November Newsletter

(Ms. Bojorquez, Mrs. Gunion, Mr. Smith, Mrs. Carbajal, Mr. Watkins, Ms. Castrejon, Ms. Soto)

Mark your Calendar:

November 2: On Campus Physical Exams for Winter Sports

November 10: No School - Veteran's Day

November 20: Progress Reports Due - Fall Semester 2

November 20-24: No School - Thanksgiving Break

November 22: Athletic Eligibility Determined

December 18-21: Finals Week - Fall Semester 2

December 22-29: No School - Winter Break

December 26: Athletic Eligibility Determined

January 1-5: No School - Winter Break

January 10: First Day of Spring Semester 1

January 15: No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 24: Parent Shadow Day

Every Thursday at 6pm, Helix staff or special guests present on different topics applicable to high school parents. These events are held in the Helix Library and are open to the public! See below for our upcoming schedule. Visit helixcharter.net/FamilyFirst for more information and for links to previous recordings.

If you've ever struggled to understand your teenager, this Info Night is for you. Julie Damschen, Child Development & Psychology teacher will present the latest information about teenage brain growth and development. With new technology, we better understand why peers have such a big influence on our teens, why substance abuse can be more harmful to teen brains and how parents can best support their teens through this developing brain period.

This event will be held in person, in the Helix library from 6-7pm. Dinner will be provided, please RSVP here for food ordering purposes. Students are welcome to attend with parents/guardians. Doors open at 5:45. For translation services, click here bit.ly/46c6iT2

You are invited to attend our first ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee) meeting of the school year. Your involvement is vital in shaping a successful educational journey for all students. We value diversity and inclusivity and want to work together to support our English Learners and create a nurturing academic environment. We will present on ELAC's role in enhancing our students' education, connect with fellow parents and educators, cultivate a strong community focused on students' success and iscuss insights and ideas on improving language programs.

This event will be held in person, in the Helix library from 6-7pm. Dinner will be provided, please RSVP here for food ordering purposes. Students are welcome to attend with parents/guardians. Doors open at 5:45. To ensure that all parents can participate, translation services will be available in various languages. For translation services, click here bit.ly/46c6iT2

The Mid High School Reflection project is an opportunity for students to reflect on their high school experience. Through the reflection process students will examine their growth within Helix's School-wide learner Outcomes (SLO's) and will have the opportunity to research post-secondary options. Most of the work will be done through Advisory activities with support from families. The MHSR will take place in the Spring semester of Junior year. Join us to learn more about the MHSR graduation requirement.

This event will be held in person in the Helix library from 6-7pm. The 2025 GLT will be available to answer questions. Snacks will be provided, registration not required. Students are welcome to attend with parents. Doors open at 5:45. For translation services, click here bit.ly/46c6iT2

The winter dance concert will be held in the PAC on Thursday & Friday, Nov. 16 & 17 at 7pm. Visit www.helixdancers.com for more information.

Helix Vocal Music Department presents Fall Cabaret on November 29 & 30, 2023 at 7pm in the PAC, showcasing all 5 Helix Choirs and featuring specialty acts from our talented Helix singers!

Helix is excited to welcome 2 Sport Social Workers to our campus! Ms. Williams & Ms. Morrill will work with our student athletes and coaches to provide support in social, emotional and athletic performance areas. They'll be available during office hours Monday, Thursday & Friday from 1:30-5:30. They can meet by appointment, referral or walk-in. They'll also be meeting with teams. For more information, please contact your coach.

Click here to check out the lineup and register.

A list of community service opportunities can be found at helixcharter.net/community. We keep it very updated and some interesting new opportunities have just been added!

Our Voices 2023 is the Helix Dance Winter Concert. It will be held in the Helix Charter High School Main Stage Theater on Thursday, 11/16/23 and Friday, 11/17/23 at 7pm.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

• All ticket sales will be sold online only. No physical day-of box office sales.
• Pre-sale price for all tickets is $10/person, all ages general admission.
• Pre-sale ticketing price will be available until 12 hours before each performance.
• Day-of Price for all tickets is $12/person, all ages general admission.
• Day-of ticket sales will begin 12 hours before each performance.
• Your ticket sales will be on a master list on the day of performance in case you forget your confirmation.
• Email Katie Pipes with questions: pipes@helixcharter.net

Visit www.helixdancers.com for more information.

Daily attendance is important for all students. As we enter the holiday season and winter months of cold and flu the Helix Attendance Office wanted to remind you of a few things:

1. FINALS: December 20-21
   
   

2. November 10: No School - Veterans’ Day
   November 20-24: No School - Thanksgiving Break
   December 19-January 9: No School - Winter Break
   
   

3. Please avoid scheduling early or extended vacations. These absences are unexcused and may cause unnecessary stress for your student(s).
   
   

4. If staying home ill, please be sure to email the Helix Attendance Office at attendance@helixcharter.net or call the Attendance Office at ext. 231 (9th and 12th grade) or ext. 232 (10th and 11th grade) within 24 hours of your student’s return to school.
   
   

5. If your student needs to leave school early, please contact the Attendance Office at least 40 minutes in advance to ensure there is enough time to send the Off Campus Pass to your student.
   
