Tustin Connect News

There's no time to wait you can now read Issue 38! Updates and details on End of Year Funkfest, Graduation/Promotion, device return, and more. This week's background features a picture of the yard signs for our 8th graders. Their promotion ceremony is this Wednesday, May 19th. We are excited to celebrate them. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Mr. Fineberg, our principal, at efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us.

We are officially in awards/promotion/graduation/end-of-year time. With two weeks left, we are excited to be celebrating our students especially those matriculating at the 5th, 8th, and 12th-grade levels. Over the coming weeks, we will be making final evaluations of learning progress, celebrating our students, and hiring staff for the 2021-22 school year. In addition to adding some teachers, Mr. Moreno will be full-time, and we will be adding an additional office support person to support Kerri as well. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out at (714) 430-2052 ext. 52103 or efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us

Mr. Fineberg

Tustin Connect Families

As we wrap up this year and look to next, Tustin Connect PTA is most grateful for the support and participation you have shown. This, being an exceptionally challenging year we look forward to the day when we can meet face to face, where, in conjunction with Principal Fineberg, and the exceptionally talented staff at TC, our families can continue building on our community.

As PTA looks to next year, l encourage all our families to consider lending your ideas, talents, and time to this extraordinary school and joining your PTA.

Thank you, to all our donors who without their support PTA wouldn’t be able to offer the campus enhancements, events, and recognitions.

Thank you, Ashley Le for your leadership early in our PTA. Without hesitation, you raised your hand and offered your talents and tremendous spirit to get this PTA going.

Thank you, Rebecca Walter for the fundraising efforts and the enhancements you’ve brought to our gardens. They will be enjoyed for years.

Thank you, Maneesha Singh for your dedication and willingness to help as treasurer and auditor, two of the essential functions of our PTA, and always doing it with enthusiasm.

Thank you, Tara Hirose for your kind and professional spirit in loyally showing up and supporting in any way you can. It has been a pleasure serve with you.

Thank you, Corine Goodwin, you will be missed next year but your contribution to our PTA will remain.

Thank you, Linda Ly, for the miracles you work with our events and we look forward to seeing what next year brings.

Lastly, thank you Tustin Connect, you inspire us to work for your extraordinary school, offering students alternatives to traditional schools. We are most grateful.

Thank you

Melissa Weiss

Tustin Connect PTA

714-719-3782

TustinConnectPTA.com

We are excited to provide details on our End of Year Funkfest! It will be Wednesday, May 26th at 5:30 for Elementary and 6:15 for Middle School. We will be having a funkified costume/ background competition, scavenger hunt, and game. As always, prizes will be awarded to the winners as well. RSVP using this link. You can pick up supplies for our craft at either Tustin Connect location beginning Wednesday, May 19th. Big thank you to our PTA for sponsoring this event!

More updates, believe it or not.

5th Grade: The Promotion Picnic is on Wednesday, May 26th. See flyer for details. As you know, it will be held on the field behind P11 at the B Street Campus. Be sure to bring your blankets, chairs, and sunscreen. ;)

8th Grade: This Wednesday, May 19th at 5:30 pm at our TC B Street Campus parking lot is the day. This year, Dr. Franklin and Board Members Damikolas and Stone will be joining us for the ceremony. Families will have access to their assigned spot in the parking lot beginning at 3 pm. Mr. Fineberg met with families on Friday to provide additional insight on decorations and dress code. Graduates are encouraged to dress business casual. Shirt and tie if possible, no jeans and shoes free of holes or significant damage. If anyone needs to borrow a tie, Mr. Fineberg has plenty to borrow from. We are looking forward to an awesome event.

Seniors: Holy cow, we are back to Tustin High School. After hearing the concerns related to tickets, the need for the field was reduced as a result of some losses, it was determined that we are able to return to Tustin High School for graduation. We will need to start at 12:30 to accommodate health and safety guidelines. Families were emailed earlier in the week about the changes. Please contact the office if you did not receive the updates. We also continue to need baby pictures. Remember to save the date for Cap, Gown, Tassel yard sign, t-shirt, and swag bag pick up, along with a visit from the Ice Cream Man from 3-5 pm May 19th from 1-5 pm at the San Juan Street campus.

