Hey Everyone,
If you were not lucky enough to be able to attend the Delta Discovery Voyage trip, there are many more opportunities coming up.
Here is a brief list of the upcoming field trips:
3/24 - Super Science at the Lawrence Livermore Lab
4/29 - USS Potomac - FDR's floating White House - We take a tour and a short Bay cruise.
5/26 - Roaring Camp - Civil War reenactment - Unbelievably cool, but an all-day commitment. We leave Greenbrook at 6:40AM and return after 3:30.
I would like to say an enormous thank you to Katie Canavan for all of her work creating the beautiful piece of art with the kids for the Art Auction. I can't remember having heard so many compliments about a kid-related art project ever. Seriously. Even the Staff Room was abuzz with positive comments and envious remarks.
I messed up on the date for the Shoe Decorating Party. It is actually on March 26, not February. Sorry.
Hello All,
This week is the last week to earn the money to buy a pair of TOMS shoes. We will collect the money earned the week of February 16th, size everyone's feet and place the orders by Friday the 19th. The shoe decorating party will be on Friday, March 26th at 4:30 in the MPR. Come one, come all!
Also, there will be an informative meeting regarding the Outdoor Ed. Program at Camp Arroyo in Livermore on Monday the 22nd at 7PM in the MPR. This is also a golden opportunity to sign up to be one of our chaperones! We need 4 dads and 2 moms. See you then, if not before!
For everyone who is curious as to what we'll be up to during the Voyage of "Discovery" on February 18th, here is a link to the Contra Costa Water District website and their explanation of the trip:
http://www.ccwater.com/education/deltadiscovery.asp
Here is a more detailed slide show-thing about the program:
http://www.ccwater.com/education/Brownlee/Brownlee3_files/frame.htm
Of course the slide show isn't functional, but the explanations are on the side of the page, and that is pretty informative . . .
Hello Everyone,
We now have a page set up so that you, at home, can monitor whether or not you've paid for the field trips and/or turned in a Permission Slip. It even indicates whether or not you've volunteered to drive or not. Wonderful? Oh yeah! At the very bottom of the menu on the left of this note is the Field Trip Check List. Click on it and see for yourself. Check numbers were included for your convenience.
Colin Ritchie
The next trip is on Thursday, February 18th. Unfortunately, there is limited space on the boat and we can take no more than 6 drivers. Anyone else will be stranded onshore while the boat floats away into the Delta. It is called the Delta Discovery Voyage and is from the Marine Science Institute. It’s a boat ride beginning at 12:30 and ending at 5PM. We’ll need drivers for this one, so make plans, please. The cost is $20. I’d like to collect it all at once, so if you could make out a check for $35 to Greenbrook School at your earliest convenience, that would be terrific.
The permission slip for the Voyage is online in the Project Requirements section, but I’ll provide hard copies for those who need them.
www.tomsshoes.com
What is TOMS Shoes?
- TOMS Shoes is a company that gives away one pair of shoes for every pair purchased: “Buy one, Give one.”
Where do the donated shoes go?
- Argentina, Ethiopia, South Africa, New Orleans
Who started this company?
- TOMS Shoes was started in 2006 by Amazing Race alumnus, Blake Mycoskie.
Why Shoes?
- Mycoskie was traveling through Argentina and Ethiopia and befriended children from poor villages who did not the money to buy shoes. He learned that many children were contracting podoconiosis. This is a debilitating disease that plagues those who walk barefoot in silica-rich soil. Podoconiois is 100% preventable just by wearing shoes!
- Mycoskie also learned that shoes are a part of the school uniform in many countries and, therefore, without shoes, these children are unable to receive the education they deserve.
How many pairs of shoes has TOMS given away?
- As of August 2009, TOMS has donated 150,000 pairs of shoes.
- Mycoskie’s goal is to donate 300,000 in 2010.
What are WE doing about it?
- Each 5th grader at Greenbrook has committed to raising $40.00 each. This money will allow each student to purchase a pair of TOMS Shoes. Students will receive a pair for himself or herself to decorate at our culminating party and another pair will be donated to a child in need.
How will each student raise the money?
- Students will write letters to family and friends, as well as “dream letters” (think: Oprah, Michael Jordan, Barack Obama, etc.) where they will explain TOMS organization, its mission, and what our school is doing to help. They will be asking for a SMALL* check donation made out to Greenbrook School to help them reach their goal of $40.
*We REALLY want to stress the importance of small check donations. It is very important that each student works hard to earn this money and earns it over time, not with a single check written for $40.
- Snack sales at lunch recess. Snacks will be sold by all classes and profits will be evenly distributed among all 106 5th graders.
- Movie Night?? Book Sale??
What if students come up with additional ways to earn money?
- Students may work for this money in a variety of ways: lemonade stands, chores at home, craft sales, etc.
What if a student raises over $40.00?
- If students raise enough to purchase two pairs of shoes, they may purchase another pair of shoes for a guest (parent, sibling, friend) and this guest may accompany them to our shoe-decorating party!
What is the shoe-decorating party?
- Our culminating activity will be a Style Your Sole party. This will be a celebratory event in February in Greenbrook’s MPR (date to follow shortly). Students, and possible guests, will have a chance to come together to customize their own black, canvas TOMS shoes.