Hello Charter families!

It's been a great joy welcoming back our Nature Academy students and families, and we can't wait till we're all back together again. All Charter Beach Day was a wonderful way to start the year! QHIA is on campus Tuesday and Coast Redwood High starts back this week - we can't wait to welcome you!

Updates:

1. Something new we're trying out: You'll notice a Feedback Form at the bottom of these biweekly newsletters going forward - please submit your confidential input and feedback, and we will use the information we receive to focus on continuous improvement of our programs and services.

2. Please click here for a message from Jen McRae, our Asst Superintendent - Instructional Services, regarding the Spring 2022 Smarter Balanced Assessments.

3. Powerschool Parent Portal - The PowerSchool Parent Portal can be accessed here. If families don't already have an account, you will need to create one. If you have forgotten your login credentials, please email Lmansfield@slvusd.org.

4. Please be sure you have given us an Emergency Contact who lives or works outside the SLV area, in addition to any other emergency contacts. We may need to get a hold of someone outside the valley in the event of a situation where a valley resident is unable to pick up your student due to downed trees, etc.

5. Please note that we have at least one student with a severe peanut allergy on campus this year. Please be mindful about not sending food to school with your student - whether for snack, lunch, or a celebration - that contains peanuts or that has been produced in a factory that processes peanuts.

6. Some families were having trouble accessing the online lunch-ordering system, so here is a link to updated meal order instructions. Please remember to enter the order by 9am the previous day. And there is no charge for breakfast or lunch. Your child would only need money if he/she is purchasing extra items.

Here's to a great week ahead!

Kerry

Mon, Aug 21 - CRHS Picture Day 8:30am - 12:00pm

Tues, Aug 22 - QHIA on campus 9am - 11:30am

- Nature Academy Back to School Night - 5:30pm

Thurs, Aug 24 - QHIA to Shakespeare Santa Cruz (Taming of the Shrew)

Fri, Aug 25 - Nature Academy to Shakespeare Santa Cruz (Taming of the Shrew)

Mon, Aug 28 - QHIA starts back Mon - Thurs 9am - 11:30pm (optional lab time 12:30 - 2:30)

Fri, Sept 1 - No school (Professional Development Day)

Mon, Sept 4 - No school (Labor Day)

Tues, Sept 5 - TK-5 Homeschool classes start (Heartwood and QHHS - Creeks and Quails)

And NA parents, don't forget to check the Nature Academy Google Calendar to be sure which bell schedule we're on!

• A1 Mondays are 3pm dismissal at the tricampus;
• A2 Mondays are 2:05pm dismissal at Nature Academy;
• O days are Tues/Thurs, dismissal 2:05pm;
• E days are Wed/Fri, dismissal 2:05;
• Minimum Days dismiss at 12:05;
• Short Mondays dismiss at 1:19pm
• Excursion Days (dates not yet finalized) times are individual to the excursion

Attendance Matters!

We hope to see a positive improvement in our attendance rates this year, and encourage our families to support your student in participating consistently, whether it be in a homeschool program where work completion = attendance, or in our classroom-based 5 day a week Nature Academy. Students who are absent 10% or more in a school year are typically "less proficient in reading, writing and math than their peers with good attendance" (Source: CA Dept of Ed.) Thank you for being our partners in supporting good attendance.

New! Volunteer application hours - PLEASE NOTE: The Charter Office and SLVUSD Human Resources Office hours will accept volunteer registrations on Tuesdays from 7:00-11:00 am and Thursdays from 12:30-3:30 pm. The Human Resources Office is located at 325 Marion Avenue, Ben Lomond, CA 95005.

All Charter parents are encouraged to register with the District as a volunteer and a field trip driver. (All parents are asked to drive on excursions...)

Please click here to access the required volunteer paperwork. Hard copy paperwork is also available at the Charter Office.

To use your personal vehicle to transport your own or other students, we will need updated driver information on file as well - please click here for the form.

Ø New Volunteer: You will be required to fill out the volunteer paperwork and obtain a signature from the principal. Once complete, please bring your signed paperwork to the Human Resources Office. You will be required to provide a current TB result. Also, all new volunteers will be required to be fingerprinted.

