We wanted to remind all MHS parents and students that this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we will be running a modified minimum day schedule for the High School.
Students will have midterms from 8-12:30 and then will be dismissed to go home. For Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday high school ends at 12:30.
Some students may be leaving before 12:30 or coming in late if they do not have class during certain periods.
This schedule will NOT affect Discovery, DHSP or Primary. They are all on a regular full day schedule.
If you have any questions please contact the office – 209-831-5240
College is on the minds of many of our seniors as they prepare for the end of high school, and it should be. The marketplace is changing and there are many jobs that we have traditionally not even considered. Some do not require a four year degree to initially begin a career. Many jobs begin at an entry level with time for on the job training and advancing in education later as the job is better understood.
Recently both four year colleges and the junior colleges have focused on the idea of reminding students to do what matters for the world and for job satisfaction in life. The colleges have identified a list of the top 10 professional skills, or soft skills that a skills panel conducted with employers, educators, and innovative leaders across the nation. The top skills they identified as essential in today’s work world are:
Adaptability
Analysis/solution mindset
Communication
Collaboration
Entrepreneurial mindset
Self-awareness
Social/diversity awareness
Resilience
Digital fluency
Empathy
I found it interesting to note that our SWOs that are additional work added to our student expectations focus on these skills and help students track their growth in each of these skills.
No matter if a student attends a four year school, a two year college, or on the job training, these skills are essential to success.
Misc. Announcements
2015-2016 1st of the year Box Top contest!!!!!
The contest will run through October 1st. The classroom who brings in the largest number of Box Tops willwin a special treat!
Picture Re-Take Day
Picture Re-takes for all students is Tuesday, October 13, 2015. Lifetouch will be sending flyers home soon. If you were dissatisfied with your previous pictures of your student from August, please send the entire envelope in on re-take Day.
PCS/DCS Lunch Menu Week Sept. 28 – Oct. 2
Mon. – Pizza
Tues. – Sloppy Joes
Wed – Chicken or Cheese Quesadilla
Thurs. – Beef Nachos
Fri. – Beef Hot Dog
T K
Happy first week of Fall! The TK students are learning about the four seasons and what happens in the environment as the seasons change. They loved sorting and exploring items that would be used in each season. Using realia (objects from real life) helps students develop a deeper understanding of concepts we are learning, helps them make connections to our learning objectives, and makes topics in school more meaningful to them in their day to day lives. We have a full class of explorers and scientists! Students extended their fall learning by sharing about themselves and creating a fall ‘Tree of Me’. They had so much fun learning about their friends!
Primary Charter
PCS parents: Thank you for your Mixed Bag orders…PCS sold over $5000 for the fundraiser! Wow!
We are still collecting coins for the Red Cross. Thank you to everyone who has already donated.
We are also collecting Box Tops! These really add up for our school. Please send them to school with your child. Thank you!
Initial Phase: At the end of each month each classroom will choose 2 or 3 students to receive a SWO of the month certificate. SWO of the Month certificates are handed out at a special Unity on the last school day of the month. This month three students from P-6 will be chosen as our Productive Worker of the month. Reminder, read every night and study both present and past sight words.
Phase 1 students enjoyed learning all about Johnny Appleseed this week! In Writer’s Workshop they got to taste test different apples and decide which kind they liked best. This will be the topic of their next opinion writing assignment. Some students even got make applesauce! In Social Studies they learned about different land forms and what makes a community rural, urban, or suburban. We celebrated the first day of fall and talked about what kinds of things we can expect this season. We are looking forward to our first field trip! Please look in your student’s folder for information soon. Please continue to encourage your student to read daily.
Phase 2 students are really impressing us with their hard work in AR! Most students have received their new AR goal. If not, they will receive them soon. We set a new goal for students every six weeks. We also retest their reading level throughout the trimester. We are proud of the growth we are seeing. Remember, read for at least 20 minutes every night!
Discovery Charter
THANK YOU DHSP (Discovery High School Prep 7/8)…On Thursday, DHSP’s Exploration dancers entertained DCS students. The dance was amazing. Then, on Friday, DCS students were invited to walk through art exhibits created by DHSP students. DCS students were impressed with DHSP’s talent.
Anti-Bully Poster Winners – Students who earned the top “Bully Poster Artists” in their classes (5th and 6th) were invited to join Mr. Young, Millennium High School’s Art Teacher. Mr. Young talked discussed scaling a poster from an 8 x 9 to a 16 x 18. Winning students were asked to complete their 16 x 18 Anti Bully Poster by September 29th. Top poster winners will be announced by October 2nd. Top TLC winners will move onto the TUSD contest, those winners will be announced in November.
Science Olympiad meeting….Calling all future scientists! Please plan to attend our Science Olympiad informational meeting on Thursday, October 8, from 5:00 – 6:00 in Room M1. If you have questions, email Ms. Pelaez, lpelaez@tracylc.net.
SPELLING BEE: We had our FORTH Spelling Bee meeting on Thursday. If your child is practicing for the Spelling Bee, please help them at home. Students will continue to study their current word lists, and follow their spelling strategies to learn to spell words. If you have questions, please email shawkins@tracylc.net or lrodieck@tracylc.net.
EVERYDAY COUNTS! This September, University of the Pacific and community partners are celebrating Attendance Awareness Month with an Every Day Counts Attendance Challenge. Any student who comes to school on time, every day in September will be entered into a drawing for prize. Prizes include E-readers, gift cards, tickets to Pacific athletic events, and more. Help your child to have PERFECT ATTENDANCE!!
GRADES: Grades will be updated on September 30th. Contact your child’s teacher if you have questions. Be sure to look for updates every other Wednesday or review the school’s website daily for your child’s grades.
