Classroom Notes
It’s already November and with it we will see some continued rainy weather. Please remember to dress your kids warmly, and layer those clothes. If it’s not raining, we will be going outside! Also make sure you label your kids clothes so we can return them to the proper owner.

In November we’ll be talking about our senses, doing lots of fall projects and some turkey activities as well.

We’ll be doing a lot of projects that require SPICES…..so if you can donate cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, pumpkin pie spice or cloves please bring them in! These spices don’t have to be “fresh”. Maybe it’s a great time to clean out your spice cupboard and buy new for yourself.

We’re very thankful you are all a part of our extended Brush Creek family. Have a great month!!

Closing Dates
Just to remind you, we will be closed November 12 (Veteran’s Day). We will also be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday November 21, 22, and 23. Enjoy your family time together. Remember, you are only charged for respite time when school is in session, so these closing dates have been taken into account on your bill.

Fundraising Notes
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Innisbrook wrapping paper fundraiser. The wrapping paper should arrive before the end of November. We’ll let you know when you can pick it up. We raised over $3,000 for our school. Remember, you can go to www.Innisbrook.com and order wrapping paper year round and Brush Creek will still receive 50%.

Evening in Paradise Kick Off
Join us for the initial meeting for our Spring Fundraiser. We are looking for parents to come to school on Nov. 8th from 6:30 to 8pm to find out how you can help make this event the best ever. We will be serving pizza and drinks so eat dinner with us and we’ll get those creative juices flowing. No child care will be available for this meeting.

If you cannot attend the meeting, but still want to be involved see Lauren Wood, Lisa Mindemann or Marcellina Littleton next week in front of the school (or give them a call) and tell them how you’d like to help!!

Board of Directors Elections/Vacancy
Well, the results are in and you’ve elected a fine group of people to our Board of Directors! We would like to welcome onto the Board the following new members: Jim McKeith, Missy Kelleher,

Marcellina Littleton, Cindy Phillips, Lisa Mindemann, and Tamara Stier.

Continuing for their second year in the term:  Amy Grams, Michelle Boyers, Gina Roghi, and Lauren Wood.

Even though we’ve elected 6 new members, we have one vacancy on the Board. The open position is for volunteer coordinator. This person would help the staff find parent volunteers for various events through our school year. If interested in this position, please see Julie.

It is also time to thank outgoing Board members who are now finished with their terms. Many thanks for all the effort put forward from these members: Ron Allen, Kelly Madsen, MaryEv Betterly, Dawn Kruetzfeldt, Jennifer Foster, Amy Farmiloe, Niessia Diehl. and Rich Fenske. We have enjoyed working with all of you!

Classroom Observations
Observations for the front classes continue through the end of November. If you did not get a chance to observe and you wish to, please see your teachers for a time in January.

Back class will begin their observations in January, so watch for a calendar to sign up at the end of the hall.

Photo Orders
We hope you’ve already turned your photo orders into the office, or mailed them directly to school photographer John Youngblood. The photos taken on the original date will be back by November 15th. The retake photo orders are now due and we hope to have the finished products back to you by our Thanksgiving break.

STAFFING CHANGES
We wanted to keep you all up to date on a couple of changes that have occurred in our staffing.

As most of you know Birte has been out for several weeks now. She was due to have surgery, but unfortunately her insurer turned her down, deeming her surgery elective. Birte is working on appealing their decision, and hopes to be rescheduled for surgery soon. We’re hoping she will return in January.

Also, teacher Noreen Taylor will be picking up her entire family (husband, two daughters and their spouses, children and pets) and moving to Colorado in November. This was an unexpected move, but a welcome one into a new family adventure.

We wish Noreen and her whole family a wonderful life in the beautiful state of Colorado….

Her last day will be November 16th, so make sure your child says goodbye…

While Birte has been gone, it’s been our good fortune to have Cynara Martin substitute for us. Cynara is the former director of Live Oak Preschool in Healdsburg, and long time colleague and friend of Julie’s. Also filling in is Sonya Barber, a longtime part time Brush Creek teacher as well as our own Vicki Briggs, who always comes to the rescue when we need her.

