Dragon Tales October 2007

Valley Oak Elementary
Davis Joint Unified School District
Web: www.dcn.davis.ca.us/go/voak
E-mail: valleyoak@djusd.k12.ca.us
PTA website: http://www2.dcn.org/orgs/vopta/
PTA email: valleyoakpta@yahoo.com
(530) 757-5470

Week of October 1, 2007

Calendar: October
Oct. 2 Rise/Recycle assemblies
Oct. 4 School Board Meeting at 7 p.m. at Council Chambers; Community Input Summaries
Oct. 5 Picture Day
Oct. 5 Student Banking Begins
Oct. 8 PTA Meeting, MPR
Oct. 9 Valley Oak Community Boundary Public Forum at 7 p.m. in the MPR
Oct. 11 6th Grade Walker Creek Orientation/Registration
Oct. 19 Red Ribbon Week Kick-Off
Oct. 22-25 Red Ribbon Week
Oct. 26 No school/Teacher Work Day
Oct. 29-Nov. 2 Parent/Teacher Conferences, early dismissal, Book Fair
Oct. 29 GATE Advisory Committee
Oct. 31 Harvest Knowledge Bowl

Principal’s Message
Our children have now completed their first of month of school and our staff continues to build relationships and assess their needs to provide the support they need to succeed.
Most recently, staff has been assessing our students in a variety of subjects, learning about the children and designing the most effective practices for instruction. We finished our first ‘round table’ meetings with all staff members. At these meetings we discuss each individual classroom and individual students. We plug students into existing interventions and create new ones. The interventions may be in-class, push-in, pull-out and sometimes after-school when available. We feel these meetings are supportive, informative and overall an effective way to discuss how we will meet all of Valley Oak students’ needs. Shortly, some of you may receive a letter from the office regarding your child and his/her needs for extra support. Upon receiving the letter please contact your teacher for more clarification. We are working together to help our students have academic success.
In addition, we completed our Community Transition/School Closure meetings in which families had the opportunity to give us feedback and input. The summary of these meetings will be presented this Thursday, Oct. 4 at the Board Meeting at 7 p.m. the Council Chambers. All Valley Oak students, staff and community members are encouraged to join this meeting. I would like to give a special thank you to PTA and School Site Council members that volunteered their time to facilitate these meetings. Thank you!
-- Principal Mary Ponce

School Board Agenda on the Web
To get the School Board Agenda, visit the DJUSD website at www.djusd.k12.ca.us and click on Board of Education Meeting Agendas from the dropdown menu at the top of the page.

SCRIP
Do your everyday shopping and help Valley Oak at the same time. Using SCRIP is an acquired habit, but you’ll find it’s a great way to budget and feel good about the purchases you’ve made. There is NO EXTRA COST to participate in the program other than the time it takes to fill out the order form and write a check.
Scrip Order Forms are found in the office and at the Valley Oak website www2.dcn.org/orgs/vopta under PTA Documents and Forms. Scrip Orders are due Friday, Oct.5 and will be delivered the following Friday, Oct.12. Contact Sarah Rizzo at 756-7701 or rizfamily@hotmail.com with any questions.

Walker Creek Ranch
There will be a Walker Creek Parent Orientation/Registration Night for 6th Grade parents Thursday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. The meeting will include a program overview, registration paperwork and information on the cost. The trip will be Nov. 26-30.

Lost and Found
Please remember to mark your children’s clothing and other items with their name. There is a collection of items in the Lost and Found in the MPR if your child has misplaced something.

PTA Meeting
This month’s PTA Meeting will be Monday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. in the MPR. The meeting will include a presentation by members of the Davis School Board on Measure Q, the Instructional Parcel Tax Renewal.

It's BOOK FAIR TIME!
Check out our school's Book Fair page at: http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/valleyoakelementary.
We need plenty of volunteers to make the Book Fair Successful. We will need Set Up help, Clean Up help and help running the fair. Volunteers are needed from Thursday, Oct. 25 through Friday, Nov. 2.
The Book Fair will be open this year during all lunches and after school until 5 p.m. (except Halloween, when we will close at 3:30 p.m.). We will not have a “Family Night” unless someone can volunteer to coordinate and run that event.
Sign up to volunteer via the web site above or contact coordinator Jessica Pemberton directly at jmpember@sbcglobal.net.

Say Cheese
Smile for the camera! Picture Day is Friday, Oct. 5.

