Parent Letter

"He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination."

~Jose Rizal, Author & Activist

Happy Sunday Ochoa Families,

Can you believe we are already in the 2nd Quarter of the school year? This year we took an earlier approach to develop our Focal Student List to get our focal scholars the supports they needed earlier. Our Focal Student List is developed by Teachers, Staff, and Admin who identify an area of need for a student. We have even started the SST process, COST services, and other interventions earlier to ensure our scholars have ample time to course correct. Thank you families for all of your support as we work to remove barriers to student learning. You are appreciated! Families here are a few resources your student can use daily for just 30 minutes each day. Have your student sign into their CLEVER account on their school chromebook. Simply type CLEVER in a browser. Students have access to many opportunities there by the way of web-based programs to build skills in English, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Science and so much more. Students can read using SORA, which provides a direct link to borrow E-books (electronic books) from the Ochoa Library, Hayward Public Library and The Alameda County Library. If students are reading 20-30 minutes daily, using high interest materials, they can improve their vocabulary and reading comprehension significantly over the year. It has been said that the standardized tests are most challenging because students haven't acquired age appropriate language/meaning. See the images below to view all that is available using CLEVER.

Also on Wednesday we have the privilege of hosting our first quarterly Parent Day of the year. We will host this meeting in our library. The structure of the day is such that parents will sign in, have breakfast, sit for a brief welcome address and our topic of discussion will be Social Media Use and the impact on student learning and development. With the support of our counseling team Ms. Onia and Mr. Sherreard we will present information and take questions about how parents can support their students. Parents will be provided lunch and during 5th and 6th periods, given the option to shadow their students. Ms. Hiester, FES has taken the liberty to request RSVPs as a way to minimize seating issues. If you plan to shadow that day, please complete this link ==> Qtr 1 Parent Day RSVP

This Thursday we have our Halloween Dance, theme: "The Dark Forest of Despair," eligible students may participate (read about of LOP/Loss of Privilege policy below). Students who are dressing for the day are asked to refrain from wearing and bringing weapons (even replicas) and full face masks. Friday, November 1st is our Staff Development Day. There is no school for students.

Finally, there are a few new trends on the horizon and we need your help... Students have been observed at Ochoa and in the community having what students are now calling "Friendly Fades (Fights)." Friendly fights are an agreed upon battle between two individuals to "catch this fade," "run a fade" or "run my ones." These are not allowed for obvious reasons. Our first job is to maintain student safety and as you well know, and sometimes teens can't quite process, our actions sometimes have unintended consequences. The School Administration is responsible for behaviors of students going to and from school and these are suspendable and potentially expellable offenses. Please, please, please, speak with your students and let them know there is no such thing as a "Friendly Fade." These will always come with consequences. (please refer to the section on Loss of Privledges below).

Additionally, families we encourage you to periodically review your student's cellphones and social media account. We are seeing an uptick in cyber bullying by students to their peers and now they are posting teacher memes. This is not okay. Further, taking a picture of a minor, without appropriate consents is a violation of ed and penal codes. Please discourage these behaviors. Surprisingly, this is occuring with the most innocent and unsuspecting among our student populations. Stay vigilant and monitor your child's cell phones. We will share more at the quarterly parent day, this Wednesday.

Families, I am wishing you all a positive week of growth and learning! As always we thank you for your partnership. It takes a village to raise a child.

Warmly submitted,

-Principal Rowe-Andrews

I feel it important to share with you the urgency of getting students to school each day. Ochoa, like all schools sets an attendance goal for each month. Although we strive for 98% monthly attendance rate, we have not been able to reach 95% as of yet this year. We are noticing patterns of absences, Monday, Wednesdays, and Friday each week. If your student has appointments, we ask that you make them at the end of the school day whenever possible. We especially are noticing patterns of absences around holiday weekends. More than anyone, we recognize the need to enjoy a little family time, however doing so may come at a cost to your student's learning. Take a look at our attendance rates so far this year.

October attendance to date (10/1-10/18)= 93.85%

September Attendance = 93.3%

August Attendance = 94.19%

When our students miss instruction, they are still responsible for the work and mastering the content. Repeated absences over time (days, weeks, months, years) has the potential to create learning slide. This can make children fall behind their grade-level peers and create a level of anxiety, when they are unable to perform in the classroom. Help your student move toward the path to success this year and make sure they are in attendance daily and for the duration of the school day. Quarter 2 starts this week, let's turn our attendance rates around. Help Ochoa achieve a 98%!

Keep your Child on Track in Middle School_English

Keep your Child on Track in Middle School_Spanish

• The N-word+ ban policy translated into Spanish for easy access and understanding.

• A document outlining the history and harm of the n-word, also translated into Spanish, to help families discuss the significance of the policy at home.

