Inspirations Art Program 1/13

CALL FOR ENTRIES -- Students interested in competing in this year's Inspirations Art Program are encouraged to use time during their holiday break to get creating!  The competition is open to all students and submissions will be judged according to interpretation of the theme, creativity & originality, and artistic merit.  The theme for this year is: My Favorite Things and the deadline for submissions is FRIDAY, 13 JANUARY 2012 by 3:00 PM.  Many charter schools throughout the state will be involved, and the 1st & 2nd place winners of the competition in each age division and category from our school will be sent to our Regional Competition.

Parents are encouraged to encourage their children in their participation, but please remember that only a student's fully original work may be entered in the competition.  For more details, including rules for each available category, please visit the Inspirations Art Program website.  (NOTE: Multiple deadlines are given on this site, but our students MUST ADHERE to our school competition deadline (Fri, 13 Jan, 3pm) in order to enter -- don't be confused by any other dates).  Also any students wishing to enter in a category outside of the standard 2-D Visual Arts, Photography or Literature should watch for the Student Entry Intent Forms available after the Thanksgiving Break.  Filling in these forms will help us greatly in organizing the competition. Students may submit ONE (1) ENTRY IN EACH CATEGORY if desired.

We also invite parent participation helping our Academic Events Committee execute this great opportunity for our children.  It is crucial that we are able to provide competent impartial judges for each category, and we invite your help in securing these.  If you have connections in our local community and would like to nominate, refer, or suggest local artists who may be willing to serve in this capacity for us, please contact Committee Chair Jessica Connors by text, email or phone: jess_connors@q.com or tel. 801.787.8279.
 
Thank you for your interest and support, and we look forward to appreciating our students' ideas, talents, and initiative through this program.  Happy Creating!

Age Divisions:
•    Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
•    3rd - 5th Grade
•    6th - 8th Grade
•    9th -12th Grade
Available Categories:
•    2-D Visual Arts
•    3-D Art
•    Literature
•    Photography
•    Digital Arts
•    Musical Composition
•    Theatre
•    Choreography/Dance
•    Film/Video

Vote for $25,000 Reminder

Walden is in the running for a $25,000 grant, and we need your votes.  Please visit http://www.refresheverything.com/waldenschoolgardens, and VOTE TODAY!  Votes can be made DAILY until the end of November 30th.  You can also text 109683 to Pepsi (73774) for an extra vote.  Thanks for your support!

Book Sale Help Needed 11/30

Library Coordinator Megan Keller will be upstairs in the library Wednesday after school and would love some help sorting books for our used-book sale.  If you can help or are interested in helping with other library needs, please contact Megan at megadoula@gmail.com or 801-227-4213.

Letter Board Help Needed

Would you be willing to help us keep the letter board outside updated?  Please email waldenpcc@gmail.com.

Dinner & Boutique Thank You

Thanks to the volunteers and students that made this year’s Holiday Boutique & Spaghetti Dinner a huge success!  We appreciate the support of families that attended the event, as well.  We raised approximately $3000 for our students' expeditions!  We hope that all in attendance had a fun time, and we hope that we have just as much support next year!

And special thanks to Wendy Bunnell, the PCC Fundraising Committee, and all those parents, teachers, and students who donated food, time, and items for this event!

Boutique & Dinner Help Needed

Walden's Spaghetti Dinner & Holiday Boutique fund-raiser directly benefits our Middle and H.S. students. Willing to help with time or food donations? Please email us at waldenpcc@gmail.com.

Dinner & Boutique 11/18 7pm

Spaghetti Dinner & Holiday Boutique
Friday, Nov. 18 @ 7pm
at Walden

Proceeds go directly to Middle and High School students to help fund their expeditions this year. Silent auction items include dinner gift certificates, snow board package, theater tickets, babysitting services, perfect for holiday giving!

Come support the kids and have a wonderful night out while helping our students have some amazing cultural experiences this year!!

Ticket prices are $5 per person, or $20 per family.

Parent Ed. Night 11/10 7-8pm

Montessori 101: An Introduction to the Theories and Practices
Thursday, Nov. 10 @ 7-8pm
in the Walden School library 

Curious what this whole Montessori thing really means? Interested to learn more about the theories behind what happens in your child's classroom?

Join us for an evening for parents to learn about the ideas behind their child's education at Walden. Light refreshments will be served.

