Welcome back from break! Hopefully you all had a great, restful break and you are ready for some busy months ahead at Cascade Ridge. We will be starting the month right off with our 2nd Annual Spelling Bee! Many thanks to Rajeev Goel for continuing this exciting program for our kids and school. We hope to have a big turnout of kids for this fun and educational event.

We also hope that many young Cascade Ridge scientists (not just our 4th and 5th graders) are preparing science projects to share with the community at our Science Fair on March 29th. Science Pete has been working hard to ensure we have another great event and we expect it to be full of many interesting and educational experiments for all in the community to enjoy. This is a big event for kids and grown-ups and requires a lot of involvement from many people, so if you can find the time in your schedule to volunteer, this is a great (and rewarding) opportunity. Be sure to find more exciting details in this newsletter and on our website, and I hope to see you there!

Got talent? Cascade Ridge is having its first ever talent show this year on April 26th & 27th. Be sure to read further in this newsletter and on our website for more information regarding this event. So get your kiddos to grab a friend, dust off their dancing shoes, and prepare to have a great time. Thanks so much to Nga Selbig and Stephanie Scott for putting this fun and fabulous event together!

Also, please do not forget that our Nominating Committee is working diligently to fill the slate for our 2012-13 Cascade Ridge PTSA Executive Committee. If you know of anyone (including yourself) that would be interested and excited to be a part of our Board for the next school year, please contact anyone on the Nominating Committee (Jaycee Cooper, Laura Fortner, Pam Gross, Mary Jo Webb, and Tina Yerges). The PTSA provides many services and activities to the Cascade Ridge community, we have a lot of fun in the process, and we need your help to continue the great tradition!

As you hopefully know through ongoing updates from Erica Fewel, our wonderful Issaquah Schools Foundation (ISF) Representative, the Foundation is critically important to the ongoing welfare of our district students. We would like you to know about the upcoming annual Nourish Every Mind Luncheon that is a bunch of fun to attend and it benefits the ISF’s ongoing work. Our PTSA will host a table at the luncheon and we would love to fill the table. If you are interested in attending the luncheon on May 10th at 11:00, we would love to have you join in the fun. Just contact me directly, and I’ll reserve you a seat!

Finally, I would like to encourage you to vote “yes” for the school bond that will be on the April 17th ballot. This bond is essential for the continued growth of our district. To find out more information, please go to the district website at http://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/district/bond/default.aspx and to Volunteers for Issaquah Schools website at http://www.visvote.org/.

See what I mean? Busy months are ahead and we hope to have everyone involved.

Have a great March and beginning to spring!

Deanne King, PTSA President
deannewking@live.com