March 3, 2021
The Beehive
Issue 27

2020-2021
From the Principal's Desk 
Dear Blossom Hill Families:
Thank you for attending our second round of Parent/Teacher Conferences for the 2020-21 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 lunches and goodie bags provided this week.  The thoughtful and talented duo of Kristin Hutchinson and Melissa Crow have been serving up daily delights that set everyone up for a successful afternoon.  It is also an extra special treat to be greeted by the wonderful signage on the corner of Blossom Hill Road and Cherry Blossom upon arriving at school each day.  Our buckets are full!
Thank you to the following parents and families who went above and beyond in their generous contributions to support staff during conference week: Tova Davis, Jeanne Ivern, Julie Bonomi, Angela Ritz, Francine Shore, Suzanne Errecart, Malea Mordaunt, Olivia Cates, Caroline Zamansky, Eva Dounias, Victoria I Contreras-Wolfe, Charlie and Jenny Huang, Carrie Endweiss, Jane Fainer, Priya Khanna, Richa Kamal, Mary Cassidy, Jennifer Shapiro, Nataliya Burtis, Lisa Cross, Ellen Feichtmeir, Jean Choi, Davina Sambath, Courtney Capone, Susie Sommerstad, Brenda Chiu, Kathy Kwong, Gigi Harrell, Will Schmidt, Ilse Fletcher, Xinghua Zollinger, Julia Wong, Sandy Fu, Albert Hsia, Christi Zenteno, Jeronimo Quesada, Ayse Okuyucu, Hana Chen, Mike and Anita Nyland, the Gregor Family, Irene Guilbaud-Haaima, Christopher Lee, Nuria Garcia, Szilvia Decoin, Jacquelynn Chen, Astrid Radityo, Yashaswini Pattar, Preeti Patel, Grace Oh, Julie Reynolds, Ben Cortez, Jing Huang, Erica Cummings, Cristina Fador, Cristina Fador, Rachel Parrinello, Meghan Bakota, Sheila Winslow, Nicole Duke, Eran Tal, Jennifer Chiala, the Winoto Family, Kristen Hanson, Steve Bamberger, Patrick Hancir, Smita Kanungo, Rachel Renski, Priti Malhotra, Celina Wang, Todd Johnston, Pia Andersson, Amanda Caruso, Sonya Murrett, Libby Trevathan, Ting Engelman, Annie Lee, and Lavanya Gandluru.
Today is an exciting day in LGUSD! Fisher Middle School welcomed back 7th and 8th grade students. Team LGUSD including students, staff, and families have worked relentlessly to make this happen. We have so much to be proud of! Here are a few important highlights for this week:

Conferences
March is here and conferences are in full-progress this week! If you were unable to schedule a meeting with your child’s teacher and have any questions about your child’s successes or areas of growth, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher.

On-Ramp #1 Begins March 15
All full-time Zoomer families received correspondence from your child’s teacher last week regarding On-Ramp #1 which will begin the week of March 15. If a Zoomer family did not complete this form, the child(ren) will remain a Zoomer. On Monday, March 8, ALL families (Zoomers & Roomers) will receive correspondence from your child(ren)’s teacher(s) regarding the On-Ramp #1 which will be beginning March 15. For families who are already participating as a Roomer (in-person learning twice a week), Cohort placements will remain the same. On-Ramp #2 will begin on April 19th.

Student Covid Testing
Covid testing is available for students who will be “On-Ramping” beginning the week of March 15th. ALL testing will take place at​ Fisher Middle School​ in the gym breezeway. Be sure to ​register​ ​before​ arrival if it is your child’s first COVID test. After registering once, you do not need to re-register. Student Covid Testing is projected to take place until the adjusted case rate is below 4.0. Please mark your calendars now!
Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week!

Most sincerely, 
Lisa Reynolds
Principal, Blossom Hill School
Phone: 408.335.2100

IMPORTANT
DATES
February/March


  • Ongoing - New Student Registration*

  • 3/1 - 3/5 - Conference Week (Note that there is no 2-2:30pm connection for students this week.)

