Charter Chatter

A weekly newsletter written to parents of the Tracy Learning Center

June 20, 2014                                                                                                     No.40

Thank you for a wonderful school year.  We appreciate your support of our schools and the support you give your children at home.  Together we are a winning team.  Some of our accomplishments this year included:

• Passing Measure B which should help rehabilitate our facilities in the future
• Approval of Primary Charter and Millennium Charter
• Graduation of 104 seniors from the class of 2014
• The highest number of tenth graders to pass the high school exit exam on the first try: 97% Language Arts and 95% math.
• A fantastic Evening of Excellence for our Primary students
• Several Band performances
• Piloting the new state curriculum
• Participation in many county events with good results

Students in grades K-8 will be bringing home an important packet of information and their assignment for the next school year.  Be sure to look for the envelope.

The new school regulations no longer allow public schools to require students to purchase supplies for school.  Teachers are sending home a suggested list of supplies you may want to acquire for your child.  This law requires us to provide materials for all classes if students do not have what is needed.  Unfortunately schools were not given extra money to absorb this cost.  If you can help, it is appreciated.  Now more than ever a donation for our schools would greatly be appreciated as well.

We look forward to seeing you in August.  There will be a meet the new teachers and hear about the changes for PHSA on July 31 in M1 at 6PM.

Our last day of school is Friday, June 27, 2014 and dismissal times are as follows:

PCS    11:30am

DCS    12noon

MHS   1230pm

Our Snack Club will have their normal closing time for those registered in Snack Club.

All students return to school on Monday, Aug. 4, 2014.

Ag Fest Champions!!!!

Big, big congratulations to our amazing TLC students, Halle Suttle and Bailey Mattos for their amazing efforts in the 4H agricultural festival.  Halle won Supreme Champion and Bailey won Supreme Reserve Champion at the San Joaquin County Ag Fest in the Market Turkey Competition. There were a total of 125 turkeys entered.  Way to go girls!!!

TDAP

Just a reminder letters have been sent home to all 6^th graders regarding TDAP Vaccines.

All 7^th grade students must provide the office with proof of his/her TDAP Vaccine (Pertussis – Whooping Cough) prior to their first day of school which is August 4, 2014.

7^th Grade – 12 Grade Students will not be allowed to attend school without this proof of vaccine.

You may bring this record in or fax this proof to Kay Fagundes at (209) 831-5243 or scan and email to kfagundes@tracylc.net .

Prescription Medications and Over the Counter Medications

Just a reminder all medications will be disposed of over break. Please make sure you come into the office to pick up your child’s prescriptions or over the counter medications.

Report Card Packets

Very important packets containing report cards and other pertinent information regarding next year will be sent home with your students on the last day of school. If your student is not in attendance on Friday,

June 27, 2014 his/her packet will be sent by mail.

PCS Gold

 Gold PCS

Golden Highlights:

Thank you for attending the Evening of Excellence. Students loved showing off their work.

P-3 and P-8 had a great time on their field trips this week. Phase one got to learn more about animals and habitats at the Sacramento Zoo. Phase two learned more about space at the Sacramento Discovery and Space Center.

Last week the 4th graders participated in Sneak Peek. They got a chance to see Discovery classrooms and interview the students. They can’t wait to be in 5th grade!

The end of the year is right around the corner. There will not be study club the last week of school. The last day of study club will be Friday, June 20th.

Reminders

June 20th- Last day of Study Club

June 26th- Water Day

June 27th- Last day of School. Primary dismissal is at 11:30 on this day.

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PCS Sapphire

The Sapphire Team had a great week!

We had a fantastic Evening of Excellence on Wednesday night.  It was so nice to see all of the students bring their families with them to show off all the great work completed throughout the year. We are so thankful for all the wonderful families that we have at this school!

