CHANGO NEWS

NEWS TO USE FROM THE CHANGO PTA

Welcome back! With the holiday rush behind us, it is time to get back to the business of PTA. That’s right, our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 18^th at 7pm in the cafeteria and we have lots to discuss! We need to choose a company for our spring fundraiser and line up volunteers to help run it. We will hear updates on various events such as the Father/Daughter Dance, Boys Bowling and the Beach Party. All of these events are scheduled to take place after this PTA meeting, but before the March meeting. There is no February PTA meeting currently scheduled.

We need your help to keep bringing the children all of the great programs they love. Besides, attending PTA meetings is a great way to "stay in the loop" and find out what is going on at Chango. Also, there is still time if you would like to become a PTA member. Forms are available in the front office and we are accepting new membership registrations until March 1st. Hope to see you January 18^th!

Sincerely,

PTA Co-Presidents

Kristin Renauld & Lisa Hodge

(snow date January 17th  Acadia cafeteria)

Attention all parents of gifted children at Shenendehowa!  Please join us to hear about changes and updates to the gifted program as well as a question and answer session with guest speakers:  Superintendent, Dr. Oliver Robinson, along with Deputy  Superintendent, Dr. Teresa Snyder and Curriculum Director, Dr. Deborah Shea.  The district is in the process of evaluating and reworking the entire program for next year.  There is no greater statement that we can make than for the parent of every gifted child to attend.  This is the time to make your voice heard and show that gifted education is important to you!  This meeting is free and sponsored by S.A.G.E. - Shen Advocates for Gifted Education.

Saturday Scholars Sponsored by SAGE

Registration for the SAGE sponsored Saturday Scholars program will be held on January 20th in the Acadia library from 9-11:30am. Registration packets can be requested from your child's teacher, school office or the district website www.shenet.org by the second week of January. They can also be found on the SAGE website at www.worknotes.com/NY/CliftonPark/SAGE.  Courses are open to interested learners grades K-8 throughout the capital area. The courses run for 5 Saturdays in March and are designed to be fast paced, in depth enrichment studies in specific content areas. For questions please call Vanita Tarangelo at 371-2034.

Logan Studios invites you to attend their OPEN HOUSE, on January 6th from Noon until 6:00 PM. Currently Logan Studios is offering private lessons for guitar, bass, drums, and piano. Future plans include vocal instruction, lessons for additional instruments, group lessons, and seminars. They are located at 2037 Route 9, just north of Ushers Road. During the Open House, you can enter a special drawing to win one of three prizes and sign up for a FREE 15-minute lesson with one of their five qualified teachers. Trial lessons will be offered on a first come, first serve basis, so arrive early and stay as long as you would like. Refreshments will be available.

For more information or to register for lessons please call 877-5044 or e-mail info@loganstudios.com.

By the time you read this, the holidays will be over and we are hoping the lingering spirit will spill over into the New Year. Happy 2007!

We are continuing our endorsement of the 3 Apples Book Award. Students in grades 3-6^th grades or 8-12 years old will vote for their favorite book out of 15 finalists. The finalists are listed in the library display case in the school foyer. More information is available at their website: www.3applesbookaward.org.

Children’s Book Week is historically celebrated in November. Because November and December are busy months in the school calendar, we choose to celebrate in January. When Frederic G. Melcher first organized Children’s Book Week in 1919, he stated "Book Week brings us together to talk about book and reading… to put the cause of children’s reading squarely before the whole community… for a great nation is a reading nation." As nationally syndicated columnist Kendal Rautzhan writes, "all children want to learn, and Children’s Book Week acts as a catalyst for what the adult community should focus on every week of every year- to bring books, reading and learning to all children on a daily basis. If we can accomplish this,… we will reach Melcher’s goal, because a great nation IS a reading nation. Children cannot do it alone, it is up to all of us".

Our very best wishes for a Happy New Year. Thank you for all of your support to keep our children reading.

The Job Assist program at CAPTAIN has over 300, 14-19 year olds looking for part-time jobs. The jobs that they are interested in are babysitting, lawn work, mothers helpers, tutoring, snow removal, moving help and any other service or business that hires part-time teens. Please contact Mildred Corneau at CAPTAIN at

373-8336 or you can send an email to Mildred@captainyfs.com. Any teen or interested family can check out our website at info@captainyfs.com. You can fill out an application on-line if you need an employee or if you are a teen who is looking for work.

The character words for December were Compassion and Tolerance.

SPECIAL DATES

January 1- No school- Holiday recess

January 9&10- ELA testing- 3^rd grade

January 9-11- ELA testing- 4^th grade

January 11&12- ELA testing- 5^th grade

January 15- No school- Martin Luther King Jr. day

January 17- Faculty/staff soup day

January 18- PTA meeting 7pm cafeteria

January 19- Starlab Planetarium visit- 2^nd grade

January 21&22- Sylvie Wickstrom author/illustrator- K&1^st grades

Sheri Amsel author/illustrator- 4^th&5^th grades

January 25- Rainforest presentation- 3^rd grade

January 26- Half day- am kindergarten attends