Last Chance for Auction Tickets March 23, 2009

We are down to the final days before our Auction event! We still have a few tickets left, so if you are interested in coming this weekend, there’s still time.

To purchase tickets, log on to our school Web site at http://www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/sequoiaelementary/ and you will find a link to Google Checkout to purchase online. You can also drop a check into the red Auction folder in the front office.

RAFFLE TICKETS
You can continue selling raffle tickets through this Friday, March 27. We will collect all final raffle tickets and money (check or cash) from the red Auction folder in the front office at 2:45. Good luck!

— The Auction Team

Auction Preview Day this Friday!! March 18, 2009

THIS FRIDAY IS OUR AUCTION PREVIEW DAY!

Friday, March 20, 2:45 to 6:00 p.m. in the MUR. We will showcase our class projects and open bidding on all these projects to the entire school.  Drop by after school or after work to see the wonderful projects that our kids, parents and teachers have created for this year’s Auction.  We have gorgeous original art, patio furniture and garden accessories, cute creations perfect for a child’s room, lots of hand-made goodies … and many more surprises.

Open bidding on class projects: If you see something you like, you can write down the maximum amount you’re willing to pay. If you are not outbid on Auction night, you win it!

We have three new things at this year’s Preview Day:

• You can purchase raffle tickets for our ongoing 3 raffles: a one-week stay for two in a Mazatlan, Mexico beachfront bed & breakfast ($10 per ticket) ; a brand-new Wii gaming system ($5 per ticket); and an “instant wine cellar” of more than 50 bottles of fine wine ($20 per ticket)!  Drawings will be Auction night — but anyone can buy raffle tickets.
• You can buy Auction tickets! We have less than 20 tickets left — don’t miss out on a great party … the biggest school fundraiser of the year! Tickets are $60 per person.
• You can reserve your spot(s) at one of our seven sign-up parties. Prices range from $10 to $50 per person, depending on the party.

Bring your check or credit card on Friday … we’ll see you there!

Friday Spotlight: Sign-up Parties March 13, 2009

Sign-up Party #2: BYINGTON WINERY TOUR ABOARD THE DREYER’S ROCKY ROAD BUS

Wine lovers will be in heaven for this all-day trip to Byington Vineyard & Winery in Los Gatos aboard the Dreyer’s Rocky Road Bus. This sign-up party is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, costs $35 per person, and takes up to 32 people.

You’ll meet the bus in the parking lot of Sequoia in the morning, and travel the one-and-a-half hour trip into the beautiful Santa Cruz mountains. Box lunches, chilled wine and cold drinks will be available on the bus, so you can sit back and relax as you approach Byington.

You’ll be treated to a tasting of five wines during this exclusive tour of their beautiful winery, which will include the vineyard, crush area, production area and stunning storage cave. The tour also includes their 18,ooo-foot, Italian-style villa, sloping vineyards and gorgeous vistas of redwood forests and the Monterey Bay. The Rocky Road bus will drive you home after a relaxing day of wine tasting with friends, so bring a friend or family member along for this special day!

Donated by: Byington Vineyard & Winery, and Black Tie Transportation

Please note that all of our sign-up parties are open to all Sequoia parents, their family and friends who would like to participate! Look for sign-ups at Preview Day and at the Auction.

Spotlight: Sign-up Parties March 12, 2009

Our fantastic Sign-up Party Coordinator, Michele Bautista, has put together seven great parties open for sign-up at both Preview Day (3/20) and the Auction (3/28). Here’s how they work.

Each party has a theme, and a limited number of spots available at a set price. By signing up for that party, you are purchasing your spot (or your child’s spot) for that party.  Grab a friend, your spouse, or a group of friends, and decide which parties you’d like to go to this year. All parties are hosted by Sequoia families … we’re anxious to see which ones will be the big hits!

PARTY #1:  SAN FRANCISCO DOUBLE-DECKER BUS PUB CRAWL

Hit the local San Francisco pubs with old and new friends from Sequoia. Enjoy touring SF in an open-top double-decker English bus, which will transport you from pub to pub.  The event will be Saturday, June 6, from 7-11 p.m. Everyone will meet at the Embarcadero Station at 7:00, where the bus will pick you up … cheers!

Donated by: Christian Watts’ company City Sightseeing

City Sightseeing double-decker bus

PHE parents enjoy their Pub Crawl party in 2008

More great stuff to bid on … March 11, 2009

Here are the latest classroom projects you can put on your wish list for Auction Preview Day (Friday, March 20, 2:45-6:00) and Auction night.  More to come here in the days to follow …

Grapevine platter (front)

(back)

Class: Mrs. Clack
Project Coordinator: Kim Barentsen

This large oval tray is really gorgeous … against a cream background are painted grapevine clusters and leaves. The back features the names of all the kids in Mrs. Clack’s class this year.

