Home Site Map SiteMap document map Main Menu Home School News/Events Mason Elementary NewsSelect a news category from the list below, and then select a news article to read. If you are a member of the Mason community and you have a news item/event that you would like posted contact webmaster@masonelementarypta.org ... News The latest school news... School Supplies Check out the list suggested supplies created by the Mason teachers.... Resources for Students with Autism Wangenheim Middle School & Resources for Students with Autism (RSA) Parent Support Groups Back to School, Routines, and Homework Help Thursday, October 23rd   6-7:30pmParents Share Ideas - What Works and What Doesn't Thursday November 20th    6-7:30pmRelaxing Through the Holidays Friday December... Becoming a Star Writer This summer reading program for grades 3-4 is designed to enhance your child’s ability and skill in expressing ideas when writing essays, writing about what has been read, book reports, and in the daily school journal.  For more information flyer or visit the web site  www.neverstoplearning.net/star ... Children's Book Lists Here are some good information on getting your children to read. The Center for the Book The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress was established in 1977 by Public Law 95-129 to use the resources f the Library of Congress to stimulate public interest in books and reading. With public and private sector support, he... Standards-Based Report Card The San Diego Unified School District is now using a Standards-Based Report Card (SBRC) at the elementary level. This is an exciting step for our schools as we work towards ensuring that all students are successful at meeting grade-level standards. Standards describe what a student should know and be able to do at each... School Standards Standards for San Diego City Schools San Diego City Schools adheres to the Academic Content Standards established by the California Department of Education (CDE). The district page is located at  studata.sandi.net/saa/standards/. The content standards adopted by the California State Board of Education are located at www... California Standards Tests California Standards Tests (CSTs) Released Test Questions have been posted at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/css05rtq.asp There are questions in English-Language Arts,Mathematics, andScience... New Science Curriculum The SDUSD Science Dept. has scheduled parent meetings at 6 diferent locations to discuss the new elementary science curriculum that will be implemented this fall. Refreshments, child care, and translators will be available. The meeting that is closest to Mason will be held at Hage Elementary (9750 Galvin Ave San Diego, CA 92126)... Live Homework Help The San Diego Public Library/San Diego Unified Schools presents: Live Homework Help at www.sandiegolibrary.org Free Online Tutoring! Sun.- Sat. from 1:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m. Connect One-to-One with Real Tutors Grades 4 - 12 & College Introduction Academic Areas: Math, Science, English, Social Studies La Biblioteca Pública... Positive Communication Tips for Positive Communications Between Parents and Teachers English Spanish Teachers  ... Colorin Colorado The Colorin Colorado web site www.colorincolorado.org/ has lots of articles, resources, and ideas to support English Language Learners. Below is a sample of what is available Pre School1st grade 2nd grade 3rd grade Spanish Pre School1st grade 2nd grade 3rd grade VietnameseTagalog ... Parent-Teacher Conference Ten Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference (Peggy Gisler, Ed.,S., and Marge Eberts, Ed.S.).  Although parent/teacher conferences are next month, here are some things to keep in mind as you prepare for your conference.  Ask your child if there is anything that he would like you to discuss with the teacher.Jot... Parent Resources Here are some parent resources, we will be adding more in the futureThe National PTA www.pta.org/parent_resources.htmlWe Can! (www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/) or "Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition" is a national program designed for families and communities to help... Everyone a Reader Do you want to help your child become a better reader? We have a wonderful learning opportunity for you to help your child and other children at Mason Elementary! Your gift of one hour a week can help a child become more successful in school! WHERE: Mason Elementary Staff Lounge WHEN: Thursday December 4 TIME: 8:15a... Nurses Station At this point in the school year we have run out of loaner clothes of students who've had bathroom accidents. We prefer parents bring clean clothes for their student when an accident occurs or better yet, a change of clothing kept in the backpack saves time for everybody. Donations of gently used shorts and pants would be... Room Parents! We need Room Parents! We would like every classroom to have a room parent. What is a Room Parent, here are a few examples: Provides a phone # roster for class, information exchange, translationsProvides ideas, personnel & materials for parties & room projectsCoordinating volunteers for field tripsMaking calendar of... School Site Council Members Needed for School Site Council - 2008/2009 The School Site Council needs 3 more members for the next school year.  This committee is very important and is mandated by the State to approve budgetary matters for the school.  The school cannot operate without this committee.  