As you know, this week is Teacher Appreciation week. While any time is a good time to honor your teacher, this week is an especially good time to do so.  We are so lucky to have such amazing teachers who work so hard each day to make learning possible for our students.

Also, today, May 31^st is our Annual Open House event from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. This is an excellent time to visit your child’s classroom to see all the wonderful work they have accomplished this year. We will also be holding elections for a new School Site Council Representative. Voting will take place outside the MPR during Open House. Please note, we will be on minimum day schedule for Open House and students will be released at 1:15 today.

We have a special Summer Reading Book Fair this week from 8:00a.m. - 3:00p.m. in the MPR.  You are welcome to attend the fair with your child's class, during Open House, or any time throughout the fair. 

Summer Reading Challenge has Begun!  Melinda Heights is trying to beat the World Record for reading hours.  If we are one of the top 20 schools in the nation, we will have our name published in the Scholastic World Book of Records.  More information and registration can be found on the Scholastic website at www.scholastic.com/summer.  If you register you will also be eligible for raffle drawings at our Melinda Heights Book Fair this fall.

The Jessie Rees Foundation would like to send a huge thank you to all Mountain Lions for their generous donations during the JoyDrive.  Melinda Heights collected 4,500 toys, which equals 300 JoyJars sent to children across the country who are fighting life threating illnesses.  Thanks to the donations from the Jimmy Johnson Foundation, Blue Bunny Ice Cream, Nestle and Dreyer’s, the Jessie Rees Foundation is able to host an Ice Cream social to all Melinda Heights students after school on June 8^th in front of the MPR as a thank you for helping the Jessie Rees Foundation spread JOY. 

We have the best families at Melinda Heights and I appreciate all your help and support. We look forward to seeing you tonight at Open House.

Mrs. Lake

Hello Melinda Heights Families, the following is an update with some important information regarding upcoming school events.

OC Marathon Update:

For our Melinda Marathoners, the race is only a little over a week away.  There will be a mandatory packet, bib, and information pick up on Monday, April 30th from 9-10am and from 5-7 pm.  This will take place at the school lunch tables. Students are not allowed to pick up their own packets, a parent or other adult MUST be present.  Please plan to attend to get your runner’s number.  You can't race without the number. Also at training on Monday morning, team t-shirts will be handed out and we will be taking photos so don't be late or miss Monday's practice. See you all there!

Melinda Heights PTA would like to take a moment to thank all the teachers who have donated their own time to our Kids Run the O.C. Marathon Program.  Lynette Palmquist has done a fabulous job organizing this event and our teachers have graciously come out and donated their time before school, allowing the PTA to host this fun program for our students.  We truly appreciate your dedication to our children and the PTA.

 Teacher of the Year:

While all of our teachers are deserving of Teacher of the Year, we would like to offer our congratulations to Mrs. Belinda Togawa, the 2011-2012 Melinda Heights Teacher of the Year.  Mrs. Togawa will be honored at a dinner in May.  Please join us in offering your congratulations if you see her on campus.

 Teacher Appreciation Week:

Speaking of our teachers, due to unforeseen circumstances, our Teacher Appreciation Week has been moved to the week of May 28^th.  National Teacher Appreciation Week is this month.  While we will celebrate and recognize our teachers in May, please take a moment to say thank you or share a great memory from this year with our wonderful Melinda Heights Teachers.  Our teachers and staff, along with our parents and students, make Melinda Heights such a wonderful place to be.

Carnival:

The Carnival is coming!  Melinda Heights Carnival will be Friday, May 18^th from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.  Your Carnival chairmen, Tami Friesen and Sarah Riccardi, are working hard to create one of the best carnivals ever!  Information on the Carnival, along with wristband ordering information was sent home last week.  Pre-sale prices for wristbands are $10 if you purchase now, or $15 the day of the event, so be sure to purchase by May 4^th! Please go to the PTA website, mhpta.org, for more information.

Community Service Project:

The PTA, along with the Melinda Heights Student Council, will be hosting a toy drive for Joy Jars the week of Monday, May 7^th thru Friday, May 11^th.  A flyer will be sent home next week regarding this community service project.

