Joe Serna Jr. Charter School provides a supportive dual-language educational experience with high expectations for all staff, students, and families. We strive to ensure that our students are: Proud to be bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish; Valued members of our collaborative learning community; and college and/or career bound critical thinkers and problem solvers in a global society.

Greetings Joe Serna Families,

I hope you all had a nice weekend. Thank you to all the 1st-8th grade families for taking the time to attend Back-School-Night. It was great seeing you all and being able to share what this school year has in store for our children. Your involvement and support are essential to their success!

Check out this week's newsletter for friendly reminders and more details on events taking place.

In partnership,

Mrs. Alejandra Estrada

For the safety of our students, please have your student wear closed toe and heel shoes. Per the Parent and Student handbook, open toed or heeled shoes or sandals are not permitted. We have had students who are running during PE and recess and their shoes fall off of their feet. Please support by having your student wear appropriate shoes.

Thank you to all the families who have completed the Online Data Confirmation. We are at 78% completion. If you have not yet had an opportunity to complete, this is a friendly reminder, to please take time to complete the Online Data Confirmation. Our goal is to have 100% completion! If you are in need of assistance, please call our office at 209-331-7809.

5th grade parents, join Ms. Salmon and Mrs. Vargas in this informational meeting about science camp.

Click on the link below for more details about this opportunity for our 5th & 6th grade students:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mLsNuKXOP-MvvMpIoxYREeYaCU_hhGEQ/view?usp=sharing

Lodi Unified School District is gathering input from parents and guardians on developing a district wide policy regarding the use of smartphones by students during the school day in alignment with proposed state legislation. Please take this opportunity to provide input on this topic: https://tejoin.com/scroll/643665866 The survey will close on Friday, August 30 at 11:59 pm.

LUSD has created the following video to demonstrate how the Sandy Hook Promise, See Something Say Something, can support our students with reporting incidents.

Click on the link below to see the new PSA:

https://bit.ly/LodiUSDBackToSchoolPSA

Join us for our PTA & Principal chat meeting on Thursday, September 5th at 5:00pm. Location will be shared as we get closer to the date.

Any questions about joining our PTA or attending PTA Board meetings, please reach out to Veronica Reich (209)329-6157, reich.v@gmail.com or our PTA email at: jsjcspta@gmail.com

Serna PTA website:https://jsjcspta.com

Please don’t forget to sign up for our parents CLASS COMMUNICATION form, since this will be our starting point to get informed and connected with all of you. We appreciate all the support and help we have had on the past and we hope we can continue to enjoy many more activities together.

Link to Class Communication: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKCRv4HeOQHCdRSC4g54o3mS0DSCYfhrTq3F-wtRQTQwF1pw/viewform

Will take place after school on Thursday, August 22, 2024

The cost is $1.

We are excited to announce that our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair is just around the corner, and we need your help to make it a success! This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to discover new books and develop their love reading, and your involvement can make a difference

This is a great opportunity for parents to earn 30 hours of volunteer time. Whether you can spare a few hours to help set up, assist during the fair, or help with packing up afterward, your time and support would be greatly appreciated. If you're available to volunteer please reach out to our Serna PTA via email at jsjcspta@gmail.com

We look forward to working together to create an inspiring and fun event for our students!

We believe that a strong school community is built on the collaboration of students, teachers, parents and guardians. That's why this year we are bringing back the 30 hours of volunteer hours. Your involvement has a profound impact on both your child's experience and the overall success of our school community. We have many activities taking place this year. If you can contribute a few hours a week, help with specific events, or support with behind-the-scenes activities, every bit of help makes a difference. By volunteering, you're not only helping our school but also showing your child the importance of giving back and being involved.

Our Serna PTA is working on creating volunteer slips, and will be available soon. If you are interested in learning about volunteer opportunities, please feel free to reach out to our Serna PTA via email at jsjcspta@gmail.com. Thank you for being an essential part of our community.

We are in our first quarter. Please reach out to your student's teacher if you have any questions or concerns about your student's academic progress.

Middle school parents, please make sure you are checking your students' grades in Aeries, checking Google Classroom, and checking in with their teachers. Progress reports will be given during the 5th week of the quarter.