The committee meets 10 times... Open PTA Board Positions Open PTA Board Positions for the 2008/2009 School Year The following PTA Board positions are still available for the upcoming school year. Please consider joining us: Volunteer coordinator Reflections Chairperson  help with individual eventsRoom parent volunteer to represent each classroom. If interested, please... Everyone a Reader Everyone a Reader Volunteer Tutor Program Our goal is to make Everyone A Reader by third grade The San Diego County Office of Education developed this program to assist children experiencing difficulty learning to read. Volunteers receive 3 hours of training in Reading Recovery strategies Volunteers tutor one day a week for one hour... ELAC District Representative English Learner Advisory Council (ELAC) - District Representative Needed Our English Learner Support Teacher, Ms. Debbie Campbell, is in need of a parent who is willing to be the ELAC District Representative. The meetings are held once a month from 6:30-8:00 PM (see schedule below) and childcare is provided if needed. The first... Site Governance Team The role of SGT is to design and implement effective strategies for the continuous improvement of all students’ achievements through quality teaching and learning experiences at individual schools. SGT is a site-based, decision-making group created through a local agreement between SDCS and the San Diego Education Association... Dads Club How do you feel about forming a Dad’s Club on the Mason campus?  We’ve had a few suggestions for such a club and would like your input.  Dad’s Clubs are becoming more popular these days, and even a few of our community schools have already jumped on the Dad’s Club bandwagon.  If... Parent Bulletin September Hello to all the families at Mason, new and old. I'm happy to inform you that I have taken over for Lori Orvard, who had many years of being Mason's Newsletter Manager. I want to thank her for doing such a great job, and say we will miss her & wish her good luck with her upcoming College Courses..We love you Lori!... Parent Bulletin October Hello, families of Mason! It's now the month of October, can you believe it? I hope you and your child have had a great beginning so far.. Back to School night was a total success. There were a lot of people involving themselves with signing up to the PTA Membership, buying t-shirts, and voting on our school budget.... Parent Bulletin November Another month has passed us by...We've had such a great beginning!  Our International Potluck was a true success! Thank you all for participating and bringing your wonderful dishes to our setting..I was definitely full by the end of the night.. Thanks to all the judges that participated with our recipe contest. I loved... Online Donations You can now donate to the Mason PTA Online. We have teamed up with School Pay which is part of the My Paynment Network to allow safe and secure credit card and  e-check donations. Click here to open a new windows and make your donation.... PTA Video Store Buy a great gift for your child, family or friends while supporting Mason Elementary. Shop more than 10,000 family friendly videos. Go to: www.ptavideostore.comClick on Buy Gift Card Choose to send a gift card by regular mail or by e-mail Select your PTA local unit Purchase a gift card and our own PTA will receive proceeds... GoodSearch Mason Elementary can earn a donation every time you search the Internet and shop online! Search the web with Yahoo-powered GoodSearch.com and  Mason can earn a penny with every search! Shop at more than 600 GoodShop.com merchants and a percentage of each purchase will go to Mason! There is no registration required to shop... Fall Fundraiser Delivery The products and prizes from the fall fundraiser will be delivered to the classrooms on Friday 14 November.... Target.com Do you know that Target has donated over $7600. to Mason Elementary?  If you have a Target REDCard or are interested in applying for one, make sure to designate Mason Elementary in Target’s Take Charge of Education program. Visit www.Target.com/tcoe or call 1-800-316-6142 to designate our school. When you use your... eScrip eScrip: Electronic Scrip Incorporated (ESI) is a California-based corporation dedicated to establishing relationships between commerce and community — to provide resources to organizations and projects that support children. ESI introduced the eScrip program in 1999 and has distributed over $120 million to schools and... BoxTops for Education There are three ways to help our school earn money through Box Tops for Education. Clip Box Top coupons from products. Just clip and send them with your child to school. Each Box Top is worth $.10.Check your receipt at Albertson’s and Vons because some purchases award bonus Box Tops at the bottom of the receipt or on... Endless.com If you plan on making any purchases or buying any gift cards from Endless.com, please use the link below. If you click on this link, it will direct you to Endless.com. This will help Mason earn a 15 percent referral fee for each purchase. ... Amazon.com If you plan on making any purchases or buying any gift cards from Amazon.com, please use this Amazon link.  If you click on this link, it will direct you to Amazon.com.  This will help Mason earn a 4-15 percent referral fee.  The percentage is based on the number of purchases made through this link per month.... Office Depot Office Depot wants to help our school. You can get 5% of your purchases donated to Mason Elementary by telling the casher that you want the donation to go to Mason Elementary ID 70013887.... Albertson’s Community Partners Do you shop at Albertsons using your Albertson’s Preferred Savings Card?  If so, please register your card.  Visit http://www.albertsons.com/cp/ and select the option Shoppers login or register with your Preferred Savings Card first.Note:  You must have the card number and your phone number. You... Campbell’s Labels for Education Campbell’s, V8, Prego, Pepperidge Farm breads and cookies, Gold Fish crackers, and other frozen products have a UPC symbol labeled “Campbell’s Label for Education”. When you see this label on a product, clip and save the UPC symbols, and then send them to your child’s classroom. Each label... Fall Fundraiser Mason will be using Great Americian for the fall fundraiser. There are gifts for Gifts for Home, Bath, Kitchen, Jewelry, Garden, Pets, Kids, BBQ, Laura Ashley, Scrapbooking, Gift Wrap & Much, Much More.  You can order online anytime by clicking here or on the image. After you click you will directed to a page where... A Message About Bullying A Message About Bullying from The Parent Institute Bullying is a common experience for too many students. