Welcome back to campus Falcons-

What a great week back.  It started Monday as we celebrate our Class of 2021.  Thank you to those of you that came out to welcome our seniors back on Monday!    We know this is a tough year for our seniors but we want to make sure you have the best senior year possible. Go Falcons!!

MHS Anatomy and Physiology Class – Brain Dissection

Mrs, Drake’s class did not let the pandemic slow down the science labs. Students on campus led their Zoom cohorts through a dissection of a sheep’s brain.   Using document cameras and Chromebooks, students used the Zoom breakout room to join as a team to explore the inner workings of grey matter.  Great job Falcons! (better you than me…..)

MHS Spirit Wear!!!

https://tracy-learning-center.square.site/ 

MHS Athletics Updates and more from Coach Balsamo:

MHS Athletics Video Update

January 22, 2021
Dear TK Parents,
As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 crisis, the safety and well-being of our children, families, and staff remain our highest priority.
For that reason, we wanted to share with you that an individual in our school community tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently under a doctor’s care. This individual was last on campus on Thursday , January 21st, 2021. We wish this individual a speedy recovery.
We have consulted with San Joaquin County Public Health Services and out of an abundance of caution, we will be closing TLC Transitional Kindergarten, TK ONLY at our Preschool Site so that these students and staff can self-quarantine to monitor for symptoms. Any TK siblings can continue to attend campus classes. During this time, we will conduct a deep cleaning by our custodial service. We anticipate these TK Students and their staff will return on Monday, February 1st, 2021. If your child is presenting symptoms, we would encourage you to contact your physician and if your child is tested please make us aware so we can make the most informed decisions for our school. Mrs.Parker will provide homework for the students during this time.

We have been taking and will continue to take the following precautions:

• Staff members wear facial coverings while caring for children
• Temperatures are taken of all students and staff and any elevated temp over 100.4 prevents this individual from entering school grounds
• Students/Staff with COVID symptoms are sent home immediately
• Continuous Cleaning and disinfecting all areas along with lunch tables thoroughly disinfected between lunch groups
• Seating areas are socially distanced
• Focus on handwashing and disinfecting throughout the day
• Bathrooms are continuously monitored with only two students allowed in at a time
• Repeated disinfecting/cleaning on “high touch” areas throughout the day (including desks, doors, public spaces, and bathroom fixtures)

Thank you for your understanding and partnership as we navigate these uncharted waters and support one another through these uncertain times. We profoundly regret any anxiety this causes you and your family. We will continue to monitor the situation and update you on any additional developments.
Sincerely,
Virginia Stewart
Executive Director

We have to thank our staff, parents, and students for working together to stay safe.  Moving online can be a difficult adjustment but we take safety very seriously.  Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.  See you Monday!

This information comes from the California Governor’s safety website portal:

With the Right Precautions, We Can Minimize Transmissions in Schools—Especially in Elementary Grades

Research across the globe shows that children get COVID-19 less often than adults, and when they do get sick, they get less sick than adults. Population-wide studies in Italy and Spain using antibody tests, which indicate whether a person has been infected at any point previously, find that children have lower rates of infection compared to adults.

In studies of open schools in America and around the world, children do not seem to be major sources of transmission—either to each other or to adults. In fact, the greatest risk in school settings comes from adults transmitting it to other adults, often in settings like breakrooms where we sometimes let down our guard. One study in Australia of 10 early childhood centers and 15 schools (>6000 people) found low rates in the schools overall (1.2%), and an adult-to-adult transmission rate almost 15 times higher than child-to-child transmission.

The growing body of evidence is particularly strong for lower risks associated with elementary schools. For example, a study analyzing elementary schools in a heavily impacted region of France found that the risks of transmission inside schools were approximately the same as outside schools. The lower risks associated with younger grades is likely due to, among other reasons, the fact that younger people produce fewer ACE-2 receptors—COVID’s doorway into human cells.

Even in communities with many COVID cases, we do not see many outbreaks in schools. That’s because the right precautions can stop outbreaks before they start. Evidence shows that schools with the right mitigation strategies have been able to prevent in-school transmission among students and staff.

