Superintendent's Friday Update
April 22, 2022
Hello Alta Loma School District
Our Top Three Updates for the Week:

  1. ALSD Superintendent Search Online Survey
  2. Transitional Kindergarten Information Night
  3. What's Happening in the ALSD Transportation Department... and would you like to join our team?!
ALSD Superintendent Search Online Survey:

The Alta Loma School District Board of Trustees is seeking community input in its next Superintendent. Education Support Services Group (ESS) has developed an online survey to gather your perceptions about the current state of the District along with the experiences and ideal leadership qualities you feel are most important for the incoming Superintendent to possess.
Please take the time to follow the link below and provide your input. The survey will run until April 29. Access the online survey here. 
Transitional Kindergarten Information Night
From Chris Deegan, Associate Superintendent of Education Services and Cara Cerecerez, Director of Student Services
In addition to the informational video that can be accessed on our website, the ALSD Transitional Kindergarten Team provided families an opportunity to connect in person with the team of teachers.

April 21st many families came out to see a presentation that highlighted “A Day in the life of a TK student.” Here families learned about the transitional kindergarten age requirement, curriculum taught and how to get their student ready for their first year of school in Fall of 2022.  

If your student will turn 5 years old between September 2, 2022 and February 2, 2023 please use the link below to register your student to begin their academic career with a strong foundation. 


Follow us on Twitter 
@AltaLomaSD
@ALSD_EdServices
What's Happening in the Transportation Department
From Brian Salsgiver, Director of Maintenance, Operations, Transportation & Safety:

Our Transportation Department has been busy at work transporting many of our students to and from their school sites, with some of our drivers starting as early as 6:30 am to begin their day!

As part of our driver’s responsibilities, they are expected to perform a detailed inspection of the bus that they will be operating daily. This includes the interior, exterior, tires, engine fluid levels, brakes, lights and more.

While we currently employ eight drivers to transport nearly 90 of our students to 12 sites in the area, we are actively searching for additional qualified candidates to fill a number of vacancies left in the department due to the ongoing pandemic, as well as much deserved retirements in recent years. Our goal is to return to busing of all eligible ALSD students in the upcoming 2022-2023 school year and you can help! If you are interested, or know someone who might be interested in a part time job with varied hours, please contact our Human Resources Department or log on to edjoin.org/alsd.
We would like to take an opportunity to introduce our Bus Driver/Dispatcher AND now Bus Driver Trainer, Mrs. Lynn McKendall!

Lynn started with ALSD in January of 2017 as a substitute bus driver. Before long, Lynn was moved into the Transportation Office to assist with dispatch duties, clerical needs, and managing calls, with the occasional need to get back behind the wheel to assist with transport of our students in the event of a driver absence or field trip. Lynn’s willingness to jump in and help at any time, along with her keen ability to manage the office side of the Transportation Department, quickly made it evident to her supervisor that Lynn would be a perfect candidate to manage the Bus Driver Trainer duties, should Dawn La Rocque decide to retire.

Fast forward five years, Ms. Dawn La Rocque has decided to retire, Lynn is our Bus Driver/Dispatcher, and the CDE has just returned to in-class instruction for the latest round of Bus Driver Instructor Certification courses following a long delay due to COVID-19. What seemed like a far off goal was suddenly a reality and within weeks Lynn was officially enrolled in Bus Driver Instructor Certification Course #316, to be held at the CHP Academy in Sacramento, California! Off she went on March 27, 2022, to begin what Lynn describes as some of the most difficult days, and nights, she has ever experienced. With intense classroom instruction all day, and countless hours of studying and homework in her room at night, Lynn rarely managed more than a few hours of sleep before she was up and at it again.

Looking back, Lynn recounts grueling hours of both classroom work and behind the wheel training, reading and rereading page after page of Vehicle Code, Ed Code, Title 13, Penal Code, and Health and Safety Codes to ensure that she could clearly recite many of the entries as required in class. By day six, Lynn was expected to provide lessons on various topics to her instructors and fellow classmates, as part of her overall course evaluation…and she did so with great success! Lynn completed this course on Friday, April 15, 2022, with a California Department of Education Instructor card and an often sought after “A1” Instructional and Equipment Limitations rating, as well as an enormous sense of accomplishment!