A WINDOW INTO YOUR CHILD’S DAY AT DCS:
Ms. Pelaez’s Science: Students are always excited to walk into science. A day in Ms. Pelaez’s room brings everything from videos to hands-on experiments. This week students reviewed major concepts related to graphing. Students conducted an experiment on how many dots one could create in timed intervals. The results were graphed and discussed.
Ms. Zaca’s Social Studies: Students are learning about early laws. They are beginning to understand how laws came about, and where they have moved to since the beginning of Hammurabi’s law. Students are fascinated by the changes overtime, and have time to discuss and debate fairness in the laws of yesterday compared to today.
Ms. Rodieck’s Language Arts: Block One students began reading The Shark Callers this week. Ask them what they have learned about volcanos. Block Two and Block Three classes will be finishing up their books next week and will have in-class open book finals for the books. Gentle reminder that Book Reports for Ms. Rodieck’s classes are due Wednesday, September 30th.
Mrs. Hawkins’ Language Arts: Students in each class are finishing up novels and projects where they review character traits. Block One Students are learning how to read articles rhetorically. Block Two students are building presentation skills as they act out parts of the book, bringing characters to life as we read. Block Three students are reading articles rhetorically and writing summaries of the articles each week.
Mrs. Beckner’s Math: Block One is studying integers and how they relate to finance and everyday life. Students will connect integers to temperature, stock market, and banking. Block Two is completing fraction concepts and number theory. Ask your child to help you determine sale prices when shopping. Block Three is working on fraction concepts and number theory. We are having a great time using pictures, and working with peers to learn these concepts.
Ms. T’s Math: Students in Algebra 56 (Block one), received results for their Unit 2 test averaging 87.8% and are half-way through Unit 3. Great Job!! Block Two is working on an exciting bakery project, using their knowledge of fractions to create a business plan to include profit margins, budgets, and estimating. Block Three is working on long division operations while collaborating peers.
PE: Students continue their daily PE activities each day. They work on individual skills and as a team.
DCS teachers welcome parent communication, please contact us if you have questions, concerns, or ideas!
Ms. T’s students work together to learn math concepts
.
DHSP
DHSP Charter Chatter:
Siberian Den won for most school Spirit and they were rewarded with a Menchies yogurt during lunch on Thursday.
Den Points:
Malayan———–17,995
Sumatran———17,490
Siberian———-17,418
Bengal————15,690
Students with highest Den points:
Zaid Mamsa——-280 (Bengal)
Kylie Suttle——-240 (Sumatran)
Paige Faaborg—–235 (Siberian)
Tejas Gill———-230 (Malayan)
English:
Mrs. Stewart’s English 78 has begun the newest of our competitions. Taking the idea from Math Olympiad which she has done for three years with her math class, she is now offering SAT Olympiad for her students. Students will compete in groups using individual averages every Tuesday. The average for the first competition was quite good, out of a possible 12, the winning group scored a 9.8! What the students are learning in English is great preparation for high school and college. That is exactly what Discovery High School Prep is all about.
Math:
Math: Continuing in a vigorous curriculum students are being challenged daily to think outside of the box.
Pre Algebra is continuing with Unit 2: Parts and Wholes. Currently we are converting fractions to decimals to percents. Real life application problems such as test scores.
In Algebra we are finishing up unit one as we detoured and completed a review unit half way through. Currently students are conquering exponents and all of the rules that come with them.
Geometry is wrapping up unit two and so far they are dominating the curriculum. We have a large and independent group that work hard and seem to be enjoying the class a lot this year so far.
Exploration:
Dance Exploration had two well attended performances!!!
Art:
Art: As we wrap up this round in art we are finishing a canvas painting. This project shows a variety of tints and shades of the primary and secondary colors. Such a fun project that has stretched the creativity of each student.
Leadership:
We will need help from parents constructing this float for homecoming. If you own a truck and a flat bed that you would be willing to allow DHSP to use for the parade please contact Mrs. Saldana at asaldana@tracylc.net as soon as possible.
Thank you for your continued support. It is greatly appreciated.
If you do not want your student to have his/her photo published please notify Mrs. Wallace at dwallace@tracylc.net
DHSP teachers welcome parent communication, please contact us if you have questions, concerns, or ideas!
The first quarter midterms will be held Tuesday, September 29th –Thursday, October 1st. All students were given their midterm schedule last week. Please note that Tuesday-Thursday is 12:30pm early release days. Monday and Friday are regular school days.
Fresno State University and UC Merced Filed Trip for 10th – 12th grade students only.
Millennium High School students’ grades 10th – 12th will be visiting Fresno State University and UC Mercedon Monday, October 19th from 7:00am to 4:30pm. Students will be eating lunch at Fresno State. Any student attending the trip will need to bring a sack lunch or money for lunch in the dining hall. The cost of this field trip is $23.00
Youth Advisory Commission Applications
The City of Tracy’s Youth Advisory commission is seeking new commissioners’ grades 9-11. The purpose of the commission is to provide youth with an opportunity to make recommendations to staff, Parks and Community Services Commission, City Council and other groups on matters related to the welfare of youth in Tracy. The commission meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, 333 Civic Center Plaza, Conference Room 203. If you are interested please pick up an application from the counseling office or City Hall. Applications are due September 30th.