We know what works. We can stop the spread in schools by layering and carefully implementing mitigation strategies, including masks, cohorting, proper ventilation, washing hands, testing and symptom screening.

For more information, please refer to Evidence Summary: TK-6 Schools and COVID-19 Transmission (California Department of Public Health)

In-Person Instruction Is Critical for Learning and Growth—Especially in Elementary Grades

While California has made great strides in distance learning—and this option will remain for parents and students who choose it and for those whose health status does not allow them to return to school in the near term—remote learning is still very challenging for many students and their caregivers. In a recent survey by the Alliance for Children’s Rights, 42% of caregivers reported that they are not comfortable supporting youth in their care with technology needs, and 39% of caregivers reported that they are not comfortable providing academic support to the youth in their care during distance learning.

Older students are better equipped to manage technology and benefit from distance learning, but younger students—especially TK-2—are less equipped. Furthermore, the social-emotional skills cultivated in the youngest grades are foundational for future wellbeing. In the classroom, students learn not only academic skills, but social and emotional skills as well. In a classroom of peers led by an expert teacher, students learn to listen and focus, to share, to wait their turn, to encourage others and to allow others to encourage them. They also begin to learn skills such as self-awareness, social awareness, self-management and responsible decision-making that will carry them through life.

There are also immediate health-related benefits for children who are provided in-person instruction, including lower rates of anxiety and depression, higher rates of immunizations, and other positive indicators of public health and wellbeing. These benefits are particularly critical for foster youth, homeless youth, and other students disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, for whom school provides safety and stability. In-person instruction also helps school staff to detect and address child abuse and neglect. For example, the state observed a roughly 40% drop in child welfare referrals following the stay-at-home orders in March 2020 compared to spring averages from the prior year.

Conclusion

Through careful implementation of safety measures and by phasing in our youngest students—who are at the lowest risk and stand to benefit the most from in-person settings—we can build experience, confidence, and trust that our schools can be both safe workplaces and safe learning environments.

PCS​​

School Improvement Committee Meeting is Monday via Zoom at 4:00pm

Our very own Heather Campbell is now a published author!  A fabulous story that is just what we need during these times.  Congratulations Mrs. Campbell on an amazing book that is enjoyed by children and adults.  Thank you

NOW ON AMAZON! Paperback is now available for purchase!  https://www.amazon.com/…/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi…

And while you are purchasing Mrs. Campbell’s heartwarming story, you can also support your school by using Amazon smile – money for our classrooms by simply amazon shopping through our link:

https://smile.amazon.com/ch/68-0479762

DCS

Parents, Guardians, and Students!

MHS

Now that our campus has been fully sanitized and classrooms have gone through a deep clean we are ready for in-person learning to continue Monday.  Please remember to continue following all the campus procedures and most importantly, wear that mask!  Thank you Falcons

January 16, 2021

Dear MHS Parents,

We have just received notice that one individual from Millennium High School has tested positive for COVID-19.  This individual was last on our campus on Tuesday, January 12th, 2021.  We wish this individual a speedy recovery.

We have consulted with San Joaquin County Public Health Services and
out of an abundance of caution, we will be closing Millennium High
School, grades 9th – 12th so that these students and staff can
self-quarantine to monitor for symptoms.  During this time, we will
conduct a deep cleaning by our custodial service. If your child is
presenting symptoms, we would encourage you to contact your physician
and if your child is tested please make us aware so we can make the
most informed decisions for our school. All of our MHS and DCS
Students will need to go online through Jan. 22, 2021, for virtual
learning. Students will come back to in-person learning Monday,
January 25th.