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry reports that "as many as half of all children are bullied at some time during their school years, and at least 10% are bullied on a regular basis, and the effects... Cub Scouts Calling all Boys Cub Scout Pack 1203 is starting a new year of scouting check out cubscoutpack1203.org for more information... Military School Liaison The School Liaison program offers the tools to enhance learning and support military children as they successfully navigate the many transitions unique to a military lifestyle. They have resources and events for Military families. For more information check their web site  www.miramar.usmc.mil/slo/liaison.htm or call... Soldiers Angels Brownie Troop 8215 has made it their goal to help Soldier’s Angels & NEED YOUR HELP!! Have you always wanted to help the troops in some way but don’t know how?   Soldier’s Angels goal this year is to collect 180,000 granola/protein bars by October 24th and together with our troop you can help create... Harvest of the Month Studies show that healthy eating and daily physical activity have a profound impact on the body and mind by improving the ability to learn and comprehend, boosting energy, improving school attendance and changing attitudes, behavior and more. Harvest of the Month provides materials and resources to support healthy food choices... Promote Healthy Lifestyles November is PTA Healthy Lifestyles Month! The PTA has put together the PTA Healthy Lifestyles: A Parent's Guide (340k PDF), which contains up-to-date, reliable information on nutrition, physical activity, and more. The Food Pyramid for kids (807k PDF) is also available.   ... Bike Club Calling All Families That Wanna Have Fun!! Thanks again to all kids, moms & dads, and Kathy Keehans' Volunteer Crew ~ Marty Shapiro, David Kievit, Jim Baross, and special guest instructor Preston Pyree, the League of American Bicyclists National Education Program Coordinator for making our Bike Safety... Pig Races Pictures from the Cherrydale high sellers pig races have been posted in the Gallery ... PTA Board Elections You can make a difference at Mason Elementary!  You have ideas, and you have talents — share them with the Mason community!  The 2008/2009 PTA Board elections will be held on Wednesday, March 12 at 5:30 PM.  The following PTA Board positions are open and training is available for these positions. ... Happy 2008 Happy 2008 from the Mason PT. School starts again on Tuesday 22 January 2008.... Volunteers Needed If you can help with either the Book Fair or the Grandparents and Goodies family event, please contact Tirzah Mihalov at 858-566-5845 or tmihalov@san.rr.com. You can also complete the volunteer form in the November newsletter and return it with your child. ... President Point November Presidents Message: I am reminded of a quote, "The biggest gap in the world is between I should and I did"  by H Jackson Brown. Well our "dids" just got bigger and we have the numbers to prove it. Our records show that we have surpassed 210 PTA members for this year. In comparison, last year we only... President Point October President’s Point To borrow a line from Charles Dickens, these are the best of times and the worst of times.  How we view our world has a lot to do with the choices we make.  Sure we are facing financial, employment and housing uncertainties never seen before in our country.  However, I am positively recharged... President Corner September President’s Perspective On behalf of your PTA I would like to welcome everyone back to Mason. We are excited about the new school year and the opportunities we want to provide for our children. If there is a theme I would like to present, it would be a “little goes a long way”. We have seen an increase in... President Corner July As we approach the end of the school year, I would like to dedicate this month’s article to the people at Mason who made the difference in the lives of our children.  The National PTA Organization sponsors a program titled the Three for Me Promise that encourages adults to give three hours of your time on behalf of... President Corner June I would like to thank all the people who have supported and participated in our recent Jog-a-thon. The monies raised will go to support our technology enhancements at the school. May also celebrated Moms who were recognized during our Moms and Muffins event coordinated by Kathy Hall and her helpers.  Additional kudos... President Corner May From Good to GreatI like our school.  And like everything you are fond of, you hope that it can get better. I am reminded of the book – Good to Great by Jim Collins. Although the author examined corporate America, I think some of the same lessons learned can be applied to Mason. Mr. Collins asked the question, “Why... President Corner March From our PTA President “Whatever it takes, our kids are worth it.” – a Mason Parent. As we move into spring, we have some PTA events to look forward to.  Our March PTA Meeting will be featuring a Family Science Night.  We have partnered with the Mira Mesa High School Science Departments... President Corner February What’s in a name? Everyone has an opinion about the PTA – some favorable and some not so much. I got involved in the PTA last year as a way to help my daughter have a more positive experience at Mason. I didn’t know what the organization was all about; only that it served the needs of the students at Mason... President Corner December Our Lions are off and running, and I am not talking about our mascot, although I have heard he is pretty quick on his feet. Our PTA fundraising is off to a good start this year with our Cherrydale fundraiser and recent restaurant night at Fuddrucker’s, bringing in funds to sponsor our school events. Also, be on the lookout... President Corner November Wow…the International Potluck was a great success.  I would like to thank all the parents who attended, and especially those who brought their favorite recipes to share.  The students did a fantastic job under the direction of Ms. Exner and Ms. Gronotte and their programs were real crowd pleasers.  