Mariner Update Family Edition

Volume 14 Issue 14

I love our school, do you love our school!

Our gifts as educators/parents are meant to be shared and used to benefit others; essentially, the purpose of receiving a gift is to give it away to others in service and love.

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As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your continued dedication, hard work, and support throughout the year. This time of year provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the many blessings we share as a community, and I am deeply thankful for the remarkable efforts of our students, staff, and families.

To our students: You bring energy, curiosity, and passion to our school every day. Your growth, resilience, and commitment to learning inspire us all. We are proud of all you’ve accomplished and excited to see all that you will achieve in the future.

To our staff: Your unwavering dedication to our students' success is the cornerstone of our school community. Whether in the classroom, the halls, or behind the scenes, your hard work creates an environment where our students can thrive. Thank you for the care, compassion, and commitment you show every day.

To our families: Your partnership is invaluable. Your support, encouragement, and involvement in our school make a tremendous difference in our students’ lives. Thank you for entrusting us with your children’s education and for helping to foster a sense of belonging and community here at Innovative Horizons Charter School.

As we celebrate this season of thankfulness, I am reminded of the many ways we are all connected and the positive impact we have on one another. I am incredibly proud to be part of this vibrant, caring community, and I look forward to all that we will continue to accomplish together.

Wishing you all a joyful and restful Thanksgiving week with your loved ones.

Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to your child's education. Let’s continue this journey with enthusiasm. Together, we create a meaningful and lasting difference.

Sincerely,

Your dedicated admin team - Assistant Principal, Mrs. Barry, Assistant Principal, Mr. Castro, and Principal, Mr. Candelaria

Inside our ship

Mariachi and Band Concert: Our mariachi students will perform on Thursday, December 12th, and their performance will be followed by our IHCS Band, under the direction of Mr. Chasteen. Beginning Mariachi students are learning to read music and pictured is a poster of sheet music (Cielito Lindo) that they are currently learning. Our mariachi group will play three songs and will begin at 5:45 p.m. in our gym. The wonderful evening of Mariner Music will continue throughout the evening. Thank you Mr. Chasteen for including our mariachi group with our annual December performance.

Parent Involvement: On Friday, November 15th, we kicked off our first SAIL INTO STORIES event for Kindergarten through 4th grade. Parents gathered in the Innovation Room, where Mr. Castro shared a helpful reading strategy to try at home. Afterward, families spent time reading together in the classrooms, strengthening the connection between home and school.

A heartfelt thank you to our parents for their active participation and collaboration in making this event special for our students. We also appreciate our dedicated teachers and the Guiding Coalition for their input in shaping this experience. By creating opportunities like this, we continue to strengthen the bond between school and home, reinforcing the shared commitment to ensuring our students understand the value of their education, the importance of each day of learning, and the joy of both school and the learning journey. Together, we are making a difference!

Visual And Performing Arts Night: A big thank you to our CAMP teachers for offering families a wonderful evening of art and creativity! Pictured are Mrs. Rodriguez, Ms. Harkema, Mrs. Testa, and Mr. Chasteen, who guided parents and students as they learned to create their own spiritual shields. Mrs. Testa is holding a special spiritual shield that is over 30 years old. Native American medicine shields were sacred objects believed to protect a warrior's spiritual power and energy. These shields were often adorned with symbols that represented the warrior’s inner strength and spiritual resilience. We are grateful to our teachers for providing this meaningful experience, connecting families with both culture and creativity in such a memorable way.

Career Day: Thank you to our amazing counselor team. Mrs. Espinoza and Mrs. Santiago provided a career day opportunity for all students, kindergarten through eighth grade. Thank you to Mrs. Hickey for coordinating student leaders to greet and assist speakers and adhering to the schedule. Thank you to Mrs. Barry for always making our schedules work throughout our day and including our special event schedules. Our empathy interview responses from students tell us that our students are excited about coming to school each day when they can continue to expect exciting classroom experiences like career day, music class, PE and athletics, art class, technology class, mariachi class, robotics club, chess club, Love 4 Life student ambassadors club, perfect attendance special events, parent reading days at school (SAIL INTO STORIES), and more.

At the Mariner Market: students can exchange their Mariner Money for a variety of items they’ve earned by demonstrating WAVE behavior expectations. These expectations guide students to be welcoming and inclusive to everyone, fostering a sense of community. They are encouraged to stay curious and courageous as they learn together, pushing themselves to achieve their goals. Students also show virtue by consistently choosing what is right over what is easy, and they strive for excellence in everything they do, always giving their very best. Through these actions, students not only earn Mariner Money but also contribute to creating a positive and supportive school environment. We are proud of their efforts to live out these values every day. A special thank you to Ms. Wolfe, our school librarian, for organizing and providing our Mariner Market opportunity for all students.

Wellbeing Team Meeting: Pictured here in our conference room are dedicated members of our Wellbeing Team, who work tirelessly to support the social-emotional learning (SEL) needs of our students. This team carefully reviews student data from a variety of sources to ensure they are providing targeted and effective support for every student. The team includes Mrs. Espinoza, our Counselor; Mrs. Quiroz, our Community Outreach Family Advocate; Mrs. Barbieri, Wellbeing Teacher on Special Assignment; Ms. Ramos, Staff on Special Assignment; Mr. Ramos, Staff on Special Assignment; and Ms. Copeland. Together, they collaborate to create a nurturing environment where students feel supported, valued, and empowered to thrive both academically and emotionally.