Charter Chatter
A weekly newsletter written to parents of the Tracy Learning Center
Sept. 12, 2014 No.6
Virginia Stewart Virginia’s Voice
I read an article recently that I felt was a great indicator of successful teachers. It was addressed to parents and noted that as good as a school may be, it comes down to the teacher. A child’s education is determined by the commitment and ability of the teacher in the classroom. I honestly feel that the Tracy Learning Center strives to hire and maintain great teachers.
The article noted four ways to spot a great teacher. It said that parents should seek out educators who:
Have active intellectual lives outside their classrooms. Teachers with large vocabularies are better at their jobs because this trait is associated with being intelligent, well read and curious. The best teachers often love to travel, have fascinating hobbies, or speak passionately about their favorite philosopher or poet.
Believe intelligence is achievable, not inborn. Effective educators reject the idea that smarts are something that only some students have. They expect all children to perform at high levels, even those who are unruly, learning disabled or struggling with English. These teachers help students learn something new every day. Good teachers spend time going into depth rather than time teaching the same things the same way.
They are data driven. Effective teachers assess students at the start of units to find out strengths and weaknesses, then quiz students again when units end to determine whether concepts and skills have been learned. Teachers learn from the assessment and change plans according to student needs.
They ask great questions. They go beyond to obvious and ask the whys and hows of simple questions. They ask about connections to previous learning and they connect things for students by asking them to reflect and consider possibilities.
Parents and teachers can work together by supporting one another with these four great aspects. Good schools need effective teachers and parents working together.
Misc. Announcements
Your feedback is important to us…
TLC is looking for your input. We have posted a survey for and are hoping you will take a moment to answer a few questions. If you include your email in the final question, you will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card in appreciation of your time.
Drop Off and Pick Ups
We have recently had several complaints of unsafe drivers. A student was almost hit while crossing with the crossing guard due to people not slowing down or watching for pedestrians. PLEASE SLOW DOWN AND WATCH FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS CROSSING THE STREET. It is imperative for the safety of “our” children for drivers to drive safe so please SLOW DOWN!
EScrip and Target Red Card Benefits
Thanks to parents, teachers and other supporters in our Community, our school has benefitted from the Target Take Charge of Education Program. Just this week Target awarded our school a check for $877.01. To learn more about this program and how to engage additional support visit Target.com/TCOE
We appreciate the efforts of our parent, Jeanette Oliveri, who facilitates this ongoing fundraiser.
THE 2014 ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE
School is your first and most important job. Attend every day so that you can learn what you need to achieve your goals.
This September, University of the Pacific and our community partners are celebrating Attendance Awareness Month with the Every Day Counts Attendance Challenge. Here’s how it works:
We challenge you to build a habit of good attendance by coming to school on time every day, starting with the month of September. Students who have perfect attendance for the whole month will be entered into a drawing for prizes including Kindle E-readers, gift cards, tickets to Pacific athletic events and more. If you win, your school will be notified by October 10.
We hope you’ll participate by coming to school every day because Every Day Counts! Our counseling department will keep record of all students who have perfect attendance and submit them for this exciting and rewarding challenge.
PCS/DCS Lunch Menu Week Sept. 15-19 Mon. – Pizza
Tues. – Chicken Sandwich
Wed Hard Shell Beef Tacos
Thurs. – Cheese Ravioli
Fri. – Hamburger
Primary Charter
In Initial phase, we have enjoyed learning about weather, seasons, and climate this week. Students have been busy showing their knowledge through writing, illustrating, and projects. Next, we will focus on fall and how the weather changes. We are excited to welcome fall and the cooler weather. In addition, each class is working hard to learn sight words, letters, letter sounds, building strong number sense, and how to be a productive worker. Students in Initial phase come to school eager and ready each and every day to learn, grow, and play! What an amazing group of students!
Phase 1 students continue to be thrilled about learning! Science was really exciting this week. The students learned all about sound, pitch, volume, and vibration. They know that sound can travel through air, water, and solids. They even got to make their own guitar! In Writer’s Workshop students are finishing up their opinion writing. Next week we will begin writing friendly letters. Keep up those awesome AR scores and Rowely Math scores!! Thank you to those students that have graciously donated shoes for our “Soles for Souls” shoe drive. Progress Reports will be going home within the next couple of weeks. Be sure to look for those in your student’s folders. Enjoy Family Movie Night and have a great weekend!