I would... President Corner October I hope everyone has settled in and is enjoying the start of the new school year. I would like to thank everyone who attended the Back-to-School night. The event was well attended and many parents had an opportunity to join the PTA and show their support for our school. Our Fall Fundraiser has started and catalogs have been sent... President Corner September The PTA would like to welcome all of our new students, parents and staff to Mason. For those of you returning, we hope you had a great break and it will be good to see you again. Because the lion is our mascot, we would like everyone to take PRIDE in our school, so we thought we would make that the theme for this year. We have... New PTA President I am pleased to be part of the Mason PTA team that will be supporting our students, teachers and staff for the upcoming 2007-2008 school year. I have recently returned from the annual 9th District PTA unit training and one thing that was made very clear: “when parents participate and develop relationships with their school,... I’m Thankful for My Teacher Because… I’m Thankful for My Teacher Because…is a contest to say thank you to our teaches. Between November 1 and 30, 2008 you can stop by any Mission Federal Credit Union branch or Cox store and fill out a thank you post card. During the week of 7 December the cards will be tallied and delivered. Prizes will be given to... Website Survey Take the December Survey (masonpta.org/monthly_survey ) and let us know what you think of the Web Site and if you complete the survey you you could win a $4.50 Robeks Smoothie gift certificate. ... November Newsletter The September issue of our newsletter the Lions Pride Gazette is now available. Thanks to Tiffany the newsletter has a new name and format. If you have any sugestions or questions please contact her at newsletter@masonpta.org   ... Membership Prize One luck Mason PTA members will a Nintendo Wii. The drawing will be held during the International Pot Luck October 23. You do not need to present to win, but you do need to be a Mason PTA member. The Membership page has information on how to join. You have until Wednesday October 22, 2008 to submit your PTA application and the $7... October Newsletter The September issue of our newsletter the Lions Pride Gazette is now available. Thanks to Tiffany the newsletter has a new name and format. If you have any sugestions or questions please contact her at newsletter@masonpta.org... PTA 2008-9 Budget The Mason PTA Draft 2008-9 Budget  Mason_PTA_Draft_Budget_2008-2009.pdf ... New Newsletter Hello to all the families at Mason, new and old. I'm happy to inform you that I have taken over for Lori Orvard, who had many years of being Mason's Newsletter Manager. I want to thank her for doing such a great job, and say we will miss her & wish her good luck with her upcoming College Courses..We love you Lori!... Room Carpet Mason Families The Mason PTA is always working hard to create an environment that is safe, comfortable, and clean for our students. During the 2007-2008 school year the Mason PTA donated $10,000 and several classrooms had permanent carpet installed in January of 2008. Why is carpet important in a classroom you ask? There are... Mason T-Shirts Wear Mason T-Shirts with pride this Friday 29 Feb. The shirts will be on sale this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday only $5.00 each. See the pictures   Front Back  ... PTA Board Meetings Documents from the PTA Board Mason PTA bylaws (zip 1.2 MB) updated on  25 Feb 2008 Board Meetings PTA Board Meeting Minutes 2008-05-06 (PDF 111 KB)PTA Board Meeting Minutes 2008-03-04 (PDF 89 KB)PTA Board Meeting Minutes 2008-02-04 (PDF 106 KB)PTA Board Meeting Minutes 2007-12-04 (PDF 113 KB)PTA Board Meeting Minutes... PTA Membership Dear Mason Parents, Staff, and Friends, You would do anything you could to help the children in your lives. So would we. We are Mason PTA (Parent/Teacher Association). We want to create an atmosphere where teachers and administrators can do their best work, and so can our children. There is a lot to do, and we need your help... PTA FAQ Here are answers to the following questions What has Mason PTA purchased for our school? What fundraisers does the PTA help plan or organize? What school events does the PTA help plan or organize? WHAT HAS MASON PTA PURCHASED FOR OUR SCHOOL? The fundraisers in the 2007-2008 school year have given the Mason PTA the opportunity... Events News on upcomming events at Mason... Principal Corner News from the Mason Principal ... Thank You Keeping up to date Below are ways that you can use to keep up to date with changes in the Mason PTA web site and to embed our content in your web site. News Items  The latest news is available in the following RSS feed. There are many programs can read RSS feeds including Mozilla Thunderbird and Outlook 2007. http://www.masonelementarypta... Past Events Student Council Student Council Mason Student Council 2008-09 The Democratic process was in full swing at Mason on October 17th.  Mason 4th and 5th grade students exercised their right to vote when electing the new ASB officers for  2008-2009. Elections were held in the classrooms after all 20 candidates gave their speeches in hopes of being elected to the Student Council. ... Thank You Mira Mesa HEROES Thanks to the  Mira Mesa HEROES for there help during the Mason Beautification Day ... Partners in Education Mason Elementary would like to thank our Partners in Education for their continued support throughout the years. Mission Federal Credit Union Mira Mesa Lanes Office Depot Amanda Crane, owner of Golden Spoon ... Qualcomm Donates Laptop Computers Through the efforts of Mason parents, Ken and Dawn Kaiser, Qualcomm has generously donated twelve laptop computers to Mason Elementary. