On Friday, May 24th, Farmdale Elementary held our annual Dia del Niño celebration. This is the day where the students perform dances from around the world. Countries displayed this year were Italy, South Africa, Germany, Mexico, India and Ghana. 


During lunch recess, the children were able to do crafts and play musical chairs, pin the tail on the hawk or potato sack races. They all had a lot of fun at the different stations.

In keeping with the theme, PTA sold food from around the world such as eggrolls, chilaquiles, samosas, chow mein, churros and hummus. Many thanks to the people who donated food and drinks to the PTA, the volunteers and TAs who staffed the food booth and game booths and the parents who bought the food. You all helped make it a big success. 

Looking to become more active at Farmdale in the next school year? Becoming a parent volunteer is one of the best ways to learn what is going on at your student's school and in the classroom. Many parents would like to get involved, but feel they may not have the time or expertise to offer. No worries! Even just a few hours a month is a fantastic way to boost your child's confidence and make new friends.
At Farmdale Elementary, there are many chances for parents to help build our community. 

Joining the PTA is one way many parents help with the school. PTA helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and school administrative duties, including fundraising. You can help with concessions, setting up/tearing down for events or working outside of school events. 

School Governance, such as School Site Council and the English Learners Advisory Committee are also great ways to get involved in what direction the school takes in funding and education. Each board holds monthly meetings that are open to the public and you can lend your voice.

If you're looking for some morning activities, you can offer to help with Breakfast in the Classroom or visit the Parent Center where you can help put together items for the classrooms. 

Your child's teacher may need help with checking homework, overseeing small groups, field trip parents and other items. Contact the teacher for more information.

Last night, Farmdale Elementary held their annual Open Mic Night. Open Mic Night is an opportunity for parents and family members to hear students read the poems they've written. Poetry is a wonder way to develop creative writing skills and opens up a new level of reading opportunities for our children.

The poems were written and delivered in English or in Spanish and there was even one in Portuguese. No matter the language, poetry often evokes feelings and memories in us that may not get from other written communications.


The children were very impressive reading to such a large audience. It was great to see such a packed house. We should give a heartfelt applause to Mr. Garcia, Ms. Dominguez, Ms. Francia and Mrs. Eckert for managing the event. The parents and PTA members also did an amazing job on decorations and refreshments. 
Maya Angelou, Omar Khayyam, Langston Hughes, Pablo Neruda, Kobayahsi Issa, Audre Lorde or even Dr. Seuss; poetry speaks to our experiences and opens our eyes to the world around us. If you would like to learn more about poetry for kids, the Los Angeles Public Library has a wonderful catalog. From March 12th - May 18th, the Central Library will soon have a traveling exhibit titled "Poetic Voices in the Muslim World" featuring art and live poetry readings there and at the Westwood branch. 

On February 8th, Farmdale said goodbye to Mr. Ortiz, our Assistant Principal for the past 3 years. Mr. Ortiz was reassigned to other schools and we all know that Farmdale will miss him. 

On Monday, our new Assistant Principal, Mr. Malotte came to Farmdale. Be sure to greet him and make him welcomed at Farmdale!

Today, the Los Angeles Public Library has announced extended hours for all 73 libraries. Starting today, October 15th, libraries within the LAPL system will be opened until 8pm Monday through Thursday until 8pm. This helps Farmdale Elementary students as, due to budget cuts, our school library has been operating under limited hours.

The new Los Angeles Public Library Hours are as follows:

To read more the operating hours of Los Angeles Public Library, click here. (PDF)

Daily attendance in school is one of the most important aspects of your student's education. Students who go to school everyday are often no left behind in studies, learn better social interactions and are less apt to be involved in unsafe of illegal activities after school.

LAUSD Public Services has teamed up with many corporations to bring us the 2012 - 2013 LAUSD School Attendance Challenge. From October 2012 - May 2013, students who attend school everyday with no tardies are qualified for a drawing of many kinds of prizes from movie tickets to iPads. These prizes will be awarded every month with a grand prize drawing at the end of the school year for those students who had perfect attendance throughout the challenge period.

Parental involvement in most important in getting your student to school everyday and on time. Establishing daily routines is a sure way to make this happen. Just getting clothes and school items together the night before, saves a lot of time in the mornings. Make sure you schedule doctors appointments or trips after school hours. Remember, taking your child from school during education hours marks does not count toward perfect attendance. 

For more information on creating Routines, the Parent Center will have a workshop on Thursday, October 18th at 8:15am. 

LAUSD has a document of a list of excused and unexcused absences.