Friends of Glenfeliz Elementary

Website Renewal

2009-09-07T22:33:00.001-07:00

Thanks to our web dude, Duy Nguyen, our blog has moved to

www.friendsofglenfeliz.org

Please come visit and enjoy our new website!

K

SILENT AUCTION - MARCH 7, 2009

2009-01-26T07:24:00.000-08:00

Mark Your Calendar for

Friends of Glenfeliz
Silent Auction & Student Art Exhibit

Saturday, March 7, 2009

3135 & 3137 Glendale Blvd
(Grain & Black Maria Gallery)
Los Angeles, CA 90039

Admission: $10 (includes food & a beverage)

Join us for a night of fun with great food, drink, music, art, and neighbors!

Proceeds will benefit Glenfeliz Blvd. Elementary School.

Tickets sold at school front desk (3955 Glenfeliz Blvd)
or Contact info@friendsofglenfeliz.org.

THURSDAY, NOV 13 : GENERAL MEETING

2008-11-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

Please come join us at our General Meeting on

Thursday, November 13
5:30pm~6:30pm
at Glenfeliz Blvd Elementary School Auditorium
3955 Glenfeliz Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039

Kids Welcome

Main Topics:
Report- Halloween Bake Sale & Election Day Bake Sale
Update- School Tour Date
Fundraisers- This Year's Goal and Purposes
After School Program Committee
Silent Auction in February or March, 2009
eBay Auction with "Giving Engine"

Are you on Face Book??

2008-09-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

If you have an account with Face Book, please join our FB Group:

http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=35639714531

General Meeting: October 2, 2008

2008-09-19T22:12:00.001-07:00

GENERAL MEETING

Thursday, October 2, 2008
5:30pm-7:00pm

At School Gymnasium
Glenfeliz Blvd Elementary School
3955 Glenfeliz Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90039

Topics:
-FOG Mission and Goals
-Board Member Introduction
-Fundraising Ideas and Plans

Application for 501(c)(3) was Accepted!

2008-09-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Great News!

We received a letter from IRS the other day, accepting our application for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

This is a milestone for our group, which officially began its mission early this year. The wait period was rather short, thanks to our esteemed Secretary/ Lawyer/ Parent, Gabriela Kornzweig!

With 501(c)(3) application behind us, we can now focus on our mission to support our children, teachers and staff at Glenfeliz Elementary. We are planning our Fall General Meeting in early October to introduce ourselves to the student body and community. During the meeting, we will talk about our upcoming fundraiser events, such as Silent Auction, Winter/Spring Fair, and Banner programs. We'll keep you posted on its date/time/location here on this blog.

Please let us know if you want to be a part of our activities; we could use your support to make our first year a big success.

New Park for Atwater Residents!

2008-04-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Legion Lane Nature Park meeting
Sat. 5/3/08 @ 11:00am

Please join Council President Eric Garcetti and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Saturday, May 3rd - 11am at 3781 Legion Lane (the dead end off of Sunnynook) to discuss a potential park site at this location.

We would love to hear your input and ideas.

A brief description of the potential project will be given, with lots of time for Questions and Answers.

For more information, contact CD13 at 323-957-4500.

Thank You!

2008-04-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

Our Rock Painting & Coloring booth at Artwater Festival
was a huge success!
Thank you for those who volunteered to help us, and
thank you for those who donated at the booth.
Most of all, thank you, kids and parents,
for filling our booth with a full of laughter and smiles :)

-Kei

ArtWater Festival

2008-04-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Please come visit our booth at

ARTWATER FESTIVAL

April 26, 2pm-10pm

on Glendale Blvd. (b/w Glenhurst and Edenhurst)

We will have ROCK PAINTING & COLORING.

(If you could volunteer at the booth, please email us at info@friendsofglenfeliz.org)

See You There!

Renewed Identity and Focus

2008-04-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Kudos to everyone for the great achievement made thus far! A neighborhood parents group that started out small in 2006 has now become an official non-profit organization (Booster Club) for Glenfeliz Blvd Elementary School. We will soon receive a tax exemption status from IRS!
Our communication line is being developed as we speak. Our official website is www.friendsofglenfeliz.org and you can reach us via email at info@friendsofglenfeliz.org

Here are images of our tri-fold brochure that will be distributed at ArtWater Festival on April 26, 2008.

outside: inside:

"WE TOO HAVE A DREAM" PARENTS CONFERENCE SAT. APRIL 19, 2008

2008-02-27T11:32:00.000-08:00

SAVE THE DATE: SAT. APRIL 19, 2008

The Los Angeles Parents Union Presents...

