Winter Break-Coming Soon!

Don't forget that Winter Break begins after school on Friday, December 18th!

School will resume on January 4th, 2010.

PTA General Meeting and Holiday Concert

Please join the Holton PTA

for

our December General Meeting

with

the Annual Holiday Concert

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

6:30-7:45 pm

Help support the Music Department as they bring a little seasonal spirit to our General Meeting.

Winners of the Holton Learning Garden Name Contest

The PTA is pleased to announce the winners of the garden naming contest. The winning name was revealed at the Holte Harvest Festival on Saturday.

Garden Naming Contest Winners:

Josie Arthur and Eliza Wrenn

Garden Name:

The Dandelion Garden

‘The humble dandelion, by roadside or mountain side it flowers
every month of the year throughout the world, a fitting symbol of life.’
Abstract from “The Dandelion Seed” by Joseph Anthony.

Susanna Raffenot announced

the Outdoor Classroom

will be named

Hudson House

The following remarks were made by Susanna Raffenot at the 2009 Holton Elementary School Harvest Festival on Saturday:


As a way to express the enormous thanks for all the time and effort it takes to start a project like this, I would like to share the story of how the project got started.

This morning, it literally struck me how the garden story relates to a story that my son Julian selected from the library this summer. Ironically, it is called The Dandelion Seed.

Almost a year ago, Stacy Murphy emailed Ellen and me from LA asking if we wanted to chair the Holton Family Festival as a group. We said yes, and as we were working right here, we started to notice the existing gardens.

At the same time, information on youth gardens arrived in the mail. An idea and a seed were born.

As seeds go, this idea could have met the demise of most seeds.

But like the seed in this book, it was blown by the wind. I like to consider our wind to be Mr. Hudson who has advocated and supported us within the school, School Board, City Council and various city departments.

The seed was planted!

What else do seeds need to grow?

Sun! The sun is all the volunteers and community members who are here today to support and grow the gardens. Ellen Shepard, who should be up here too, has been my ‘partner in dirt’ blowing this seed to various gardens in VA and who traveled with me to Cleveland; the fabulous landscape designers and architects, Mary Lorino and Frank Hancock; the amazing and energetic festival committee led by teacher of the year nominee Liz Vermillion, K1 teacher Kim Lavach, and kindergarten parent Kim Fowler, and truly everyone who is here. There are over 100 volunteers to thank.

Water! And water we’ve had. The Holton PTA provided the deluge of Ida-like water to support this idea. Thank you for your confidence and support of this project. Again, Mr. Hudson has watered this project by providing the picnic tables that will serve as outdoor classroom seating. And thank you to the Samuel P. Pardoe foundation, courtesy of Spencer Ballou’s family; all the organizations present here including GPRA for their generous grant; and to Luck Stone Corporation for providing 42 tons of stone dust for the pathways.

As a very special thanks to Mr. Hudson for being wind, sun and water, we would like to dedicate the Classroom formerly known as ‘The Bug’ to him, calling it Hudson House from here on out. We would also like to present you with a thank you from all of us for your generosity and help.

**Pictures taken by third grade teacher Austin Mitchell.

Holton Harvest Festival Tomorrow!

Join the PTA!

Save (right click, save as...), print, and complete this form and return it with $7 to the school with your child.

Forms are also available at the school on the PTA bulletin board by the cafeteria.

Mark Your Calendars: November 2009

• The Great American Catalog Fundraiser-Ends Nov. 2nd
• Teacher In-Service-Nov. 3rd No school for students
• November PTA Board Meeting-Nov. 5th, 6:30 pm
• Qdoba Night-Nov. 5th, 5:00-7:00 pm
• Scholastic Book Fair-Nov. 9-13th
• PTA General Meeting-Nov. 10th, 6:30 pm Topic: “Spotlight on Enrichment Programs”
• End of 1st 9 Weeks-Nov. 10th
• Holton Harvest Festival,-Nov. 14th, 2-4 pm
• Fall Break-Nov. 25th (early dismissal)-29th
• Garden Planning Meeting-Dec. 1st, 6:30-8:00 pm

President's Pen: November 2009

School is now in full swing, and the PTA has been busy with many special projects and activities. Our PTA Enrichment Programs have begun. Many children are taking advantage of these special “classes,” enjoying activities such as scrapbooking, digital photography, and volleyball (just to name a few).

Special thanks goes out to Ms. Hull for all of her work in helping to make our Enrichment Program run smoothly, and to our teachers and volunteers. I also want to thank all of the families who helped out with our Teacher Dinner during Parent /Teacher Conferences and who have participated in our fund-raisers.

