Neil Cummins Weekly, Week of October 13, 2024

October 1-29 SPARKtober Participation Challenge - Donate below

October 16 and 17 Parent Ed Events - see below for more info 
October 18 Special SPARKtober assembly 8:15am - all parents welcome to come

October 18 Superintendent Coffee Chat at Neil Cummins 9:00am in the Music Room

October 23 Picture Retake Day

LCMSD Mindfulness Program

We are thrilled to share an exciting program announcement with you. We are ecstatic to welcome Kristy Dell to the LCMSD community. Kristy Dell, a former highschool classroom teacher, a parent of students in LCMSD, is now a mindfulness teacher, and will be teaching mindfulness to our students Neil Cummins, Cove and Hall.

Teaching and practicing mindfulness is important as it can help students (and all of us) better manage stress, improve focus and attention, and develop self-awareness and emotional regulation skills. These are invaluable tools that will serve our students both at school and in life.

Thank you Spark for funding our mindfulness program that intertwines with our work that our School Counselors do as a part of our wellness program. We are excited about the positive impact this program will have on our school community, and we look forward to seeing the benefits unfold. 

Great Shakeout Emergency Preparedness

The Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill - On Thursday, October 17th at 10:30am, our school is participating in the Great Shakeout earthquake disaster drill with a full evacuation. We are doing this Great Shakeout event along with several other schools in and districts in the CA, the US and internationally. 

The Great Shakeout site has great material for your own family to prepare in the case of a major disaster or emergency. Please take a moment to read this important information about our school’s disaster preparation and response and remember to list emergency contacts for your child in case you cannot pick them up in case of emergency. The people listed in our system are the only ones we can release your child to. 

Neil Cummins Elementary Principal

Coffee Chat: October 18 at 8:30 am at Neil Cummins (all district parents welcome) Engagement from parents, staff, and the community is vital to our district, with opportunities through committees, PTO/A, SPARK, school events, and regular coffee chats. This coffee chat with Dr. Geithman will be open-ended; all topics and questions are welcome.

Lunch Enrichment Activities sponsored by the PTO!  Thursdays are Dance with Ena on the blacktop and Fridays are Magic the Gathering with Mr. Gapinski in C6.  PTO dollars at work! 

Safe Routes’ BUDDY UP contest recognizes groups of students who walk (park-and-walk), bike, carpool, or ride the bus together. Now through November 15, two or more students who actively travel to or from school together can be entered in the contest. Tell us your success story on the contest form. 

Habits are more likely to stick when families support each other. There is also safety in numbers and groups are more visible to drivers. Best of all, friendships and fun memories are formed! A $50 prize will be awarded to five winning groups. Notifications will be sent out in mid November.

Good Eggs Fundraiser

Shop with Good Eggs to give back to our school. Enter our school's code GoodEggsForNeilCummins at checkout and 5% of your order's total will go back to Neil Cummins!

We are still in need of Hot Lunch Volunteers for Oct/Nov/Dec Please check out the schedule and sign up at the link HERE to help out in the lunchroom!

Parent Ed Next Events 
Wednesday October 16 4:00-4:30pm on Zoom Register Here 
“Common Sense FACE Series: Online Safety, Parenting Tips for Kids and Teens”
In today's connected world, helping kids and teens protect their privacy and maintain a positive online identity is critical to their future and overall well-being. Join us for a 30-minute chat to get tips and tools on fostering a safer digital environment for your child, including actionable steps to empower them to make smart choices online.

Thursday October 17 6:00-7:15pm on Zoom Register Here

“Raising Compassionate and Resilient Children”

Parents and caregivers want to raise kind and courageous children, but few feel like they know precisely how to do that. Over the past two decades, researchers have expanded our understanding of the keys to developing strengths to help parents and caregivers raise children who are supportive of others and committed to something bigger than themselves. 

Lost and Found We keep items lost on campus on racks/in bins outside of the gym - please remind your children to come look for anything they have lost. The racks are already overflowing after just a few weeks back! We will send reminders to you before we donate anything that is not picked up. 

Hawks’ Garden  
Don’t miss our Garden Fundraiser if you’re going to Sloat! 

What to plant and enjoy in October

We need your Garden Solar Panel know-how! Reach out to help us fix the solar panel at our birdbath. The birds will thank you and so will we.