PHOTO: Enjoying The Last Session Of After School Creative Writing Workshop (updated)

Thanks to Chairperson Camille Ziolek, EMU professor Carolyn Berge, and the EMU students who helped to run a fantastic after-school creative writing workshop this fall. The final session last night was tremendously enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed all of the post card group and the adventure story group. Great work, kids!

King School's Welcome Back Dessert, 9/10 @ 7 PM

Hello everyone and welcome back to King School!
The King School Welcome Dessert will be held on Thursday, 9/10/09 from 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm on the King School playground.
Bring your family and your favorite desert to share. Enjoy the company of others in the King School community!
We need some volunteers to help with set up, clean up and for parking lot/safety. Please sign up at this link: www.doodle.com/fqgqqfcc5u5ypwdm

Please contact Sujata Guduri at sguduri@gmail.com with any questions.

Do you want to dunk Mr. Karr at the Ice Cream Social?

This year my participation in the dunktank will occur for the first 30 minutes of the Ice Cream Social. However, you’ll need to think ahead if you hope to get me wet! Ill be offering throws this year to both parents and students in the following ways:
1. High bidders at the Silent Auction – you will be able to bid for three throws each at the Silent Auction. Remember: Proxy Bids will be accepted for those who can’t make it to school the evening of the Silent Auction.
2. Selected students who achieve a yet unannounced challenge during the month of May. Names of students who throw will be drawn in a raffle.

Raising a Son? Need Help? - Come To King 3/4 @! 7

Raising Strong and Gentle Sons Workshop
Wednesday, March 4, 7:00-9:00 PM
King School Multi-Purpose Room
Speaker: Carole Lapidos, M.S.W.

Boys are growing up in a very confusing world. There are so many conflicting messages about what it means to be a boy and a man. If boys are taking their cues from the culture, then they are losing access to a very important part of themselves. Parents raising sons today face many challenges. This workshop will explore the topics that impact how boys see themselves and provide strategies for parents to stay connected to their sons.

Carole Lapidos is the co-founder and director of Raising Strong & Confident Daughters, a local organization dedicated to helping young children develop a strong sense of self-esteem. Registration is required. Please contact Laurie Galia by phone, 734-996-9946 or by email at lquain@umich.edu to register for this workshop by February 27. This workshop is being sponsored by the King School PTO.

Bagels on Buns - 2/20 @ 8:15 AM

FREE Starbucks coffee!

All are welcome: children and parents, teachers and staff

Please join us for breakfast and conversation:
Friday, February 20, 2009, 8:15am until school starts

Bagels $1 (cream cheese included)
Buns $2
Orange Juice 50 cents.

Thank you,
Christina Nedeltchev, Angela Johnson, Line vN

Lights! Camera! King School Book Fairs!

BE A STAR...start going through your books, magazines, dvds, & cds that you would like to donate to the King School Used Book Fair. Games & puzzles will also be accepted provided that they have all the pieces. Book collection will be Thursday, March 5th through Wednesday, March 18th. All books, magazines, dvds, etc. may be dropped off in your child's classrom or in the boxes by the school office or front entrance. We will be graphing how many books the entire school receives each day on the window by the courtyard (near the front entrance).

This year we will be accepting MAGAZINES to donate to various places in the Ann Arbor area that are in need of magazines for their waiting areas. Educational & news magazines for both children & adults are especially needed.

A reminder to students who choose to make "Lights! Camera! Book Fairs!" posters. Posters are due Wednesday, March 4th. Flyers were sent home last Friday about making the posters. Those students who turn in a poster by March 4th will receive two additional coupons for free used books from the King School Used Book Fair.

The King School Scholastic & Used Book Fairs will be held on March 19 - 20! Do you have time to help collect & sort used books (mornings during the collection) or with the book fairs (3/18 afternoon times especially needed), 3/19 (8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. shifts available), or 3/20 (8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.)? Contact Susan Gechter (susbg@comcast.net ) or Diane Alson (alsondia@yahoo.com ) to volunteer or with any questions.

Donate Your Jeans!

Join the MLK PTO to work with DoSomething.org to collect gently worn jeans to donate to homeless children across the United States and Canada. All sizes of jeans will be accepted. Sorry, we can only accept jeans without holes right now.