Student Banking
The first day of banking for all new and continuing bankers will be Friday, Oct. 5. Banking hours are 8:15 to 10 a.m. in Room 4 every Friday. If your child has not yet signed up for the School Savings program, enrollment forms are available in the school office and may be turned into your teacher or brought to the school bank on any Friday.

Week of October 8, 2007

Calendar: October
Oct. 8 PTA Meeting, 7 p.m. in the MPR
Oct. 9 Valley Oak Community Boundary Public Forum at 7 p.m. in the MPR
Oct. 11 6th Grade Walker Creek Orientation/Registration
Oct. 11 Parent Education Night at 7 p.m. at the Harper Junior High School MPR
Oct. 17 Site Council Meeting at 7 p.m in the MPR
Oct. 22-25 Red Ribbon Week
Oct. 26 No school/Teacher Work Day
Oct. 29-Nov. 2 Parent/Teacher Conferences, early dismissal, Book Fair
Oct. 29 GATE Advisory Committee
Oct. 31 Harvest Knowledge Bowl

PTA Meeting
Tonight! This month’s PTA Meeting will be Monday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. in the MPR. The meeting will include a presentation by members of the Davis School Board on Measure Q, the Instructional Parcel Tax Renewal.

Boundary Public Forum
A boundary public forum for members of the Valley Oak community will be held Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in the MPR. Davis Joint Unified School District Director of Facilities Mike Adell and Associate Superintendent of Business Services Bruce Colby will be taking input from the public.

Notes from the Office
Parents, please remember that the parking lot on the west side of the school is for staff only. There is no pick-up or drop-off allowed in the staff parking lot. There is plenty of parking on neighboring streets or in the Davis Manor Shopping Center during pick-up and drop-off times.
Please also be sure to pack everything your child needs before they leave for school. It is disruptive to teaching in the classroom for the front office to notify a student that there is something in the office they need to pick up. It also time consuming for the office staff to call or e-mail a teacher to inform a student. Keeping classrooms interruptions to a minimum is a priority.
Also, if your child will be absent from school, please call the school prior to 8 a.m. at 757-5470 and follow the instructions to the attendance line. Leave a message with the student’s name, teacher, reason for absence and the date or dates of the absence.
Thank you for your consideration!

Walker Creek Ranch
There will be a Walker Creek Parent Orientation/Registration Night for 6th Grade parents Thursday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. It will include a program overview, registration paperwork and information on the cost. The trip to Walker Creek will be Nov. 26-30.

Parent Education Night
In 2003, Christy Crandell found herself in a constant battle trying desperately to help her son Ryan fight his drug and alcohol addiction. The battle finally ended when Ryan was arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to 13 years in prison. In prison, Ryan finally beat his addiction and revealed many of his secrets to hiding the warning signs of drug and alcohol abuse.
Christy decided to tell her story to the world by writing: Lost & Found: A Mother and Son Find Victory Over Teen Drug Addiction, and launching a website: www.stopteendrugaddiction.com.
Come hear Christy Crandell, a powerful speaker, share her experiences with her son and learn about over-the-counter drugs. Trease Petersen from the Davis Police Department will also educate us on inhalents, a growing problem in our community. You will also learn how to recognize the warning signs of drug and alcohol abuse – and understand the importance of early parent education as a key deterrent.
This is a parent education evening open to the parents of all students in Davis. It will be held in the Harper Junior High School multi-purpose room at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 11.

Early Dismissal/Book Fair
Don’t forget, all students will be dismissed from class each day at 1:30 p.m. the week of Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 for Parent-Teacher Conferences. This is also Scholastic Book Fair Week. The Book Fair will be open this year during all lunches and after school until 5 p.m. (except Halloween, when it will close at 3:30 p.m.).

Community Based English Tutoring
Free English classes for adults, tutoring for school-aged children and infant childcare is offered weekly through the Community Based English Tutoring program.
CBET meets at Montgomery Elementary at 1441 Danbury St. on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and at Patwin Elementary, 2222 Shasta Dr. on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Participants may join a class anytime. Classes run through the end of May.
For more information, please call Mary Khan at 757-5300 ext 138 or Lucia Burgos at 400-2703.

