Superintendent's Friday Update
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From the Desk of Dr. Smith | |
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Footsteps2Brilliance
How much does your family know about Footsteps2Briliance? To begin with, this is a literacy tool that provides the foundation for proficiency needed for our early learners. Furthermore, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools is offering the Footsteps2Brilliance Bilingual Reading Program for FREE to all San Bernardino County families to help their children, birth to 3rd grade, prepare for kindergarten and succeed in school. San Bernardino County has a goal to ensure all our children are reading at grade level by 3rd grade. This is because reading at grade level by third grade is one of the best predictors of children's success in school, their likelihood of going to college, and their future earning potential.
Footsteps2Brilliance is free for students and families across San Bernardino County. The Preschool Services Department has partnered with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, First 5 San Bernardino and Children’s Fund to begin Footsteps2Brilliance throughout San Bernardino County. If you are interested in learning more about this free literacy tool perhaps you would like to participate in one of the upcoming family workshops that are held monthly through the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. During these monthly sessions you can join Footsteps2Brilliance staff who will help families focus on supporting their child's literacy development at home. Reading and writing activities in both English and Spanish will be covered as well as tips for success!
Workshop Registration is here: Family Workshop Series
You can also register your family here: Footsteps2Brilliance
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Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) Survey
Next week you will be receiving a link for our LCAP Survey via email, and you will also be able to access the link on the front page of our Alta Loma School District website. The survey is organized around the eight state-wide priorities, and reflects the three overarching goals of the Alta Loma School District Local Control and Accountability Plan.
The Alta Loma School District benefits from and values the input from our educational partners. As we plan, prepare, and revise educational goals and expenditures outlined in the implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula, we wanted to let you know about this important upcoming request for input. Your assistance as thought partners in the shaping of District actions that will be detailed in our annual Local Control and Accountability Plan is critical.
We urge everyone to take the LCAP survey between November 7th and November 18th. One response per family is needed. Last year, we had 3,079 respondents, so our goal this year is to reach 4,000. If you indicate that you have more than one student in the Alta Loma School District, you'll be directed to take the survey with one student in mind. However, if you prefer to take the survey for each child in our schools, please feel free to do so. Thank you in advance for your participation.
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Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis
I wanted to begin the conversation with our families about the Fentanyl crisis that California is currently facing. In 2012, California suffered 82 tragic deaths attributed to Fentanyl overdoses, and last year that number jumped to more than 6,000. Per the October 5, 2022 edition of EdSource magazine, Fentanyl deaths now account for more than 80% of all drug-related deaths among California's young people in 2021. Most of these young victims ingested Fentanyl accidentally, thinking they were consuming something less dangerous. Yes, Fentanyl is one of the deadliest drugs on the street, and now it’s also pretty. Drug traffickers are making rainbow-colored Fentanyl that in pill form, resembles candy and in block form, looks like sidewalk chalk, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Federal officials say the candy-colored Fentanyl is a deliberate attempt to market the drug to children and young adults. In a letter sent to superintendents throughout the state from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, "Fentanyl is the fastest growing cause of death for young people in our state, and we must lean in and confront this drug crisis now."
ALSD is taking a proactive stance regarding this serious topic in order to protect our youth to our fullest ability. We would like to invite you to an upcoming Fentanyl Community Presentation Parent Night on November 15, 2022. We have arranged for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department to present this informational topic to our ALSD community to further educate all of us on the dangers of Fentanyl and how best to protect our youth. Please see the flyer below with detailed information.
Furthermore, in 2017 California Education Code 49414.3 gave school districts the ability to provide emergency Naloxone Hydrochloride to school nurses or trained personnel. Each public school district in the state may voluntarily determine whether or not to make emergency Naloxone Hydrochloride and trained personnel available at school sites. Naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, is a fast-acting drug that can reverse the effects of opioids like Fentanyl and help restore a person’s normal breathing, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Currently, our staff is developing Administrative Regulations that are site specific and provide safe protocols that support having Narcan stored at our school sites in the event of an emergency situation.
In summary, the growing number of Fentanyl overdoses is indeed a crisis among our youth, and like you have heard me say before, I wholeheartedly believe we are stronger together! By working together, can better provide the critical supports to help keep our youth healthy and safe. If you would like to learn more about State Superintendent Thurmond's call to action, you can read more here: Combatting Fentanyl with Action
Finally, if you would like to provide comments and/or thoughts on this important topic, please click this link.