  • 3/3 - 5th Grade Parent Fisher Math Informational Zoom Meeting, 5pm*

  • 3/5 - Science Fair project submission deadline*

  • 3/11 - LGUSD Regular Board Meeting, 4-6:30pm

  • 3/12 - Virtual Science Night "Extreme Science", 6pm*

  • 3/24 - H&SC Member Meeting, 9am

  • 3/31 - Willow Street and Main Street Burger Give Back Day*
*Scroll down for more details on these events.
**See details above "From the Principal's Desk"
IMPORTANT SCHOOL CONTACT INFORMATION
Office: 
408-335-2100

Attendance: 
408-335-2145

Office Hours: 
7:30 am - 4 pm

Blossom Hill Good News
Need some good news? Each week, check out the Wednesday morning announcements (found in your child's Google Classroom). Enjoy Mrs. Adams' special Blossom Hill song, fifth-graders leading the Pledge and telling the "buzz" at Blossom Hill, important messages from Mrs. Reynolds, and funny jokes from our friends. The Blossom Hill Good News will put a smile on your face.
A Standing Ovation for the Upper Grade Chorus
On Tuesday, February 23rd the premier of the Upper Grade Chorus' final video performance, London Calling: A Tribute to British Rock through the 60s, 70s and 80s, was shown to the Chorus participants and their families. It was a truly amazing show that will for sure be a highlight of this unparalleled school year. We are so proud of the 52 3rd, 4th and 5th graders that showed up every week on Zoom to learn songs and sing with Mrs. Milos. We can't wait to showcase all their hard work and dedication to our wonderful Blossom Hill community. Please be on the lookout for an email from your child's room parent with a link to our show. 
Please note that Mrs. Grespan will be showing the Chorus video during her library time this week, so all the Blossom Hill students will be able see the show. 
Thank you to the Blossom Hill Home and School Club, Mrs. Reynolds and of course, our amazing parents for all your support! We couldn’t have done it without every single one of you! 
Lacy Milos, Caroline Zamansky and Francine Shore
Important Science Fair Dates
Visit the Science Fair website to learn more about the Virtual Science Fair and accompanying events. Key dates include:

March 1-5 - Project slides and videos are due for upload.

March 11 and 12 - Virtual Science Fair website is live for participants.

March 12 at 6 pm - Virtual Science Night "Extreme Science" show for all Blossom Hill families
New Student Registration 2021-2022
Spread the Word!
Student registration for the 2021-2022 school year is now open online for grades TK-5. Please go to lgusd.org and click on the Registration link for full instructions.
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
Project Cornerstone
Lesson #4 - The Story of Ruby Bridges
Theme: Open Your Heart—
Take a Walk in Someone Else’s Shoes

Social and Emotional Learning 
(Relationship Skills)

For our children, racial tensions and struggles to achieve civil rights may sound like ancient history. But, as you know, our collective struggle to overcome injustice of all kinds is ongoing.  

Clearly, intolerance and injustice continue today. We hope that by encouraging discussion of past intolerance and injustice, we can help guide our students toward actions that will build a more caring, just, inclusive, tolerant and safe school community for all.  
The goals for this lesson are to:  
  • Promote discussion about the importance of accepting differences.
  • Develop empathy by thinking about what it is like to walk in someone else’s shoes.
  • Understand how people can use personal power to be an upstander.

The following questions go along with the Cornerstone video:

Pause 1:
  1. How do you think Ruby Bridges felt when she found out she was going to be the only African American child to go to her new school? (scared, excited, happy, afraid, proud, worried, etc.)
  2. How do you think her parents felt? (it says that they felt proud, but they probably felt other emotions)

Pause 2:
  1. Look closely at the illustration on these two pages. What do you see? How are these people feeling? (people are angry, signs with Whites Only, crowded, all of them are white people)
  2. How do you think their actions are making Ruby Bridges feel? How would you feel if you were in her shoes? (scared, afraid, confused, sad, alone; personal answers will vary)

Pause 3:
  1. Imagine how you might feel if you went to school and no one else was there because they didn’t like the way you looked. How do you think you might feel? Do you think you would want to continue going to school? (student answers will vary)
  2. Mrs. Henry was the only teacher willing to teach Ruby Bridges, even though other people thought she shouldn’t. Why do you think Mrs. Henry made the decision to help Ruby Bridges learn? (she was an upstander, she wanted to do the right thing, she believed everyone was equal, she wanted to follow the law)

