Week at a Glance

Monday, August 19th- "A" Monday for Teachers 1:45pm-3:30pm

Early Dismissal for Students 1:30pm

First Day of School

Tuesday, August 20th- Quiet Day of Instruction

Regular Dismissal 3:10pm

Wednesday, August 21st- Quiet Day of Instruction

Regular Dismissal 3:10pm

Thursday, August 22nd- Quiet Day of Instruction

Regular Dismissal 3:10pm

Friday, August 23rd- Quiet Day of Instruction

Earthquake Drill 9:15am

Regular Dismissal 3:10pm

If I missed an important point and/or you still have a burning question after reading my message, please include your question(s) HERE.

Summer Communication:

Sunday, June 2nd Communication

Sunday, June 30th Communication

Sunday, August 11th Communication

Saturday, August 17th Communication

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Welcome to New Students & New Staff

Teacher Assignments/Class Placements

Enrollment Count

Reminders

Summer Packets (MPR/Cafeteria)

Campus Construction Projects

Earthquake Drill

Tea & Talk w/ the Principal

Back to School Night Childcare Request- Hosted by PTA

Parent Involvement & Leadership Groups

Share 1st Day of School Photos

Upcoming Events

New Teachers/Staff Members @ Field Elementary

We are excited to welcome our new teachers and staff members to Field Elementary! If we missed someone this week, we will introduce them next week. Please click the link below to virtually meet our new members:

Ms. Lu Han Kinder Teacher (Mandarin Homeroom)

Ms. Ching (Janelina) Lin 2nd Grade Teacher (Self-Contained)

Ms. Kelli O'Hora Music Teacher

Ms. Aide Suarez-Gomez New Attendance Office Clerk

Welcome Everyone!

You should be able to see your child's teacher assignment in Parent Portal (Aeries). Again, if you do not have access to your child's dashboard you will need to connect with the front office staff for paperwork and processing. Others may need to confirm your data in Aeries in order to have access to your child's dashboard.

Regarding class placements for all students on campus, we are on a "stay put" status until our enrollment count period is concluded and then based on our placement criteria all additional requests will be reviewed to determine if they can be granted. Realistically, everyone's request cannot granted as we prioritize teacher recommendations, academic data, male/female ratios (per district and state requirements and other important groupings (SPED, EL's and GATE Clusters) etc that need to be balanced throughout the entire campus for all 460+ students within our TK-5th grades.

Although our Pre-K classes are housed on our campus, they are connected to the Early Childhood Development Department at the district and all requests must go through their offices. We still consider them to be apart of our community and they participate in all activities that are planned on campus. In the spring of 2024 our capability of sharing our Sunday messages with Pre-K was disabled and we are still in the process of restoring that access through the PUSD ITS Department. In the meantime, our Pre-K students also have access to our itinerate teachers and all activities on campus.

With that being said, 500+ students must fit into 23 nicely packaged Mandarin Homerooms with English support (Pre-K-5th) throughout each school day (10%-50% or 20-135 minutes depending on the grade level)

We only have 5 English teachers on campus. Our English teachers that teach curriculum to all 500+ students in a timespan of 20-135 minutes daily (Tuesday-Friday) that would normally be delivered in a 325 minute school day (minus recess and lunch) over 180 school days in a regular English-only program each school year.

Our English teachers are required to reach the same grade level proficiency for all students on their roster every school year in English, Math and Science (in some grades).

Our English teachers also meet the supplemental English intervention and academic supports in their classrooms for all special education students, English Language Learners and other students on campus.

Five amazing English teachers that collaborate with our equally amazing Mandarin Homeroom Teachers to develop language skills for all students in the target language of Mandarin on a daily basis.

I have added a self-contained option last school year and this school year now available in TK, Kinder and 2nd (Mandarin/English) to alleviate this responsibility. We will continue to 1st grade next year.