Many came out for Qdoba Night on October 1, enjoying some great food and fun with Holton friends. (Our next Qdoba Night is scheduled for November 5).

The coupon book fundraiser was also a great success. Together we raised over $4700. Our Great American Sale is currently underway. Don’t forget - orders are due by November 2!

A Capri-Sun recycling program has been started at Holton. Children who pack their lunch are encouraged to put their empty drink pouches in one of the special bins located in the cafeteria instead of in the trash. Parent Liza Forness helped to get this program started, and is busy each day collecting, rinsing, and packing the empty packages so that they can be recycled. Please encourage your children to put their pouches in these bins, and let them know that when they do, they are helping to save our environment!

October 30 is a big day of fun for our students. It is the annual Membership Dance, which features music and dancing during the school day. Many family members and teachers have already joined the PTA. Dues are only $7.00, but they go a long way towards strengthening our school! Thanks so much for your support.

The Book Fair is coming! It runs the week of November 9-13 in the Media Center, and lots of hands are needed to make our Book Fair a success. Students have the opportunity to visit the Book Fair both during the school day and after school.

Our next general PTA meeting will take place on Tuesday night, November 10, at 6:30, and the Book Fair will be open that night as well.

Another exciting event taking place in November is Holton’s Fall Festival, sponsored by our Garden Committee. Bring your family and friends out on November 14 from 2-4, enjoy an afternoon of fun activities and see what our students are growing in their garden. More information is included in the November newsletter that will come home with your child.

Special thanks to the Ginter Park Residence Association for presenting the Holton PTA with a grant that is being used to sponsor this event. Grants were given to the PTA’s of four north side schools – Holton, Ginter Park, Henderson, and John Marshall - as part of Ginter Park’s Centennial Celebration.

Happy November!
Amy Holtz, PTA President

The Great American Catalog Fundraiser until Nov. 2nd

Don't forget to place your order for the PTA's Great American Catalog fundraiser. Forms are due back to school on Nov. 2nd so there isn't too much time left.

Remember you can also shop online at www.gaschoolstore.com. The school PIN # is 1361500. So tell out of town family and friends.

Holton PTA does great work for Holton and this fundraiser helps financially support this work.

No School for Students-Tuesday, Nov. 3rd

There will be no school for students on Tuesday, November 3rd, due to a scheduled teacher "in service" day.

Parent Teacher Conferences This Week

Parent Teacher Conferences are coming to a classroom near you this Thursday afternoon and Friday.

Your child's teacher will provide you with more information and an appointment time.

There will be no school for students on Friday, October 16th.

Additional Resources:

• Parent Teacher Association on Family-School Partnerships
• Examiner Richmond on making the most out of parent teacher conferences

Holton Harvest Festival Coming Soon!

Saturday, November 14th

2-4 pm

Come and see what's growing in the garden and be there for the unveiling of the garden's new name!

Fabulous Fall Fare will be provided.

Music will be played by Holton Parents. If you are interested in joining the band, please contact Beth Bolstad.

For more information on the Harvest Festival, please contact Liz Vermillion or Kim Fowler.

Special Thanks:

It is with greatest appreciation that we thank the Ginter Park Residents Association for their grant and support of Holton.

We would also like to thank Horse and Buggy Produce for providing the produce.

H1N1 Vaccines Coming to Holton

Starting the week of October 19th, Richmond Public Schools is beginning an initiative to vaccinate all children with the new H1N1 vaccine.

Children under 10 years old will require 2 injections that are 4 weeks apart.

Check your child's backpack for the permission form and more information on the process. Please return your forms to the school by October 15th.

• Remember to wash hands carefully. Here is a video by the CDC to show handwashing best practices:

• Click here to listen to the CDC's webcast about H1N1 flu.

Additional Resources for Parents:

• Richmond City Health Department -(804) 205-3737


• Center for Disease Control on H1N1/Swine Flu and on the vaccine


• Virginia Department of Health

Linwood Holton Night at Qdoba Mexican Grill

Mark your calendar now to make the first Thursday of each month (except January) "Qdoba Night". When you eat from Qdoba at Willow Lawn on Holton's Qdoba Nights from 5pm to 7pm, Qdoba will donate $1.50 per adult entree and $0.50 from each kid's meal to the Holton PTA to help sponsor the Holton 5K.

Holton's Qdoba Night are from 5-7pm on:

• October 1
• November 5
• December 3
• February 4
• March 4
• April 1
• May 6
• June 3

Qdoba's address is: 4295 W. Broad St.