Tustin Unified School District

COVID-19 Update: New Information and Vaccine Resources

May 12, 2021

Dear TUSD Parents and Guardians:

Good news continues in the Tustin Unified School District! As more students return to class, teachers and staff work hard to meet the needs of students, and Orange County is nearing the yellow tier (least restrictive) in the state’s COVID-19 color-coded system.

In major news, children between 12 and 15 years old can now receive COVID-19 vaccines, as authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. To receive the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer, children who are 12 to 18 years old and attend an Orange County school must show proof of their age at the time of their appointment and have parental consent. Those who are under age 18 must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian, who may also receive a vaccination during their visit. For more information, visit www.covid19.ca.gov.

Tustin Unified is providing the following information about vaccine providers, such as Families Together of Orange County, Orange County Health Care Agency (Othena website), California Department of Public Health (My Turn system), hospitals, pharmacies and vaccine finder website:

Families Together of Orange County

Families Together of Orange County, a community health center in Tustin, is offering COVID-19 vaccine appointments to all individuals in Orange County who are 12 years of age and older. Families Together is located a 621 W. First Street (corner of Yorba and First streets). For students who are at least 16 years old, parents can call Families Together at (714) 332-6367 to make their child’s vaccine (Pfizer) appointment. Please note that at least one parent must be present at the appointment if the student is less than 18 years old. Vaccines are by appointment only, and the organization is not accepting walk-ins.

NEW MOBILE CLINIC DATES! Families Together is sponsoring vaccine mobile clinics at locations throughout the community: W.R. Nelson Elementary School, 14392 Browning Avenue, Tustin, on Wednesday, May 19, from 12 to 8 p.m.; and Robert Heideman Elementary School, 15571 Williams Street, Tustin, on Wednesday, May 26, from 12 to 8 p.m. Clinics are open to all Orange County residents, 12 years and older. IDs are required. Appointments can be made by calling (714) 573-3369 or emailing at community@tustinca.org.

Orange County Great Park Vaccination Clinic – NEW INFORMATION!

Individuals can get vaccinated at the drive-thru COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. Current hours for the clinic are 8 to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. Beginning Monday, May 17, clinic hours will be 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Vaccines currently offered are Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Pfizer will also be available for anyone over the age of 12 years old, beginning May 17. No appointment is necessary. However, if you would like to schedule an appointment, visit myturn.ca.gov or call 1-833-422-4255. For more information, visit cityofirvine.org/vaccine.

Orange County Health Care Agency

Vaccinations are administered at Point Of Dispensing sites (PODs) throughout Orange County and are open to eligible members of the public with appointments. Register at the www.Othena.com website to be notified when vaccination appointments are available. Individuals who lack access to technology can call the OC COVID-19 Hotline at (714) 834- 2000 for assistance. To view a list of who is currently eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination, visit www.COVIDVaccineFacts.com and click “Distribution Plan.”

California Department of Public Health / My Turn

If you’re eligible, you may register for a vaccine appointment through the State’s My Turn system by visiting www.myturn.ca.gov.

The State of California’s COVID-19 Hotline is accessible to people with disabilities and offers services in English and Spanish, with connection to interpretive services in more than 250 languages. Call (833) 422-4255 or 833-4CA-4ALL (Mon-Fri 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sat-Sun 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) for appointment information.

Hospitals

MemorialCare Medical Group: Call (877) 696-3622 or schedule through your MyChart account

UCI Health: For general accessibility information or to request a disability-related accommodation, please email covid19@uci.edu or call (949) 824-9918

Hoag Hospital: Register at www.HoagConnect.org/MyChart/signup

Kaiser Permanente: Register through the state’s My Turn at www.myturn.ca.gov or call (877) 813-7312

Providence: Register through the State’s MyTurn at www.myturn.ca.gov or call (877) 813-7312

Pharmacies

Albertsons, Pavilions, Safeway and Vons: Visit www.mhealthappointments.com/covidappt

Costco Pharmacies: Visit www.Costco.com/covid-vaccine.html

CVS: Call (800) 746-7287 or visit www.CVS.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine

