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News & Notes November 10, 2017
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What's Happening at The Academies?
Nov 1 -13 -- BOA PTO Yankee Candle Fundraiser
Nov 10 --
Veteran's Day
Holiday *NO SCHOOL*
Nov 16 - 17 -- Conferences *NO SCHOOL*
Nov 20 - 24 -- Fall Break *NO SCHOOL*
Dec 3 -- SVA PTO Skate Night & Tricky Tray
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A Message from Superintendent Dutton
Growth is Evident!
As we near the end of the trimester, our teachers are assessing students with multiple and varied measures, evaluating progress, and preparing to report out to parents at conferences. The close of each trimester is a busy time on campus, but it's also a rewarding time of reflection and celebration!
At our schools, one Report Card is issued per trimester: Fall, Winter, and Spring. In Fall and Winter, these are discussed at Parent Conferences. Teachers have been sending notes home this week to ask for your RSVP. Fall conferences are November 16th and 17th, 2017. Please provide a timely reply to your child's teacher to assist with scheduling, and please plan for childcare on these days. (Unlike many other schools, SVA and BOA do not have multiple weeks of minimum day scheduling, rather two
whole
days without instruction.) The Academies After School Programs offer Conference Care for a reasonable rate.
We think of parents as our partners who share our goal of supporting the child to develop into healthy,
self-actualized
, and independent adults. When you come to your Conference, you can expect to learn about your child's growth, hear the teachers' observations, and discover ways you can reinforce the academic and social-emotional learning within your home to foster continued progress. To help you interpret and understand our Report Cards, I have updated this reference for parents, "How to Read Your Child's Report Card." Reading this guide ahead of time, especially for those parents who are new to our schools, is a great way to prepare for Parent Conferences.
Parent Conferences offer an opportunity to recommit our efforts to work together as a coordinated team and incite further growth and maturation in the child!
I am so grateful to be this organization's founding leader and to have the privilege to steward this lovely work-in-progress. My role continually requires that I look forward and plan for the future, but each trimester provides a nice moment to pause, reflect, observe growth, and feel grateful for all we have established together.
Thank you, parents, for your support! We are grateful for your partnership and trust and the opportunity to grow with you.
Ruth
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Conference Care
There will be no school on conference days, November 16-17. Our After School Program is offering care from 8:00AM - 5:45PM.
The day will include special activities, crafts, and fun! More info coming soon!
Meals and snacks will not be served, so please be sure to send food for the day with your child.
Sign up with After School Program staff or in your school's office.
Half Day: $10 for up to 4.5 hours*
Full Day: $20 for 4.5 or more hours*
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You may indicate whether your child will attend full or half days but we will charge based on time in and time out.
Families who purchased the Unlimited Flat Rate Plan for after school care incur
no additional charge for these days, but please do sign up if you plan for your child to attend so that we can plan accordingly.
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Attention Parents!
Please ask your child to check the lost and found for their items.
Remember to label sweaters, jackets, and lunch pails with your child's name and room number.
All items remaining in lost and found after Parent Teacher Conferences will be donated to the Visalia Rescue Mission!
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A message from Principal Stinson
Greetings The Academies' Family!
November is an extremely exciting time of the year. As teachers passionately work to accurately compile a "snapshot" of your child's learning to share with you at conferences, I would like to share some of my learnings as a parent that might help you as well.
Join me as we travel back 11 years ago to when I attended my first parent-teacher conference as a
parent
. My first learning moment came when I was quickly confronted with was how nervous I went to my son's kinder conference. Shockingly, I felt as though I was the one being "evaluated." Remind yourself that the conference is NOT about you nor is it judging your parenting ability! This is all about your child; your child's hopes, dreams, strengths, growth areas, needs, etc.
My second lesson was quite comical but produced a related powerful message. The teacher proceeded to tell me how my child was "unique", he liked to do his own thing and not follow directions. He gestured to a wall of turkey puppets as his evidence against my son. One puppet stood out in stark contrast to the rest as my eyes zeroed in on his turkey. I was embarrassed that my child's did not look like the rest. I struggled to hear the rest of the teacher's messages over the emotions and questions that began to scream in my head. Did this mean my kid was going to struggle in school? How would it affect him? Would other kids tease him? Would teachers judge him? Would he be treated as an equal? The list of questions was never-ending. Thankfully, I chose to ask my rambunctious 5 year old that night about his "special" turkey. My son proudly proclaimed how proud his turkey was unlike any of the others! I asked him to explain
how
his was different. He began to talk about how his turkey puppet was the best because he chose to include a human arm to show how one would use it as a real puppet. His feathers pointing in the opposite direction was his way to show that the bird was flying. I was upset as I realized how my own fears and doubts had clouded my thoughts and rushed me to foolish assumptions. In reality, my son was truly being creative and "thinking outside the box".
