Charter Chatter

                                      A weekly newsletter written to parents of the TLC

 

Feb. 1, 2018                                                                                                                               Vol 23

Virginia Stewart

 

The New Schools

It is so exciting.  Every teacher who has had a tour of the new classrooms, eating areas, and play areas are amazed and so excited.  We realize there is discomfort and some confusion with a transition to the new sites, but it will be wonderful.  Please be patient and help us transition well.

I have parents working on questions that may be on your mind and they will put together some questions and answers for you as we move forward.  The first set of Q and A are included.  There will be a parent meeting on February 21 at 6:30 if you wish to come to ask questions.  The children will be the first to see the new classrooms.  They will sit in them and ask their own question on their early release day.  They will be dismissed from their old car line spots on that early release day.  For Primary the early release day is February 23 at 11:30 and for Discovery the release day is February 28 at 11:00.  All children must be picked up at those times.

We look forward to this dream come true transition and settling in to our new schools.

With the help of some very supportive  PCS parents we have collected some questions parents are asking and have them listed below:

 

What Are The Parents Asking?

                       

When will Primary and Discovery transition to their new schools?

            Primary will transition to the new school on February 23.  It is an early dismissal; all children must be picked up.

            Discovery will transition to the new school on February 28.  It is an early dismissal.  All students must be picked up. 

 

The next phase of reconstruction will soon begin.  The process includes moving out all the vacated portables, and repairing the land and taking down the existing buildings to frames.  The next phase is the building of the parking lot and high school.  One of the first steps in this process is abatement, which is removal of any traces of asbestos or lead paint etc.

1. What is asbestos?
2. Asbestos is a natural occurring material that is obtained from serpentinite rocks which are common throughout the world.
3. Why are there people in Haz Mat suits at my son/daughter’s school?
4. The workers working closely with possible asbestos containing materials are required by OSHA to wear certain PPE to protect themselves. Anyone working outside of the “regulated area” as demarcated by signs are considered sage and do not need to be in suits.

Q         How and why were the kids safe to be in the classroom(s) with the asbestos?

1. There is no asbestos in any of the portables.  There is also none in any of the classrooms, but they have to do the check just to be safe before we continue with the remodel of the building, and safely remove if found.  There were a few known areas in the high school areas, but that was sealed and re-checked every six months.
2. Will the buildings be sealed during the abatement?

A         Areas will be marked off and the areas demarcated are sealed off. Children will be no where near these marked areas.

 

1. Will it be safe for the kids play outside during the abatement?  Will the air outside be safe?
2. The abatement process is a sealed process and there are monitors for air quality at all times. The abatement is not occurring in areas near students. The monitors will be constantly checking the air quality, and if there is a problem appropriate measures will be taken.
3. How long will the abatement take?
4. We don’t anticipate the abatement process to disrupt the students at all. (There is no student access from the new campus to where the abatement is occurring.) As for how long it is going to take, the truth is, we don’t know.  It could take up to a month for the abatement process to be completed.  It didn’t take very long for the high school to be done over the summer, but they are dealing with four (4) buildings this round.  The more disruptive step of the process may in fact be the removal of the portables.  They will be demolished off-site.

 

1. Will Carline on February 23^rd be in the same place it has been all year?
2. Yes, we will use the same carline we have been using all year one last time on February 23^rd. The students will get to spend this half-day in their new classrooms!!   When it is time for dismissal they will walk back to carline.  This half day is for Primary.  The same process will be used for the Discovery half day which will be on February 28.

 

1. Will school start time and dismissal remain the same after the relocation?
2. Yes.
3. Will there be a designated parent walk-up drop off and pick up area?
4. Yes, it will be marked once the fencing and gates are in.
5. Will lunches and recess be together?
6. Yes. The best part is the children will have a concrete ground eating area with a covered top!
7. Will the kids get balls to play with?
8. Yes, they will have all the things they have now for playing at recess.
9. Will kindergarten get their own play structure?
10. Yes, but not right away. The ground needs to be levelled and then we can begin that process.
11. Will “sack” lunches still cost $3.00?
12. No, the prices will be reduced. A notice will go out when the kitchen has to vacate for remodeling. New menus will be developed and new prices announced.

 

 

 

 

 

Misc. Announcements

 

VERY IMPORTANT DISMISSAL INFO DUE TO UPCOMING MOVE

 

Friday – Feb. 23. 2018

PCS Students will be released on Friday, Feb 23, 2018 at 11:30* (DCS has regular dismissal time) there will not be lunch served to PCS (DCS will have lunch served). PCS Siblings may NOT wait for their DCS siblings in P6   and there will NOT be KIDS CLUB for any students.

 

Wednesday – Feb. 28, 2018

DCS Students will be released at 11:00am*, lunch will NOT be served to DCS  (PCS will have lunch served). PCS siblings CAN NOT wait in P6 for DCS siblings. There will be NO Kids Club on this day for any students.

 

*All students must be picked up on time and cannot remain on campus.

 

Spring Pics

Spring Pictures for Pre-K, T-K, PCS and 8^th Grade Promotion Students will be on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. Please make sure your student is present. There will not be a re-take day. Flyers will be sent home in March, 2018.

 

 

 

Sick Students

Just a reminder…please do not send your child to school until he/she has been 24 hours fever free. We continue to have kids tell us his/her parent gave them fever reducing medication that morning before school.

