Saratoga Shores PTA

Lunch Schedule

2012-01-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

Here's the 2nd term lunch schedule, for those dads who may be planning to participate in one of the Dads Days on February 3 or March 2. On those days, dads are invited to join their students for school lunch and/or recess activities. To participate, dads should check in at the front office, then go to the student's classroom a little bit before lunchtime.

11:03 1st grade - Schmidt & Earle
11:08 1st grade - Geddes & Saxton
11:13 2nd grade - Casey & Bradley
11:17 2nd grade - Lewis & Peterson
11:21 2nd grade - Larsen
11:25 3rd grade - Thurston & Burgon
11:29 3rd grade - Durfee & Goodman
11:32 3rd grade - Gorham
11:35 5th grade - Rasband & Ross
11:38 5th grade - Ferre & Johnson
11:40 6th grade - Brady & Cook
11:43 6th grade - Emett & Gurr
11:48 4th grade - Lindeman & Zito
11:50 4th grade - Norris & West

Lunch recess ends at the following times:

1st grade 11:45
2nd grade 11:55
3rd grade 12:05
4th grade 12:25
5th grade 12:15
6th grade 12:20

Third Grade Donut Date

2012-01-19T07:56:00.003-07:00

The 3rd grade Donut Date will be this Friday, January 20, from 9:15 - 9:45 in the 3rd grade classrooms. Students are encouraged to invite a dad, mom, or another adult friend or relative to join them in the classroom to read together and have a donut. You can bring your own reading material or read books from the classroom. Adults do not need to sign in at the front office for this event.

We request that you find a babysitter for younger children if possible, so you can focus on your 3rd grader.

Feeding Our Teachers Before Parent-Teacher Conferences

2012-01-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

The PTA needs your help. Please sign up to bring food to feed our teachers and staff before parent-teacher conferences on January 25 and January 26. Thanks for your help!

Paying for School Lunch

2012-01-06T08:27:00.001-07:00

I've been a fan of MealPayPlus for a while because it makes it easy to keep track of how much lunch money your students have in their accounts and to make school lunch payments when needed. Now the program has changed its name to MyPaymentsPlus, but it's better than ever before because now it's FREE to make payments, whereas you used to pay a about a 4% fee when you made payments (though it was always free to check balances).

You can use MyPaymentsPlus to:

· Check student balances

· Make payments

· Receive low balance e-mail reminders

· Set up auto-replenish

· View purchase history

If you were already a MealPayPlus customer, you have all the same features as before without making any changes. It's just that now they are all free.

If you've never used online payments for school lunch, but now it sounds appealing, you can sign up for a free account at www.MyPaymentsPlus.com. First get your student's student ID number. You can get it from Skyward or by calling 801-766-6441 and asking the school secretary. If you have students in other Alpine School District schools, you can sign them all up under the same account, but you will need each student's ID number. After you have your student ID numbers, click the Register for a FREE account button on the left side of the page. Choose Utah and Alpine School District from the menus, and the rest is easy-breezy to set up.

I have students in three different schools, and I just love that this program makes it easy for me to stay on top of school lunch payments. Maybe it will help you too!

4th Grade Donut Date

2011-12-07T22:33:00.001-07:00

The 4th grade Donut Date will be this Friday, December 9, from 9:15 - 9:45 in the 4th grade classrooms. Students are encouraged to invite a dad, mom, or another adult friend or relative to join them in the classroom to read together and have a donut. You can bring your own reading material or read books from the classroom. Adults do not need to sign in at the front office for this event.

If at all possible, we request that adults find a babysitter for younger children, so you can focus on your fourth grader.
Participating in a Donut Date counts toward hours for the PS{squared} program. For more information, see the link on the right side of this blog.

Special Ballot - Treasurer

2011-12-02T17:21:00.001-07:00

Jessica Savage, our PTA treasurer, is moving. Alas. She has done a great job as our treasurer, and we will miss her. Joy Layton has offered to step in and fill the treasurer position for the remainder of the school year, but we need to vote her in before she can be official.

Please click here to vote! It will only take a minute, I promise.

PTA General Membership Meeting

2011-11-30T10:59:00.001-07:00

Our next General PTA Membership Meeting is Tuesday, December 6th at 10:00 a.m. at Saratoga Shores Elementary -- and YOU are invited!

One of the important items of business to be conducted at this meeting is the election of at least three PTA Members (plus two alternates) to serve for the next few months as our PTA's Nominating Committee.

The Nominating Committee's job is to work together to find candidates to serve on next year's Executive Board -- Pres-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, Legislative VP, and Leadership VP. Those currently serving in those positions on the Exec. Board cannot be a part of the Nominating Committee. However, other current Board Members and PTA Members can serve on the Nominating Committee.

If you are interested in serving on the Nominating Committee, or know of anyone who might be interested, please come to the meeting on Tuesday! (If you are interested, but cannot attend the PTA Meeting, please email sharkspta@gmail.com) Remember -- this is not a long-term commitment (just until February, when the Nominating Committee must report its nominees to the Executive Board). But we do need committed volunteers to help fulfill this very important role in our PTA!

Thank you for your continued support of the Saratoga Shores PTA!

Teachers' Workroom

2011-11-03T10:13:00.001-06:00

This is just a friendly reminder for all adults at Saratoga Shores: Please do not bring your children into the teachers' workroom. There are paper cutters, a hot laminating machine, and lots of cupboards with easy-to-reach doors where children can get into things that aren't kid-friendly. We want to keep all children safe and also protect our school equipment.

Children are welcome at the school. Please bring them anytime--just not in the workroom. Thanks for understanding!

School Lunch Payments

2011-10-23T14:30:00.002-06:00

Dear Valued Parents,

With a demanding schedule, keeping up with your child’s lunch account isn’t always easy. In an effort to better serve you, MealpayPlus is happy to provide you with some tips on managing your student’s account online.

Did you know MealpayPlus offers free low balance alerts? If you’re not already signed up, you can update your MealpayPlus profile to send you an e-mail each time your student’s account falls below a specified threshold. Here’s how:

1. Log into www.mealpayplus.com

2. Select “Manage Notifications” under “Manage Account”

3. Choose your threshold(s) for the account(s) you use and save your changes [A threshold of $5.00 or more is recommended]

Cross another thing off your to-do list with the auto-pay feature. You can set your account to auto-replenish each time it falls below a set amount. Setting up auto-pay is easy:

1. Log into www.mealpayplus.com

2. Select “Manage Auto Pay” under “Manage Account”

3. Choose or save your payment information in your secure wallet

4. Enter your threshold/deposit amount and save your changes [A threshold of $5.00 or more is recommended]

We hope this information will assist you in better managing your student’s account. Thank you for your loyalty and participation in the MealpayPlus program.

Best Regards,

MealpayPlus

Changes

2011-10-13T22:30:00.000-06:00

The Fall Festival will be postponed--and it will morph into a different celebration later in the school year. Details TBA.

Fall Festival on October 28

2011-10-11T14:31:00.003-06:00

The Fall Festival at Saratoga Shores will be on Friday, October 28, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Several classrooms will sponsor booths with games and activities. There will also be a Halloween costume contest. The PTA will provide prizes and serve a pizza dinner at a bargain price. This event is not a fund-raiser. It's just a fun family night. Last year this event was well attended and enjoyed. We hope this year will be even better!

The PTA does need some help with food, prizes, and set-up. We have tried to organize volunteer efforts so that no one will be overwhelmed with responsibilities. If you would like to help, you can click here to sign up. If you have trouble with the link, you can e-mail sharkspta@gmail.com, and someone will contact you directly to see if there's a volunteer spot that works with your life. Thanks!

(If you're a room mom and you're going to be helping with a booth, please don't feel like you need to be a superhero and sign up for another volunteer spot. We want our room moms to be happy and sane.)

Red Ribbon Week

2011-10-10T13:12:00.001-06:00

It's Red Ribbon Week at Saratoga Shores! There will be an assembly to encourage students to stay away from drugs. There are also dress-up days 4 days this week.

Monday - Wear red - Two classes with the most red get lunch from Chick-Fil-A.
Tuesday - Lay off drugs - Wear Hawaiian attire.
Wednesday - Don't be a dum-dum; stay off drugs! (Bet you can guess what the treat will be.)
Thursday - Sock it to drugs - Wear crazy socks; there will be a prize for the craziest boy & girl.
Friday - Team up against drugs! Wear Sharks shirts, team jerseys, or sports team colors.

