Weekly Updates & Reminders – Week of May 6th
Dear Ardenwood Families,
Hope you had a nice weekend. Â We are already into May and the school year is quickly winding down! Â However, we still have a busy few weeks ahead for our Dragons!
What an amazing Talent Show!  From singers to dancers to musicians and even a mime, Dragons really entertained us. Thank you to Ms. Aarthi Aravinth and her team of PTA volunteers for bringing this show to our students, staff and families–well done!
Thanks to all who participated in our first Annual Ardenwood College Awareness Day!  Our Student Council reached out to a number of colleges and universities and we were so fortunate to receive college gear along with informational materials from a few schools–Princeton, USC, Stanford, Cal Poly Humboldt and more!  The students enjoyed hearing about where their teachers went to college and taking photos to commemorate the day. Â
Tomorrow (May 6th) is Disney Spirit Day–don’t forget your mouse ears and Disney t-shirts!!!
May 6th – 10th is Teacher Appreciation Week.  Thanks in advance to our PTA and all our families for your ongoing expressions of appreciation both now and throughout the year.  We appreciate you right back!
May is an extremely busy month with a number of field trips, bike to school day, lunch waste audits, movie night and promotion! Â Mark these important dates on your calendar and stay tuned for more information and updates from teachers, the office and our PTA. Â
Upcoming Events
Week of May 6th – Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week
Week of May 6th – SBAC Science (5th Grade)
Week of May 13th – SBAC ELA and Math
Week of May 20th – CHPSE (4th & 5th Grades)
May 6th – Disney Spirit Day
May 7th – Lunch Waste Audit #1; PTA Association Meeting on Zoom
May 16th – Bike to School Day
May 17th – Movie Night
May 20th – Lunch Waste Audit #2
May 24th – Minimum Day – Grades 1-5
May 27th – Memorial Holiday – No School
May 29th – Promotion Ceremonies/Activities
May 31st – LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
May 28th, 30th and 31st – Minimum Days – Grades 1-5
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage & Mental Health Awareness Months
From Ardenwood PTA
Ardenwood Yearbooks
If you haven’t ordered your 2023-24 yearbook, the deadline has been extended to May 11. Check your inbox for emails from Treering, or visit the Treering website for ordering information (passcode: 1016016728814774). Each yearbook comes with two pages you can customize with your own photos and content
Teacher Appreciation Week – May 6 – May 10
Teacher Appreciation Week is here! If you would like to contribute snacks or drinks for the school staff, there are still a handful of remaining slots so please sign up. Thank you for helping us make Teacher Appreciation Week extra special!
PTA Officer Elections – Tuesday, May 7th, at 7pm on Zoom
The election slate is set, and your vote matters! Â Here are our candidates for the critical PTA roles in the upcoming 2024-25 school year:
President – Michael Garcia
Vice President – Amy Chantasirivisal
Treasurer – Gabriele Strasser
Secretary – Sharon Daco
STEM Programs Chair – Aarthi Aravinth
Talent Show Chair – Tarak Patolia
Spirit Wear Chair – Iqra Waqas
Movie Night Chair – Reem Elabbasi
If you are interested in a position as an officer or on the board as a committee chair, it’s not too late! Please email info@ardenwoodschool.org for more information.  Elections will be held during our Tuesday, May 7th meeting.
Meeting ID: 812 4544 4662
Passcode: 436958
Bike to School Day – Volunteers Needed
Lace up those shoes and dust off those wheels–Bike to School Day is BACK on Thursday, May 16!   All active modes of transportation—bikes, scooters, skateboards, roller skates, and walking—are encouraged. Bike to School Day is an event organized by Alameda County’s Safe Routes to Schools (SR2S) Program, which is sponsored by the Alameda County Transportation Commission.  We need volunteers for the tables in the front of the school on Bike to School Day! This is a very brief one-hour time commitment—all you need to do is sign up for a slot during morning drop-off time.  If you have any questions, please contact Kim Sato Leng at kimbalina81@gmail.com.  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B4AA9A72DA6FF2-bike
Movie Night
We’re thrilled with the enthusiastic response to the upcoming PTA Movie Night featuring Kung Fu Panda 4 on Friday, May 17th! RSVPs for the event have closed, but we want to ensure everyone who wants to join can have a chance.  If you have RSVP’d but your plans have changed, please revisit your email confirmation and update your party number to “0” attendees. This will allow us to offer your spot to another family on the waitlist.  For those who have confirmed their attendance, keep an eye on your inbox next week for a digital ticket which you’ll need to show for entry—either on your mobile device or as a printout.
Help Your Class Win—PTA Student Membership Drive
The PTA Student Membership Drive will be wrapping up soon on Friday, May 17! A $10 PTA student membership could win your class and choose their own prize. All student memberships, including those purchased before the contest—count towards your class total, so head to the PTA website to sign up now!
School RemindersÂ
PLANNING FOR THE 24/25 SCHOOL YEAR –Â Our teaching teams are working on classes for the coming school year. Â Want to share something about your student to help us best support them next year? Â Please feel free to share your input:Â here. Thank you!
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START OF THE SCHOOL DAY – If your student arrives at school before 8:14 am, please remain with them until the 8:14 am bell rings and then they may proceed to the playground (students only, no parents or guardians should come onto campus).  An exception for students who come to school and eat breakfast–they may enter campus at 8:05 am but must head straight to the MPR. They should eat breakfast, dispose of their trash and remain in the MPR until 8:14 am.  At that time, students may proceed to the playground where staff is supervising until the 8:24 am bell.  When the bell rings, students should walk to their line up location. Â
DROP OFFS – Teachers and staff are focused on supporting our 600+ Dragons each and every day.  Consequently, we ask that you refrain from dropping off lunches, water bottles and other items for delivery to students.  A reminder–all Dragons have access to free breakfast and lunch as well as water fountains here on campus–we recently had a new water bottle filling station installed!  If your child forgets their homework, please have them check-in with their teacher regarding late submission.  Of course, if you need to drop off eyeglasses or any type of medication for your student, please let us know as we will certainly make exceptions for these items.  Please support our Dragons in following our Ardenwood school rule of being responsible. Â
TRAFFIC SAFETY – Thanks to all families who have helped us increase safety on campus by focusing on traffic rules. Local authorities continue to visit our campus regularly to support us in this area and in some cases, they issue traffic citations.  Please follow traffic safety rules and comply with regulations. Â
FUSD Information & Links
Impact of Social Media on Youth and Children Virtual Workshop – May 6th at 6pm
ClassLink: Â Password Reset Tool for Students
Health Guidelines: Â When to Keep Your Dragon Home from School
2024 Ohlone for Kids & Teens Opportunity
Superintendent Cammack Departing Fremont Unified
Have a great week and Go Dragons!
Glynis Mason, Principal