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the Kaiser family, as well as Sarah Snavely of Qualcomm, for coordinating this extraordinary donation. On behalf of the children and administration…. THANK... State Garden Grant Mason Awarded $2,500 State Garden Grant Grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 were awarded last week to 98 schools in the San Diego Unified School District to help expand and sustain campus gardens. Campus gardens helps students learn about habitats, plants and the food chain. Students plant, weed and care for the gardens; some... Principal Corner News from the Mason Principal ... Principal Corner November Dear Lion Families We have wonderful children here at Mason and, for them, WE NEED YOU! Please remember that it takes a whole village to raise a child! Teachers will be scheduling parent conferences during the week of November 17th (note: dismissal is 12:15 EVERY DAY that week) and we need you to attend one for each of your children... Principal Corner October Dear Lion Families, The first month of school has been wonderful at Mason Elementary! It is an exciting but intense time for children—new friends, new teachers, and new responsibilities can overwhelm even the most confident child. There are small things you can do that your child will appreciate to help them adjust... Principal Corner September Welcome to the 2008-09 school year!  I hope that your vacation was relaxing and you are ready for an exciting new adventure here at Mason. Please be sure to review the website (http://www.sandi.net/mason/ ) each week and monitor the school calendar for events and activities that are important to our students. It's... Principal Corner July Dear Lion Families This will be the last newsletter for the 2007-8 school year, so I would like to thank the many, many Mason families whose generous donations of time, and resources throughout the year helped support the school. We appreciate your dedication to our campus community and want you to know what an important role... Principal Corner June Dear Lion Families, I can not believe that it is almost June already! The first and second week of June is a critical time because we will be taking the state tests. These tests are important for your child and for our school. Please be sure that your child gets plenty of sleep, eats a healthy breakfast, and does his/her personal best... Principal Corner May Dear Lion Families, The teachers are busy preparing our children for a lifetime of success. We believe that all children can and must learn. One of the ways that we measure how much our children are learning is by testing them.  Our California Standardized Tests will begin May 28th.  All students (grades 2-5) are... Principal Corner March Dear Lion Families, Spring time is here and this is the time when budgets are completed, tests are taken, and plans for next year begin. The Budget As the Mason SSC begins developing the budget for the 2008-09 school year, we face many challenges. As you know via our website (http://www.sandi.net/mason/), Governor... Principal Corner February Dear Lion Families, Welcome back to the 2007-08 school year! I trust that your vacation was relaxing and filled with the making of new memories of family and friends. We are at the half way point and we still have so much to do and learn! At Mason, we continue to stay focused on State Standards and student productivity... Principal Corner December Dear Mason Families, Thank you for all that you do to help us create a positive learning environment for our children. The Halloween Field Day was a success, the Orchestra was inspiring, and the Kindergarten/Second Grade show was adorable. In addition, we are really excited about the book fair which is scheduled for December 3-7... Principal Corner November Dear Parents,We have had a wonderful beginning to the school year at Mason Elementary! Our teachers are doing an expert job of establishing new learning communities in their classrooms and PTA-sponsored events have helped our families to stay involved.At our school, one of our goals it to keep parents well informed of our efforts... Principal Corner October The first month of school has been wonderful at Mason Elementary! It is an exciting but intense time for children—new friends, new teachers, and new responsibilities can overwhelm even the most confident child. There are small things you can do that your child will appreciate to help them adjust to the new school year:... Principal Corner September Dear Mason Learning Community, I am excited that I have been chosen to serve as your new principal! For the past 3 and a half years, I happily served as principal at EB Scripps and am proud of the academic gains we had all worked so hard to achieve. While I will miss the sense of family we have established at EBS, I look forward... School News The latest school news... Student Picture Delivery The student pictures that were taken in September are expected to be delivered the first week of December... School Handbook - Calendar The School Handbook (500K PDF) and a color  Calendar (2.2M PDF) that were handed out the first week of school are now available on the web site. The calendar is alsoa available as a (iCalendar .ics) file that can be imported into Outlook or other calendar programs.... 1st Week Good evening, Mason Lions! This is Principal Hardson. Thank you for a wonderful first week of school. I am so proud of our children and the way they are practicing RESPONSIBILITY. I am also pleased that many of you have signed up to support our PTA. Here's some great news about the California State Tests: Mason met 27... Proposition S San Diego School Repair and Safety Measure of 2008. Proposition S is a $2.1 billion school bond measure on the November ballet. The Mason-Specific Prop S Project List The Mason Facilities Assessment If passed Proposition S will provide  Bond funds for the repair and renovation of district school facilities as specified... School Starts Hello Mason Lions! This is Principal Hardson with three important reminders. I am looking forward to welcoming our new Kindergarten families at the Kindergarten Orientation on Friday Aug. 29th from 10-11:00 a.m. For all students, room numbers will be posted Friday at 3:30 p.m. and school starts Tuesday (September 2nd )... Welcome Back Hello Mason Lions! This is Principal Hardson. I hope that you have enjoyed your vacation and are ready to report to school on Tuesday, September 2nd. We need you to make attendance a daily habit. Besides, I love to see your smiling faces! I will call you again next week to give you more information about classes. Enjoy the... End of the Year This year has been a wonderful learning experience and I am proud to be a part of a team that is moving to make the world a better place for everyone! Thank