Storage problems have forced disposal of holiday decorations | Please consider donating :)

We are looking for any donations of large decorations (keeping in mind the scale of the space) to decorate the auditorium for the primary holiday program and orchestra concert. Decorating will take place the weekend of the 13th, so any donations would be appreciated by then. Lights, garland, trees, a menorah, wreaths.  Additionally, monetary donations are also accepted and greatly appreciated.  Checks may be made out to Eagle Rock Elementary PTA and are tax-deductible. 

We are happy to accept additional donations after the holidays to restock our supplies. All donations can be dropped off at the Parent Center.  Thanks!

We have a day to give thanks & a few days to get some deals | It’s time for a day to give back

Consider supporting the variety or programs brought to you by the Eagle Rock Elementary PTA by making a tax-deductible contribution to help continued funding of such programs as the California Dance Institute (CDI), Occidental Children's Theater, After School Arts Workshops and so many more.

You can make a difference in the educational experience of your child and their peers by supporting these and more programs designed to enrich all of our children's academic adventures here at Eagle Rock Elementary.

Click here or on our PayPal Button to  make your tax-deductible donation and thank you for your generous support!

We also encourage you to find a way for your family, your company or your organization to come together to give something more. Then tell everyone you can about how you are giving. Be a part of this national celebration of our great tradition of generosity while supporting other non-profit organizations!

#LAUSD Technology Project | Seeking Community Input | Please share your voice #CCSS #CommonCore

Past PTA President and current Webmaster/Social Media Chair, Alex Candelaria is one of two Parent Members on the LAUSD Common Core Technology Project (CCTP) Ad Hoc Committee. The committee was created to increase transparency, make Board members more accessible to the public, and provide all LAUSD community members a chance to have their voices heard regarding the $1B roll out, using voter approved bonds, of iPads & potentially other technology to all LAUSD students, teachers and staff.

In the interest of harnessing the voice of our community we've created the following email address ([email protected]) for receipt of comments, questions and concerns on this very public debate being waged to then be assembled as best as possible to present to the committee at Board Meetings. We will do our best to capture all comments and are considering additional means of providing feedback (separate blog posts, webpage or other means).  Your input is important and greatly appreciated!

For additional information please visit: http://cctp-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com/Facts

Want to hear the latest about the Common Core Technology Project (CCTP)? Follow this link to sign up for their monthly newsletter.

The Common Core Technology Project will support student achievement and learning of the new Common Core State Standards and the knowledge and 21st century skills needed for students to graduate high school college and career ready. Through the Common Core Technology Project, LAUSD will equip classrooms with up-to-date technology and provide every student with access to a personal computing device to allow for more individualized instruction.

Support Eagle Rock Elementary | Use our Link for your Holiday Shopping Needs & Thank You!

Click on the Amazon.com banner and Eagle Rock Elementary PTA will earn a percentage of your purchases! 

Share this link with your family & friends and have fun shopping during this holiday season and throughout the year while supporting your Eagle Rock Elementary!

Click here to go shopping...

Thank you all for your continued support | Enjoy your time together with family and friends

Thanksgiving Day has been an annual holiday in the United States since 1863. Not everyone sees Thanksgiving Day as a cause for celebration. Each year since 1970, a group of Native Americans and their supporters have staged a protest for a National Day of Mourning at Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts on Thanksgiving Day. American Indian Heritage Day is also observed at this time of the year.

There are claims that the first Thanksgiving Day was held in the city of El Paso, Texas in 1598. Another early event was held in 1619 in the Virginia Colony. Many people trace the origins of the modern Thanksgiving Day to the harvest celebration that the Pilgrims held in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. However, their first true thanksgiving was in 1623, when they gave thanks for rain that ended a drought. These early thanksgivings took the form of a special church service, rather than a feast.

In the second half of the 1600s, thanksgivings after the harvest became more common and started to become annual events. However, it was celebrated on different days in different communities and in some places there were more than one thanksgiving each year. George Washington, the first president of the United States, proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving Day in 1789.

source: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/thanksgiving-day

1st time almost ever Hanukkah & Thanksgiving share same date | not again for about 70,000 years

Hanukkah commemorates the Jewish people’s successful rebellion against the Greeks in the Maccabean War in 162 BCE. A ritual cleansing and re-dedication of the Temple occurred after the Jewish people’s victory. It is believed that there was only enough consecrated oil to keep the lamp burning for one day but the small bottle of oil miraculously lasted for eight days. Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, is referred as the Feast of Lights or Festival of Lights for this reason.

The reason for this year's rare alignment has to do with quirks of two calendars, the Gregorian and Jewish calendars. Much of the world follows the Gregorian calendar, which has a 365-day year based on the Earth's orbit around the sun, with leap years every four years. The Gregorian calendar was implemented by Pope Gregory to keep Easter in line with the season it was originally celebrated in. But the Jewish calendar follows the waxing and waning of the moon.

Jews aren't the only ones who follow a lunar calendar. The Muslim calendar is also based on the cycles of the moon, but Muslims don't adjust their calendar, meaning that holidays can shift seasons over time. The Celts used a combination solar and lunar calendar, and Hindus from different regions of the world have several solar and combined solar and lunar calendars. The Maya calendar, meanwhile, used three different cycles, only one of which was tied to a 365-day year.

source: http://www.livescience.com/41434-2013-hanukkah-overlapping-thanksgiving.html

#Technology in the Classroom - An Inside Look | 11/21 (6:00p) #CCTP #CCSS @LASchools @KLCStv

Interested to learn more about the deployment of technology in our schools? Tune in to KLCS TV (local channels 58 and 58.1) on Thursday, November 21 at 6:00p for the Live Town Hall “Technology in the Classroom - An Inside Look.”

Viewers are invited to phone, email or Tweet their questions about the Common Core Technology Project (CCTP), LAUSD’s initiative to transform teaching and learning through 21st century technology.  Contact information during the live broadcast:

Phone: (800) 527-8839
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: twitter.com/LASchools

Reminder | Literacy & Technology | ELA in the #CommonCore Classroom | Tonight (5:30 & 6:30p)

Using Your Smart Tool (iPhone/iPad) to Support Literacy
Megan Abraham – Room 4 [Target Grades:  K-2]

English Language Arts in the Common Core Classroom
Anahid Artsvelian [Target Grades:  3-6]

Workshops are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 20, 2013. Both workshops are offered at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Choose to attend one or two workshops.  

• Session One (5:30p - 6:20p)
• Session Two (6:30p - 7:20p)

Childcare not provided at Friday Mtg | Feel free to bring your child | Apologize 4 Inconvenience

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience; however, there will be no childcare provided at our forthcoming General Meeting this Friday, 11/22 (8:30a) at MPR. 

However, please feel free to bring your child. Refreshments will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!


We're testing a morning meeting to see how this may impact our meeting attendance compared to the usual evening schedule and look forward to receiving your feedback.

Friday 11/22 (8:30a) MPR | Please note day/time | Refreshments/Childcare provided | See u there!

Join us for our 2nd Meeting of the school year,this Friday morning 11/22 at 8:30a in the Mulipurpose Room (MPR).  Refreshments and Childcare provided.  See you there!

Please note day and time!