Dear 11th Grade Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year at Helix Charter High School! We are thrilled to have your students back on campus and are looking forward to a year filled with learning, growth, and exciting opportunities.

Junior year is a pivotal time in a student’s high school journey. This year, students will be diving deeper into their academic pursuits, preparing for college and career options, and exploring their passions through various extracurricular activities. At Helix, we are committed to providing a supportive and challenging environment that encourages every student to reach their full potential.

Here are a few key highlights and reminders for the upcoming year:

1. Academic Excellence: Our dedicated teachers and staff are here to support your students in achieving academic success. Encourage your student to take advantage of ASPIRE programs, study groups, and teacher tutorials.

2. College and Career Readiness: This year, students will have the opportunity to attend college fairs, career workshops, and meet with our counselors to discuss their post-high school plans. We encourage you to engage in these conversations with your student and attend our informational sessions.

3. Extracurricular Activities: Participation in clubs, sports, and other extracurricular activities is an excellent way for students to develop leadership skills, build friendships, and enhance their high school experience. We have a wide range of activities available to cater to diverse interests.

4. Communication: Open communication between school and home is essential. Please ensure that your contact information is up to date and check our school website, newsletters, and social media for the latest updates and important announcements.

5. Parent/Guardian Involvement: We value and encourage parent involvement in our school community. Whether through the PTSA, volunteering, or attending school events, your engagement is crucial to our collective success.

We are here to support you and your student throughout this year. If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Together, we can make this a fantastic year for your 11th grader at Helix Charter High School.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Warm regards,

Paula Ann Trevino
Grade Level Principal
Helix Charter High School

Parents and guardians of the Class of 2026, please join us in welcoming Mrs. Paola Cabral-Grajeda as our Grade Level Team Administrative Assistant! Mrs. Cabral is experienced in educational environments and has a passion for helping students and families succeed.

We were fortunate that she was able to start working during Summer Conferencing. Mrs. Cabral has a knack for organization and a passion for teamwork and is committed to ensuring everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. She is looking forward to supporting the Class of 2026 on this journey.

Got a question or need assistance? She is your go-to person! Feel free to reach out anytime at cabral-grajeda@helixcharter.net or (619)644-1940 x123.

The Class of 2026 just reached another milestone of their high school journey with the completion of their Mid-High School Reflections!

A two-day event, our 11th graders reflected upon their high school experience thus far in front of a panel of judges composed of Helix staff and community members. There were laughs, some tears, and overall, a huge sense of pride in our students who have truthfully grown into the Scotties they are today. Part of their reflection included planning for the future. With only 2 years left before graduation, we can definitely say the Class of 2026 has big plans in store!

What is Xello? Xello is an Internet-based career exploration and planning tool used to explore career and college options.

In this lesson, students learned how to identify factors to help them make postsecondary education decisions, they investigated how a college stacks up to their priorities, and evaluated their choices to help them revise postsecondary goals based on what they’ve learned.

Although this lesson just scratches the surface of post-secondary planning, we encourage you to continue these conversations at home with your students.

Beginning this Thursday, Helix parents/guardians will receive an automated phone call and email notification, if your student is currently failing one or more classes. The purpose of this call is to ensure that you are aware of your student's academic standing and to encourage timely intervention.

Students who receive this notification should attend tutorial sessions on Friday morning, starting at 8:30 AM, with their teacher(s). This will provide them with the necessary support to improve their grades and understanding of the subject matter.

Please review the tutorial schedule below.

If students purchased an ASB card but did not receive a student ID with the gold "ASB" label, they can have it reprinted for free at the library. In the event of a lost or stolen ID, or if a student wishes to retake their photo, a new ID can be obtained in the library for a $3 fee. For any reprint needs, please see Ms. Portnaya in the library.

Friendly reminder that students must have a student ID in order to attend sporting events. Non-Helix students are rquired to sit on the Visitor Side of the stadium.

Students who work a minimum of 10 hours per week are eligible to earn 2.5 credits each quarter through Work Experience. In order to be eligible for this, students must:

1) Be at least 16 years old and in the 11th grade

2) The Work Experience teacher (Damaja Jones-- djones@helixcharter.net) must approve the job

3) Students must complete all legal documents, training agreement, and work permit

Work Experience is different from Job Lab, which does not have a minimum for hours worked.

More information can be found on the Helix website.

Dear Helix Families,

Football season is underway so we wanted to send out some reminders:

• General Reminders:

• The home side gate is located on the southern side of the stadium. From the parking lot, you can access this side from the top of the solar parking lot. Follow the fire lane entrance near the Orien Ave.exit.

