MRS. LAURA MAKELY, PRINCIPAL APRIL/MAY 2009

12920 DROXFORD ST. CERRITOS, 90703 ☆ 562.865.0209 PAGE 1

News From The Office

If you change your address, please let the office know immediately so that we can update your records. It is important that all contact information is kept up to date in case of an emergency.

Reminder: Anyone going to be absent more than 5 days due to vacation must go on Independent Study . The teacher must be notified at least 5 days prior to leaving to prepare a study package.

We are always looking for some great snapshots to add to our yearbooks. The website to download your photos for the year book.

www.costco.comClick PhotoAlready Member LoginEmail Address: lealyearbook@hotmail.comPassword: leal08

Leal LedgerGrowing Opportunities

Spring is here! The beautiful weather and blooming flowers seem to rejuvenate us all as we enter the last trimester of the school year. We wrapped up a great second trimester with the ever-fabulous Leal talent show. The three amazing, sold out performances were made possible by the hard work and dedication of our own Leal teachers, Mrs. Ahn, Mrs. Eidem, Mrs. Hoang, and Mr. Johnston. Additionally, a big thank you goes out to Mrs. Mata and Mr. Martins, two of our very dedicated parents, for their tremendous effort in making our Jog-a-Thon a huge success. Our students enjoyed a fun filled event that promoted good health and raised over $10,000 for our PTA.

Here at Leal we are preparing for a spring season full of exciting events and fund raisers to help us sustain the outstanding programs that distinguish us as one of the

area’s finest schools. Our major fund raiser this trimester will benefit our arts programs. The Leal Elementary Arts Program ( L E A P ) F o u n d a t i o n i s sponsoring a raffle of two Panasonic widescreen plasma televisions on May 16. Tickets are available from any Leal student and can also be p u r c h a s e d f r o m L E A P Foundation members. We’re also preparing for a fabulous spring musical, “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” which will showcase many of L e a l ’s b u d d i n g y o u n g performers. The musical will run for two nights, May 28 and 29. Thank you all for continuing to make Leal such a wonderful place for our children. If you haven’t done so already, please visit our new website at www.lealschool.weebly.com. As always, I appreciate your feedback and encourage you to stop in or call my office if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Tackling Test Questions

Multiple Choice: Read the questions before reading the story. By doing this, you will be able to find some of the answers as you read the story.Read al l the answers before marking your choice. Remember, your first instinct is usually best--so don’t change your answer unless you’re sure.True/False: Look forwards such as never, always, a!, and none. They’re usually in false answers. Words like may or often are generally found in true answers.Essay: Read essay questions at least twice. Then, make a list of important thoughts, or key points, about each question before writing your essay. Read through the finished essay to be sure you’ve included all your key points. Check spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

Mealtime MagicMealtime is a great time for your family to talk and enjoy each other’s company. Get the most out of mealtime with this M-E-A-L approach:

Make the atmosphere pleasant. Focus on the positive--try not to bring up criticisms or complaints.Entertain each other. Examples: Tell jokes. Make up a story and ask each person to add a line.Always give everyone a turn to talk. Try asking a different question each week. Examples: “What’s your all-time favorite book?” “What’s the funniest thing that happened today?”Loosen up. Think of ways to make mealtime an adventure. Examples: Spread a blanket on the floor and have an indoor picnic. Have a backward dinner--start with dessert!

MRS. LAURA MAKELY, PRINCIPAL APRIL/MAY 2009

12920 DROXFORD ST. CERRITOS, 90703 ☆ 562.865.0209 PAGE 2

Words of WisdomExperience isn’t

what happens to a man; it’s what a man does with

what happens to him.

~ Aldous Huxley

Calendar - April/MayApril

08 ~ Minimum Day

10-17 ~ Spring Break

20 ~ Disney Dance Class Begins

21-27 ~ Book Fair

22 ~ Family Dinner, Panda Express

23 ~ Open House (Minimum Day)

24 ~ School Spirit Day

28-May 8 ~ State Testing (2nd - 6th grades)

30 ~ School Site Council Meeting

May

13 ~ Minimum Day

13 ~ Family Dinner Night, 5 Guys & Fries

16 ~ LEAP Raffle Drawing

20 ~ Band-O-Rama

25 ~ Memorial Day Holiday

On Monday, March 9, the 5th and 6th grade students at Leal Elementary School took a walking field trip to the Cerritos Center of Performing Arts to see a wonderful play called "The Last, The Very Last Butterfly." It was based on the tragic story of the Holocaust, which was a time when a tyrant named Adolf Hitler tried very hard to annihilate the people of the Jewish race. The play seemed more of a musical, as the actors sang numerous times throughout the play.

