Happy Halloween!!!

Thanks to some awesome CLC parent support, this year's CLC Halloween Party was a great success. Students had fun bobbing for apples, dancing, and snacking on tons of food donated by CLC parents. Meanwhile, our parents had the chance to see some of their students' work in Mark's museum. A special thanks goes to Mark, Malena, Kyle and the rest of Big Pink Dog for providing us with great music. Also, the 4-H club did an amazing job with our Halloween decorations. Once again, thanks to all the parents involved with the party.

Technology Update

What's Sparky? Is it a new CLC mascot? No, it's the name of our new server that contains all of the students home folders. Sparky just had new software installed on it, in hopes of avoiding the computer crashes that we have had in the past. So far, so good! What does this mean for our students? Basically, it means that our students have a lot more space to store all their videos, pictures, and whatever else they are using for their projects. Our old server is now completely dedicated to web pages and E-mail.

Visits Scheduled

On December 8, the State College School Board and Superintendent will be visiting CLC from 10:30 to 12:00. We are planning on having parents share their thoughts with the Board and Superintendent around 11:30. If you are interested, and have not already E-mailed Brian, contact Brian via phone or E-mail. He will be in touch with you about any further details.

Administrator

After much thought, the CLC staff has decided that there is a need for a full time administrative person at CLC. The administrative person's duties would be similar to those of an office manager or executive secretary. Kyle would still be the Chief Administrative Officer. At the moment our staff has a huge workload, and an office manager would be a big help. We are currently working on a job description for this person, and we hope to find a solution, internally or externally, in the near future.

Skiing Club 2000

Once again, we will be participating in the Tussey Mountain after school ski program. CLC will be going to the mountain on Mondays from 4:00 to 7:00 beginning the first week that we return o school in January. Students will be able to take a bus to the mountain, but they must have their own transportation home from the mountain. In order for you child to participate, you must:

read through the information provided

select a ski package (as listed on page two of the white information sheet)

fill out the orange registration form

make a check out to Tussey Mountain for the appropriate amount of money

return the registration form and check in an envelope to Mark Toci

To receive the best rate, you must complete all of the information and return that information plus a check to Mark by Friday, November 19th by noon. You may still register for the program after that date, but you will not be able to take advantage of the special price. We will be turning all registration forms and checks into the Tussey Mountain office. When we receive the ski passes, we will distribute them to the students.

CLC students take on the Ark Challenge

CLC students have taken on a major service project. They have accepted the challenge presented by Heifer Project International to raise $5,000 to purchase an "ark". HPI is a is well respected service agency whose mission is to help end hunger and poverty. By providing food and income-producing livestock to farmers all over the world, HPI helps communities build an economy based on sustainable agriculture. Donors "purchase" animals which are then sent where they are needed, along with workers who provide information and training. More information about HPI is available on their web site: http://www.heifer.org/.

The CLC student body, led by Katie Kisenwether and Jessi Lehman, have taken on the goal of earning $5,000 by January 3. This contribution will allow HPI to fund: 2 flocks of chicks, 2 sheep, 2 trios of rabbits, 2 beehives, 2 trios of guinea pigs, 2 llamas, 2 camels, 2 goats, 2 oxen, 2 cows, 2 trios of ducks, 2 water buffalo, 2 flocks of geese, 2 pigs, and 2 donkeys for families in South America, Asia, Africa, and the United States. We have contacted other small schools to invite their participation. The initial response has been very positive; this may develop into a wonderful partnership.

We realize that this is a very ambitious goal, but the kids have great ideas for fund raisers and a wealth of enthusiasm. The first fund raiser in the works is a coffee house scheduled for December 5. We hope you will come out and support our efforts. If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer to help, please contact Josephine. More information to follow!!

After School Policy Change

The after school program is making some policy changes to keep our students safer. If your child will be leaving school without a parent (and does not do this on a regular basis), please contact Brian (with a note, phone call, or E-mail). Also, no students will be allowed to leave the school and come back unless:

1. They leave with a parent.

2. They have a note written and signed by their parent (nothing over the phone, unless it is an emergency).

Future Parent Meetings

At our last parent meeting we decided to organize our future meetings in order to make the meetings more efficient. Starting this month we will have a main topic for each parent meeting. We will make a 20 minute presentation on the topic at the beginning of the parent meeting, and then we will open up a discussion concerning the topic. The schedule for the rest of the school year is below. If any changes are made to the schedule, they will be noted in future newsletters.

Meeting Date Main Topic / Issue

November 18 Math Curriculum - What is our math curriculum about? What can parents do at home?

December 16 Progress Report - What have the CLC students done so far this year?

January 27 Learning I - Learning styles. How do students learn? What can we do to help?

February 24 Learning II - Types of learning tasks. Assessing learning.

March 23 CLC and the Future - Where are we headed?

April 27 Preadolescent Development

May 25 Continuing Learning - What can we do to keep our students learning throughout the summer?

June 22, July 27, August 24 Only Board Meetings.