Health Mart Pharmacies: Visit www.HealthMartCOVIDVaccine.com

Kroger: Visit www.Ralphs.com/rx/COVID-eligibility

Rite-Aid: Call (800) 748-3243 (7-1-1 if hearing/speech disabled) or visit www.RiteAid.com/pharmacy/COVID-qualifier

Walgreens: Call (800) 925-4733 or visit www.Walgreens.com/topic/promotion/COVID-vaccine.jsp

Walmart: Visit www.Walmart.com/cp/1228302

VaccineFinder

VaccineFinder shows you locations that have available COVID-19 vaccines. VaccineFinder will provide you with a link to schedule the appointment through the location’s website or with a phone number to call to make an appointment. Visit www.vaccinefinder.org

As a reminder, everyone should continue physical distancing, washing their hands and wearing a face mask. We are all optimistic that if current trends hold, these protocols will continue to evolve over the summer and students can return to a more familiar school experience in the 2021-22 school year.

Stay strong, remain active and keep well.

Gregory A. Franklin, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Tustin USD is excited to announce the next two opportunities for our no-cost COVID testing on a voluntary basis for all students. TUSD has partnered with LivingFit Nation to provide this opportunity on April 28 at Estock Elementary and May 5 at Beckman High School.

Here are the details:

• • No cost
  • May 19 at Beckman High from 12:00 - 3:30 p.m.The linked May 19 flyer has links with information on how to register and schedule your time
  • Walk-ins will only be accepted after 3:00
  • On your scheduled day, park and look for the pop-up tents set up in the parking lot
  • Lab results are provided within 48 hours
  • Students do not need to quarantine after voluntary testing

The TUSD Board of Education is committed to student and staff safety and is offering no-cost testing to help prevent the spread of the virus. TUSD strongly encourages you to take advantage of this opportunity.

Social-Emotional Learning at Home Resource

Topic: Give Children Age-Appropriate Responsibilities

English Copy

Spanish Copy

In honor of California Student Mental Health Week, Tustin HS shared some resources for

Self-Care: Exercising and Going Outdoors

Additional Resources:

• Mindful Movement Exercises to relieve tension in your body and uplift your mood
• Yoga for Virtual Learners YouTube Playlist

Senior Cap/Gown/Tassel, Yard Sign, Swag Bag, and More Pick Up: May 19th, 1-5 pm @ HS Campus

8th Grade Promotion: May 19th, 5:30 pm @ B Street Campus

HS Course Request Due: May 21st, 3:00 pm (don't delay in getting your requests in)

5th Grade Promotion Picnic: May 26th @ 10:30 am B Street Campus Field

End of Year Virtual Funkfest Event: May 26th @5:30 pm ES and @ 6:15 pm MS

Senior Graduation: May 27th, 12:30 pm @ THS Stadium

In case you missed it. This message was sent out on Monday to all families. This new system will provide us with some great resources and capabilities to streamline our communications.

Hello TUSD Families,

As we approach the end of the 20-21 school year, we want to bring some news regarding how we communicate out to families. Our communication system as we call "Aeries Communications" developed by SignalKit is evolving into a new more advanced system under the creators of ParentSquare. This transition will be occurring on Friday, April 30th. On April 30th, we will be sending out an invite email to confirm your accounts and contact information. This email will be coming from "donotreply@parentsquare.com". Confirming your account will provide access to the ParentSquare system (website and app) and give you additional resources to videos about the system. ParentSquare will still be accessible inside Aeries and be named "Aeries Communications" for users even without confirming your account. The ParentSquare App/website is just one of many ways to access ParentSquare. ParentSquare contains new advanced features like RSVP calendar sign-ups, integrated surveys, electronic signature collection, and many others that will allow us to communicate in ways not possible before. Please see the links below for an overview video and additional resources for parents on the transition to ParentSquare.

Overview video of the ParentSquare system before it goes live on Friday, April 30th.

TUSD Parent Resources/Support for ParentSquare and Aeries

Thank you for your time and cooperation as we continue to improve our systems. TUSD is proud to provide a system that will allow us to better communicate and collect feedback from our families.

