All the kids and teachers are excited about the upcoming Book Fair at Aldridge Elementary.  The kids will be able to purchase titles from a very large catalog right at the school starting on Monday, April 12th and continuing through Friday, April 16th!  

Parents: you can come look too - the book fair will be open on Literacy Night on Thursday, April 15th for you to browse titles of interest to parents!

For more information, see http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/aldridgeelementary

The Nominating Committee is working on the Aldridge PTA 2010-2011 Board Positions - you can send your recommendations to them online by clicking here!

This program, with renowned national speaker Katie Koestner, is a crash course on everything a parent needs to know about the troublesome world of the Internet. New, popular technologies have revolutionized youth social scenes in ways we are only beginning to understand. Unfortunately, many parents have been left behind, unaware of the dangers offered by these new tools. Cyber Smarts will help parents better understand their children's lives, as well as how to better protect them online. 

Please note this program is designed strictly for adults and is NOT open to students.

The November 2009 newsletter has been published and is available here!

support local control of the school calendar.  The current statute that mandates a uniform school start date should be repealed, or at a minimum, the waiver process should be reinstituted.  A uniform start date is not required by federal guidelines and No Child Left Behind.  

The vast majority of all U.S. public school systems determine their school calendars locally. 
 
Student academic and instructional concerns and local community needs should drive all education policy decisions. This issue is being driven by the tourism and hospitality industries across the nation. It places tourism and summer camp dollars ahead of academic issues. 
 
The leaders and faculty of our local school systems have embraced and are responsible for the high-stakes accountability systems created by the state and federal governments. Members of the local boards of education, as the duly chosen representatives of the residents of local communities, are uniquely qualified to know the needs of their local communities. There should also be established processes for involving parents, school staff and residents of our communities in the development of the school calendar that works best toward addressing their communities' concerns and enables their students to achieve the highest academic success possible. 
 
Be on the lookout for upcoming information and updates regarding this advocacy project. The next session of the TexasLegislature will begin in January 2011.
 
If you would like to be part of a committee for the advancement of this project, please contact Gretchen Abner at legislative@planopta.org.
   
Important Dates:

Constitutional Amendment Election is Nov. 3, 2009
Last Day to Register to Vote in the November 3rd Constitutional Election is Oct. 5, 2009
Early Voting: October 19th - 30th
What is on the Ballot? http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/whatisontheballot.shtml

Reflections is a National PTA sponsored arts recognition program 

that encourages artistic expression.  The Reflections theme for 2009 – 2010 is “Beauty Is…”.  Use your imagination to create a film, song, artwork, photograph, poem, short story or dance routine.  You may enter as many times as you like in as many categories as you like, but be sure to reflect the theme in your work.  

The categories Include (click on each to download the specific guidelines and rules):

Literature – Prose, poetry and drama (must not exceed 2,000 words or 8½ x 11”)	Dance Choreography – Original choreographed dance (maximum time 3 minutes, CD or VHS)
Photography – Original black-and-white or color image, single print or collage (maximum size 11 x 14" including  mat)	Musical Composition –Voice, instruments or a combination of both, with or without lyrics (maximum time 5 minutes, CD required)
Visual Arts – Original print, drawing, painting, collage, photographic collage, metal etching or punch work, fiber work, or computer-generated artwork (must be flat, not more than 3/8 inches thick, maximum size 24 x 30 inches including a mat)	Film Production – Original work, animation, narrative, documentary, experimental, computer-generated (no PowerPoint, maximum time 5 minutes, CD or DVD)

Have fun and make sure all entries relate to the current theme (“Beauty Is…”)

Contact the Aldridge Arts in Education chairperson, Diane Valdez at dianevaldez@yahoo.com with additional questions.