Early Release – Oct.2

This Friday, October 2 is an early release day. Due to the chaos of the ACL festival school will be closing early: 12:00 for primary, 12:30 for elementary. There will be no Simple Gifts ceremony.

Have a great weekend!

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Marathon Kids Details

PARKSIDE MARATHON KIDS PROGRAM 2009-2010

Dear Marathon Kids (MK’s) and Families

Welcome old and new Marathon Kids! The following is some basic information about Marathon Kids that answers most of the common questions. Please read!

We run on Tues and Thurs mornings together (barring inclement weather). Please arrive promptly at 8 AM for stretching and then a ½ mile loop around the trail. If you plan to join us, please drop your backpacks and lunches on the bench inside the gate at Parkside and then join us at the starting area. There will be a parent leader (usually Simon) who will lead the run, decide on the route and stops along the way. Please stay with him in order to get our mileage in and stop so the rest of the group catches up.

As the kids finish the course, they will cross the street with Claire, and then pickup their belongings and head to class. The kids are welcome to bring a water bottle or drink water in their classrooms. We will be starting the program on September 29th, Tuesday. See you there!

In order to complete the 26.2 miles by Feb 20th, kids should run a mile and half a week. Falling behind makes it very challenging for participants to catch up on the mileage needed to complete the program. The mileage log helps keep track of miles. Please post this log somewhere at home to fill in regularly.

The kick-off event is on Sat. Oct 3rd at 11 AM at Mike Myers Track Stadium. Attendance is optional. Students will run 1 ½ laps around the track. The benefits are getting to feel a part of a city of kids who are also in the program, being cheered by UT athletes and receiving a free water bottle at the end. I will not be here for this event. I will send out information to those of you who signed up to go.

The Final Mile Medal Celebration is scheduled for Sat, Feb. 20th at 11 am. The children must be at their last ½ mile by this time. Marathon Kid participants will not be able to receive a finisher’s medal or t-shirt unless they complete their miles. After the Final Mile Medal Celebration, we will schedule a recognition ceremony at Simple Gifts with a presentation of our finishers. It’s a real moment of pride and accomplishment for the kids and their families.

Please check your mail tubes regularly since this will be the main way we communicate with you about the program. The Parkside Marathon Kids webpage will also be kept up to date, so you can check that out as well. If you have questions, please call me at 402-9484 or e-mail me at tleothom@sbcglobal.net. We welcome any ideas you have on making this a great year of running together.

Tara Thompson (on behalf of the rest of the team – Simon, Rosanne, and Rachel)

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Fall Campout – Sept 25-26

PEDERNALES FALLS STATE PARK
FALL CAMP OUT

Friday – Saturday (September 25 – 26)

What is it?

Camping Friday and/or Saturday Nights
Swimming in the River
Pot Luck Dinner Saturday Evening
Songs around the campfire with Joe & Parkside Players (this means you)

Directions to the Park (about 40 miles):

MAP to Park
From Austin – Hwy 290 West to Johnson City, 26.6 miles (past Dripping Springs)
Turn Right on FM 3232 (brown Park sign) go 6.4 miles
Turn Right on CR – 201 (RR 2766 – Pedernales Falls Rd)
Turn Left on Park Road 6026
Stop at Ranger Station and go inside and pay fees
You are gong to the Youth Group Area, reserved by Parkside (they will give you a map)

What to Bring:

Pot Luck Dish to Share for Saturday night, utensils and plates for your Family’s use, Camping Gear, First Aid Kit, Swim Gear, Water Shoes, Musical Instruments, Bikes, Lawn Chairs, Drinking Water, Food for your Family, Fire Wood (illegal to gather), Warm Sleeping Gear (gets cold sometimes), Flashlights (no full moon – very dark once sun goes down), Headlamps, And anything else you might want or need.

Plan to come and participate in any way your family can manage. Spend one or two nights, come for the day on Saturday, come for the pot luck and singing around the campfire Saturday night. You will be so glad you made the effort as soon as you step out of your car – it is an enchanting place!

*We do such a great job reducing our footprint on the planet while at school, now it is time for us to try to reduce our footprint while we are camping. There is a program called “Leave No Trace” which teaches people how to camp and enjoy the outdoors while making as little impact as possible. In general, the rule is that if you bring it, you leave with it. There are a few simple steps we can all do to help “Leave No Trace” this camp out. First, after we finish our potluck dinner, everyone could pick up all of their dishes, food, plates and trash and put it away before the singing begins. The second part of the plan is that everyone make a sweep of their camping area in addition to the table area and the river area before they leave Pedernales Falls to go home. In an effort to protect our environment and still keep our kids safe, we are suggesting you bring some sort of reusable lighting device – flashlight, headlamp – instead of plastic glow sticks & necklaces. Come on out and join us for this wonderful Parkside tradition!

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Marathon Kids

It’s time to register for the Marathon Kids Program!

Marathon Kids is an incremental running program for students. Students run 26.2 miles (a full marathon distance) over the course of the school year, in increments of 1/2 mile at a time. Kids and their families learn the value of fitness and healthy eating in their life. The program builds strength, confidence and a sense of accomplishment. You can get more information online at http://www.marathonkids.org.

The Marathon Kids Program at Parkside gives you an opportunity to run with a group of your fellow students (all ages) and parents on the trail. We run on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, leaving the parking lot around 8AM and returning to school at about 8:20AM. We run a half a mile on each day. That gives each student a mile a each week. OR you can run on your own at home and still be part of the Marathon Kids Program. Each student must run at least a mile and a half a week to complete the 26.2 miles by the deadline.

We will be available in the front of the school for questions and registration information September 15 through the 17th before and right after school. You can also pick up a registration packet above the mail tubes starting Monday, September 24th. Return Registration form to Thomspon mail tube by Wednesday, September 23rd.

Marathon Kids Program Team: Simon Studd, Rosanne Nikolaidis, Tara Thompson, Rachel Jacobson

P.S. We really need the help and support form other parents who are interested in co-leading the morning runs. We want to make sure that there are at least 3 parents in attendance who will co-lead the run and make sure we run the milage, follow the trail rules, keep safe, and have fun! Let us know if you are interested and we can sign you up when one of us is not available.

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First Simple Gifts – Sept. 11

Title: First Simple Gifts of the year!
Location: auditorium
Description: Join us in the auditorium for Simple Gifts.
Start Time: 8:45
Date: Friday, September 11

The first Simple Gifts of the year!

Our first Simple Gifts ceremony will be Friday, September 11, 2009. This is a weekly school ritual where we assemble as a community to sing and dance. All children remain with their respective classes. Visiting parents sit together on either end of the auditorium and are invited to sing along.

Joe Bruno, our founding director leads us with guitar and a familiar ensemble of Parkside Players. The live music is very powerful for the children and engages them in an enchanting way… until a newbie looks over to see a parent, looking cozy and safe in a big, loud, crowded, unfamiliar space! It is then they might feel the tug of your love.

Please help you child have a joyful experience by reassuring them with confidence in your expression rather than concern. If you seem unsure, they will sense your concern as uncertainty which exacerbates the child’s distress.

The children are welcome to join in dance upon their own will. We generally do not suggest any one person dance, only all children are invited at their desire. Few will dance at first, but over the months your child may join-in. We discourage parental requests or suggestions during the ceremony to the children.

We understand your eagerness to attend our Simple Gifts Ceremony. Your patience while your children acclimate to the ritual of coming together as a community is most appreciated.

*For the purpose of aiding in your child’s adaptation to our Simple Gifts ceremony, we ask that all new parents of 3-year-olds, and any tender new students wait to attend until October 16th, our 6th gathering.