February 26 th, 2015

School Calendar
Ongoing: Kindergarten registration at the Apple
Blossom school office, 10am-4pm; see article.
Tuesday, February 3 through Saturday,
February 28, Sebastopol Library: Side By Side,
an art show featuring works from Apple Blossoms
3rd- 5th grade students. Curated by Sally Briggs,
Apple Blossom art teacher. Available for viewing
during regular library hours.
TOMORROW, Friday, February 27, 5:30pm7:00pm, Twin Hills Middle School: 1st of 2 Tile
Nights. See article.
Tuesday, March 3rd, 5:00pm-6:30pm, Apple
Blossom Staff Lounge: Foundation Meeting.
FREE childcare! See article in newsletter for
more info. All parents encouraged to attend!
th

Friday, March 6 , 6:00pm-7:45pm, Apple

Blossom Elementary, MUR: FREE Family
Dance Party! See article.
th

Thursday, March 12 , Apple Blossom

Elementary Author Jonathan London assembly.
All grades.
Thursday, March 12th, all day, Baskin-Robbins:
Scoop Day! 20% of the entire days proceeds go
directly to Apple Blossom, so come on out!
Friday, March 13th, 5:30pm-7:30pm: Skate
Night at CalSkate in Rohnert Park. See article.
Friday, March 20, 5:30pm-7:00pm, Apple
Blossom Elementary: 2nd Tile Night. See article.
Saturday, April 25 Spring Auction! See article.

This week we held our monthly assemblies to

honor Apple Blossoms Megaskills winners.
Februarys Megaskill was ACCEPTANCE.
The following students were honored:
Kindergarten
Mrs. Cesaretti: Elias Righetti
Mrs. DelMonte: Tawny Bertolini
Ms. Komrij: Ava OBrien
Ms. Russell Larrain: Drew Reed
1st Grade
Mrs. Castleberry: Liliana Bloom
Miss Hicks: Alyssa Muzio
Ms. Troia: Amani Moncrief
2nd Grade
Mr. Ferrera: Laela Collins
Ms. Reichmuth: Abigail Silvestrich
Ms. Scherfee: Wyatt Knechtle
2nd/3rd Grade Combo Class
Ms. McLoone: Uma Anandakuttan
3rd Grade
Mrs. Illingworth/Ms. Schoffer: Dallas Ahart
Ms. Miller/Mrs. Ridley: Jocelyn Laos
Ms. Shulman: Alan Duenas Vargas
4th Grade
Mrs. McDowell: Vanessa Fabian Bahena
Ms. Cafferata: Ella Trevino
Mrs. Tyler: Jasmin Baptista
5th Grade
Mr. Bellinger: Victor Corona
Mrs. Guerinoni: Lucas Knechtle
Ms. Ice: Esmeralda Gonzalez
Congratulations to our winners! The
Megaskill that we will focus on in March is
Perserverance.

Monica Brent
Meet The New News Same As The
Old News
Yes, weve switched the Friday News to
Thursday. The change was made for logistical
reasons; specifically that quite a lot of special
events occur on Fridays, and we wanted to
give you as parents a bit of time to process
these items and plan accordingly.
Besides the day change, all else will stay the
same. As always, if you have any questions,
suggestions, or comments, or would like to
submit an item for inclusion, please feel free
to contact me at:
appleblossomnews@gmail.com
Thanks!
Monica Brent, Thursday News Editor

February Megaskills Winners

Blossom Buck Winners

Kindergarten
Mrs. Cesaretti: Olivia Wenzel James
Mrs. DelMonte: Syon Gabriel
Ms. Komrij: Jeremy Tobin
Ms. Russell Larrain: Brendan McElhaney
1st Grade
Mrs. Castleberry: Sidnie Cornish
Miss Hicks: Emily Unciano
Ms. Troia: Tyler Champion
2nd Grade
Mr. Ferrera: Kate Hartman
Ms. Reichmuth: Madi Johnson
Ms. Scherfee: Rebecca Ficco
2nd/3rd Grade Combo Class
Ms. McLoone: Landon Avila
3rd Grade
Mrs. Illingworth/Ms. Schoffer: Nick Buttke

Ms. Miller/Mrs. Ridley: Joseph Steinberg

Ms. Shulman: Argus Brent
4th Grade
Mrs. McDowell: Liam Drake
Ms. Cafferata: Nyah Handy
Mrs. Tyler: Rachel Haley
5th Grade
Mr. Bellinger: Savannah Hankins
Mrs. Guerinoni: Bryant Strom
Ms. Ice: Cassie McNight
Monica Brent

SLG: News You Can Use

Ready, set, READ across Apple Blossom!
Our 3rd annual celebration of literacy
and National Read Across America Day, will
start up Monday, March 2nd. Our school will
read books & log minutes read for a
month!
Share readings, celebrate Dr. Seuss, enjoy a
school-wide assembly with author, Jonathan
London, and participate in various literacy
activities all around the school.
Please encourage your child to read nightly
and log their minutes. All reading logs will
be due to your child's teacher Wednesday,
March 25th.
Wear red EVERY Wednesday. Read. Read.
Read!
SLG Kid Pix
SLG Reps have gone to each classroom to
explain a fun illustration project for kids to
participate in.
Students are encouraged to show off their
artistic style with a drawing, sketch,
painting, oil pastels, collage, etc. of Froggy,
a main character of Jonathan London OR
of a book cover that highlights a students
personal favorite book.
Please use 12 x 18 inch paper only Please see
you teacher or Mrs. McDowell. Be colorful,
be creative! All Kid Pix due no later
than Tuesday, March 10th, Room 25 to
decorate the MUR!