Donations will be accepted through Friday, February 20 in the "Jeans Collection Box" in the front hall of King School.

Raising a Daughter? Need Help?

Raising Strong and Confident Daughters Workshop
Thursday, February 19, 7:00-9:00 PM
King School Multi-Purpose Room
Speaker: Carole Lapidos, M.S.W.

Every parent wants to raise his or her daughter to be strong and self-confident. This workshop will help parents understand the obstacles that often get in the way of girls reaching their full potential. We will explore ways our daughters are influenced by mainstream culture and how to protect our daughters from some of the toxic messages. Having strategies to help strengthen the connection between daughters and parents is the key to helping girls stay strong.

Carole Lapidos is the co-founder and director of Raising Strong & Confident Daughters, a local organization dedicated to helping young children develop a strong sense of self-esteem. Registration is required. Please contact Laurie Galia by phone, 734-996-9946 or by email at lquain@umich.edu to register for this workshop by February 13. This workshop is being sponsored by the King School PTO.

International Night Invitation

You are cordially invited to attend

Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School
International Night
Bringing us together. Celebrating our diversity.

3800 Waldenwood, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105
School Phone: 734-994-1940

Thursday, February 5, 2009, 6:30-8:30 pm

Schedule:
6:30-7:30 International Potluck
7:00-8:30 Student Performances—music, dance, martial arts, more!
Performances will be simulcast in the gym.

Please bring a dish to pass (enough to feed 12-14 people)
With serving utensil
Without nuts or peanuts please!
Label with name of dish, country of origin, and ingredients

Please dress in traditional/heritage clothing

Sponsored by the King School PTO

Schedule:
6:30-7:30 International Potluck
7:00-8:30 Student Performances—music, dance, martial arts, more!
Performances will be simulcast in the gym.

Please bring a dish to pass (enough to feed 12-16 people)
With serving utensil (labeled)
Without nuts or peanuts please!
Label with name of dish, country of origin, and ingredients

Please dress in traditional/heritage clothing

Sponsored by the King School PTO

Enjoy an international potluck of amazing foods from around the world and Ann Arbor! Take a tour around the world by strolling through King School’s hallways. Watch our King School students come together to celebrate our diversity by performing Arabic Debkeh Dance, Korean Tae Kwon Do, Chinese Yo-Yo, Japanese Obon Dance, American Hip-Hop, Indian bollywood dance, African American gospel music, Bolivian Dance, Ukranian song, Israeli folkdance, and more!

The children have been working really hard on their performances and would be proud to share their cultures and heritages with you!

Sincerely yours,
Frances Kai-Hwa Wang
King School International Night Chair

Sincerely yours,
Frances Kai-Hwa Wang
King School International Night Chair

Bingo Night Is Coming!!!

Thursday, January 15, 6:30-8:00
K & 1st grade families play in the multi-purpose room from 6:40-7:00 p.m.
2nd and 3rd grade families play from 7:10-7:30 p.m.
4th and 5th grade families play from 7:40-8:00 p.m.
Small prizes will be given to every child.

*There will be no food sold this year. Water will be available.*

Bring your King School water bottle to fill up!

If you would like to help with this PTO funded social event, please print this e-mail and fill out the bottom of this sheet and return to your classroom teacher, or contact Melanie Snook at 761-2945 or mssnook61@yahoo.com .

Bingo Night Is Coming!!!

BINGO NIGHT IS COMING
THURSDAY, JANUARY 15 6:30-8:00
If you would like to help out with this event, please contact Melanie Snook at mssnook61@yahoo.com

Attention Online Shoppers!

If you enjoy shopping online at sites like Lands End, Eddie Bauer, The Gap, etc., check out www.boxtops4education.com and click on "Marketplace." Our school will earn a percentage of everything you purchase. The amount varies by vendor. What a simple and easy way for our school to earn money!!! Contact Teri Henning (734)332-0503 or tghenning@comcast.net with any questions. Happy shopping!!

