"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention."

~Oscar Wilde

Happy Sunday Ochoa Families,

Welcome back! I want to extend a thank you again for your kindness and generosity this year. We appreciate you.

As a gentle reminder, students are expected back to Ochoa on Monday, December 2nd. As always, there is a bit of an adjustment returning to routines after a break. Students often arrive tired and fatigued so please ensure students get a good night's rest, they should prepare their clothes at night (dress appropriately for the colder weather) and set their alarms. Free breakfast is served daily at 8AM at school and there is a second chance at breakfast/nutrition break at 10:18AM daily (except Wed.). Remind your students to bring their fully charged chromebooks, chargers, workbooks etc and look for those locker combos and PE clothing. They often forget these over a long break. The first bell rings at 8:16 and students must be in their seats by 8:20AM. *unless students have a zero period class, they start at 7:20AM. School is all about teaching students how to be successful as adults and this is all just a small part of the process.

Last week, I told you the story of my upbringing and how my family required my siblings and I to study on the weekends and over breaks. It is my hope that your students did a little reading, and or skills building while on their break. If not, that's okay CLEVER and the applications are available for students year around. Just a thought, we return for approximately three weeks and are out again for Winter Break, which begins 12/20-1/3/2025. Students return on 1/6th. Let your students know the importance of finishing this 2nd quarter of the school year strong. Grades from the 1st and 2nd Quarter are averaged to create a semester grade. Wednesday, is Future Freshman Day for all 8th grade students. If you have not already, complete the permission slip, emailed to you by the High School Counseling teams, please do so today.

When we return, in January, our 8th graders will begin programming their courses for high school. Our 7th graders will begin to make their course selections/electives for next year and we begin the master scheduling process that dictates course offering for the 2025-26 school year. Additionally, we begin our visits to our Elementary school sites to highlight Ochoa programs and offerings. Stay tuned for future communications around the programming process from me and the school counselors, Ms. Lewis and Ms. Coney.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Principal Rowe-Andrews

We hope to see you in attendance for the budget meetings continuing this week.

Perhaps you have already heard about the "Critical Budget Shortfall" that Hayward Unified is facing? If not, here are some resources you might want to review HUSD Bd Mtg_11/13/24 Systematic Instructional Review/instructional audit of HUSD (2hr:41min-3:20) and Budget Presentation (4hr:50min-5:10); also please skim the budget page created to educate the community, on the HUSD Budget Solutions 2024-25 Page. Once you have some background information, feel free to take the Community Budget Survey.

Before you take the survey:

Section #1: asks you to look at a list of opportunities to generate revenue for the district and select all that you believe should be considered.

Section #2: asks you to review a list of priority areas, based on District goals and put them in priority order by clicking the up/down arrows. There are a series of explanations for each priority.

Section #3: asks a series of questions. This is anonymous, so please exhaust your thinking on each of these. My philosophy is, no idea is a bad idea. They all must be discussed and we must weigh pros and cons appropriately.

Section #4: asks you to share your name and contact information in the event you would like follow up of some kind and or the district has clarifying questions.

If you have any questions, do feel free to contact Ms. Rowe-Andrews, Principal or Ms. Sonia Hiester, Family Engagement Specialist. Have questions? Attend an informational drop in session:

12/2 from 12-1PM

12/3 from 8:30-9:30AM

12/9 from 12-1PM

12/10 from 8:30-9:30AM

What do we care about at Ochoa MS?

1. School Safety- is a top priority for a number of reasons. Our students and staff deserve to work and learn in classrooms that are safe, clean, and well maintained. Failure to do this can have an impact on learning, recruitment and retention.

2. To be able to recruit, hire and retain top teaching talent and support staff for our students. This requires competitive salaries, benefits and professional development for staff. It has the potential to grow the community with increased value for property owners, making Hayward a desirable place to live, work, and learn. Many staff and families, cannot afford to live where they work and the children go to school.

3. To provide supports for the whole child, such as counseling supports and other wrap around type services and resources. Post COVID, we are seeing changes in student needs that require academic interventions as well as social emotional support. When we, as human beings are worried about things like food insecurity, home life, or anything that makes us feel less safe, we CAN'T focus on learning. As an automatic, biochemical response, that part of our brain will shut down. These supports are crucial for our students!!

4. Family Engagement-Creating and maintaining a community of learners that includes learning with families and engaging families regularly to get involved in their student's learning and overall wellbeing.

SBDM meets: **Tuesday, December 3, 2024: Meeting Agenda (Eng/Span)

Next meeting 1/7/2025 ~ Submit Meeting Agenda Items by clicking the box below Due:12/20/24

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.

November attendance= 92.51 (Nov 1-11th)

October attendance = 93.5%

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

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.

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

🔻🔻All students must be picked up within 15 minutes of school events end.🔻🔻

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: December 3 2024

Meeting Agenda_December 3, 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, December 2, 2024

• Return from Thanksgiving Break
• Leadership Lunchtime activities, Mon-Fri
• Budget Survey Drop In Session, 12PM (Virtual)
• drop in to get support from our FES and I on the Budget Survey

• Community Meeting HUSD Budget, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

• Budget Survey Drop In Session, 8:30AM (Virtual)
• SBDM Mtg, 3:30PM, Library_Meeting Agenda

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

• School Spirit Day, wear Black & Gold
• Future Freshman Day, 8:30AM (Mt. Eden/Tennyson/Hayward HS)-8th Graders only
• Leadership, Movie, lunchtime MPR, 7th graders
• Budget Survey Drop In Session, 12PM (Virtual)
• Students dismiss at 1:30PM
• Basketball (see schedule above)

Thursday, December 5, 2024

• AVID & Puente- Hayward Library Field trip, 9AM
• School Site Council Mtg, 5:30PM (Virtual)_Meeting Agenda

• School Spirit Day, wear Black & Gold

Saturday, December 7, 2024

• Community Meeting HUSD Budget, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, 26890 Holly Hill Ave, Hayward

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Looking Ahead:

• 12/23/24-1/3/25 (we return Jan 6th)

January 17, 2025

• Teacher workday (No School for Students)

January 20, 2025

• M.L. King Day Observed, No School

January 24, 2025

• Winter Dance, 5-7PM, MPR

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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