Book Fair Volunteers Needed

2011-10-03T10:45:00.000-06:00

There are still opportunities to sign up and help at the Book Fair this week. Click here if you would like to volunteer for a shift.

As of right now (Monday morning), there are open shifts at these times:

Wednesday
2:00 - 4:00 (2)
4:00 - 5:15 (2)
5:15 - 7:15 (3)

Thursday
2:00 - 4:00 (1)
3:15 - 5:15 (1)
4:00 - 5:15 (2)
5:15 - 7:15 (4)

Friday
12:00 - 2:00 (1)
2:30 - 3:30 (2 - to help take down all the books)

Some people have been having difficulties with the Google Doc sign-up sheet. Sometimes it helps to open the document from a different Internet browser. If you can't open the sign-up sheet, please e-mail sharkspta@gmail.com, and we'll work with you directly.

Take-Home Reading Library Schedule

2011-09-27T08:07:00.001-06:00

Here is the schedule for the take-home reading library for 2011-2012. Classes will take turns swapping out the books by grade level. Please make a note of when your student's teacher's class is in charge. Heidi will send a schedule to the relevant people with volunteers and times listed each month. If you haven't signed up to help but would like to, you can contact Heidi at hglenn24@yahoo.com.

October: Geddes/Lewis
November: Schmidt/Peterson
December: Saxton/Bradley
January: Earle/Casey
February: Geddes/Larsen
March: Schmidt/Peterson
April: Saxton/Bradley
May: Earle/Casey
Thanks to all the volunteers who make the take-home reading library such a success for Saratoga Shores students!

Westlake Homecoming Parade

2011-09-21T07:32:00.001-06:00

Show your school spirit at Westlake's Homecoming Parade tonight (Wednesday, September 21). Wear Saratoga Shores school colors (purple, green and silver). Line up at the Westlake west parking lot (by the soccer field) at 6:15 p.m. The parade will begin at 6:30. The school that shows the most school spirit will be acknowledged at the Homecoming football game this weekend. Saratoga Shores won the school spirit contest last year.

Time to Schedule Fall SEP's

2011-09-20T20:27:00.001-06:00

The Online Scheduler is open, so you can schedule SEP's (parent-teacher conferences) for your students. SEP's will be on October 5 and 6. The student who is your family representative (the oldest student you have at Saratoga Shores) should have brought home a bright orange paper with instructions for how to sign up online.

You can access the Online Scheduler from the link at the right of this blog. Then choose Saratoga Shores from the Elementary Schools drop-down menu, and follow the prompts from there. If you need further help, track down the orange paper or call Stacy at the front office (801-766-6440) for assistance.

Thanks to all our volunteers!

2011-09-18T21:14:00.002-06:00

Last week, parent volunteers at Saratoga Shores did some amazing things.

Thanks to Janet Cherrington, Jill Derington, Julie Ostler, Sarah Granata, Stephanie Howell, Tania Young, and Teri Blatter who organized the whole new take-home reading library under the direction of Heidi Glenn. These wonder women did in one day what Heidi thought would take three days. We had additional parents who had volunteered to come in on Thursday and Friday, but they weren't needed because the job was already finished. We thank those parents for their willingness to help also. If you have a student in kindergarten through second grade, watch for more details about the take-home library coming soon.

On Wednesday, parent volunteers worked with our school nurse, Carissa Jensen, to complete vision screening for the students in all grades. Thanks to all of these parents for their help: Laura Curtis, Lisa Gibby, Kristin Pickering, Jennifer Taylor, Susan Burdette, Stephanie Empey, Kyra Slider, Annette Thompson, Julie Ostler, Teri Blatter, Angela Webb, Erin Whitaker, Brandy Shelley, Tania Young, and Melissa Brown. It was a big job, but it went without a hitch.

The PTA and the school administration thank all the wonderful parents who make great things happen at Saratoga Shores.

6th Grade Donut Date This Friday

2011-09-13T17:59:00.001-06:00

Sixth graders are encouraged to invite their dad, mom, or another adult friend or relative to school on Friday morning. September 16, for the 6th grade Donut Date. Parents and students can go directly to the classrooms from 9:15 - 9:45 for this event. There is no need to sign in at the front office. You can bring your own reading material, or choose from the teacher's classroom library.

Parents are encouraged to leave younger children home with a babysitter if possible, so your focus can be on your 6th grader. One idea is to swap babysitting with a neighbor. You can see the schedule for future Donut Dates for each class on the lower right portion of this blog.

Thanks for supporting our Donut Dates!

Entertainment Books Due Tomorrow

2011-09-08T20:46:00.001-06:00

The Saratoga Shores PTA fund-raiser ends tomorrow. Please turn in your money for purchased Entertainment books, and return any book that you are not going to purchase. It is easy to recoup your $25 by using just a few of the coupons in the book.

If you want to support the PTA without purchasing an Entertainment book, you can make a straight donation (tax-deductible), payable to Saratoga Shores PTA.

The PTA will use the money earned from the fund-raiser to pay for additional books for the take-home reading library, school newsletters, the Reflections program, the Room Mom social, Teacher of the Month awards, Donut Dates, Red Ribbon Week, Teacher Appreciation, and Field Day. If we don't meet our fund-raising goal of $6000, we will adjust the PTA budget to support fewer programs this year.

Thanks for supporting the PTA!

PTA Meeting on Tuesday

2011-09-02T22:24:00.000-06:00

Welcome to another year at Saratoga Shores Elementary!

Everyone is invited to attend our first general PTA Meeting on Tuesday, September 6th at 10:00 a.m. at the school. If you haven't had a chance to join PTA, but would like to, we'll have membership forms available at the meeting.

PTA Members will be voting to approve the proposed 2011-2012 PTA Budget, as well as discussing important upcoming PTA events and volunteer opportunities. Please come and share your ideas ... we look forward to planning a great year and doing great things in our PTA as we work to support our students, and the teachers and staff at Saratoga Shores.

Hope to see you there!

Smith's Earn & Learn Program

2011-08-27T09:14:00.000-06:00

Did you know that Smith's will pay Saratoga Shores every time you use your Fresh Values card at the grocery store? You just need to sign up for the Earn & Learn program and designate Saratoga Shores as the school you want to support. You can sign up at the customer service desk.

You can tell if you're enrolled by looking at any Smith's receipt. It will include a section that says "Giving $1 million to schools" and below that it will show your Earn & Learn purchases for that trip and also year-to-date. If this info doesn't show, you aren't enrolled in the program.

If you have enrolled in this program earlier, be aware that your enrollment expires and must be renewed every year. Your Smith's receipt will show if your enrollment has expired. You can have the receipt scanned by any cashier to re-enroll. It takes only seconds to do.

Please consider enrolling in the Smith's Earn & Learn program to help our school get this money. Thanks!

New 5th Grade Teacher

2011-08-26T12:21:00.000-06:00

Mrs. Wilson got authorization from Alpine School District to hire an additional 5th grade teacher at Saratoga Shores, since the classes are so large (36-40 students each). Some students will be reassigned to the new class when it is established, but it will be nice to have another 5th grade at the school.

Volunteer Opportunities at Saratoga Shores

2011-08-25T14:18:00.000-06:00

Friday, August 26 - Monday Packets
Mrs. Wilson has asked that the PTA help get parents who can help assemble the Monday packets for this year. Teachers will send information home with students in the Monday packets throughout the year. (For those of you who are familiar with the Wednesday packets from last year, it's the same thing--just moved to Monday.) Volunteers will meet in the PTA room (room #177) on Friday at 1:00 to stuff envelopes. You can bring young children with you while you volunteer. Click here if you can help stuff envelopes.

Friday, September 2 and Friday, September 9 - PTA Fund-Raiser
The PTA fund-raiser will begin next week. Students will be bringing home Entertainment coupon books to sell. You can recoup the price of the book by using it just a few times during the year. This fund-raiser has been very successful for our school and many parents like it, which is why we continue to do it every year. The PTA will be handing out prizes for students who have sold books on Friday, September 2, and Friday, September 9, at 9:30 in the front entry area of the school. We are looking for 6 volunteers each day. Click here if you can help hand out prizes on either day.

