Volume 5 Issue 25
So our run of short weeks has come to an end. Back to full weeks starting this Monday. Next week will also mark the last week of February. March here we come. We'll have our High School BBQ this Tuesday rain or shine as well as our Maverick Hangout on Wednesday. If you have not done so already, please sign up to contribute to the high school festivities this Tuesday!
This week's background features an exciting announcement and surprise for senior Kyanna. She was awarded the highest scholarship Girls Inc offers for her great work and successful journey through their program. It was a huge honor and celebration of great work that came with an incredible cash prize as well. Way to go Kyanna!
As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or compliments, please reach out to Mr. Fineberg, our principal, at efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us.
Principal's Message...
Many of our students compete in athletics. As a father along with a principal, I am aware of the time spent by students and parents involved in their sports as well as the pressures felt by our student athletes to perform. I came across these tips in working with my daughter and felt like they would be worthwhile to share with you all.
One of the most frustrating parts of sports parenting is when our athletes won't stop beating themselves up! It's hard to know what to say as a parent, but here are some ways to help in those times when the negative seems to take over:
- Ground yourself. You are the calm in their storm - breathe and remind yourself that you're their safe space to vent.
- Avoid trying to get them to "see the bright side" right away. Listen and report back what you hear.
- Ask curious questions to get them to self-reflect on what happened.
- Another question for your back pocket during this time: "Do you want me to listen, or help you come up with solutions?"
Parenting is not for the faint of heart.
As always, if you have any questions, compliments, ideas, and/or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out at (714) 430-2052 ext. 52103 or efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us. Have a great weekend.
Mr. Fineberg
✍️ Elementary Information ✍️
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Maverick Hangout: This Wednesday is the Maverick Hangout! Be sure to mark your schedules to pick up your students at 1 pm so they can stay for the fun!
4th-6th Graders: Walkthrough California 3/6: Reminder that on March 6th students will be working together to participate in an interactive presentation about the history of California. Each student has been assigned a part and has 1 or 2 vocabulary words to memorize for the event. Please help them practice before the big day! Students are welcome and encouraged to dress up for the presentation in time period clothing (miners, 1800s, etc.) or any California-related costumes. Thank you, PTA, for sponsoring this awesome experience!
CAASPP State Testing: Mark your calendars for April 22-May 3rd for our state testing. These are important dates and assessments for our students and school to gain insight into academic progress and areas of strength and needs for growth.
Weekly Schedule: Be sure to bookmark our Weekly Schedule to confirm dates and times for class. If your student has scheduled 1:1 or small group time with the teacher or one of our aides, that time is required, and attendance is recorded.
Treats/Food: Last week a few students brought treats to class on Wednesday to pass out to the students. If you would like to bring treats or donate snacks, please make sure everything is labeled with ingredients and please avoid items with nuts, as we have students with food allergies and want everyone to be safe.
School Readiness Parent Education Opportunities: Our School Readiness Department offers monthly meetings for parents on topics specific to our younger students. Please check out the flyers for topics that may be of interest to you or your family each month. English Spanish
😃Middle School Information😃
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Art and Essay Contest-Win $$$$$: There is a brand new museum being built in Irvine that will be dedicated to all of those who support/supported Marine Aviation. Our area is rich in history, involving the Blimp Hangars in the District and El Toro Airbase – which is now the Great Park. The group leading this effort is called the Flying Leathernecks. They are sponsoring both an art contest and essay contest with cash prizes involved. Please check out the Art and Essay flyers for more information about the contests.
HS Orientation for 8th Graders: It's time to start planning for high school. For those students attending Tustin Connect HS, Orientation will be in their classroom on Thursday, March 14th. For students attending one of our other TUSD high schools, orientation for students only is scheduled for Friday, March 15th from 8:20-9:30 AM at Columbus Tustin Middle School. Students will meet Mrs. W and attend the HS orientation meeting for the school they will be attending in the fall. Following the meeting, there will be a follow-up registration day on April 5th from 8-10 AM. **Parents, please visit the HS website for information about 8th-grade parent information nights for you to learn more about your child's HS.
8th grade
- THURS. 4/18 In-Person Testing 8:30-12:30 (SCIENCE)
- TUES. 4/23 In-Person Testing 9-11 AM (ELA)
- THURS. 4/25 In-Person Testing 9-12 PM (ELA)
- TUES. 4/30 In-Person Testing 9-11 AM (MATH)
- THURS. 5/2 In-Person Testing 9-12 PM (MATH)
7th grade
- MON. 4/22 In-Person Testing 9-11 AM
- WED. 4/24 In-Person Testing 9-12 PM
- MON. 4/29 In-Person Testing 9-11 AM
- WED. 5/1 In-Person Testing 9-12 PM
TPSF Logo Contest: TPSF is sponsoring the Dino Dash 2024 logo contest for middle and high school students in TUSD. Students have an opportunity to design a logo for the 2024 Dino Dash. The winning logo will be selected by the Dino Dash Steering Committee.
- The winning artist will receive a $500 prize!
- The winning artist’s teacher/department will receive a $500 prize!