Assessments are mostly completed and there has been so much hard work this week. We have many fun activities planned for next week.  P1 will have their end of the year party on Wednesday.  Remember that Water Day is Thursday; if you can help out it is not too late to let your child’s teachers know.  Friday will be the last day of this school year and the students at PCS should be picked up at 11:30.

Yearbooks will be distributed next week and there are a few extras for sale.  They are $22.00 and if you are interested you can see Connie or Kay in the front office. There are only a few, so it will be first come, first served!

Look for report cards; they will come home with your child this year on Friday, the last day of school.

DCS 5^th/6^th

SWO:

Students should feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment. We wrapped up the final portion of this year’s SWO project Friday. Teachers were particularly impressed by many of the fifth grade interviewees who demonstrated preparedness, maturity, and confidence. They set the bar quite high for next year!

Green Year Party:

Students who maintained an all green agenda this year will be celebrating in Lincoln Park next week. They may bring swimwear or a change of clothing if they would like to get wet in the park’s fountain. Children who are invited must submit a permission slip in order to attend.

Water Day:

Celebrating the year with students on the last day of school is a blast. We appreciate your contributions to making our celebration special. The donations we received for Water Day are very much appreciated! We are in need of chaperones for the event. If you are interested volunteering as a chaperone please e-mail Ms. Pelaez (lpelaez@tracylc.net).

Washington D.C. Trip – We are still accepting sign ups for the Washington D.C. trip which will take place April 7-11, 2015. All seventh and eighth graders next year are invited. You can sign up at worldstrides.org or call 1-800-468-5899. Discovery’s trip ID # 103041.

PHSA 7^th and 8^th

We are down to the final week.  It is time to reap the rewards for such hard working students this year!  We have a lot of great activities planned and teachers are looking forward to having fun this last week.

Friday, June 20th
Cosmic Bowling  10 PM – Midnight

Monday, June 23rd
Promotion practice starts  8:15 AM
Yearbook signing during electives..out on the field.  If you purchased a yearbook they will be passed out during lunch.  We will have a few extras if anyone wants to buy one on Monday.  First come, first serve.  They are $39 for a book.

Tuesday, June 24th
Promotion practice  8:15 AM
Afternoon at the park  1:45 – 4:00 PM

Wednesday, June 25th
8th graders vs staff basket ball game  during electives

Thursday, June 26th
Promotion practice 8:15
Promotion 7 PM…students in gym by 6:30 PM

Friday, June 27th
Great America for 8th graders
Water Day for 7th graders…….12 noon dismissal

Washington D.C. Trip – We are still accepting sign ups for the Washington D.C. trip which will take place April 7-11, 2015. All seventh and eighth graders next year are invited. You can sign up at worldstrides.org or call 1-800-468-5899. Discovery’s trip ID # 103041.

Counseling/Guidance Department News:

2014-2015 Class Schedules: Class schedules for next year will be distributed this Tuesday, June 24^th during break and after school. Students must submit their updated emergency form in order to receive their schedule. Emergency forms were mailed home with report cards last week.

****Please note that our classes are extremely full for next year.  Class schedule changes will be extremely limited, therefore, there will not be schedule changes unless an error in scheduling has been made.  Elective requests, teacher requests, and period requests will not be approved.  We appreciate your patience as we gear up for a busy school year!

*****IMPORTANT REMINDER: Community Service Deadline – all volunteer hours for the 2013-2014 school year are due on Friday, June 27^th. 

No hours will be accepted after the deadline. Any hours worked during July will be included in the next school year.

COLLEGE INFO

Delta College Info

Last day to submit the Delta College Early Start form for Fall 2013 classes was Friday, June 20^th.

Students will be registering for their classes on the last day of priority registration which is July 17^th.

If a class is full, students need to register for another class and notify the counseling office when school resumes in August. Every student who has been approved to take college classes has received their College Early Start form.  Please keep this form for your records in the event a hold is on your student account when registering for classes.