• A link for families to provide their input on the policy, ensuring their voices are heard.

• A resource guide on how families can support at home (Spanish here and English here) with practical tips on fostering conversations about respect, inclusivity, and the importance of eliminating hate speech.

• Slide decks from the presentation: English presenter and Spanish presenter

• Spanish Words That Are Anti-Black & Anti-Indigenous video

Parents please join us for our quarterly parent day on October 30th. We begin the morning with a light breakfast at 9AM, parent workshops and an opportunity to shadow your student.

Ochoa Families, there are many interventions that we put in place here at Ochoa to support all of our students; some are especially for those students who may be struggling academically and or behaviorally:

• Attendance incentives & programs (AC Transit Free bus pass)
• COST- Counseling supports (individual/group)
• Tutoring Support (Lunch/ After school/Weekends)
• Focal Student Progress Monitoring
• After school Programming (YEP)
• Restorative Circles & Mediations
• Academic Counselor Check Ins
• Student Success Team Meetings
• Progress reports (weekly)
• Check In-El Spec

This is a non-exhaustive list, however these supports are put in place to ensure your student gets the help they need to be successful and thrive here at Ochoa Middle School. When students do not meet academic or behavioral requirements, they are in danger of being placed on the 1) Risk of Retention List (Academics) or 2) The LOP List (Behaviors). I want to share with you what being placed on either of these lists might mean for your student. Please know that I am sharing this information proactively with the best of intentions for us to work in partnership.

Students at Risk of Retention (ROR)

Identified during the 3rd-4th qtrs

When students are unable to maintain their academics and have three or more "Fs" on their quarterly report card, we begin to hold a series of student success team meetings, academic check ins and start a process of progress monitoring your student. We offer one or a combination of the interventions listed above. If there are no improvements in their grades from Quarter 1 through the middle of Quarter 4, we will make a recommendation for retention. Students with three or more "Fs" on their report cards, will then be placed on the LOP list, where they become ineligible to participate in school related events such as: clubs, games, dances, end of year field trips, end of year fun school related activities up to and including 8th grade promotion. These lists apply to 7th and 8th grades students.

Students on the Loss of Privileges List (LOP):

Students can be placed on the LOP list for a number of reasons. The first, described above for academics and failure to perform. The second reason is based on violations of school rules and policies outlined in our student, district handbook, and california education code. This non-exhaustive list of violations may include:

• attendance
• any disciplinary action (Suspensions, In School Suspensions)
• poor attendance (includes tardies/absences)
• poor behaviors (any disciplinary actions)
• failure to serve consequences (i.e. detentions, community service, study halls, progress reports)
• failure to adhere to dress code
• failure to adhere to cell phone policy
• failure to maintain grades (less than two Fs)

Students appearing on this list will not be able to participate in any school related activities.

Families, this doesn't mean students can't make mistakes, we expect them to, however as we move toward the end of the school year, we do not expect to have to reiterate expectations, especially when there may have been an obvious disregard for the school and district policies. We are here to work in partnership with you and want ALL-100% of our students to participate through year end. Please have a proactive conversation with your children so that they fully understand this process.

In mental health and wellness, ‘values’ means those things in life which play a role in shaping

who we are – our goals, priorities, identities and our futures. For adolescents, personal values

play a very important role in decision-making. If we want adolescents to make good decisions

(especially where it comes to risky behaviors like drugs and alcohol and trying to avoid

dangerous situations) we can help guide them by supporting them to understand their own

personal values.

Research tells us that as adolescents develop more understanding of their personal values,

they develop a greater ability to make decisions that support positive and healthy development.

If you are interested in supporting an adolescent you care for with understanding their personal

values these resources are useful (see below)… and what’s more, once you start talking to an

adolescent about their values, you may learn a lot about them that you didn’t know before!

Video: Responsible Decision Making for Teens & Tweens (youtube.com)

Resources: Values Clarification | Worksheet | Therapist Aid

~Mr. Paul Sherreard, Fred Finch

Our two parent winners for the School Site Council Parent Election are:

1. Emmeline Tibon (7th Grade parent)

2. Paulette Frichittavong (7th Grade parent)

Chat with these moms and tell them what you like and want to see at Ochoa or you can simply attend the meeting. All of our SSC meetings are open to the Ochoa community.

Our meetings this year are:

SSC Meets as follows: (*the team will decide meeting times/medium)

10/17/2024- Hybrid Mtg, 5:30PM

10/22/2024- SSC District Training (mandatory), 5:30-7PM @ The HUB

12/5/2024

1/16/2025

3/20/2025

4/17/2025

5/22/2025- if needed to finalize the SPSA for 25-26

Board Policy 6020: Parent Involvement & Family Engagement

Student athletes must maintain a 2.0 GPA with no more than one "F: Grades will be monitored regularly and students will be advised by the athletic director. School games and evening events must follow school expectations.

