Volume 5 Issue 30
It was just another awesome week at Tustin Connect! It certainly doesn't get old having awesomeoness occur each week. Big thank you to our promotion and graduation committees for their work to plan their upcoming ceremonies. This week's background features our big buddies, which we can't get enough of. They were working together to plan for some viewing tools for the upcoming eclipse.
As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or compliments, please reach out to Mr. Fineberg, our principal, at efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us.
Principal's Message...
On Monday, April 8, Tustin Unified will share in the experience of a partial solar eclipse, a rare celestial event where the Moon will pass between the Sun and Earth, blocking the face of the Sun and darkening the sky for close to four minutes at its maximum. This is an exciting event that also calls for awareness and precautions to ensure student safety. The eclipse will begin at 10:05AM, with the maximum for our area occurring at 11:12AM, ending at 12:22PM.
In anticipation of the eclipse, we would like to share a few important safety tips:
- Do not look directly at the eclipse unless you have eclipse glasses that meet ISO 12312-2:2015 standards. Regular sunglasses are not safe to use.
- Use proper solar filters on cameras and binoculars. Avoid using homemade filters or any other substitute for eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers.
- If you don't have eclipse glasses, consider using indirect viewing methods (such as a pinhole projector) to safely observe the eclipse.
We will take every precaution possible to ensure student safety while in school, but we ask that you review the safety guidelines with your child as well.
If you have not done so already, please take a moment to complete the Student Enrollment Family Survey for the 24/25 school year. Mrs. Berkheimer started contacting families to complete the survey if you have not done so already. This is not only critical for our enrollment, but also a major source of feedback for our school program. Your commitment will allow us to ensure your student's enrollment position is reserved and our school is staffed appropriately.
This Tuesday, April 9th, be sure to come to Tustin High School for our annual Spring Pathways to Succes workshop. It's a great event for Middle and High school students and their familes to learn more about college and other pathways post high school. See the flyer below for more information.
As always, if you have any questions, compliments, ideas, and/or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out at (714) 430-2052 ext. 52103 or efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us. Have a great Spring Break.
We will see you on Tuesday, March 26th for the home stretch.
Mr. Fineberg
✍️ Elementary Information ✍️
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CAASPP State Testing: Students in grades 3-5 will participate in state testing between April 22- May 3rd. Students will test on their class days (in-person only). All 5th graders, will also be testing on 4/25 and 5/2, as they have additional assessments and will need more time.
Assessments Include:
- ELA CAT (Computer Adaptive Test): Multiple choice, short answer, and other questions based on reading passages.
- ELA PT (Performance Task): Combination of short answer and multi-paragraph essay response based on reading passages.
- Math CAT: Multiple choice, short answer, etc. math questions.
- Math PT: In-depth word problem with multiple steps, requiring students to explain how they solved.
- 5th grade CAST (California Science Test)
- 5th grade PFT (Physical Fitness Test)
- 5th grade: Star Math and Star Reading (for placement in middle school classes)
Extra Class Time for 4-6 Grade Students: We will continue with the extra hour of lab time on Tuesdays, so students are welcome to stay until 12:30 to work on assignments or get more support.
School Readiness Parent Education Opportunities: Our School Readiness Department offers monthly meetings for parents on topics specific to our younger students. Please check out the flyers for topics that may be of interest to you or your family each month. English Spanish April 18th is the next meeting on Reading to Your Child.
😃Middle School Information😃
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CAASPP: April 22nd- May 2nd will be our state testing weeks. We will have a modified schedule that week and require two days of in-person class each week to complete our required testing. All students are expected to participate in testing, and we hope to have plenty of snacks and treats to keep our 8th graders fueled and stress-free for our testing days below:
8th grade
- THURS. 4/18 In-Person Testing 8:30-12:30 (SCIENCE)
- TUES. 4/23 In-Person Testing 9-11 AM (ELA)
- THURS. 4/25 In-Person Testing 9-12 PM (ELA)
- TUES. 4/30 In-Person Testing 9-11 AM (MATH)
- THURS. 5/2 In-Person Testing 9-12 PM (MATH)
7th grade
- MON. 4/22 In-Person Testing 9-11 AM
- WED. 4/24 In-Person Testing 9-12 PM
- MON. 4/29 In-Person Testing 9-11 AM
- WED. 5/1 In-Person Testing 9-12 PM
8th Grade Parents: Our 8th grade promotion team has started their plans for this year's promotion festivities. In addition to the promotion ceremony on May 23rd, our promotion team hopes to provide additional end-of-the-year activities for our 8th graders. Please stay tuned for additional forms and emails from the team. They would love your input regarding the upcoming events by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/pCEYNgcGLxKsVzYu9 . Our 8th grade promotion team lead is Amber Weiser and her email is ambermweiser@gmail.com.
👍 High School Information 👍
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ATTENTION SENIOR Parents: LAST CHANCE to purchase your student's Cap and Gown for graduation. Contact the office for additional information. We had our first Graduation Meeting and am looking forward to providing students with the best Graduation experience. Parents, please take a moment to complete a parent survey and let us know your thoughts about the celebratoin.