Wednesday, September 14 - Vision Screening
The school nurse, Carissa Jensen, will be doing vision screening for all the students. She needs help from parent volunteers to make it work. She needs 15 volunteers in the morning from 9:10 - 11:00, and 4 volunteers from 12:30 - 1:30 (for afternoon kindergarten students only). Please click here if you would like to help with vision screening. The PTA will send out an e-mail reminder or call you.

Thanks for all you do to help at the school. We look forward to a great year at Saratoga Shores!

Back-to-School Night & Hotdog Hello

2011-08-16T11:26:00.000-06:00

Saratoga Shores will have Back-to-School Night and the PTA's Hotdog Hello this Friday, August 19, from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. We hope everyone will come to the school!

Find the classroom.
Meet the teacher.
Pay for school lunch (in the cafeteria/gym).
Find your bus, bus stop, and bus times (posted outside the front doors).

Of course we hope you will join the PTA as well. The PTA supports many programs at Saratoga Shores, including Reflections, Donut Dates, Box Tops for Education, Campbell's soup labels, Red Ribbon Week, field day, and finding volunteers to help with additional events during the year, like book fairs and vision and hearing screening. The PTA counts on its members for support. PTA membership is $6. If you join at Back-to-School Night, you will get a free hot dog meal for every paid membership.

Additional hotdog meals can be purchased for $2. You can also pre-order a school yearbook for $10.

School t-shirts (same design as last year) will also be available to purchase or order. Bella (girl-style) t-shirts are $10. Standard t-shirts and polo shirts are $8. Zip hoodies are $22. Pullover hoodies are $15.

Checks for all of these items can be made payable to Saratoga Shores PTA or SS PTA. (You can purchase all items together with one check.)

See you there!

Class Lists

2011-08-10T19:09:00.000-06:00

Class lists will be posted on the front doors of Saratoga Shores this Friday, August 12, by 7:30 p.m.

There won't be any classes in trailers this year.

The 5th grade classes are very large right now. If you know people who have moved into the area with 5th graders (or any new students, actually), please have them contact the school at 801-766-8349. If we get just a couple more 5th grade students registered, Mrs. Wilson will be able to hire another 5th grade teacher.

Summer Library

2011-07-26T22:38:00.000-06:00

We hope your families have had a chance to enjoy some good books through the summer library at Saratoga Shores ....

Please remember that the last day of summer library is next Tuesday, August 2nd from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. That will be a "check-in only" day. Please be sure to return all books to the library during that time.

A parent's letter to children in school

2011-07-21T12:59:00.000-06:00

This letter appeared in Jeff Thredgold's column in the Deseret News today. It includes good advice for students, and I thought it was worth sharing.

Kindergarten Registration

2011-07-16T19:29:00.000-06:00

If you have a kindergarten student to register at Saratoga Shores for the upcoming school year, please do so as soon as possible. If you have friends or neighbors with incoming kindergarteners, please let them know that the school is eager to get their students registered as well.

Mrs. Wilson, the new principal, will hire another kindergarten teacher if we get just a few more kindergarten students registered. If the students register late, the teacher will be hired late as well.

The front office is open for limited hours from July 14 -21 because they are waxing the floors, but it will be open on July 19 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. for student registration and to answer any questions from parents.

As a note, the school library will be closed on July 19. It will reopen on the 26th and on August 2 from 10 - noon, so students can check out books for summer reading.

Popsicles with the New Principal

2011-06-15T21:40:00.000-06:00

Come and meet Mrs. Wilson, our new Principal of Saratoga Shores Elementary School. Everyone is welcome. Share the invitation with your friends and neighbors.

Tuesday June 21st, 2011
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Open house - come & go as you please

Saratoga Shores Elementary School

Hope of America

2011-06-13T21:16:00.000-06:00

The Hope of America program (in which 5th grade students from Saratoga Shores performed along with many other students from the area) will be broadcast on KBYU July 3rd at 12:00 p.m. and July 4th at 6:00 p.m. BYUTV will show the program on July 22 at 11:00 AM and July 23 at 11:00 p.m. Set your DVR & enjoy!

Saratoga Splash Parade

2011-06-07T20:19:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder -- Mr. Martin invites all interested students and families to march with him in the Splash Parade this Saturday June 11th, 2011. We will meet at Westlake at 9:15am for the 10am parade. Wear your school T-shirts or school colors (purple, green, gray/silver). The school will have green and purple pom poms for kids to shake for $1 each or bring your own balloons to carry as we walk. Strollers welcome for the little ones.

We’re also looking for volunteers to help with concessions at the radKIDS booth right next to the Saratoga Springs Police Department at Harvest Hills Park during the Family Fun Festival that same day as the parade. We’ll be selling food to help raise money for a red man suit for the radKIDS program in our public schools in our city.

If you can help in the concession booth please e-mail sharkspta@gmail.com! Below are the available time slots. We'd love to have two or more people per slot. Bring your spouse with you or responsible children ages 12 and up are welcome to help pass out food. The Family Fun Festival is Saturday, June 11th from 11am to 6pm. Come and support the radKIDS program.

11am-1pm: Heather and Dana Kuntz
12 Noon to 2pm: Angela Webb
1pm -3pm:
2pm – 4pm:
4pm – 6pm:

Thanks!

Track Request Problems

2011-06-01T21:24:00.000-06:00

The school is not able to accommodate all the track requests that have been submitted. The 9:15 track is overfilled with lower-grade students. In addition, more kindergarten students are needed in the afternoon classes to keep class sizes balanced.

If you are willing to consider a change in either of these areas--or if you are moving over the summer or switching your students to another school (other than Thunder Ridge)--please contact the front office at 801-766-8349 and let them know. If there are not enough volunteers for changes, the school will have to adjust students' schedules based on the order in which track request forms were submitted. Thanks for your understanding!

Summer Math Facts Challenge

2011-06-01T10:37:00.001-06:00

The School Community Council has determined that Saratoga Shores students will focus on improving memorization of math facts during the next two school years. To get a jump start, the PTA is supporting a Summer Math Facts Challenge. Students can use a worksheet to track their progress in memorizing the math facts that are appropriate for their grade level. Students who complete the challenge and return the signed form during the first week of school will receive an award--and, more important, they will have a good baseline for learning math during the school year.

The Thunder Ridge PTA is also supporting this Challenge.

Click here for the Math Facts Challenge worksheet, or use the one that was sent home with your student on June 1. The Challenge sheet includes more details about the Challenge and also information about helpful and free math web sites that your student can use to complete the Challenge.

2011 Movie Under the Stars

2011-05-27T16:07:00.002-06:00

As school is coming to a close, we wanted to make sure our Utah kids know about 2011 Movie Under the Stars at the Utah State Capitol this summer. The movies are free! Popcorn is free! And it will be a great opportunity for the kids to create memories with their families at the State Capitol.

The movies will be shown at dusk on the southwest lawn of the State Capitol.

July 1 - The Sandlot
July 15 - Napolean Dynamite
July 29 - Despicable Me
August 12 - Better Off Dead
August 26 - Tangled

These events have been added to our PTA calendar (at the bottom of this blog).

Champion Village Summer Fitness Program through BYU

2011-05-24T13:50:00.000-06:00

Saratoga Shores students have the pleasure of joining forces with a team of BYU students to help reduce childhood obesity. They would like the students of Saratoga Shores Elementary to participate in their fun research program this summer. The flyer explains in greater detail what this program will entail.

Click here to be directed to their web site, where you can sign up for the program and be entered in a drawing for a free iPod.

This will be a fun and beneficial experience for your child. We highly recommend it!

radKIDS Instructors Wanted

2011-05-20T12:36:00.000-06:00

Help make our world safer one child at a time.

Saratoga Shores Elementary is looking for individuals to volunteer their time to become instructor-certified in the radKIDS program. The radKIDS Instructor Program is a four-day certification course (which is paid for by Saratoga Shores) detailing the program’s core curriculum. Candidates will receive information on teaching children about school safety, home safety, out-and-about safety, vehicle safety, strangers and tricks (including physical defense skills), and personal safety.

