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December 5, 2019
SUSD Books of the Month
Children's Book:
A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin
Student Access
  • Available in all SUSD K-8 Libraries and also available for free on SORA as an ebook.
Description

A gorgeous picture book that tells a whimsical origin story of the phases of the moon. Pat, pat, pat...Little Star's soft feet tiptoed to the Big Mooncake. Little Star loves the delicious Mooncake that she bakes with her mama. But she's not supposed to eat any yet! What happens when she can't resist a nibble?
Children's book:
Weird Little Robots by Carolyn Crimi
Student Access
Description

Eleven-year-old Penny Rose has just moved to a new town, and so far the robots she builds herself are her only company. But with just a bit of magic, everything changes: she becomes best friends with Lark, has the chance to join a secret science club, and discovers that her robots are alive. Penny Rose hardly remembers how lonely she used to feel. But then a fateful misstep forces her to choose between the best friend she’s always hoped for and the club she’s always dreamed of, and in the end it may be her beloved little robots that pay the price. Quirky and wonderful, this illustrated chapter book from Carolyn Crimi and Corinna Luyken shows that making your own space and a true friend in the world is a kind of magic all its own.
Middle/High School:
The Giver by Lois Lowery
Description

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world.

When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does Jonas begin to understand the dark secrets behind this fragile community. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.
i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment
We are proud to share that our students in K-12 have completed the second i-Ready ELA and Math diagnostic assessment. The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s needs. Each item a student sees is individualized based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier questions. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade, but instead to determine how best to support your child’s learning.
 
Learn more by watching this video:  bit.ly/2R9xJcB
Here are tips on how you can support your child: bit.ly/2OFc5v8
Puentes Tree Planting Projects Across SUSD
Co-written with SUSD Digital Communications Intern Monzerrath Martinez, Senior, Stagg High School
The city and our schools are breathing a little easier thanks to local organization PUENTES, an organization that has been around for nine years and promotes sustainable communities. In partnership with Stockton Unified, the Port of Stockton, the San Joaquin County Office of Education, Ten Space Development, and the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds, PUENTES has planted trees 280 trees at ten SUSD schools in the past two years, with plans for more.

“We are trying to recreate that urban canopy, purify the air," said Jessica Bryant, Forestry Coordinator at PUENTES. "We want to do our part in cleaning up or neighborhoods and adding value to our schools.”

Nearly 100 trees were planted between Stagg High, Montezuma Elementary School, and Nightingale Charter this semester. Each site had numerous volunteers from their school communities. At Stagg High School, many students marked their calendars for October 26 and took their Saturday to plant trees.

Our partnership with PUENTES was made possible by a three-year CalFire ReLeaf Grant, which covered the cost of the 280 trees planted at SUSD schools between 2017-2019. SUSD is now working with PUENTES to plant another 174 trees between now and spring 2020 at the following sites:
  • Hamilton Elementary
  • San Joaquin Elementary
  • Roosevelt Elementary
  • Rio Calaveras Elementary
  • Henry Elementary
  • King Elementary
  • August Elementary
  • Marshall Elementary
  • Taylor Elementary
  • Commodore Stockton Skills Elementary

Bryant, along with many others, started the preparations for this mission two years ago. Meeting after meeting they came closer to approval and now the mission is being fulfilled. A group of PUENTES members scouted the school locations where the trees have been and will be planted. If all goes well, they will be finished by March of 2020. If you are interested in learning more about PUENTES, visit puentesca.org.

Toy Drives for SUSD
Toys for Tots
The motto of Toys for Tots is “every child deserves a little Christmas,” and once again they are visiting multiple SUSD schools this month, giving out more than 10,000 presents to our students. This is made possible through the foundation’s toy drives and could not be done without the support of the community as well as the United States Marines Corps who generously donate their time to the season of giving.

Toys thru Cops Drive by SUSD Police Department
The Stockton Unified Police Department will also be conducting their Toys thru Cops Drive on Saturday, December 7th in partnership with Target Stores located on Pacific Ave. This is an annual event that our Officers do to help collect toys for the children in our school district. All donated toys will be going to our SUSD Families in Transition (FIT). FIT was created to provide assistance to transitional families which may include our homeless or foster children, with issues of school enrollment. The program is designed to identify transitional children and provide appropriate community resources in order to achieve self-sufficiency for the families and enhancement in the education of the children.

