Portola Valley School District
News & Views
Eric Hartwig, Interim Superintendent
In This Issue
4575 Alpine Road
Portola Valley, CA  94028
(650) 851-1777
Eric Hartwig
Interim Superintendent


GOVERNING BOARD:

Caitha Ambler   Trustee

Gulliver La Valle  Trustee

Tim McAdam  Clerk

Karen Tate  President

Jennifer Youstra  Trustee


QUICK LINKS:



 

 


 

The
Portola Valley
Way

COLLABORATION
 Working together to achieve common goals.

INTEGRITY
Being consistently honest and trustworthy.

RESPECT
Having regard and concern for yourself and others while accepting individual differences and the right of others to hold divergent views.

Tuesday, June 8, 2016
Dear Parents and Families,

It is that time of year when everything happens at once: end-of-year recitals and performances, class celebrations, displays, field trips, final testing, yearbook signing...while at the same time we're full steam ahead planning for next year.

This edition of News & Views  features a bit of both: wrapping up and looking ahead. Some photos below attest to our students' (and teachers') daring and enthusiasm. I had the chance to see Ormondale's schoolwide performance of Dear Edwina which showcased months of rehearsal and practice.

Kinders provide backup at Dear Edwina

Also at Ormondale, the annual Farmers' Market gave students an opportunity to explain and sell their local products while parents quizzed them and loaded up their baskets. Some of the "big kids" came over from Corte Madera to keep the beats going.

CMS singers Virginia Pistilli and Elle Marsyla

Looking ahead, we have several new curricular initiatives under way for next year (see Mr. Borgen's contributions below) and we've selected a new lunch provider which we believe will meet with positive student and parent reviews (see article below).

If you want to get a feel for "what it's all about," come to CMS Graduation this Friday afternoon at 5:00 at the MUR. It is a spirited event that the whole family can enjoy and a fine opportunity to 

-- Eric
From the Desk of Jason Borgen
 
Refreshed Math Curriculum in K-5 for 16-17!
Text Book covers
After an 8 month pilot of three widely-used, Common Core-aligned math curricula, a consensus was found that  Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt Math Expressions  would provide the most relevant connections for PVSD's youngest students. The Board unanimously adopted Math Expressions at the May 4th Board meeting and approved the 6-year purchase beginning this upcoming school year! We are very excited for this new program that provides engaging and differentiated approaches to learning and applying mathematics. Best of all, our recently adopted middle school curriculum, Big Ideas, is closely aligned the this K-5 program. The teachers will begin their training on using the new resources in August.

Developing Future Ready Learners

Thanks to a matching grant from Portola Valley Schools Foundation, students in 4th and 6th grade at Corte Madera will be give an  11" Chromebook (less than 3lbs.) to take to and from school to focus on accessing instructional content anytime/anywhere! This program will allow the District to remove out-dated devices from some of the classrooms and set the vision for 1:1 computing in order to create engaging, authentic, and innovative learning environments. The program is focused on digital responsibility, building continuity between home and school, and creating opportunities to ensure students are ready for their future! We will be hosting several parent events to share the program in details and address any concerns that arise.   Learn more including program timeline, research about 1:1 programs.
 
Contact  Jason Borgen  for more information. 
CMS Chromebook Users
Changes in Lunch Program for Next Year
The Portola Valley School District is partnering with Choicelunch this year to provide nutritious, delicious meals for our students. These meals will be available for every student, every school day; including minimum days.    Some reasons we chose Choicelunch:
  • Up to 14 different entrees each day
  • Fruits and veggies are largely sourced from local farmers
  • All meats and dairy products are hormone and antibiotic free
How to get started:

Choicelunch will reactivate and notify those families who've previously had an account. For those families that are new to Choicelunch, additional information will be sent prior to the start of school on how to create your students account.