The Beehive
Issue 27 | 2019-2020
March 11, 2020
Response to COVID-19
As we work with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department to monitor the developments of COVID-19, student and staff health and safety remain our top priority.   
We ask that you check the regular notices coming from our district administration.

Postponed or cancelled events
We are continuing to evaluate school sponsored events.
At this time we have:
  • postponed the 1st and 2nd grade concerts, scheduled on March 26.
  • cancelled the Parade to the Terraces, scheduled on March 17.
  • postponed or cancelled all field trips scheduled during March.
From the Principal's Desk
Dear Blossom Hill Families:

Thank you for attending our second round of Parent/Teacher Conferences for the 2019-20 school year. The strong Home/School partnerships forged throughout our learning community are key to supporting our students’ happiness, social/emotional growth, and academic success.

The staff and I would like to express our heartfelt appreciation for the delicious morning treats, beverages, and lunches provided last week. The gift of not having to prepare meals during this busy time was appreciated by all and the goodwill and camaraderie created by breaking bread together was far reaching. The amazing duo of Melissa Crow and Kristin Hutchinson oversaw the event and were ever present spreading kindness and ensuring staff were well cared for. In addition, Heather Young and Sara Fisher did a lovely job with decorations encouraging all who entered the staff lounge to go for the gold!

Thank you to the following parents and families who went above and beyond in their generous contributions by donating food, along with their time and energy to set-up and clean-up each day: Jean Choi, Brenda Chiu, Irene Guilbaud-Haaima, Jaeeun Byun, Katherine Cole, Jennifer Shapiro, Amanda Caruso, Kari Freed, Pauliina Viinikanoja, Susie Sommerstad, Lisa Cross, Puja Wadhawan, Caroline Zamansky, Anna Tranum, Mary Cassidy, Preeti Patel, Priya Khanna, Dana Green, Julie Bonomi, Victoria Contreras-Wolfe, Courtney Capone, Julie Reynolds, Ling Yi, Takako Thraikill, Carmen Liao, Shadi Allen, Astrid Suwarna, Suejin Kim, Alejandra Arroyo, Mayumi Sonoda, Leila Bahreinian, Zoe Golden, Yash Pattar, Szilvia Decoin, Roshni Desai, Francine Shore, Elke Billingsley, Malea Mordaunt and Kristen Willerer. 

Additional parent donors included: Hana Chen, Ling Yi, Georgette Harrell, Shelley Gierat, Julia Wong, Jodie Wodrich, Nidhi Thakur, Meghan Bakota, Nicole Duke, Beth Wilson, Moni Sebestyen, Ting Engelman, Daniela Ielceanu, Rachel Parrinello, Cristina Fador, Chelsea Doerger, Tova Davis, Abhijeet Ghadge, Jess Arya, Carmen Liao, Anna Engstroem, Pam Parisi, Sandy Fu, Karthik Gajjala Purna, Christa Cormier, Karrie Bertsch, Michele Stefan, Widya Junus, Grace Oh, Kathy Kwong, Astrid Gabriel, Jessica Richter, Shadi Allen, Hengyi Yang, Sally Zeman, Kaira Yoo, Ying Wu, Yelena Drabkin, Mike Nyland, Patrick Hancir, Meena Shams, Jennifer Chiala, Tiffany Hung, Lavanya Gandluru, Alla Golub, Timothy Huang, Scott Trevathan, Rachel Pandipati, Dale Anderson, Jennifer Pang, Amy Gregor, Gul Durukan, and Irene Wong.

We also want to thank Chik-fil-A, Super Duper Burger, Peet’s Coffee, Starbucks, Affordable Treasures, and Fleur De Cocoa, and Lunardi’s markets for their donations.

With great gratitude,

Lisa Reynolds, Principal

Important Dates

March

3/12 - Regular Board Meeting
4:00 - 7:00 pm, Daves Avenue Elementary

3/16 - Guest Artist Stephanie Mertz visits Blossom Hill

3/17 - St. Patrick’s Day Parade to the Terraces (cancelled)
1:00 - 1:30 pm

3/19 - Training for Cornerstone ABC Readers
8:15 - 9:00 am, MPR (note room change)

3/20 - Residency Verification Affidavits Due

3/25 - H&SC Member Meeting
8:15 - 9:15 am, Room C6

3/26 - School Site Council
2:45 - 3:45 pm, Room C2
The H&SC Calendar is Online!

