Charter Chatter
A weekly newsletter written to parents of the TLC
Nov. 30, 2018 Vol 16
Virginia Stewart |
Chronic Absences
Just recently, I attended a webinar in which the state was discussing chronic absences. This term has an exact definition. The definition is that a child is chronically absent if the student misses 10% of the school year. We have a 205 school year, but we only receive state funding for 180 of those days. The rest is supported by our general budget and costs us approximately $600,000 a year.
Why do we use $600,000 of our general budget for an additional 25 days of school?
We have this as part of our charter. We believe that longer years in school provides students with more learning opportunities and less regression of learning over a very long summer. We see it in the test score results, we know it makes a difference. We are often discouraged when students and parents see these extra days as not important. They are to us.
How do our schools score with chronic absences?
Unfortunately, we have several students who are absent way more than the ten percent. When looking at those students who exceed the ten percent, we were alarmed to see some of the absent students have exceeded 30 days.
Please be certain that you student attends school as regularly as possible. There is a correlation between attendance and learning. It is very hard to stay connected to school work when students miss a day of school almost each week. Test scores and grades are affected when attendance is poor.
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DANCE THIS SATURDAY!
Daddy Daughter Dance is this Saturday under the white tent at Millennium High School 1904 N. Corral Hallow. Tickets are still available at the door as well as photo packages.
Parents Club Update
Next PEP Mtg is Monday – Dec. 17, 2018 at 6:30pm in P2 (last week’s Chatter had the incorrect date on it)
Lunch Menu – Week Dec. 3 – 6
Mon. – Pizza
Tues. – Chicken Chimichanga
Wed- Turkey or PBJ Sandwich
Thurs – Chicken Patti Sandwich
Fri – Beef Hot Dog
TK Charter Chatter
This week, TK began to study holiday traditions around the world! We learned that children in Africa celebrate Kwanzaa by lighting seven candles on the kinara.
We also learned that children in Australia go caroling and enjoy a yummy slice of pavlova. Children in Brazil greet one another during Christmastime by saying” Felitz Natal,” and watching fireworks.
Finally, children in Canada decorate
christmas trees and participate in cookie exchanges. They also get a visit from Santa Claus! The fun will continue next week, as we learn about the holidays in: England, France, Greece and Germany.
PCS
Daddy Daughter Dance is this Saturday under the white tent at Millennium High School 1904 N. Corral Hallow. Tickets are still available at the door as well as photo packages.
Initial Phase
We hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving break! We are all happy to be back at school! Students came in on Monday ready to jump into our second trimester and dive into curriculum. This time of year always seems to fly by. Some students haven’t turned in their decorated house, you can still send it in and we will put it on display! Also, please send in your family recipe as soon as possible! We already have received some family recipes— thank you to those who already turned theirs in! We look forward to this project every year, it is always a big hit!
Phase One
We had an exciting week in Phase One with the arrival of a scout elf in each classroom. The students have been on their best behavior knowing that their elf is watching! The students have completed various elf crafts to celebrate their new classroom addition. Pictured below are P5’s elf crafts on display:
In Writer’s Workshop, Phase One has started writing friendly letters. The students have learned songs, watched video clips, and completed crafts in order to learn the five parts of a friendly letter. Have your student share with you all that they have learned!
Phase Two:
This week our phase 2 students started learning about the California Missions. Did you know there are 21 missions in California and they are all along our coastline? We are learning why the missions were started and how they were designed. We are also working on holiday writing and activities. Take a look at some of the creative PCS projects that are in our hallway!
With cold and flu season upon us please make sure you teach your child how to stay healthy! Don’t put hands/fingers in mouth, wash hands before and after eating or using the restroom and always cover your cough!
DCS
Discovery 5/6
Important Upcoming Date:
Monday, December 3rd: 5/6 Schoolwide Super Quiz
Cooperative Collaboration SWO:
The Family Life unit is winding down and Physical Education coaches will be introducing our 2nd SWO to the students on Monday, December 5th. This SWO project will be completed entirely at school, as it will require students to be working in a group during their PE classes.
DCS Survival Skill:
Encourage your children to be Lifelong Learners. As teachers, we talk a lot about loving to learn new things and we try to give our students opportunities to explore their passions and curiosities both inside and outside of school. We have so many talented students who attend TLC and we are constantly amazed with their skills they have learned on their own or with the help of someone else!