Davis Neighbors’ Night Out
Davis Neighbors' Night Out is a celebration of our community. The events seeks to unite neighborhoods by creating an opportunity for all residents to participate in a block party, barbecue, ice cream social, pot luck or other public event. The goal of Davis Neighbors' Night Out is to reduce the potential for misunderstandings or conflicts by promoting familiarity and open communication among neighbors. The event, which is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20, is timed to enable neighborhoods to include new or returning UC Davis students in the festivities. The events can be scheduled for anytime between noon and 9 p.m.
Anyone interested in participating in Davis Neighbors' Night Out may visit: http://www.cityofdavis.org/neighbors for more information or contact City of Davis staff by calling Anne Brunette at 757-5626 or Stacey Winton at 757-5661. There is a list of existing parties planned at: www.cityofdavis.org/neighbors/events.cfm.

Week of October 15, 2007

Calendar: October
Oct. 17 Site Council Meeting at 7 p.m in the MPR
Oct. 22-25 Red Ribbon Week
Oct. 26 No school/Teacher Work Day
Oct. 29-Nov. 2 Parent/Teacher Conferences, early dismissal, Book Fair
Oct. 29 GATE Advisory Committee
Oct. 29 Family Night at the Book Fair
Oct. 31 Harvest Knowledge Bowl

Measure Q
On November 6, voters will be asked to decide on Measure Q, the Instructional Parcel Tax Renewal,l to support classroom programs in the district. The amount funded by homeowners for these programs will be $200 per year; apartment residents will pay $100. The renewed tax will last four years and requires a two-thirds majority to pass. Members of the Valley Oak PTA voted at the October meeting to support Measure Q. For more information about Measure Q, visit: yesforourstudents.org.

Library Help Needed
The school library needs volunteers to help shelve books. About an hour, once a week, is all we ask! Please let Mrs. Pattison or Mrs. Beckon, the library ladies, know if you can spare some time.

Harvest Knowledge Bowl
Valley Oak’s annual Harvest Knowledge Bowl will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 31! All students participate in this academic challenge. Teachers design the questions and parent volunteers proctor and give out stickers. Students work together in teams and everyone has fun! Many parent volunteers are needed! Watch for the volunteer flyer being sent home this week! We also could use donations of fall themed stickers. Donations can be placed in the PTA box in the school office.

Family Night at the Book Fair
Everyone is invited to Family Night at the Scholastic Book Fair on Monday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Valley Oak library. This is a great opportunity for parents or guardians and their children to choose books together and benefit our school at the same time. There will be a wide variety of quality books in every price range to interest readers of all ages. We will also have book readings, activities, prizes, and refreshments. Best of all -- Dweezel, our very own Valley Oak dragon, will also be there!
To make this a successful Family Night, we need adult volunteers. Please contact Vinita Domier at 756-7443 or vcdomier@yahoo.com to volunteer, or for more information.

Charter School Signature Drive
Now that the Valley Oak Charter School charter document is finished, the next step in the process is to collect signatures on the charter petition from families who would be meaningfully interested in sending their children to the Valley Oak Charter School next year. The completed charter itself will be available for reading after Oct.17, both on the charter school website: http://vocharter.org, and from parents and teachers who have been organizing Valley Oak Charter School. During conference week and the Book Fair, the charter and attached petition will be available at specified tables at school. As the petition is to be submitted to the Board of Education in early November, please make sure you add your signature by the end of conference week, Nov. 2, if you are interested in your child attending the Valley Oak Charter School next year. Enrollment in the charter school will be limited, with preference given to neighborhood children, and any remaining space given to other Davis and regional students by lottery. Valley Oak Charter School is public, free, welcoming to all, and staffed by Davis teachers.

Staff Appreciation
We hope your children are enjoying the school year and have gotten into their routines. To show our appreciation, we are hosting a luncheon for the staff during conference week. We need volunteers to bring in soups, chilis, breads and/or desserts. This is Valley Oak’s last year and it's a great opportunity to show our staff we're grateful for all they do. The week of Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 is conference week and the luncheon will be held in the Staff Room. You can contact Denise Costa via e-mail at domzden@sbcglobal.net or at 757-6391. Either bring your crock pot in the morning when you drop off your child bring it any time before 11:30 a.m. Thank you so much in advance for your help!

Writing News at Valley Oak!
Over 50 Young Writers have joined the newly formed Young Writer’s Club on Monday afternoons in Room16! They crowded in the first day with enthusiasm and lots of stories to write. These intermediate students will be writing fiction, fantasy, and other narratives, as well as poetry and comic strips. The writing genre for the year will be determined by the individual students themselves. The sponsors for the new club are Ms. Olmstead and Ms. Krueger, and they are thrilled with the enthusiasm!
Mrs. Olmstead and Room 16 would like to thank the Great Valley Center Citi Foundation Success Fund for awarding a grant to Ms. Olmstead’s class this year. Thanks to the funding, each student will be able to write and publish hardbound copies of environmental fiction stories. These books will each contain a dedication page honoring Valley Oak Elementary for over 50 years of educating the children of Davis. Mrs. Olmstead would also like to thank Kathleen Robins, a parent of Valley Oak 5th grader, Kate Robins, who was instrumental in the grant writing process!