Community Service Opportunities
HO Train Display at the Tracy Museum: Saturday, September 26th from 9:30am-4:00pm at the Tracy Historical Museum at 1141 Adam Street. Students will help Run the museums HO Train, and assist other museum visitors to operate the Museum HO Train. Work an information booth to give away coloring sheets to children, and sales of publications. Operate a digital projector. Please email Bill Carter as possible if you can commit to volunteering wjabcart@pacbell.net
Chest of Hope Inc.Saturday, October 3rd, 2015 from 10:45am – 2:00pm at Lincoln Park. Volunteers are needed for face painting and other children’s activities
Mountain House Flag Football: Saturday, September 26 at 8:00am-2:00pm. Location: Mountain House at Bethany Park (corner of Legacy and Communidad) or Bethany School (corner of Heritage and Communidad) Responsibilities include: filming games and/or selling concessions at the snack table. Volunteers need to be at least 13 years old. Contact: Andy Su
Coming Soon! 8th Annual Community Service Fair
The community service fair will be held on Thursday, October 8th. Many non-profit organizations will be present to allow students the chance to sign up for volunteer opportunities. All students will have the opportunity to meet representative from these organizations and learn about the volunteer needs throughout the community. If you know of an organization who should be present at the event please send their contact information to Ms. Arganbright in the counseling office. Email: sarganbright@tracylc.net Phone: 209-627-2899
PSAT
The PSAT will be held on Wednesday, October 14th, 2015. The cost is $18.00 which includes study materials and the test itself. The testing day will be on Wednesday, October 14th from 7:30am-12pm in rooms M-1 and M-2. Please sign up in the counseling office. Space is limited so sign up soon. The test fee is due when registering for the test. Once we have reached capacity we will take a short waitlist.
Other News
Save the Date!! College Early Start Program – Spring Enrollment for Delta
Parents of students who are interested in taking classes at Delta College for the Spring 2016 semester need to carefully read the important steps listed on the website at http://millenniumhscounseling.weebly.com/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. The college early start student only informational meeting will be tentatively held on Thursday, October 22nd during lunch.
NUUE Tour
In October 2015, admission officers from our four universities will host a group presentation and then be available for questions during an hour and a half program for you and your family in the San Jose and Berkeley. Please visit www.theNUUEtour.org for more information or to register.
Expanding Your Horizons Conference – Young Women Grades 6th – 12th
Expanding Your Horizons is a career conference for 6th-12th grade young women. This event will be held on October 10, 2015 at the University of the Pacific, Stockton Campus. For more information or to register for the event please visit www.sjeyh.org.
We have already been in school for seven weeks. Time goes quickly, but the exciting part is seeing the growth in the children we teach. It is important not to look at what your child does not know, but what he or she has learned so far this year.
I like to take time to talk to children and to ask,” what is something you have learned this year.?” Then I let them say anything they like and then I discuss it with them to add more depth or interest. If you find this is not as easy as I make it sound, try asking a few times and doing what I am suggesting and see if it gets better. I am sure students want to share what they are learning. Yes, even in high school.
Then there is always the news. Find something in the news to follow with your student and then discuss it. What is happening, how do each of you feel about the topic. What do you understand about the topic’s background.
Finally, I like sharing a TV show or a book to discuss the characters and their values and I like to predict what might happen next or how I feel about the characters .
Believe it or not, if you do some of these things with your child, you are actually helping your son or daughter with the priorities of new testing…thinking and learning by using what we already know.
Misc. Announcements
PreK
Thank you to all those who have visited our new Grant Line site thus far! We hope to see more of you as the year goes on.
Prekindergarten is now up and running on the website, for any of you who may receive inquiries regarding the program. 🙂 Hope each of you are having a great start to the year!
We are having an ELAC committee meeting on Friday, September 25th at 4:10 pm. We will meet in room D-3 Any parent who would like to share an opinion regarding English language learners is invited. We will focus on discussing what resources are available and how to further support EL students. Your input is greatly appreciated. If you have further questions, please contact Rosario De La Torre at rdelatorre@tracylc.net.
La siguiente junta del comité de ELAC se llevará a cabo el 25 de septiembre a las 4:10 pm. La junta tomará lugar en el salón D-3. Cualquier padre que esté interesado en compartir su opinión sobre los alumnos aprendices del inglés (English learners) es bienvenido. Estaremos discutiendo el cómo mejorar los programas actuales que la escuela ofrece para beneficio de estos estudiantes. Si tiene preguntas, por favor de contactar a Rosario De La Torre al correo electrónico rdelatorre@tracylc.net
PCS/DCS Lunch Menu Week Sept. 21 – 25
Mon. – Pizza
Tues. – Chicken Nuggets
Wed – Beef or Cheese Lasagna
Thurs. – Mac or Cheese
Fri. – Beef or Vegi Burger
T K
TK students are settling in and becoming accustomed to all of our routines. This week they found out which Language Arts and Math groups they will be in for centers. They are energized and excited about learning! In science, TK students began exploring their five senses. They did experiments using only one sense at a time to make predictions about various items and even got to do some fun taste-testing. They enjoyed becoming scientists and exploring within our classroom using their senses!
Please remember to keep an extra set of clothing in your child’s backpack in a labeled, ziplock bag. Thank you!
Primary Charter
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Mixed Bag fundraiser. Orders should arrive in about 3 weeks.
Primary is holding a coin drive to benefit the families affected by the recent wildfires. We are collecting coins until Friday, October 2nd. All money collected will go to the American Red Cross. This is a great way to teach our PCS students that a small act of kindness can make a big difference!
In initial Phase this week students practiced so many early reading skills. Students are learning letter sounds, how to recognize capital and lowercase letters, how to blend sounds together to make words, and even how to identify characters, settings, problem and solution. In math, many students are learning how to write and recognize numbers to 5, decompose 2,3, and 7, patterns, geometry terms such as vertices and edges, and how to use a number line! So much learning so little time! We have included a video of our day!