We have been taking and will continue to take the following precautions:

Staff members wear facial coverings while caring for children

Temperatures are taken of all students and staff and any elevated temp
over 100.4   prevents this individual from entering school grounds

Students/Staff with COVID symptoms are sent home immediately

Continuous Cleaning and disinfecting all areas along with  lunch
tables thoroughly disinfected between lunch groups

Seating areas are socially distanced

Focus on handwashing and disinfecting throughout the day

Bathrooms are continuously monitored with only two students allowed in at a time

Repeated disinfecting/cleaning on “high touch” areas throughout the
day (including desks, doors, public spaces, and bathroom fixtures)

Thank you for your understanding and partnership as we navigate these
uncharted waters and support one another through these uncertain
times. We profoundly regret any anxiety this causes you and your
family. We will continue to monitor the situation and update you on
any additional developments.

Sincerely,

Virginia Stewart

Executive Director

We are happy to have another group of Millennium students returning for on-campus, in-person classes beginning Tuesday, January 19th (Monday is a holiday).  Below are the safety requirements we have to protect our students and staff.  Please take a moment to review them so you are ready for next week.

Most importantly, MASKS MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES.  If your mask breaks, let a teacher know because we have a lot of disposable masks for you to use.  Thank you

Millennium High School 

Reopening Procedures

Everything you need to know about going back to MHS in these adventurous times is below. If you have a more specific question, feel free to email us at: tlclearning@tracylc.net

Arrival Times: 

0 Period:      Back gate will be open from 7:15 – 7:30

1st Period:   Back gate will be open from 8:00 – 8:30

For students who are tardy and all other arrival times, students will need to check in through the front gate located next to M-1. We will be performing temperature checks for all students on a daily basis so we ask that you arrive early in each window to help facilitate this process; we thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Departure: 

Due to our later start time, our last class period now ends at 4:30. All students will exit through the M-1 gate located in the front of the school. Please do not use the front drive through to pick-up your student. We will use the back gate for all vehicle pick-ups/drop-offs.

January 13, 2021

Dear DCS Parents,

As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 crisis, the safety and well-being of our children, families, and staff remains our highest priority.

For that reason, we wanted to share with you that an individual in our school community tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently under a doctor’s care. This individual was last on campus on Monday, January 11, 2021. We wish this individual a speedy recovery.

We have consulted with San Joaquin County Public Health Services and out of an abundance of caution, we will be closing Discovery Charter School, grades 5th – 8th so that these students and staff can self-quarantine to monitor for symptoms.  Any DCS siblings can continue to attend campus classes. During this time, we will conduct a deep cleaning by our custodial service. We anticipate this 5th through 8th grade DCS Students and their staff will return on Monday, January 25, 2021. If your child is presenting symptoms, we would encourage you to contact your physician and if your child is tested please make us aware so we can make the most informed decisions for our school. All of our DCS Students will need to go online through Jan. 22, 2021, for virtual learning.

We have been taking and will continue to take the following precautions:

• Staff members wear facial coverings while caring for children
• Temperatures are taken of all students and staff and any elevated temp over 100.4   prevents this individual from entering school grounds
• Students/Staff with COVID symptoms are sent home immediately
• Continuous Cleaning and disinfecting all areas along with  lunch tables thoroughly disinfected between lunch groups
• Seating areas are socially distanced
• Focus on handwashing and disinfecting throughout the day
• Bathrooms are continuously monitored with only two students allowed in at a time
• Repeated disinfecting/cleaning on “high touch” areas throughout the day (including desks, doors, public spaces, and bathroom fixtures)

Thank you for your understanding and partnership as we navigate these uncharted waters and support one another through these uncertain times. We profoundly regret any anxiety this causes you and your family. We will continue to monitor the situation and update you on any additional developments. 

Sincerely,

Virginia Stewart

Executive Director

Attention Parents/Guardians of Millennium’s Incoming Freshman Class of 2025!

Reminder – No school Monday, January 18th as we observe Martin Luther King Day.

Keeping Kids Engaged in Remote Learning

While the Tracy Learning Center now has about 50% of our students back on campus for in person instruction, we are aware there are those who continue to learn at home.  Here is a great article for the start of the new half of the year and what you can do to keep your student involved in remote learning . 

