March Newsletter
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Dear Science Magnet Community,
Where does the time go?! Seems we’ve barely begun and we’re already planning for next year.
In addition to the largest student groups to attend the Catalina and Yosemite and family camping trips, students have enjoyed exciting new seminars such as 3-D printing, urban farming, and SMC Chemistry Lab. And kudos to our RoboVikings robotics team for their hard work making it to Regionals and placed second out of 25!
SEE’S CANDY FUNDRAISER $UCCE$$ Over $4,000 was raised in candy sales (that’s a LOT of calories). Thanks to our See’s Candy Fundraising Chair, Melissa Tarsky and everyone who helped lead another successful campaign, and to all those who sold and bought!
WHERE DID RAISED FUNDS GO THIS YEAR? With the funds raised up until now (without a concerted 2017 direct drive), we have been able to fully fund all the necessary scholarships for our science magnet trips, classroom supplies for our teachers including a computerized telescope, and one of three new high-tech water stations which will be installed shortly after spring break, as well as other budgeted program items. In light of a healthy reserve and the slow process of upgrading the Science Magnet laptops, we are foregoing a direct fundraising drive this school year.
2017-18 SCIENCE MAGNET BOARD If you are interested in hearing more about serving on the Science Magnet Board for 2017-18, e-mail board@jamssciencemagnet.org.
LET’S PARTY AT THE SCIENCE MAGNET SOCIAL! Mark your calendars for the annual Science Magnet Social on May 15 at JAMS at 6 pm. There will be demos, dinner, dessert and elections for next year’s Board. Planning starts now and the chair of this event needs helping hands serving at the event. E-mail manja.lenkin@verizon.net.
MORRO BAY Families that are interested in attending the Morro Bay trip in the Fall should reserve a campsite or hotel asap!! The main campground at MB State Park is FULL. You can reserve a nearby site at Morro Strand. Information is on the Science Magnet webpage. A sign-up genius for announcements and for the group site will be online on April 25th at 9 am.
SUMMER INSTITUTE Sixth Grade Summer Institute- All incoming 6th-grade students - Tuesday and Wednesday, August 15-16 from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm at JAMS. Sign up and pay online before the camp fills! 7th & 8th Grade Summer Institute will be August 7th-August 11th, 8:30am-2:30 pm, Signups for incoming 7th & 8th-grade students coming soon.
JAM SCIENCE MAGNET CAN SPEAK WITH AN ASTRONAUT AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION Our Board is looking for someone to take over an easy and exciting project--the application process for our Science Magnet to host a NASA Downlink! These are opportunities for students and educators to interact with astronauts aboard the International Space Station during a live, 20-minute question-and-answer. E-mail ylewis123@gmail.com for more information.
NORO - NO MORE! Huge thanks to the 7th-grade reps, Mitra Herron, Traci Wallace and Angelica Benavides who led the Yosemite gear Norovirus decontamination process of sending piles of Yosemite gear out for professional cleaning and topped it off with a bleach cleaning of the storage bins. On behalf of our future Yosemite travelers, thank you!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
3/27/2017 - SMSM Board meeting and Spring Social planning meeting
4/24/2017 - SMSM Board meeting
5/5-8 2017 - 8th Grade Astrocamp trip, (all students - one trip)
5/15/2017 - 6:30 pm SMSM SPRING SOCIAL
5/22/2017 - SMSM Board Transition Meeting
8/7-8/11 - Summer Institute 7th & 8th Grade, 8:30am-2:30pm
8/15-8/16 - Summer Institute 6th, 8:30am-2:30pm
FUN, LEARNING LINKS FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS
NASA for students
California Science Center events and camps