Pause 4:
  1. Why are the marshals frightened when Ruby stops in front of the crowd? (they are afraid the crowd might hurt Ruby, people might get out of control, the crowd is angry and they are outnumbered)
  2. What do you think Ruby is saying to the crowd? How do you think she is feeling while she is standing in front of all of the angry people? (students answers will vary; scared, lonely, afraid, brave, confused, strong, proud)

Discussion for All Grades:
  1. How was Ruby an upstander? Who else was an upstander? (she went to school every day, she persevered even though people were angry; her parents, Mrs. Henry, the marshals)
  2. Who were the caring adults in Ruby’s life? (her parents, Mrs. Henry, the marshals, her family, the judge)
  3. What words would you use to describe Ruby? (brave, strong, caring, upstander, hero, changemaker)
  4. How did Ruby’s courage help others? (it allowed others to stand up, eventually students of all colors could go to the same school, her experience helped other people learn to accept differences)
  5. How does walking in someone else’s shoes help you to understand and accept people who may be different from you? (helps people to accept differences, gives you an understanding of how other people feel, empathy)

Additional discussion for 4th -5th:
  • What effect does Ruby’s experience have on your life today? (we get to go to the same school, people are learning not to judge others by their differences, we have all different types of people in our government, schools, doctors, sports teams, etc.)
New Summer Clothes at Rokkitwear
Our Spirit Wear store now has Momentum by Holloway t-shirts and hoodies. Show off your school pride while remaining comfortable in moisture wicking fabric and being protected against the sun with 30+ UPF. Odor resistant technology is also a plus.
Photos Needed for Blossom Hill Good News
February Break Photos
Did you do something super fun over the February break? Maybe you baked cupcakes on Valentine's Day with our class with Cucina Bambini or worked on your Science Fair project. If you would like your fun activity to be part of our Wednesday morning announcements, please send your pictures to Mrs. Sheehan at [email protected]. Don't forget to also upload your pictures to your yearbook account at Treering. Thank you for helping to spread the good news!
Iris Bulbs
Did you plant your iris bulb that you received from the Home & School Club on Picture Day? Has it started blooming? When it does, send a photo of you and your iris to Mrs. Sheehan at [email protected]. Don't forget to also upload your pictures to your yearbook account at Treering. We are in need of many more pictures for the yearbook.
LGS Recreation Summer Opportunities
Check out the Summer Fun Academy programs (starting on page 4). The Summer Fun Academy is a small cohort, 3-week course of academic programs presented in a fun format along with a mix of athletic classes. It will be offered twice during the summer in mid-June and again in early July as a means to keep youth academically engaged while still providing the fun they’ve come to expect from LGS Recreation. Check out all of LGS Recreation's Summer Recreation Guide. There are many opportunities available for all ages across many different areas of interest.
Community Book Study
LGUSD is inviting the community to join in the conversation about equity, inclusion and race led by our Equity Action Team and Epoch Education. We are reading The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. Pick up a copy of the book and get reading. We look forward to learning together.

All meetings will be from 5:30-6:30pm.
December 16, 2021 – Preface and Introduction
January 6, 2021 – Chapter 1: The Rebirth of Caste
January 20, 2021 - Chapter 2: The Lockdown
February 3, 2021 – Chapter 3: The Color of Justice
February 24, 2021 – Chapter 4: The Cruel Hand
March 10, 2021 –
Chapter 5: The New Jim Crow
March 24, 2021 – Chapter 6: The Fire This Time
Blossom Hill Masks for Sale

Need more masks for returning to in person instruction? We've got you covered. Please be sure to write your child's name and classroom number on the label inside the mask, as all masks do look alike. Let's all "bee" safe and "bee" healthy.
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]  
*The Beehive newsletter is approved by Principal Lisa Reynolds and the H&SC Board and is written exclusively to provide the Blossom Hill community with pertinent, weekly school information. Articles, information, calendars, etc. may not be duplicated or re-printed in any manner without the permission of the Home & School Club or the Blossom Hill school administration.

Submissions can be made to The Beehive editor, Jennifer Shapiro,