Quarter 4 Schedule: Quarter 4 begins on Tuesday, March 26th. Here's a link to the schedule.
Irvine Valley College (IVC) Preview Night: Attention Juniors and Seniors! All high school students and their families are invited for an exciting evening at Irvine Valley College's Preview Night on Wednesday, April 17th, 2024 (4pm-8pm)! Discover why IVC is #1 in transfers to the UC System in Orange County, including UCLA and UCI! Experience the vibrant campus atmosphere as you engage with IVC professors and staff. Explore 60 booths at the outdoor resource fair featuring academic degree programs, student support services, and in-demand career education programs. The main presentation will cover university transfer admissions agreements and guarantees, distinguished IVC Honors Program information, and an overview of the Irvine Valley Promise Program which provides students with two years of free tuition.
The first 1,500 registered attendees will enjoy free delicious burger meals from The Habit Burger and a free t-shirt for students. To register for the event, click here.
PTA Round Up
Hello Maverick Families,
Please consider joining our planning committees as they prepare for promotion and graduation. PTA supports with a financial contribution, but your time and creativity are invaluable to making those dollars come alive.
TC Spirit Wear is on sale! Visit the website https://www.tustinconnectpta.com/spirit-wear to get yours today! We have them in stock just purchase them and pick them up! You can order online via our website and show your receipt to the office, or you can bring cash or check to the office made out to PTA.
- T-shirt $10
- Dri-fit $15
- Jammie Pants $30
If you are interested in getting involved, we'd love the help! Please contact the office and we can connect you to our PTA. You can also reach out to our PTA President, Ziggy McBride via email at ziggy.mcbride@gmail.com.
Counselor Corner: Resources and link to workshops and more!!!
Mrs. Wijnhamer is officially on leave as she will be adding to her beautiful as she welcomes a new baby girl to her family. She will be returning for the final week of school to be a part of our graduation and end of year festivities and to help us celebrate the end of the year as well as insure we are ready for summer. While Mrs. W is out, Mrs. Harding will be supporting our students and families as she begins this Monday, April 1st. Mrs. Harding is a well respected and talented counselor in TUSD for many years. We are so lucky to have her support and knowledge. She's great. Her email is bharding@tustin.k12.ca.us.
Also, you still have access to the recording of our last Principal/Counselor Coffee. We covered student credits and high school graduation requirements as well as a Q and A opportunity for families as well. You can view the meeting in case you missed it using this link.
Check out Mrs. Wijnhamer's Monthly Counselor Newsletter.
Our Counselor and Mental Health team have a great website with lots of resources to check out.
Free Online Tutoring Available for K-12 Students
Brainfuse HelpNow is an on demand, anytime, anywhere eLearning platform available for all ages and levels. Last week, it was announced that every Californian can now access free online tutoring available 24/7 through a new initiative offering homework help in every K-12 subject and skill-building resources for K-12 and adult learners.
Real-time homework assistance can now be accessed 24/7 here and on the websites of any of the 1,130 local public libraries around the state – click on the “HelpNow” link to reach a one-on-one tutor. The pilot program led by the State Library offers assistance in Math, Language Arts, and other core K-12 subjects in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. There’s no age limit to who can use the service. Adult learners can also access writing assistance, citizenship resources and other tools.
SORA Virtual Texts Collections
TUSD Resource Sora Summer Read
Sora Sweet Reads in an annual summer reading program designed for schools to encourage students to keep reading all year long. "Check out" the free collection of simultaneous use juvenile and young adult ebooks (and select audiobooks).
Login to Sora to access these and many any other great ebooks and audiobooks all summer long through Clever, TUSD Student Portal or soraapp.com using your TUSD Google login and password.
Student Request - SORA books – Here is a link to a Google Doc to send suggestions and recommendations for new books for our collections!!
Technology Questions/Needs - There's Help Available!
Important Upcoming Dates - Please check our school Website Calendar for all the latest!
April 7: Student Enrollment Survey Deadline Extended(1 per student)
April 9: Spring Pathways to Succes for 6-12 Students and Families Eng Spanish
April 12: Art and Essay Contest - Last day to apply and win $$$.
April 22-May 2: CAASP Testing 3-8 grades
April 24: Maverick Hangout
May 6-9: Hope Week at TC High School
- Monday: Paint Rocks with Positive Messages
- Tuesday: TLC Workshop on Communicating 11am-12pm (limit 25 students)
- Wednesday: Pie Fineberg! (and any other staff that would like to participate)
- Thursday: Donuts/Bracelet making
May 8: Senior Breakfast and a Movie
May 15: K-3 Field Trip to Tanaka Farms
May 22: Kindergarten Graduation and Awards Ceremony, 5th Grade Promotion (Time TBA)
May 22: HS Pizza Day for Finals
May 23: 8th Grade Promotion 6 pm at the K-8 campus
May 30: High School Graduation 3 pm at the Tustin HS Stadium
Our Mission
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