Phase 2 is finishing up our geography unit. We are almost finished with our map project and then we will be learning about Native Californians. Every day in class our students use their supplies and binders and we are impressed with how organized they are! We also have been giving out a lot of productive worker SWOs!
Reminder: The Mixed Bag fundraiser ends on Friday, September 22nd. We do not have to collect sales tax on the items sold, just collect the amount listed in the catalog. Items will arrive about 2-3 weeks after the 22nd. Please make checks out to Tracy Learning Center. Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who donated shoes for “Soles for Souls.” The MHS leadership students were excited to get our donations!
DCS 5th/6th
Star Student:
Congratulations to Alyssa Garza for receiving the Star Student award this week! We appreciate Alyssa for the way she respects the learning environment by working quietly so others can think. Alyssa keeps her work organized and is always on task in class. She is an excellent role model!
All Green August:
Students who maintained an all green agenda in August were entered into a raffle for prizes. We had our drawing on Monday. Congratulations to our five winning students!
Drama/Music Exploration:
The students in the current Drama/Music exploration will be performing their well-rehearsed song for all of 5th and 6th grade during morning unity next Wednesday, September 17th. Parents are invited to enjoy the short performance.
Science Camp:
During Wednesday’s Science Camp meeting registration forms were distributed to families in attendance. Registration forms were also made available the following day at school for students of families who were unable to attend the meeting. Completed registration forms are due no later than November 7th. Additional information and downloadable forms and camp menus are available on the website of Ms. Pelaez under the Science Camp tab. Questions? Contact Ms. Pelaez (lpelaez@tracylc.net)
Soles4Souls:
TLC is sponsored a shoe collection for the charity Soles4Souls. Ms. T is collected donations for 5th and 6th grade. Thank you to all who participated.
PHSA 7th and 8th
PHSA
The leaders for Student Leadership have been named. We will report on their progress and activities in this section in the future. Congratulations to these students:
- Kendall Harrington
- Zaid Mamsa
- Armina Moshiri
- Veronica Knowlden
- Michael Morri
- Camille Cifra
- Lauren Gandall
- Marissa Magana
- Isaiah Woods
- Manal Siddiqui
- Nicole Young
- Nikole Morales
- Alyssa Barba
- Jasjot Kaur
- Emiliano Olmos
- Noah Morales
- Pooja Adapa
- Megan Chambers
- Gessica Oliveri
- Christine Santos
- Emma Sales
- Tariq Gaba
- Emiliano Olmos
- Noah Morales
- Pooja Adapa
The new leadership team is planning lunch time activities such as relay races, tug of war, and other fun things to do. They are beginning to plan their float for homecoming. The theme for PHSA is “Frozen” They are hoping for teachers and students to dress as characters from the movie. Mrs. Barrett is a favorite choice for Elsa!
The leadership team is encouraging students to bring in old shoes to help with the united shoe drive. The high school is doing a great job collecting old shoes. Please help PHSA have a sizeable donation.
Leadership also recognized the importance of being good role models in class and at Unity as well as offering to help other students in class.
We have hired a new math teacher for the PHSA team. We would like to thank Mrs. Sky for the great work she did filling in while we completed our search for a math teacher. We are proud to present Mr. Javier Gardea as our new teacher. We are very excited. He has background in math, science, native American Culture, and music.
The students have settled into a good routine and are now involved in completing the second SWO project. There will be teacher assistance and help in class. All students are expected to complete the SWO on time and well.
The PHSA Science Olympiad Team is beginning to form. If you are interested in being part of this amazing competition, please see Mrs. King for an application. We are looking for energetic, dedicated team members who are will to do their best to support their team. The main event is March 7th at the University of the Pacific. Hurry, there are a limited numbers of spots and they are filling fast. Applications are due by September 19th.
MHS Another week in the books at MHS! We had a successful spirit bus to our first away football game of the season. The students had a great time, were well behaved and very spirited. They represented MHS well at the game. The students are fast approaching the end of the first quarter. Now is the time to ensure assignments are being completed and turned in on time; that the first portion of the SWO projects are being completed and ready for submission and that studying is being done as midterms will be taking place.
We had CELDT testing this week for our English Language Learner Students and we anticipate that many of them will pass this exam and become re-designated as emerging fluent English students.