The main characters were Alena and Peter, who were children who lived during this period. They were part of a group the consisted of children that wrote poems and drew pictures to express their thoughts in secrecy. The musical showed how difficult it was for Jewish people to survive and retain their happiness during this harsh era, being separated from one’s family and losing one’s friends.

For many of us, the musical had the moral of tolerance. We need to accept people's differences learn to appreciate

them. You should not slaughter millions of people because you think a certain race or religion is different and peculiar. It does not matter if one person is Asian, and another is Caucasian. We need to look at the inside of a person's heart and judge them by who they are. Apples may have different looks on the outside, but the inside is always the same.

The musical was very informative and interesting. I think that it held a significant moral for everyone, young and old, to learn because, somewhere in our hearts, we discriminate a certain race or religion. If we can break through the barrier of racism by racial dissimilarity, we will all eventually agree that every single one of us is alike. Apples may have different looks on the outside, but the inside is always the same. ~ Matthew Kang and Jonathan Han

The Last, The Very Last Butterfly

April Word Search

Pranks rain bloomJokes April Fool’s Day plants

Spring flowers trees

PRIDEONROCKSTARGOONSNARUKAMARUUNDERRWHATJONESIILLMMNNLETSFARAWAYRIDERSIA APRILFOOL’SDAYROCKONINDIANAEEEDISNELIAI NWOLFDOGPUUPPYYPASSIONCOMANTANTIEYYNKWATEVIREVELSIENTISTSEGOREIGORWHOOHLIKSSOWHAITIAMAROCKSTARIGOTMYROCSRULESKISOWHAIIIRLETSROCKONSREWOLFZERPISTCOOOLDOCUMAECOMERIDEONMILLIESHANGHAIINCOME SWHAHAEHAHAHEHEHEHEHKDKDKDEKEKIACOM ZGEOFLIISBELIEVEMEANDYOURSELFWILLHELPIUJOKESLOVESTORYTAILORSWIFTPINKPANGNIRPSL

Kickball Tournament

The kickball tournaments have just started. There are twelve teams of ten and there is a tournament at lunch everyday.  Our first game was last Thursday, March 26, 2009. It was Team 1 against Team 2.   The team

captains are Aaron Alvarado for Team 1 and Gabriela Victoria for Team 2.  The game was intense with

outs and saves on both teams.   It went on so well, it ended up a tie

between the two.   We’re not sure,

but we hear that there is going to be

a tiebreaker so we can determine

the winner.  -Allison Davis and Manesy Cevallos

MRS. LAURA MAKELY, PRINCIPAL APRIL/MAY 2009

12920 DROXFORD ST. CERRITOS, 90703 ☆ 562.865.0209 PAGE 3

An Interview wi! " Makely

By Jonathan Han and Richard Cota

How is your first year being principal at Leal?It has been fun beyond my wildest expectations. The teachers are among the best I’ve ever worked with. Students are kind and bright and make me happy to come to work every day.

As you walk through the campus every day, what changes do you notice in the students as the year progresses?The Kindergarteners get tougher and don’t get as easily upset. The upper graders get more mature. Also, the students seem less afraid to come and talk to me.

How is your experience being principal at Leal different than being a vice principal at Whitney High School?Students are much smaller. When there are tough decisions to make, I can’t look to anyone else to make them for me.

What is the most difficult part about being principal?It’s very difficult that we are unable to accommodate all students who want to attend, but I’m thankful because it’s a good problem to have.

How do you prove to the parents that you’re fit for this job?I have to work every day to earn their respect by showing them that the well being of their children is my #1 priority. I hope I show this through my love for kids and my appreciation of the hard work they put into their education.

How do you think the staff can improve their techniques of teaching the students?I think that we can all improve by remembering that each student is unique and therefore learns in a different way. Our job is to find the method that helps every single child to be successful.

Do you have any advice for the students and their education?Continue to do your best. Remember that everyday, every project, and every test is a new chance to prove yourself.

April Fool’s Day

Try to unscramble these fun words that have to do with the spring season and April

Fool’s Day!

Arpil oloFs aDy

Okjes

Folerws

Parnks

Airn

Luaghert

Loboimng

Prsign

Lpantifle

Sixth Grade Living History Museum

On March twenty-fifth, as you may have heard, Mr.