Tips for coping with the challenges of virtual school

At this point, many kids have been doing remote or hybrid learning for the better part of a year. As parents, it’s easy to feel like we should have this down by now. But if your child is refusing to log into online classes or blowing up over constant schedule changes, you’re not alone. Lots of kids are struggling to feel invested in school.

Still, with classes resuming in the new year, families have an opportunity to start fresh. With a few new strategies in your back pocket, you can help your child get the most out of a difficult experience — and keep conflict at home to a minimum.

Get to the root of the issue

Even if your child is making their negative feelings quite clear — say, by running into the other room and slamming the door when it’s time for online class — the causes may not be obvious.

“There are lots of reasons why kids might not be engaged with school,” says Daryaneh Badaly, PhD, a clinical neuropsychologist at the Child Mind Institute. For instance, some kids might be struggling because they’re being asked to do more remote work than they’re able to handle. Others might have attention issues that are exacerbated in online school, or they might be experiencing anxiety that’s holding them back.

The best way to start sorting out the possible source of the problem is simple: talk to your child. “The person who knows the most — and who might not know how to say it — is the child,” Dr. Badaly says. Here are her tips for having a productive conversation about this tricky topic:

• Pick the right moment. “Don’t talk to the child when things are really bad,” says Dr. Badaly. “If they’re throwing a tantrum and saying, ‘I’m not going to do this,’ that’s not the right time to talk. Give them the time to cool down and feel a little bit better, and then come back to it.”
• Validate their experience. Letting kids know they’re not alone can help them confide in you about what they’re going through. You might share some of your own challenges with remote work, or model language they can use to articulate the problem: “I’ve missed my coworkers so much these last few months. It was easier for me to focus when I worked with other people.”
• Ask open-ended questions. “They give the child more space to say what they want to say, rather than focusing the conversation for them,” Dr. Badaly says. For instance, you might ask: What would you like to get out of the rest of the school year? What do you think would make school feel more interesting to you?

Dr. Badaly notes that it’s important to frame the issue as something that’s going wrong for your child, rather than something that’s wrong with your child. The goal is to emphasize that you and your child are on the same team, and that you’re there to help them — not to blame them.

And if your child does seem to be dealing with a mental health challenge like anxiety or depression, this conversation can clue you in that getting professional support from a pediatrician, therapist, or school counselor might be helpful.

Rethink motivation

Of course we want our kids to care about school. But right now, that kind of internal motivation might be unrealistic — and that’s okay! Letting go of the idea that your child should want to engage with school can actually make it easier to keep them involved.

While your goal might be for your child to do their schoolwork, they might have a different goal altogether. Maybe they want to earn more screen time or pick what’s for dinner — or just get you to quit bugging them about schoolwork. Figure out what your child really wants, then make a contract to match. For example, you could agree that for each online class they participate in, they’ll earn points toward a reward. “Yes, it’s wonderful to be educated,” says Dr. Badaly. “But sometimes it’s fine for a kid to just say: ‘This is eventually going to get me that PlayStation. So I’m going to do it.’”

This approach is better for kids who are simply fed up and acting out, rather than those dealing with more persistent mental health or learning challenges. However, Dr. Badaly notes that this kind of incentive can also help kids cope with milder cases of anxiety and depression. The extra motivation can create a positive feedback loop: once kids get into class, the social engagement and sense of accomplishment can boost their mood, which makes them feel more motivated to do it again tomorrow.

Collaborate with teachers

In some cases, a little more communication with your child’s teachers can go a long way toward improving engagement.

One common scenario right now is that some kids just aren’t keeping up with the amount of work that’s expected. “The burden placed on the child might be too much, or the family might misunderstand what the teacher’s expectations really are,” Dr. Badaly notes.

Try checking in with the teacher about their expectations and whether it’s possible to adjust them. For instance, if your child struggles to complete a worksheet of ten math problems, their teacher might give them permission to complete just two or three. That way, the teacher still gets a sense of the child’s progress, while the child gets a more achievable goal.