Students seeking tuition reimbursement from Spring semester classes should be turning in their reimbursement request form with proof of grade and payment for Delta College classes attended.  Forms can be downloaded from the Counseling/Guidance website at www.tracylc.net

Community Service

Summer break is a great time for returning students to earn community service hours.  Please inquire with some local non-profit organizations in our community to see if there is a need for volunteers.

Hours worked this summer can be turned in when the new school year starts on August 5^th .

Other News

Charter Chatter

A weekly newsletter written to parents of the Tracy Learning Center

June 6, 2014                                                                                                               No.39

As the year comes to a close, we are busy planning for a new beginning and as usual, we will make some changes to our program.  I do not find changes to be something to fear as much as something to embrace.  We are very willing to look at what we are doing and to identify areas that could be improved.  That is the basis for changes we make.

The greatest change to Primary will be the change to a single grade for Kindergarten since that is probably the grade with the widest variance.  Some children come with years of pre-school, while others have never left home.  Some are reading while others have not learned to identify letters.  The smaller class size is also a better way to help Kindergarten’s become acquainted with our ways.

Primary will multiage grade 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 for a greater chance for differentiation among students.  It will allow for small group instruction with four teachers in the classroom and will help the transition to multiage in Discovery.

Discovery 5/6 had many changes last year and will continue to evolve.  There will be longer periods for academics, a discovery wheel of experiences rather than selecting electives and more support with SWOs.  Students will not have social studies gap or science review but will have both science and social studies each year.  Those ready to try algebra will be allowed to do that while remaining in the 5/6 team structure.

PHSA will have a variety of new to Discovery teachers.  The curriculum will remain similar but will be differentiated for different levels of students.  Teachers will use the previous elective time for a high school readiness assortment of opportunities instead.  I have been very pleased with the pool of teachers we have interviewed for openings and we are very excited about the teachers we have selected for PHSA.

High school will also have changes. We have added some new courses: comprehension and composition for Spanish speakers, Pathways for Success for students needing support for academic success, two new lower level math classes to help those who are not strong in math become strong enough to be successful in Algebra, and a writing course for Seniors.  There are new teachers on the high school staff as well.  They are joining us with a wide range of experience and ideas.

In closing it is important for me to say we do not change things just to change things, we are always willing to assess how we are doing and are not afraid to change things that could be better.  Thank you for your continued support of our programs.

Our last day of school is Friday, June 27, 2014 and dismissal times are as follows:

PCS    11:30am

DCS    12noon

MHS   1230pm

Our Snack Club will have their normal closing time for those registered in Snack Club.

All students return to school on Monday, Aug. 4, 2014.

TDAP

Just a reminder letters have been sent home to all 6^th graders regarding TDAP Vaccines.

All 7^th grade students must provide the office with proof of his/her TDAP Vaccine (Pertussis – Whooping Cough) prior to their first day of school which is August 4, 2014.

7^th Grade – 12 Grade Students will not be allowed to attend school without this proof of vaccine.

You may bring this record in or fax this proof to Kay Fagundes at (209) 831-5243 or scan and email to kfagundes@tracylc.net .

PCS Gold

Golden Highlights:

The weather is warming up quickly. Students are outside for lunch and PE. Please make sure your child has water and wears sunscreen.

Monday, phase 2 students went on a field trip to the Tracy History Museum. They got to see what places looked liked and the clothes people wore from long ago.

This week the 4th graders participated in Sneak Peek. They got a chance to see Discovery classrooms and interview the students. They can’t wait to be in 5th grade!

Friday was TLC’s Multicultural Fair. Students got to taste different foods and participate in activities from different cultures. Ask them which countries they visited and what they learned.

The end of the year is right around the corner. There will not be study club the last week of school. The last day of study club will be Friday, June 20th.

Evening of Excellence is Wednesday, June 18th. Classrooms will be open from 6-7. Students can’t wait to show off their work!

Reminders

June 18th- Evening of Excellence

June 20th- Last day of Study Club

June 27th- Last day of School. Primary dismissal is at 11:30 on this day.

