High Desert School Hawk Happenings

Good evening High Desert Hawks and Families,

This school year at High Desert School, we are "Anchored in Achievement!" Set sail on a smooth school year by anchoring strong routines early—review your planner each night and keep your supplies shipshape. Steer clear of rough waters by asking for help when you need it; teamwork keeps the crew afloat!

Student Success Reminders:

As enter a new month filled with hope and possibility, we want to focus on our goal of being Anchored in Achievement by supporting our students in beginning strong! Here are some tips:

• Check Aeries: Please review your student’s grades for Semester 2 so far. The first progress report period ends this Friday.
• Attend Daily: Daily on-time attendance is critical to participate in the incredible lessons teachers have prepared and ensure that students are learning the content.
• Encourage Positive Behavior: Encourage your student to focus on good choices and staying on task. There are many fieldtrips and events coming up. Positive and productive behavior will help students maintain eligibility to attend.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your student’s success!

Athletics

• Reminder to all parents: Please be mindful of practice end times and pick up your athletes promptly.
• Reminder to all athletes: Please remember that you are a member of the team on and off the field. Keep up your grades and good behavior to remain eligible all season!
• Sports Currently in Season
• JV Boys Basketball
  
• JV Girls Soccer
• Spirit Squad
• 100-Mile Club
• Varsity Girls Soccer
• Varsity Boys Soccer

Monday, February 3

• 6th Grade Handbells 2:30-3:15pm
• 100-Mile Club 2:20-3:00pm
• V. Boys Soccer Practice 2:30-4:30pm
• Dance Force Practice 2:30-4:00pm

Tuesday, February 4

• Project 2 Inspire - Parent Webinar 11:00am
• Spirit Squad Practice at 5/6th Lunch
• 7/8th Handbells 2:30-3:15pm
• JV Boys A2 Basketball Game 3:45pm @ HDS MPR
• Varsity Girls Soccer Practice 2:30-4:30pm @ HDS Lower Field
• Adult Handbells 6:00-7:00pm

Wednesday, February 5

• HDS Booster Club Meeting 8:45am
• Early Release Dismissal at 1:10pm
• 100-Mile Club 1:15-2:00pm
• JV Girls Soccer Practice 2:30-3:30pm
• Varsity Boys Soccer Practice 1:30-3:30pm @ HDS Lower Field

Thursday, February 6

• 8th Grade Fieldtrip to Museum of Tolerance 8:15am-2:20pm
• Varsity Girls Soccer Practice 2:30-4:30pm @ HDS Lower Field
• AADUSD Spelling Bee 6:00-7:00pm @ HDS MPR

• Show your Hawks Pride and Wear Green, Black, and White on Friday!
• End of Q3 Progress Period
• Varsity Boys Soccer Practice 2:30-4:30pm @ HDS Lower Field
• Varsity Girls Soccer Practice 2:30-4:30pm @ HDS Lower Field
• JV Boys Basketball Practice 2:30-3:30pm @ HDS MPR
• Dance Force Practice 6th-8th Grade 2:30-4:00pm @ HDS MPR Stage
• Winter Dance 5:30-8:00pm

Have a great week and Go Hawks!

Calling all athletes... Athletic Sweatshirts have arrived and are in stock. Purchase yours today to stay warm and support your team!

The Booster Club plays a critical role in making extracurricular activities happen for our students. If every family donates $20 per student, Booster Club will be able to fund the many events and activities the Booster Club supports. In addition to financial donations, we need parent support through donations of snack bar items and help running the snack bar during home games. These fundraising efforts directly benefit our athletics programs, and this year, funds are being raised to light up our fields for evening events. Flyers are going home today with students for ways to support.

Snack Bar Donation Ideas:

• Regular Size Candy Bars or Packs
• Snack Bags of Chips
• Popcorn Bags
• Sports Drinks
• Water

"We want to thank Mrs. Denise Seymour for her incredible work with our students. From supporting our EL students, to creating engaging lessons, to supporting her colleagues, to organizing fieldtrips, Mrs. Seymour goes above and beyond on everything she does. Mrs. Seymour has a heart of gold and a passion for education. We are so honored to have Mrs. Seymour in our Hawks family!"

~ HDS Staff

"Louis 2.0 is a motivated, dedicated, and goal oriented student who set his sights on high achievement for second semester."

~ Mr. Rowland

• AVID - This year in AVID, we will be focusing on organization, goal setting, and academic achievement with the support of WICOR strategies implemented in all classrooms. This week, the focus is kindness to others.
• SEL - Each week, on Wednesday, our students will be working on soft skills to support their social and emotional development during middle school.

i-Ready Classroom Mathematics is a robust mathematics program designed to help your student become a strong, independent mathematical thinker. Through the Try-Discuss, Connect framework, students deepen their conceptual understanding and collaboratively solve problems. Check out the family center for more information on how to support your child with mathematics from home.

Check out i-Ready Classroom Mathematics Family Center

5th Grade will be returning to Outdoor Science School this year at Thousand Pines.

• Final Payments are DUE!
• Camp Doc Paperwork has been shared with parents. Please complete by Feb. 15th.

The Autry Museum invites all student to submit a two-dimensional piece of artwork representing the theme: Visions of the Future.