Spratt’s sixth grade students performed their Living History

Museum.   All the students used great speaking skills while

acting as an Egyptian god.  The great Leal Park acted as the

gods’ temple.  They entertained and informed many by giving

an autobiographical speech about their lifetime.  The students

of B-6 even dressed up as their god or goddess and used

items the gods would have used long ago in the time of

ancient Egypt.   The Egyptian people were polytheistic

meaning they believed in more than one god, which explains

why there were so many gods and goddesses in Leal Park

that day.  Mrs. Casuga’s and Mrs. Stallings’s class did their

Living History Museum back at the beginning of the year and

Mrs. Rafael’s students will be performing later this month.  

~ Gabriela Victoria

Jokes from Rohun Gupta & Samuel Choi

Ronald- What do you do before you were to declare war on the country?Jay----- Um, call CNN?

 Ronald- What do you do if something happens to the speaker of the house?

Jay----- Go to Radio Shack and buy a new speaker. 

What runs, but cannot walk?A faucet! 

What ten letter word starts with gas?Automobile.

 What shouldn't you wear to a coffee shop?

      A "tea" shirt! 

What starts with P and ends with E and has a million letters in it?A post office

MRS. LAURA MAKELY, PRINCIPAL APRIL/MAY 2009

12920 DROXFORD ST. CERRITOS, 90703 ☆ 562.865.0209 PAGE 4

      Many of the fifth grade students took an

overnight field trip to Riley’s Farm. The

students went to learn about the

Revolutionary War. There were ten parents chaperoning the trip.

    We boarded the bus at around 2:15. It was a

grueling two hour trip up to Oak Glen, CA.

When we reached the farm, we were

immediately greeted by men and women

dressed in clothes of the colonial times. All of the workers spoke as if we were in the colonial times. They addressed us as lads and lassies. Once we had all laid out our sleeping bags, we

went to learn the commands that might have

been used in the colonial times.(about face,

right face, bi files, left march, etc.) Then we

played a colonial Simon Says of the colonial times. Our group was split up into three

"companies". We all went to our different stations. The first station was to learn in

round-hand, as they did in the colonial times. Next we learned how to fish with a plain stick.

The fish we caught was tasted at dinner. Our final station was to make candles. We were

given candle starts, we had to dip them into

the hot wax two times then into frigid water once. Though we had skinny candles, we got the idea of how to make candles. Then we had

our dinner. First we had warm bread and

butter. Then we had steamed carrots with

maple syrup and mashed potatoes. For the

entree we had roast beef. The best was yet to

come, DESSERT! We had fresh apple crisp. That was a dinner I will never forget.       When we woke up that morning we had a

reenactment of the battle of Fort Ticonderoga.

When we came back we had fresh eggs, bacon,

and french toast. After breakfast our classes went out to the play area to learn colonial games. We learned to play games including

graces and nine pins. By the time we had

finished playing our games other schools came pouring in. Again, we were split up into

groups of our classes. We had many stations such as the court of law. We were shown what is was like to be given a case in the British

Court. We also had the dreaded edict lesson

from the 1700's. Right before lunch, we had the

grand battle of George's Tavern. Though our guns were plain sticks, we learned what it was like being in a real battle. Lunch not nearly as good as dinner or even breakfast. They

wanted us to no what it was like being a soldier eating our lunch. We had a mere piece of cornbread, slice of cheese, and some beef jerky.

While most us were complaining about the little

food they gave us, one of the workers told us an

amazing story. He said, “ Once there was a soldier who had fought his heart out, only to lose in the

battle. That night for his Thanksgiving dinner he

had only two things to eat. A handful of rice and

vinegar." Though to us this may seem like nothing,

the man gave out of cry of joy. When he had

finished telling us that story that story, not a

single person complained about our meal. When

we got back on our bus, everybody was unhappy

to leave.

      If you are fortunate enough to ever visit Riley’s Farm for yourself, please do. Even if you don't have

the slightest idea about what the Revolutionary

War was, just try it out. I guarantee you will love it! ~ Rushik Gandhi

April Fools DayBy Albert Chon

As you know, April Fools Day is a day where people play pranks, hoaxes, and act like fools. Now, we think of this as another light hearted day where we just have fun. But have you ever wondered how this all started? Where April Fools actually came from? Well, long, long ago much of Europe celebrated March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, as the beginning of the New Years. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar (the one we have now) to replace the old Julian Calendar. The new calendar made New Year's Day to be celebrated Jan. 1. That year, France adopted the reformed calendar and shifted New Year's Day. However, some people were not informed of the change or refused to celebrate the new day, so when one celebrated on April 1, they were called fools. Eventually though, the practice spread throughout Europe.

The first day of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year~ Mark Twain.

Reminders

Juice It Up will be selling smoothies on Tuesdays after school for $3. A portion of each purchase will go back to Leal. So grab a nutritious and delicious drink before

you head off to the rest of your day.