Our school would like to send one or two people to be certified at the upcoming certification course in Provo, which is hosted by the Utah County Sheriff’s department on June 8-11th (8am-5pm all days).

After the certification, the volunteer instructors would then commit to teaching the 3rd graders next year at Saratoga Shores. The volunteers will work with teachers and administrators in developing a schedule of training for the students.

If you are interested in becoming certified and helping our children learn how to be safer, or have questions, please call Mr. Martin at the school 801-766-6440.

You can find out more information about the radKIDS program at: www.radkids.org

Buy One, Get One Free!

2011-05-18T11:40:00.001-06:00

The Book Fair is happening now at Saratoga Shores! Come in and check out all the great books. Buy one, and get one of equal or lesser value for FREE.

We could still use some volunteers tomorrow and Friday. Click here to see what's needed and to sign up. Thanks!

Community Input Meeting Tonight

2011-05-11T13:54:00.002-06:00

There will be a community input meeting at Willowcreek Middle School, tonight (May 11) at 7 p.m.

Alpine School District Board Members and Cabinet Members will be in attendance at the meeting to discuss the results of the bond survey and well as to get input about the bond and other current issues. Please invite your friends and neighbors.

Cookie Dough - Help Needed

2011-05-09T10:21:00.000-06:00

The cookie dough for our school fund-raiser will be here on Wednesday, May 11. The front office staff needs help from parents to sort and distribute the cookie dough. If you are available for a 1-hour shift sometime between 10: 00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., please sign up online. Thanks!

BOGO Book Fair will be May 17-20

2011-05-06T16:25:00.000-06:00

There will be a Book Fair at Saratoga Shores from May 17 - 20. Buy one book, and get a second book of equal or lesser value FREE! It's a great time to stock up on books for summer reading or gifts.

Mrs. Christensen is looking for parents to help run the Book Fair. Click here to see the sign-up sheet. She appreciates the many parents who help make the Book Fairs at our school such a success!

Student Safety in Parking & Drop-off Areas

2011-05-03T13:36:00.000-06:00

We are having some trouble with parents dropping off and picking up students. We ask that you please-oh-please be mindful of the safety of the students. We had a student hit by a car one year, and it's not an experience we want to repeat.

These are the safety tips that the school administration & teachers would like everyone to obey:

Please don't double-park in the drop-off loop. The lane closest to the sidewalk is where you should stop to let students in and out. The outside lane is just for pulling out to leave the loop.
Please don't drop students off on Grandview Blvd on the north side of the school or anywhere else where students have to cut across traffic to get to the school.
Please don't talk on your cell phone when you're in the drop-off area.
Please be patient with everyone: students, teachers, bus drivers, and other parents. We're all trying to make it work!
If you can, consider coming 5 minutes after school ends to pick up your students. It's not a long time for students to wait, and it really helps cut congestion if we can have fewer cars converging on the school at the same time.

These guidelines are 95% about keeping students safe and 5% about not ruining someone's day with thoughtless behavior or comments. You can help make the world a better place by making student drop-offs and pick-ups a little nicer for everyone. Thanks!

Soup Labels

2011-04-28T14:58:00.000-06:00

There is some confusion over Campbell's soup labels vs. Box Tops for Education. Saratoga Shores collects both, but they do not go to the same place when we turn them in. We can't turn in collection sheets that include both Box Tops and soup labels. Also, we need the UPC portion of the soup label. The picture below shows several Campbell's soup labels that could be redeemed. (They don't look the same on every can and package.)

Thanks for turning in your Box Tops and soup labels. It's a great way for the school to earn "free" money!

School Improvement Plan

2011-04-27T14:00:00.025-06:00

The 2010 CRT performance scores indicate that Saratoga Shores made Adequate Yearly Progress with a whole school proficiency score of 85% and with a progress score of 217. Our sub-groups scored at the 73% level with a progress score of 205, not quite hitting the target expectation but making sufficient progress to get a pass. The only sub-group not making the mark were the students with disabilities; we had 90 students in this sub-group. For the coming school year, our goal is to increase our progress score by 10 progress points over the 2011 score, which will be revealed in August 2011.

Language Arts Goal
88% of our students passed AYP with a proficiency language arts score of 3 or better. This represents a progress score of 213. The acceptable range is progress score of 176.

This year our language arts goal is to increase the percentage of students passing proficiency by 5%, or a whole school language arts proficiency of 93%.

Math Goal
80% of our students achieved a proficiency score with a 3 or better. This represents a progress score of 222. Our math goal is to increase the percentage of students passing with proficiency scores of 3 or better by 5%.

Target Students
We will target all students in the school to increase the level of proficiency; however, special emphasis will be placed on proper interventions in supporting the at-risk subgroups at the school, especially the students with disabilities.

Data
While we want to have all students improve their language arts and math proficiency, we recognize that 55.5% of our present 90 students classified as students with a disability did not pass the CRT with proficiency in Language Arts, and 43.5 % of this same group did not pass with proficiency. The school will be downsized by approximately 28% next year; however, the projected number of students with disabilities that will be leaving the school will be less than that proportion of students.

Costs for School Improvement Plan
5 aides    16 hours @ $8.50 per hours for 25 weeks      $17,000.00
   Benefits    @ .22                                                          3,740.00
Copy aide    25 hours @ $8.50     212.50
    Benefits    @ .22      46.75
Conferences & workshops          2,004.29
Technology - total cost of using the network       2,000.00
CTL/teacher summer collaboration 227 hours @ $17.50    3972.50
    Benefits    @ .22    873.95
Total       $29,850.00

Action Step #1
Provide opportunity for staff members to work on math fluency expectations based on the new state common core. The end product will be daily math review sheets, time tests and time lines for mastery.

Time Line
Using the common math core, teachers will work under the direction of their curriculum team leader (CTL) during the summer of 2011 for 7.5 hours paid time.

Estimated Resources
The cost of teacher work time will be $3972.00, plus $873.95 for benefits.

Progress on Step #1
Teachers will meet in June through early August to have the math fluency program ready to go by August 15, 2011.

Action Step #2
Hiring and training the STAR Tutors, copy aide and the reading fluency coach. These aides will be supervised by a teacher with a reading endorsement that will be paid from school funds.

Time Line
Have aides hired by August 10, 2011, and have them trained at State Office in-service.

Estimated Cost
The aides will be paid at $8.50 per hour and will work for 16 hours weekly for 25 weeks during the school year. The approximate cost of the aides, including the copy aide will be $17212.5, with $3786.75 in benefits.

Persons Responsible
The principal will select the supervising teacher and will hire the aides.

Progress on Step #2
We will look for previously trained aides or employees who have worked with these programs.

Action Step #3
A teacher in-service component will be included to help teachers better understand the new state common core math objectives and standards, State Core Academy opportunities, CITES Literacy Promise Conference, and other district sponsored trainings that focus on math and literacy.

Time Lines
Teachers interested in attending the State Sponsored Summer institute must register in the spring according to the timeline set by the state. Other district training sessions will be made available to teachers as offered to teams and individuals.

Estimated Resources
District sponsored workshops are free, and substitutes will be paid by the district. The CITES conference will be paid from Trust Land funds at the cost of $279 per teacher, with a maximum of 5 representatives from the school.

Responsible Person
The principal and the secretary will handle invitations to attend and will pay for the expenses of attendance at the conferences and workshops.

Progress on Step #3
Attendees will give a formal presentation to the staff to share “take aways” gleaned from their in-service attendance.

Kindergarten Donut Date This Friday, April 22

2011-04-21T09:15:00.000-06:00

Kindergarteners are encouraged to invite their dad, mom, or another adult family member or friend to their Donut Date this Friday. You can bring your own books or choose reading material from the classroom. Parents do not need to check in at the office; you can go straight to the classroom. If you can find someone to tend preschool children while you go to the Donut Date, that is the best option but you can bring youngsters if you need to. Students who do not have a parent join them will be invited to read with another student.

Morening kindergarten time: 9:15 - 9:45 a.m.
Afternoon kindergarten time: 12:40 - 1:10 p.m.

Public Notice from ASD

2011-04-20T20:29:00.002-06:00

Alpine School District is required to give public notice before destroying archived special education records. If you were born between January 1, 1984, and December 31, 1985, received special education services through Alpine School District, and want to claim your records before they are destroyed, please contact Lacey Jackson 801-610-8461 before Friday, November 11, 2011. Records will be destroyed December 30, 2011.