Student application must be submitted online.

Entries due to the HDS Office by February 7, 2025

Step Up delivers 1-on-1 math tutoring, conducted online with a consistent tutor

• Students receive tailored math support using a curriculum that is tailored to address their needs

• Tutors focus on relationship-building and provide mentorship in a fun learning environment

• Students receive tutoring at least twice weekly via one of three program models: at-home, during an after-school program, or during the school day

All students must have a new athletic physical and online clearance each school year. To complete the online clearance go to: https://www.homecampus.com/login

• For School - Select Vasquez
• For Sport - Select the sport the applies with MS in the title (ex: MS Volleyball)

You will need to submit the following documents as part of the clearance process:

• Current health insurance card
• Physical (Medical History / Physical / Clearance)

Hello Students and Parents,

HDS is taking a trip to the Florida Keys on the Splash into Science program!

This trip is all-inclusive, and we’ll be going over what we’ll get to see and do on our program, such as:

• Swim with dolphins
• Snorkel the coral reef
• Kayak the mangroves
• Behind the scenes visit at The Turtle Hospital Rescue, Rehab, Release Center
• Explore Everglades National Park

Please contact me if you have any questions about itinerary highlights, information regarding WorldStrides FLAG Financial Assistance, Extended Payment Options, and other important items you need to know about Educational Travel.

HDS Florida Trip Registration Link

HDS Florida Trip Registration Flyer - English / Spanish

CalHope Mental Health Resources

Digital mental health support for youth, young adults, and families provides free, safe, and confidential mental health support for young people and families across the state with two easy-to-use mobile apps: Brightlife Kids and soluna.

BrightLife - Mental health coaching and resources for parents with kids ages 0-12

Soluna — your space to de-stress, bounce back, and reset. Completely free and confidential for California teens and young adults. Always.

Soluna | California's Mental Health App for 13 - 25-year-olds

About half of teens in the U.S. had a mental health concern at some point in their life. Recognizing teen mental health issues and connecting to early intervention and treatment can be lifesaving. Check out this free guide to the most common teen mental health challenges and find local mental health resources.

Devastating wildfires have impacted our Los Angeles County community. Our hearts go out to all those affected, including students, families, educators, and school staff. In times of crisis, the power of education to provide support and resilience is more important than ever.

We wish to share the following resources available to those in need:
Emergency Shelters:

• Westwood Recreation Center (1350 S Sepulveda, Los Angeles 90025)
• El Camino Real Charter High School (5440 Valley Circle Blvd, Woodland Hills 91367)
• Ritchie Valens Recreation Center (10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Pacoima 91331)
• Pasadena Convention Center (300 E Green, Pasadena 91101)
• Airbnb is supporting Los Angeles County residents who have been displaced from their homes or forced to evacuate by the wildfires, by working with 211LA to offer emergency housing. If you or your loved ones are in need, dial 2-1-1 directly.

Mental Health Support:

• Free 24/7 counseling services are available through our EAP partner. Access confidential support at 800.834.3773 or www.claremonteap.com/employees-and-families/
• Spanish-speaking counselors: 1-888-628-9454
• Options for Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Call 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746.

Local Emergency Updates:

• Follow @ReadyLA on X (formerly Twitter) or visit ready.lacounty.gov for real-time evacuation notices and fire updates.

Additional Services and Information:

• Uber and Lyft announced they are offering free rides up to for evacuees to designated shelters through January 15, 2025.
• To redeem the free ride, evacuees must use the promo code "WILDFIRE25" in their Uber app and "CAFIRERELIEF25" for Lyft.
• AirNow: Check Local Air Quality
• Information Regarding School Closures
• California Statewide Wildfire Recovery Resources
• CTA Disaster Relief Fund

We understand that this is a difficult time for many. Please remember to prioritize your own well-being and reach out to available support resources.

Stay up to date on all of the Hawk Happenings throughout the school year. Check out our Yearlong Calendar for the 2024-2025 School Year.

Our School is using PBIS Rewards to help us with our PBIS program! PBIS Rewards is a technology-based PBIS Management System that helps us with our behavior incentive program. You can learn about PBIS Rewards at their website (www.pbisrewards.com).

Our students can earn rewards throughout the day by meeting our behavior expectations. These rewards are in the form of electronic points. They can redeem these points for privileges, tangible items, access to events, and other similar things. Our expectation is that we will see overall behavior improve throughout the school and that the number of referrals we have will decrease.

PBIS Rewards has a Family App that will give you some insight into how your child is doing with respect to our PBIS program. The Family App will run on most smart devices, including smartphones and tablets. You can find it in the iPhone/iPad App Store, Google Play, and the Amazon App Store. Just search for "PBIS Rewards Family."

An email has been sent to families to get you set up on the PBIS Rewards Family App. Please access this email from PBIS Rewards if you wish to access your child's progress. If you did not receive an email, please contact Mrs. Van Ornum so she can help get you set up.

Email: mvanornum@aadusd.k12.ca.us
Website: http://aadusd.k12.ca.is/domain/9/
Location: 3620 Antelope Woods Road, Acton, CA, USA
Phone: (661) 269-0310
Facebook: facebook.com/hdsboosterclub/
Twitter: @Highdesert_aad