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Upcoming District Events
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Sunday, November 6 - Day Light Saving Time Ends
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Tuesday, November 8 - Election Day
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Friday, November 11 - Veteran's Day Holiday (No School)
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Monday, November 14 - Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee Meeting, 6:00 PM, Carnelian Elementary School
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Monday, November 14- Friday, November 18 - Elementary Parent Conferences (Modified Days)
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Friday, November 18 - Jr. High Modified Day
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Monday, November 21- Friday, November 25 - Thanksgiving Holiday
(No School)
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Monday, November 28 - Student's Return to School
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Great Things Happening At Our Schools | |
From Principal Jenny Rice:
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We’ve had a busy couple of weeks at Deer Canyon, beginning with our fabulous Red Ribbon Week. Students showed their school spirit and said, "no" to drugs with some fun dress up days! It was so awesome to see our students all dressed up and participating in each of Deer Canyon's fun spirit days.
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Friday, October 28th was our Halloween Trunk or Treat event. Our families had a great time trick or treating and showing their Halloween spirit. The event was packed and so many of our Deer Canyon families decorated their cars and dressed up for the evening. We want to thank our fabulous PTA for putting on such a fun-filled event. Staff, students and the broader community came together for a great evening thanks to your hard work!
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On Monday the Halloween celebration continued with our annual Halloween Parade. Students paraded around our blacktop to festive Halloween music with their classmates to show their costumes off for their friends and family. It was a great day full of joy and smiles. #EaglePride
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Our GATE students had a very special after-school opportunity this week. Teacher On Special Assignment Mrs. Cruz, and 6th grade teacher and GATE Coordinator Ms. Reynoso teamed up to provide exciting escape rooms for two teams of students. With perseverance and teamwork, both teams escaped with time to spare. What a memorable and engaging experience for all! Thank you, Mrs. Cruz and Ms. Reynoso! A special shout out and thank you also goes to all the students who participated. | |
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Our amazing PTA hosted our annual Victoria Groves Trunk or Treat event on October 28th. Students were able to spend the evening trick or treating in a fun safe way at.
Our families were very creative in decorating their trunks with lots of fun themes. The fun started a few weeks before with classrooms decorating their Halloween boxes to hold all of their candy donations. The top three classrooms that collected the most candy each won a pizza party. We are so thankful for the support of our Victoria Groves families and our PTA for planning memorable activities for our students!
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This year our Halloween parade was a blast! Students came dressed and ready to show off their costumes as classes walked in the parade for all our families to see. Our staff came ready and prepared to “save the day” in their lifeguard costumes. We even had a shark that stole the show.
Our classrooms had lots of parent volunteers helping out with fun Halloween activities and games. Students really enjoyed the academic activities that were planned around the Halloween theme!
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October was a busy month! In an effort to create a positive and safe school culture, 7th and 8th grade select students were trained as Safe School Ambassadors. These students will continue to be empowered to make a positive difference on campus.
We also held our school-wide Think Kindness Assemblies to help students understand that they have the power to make a positive impact at school, in the community, and even globally. We look forward to our upcoming Kindness Challenge! #MakingADifference!
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Over 300 students attended our Halloween dance sponsored by our ASB. Students had a blast dancing, going through a scary maze, eating treats, competing in contests, and playing games. It was great to have Alta Loma School District Board of Trustee Dave Roberts, drop by our dance. In addition to our dance, students enjoyed our lunchtime costume contests on Halloween Day. #FunForAll! | |
The last couple of weeks have been very busy at Banyan Elementary! On October 24th, Banyan celebrated its 25th anniversary. The school hosted a 25 year celebration and opened up a time capsule that was buried in October of 1997. It was wonderful having so many former Banyan staff on campus to help us commemorate the occasion. Thank you to Board of Trustee Sandie Oerly for sharing memories about the conception, and eventual development of our wonderful Banyan Elementary School. | |
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This week we had our annual Costume Parade. It was wonderful having all the community join us for the event. Students showed up wearing creative and fun costumes and the staff joined in on the fun!
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On Friday, October 28th Banyan conducted the annual
BoosterthonBuddy’s Fun Run!
A big thank you to our amazing volunteers, parents, and PTA for hosting a fantastic event and for raising funds for our school! We appreciate all of your efforts to help Banyan continue to thrive!
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