"The Constitution said that everybody has equal rights and justice. You have to make that come about. They are not going to give it to you".

~Larry Itliong, Activist

Happy Sunday Ochoa Families,

This week, 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

Last week our Music Department, led by Ms. Redaniel and Mr. Holbrook, hosted our first music concert of the year. It was a delightful to see our students perform and demonstrate all that they have learned since the beginning of this year. We are so proud of them and we are sure you are as well.

Also, on Friday, we hosted our 2nd Annual Family Movie night. Although we were competing with the Southland Fair and the High School football games, we had a good turn out. It is my hope that we might encourage more of our students and families attend our next events. This is how we as a school build connectedness with students and families. Research supports that positive school climates, where families and students are able to collaborate in learning and create positive spaces, is where students thrive. We hope you can join us next time. Thank you to all of our families for taking time out of your busy schedules to help make the evening possible.

Here is a special shout out and Thank you to:

• Ms. Arlen Munoz
• Ms. Ruth Mondoy
• Mr. Oscar Torres
• Ms. Kinia Cerros
• Mr. Jhonier Plata

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

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

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 21, 2025

• Bridge to College, YEP class

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

• Secondary Subject Matter, 4PM
• SSC Training Day, 5:30-7PM

• Superintendent Chat, @Southgate Elem, 7PM (open to all)

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

• College Day- Wear College/University Gear to support a college going culture!
• Students dismiss at 1:30PM
• Staff Mtgs, 1:45PM
• Bridge to College, YEP class
• Volleyball @ King
• Football @ King
• HUSD Bd of Ed Mtg, 6:30PM

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Friday, October 25, 2024

• School Spirit Day~ Wear Black & Yellow

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Looking Ahead:

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

• Parent Day Qtr 1, 9AM, Parents may shadow students

Thursday, October 31, 2024

• Halloween Dance, 3:30PM-5:30PM

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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