Ø Returning Volunteer: You will be required to provide current TB results. This documentation can be provided to the Charter office. The school site will forward current TB results to the Human Resources Office. You may also bring current TB results directly to the Human Resources Office.

If your child takes the bus to or from school, please remember you will need to purchase a bus pass. Please click here to access the Transportation web page with all the information you will need.

ALL Nature Academy students will need to register to take bus transportation on A1 days to the tricampus. (No need to pay.)

Students at Coast Redwood High who need afternoon transportation to the tricampus for concurrent enrollment classes can take the TK bus that leaves the District Office at noon each day. They will not need to pay for a bus pass. However they still need to register with Transportation. Rides will be denied if students are not registered.)

The Charter Office staff ask families to call in before 1:50pm if they have a message for their student about changing that day's bus transportation arrangement.

Please click here for a link to the Panther Athletic Director's weekly report.

Student drop off and pick-up:

Please be mindful of safety during drop-off and pick-up. Drive slowly, and stay with your young child when walking to and from your car. Older students should walk (never run), and watch for moving cars when the are in the parking area.

• Parents/guardians of elementary-age students need to park and walk their students to their classroom and sign them in at their classroom.
• Middle school and High school students can walk to their classroom, where the teacher will take attendance, or students will sign in.
• If your student is taking the bus, they will be dropped off in the morning in front of the District Office.
• At pick up time, teachers will supervise all students until they are picked up - either at the bus stop at the top of Marion, or at the parent pick-up spot behind the District Office building.

NOTE: The driveway down to the main campus is not designed for walkers and cars at the same time. Buses need to take wide turns to exit the transportation lot. Please use the stairs when going up and down from Marion Avenue to the central campus area.

Parking:

• Parents of elementary and middle school students can park in front of the District Office Building.
• CRHS students who are driving to classes can park in the front parking lot and walk up the stairs to the CRHS building.

Bikes:

• Any student who is riding their bike to the campus needs to park their bike at the top by the Coast Redwood High School building, along the side of the path, and walk down the steps to the central campus area.

• All SLVUSD students are eligible to receive a free breakfast and lunch through the cafeteria. But lunch must be ordered online.
• Complete the Free/Reduced Lunch Application at https://family.titank12.com/
• Although a meal application is not necessary to receive free meals during the 2023-2024 school year, households are encouraged to complete a meal application to ensure that your school receives accurate funding. As well, your child’s eligibility for free or reduced lunch could qualify you for additional outside services or benefits including Free/Reduced Bus passes, student fee waivers, P-EBT, discounted utilities, and more.
• Meals will be served from our Multi-use Room in the central area of the campus.
• Breakfast will be available in the mornings from 8:15 - 8:45am - no need to place an order
• Lunch times vary per program, but generally happen in the 11:50 - 12:30 window
• CRHS students can order lunch and it will be delivered to the CRHS building.
• Elementary students will have lunch cards (kept by teacher)
• Secondary students will need to key in their student ID on a keypad
• Make sure your online order is in by 9am on the day prior to ensure hot lunch. Some limited cold lunch options will be available for anyone who didn't order in time. Here is a link to the steps for setting up a LINQ account and ordering your child's lunch. (Free to all; no charge!)
• SLV Student Nutrition Services. Please click here for more information

SLVUSD partners with the YMCA to provide before and after-school childcare at Boulder Creek Elementary and San Lorenzo Valley Elementary. For more information, please reach out to the YMCA (831) 338-2128, or visit their website - YMCA CHILDCARE.

Triple P Positive Parenting August workshops are still available on Zoom! These topical workshops are in English and are free to participants as they are grant funded by 1st 5 of Santa Cruz.

The remaining topics for teen Seminars are: Raising Competent Teens and Getting Teens Connected. Click here to register.

The remaining workshop, Changing Challenging Behaviors into Positive Behaviors is aimed at parents of students with special needs. Click here to register.

Triple P also offers 1:1 sessions for parents who are needing intensive 10 week session and add-on sessions for people who are divorcing or separating (Family Transitions), for couples wanting to work on their relationship (Enhanced) and for people wanting to work on their strong emotions, like anger (Pathways). If interested in 1:1 sessions, please contact First 5 of Santa Cruz: https://www.first5scc.org/contact

Email: kleroux@slvusd.org
Website: charter.slvusd.org
Phone: (831) 336-5167