1 Viking News Victor Elementary School PTA Newsletter January, 2012 Edition Principal’s Message January 26, 2012 Dear Parents and Guardians: Exciting things continue to happen here at Victor! Despite all the nega- tive news we hear regarding the issues with public education in Cali- fornia, we at Victor remain focused on ensuring your child has a positive and productive experience. Not only are wonderful events hap- pening as a result of our PTA, as is reflected in this newsletter, but our teachers continue to expand their horizons personally and instruction- ally. As you know, we at Victor are determined to bring your child a rigorous and relevant education that prepares them for the future. One avenue we continue to travel down is the use of engaging technologies within our instructional program. As witnessed in many classrooms, Victor students are exposed to and utilize many innovative learning tools such as our interactive Smartboards, netbook computers, stimulating pro- grams such at ST Math, Reading Counts, and Study Island and eTUSD. We are currently exploring how we can best use tablets in our classrooms to enhance learning. Twenty of our teachers are at present using a tablet and are learning about new and innovative apps that can be used in instruction. Our ELL Intervention teachers have class sets of tablets that they use daily with their students. I am hoping that by next year, we will be able to launch a program where netbook and tab- let computers are being utilized by all students at Victor. (con’t on next page) Happy New Year!
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Viking NewsVictor Elementary School PTA Newsletter
January, 2012 Edition
Principal’s Message
January 26, 2012
Dear Parents and Guardians:
Exciting things continue to happen here at Victor! Despite all the nega-tive news we hear regarding the issues with public education in Cali-fornia, we at Victor remain focused on ensuring your child has apositive and productive experience. Not only are wonderful events hap-pening as a result of our PTA, as is reflected in this newsletter, but ourteachers continue to expand their horizons personally and instruction-ally.
As you know, we at Victor are determined to bring your child a rigorousand relevant education that prepares them for the future. One avenuewe continue to travel down is the use of engaging technologies withinour instructional program. As witnessed in many classrooms, Victorstudents are exposed to and utilize many innovative learning tools suchas our interactive Smartboards, netbook computers, stimulating pro-grams such at ST Math, Reading Counts, and Study Island andeTUSD. We are currently exploring how we can best use tablets in ourclassrooms to enhance learning. Twenty of our teachers are at presentusing a tablet and are learning about new and innovative apps that canbe used in instruction. Our ELL Intervention teachers have class setsof tablets that they use daily with their students. I am hoping that bynext year, we will be able to launch a program where netbook and tab-let computers are being utilized by all students at Victor. (con’t on next page)
Happy New Year!
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Viking NewsPrincipal’s Message (continued)
This year many of our teachers are receiving professional developmentto enhance the “active practice” component of their math instruction.Many teachers have been trained in using Cognitively Guided Instruc-tion within their math programs. Our upper grade teachers are learningeffective math instruction through the Center of Math and Science pro-gram at Loyola Marymount. Our Learning Center teachers are effec-tively using Leveled Literacy Intervention to help raise reading levels oftheir students. All of this is in addition to the grade level specific profes-sional development that our teachers do weekly during our PLC time!
I am very proud to announce the successful implementation of the VictorHonor Roll. Over four hundred students were recognized for their out-standing academics, excellent citizenship, or perfect attendance (in Kin-dergarten) this past trimester. I do ask all families to review the HonorRoll Criteria, (it is listed in the Honor Roll on our website), with theirchild and inspire them to do their best to be on it! I know all Victor Vi-kings can meet this goal!
Please take time now and look through this letter. Do know that all ofthe wonderful things happening at our school and within our communityare the result of caring people who volunteer. It is never too late to vol-unteer! If you are interested, please contact me or Mrs. Zee Harb, ourwonderful PTA President, and I am sure we can help you get involved.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
William Baker, Principal
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President’s Message
“Building Tomorrows Future Today”HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Happy New Year to all! The beginning of this year has been very busy forthe Victor PTA. We are planning for many exciting upcoming events here atVictor. As Mr. Baker has mentioned, although there is a budget crisis, thePTA and school staff are committed to ensuring that our children not feel thepinch. We are extremely fortunate to be part of a school that has the best ofthe best!! Mr. Baker has mentioned that we are a school that other schools inTorrance try to follow. His guidance is helping lead and prepares our kids intothe future. Mr. Baker and our wonderful teachers have always found ways toreach out to the students and communicate to the parents. I would like tothank each and every one of them for their dedication! Our parents here atVictor have volunteered many hours and have dedicated themselves to help-ing enrich our children’s education. I also feel that despite the budget crisis,in my heart I do believe that we have an important role because the outcomeof our children’s success will rely on how we effectively continue to show oursupport. The PTA has always shown strong support to our school and wevow to continue to be there to support the needs of each and every student.Please know that volunteering during this time is always needed and is ex-tremely important.
With the year beginning, the PTA has many important events coming up!Please understand that these events are planned ahead of time and it reallytakes our chairs many hours and days to prepare for each event. If you seeor know of a Chair or a Vice President, please take time to thank them! TheVictor PTA has a reputation of being one of the BEST PTAs in Torrance! I dowant to thank each and every one of our PTA parent volunteers for their dedi-cation and support. It would not be possible to provide the wonderful pro-grams that enrich each student’s education without their hard work. Ourmost recent event was Family Math Night. This is a great night that reachesout to the students at different grade levels. This takes time to plan and ittakes a team of people to make sure this happens. I want to thank Mrs. Sny-der and her committee of teachers and parents for their continued support!
