2/17 Manual Arts Weekly Update

Week at A Glance

Monday, February 17, 2025

• No School

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

• Odd Schedule

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

• Even Schedule
• Mental Health: Caring for Yourself @ 10:30 am (Parent Center)

Thursday, February 20, 2025

• Odd Schedule
• AP Fair 11th Grade (Teachers Lounge)
• UCLA EAOP Junior Presentation (175)
• LSLC @ 3:30 pm (Room 231)

Friday, February 21, 2025

• Even Schedule
• ILT Meeting
• AP Fair 10th Grade (Teachers Lounge)
• Black History Month Assembly @ 2:00 pm (Auditorium)

Saturday, February 22, 2025

• Gear up Financial Aid Workshop
• BSAP Family Day 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Please see important dates below:

February 10-14: Letters will be given to students, informing them about the Yondr process.

February 18-19: Distribution of the pouches to the students will take place.

February 20: All students will be required to have the Yondr pouches in place.

The LA Unified 2025: We Are One campaign formalizes and amplifies the District’s efforts to cultivate welcoming learning environments for all students.

Per the November 2024 LA Unified Board Resolutions, the District is a “sanctuary district” and safe zone for families threatened by immigration enforcement. The District has protocols for responding to immigration personnel requests for information about students, families, and staff.

LA Unified policies reaffirmed in November 2024 outline the following:

• The District stands in unity with all of the students, families, and staff in our school communities and embraces Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion throughout the District.
• The District will do everything in its power to protect and defend students, families, and staff, and will defend all students’ right to a public education.
• Every District site will be a place of support and resources for all students and families, regardless of immigration status and any other protected groups in alignment with the District’s Nondiscrimination Policy.

At Manual Arts:

• Red Cards are available for students in all office locations on the Manual Arts campus should they be interested in knowing their constitutional rights.
• Manual will provide ongoing workshops to families on understanding their rights and supports available within the community.
• Families can also visit the We are One website to get the latest information (https://www.lausd.org/weareone)

This week, we honor our incredible school counselors for their dedication and impact on our students' success. Their guidance, support, and commitment help shape brighter futures every day.

Take a moment to thank a counselor for their hard work and the care they show to our school community. A kind word or note of appreciation can go a long way!

Thank You- Ms. Yates, Mr. Tran, Mr. Nwosu, Mr. Louis, Ms. Pulphus, Ms. Aguilar, Mr. Obi, Ms. Banuelos, Ms Villanueva, and Ms. Durden

Let’s celebrate them this week and always! 💙 #SchoolCounselorAppreciationWeek

If you need any assistance getting resources for health insurance enrollment, food services, clothing, housing search/referrals, and vision & dental resources, please contact me via phone at (213) 866-7629 and (323) 846-3004, or via email at darrika.tripp@lausd.net, or in person at Manual Arts in room 120.

You can also complete this electronic referral form: https://forms.office.com/r/2ctk4wKGDi and I will follow up with you within 2-3 days.

Please be aware that while cell phones and smart watches are allowed at school, they must be turned off during instructional time and put away. Phones are available for student use in the main office in case of emergency, and parents can call the office if they need to relay an important message to a student. Earbuds are only allowed to be used under the guidance of a teacher.

Failure to comply with these rules will result in confiscation of the item(s). Students who bring cell phones or personal electronic items to school do so at their own risk. The school is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

• The delivery of fast food/beverages is strictly prohibited as it is not consistent with school food service requirements, and it causes disruption to the school environment and the safety and well-being of students and employees (LAUSD BUL-154111.1).

• To be in compliance and ensure safety, the District does not permit external food or beverages on campuses unless District-approved. Deliveries made to the school by delivery persons of any type who are not District-approved are not permitted and will be turned away. This includes but is not limited to:

• Meeting students at the door, gate, or school parking lots

• Leaving food at a designated drop-off location on the school perimeter

• Clubs or athletic event parties *
  

• Waiting by the gate for the food/beverages

* Exception – class or afterschool club/event with the approval of the principal at least 48 hours in advance and a staff member must meet the delivery person outside the school.

• Administrators will be called to assist if students/staff are not compliant when staff implement this policy.

• If a student forgets lunch, the student can contact the school office and the school cafeteria will provide the student with a free school lunch.

Being a successful school requires a lot of involvement in the school by both parents and teachers, including time spent in meetings. We hope that parents will continue to volunteer their time to serve and help improve our school.