I am honored to now be apart of The Academies, an organization that values and encourages children to be unique, think differently, be creative and push themselves! Come to conferences ready to focus on your child by listening, asking questions and sharing valuable information that will help you partner with your teacher. We are working to help our students grow into virtuous, courageous,and intelligent citizens, equipped with a love of learning and a love of life, and eager to contribute to a better world.
With Gratitude,
Dana |
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"Thinking like a disciplinarian" is one of the practices of quality scholarship -- 7th and 8th graders invite students and families to learn more about how those disciplinarians do their work. Middle School's first PBL event is Tuesday, November 14 in the SVA cafeteria from
6:30-8:00 pm.
Students have examined aspects of a particular academic
discipline
in order to begin to explore how different disciplines interact with epidemics. All SVA family and friends are welcome to attend their
symposium
to find out more about what they discovered.
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Expanding Your Horizons
Several SVA students participated in Expanding Your Horizons, a
conference for girls interested in science, engineering, and technology The day included workshops presented by women who work in careers typically dominated by men. These hands-on seminars provide an opportunity for young women to experiment in specific areas of interest, such as engineering or chemistry. SVA's own Carlie Crook won an award in a pretend tweet writing competition.
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Fall Festival Fun!
A huge thank you goes out to Melodi Flynn, Event Chair Extraordinaire, our PTOs and all of the amazing volunteers who made this event possible!
Thanks also to WinCo, sponsor of this year's Pumpkin Walk!
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Yankee Candle Fundraiser
Support Blue Oak PTO's fall fundraiser and stock up on candles and more. Psst...they make great holiday gifts.
Click here to shop online. Enter group n
umber
999973588
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SVA PTO Family Skate
Coming up on December 3, SVA PTO will host it's annual Family Skate at Roller Towne. This year's event will include a Tricky Tray raffle.
Sunday, 12/3
10AM-NOON
Roller Towne
520 S. Linwood
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Our
coaches are fired up this season and want to give their athletes more time to train and work together as a group even before teams have formed!
Pre-season conditioning for basketball is underway! All students grades 5-8 are
welcome to join the work out. Participation in pre-season conditioning DOES NOT mean your child has to try out for the team. Students who want to try their hand at basketball without making a commitment to a team are encouraged to give it a shot!
Workout days are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday for the next month and half. Tryouts will follow conditioning, dates TBD.
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KSVA TV
This week's episode of KSVA TV News includes special guest, Austraya's Mama.
Check it out on YouTube, and be sure to subscribe to their channel.
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| KSV TV Ch. 20 Season 1, Episode 7 |
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School Breakfast and Lunch
Did you know that breakfast is available each school morning beginning at
7:45? It is!
You can pay for meals with cash or check (get an envelope in the school office) or online with our payment service
myschoolbucks.com. You will need to register, create an account and provide an ID number for every student you're including. An app is available so you can easily use this service on your smartphone. If you need to access your student's ID number, please call your school's front office.
School breakfast will be available at both schools before the school day begins. The cost for breakfast is $1.25.
The cost for lunch is $2.00. Applications for free or reduced price lunch will be sent home with your child on the first day of school.
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Substitute Custodian Needed
The Academies Charters is seeking a backup daytime custodian. F
ingerprint clearance is required.
Substitute Teachers Needed
The Academies Charters have an experienced and dedicated teaching staff, but we are always looking to expand our sub list.
If you or someone you know has the desire to be a substitute teacher at our amazing school, has a bachelor's degree, has passed the CBEST, and is willing to get a substitute credential and fingerprint clearance we would love to grow our team.
Substitute Instructional Aides Needed
The Academies Aide Subs minimum requirements are a high school diploma and fingerprint clearance.
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Next SVA PTO Meeting
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Next BOA PTO Meeting
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| November 13 |
November 13 |
6:00PM
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6:00PM
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Round Table Pizza
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Round Table Pizza
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Packwood Creek Center
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Mary's Vineyard
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4035 S. Mooney Blvd.
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1691 E. Noble Ave.
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Know of a community event you'd like to share? Email information and images to Claudia Van Groningen
[email protected]
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The Academies CMO| 559.622-3236 | theacademiescharters.org
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