Vote for $25,000

Pepsi is giving away millions of dollars to fund community projects.  Walden is now in the running for a $25,000 grant and we need your votes!  This money would be used to add more play areas and gardens to the school, adding learning opportunities and fun for the children.

What we need now is your help. We have to be one of the top 15 ideas to win.  Votes can be made daily until the end of November 30th.  You can log in with Pepsi or Facebook. Please visit http://www.refresheverything.com/waldenschoolgardens and vote today! You can also text 109683 to Pepsi (73774) to vote from your cell.

Thanks for your support in making our school a better place.

Fall Harvest Carnival – Thank You!!

We want to express a heartfelt thank you to all who attended our carnival or helped in any way.  We are so very grateful for your generosity in donating your time and means to help our school.  For details about money the money raised by this fund-raiser, please look to future emails.

Yoga Club for K-5 Update

With current enrollment, our new Yoga Club is full at this time. If your children would like to participate and you wish to add them to our waiting list, please email waldenpcc@gmail.com. Please do not ask Lois or Hannah to add you, as they do not have the master list.

School Library Volunteers Needed

This week, we have two time slots available for library volunteers.

• Wed. – 2:45-7pm
• Sat. – 3-6pm

Our new library coordinator, Megan Keller, will be upstairs in the library to meet with volunteers and help them find projects to work on at school or projects to take home.

If you’d like to volunteer your time by organizing the library or helping students check out books but cannot attend either of these times, please email us at waldenpcc@gmail.com with your contact info and the times you might best be able to help.

Fall Harvest Carnival 10/27 4-7pm

Annual Fall Harvest Carnival
Thursday, Oct. 27 @ 4-7pm

Bring friends, family, and neighbors for a fun night out and to help raise money for our school.  Only $1.00/person admission.

Click to see the flyer in color or b&w.

New "Fri. After-School Club" 10/28

A big thank you to Lincoln Blumell and all the other parent volunteers who helped make our Track & Field Club a success.  This week we have no clubs, due to Fall Break.

Oct. 28 will be the first day of our new three-week Yoga Club.  Gygi Koster, a High School yoga instructor and parent of a Walden first-grader will host this new club. To register for the new Yoga Club, please email waldenpcc@gmail.com with the names and grades of the children you wish to add, and we will email you the forms and details. Please do not ask Lois or Hannah to add you, as they do not have the master list.

Oct. 28 will also be our final day for Music History Club.  Details about the other new club will be available in next Monday’s weekly email.  Questions?  Please email us at waldenpcc@gmail.com.

Sibling Enrollment

Hey Walden Families!

If you have children in your family that you would like to attend Walden next year that are not already enrolled, be sure and get an application in as soon as possible so we can get them on the sibling wait list. With siblings it is an actual first come first serve wait list so the sooner you apply the better! Drop by the office for an application any time!

Current students will have a form to fill out for re enrollment later on in the year.

Don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions. Thanks!

--
Hannah West
Walden School of Liberal Arts

Fall Harvest Carnival 10/27 4-7pm

Annual Fall Harvest Carnival
Thursday, Oct. 27 @ 4-7pm

We would love your help with food donations and food-booth volunteers for Walden’s Annual Fall Carnival.  Currently, we still need:

• food booth help for one hour - We hope to get enough help that each volunteer only needs to spend one hour and can then spend the rest of the time enjoying the carnival!
• food donations - hot dogs, buns, self-rising flour, veg. oil, sm. bags chips, baked goods
• bounce house donation - If anyone has a connection to a bouncy house, we would love to see if we can get one donated for a few hours! We have found one as cheap as $60 for the timeframe, but are hoping to get it donated

If you can help, please email us at waldenpcc@gmail.com. Your donations of time and food can help us overcome the latest set of government school-budget cuts.

School Library

Would you like to help get our school library up and running? Please email us at waldenpcc@gmail.com with your contact info and the times you might best be able to help.

Box Tops for Education by 10/25

Please turn in your Box Tops by Oct. 25 so we can make the fall deadline and redeem them for $$ for our school.

1. Collect “Box Tops for Education” from hundreds of grocery store products
2. Trim them, please.
3. Check the expiration date.
4. Turn them in to the collection box on the lobby table (under the bulletin board).

