ARENA UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
APRIL 2014
THE BEACON
20 School/PO Box 45, Point Arena, CA 95468 Tel:707 882-2131/FAX:707 882-3076
California Assessment of Student Performance
As you may already know, we, along with
thousands of schools across California,
are participating in a field test of a modern assessment system designed to help
shape teaching and learning in the classroom. Known as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress – or CAASPP – these computerbased tests replace the STAR program.
Finally and importantly, this year also
gives your student an opportunity to try
out the new system without consequences. All of this combined means
that we will not be capturing scores this
year. Instead, we will use what we learn
from this field test to help ensure a successful full launch of the system in the
2014-15 school year.
These tests are aligned to the Common
Core State Standards for English and
math, which California adopted in 2010 to
describe what knowledge and skills students need to be well prepared for college
and careers, no matter where they come
from or where they live.
Our next step in that transition is to administer the field test to students in
grades 3-8 from April 7th to May
16th. If you want to see what types of
questions students will be asked or how
the test will be presented, there is a
practice test available online at http://
www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/
practicetest.asp.
Part of the goal of the field test this year
is to determine how well individual questions allow students to demonstrate what
they know and still need to learn. We are
also taking this opportunity to see how
well our technical capabilities meet the
demands of computer-based assessments
and to see what resources our teachers
and school may yet need.
If you would like more information,
please visit the California Department of
Education Smarter Balanced Web page
at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/
smarterfieldtest.asp. If you have any
questions regarding your child’s participation, please contact Paula Patterson,
882-2131.
Yearbooks Pre-sale Extended until April 11th!
The yearbook pre-sale is extended until
April 11th! Take advantage and save
$5.00. The yearbook price will increase to
$31.00 on April 22nd.
A yearbook is a memory book of friends
and events made during the school year.
Please make checks payable to Arena
Union Elementary School.
Page 2
THE BEACON
MARCH 2013
Principal’s Letter
Dear Families,
It is beyond my ability to fathom right now, but as I write this I realize there are less than 50 days left in this
school year. It is surreal to think that after eight years of 24/7/365 pondering, planning, and hands-on involvement in this dear little school I will be walking away into the next era of my life. I must be candid and admit I
am anxious as well as excited. Will the abrupt cessation of activity and constant hyper-awareness age me
more than the job has? Will I become a recluse, estranged from the wonderful people I have worked alongside all these years? Will I become irrelevant?
From reinventing myself several times, I know there is no turning back. More than anything, I will miss your children. They are the constant joy in every day. When I believe I am absolutely incapable of handling one more
issue, I have only to walk into the classroom, or onto the play yard and I am like a parasite re-energized by
their energy and innocence. They are so precious to me, and have been my constant inspiration in this job.
Every decision I have made since I have been here has been made based on the best interest of the children
and I am so proud of that.
There is another sustaining component contributing to my longevity in this position. A couple of principals
ago, there were some bad feelings shared in the newspaper about the staff by a departing administrator. I
was teaching at the high school at the time, and I remember wondering what had brought this person to the
point of expressing such unhappiness in a public forum? It made me extremely apprehensive when I assumed
the role of principal. Eight years later, I am still wondering. Some people have been here since I began, and
some have joined or left along the way. I have never worked with a finer, more dedicated group of individuals. The sacrifices, time and energy they put into the care and well-being of your children is inexpressible.
They work so hard and they don’t do it for the paycheck, (though it helps), because it would never be
enough. Their expertise and cooperative ethics have given me the ideas and support to accomplish what we
have. It is trite to say I am grateful.
Transportation, food services, the staff at the district office…..they have also been so integral to what happens
in the day to day routine. It is such a blessing to be able to speak with a human being, problem solve, and
find a way to make things happen that have never happened before and MAKE IT BETTER. All of these people
have been involved in that process.
There are also the unsung heroes of maintenance. The champions of unclogging toilets, rescuing balls from
the roof, providing heat to a room where the heater has died, helping us through every fire drill, setting up and
taking down, and cleaning, forever cleaning. The tasks are endless. Our head of maintenance, Scott Ritchie,
has been my friend and colleague since the very beginning of my time working in the district. The support,
patience, and hard work of his crew is unbelievable.
However, it is not yet June 12, and I have much to accomplish in this next couple of months. I wanted to share
my departing thoughts with you in April, as it is my hope to go gracefully, without fanfare, and turn the spotlight to the future and what I feel will be the next plateau to be reached at Arena. I have grounded hope in
the belief that Arena will move beyond maintaining the status quo and reach even higher aspirations for excellence in education.
I hope to see many of you in my remaining months on the coast. After 30 years of raising my own children here
and living in this landscape of unparallelled beauty, I will be returning to my first home on Catalina Island off
the coast of Southern California early in 2015 . It will be a radical shift in scenery and lifestyle, but one I am familiar with. I can reinvent myself once more, but it will never again be as sweet and satisfying as working with
you and your children.
Love and Peace,
Paula Patterson
ARENA UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Page 3
Point Arena High School
9th Grade Orientation April 7th
WELCOME Class of 2018! Our eighth grade students with their parents are invited to attend the Point Arena High School FRESHMEN Orientation PALOOZA on April 7th
from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Bring your appetites for a Hot Dog BBQ dinner at 5:00pm at the
gymnasium.
Come and meet the Principal and Staff of Point Arena High School. Ask questions, explore
and learn all about PAHS. A pre-registration packet is available at Orientation.
Spectrum Of
Reading Last Call!
The 2013-2014 Lions Club Spectrum of
Reading program is drawing to a close
this month.
All reading record sheets must be
turned in by Wednesday, April 30th.
Bookmarks and completion certificates
will be awarded in May.
All students are encouraged to participate.
Open House and
Book Fair
You are cordially invited to attend Arena’s
Open House and Book Fair on Thursday,
May 29 5:00-7:00pm.
A detailed schedule will be included in
May’s newsletter.
If you would like to volunteer your time
during the week of the book fair, please
contact our librarian, Shelley Aubrey
at 882-2131 ext. 230.
LOST AND FOUND
Parents, please check the Lost and Found FREQUENTLY if
your child has misplaced their jackets, sweatshirts, lunch boxes or any other items they
may have lost.
The Lost and Found bin is cleared weekly. The clothing is washed and placed on a table
in the hallway. At the end of each month, the lost items are bagged to be donated to
charity. We will recycle all lost and found items once a month.
Arena State Preschool Enrollment for 2014-2015
Preschool enrollment will be held in the Arena Library on May 9th from 9:30am to 2:00pm.
Parents need to bring current pay stubs for April/May (equaling one months pay), an immunization record and birth certificates for all children in the family. Four years old children have priority enrollment.
Water! We All Need It,
Especially Kids!
Did you know:

Losing only 5% of water causes headache, fatigue, confusion, forgetfulness, elevated heart rate.

Water regulates body temperature.

Water dilutes toxins and flushes them out.

Provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.

Carries nutrients to your cells.

Water lubricates joints, improves skin, cushions body’s organs, and repairs tissue.
It is important to drink plenty of water each day—especially after strenuous play and
even more water in warm weather.
You can also quench thirst with these 14 hugely hydrating foods, all of which are at least 90% water
by weight.
Cucumber-Water content: 96.7 percent. This veggie—which has the highest water content of
any solid food—is perfect in salads, or sliced up and served with some hummus. Try blending it
with nonfat yogurt, mint, and ice cubes to make cucumber soup.
Iceberg Lettuce-Water content: 95.6 percent. Health experts often recommend darker greens
like spinach or romaine lettuce, which contain higher amounts of fiber and nutrients such as
folate and vitamin K but crispy iceberg has the highest water content of any lettuce, followed by butterhead, green leaf, and romaine varieties. Use iceberg leaves as a wrap for tacos and burgers.
Celery-Water content: 95.4 percent. Like all foods that are high in water, celery has very few calories—just 6 calories per stalk. And its one-two punch of fiber and water helps to fill you up
and curb your appetite. Celery contains folate and vitamins A, C, and K. And thanks in part
to its high water content, celery neutralizes stomach acid.
Radishes-Water content: 95.3 percent. These refreshing root vegetables should be a fixture in
your salads and great in coleslaw!. They are filled with antioxidants such as catechin (also
found in green tea).
Tomatoes-Water content: 94.5 percent. Sliced and diced tomatoes will always be a mainstay of
salads, sauces, and sandwiches, but don't forget about sweet cherry and grape varieties,
which make an excellent hydrating snack, just pop them in your mouth! You get this great
explosion of flavor when you bite into them.
Bell peppers-Water content: 93.9 percent. Bell peppers of all shades have a high water content,
but green peppers lead the pack, just edging out the red and yellow varieties (which are
about 92 percent water). And contrary to popular belief, green peppers contain just as many
antioxidants as their slightly sweeter siblings.
14 hugely hydrating foods continued:
Cauliflower-Water content: 92.1 percent. In addition to having lots of water, these unassuming florets are packed with vitamins and phytonutrients. Break them up and add them to
a salad for a satisfying crunch.
Watermelon-Water content: 91.5 percent. This melon is plenty hydrating on its own, it is also
among the richest sources of lycopene. Watermelon contains more lycopene than raw
tomatoes.
Spinach-Water content: 91.4 percent. Piling raw spinach leaves on your sandwich or salad
provides nearly as much built-in hydration, with an added nutritional punch. Spinach is
rich in lutein, potassium, fiber, and brain-boosting folate, and vitamin E.—an important
antioxidant for fighting off the damaging molecules known as free radicals.
Strawberries-Water content: 91.0 percent. All berries are good foods for hydration, but juicy
red strawberries are easily the best of the bunch. Raspberries and blueberries both hover
around 85 percent water, while blackberries are only slightly better at 88.2 percent. Blend
them in a smoothie or mixed with plain nonfat yogurt—another hydrating food.
Broccoli-Water content: 90.7 percent. Like its cousin cauliflower, raw broccoli adds a satisfying crunch to a salad. But its nutritional profile—lots of fiber, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C—is slightly more impressive.
Grapefruit-Water content: 90.5 percent. This juicy, tangy citrus fruit can help lower cholesterol and shrink your waistline, research suggests. Researchers say that compounds in the
fruit help fuel fat burn and stabilize blood sugar, therefore helping to reduce cravings.
Baby Carrots-Water content: 90.4 percent. The baby-sized carrots that have become a staple in supermarkets and lunchboxes contain more water than full-size carrots (which are
merely 88.3 percent water). Snack on them right, dip them in hummus or guacamole, or
chop them up and add them to salads or salsas.
Cantaloupe-Water content: 90.2 percent. This succulent melon provides a big nutritional
payoff for very few calories. One six-ounce serving—about one-quarter of a melon—
contains just 50 calories but delivers a full 100% of your recommended daily intake of vitamins A and C. Blend cantaloupe with yogurt and freeze it into sherbet, or puree it with
orange juice and mint to make a refreshing soup.
This is an excerpt from original article which appeared on Health.com. To read the
original article go online to Health.com.