PCS Sapphire

The Sapphire Team had a wonderful week!

P-1 students have been busy testing and assessing this past week.  We are so proud of their efforts and all their hard work. They are looking forward to Evening of Excellence and showing off all their great work!   Water Day is June 26th!!  We are still looking for volunteers to help with set up, clean up and stations.  Please email the teachers if you are able to help out.  The students have also been working hard on Father’s Day projects…..make sure to look for them to come home this weekend.

P-6 students had a fantastic week as we were busy completing assessments for report cards and designing Father’s Day gifts. We have also finished up so many projects for Evening of Excellence…..can’t wait to show all of you our GREAT WORK!!!!   Reminder:   We have a field trip on Tuesday June 17; make sure that your child wears comfortable shoes and brings a bagged   lunch.   We need your child to be here that day by 7:45.

P5 is very excited to be getting ready for Evening of Excellence! We hope you will be able to join us after the Discovery meeting next Wednesday! We have completed Bandit’s Moon and we are putting together our booklets of work from the book. This week in math, we have studied parts of a circle as well as solid shapes. Ask your student which Sir Cumference book they read this week to solidify the concepts!

Water Day is June 26^th; please contact your child’s teachers if you are able to help with set up, clean up, or during the time that your child will be participating at water day.

Student Council thanks all of you who purchased Father’s Day treats.  Happy Father’s Day to all of our wonderful fathers!!

DCS 5^th/6^th

5^th/6^th

Sneak Peek:

This week students welcomed fourth grade students into our rooms to give them a preview of what it is like to spend a day at DCS. We are excited to have had a chance to meet them. On Wednesday, June 18th the DCS teachers will be holding an informational meeting for families of students who will be entering the fifth grade in 2014-2015.

DCS Beach Party:

The kids had a great time at the dance on Wednesday. Thank you to all who helped make the last dance of the year such a success!

SWO:

Students were given the date for next week’s SWO interviews. Students should come to school in professional dress for the interview. Take the time this weekend to listen to your child practice their answers to the list of potential questions they were given. Preparing in advance helps put the students at ease.

Water Day:

We are taking a head count for the last day of school. Please complete the form that was sent home this week to let us know if your child will be present for this fun filled last day of school.

PHSA 7^th and 8^th

 This week in PHSA….

Students are wrapping up their Shakespeare unit with preparations for their group script presentations next week in Mr. Mitri’s class.

7th-grade- Water Day information went out this week. We are asking for a $3 donation from any students that would like to participate. A day of fun in the water and snacks will be provided!!!!

Permission slips for the afternoon at the park will be going home on Monday and need to be returned by Friday, June 20th in order to go!

Counseling/Guidance Department News:

Thank you to the MHS students who helped with the Multicultural Fair today! Primary students K-4

had the opportunity to “Travel Around the World” at this fun and educational event.  There was music, crafts, dancing, and food samplings available.  We appreciate all the work that student volunteers and parents did to help make our 4^th Annual Multicultural Fair a success!

*****IMPORTANT REMINDER: Community Service Deadline – all volunteer hours for the 2013-2014 school year are due on Friday, June 27^th. 

No hours will be accepted after the deadline. Any hours worked during July will be included in the next school year.

Fast Track

***Attendance Policy reminder: Please remember that attendance during Fast Track is extremely important.  Due to the accelerated nature of classes, each day that is missed is equal to one entire week of school.  The maximum number of days allowed for absence during Fast Track is two days before resulting in a failing grade for the class.  Also, four tardies equal one day of absence.  Therefore, make sure your student comes to school daily and on time. Thank you for supporting our attendance policy during Fast Track.

COLLEGE INFO

All CES forms are due by next Friday, June 20^th, 2014.

