Week at a Glance
01/30, 02/01, 02/03 Run Club 7:45-8:05am
01/30 GAP Classes Begin
02/01 Volunteer Open House 6:30-8:30pm - Zaumeyer Home*
02/01 MBUSD Board Budget Workshop for 2017-18 - District Office*
02/01 Parent Strategies Training Series 7-8:30pm - MBMS
02/03 Spirit Day - Wear Green or Gator Gear
02/03 Student Store Open 2:15-3:30pm*
02/03 Ice Cream Window Open 2:15-3pm
*Details Below
A Message from the Principal
"Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see." Mark Twain
OUR BRAINS ARE BUILT FOR COMPASSION AND EMPATHY! Being concerned about the welfare of others and understanding the feelings of those around us are basic skills for emotional intelligence. Compassion and empathy can be developed through mindfully practicing acts of kindness. As children develop these traits, they learn to recognize that their words and actions have an impact on others. This feeling of interconnectedness helps them to reflect on their responses to the words and actions of others, and to better monitor and control their emotional responses. Practicing compassion and empathy builds the social and emotional competence that children need in order to be resilient and confident. Brain research studies confirm the power of practicing kindness. Brain scans reveal that neural pathways involved in detecting emotions are dramatically strengthened in people with extensive, focused experiences in practicing compassion. Other studies have shown that our brains are rewarded for altruism with a release of dopamine during acts of kindness. We are hard-wired for compassion and empathy!
OUR GATORS CAN BECOME LITTLE PEOPLE LIVING OUT BIG LOVE I will be sharing a Kid President video with students when we talk about ways to practice kindness. It's worth a watch at home, too!
How to Change the World (a Work in Progress). Gratefully, Mrs. Doyle.
MBEF - Building Innovators
HANDS-ON SCIENCE LAB AND MAKERSPACE Every child benefits by learning critical thinking through science, technology, engineering, and math curricula. Because of MBEF, our children have the opportunity to reach beyong book-based science education and can explore innovation through their own hands-on experiments in the Science Lab. MBEF funds our wonderful and passionate science teacher,
Gretchen Renshaw, as well as such programs as Project Lead the Way within the K12 science curriculum, STEM electives, and MakerSpace. Help us fund these programs by donating today.
mbef.org/givetoday.
CLASS
ROOM PARTICIPATION LEVELS Thank you to the 82% of our GV families that have already donated to our annual MBEF drive,
and congratulations for 100% participation to Mrs. Guelff's and Mrs. Desmond's families!
- TK/K - Brancato 83%, Camacho 78%, Crum 84%, Mangan 83%, Moll 88%, Putich 75%
- 1st - Britton 83%, Ellis 87%, Guelff 100%, Mushet 95%, Olson/Meyer 91%
- 2nd - Daughdrill 83%, Desmond 100%, Gladstone 87%, Glassman 87%, Pliaconis 92%
- 3rd - Dever 76%, Farris 92%, Goodlad 67%, Miles 78%, Simon 84%
- 4th - Fairbrother 87%, Kinzer 73%, Shaw-Bueno 83%, Slater 97%
- 5th - DiBiase 74%, Robertson 94%, Spragg 80%, Witzansky 84%
CLASSROOM BONUS Teachers will receive $200 to spend in the classroom THIS YEAR if their classroom achieves 75% participation, or $250 with 95%+ participation.
Volunteer Open House 2/1
A FE
STIVE EVENING TO FIND OUT ABOUT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEXT YEAR Join us at Amanda Zaumeyer's home on 2/1 from 6:30-8:30pm to find out more about Young At Art, Yearbook, GrowingGreat, Grades of Green, Student Store, Parent Party, PTA board postions, Gator Run, Run Club, Room Parent Coordinator, School Garden/Garden Club, Spring Fair, Book Fair, and Family Fun Movie Night. Please
RSVP attendance by 1/29. Can't attend, but want to get involved? Email
Jen Cram, VP of Volunteers.
MBUSD Budget Workshop 2/1
ALL INVITED TO PARTICIPATE Staff will present information that will be used as the Board develops the
2017-18 budget. Some of the topics in this 30-minute presentation will include:
- The California Budget for Education
- SoCalROC Budget for 2017-18
- MBEF Budget for 2017-18
- Other requests for school expenditures
- The impact of all these factors on the 2017-18 MBUSD Budget
The meeting begins at 4:30pm and the budget presentation will begin around 5pm. After the presentation, at approximately 5:30pm, the Board will host a
workshop, inviting participants to comment on all issues related to the development of the 2017-18 budget. All are invited to participate.
Student Store Open 2/3
WE HAVE LOTS OF COOL STUFF! Our
Student Store will be open right next to the ice cream window this Friday from 2:15-3:30pm. We are the best little store you'll ever find between Vista and Blanche!
Gator Gratitude
GROW FUNDRAISER Our friends at
GROW thank us for helping them celebrate the store's 10th anniversary with our participation in the store and home delivery fundraiser. Our shopping earned a $256.12 donation from GROW, and for that we say thank you back to GROW!
Science Expo is Coming!
MARCH 15, 3-7PM - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Featuring lots of interactive experiments and exploration, this is one of our kids' favorite school events! Visit the invitation page at
SignUp.com and enter your email address. You will not need to create an account. Just choose your spots and you'll get a confirmation and reminder from
SignUp.com. Thanks in advance!
Trash-free Lunch Super Sorter Winners
CONGRATULATIONS! When kids help their fellow students sort their
lunch trash it is good for the earth and good for GV -- and can get them prizes, too! Our Super Sorter winners for the first semester are: Quincy Fredriksz, David Gurman, Cal Hodgkiss, Marty Matich, Colin McGinley, Jack Perelson, Lyla Russell, and Truman Schroeder. Keep up the good work! Prizes will be passed out on Tuesday at lunch. For more info email
Stephanie Brutocao.
Art Contest Entries Due 2/10
SPONSORED BY NEPTUNIAN WOMAN'S CLUB Students attending Manhattan Beach schools in grades K-12 are invited to enter this contest, in its 39th year. Entries are due in the school office by 3pm on 2/10. Contest rules and entry forms are available in the school office or click
here for K-5 and
here for 6-12. No photography is accepted at the K-5 level, and Young At Art projects cannot be accepted. The Art Show & Awards Ceremony is 2/26 at 1pm. Questions? Contact Contest Co-Chair
Lorri Kampfner.