Phase 1 students continued their Social Studies Unit on maps, learning the 7 continents and 5 main oceans. Their opinion writing is improving each week as they learn to add more details and descriptive words. The students are working hard toward their AR goals. Make sure to check their folder each week to see their progress and remind them to take quizzes each week. Just a reminder: Parent/Student Work is intended to help your student study and review concepts they are learning in class. Students are not penalized for not “doing” or turning in homework. However, it is for their benefit to practice daily, especially reading. The most important thing is discussion….have a discussion about what your student is learning!!!
Phase 2 students have been working hard to meet their AR goals. Every six weeks we will assign new goals. We are proud of how hard everyone has worked during this goal period. Please make sure your child is reading a variety of literature including fiction chapter books, biographies, history, and other non-fiction. They can even read magazines, newspapers, and poetry. Also, please make sure your child has a library card! We are looking forward to our monthly walks to the city library.
Music Notes
Dear Primary Parents and Students,
I would like to thank you for your hard work and generous contributions during last year’s jog-a-thon. Due to the tremendous success of that fundraiser I have had funds to shop for some fun items to use in our primary music classes. So far I have purchased the following items: bouncy balls (we play a beat game), several musical educational DVD’s to use when it is hot, rainy or with a substitute. Rhythm instruments: maracas, triangles, tone blocks, castanets, claves, tambourines, rhythm sticks, guiros, cow bells, and sleigh bells. I also purchased several containers in which to organize the instruments and a shelving unit to store everything. And last, but not least, a portable PA system to try to save my voice from being strained, since I talk and sing all day! The students played with the instruments for the first time this week. They were very excited! Thanks again for your support!
Lesley Watson
Primary Music Teacher
Discovery Charter
WE WANT YOU!!!…SCIENCE OLYMPIAD: It is that time of year again!!! All science enthusiasts please attend our Science Olympiad informational meeting on Thursday, October 8, from 5:00 – 6:00 in Room M1. It is a great use of time, as you can learn about dates, practice times, and more! We are excited to be part of this magnificent educational endeavor. Come join us!!! If you have questions, email Ms. Pelaez, lpelaez@tracylc.net.
MIXED BAG FUNDRAISER: Thank you for supporting our mixed bag fundraiser. Monies were due today, Friday, 09/18/2015. We appreciate your support.
SPELLING BEE: We had our THIRD Spelling Bee meeting on Thursday and needed to open two classrooms to allow everyone to fit. If your child is practicing for the Spelling Bee, please help them at home. They received new spelling lists to study from, and they have spelling strategies to learn. If you have questions, please email shawkins@tracylc.net or lrodieck@tracylc.net.
EVERYDAY COUNTS! This September, University of the Pacific and community partners are celebrating Attendance Awareness Month with an Every Day Counts Attendance Challenge. Any student who comes to school on time, every day in September will be entered into a drawing for prize. Prizes include E-readers, gift cards, tickets to Pacific athletic events, and more. Help your child to have PERFECT ATTENDANCE!!
GRADES: Updated grades were written in your child’s agenda on Wednesday, September 16th. Please look on their September behavior calendar. Contact your child’s teacher if you have questions. Be sure to look for updates every other Wednesday or review the school’s website daily for your child’s grades.
Leadership: This week during unity, students who received blue tickets for good behavior, had a chance to win a donut. Six WELL BEHAVED students won. Congratulations to all students who received a blue ticket, and to the winners. You are appreciated!
DCS teachers welcome parent communication, please contact us if you have questions, concerns, or ideas!
Working together to gain knowledge and respond to questions as a team
DHSP Charter Chatter:
What a spirit filled week!! Lots of students participated in the first spirit week of the year. It was wonderful to see DHSP embracing the new culture of the middle school.
English:
Advanced English called English 78 continues the reading and discussion of the characters involved in the novel, Lord of the Flies. The students realize that the novel was written to support the belief of Thomas Hobbes and are seeing evidence to support his philosophy as the boys spend more time on the island. In addition to literature, the students are learning about rules of debate, commas, thesis statements to support writing, and grammar including diagramming sentences with participles. Writing is also improving. Writing once a week is a great way to improve and to become fluent as a writer. Mrs. Stewart is pleased with the progress the students are making.
In Mrs. Sierra’s English class students are practicing proper verb usage and sentence diagramming. Students are discovering that proper grammar sometimes “sounds funny” because we often neglect grammar rules when speaking. It is a work in progress, but students are improving!
In Mrs. Saldana’s ELA classes this week we are continuing to develop an understanding of Diagramming Predicate Nominatives and Predicate Adjectives. The students are enjoying reading Lord of the Flies and we are more than half way through the book.
Math:
Math in Mrs. Dominguez’s class is continuing in a vigorous curriculum that challenges every student. Geometry has been so exciting so far and will only get better as we begin geometry proofs. Math is FUN!!
Mrs. Ulricksen’s classes:
Intro to Algebra:Our kids are learning how to deal with exponents and all their rules. We have covered almost every rule that applies. It is a work in progress, but we are moving right along.
Algebra 1: We are learning how to solve equations. We started slow with 2-step equations and sped it up to multi-step equations and now starting to work with some word problems. Ask the kids what VESA means. Test them to see if they have been studying.
Algebra 2: This class continually blows me away. We are in Chapter 4, finally done with Algebra 1 review. We are moving right along with Matrices. It seems easy now to most of them, it will get pretty intense. I believe they will all continue to do great in here. We just took our first quiz for Chapter four and had a 90% average. WOW!
Science: Science has finished their first lab and the Class is working on the chemistry of life.