Jessica McDowell, 4th Grade Teacher

Education Foundation News
The Foundation needs YOU! The
Foundation Board of Directors is in need of
a Chairperson (and a number of extra
hands) for the 2015/2016 school year to
keep our organization running. I have
served as Chairperson for the past three years
and it is time for someone else to take the

reins. The official job description is as

follows.

One lesson I look forward to teaching each

year is: Writings of Gratitude.

Blossom offers, and it has been happening for

over 20 years!

Chairperson
The Chairperson shall preside at all monthly
meetings of the Foundation Board, and shall
have such other powers and duties as may be
prescribed from time to time by the Board of
Directors. The Chairperson shall have a vote
on all matters. As the Chairperson, you will be
the point person for Foundation
communications (both print & email), as well
as answering questions and providing
guidance on all Foundation activities.

If I could live in any period in history, it

would be: NOW.

The Sees Candy fundraiser helps reduce the

price of the trip for our students, so if you can,
please purchase a pound or two. Due date is
Wednesday, March 11th, and items will be
delivered to your student the week of
March 23rd just in time for Easter, hint,
hint.

In addition to the Chairperson, it would be

greatly helpful to form a number of
committees that can be responsible for
planning and coordinating the various
activities that happen at our schools
throughout the year so no one person is left to
manage it all.
We will be discussing the formation of
these committees at our upcoming monthly
meeting on Tuesday, March 3 from 56:30pm in the staff lounge at Apple
Blossom.
If you have been wondering how you might
be able to help, this would be a fantastic
meeting for you to attend! FREE childcare is
available from 5-6pm at the daycare on
campus; please contact Kathy Sill
(ksill@twinhillsusd.org) for more info.
Some ideas for committees are Hospitality,
Halloween Carnival, Volunteer Coordination,
Auction Coordination, Spring Event Planning,
Fundraising, Allocations & Teacher Grants,
Publicity, and Enrichment Offerings.
Please join us as we set some plans in
motion for the future. Your kids are sure to
notice the example you set. My daughter has
already voiced that it is very important to her
to find some volunteering opportunities she
can participate in this summer. Im sure you
can find a place to lend a hand and make a
difference.
Carol Ruddick, Foundation Chair

Get To Know Your Teachers: Mr.

Bellinger Edition!
Be sure to share these tidbits with your kids.
They may be surprised by what they learn
about their teachers!
Next up: Mr. Todd Bellinger, 5th grade
teacher at Apple Blossom:
I was born in: Lansing, Michigan, in 1959.
I have the following pets: Gracie -black
rescue cat; Bodhi - Toy Fox Terrier mix
rescue.
My favorite ice cream flavor is: Coconut
Bliss.
One thing I loved about elementary school
was: Yearly Abe Lincoln celebration.

Something you'd be surprised to know about

me is: I started college at University of
Illinois as a Pre-Med major. That's scary!
Monica Brent

Monica Brent

Skate Night
Mark your calendars for our second to last
Skate Night of the year on Friday, March 13
from 5:30-7:30 at CalSkate in Rohnert
Park.
Strap on some roller skates (or blades) and try
to keep up with your kids! $5.50 admission,
$1 quad skate rental, $4 rollerblade rental. A
portion of each admission is donated back to
THABEF, so come on out and join the fun!
Carol Ruddick
District Directory
Our online District Directory is now
LIVE!!!
If you are a returning family who confirmed
their information and/or a new family who
added their information into the system, you
should have received an email Tuesday
evening granting you access with a link and
temporary password. Login, change your
password, and take a look around. We hope
you find this a useful tool for staying in touch
with school families.
Last chance to be included:

1st Tile Night Is TOMORROW!

Continue the beautification of our tile wall
and raise money for THABEF (Twin Hills
Apple Blossom Educational Foundation) by
joining us on one or both of the following
dates:
Friday, February 27th, 5:30-7pm Twin
Hills campus (tomorrow!)
Friday, March 20th, 5:30-7pm Apple
Blossom Campus
6 x 6 tiles will be pre-sold for $20 ($18 for
additional tiles). Drop-ins are also welcome.
Dont miss the opportunity to leave your
childs art permanently displayed at their
school while raising money to support the
amazing programs that enrich their lives.
NEW this year: you can also purchase tiles
for your home, or as a one-of-a-kind gift
for a loved one!
Also, weve arranged for an El Coronel food
truck to be at both campuses if you would
like to purchase some tasty Mexican food for
dinner.