Did you know that our Home & School Club Calendar is online? Click here to see our Google Calendar, which you can subscribe to.
Weekly Wisdom
Residency Verification Affidavits
Residency Affidavits were mailed to homes of K-4 students on Thursday, March 5. The form must be completed, initialed, signed, and returned to our office by Friday, March 20 . Forms turned in after the deadline will be returned and full residency information will be required. If you did not receive your residency verification affidavit letter, please notify the office and we will mail another letter to your home address.


Important School Contact Information
Office: 408-335-2100
Attendance: 408-335-2145
Office Hours: 7:30 am - 3:30 pm
Calling All Blossom Hill Parents

Our annual Spring auction, “The Hive,” is right around the corner on April 18 ! It is a very fun night for our parent community and ALL PROCEEDS go straight to Blossom Hill Elementary.

Please note that we have limited space and tickets are selling quickly - click  here  to purchase tickets!

Below are the details:

What:  The Hive! Blossom Hill’s parent-only fundraising event with delicious food and drinks, complimentary signature cocktail, whiskey wall, glitter bar, raffle, winning wheel, incredible premiere and live auction, late-night food, live DJ and dancing!
When:   Saturday, April 18  from 6 pm - 11 pm
Where:  The Toll House Hotel in downtown Los Gatos
Why:  It’s a fun way to celebrate our school community while raising funds for crucial programs, technology, teacher professional development, community events, school safety and student enrichment that makes Blossom Hill outstanding for our children. This year's auction will also fund some exciting new programs and improvements: School busses for field trips, improvements to the MPR (4 in-wall speakers and fixed projector), playground paint, and additional outdoor seating.
Cost:  $125 per person

Can’t make The Hive but still want to contribute? There are 3 ways to Be A Sponsor!

  1. For $65 - be a Family Sponsor and purchase a beautiful fresh floral centerpiece and honeycomb bee planter. Your family's name will be prominently displayed and we will get your centerpiece to you after the event.
  2. For $125 - sponsor a teacher’s ticket to attend The Hive. 
  3. For $25 - purchase a “Giving Tree” item - which helps pay for P.E., Art and Music

Click  here  to be a sponsor!

Without this event, our school wouldn’t be the same. We very much appreciate your support!

Kudos Korner
And the gold medal for creativity, organization, and hard work goes to…Staff Appreciation co-chairs Melissa Crow and Kristin Hutchinson ! The teachers’ lounge was transformed into an Olympic Village during Conference Week when Blossom Hill’s amazing teachers and staff were treated to meals inspired by Olympic host cities. Teachers were able to take a moment, get a bite, and relax at tables festively decorated with Olympic torches. Many thanks to all of families who donated money to purchase food and drinks or prepared scrumptious dishes that were thoroughly enjoyed by the teachers and staff. Melissa and Kristin did an amazing job planning the week to show our teachers and staff just how much we love them.
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!

It is time again to recruit volunteers for the 2020-2021 school year. Each position could be filled by one person or by two or three volunteers working as a team. If you are interested in volunteering in any other areas, please contact Jennifer Shapiro at [email protected] and we will find the perfect role for you.


Home & School Club Committee Chair Positions

Parent Directory Chair – This committee chair is responsible for downloading the Home & School Club database at the beginning of the year and maintaining our AtoZ Connect online directory. This job is done at home on your own schedule. Contact:  [email protected]

The Hive Co-Chairs – These committee chairs are responsible for planning and executing our spring auction. This fun event is a great team job. Co-chairs oversee the event night planning and run the online auction, as well as coordinating the procurement of auction items. Contact:  [email protected]

Laminating Committee Chair – This chair is responsible for laminating materials as requested by teachers. S/he would be trained to use the laminating machine in the workroom and set her/his own weekly schedule. Contact: [email protected]

No Cost Giving Chair ( Box Tops, eScrip, Nob Hill Liaison) – This chair is responsible for our two Box Top collections and for encouraging participation in No Cost Giving programs. Contact: [email protected]

Facebook Manager/Web Content Chair – This chair maintains the Blossom Hill Home & School Club website as well as posting important events and information on our Facebook page. This job is done at home on your own schedule. Contact: [email protected]

Beehive Editor Chair – This chair collects articles from our community and publishes our Wednesday weekly newsletter, the Beehive, using Constant Contact. This job is done at home on your own schedule. Contact: [email protected]

Safe Routes to School Co-Chair – This committee co-chair is needed to help supervise Honeybee Bar Code scanning on Mondays from 7:45am to 8:10am, assist with Walk, Bike and Roll to School weeks and 3 rd Grade Bike Rodeo, and other special event weeks. Contact: [email protected]