World Language Fair
On Saturday, Nov.10, the seventh World Language Fair will be held in the Multipurpose Room at Davis Senior High from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish clubs will provide lots of hands-on-activities and games for children of all ages. There will also be entertainment such as music, singing and dancing. Delicious ethnic foods and drinks will be for sale.
The World Language Fair offers everyone the opportunity to learn about some of the cultures that enrich our community and the world. Some teachers may give extra credit to students if they present a stamped attendance form and proof of engagement.

Week of October 22, 2007

Calendar: October
Oct. 22-25 Red Ribbon Week
Oct. 26 No school/Teacher Work Day
Oct. 29-Nov. 2 Parent/Teacher Conferences, early dismissal, Book Fair
Oct. 29 GATE Advisory Committee
Oct. 29 Family Night at the Book Fair
Oct. 31 Harvest Knowledge Bowl

Trick or Treat for UNICEF!
All children wanting a Trick-or Treat for UNICEF box should turn in a permission form by Tuesday, Oct. 23. If you need a copy of the permission form, check the school office, or call Rachel at 757-6961. Teachers will distribute the boxes on the day before Halloween or on Halloween. Boxes and money should be returned to school after Halloween.

Box Tops for Education
Thanks to all those who have been collecting General Mills Box Tops for Education! The fall collection period ends at the end of this month, so please turn yours in to the collection box in the front office no later than Monday, Oct. 29.

No School Friday!
Don’t forget there is no school Friday for Teacher Work Day.

Harvest Knowledge Bowl
Valley Oak’s annual Harvest Knowledge Bowl will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 31! All students participate in this academic challenge by answering questions designed by teachers. Parent volunteers read the questions, listen to the answers and give out stickers. Students work together in teams where everyone wins and everyone has fun!
Over 25 parent volunteers are needed! Volunteers are needed at either 8:30 to 10 a.m. or 10:15 to 11:45 a.m. If you are interested, please return the form sent home last week or contact Christina Dicker at 753-7347 or cbd321@yahoo.com.

Red Ribbon Week
Drug Free...the Healthy Way to Be! Valley Oak students are encouraged to make healthy choices in all aspects of life: Eat Right, Exercise Daily, Get Lots of Sleep, Wash Hands Often and Say No to Drugs!
Today, there will be an assembly featuring the Jammin’ Jumpers performance jump rope team from Zamora Elementary in Woodland. Jumping rope is great exercise and we have lots of jump ropes at Valley Oak! On Wednesday, students are encouraged to wear red for Red Spirit Day and pledge to make healthy choices in life! On Thursday, students will share messages about healthy choices with the Door Decorating Contest.

Street Smarts Poster Contest
Entries for the Street Smarts Poster Contest are due Friday, Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. at the City of Davis Public Works Department, 1717 Fifth St., Davis, CA, 95616. Students across the district are creating their own Street Smarts traffic safety posters with messages and artwork focusing on the topics of Proper Helmet Use, Safe Bicycle Riding or Crossing the Street Safely. For information on the contest and an entry form, visit: http://www.cityofdavis.org/streetsmarts/. The Street Smarts Poster Contest Awards Ceremony will be held Wednesday, Nov. 14, from 5 to 6 p.m. at Third and B (the Teen Center). For more information, contact Crystal O'Hara, Street Smarts coordinator, at 757-5640 or cohara@cityofdavis.org.

Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair is next week and volunteers are needed from set up Thursday, Oct. 25 throughout the fair and for take down Friday, Nov. 2. Please look for the purple Book Fair Volunteer sheet in your child’s backpack or contact Jessica Pemberton at jmpember@sbcglobal.net.

Family Night at the Book Fair
Everyone is invited to Family Night on Monday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the library. This is a great opportunity for parents (or guardians) and their children to choose books together and benefit our school at the same time. There will be a wide variety of quality books in every price range to interest readers of all ages. We will also have book readings, activities, prizes, and refreshments. Best of all -- Dweezel, our very own Valley Oak dragon, will also be there!
To make this a successful Family Night, we need adult volunteers. Please contact Vinita Domier at 756-7443 or vcdomier@yahoo.com to volunteer, or for more information.

