Vivian Banks Charter School

Dear VBCS Families,

VBCS will celebrate California Red Ribbon Week the week of October 23-27. The team has developed many exciting and fun activities that will be implemented throughout the week to promote a commitment to a drug-free, alcohol-free, violence-free and smoke-free community (schedule below). As part of this celebration students will make a pledge to make healthy choices and wear themed clothing throughout the week. I would also like to thank the Pala Tribe who will be providing a tobacco prevention education assembly for our 4th and 5th grade classes. We are looking forward to this opportunity to reconfirm our commitments to living a healthy lifestyle.

Students of the Week

The following students were recognized at Friday Flag Raising as our Students of the Week. They were selected by their classroom teachers for demonstrating outstanding effort and citizenship for the week. Keep up the great work Eagles!

Eagle Ticket Winners

Every Monday morning we draw an Eagle Ticket winner from each classroom. Students earn Eagle Tickets by demonstrating appropriate behaviors on campus by being Safe, Respectful, and Responsible. Students who are selected are recognized on our office Eagle Board. Congratulations to our Eagle Feather winners!

Lexia Superstars

Congratulation to our Lexia Superstars! The following students were recognized for completing a Lexia Level this week. Lexia Reading provides a systematic and structured approach to six critical areas of reading. The program creates personalized learning paths for students of all abilities through an adaptive placement and scaffolded activities that align to rigorous standards.

Parent Conferences

Parent conferences will be taking place on campus October 24-27. These days students will release at 12:45. Teachers will be sending home information soon to schedule a time with you. We know that in order for your child to reach their full potential we need to work as a team to meet their needs. Please take advantage of this opportunity to build that relationship with the school for the benefit of your child. Thank you!

Impact Aid

Your child brought home a very important survey card accompanied by a letter explaining the Federal Impact Aid Program. This Federal Impact Aid Survey is conducted annually and brings in nearly $500,000 to the Bonsall Unified School District. These funds received directly benefit your child’s education. Our goal is to achieve a 100% participation rate from our BUSD families. You can help by completing the one-page survey and returning it to your child’s teacher before October 27, 2023. Every card returned has value. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain, and potentially increase, the funding Bonsall Unified students receive from the Federal Impact Aid Program.

Charter Council

The first meeting of the VBCS Charter Council is scheduled for November 3. The VBCS Charter Council is the school oversite committee with the important role of overseeing the VB School Plan, ensuring it supports the goals of the school and the district, and assessing the effectiveness of our programs. I would like to thank the following parents and community members in advance for their participation and input as we work together to support our students.

Vanessa Yanez, Jackie Withers, Patricia Nelson, Patricia Sanchez, Adela Lozano, Xochitl Garcia

Please see the Community Liaison Newsletter for October!

https://www.smore.com/bcrshg

Skill of the Week - Accepting Defeat or Loss

As we all know, defeat is difficult to accept sometimes. It is disappointing and frustrating to work hard and come up short. Sadly, too many students express their disappointment by making excuses, arguing, giving guff, or being dismissive and disrespectful to the winners, officials, and opposing fans. All of these behaviors have a negative impact on a learning community's social environment.

https://www.smore.com/5mx5e-accepting-defeat-or-loss

Student and Family Survey

We are looking for feedback to help improve your school experience! We thank you and your family for being our valued partners as we work together to educate the children in our district. Over the next several weeks, we will be asking for students in grades 3-5 to reflect on their school experience and on their own mindsets and approaches to learning via an online questionnaire they will be completing at school. The questionnaire shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to complete.

The questionnaire will ask students to self-reflect on Student Competency and Well-Being Measures (such as growth mindset and self-efficacy) and on Student Supports and Environment (such as school safety, sense of belonging, and school climate). The questions can be previewed here:

• Students Grades 3-5: English here or in Spanish here.

• Students Grades 6-12: English here or in Spanish here.

We are asking that all of our students participate, as their responses will provide invaluable insights into their experiences and how we can improve and adapt our district to their needs. If a student doesn't feel like they have enough information to answer a question, they will be able to skip the item altogether. The responses to the individual questions will be completely confidential. If you would like your student to opt out of taking this questionnaire, please complete this Google Form by Sunday, 10/8.