"WE TOO HAVE A DREAM"

PARENTS CONFERENCE 2008

Los Angeles Convention Center

Dear Los Angeles Parents Union Supporter,

The Los Angeles Parents Union (LAPU) is pleased to extend an invitation to you for the First Annual "We Too Have A Dream" Parents Conference happening Saturday, April 19th, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. With an estimated 2,500 parents from throughout Los Angeles coming together to discuss ways parents can participate in improving public education, this is sure to be a historic event in Los Angeles.

The "We Too Have a Dream" Parent Conference will expand the Parents Union's successful Parent University program by engaging parents throughout LA in dialogue about the state of public education in Los Angeles, understanding key data about their neighborhood schools, navigating college preparatory curriculum as well as community resources available for families. LAPU will also host a Parent Union Resource Fair where our community partners can provide information about their respective organizations and meet the conference participants.

We will also:

Provide parent and community friendly workshops about school performance and graduation/college preparatory indicators

Understanding Academic Performance Index (API) and Program Improvement (PI) in Los Angeles Schools

Informing parents about The California State High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) and resources for students

How to access AP, Honors and College and Life Preparatory Curriculum for students

Provide classes geared toward preparing parents and students for success

Parents' Rights

How to understand the Education System

Community Resources for Parents

2-year and 4-year College Information

Parenting Courses

We look foward to your attendance. If you are a parents union member the Conference is free! Please register for the conference at www.parentsunion.org to learn even more about LAPU. If you have any questions, feel free to call 213-621-3052.

We and look forward to your support and participation.

Ryan J. Smith

Executive Director

Updates re. neighborhood schools

2008-02-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

I was talking to Jory last night and he suggested I post this info here as it is good news not all of you may be aware of...

First, how many of you know that Glenfeliz was awarded the same arts prototype grant Ivanhoe got a few years ago. The grant pays for professionals from MOCA and LACMA to instruct the teachers on how to incorporate the arts into the curriculum - dance, drama, painting, etc. So that is great news for all interested parties.

Also, Glenfeliz has received a distinction for two years in a row for being in the top 15% of state schools that have the greatest AYP. As opposed to just the API score, the AYP measures the improvement percentage a school makes in the API testing year to year. So the school is improving at a pretty rapid rate. I feel more parent involvement will definitely make it comparable to Ivanhoe in a short amount of time.

Finally, the Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts is planning on moving to the New Hope Church location (behind Best Buy & Costco). At this point it is controversial because it is really close to the old Franciscan pottery toxic location. The school is going through all the proper channels though and getting all the required tests needed to determine if the location is safe for kids. The school administrators kids go to the school, so they will not go there if there is any question about safety left unanswered. Jory is familiar with the school and probably can answer questions about the school better than I, but it sounds like it would be an excellent alternative school option for our neighborhood if it is safe. We will be discussing the school at the next AVNC meeting on Feb 14 (yes unfortunately Valentines Day)at 7pm at the New Hope Church. I can also send you the draft of the minutes from my committee meeting where we first discussed it if you want. Email me at twarner@atwatervillage.org

Thanks.

LA Parents Union Petition

2008-01-30T22:59:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends of Glenfeliz parents,

It's been a while but I have a project for some people if they want to help.

Many of the graduating 5th graders from Glenfeliz Elementary will be going to Thomas Star King Middle School next year. And when our kids are old enough that is where they will most likely be going as well. The problem is King is overcrowded to the point its basically at double occupancy. It has also been on the state fail test for ten years now when it comes to testing and is getting worse rather than improving.

About a year ago some parents in Silver Lake and Los Feliz got together and started a grass roots campaign to lobby the LAUSD to instigate a pretty dramatic overhaul of the school. I believe the plan is based on the "Green Dot" approach. Green Dot is a non-profit that has helped reorganize schools in Boston and other parts of LA and has been pretty successful in getting schools to improve pretty quickly.