Walker Creek Update
THANK YOU to the 6th grade families who have already turned in their information and payments for the Walker Creek outdoor education trip. To those who have not turned in information, please do so as soon as possible! Thank you also to those families who have made additional donations which will aid in providing scholarships so that all 6th grade students can attend camp. The cost for this annual outdoor education camp increases each year. Any Valley Oak families that would be interested in making a donation to this program may contact the school office. Contributions will be gladly accepted!

Principal’s Message to Parents
Parent conferences will be held during the week of Oct. 29. Fall conferences are especially vital for parents because the information that is shared between you and the teacher helps provide a foundation for the successful completion of the academic year for your child.
As the parent, you know the child better than anyone. If your child is struggling academically or socially, it is useful for you to share techniques you have found to be successful in motivating him or her. On the other hand, you may feel your child could be more challenged by the curriculum. If you have concerns of any type, think about ways to share them with the teacher in a manner that leads to positive problem solving. Take the time to write down your thoughts and questions before coming to the conference.
- Principal Mary Ponce

Week of October 29, 2007

Calendar: October
10/29-11/2 Conference Week—1:30pm dismissal each day (except Kindergarten)
10/29-11/2 Scholastic Book Fair in the Library
10/29 Family Night at the Book Fair, 6-8pm
10/31 Harvest Knowledge Bowl
10/31 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
11/2 Scrip orders due
11/5 PTA meeting, 7:00pm, MPR
11/6 Shakespeare Assembly, grades 4-6
11/9 1st Trimester Awards assemblies
11/12 Veteran’s Day—NO SCHOOL
11/19-23 Thanksgiving Break

Principal’s Message
During this week, you and your child will be involved in Parent/Teacher conferences. Many of you have already begun this process and have received important information about your child. For those that have not had their conferences yet, during this week you will receive information about the progress of your child. It is important for the teacher, student and parent to work together as a team to help our children succeed. Take advantage of this opportunity to show your child that you and the teacher will work together for his/her success. We are all very excited to have you on campus. Our staff has worked very hard and they eagerly look forward to meeting each and every one of you to discuss your child's achievement.
In addition, we are mandated by law to inform all parents if their child is not at grade level standards. The teachers will notify you if your child is at risk of retention and will review the school’s intervention plan to help your child progress toward grade level standards. The teachers will continue to assess your child and communicate his/her progress. We will also provide you with our retention/promotion policy. If you have any questions regarding retention/promotion procedures, please do not hesitate to contact the office.
Also, as a friendly reminder, please do not send your child to school in a costume on Wednesday. We will be focusing on instruction and our children will be participating in the Harvest Knowledge Bowl as a fun activity that day. In addition, with the emphasis on student nutrition and health, children should not bring Halloween candy to school.
Thank you.
I will be out of the office this week. Valley Oak is very fortunate to have Bev Maul as our principal this week. Bev retired as the principal of Holmes Junior High this past June. She has been with the Davis School District for over 20 years including as an elementary school principal and in the district’s Curriculum and Instruction department. Please give her a big Valley Oak welcome!
-Mary Ponce

Book Fair Blizzard
Come chill out and read a book!
The Fall Scholastic Book Fair will be held this week, October 29th-November 2nd in the library.

Book Fair Hours
- Monday: 11:30am-5pm
- Monday: Family Night 6:00- 8:00pm (goodies and warm beverages will be served)
- Tuesday: 11:30am-5pm
- Wednesday: 11:30am-3:30pm
- Thursday: 11:30am-5pm
- Friday- Last day... 11:30am-3:30pm; Take down Friday at 3:30pm

A few parent volunteers are still needed for the afternoon shifts. If you can help out, please call Jessica Pemberton @ 753-2769.
Proceeds benefit our school and classroom libraries. When you visit the book fair, be sure to check out the Teacher Wish List display board. These lists provide a great opportunity for you to share a book with your child’s classroom.
Everyone is invited to Book Fair Family Night on Monday, October 29th, from 6 - 8pm at the Valley Oak library. This is a great opportunity for parents (or guardians) and their children to choose books together and benefit our school at the same time. There will be a wide variety of quality books in every price range to interest readers of all ages. We will also have book readings, activities, prizes, cookies and hot chocolate. Best of all - Dweezel, our very own Valley Oak dragon, will also be there!
Books make great holiday presents for everyone. So come on down to the Valley Oak Fall Book Fair and stock up! We will have hundreds of books for infants and pre-K children, for beginning, intermediate, and advanced readers and also for adults.