Just tell them Holton sent you!

There will even be a prize wheel to spin!

Spend $20, Save $100s

Be on the lookout for Holton kids bearing order forms! The Fall coupon book sale is getting ready to begin.

For $20, you can purchase a coupon book specifically designed to offer you many great deals within the Richmond area.

The sale will run from September 21st through September 30th. Profits from the sale will support Holton PTA’s outreach goals for this year.

Jaki Carter (rcarterjld@yahoo.com) is overseeing this event, please contact her with any questions you may have.

Back to School Night Tonight 6:30 pm

Come to visit with your child's teacher and see what the children have been doing so far this year. While you are there, check out the PTA volunteer table and sign-up for some fun projects that happen throughout the year.

Refreshments will be served in the cafeteria.

Volunteer to have some fun!

The Holton PTA is looking for a few great volunteers to serve on this year’s PTA board. Current openings include:

• Arts in Education Chair
• Membership Dance Chair
• ChairVP of Programs

The gift of your time and talents would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Amy Holtz (holtzfamily@hotmail.com) if you are interested or know someone who is.

If you cannot fill a board position, let Amy know that you are interested in helping out with particular events. She will put you in touch with the right person!

Garden Classroom-Coming Soon!

We Hope You’ve Heard….

About the Holton Outdoor Classroom and Garden Project! But in case you haven’t, a garden group has been hard at work to help bring you an outdoor space where you can study, learn, picnic and enjoy nature.

Under the covered pergola, designed by Mary Lorino and nicknamed ‘The Bug’ (can you guess why?), there will be four picnic tables and a couple of fans for hot days. Surrounding ‘The Bug’, will be the horticultural gardens that will have themes such as scarecrow, Colonial Herb, butterfly or alphabet gardens, just to name a few. If you wish to stroll and observe, you will be able to make your way through the ecological section, or the natural habitat meadow and see what kind of birds and butterflies are out and about.

If you dare, come explore the insect garden and see what you can find. Or, if you’re curious come smell and feel a variety of plants in the Scent & Texture garden. Or simply sit under a tree and take a breath.

As you can see, there are many possibilities and ideas, plus much work to be done. We invite you to join us in further developing our garden and sharing any expertise you may have. Our next meeting will be at Holton on September 24 at 6:30.

And by the way, Holton Outdoor Classroom and Garden Project is a mouthful! Can you help us come up with a name?

President's Pen: September 2009

On behalf of the Linwood Holton PTA, I want to welcome you to the 2009-2010 school year! I hope that these first few weeks of school have gone smoothly for your family. We are so fortunate to have an amazing group of creative teachers and a dedicated staff here at Holton. You can rest assured that your beautiful children are in good hands as they arrive at school each day!

As you get into the routine of the new school year, I would like to ask you to take a few minutes and consider joining the PTA. The purposes of the Holton PTA are in common with those of the Virginia PTA and the National PTA. We seek to promote the welfare of children and youth and to bring into closer relation the home and the school. It is our desire that parents, teachers, and staff may cooperate in the education of our children. We all benefit by supporting our PTA, especially our children!

There are many ways to support the efforts of the PTA and get involved. Our Board meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 in the Media Center. Anyone is welcome to come to a Board meeting! You can take advantage of volunteer opportunities, become a room parent, and support fund-raising efforts. You can become a member of the PTA for only $7.00, and these dues help support our PTA events and enrichments for our children. We encourage everyone to join – parents, grandparents, even students!

We have some wonderful things planned for this year. Many of these efforts and activities will be presented at Back to School Night. Information will be coming home soon about our PTA Enrichment Programs (also known as our After School Programs). Theatre IV will present The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and students will also enjoy a time of dancing and fun at the Membership Dance on Oct. 30 during the school day. The PTA also sponsors a Scholastic Book Fair in the fall and the spring. The Holton Garden Project is underway, and there are plans to build an outdoor classroom.

Please feel free to contact me at holtonPTA@gmail.com if you have any questions about the PTA.

Amy Holtz
PTA President

Holton Families Who Blog

If you have are a Holton family and you have a family blog that you would like to share with our community, please e-mail a link to holtonPTA@gmail.com.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Welcome to Holton Happenings!

This is Linwood Holton Elementary PTA's new blog.

If you have any ideas or information for the PTA or would like to submit a guest post to the blog, please e-mail holtonpta@gmail.com.

Come back soon to check out what's happening at Holton!