Social Science: The Social Studies classes began their unit test on the Medici Family on Friday. They also turned in some very creative information scrolls.
Exploration:
Dance Exploration will be having two performances Next Week!!!
Thursday, September 24th in the Gym at 7:55
Friday, September 25th in the DHSP Quad at 7:55
Parents are invited to attend one or both performances 🙂
Academic Competition: As students await pentathlon curriculum from the county, they are keeping their minds sharp through a variety of activities. Students are practicing math and team building skills through Math Olympiad drills, and individual logic through tangram puzzles and plexers.
Self-Awareness: We just introduced the final piece of this exploration. They will write a self-reflection essay. It is to explain who they are and how they got to be where they are today. There is much more to it, but it is a great piece to have to look back on and reflect on. We also just started talking about long terms and short term goals. We started with a 10-year plan and will work our way down to a 1 year plan.
Art:
In art we are working on silhouette paintings. They are looking awesome!!
Art Exploration is wrapping this rotation with some fun projects that express each students creativity. From markers to oil pastels and paint, we have been having a great time channeling out inner artists over the last 7 weeks.
Leadership:
Leadership is beginning to work on the float for the Homecoming Parade in October. Our theme this year is Road Trips and our float is going to be an RV with makeshift landmarks from all over the U.S.
We will need help from parents constructing this float for homecoming. If you own a truck and a flat bed that you would be willing to allow DHSP to use for the parade please contact Mrs. Saldana at asaldana@tracylc.net as soon as possible.
Thank you for your continued support. It is greatly appreciated.
If you do not want your student to have his/her photo published please notify Mrs. Wallace at dwallace@tracylc.net
DHSP teachers welcome parent communication, please contact us if you have questions, concerns, or ideas!
Fresno State University and UC Merced Filed Trip for 10th – 12th grade students only.
Millennium High School students’ grades 10th – 12th will be visiting Fresno State University and UC Merced on Monday, October 19th from 7:00am to 4:30pm. Students will be eating lunch at Fresno State. Any student attending the trip will need to bring a sack lunch or money for lunch in the dining hall. The cost of this field trip is $23.00
Youth Advisory Commission Applications
The City of Tracy’s Youth Advisory commission is seeking new commissioners’ grades 9-11. The purpose of the commission is to provide youth with an opportunity to make recommendations to staff, Parks and Community Services Commission, City Council and other groups on matters related to the welfare of youth in Tracy. The commission meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, 333 Civic Center Plaza, Conference Room 203. If you are interested please pick up an application from the counseling office or City Hall.
Community Service Opportunities
Mountain House Flag Football: Saturday, September 19 at 8:00am-2:00pm. Location: Mountain House at Bethany Park (corner of Legacy and Communidad) or Bethany School (corner of Heritage and Communidad) Responsibilities include: filming games and/or selling concessions at the snack table. Volunteers need to be at least 13 years old. Contact: Andy Su
Tracy Raiders Youth Football: Saturday, September 19 – 10 volunteers from 8:00am-8:00pm. Location: Kimball High School Football field.
Contact: Claudia 209-914-5079
HO Train Display at the Tracy Museum: Saturday, September 19th and Sunday September 20th from 9:30am-4:00pm at the Tracy Historical Museum at 1141 Adam Street. Students will help Run the museums HO Train, and assist other museum visitors to operate the Museum HO Train. Work an information booth to give away coloring sheets to children, and sales of publications. Operate a digital projector. Please email Bill Carter as possible if you can commit to volunteering wjabcart@pacbell.net
Coming Soon! 8th annual Community Service Fair
The community service fair will be held on Thursday, October 8th. Many non-profit organizations will be present to allow students the chance to sign up for volunteer opportunities. All students will have the opportunity to meet representative from these organizations and learn about the volunteer needs throughout the community. If you know of an organization who should be present at the event please send their contact information to Ms. Arganbright in the counseling office. Email: sarganbright@tracylc.net Phone: 209-627-2899
PSAT
The PSAT will be held on Wednesday, October 14th, 2015. The cost is $18.00 which includes study materials and the test itself. The testing day will be on Wednesday, October 14th from 7:30am-12pm in rooms M-1 and M-2. Please sign up in the counseling office. Space is limited so sign up soon. The test fee is due when registering for the test. Once we have reached capacity we will take a short waitlist.
Other News
NUUE Tour
In October 2015, admission officers from our four universities will host a group presentation and then be available for questions during an hour and a half program for you and your family in the San Jose and Berkeley. Please visit www.theNUUEtour.org for more information or to register.
Update: Homework Support!!!
The homework support room is open Monday-Wednesday from 4:05 PM-4:45 PM in room M-2. All students are welcome to come for educational tutoring and support.
Tutors wanted!!!
If you are interested in tutoring on campus please stop by the counseling office for an application.
Give Every Child A Chance – Tutors Wanted!!!
Give Every Child A Chance is a tutoring/mentoring program that needs volunteer tutors! If you are interested in tutoring 7th-12th grade students here at Tracy Learning Center for two community service hours a week (which can go toward a block letter!).
Expanding Your Horizons Conference – Young Women Grades 6th – 12th
Expanding Your Horizons is a career conference for 6th-12th grade young women. This event will be held on October 10, 2015 at the University of the Pacific, Stockton Campus. For more information or to register for the event please visit www.sjeyh.org.
Save the Date!! College Early Start Program – Spring Enrollment for Delta
Parents of students who are interested in taking classes at Delta College for the Spring 2016 semester need to carefully read the important steps listed on the website at http://millenniumhscounseling.weebly.com/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. The college early start student only informational meeting will be tentatively held on Thursday, October 22nd during lunch.