• dress code is enforced
• students must attend school; If absent and or on suspension during the day may not attend events/sports etc
• school appropriate language required
• school appropriate behaviors required

Click here to: Visit our Multilingual Learner Department's Webpage

Resources for Families of Multilingual Learners

Parents: Get Involved

District English Language Advisory Committee (DELAC)

Site Level: English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC)

Board Policy 6020: Parent Involvement & Family Engagement

My Schedule: I am at Ochoa the 2nd and 4th Wednesday/every Thursday and Friday.

*Agenda is posted 72 hrs in advance.

Next Meeting: November 18, 2024

Meeting Agenda_Nov. 8, 2024

Join Here: Google Meets Link or In person

Site Based Decision Making (SBDM) was introduced to Hayward USD in 1996 as a strategy for ensuring that staff, parents, and students at individual school sites had a vehicle for engaging in the decision-making that most affected their own sites. Over the years, HUSD board and district leadership have affirmed the importance of SBDM as a means of exchanging ideas, data, and other information necessary to improving educational opportunities for HUSD students.

These are public meetings any member of the Ochoa community is welcome to join meetings, submit agenda items, voice concerns, support process improvements and spending (MAA funds), and offer input to the School Site Council (SSC) team at Ochoa Middle School regarding suggestions for spending that supports student academic achievement.

Board Policy 6020: Parent Involvement & Family Engagement

Monday, October 28, 2025

• Bridge to College, YEP class

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

• College Day- Wear College/University Gear to support a college going culture!
• Bark Buck store opens, lunchtime
• Parent Day Qtr 1, 9AM, Parents may chose to shadow students
• Students dismiss at 1:30PM
• Bridge to College, YEP class
• Volleyball @ King

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Friday, November 1, 2024

• American Indian Heritage Month begins
• Staff Development, NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Looking Ahead:

Sunday, November 3, 2024

• Daylight Savings, Fall back 1 hr

Monday, November 4, 2024

• Lockdown Drill

Tuesday, November 5, 2025

• Election Day, PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE! (take your students with you)

Monday, November 11, 2024

• Veterans Day observed, NO SCHOOL

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

• Future Freshman Day, Rising 9th graders and all 8th grade teachers attend

Ochoa has a nice sized garden and we are looking for families who might be willing and able to help us plan to revitalize it. Currently, we are growing grapes, apricots, pomegranates, and apples. Our Site Based Decision Making Team has been discussing the possibility of creating a garden to table home economics program for our students. If you or someone you know might be able to offer some expertise in this area, please reach out to Principal Rowe-Andrews or Ms. Hiester, Family Engagement Specialist.

We would love to hear from you.

Does your student require public transportation? If you would like to apply for a free AC transit card for your student please click the link below. This is not transportation specific to students with IEPs, but is available for ALL students.

SCHOOL SUCCESS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO GOOD ATTENDANCE.

Ochoa strives for a 98+% attendance rate for our students each month/year.

October attendance to date= 93.85%

September Attendance = 93.3%

August Attendance = 94.19%

Poor performance in the classroom is often the result of poor attendance. If students are to achieve maximum value from their middle school education, 100% attendance is the goal. Did you know that the state of California only allows students to be absent, with *valid excuse for less than 10% of the year?

*valid excuses for absences from school are:

• Illness or quarantine
• Medical, dental, or optometry appointments

• Religious Requests, upto one per quarter with prior written notice and approval
• Attendance at funeral services for a member of the immediate family

California law requires all students 6 to 18 years old are required to attend school on time and regularly. Cal. Ed. Code § 48200.

A child is habitually truant if, without valid excuse, they are:

• Absent for three days in a single school year,
• Absent or tardy more than 30 minutes three times in a year,
• Any combination of the above. Cal. Ed. Code § 48260(a).

A child is chronically truant if they have missed 10 percent of the school year. Cal. Ed. Code § 48263.6.

Parents must Report Absences-Please call us!: All absences must be cleared by a phone call or a note within 72 hours of the absence from a parent/guardian to the attendance office (510 723-3130 extension 43111). When absences are not cleared in this manner the family can expect to receive a call from our office or automated phone system.

Students should plan to arrive to school each day between 8 and 8:15AM, unless they have a zero period class. Students with a zero period PE class must arrive at school daily no later than 7:15AM. The first bell rings at 8:20AM and students must be in their seats or on their PE numbers by that time. Even if a student arrives "just 1 minute late," they legally must be marked tardy according to the law. Help us to achieve our daily and annual attendance goals this year and help us to get to 98% or better.

Website: https://ochoa.husd.us
Location: 2121 Depot Road, Hayward, CA
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