you parents for all that you have done to support our children. Thank you students for being so wonderful and for working so hard! I would like wish you all a safe and fun... Parent Teacher Survey Please take a few minutes to take the 2008 Parent Teacher Survey. This will help us plan for the 2008-2009 school year. A copy is attached to the July newsletter or you complete it in online ... Important Reminders Important Traffic Safety (PDF) and Visitor Information (PDF) reminders. You can download the PDF's or click on the read more link below. VISITORS ALL visitors are required to sign in at the office first, at which time you will receive a yellow “VISITOR” badge. LEASE be prepared to present a valid ID. REPORT... Registration for 2008/2009 New Student & Kindergarten Registration for 2008/2009 School Year Who needs to register? Students new to the district. Students who will attend a school other than the one attended the previous year. Where do I register? At the school office  When? Beginning May 5thForms can be downloaded from the SDUSD site ... 2008-2009 School Budget Interim SDUSD Superintendent Bill Kowba has released a Letter_to_Parents_About_the_Budget discussing how budget decisions at the State level will most likely affect the district 2008-2009 Budget. You can learn more about the budget process by visiting the About the Budget and the Budgeting for 2008-09 webpages. Both allow... Principals coffee   Hello Mason parents. This is principal Hardson. I would like to invite you to the Principal/VP coffee which will be this Friday at 8:00 am. The coffee is a time when we can talk informally about Mason school and we can address any questions/concerns you have. We look forward to seeing you on Friday @8:00 am. Thank... Mason Web Site Mason Elementary now has their own web site at www.sandi.net/mason/ please take a look and let us know what you would like to see on the site. ... Mason Student Council Mason Student Council (Mrs. Exner and Mrs. Gronotte, Student Council Advisors) Participating in a school’s Student Council provides a wonderful leadership opportunity. October 3-10 is campaign week for the 4th and 5th graders running for Student Council. Students desiring to run for the offices of president, 1st vice president,... Lunch Menu The school lunch menu is available here. Cost:   Breakfast $1.00 Lunch $1.75, includes milk. (not sold without milk unless a written statement from your doctor is on file with the cafeteria)Milk $0.50. For those bringing a lunch from home. Note: The cost has gone this year Eating Lunch With Your Child Parents... School Information Mason Elementary School Welcome to the Mason Elementary PTA web site. Mason is a single-track, year-round school located on San Ramon Drive in Mira Mesa, close to Mira Mesa High School. Please look around our site which includes a Calendar, Maps, the PTA newsletter and the latest information on upcoming events. If you have... Events News on upcomming events at Mason... JOG-A-THON The Mason Elementary School Technology Team and PTA are sponsoring Mason’s annual Spring Jog-a-thon, Thursday, May 28th, 2009.  Money raised by participants in this activity will be used to purchase computers and other technology equipment.  Our goal is to upgrade the existing computers in the classrooms and... Halloween Field Day On Friday, October 31 the PE  teachers (Exner, Gronotte) are sponsoring an exciting Halloween field day. There will be many stations with challenging activities. Classes will participate for forty mintues. The 3rd gr classes wll have a pumpkin carving contest & classes will be able to vote for their favorite pumpkin... International Potluck Mason’s PTA wants to celebrate the diversity of our community.  Please bring a food item you would like to share.   Thursday October 23, 2008 Mason Elementary School – Lunch Arbor and Multi-purpose Room Set up – 5:00pmDinner – 5:30 – 6:30pm Entertainment – 6:45 –... Spirit Friday Find your favorite Mason T-shirt and wear it on the last Friday of each month.  The student council is sponsoring “Mason Spirit Friday” on February 29th, April 25th, May 30th and June 27th.  Look for the reminder posters around campus and SHOW YOUR SPIRIT ... Coffee with the Principal Coffee with the Principal is scheduled for the following days from 8:00am to 9:00am in the Multi Purpose Room Friday, Sep 26, 2008Friday, Oct 24, 2008 Friday, Jan 23, 2009 Friday, Feb 27, 2009 Friday, Mar 27, 2009 Friday, May 22, 2009 Friday, Jun 26, 2009 ... Past Events Open House Open House, June 26th Open House will be held on June 26th from 6:00 to 7:15 PM. Please meet in the Multipurpose room at 6:00 PM where Principal Hardson will address us briefly, followed by a ten-minute PTA Unit meeting to vote on/approve budget items. Beginning at 6:15 you are invited to visit your child/children’s classroom(s)... JOG-A-THON JOG-A-THON WINNERS Mason offers a big THANK YOU to all parents, families, and friends who contributed to our annual Jog-a-Thon. Through your generous donations we collected $17,547.97. Congratulations to our big winners: Grand Prize: Jessica Person $550 (Ms. Young’s class) 2nd Place (K-2): Thomas Poole $475 (Mrs.... Moms & Muffins In honor of Mother’s Day (May 11), the PTA will host a Moms & Muffins event after school on May 9th.  Stop by with mom and enjoy a muffin with her. ... Track Meet TRACK MEET, JULY 11TH Parents and friends are invited to our school track meet on Friday, July 11th.  Please see the schedule below and come by at 2:00 PM that same day for our closing ceremony. TRACK MEET SCHEDULE 1st Grade (8:00-8:40): 8:00 line up at gate by Klassic Kids 8:05-8:15:  50-yard dash (Olivares,... Holiday Food Drive Holiday Food Drive—December 3-10 Next month Mason Elementary’s Student Council will sponsor a Holiday Food Drive to help support the MCAS Miramar Food Locker, which provides food for active duty and military including Marines, Navy, Air Force and Army personnel.  