Central PTA News

Do you have an “old” laptop in working condition that is collecting dust in your house?  Are you looking for a good place to make a donation? 

Central PTA and the Book Fair committee is looking for anyone with a working laptop computer to consider donating it to the PTA to use for future Book Fair events.  The Book Fair event requires a lot of coordination and organization that would be more efficient with the use of a laptop. 

Central PTA is a not-for-profit organization and the donation would be considered a charitable expense item for your tax records.  For further information or to make a donation, please contact Linda LaBelle by Friday May 2, 2008 at rllabelle@aol.com or by phone (number in the student directory).

Thank you in advance for your consideration

Linda LaBelle

Central Students and Families, The Book Fair Week is here!

Don’t forget the Kids Care for Literacy - “One for Books” Program. During the Book Fair week students can give three ways to the One for Books program to help children in need:

1. Fill out the $1.00 book slip and bring it to school with a $1.00 donation
2. Bring loose coins to the classroom (class with the most change wins a pizza party)
3. Buy Music! At the Ice Cream Social, Riverside composer Karena Mendoza will be selling her CD “On the Loose Dreams” and will donate $1.00 for each CD sold. To check out the CD go to; www.cdbaby.com (and then go to On the Loose Dreams)

The CD has won many awards:

• 2007 Winner of a Parents’ Choice Gold Award (Parents Choice Foundation)
• 2007 NAPPA Honors Award Winner (National Parenting Publications Award)
• 2007 CMWA Best New Artist for Older Children (Children’s Music Web Awards)

Get ready to take a wonderful Reading Roadtrip and enjoy the Book Fair.

WOW! It’s a great time to Take a Reading Road Trip to the Book Fair.

Carloads of books are coming from Scholastic Book Fairs to Central School.  They should be arriving any time and it looks like they are sure to have books everyone will love.  You won’t want to miss it.

• WHEN:  Tuesday, April 8th - Friday April 11th
• WHERE: Hauser Auditorium
• MORE: The Book Fair will offer specially priced books and educational products, including new releases, award-winning titles, children’s classics, interactive software, adult books and current best sellers from more than 100 publishers.

Book Fair customers may help the school build classroom libraries and improve children’s reading skills by purchasing books through the Classroom Wish List and One for Books programs.

More information will be coming your way this week in your child’s backpack.  The Book Fair Committee is also looking for a few more volunteers to help out during the week.  

If you have any questions or would be able to lend a hand, please contact Beverly Aieta at bevaieta@netscape.net or by phone (contact information is in the Student Directory)

Calling all Central families (moms and dads)!  The Central School Ice Cream Social is just around the corner and scheduled for Thursday April 10th from 7:00 - 8:00 pm.  Volunteers are needed to help at the event, provide baked goods or fruit for the evening festivities.  Following are the details;

• Baked goods or fruit can be dropped off at the Hauser Cafeteria from 3:00 - 3:30 pm or brought at 7:00 pm that evening
• Ice Cream scoop volunteers are needed for two shifts:  7:00 - 7:30 pm and 7:30 - 8:10 pm, bring your own favorite scoop
• Volunteers may be needed to help set-up and clean-up just before and after the event
• To sign up and volunteer to bring baked goods, fruit, scoop ice cream or provide a helping hand, please email Julie Tucek at j.tucek@sbcglobal.net

Thank you for your help.

Julie Tucek and Nadine Esposito

P.S. Don’t forget the Central School Book Fair begins 4/8 - 4/11.  The Ice Cream Social also provides a great chance to check out the Book Fair and to pick up some great reading. 

The PTA and our Central School children need your help for a few remaining committees. There are three Chair positions open at this time. The PTA Board would like to fill these remaining positions before the start of the school year. Please review the following descriptions for more information, or use the links on the website to see previous posts made in each category.

If you have any questions or are interested in participating as a chair person for one of the following committees, please contact Mary Ellen Meindl (marrymelon@sbcglobal.net), Jeannine Glavas (jmcowell92@aol.com) or Linda LaBelle (rllabelle@aol.com).

Reflections
In the fall and spring, promote student participation in the National PTA Reflections fine arts program. Duties include collecting entries, securing any judges needed and passing Central students work on to the next level. In the spring, the committee recognizes the participants during award day. Additional Reflections program information is provided by the National PTA in the fall.

Halloween Windows
This is a combined program with other District 96 elementary schools in downtown Riverside. Blythe Park is the overall school coordinator for the Halloween Windows program for 07/08.

Central School needs a chair person to help coordinate the Central participants and to provide some support to Blythe Park which might include taping windows and assigning windows for children to paint.

Book Fair
This is a good committee for “Co-Chairs”. This is a very important Committee and program for our Central School Children. This program promotes reading, community service and supports our children through a significant donation of books, supplies and education materials for the classrooms due to everyone’s support and book purchases.

The Chair or Co-Chair is responsible for working with Scholastic books and many volunteers to organize and coordinate the book fair to be held in April 2008. Additional details are available if necessary from past co-chairs.

Please review the above committees and volunteer to help Central School. Thank you in advance for your support.

Linda LaBelle
Central PTA President

Thank you to everyone who supported the 2006 PTA Book Fair. Total sales were over $11,700, which represents a 20% increase over last year’s sales, and makes this our most profitable Book Fair ever. Our share of the proceeds will add hundreds of books and instructional materials to our school’s library and classrooms.

Our thanks go also to the many parents who gave their time and talent to help make the Book Fair such a success. Please see this PDF document for a complete list of volunteers.

Thanks again to all who participated.

Sincerely,

Lisa Marciniak and Mary Jo Robling
Co-Chairs
Central School PTA Book Fair Committee

Dear Central School Parents,

Did your child love “The Tale of Despereaux” by Kate Di Camillo, “Chasing Vermeer” by Blue Balliett, or “Holes” by Louis Sachar? Are you thinking about buying the new books just published by these bestselling authors? Please wait! Our school book fair will have all three. “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” (by DiCamillo), “The Wright 3″ (by Balliett), and “Small Steps” (by Sachar)–and thousands of other titles–will be available at our biggest book fair ever. Come see us from April 4-7 in the Hauser Auditorium. We’ll be open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We’re even having a Parent Preview the morning of April 4 from 7:30 a.m to 11:00 a.m. All profits from the fair go toward books for our library and classrooms, to end-of-the-year rewards for kids who make their AR goals, and to book grants for Central School students in need. Look for more details in your child’s backpack next week. Questions? Please contact maryjo_robling@hotmail.com. We look forward to seeing you at the book fair!

Take a look at page one and page two out our latest flier, both in Adobe Acrobat format.

The Book Fair Committee

P.S. Want to volunteer to work at the book fair? Contact Cheryl Bennett (see directory for phone number)