A message from the Superintendent
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I have some news regarding standardized testing that will come as a relief to many of our families. Our school board has approved a request for a waiver from state testing that will be forwarded from the California Department of Education to the U.S. Department of Education. Essentially, it means that our students will not be taking 3-5 weeks of assessments this spring, including the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessment (SBAC) in English and math, and the California Science Test (CAST). Instead, that time will be used for classroom instruction.
Our schools were closed for three weeks during the wildfires, and our teachers and students have been doing a remarkable job of catching up on curriculum. This waiver of state testing will help in that effort. The waiver has received overwhelming support from our school community, including principals, parents in the District Advisory Committee, and the Santa Rosa Teachers Association. As part of the waiver, we have committed to using some shorter benchmark tests to give students a snapshot of where they are academically. If you have any questions, please contact your school's principal.
Diann Kitamura
Superintendent
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Reminder: No school April 2 - 6 for Spring Break!
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You can start planning for next school year! The
2018-19 Instructional Calendar
was recently approved by the school board. Next school year will begin on Wednesday, August 15th. The Class of 2019 will graduate on May 31, 2019.
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Transcripts in the Illuminate Ed parent portal
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Imagine having to move 400,000 of any item without breaking or losing anything. That's the task that our data department is facing as it moves transcripts for our middle and high school students from the old records system to Illuminate Education, our new student information system. It's a big project, requiring care and accuracy. Right now, parents who log in to the parent portal should be able to see transcripts, attendance information, report cards, and lists of classes. The Illuminate electronic gradebook is available for teachers to use if they choose. If your child's teacher uses the gradebook, you can log in to your parent portal, click on the gradebook in the Illuminate dashboard, and look at assignments and grades. If you still need access to the parent portal, contact your child's school.
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Bill for wildfire relief needs your support!
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Our school district is supporting a bill that is heading to the California Assembly's Education Committee next week, and we could use your help!
Assembly Bill 2228
would provide funding to our school district and others that were impacted by wildfires, to partially make up for a loss of students and revenue. The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) and is supported by other local lawmakers. Wood's staff suggests that parents
email Assembly Education Committee Chair Patrick O'Donnell
if they would like to express support for AB 2228.
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Second Interim budget update
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All school districts in California are required to submit financial updates throughout the year. This month, the school board received the Second Interim Report for Fiscal Year 2017-18. The district has been working diligently with all stakeholders, through the Budget Advisory Committee, to resolve financial challenges and to get on solid fiscal ground within the next two years. Coming up in April: a demographic report that shows how many students we can expect in our district in the coming years. That's important because school funding is based on attendance. See the
Budget Advisory Committee webpage
for more budget information. Email your thoughts or questions about budget issues to:
myquestions@srcs.k12.ca.us
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New test for English Learners
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Identifying students who need help learning English is important, so that they can get the extra help they may need to do well in school and to access the full curriculum. There is a new test that is being used throughout the state to measure how well students in kindergarten through 12th grade understand English when it is not their primary language. It's called the ELPAC, and it's replacing the CELDT test. English Learners will take the ELPAC each year, in the spring, until they are reclassified as English proficient. For more information, see this Parent Guide to Understanding ELPAC in
English
or
Spanish
.
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Free event at the Green Music Center!
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We hope you enjoyed the Dance Showcase at the Green Music Center last month. This month, the William Barclay Memorial Scholarship Concert features a showcase of choirs from our high schools. They will be performing at Green Music Center's Weill Hall on the Sonoma State University campus,
Tuesday, March 27
at 7pm. Tickets are required! Free tickets are available through the choral departments in each high school, or at the GMC box office on the night of the performance. There's free parking in the Green Music Center lot. Any donations to the scholarship fund for these students will be gratefully accepted!
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For more news, follow us on social media:
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@SRCSchools #SRCStogether
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Santa Rosa City Schools
211 Ridgway Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
707-528-5388
communication@srcs.k12.ca.us
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