If your child is suffering  from fever, body aches,  sore throat and or  continuous coughing he or she is most likely contagious and we really ask that you keep your sick children home for his/her recovery and to reduce the risk of spreading this illness.

 

 

 

PCS/DCS Lunch Menu  Week Feb. 5 – 9 Mon. –  Pizza Tues. – Chicken Nuggets Wed- Cheese Ravioli Thurs –Teriyaki Chicken Fri- Beef Hot Dog

 

 

Primary Charter

 

Happy Groundhog Day! P-6 has had so much fun learning about Groundhog Day! We made predictions about whether or not Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow! Students turned their predictions into a graph. There was a lot of build up and anticipation to watching the traditional Groundhog Day ceremony Friday morning! Ask your student if Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow!

 

Phase One

Phase One had a GREAT week! This was our last week working on procedural writing in Writer’s Workshop and we will start a new unit next week. In Social Studies, we concluded our Economics unit by creating businesses. The students did a great job on these group projects and the teachers are so proud of them! In LA the groups worked on pronouns and how they take place of a noun. In Math groups worked on fractions, measurement and place value.

 

 

Our 3rd and 4th grade students are very busy in Social Studies!  We’re learning about government, economics, and the upcoming Winter Olympics.  There are so many ways you can incorporate these topics into conversations with your child.  Please remember that phase 2 AR goals are due soon…we are proud of everyone who is working hard to meet their goal.  Did you know that your child should be reading for at least 20 minutes every night?  Right now we are reading about famous Americans and they are very interested!

 

 

 

DCS and DHSP PE

 

 

DCS

 

 

It has been another busy week.  Students are working on several different projects, especially for Social Studies and Geography.  Please continue to check agendas for important information and due dates.

The weather has been typical for this time of year.  If your child leaves a jacket or other item of clothing, please check our lost and found, located in the hallway near the office.

The Mother-Son dance is coming up on Saturday, February 17 at the Corral Hollow Campus from 6-9 pm.  Please have your student see their homeroom teacher for a flyer.

Monday, February 19^th is an observed holiday for President’s Day.

We are very happy with the amount of recyclables we are receiving for our Water for Sudan Project.  A big thank you to everyone who has helped us with this important fundraiser- lets meet our goal by the end of the year!

 

Here are this week’s top Den Point earners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^DHSP

 

General Updates:

We are Moving!!

In preparation for out move, all Discovery students will be dismissed at 11:00 on Wednesday, February 28th. Lunch will not be served this day, kids club will be closed, and Discovery students will not be able to wait for PCS siblings. Please plan accordingly. (Subject to change)

ALL STUDENTS MUST BE PICKED UP ON TIME AND CANNOT BE ON CAMPUS

 

It’s hard to believe but the end of trimester 2 is just around the corner. That means Community Service hours almost due! Every year, 7th and 8th graders at Discovery High School Prep are expected to complete a total of 30 hours of community service, broken down as 10 hours per trimester. If your student missed some or all of their 10 hours for trimester 1, they are expected to make those up in the following trimester. Students did an amazing job of finding ways to give back to their community and school last trimester. We’re looking forward to having the same, or even better, result this trimester! Hours are due to Mrs. Prescott by March 1st. If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Prescott at kprescott@tracylc.net.

 

 

 

Language Arts:

This week students have submitted their outlines for their SWO research essay. They will soon begin writing their first drafts of the paper. Classroom instruction on how to begin, the first rubric, and other details will start next week. Encourage your student to start early and work on it whenever they have free time! This is not a project to fall behind on. Any additional questions regarding SWO should be sent to the 7/8 Language Arts teachers.

 

 

Math:

Geometry is currently wrapping up our unit on Quadrilaterals and preparing for a unit test. This group has shocked me in their enthusiasm to learn this intense high school course. Algebra 1 is also wrapping up a unit and will be testing at the end of this week. We are quickly approaching the next midterm for this class. Math 78 has finished their curriculum outline, which has been so impressive. Mrs. Dominguez and Mrs. Stewart have been adding to the curriculum map to better prepare this group for Algebra.

 

Math Counts Competition is this Saturday, February 3rd at UOP. WISH US LUCK as we take one team and six individuals to compete.

 

 

 

 

 

MHS

 

 

MHS Counseling News

 

 

Community Service Opportunities

Please see https://millenniumhscounseling.weebly.com/community-service.html for upcoming community service opportunities.

 

 

SAT Practice at the Tracy Branch Library

The Tracy Branch Library is hosting an SAT practice and will be administered by the Tracy Youth Council. Please sign-up in person or by phone (866-805-7323)

 

SAT Practice Test Date/Time: Saturday February 3, 2018 from 9:00am-1:00pm at the Tracy Branch Library

 

Tracy Branch Library Address: 20 E. Eaton Ave, Tracy CA 95376

 

 

TICKETS NOW ON SALE!!!! 7^th Annual TLC’s Got Talent Show

The 7^th Annual TLC’s Got Talent Show will take place on Thursday February 15, 2018 at The Grand Theatre Center for the Arts (located at 715 N. Central Ave Tracy, CA 95376). The show will begin at 6:30PM, and doors open at 6:00PM. General Admission cost is $9.00. Tickets are currently on sale at the Tracy Learning Center (in the Main Office), Millennium High School (in the Main Office), or can be purchased online and at The Grand Theatre Box Office.

 

To purchase tickets online please visit: http://atthegrand.org/BoxOfficeTickets/