Disability Awareness Workshop Volunteers Needed

On Wednesday, January 21st, 2009, all King fourth grade students will participate in the Disability Awareness Workshop. This is the third year that King Elementary has held this hands-on, activity-based workshop whose main purpose is to help students understand how difficult and complex daily living can be for individuals with a variety of disabilities. The program includes activities centered on an empathetic understanding of physical, speech, hearing, vision and learning impairments. The students participate in a wheelchair obstacle course, wear glasses that give them momentary vision impairments, experience speaking with an electric larynx and complete exercises that simulate several reading disabilities. The goal is for the students to learn -- through this hands-on experience -- that people should be respected no matter how they may look, act, walk or talk.

This workshop was developed by parents in the Rochester Community Schools Special Education Parent Advisory Committee in 1998. It has now expanded to many schools in Oakland County. In the Ann Arbor Public Schools, the workshop was first held at Logan Elementary School in 2005. In subsequent years, this increased to 4 buildings (2006), 7 (2007, when King was added), 11 (2008) and again 11 elementary schools for 2009, the workshop's fifth year in Ann Arbor.
Please consider volunteering to help with the workshop. We need 20 volunteers in the morning from approximately 8:30 am until 11:50 am, when the students have their lunch break. You are welcome to remain for the rest of the program (12:45 pm to dismissal). Past experience proves that this is a fun and meaningful experience for all of our children as well as the volunteers.

Volunteers will be trained to oversee students as they rotate through nine different stations, including:
Physical Impairment Centers: Wheelchairs; Walkers; and Fine Motor Activities
Vision, Hearing and Speech Stations: Hearing & Speech; Vision; and Learning Disabilities
Accessibility Checklist (students work in teams to complete a checklist that requires some measuring and math computations)
Thank you for contributing to the success of the workshop. Please contact me with any questions.
Kathy Grijalva, 332-3396, kathy.grijalva@gmail.com
King Parent Coordinating the Workshop

Indian Group Performance And Practice Schedule

All King students are welcome to participate in the Indian group performance for International Night. We will practice on Wednesdays and Fridays in the King multi-purpose room. (See schedule below.) In the past, we have extended practice times and/or added a few more practices in the last week or two before the event. If your child is interested, please come to the first practice on Wednesday, December 17th, at 7:00 p.m. If you have questions, contact Sujata Shetty at sshetty@aol.com or 998-0523.

Practice Schedule (all practices in the King multi-purpose room)

Wednesday, Dec - 17th 7:00 - 8:30pm

Friday Dec - 19th 6:00 -7:30 pm

MONDAY Jan - 5th 7:00 - 8:30pm (Wed not available)

Friday Jan - 9th 6:00 -7:30 pm

Wednesday Jan - 14th 7:00 - 8:30pm

Friday Jan - 16th 6:00 -7:30 pm

Wednesday Jan - 14th 7:00 - 8:30pm

Friday Jan - 16th 6:00 -7:30 pm

Wednesday Jan - 20 7:00 - 8:30pm

Friday Jan - 23 6:00 -7:30 pm

Wednesday Jan 28 -? 7:00 - 8:30pm

Friday Jan - 30th 6:00 -7:30 pm

King International Night Preparations Underway

Hope that everyone who wants to participate in International Night has started rehearsals! It's time! Please let me know asap about your performances. We have a great swath of performances lined up.

International Night is an incredible evening of pride and celebration for the King School Community. We begin with an International Potluck of delectable dishes from around the world. Then we have a Showcase of Student Performances (325 students last year!) such as Arabic Debkeh Dance, Korean Tae Kwon Do, Bolivian Dance, Dutch song, Thai dulcimer, American Hip-Hop, Indian bhangra dance, Chinese fan dance, and more! We also decorate the hallways with informational Country Displays and art projects for a World Tour. We also try to help with International Crafts during lunchtime enrichment that week. We are also always open to new innovative ideas!

We need a Queen of the Feast (or two) to organize the potluck, and a tech crew for the simulcast.

Due to a conflict with Clague's 7th grade band concert, which affects many of our families, King's International Night will be moved one week to Thursday, February 5, same time 6:30-8:30pm. Mark it on your calendars now and tell your friends!

We also need 300 red envelopes in case anyone is headed for Taiwan or China over break.

For more information, email fkwang@aol.com .

Frances Kai-Hwa Wang
King International Night Chair

Teacher Appreciation

Last year to celebrate the holidays, the teacher appreciation committee filled over 75 bins of cookies for the teachers and staff of King. That's a lot of cookies!!