Student Spotlight- Ivan A. is a 5th grader who is an amazing artist. He has been drawing since he was three years old. Although he draws everything, he loves drawing people the most because he finds spending extra time perfecting the details is peaceful for him. When he gets older he hopes to have a job that involves art in some way (Submitted by Ms. Sabedra)
7th/8th
Charter Chatter
Week of November 26-30th
CJSF:
CJSF is hosting a Brighter Christmas Can Food Drive! This drive begins December 3rd and continues until December 14th. This is a Nest Challenge and the winners will receive a surprise reward!
Language Arts:
Cerezo:
Students are continuing to read Hamlet. All classes have read up to Act 4 and are starting to really see the drama and intrigue of the play. It has been exciting to see each of the students bring the characters to life.
Before break students learned about Jasper Johns and his “Flag” which was created using a collage method. The students themselves put this into practice by creating their own 1960’s related collages. (Pictured below)
We have also begun to host our weekly study sessions for Pentathlon. If your students received a permission slip or welcome letter, remind them that each Wednesday from 4:15-5:15pm, students will be studying and preparing for the competition in D12.
Math:
Mr. Singh:
Varsity has started a new unit on Factors, Fractions and Exponents.
Honors is studying a unit on Properties of Triangles. They received a project today that is due Tuesday, December 11th.
NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Scholastic will be starting a new unit on Solving Inequalities.
Mrs. King:
Hopefully you all had a great Thanksgiving and now our thoughts turn to the winter holidays.
7/8 Math would like to make a few suggestions for stocking stuffers for our students: pencils, extra erasers, dry erase markers, highlighter, red pens, Texas Instrument calculators
Great Teacher Gifts would be kleenex, band aides, hand sanitizer, pencils for the classroom, dry erase markers for the classroom, lined white paper. Thank you.
Science:
This week in ⅞ science, we are moving onto the Life Science portion of the ⅞ curriculum. The first unit we will be covering is “Characteristics of Living Things” during which we will explore and discuss the hallmarks of single cell and multicellular organisms.
Science Olympiad: We are still waiting to hear back on our second team as it is currently on the waiting list for full registration. The members of Team 1 have already been posted. Students selected for Team 2 will be notified once we are moved off of the waiting list.
Social Studies:
This week, students learned about the sacrifices African Americans made that went unnoticed by millions of Americans during the Civil Rights Movements. They discussed the struggles of John Lewis and his march from Selma, Alabama to the Capital (known as Bloody Sunday) and how it finally took the murders of three activists for Congress to finally pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Students are buckling down with their studying, as the Unit 2 Test is just around the corner: December 14th!
Physical Education:
Students are finishing up their Family Life Units this week! In all it has gone very well. Please remind your students to dress appropriately for the colder and rainy weather and to make sure that they are attempting to get the mud off of their shoes before entering the classrooms!
Verbal Expressions:
Ms. Dane’s Enrichment classes are busy working on Reader’s Theater productions of :Spiderella” our eight legged hard working arachnid who desperately wants to attend the Bug Ball with her wicked stepsister ladybugs, while, ‘The Brementown Rappers’ with MC Donkey, Fun Lovin Dawg, Kitty-O and Da Rooster are on their way to a major recording contract. Backgrounds, Stick puppets and stop motion backed with Garage Band beats rounds out the project.
Stay tuned for a link to our shows and private Youtube channel to see the students in action.
MHS
MHS is Homeward Bound! After an extended separation from TLC our High School is almost ready to come home to our new and improved campus. We are all excited to be back under one roof but a few changes have to be made to make it happen.
We will keep you posted but as of now MHS Finals have been moved to Monday through Wednesday December 17-19. The half day schedule will still be in place but we are pushing them back one week. That Thursday and Friday (December 20th and 21st) will be the first days of the second semester.
During those Finals days, we will be using the afternoons to move furniture and supplies.
We appreciate your understanding and flexibility through this time. It is difficult to balance all the things that have to happen but our staff and students always rise to the occasion. We will keep you updated if anything has to be adjusted.
8th Annual TLC’s Got Talent Show-Wednesday February 20, 2019
TLC’s Got Talent Show is coming up soon and auditions have begun! This year audition video submissions will be required in order to qualify for an in-person audition. Email your audition video to: mhscounseling@tracylc.net and return your participation form to the TLC Main Office or MHS Counseling Office. Please Note: All audition videos and participation forms are due by Friday December 14, 2018. For any questions, please contact the MHS Counseling Office at 209-627-8299 or email: mhscounseling@tracylc.net
Delta College Early Start Registration
CES Forms have been returned to students and registration opened for them on Thursday, 11/29 at 3:45. If students have not registered yet, they need to as soon as possible, as classes fill up quickly! Please see Ms. Moore’s instructional video about how to register for a class: https://soapbox.wistia.com/videos/mHRF4BxpjM