Box Tops Contest Coming Soon!

2011-04-18T22:52:00.000-06:00

Gather your Box Tops & watch for a flyer coming home about a contest that will run through May 13. The classes that collect the most Box Tops for our end-of-year drive will win an ice cream party.

Track Requests

2011-04-06T16:56:00.000-06:00

Track request forms were sent home with students today for both Saratoga Shores and Thunder Ridge. The paper is light green. You need to fill out one form per family. If you already did one for kindergarten and listed all the students from your family who will be at the school next year, you don't need to fill out another form.

Forms will be accepted at the front office between April 18 and May 12.

If you are moving out of school boundaries during the summer, please let the front office know. That information helps plan for the upcoming year. Thanks!

Take-Home Reading Library Volunteer Schedule for April

2011-03-28T12:13:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who has volunteered to help in the take-home reading library. This program couldn't work without volunteers.

Click here for schedule

If you have a conflict with your scheduled time, please e-mail hglenn24@yahoo.com.

March Pot o' Gold Teachers of the Month

2011-03-23T12:55:00.000-06:00

March's Pot o' Gold Teachers of the Month are Mrs. Lewis (2nd grade), Mr. Goodman (3rd grade), and Mrs. Smith (4th grade). The teachers got gift certificates from the PTA, and they got to see how they might look as leprechauns. How lucky was that?

Mrs. Lewis

Mr. Goodman

Mrs. Smith

You can vote for April's teacher of the month at the front office. One vote per person.

Jump Rope for Heart

2011-03-17T18:48:00.000-06:00

The P.E. teacher, Kristen Berrett, had some extra people coming to help with Jump Rope for Heart tomorrow, but now they can't come. The PTA is helping her come up with extra volunteers. If you can help from noon to 2:15 at the school, please click here to sign up and help. Thank you!

If your student has the green jump rope that was given out at school at the beginning of the Jump Rope for Heart campaign, please have him or her bring it to school tomorrow to use for this event. If your student's jump rope got lost or broken, there are some P.E. jump ropes that students can use (just not enough for everyone). If you are sending a contribution for the American Heart Association, tomorrow is the day to send those in.

1st Grade Donut Date Tomorrow - March 18

2011-03-17T17:49:00.000-06:00

First graders are encouraged to invite a parent or another adult friend to come to school tomorrow from 9:15 - 9:45 to have a donut and read together. You can bring your own books or use one from the classroom. There is no need to check in at the front office for this event.

Learn to Help a Struggling Reader!

2011-03-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

Do you have a struggling reader? Come learn about paired reading, an easy practice strategy that only takes 5-15 minutes a day and helps readers gain confidence, fluency, and a love of reading.

Thursday, March 10
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Saratoga Shores Media Center

This reading strategy is effective for students from 1st - 6th grades.

Help Needed at Westlake

2011-02-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

The Westlake PTSA is looking for help with testing next Tuesday, March 1, between 7:30 a.m. and noon. Volunteers are needed to hand out testing material, read instructions aloud, monitor testing in the auditorium or classrooms, and collecting test materials. If you can help, please contact Kathy at 801-706-7077. Thank you!

Please note that our Saratoga Shores PTA meeting is happening the same day from 10:00 - 11:00 in the north-most trailer behind the school. We will be voting for next year's PTA board, so we would really like good attendance at the meeting. (We are still looking for someone who wants to be next year's PTA president or president-elect. If you are interested, please contact heather.kuntz@gmail.com.)

People Needed for Next Year's PTA Board

2011-02-22T09:17:00.001-07:00

Saratoga Shores PTA is still in need of a PTA President and a President-Elect for the 2011-2012 school year!

Training is available for both positions. It’s a wonderful way to be involved and serve your school and community. You can make a big difference in the lives of our students and their families. If you’re interested in either of these positions, please e-mail or call:

Heather Kuntz, Saratoga Shores PTA President, 2010-2011

heather.kuntz@gmail.com or 801-766-8841

Student Hygiene

2011-02-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

This is a timely topic from the National PTA and applies to some students in our upper grades, so I thought I'd post it.

Not-So-Sweet Smells

Kindergarten Registration

2011-02-07T09:04:00.003-07:00

Kindergarten registration is this Wednesday, February 9, from 8:00 - 2:00. Students who turn 5 by September 1, 2011, are eligible for kindergarten. Please bring your child's birth certificate and immunization records.

Skate Night on February 4

2011-02-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

This Friday is family skate night at Classic Skating (9151 S. 255 West in Sandy). There is free admission for all students from Saratoga Shores and their families from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Skate rental is $1, rollerblades are $3, and scooters are $3. You can also bring your own skates or scooter.

$2 dinner deals: choose from nachos or pizza & a drink or a hotdog, chips & drink.

Discount activities also available for $3: Bounce Zone, Jungle Climb, 3D Laser Tag, and Blast Zone.

Help Feed the Teachers During SEPs Next Week

2011-01-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

The PTA is looking for parents to contribute food for the teachers on February 2 and February 3. Items are needed at the school by 1:30 each day.

February 2: Soup in bread bowls, dessert

Soup in a Crockpot (5-6 people)

Cheese (large bag of shredded cheese from Costco)

Cheesecake (2)

Cake (2)

February 3: Pulled pork sandwiches, side dishes, finger desserts

Hamburger buns (large bag of buns from Costco)

Baked Beans (in Crockpot)

Potato Salad

Pasta Salad

Cole Slaw

Another Side

Large bag of chips from Costco (2)

Brownies (3 dozen)

Cookies (4 dozen)

If you can bring any of these items, please sign up online by clicking here or e-mail sharkspta@gmail.com. If you have an alternate choice, e-mail that also, so we can ensure that we get good variety (especially for Thursday). When you bring your foods, please label them with your name. Kelly is going to post a menu that includes who brought each item.

January Teachers of the Month

2011-01-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

Our "Snow-Cool" Teachers of the Month for January are Mrs. Ashworth (kindergarten) and Mrs. Rogers (5th grade). Congratulations!

Remember, you can vote for Teachers of the Month every month in the front office at the school. You can even send a note to school with your student with the teacher's name and why he or she should be the Teacher of the Month, and the student can put the note into the voting box. Winners receive gift certificates from the PTA.

Third Grade Donut Date Tomorrow!

2011-01-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

Third-graders are encouraged to invite dad, mom, or another adult guest to come and read with them tomorrow from 9:15 - 9:45 a.m. You can bring your own reading material or choose something the teacher has in the classroom. If possible, please find someone to watch preschoolers for you.

Time to Schedule Parent-Teacher Conferences

2011-01-15T12:03:00.001-07:00

Parent-teacher conferences at Saratoga Shores will be on Wednesday, February 2, and Thursday, February 3, from 4:00 - 7:30 p.m. in the classrooms. Most of the teachers use the Online Scheduler to set up appointments. If your student's teacher uses another system, you will have received a note from the teacher already. If you haven't gotten a note, please use the Online Scheduler and set up an appointment by January 29.

Click here to open the Online Scheduler. Then choose Saratoga Shores from the Elementary Schools drop-down list, and click Go. The password is sharks. You will need your student's ID number to schedule an appointment, but you can look it up online if you don't have it. You will get a confirmation at the end of scheduling; you will need that confirmation number later if you need to change or cancel your appointment.

Proclamation for Parent Engagement Month

2011-01-05T09:25:00.002-07:00

Whereas consistent, positive and convincing studies have shown that the number one factor in individual student success in school is parent involvement; and

Whereas it is found when schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer and enjoy school more; and

Whereas Parent Engagement in a child’s educational experience assures better cooperation between student and teacher and home and school; and

Whereas Parent Involvement in the lives of their children decreases the chance of risky behavior; and

Whereas additional studies also show that students of involved parents earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher-level programs, are promoted more often, attend school more regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior and adapt well to school; and

Whereas Students supported by the participation and engagement of their parents are more likely to graduate and go on to postsecondary education; and

Whereas, the success of children who have parents who are engaged in their lives continue into their adult life; and

Whereas the vision of Utah PTA for education is to help all children and youth reach their full potential and assure the involvement of parents in the education of their children;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that January 2011 is hereby proclaimed UTAH PTA PARENT ENGAGEMENT MONTH in the state of Utah, to encourage all parents to increase their participation, commitment, and involvement in the education of their children and youth and to encourage further engagement at the schools by joining their local PTA and participating at their school.

