Volume 4 Issue 31
Finally, the southern California weather that we all pay for is back! It was a beautiful week and should stay this way for a while. It's finally feels like spring! Check out this week's events and happenings below.
This week's background features our very own Mason Savidan. Last weekend Mason went up to Fresno and competed in the California State Middle School wrestling championship and he won. He is the State of California middle school folkstyle champion at 142 pounds. Way to go Mason. We are so proud of you.
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...
As mentioned last week, April marks the beginning of our state testing program for students in grades 3-8 and 11. The testing provides an important opportunity to gauge our students' progress on a micro and macro level. The feedback received helps us make decisions related to our goals as a school and ensures that students are making progress as compared to other students in the district, county, and state. Students' participation is key to getting accurate information. Additionally, the new system at the state requires 95% of students participate in the testing. For all students under the 95% rate, we receive the lowest possible score for as many students as we are short of the 95% benchmark. With that in mind, we appreciate your support during this testing season. If you are considering opting out of the testing, please feel free to reach out to me as we may be able to come up with some alternatives that may work to alleviate your concerns. A parent’s request to have their student opt-out of CAASPP testing must be submitted in writing. The request needs the date, student’s name, SSID#, and which tests the student is to be excused from (i.e. CAASPP
ELA, Math, and/or Science or CAA ELA, Math and/or Science) and the parent's signature
signature. A digital version (e.g., email) is acceptable.
On an exciting note and mentioned above, kudos to Mason Savidan for winning the California State Middle School Championship in wrestling. So cool!
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.
Mr. Fineberg
✍️ Elementary Information ✍️
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CAASPP Testing: As we enter the final trimester, we will begin preparing for state testing in grades 3-5. Please take a moment to preview the CAASPP website - To take a practice test and view the interface, click here. We will test the weeks of 4/24-4/28 and 5/1-5/5. Please save the date. Testing will be in person, so the schedule will be modified.
Social Skills Small Group Opportunity Mrs. Wijnhamer is hosting a 6 week Social Skills Small Group from 12:30PM-1:00PM on Thursdays at Tustin Connect K-8 campus. The first meeting was this weekand the last meeting date will be May 18th. The goal of this group is to create a space for students to build connections with peers while strengthening social skills that will aid them in their friendships and interactions with classmates. This is a great opportunity for students to have more time to interact with their peers. If you are interested in having your child join, please let me know as a consent form is required.
The following topics will be taught in group with accompanying skills.
- Making Friends; Finding things in Common with Others
- Starting and Maintaining a Conversation
- Identifying Qualities of a Good Friend; Online Friendships
- Identifying Qualities of a Leader; Bullying
- Conflict Resolution and I-Statements
- Celebration and Review of Lesson Topics
😃Middle School Information😃
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CAASPP Testing: Middle School CAASPP testing will begin the week of April 17th and run through the week of May 1st. Please check in with Mrs. Dove or Ms. Paulson to confirm the schedule. Students definitely tend to do better in-person but we can arrange virtual as well.
Great Summer Course for Middle Schoolers: Do you have plans for your Middle School student this summer? Tustin Public Schools Foundation offers a variety of engaging courses for students to participate in during the summer! One of TUSD’s Mental Health Specialists, Claire Skomsvold, LMFT, is facilitating an Art & Media Therapy Course to support students in expressing themselves and connecting with peers. The last day to register is May 1, 2023! Please visit www.tpsf.net/summer for more information. Scholarships are available. Please reach out to Mr. Fineberg for scholarship information. See the link for more information.
8th grade promotion: Our 8th grade promotion is scheduled for May 25th at 6 pm at the K-8 campus. The ceremony is a wonderful celebration of our students and their hardwork and next step to high school. If you are able to, our parents have traditionally collaborated with staff to help with decorations and swag. I you are willing to help, please reach out to Ms. Paulson or Mr. Fineberg.
👍 High School Information 👍
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HS BBQ: Thursday, April 20th for our high school BBQ and hangout. We are hoping the extra couple of weeks will help buy us some dry weather. We also wanted to do a Thursday to capture more of our students on campus. Please be sure to join us for the event.
Chemistry Students: Thank you to our Chemistry students/parents for being flexible with adding a second in-person live lab option! It went wonderfully this past week. Students did a lab where they determined the number of molecules in a gulp of water and in their signature on a piece of paper!
11th Grade CAASPP Testing: This year, only our 11th grade students will be taking the CAASPP state testing. Below are the dates.
Monday, April 17th: English
Tuesday, April 18th: Math
Wednesday, April 19th: Science
Students received an email from Mr. David earlier in the week for specific instructions.
PTA Round-up
Hello Maverick Families,
We are looking forward to honoring our PTA treasurer, Janice Park-Kim as our Coordinating Council Volunteer Award winner. We will be honoring Dr. Kim as part of a District Wide event on Tuesday evening, April 11th at CT Middle School. Thank you Dr. Kim for all you do for our Maverick Family.
Pajama Pants are in! Come check them out in the office. We have a limited number of pants available in the high school office for $30. Stop by and grab a pair. Or, you can order a pair at https://www.tustinconnectpta.com/product-page/pajama-pants.
Counselor Corner: Resources and link to workshops and more!!!
In honor of Mental Health Awareness month, the Orange County Department of Education Bullying Prevention Program will be hosting a virtual parent presentation focused on social media trends, information literacy, privacy and security, addressing and reporting cyberbullying, and parent/child communication.
In our ever-changing world with a lot of time being spent on digital devices, it is important to keep the conversation going about what parents can do to support their children in the complex environment of online learning and socializing.
Cyberbullying and Digital Drama: Keeping Kids Safe, Happy, and Healthy in the Digital Age will be held via Zoom on May 16, 2023 from 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Interpretation will be offered in Spanish, Vietnamese, and Mandarin. Flyer and registration link available.
April Counseling Events:
Monday, April 10th- 11th Grade Career Exploration Counseling Lesson 10:30AM-11:15AM
Tuesday, April 11th - 7th Grade Counseling Lesson (7 Habits of Highly Effective People Lesson Series)
Thursday, April 13th- 8th Grade Counseling Lesson (7 Habits of Highly Effective People Lesson Series)
Thursday, April 17th- Coffee with Principal, Counselor, MHS
Thursday, April 20th- High School TUPE BBQ
Thursday, April 27th- K-5 Maverick Hangout
Our Counselor and Mental Health team have a great website with lots of resources to check out. The team is busy planning our next Principal Cofffe on Executive Functioning and Planning for an Independent Study setting. Check back soon for more details.
Principal/Counselor Resources from Executive Functioning Presenation in February.
SMART Goals Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA53yhiOe04
Principal/Counselor's Coffee Slides on Combating Anxiety: Here is a link to the slides from Ms. Skomsvold's presentation on Combating Anxiety.
Registration Is Open Now!
The Tustin Public Schools Foundation Summer Academy Registration is now open! Visit www.tpsf.net/summer for a wide variety of enrichment classes for incoming students in grades TK-9. Scholarships are avaialble as well. Sign up today as classes are filling up FAST! Our high school students have the opportunity to intern through the program as well. Interested high schoolers can apply for an internship using this link. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Fineberg who started the program and continues to run it over the past 12 years!
NEW!! 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!
April 14: School Site Council Meeting #4 via Zoom
Arpil 17: Coffee with the Principal/Counselor
April 20: High School BBQ
April 27: Maverick Hangout
May 25: Middle School Promotion 6 pm at K-8 campus
June 1: Class of 2023 High School Graduation at 3 pm
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