Talking to the teacher is also crucial if anxiety, depression, or another mental health challenge might be interfering with your child’s school experience. Fill the teacher in and let them know what they can do to help. For instance, you might ask a teacher to actively praise a child who’s dealing with low self-esteem, or you could ask for permission to keep your child’s camera off if they experience social anxiety. Small adjustments like these can make school feel more manageable for kids who are struggling.

Adjust your expectations

There’s a lot of talk right now about this school year as “lost,” but Dr. Badaly encourages parents to be a bit more optimistic. “It’s a difficult year, it’s a year where students might need a lot of help,” she says, “but it’s not a completely lost year.”

The key to reframing this school year in a more positive light — and helping your kids stay motivated along the way — is setting realistic goals. Dr. Badaly recommends picking a few top priorities that are most essential for your child this year, like building math skills and reading more independently. “Work toward those core components,” she says. “And the rest? If you can get there, awesome. If you can’t, maybe acknowledge that the situation is just really tough on everyone.”

By focusing on a couple of important things and easing up on the rest, you’ll decrease pressure on yourself and your child. The idea is to help kids get the positive experience of achieving a smaller goal (like finishing a book on their own) instead of feeling overwhelmed by the idea of finishing a book and acing a science test and writing a social studies paper. Even small wins can interrupt bigger patterns of feeling discouraged and unmotivated, and they can help kids build up to more ambitious goals over time.

Lowering your expectations might feel counterintuitive, but Dr. Badaly notes that many kids thrive when they don’t feel as much pressure from parents. She recently worked with a child who had a hard time engaging in remote learning in the kitchen, with her parents nearby. “The parents would check in in a friendly way,” Dr. Badaly says, “but to the child, it didn’t seem friendly. It seemed like they had huge expectations.” By simply moving her work set-up to the basement, away from her parents, the child had a much easier time focusing.

Give yourself a break

It’s natural to feel overwhelmed by managing kids’ schoolwork on top of all the other burdens of daily life during a pandemic. And the truth is that there’s no easy fix for many of the challenges that families are facing.

That’s why it’s so important to cut yourself plenty of slack. “You probably cannot be a full-time worker and a full-time teacher who is also an amazing parent,” notes Dr. Badaly.” It’s too many things all at the same time.” Instead of getting caught up in all the things you can’t do, try to reward yourself for the things you are managing to do. Remember that essentials like feeding everyone or keeping your job are huge accomplishments right now, whether or not your child finishes their math homework.

What’s more, giving yourself a break sets a good example for your kids. When you take time to rest and relax, you show them that work isn’t everything, and that it’s okay to be less than perfect. “Have some fun time with your child to keep that positive relationship,” Dr. Badaly says. Even if that’s all you and your child get done that day, it’s still time well spent.

PCS

We pride ourselves on communication and want to make sure we are doing everything we can to work with our students and parents to keep you up to date with everything we do at Primary Charter School.  Please take a moment to complete the help us continue to improve how we get information and announcements to you.

https://forms.gle/sQqAtR3cRPHXonT6A

DCS

Welcome back DCS families!

MHS

MHS is now accepting requests for students who would like to return to campus for classes.

Hello MHS families. As we begin 2021 we would like to offer MHS families the opportunity to return to our classrooms in a safe and controlled environment. We still have room in classes for students to attend in person until we reach 50% capacity.
(State Guidelines – https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/documents/strongertogether.pdf )

For those students who remain online, we will continue to offer distance learning at the same time as in-person classrooms via live stream over the internet.

We now need to know exactly who is returning to campus so please make sure you:

1. SIGN IN TO YOUR STUDENT (@TRACYLC.NET) ACCOUNT
2. COMPLETE THE FORM AND SUBMIT

PLEASE RESPOND BY SUNDAY, January 10th, 2021

https://forms.gle/XQsQaY9V6MbJDvDR7

Attention Parents/Guardians of Millennium’s Incoming Freshman Class of 2025!

Stay tuned to tlccharterchatter.com and tracylearningcenter.com for more info

We wanted to remind everyone that we have a limited number of seats available per homeroom for additional students who wish to return to on-campus learning starting next Monday, January 11th.