As you may have already heard, the District 96 community is mourning the loss of Tracy Williams Escobedo, 13, who during her time here attended Hollywood, Central, Ames, and Hauser. Many of your children will no doubt remember her for her exuberant, joyful personality. Tracy suffered a heart attack April 4. The Hauser PTA is working with the school and Tracy’s family to find an appropriate way for the PTA to remember Tracy. To view Tracy’s obituary, which includes a guest book through which you may send your own condolences, click here.

Please seriously consider the following request from the Traffic Safety committee. An hour of your time will have a direct effect on the safety of our children.

Hello Hauser PTA members

I am in need of volunteers to conduct foot traffic and vehicular traffic counts at several locations around the Hauser campus. Below please find the spots that need to be monitored as well as the times that the Hauser PTA has been asked to count traffic. All data must be submitted to the consulting firm by May 4th.

You may choose any day between now and then to do your traffic count, but the location and the time slots cannot be altered. Please let me know if you are available and I will contact you to give you the details.

Many Thanks,

Maura Doherty
(see directory for phone number or send an email to Mojo1216@aol.com).

Akenside Crosswalk (near the back parking lot)
7:55 am - 8:40 am
1._________________________
2. _________________________

2:50 pm - 3:35 pm
1.__________________________
2. _________________________

Hauser/Woodside Road
7:55 am - 8:40 am
1._________________________
2._________________________

2:50 pm - 3:35 pm
1.__________________________
2. _________________________

Hauser/Woodside traffic light near church/Kimbark
7:55 am - 8:40 am
1._______________________

The following parenting tip came to us from the excellent teen drug prevention website, theantidrug.com.

It’s 4/20: Who’s Celebrating?

April 20 may not mean anything to you, but for teens familiar with popular drug culture, April 20 - or “420″ — is THE pot-smoking holiday. Pronounced “four-twenty,” this pop-culture reference discretely unifies marijuana users on a particular day. There are many urban legends with regard to the origins of the name: 420 is the supposed number of active chemicals in marijuana, 420 is an alleged police crime code for drug arrests — or, the most common theory is that 4:20 p.m. was the time a group of California teens in the 1960s congregated for a smoke everyday.

To learn more, visit www.theantidrug.com.

The 8th Grade Graduation Party committee, which has chosen a carnival theme, is looking for help in the following areas:

1. A few parents to help run the games;

2. A 6th or 7th grade parent to act as ringmaster/carnival barker on the steps outside the Village Hall as the kids arrive;

3. A fun house mirror.

The party takes place the evening of June 6, after the graduation ceremony. If you can help, please contact Jeannine Buttimer (see student directory for email and phone.)

Click here for more details about the PTA-sponsored graduation party. In addition, look for a letter from Leslie Berman in early May detailing 8th grade year-end activities being planned by the school.

Congratulations and thanks go to our newly elected 2007-2008 Hauser PTA Officers:

• President: Cathy Louthen
• Vice President: Tina Duve
• Treasurer: Marianne Fieseler
• Secretary: Lisa Veon
• Parliamentarian: Michelle Hejna

They will officially assume their duties at the end of the May 17 general meeting.

On Tuesday, April 24 at 5 pm in the Hauser LRC, the D96 school board’s education committee will meet to discuss several topics that may be of interest to you. They are:

• Adoption of a new Social Studies curriculum
• Changes to the AP Math program
• Middle School Update
• Wellness Policy
• Riverside Parks and Recreation Department After School Program

All interested parents are encouraged to attend this meeting. A full school board meeting follows at 7:30. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend this meeting as well.

If anyone is interested in contributing to a “going away present” for Dan Johnson please forward your donations to Donna Mitchell. Either send them to the Hauser office, marked PTA Donna Mitchell (see directory for address and phone). You can also e-mail her at Rivermitchells@aol.com. Please include your child’s name with the donation.

Hauser PTA is hosting a reception in honor of Dan Johnson on April 25, immediately following the Spring Concert. Dan Johnson will be leaving District 96 after this school year, after serving many years as our Band Director, and recently the Assistant Principal at Hauser.We are looking for volunteers to set-up, serve, bring baked goods, or clean-up. Anyone willing to volunteer their time or baked goods, please e-mail Donna Mitchell at Rivermitchells@aol.com or see the student directory for her phone number.