Updated: October 21, 2008

RED RIBBON WEEK THEMES & ACTIVITIES: The following themes and activities will take place as we help children say, “No to drugs.”
- Wednesday, October 22: “Boot out Drugs” (Wear boots!)
- Thursday, October 23: “Sock it to Drugs” (Wear crazy socks!)
- Friday, October 24: “Team Up Against Drugs” (Wear your favorite team/sport jersey!)

SIDEWALK OPEN: The sidewalk near the 300 building and the church construction area is open again! The crossing guards at La Novia and Calle Santo Domingo will be removed and all bike riders and walkers are asked to use the sidewalk near the 300 building, as in the past. Thank you for your patience during the past few weeks as the sidewalk area was under construction.

SONGS ALERT SIREN SYSTEM TEST ON OCTOBER 22: The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) will conduct its annual Community Alert Siren System test on Wednesday, October 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This yearly test complies with Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations. All sirens in the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) will be sounded several times for approximately three minutes each time. The EPZ is the area surrounding SONGS and includes Dana Point, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Camp Pendleton, State Parks and unincorporated areas of South Orange County. The siren at SJHHS will also test its public address (voice) capabilities.

YEARBOOK ORDER FORMS: Preorder your 2008-09 Ambuehl yearbook now! Order forms, which were not included in this year's back to school packets, will be sent home this week. If you have any questions, please contact parent Jill Crotty at 949-388-0533 or parent Alison Webster at 949-388-1091.

MFMS'S 40TH BIRTHDAY PARTY: Marco Forster Middle School (MFMS) will be celebrating its 40th birthday on Thursday, October 30, starting at 5:00 p.m. There will be raffles, a photo booth, sports demonstrations, music, and special guests! The Faculty vs. Student Soccer and Dodge ball games will begin at 5:00 p.m. on the field and blacktop. Entertainment includes the MFMS band, orchestra, and Musical Theater Groups. Come and check out the displays of all the organizations and activities that MFMS students enjoy. Be ready to dance when the entertainment and fun continues with the Smallworld Band! A $5 dinner choice of Ciao Pasta, Las Golondrinas, Bad to the Bone BBQ, or Pick Up Stix can be pre-ordered by e-mailing MFMS PTSA President Eileen Vansell at vansell@cox.net or by calling the MFMS front office at 234-5907.

PTA NEWSLETTER NOW POSTED: In an effort to save approximately $2,000 in paper costs for the school year, the PTA newsletter will now be “paperless” and posted on Ambuehl’s PTA website each month. Cut and paste the following link in your web browser to review the October PTA Newsletter: http://ambuehlpta.org

YMCA NEWS: Every CUSD school has a fee-based YMCA childcare program located on each campus. Ambuehl’s YMCA Director is Patty Kraatz and she can be reached at PKraatz@ymcaoc.net or by calling 949-493-5327 if you have any questions about Ambuehl’s YMCA program.

2008-09 INSTRUCTIONAL SCHEDULES: Listed below are the instructional schedules for the first day of school, our early release Tuesdays, and the schedule for Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

2008-09 TUESDAY SCHEDULE:
- Early Bird Kindergarten (7:45 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.)
- Late Bird Kindergarten (9:25 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.)
- Grades: 1 – 5 (7:45 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.)

2008-09 SCHEDULE (MON., WED., THURS., & FRI.):
- Early Bird Kindergarten (7:45 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.)
- Late Bird Kindergarten (9:25 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.)
- Grades: 1 – 5 (7:45 a.m. – 2:05 p.m.)

DROP OFF AND PICK UP ZONE: As a reminder, individuals driving a vehicle must remain in their car while in the drop-off and pick-up lane and pull forward as space becomes available. The traffic will flow smoother over the next week or two. Thank you for your assistance.

PARKING: Only park in designated areas in the parking lot and on San Juan Creek Road. Thank you for your assistance.

JAYWALKING: This is a friendly reminder that families should use the service of the crossing guard on San Juan Creek Road and Calle Cartagena before and after school. Many staff members and parents have noticed that more and more families are running across San Juan Creek Road before and after school. Thank you for your cooperation.

CONSTRUCTION NEAR 300 BUILDING: A church, called “The Church in San Juan Capistrano,” and a parking lot are being built on the vacant lot near the 300 building. Construction began in May 2008. Ambuehl families will be able to use this new parking lot once it’s completed. In return, individuals attending the church on Sundays and periodic evening events will be able to use both lots, as well. The new parking lot will have approximately 38 spaces and share the current 300 building parking lot entrance and exit. The entire project, which includes the parking lot and church, are slated to be completed in November 2008. We’ll keep Ambuehl families informed as updated construction news becomes available.

NEW PARKING LOT/CHURCH RENDERING: Click here

PTA WEBSITE: Cut and paste http://ambuehlpta.org/ into your web browser to review Ambuehl’s PTA website.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES: Professional Learning Communities focus on student learning. There are four critical questions teachers ask themselves each day at Ambuehl:
- What do we want students to learn?
- How will we know if they learned it?
- What do we do if they didn’t learn it?
- What do we do if they already know what we’re about to teach?

MEDI-CAL SERVICES: Families who qualify can receive no-cost comprehensive health, dental and vision benefits for children by calling 1-800-880-5305 or going to http://www.medi-cal.ca.gov/