Our school was contacted by Tracy Police Department and made aware that their is activity several blocks from the school ( the Tracy PD website mentions a suspicious device at an apartment complex near Parker and Eaton).
We are not being asked to do anything other than keep our student out of the way so we do not “clog the streets” as our high school students leave.
We are going to have all students eat lunch inside and PE classes will be held inside. We are also have high school student who normally leave at lunch stay on campus until we are advised otherwise.
We continue to work with Tracy Police so we keep everyone safe and avoid interfering with their work.
We will definitely communicate with Parents via email or phone calls if the situation changes.
Schools have received results from the state testing taken last spring. This testing is the new format set by the state that focuses on the use of technology and higher level thinking skills as well as application for problem solving.
The results returned to the school seem to be quite good for a start. We have nothing to compare the scores to other than other schools. These are baseline scores. We will study the results and see what we can do to improve.
Each of you will receive a personalized report if you child took the tests. The report is quite extensive and gives an overall score and subtests scores. Test results are available for grades 3 and 4, 5 and 6 and 7, 8, and 11.
The more students take these computerized tests, the better they will do and the more we will learn about expectations and standards.
I am convinced the emphasis on research, rhetorical reading, writing, and math application and problem solving is important and is the future of education. I wholeheartedly support the new testing emphasis and believe it has been the priority of the Tracy Learning Center since we began.
Misc. Announcements
Parent Volunteers
Any parents who plan on volunteering this year must bring in their appropriate paperwork including a cleared TB Test which is good for 4 years and give it to Kay Fagundes. These forms are available in the front waiting area.
PCS/DCS Lunch Menu Week Sept. 14 – 18
Mon. – Pizza
Tues. – Chicken Patti Sandwich
Wed – Chicken Alfredo Fettuccini
Thurs. – Beef or Bean Burrito
Fri. – Beef Hot Dog
T K
TK had a wonderful first week of school! We explored our classroom, made new friends, and began learning our classroom routines. We also learned fun things like syllables, rhyming, alliteration, and graphing. We are looking forward to a great school year!
Primary Charter
All PCS parents: The Mixed Bags fundraiser is well underway! All orders are due on September 18th. Orders will arrive 2-3 after the 18th. Thank you!
In Initial Phase this week, students have been discussing the forecast and how to dress appropriately. Furthermore, we have discussed summer activities, weather, and words to describe summer. As fall comes closer and closer we will discuss how the weather will become cooler and cooler. After the temperatures this week, it cannot be soon enough! Reminder, study sight words, both past and present as often as your schedule allows. Sight words are found in everything we read and cannot be easily sounded out.
This week Phase 1 students had fun learning about different kinds of maps and parts of a map. They know what a map scale is, a map key, a compass rose, and even know how to read map coordinates. Some students made a map to our Time Capsule! Other students are really enjoying reading and learning all about Johnny Appleseed. Later this month we will be writing an opinion piece on whether we like red apples or green apples. In Art the students are learning all about lines, patterns, and organic and geometric shapes. We are definitely looking forward to cooler weather. Please make sure your student has a water bottle labeled with their name for those hotter days.
The Phase 2 Primary Leadership students were hard at work this week! Their first project was campus beautification and they did an awesome job picking up trash and making our school a more pleasant place. Phase 2 students are finishing up our unit on animal groups. We’ve learned so many interesting facts and have expanded our science vocabulary! Please make sure that agendas are getting signed on Fridays. This is also a great way to communicate with the teachers…if you have a question or concern, you can always write it in your child’s agenda. Overall, we are very impressed with how responsible everyone has been with their agendas.
Discovery Charter
What a great way to end our week!! Discovery PE brought FOOTBALL FRIDAY to campus. Coach Wood’s brought some Millennium Falcon football players to play a game of football against our brave and talented staff members…..ask your child who won, and who their favorite player is. Students and staff alike wore their favorite team jerseys and cheered the players on. This event brought school unity, laughter, and competition. THANK YOU TO OUR GREAT PE STAFF!!!
MIXED BAG FUNDRAISER: Information for our mixed bag fundraiser was sent home last week. If you have not had a chance to look at the catalogs, please take the time to look at the merchandise. The quality bags are a fun way to carry items, make terrific gifts, and are a great way to help the environment! The 5/6 class who earns the most money for the fundraiser will receive a special treat!!
SPELLING BEE: We had our SECOND Spelling Bee meeting on Thursday and the classroom overflowed with students. Mrs. Stewart was our guest speaker. She will be the hostess of our Spelling Bee competition which will be held the first week of November (date TBA). If your child is practicing for the Spelling Bee, please help them at home. If you have questions, please email shawkins@tracylc.net.
UNITY: Our Leadership group keeps unity entertaining.
Last Friday we had dancers, who made everyone smile! What talent we have at TLC!!!
At DCS, students work with peers to get learn concepts.
EVERYDAY COUNTS!: This September, University of the Pacific and community partners are celebrating Attendance Awareness Month with an Every Day Counts Attendance Challenge. Any student who comes to school on time, every day in September will be entered into a drawing for prize. Prizes include E-readers, gift cards, tickets to Pacific athletic events, and more. Help your child to have PERFECT ATTENDANCE!!
GRADES: Updated grades will be placed in your child’s agenda on Wednesday, September 16th. Please review their grades and contact your child’s teacher if you have questions. Look for updates every other Wednesday.
DCS teachers welcome parent communication, please contact us if you have questions, concerns, or ideas!
Even though this was a short week it feels like we were able to get a lot accomplished.
