Mariner Update Family Edition

Volume 14 Issue 6

Mariner Family,

I love our school do you love our school!

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

Equity in education means ensuring that all students receive the resources, opportunities, and support they need to succeed, regardless of their background, socio-economic status, race, gender, language, or ability. Unlike equality, where every student gets the same resources, equity acknowledges that students have different needs, and resources should be distributed based on those needs to level the playing field. As a professional learning community, at IHCS we are dedicated to continuously expanding our knowledge and refining our practices, just as professional doctors, dentists, and lawyers do to stay at the forefront of their fields, and provide Equity in education.

Believe

Parents, we are more alike than different, and recognizing this can bring us closer together. As we raise your children—our students—together, let’s remind ourselves that we belong to each other. Our Counseling Team, Wellbeing TOSA, and I attended the Excellence Through Equity Conference, where we were reminded that all things are possible when we keep learning and growing, just as professionals do.

I want to share something personal. I, Andy Candelaria, your principal, was once an average—sometimes below average—student. I grew up in La Puente, California, in a home where neither of my parents had a high school diploma. But I could feel it when they believed in me. I could feel it when a teacher believed I could learn, and I could feel it when a teacher didn’t. That belief, or lack of it, made all the difference. Even now, I know when someone believes in me, and when they don’t.

Parents, believe in your child. Believe in every student. Keep fueling their hope and building their self-efficacy, their confidence that they can learn—because they can. Encourage them to be competitive in their learning, to always give their best effort, because every moment in their learning journey counts. Every time they practice reading, writing, or math—whether at school or at home—it matters. No matter their circumstances, our kids can keep making progress.

You are not only their parent; you are their coach. Read with them every day. Reading is the key that unlocks all other learning. If they can read and understand what they’re reading, they can discover a path to achieve their dreams. My parents, Andrew Candelaria Sr. and Gloria Carrillo Candelaria, believed in me. They were often tired—raising three kids before I came along, both working more than one job to support us. They couldn’t teach me everything, but they made time to read with me, to write with me, and to emphasize the importance of school. They spoke with my teachers to ensure I was giving my best.

So, parents, keep your head up. You are your child’s first and most important teacher. You’ve got this. Make time each day to coach them up. September is nearly over—let’s keep pushing forward together!

Best Parents in the World, let’s stay the course and continue to grow and change our world together.

Sincerely,

Your dedicated admin team -

Assistant Principal, Mrs. Barry, Assistant Principal, Mr. Castro, and Principal, Mr. Candelaria

Mariner Families! As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th to October 15th, we invite you to contribute to our festivities by volunteering during students' lunch hours (10am-1pm). We are seeking enthusiastic parent volunteers to help with a variety of activities, including coloring, facilitating games, and reading books. If you are interested in participating, please stop by the front office to sign up for a time slot that fits your schedule. Please note that volunteers must have completed the district’s volunteer application process and their designated ID card. If you haven’t had the chance to do so, you can start the application process by visiting this link: https://www.perrisesd.org/page/volunteers We greatly appreciate your support and look forward to celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month together! Best regards, IHCS Admin Team!

Click here to apply to volunteer

Inside our ship

School Advisory Committee Nominees and Elections: Thank you to all of the nominees who accepted their nomination: Berenice Ambriz, Maria Catalan, Zaira Harper, Edwelyn Joy Noche-Teofilo, Melissa Sapien, Tenaya Taplin, Jennifer Valladolid, and Marlin Vega. This is a reminder to vote by the end of the day on September 24th, 2024. Please click the link below to submit your vote. If you are having difficulty casting your vote, please visit our front office by the end of the day on September 24th, for assistance. Parent nominees for School Advisory Committee are pictured below.

Click here to vote for the Social Advisory Committee

SEL Superheroes- The Friendship Guardians: Our Friendship Guardians are on their way to the kindergarten playground to teach them how to make friends. What is your SEL super power! Also, pictured is a poster of “everything SEL in PESD,” that our principal could remember in ten minutes. Our formula at the bottom of the page is communicating that all of the love and care that is given through out SEL approach will build the confidence and inner strength of each student, which will lead to improved academic performance and ultimately build a student up who is ready for the world. College and Career and Life Ready.

Saturday, September 28th/IHCS, K-8, STEAM Saturday Academy: We will continue to offer extended learning opportunities through our STEAM Academy - Saturday program at IHCS! This is separate from our Mariachi Thursday/Saturday program. This a perfect opportunity to continue with our academic momentum. STEAM Saturday Academy will offer our IHCS Mariners with enrichment sessions, extra help, spark creativity, provide academic support and encourage a positive work ethic. Students will learn about the influence of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math). Student hours are 8:00 - 12:00. Please turn in your registration application or Sign up by Wednesday, September 25th, in our front office.