Positive Ways to Solve a Problem

Melinda Heights has traditionally been a positive and nurturing environment for student learning and I am proud of the incredible efforts our teachers and students put into the classroom each day. We have an amazing staff and a community of parents that is supportive beyond measure. Occasionally there are the unfortunate issues that arise during the school year that require careful problem solving and consideration. Please visit my website at melinda-heights.com under “Mrs. Lake’s webpage” for some positive ways to solve a problem. My webpage also provides additional information on class placement and other important school matters.

You may also visit the Melinda Heights webpage under “school messenger announcements” if you wish to view this message again.

Thank you for your support and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Mrs. Lake

Hello Melinda Heights Parents,

We hope you enjoyed your week off from school.  The PTA will be hosting its November Dine Out tomorrow, Wednesday, November 30th from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Chili's Restaurant in Foothill Ranch.  Chili's will donate 15% of all food sales back to our PTA.  Flyers were sent home today with your child and can also be found on the PTA website at mhpta.org.  You must turn in a flyer in order for Melinda Heights to get credit.  Thanks for your support!

Our PTA Membership Drive is coming to a close. A drawing at each grade level will be held next Monday for a student from the class that brings in the most memberships to get to "spray paint" a PTA board members' hair at their recess on Tuesday, December 6th.  Thank you to all the families and staff that participated in our Membership Drive. 

Next Tuesday, December 6th, we will be having our PTA meeting at 7 pm in the MPR.  There will be lots of exciting things happening at this meeting.  Drawings will be held for front row seats to Kindergarten Holiday Performances, 6th Grade Grandparents Tea, and other class productions.  We will also be having a "Favorite Things" giveaway during the meeting.  A chance to win a night at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey will be given away along with lots of other fun prizes.  How can you have a chance to win?  Just attend the meeting.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Have a great night!

Mrs. Lake

Good afternoon, Melinda Heights Families. Just a few important reminders. First, don’t forget about the Trabuco Hills Tailgating party tonight starting at 5:00 p.m. The football game starts at 7:00 p.m. and all Melinda Heights students get in free! Students will be able to go down on the field at the beginning of the game to make a tunnel for the football players as they enter the stadium.

Also, remember there is no school tomorrow, Friday, November 11 and next week grades 1 – 6 will be on minimum day schedule for parent teacher conferences. Dismissal time Monday through Friday next week is at 1:15 p.m., so please remember to make appropriate arrangements for after school pick up.

Also, the Book Fair starts on Monday, November 14^th and will be open each day next week from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Our Book Fair Family Fun Night is next Wednesday, November 16^th from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. You can visit the PTA website at mhpta.org for more information.

We hope you have an enjoyable weekend and we’ll see you next week for the Book Fair and minimum days.

Mrs. Lake

 

Hello Parents, 

Just a reminder that the PTA will be having their General Meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, November 2nd at 9:00 a.m. in the MPR.  Be sure and stop by to see what's coming up over the next few months.  We hope to see you there.

The Book Fair is fast approaching.  The Book Fair's "One for Books" campaign has started.  Any loose change you have hanging around can be brought into class and put in the One for Books Jar located in each classroom.  Scholastic will match funds collected and Melinda Heights will donate books to charities.  The Book Fair will begin on Monday, November 14th.  Information will be sent home soon.

Be sure to visit the PTA website at mhpta.org for more information on what's happening at Melinda Heights PTA.

Have a Great Day!

Mrs. Lake

Hello Melinda Heights Parents. Below are a few important PTA reminders about the rest of this week.

First, tomorrow, Thursday, October 13th is the Reflections due date and drop off. If your child is participating in this program, please drop off their Reflections Submission tomorrow morning in the MPR. This is the only time that you can drop off submissions.  

Jog-A-Thon donations are due this Friday, October 14th. All monies collected need to be turned in to your child’s teacher on Friday morning. The Jog-A-Thon is only one week away. Thank you for your participation in this important fundraising program. This is our 2nd of the two fall fundraising programs.

We have received some questions on how to get the Melinda Heights Limited Edition Water bottles that were delivered to students participating in the Straight Donation Program last week. These bottles are received as a donation level prize in this program. There's still time to participate in this fundraising program too and receive your limited edition water bottle. More information on the Straight Donation Fundraising Program can be found on our website at mhpta.org.

Health Week begins on Monday, October 17th. A flyer was sent home last week and will be e-mailed from the PTA website this weekend with all the information on the different activities happening during the week. Please make sure to register your email address at mhpta.org so you don't miss any of our events.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Lake