Lynn returned to the office on April 18, 2022, only to be faced with the very first annual CHP Safety Compliance and Carrier Inspection she was to endure as the Certified Bus Driver Trainer for the Alta Loma School District. With the preparations made by our fantastic mechanic, Mr. Darin Chapman, and all of the hard work completed by our amazing drivers, we were ready for this.

Following a thorough and detailed inspection over a total of three days, the Transportation Department received a clean inspection report with no violations. There is no question that our success is due in large part to Lynn’s commitment and dedication to her work and the students of the Alta Loma School District! We appreciate you, Lynn!

Editor's Note: We appreciate our outstanding Director of Maintenance, Operations, Transportation and Safety as well. Thank you, Mr. Salsgiver for being such as asset to the ALSD community!!
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead,

Karen Hendricks

Important Upcoming Dates:
  • Tuesday, May 3 - Open House at Deer Canyon Elementary, 5:00 PM Kinder, 2nd, 4th & 6th Grade; 5:30 PM 1st, 3rd, & 5th Grade
  • Wednesday, May 4 - Board of Trustees Meeting, 5:00 PM
  • Thursday, May 5 - Open Houses at Alta Loma Elementary, Stork Elementary and Victoria Groves Elementary, 5:00 PM
  • Thursday, May 12 - Open Houses at Hermosa Elementary, 4:30 PM TK / Kinder; 5:30 PM Grades 1-6 and Alta Loma Junior High at 6:00 PM
  • Wednesday, May 18, Board of Trustees Meeting, 5:00 PM
  • Thursday, May 19 - Open Houses at Carnelian Elementary, 5:30 PM and Jasper Elementary, 5:00 PM
  • Wednesday, May 25 - Last day of school for Grades K-7: Modified Day for Grades 1-8; PM Kinder students attend with AM Kinder students
  • Thursday, May 26 - Last day of school for Grade 8 students (Modified Day)
Great Things Happening At Our Schools
From Principal Guadalupe Berzunza:
Stork Superstars in Grades 3-6 started their California state testing and they are doing fabulous! All we asked of our Superstars is to do their personal best and reassured them they were prepared to Shine! We are so proud of them. Each day we raffle prizes for students who are earning tickets for coming to school and being present, using test taking strategies, and for using all of their testing time wisely.

Our teachers have done an amazing job this year and our students have risen to each and every challenge with a positive mindset. I am so appreciative of our TAP, Ms. Trotter, for the job she has done preparing our site for the test and for setting up the raffle.
Ms. Trotter is a true Superstar! We will keep this momentum going for the next three weeks! I am so proud of the students, staff, and community!

Way to go Superstars!!
From Principal Kristy Johnson:
Our Kindness Club made goodie bags for each 3rd-6th grader taking the CAASPP test! They worked as a team to come up with a clever message and goodies to go along with it. Our students have really worked hard this year and they wanted to show their support! Our Kindness Club loves to spread happiness and cheer on campus. 

Our 3rd through 6th grade classes were surprised with a class poster from our TK-2nd and Childcare classes. Each of them adopted a class and made them a poster with encouraging words for our test takers! What a fun way to offer support for students taking the CAASPP test! VGS loves spreading Kindness throughout the year!
From Principal Michele Rachielles:
Our Buddy Club took a walking trip to Vons and Terry’s Burgers this week. Buddy Club consists of students in Ms. Garcia’s Keystone class and general education students who have been buddying up with Keystone all year. 

It was a special experience to be out and about as a group. The students do real world based activities together in the grocery store and practice functional skills of ordering, paying, and receiving change at lunch. 

