The Folsom Cordova Unified School District is partnering with Wellspace Health to offer free immunization clinics for students who still need to provide proof of required vaccines.

A new state law now requires all parents/guardians to show proof that their child has received the vaccinations required to attend school.  The law applies to students entering Kindergarten or Grade 7.  Personal belief exemptions are no longer allowed.

The clinic is for uninsured and Medi-Cal students only.  No appointment necessary: first come-first served.

When: Friday, Aug. 19 and Saturday, Aug. 20

Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. *Clinic may close earlier depending on vaccine supplies.

Where: Wellspace - Rancho Cordova Community Health Center: 10423 Old Placerville Road in Sacramento

What to bring: ID for parent/guardian; immunization record (if possible); Medi-Cal insurance card

Note: If someone other than the parent is bringing a child, a note giving permission for that person to make medical decisions must be provided.

More info: Call 916-569-8600

List of required vaccinations to attend school:

• diphtheria
• haemophilus
• influenza type B
• measles
• mumps
• pertussis (whooping cough for children entering grade 7)
• polio
• rubella
• tetanus Hepatitis B
• varicella (chickenpox)

Recently, our Folsom Cordova elementary schools have received numerous questions about the type and volume of homework our teachers are assigning.  We'd like to take the opportunity to help clarify our practices and guidance to teachers as we settle into the school year.

Will my elementary student still have homework this year?

As has always been our practice in FCUSD, homework is a school-based decision, so variations may exist from school to school.

However, the District has recently provided recommendations to our teachers to help make homework even more meaningful, valuable, and connected to instruction in the classroom.

What are the homework recommendations?

According to research, in order to maximize the benefits of homework, assignments should:

• Be brief
• Make sure to only include research-aligned and standards-based tasks
• Not be a project
• Reinforce skills already taught in the classroom.  Nothing should be sent home that is at the student's instructional level.  All work sent home should be at each student's independent level.

Research shows that homework in elementary school has the most benefit when it meets the criteria above.  Our teachers work hard to continually improve student learning, including evaluating their approach to instruction - so it makes sense that homework would be a part of that process.

Who do I talk to if I have questions about my child's homework?

Always feel free to reach out to your teacher to talk about any aspect of your child's education, including homework.  Your principal is also a resource should you have questions or want to better understand your school's overall approach to homework.

It goes without saying that Folsom Cordova has a multitude of tremendously talented students. Such is the case for Vista del Lago alumni Karina Williams, who just published her poem collection Live, Laugh, Love Like a Teenager.

Williams attended Folsom Middle School when she discovered her love for writing.  She was involved in the school's exploratory wheel elective program where she was able to take a creative writing course.

As Williams became more involved in her creative writing course she began keeping a poetry journal. Eventually she decided she wanted to publish her collection.  Her topics range from lighthearted to serious.  One of her favorite poems she wrote for her AP Literature class is titled "No Second Change" which explores the hard topic of suicide.

To read the full story in the Folsom Telegraph, click here.

Keep an eye out in September for the launch of Folsom Cordova's new and improved mobile app! We're making it easier for families, staff, and students to stay connected to their schools, grades, events, and more.

New features: Upgraded features will include:

*Custom notifications from your school
*Be alerted to changes in your student's grades and attendance
*Peachjar e-flyers straight to your app
*Sync school events to your personal calendar
*Much more!

Already have our app? Once we launch, you'll need to download the new app. It will not be updated to your existing app.

Questions? Contact Communication & Community Engagement at (916) 294-9000 ext. 104530 or smello@fcusd.org.

Thus is the case for Cristina Angel Manuel, who attended Walnutwood High School in Rancho Cordova.  Cristina has overcome multiple obstacles in her young adolescent life and is determined to succeed. She was born and raised in Michoac án, Mexico and later moved to the United States where she attended Cordova High School at the age of 15.

One night Cristina ended up in the emergency room with what she thought was a case of food poisoning, but instead she discovered she was pregnant. She enrolled at Walnutwood High, an alternative independent study school that provided daycare and an adolescent parent program.  The school provided Cristina with the opportunity to make an easier transition into motherhood while still be able to achieve her educational goals.

Cristina's goals do not stop with a high school diploma.  She is pursuing a career as a social worker or psychologist.  She says it's her calling - "anything that has to do with helping others to overcome a difficult situation."

Folsom Cordova families of students who were in grades 3-8 or 11 last year will soon receive the individual score reports for their students under the state's new testing system. These scores are one tool designed to help teachers better understand how our students are performing under new state standards, measure student growth, and implement effective learning strategies tailored to individual children.

Families, students, and community members may have many questions about how to read these score reports, and what the results mean.

Please visit www.fcusd.org/testing, where we have provided answers to common questions and additional resources for you to help support your child's learning.

Folsom Cordova and the Via Heart Project are inviting all students ages 12-25 enrolled in FCUSD, San Juan Unified or Twin Rivers Unified schools to participate in a special, free heart screening event next month designed to help prevent health problems before they emerge. 

An estimated 1 in 500 school-aged children suffer an undiagnosed heart defect, which can lead to sudden cardiac and death. A typical annual physical does not screen for advanced heart abnormalities.

Via Heart screenings take 60-90 minutes and are non-invasive. A team of medical volunteers, including cardiologists, sonographers, and nurses will conduct a health history questionnaire review, an EKG, and, if warranted, an echocardiogram. Student privacy is protected throughout all aspects of the screening.

Date & Time: Sunday, Sept. 18, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Register: viaheartproject.org/screenings Registration is open until noon on Sept. 16 and is limited to 750 students.

Cost: Free. Participants are encouraged to consider a donation that will help support the screening program.

Questions: (800) 284-0125 or screening@viaheartproject.org Click here for a flyer.

Thank you to our generous community sponsors: Dignity Health, Western Health Advantage, VSP Vision Care, Basic Pacific, Superior Vision, California Family Fitness, Roebbelen, Rainforth Grau Architects, DLM, EPIC, Office Depot/Office Max.