Returning families whose information is

available to the Foundation were sent one
final email on Tuesday evening with a link
to edit and confirm your familys
information for inclusion in the directory.
You MUST confirm to be included and
access the directory. Deadline for
confirmation is Friday, March 6, 2015.

Please, no dropoffs... this is a family event.

New families can follow this link and enter

your family/student/contact information
https://www.myschoolanywhere.com/newfamily.a5w?fam=TwinHillsAppleBlossom
21964

Do you have cans of buttons tucked away on

the shelf, being ignored and neglected? Our
art teachers sure would love to see them
heading towards the art room, for lots of
adornment delights for our art projects
throughout the school year. Please give them
to the office in the next few weeks, and they
will get them to us.

Deadline for entry is Friday, March 6,

2015.
Carol Ruddick

Sees Candy Fundraiser

Apple Blossoms 5th grade class is sponsoring
a Sees Candy fundraiser look for a flier
coming home on Friday in your childs
Cheetah folder.
50% of all proceeds raised will help our
students go to PEEC (Pacific
Environmental Education Center) for one
week. This is an amazing program that Apple

Michele Habeeb, Tile Night Organizer

Buttons, Buttons, We Need More
Buttons
Dear Families of our amazing young artists
here at Apple Blossom!

Thanks so very much!

Meryl Juniper, Artist-In-Residence, K-2nd
Grades

Lost-and-Found
Items are once again slowly but surely
collecting in lost-and-found. Please check
either the main hallway or the upper
playground to see if you can find anything
that is your childs. Thanks so much!
Katy Northen, School Office Manager

Family Fun Night

FREE FAMILY DANCE PARTY
NEXT Friday, March 6th, 6:00-7:45pm in the
MUR!
Live DJ with MC spinning the hottest familyfriendly hits from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and
today! Donations encouraged!
If you are interested in helping bring some
family FUNk to Apple Blossom, please
contact Mrs. McDowell:
jmcdowell@twinhillsusd.org.
Jessica McDowell

Apple Blossom Yearbook

Purchase your all-color Apple Blossom
Elementary yearbook for only $18!
Yearbooks are a wonderful keepsake of a
students school year. Look for the order form
in your childs Cheetah folder fliers were
distributed last Friday.
After March 3rd, the yearbooks price rises to
$20 each. So get your check and order form
into the school office soon!
Monica Brent

Spring Auction Update

When: April 25, 2015
Time: 6pm to 10pm
Where: Odd Fellows Evergreen Lodge
Downtown Sebastopol
Cost: $45.00 per person (food, music,
dancing, and 2 tickets for wine/beer!)

To buy tickets for this event, please make a

check out to THABEF (Twin Hills
Educational Foundation) and drop it off at the
Apple Blossom office.

If you have a child that you would like to

register, come by the Apple Blossom school
office between 10am-4pm M-F and bring the
following:

And if you have any questions or would like

to donate an auction item, or help out the
night of the event, please contact me at:

Proof of birth (must be born on or before

9/1/2010. Transitional Kindergarten
accepted 9/2/2010 12/2/2010.)
Official immunization record
Two verifications of residency (if indistrict)

susan-oliver@comcast.net
Susan Oliver, Event Chair

Rotary Club Learn to Swim Program

Apple Blossom is accepting inter-district

transfers.

The Rotary Club has once again invited Apple

Blossom second graders to participate in the
Learn to Swim Program at Ives Pool.

For further information, please call 823-1041.

This program is designed to give all 2nd

graders swim lessons and teach water
safety. Lessons begin on April 20th and end
on May 14, and will be 2 days per week. Days
and time to be determined. Students will go
on a bus to the program during the school day.
The Rotary Club needs volunteers to help
instruct the students. You do not need to be
a former competitive swimmer or even a swim
instructor to help. They have supervision and
simple strategies as well as plastic cards at
poolside to refer to when teaching the kids.
Their goal is to have one instructor for every
three children. Please let your child's teacher
know if you can volunteer.
Dr. Barbara Bickford, Twin Hills School
District Superintendent

Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten registration has begun!

Katy Northen

THAB Educational Foundation Board 2014-2015

foundation@twinhillsusd.org
Carol Ruddick, Chairperson
carol_maynard@yahoo.com
Barb Finley, Vice-Chairperson
barbfinley@gmail.com
Ellen Reed, Co-Treasurer
ellen@jhelmer.com
Susan Oliver, Co-Treasurer
susan-oliver@comcast.net
Jen Bearg, Recording Secretary
jenbearg@gmail.com

Thursday News is the Apple Blossom School

newsletter, prepared by Foundation volunteers. To
submit your items to the News, due Tuesday by
7:00pm, email appleblossomnews@gmail.com.