Summer Staff Lounge Make-Over Project

Each summer, I take on a project at school to make it a better place. I enjoy watching programs on HGTV ... and what better place to try some of the ideas than at school! This year I decided to "Make-Over" the Teachers' Lounge as a surprise for the staff. Our "Lounge" has not been a place for staff to relax. It was more like a chaotic workroom with tables and chairs for staff to eat lunch. I wanted to create a place for the staff to get away from the demands of the classroom and rejuvenate, so after lunch they would be relaxed and ready to return to their students with a smile. Here are some BEFORE pictures:

AFTER: Because this space also houses our copy machines, I tried to divide the space to make a "Lounge" and a "Copy Center." All the paper, forms, and other supplies seen in the before pictures are now in the Teachers' Workroom (in the adjoining room).

What do you think? Would you like to eat lunch in our lounge now?

Get Involved with the PTA

The PTA is the nation's oldest, largest and highest profile volunteer organization working on behalf of public school, children and families. PTA volunteers work in schools and communities to improve the educaiton, health and welfare of all children and youth. (www.pta.org)


I recently met with Victoria's 2009-10 PTA President, Mrs. Debbie Nelson (no relation). We are excited about the upcoming year and many activities that the PTA has planned. Because we recognize that the family unit plays an important part in helping students succeed, we plan to have "Family Fun Nights" throughout the year. These will provide a wonderful opportunity for families to get acquainted with one another and build a stronger sense of community here at Victoria.


Soon, Victoria's PTA will have its own Blog to keep parents and community members informed about special events, fundraisers, and other opportunities for involvement.

Victoria's Library Makeover Project

As many of you know, last March Victoria was selected as the recipient of a Library Makeover provided by the non-profit Heart of America Foundation and Target Stores. The makeover includes new paint, carpet, furniture, technology, art work, and thousands of books.

Today, the designers sent me a "design deck" of their plans for our library. Mrs. Read and I will conference with the designers and project managers, as well as other key RSUD people on Thursday to review the plans!

The plan expands the library to include Room 4. The library will now be the entire wing of three classrooms. As you see from the drawing above, the computer lab will remain where it is, but will have the addition of a new Promethan Board. There will also be new tables and chairs for students to use while they complete research or other work - including two "cafe" style tables.

Mrs. Read will finally have a reading area with plenty of room for students to sit while she reads to them. This area will be complete with a colorful carpet and bean bag chairs!

Here is a sample of the color scheme and furniture. Our new Library will be bright and cheery! I can't wait to see the finished project!

The library makeover will be largely volunteer-driven. Professional contractors will complete tasks such as painting and other cosmetic changes to the library. Then, on October 16th, more than 200 volunteers from Heart of America and Target will complete the finishing touches. They will assemble the furniture, shelve books, and complete light cleaning and landscaping projects. Families and school staff will be invited to participate in the event, which will culminate with a library re-opening ceremony, to be held on the same day. As part of the festivities, each child will receive seven books to add to his or her own home library.

The School Library Makeover project is a partnership between Target and the Heart of America Foundation, which has worked for the past decade to give children the tools they need to read, succeed and make a difference. More information about the program is available online at: www.heartofamerica.org/READesign.htm.

ELD Summer Academy in August

Mr. Kaufhold and Mrs. Gonzales met with me to plan our ELD Summer Academy. We have invited 38 EL students in fifth and sixth grades - most of whom are LTELs. Invitations were mailed out on Monday afternoon and offered parents the choice of two sessions for their child to attend.

Session One:

• August 3-7
• 8:30 - 11:00
• Held at Victoria School - Room 14

Session Two:

• August 10 - 14
• 12:30 - 3:00 pm
• Held at the Casa Blanca Library

Parents have been asked to RSVP via mail (in the provided self-addressed, stamped envelope) and/or by calling the school and leaving a message on my voicemail. I recieved three such phone messages today!

We are looking forward to working with these students during our ELD Summer Academy.