Stepping stone (one of a set of three) from Ms. Shedore's class

Class: Ms. Shedore
Project coordinator: Gregory Vasgerdsian

Create a sweet garden path with this set of three mosaic stepping stones created with the help of Ms. Shedore’s first grade class. This set is bright and cheery and features the names of all the kids.

More class projects March 9, 2009

Golden Gate Bridge painting by Mrs. Feinberg's brother, Sam Frankel, and her 2nd grade class

Class: Mrs. Feinberg
Coordinator: Mrs. Feinberg and Sam Frankel

Every year, Mrs. Feinberg’s brother, Sam Frankel, leads a group painting session with her first grade class, and the results are always a huge hit at the Auction. This year’s project features the Golden Gate Bridge and is beautiful enough to hang in your living room. The acrylic painting was designed and created under the direction of Sam,who says the students “followed the flow” to paint this one-of-a-kind piece. As you can see, the results are just fantastic!   Please note: this item will be part of the Live Auction.

Colorful Self-Portrait Quilt by Mrs. Kehr's 3rd grade class

Class: Mrs. Kehr
Coordinators:  Eva King & Janis Baldwin

This beautiful handmade quilt features a self portraits by each child in Mrs. Kehr’s class. The pinwheel design is highlighted by reds, browns, yellows and greens, and the entire quilt is bordered in a bright turquoise blue. This gorgeous labor of love was put together by Mrs. Kehr’s students, and Eva King and Janis Baldwin, and measures 52″ x 60″.

Thumbprint Cookie Jar

Class: Mrs. Smith
Coordinator: Mrs. Smith

This adorable ceramic lidded cookie jar is decorated with Mrs. Smith’s students’ first names made from their thumb prints around painted chocolate chip cookies. Every time the family gets a treat from this jar, they’ll remember good times with Mrs. Smith’s talented class!

Beautiful Lupine Original Art

Class: Mrs. Ricard
Coordinator: Kirstin Duey

Gorgeous colors of gold, deep red and blue come together to create a unique framed print of lupine flowers … look closely and you’ll see that Mrs. Ricard’s students used their thumbprints to create the details of each flower! This original art is framed in a stained wood frame with deep gold matte and comes with five sets of 5 notecards, each featuring the same lupine image on the front.

Check back in a couple of days for more photos of class projects!
— The Auction Team

Class Project Spotlight March 2, 2009

Only 26 days until the Auction! Today we’re going live with photos and information about some of our newly completed class projects. I have to say, the class projects are absolutely phenomenal this year.  The parents and teachers who worked with the kids to create these original pieces were truly inspired! A big thanks to Betsy Balmat for keeping everyone organized and on track.

All class projects (with the exception of two that we moved to the Live Auction) will be available for bidding on PREVIEW DAY on Friday, March 20, in the MUR — 2:45-6:00 p.m.

Check back often this week. We’ll be posting more photos as the week progresses. Enjoy!

Hand painted Adirondack chair with cushion

Class: Mrs. Tornheim
Project coordinator: Kim Brunelle
Kim hand painted and lacquered this beautiful fire-engine red Adirondack chair, with the green garden design hand painted by the kids in Room 5. The chair comes with the seat cushion shown in the photos, as well as (not shown) a grapevine and flower wreath, hand painted gourd bird feeder, and a bird watching book. Bring this home on Auction night to create your own backyard nook for relaxing!

Shadow boxes with student-made origami

Class: Mrs. Risken
Project coordinators: Gaby Avina & Rosa Delgman
Four sleek, black shadow boxes hold sets of hand made origami created by the students in Mrs. Risken’s class.  The smaller shadow box features origami animals that comprise the animal zodiac of the Chinese New Year. These items will be auctioned off separately.

Colorful wooden heart art

Class: Dr. Ogden
Project coordinators: Sue Carpenter & Betsy Balmat
This cool and funky heart art reflects the individual talents of the top-notch artists in Dr. Ogden’s first-grade class. Each student took one piece of the puzzle home to paint as they wanted. Put together, it’s a great original work of art — perfect for your child’s room or a colorful playroom — that will brighten your home.

Leaf art wood/glass tray and matching glass coaster set

Framed kaleidoscope leaf-art

Class: Ms. Klaas
Project coordinator: Susan Petersen

This is one of our favorite class projects this year. Rosa Yokoyama coordinated this stunningly beautiful photographic art project for Ms. Klaas’s class.

This item will be available for bidding in 5 units: tray & coaster (shown left), and four different multiple-frame sets of photographic leaf art (two are shown above).

Each one-of-a-kind photo in these sets looks like you’re gazing through a kaleidoscope and has beautiful shades of greens, white and yellows.