Community Newsletter October 2000

October Parent/Board Meeting
This month's Parent Meeting will be on Thursday, October 26, at 7:00 p.m. followed immediately by our Board Meeting at 8:30 p.m. All community members are invited and encouraged to attend both of these meetings.

Recharter Hearing
Our original charter, granted in 1998 by the State College, Bellefonte, and Bald Eagle school districts, was for three years. Last month we sent an official Recharter Application letter to each of those districts asking that our charter be renewed for another 5 years. The next step in this process is for each district to hold a public hearing at which we will present our case for rechartering. The general public is also given an opportunity to speak. According to the law, each district has 45 days from the date they received the letter to hold the hearing. State College has scheduled their hearing for Monday, Nov. 6 at 7;30 p.m. in the High School South auditorium. The other two districts have not scheduled their hearings yet, although they have received the recharter application. We will keep you updated. Enclosed you will find a letter from Liz Kisenwether and a draft of a letter that you can use as a guide to write to your home district's school board supporting our recharter. If you have any questions, contact Liz at 231-4095 or exk13@psu.edu.

Transition Week and Exhibition Day
We are at the end (week #5) of the first set of projects for each team. Week #6 is our Transition Week when the students share and present their work to each other and their parents. The official exhibition day is Tuesday, October 17. Please come in to school that day and check out the results of 5 weeks of hard work! The next round of projects will begin on Monday, October 23.

Team 1 Thanks You
A hearty thanks to all the families who donated tanks and equipment for the biology project. We have enough tanks so that students in teams 1 and 2 will build a total of 8 miniature ecosystems. Team 1 students have begun planning and will make pricing and purchasing trips later this week. Come and see the finished products (with their live inhabitants) on Tuesday 10/17 during Project Exhibition Day!

Math Volunteers Needed
We have a big need for parent (or even grandparent) volunteers to help out during math classes. Math is from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. every morning, although coming in even one morning a week would be helpful. (Expert math skills are not a necessity - we need volunteers in all levels of math!) Call M.J. in the office if you are interested.

Walk for Diabetes
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Diabetes Walk, held on Sunday, October 8. The CLC team raised over $1100, including donations from our families that are still coming in! What an accomplishment!! The next step is to make sure that all of your pledges get turned in! Many of you turned in all of your money at the walk, and many still had pledges to collect. Please work hard to collect those pledges and turn them in within the next couple of weeks. If you have any questions about turning in money, you can email Diane at diane@clccharter.org or call me at 861-6037. The following students, family members and friends joined the walk on bike, roller blades, scooters and on foot:
Mike E. and family
Corey B.
Chris F. and Mom
Adam L.
Britton S. and Mom
Thomas M.
Drew P. and Dad
Justin C.
Laura C.
David S.
Patrick P. and Mom
Dr. Wendy Snetzinger
Hannah L.
Jessi L.
Sondi S.
Bella S.
Courtney S.

As our CLC team captain, I would like to thank everyone for their enthusiastic participation, and as the mother and wife of diabetics, I would like to thank you for your help in finding a cure!

Diane Lehman

ESP Clubs
In a continuing effort to offer interesting activities during after school, a new club will be forming soon, The Publisher's Club. Brenna, sister of Devin C. (team 3) and a student at the Delta program, will lead this exciting new club during ESP. The following is Brenna's description of the club:
'The Publishing Club at CLC will spend time working on a pamphlet to hand out to the public, a yearbook, and anything else that the students show interest in (such as a newspaper). Photographers are needed to take pictures for the yearbook starting now! The first part of the year will focus on the pamphlet and other ideas, the second part of the year will be spent putting together the yearbook.'
We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed group of students to join Brenna in helping to publicize our school, and in putting together a wonderful yearbook. The yearbook should be of particular interest to our graduating 8th graders!
Rocket Club is flying right along. Approximately 20 students are working on thier rockets every Wednesday with Glenn and Jim Morrow. The first launch for this year's club will be on Sat., Nov. 4 at 10;30 a.m. at the Mt. Nittany Middle School.
Mt. Biking Club also has an enthusiastic (and often muddy) group of students and parents riding every Thursday afternoon with Mark. They even rode two weeks ago when it was raining and cold. "Ye Ha!"
4H Club is having a great time working on their current project, photography. The students are being assisted by two parent volunteers, Terry Musser and Vivian Baumer.

Day Off!
Reminder that Friday, October 20 is an Act 80 day for professional development. Students do not have school on this day!

School Pictures
We are in the process of setting up dates for school pictures to be taken by Jackie Aberegg, a professional photographer, at CLC this fall. As soon as I have the dates and prices set, I will send home the information via the Friday Mail envelope.

Cold Weather Clothing
A reminder to make sure your child is appropriately dressed for the cold weather when they leave the house in the morning. Also, please remember to write their name on the tag of their jackets, gloves, hats, etc. so that when these items are left behind in the big room (and, inevitably, they will be at some point this winter) they can be returned to your child.

Emergency Lunch Supplies Needed
Amazingly, we have already run out of all the supplies parents have donated for emergency lunches. It's time to restock! We especially need bread, instant soup mixes, peanut butter and jelly, apples, paper bowls and plates. Our goal is to not need any emergency lunch suplies because, ideally, all students would remember to bring or order their lunch every day. Please do not donate really yummy things like pudding and cereal bars because those items actually encourage students to not bring a lunch. (If they can get a Lunchable with pizza and a candy bar in it...) While we are on the subject of food, please do not send caffeine drinks or high sugar snacks to school in your child's lunch. We do not believe these items provide your child with the sustaining energy they need to work (and play) effectively throughout the day.