Dear Parents/Guardians of Middle School and High School students,

We are very excited to introduce our new college and career readiness platform, SchooLinks!

All of the SchooLinks features are designed with students in mind to help them become career, college, and life-ready. As guardians, you will have access to SchooLinks through your own account. This allows you to join your students in their career and college exploration process and discuss their future with them.

SchooLinks allows you to have informed conversations with your students by:

• Viewing your student’s career interest, strength, and mindset assessments
• Seeing what colleges and careers your student has favorited
• Comparing college costs and explore expected financial aid, scholarships, and out-of-pocket expenses

See this document to learn more about how to access your account.

For additional information regarding the platform's benefits, please join us at the district’s College and Career Night, on August 27th at McNair High School.

Theme: Party in the USA

Students are welcome to wear red, white and blue to show their spirit!

Warm weather is expected this week, please encourage your students to bring a water bottle. We have refill stations.

Wearing school uniforms supports in school unity across grade levels, promotes equality, reduces distractions and helps create a focused learning environment where students can concentrate on their learning without worrying about fashion trends.

Tops:

· *Students may wear a hunter green, blue, white, light pink or maroon shirt. The shirt can either be a button down, polo style shirt or Joe Serna logo t-shirt. The Joe Serna spirit shirt may be worn on any day but Friday is the spirit day where we want all students to wear the Serna tie-dye shirt.

Bottoms:

· *Students may wear khaki or black shorts, pants, or skorts and jeans.

Dresses:

· *Dresses/jumpers can either be khaki or blue with green plaid.

You are welcome to purchase uniforms at any retail store. If you would like to purchase uniform shirts with the Serna Logo, you can purchase through the Link: Uniform 1st Quarter Pre-Order - Cheddar Up

We want to bring to your attention the importance of discussing the proper care of district-issued student Chromebooks with your children. We have observed an increase in incidents involving damage, often linked to carelessness or misuse. As we address these situations, we want to remind you of the importance of engaging in discussions with your child about the proper care of their district-issued Chromebook. Students will be held responsible for any damages, and charges may apply for repairs. Principals will conduct thorough investigations in collaboration with students to ensure fair outcomes. Additionally, please remind your students to charge their Chromebooks overnight, ensuring they are ready for the next day's learning activities. Your involvement in these discussions is crucial, and we appreciate your attention to these matters.

If your student is sick and will not be attending school, please call our office at 209-331-7809 to notify us.

Please plan family trips during our school's designated breaks and holidays. Our school calendar is linked at the end of this newsletter and paper copies are available in the office. If you plan a trip outside the designated breaks, please contact the office.

Laura Aguirre

laguirre@lodiusd.net

Teresa Mendieta tmendieta@lodiusd.net

Blanca Aranda bsantiago@lodiusd.net

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Transportation is provided to students who currently hold a bus badge. We have been notified by the Transportation Department that students who ride the bus must have a bus badge to ride the bus to and from school. Students who do not have a badge will not be allowed to ride the bus. Students without a bus badge will need a ride to school in the morning and in the afternoon will need to call home to be picked up after school. Please ensure that your students keep their bus badges with them at all times.

Bus Schedule:

Please arrive 5-10 minutes before departure & arrival.

** Monday-Friday Pick-up and drop off at 19 S. Central Ave. Lodi**

* Morning pick-up at 6:45am

* Departure is at 6:50am

* Approximate drop off at Serna 7:05am

* Monday-Thursday, afternoon pick up at Serna at 4:25pm; drop of at approximately 4:45pm.

*Friday pick-up at Serna at 1:05pm*

Drop off approximately 1:15pm

Regular Day (Monday – Thursday)

Kindergarten

Start: 8:20 am

Dismissal 1:25 pm

1st – 5th Grade

Start: 8:20 am

Dismissal 2:35 pm

Middle:

Start: 8:09 am

Dismissal 2:45 pm

Minimum Day/Fridays

Kindergarten

Start: 8:20 am

Dismissal 1:05 pm

1st – 5th Grade

Start: 8:20 am

Dismissal 1:05 pm

Middle:

Start: 8:09 am

Dismissal 1:05 pm