MIXED BAG FUNDRAISER: Information for our “mixed bag fundraiser” was sent home Friday (9/4). Please help your child raise funds for our school while promoting a great product. All orders and money are due in to Mrs. Wallace by September 18th.
Spirit week is next week. Mrs. Saldana and leadership have some really fun days planned: The Den with the most spirit for the week will be rewarded with Extra Den Points!!
Monday – – – – – – – – -Sports Day
Tuesday- – – – – – – – -Crazy Hair and Mismatch Day
Wednesday- – – – – – Tiger Pride Day
Thursday – – – – – – – -Pajama Day
Friday – – – – – — – – -Super Hero Day
English: In Mrs. Sierra’s English class students are practicing proper verb usage and sentence diagramming. Students are discovering that proper grammar sometimes “sounds funny” because we often neglect grammar rules when speaking. It is a work in progress, but students are improving!
In Mrs. Saldana’s ELA classes this week we are continuing to develop an understanding of the characters in Lord of the Flies, and we are beginning to analyze the 4 different types of conflict that arise in the novel. Our work on syntax and the mechanics of writing is paying off and we are seeing great improvement in our writing.
Science: Science has finished their first lab and the Class is working on the chemistry of life.
MHS
Community Service Opportunities
Mountain House Flag Football: Saturday, September 5 at 8:00am-2:00pm. Location: Mountain House at Bethany Park (corner of Legacy and Communidad) or Bethany School (corner of Heritage and Communidad) Responsibilities include: filming games and/or selling concessions at the snack table. Volunteers need to be at least 13 years old. Contact: Andy Su
Tracy Buccaneers Youth Football: Saturday, September 12 – 4 volunteerss from 7:00am-12:00pm and 4 volunteers at 1:00pm-6:00pm. Location: Tracy High School Football field.
Contact: Marlena Posten buccsvolunteers@gmail.com
South Side Community 16th of September Celebration: Saturday, September 12th, 2015 from 7am-8pm at Lincoln Park. Students will help with set-up decorations, vendor tents, Kid Zone area; trash duty; assist in food and information booths; clean-up; run Kid’s Zone games; face painting. Danette Poole at 209-815-0476 (text) or dpoole@newpennfinancial.com
HO Train Display at the Tracy Museum: Saturday, September 12th, 2015 from 9:30am-4:00pm at the Tracy Historical Museum at 1141 Adam Street. Students will help Run the museums HO Train, and assist other museum visitors to operate the Museum HO Train. Work an information booth to give away coloring sheets to children, and sales of publications. Operate a digital projector. Please email Bill Carter as possible if you can commit to volunteering wjabcart@pacbell.net
PSAT
The PSAT will be held on Wednesday, October 14th, 2015. More details will be included in next week’s chatter addressing the cost and further details about the testing day. Signups for the PSAT will begin Monday, September 14th, 2015. The test fee is due when you sign up for the test.
In October 2015, admission officers from our four universities will host a group presentation and then be available for questions during an hour and a half program for you and your family in the San Jose and Berkeley. Please visit www.theNUUEtour.org for more information or to register.
Update: Homework Support!!!
The homework support room is open Monday-Wednesday from 4:05 PM-4:45 PM in room M-2. All students are welcome to come for educational tutoring and support.
Tutors wanted!!!
If you are interested in tutoring on campus please stop by the counseling office for an application.
Give Every Child A Chance – Tutors Wanted!!!
Give Every Child A Chance is a tutoring/mentoring program that needs volunteer tutors! If you are interested in tutoring 7th-12th grade students here at Tracy Learning Center for two community service hours a week (which can go toward a block letter!).
Expanding Your Horizons Conference – Young Women Grades 6th – 12th
Expanding Your Horizons is a career conference for 6th-12th grade young women. This event will be held on October 10, 2015 at the University of the Pacific, Stockton Campus. For more information or to register for the event please visit www.sjeyh.org.
Firefighter Career Expos
In keeping with their mission to recruit, retain and promote more women to the Fire Service, the California Fire Fighter Joint apprenticeship Committee and its Commission to Recruit Women for the Fire Service encourage interested middle school and high school students to attend an expo on Saturday, September 12th from 10am-1pm at 526 Commerce Way Livermore, CA 94551. For more information please visit their website at: http://www.cffjac.org/go/jac/recruitment1/becoming-a-firefighter/firefighter-career-expos/
Transitional Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten for three and four year olds made history this week. We are now an educational system for PreK through 12th grade. It is an exciting new adventure. We opened the two new classes this week. It is truly wonderful to see how well the students are doing. The staff is excellent and very excited about beginning the new phase.
Transitional Kindergarten is full, but there are openings in PreK. If you are interested, please call the office at 229-1575.
Misc. Announcements
Parent Volunteers
Any parents who plan on volunteering this year must bring in their appropriate paperwork including a cleared TB Test which is good for 4 years and give it to Kay Fagundes. These forms are available in the front waiting area.
PCS/DCS Lunch Menu Week Sept. 7 – 11
Mon. – Holiday
Tues. – Pizza
Wed – No Meat Spaghetti
Thurs. – Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Fri. – Beef or Vegi Burger
T K
TK had a wonderful first week of school! We explored our classroom, made new friends, and began learning our classroom routines. We also learned fun things like syllables, rhyming, alliteration, and graphing. We are looking forward to a great school year!
Primary Charter
In Initial Phase this week we started talking about what a Positive Cooperator looks like, sounds like, and acts like. A Positive Cooperator is a PCS student who works well with others both inside and outside the classroom. As a five year old, social interactions are full of learning opportunities both positive and negative. As teachers, we try our best to help all of our students learn from both positive and negative social interactions through one on one and group discussions. Furthermore, students earn nickels for their classroom banks, stickers, and Excellence Bowl recognition for displaying Positive Cooperator traits. We work hard to help all of our students succeed at PCS, both socially and academically, helping them learn how to be a Positive Cooperator is just another way that PCS is a one of the best schools around.