Donations will be accepted December 3-10 for... Barnes and Noble Bookfair Pictures of the event have been posted  Join us at the Mira Mesa Barnes and Noble on Monday 16 June between 4PM - 7PM for Games StorytimesScavenger huntThe theme of the night will be the Spiderwick Chronicles. In addition you can help raise money for Mason by purchasing items in the store or in the cafe on that day... Mason Beautification Day Thanks to the 75 people who helped. Check out the pictures     Our biggest event of the spring will be our School Beautification Day on April 26th.  Although the name doesn’t sound really cool (we are open to a different name if you can think of one), we have a lot of high impact projects planned... International Potluck The International Potluck was a big success. there was plenty of good food and our children put on a great show. Thanks to everyone who made it possible, especially to the children who entertained us. Our new mascot also made his first appearance. If anyone has any pictures they would like to have posted on the web site please... Restaurant Night Chuck E. Cheese—Restaurant Night, April 23rd Join us on April 23rd from 3:00 to 9:00 PM at Chuck E. Cheese for our next restaurant night fundraiser. To thank all teachers who come to the “party”, Chuck E. Cheese will give each teacher a free meal — either a personal pizza or an all-you-can-eat salad... Picture Day Picture Day—October 1st Smile for the camera and say, “Cheeeese!” October 1st is picture day so come dressed in your best. If you miss this day, there will be a make-up day on October 10th. ... Halloween Field Day On October 31st the PE teachers (Mrs. Exner and Mrs. Gronotte) are sponsoring an exciting Halloween field day. There will be many stations with challenging activities. Classes will participate for forty minutes. The third grade classes will have a pumpkin carving contest and classes will be able to vote for their favorite pumpkin... Drop Everything And Read UPDATE (Mary Den Herder, Library Tech) At 8:20 a.m. on Friday, April 11th, time stopped … and the reading began!  Everyone at Mason Elementary began participation in Drop Everything And Read (D.E.A.R.) Day to celebrate reading and the birthday of Beverly Cleary, noted children’s author. As parent volunteers... Restaurant Night Restaurant Night Fundraiser—Nov. 15th Join us at Fuddrucker’s (Target shopping center) on Nov. 15th from 5:00-8:00 PM for a fun evening. Mason will earn a percentage of the proceeds so, the higher our sales, the higher our percentage. Mason is the only group scheduled for the evening, so crowds should be kept to a minimum... Family Science Night Family Science Night, Mar. 12th A Family Science Night will be held on March 12th beginning at 5:30 PM and will go until 7:45.  The Mira Mesa High School Science Departments will treat us to an evening of hands-on science fun for the whole family. ... Jog-a-thon T-shirt Advertising Advertising Space for Sale (Marcie Exner, Jog-a-thon Coordinator) The Mason Elementary School Technology Team and PTA are sponsoring Mason’s annual Spring Jog-a-thon on Thursday, May 8, 2008. Money raised by participants in this activity will be used to purchase computers and other technology equipment. Our goal... Celebration of Girls in Sports On Sunday, December 2nd at 2:00 PM, we invite you to take part in the first annual Celebration of Girls in Sports at Cox Arena, San Diego State University, to help encourage the next generation of county athletes.  On that date, the Aztec Women’s Basketball team takes on Cal State Fullerton.  SDSU is inviting... Reflections Reflections Winners Congratulations to three Mason Lions for their winning entries in the Reflections program: Brittney Trampe, 3rd Grade, Mrs. Baird’s class (Intermediate Literature Category)Darren Redic, 1st Grade, Mrs. Rosas’ class (Primary Visual Category)Grace Padget, 4th Grade, Mrs. Joyce’s class... Safe Routes To School   The federally funded initiative Safe Routes To School is aimed at relieving traffic congestions around schools AND encouraging school children to walk or ride their bikes to school. It's also supported by our National PTA. Save the date October 3rd, 2007, to join Mason Elementary Families and other schools in the... Cherrydale Fundraiser Thank you to our Mason parents, family and friends for purchasing items from Cherrydale.  Through your purchases, our school raised $17,072.73. Cherrydale is here and has been delivered!  However, as you know, every plan has its "unplanned" events. If your order has fallen into this category, please... Mason Marketplace The Mason Marketplace has been canceled, we will reschedule it if we get  enough volunteer support. Contact fundraiser@masonpta.org If you are interested in helping. Mason Marketplace - Feb. 23, 2008 Spring cleaning is just around the corner! Do you have any crafts that need a little finishing and a price tag? Did you... Mason Cookbook Unfortunately, we did not receive enough recipes from parents and staff to publish a Mason Cookbook.  Only 19 people submitted recipes and we need at least 200.  If you have any comments or questions, please direct them to Wanda Campbell at wlcampbell@san.rr.com. Mason PTA is preparing a cookbook featuring favorite... Recipe Tasting Contest Firefighters from our local SDFD Station 44 and Mason staff members ( Ms.Valdivieso, Mr. Larrick, and Mrs. Trigg) put on their chef toques, picked up their forks, and sampled the best recipes Mason parents had to offer at the first International Potluck "Cooking With Pride" tasting contest. The winners w... Book Fair Thank You, Volunteers Mason PTA would like to extend a rousing THANK YOU! to all who volunteered their time and/or ideas to the Usborne Book Fair in December, helping to make it a success. It would not have been possible without each and every one of you.    Holly Alspaugh Kathy Hall  Jenny Meadows Nha... Logo and Song Winners Check out the winners of the Mason Lion Logo and School Song Contest  Lion logo: Way to go, Cameron Royce (5th grade, Mrs. Allen’s class). Your winning drawing will represent the Mason Lions for years to come and will be proudly displayed on the school building. Nice job!   