Charter Chatter
A weekly newsletter written to parents of the Tracy Learning Center
Oct. 24, 2014 Vol. 12 No.12
| Virginia Stewart |
Virginia’s Voice
I gave a workshop this week regarding being an effective student. The workshop is worthwhile not only for those who attend, but for those who present. Mr. Woods and I were the presenters. He stressed how wonderful using Quizlet is for reviewing and learning school work. He also demonstrated how fantastic it is to work on a project using Google Docs. Technology is an incredible tool when used to help us study or learn. I explained that there are many good websites that can be used to help students learn about the books they are reading, the math they are doing, or the history and science they are studying. Many times, there are video tutorials that can help explain things that may have been confusing in class.
I am convinced that when students want to learn, there are aides out there that really can foster mastery. Encourage your student to use the Internet as a learning tool. It can make a big difference.
| Misc. Announcements |
Safety Concerns
PLEASE PLEASE be aware that around our campus there are many areas you CANNOT PARK. We realize space is limited on the small roads but we need to obey the laws because they protect our students. We have several crosswalks that we encourage students and parents to use. California law state you may not park within 20ft of a crosswalk or intersection. When cars are parked on the corner or near the crosswalk it is impossible to students crossing the road. Please take a minute to look before you park.
We have genuine concern about our Primary Gate in the morning. We have our Primary PE Staff watching the gate making sure students do not leave until the beginning of Unity and at that time the gate is closed and latched. Students who are dropped off after the beginning of Unity run up to the closed gate and wait until someone opens the gate. Many times the person opening the gate end up propping the gate which creates a very unsafe and risky environment for our young students. This gate must be shut and latched form the onset of Unity until dismissal time. We have ordered a new sign to remind parents and visitors to secure our gate and also will post a staff person at the gate until students are in class.
Safety Committee Meeting
The year is well underway and we want to hear from you. We will be holding a parent/teacher safety meeting in D1 (next to the front office) on Wednesday October 29, 2014 beginning at 4:30pm. We encourage parents and teachers to attend. It is always great to collaborate on what we are doing to keep our students safe and get feedback from you as to how we can continue to improve. Last year was a great success and led to a lot of upgrades and safety measures and we hope to keep that focus alive this year.
RETURN OF BIG COOKIE THURSDAY!!!
WOW!!! Thank you to everyone who came out to participate for Big Cookie Thursday! It was a huge success, more so than we ever expected! Next week we will be back and fully stocked with more delicious cookies. Our sincerest apologies if we ran out of cookies before you had a chance to get yours. Please come back on Thursday, October 30th to buy more cookies from our PCS student council!
Easy Fundraiser
We have partnered with eCycle Group to run a Recycling Fundraiser! The program runs year-round, accumulating constant income for our efforts. But we won’t get far without your support. How can you help? Instead of throwing away empty original printer cartridges and used cell phones please send them to us. We’ll take it from there. You can drop off your original cartridges and cell phones with Connie in the office.
Thank you for your support!
Next Holiday is Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014, Veteran’s day
| PCS/DCS Lunch Menu Week Oct. 27-31
Mon. – Pizza Tues. – Beef or Bean Burrito Wed – Chicken Patti Wednesday Thurs. – Ghoulish Chicken Fettuccini Fri. – Hotdogs |
| Primary Charter |
Wow! Big Cookie Thursday was a huge success! We sold out very quickly! Student council will be selling cookies everyThursday so be sure to bring your money next week! We will be sure to purchase plenty of cookies for everyone.
In Initial Phase this week we have continued our discussions about being a Proud Individual. We’ve had many students earn their Proud Individual bracelets!
Today is the kick off of Red Ribbon Week. Students will come home with their bracelets that say Think! Be Kind! Encourage your student to use their words and not their bodies to solve problems. Finally, we have been learning about plant needs and plant parts. We are excited to get to plant a real seed while we are at our field trip on Tuesday!
Phase 1 had an awesome week! They had a great time on their field trip to Countryside Farms. They planted seeds, went on a hayride, picked walnuts, learned how to make corn tortillas, picked a pumpkin, and got to pet some cute farm animals. They also had a busy week learning all about the life cycle of a pumpkin. Friday at unity we kicked off our Red Ribbon Week – our focus this year is Think! Be Kind!
Phase 2 students are becoming experts on the California Missions! We will have an upcoming Mission project we will be working on in class for the next few weeks. The teachers are eager to see what awesome projects our students will create! Both classes will also be taking a field trip in November. We are going to visit Mission San Juan Bautista. If you would like to chaperone, please make sure you are cleared in the office first. We will choose chaperones by a random lottery. On Friday students received their Red Ribbon Week bracelets that remind them to Think! Be Kind! Next week at Unity each class will present a short skit or song that reflects our theme of Think! Be Kind!
DCS 5th/6th
Star Student:
Congratulations to Chad Maciel for receiving the Star Student award this week. Chad has been a tremendous help as part of Mrs. Wallace’s unofficial technology crew. Chad has proven himself to be a leader among peers and we are happy to see that he is taking the lead in a positive direction. We commend Chad for his efforts and look forward to seeing where his leadership skills take him.
Science Camp:
Please remember that all camp registration forms are due to Ms. Pelaez no later than November, 7th. Late registration will not be accepted.