Students who are interested in taking Fall 2014  Delta College classes can now apply online for admission at www.deltacollege.edu – It is highly important to apply early and schedule any required assessments as soon as possible.  Due to the limited number of college classes available, the sooner a new student applies, the better it will be! Registration appointments and class schedule will be available starting June 6^th.

More information on the College Early Start program, procedures, and dates can be found on the Counseling/Guidance department web page at www.tracylc.net

Community Service

Other News

Charter Chatter

A weekly newsletter written to parents of the Tracy Learning Center

June 6, 2014                                                                                                        No.38

I wanted to send out a heart-felt thank you to all the parents, staff and Tracy residents who voted to approve the Prop B bond during this week’s election.  I understand it can be a difficult decision when you are asked to pledge money towards any endeavor but I truly believe this bond money with go a long way in improving our facility at the Tracy Learning Center.  In turn, these improvements will help us continue to improve our educational program that has made us such an amazing educational institution.  We will keep you posted as the process moves forward.  It is an exciting time to be at TLC!

MHS will be having its annual craft fair on June 11th, 12th and 13th. All items are student made from the last school years technical construction classes. Come support our students and pick up some GREAT custom made furniture and wood working projects. The fair will be open each day in M-17, the band room from 2:30 to 4:30. Hope to see you there!

Our last day of school is Friday, June 27, 2014 and dismissal times are as follows:

PCS    11:30am

DCS    12noon

MHS   1230pm

 Our Snack Club will have their normal closing time for those registered in Snack Club.

 All students return to school on Monday, Aug. 4, 2014.

TDAP

Just a reminder letters have been sent home to all 6^th graders regarding TDAP Vaccines.

All 7^th grade students must provide the office with proof of his/her TDAP Vaccine (Pertussis – Whooping Cough) prior to their first day of school which is August 4, 2014.

7^th Grade – 12 Grade Students will not be allowed to attend school without this proof of vaccine.

You may bring this record in or fax this proof to Kay Fagundes at (209) 831-5243 or scan and email to kfagundes@tracylc.net .

PCS Gold

Golden Highlights:

PCS Gold
Golden Highlights:
Teachers have been busy keeping students engaged with learning in our last month of school! Just three weeks left!

Reminders:
Last day of school: June 27th
Primary students will have an early release of 11:30 this day!
Water Day: June 26th

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PCS Sapphire

The Sapphire Team had a fun week!

P-1 students had a great time on their field trip! They were so excited to finally get to see the animals they were writing about in their reports.  They are also enjoying learning about community helpers and the important services they provide. Next week they look forward to visits from some community helpers, including the Tracy Police Department. They are definitely feeling the excitement of the final few weeks of school and officially becoming 1st and 2nd graders!

P-6 students had a great week as we started our reading fair projects. It was so great to watch them as they designed their boards and wrote about their favorite book!  They can’t wait to show them off at Evening of Excellence on June 18th.  The students who met their AR goal were treated to an ice cream sundae party with all of the toppings on Thursday; what a great treat for such a hot day.

P-5 studied types of triangles and angles in Math this week. In Language Arts we have come to the end of Bandit’s Moon. Ask your student what historical facts they learned from the novel! Ask them who in the book was actually a real person and not a fictional character. The students had a great time learning how Joaquin felt riding a horse; thank you to the Mendez family for sharing your horses.

On Thursday June 12th, the Sapphire Student Council will be selling a gift for Dad in time for Father’s Day. The Sapphire students can purchase these gifts in P1 and P6 before morning Unity for $.50 each.  They are first come first served.

 DCS 5^th/6^th

DCS Beach Party:

The DCS dance is scheduled for after school next Wednesday, June 11. Permission slip forms for the DCS Beach Party themed event went home on Monday. Any students wish to attend must return the form with a parent signature to Ms. T.

SWO:

It was wonderful to receive completed scrapbooks from our students this week. Kids change quickly at this age and the scrapbooks preserve so many wonderful memories. Students should use these completed scrapbooks as portfolios that demonstrate success and growth. We expect to see them during their end of the year interviews the week of June 16-June 21st.