CASA Liaison Chair – This committee chair is responsible for organizing Red Ribbon Week at Blossom Hill with the support of CASA. This includes decorating the school with ribbons and hanging banners, as well as distributing wristbands and flyers to teachers. Contact:  [email protected]

Parenting Continuum Chair – This committee chair is needed to represent Blossom Hill in organizing opportunities for educational enrichment for parents, including movie nights and speakers to address the challenges facing parents today. Contact: [email protected]
UPDATE!
Change of Date for the Mamas & Margaritas Sign-Up Party

Due to the Los Gatos Union School District and Santa Clara Public Health Department guidance regarding public events, the Mamas & Margaritas sign-up party will be postponed from Saturday, March 28  to  Saturday, May 16 . Start time and venue is still the same. We know that this could be a potential inconvenience for some people so we apologize. We hope that the majority of mamas can still attend. It will be a perfect time to unwind with a margarita and your favorite mamas at the end of the school year. 
Tickets are still available so grab a mama friend and enjoy a great night of good food, drink and cheer!

When: Saturday, May 16 at 6 pm
Where: Carrie Wei's Home
Donation: $100 per person
Sign Up Here  
 
March’s Cornerstone Corner:
Long Shot  
March’s book is Long Shot by Chris Paul. The focus of this book is to inspire students to find their spark, explore their world, and learn about their passions. We discussed how to set goals and how talk to “Goal Champions” about the steps they can take to achieve their dreams. The goals for this lesson are to: 

  1. Help students explore and discover their spark (interests, dreams, passions, etc.).
  2. Identify their Goal Champions (parents, coaches, siblings, friends, etc.).
  3. Set short and long term goals, steps to get there, and make changes as needed to achieve their dreams.
  4. Reflect upon and identify the support students receive from their peers, family, and community.
  5. Empower students to provide support to their peers, family, and community. 


At home, parents can reinforce March’s Cornerstone theme by helping their children identify, observe, and understand the steps to success that are needed to achieve their goals. We can use our own GPS to find our way:

  • Goal - What is the goal?
  • Path - How are we going to achieve or meet our goal? 
  • Switch – What do we do when there are challenges and our plan needs to change? How do we change our method so that we can achieve success?


Additional books that are relevant to this month’s theme:

What Do You Do With a Chance? by Kobi Yamada; Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall; I Can’t Do That Yet by Esther Cordova; Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty; How To Catch A Star by Oliver Jeffers; A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams.
A Message from the Hot Rod Team

Did you enjoy watching or being a part of Hot Rod? If so, Los Gatos Youth Theatre (LGYT) has summer opportunities that will get your engines revved up.  LGYT has day performance and workshop camps for all ages (6 to 13) with optional before and after care options. Already have summer camp plans? LGYT has full scale musical productions where the rehearsals are i n the late afternoons. Interested in doing both the day camps and full scale production? Great news, you can do both!! Check out all of the details at www.lgyt.net . See below for more information!!
The H&SC Thanks This Week's
Sponsor Spotlight

It’s not too late to bee-come a Community Sponsor! For more information on this program, click here or email Debbie Bluestone at [email protected].
Blossom Hill Vision Statement – (Abilities and skills we expect our students to acquire and take-out into the world) All students will have the necessary skills to become enthusiastic, life-long learners and productive, empathetic, respectful members of society.

 Blossom Hill Mission Statement – (What we need to do as a school community to ensure this happens) The Blossom Hill School community takes pride in providing an enriched standards-based curriculum in a safe, nurturing environment. We strive to appreciate an awareness of students’ developmental needs to help them progress towards independence. 
Blossom Hill Elementary School
16400 Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Lisa Reynolds, Principal |  [email protected]
Phone: 408-335-2100 | Fax: 408-356-0887 | Attendance Line: 408-335-2145
Blossom Hill Home & School Club
Jennifer Shapiro, President |  [email protected]    
Contact and make submissions to The Beehive editor, Christi Zenteno, at [email protected] .
The Beehive is approved by Principal Lisa Reynolds and the H&SC Board to provide pertinent information weekly to the Blossom Hill community.
*The Beehive newsletter is written exclusively to provide the Blossom Hill community with school information. Articles, information, calendars, etc. may not be duplicated or re-printed in any manner without the permission of the Home and School Club or the Blossom Hill school administration.

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