"Fri. After-School Clubs" Update

With the change in Fall Break scheduling, we’ve had to modify the clubs schedule from the one we originally posted.  Music History Club runs through Oct. 28.  Track & Field Club will run through Oct. 14.  The next week (Oct. 21) is Fall Break, and the week after that (Oct. 28) we will have a different P.E.-type club to cover the gap and to help both clubs finish on the same date.

Reminder: If you would like your children to be added to our waiting list for the clubs, please email waldenpcc@gmail.com. Please do not ask Lois or Hannah to add you, as they do not have the master list. We will also have openings toward the end of October when our new club sign-ups begin.

Questions?  Please email us at waldenpcc@gmail.com.

Jr./H.S. Spirit Week 10/10-10/14

Walden Week
Monday, Oct. 10-Friday, Oct. 14

Monday: Mustache/Fancy Hat Monday
Tuesday: Future/Crazy Hair Day
Wednesday: Dress up as your favorite Movie Character
Thursday: '20s Day
Friday: Pajama Day

Click to see the Walden Week flyer.

Picture Day, Wednesday 10/5

School Picture Day
Wednesday, Oct. 5

ShadeTree Studios will be coming Wednesday, Oct. 5 to take pictures of all students for the Walden yearbook.  ShadeTree will also take a photo of the entire student body on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Retakes and K-6 class photos will be taken Wednesday, Oct. 26.

Photo packages start at $21 and include the option to purchase the digital negative for an additional $10.  For package details, please see the flyer.  Your student should also be bringing one home.

Spirit Clothing Orders Due 9/9

Got school SPIRIT?  Parents and students, the last day to order Walden “School Spirit” clothing items (sweatshirts, t-shirts, corduroy hats, ball caps, knit hats) is Friday, Sept. 9.  Please see the front desk for order forms.

On a similar note, if you would like to order an additional field-trip t-shirt for your elementary student, (or if you would like one for yourself to wear when you accompany your child's class) please send a payment of $9.00 per shirt along with the size you wish to purchase to your child's teacher.  Teachers will place an order on or about Sept. 15.

"Fri. After-School Clubs" Begin 9/9

Wondering how to bridge the gap between the Friday 12:15pm Elementary and the 2:30pm Middle/High School dismissal times?

Looking for fun, educational experiences for your elementary-aged children, K-5th grade?

Walden's Parent Community Council (PCC) is pleased to present a series of after-school clubs on Friday afternoons beginning Sept. 9.  These clubs will allow students to sample a wide range of learning activities, from botany to yoga, hosted by parents experienced in the field.  Parents will be background checked and will always work in pairs or larger groups.  Your children's safety and well-being are of our utmost concern.

Our schedule for the clubs will be

• 12:15-12:40pm   Lunch  (25 mins.)
• 12:45-1:35pm   Club #1  (50 mins.)
• 1:40-2:30pm   Club #2  (50 mins.)

Club #1 will be a Track & Field Club hosted by Lincoln Blumell, a BYU professor and parent of a fourth-grader here at Walden.  This club will run for six weeks, 9/9-10/14.  Though there will be no required fees for the clubs, we do request a $1-2 per week donation to help cover the cost of our equipment, if you are able to donate.

Club #2 will be a Music History Club hosted by Tami Niven, a music and piano teacher and parent of a Walden first-grader.  In Music History Club, students will learn about the four musical periods by listening to key compositions and interacting with the music through dance, art, and song.  This club will run for seven weeks, 9/9-10/28.

To sign up or ask questions, please email us at waldenpcc@gmail.com.

Labor Day, No School 9/5

Labor Day
Monday, Sept. 5

In observance of our national holiday honoring American workers, there will be no school on Monday.

Some interesting websites that teach about Labor Day:

• U.S. Department of Labor http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm
• The History Channel http://www.history.com/topics/labor-day
• USA.gov (includes resources for kids) http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Labor_Day.shtml

What's 4 Lunch

This past week, Walden began a new school-lunch partnership with “What’s 4 Lunch” (W4L), a new company started by our former lunch director, Shelbi Moore.  The lunch program began Monday, Aug. 29, when upper-school students were back on campus.