Kids Care Orthodontics
This holiday season, Kids Care Orthodontics is proud to bring giggly smiles to SUSD Foster Youth and Families in Transition students. All in the community are welcome to drop off a new and unwrapped toy at the grand opening celebration of their new Stockton at Stone Creek Village Shopping Center (5757 Pacific Ave, Suite a-145) on December 13th. 

We are incredibly grateful for the support from our community in ensuring all of our students receive gifts this holiday season, no matter their circumstances. Happy Holidays from all of us here at Stockton Unified School District.
Financial Aid Workshops Coming This Spring
Stockton Unified School District is committed to helping every SUSD senior complete their FAFSA or California Dream Act application so that students can succeed in their post-secondary endeavors.

Though the Cash for College Workshops have ended, there will be additional opportunities this spring to learn about financial aid, FAFSA, and the CA Dream Act. All SUSD seniors and their families are encouraged to attend at least one of the events. Dates and locations will be announced in the next SUSD Connects e-newsletter.

Family & Community Star: Shane Bailey
The SUSD Community Relations Department would like to recognize Shane Bailey as our first-ever Family & Community Star!

Ms. Bailey, a distinguished U.S. Coast Guard veteran, is the epitome of children advocacy and a role model in our community. As a guardian of one of our SUSD students, she has been supportive not only at Montezuma Elementary, but at other school and district related events. She is a current executive board member of both our PAC and AABPAC. Congratulations Ms. Bailey! Thank you for your service to our country and our community!

Know a SUSD family or community partner who deserves to be recognized? Nominate them to become a Family & Community Star at www.stocktonusd.net/nominate.
Parent Tip: Top 10 Things to Do with Your Child During Winter Break
Stockton Unified’s winter break is quickly approaching. Students will be on break from December 23rd-January 3rd. Here are a 10 ways you can keep your kids engaged over the holidays. 

  1. Go on a scavenger hunt outside
  2. Create a new board game using cardboard and recyclables found around the house
  3. Visit your local library
  4. Try a new recipe as a family
  5. Complete a jigsaw puzzle
  6. Read as a family snuggled up on the couch or in front of a fire
  7. Use coffee filters to make custom snowflakes
  8. Put on a concert using pots, pans, and various items around the house to make new sounds
  9. Have each family member write a New Year’s resolution
  10. Watch a classic movie
Upcoming Events
Click event for more information
Photo Galleries
Stagg vs. Turlock Basketball

Our Stagg High School Boys Basketball teams took on Turlock High School on November 23. Though the Freshman team lost 35-23, the Varsity team was victorious with 63-45. Great work to both teams!

Bush Elementary College & Resources Fair

The Bush Elementary School K-8 College and Community Resource Fair was a hit for students and parents alike! Students showed off their incredible college projects before visiting several community partners to learn about resources available to them. Thank you to all who organized and attended this family-fun event!

Edison AVID Demonstration

Edison High School held another AVID Showcase today! These showcases provide an opportunity for educators outside of SUSD to see an AVID implementation, share best practices, and learn more about AVID hands-on. The day included classroom observations and a chance to speak with experienced AVID teachers, administrators, and students. We hope everyone today had a blast visiting our National AVID Demonstration School!

Special Olympics Basketball Game

Thank you Franklin High School for hosting another Special Olympics Basketball Tournament. We appreciate all of the support from students and staff who made this possible. We are so proud!

Franklin and Chavez Marching Bands Perform at the Lincoln High Band Review

Our Franklin and Chavez high school marching bands looked (and sounded) incredible at the Lincoln Band Review of Champions! Great work to our students and to band directors Jacqueline Hairston (Franklin High School) and Art Coleman (Chavez High School).

Photos submitted by August Elementary teacher Kellie Yoakum

Amazon Donation to El Dorado Elementary

Amazon surprised El Dorado Elementary students with a generous donation of playground equipment. We are so grateful to Amazon for their kind gifts during this Holiday Season. Our students are so exited to use it all. 

STAY CONNECTED
Submit your stories for the next SUSD Connects!
SUSD Community Relations Department
701 N. Madison Street
Stockton, CA 95202
(209) 933-7025