

 

You may have read that Children for Change has been in our TK-2 classrooms this year, and now the C4C lunch club will be held at Hidden Valley on Thursdays at lunch! Children 4 Change (C4C) Thursday Lunch Club is coming to Hidden Valley starting this week in Mr. Brandt's room. Activities are targeted for 3rd-5th graders. Want to know more about C4C and how you can get involved? Save the Date for the C4C Family Orientation (children welcome) on Wednesday, November 15th @5:30PM at Hidden Valley. Can't make that date? Explore the C4C website to learn more about C4C and their mission and stay up to date on current opportunities. 

 

Finally, I will be off site after the Halloween parade (can’t miss that!) through the end of the week and Ruth Reynolds, an experienced and beloved retired principal,  will be at Hidden Valley to support us.

 

In Community,

Kristi