We are working on a more “permanent solution” to Noreen leaving right now, and we’ll notify you of our results as soon as we know.

Our ongoing goal is to keep the classrooms staffed as consistently as possible for your children. We are confident that the extra staff we’ve brought on Board are wonderful assets to our program.

Eye And Ear Screening
The front classes have completed their eye and ear screening from the Assistance League of Sonoma County. A few children were identified as “rescreen” which could mean everything from lack of attention to a slight cold. The Assistance League gals will return at a later date to rescreen these children. We’ll let you know when that date is set.

Food Drive
Once again this year, Brush Creek will be helping the Redwood Empire Food Bank by collecting canned goods and non-perishable food items in the bin in front of the school. This food drive begins now and will go through the end of the month.

We have also decided to participate in their FROZEN TURKEY DRIVE. Bring a frozen turkey to school and we will put it in our garage freezer. Turkeys must be donated no later than Nov. 16th. If we can get 20 turkeys, the Food Bank will pick them up and use them for their client holiday dinners.

Help us help those less fortunate to have a good holiday season.

Book Faire
On Nov. 7 and 8th we will be having a Scholastic Book Faire in the garage. Parent helpers are needed to “man” the cash register. See Heather if interested. Also, on Nov. 7th in the evening we will be having a parent speaker. Sonya Barber will talk on “Packing Nutrititious Lunches for kids.” Come to hear the talk, have a little dessert and do some holiday shopping in the garage for great books. Everybody wins. We’ll get started at 6:30 pm.

Employee Recogition:  Linda
The Employee Recognition Program at BCNS is a program of the Board of Directors to recognize staff members and thank them for their continued service to our children. Each quarter the Board profiles a different staff member and publishes a short biography. The biography is displayed in the glass case near the front door along with the staff member’s photograph. As a gift, each profiled staff member receives a gift certificate for two to use at a restaurant of her choice. It is the Board’s hope that the information that you read about each employee will give you a stronger appreciation for the skilled staff members at Brush Creek Nursery School.

As part of the School’s Employee Recognition Program, Brush Creek Nursery School is proud to recognize Linda Paglia.  She has been the school’s Administrative Assistant since her youngest son began kindergarten: Mitch is now 24 years old!

Linda first came to BCNS as a parent.  She had worked at various administrative jobs before her children were born.  As did many of us, Linda retired when her first child was born to concentrate on raising her children.

She continued this focus as her family grew up here in Santa Rosa.  Once her youngest son began school, she jumped at the chance to work here at BCNS. Linda does the school’s day-to-day paperwork and handles inquiries about the school. She also does the majority of the enrollment processing.  She has a business degree from Napa College and has taken additional coursework since. Linda and her husband grew up in Napa. 

She has been married to her husband, Bob, for 36 years. When their marriage began, he worked for HP in Santa Clara. They then moved to Sonoma County in 1973 when HP opened its facility here and Bob retired from now-Agilent in 2004.  They have two sons, Matt and Mitch.  Matt is 30 and has been married to Shirley since June of 2004.  They live in Citrus Heights where Matt is a sales representative and Shirley is a respiratory therapist.  In August 2006 they made Bob & Linda grandparents when Natalie was born.  They spend as many weekends as possible making sure Natalie gets to know her grandma & grandpa. 

Mitch is 24 and attends San Francisco State University studying creative writing and literature. He will graduate in December and plans to stay in San Francisco and pursue a writing career.

Linda spends her free time visiting with Natalie and her sons and daughter-in-law.  She and Bob also do a lot of exploring of towns and neighborhoods on foot. 

Linda describes it as “wonderful” seeing the children come to the school as small and timid three-year-olds and leaving so much more confident in their self and their abilities. She strives to make everyone’s experience at BCNS a good one and very much enjoys getting to know the families. In her works, “you’re great!”