Acronyms of the Day: EL, ELD, and LTEL

Nearly 30% of Victoria's students are learning English as a second language (EL). We have almost 200 EL students - with approximately 70 students who are Long-Term English Learners (LTEL). Students are considered LTEL when they have been enrolled in US schools and have received English Language Development (ELD) for four or more years but have not met the criteria to be reclassified as a fluent English speaker. Needless to say, this group of students is one of our top priorities for student interventions.

Today, Mr. Hans Kaufhold (our new Title I Intervention Teacher) and I visited Rivera Elementary School's ELD Academy. Rivera's ELD Academy meets three hours a day for one week during the summer to receive instruction in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Mrs. Adela Flores-Bertrand, ELD coach/teacher at Rivera, worked with the ELD Coach at Hyatt to develop daily lesson plans that focus on language development and reading comprehension.

We loved the idea and are planning with Mrs. Melissa Gonzales, Victoria's ELD/ELA Coach, to see how this program can be adapted for the students at Victoria School.

(Thank you to Mrs. Gebeau and Mrs. Flores-Bertrand for allowing us to visit!)

Planning Ahead...

Today, Mrs. Read came to school to begin packing up books in preparation for our Library Makeover! We've been working with Target and Heart of America to plan the new layout of the library and to select new books to add to our shelves. Mrs. Read can hardly wait for the October 16th re-opening of her library!

Mrs. Gonzales and I met to discuss our plans for the 2009-10 school year. We discussed the CELDT test that our English Learners will take August and September. We also talked about other ideas that will help increase student achievement.

Several other teachers (Mrs. Jenkins, Ms. Truesdale, Mrs. Younan, and Ms. Phelps) came to school today to begin preparing their classrooms for August.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

We planted some flowers in the front of the office. Hopefully they will make it through the heat of the summer and be beautiful to welcome students and staff in August.

You can plant a garden at home, too!

What You'll Need:

• 4' x 3' garden patch
• Shovel
• Bagged compost
• Bagged mulch (optional)
• Plants
• Trowel
• Hose
• Water can or Small sprinkler

Step 1: Choose a garden spot that gets six or more hours of sun a day.
Step 2: Pull weeds, and dig up soil until it crumbles.
Step 3: Spread a one-inch layer of bagged compost over the soil and mix it in.
Step 4: Buy plants at a garden center. Buy small, healthy annuals.
Step 5: Set your plants on the bed and arrange them. Give the young plants plenty of room.
Step 6: With your trowel, dig a hole for each plant.
Step 7: Turn the pot over, and tap the plant into your hand. Loosen the root ball with your fingers, and set the roots into the soil.
Step 8: Water your plants with a sprinkler every few days.

For more fun outdoor activities and games for kids, check out:
Kids' Crafts
Kids' Activities
Outdoor Activities for Kids

What do principals do in the summer?

A few weeks ago my eight year old niece asked how come I still have to go to school! Well, even with no students, much happens over the summer at school.

The summer months give principals an opportunity to review achievement data, further develop implementation plans for school improvement, and prepare staff development activities for the fall. We also make class lists, order supplies like crayons and pencils, and get everything ready for the students and teachers to return in August.

In addition to the reflection and planning process, I have interviewed and hired two new staff members - Stefanie Santana and Hans Kaufhold. Ms. Santana joins the fifth grade team and comes to us from Rivera Elementary. Mr. Kaufhold has been hired to be our Intervention Resource Teacher. He has taught at Franklin Elementary and most recently served as a Staff Development Specialist with the District. I am very excited about their addition to our staff.

Over the summer, many of our teachers meet in grade level teams to plan for the upcoming year. I also attend trainings and meet with collegues to refine my skills as an educator and school leader. The teachers and I want to design the best instructional program possible for our students.

If you have questions regarding schedules, enrollment / registration, or anything related to Victoria, please email me at lanelson@rusd.k12.ca.us. Please give me feedback on how you like this site and the type of information you would like to see.

As I told my neice in response to her question - school's never out for the principals...