Merriest Teachers of the Month

2010-12-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

Because we had so many votes, the PTA awarded four Teachers of the Month in December.

Mrs. Tippetts (6th grade) was the top winner with over 60 votes!

Mrs. Tippetts

The other winners were Mrs. Tucker (2nd grade), Mr. Young (4th grade), and Mrs. Cook (6th grade).

Mrs. Tucker

Mr. Young

Mrs. Cook

November's Turkey-riffic Teachers

2010-12-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

The 5th graders showed their consistency in being big voters. November's overall Turkey-riffic Teacher of the Month was Mrs. Geyerman, who is a long-term substitute teacher.

Mrs. Hacking (5th grade) was the Turkey-riffic teacher for the upper grades.

Mrs. Thurston (3rd grade) was the Turkey-riffic teacher for grades K - 3.

Parents as well as students are encouraged to vote for Teachers of the Month. There's a box in the front office where you can drop a note any time with the teacher's name and why you believe he or she should be the Teacher of the Month. The last day of the December is the deadline for January's teachers of the month.

October's Spooktactular Teachers of the Month

2010-12-07T13:30:00.001-07:00

I know it's very late to post October Teacher of the Month winners, but we do want to recognize them late rather than not at all. This year we are honoring more than one teacher per month, since we have so many wonderful teachers at our school. Remember, both parents and students can nominate teachers. There's a box in the office where you can turn in your votes.

Mr. Dias (5th grade) was overall Spooktacular Teacher for October:

Mr. Brady (6th grade) was the Spooktacular teacher chosen from grades 4-6:

Mrs. Saxton (1st grade) was the Spooktacular teacher chosen from Grades K-3:

Westlake High School Changes Being Considered

2010-12-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

The Saratoga Shores PTA works with other schools to get information to parents. If you have a student at Westlake (or you will next year), this information is relevant to you. Otherwise, you can ignore it.

Lisa Gibby is a member of the school community council at Westlake High School, representing the Saratoga Shores community. If you have a student at Saratoga Shores and also a student at Westlake High School, Lisa needs to hear any feedback you may have on a couple of items. They are:

1. The school is looking at the way it does Parent/Teacher Conferences. At the last conference, we had less than a 25% turnout of parents. The idea that our principal has proposed is to have each teacher be available 2-3 times a term for "office time" when the parents and students could set up an appointment to meet with the teacher individually and doing away with the traditional parent/teacher conference.

2. The school wants to improve the way class schedule changes are made. If your student tried to change his/her schedule during the class change days at the beginning of the year, you know what a difficult process it was. The school is looking at allowing the parents or student to contact the counselors during the summer through e-mail and making those changes before school begins.

If you have opinions about either of these policy changes, please contact Lisa at lisagibby@gmail.com. Thank you.

Saratoga Springs Library News

2010-11-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

The library will hold a Used Book Sale on December 6-10, 10 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., and December 11, 9:30 a.m. through 12 noon, at the Bank of American Fork in Saratoga Springs. Thousands of books of every type will be available for purchase - paperbacks for $.25 and hardbacks for $.50. All proceeds will go toward the opening expenses of our new city library.

The library also holds Story Time the 3rd Tuesday of every month, 9 - 10 a.m., at the fire station in Sunrise Meadows. Story time on December 21st will feature members of the Fire Department sharing stories and a visit from Santa Claus.

Please contact Sue Alexander (801-766-1868) with questions about activities or to volunteer.

Home & Holiday Expo at UVU

2010-11-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

If you are interested, comment on this post or e-mail sharkspta@gmail.com to get a free ticket to the Home and Holiday Expo going on this Friday and Saturday at the UCCU Center at UVU. It is open from 10 am to 7 pm both days. Attendees can also bring in a can of food for free admission if they don’t have the paper ticket. All food collected will go to the Utah County Food and Care Coalition.

There are many great events planned for the expo. A children’s area will have face painting, balloon animals, fishing pond, bubble pool and other Christmas crafts. There will also be an area of Charity Trees that local businesses decorated and donated. The trees will be auctioned off and all money collected from the sale of those trees will go the United Way of Utah County. There are lots of great vendors with treats and excellent gifts to get your Christmas shopping done early.

New PTA President-Elected Needed

2010-11-11T09:51:00.001-07:00

The PTA is looking for a new president-elect. This person will be the president at Saratoga Shores next year (the president-elect this year). Our current president-elect needs to be replaced. If you're interested, please e-mail sharkspta@gmail.com.

Gingerbread House Festival

2010-10-31T21:19:00.001-06:00

The Utah PTA is one of the sponsors for the Gingerbread House Festival, which will be held at the Boy Scouts service center this year, 748 North 1340 West, Orem. There will be gingerbread houses, a country store featuring Christmas items, a cookie area where you can purchase and decorate cookies and gingerbread houses, and live entertainment.

November 12 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
November 14 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
November 15 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

The cost of admission is $3 for an adult, $2 for a child 3-12 years, or $12 for a family of up to 6 people. Proceeds from this event will provide character education programs in pre-K to grade 12 classrooms and work-based exploring programs and grants to schools from the Utah PTA Arts Education fund.

For full details, go to www.gingerbreadfestival.org, or click to see the poster. (You may need to give it a few seconds to load fully.)

Halloween at Saratoga Shores

2010-10-28T16:07:00.000-06:00

Students can wear their Halloween costumes to school tomorrow. Tasteful costumes are encouraged. No masks & no knives, guns, or swords. Light sabers are OK. Costumes should adhere to school dress standards. Some upper grades may require students to change into regular school clothes after the parade.

The Halloween parade is tomorrow from 9:30 - 10:30 in the gym. Parents are encouraged to come see all the students in their costumes.

Class parties will be announced by room moms or teachers.

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Reflections Entries Due October 26

2010-10-21T21:37:00.002-06:00

Reflections entries are due on Tuesday, October 26. Some teachers may have asked students to bring their entries in early, but Tuesday is the actual deadline set by the PTA.

Red Ribbon Week

2010-10-18T11:52:00.000-06:00

It's Red Ribbon Week at Saratoga Shores. The students attended an assembly this morning to encourage them to stay drug-free. There will also be daily themes throughout the week to reinforce this message.

Monday - Wear red. The two classes with the most red will get a free lunch hosted by Chick-Fil-A.
Tuesday - Lay off drugs. Wear Hawaiian clothes. All students will be given a lei to wear.
Wednesday - Don't be a Dumb-Dumb: Stay Off Drugs. Dum-dum suckers will be given to all students.
Thursday - Sock it to Drugs. Wear crazy socks. Prizes for girl & boy with craziest socks.
Friday - Team Up Against Drugs. Wear your favorite team jersey, t-shirt, team colors, or our school colors. No colored hair or face paint.

Remember the Fall Festival is also this Friday from 6-8 p.m. at the school. Cheap food, free activities. Costume contest, pumpkin-carving contest (bring carved pumpkin), donut-eating contest. Lots of family-friendly fun!

School Yearbooks

2010-10-13T08:14:00.000-06:00

Watch for a school yearbook order form coming home with your student. Yearbooks are on sale for $10 through the end of October. After that, the price will go up to $12. The yearbook will be full-color, with a page for each class and some extra pages for teachers and special events. You can pay for multiple yearbooks with the same check; just indicate each student's name and teacher. Checks should be made payable to Saratoga Shores PTA or SS PTA.

If you have some fun photos that you have taken during field trips, class parties, performances, or other events, you can submit them for use in the yearbook by e-mailing them to sharksyearbook@yahoo.com. Please indicate the grade & teacher with the photos.

Book Fair Thank You

2010-10-11T21:01:00.000-06:00

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! The book fair was a great success again this year! We are so thankful to all the wonderful supportive families that we have at our school! Thank you so much to all the wonderful volunteers that helped in any way with the book fair: we couldn't do it without YOU! Your help is VERY MUCH APPRECIATED! And thank you to the PTA who helped get our volunteers scheduled.

