New Web Hosting Company
We are happy to introduce our new web hosting company, Santa Rosa based, Vista Broadband Networks. We appreciate their assistance in getting us online. They can be reached at http://www.vistabroadband.com/.

Classroom Notes
Let’s all hope that the sun decides to stick around for most of March. Enough already with the rain!! Spring is definitely on the way and the first flowers are beginning to peek out. We will be talking a lot about growing and all things that sprout. We will do a lot of planting and observe the process of germination.

• If you have any FAKE spring flowers, or small CLEAN plastic pots you wish to donate, we’ll use them for dramatic play.
• Our Spring break comes early this year, so we will be talking about bunnies, chicks, eggs, etc.
• Can you believe how much your kids have grown since they started school? Talking about sprouting!

March 17-21 we will be closed for Spring Break

Parent/Teacher Conferences
It is the time of year that teachers are preparing to give conferences to interested parents. There will be no need to sign up: a teacher will speak to you about scheduling a workable time. The majority of conferences will be held in April and May; however some teachers may get started as early as the end of March. At the conference teachers will discuss your child’s progress, strengths and areas we’re working on. We really encourage you to take advantage of this valuable meeting time. Our teachers are very insightful, and have lots of good information to report back to you. We love to tell you great things about your kids.

Evening in Paradise Update
May 16th will be here before you know it…..and we’ll be ready. Fundraising chairs Lauren Wood, Lisa Mindemann and Marcellina Littleton have been very busy (along with their committee) working on corporate donations and picking up prizes from one end of our county to the other. It’s not too late to tell us of a business or corporate contact….every bit will help us succeed in this effort….Also, if you’d like to help with our class projects please speak up! Don’t forget to mark your calendar; the date will be here before we know it.

WE NEED BASKETS!!!! During your Spring cleaning, please save any baskets you may have to help us package auction items. Baskets can be brought to the garage.

Class projects are getting underway. Watch for notices of what your child’s class will be making to auction off. We really appreciate everyone’s support to make this year’s EIP the best ever.

Enrollment News
Our deadline for turning in your requests for next year for CONTINUING students has now passed. Our fall class lists will soon be posted and we will fill any empty spaces with new families.

If you or any of your friends plan to send children to BC in the 2009-10 school year (unbelievable, isn’t it?) please make sure to call the school to get on our waiting list. Brush Creek families returning with a sibling for 09/10 should call beginning at 8am on April 1st. Brand new to Brush Creek families should call on Monday, May 1st at 8am. This is the very first opportunity to get names on our official waiting list. Anyone with a child turning TWO this year (before Dec. 1) should get on that list!! The sooner you get on the list the better your class options. Spread the word!

Summer School
Also hard to believe, but summer school enrollment is well underway. Summer school is going to be great this year, so we hope you are planning to send your child for at least one session. Most everything is still open, except KINDERGARTEN READINESS, which IS FULL.

Just bring your form to the office to sign up. Remember: WE CANNOT SIGN YOU UP WITHOUT A COMPLETED FORM AND A DEPOSIT. Please don’t ask Linda to put you on a list with money coming later…all paperwork must come in with a deposit.

New families will be able to enroll in late March. You may want to get your form in before then as classes really begin to fill at that time. Don’t let your child miss out!

Tax Info
Its tax time and many of you will need the schools tax id number. It is 94-2297008. Several of you have asked us to provide you with a total of the payments you’ve made to the school this past year. We CAN happily provide you with a printout of your account that shows your payments, but you will need to add up the payments yourself. This process tends to be a time consuming one for Linda. Thanks.

TLC Day
We hope you have your calendars marked for March 8. Get ready to roll up your sleeves as TLC (Tender Loving Care Day) is almost here. This parent-staff workday is a great opportunity to help the school tidy up and complete some projects while providing some social time for grown ups only. We hope everyone will find a way they would like to participate. This year’s TLC will mostly concentrate on facility clean up, indoors and out and some painting and small construction projects.

Please sign up on the front display easel board if you can attend or participate in the event. The more people who attend, the more things we can accomplish. Can’t attend or shop for an item? Giving a cash donation will help us complete one of the planned projects. Thanks!!

Our goal is to have the facility looking great for the March 29th Open House.

REMINDER: SCHOOL IS CLOSED FRIDAY, APRIL 4TH. STAFF IS ATTENDING A TRAINING SESSION IN LONG BEACH

“Book It”
During the months of March and April we will be participating in a special reading program sponsored by Pizza Hut. The “Book It” program encourages early literacy and we will do our part by recording how much reading time we log in at school each week. At the end, all of the children will receive a certificate for a free mini pizza at Pizza Hut.
By working together we can prepare children to be successful at reading and also enjoy it for a lifetime...

Kindergarten
Curious about who might be attending the same kindergarten as your child? We will be posting a sign up out in the front of school so you can sign up under your child’s future school. That way you can take a look and see who else might be a familiar face in their class next year!

Parking Problem
Well, what we feared has now happened. We had a small fender bender in our parking lot last month. Parents have asked me to once again remind people of some basic guidelines to survive our parking situation.

• Please DO NOT park on the curve where the large stone edge the lawn. These ARE NOT parking spots. It makes backing up very difficult.
• Please DO NOT allow your children to walk out into the lot without you. It’s dangerous out there.
• Please DO park behind the staff cars in the second lot next to our office.
• Please drop off and pick up in a timely manner. If you are planning to stay awhile, parking in the back lot is preferable.

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION PROGRAM
Our profiled employee this month is Vicki Briggs! Vicki has been a long time Brush Creek employee. She was hired and just a short while later the school burned down! Vicki left Brush Creek for awhile to raise her family and returned when the kids were not babies anymore.

Vicki was born in Richmond, CA and her family later moved to Novato. In 1980 Vicki moved to Sonoma County with her husband Tim when they bought their first home. They have remained in this family home for 28 years now, while raising four boys. Colin is 23 and has a career in retail management. Preston is 19 and is currently serving our country as a US Marine. Twins Grant and Garrett are 18 and about to graduate from Santa Rosa High School and choose colleges for next fall.

Vicki developed an interest in children at a very young age. When she was 21 she decided to return to school and become certified to teach young children. She has her certificate in ECE. Before Brush Creek, Vicki worked in a group home assisting 12 developmentally disabled children.

Besides teaching, Vicki was also our school’s secretary for a year and served on our Board of Directors as a parent member. All four of Vicki’s boys are Brush Creek alumnus.

Over the years, Vicki has given much of her time to volunteer work. She has been PTA President, assisted in organizing the installation of a sport field at Proctor Terrace Elementary School, helped numerous years with Project Graduation at Santa Rosa High School, as well as being instrumental in fundraising to put lights on the high school football field. Vicki has been the driving force behind a very successful snack bar at SRHS which has raised a lot of money for the school’s benefit.

During her personal time Vicki loves to snow ski, go camping in the family trailer, travel, and spend time with family and friends.

Everyone can see how much Vicki enjoys her work as a teacher. When asked about her job, Vicki said, “It has been a wonderful experience, and I feel very blessed to be a part of such a wonderful school. The staff is terrific and the environment we get to teach in is great!”

However Vicki is quick to point out that “The children are the most important part of this school and my job. I love children! I love to watch them grow and learn, and their little smiles keep me going.” She continues, “Teaching is a way of life for me. The more I learn, the more I can teach the children, and then I learn from them. It is the circle of life”.
Vicki, we are glad you are part of the circle of our life at Brush Creek.

Have a wonderful Spring Break everyone!