PTA President's Page

Katrina Young
ECC PTA President's Message
May 2012

 “I doubt that we can ever successfully impose values or attitudes or behaviors on our children certainly not by threat, guilt, or punishment. But I do believe they can be induced through relationships where parents and children are growing together. Such relationships are, I believe; build on trust, example, talk, and caring.”

~ Fred Rogers, Television Host & Educator (1928-20003)~

 Our generation grew up with Mr. Rogers.  Gentle, soft-spoken and direct, we simply knew him as the man with the cardigan who sang songs and talked about feelings. But behind the scenes, Rogers was honored extensively for his work in children’s education. In addition to receiving four Emmy awards and one lifetime achievement, Fred Rogers received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor; a Peabody Award for his career; and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. Two resolutions recognizing his work were unanimously passed by U.S. Congress, one of his trademark sweaters was acquired and is on display at the Smithsonian Institution, and several buildings and works of art in Pennsylvania are dedicated to his memory. And yet, Rogers remained humbled and focused on his goal: to educate our children.

 And in many ways, here at ECC, we are continuing a similar legacy with our own children. We too have built a distinguished community based on compassion, example and trust. Recently our assemblies and Enews editions have been full of student accomplishments – everything from our Future Problem Solving (led by Anne Katherine Pingree) to Robotics (led by Mike Fine) even to all our Presidential Fitness Award winners (led by James Patterson). Both basketball teams (coaches Ernie Hauser, Mike DeLuca, Dave Mills and Rob Templin) made the district playoffs and our Math 24 contestants have been selected to compete later on this year at the district level. A special congratulation goes out to Eoin O'Leary for placing 2nd at the State Future Problem Solving Bowl and being named as the California state alternate for the International Future Problem Solving competition this June. Hannah Theodore and Bryan Martino also competed as individuals at the competition. ECC is exceptionally proud of them and all our problem solvers. Earlier this month, even our school was won the prestigious O.E.P Award (Outstanding Educational Program) for our “Eco-lution”project (and will receive a $500 grant) as a result of Jodi GREENberger’s visionary efforts and leadership. We will miss her next year, but wish her continued success as the principal of Park Dale Lane Elementary School. Under her guidance, our Green council has have been awarded multiple grants for beautification and conservation and hope to secure more in the future. Most recently, Angela Estrada was named Teacher of the Year, Rigo Parra was named Classified Employee of the Year and Jill Steigerwald was named Parent Volunteer of the Year. Congratulations to all. It has been an especially busy and rewarding year.

Later this month, we will see the fruits of ALL our school’s labor during Open House (Thursday, May 24). This is our night to celebrate all that our children have accomplished this past school year. Our children receive one of the best educations in the state. And we have many people to thank for the privilege. Please remember to take the time to express your appreciation to your classroom teacher(s). He or she is largely responsible for all that your children have learned this year. Please also take the time to visit our Spring Art Fundraiser. Under the guidance of Ria Henshilwood and Dominique Tecotzky, our children have been busy creating their tile masterpieces. Each grade level painted an object related to our “Garden Theme” and they will be prominently displayed in the main quad area during Open House. Each tile is only $10, with a $5 discount for three or more purchased tiles. All proceeds will go towards funding vital PTA programs. And all will be framed and displayed together in our new garden. For a small donation, you can literally leave a lasting legacy at ECC. Please take the time to visit the garden. It is well worth the extra time. You will be able to preview where the tiles will be displayed, as well as view future plans for our new outdoor learning center.