School song: And the Grammy... San Diego Opera We're Back! The San Diego Opera will be at Mason Elementary on November 7th 2007 to present The Magic Flute . Two shows will be held in the Multipurpose Room to accommodate all students. A schedule for each class will be posted closer to November. Thanks Mason PTA and Mrs. Kathy Hall for coordinating this enrichment to our... Goodies and Grandparents Attention Grandmas and Grandpas! join us at 2:15 on December 7th our first annual celebration of grandparents. Get a free picture with your grandchild in a holiday frame that you can decorate.... Logo Contest Calling all artists! Mason Elementary is looking for a new Mason Lion logo, one that will be used on all school-related items, including The Lion’s Roar newsletter. Work on this during the summer break and submit your drawings when you return to school. At the first PTA meeting of the new school year (September), we will... Song Contest  Is song writing your thing? Do you love your school? Why not combine the two? Put your feelings down in words about what Mason Elementary means to you. If you are not gifted at writing music, not to worry — our talented music teachers have agreed to set the winning lyrics to music. We will vote on the winning song... Calendar All Events Mason School Information Mason Elementary School Welcome to the Mason Elementary PTA web site. Mason is a single-track, year-round school located on San Ramon Drive in Mira Mesa, close to Mira Mesa High School. Please look around our site which includes a Calendar, Maps, the PTA newsletter and the latest information on upcoming events. If you have... School Site Map You can get directions to the School from Google, Yahoo, or MSN. To find a classroom check the 2006-2007 Classroom Map (PDF). Pictures of the School Entrance The School Sign ... Parent Resources  Check out the Parent Resource Links, click on Web Links in the left hand menu and scroll down to Parent Resources for additional resources. If you know of any others please let us know. ... School Supply List The Mason teachers got together and created a list of suggested supplies and teacher wish list. The list is also available as a PDF file. KINDERGARTENTraditional backpack (large enough to fit a notebook) Lunch box (if eating cold lunch) Tissues, large box (soft ones please) Hand/baby wipesSlide lock zipper Ziploc bag (gallon/quart... Education Resources Other Resources Resource Links Resources for parents... Reading Is Fundamental Reading Is Fundamental... The American Library Association Promoting the highest quality library and information services and public access to information... Early Reading Achievement Center for the improvement of Early Reading Achievement... Immersion Education Helping to improve the nation's capacity to teach and learn foreign languages... Learning To Read Resources for Language Arts and Reading Research... Keyboarding Skills Learn to type... Math Links online Math activities... Sandi Useful Links Education Games... Live Homework Help The San Diego Public Library/San Diego Unified Schools presents: Live Homework Help ... Colorin Colorado resources, and ideas to support English Language Learners... Healthy Family Home Use this site to help improve your home environment and jumpstart healthy habits that will lead to a healthier way of living.... Reading Workshops new - Ideas on how to help your child read... Federal Resources for Education new - A good resource on a many subjects... Helping Your Child Learn Math new - English and Spanish versions... Teachers First Online Tools A rich collection of lessons, units, and web resources for teachers... Harvest of the Month How to Grow Healthy Students... We Can We Can! or "Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition" is a national program designed for families and communities to help children maintain a healthy weight... PTA Dear Mason Parents, Staff, and Friends,     We are Mason PTA. We are moms and dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers and administrators, and community members who care about America's  children and their education. We are your neighbors, and we share many of the same concerns you do. Mason PTA... PTA News National PTA News Old PTA News PTA Membership Dear Mason Parents, Staff, and Friends, You would do anything you could to help the children in your lives. So would we. We are Mason PTA (Parent/Teacher Association). We want to create an atmosphere where teachers and administrators can do their best work, and so can our children. There is a lot to do, and we need your help... PTA FAQ Here are answers to the following questions What has Mason PTA purchased for our school? What fundraisers does the PTA help plan or organize? What school events does the PTA help plan or organize? WHAT HAS MASON PTA PURCHASED FOR OUR SCHOOL? The fundraisers in the 2007-2008 school year have given the Mason PTA the opportunity... President Corner PTA President Letters... Parent Bulletin Newsletter The November 2008 issue of the Lions Pride Gazette (Newsletter) (5.9M PDF) is now avaiable. This year the newsletter has an new name and format. If you have any sugestions or questions please contact her at newsletter@masonpta.org Previous versions the are all PDF's October 2008 (5.2M PDF) September 2008 (5M)July 2008 (2... Get Involved How Can I help  Improve your students performance! Research shows that the more time adults spend supporting schools, the better the students do. You can help us by sharing your time and talents with the students. What can you Do? Tutor, Mentor, Support teachers, Join the PTA, join the Parent Patrol, Become a room... Volunteer Information This year, all volunteers will be required to follow the policies set by the district. The following must be completed before any volunteer can work on campus, in the classroom, or with students: Pick up a School Volunteer Application from the school office and return the completed form to the Elise Potter/Volunteers... Dads Club Calling All Dads! Dads Club! If you love to be a handyman, organizer, cook, volunteer, or anything else that a Dad would do, then this is the club for you!! Be a part of this newly formed Club, just for Dads, at Mason Elementary! If you are interested in getting involved contact dadsclub@masonpta.org   We are also planning... Fundraisers Check out the following items for ways you can help Mason earn money all year round.... Picture Gallery Contact Us samSiteMap ver .6.2 beta From the Coders at MLSHomeQuest.com