Susan H Nelson Newsletter

Happy Sunday!

I just wanted to give you a heads up that this year all of the schools at Sparkman Alternative Education Center (Rancho Vista, Susan Nelson, Temecula Valley Adult) are going through an accreditation process. Every six years we (and ALL SCHOOLS in the USA) need to show an accreditation agency (that's certified by the State) that we are truly a school that is qualified (rises to a high enough standard through all of our teaching and student learning) to issue a High School Diploma.

The short answer to THAT question is YES, OF COURSE WE ARE! We have an awesome team that has great teaching skills, high standards, and a lot of compassion! But, of course, we also have to show evidence of all that we're doing to an agency that will evaluate how well they think we're doing.

The accreditation agency we're working with is called WASC: Western Association of Schools and Colleges. All of the schools in TVUSD work with WASC to get their accreditation approved.

Part of the process involves asking our parents (that's YOU!) for input. This is your school, and we want to know how we're doing and how we can improve! We'll be putting out a survey to get your thoughts on both of those topics. The survey will probably be one of those Google Forms that you can do on your phone, tablet or computer--and then submit! Your input is valuable to us...so stay tuned for that survey--which should come out in the next 3-4 weeks.

WASC will be sending a small team to review our entire Sparkman site on March 3-6, 2024. They will also want to meet a few parents and get your take on how our schools are doing! If you're interested in being a part of that--please let me know!

I know that the accreditation process probably isn't the MOST interesting thing you've heard in our newsletter, but it truly is an opportunity for all of us in the Sparkman community to evaluate:

-How are we doing?

-What's working? What's not working?
-How can we improve?

-What's our specific plan to help students succeed?

-How do we make sure that everyone is involved in our school and our plans to help students graduate and be successful?

As a staff, we'll be working on all these questions (and more)! I just wanted to let you know what we're up to and how we'll be asking for your input (and participation) as we go throughout the year!

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

David Schlottman

Principal

Dollars For Scholars Meet and Greet

For more information, click the button below to go to the Dollars for Scholars website.

the 15th Annual Temecula Valley College and Vocational. We are thrilled to announce that college fair is finally back in person after the challenges of COVID-19, and we cannot wait to reconnect and engage with students face-to-face once again.

Date: September 23, 2023

Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Venue: Promenade Temecula Mall (40820 Winchester Rd., Temecula, CA, 92591)

San Jacinto College will have several table booths at the City of Temecula's 15th Annual Temecula Valley College and Vocational Invitational at the Promenade Temecula. This event will provide current junior and senior high school students within the region an opportunity to speak with MSJC representatives and universities about their organization and educational opportunities. Come by and say hello!!

SEPTEMBER

Guidance counselor - Reach out to our counselor to start your plan of action after you graduate

Letters of recommendation – Ask a couple of teachers to write your letters of recommendation. It is wise to ask a teacher who has had you in their class and knows you well.

Request applications – It's time to start getting applications to schools on your list. make a list of your top schools, and write down the application deadline for each one.

College Essay – Allow yourself plenty of time to formulate your essay. Talk to others about how to approach the essay.

College Fairs – Go to college and job fairs. See the above College and career fair scheduled for September 23rd, right here in Temecula!

OCTOBER

Narrow your list – By October, you should have a good idea of what college you would like to attend. Make sure your grades are within the academic standards of each school.

Work on applications – Now you can begin working on your applications. If you're using the Common Application, make sure each application is tailored to the school. Don't make the mistake of copying and pasting and forgetting to change the name of the college.

Hopefully this is a little helpful as you get ready for your next adventure.

Ms. Lacroix is our College Success Coach. She will be here to assist you with things like filling out your FAFSA. She will be on campus and available to Susan Nelson Families Tuesdays 8:30AM - 3:30PM

and Thursdays 12:00PM - 3:00PM

Click on the button below to check out our SHNS Wellness Page

If you would like to schedule an appointment, please go to www.calendly.com/dblanchfield and schedule your appointment at your earliest convenience. Indicate if you would like to meet in person, by phone or virtually. If you would prefer a phone conference, please include a phone number. If you would prefer to meet virtually, I will send you a Google Meet link for our virtual meeting.

Dan Blanchfield

Counselor, Susan H. Nelson Independent Study High School

(951) 695-7360 ext. 24605

David Schlottman - Sparkman Alternative Education Center Principal - 951-695-7320

Gloria Dixon - Susan H Nelson Secretary -951-695-7360

Laura Witz - TDAP - 951-294-6512

32225 Pio Pico Rd. Temecula, CA 92592

Susan H Nelson School