Thank you again.. We're excited to stock our library with some new titles with the money earned from the book fair. :-)

Mrs. Christensen
Media Specialist

Library Fund-Raiser Event This Saturday

2010-10-07T10:06:00.002-06:00

The 5K/10K Saratoga Springs Library fund-raiser race is this Saturday, October 9, starting at 8 a.m. at Inlet Park. If you're not up to running, you're more than welcome to walk. We're also encouraging this to be a family event; kids under 12 can ride bikes, scooters, roller blades, etc.

The cost is $17 for an adult or $8 for a child--or $20 and $11 if you want to include the breakfast afterward. The Kiwanis Club will serve a pancake breakfast from 8-10 a.m. The race entrance fee gets you a nice canvas bag for carrying your library books ($15 value), as well as lots of goodies included in the bag, so it's really a steal! And we've got some fun prizes to hand out as well. You can also register for $35 for 4 people (one bag).

Please come show your support for the library this Saturday! Spread the word to your neighbors! Contact beckyhogge@hotmail.com with any questions, or click the link below to sign up.

See details at the city web site and sign up for the 5K/10K.

Book Fair Volunteers Still Needed

2010-10-01T11:59:00.004-06:00

Thanks to everyone who has already signed up for a shift to help at the book fair next week. These are the shifts we still need to fill (updated as of Tuesday morning).

Tuesday, October 5
2:30 - 4:30 (1 person needed)
4:30 - 6:30 (1 person needed)
Wednesday, October 6
2:30 - 4:30 (3 people)
4:30 - 6:30 (1 person)
Friday, October 8
2:30 - 4:00 (1 person - take-down, may go quicker)

If you can help, please e-mail sharkspta@gmail.com or add your name directly to the list by clicking here. Click Save now up near the top right of the window after typing your name onto the form, so it will be saved. Thanks!

Congrats! ...and Help Needed for Ice Cream Parties

2010-09-28T11:36:00.000-06:00

We have our classroom winners for the PTA membership drive contest. The winners are Mrs. Lindeman's 4th grade class, Mr. Dias' 5th grade class, and Mrs. Ashworth's and Mrs. Peterson's a.m. kindergarten classes. Thanks, parents for joining the PTA this year!

The winning classes get to have an ice cream party. Jessica, our membership chair, is looking for help to dish ice cream for the students. You do not need to buy or bring anything. She needs 3-4 people. The first party is in Mrs. Lindeman's classroom this Thursday, September 30, at 1:30 p.m. The second party is in the kiva by the kindergarten classes on Friday, October 1, at 11:20 a.m.

If you can help, please e-mail sharkspta@gmail.com with Ice Cream Party in the subject line and tell which day you can help. Thanks!

Free Hot Dog Dinner Tonight @ Saratoga Shores

2010-09-24T16:00:00.000-06:00

Tonight at Saratoga Shores Elementary School we're having a STAR Literacy Party from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. There will be a free dinner of a hotdog, chips, a drink & a treat for all those who attend.

Everyone is invited! Bring your family and friends! Learn about the STAR literacy program that can help children become better readers. STAR activities for the kids.

After dark, we'll have telescopes set up in front of the school for star-gazing activities. Adam Bennion, an astronomy expert from Westlake High School, will be available to share insights into the night sky.

Book Fair October 5-8

2010-09-24T08:57:00.006-06:00

Saratoga Shores will have a book fair October 5-8. Students will visit the book fair during their weekly library time, and they can also visit during SEP conference time. Parents can visit any time the book fair is open.

Tuesday, October 5 9:30 - 6:30*
Wednesday, October 6 9:30 - 6:30*
Thursday, October 7 9:30 - 2:00*
Friday, October 8 9:30 - 2:00*

* The book fair will be closed during lunch, 11:15 - 12:30.

We need two volunteers per shift to help the book fair run smoothly. It is best if volunteers do not bring younger children along. The evening shifts are the hardest to fill. If you can work even 1 hour during an evening shift, please indicate that on the form.

Please click here to see the list of shifts AND add your name if you can help.

After you type your name into the form, please click Save Now up near the top right of the page, so it will be saved in the document. If you are unable to add your name directly to the document for some reason, e-mail sharkspta@gmail.com with Book Fair in the subject line. Thanks!

Help Needed with Red Ribbon Week

2010-09-19T20:25:00.001-06:00

The PTA is looking for help with Red Ribbon Week, October 18-22. We have a committee chairman. We are looking for parents who will help with posters/banners, balloons, hand out bracelets, copy handouts and put them in teachers' boxes. If you can help, please e-mail knightondaze@hotmail.com. Thank you!

[September 28 update: We have our assembly planned for October 18. We don't need any more help with that.]

Online Scheduler is Open

2010-09-18T09:21:00.002-06:00

SEP's will be held on October 5 and 6. Beginning today, you can schedule your SEP (parent-teacher conference) with your student's teacher using the online scheduler. You can access the Online Scheduler from the Alpine School District web site, or you can click here.

You will be able to figure out how it works. The password for Saratoga Shores is sharks.

If your student's teacher is using another method for parent-teacher conferences, he or she will have already sent a note home to tell you so.

What is Reflections?

2010-09-17T14:33:00.000-06:00

Designed to enhance a quality arts education, the Reflections Program provides opportunities for students to express themselves and to receive positive recognition for their artistic efforts.

2010-11 Reflections Program Theme: "Together we can."

PTA believes all children deserve a quality arts education and encourages students to pursue artistic expression through participation in its annual arts Reflections Program. The program offers students the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition. Students are encouraged to create and submit works of art in six areas: dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography, and the visual arts (which includes art forms such as drawing, painting, print making, and collage). For nearly 40 years, the program has encouraged millions of students across the nation and in American schools overseas to create works of art. Students participate in the Reflections Program by submitting entries to our school PTA.

Saratoga Shores PTA is looking for parents to help implement this program at our school this year. If you’d like to help, please e-mail sharkspta@gmail.com.

Happenings Book Fund-Raiser

2010-09-16T18:33:00.000-06:00

The PTA thanks everyone who participated in this year's Entertainment Book fund-raiser. It was a fantastic success. Because of your generosity, our PTA has met the fund-raising goals for the entire year!

Utah Valley Women's Expo

2010-09-09T09:39:00.001-06:00

Here's a free ticket to the Utah Valley Women's Expo. You can print and share as many as you like. The Expo is this week: September 10 and 11, at Utah Valley University events center.

Ticket

Background Checks

2010-09-07T13:32:00.000-06:00

The Alpine School District requires background checks for any parent volunteer who will have unrestricted access to students. Room moms and field trip chaperones are required to have the background check. Call the Alpine School District at 756-8400, or go to the Saratoga Shores front office for details. Background checks cost $15.

MealpayPlus

2010-09-07T07:30:00.001-06:00

As we continue to welcome students back to school, we would like to send a friendly reminder to let you know that MealpayPlus is your avenue for managing your student’s cafeteria account. Prepayments speed up serving lines in the cafeteria, provide more time for students to eat their meals, and eliminate the worry of lost or forgotten lunch money. There is a small fee charged for payments made through MealpayPlus, and payments take about a day to be available for use. (Fee is about 4.75% - or $1.90 for a $40 payment.)

You may log onto MealpayPlus to view account balances, monitor purchase history, set up e-mail reminders, make payments and more by visiting www.MealpayPlus.com.

To add a new student to the MealpayPlus system, you will need the student's Alpine School District student number, which is available from the front office.

PTA Bylaws

2010-09-02T15:17:00.003-06:00

The PTA bylaws must be renewed every three years, and this is the year. The only thing we are planning to change is that a quorum (needed for votes) will change from 12 to 10 members. The PTA membership will have an opportunity to vote on the updated bylaws in October.

Click here to read bylaws. A copy of the bylaws is also posted in the entry hallway at the school.

Positions Available on the PTA Board

2010-09-01T21:44:00.000-06:00

The PTA is looking for people who are interested in helping in the following positions:

Reflections chair - Organize fine arts contest. Lots of information available from state and national PTA. Starts with school level. Winners go on to district/state/national competitions.
Health commissioner - Get volunteers for vision and hearing screening and do activities for Green Ribbon Week.
Awards chair - Organize a Student of the Week program.
Volunteer coordinator - Help get volunteers for things that are happening at the school (fall festival, hearing and vision screening, book fairs, SEP dinners for teachers, take-home reading library, field day). You wouldn't be on your own; the commissioners over these areas help out a lot.
Help with Donut Dates - We have someone in charge, but she needs a helper; it's a once a month thing, September - April (skipping October).
Fund-raising chair - Help set our financial goals for the PTA and organize our fund-raising to meet those goals.