Registration is now open for the TPSF Summer Academy. The Academy runs over 4 weeks split into 2 2-week sessions. June 7-17 and June 20-July 1 M-Th from 8:30 - 12:30. There are options for in-person and online courses for students in K-12 grades. In case you didn't know, Mr. Fineberg is the director of the program. It's pretty amazing. Check out the different options at www.tpsf.net/summer or you can always ask Mr. Fineberg.

As we return from Spring Break and head into the summer months, it is also a time when many of our students are thinking of enrolling in community college courses. If you are thinking of doing so, please take a moment to review the linked document. It provides an overview of the enrollment process and related websites as well. It's super helpful and a great place to start. If you're considering taking a community college course, please reach out to Mr. Moreno and/or your advisory teacher. We can help you not only pick the best courses for your graduation plan but also help you navigate the process.

If you have not heard, IVC offers a Promise Program that provides two years of free tuition and other fees. The deadline to apply has been extended to April 16, 2021. Prospective IVC students must complete the steps to becoming an IVC student and submit a FAFSA or California Dream Act application before that deadline in order to be considered for the Irvine Valley Promise Program. For more information or to learn about the Promise Program please visit www.ivc.edu/promise or email ivcpromise@ivc.edu.

Tustin Unified growing collection of read-along titles available in Sora continues to grow. Please help us choose the books you'd like to see by completing this survey.

Read-alongs are a great way for students to experience picture books, beginning readers, and easy non-fiction in an eBook format with professionally recorded narration that plays while they read. Read-along features include:

• Narration that you can start and stop

• Text highlighting so the reader can follow along

• Automatic page-turning and speed control

You can find read-alongs by logging into Sora through Clever, select Explore and look for the featured Fiction and Non-Fiction Read-Along collections!

Here are some cool collections you may want to check out.

May Coming Soon and New Releases

Breakfast for Dinner? Make something yummy!

I'm Bored...here's an idea!

Questions? Visit the TUSD Library Service eBooks & Audiobooks webpage OR contact your site library staff.

That's right, all TC 6-12 students have access to this terrific resource. Take a moment to check it out! It's terrific.

Paper/Grade Slam: Don't forget to use this 24/7 free tutoring service! You can even use it for college essay review and SAT and ACT prep. Here are links to a few resources.

Video Tutorials

• Getting Started on Paper (8:36)

• How Teachers Use Paper (10:48)

• Introduccion a Paper (10:44)

• Paper for Parents (7:05)

• Paper para Padres (14:23)

• Student Dashboard Walkthrough (3:12)

• Teacher Dashboard Walkthrough (2:18)

Online Learning Guide for Students - PDF

Upcoming Parent Nights the second Tuesday in English and every second Thursday in Spanish.

• Tustin Parent Night (English) - Second Tuesday every month. Register using the following link: https://pages.paper.co/webinars-for-parents-and-guardians

• Tustin Parent Night (Spanish) - Second Thursday every month. Register using the following link: https://pages.paper.co/es-us/presentaciones-para-padres-o-representantes

The health, safety, and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority as they return to school. When the new school year begins, the on-campus school will look much different than previous years due to new health and safety measures.

Tustin Unified has created a School Opening and Safety Plan that addresses how schools will meet the needs of students in the coming school year. The plan to reopen schools is based on current guidance from public health officials, state agencies, as well as your valuable input from the recent parent survey, and will be updated as the situation evolves. As a result, TUSD has put together two options that will address social-distancing requirements to keep TUSD students and staff safe while also supporting student learning.

For the 2020-21 academic year, Tustin Unified will provide families a choice of two instructional options, including the hybrid model – a blend of in-person and remote learning, and Tustin Connect (K-12) – 100% online virtual school with optional in-person instruction.

The TUSD School Opening and Safety Plan (English linked, Spanish below) covers ​the many procedures and protocols that are being put in place for a successful and safe reopening. The plan can also be found on the TUSD website at https://www.tustin.k12.ca.us.

PLAN DE SEGURIDAD Y APERTURA DE ESCUELAS PARA EL AÑO ESCOLAR 2020-21

To provide students a flexible, yet rigorous, alternative education solution within a caring community that cultivates success, resilience, and advocacy for themselves and others

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