Want to get involved but don't know how? There are many opportunities for parents to get involved. The high school years are just as important for parent involvement as the elementary school years. Although teens and pre-teens may say they don't want parents to come to school or be involved, the fact is that they still need your active involvement. The one thing all great schools have in common is a high level of parent involvement.

SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL (SSC): The SSC is a decision-making council at Manual. The SSC is a council of parents, teachers, staff, and students who oversee the budgets of Title I, the English Learners Program (English Learners Advisory Council, ELAC) and the Gifted and Talented Education Program (GATE). EL and GATE are programs funded by the state and must follow state guidelines. Orientation and Elections for the SSC and the English Learners Advisory Council (ELAC) will be conducted soon. Mr. Tran is the coordinator of the Title 1 and EL programs.

LOCAL SCHOOL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (LSLC): The LSLC is the other decision-making council at Manual Arts, dealing with such topics as discipline, calendar, school operations. Like the SSC, it is comprised of parents, teachers, staff and students. Elections for the LSLC will also be held soon.

Unable to spend time at school? You can still help your child by showing interest, looking at classwork or homework, and checking for notes from school.

Regular and punctual attendance is mandatory for all students. Student success and achievement is reliant upon regular school attendance. Excused or unexcused, if a student is absent from school they are missing classroom instruction, therefore all students are expected to attend all classes, each day, on time. Please see the school LAUSD calendar below to plan appointments and holidays.

VERIFIED LEGAL ABSENCE*

1. Illness absence with a doctor’s note or authorization by school nurse or other authorized school official.
2. Exclusion from school supported by written documentation by nurse or other designated school official.
3. Medical appointments; verified by a written note from a doctor.
4. Quarantine of the home; verified by the health department.
5. Funeral due to the death of a member of the student’s immediate family (1 day, within the state; 3 days, outside the state).
6. Student’s appearance in court,
7. Absences for justifiable personal reasons, with prior written request and written approval from the principal, such as attendance at a funeral service, observance of a holiday or ceremony of his or her religion, attendance at a religious retreat, or attendance at an employment conference. Written proof of attendance regarding justifiable personal reasons is needed for verification.

*Absences for reasons other than those listed above, will be considered unexcused

Attendance procedures at Manual Arts High School

• When returning from an absence, students are expected to provide an excuse to clear the absence.
• All absences not cleared within 10 school days will be marked truant. If the student brings a note at a later date (before the close of the current school year), the absence code will be changed accordingly.
• Automated phone calls are sent 2 times daily to notify parents of absences and tardies. Parents are expected to contact the Pupil Services and Attendance Counselor, Ms Anna Aguilar when they are notified that their child is absent without their permission (parents are required by California Education Code, section 49408 to update their address and telephone number whenever there is a change). Please come to the Attendance Office to update your information or update your phone number or email in the Parent Portal.
• Acceptance of absence notes from parents is a courtesy. More than 7 absences within a school year is considered to be excessive. A student with excessive absences may be required provide a doctor’s note or have approval from the School Nurse or designated school official to excuse subsequent absences.
• Students with 8 or more absences (for the entire school year) will not be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities. Senior students with 8 or more absences during their senior year may not be allowed to attend Prom and/or participate in senior activities including graduation.
• Students with excessive absences will be referred to the Pupil Services and Attendance Counselor for further intervention which may include a referral to the school site Student Attendance Review Team (SART), the School Attendance Review Board (SARB) and Juvenile Court.

Parents are encouraged to contact school staff regularly to inquire about their child’s attendance and request assistance as needed.

Entrances for Manual Arts High School are the 42nd Streets gate and the 40th Street gate. Students with Bikes and Skateboards should enter via the 40th street gate.

Equity

• Faculty will implement Equitable Grading and Instruction

• All graduating students at Manual Arts will apply to college and complete their FAFSA

Collaboration

• Teachers will have students collaborate in classrooms using engagement structures

• Staff will collaborate using the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) Cycle of Improvement

Excellence

• Manual Arts campus and classroom environments will be clean, welcoming, and inclusive

• Staff and students will strive for excellent attendance (96% or better)

Rigor

• All Manual Arts Faculty will regularly utilize writing across the curriculum

• The distance from standard will be closed by 10 points on the Smarter Balanced Assessment in ELA and Math