Incoming 5th Graders:

On June 18th the DCS teachers will be holding an informational meeting for families of students who will be entering the fifth grade in 2014-2015. It will be an opportunity to meet the teachers and learn a bit about how to make a smooth adjustment from Primary to DCS.

PHSA 7^th and 8^th

8th GRADE PROMOTION 2014

INFORMATION

Thank you all for your patience.  Here is the information you have been waiting for:.

There are 3 big events to discuss…..

1. FRIDAY, JUNE 20^th  COSMIC BOWLING 10:00 PM – 12:00 Midnight, Tracy Bowl

• Cost for this event is $15.00.  It includes shoes, bowling, food, drinks and the photo booth.
• School dress code applies at this event
• PLEASE pick your student up on time.

2. THURSDAY, JUNE 26^th Promotion Ceremony 7 PM on the MHS Baseball field

• Students should be in the gym at 6:30 PM completely dressed and in their gown.
• Cost for this event is $20.00.  It includes the gown, programs and misc expenses.
• There is reserved seating for disabled and the elderly along the first base line
• Boys must wear under their gown: a collared shirt, tie, slacks and good shoes.
• Girls should not wear flip flops, tennis shoes, or extremely high heels. They must wear gowns over their dresses, skirts, or slacks.

3. FRIDAY, JUNE 27^th Great America

• Students should be at the ACE train station in Tracy at 7:00 AM
• Cost for this event is $12.50 for the train and $27.50 for GA tickets
• Please send your student with money for lunch.
• Students will return to Tracy ACE station at 5:00 PM. Please be there to pick up your student on time.
• IF your student has a Great America season pass, they just need to purchase an ACE train ticket.

TOTAL Cost for students is $75.00.  If there is a hardship, please contact Mrs. King at lking@tracylc.net  to discuss arrangements.

All monies are due by Friday, June 13^th.  Make checks payable to TLC.  Thank you.

Counseling/Guidance Department News:

Thank you to everyone who volunteered today at our annual TLC cleanup day!!! Volunteers helped with all kinds of projects across campus to make this such a huge success!

Also a big shout out to our international cooking club! We would like thank everyone for making this first year an amazing and delicious experience!:)

MHS 5^th  Annual “Passport to the Millennium” Multi Cultural Fair – June 13^th, 2014 – 1:30PM – 3PM.  We already have eleven different cultures being represented! MHS student volunteers will be showcasing cultures from around the world to Primary Charter students grades K-4.  There will be plenty of food samplings, arts & crafts, and other exciting activities to showcase the unique blend of cultures within Millennium. This will be for students only!!

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Community Service Deadline – all volunteer hours for the 2013-2014 school year are due on Friday, June 27^th. 

No hours will be accepted after the deadline. Any hours worked during July will be included in the next school year.

Fast Track

The last day of 1^st semester Fast Track classes are this Tuesday, June 10^th.  The first day of 2^nd semester Fast Track is Wed, June 11^th.  Students needing to change classes will be notified individually next Tuesday.

***Attendance Policy reminder: Please remember that attendance during Fast Track is extremely important.  Due to the accelerated nature of classes, each day that is missed is equal to one entire week of school.  The maximum number of days allowed for absence during Fast Track is two days before resulting in a failing grade for the class.  Also, four tardies equal one day of absence.  Therefore, make sure your student comes to school daily and on time. Thank you for supporting our attendance policy during Fast Track.

COLLEGE INFO

Students who are interested in taking Fall 2014  Delta College classes can now apply online for admission at www.deltacollege.edu – It is highly important to apply early and schedule any required assessments as soon as possible.  Due to the limited number of college classes available, the sooner a new student applies, the better it will be! Registration appointments and class schedule will be available starting June 6^th.

More information on the College Early Start program, procedures, and dates can be found on the Counseling/Guidance department web page at www.tracylc.net

Community Service

Other News