I look forward to seeing all of you at our upcoming events!! As always thank you foryour continued support!!
Zainab (Zee) HarbVictor PTA President
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Thank You
A big THANK YOU goes out to the following people for helping staplethe PTA membership packets:
Mary KoteckiAnna Cho
Ingrid GuzmanEun Sil Kim
Susan MeditzRose Forbes
Jinia BanerjeeMichiko Uchino
Shikha JainVineeta Sachdev
Linda TanoueRashmi Talwar
Carol Jarvis
Another big THANK YOU to all of you for your purchase of script!The profit from these sales allows the PTA to help Victor’s studentsand teachers in a wide variety of ways. Please continue to supportour school by visiting the script table.
If you’ve seen them around, maybe under a bed or in a backpack, please return to theVictor School Library, pronto!
That means fast!
No questions asked!
Our bookshelves get a little empty every school year because of lost books, whether itis due to students who just lose their books or students who move away from the areaand fail to return their books before they exit the school.
Checking out books is a privilege and a responsibility. We want each student to under-stand that and be responsible for their library books by keeping them in a safe placeand returning them when they are due. The library is funded solely by the Victor PTAand serves every student at Victor School. The library is run entirely by parent volun-teers too! Isn’t that GREAT!!
Please help us maintain our wonderful library!
We can always use more help in the library!
If you need more informationor are ready to join our library group, please email
Our students are having so much fun in our Adventures in Art Program, we arejust beginning our 3rd project of the year. This project is called Koi. The studentsare learning how to draw a Koi fish on Shoji paper, and coloring the Koi many dif-ferent colors and surrounding the Koi fish in blue watercolor. They are all turningout beautifully, and each one is unique.
Coming up next month we are going to be working with clay and doing a sculp-ture inspired by French artist Jean Dubuffet’s 3-D sculptures. The students enjoyworking with different materials that many have never even seen or used before,it’s wonderful to see their excitement as they enter the art room and look aroundto see what’s about to happen.
I would like to thank all the Victor families for contributing to our PTA so that ourstudents can have the opportunity to have these experiences in art. They truly doenjoy it.
Thank You,Deanna Rubio
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Our talented performers are putting in hours of prac-tice to make sure they put on a good performance forall to see!! Come show your support for the students,staff and PTA, Friday March 30th, 2012 at the West
High Pavilion … Show starts at 5:00pm!
To help support our school and PTA we will be askingfor a $1 donation/per person at the entrance.
Thank you all for your continuedsupport and we look forward to
seeing you at the show!
Victor’s 2nd AnnualTalent Show!
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3rd 4th
and 5th
GradesBike
Rodeo is coming!!April 1, 2012Mark your calendars
Get those bikes ready
Slow riding, zig zag, U-turn, and more. First and Second placeboy and girl advance to District wide competition. Helmut andBike required to compete. Watch Tuesday envelopes for moreinfo.
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Bring your good luck charm to Delzano's By The Sea
Friday, 2/24/12 from 6-10pm
for Victor's First Annual Casino Night!
This year's theme: Mardi Gras!
Delzano's has prepared a scrumptious menu for us: From Chicken Satay and BeefSkewers to Pot Stickers, Penne Pasta, Veggie and Fruit Trays and more!
Get your game on with Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and a Poker Tourney (additionalbuy in required)! Dance to World Music! Win Opportunity Baskets and bid ongreat Silent Auction items!
Visit the Victor Website and click on the Casino Night tab for the rsvp form.
Poker Players, please save your spot in the Texas Hold 'Em Tournament whenyou rsvp for Casino Night. Tourney Spots are limited and require a $25 buy in.1st Place wins a Private Poker Party, courtesy of 5 Star Casino Rentals. 2nd & 3rdPlaces will win a restaurant gift card.
Don't miss this fun and exciting night and help us raise moneyfor the PTA's upcoming Health, Fitness and Safety Program!
Questions? Please contact Petra Askari at 310.487.3433 or [email protected]
CASINO NIGHT HAS MOVEDTO REDONDO BEACH!
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5th Grade Corner
Jokes by Allan Sidio
Q: What do you get if you mix a dog and a penny?A: A Copper Spaniel.
Q: What if you mix a dog and a flower?A: A Collie Flower.
Q: What do you get if you mix elephants and fish?A: Swimming trunks.
Q: Why was the cheese afraid to go to school?A: He didn't want to get grated.
There was this girl who's grandmother wanted to know what she want-ed for her birthday, and she said "Grandma, all I want is for you tosend me an email". So the granny wrote out a long letter by hand andwent to the post office and asked the clerk "how many stamps do Ineed to send this to my grand daughter by E mail"? The clerk almostdied laughing. Then the grandma pulled a small package out of herpurse and said "oh yes I also need to mail this bandage for her eye".My grand daughter said she wants an I Pad".
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President: Claire De Fabio
Vice President: Alexander Mishaw
Secretary: Marko Ilincic
Commissioner of Publicity: Augustine Ahn
Assistant Commissioner of Publicity: Sheena Uchino
Lower Grade Representative: Emilee Barnard
Congratulations to our newly electedStudent Council Representatives
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FRIDAY AFTER SCHOOL TREATS!Fridays after school, the 5th grade class willbe selling ice cream and Icee pops to earn
money for their 5th grade events.ALL FOR ONLY $1 each!