Lunches cost $2.50, regardless of the quantity purchased.  Lunches may now be purchased in either one-week or one-month increments.  The ordering options differ for vegetarian lunches.  Although most elementary students will not eat lunch on Fridays because of early dismissal, Walden is on the "five-day-per-week" schedule because upper-grade students will eat lunch on Fridays.  To order lunches, please go to www.whats4lunchinc.com and click on "The Store" on the left-hand side of the page.  You will need to create a brief customer profile.  The site also contains a menu.

Please note: Orders must be placed before 8am of the day you want lunch served.  Also, orders must be placed online; Walden is no longer accepting cash for lunch tickets.  You will receive a confirmation email; however, in my experience, students do not need to bring in any form of proof that you have paid for their lunches.  W4L has a list of those who have paid.

Walden (with the help and generosity of W4L) will continue to subsidize the cost of lunch for families whose family income level qualifies for this service.  Please let Sharon Beecroft know if you need additional information on the reduced lunch program.

PCC Meeting 8/31 7:30pm

Parent Community Council Meeting
Wednesday, Aug. 31 @ 7:30pm
in the Walden School gym

For those who were unable to attend one of our meetings 8/16 or 8/17 or who may not have known about them, we will be holding a final opening Parent Community Council Meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 31 @ 7:30pm in the Walden gym.

For those who did attend, please know that we are working to organize you into committees so we all can get going on our projects as soon as possible.

Ryan Norris (on the Health & Welfare Committee) is organizing volunteers to help with parking lot safety and school maintenance. If you can help direct the flow of traffic after school at pickup time (from 2:25-3:05pm) or if you have skills to help with special maintenance projects, please email us at waldenpcc@gmail.com.

Kindergarten Begins 8/29

First Day of Kindergarten
Monday, Aug. 29 @ 8:30am or 12pm

a.m. students attend 8:30am-11:15am M-Th
p.m. students attend 12pm-2:45pm M-Th

For the Friday schedule, please contact your child's kindgergarten teacher.

Swim Party 8/26 11am-12:30pm

Family Swim Party
Friday, Aug. 26 @ 11am-12:30pm
at Scera Pool in Orem (http://mapq.st/orWrpW)

Walden students and their families are welcome to join us for a pool party.  No classes will be held that day.

No School Lunch 8/22-8/26

As shared in an email by Elementary teacher Shelly Gramajo:

All students will need to bring home lunch for the first week of school.  There will be no school lunch offered the first week, so please plan on sending lunch in for your child.  Your child's lunch should be healthy and filling, and it should not require any preparation.  In the past, parents have sent in microwaveable items.  While a microwave burrito may be a good lunch option at home, at school it becomes a less-desirable option because the unfortunate children who end up at the back of the microwave line do not have enough time to actually eat once the food is prepared.

School Begins 8/22 8:30am

First Day of School
Monday, Aug. 22 @ 8:30am

Monday is the first day of classes for the new 2011-12 school year.

Kindergarten begins a week later on Monday, Aug. 29.

Please see your child's teacher for further information, as the schedule and start dates vary from grade to grade.

Potluck Picnic 8/18 6-8pm

Annual Picnic at the Park
Thursday, Aug. 18 @ 6-8pm
at South Fork Park (http://mapq.st/qU6dT6)

Bring your family, your appetite, and your favorite potluck side dish to our annual back-to-school gathering.  Get to know teachers, administrators, and other students and their families.  We'll bring the main dish, paper goods, and drinks.  You bring the quinoa salad.

PCC Meetings, 8/16 or 8/17

Parent Community Council Meeting ~~~ Choose either:
Tuesday, Aug. 16 @ 7pm in the Walden School gym
or Wednesday, Aug. 17 @ 11am at Riverview Park (http://mapq.st/r9YNdj)

Our new presidency for the 2011-12 school year will include Kylie Dickson, serving as president, and Ingrid Hall, serving as vice president. Thank you to all who filled out our survey about your experiences this past school year.

Because our school charter requests 40+ hours per year of volunteer time from each family, we hope that every family---whether seasoned or new---will join us in our efforts to coordinate volunteer work. Our mission is to enhance and support the educational experience by

• supporting student learning in the classroom and community
• promoting academic, cultural, and athletic activities
• building a strong and vibrant school culture
• improving the environment at Walden School through volunteer and financial support.

To join us and get involved, please come to one of our two planning meetings next week. We will be discussing the survey results and working to set up committees and choose room parents. If you cannot attend either of these meetings, but would like more information, please email us at waldenpcc@gmail.com.