We need your help to accomplish this once again. As you're baking cookies for your family, consider baking an extra dozen (or two). We'll be meeting on the morning of December 18th at the home of Mylinda Balint (1436 Green Rd) to fill the bins. All are welcome!! If you can't come by that morning, but want to contribute some cookies, please contact me at 623-8173 or jrb-myn@comcast.net and I'll make arrangements to get them from you.

Book Fair Thank You

A huge thank you to all of the King School family & friends who shopped at the Arborland Borders this weekend. We saw many King families stop by for stories and shopping during the King School Borders Book Fair.

A special thank you to the following King School Staff who took time to stop by Borders to read a story (or two, or more!) aloud: Dr. Michalik, Mrs. Haddas, Ms. Harris, Ms. Shah, Mr. Karr, Ms. Lake, Ms. Guttman, Mrs. Rutilla, Mrs. Gracey, Mrs. O'Keefe, Mrs. Jones, & Mrs. Gatonez. We loved your stories and can't wait to hear more! We would also like to thank Mrs. Griffiths for helping us wrap gifts on Friday afternoon.

Additionally, we would like to thank the following King School parents for volunteering to help make the King School Borders Book Fair so successful: Sandy Aldrich, Hong Kaleta, Reates Curry, Rachel Sabb, Laura Boudette, Kathy Grijalva, Diane Alson, Devi Chiravuri, George Schumacher, Chin-Yin Hsu, Brenda Pontillo, Yafei Jin, Leah Xu, Christina Nedeltchev (& daughter Monica), Anna Lu, & Karen Schumacher.

Thank you all for supporting the King School PTO.

-Susan Gechter
Borders Book Fair Chair

SNOWMAN UPDATE: *** * 41 Snowmen left * * **

SNOWMAN HOLIDAY GIVING UPDATE
*** * ** 41 Snowmen left * * * **

This is an annual event to help children in our community enjoy the holiday season with a donated gifts from King families.

What you do to help:
1. Take a snowman (or more) located on the bulletin board between the school office and the parking lot entrance doors
2. Purchase the gift written on the back of the tag
3. Return the gift and the snowman to the King School office UNWRAPPED before December 19. If appropriate, please attach the gift receipts.

RETURN GIFTS TO THE KING OFFICE NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 19 (sooner is better :-).

If you are unable to pick up a snowman at school this week, please contact Susan Aaronson susaaaro@umich.edu Susan will pull a snowman from the bulletin board and inform you, via phone or email, the details of the gift. Thank you for your support in making this program a success!

SNOWMAN UPDATE * * ** 86 Snowmen left * * **

This is an annual event to help children in our community enjoy the holiday season with a donated gifts from King families.

What you do to help:
1. Take a snowman (or more) located on the bulletin board between the school office and the parking lot entrance doors
2. Purchase the gift written on the back of the tag
3. Return the gift and the snowman to the King School office UNWRAPPED before December 19. If appropriate, please attach the gift receipts.

RETURN GIFTS TO THE KING OFFICE NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 19 (sooner is better :-).

For questions contact Susan Aaronson
susaaaro@umich.edu

"No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another."
-Author Unknown

King School Borders Book Fair - Begins Friday

The King School Borders Book Fair is Friday & Saturday (12/12 - 12/13) at the ARBORLAND BORDERS! Come shop for books, games, movies, music, & more! Stop by the King School table for assistance, some teacher recommendations & wish list items, or an extra voucher. Please remember to present your voucher to the cashier when you pay for your purchases.

We will have special guests reading aloud a story &/or poems:
Friday, 12/12
4:15 p.m. Dr. Michalik, Mrs. Haddas, & Ms. Harris
4:30 p.m. Ms. Shah
4:45 p.m. Mr. Karr
6:30 p.m. Mrs. Rutilla (King School's long-time librarian!)
7:00 p.m. Mrs. Gracey

Saturday, 12/13
10:30 a.m. Mrs. O'Keefe
11:00 a.m. Mrs. Jones (She's returning to see her former students!)
7:30 p.m. Ms. Gatonez

See you there! Contact kingpto@gmail.com with any questions.


Read Aloud Time Change at Borders Book Fair
Please note that Ms. Gatonez will now be reading at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, 12/13 at the Arborland Borders.