• The visitor side gate is located on the north side of the stadium, next to the sand volleyball court. From the parking lot, walk onto campus, past the gym toward the west side of campus.

• Helix football games are well-attended and the parking lot gets busy. Please walk or carpool if possible. If driving, please use caution in the parking lot and arrive early if possible.

• Backpacks are not allowed into the stadium.

• Bathrooms are located inside the stadium on both the home and visitor sides. Other bathrooms on campus will not be open.

• Spectators are not allowed on the field before, during, or directly after the game.

• No re-entry into the stadium.

• If you see something, say something. Find a Helix staff member, security guard or use this anonymous tip form.

• Student Seating:

• Students must have a valid (current year) Helix student ID card to enter the home side gate and sit in the home bleachers.

• Non-Helix students are welcome to watch the game from the visitor side bleachers.

• The student spirit section is located at the far end of the bleachers on the west end of the stadium.

• Students must find a seat in the bleachers during games. Students may not congregate or loiter behind the bleachers.

• Student Section Etiquette:

• Backpacks are not allowed into the stadium. Please take backpacks home after school, arrange for them to be picked up, or store them in your locker.

• “Spraying” powder is not allowed.

• If you are seen throwing anything (e.g. powder, water, water bottles, etc.), you will be escorted out of the stadium immediately.

Mark your Calendar:

September 2: No School - Labor Day

September 9: Progress Report Grades Due - Fall Semester 1

September 12: Student Minimum Day - Staff PD

September 12: Athletic Eligibility Determined

September 13: Homecoming Football Game

September 14: Homecoming Dance

October 9-10: Fall Semester 1 Finals

October 14: First Day of Fall Semester 2

October 16: Athletic Eligibility Determined

October 17: Human Trafficking Night

School will be closed.

Helix's second annual Career Fair will be held in the gym on Thursday, September 12 from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. We will have exhibitors from a variety of industries, including the medical field, IT, programming, construction trades, engineering, army, culinary, law enforcement and much more! This is a minimum day, so students are encouraged to go check out the career fair after 4th period!

Find more info on helixathletics.net

Homecoming dance tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the Dawg House. Ticket prices: $20 with ASB card, $40 without ASB card (ASB card included with the purchase of a $40 ticket), guest ticket $40.

Please note that each student must be cleared before purchasing their dance ticket. Make sure to check the information below about what is required to be cleared. Students should start at the Dawg House to begin the dance clearance process.

The Office of Office of Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. has invited the students of Helix to participate in their 2024-2025 Academic Year Perfect Attendance Challenge. The challenge will begin Sept 2, 2025 and run through May 2, 2025.

To be eligible to receive the Perfect Attendance Award, students must have no full day absences on their record for the 2024-2025 academic year during our attendance challenge time frame. With the support of SeaWorld San Diego and our sponsors, all students with Perfect Attendance will be honored at an event at the end of the academic year, and provided complimentary SeaWorld San Diego tickets. Students with Perfect Attendance will receive a perfect attendance award certificate and a medallion. The date for the Perfect Attendance Celebration and SeaWorld passes is tentatively set for June 20, 2025 at SeaWorld San Diego.

In honor of Check Your Mood week, we are collaborating with San Diego Youth Services to present to parents, guardians and students about general mental health reminders as well as suicide prevention. This will be presented by licensed social workers from our Wellness Center and Marriage & Family Therapists from SD Youth Services. This event will be held in ExL (1600) and is open to all parents and students. Dinner will be provided! RSVP is required for food ordering purposes. You can park in the staff lot next to the new cafeteria. For translation services, click here.

In this Algebra 2 / Financial Algebra Info Night, we will explain the class, how we keep students on track, helpful resources, how to stay up to date with your student's progress and more. Megan Crim, Math Department Chair and Algebra 2 / Financial Algebra teachers will present and be available to answer questions. This event will be held in ExL (1600) and is open to all parents and students. Refreshments will be provided. For translation services, click here.

Come learn about ASPIRE offerings and Performing Arts programs. Katie Pipes, Department Chair, will present about the programs, how to get involved, audition dates and more. This event will be held in our Performing Arts Center. Students and siblings are welcome to attend with parents/guardians. Registration not required, just show up! Doors open at 5:45. For translation services, CLICK HERE.

The Den is a place to get academic support before and after school. It will be open Monday through Thursday in ExL (room 1600). Students can drop in before and/or after school to receive help in all subjects from academic coaches and credentialed teachers. They will provide tutoring, remediation, test prep, test proctoring, timed writings and study groups. Any students missing mid-week tutorials should definitely drop in to the Den! See below for the daily schedule.