Parent Reminders:
No Running Club this week due to Parent/Teacher Conferences!
There will be Student Banking this Friday in Room 4!
Don’t forget…students are dismissed at 1:30 each day this week due to Parent/Teacher Conferences. Kindergarten remains on their regular schedule.

GATE Testing Schedule ’07-‘08
Other than the dates and times listed on this schedule, NO OTHER TESTING using the OLSAT-7 test will occur this school year. We anticipate most families will attend the testing closest to their homes, but it is not required. If a child is sick or has a conflict, he or she may attend any session listed.

4th & 6th graders:
--Montgomery, Pioneer
November 28th, 2:00pm @ Pioneer Library
--Birch Lane, Valley Oak, North Davis
December 5th, 2:00pm @ Valley Oak MPR
--Chavez, Patwin, Willett
December 12th, 2:00pm @ Willett MPR

7th & 9th graders:
--Harper Jr. High, Nov. 28th, 8:00am, Rm J-57
--Holmes Jr. High, Dec. 5th, 8:00am, Rm B-19
--Emerson Jr. High, Dec. 12th, 8:00am, Rm A-5

The GATE Student Nomination Form may be downloaded from the district website (www.djusd.k12.ca.us) and should be completed by the parent and submitted to the GATE Office (526 B Street) prior to testing.
--Deanne Quinn, GATE Coordinator

District Attendance Boundaries Community Input Meetings
The District will be conducting community forums to receive input from the community regarding potential Elementary and Junior High School boundary changes. We will be receiving input in order to form and prioritize the parameters for the boundary changes and will not be presenting any predetermined scenarios at these meetings. These are open meetings and the community can attend either meeting based on convenience.

-Thursday, November 8th at 7:00 PM
Holmes Junior High MPR
-Tuesday, November 13th at 7:00 PM
Emerson Junior High MPR

Scrip makes holiday shopping easy!
Avoid the holiday rush by ordering gift cards via scrip!! Visit www.glscrip.com to see the many retailers from all over the country available for you to order. For the next two months we will add an extra line on the order form for retailers not already listed. Order forms are found in the office and at the Valley Oak website www2.dcn.org/orgs/vopta under PTA Documents and Forms. Scrip Orders are due this Friday, November 2nd and will be delivered the following Friday, November 9th. Contact Sarah Rizzo at 756-7701 or rizfamily@hotmail.com with any questions.

RENT-A-BAND AND HELP DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL MUSICIANS
Planning a holiday party for your home or business? Make it even more special this year by participating in the Davis High School Band’s 2007 Holiday Rent-A-Band fundraiser.
Brass and woodwind quartets are available by reservation for $75 for 30 minutes, and piano soloists can be requested for $40 for 60 minutes. The young musicians are available for performances at house and business parties or as a thoughtful holiday donation to nonprofit organizations and care facilities. All proceeds benefit the DHS band program.
The musicians will be available from November 29th to December 21st (dependent on musician and driver availability). Make your reservation early! For more information or to make your reservation contact: Nancy Hatamiya by phone at (916) 425-4217 or by email at: DHS.Rent-A-Band@comcast.net.

Entertainment Books
Purchase an Entertainment Book and up to $8 per book is donated to Valley Oak! You can support our school and enjoy up to 50% off on restaurants, travel, shopping, home, garden and auto! Proceeds benefit the scholarship fund for the 6th grade Outdoor Education program. Entertainment Books are $40. Drop off a check payable to Valley Oak PTA in the school office. Orders will be filled and the Entertainment Book will be sent home with your student when the shipment of books arrives.

Valley Oak Charter School update
The petition to establish a charter school at Valley Oak is ready and is now being circulated. We are asking for your support and help. This free, public charter school is open to children of any and all residents of California, including families from Davis and other communities.
The school will be founded on three pillars:
--The maintenance of a successful neighborhood program
--A system of cooperative school governance that encourages innovation, effectiveness and efficiency
--The utilization of education technology for bridging the digital divide for students and their families
We are asking parents who are meaningfully interested in having their children attend the school described in the charter to sign the petition. If you are one of those parents, or know a parent who may be interested, petitions will be available to sign at a number of locations. The charter will be available to read and sign before and after school this week Monday, October 29th through Friday, November 2nd. It will also be available downtown in the E Street Plaza near Baskin-Robbins on Oct. 31st from 1:30 - 5:30. The charter is also available to read online at http://www.vocharter.org.