If you'd like more information or if any of these positions look interesting to you, please contact the PTA at sharkspta@gmail.com, or come to our PTA meeting on Tuesday, September 7, at 10:00 a.m. at the school.

Vinyl Window Stickers

2010-08-25T13:58:00.001-06:00

The PTA is selling vinyl window stickers for $5. If you'd like to purchase one, you can pick it up at the school office.

Dishes

2010-08-25T10:00:00.000-06:00

If you brought dishes for the Hot Dog Hello on Monday, they are washed and ready for you to pick up in the teachers' break room.

To everyone who donated cookies, volunteered to help, and just attended: Thanks for making back-to-school night a huge success!

Class Lists

2010-08-23T19:17:00.007-06:00

Class lists that were posted on this blog have been taken down, since future changes will be handled on a case-by-case basis and students will soon be in their classes. Bus schedules and school maps are also posted at the school. If you have any questions about your student's schedule, please contact the front office at (801) 766-6440.

Back to School Night - What to Expect

2010-08-23T11:33:00.001-06:00

We hope you're planning to attend the PTA's Hot Dog Hello at Back-to-School Night today at Saratoga Shores from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Of course it's a great opportunity to find classrooms, meet your student's teacher, and pay for school lunches. We hope you'll also consider joining the PTA this year. Membership costs $6 for a single member or $12 for a family membership (two adults).

The PTA will be serving hot dog meals for $2 apiece. For each paid PTA membership, you will get a ticket for one free meal. The meals include a hot dog, chips, small bottled water, and a homemade cookie.

We will also have school t-shirts, sweatshirts, and polo shirts for sale. There are new designs this year. We have a bunch of things that you can take home with you, and we will also be placing orders as needed. The costs are as follows:

Girls' style shirts in lilac $10
Ladies and larger girls' style shirts in dark purple $10
Unisex style shirts in youth and adult sizes in sport gray $8
Youth or adult zip hoodies in sport gray $22
Youth pullover hoodies in sport gray $22
Youth or adult polo shirts in white or sport gray $8
Limited unisex style shirts from last year $3

You can also pre-order a school yearbook for $10. These are super fun yearbooks with a soft cover and full color printing inside.

The PTA is selling vinyl window clings to promote your support of the school for only $5.

Last, Mr. Martin has graciously allowed the PTA to spearhead the Happenings book fund-raiser this year and use the profits for PTA programs. The Happenings books have traditionally been a more successful fund-raiser than some of the things the PTA has done in the past; we are hopeful that this fall fund-raiser will cover all or most of the PTA's expenses for the entire school year. We hope you will find the books well worth this year's $25 cost.

Help Needed During First Week of School

2010-08-19T13:15:00.001-06:00

The first week of school can be hectic. Mr. Martin is asking parents to help in a few areas. Please e-mail sharkspta@gmail.com if you can help with any of these things.

Kindergarten Bus Rides

10:35-11:00 Getting 8:00 kindergarten on the bus to go home

11:00-12:30 Getting the a.m. kindergarten kids on the bus to go home and having a few parents ride on the bus to help get them off on the right stops and pick up the p.m. kids

First Grade Lunch and Recess

Our first-graders will be eating lunch in the cafeteria and having recess on the main playground for the first time. We’re looking for parents to come and help inside for lunch and outside for recess for about 45 minutes each day for the first week of school.

Wednesday, August 25th - 11:15am-12:00pm
Thursday, August 26th - 11:15am-12:00pm
Friday, August 27th – 11:15am-12:00pm

Guiding B Track Students to Class and A Track Students to the Bus Home

8:50 -9:15 Getting B track kids into their classes
2:10-2:30 Getting A track kids on the bus to go home

The first week of school can be crazy. Having a few extra parents around to help out makes a huge difference in how smoothly things run. Thanks for your help!

Saratoga Shores PTA and Mr. Martin

Kindergarten Class Lists

2010-08-18T23:36:00.000-06:00

Kindergarten class lists will be posted on this blog on Friday, August 20.

There are some classes that are not well balanced with A track/B track students. If you can see on your class list that the 8:00 and 9:15 students don't seem equal and you have a student who could switch tracks, please contact the school at 801-766-6441. Thanks.

Hot Dog Hello

2010-08-16T11:46:00.001-06:00

The PTA is looking for parents (or responsible teenagers) to help with the Hot Dog Hello (back-to-school night). We are looking for people to help set up or help with booths and food. If you can help at a booth for an hour (any time between 2:30 and 6:30), donate 2-3 dozen cookies (to give away as part of purchased meals) or lend us an EZ-Up shade tent, please contact our PTA president, Heather Kuntz, at 801-766-8841 or heather.kuntz@gmail.com.

Even if you can't help, we look forward to seeing you at the Hot Dog Hello from 4-6 p.m. This will be the perfect time to meet teachers, find classrooms, pay for school lunch, get school t-shirts/polos/sweatshirts (new design), order a school yearbook, and join the PTA! You can also save yourself some time in the kitchen and buy a hot dog, chips & a drink for only $2.00.

Class Lists

2010-08-14T08:00:00.002-06:00

Class lists and bus schedules will be posted at the school today.

Kindergarten class lists will be available next week. The kindergarten classes are large--so large that with a few more students, Saratoga Shores will be eligible for a new part-time kindergarten teacher. If you know anyone with kindergarten students who have not yet registered, please have them conact the school ASAP at 801-766-6440. Thanks!

School Supply Lists

2010-07-29T19:48:00.005-06:00

Click the link to the right for the 2010-2011 grade-level school supply lists.

Also, the calendar (below) has been updated with events for the upcoming school year.

PTA looking for help with radKIDS

2010-06-28T17:52:00.000-06:00

RadKids is a Personal Empowerment Safety Education and Violence Prevention Program for Children. This program empowers kids with realistic options in their own personal safety against abduction, sexual assault, bullying and abuse. For more detailed information on the program, please visit their website at www.radkids.org

At Saratoga Shores Elementary we have traditionally held this program for all of our 3rd grade classes. PTA helps organize and support the program while teachers and parent volunteers train the students during the school day.

We did not run the program last year for various reasons one of which was that we needed another trained parent instructor.

So for the new school year 2010-2011 we're recommitting PTA and the school to the radKIDS program. Our goal for the new school year is to have all of the 3rd and 4th grade students go through the program throughout the year.

In order to carry out this goal we need one parent volunteer (male or female) who would be willing to attend the next instructor training program held on August 4th - August 7th in Provo (Saratoga Shores Elem. will cover the cost of the program). This parent instructor would be used throughout the year to help train our students in the radKIDS program. Therefore they would be needed at various times during the school year and during the school day.

What a cool way to give back to the community and help all our students stay safe!

If you're interested in helping us run the radKIDS program and attending the instructor training session, please contact Heather ASAP at heather.kuntz@gmail.com. Thanks!

Screaming Coupons

2010-06-13T15:19:00.000-06:00

Check out Screamin Coupons & their amazing daily deals.

I’m on Screamin Coupons daily e-mail, and I just got a coupon to Wallaby’s restaurant in Lindon that will get me $15 of food for $7.00 and I got 4 coupons. I’m going to use it for a Father’s Day Gift. The coupons are good until November. It’s a 53% savings. And 5%-10% of the money will go towards Saratoga Shores (because that’s my local benefit that I chose).

Of course I want everyone to sign up and select Saratoga Shores! The school that signs up the most people will get a $500 bonus! So pass this on!

The other day they had a local spa over in Orem that had a 60% off coupon on their spa services and yesterday it was 50% off handmade Kettle Corn.

The best thing about it is that it’s totally FREE. All you do is sign up and which county you want daily deals from and choose which school you want to benefit! And you choose any or none of the deals that come your way. It will send you the deals from Utah County and Salt Lake County if that’s your preference! Happy Day! --Heather Kuntz