Phase 1 students had another fabulous week! In Social Studies we ended our unit on Past and Present by talking about how other cultures and their traditions have contributed to our present. We heard some great fables, learned a lot from the grandparent interviews, and made a special flag about what is unique about us. In Math, many students are cruising through their math facts. The ultimate goal in Rowley Math is fluency and automaticity. This foundation is so important for later math skills. In Writer’s Workshop we have begun our opinion writing. One of the first steps is to understand the difference between fact and opinion. The students are having fun and doing a great job! Thank you for all the parent volunteers that have started in the classroom this week! We truly appreciate the time they give to us!
Phase 2 teachers are excited to announce our new PCS Leadership program! Every month, we will select 3 fourth grade students from P1, P3, and P8 to be in the leadership program for the month. They will meet once a week for the whole month with a Phase 2 teacher and they will be doing different projects and activities to help our school. This month, our first leadership students will be working on campus beautification! We know they will do an awesome job and we are already proud of our PCS leaders!
Discovery Charter
GREEN was the color of August! Many students who earned an “all green month” spun a wheel to earn great prizes. Thank you to all the green month students!!!
6th GRADE GIRLS….hurry hurry….come join us: BASKETBALL TRYOUTS – 6th grade girls basketball tryouts will be held on Tuesday, September 8th and Thursday September 10th, from 4:15 – 5:30. PLEASE TRY OUT, basketball is a great team sport and Coach Easterday is a fantastic coach! If you have questions, please contact Coach Easterday at deasterday@tracylc.net.
Football Friday is next Friday September 11th. We ask that all students wear their NFL football jerseys (or any football apparel).
MIXED BAG FUNDRAISER: Information for our “mixed bag fundraiser” was sent home today (9/4). Please help your child raise funds for our school while promoting a great product. The 5/6 class who earns the most money for the fundraiser will receive a special treat once all monies have been counted!
SPELLING BEE: We had our first Spelling Bee meeting on Thursday. Students excitedly received their “first round” of words. They are asked to self-study the words at home, and come back prepared to meet again on Thursday, September 10th at lunch.
EVERYDAY COUNTS!: This September, University of the Pacific and community partners are celebrating Attendance Awareness Month with an Every Day Counts Attendance Challenge. Any student who comes to school on time, every day in September will be entered into a drawing for prize. Prizes include E-readers, gift cards, tickets to Pacific athletic events, and more. Help your child to have PERFECT ATTENDANCE!!
GRADES: Updated grades were placed in your child’s agenda on Wednesday, September 2nd. Please review their grades and contact your child’s teacher if you have questions. Look for updates every other Wednesday – next update will be on 9/16.
DCS teachers welcome parent communication, please contact us if you have questions, concerns, or ideas!
In science, students used spring scales to collect quantitative data about the force of a ball rolling down a ramp.
DHSP
Caden, Steven, and Chad working on a project for Leadership
What an amazing five weeks we have had so far this year!
Official Den Points are out:
Malayan leads with 12,880 positive points
Sumatran is 2nd with 12,830
Followed by Siberian with 12,543
Bringing up the rear, but trying hard, Bengal with 11,105!
Siberian was awarded an additional 500 Den points for next week for having the fewest negative Den Points!! Way to go Siberian!!!
Spirit week will be the week of September 14th. Mrs. Saldana and leadership have some really fun days planned: The Den with the most spirit for the week will be rewarded with Extra Den Points!! Let’s Do this Bengals!!!
Monday –Sports Day
Tuesday – Crazy Hair and Mismatch Day
Wednesday – Tiger Pride Day
Thursday – Pajama Day
Friday – Super Hero Day
Lot’s of kids enjoying school while hard at work:
DHSP:
7th and 8th Grade Girls Basketball tryouts are on September 8th and September 10th from 4:15-5:30pm.
On Friday, September 11th, we are having Football Friday. We want all the students to wear NFL football jerseys or any football apparel to school that day.
Natasha, Nikko, Emma, Julia, and Christine all working on their studies!!
Dance Exploration will be having two performances. The first will be on Thursday, September 24th in the gym during DCS Unity at 7:55.
The second will be on Friday, September 25th in the DHSP Quad during Unity at 7:55. Parents are invited to go to one or both performances if they would like.
If you do not want your student to have his/her photo published please notify Mrs. Wallace at dwallace@tracylc.net
DHSP teachers welcome parent communication, please contact us if you have questions, concerns, or ideas!
Millennium High School would like to thank all of our wonderful visitors we had Travis Dodd from William Jessup University, SGG Alcantar for the National Guard to review the ASVAB results, and Pedro Ramirez from St. Mary’s College. 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 Opportunities
Tracy Raiders Youth Football: Saturday, September 5 – 10 volunteers from 8:00am-8:00pm to work snack bar and other areas. Location: Tracy High School Football field.
Mountain House Flag Football: Saturday, September 5 at 8:00am-2:00pm. Location: Mountain House at Bethany Park (corner of Legacy and Communidad) or Bethany School (corner of Heritage and Communidad) Responsibilities include: filming games and/or selling concessions at the snack table. Volunteers need to be at least 13 years old. Contact: Andy Su
PSAT
The PSAT will be held on Wednesday, October 14th, 2015. More details will be included in next week’s chatter addressing the cost and further details about the testing day. Signups for the PSAT will begin Monday, September 14th, 2015. The test fee is due when you sign up for the test.
