THANK YOU to all who joined us for a fun gathering on Friday night. We ate soooo much good food, enjoyed the company of lovely Sanislo parents, friends, and staff, and raised $9900+ dollars for Sanislo!! This amount, combined with $$ and pledges already made, brings us to over $20,000. Not bad at all for our first Annual Fund drive. Thank you to Julie Robinson-Jasper, Matt Knannlein, Sherry Bay-Santiago, Gillian Allen-White, and ALL those folks who made the evening a success. Your generosity of time and talent is such a gift to our kids and community.

It is time to nominate new leadership for the PTA board next year, and we need to hear from you about who you’d like to see involved in PTA leadership. Have you been waiting for an invitation to lead or organize? This is IT! The PTA board is comprised of people no different than you…busy parents juggling work, school and life. The “perfect” candidate is a person who shows up with a willing heart and open ears. We hope that you will consider sharing your time and talents. Remember, nearly every position can be shared, so if you have a pal with whom you work well, go for it! Positions open: Vice-president, Treasurer, and Volunteer Coordinator. Contact Gillian Allen-White for more info. gillian@grandcentralbakery.com

Want to help out with Sanislo’s funnest and easiest fundraiser? Angie Erdman is heading up the JAT again this year, but it will be her last time. This is the perfect opportunity to shadow her as an assistant so you can learn the ropes for next year. This year’s JAT will take place on May 20th. Duties are mainly administrative, and lots of folks sign up to help out. We’ve even got everything you need to do written down. Contact Angie at aserdman@hotmail.com for more information or to volunteer.

our PE teacher Luther Bonow is hoping to enlist the services of a few parents to help out with Field Day this year. He can save our school big bucks if someone can pick up equipment and tow it to Sanislo from Merry Makers in Tacoma. The driver needs a vehicle hitch with a standard 2” ball. Equipment can be picked up on Monday, June 21 and taken back the next day. Also needed is a 3000 watt or greater generator to power a piece of inflatable equipment for about 3 ½ hours. If any Sanislo parents can help with these tasks, we won’t have to rent trucks or generators, which means more budget dollars go to equipment and prizes! For more info, call Mr. Bonow at 206-252-8403 or e-mail ltbonow@seattleschools.org.

Dear Sanislo Families,

With the change of seasons it is a good time to remind everyone of the expectations for student clothing. They are:

• No sagging pants.
• No graphics on shirts, etc., that are inappropriate in an elementary school. (alcohol, drugs, sexually suggestive, or disrespectful)
• No spaghetti straps. Sleeveless is fine in warm weather, but straps should be wide.
• No low necklines or bare midriffs.
• Shorts and skirts should be longer than fingertip length.

These guidelines are meant to keep clothing from distracting from student learning. Thanks for your cooperation.

Love, Ernie

The Sanislo Allstar Team won its first game in the Elementary level league last weekend on Saturday, March 20! Great teamwork, lots of fun, beautiful weather and a great coach! Come out Saturday, April 10th at 9am and cheer for your school. All games are held at the South Park Playfield (Southpark Community Center, 8th and Rose). Until then more girls are needed on the team. Please talk to Ellen O’Connor if your daughter is interested. Thanks to our PTA for providing team T-shirts!

“Bedtime Stories: A Family Reading Night,” organized by Sanislo’s Washington Reading Corps (WRC) team, was a success! It was wonderful to see children enjoying the storytellers, families reading together, and parents learning new ways to support their children’s reading skills at home. This fun evening ended with dessert, which wouldn’t have been possible without donations from Two Tartes Café and Catering, Coffee to a Tea with Sugar, Cupcake Royale, Thriftway, QFC, and Safeway. Thanks to our WRC team Cherrie Angeles, Angie Fioretti, and Bana Abera, for organizing this event.

At the PTA meeting, Mr. Seevers gave us the latest budget news. With some additional funds from the district, we are now “only” down $80-85,000 in a budget shortfall next year as compared to last. Ernie is going go have to make some cuts — quite frankly, more painful cuts than we’ve had in quite a few years. Please, if you haven’t yet made a pledge to the Annual Fund, do so. This way, we can plan our giving responsibly and appropriately. You can use the donation form (pick up a new one at the front desk, if needed), or you can donate online at www.sanislo.org. You can even kindly solicit donations through your Facebook page: just “share” off the Annual Fund page at Sanislo’s website at www.sanislo.org. The success of our school depends on all of us pitching in what we can. Please take some time to carefully consider what you may be able to give — any and every amount puts us closer to our goal of helping our kids. Don’t forget to check in with your employer to see if you qualify for matching funds. If you’ve already sent in your donation, THANK YOU! Our total is growing past $5,000, with a goal of $35,000.

Science Fair information packets went home last week. If you didn’t receive one, you can pick one up at the front office. The event will take place Thursday, April 8 from 6-8pm. We are looking for parent volunteers: demonstrate how your work or hobby uses science/tech/math in a hands-on way. Sandy, a massage therapist, will be showing us the “levers” in our body. Matt, a graphic designer, will show how he uses computer technology to help create his art. How do YOU use science, technology, or math for fun or work? Please contact 2nd grade teacher Robert Femiano at 252-8394 or rbfemiano[at]seattleschools.org.

Celebrate Sanislo at a FREE party to be held April 23rd, 6-10 pm, at the Alki Masonic Temple. We heard you: although you may not miss the work of the auction, you were mourning the loss of a chance to celebrate with your Sanislo friends. . .

OK, then, let’s party! Please join us for this free party and mini-auction. We’ll gather to eat, mingle, and share our time and talents. Food will be potluck appetizers (bring your favorite nibble) and we’ll have a silent auction on-site. Want to donate your expertise or time? Fill out the paperwork then and there and folks will bid that night! (You’ll have the opportunity to fill out forms ahead of time, too, if you like.) All the fun without the procurement stress and craziness. Pass on the word to your friends, family and Sanislo supporters, and please join us!