This is such a busy time of year with homecoming fast approaching, preparations being made for our annual Haunted High event and athletics in full swing. The successful students learn to strike a balance between all of these opportunities while making performance in classes their priority. The staff continues to be impressed with the level of behavior of the student body in general. We look forward to all our fall events just like the students but try to keep them focused on what is important and that is getting off to a solid academic start to the year.
Mr. Saldate
This week we had three speakers in the Junior Career Education class. Millennium High School would like to thank our speakers Nancy McDonald from FIDM (Fashion Institute and Design Merchandise), and John Amador.
If you or anyone you know has an interesting job and would be willing to be a speaker for the class please contact Ms. A in the counseling office at 209-627-8299 or at sarganbright@tracylc.net.
Community Service Block M Program
The Tracy Breakfast Lions Club has agreed to sponsor the community service Block M program and it is making its debut on the MHS campus this year. This program is a great opportunity for those students who go above and beyond in the community and who would like another opportunity to earn a Block Letter. To qualify for the program the graduation requirement of 200 hours must be completed. This program is in addition to not in conjunction with our graduation requirement. Anyone interested in the program can visit the counseling office or clink the link below for more information. http://tracylc.net/community-service.html
Snack Club Community Service Opportunity
There is currently a great opportunity after school to earn some community service hours. Volunteers are needed from 4pm to 6pm daily. Anyone interested in volunteering for the After School Snack Club will need to stop by the counseling office for an On Campus Volunteer Application.
Student Tutors Community Service Volunteers
Student tutors are needed to assist with Homework Support. Any students interested in volunteering please pick up an application from Mrs. Saldate or the Counseling Office.
College InfoPSAT Sign Ups Now Open!!!!
The PSAT will take place on Saturday, October 18th, from 7:30am to 11:30am in rooms M-1 and M-2. The cost is only $15.00. Space is limited so sign up early. Please keep in mind that students from any high school can sign up for the PSAT at MHS. Registration will be taken in the Counseling Office. Please bring payment when you register open to 9th, 10th and 11th grades.
CAPPEX Diversity + College Access Fair
The CAPPEX Diversity and College Fair is a virtual, free event for students to connect with colleges, chat with admissions counselors, get all their questions answered, and learn about campus life from current college students. Students also have a chance at winning a $1,000 scholarship just for attending. Registration for the event is FREE for students, and can be completed at this link: http://www.cappex.com/fair
CollegeBoard has a new partnership with Khan Academy! Students can download a real, full-length SAT practice test, watch Sal work through real SAT problems, and get even more practice using our interactive exercises, which feature tons of previously-unreleased problems from real SATs grouped by topic and difficulty level. If you’re taking the SAT in 2016 or later, we have even more exciting news for you. By spring 2015, you’ll have access to state-of-the-art learning tools–exercises, software diagnostics and videos–designed by Khan Academy and College Board specifically for the redesigned SAT. Stay tuned! Visit https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat for more information.
“The Official SAT Question of the Day” App
With the free Official SAT Question of the Day app, you can get ready for the SAT whenever and wherever you want. Download the app on your iOS or Android device to access the last 30 days’ worth of official SAT questions, take advantage of hints and answer explanations to help improve your performance, filter questions to focus on specific subject areas, track your progress, and see how it compares to others, access questions in off-line mode, keep up to date on upcoming SAT dates and registration deadlines. Remember: A little practice goes a long way. Download the app, and start practicing today! Also, available via Twitter @SATQuestion.
Tracy Unified School District College Fair
The Tracy Unified School District College fair will be held Monday, September 29th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at West High School. Breakout Sessions will include UC Admissions, West Point- Military Academics, CSU Admissions, Personal Statement, and NCAA Athletic Recruiting Education. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase. For contact information: 209-830-3370×3007 or ltomlin@tusd.net
Scholarship Opportunity with FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise)
Any junior or senior who is interested in leadership, fashion, and scholarship opportunities, please contact the Counseling Office. A representative from FIDM would like to assist the students of Millennium in acquiring $6,000+ in scholarship. Last year, 3 co-presidents of Fashion Club at Sierra HS in Manteca all received $6,000 each minimum in scholarship funding.
From a Parent
Dear Parents,
I need help taking my child to school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and a ride home after band practice on Tuesday afternoons at 5pm. We live in the Lourence Ranch community off of 11th St. and Crossroads. If you can help please call me at 209-597-3666.
Thank you very much,
Albert Garcia
TLC Charter Chatter
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