   

6. We encourage students to get plenty of rest and drink lots of water as we enter this busy time of year.

If you have any questions or need support, please contact the 2027 Grade Level Team at glt2027@helixcharter.net

Reporting:

Within 24 hours, parent / guardian must either:

• Email or call the grade level attendance technician (contact information found here)
• Clear through ParentVue
• Provide a signed note to the attendance technician

Please provide the following information in your email / phone call:

• Name of student (first and last)
• Date and reason for absence

Absences are excused only if they meet one of the following criteria:

• Personal illness

  • If your student is absent for more than (3) days consecutively a doctor's note will be required.

  • After the (8th) absence in a term a doctor's note will be required for every additional illness absence.

• Health department quarantine

• Medical, dental, optometric, therapy or chiropractic appointments with office visit excuse note

• Attendance at funeral services for an immediate family member

• Jury duty or any other court order requiring a personal appearance

• Observance of a religious holiday

• Military family reunification

Any absence, for a reason other than those listed above is UNEXCUSED.

**Absences that are not cleared within three (3) school days will change to a truancy.

Extended Days of Absence (5+ Consecutive Days)

If you anticipate an extended absence contact your Grade Level Team as soon as possible.

• Students with 5 or more consecutive excused absences may be placed on an attendance contract for:

  • Bereavement, family emergency, school related work, illness

  • Attendance Contracts may not be created for vacations, truancies or other unexcused absences

Within 24 hours, parent / guardian must either:

• Email or call your attendance technician (contact information found here)
• Clear through ParentVue
• Provide a signed note to the attendance technician

Please provide the following information in your email / phone call:

• Name of student (first and last)
• Date and reason for absence

A missed class because of late arrival to school may be considered Truant if clearance does not occur within 24 hours.

No more than three (3) parent/guardian verifications per semester will be accepted excusing a student from being late (i.e. car trouble, woke up late, traffic, etc).

If a student needs to leave campus for any reason before their school day is over, they must first obtain an Off-Campus Pass.

• Off-Campus Passes are issued through the Attendance Office by request of a parent/guardian.
• Requests for an Off-Campus Pass should be presented in writing (preferred) before the start of school or by phone to the Attendance Office. Requests for early release should be made in advance whenever possible to accommodate the timely release of your student.

It is imperative that we know where students are at all times, therefore:

• Verification submitted after a student leaves campus before their regular dismissal time will not be honored.

• For personal emergencies or concerns that may cause a student to miss class time, the student should contact the Attendance Office, School Nurse or Grade Level Team. If it is determined that the student needs to be released from campus early, the parent/guardian will be contacted and an Off-Campus Pass issued.

• Students who leave school early without school authorization are considered truant and will be assigned a consequence.

Illness While at School

• If a student becomes ill while at school, the student must report to the School Nurse’s Office with a pass from their teacher. The nurse will then notify the parent/guardian to determine if an early release from school is necessary.

• Students who leave campus early due to illness without authorization from the Nurse’s Office are considered truant and will be assigned a consequence.

Click on each image to see the list of students who earned Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance for Fall Semester 1

In addition to completing our A-G requirements, students also have to complete 40 hours of community service. It is recommended that students complete 10 hours every grade level to avoid overwhelming an already busy Senior year.

Beyond 40 hours enhances college applications and earns distinctions on their high school transcript.

• Silver Level Service Performer: 50 - 99 hours
• Gold Level Service Performance: 100 - 199 hours
• Platinum Level Service Performance: 200+ hours

Why is Volunteering Important?

• Volunteering can have a positive impact on your community and can instill in you a sense of pride and accomplishment.

• Your volunteer opportunities may provide content for your student resume.

• Volunteering gives back to your community in a meaningful way and offers an opportunity to learn valuable networking skills.

• Colleges, Universities and employers care about what you do outside of school and prefer students who exhibit personal growth and develop leadership skills.

• + So much more!

Your volunteer experience should reflect quality vs. quantity. Colleges are more impressed with students who volunteer for a few organizations, or causes, over a longer period of time. This shows your growth and commitment as a person and more likely, will provide you with leadership opportunities vs. volunteering for too many short term things that didn’t inspire much personal growth, develop leadership skills or lacked commitment. Experience many volunteer opportunities early and then commit to only the few that you feel most excited about or drawn to.

When attending a community service event, make sure to take a community service form to receive credit. These forms can be found in the front admin building. It can also be found on our Helix website under Documents & Forms.

Our Student Highlight for the month of October is Cash Gonzales!

Ms. Reed chose Cash because "Cash has shown a lot of growth and stronger dedication to his academic development. With his academic coach, he has been open to trying new ways of studying math content and being consistent with organizing his daily tasks to help keep track of his daily productivity. Cash's willingness and dedication to trying new things shows outside of the classroom as he also dedicates his time to football and hockey. He has found ways of incorporating his interest into his academics, for example he is always reading about sports, specifically hockey in his Achieve 3000 articles and he is always eager to share what he reads afterwards."

Every month your GLT will be recognizing students who have gone above and beyond and have shown what it means to be a true Scottie.

Check out the Academic Support Newsletter! Click on the image below

Monday/Wednesday

Art, English, Helix First, LOTE, PE, Performing Arts, Science

Tuesday/Thursday

Business, Family/Consumer Science, Math, Social Science, Tech

Room 1340 Monday-Thursday

*This tutorial offers more one-on-one support from Academic Coaches