Got Vampires?

The Nobel Middle School Theatre Arts Department is proud to announce their fall production, a play we can really sink our teeth into, DRACULA!

Produced and Directed by Fanny Arana & Jean Martellaro, this campy, humorous adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic tale promises to be a spectacular evening of fangs and fun for all!

Three evening performances are scheduled for:

Thursday, Dec. 3rd

Friday, Dec. 4th and

Saturday, Dec. 5th

In the MPR at 6:30 p.m.

A Saturday matinee is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5th at 2:30 p.m.

Come see DRACULA in a different vein, this is one show you won't want to miss!!!

Magnet CHOICES Application Due 12/18/09

If anyone plans to apply for a magnet school for next year, please note that the deadline to get in your CHOICES application (available in every school office) has been moved up this year to BEFORE WINTER BREAK. The deadline is December 18, 2009.

In the past, the deadline was in January, after the break. This change may take many people by surprise. Magnet tours are happening NOW so if you are interested, time to get crackin'!

Also, due to budget cuts, LAUSD will not be holding the CHOICES Faire that was previously held each year at UCLA in November. So you are on your own to research the schools -- call the offices and ask about tours now.

Good luck playing those odds. CHOICES is almost as fun as Vegas!

Can You Say "LOSER"?

Just thought I'd share this interesting story of excess, narcissism, vanity and just plain, cold nuttiness!



This is what happens when you make bazillions of dollars and are just so obssessed with yourself and your lifestyle.... well, here..... let the Daily Beast spell it all out:

The star is blaming his ex-money manager for his money problems. But insiders say it was Cage who spent his way into big troubles. Jacob Bernstein reports on the star's head-spinning treasure trove: more than a dozen houses, two Bahamian islands, dinosaur skulls, shrunken heads, the shah of Iran's Lamborghini (and more). Fun while it lasted:

Even by Bel Air standards, the Christmas party in the tent at Nicolas Cage’s mansion was a major to-do. The pool was covered up. Blocks of ice were brought in and carved into a buffet table, from which an extravagant array of shellfish was served. A production crew blew fake snow. There were enormous nutcracker men, 8- to 10-feet-tall, out by the gate in front of the house. Lighting specialists came by and illuminated Cage’s favorite cars, which sat on display in the driveway. Guests at the December 2003 event included Hugh Hefner and Jay Leno, who later called it the greatest Christmas party he’d ever been to.

[snip]

Whether the actor proves his former money manager is at fault remains to be seen, but conversations with several sources close to Cage reveal a person whose financial problems stemmed at least in part from his own profligate spending. As they tell it, Cage’s appetite was extreme even for Hollywood, with a decade-plus shopping spree that saw him snapping up houses, motorcycles, a jet, yachts, vintage and new cars, expensive watches, meteorites, dinosaur skulls, an enormous pet collection, massive amounts of jewelry for the women in his life, group vacations for his entire entourage, and on and on and on. “He lived like a sheik,” says one person who’s known him for several years. “Spent money like it was water,” says another.

You can read the rest of the story, as well as see a photo gallery of all the weird crap this nut spent his money on by clicking here.

Beckford, meet Mud...

Hey Beckford... this is Mud Baron. He runs the LAUSD School Garden Program.




WOW... look below at this poor, empty, sad patch o' land just sitting there waiting to be utilized as a LEARNING SPOT!



This is the area directly behind the library patio.



Another view


Hmmm.... I wonder what would happen if we added Mud + our kids + that poor, sad empty patch o' land together -- what could we create?

I can't wait to find out!

You can read more about Mud Baron at his website: www.mudbaron.com

Don't Miss Out Twice

If your kid was absent on Picture Day, here's your chance to get those precious school pictures of your kid's 2009-2010 year at Beckford. Make-up pictures will be taken this Friday, November 6th. You can find order forms in the front office.

Make your checks payable to: School Portraits by Kranz

Seriously, you can't miss out on a single year of Elementary School Picture Awesomeness; we definitely need those for the wedding videos. Trust.

Beckford Halloween Candy Split

Don't forget to send in your extra Halloween candy for Beckford's annual Halloween Candy Split.

Each year we partner with the Frontline Foundation to collect candy to be distributed with meals served through the foundation's food pantry. Women and children who might not otherwise enjoy an occasional candy will be able to now, thanks to the generosity of our Beckford students.

Candy collection will take place Monday and Tuesday of this week.

Halloween Costume Hand-Over

click image to enlarge

The Northridge West Neighborhood Council is sponsoring their second annual Halloween Hand-over at Beckford Elementary on Sunday, November 1 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

They are looking for donations of gently used Halloween costumes to be donated to needy children in the community next Halloween season.

There will be hot dogs, beverages, popcorn, treats, music and more!

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween Beckford!

Be safe and have a fun Halloween!

I know, I know... I saw it too

I saw the fliers being passed out this morning, too.

I'm on it.

That's all I'm going to say about it.

Just know that I'm keeping an eye on things.

That is all....
[Ed: I took down the blog post that had followed this one up, but decided to take it down because of a couple of concerns that were brought to my attention; I listened and decided that the points presented to me to do so were valid. I'm easy like that. Anything you may want to know about this group you can find at their website.]

The Front Office

Isn't this fun?

I love this!

(hat tip to Joseph Mailander's lovely blog minor arcana) :

Hell-ooooo 21st Century!!

It's FINALLY here! Our new and improooved Official Beckford Elementary website is up and running!

Please bookmark: beckfordelementary.com

There's still a lot of work to be done, fine-tuning and changing things up now and again. Please "bear" with us as we strive to bring you the best, most informative website that we can.

Drop me a line, let me know what you think and how we can improve our website: lopezfamily90 at aol dot com.

Happy Birthday Jasmin!

Apparently, it's Jasmin's birthday and this stretch limo made a special appearance in the pick-up line after school.

Galatzan is Stuck With Us

So the election for L.A. City Council District #2 yesterday resulted in a runoff between State Assemblyman Paul Krekorian and businesswoman Christine Essel in December.

Tamar Galatzan, our District #3 LAUSD School Board Member, just elected in 2007, came in third... meaning she's stuck with us for a while longer while serving on the School Board. Let's hope she can rebuild parent trust that she really cares about our kids and isn't just in this for political gain. We NEED a strong, dedicated, smart School Board Member and many parents had their hopes pinned on her. Is she still up to the challenge?

PTA Membership. One Voice, Every Child

Click to enlarge