Anyway, their model calls for the school to be reorganized into four separate "schools" for the different grades. Think of it as a university campus model with different "schools". Each school would have at max 500 kids and have its own principal to make it easier to keep and maintain control. They also are calling for 90% of the funds allocated to the school by LAUSD to be spent in the classroom and not the current 60% that is spent now (40% goes to "administrative costs").

So, the LA Parents Union is now to the point that they have teachers and parents on board and the LAUSD has signaled that they would be willing to talk with the group about the changes if they can get 5,000 signatures on a petition by May 30.

I went to a meeting last night and found out the goal for getting signatures in our area is about 300. I have emailed Principal Rosenblum about getting permission to have someone stand out in front of the school to get signatures and am waiting to hear back. But the school PTA could get involved and send a newsletter out to parents. We can also go to the farmers market and other locations and get people to sign there. The priority is to get parents of 5th graders to sign, then parents with kids in school, and then all local stakeholders.

Working full time I cannot do all this myself so I wanted to see if any of you would be willing to help. Obviously if all of us sign the petition that is a good head start. Please let me know if you can/want to offer up some time, as it could benefit all of our kids in the long run.

And if you want more info:

http://www.parentsunion.org/

Here's another idea I had. I don't know how many of you watch Noggin with your kids but they have been playing a PSA lately a lot for a trike-a-thon fundraiser for St. Judes which is a hospital for kids with cancer. Once again I'm waiting to hear back from Principal Rosenblum to see if she's in to the idea but if she is would anyone like to help spearhead it. I talked to the St. Judes people on the phone and it sound relatively easy. They send the school DVDs and coloring books about trike and bike safety. The preschool teachers take some time out of their days for four days in a row to watch the DVDs and talk about riding safety. All during that week the parents of the kids are encouraged to donate and get others to donate to St. Jude's. The fifth day is the trike-a-thon where the kids get to demonstrate what they learned. Let me know if you are interested.

Thanks,

Tim

Dear Friends! LONG TIME NO SEE...!

2008-01-30T13:12:00.001-08:00

Now, let's see...

It's been almost a year since I last posted a memo here.

Time goes by, and our kids are growing FAST!

Our daughter will be starting her Kindergarten this fall, and I was wondering how you're all doing with the parental awe of choosing "the perfect school" for your child?

Our first choice remains Glenfeliz, our local favorite! But, I'm sure we're all on the same boat, asking ourselves series of questions, like "Will the school be accommodating to our child's needs?" and "How about after school programs???"

I was wondering if you guys want to get together sometime in February for an easy pot luck or pizza night? If weekend days work, perhaps we'll get together at Shane's Inspiration Playground (in Griffith Park) for a small picnic?

If you guys are still reading this blog, please respond by placing your comments.

Hope to hear from you all...!

-Kei
(I no longer have "keimn06" email account)

2007-03-12T23:26:00.000-07:00

Atwater Village Newbie Blogsite

2007-02-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

We have a new friend, "Atwater Village Newbie" blogsite.
They have posted a link to our blogsite, and vice versa.
Their site is full of interesting journals about our neighborhood.

SAVE THE DATE - 10am FEB 24 MEET & GREET WITH LAUSD CANDIDATES

2007-02-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

Google Calendar

2007-02-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

I added "Google Calendar" button on the right column.
You simply click on the button, and you will be guided to our calendar items.
The only issue is that, if you don't have a Google Account, you will have to create one and that's extra 5 minutes of your time... Once you have your Google Account, come back to our blogsite, click on the Google Calendar button, and Voila!!! a small pop up window will ask if you'd like to "add" a calendar "FOG". Press Yes, and you will have our calendar items on your Calendar.
It's a free service and a good tool for us to keep tracks of upcoming events.

If you have any questions, let me know.

-K

LA Parents Union Meeting (flyer)

2007-02-11T21:25:00.000-08:00

LA Parents Union Meeting 7PM Feb. 13

2007-02-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

There will be an LA Parents Union meeting on:

Tuesday, Feb. 13
7pm
Silver Lake Community Church
2930 Hyperion Ave.
LA, CA 90027

LA Parents Union is tied into the Green Dot magnet schools program, so if anyone can attend it could and should be informative for our group. I posted a link a month or so ago to a Los Feliz Ledger article about Green Dot and the LA Parents Union, so refer back to that for more info.