Another way to make a fun impact on our school is by supporting our Spring Carnival. Lynda Wennerstrom, Kerri Stahl and Kelley Berman have been working with their committee to help secure the future of ECC’s consultants. Please support your school and enjoy a fun afternoon of community spirit on May 18 from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

This year's carnival is more than just a FUNdraiser. It is truly a means to raise more FUNDS to secure our consultants and provide our children with the best education possible. The state budget cuts effect all of our children at El Camino Creek. With looming budget cuts, our class size reduction will be raised to 27 students next year. In addition, for the past several years the district has not had the money to fund the extra necessities in our children's educations. Things like technology, science and music have been funded entirely by the generosity of our families. While, the ECC PTA supports our Arts Attack and Playground Partners program in an effort to fill in some of these needs, it is the ECC Fund that is truly the fundraising entity at ECC - allowing us to give our children a full and well-rounded education. Every dollar raised at the carnival will help offset pending sacrifices that might need to be made due to budget cuts. Special thanks go out to Mary Durfee for diligently working behind the scenes on the legislative front. With increasing budget cuts, it is even more important that our families take an active role in our children’s educations. Please take the time to read the literature she provides in the weekly ENews and on the PTA website. She will update both sites as needed, providing important information about local, state-wide, as well as, national initiatives. Currently EUSD is using www.educate ourstate.com as a comprehensive website to educate parents, as well as provide resources to help preserve our children’s education. They also just initiated a “Friday Floods” program hoping to get our voice across to our Assemblymen. In the meantime, the carnival is our last fundraiser of the year for ECC and our best insurance to keep our high standards of education at ECC. Let’s make it the best.

Probably the most evident sign that the school year is coming to an end is Yearbook sales. Years to come, these yearbooks will be our best source of memories from all our amazing experiences at ECC. Sales have been up compared to prior years and the committee expects to sell out this year. Don’t miss out in purchasing your yearbook. A huge thank you goes out to Anna Quinni and her small army of creative volunteers.

And Anna isn’t alone in her behind-the-scenes efforts. While there are many volunteers who are visibly recognized for their efforts, there are hundreds who quietly help out in a variety of different ways. Just to name a few: Cristen Morris keeps our room parents organized and up-to-date on relevant PTA information; Noel Larsen efficiently and creatively gets our Thursday ENews out on-time every week; Christy Monko has diligently kept records of our volunteer hours, as well as photographs for our school scrapbook; Jennifer Elovitz skillfully takes notes at all our PTA meetings (next PTA General meeting is Thursday, May 24); Cynthia Stanford quickly stepped up to help sell tickets for a last minute community day at Legoland; Angela DeLuca and Meredith Garcia have helped  promote good study habits and role modeling through our Study Buddies Program; and Jennifer Blakeborough has consistently kept our Lost & Found closet organized – sorting through items and donating unclaimed jackets and lunch boxes to local charities every month. Even volunteers like Korri Ball and Jill Steigerwald clearly come to mind since they were two of the founding members of our school. They helped open our school and continue to make it the school it is today.

Similar to Fred Rogers, they saw a need in their community and they stepped up to create a safe, nurturing and engaging environment for our children. And it is volunteers like them, along with countless others, that have laid the foundation for our children’s future and given them the tools to succeed. To quote Fred Rogers, “They have loved them into existence.”

During the 1997 Daytime Emmys, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Fred Rogers. True to his nature, Mister Rogers found a way to thank everyone important to him and his audience in three short sentences. “All of us have special ones who have loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, ten seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are. Ten seconds of silence." And then he nodded to his audience, looked at his watch, and said, "I'll keep the time. And as Fred Rogers watched, tears streamed down the cheeks of Hollywood’s elite as they paid tribute to all those who helped them grow and thrive. At the end of the allotted time, Mister Rogers humbly bowed to his audience and quietly walked off the stage.

Please know that all of you fall into that poignant category. Whether you are the Principal Brown leading our school with care and compassion, a teacher carefully preparing the weekly lesson plans, a room parent organizing classroom activities in their spare time, a parent volunteer lending an extra (needed) hand to help or even a working parent generously donating to a school fundraiser, you are all making a difference in the lives of all our children. Please know that it would take us much more than just ten second to properly pay tribute to your generosity. Your time, talent and support have made a lasting impression in the wellbeing of our children. You are doing more than just laying a foundation of our children’s education; you are also building a relationship of compassion and trust where both parents and children can grow and learn together. Thank you for all that you have done to make ECC the school it is today. And thank you for putting your hearts and trust into ensuring an even brighter future.

Warmly,

Katrina Young

ECC PTA President