In addition, we are asking that our parents/guardians respond to questions about their experiences and perceptions of their child’s school. Your participation is completely confidential and anonymous, which means that no one at your school will ever see your individual responses. Please take your time to give honest and thoughtful answers.

You may use a computer, tablet, or smartphone to access the questions.

Please click the following link and enter the access code for your child's school: The questionnaire will be open from 10/11-10/27

• Link to Questions: https://surveys.panoramaed.com/bonsallusd/login

• Vivian Banks School Access Code: 5773655768

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (760) 742-3300.

Thank you for your participation and for being a valued member of your school community.

ELO - Expanded Learning Opportunities

The Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) is an afterschool and intersession enrichment program for TK-6th grade students. The purpose of Vivian Bank’s Expanded Learning Opportunity Program (ELOP) is to provide all VBCS’s students access to 9 hours of instructional and enrichment programming per day for 180 days of school, as well as 30 days of intersession or summer programming.

The Expanded Learning Program will focus on developing the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs and interests of pupils through hands-on, engaging learning experiences. If you are interested in participating please see Nancy in the school office. There is no cost to participate in ELOP.

2023-2024 ELO-P Program Hours

Regular School Program - August 16, 2024 – June 7, 2024 – Dismissal- 6:00pm

Intersession Days – November 1, January 2-5, January 8, February 19-23, March 25-29- 8:00am – 5:00pm

Summer Program - June 10, 2024 – June 28, 2024 - 8:00am – 5:00pm

Bonsall Farm Field Trips

This program has been made to provide hands-on experiences in agriculture for all elementary school students in the Bonsall Unified School District. Our farm is located on the Bonsall Elementary School field next to the district office. All elementary classes were given three dates in the school year to be able to attend the school farm. Lessons and activities that are presented on the farm will be based on California Science Standards. Each farm experience will be a unique opportunity for students to engage with plants, gardening, food, nutrition, and the outdoors. The farm space is essentially an extension of the classroom, and we hope to bring students fun, and engaging lessons that keeps students interested and happy!

Transportation: Vivian Banks Charter School students will be transported to and from the

Farm location by bus. All farm dates and times are worked in and around all recess and lunch breaks.

Permission Slips: Permission slips for each student are essential and required for students to

attend the farm.

The students first visit will include a safety lesson, where staff will go over rules, tool safety, and expectations. Following that portion, kids will take a tour of the farm. Students will then go on a scavenger hunt where they will be broken into two groups to complete. Concluding the scavenger hunt, students will plant a succulent to take home with them.

Covid Tests

Vivian Banks Charter School has Covid tests available for your use. If you would like your child to retrieve the two kits, please have them pick them up in the VBCS office. Or, if you prefer, you, the parent or guardian, may pick them up at the VBCS Office. These COVID tests are provided to you as a courtesy. Testing is not required by our district.

Although we are excited to have your child attend school everyday, when your child is sick, we do ask you to keep him or her at home. Specifically, if your child has tested positive for COVID, he or she should remain at home for five (5) days from the onset of symptoms or positive COVID test (if asymptomatic). Your child may return on Day 6, unless he or she remains sick. Masking upon return to school is not required by the District.

We wish you great health as we know the cold and flu season approaches, and encourage you to place special attention to taking practical steps to boost your student’s immune system by providing nutritious food, proper amounts of sleep, and good doses of exercise.

• October 23 - 27 - Red Ribbon Week

• October 24 - 27 - Parent Conferences

• October 25 - 4th and 5th Grade Tobacco Prevention Assembly

• October 27 - Pala Fire Department Presentation

• October 27 - Lunch on the Lawn - Hispanic Heritage Celebration

• October 30 - November 3 - Book Fair

• October 31 - Halloween Walk

• November 1 - Pupil Free Day - Teacher Professional Development

• November 1 - VBCS Intersession Day, 8am-5pm

Email: eric.kosch@bonsallusd.com
Website: https://vb.bonsallusd.com/
Location: 11800 Pala Mission Road, Pala, CA, USA
Phone: (760) 742-3300