Their flyer talks about focusing on smaller classes, finding a better use of school facilities, holding high expectations for all students, controlling budgets at a local level, and encouraging parent participation.

The email contact for more info is:

chind@laparentsunion.org

Glenfeliz PTA Founder's Day Luncheon, Feb. 15

2007-02-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

Glenfeliz Blvd. Elementary School PTA
invites you to our annual
association meeting* and

Founder's Day Luncheon

Thursday, February 15, 2007
11 am - 1:30 pm
Parent Resource Room

Celebrating Founder's Day 2007 - PTA's 110th Year!

Catered by Pat & Oscar's Restaurant
Caesar or Greek Salad
Lemon or BBQ Chicken
Spaghetti with Marinara or Meat Sauce
Famous Pat & Oscar's Breadsticks
Beverage and Dessert

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

$12.50 per person (non-refundable) - please make checks payable to Glenfeliz PTA

*Feb. 15 meeting agenda will include information about the March 8 association meeting and election of the 2007-08 Board.

OUR NEXT MEETING: JAN 31, 6:30PM

2007-01-24T09:50:00.000-08:00

OUR NEXT MEETING

JANUARY 31, 2007

6:30 Pm

@ NEW HOPE CHAPEL (Behind BEST BUY)

For more information, contact Kei at
keimn06@sbcglobal.net

Major topics will be covered, so please attend!!!

GREEN DOT CHARTER PROGRAM AND LA PARENTS UNION

2007-01-02T22:15:00.000-08:00

A recent article in the Los Feliz Ledger shed light on Green Dot and the LA Parents Union, two organizations started by Steve Barr, a Silver Lake resident and State Board of Education appointee to the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools. Green Dot appears to be focused on middle and high schools, but the LA Parents Union appears to have a broader focus that includes elementary schools. The article is online at:

http://www.losfelizledger.com/DeodarStory.htm#ShuttleBusesREST

For anyone interested they are having a meeting this Saturday (Jan. 7) from 1-4pm to let people know what they are about. I am going to try and make it. Here is the info:

Citywide Chapters of the Los Angeles Parents Union Host…

Knowing Your Power:
Parent Training on the Politics of Education & What Parents Can Do About It

Saturday
January 6, 2007
1:00 pm -4:00 pm

350 South Figueroa Street, Suite 213
Los Angeles, CA 90072

Free of Charge
Childcare and Refreshments Provided
If driving, please enter off of Figueroa

To RSVP contact Ryan Smith:
(213) 621-0276 ext 255
Or email rsmith@greendot.org

In addition, the Silver Lake Chapter will apparently be meeting Jan. 13 to discuss
under-enrollment at neighborhood elementary schools among other things. You can email the following address from the article for info. about that:

mchind@earthlink.net

Thanks,

Tim

2006 API scores

2007-01-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone-

There is a recent post to the friends of atwater village blog by David Tokofsky, our LAUSD district rep, about how the API scores of atwater's two elementary schools, Glenfeliz and Atwater Village, have steadily and greatly improved over the last 7 years. It's attached to his entry of December 1, 2006 below. http://friendsofatwatervillage.org/blog/art_education/

Glenfeliz started out in 1999 with an API score of 591. It has since climbed 197 points to a 2006 score of 788! Atwater Elementary has made an even greater leap: it started out with a lowly 497 back in 1999, and has since brought its scores up 241 points to a 2006 score of 738.

OUR NEXT MEETING

2006-12-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

RE: MEETINGS/COMMUNICATION

There's a lot of activity on the horizon with more and more people joining the PTA, touring the school, and getting involved... so, it is critical that we MEET in the 3rd or 4th week of January to discuss logistics, communication, and where we go from here.

Prior to the meeting...

1. If you haven't already done it, PLEASE drop by the school any week day by 3pm or so and JOIN THE PTA (only $6 per membership).

2. Call Asst. Principal Abby Cabrera or Principal Rosenblum and arrange a tour of the school. They're happy to assist after Jan. 1.

3. Spread the word. Each time I'm outside I am seeing yet more and more strollers being pushed by people I've yet to meet. If you know someone who might be interested, please get their info for Kaye so she can put them on the blog.

If you want to offer your house as a place for the next meeting, let me know. Otherwise we can see if either the school or Atwater library can accomodate us.

Take care,
Jordan