We hope all families will consider joining the Helix PTSA, click here to join. There is no commitment involved. It is just an annual, one-time donation of $13. The funds raised through PTSA memberships go directly back to the school and students for scholarships, special programs and anything the students may need! The more members we have, the greater access we have to grants and programs that will support Helix students. Any students interested in applying for PTSA scholarships (we give out $5,000 each year) must be PTSA members.

If you want to make more of a commitment, consider joining the PTSA board. This means attending one meeting per month (if you're available) and being on an email distribution that shares information about upcoming volunteer opportunities. The meetings are typically held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 5pm at the school or via Zoom. If you're interested, please email PTSA President Dave Hardenburger at helixptsapresident@gmail.com.

And if you just want to be informed about upcoming events and school news, follow us on social media at Facebook and Instagram.

If your student will be parking on campus, they must complete the 2023/2024 STUDENT PARKING REGISTRATION form found here. After completing the form, your student can get their sticker from Ms. Arielle Carroll at the front desk.

Click here to check out the lineup and register.

Helix students are required to complete at least 40 hours of community service to graduate. To help students find opportunities, we regularly update the Student Opportunities sheet with information on community service, jobs, internships, college visits, and more!

Explore community service opportunities here: helixcharter.net/community

Auditions were last May, but there is still room in our treble show choir for soprano/alto voices! If you sing in a lower range just let your counselor know to sign you up for our tenor/bass show choir, no audition required! Please email tolvo-chan@helixcharter.net for more information, and get ready for a fun and exciting year in CHOIR!

These are online courses that students can do on their own, but will be required to attend one day after school to work in groups. Students completing modules will earn UCSD College of Extended Studies credit. There is no cost to be in this course. The first course will be starting in the beginning of September. Upon completion of courses, students may be eligible to participate in the opportunity to apply for internships for the Summer of 2025. If you are interested in learning more - please fill out this form.

The City of La Mesa is now accepting applications for its Youth Advisory Commission. There are 8 seats available. The City is looking for students between the ages of 13 and 20 years old who live within the City limits or attend school in the City of La Mesa. Commission meetings are held the second and fourth Monday of each month at 4:30 p.m. in the Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, La Mesa. The application deadline is Tuesday, September 17th

Students should check their Helix email for the application.

Women of Color Roar (WOCR) is excited to announce their Fall 2024 Women of Color Roar Leadership Academy workshop as a continuation of the work they start at their annual Women of Color Roar breakfast in February of each year. Their team has been working to design workshops and identify speakers to provide the best experience for our Future Leaders.

They are thrilled to announce that their next Women of Color Roar Leadership Academy Workshop will be held on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at The Live Well/Tubman-Chavez Center, 5101 Market St., San Diego 92114. They are inviting young women of color ages 15 to 20. They will open the day with an in-person town hall with some of San Diego’s amazing woman elected leaders. In addition, workshops will be presented on topics including Medical Careers, Financial Planning and Interviewing Skills. They will also be offering a Career Fair, information on college scholarships, intern opportunities and much more from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

The application can also be accessed through this link: https://bit.ly/WOCRLA_Fall_2024

Remember that the ACT is still required for some out of state colleges. We encourage students to sign up for the Spring Test Dates.

Remember that the SAT is still required for some out of state colleges. We encourage students to sign up for the Spring Test Dates.

This year's theme is Connect to Protect.

Staying connected to others creates feelings of belonging and being loved, cared for and valued. So, remember to make connections!! Wear purple or yellow to raise awareness during the month of September. Mrs. Fernandez, the Class of 2028 social worker, will be handing out treats to students she sees on campus wearing purple or yellow this month!

If we do not hear from you, we will assume your student has permission to participate in this program.

If you have any questions or concerns about this program please do not hesitate to contact us at

(619) 644-1940 ext. 149 or glt2026@helixcharter.net.

Mrs. Paula Ann Trevino (trevino@helixcharter.net) - Grade Level Principal

Mr. Hugo Gonzalez (gonzalez@helixcharter.net)- School Counselor

Ms. Rebekah Smith (rsmith@helixcharter.net) - School Social Worker

Ms. Lopez-Barajas (lopez-barajas@helixcharter.net)- Academic Advisor

Ms. Cabral-Grajeda (cabral-grajeda@helixcharter.net) - Administrative Assistant

Ms. Brenda Flores (bflores@helixcharter.net) - Attendance Technician