Parent Volunteer Thank You and Superintendent Site Visit: Superintendent Bruce Bivins visited our campus, on Monday, September 16th, from 10:15-11:45. We saw fifth grade and second grade writing (WICOR) and students shared their learning in Ms. Fortenberry’s class and Mrs. Humble’s class. They are looking forward to seeing the student WICOR: Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization and Reading in action at IHCS, throughout the school year. Mr. Bivins also saw our parent volunteers and students at the beginning of the lunch period and celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Students participated in Lotteria and Hispanic Flag activities during their lunch recess. Thank you to our parent volunteers for providing positive learning experiences for our students at IHCS! Special Thank you to Parent Volunteers Ariana Rodriguez, Marisol Martinez, Berenice Ambriz, Zaira Harper, Margarita Aguilar, and Gabriela Patino.

Herencia Mariachi Program: We had a strong third week of Mariachi Class! We still have a few spaces available. Tell your parents/students to call our front office and/or See Mr. Candelaria if you would like to join. Students in 2nd grade - 8th grade are eligible. First come first served. Our goal is to fill our mariachi group with 80 students. We are almost there. Current enrollment in our mariachi program is at 76 students.

Welcoming Spirit/Song Challenge: IHCS Volleyball Team were featured during our recent Friday Flag ceremony as they spread the positive spirit and culture at IHCS. Coach Ochoa, who leads our IHCS Volleyball, recorded the team singing Mariners Will Shine, as they prepared for their volleyball away game last Thursday. I would like to see Parents, Cross-Country, Cheer, and Football do the same and we can include their videos in Friday Flag and/or daily announcements. I would also like to see each classroom do the same and we can include the recordings in our front office monitor slide show. Let’s keep the momentum going, and using tools that bring us together more often. The song is just one tool to spread the positive spirit and joy of school/education.

Love for Life Student Ambassador Program: We will begin the Love for Life Student Ambassador program on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. The program will take place after school in the front office, from 3:45-4:45, each Wednesday. Students will learn information Grades 3-5 group with support from Mrs. Santiago in the front office conference room and Mr. Llausas will support the middle school group who will meet upstairs in room 127. Wendy Romero is our Love for Life Director and will be on campus this week and after school to share information for students who may be interested.

The ambassador program will include a group of students in grades 3-5 and an additional middle school group who will learn strategies to promote a positive school climate. The ambassador program will promote a positive school climate through mentorship and will emphasize the cultivation of resilience, equipping students with tools to prevent bullying, and to build confidence and empathy, and foster leadership skills. Student ambassadors will be supported to conduct in-class presentations to practice peer to peer support and raise awareness about relevant causes, as well as providing information on the resources available to support all students. This program will provide an opportunity to make a schoolwide outreach and impact students beyond the participating ambassadors. Visit our front office if you are interested in having your student participate in this after school program. First come, first served. We will include a waiting list once our program is filled.

Professional development: As a professional learning community, we are dedicated to continuously expanding our knowledge and refining our practices, just as professionals like doctors, dentists, and lawyers do to stay at the forefront of their fields. Our Principal Institute on Tuesday, September 17th, and AP Institute on Wednesday, September 18th, at Perris Elementary, included visits to classrooms and observing Thinking Classrooms (Math and ELA) in action, Heggerty in second grade, SEL in action. Throughout the year, we have scheduled time with RCOE’s Dennis Regus, to consistently develop our mathematical knowledge and implement best practices in the classroom, including Thinking Classrooms. And we continued with Dennis Regus last week to continue our learning together.

More on Thinking Classrooms, Ice-Cream and Math: Perris Elementary second graders participated in a Thinking Classroom lesson, Problem of the Day, which centers around ice-cream flavors and how many double scoop ice-cream cone, double scoop combinations can be made. Ms. McGaughey’s class is also working in groups of three and students are sharing their thinking, out of their seats, and also taking gallery walks to get ideas and critique strategies/thinking of other groups. Mathematical practices in action! High level of student engagement, student thinking, student participation, student learning! Way to go Mariners/PESD!

Parent Volunteer Support and Lego Robotics Club: Lego Robotics club is up and running. We will have two teams who will compete in the RCOE Robotics competition this year. Students who are not officially on the team will still be able to participate in the Robotics Club, which meets every Monday, from 3:45-4:45. We are blessed to have the leadership/support of parent volunteers. Special thanks to Mayra Montes, Kaialisia Sanchez, Shyrome Hardmon, Penny Smith, and Michele Rodriguez. Also, thank you to Ms. Harkema, Ms. Casimiro-Garcia and Mr. Castro for leading our Lego Robotics Club.

WICOR/AVID: Parents, as we move forward throughout the year, look for evidence of writing, inquiry, student thinking, student collaboration, organization and ownership of student learning and reading. And look for the same WICOR evidence during our math professional development opportunities with RCOE’s Dennis Regus, and in our mariachi program as students learn to read music, think, ask questions, process their thinking, make mistakes and try again, as they learn to play their instruments.