- The design is due to TPSF by February 28, 2024!
All submissions are due to TPSF online by February 28, 2024. Check out the rules for more information. Thank you and good luck!
👍 High School Information 👍
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BBQ on Tuesday Rain or Shine: Be sure to come by this Tuesday for our high school BBQ. Mr. David has a new BBQ he is excited to show off. We'd love any support with items for the BBQ. You can sign up to bring something here.
Art and Essay Contest-Win $$$$$: There is a brand new museum being built in Irvine that will be dedicated to all of those who support/supported Marine Aviation. Our area is rich in history, involving the Blimp Hangars in the District and El Toro Airbase – which is now the Great Park. The group leading this effort is called the Flying Leathernecks. They are sponsoring both an art contest and essay contest with cash prizes involved. Please check out the Art and Essay flyers for more information about the contests.
ATTENTION SENIOR Parents: A big thank you to Ms. Franklin who has volunteered to help lead the senior parent planning team. We are still looking for a few more parents to help out. It's not a major commitment and really makes a huge difference in the quality of the experience for our seniors. Please let me know or your teacher if you'd like to be part of the team. As a reminder, we are looking for some parents who would be willing to work with us to celebrate our seniors. We are looking at support for our Senior Breakfast/Movie Day, Senior Swag Bags, and BBQ.
ATTENTION JUNIORS: This is a great opportunity for all current juniors to gain real-world, industry based experience through in-person, hybrid, or virtual internships. Check out the flyer to learn more about this great summer opportunity to earn credits and amazing experience.
Scholarships from Tustin Public Schools Foundation: The Tustin Public Schools Foundation administers sixteen scholarships, and all applications may be found online with this link. All completed applications need to be submitted to TPSF by March 1.
The deadline for all applications for scholarships is March 1, 2024.
PTA Round Up
Hello Maverick Families,
An extra week provides for an extra opportunity to support our upcoming HS BBQ. Please take a moment to sign up to donate something for our February 27th BBQ using this link! Your support is much appreciated.
TC Spirit Wear is on sale! Visit the website https://www.tustinconnectpta.com/spirit-wear to get yours today! We have them in stock just purchase them and pick them up! You can order online via our website and show your receipt to the office, or you can bring cash or check to the office made out to PTA.
- T-shirt $10
- Dri-fit $15
- Jammie Pants $30
If you are interested in getting involved, we'd love the help! Please contact the office and we can connect you to our PTA. You can also reach out to our PTA President, Ziggy McBride via email at ziggy.mcbride@gmail.com.
Counselor Corner: Resources and link to workshops and more!!!
Check out the recording of this Month's Principal/Counselor Coffee from Wednesday, February 7th. We covered student credits and high school graduation requirements as well as a Q and A opportunity for families as well. You can view the meeting in case you missed it using this link.
Mrs. Wijnhamer will be with us up until spring break March 15. She will then be on leave until May 28th in time to be a part of graduation. Mrs. Harding will be working with us while Mrs. W is out. She's awesome and we know you'll love her!
Check out Mrs. Wijnhamer's Monthly Counselor Newsletter.
Our Counselor and Mental Health team have a great website with lots of resources to check out.
Free Online Tutoring Available for K-12 Students
Brainfuse HelpNow is an on demand, anytime, anywhere eLearning platform available for all ages and levels. Last week, it was announced that every Californian can now access free online tutoring available 24/7 through a new initiative offering homework help in every K-12 subject and skill-building resources for K-12 and adult learners.
Real-time homework assistance can now be accessed 24/7 here and on the websites of any of the 1,130 local public libraries around the state – click on the “HelpNow” link to reach a one-on-one tutor. The pilot program led by the State Library offers assistance in Math, Language Arts, and other core K-12 subjects in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. There’s no age limit to who can use the service. Adult learners can also access writing assistance, citizenship resources and other tools.
SORA Virtual Texts Collections
TUSD Resource Sora Summer Read
Sora Sweet Reads in an annual summer reading program designed for schools to encourage students to keep reading all year long. "Check out" the free collection of simultaneous use juvenile and young adult ebooks (and select audiobooks).
Login to Sora to access these and many any other great ebooks and audiobooks all summer long through Clever, TUSD Student Portal or soraapp.com using your TUSD Google login and password.
Student Request - SORA books – Here is a link to a Google Doc to send suggestions and recommendations for new books for our collections!!
Technology Questions/Needs - There's Help Available!
Important Upcoming Dates - Please check our school Website Calendar for all the latest!
February 23: End of Trimester 2 (K-5)
February 28: Maverick Hangout - 12:30-1pm
March 4-8: Read Across America Week
March 14: 8th grade HS Orientation for TC Students to TC High School
March 15: 8th grade HS Orientation at CT Middle School
April 9: Spring Pathways to Succes for 6-12 Students and Families Eng Spanish
April 22-May 2: CAASP Testing 3-8 grades
Our Mission
Email: efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us
Website: www.tustinconnect.org
Location: (K-8) 14741 North B Street; (9-12) 1151 San Juan Street
Phone: (714) 430-2052
Twitter: @tustinconnect