Fundraising:
For those students and families selling OUTDOOR EDUCATION RAFFLE tickets, they are due back Monday, November 3, sold or not. Any unsold tickets need to be returned by that day. We must turn them in to the County Office of Education that day. Thank you for your help raising funds for Science Camp.
SWO:
Students received their next SWO Project this week – Cooperative Collaboration. They will be given time in class and during Enrichment to work on their project, but it is a group project and they may need some time outside of school to get together. If you want to meet after school in a classroom, please make arrangements ahead of time with a teacher. Email is the best way to contact us. The final project is due Friday, December 5th. any questions, please contact the Language Arts teachers at lrodieck@tracylc.net or adelgado@tracylc.net. Thank you.
PHSA 7th and 8th
The student are reading The Giver and are finding it to be an exciting and interesting book. Teachers are seeing an improvement in reading and writing skills.
Social Studies is not just about history, students are learning how to organize work, understand the importance of the facts they are learning and the connection of aspects in history.
Math continues to show improvement, particularly at the higher levels. Mrs. King’s two highest Algebra groups are within a point of each other in their class averages.
Science students are doing a great job taking notes and organizing information.
PHSA Science Olympiad meeting will take place on Wednesday October 29th at 6pm in Mrs Kings room. We will be passing out event assignments and partners so we hope to see all Olympians at the meeting.
| MHS |
The second quarter is off to a good start at MHS. This is a critical time of the year for our students as they work toward having grades that will count on their transcripts for each of their classes. It is also a very fast moving part of the year, one where many classes move quickly and go through a lot of curriculum in a short amount of time. The quarter will end before we know it. Accounting for all the upcoming vacation for the Thanksgiving holiday and the fact that we actually start the third quarter before we leave for Christmas break. There are only five weeks of regular school left and one week for finals before the new quarter starts. Encourage your student to study at night even if they say they don’t have homework and ensure they are turning in all assignments. These two things will really make a difference come grade time.
The annual Haunted High is tomorrow night in the High School Gym. The students have worked very hard on this with Mr. Snyder all week and it is very impressive! It promises to be scary and fun. A tamer version for kids will be from 4-7 and then it gets really terrifying from 7-10 for the older crowd. There will be fun and food and games as well. It is always a great event and promises to be bigger and better than ever this year. Happy Halloween!
Mr. Saldate
Thank you everyone who participated in “Make a Difference Day.” There was a huge amount of support from our TLC families! All the donations will go to the McHenry house to support the families living there.
Thank you to the wonderful visitor we had this week in our Career Education classes: Angel Jimenez from ITT Technical Institute and Donna Baker, owner of At Home Real Estate Group.
Yesterday students had the opportunity to attend a field trip to UC Berkeley and St. Mary’s College. Our students toured both the UC Berkeley campus and the St. Mary’s College campus. Above is a picture from tier “Selfie Challenge” at St. Mary’s.
Community Service
There are a lot of community service opportunities this weekend. Please click the link below to view all of the opportunities. http://tracylc.net/uploads/3/2/6/9/3269718/october__2014.pdf
College Info
College Early Start Program – Spring Enrollment for Delta
Parents of students who are interested in taking classes at Delta College for the Spring 2014 semester need to carefully read the important steps listed on the website at http://tracylc.net/college-early-start.html Please remember that students participating in the College Early Start program must follow dates and deadlines and receive prior approval to take college classes while attending high school. TLC provides reimbursement for tuition for those who have prior approval to take specific classes with proof of payment and a successful course completion with a grade of “C” or better. Textbooks and additional fees are not reimbursable.
Letter to Parents: http://tracylc.net/uploads/3/2/6/9/3269718/delta_college_parent_and_student_registration_procedures.pdf
Check List: http://tracylc.net/uploads/3/2/6/9/3269718/delta_college_early_start_procedure_checklist_spring_2015.pdf
Dates and Deadlines: http://tracylc.net/uploads/3/2/6/9/3269718/spring_2015_important_dates_to_know.pdf
Free Practice SAT
The Tracy Public Library hosting a free practice SAT Test for 9th-12th graders on Saturday, November 15th from 8:00am to 12:00pm. Any students who would like to take the practice exam can sign up online, by phone, or in person. Space is limited to 40 students. Phone number 1-866-805-7323 or 209-937-8221
Dartmouth
Dartmouth is hosting two events in our area in October. The first is an information session is a presentation from admission staff and alumni and hoe their experiences equipped them to become founders of organizations and to realize their own goals and aspiration. This event will be held Tuesday, October 28th, at 7:00pm at Menlo School located at 50 Valparaiso Ave. in Atherton CA. On Wednesday, October 29th, Dartmouth will host an informational session at Bellarmine College Preparatory located at 850 Elm St. in San Jose. For more information on either of these events or to RSVP please visit http://dartgo.org/ontheroad.
Scholarships
There are three scholarships with deadlines this month. Please stop by the counseling office or check the link for more information. http://tracylc.net/counseling-home.html
United States Air Force Academy Forum
Learn about the US Air Force Academy, Cadet life and the application process. Admissions staff and recent graduates will be available to answer your questions. Saturday, November 8th, 2014 9:00am – 12:00pm Boulder Station Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, Nevada. Check in will begin at 8:00am.