A big thank you to Ms. Garcia and her instructional aides who make this type of trip possible!
From Principal Sandy Rose:
During our Equity Team Walks with Dr. Gillmore and Dr. Shield, we were able to observe first hand how hard our staff has worked to meet the individual needs of students and to provide a positive classroom environment for all. It was inspiring to witness high quality instruction taking place in safe, inviting classroom spaces for our students. 

Our team was incredibly proud of our positive room environments, teachers scaffolding support, social-emotional supports being offered, high levels of student engagement, visual supports being available for students, and great instruction being delivered.

#VJHStaffRocks!
Food Fair Fridays are one of our students’ favorite days of the week!

A special thanks goes to Mrs. Roberts (our ASB Leadership Teacher) and to our custodians for all of their hard work in making these days special for our students.
From Principal Dolly Bentley:
This month, to gear up for CAASPP testing, Alta Loma Elementary had a Pep Rally to get our 3rd-6th grade students pumped up! We had fun music, games, relays, and trivia. Students and Staff had a ball! 

Upon leaving the rally, our primary kiddos, teachers, and staff, lined the halls to cheer and root on our testers! We had a great time celebrating all of the hard work our students have put in to prepare for testing, and we know they are going to Rock the Test! 
From Principal Khaleelah Lewis-Wilkins:
Banyan Bulldogs were ecstatic to celebrate the upcoming Easter holiday with classmates and friends! Our Bulldogs in second grade participated in a grade level wide egg hunt. Students brought their own decorated baskets and hopped over to our bus turnaround to partake in the festivities.

In Kindergarten, students wore their own bunny-inspired hats and all of our Bulldog students engaged in classroom activities that celebrated the love of Spring and the fun that the Easter holiday brings! Mrs. Cowan’s class even won the “Golden Egg” from our Student Senate for having the closest estimate of Starburst housed inside of the egg.

Thank you to our parents and community that donated items to enhance the experience of fun for our students! It was a great week to be a Bulldog, to be kind, responsible and to achieve!

#BulldogsSmile
From Principal Autumn Williams:
Many of our Carnelian classes had the opportunity to visit Alta Loma High School and experience the Visual and Performing Arts showcase! A heartfelt thanks to Principal Kaylor, his staff and student leaders. The ALHS students gave a tour of the visual arts displays and the ALHS Competitive Dance Team performed for our students and then taught our kids their own dance to perform. The students were also treated to a performance in the theater by the Theater/Drama department and the performance was actually written and directed by an ALHS student! 

This was such a great opportunity and partnership for Carnelian students and Alta Loma High School. Our classes really enjoyed the experience and it reenergized their excitement for visual and performing arts. Thank you ALHS! 

Carnelian wants to remind everyone to “Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Proud” and have a great Cardinal Day!
From Principal Andrew Carter:

Our track team has been working for weeks and weeks to prepare our track stars for upcoming events. Led by our incredibly dedicated coaches, Mrs. Uraga & Mrs. Eakle, our students have spent many Wednesdays training for different events. We are so excited to cheer on our track team members at upcoming meets!!!

SOAR, Eagles, SOAR!
From Principal Curtis Quanstrom:
Take me out to the ballgame. America’s national pastime is alive and well at Jasper Elementary. Over half of the 5th and 6th graders are participating in softball at lunch for noon sports. Students who are not playing are participating as they cheer for their friends, keep score, and even set up fields.

Thank you to Mr. Bonilla for coordinating noon sports which gives the students an opportunity to learn about teamwork, sportsmanship, and of course have a lot of fun while getting some exercise. The staff is looking forward to playing the winning team at the end of the year softball game.

Keep it up Champions; we love your spirit!
From Principal Val Bires:
Hermosa Huskies enjoy showing their school spirit at our monthly spirit dine-out nights. This month we supported a new business in town called Bruster’s Ice Cream on Foothill which is located next to Five Guys and Target. Wow, the ice cream is delicious! Hunter the Husky enjoyed leaving campus and joining the fun at Bruster’s!

Way to go, Huskies! #Huskyspirit