As I work over the summer months to finalize the master schedule for all teachers and students on campus to incorporate programming for the following:

All core/special academic subjects in Mandarin & English: Mandarin Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, PE, Art, and English based on our instructional minutes per grade level

Professional Learning Communities (PLC) for teachers as students receive instruction from our resident teachers Ms. Davis (Art), Mr. Nguyen (PE) and Ms. O'Hora (Music) once a week for all grade levels for 30-45 minutes per grade level

English Language Development classes for our English Language Learners on campus (twice weekly)

Changes and adjustments occur as the total of number students and availability of teachers is taken into consideration. Your parent request is an opportunity to hear from you regarding your child's preference but our class placement criteria is prioritized based on the information listed above.

On average our English teachers have a caseload of 75-100+ students.

Equally, our 12 Mandarin Homeroom Teachers TK-5th grade work to ensure all 500+ students receive quality instruction in the target language of Mandarin in all subject areas on a daily basis. They work with our 5 English teachers and Instructional Coaches to ensure proficiency in the target language and all subject matter on a yearly basis. They have a significant amount of time of 135-245 minutes daily depending upon the grade level) however they have the enormous lift of teaching a complex second language to a population of students that roughly represent a 70% non-native speakers and roughly 30% native speakers in the classroom.

As we start the school year, your child's daily attendance to school for the entire school year is imperative and connected to their direct success in our program.

Please reference our communicated class placement criteria below:

1. Native Mandarin and Non-native- English-only and balance

2. An adequate gender ratio balance

3. A full range of aptitudes within each class

4. An even proportion of abilities/learning styles across the classes at each grade level

5. An equal number of pupils in each class per grade level

6. An even proportion of children with English language proficiency

Please note that individual requests have been taken into consideration but final decisions and selections of class placements reside with the school officials. All placements are on a “stay-put status” during our enrollment count period the first two to six weeks of school. No changes will be made during this time.

Additionally, this disclaimer was listed on the teacher request form (Section 2):

Teacher Selection

Please note that the assignments listed below (Teacher Request Form) are subject to change for the coming year and/or a new assignment may be given to the teachers listed below

We currently have 1 vacancy as of today

Please complete one entry form per student/teacher request

All final selections for student placement for the coming school year resides with the school (teachers/administration)

During our enrollment count period every student on campus is on a "stay put" status to determine total class sizes based on students that enter our doors the first day/week of school and students that need to be dropped from our system due to a "no show" status the first week of school. All email requests have been documented and requests will be considered after our enrollment period ends.

If you have attempted to contact me via email and I have not responded please utilize another method of contact as I average 100+ emails on a daily basis as the school year starts (from teachers, students, parents, district, community members and spam). The school's phone number is 626-396-5840 and a message can be taken by our wonderful front office staff in order to assist you with your concern(s) and/or question(s). If your concern/question is in reference to your child's teacher, please make sure to reach out to the teacher first so that they have the opportunity to resolve the concern/problem. Thank you!!

We are excited to welcome all of our new and returning students back to campus tomorrow morning, Monday, August 19th! Thank you to everyone that has prepared our school and classrooms to receive our wonderful new and returning students and teachers/staff!

REMINDERS:

Reminder #1:

The front semi-circle drive is for carline drop-off and pick-up only. This area will not have adult supervision or volunteers in the morning for drop-off. The east side TK/Kinder Gate is for walking students only. The parking lot on the east side of our campus is for teachers/staff only. Please refer to the map of the area HERE.

Reminder #2:

Doors/gates will open at 8:25am and all students should report to the multi-purpose room (MPR)/cafeteria and surrounding areas until 8:35am. As the first day and week of school will lend itself to larger than usual crowds in the morning due to parents and students both being on campus, dismissal to the playground may be announced earlier than 8:35am to minimize overcrowding and building capacity. Locations near and around the MPR/Cafeteria are acceptable. The first bell is at 8:40am.

At 8:45am (final bell) all teachers will have their students line up on their respective playgrounds. Parents are welcome to walk their students into the school on the first day and visit the classrooms (if the doors are open by the teachers) until 8:40am. At 8:45am all parents/families should exit the campus and make their way to the front of the school. You can join us on the front lawn for the PTA-hosted Coffee with Parents/Guardians event until 10am.

Reminder #3:

Simple Dismissal numbers for returning students will be used starting the first day of school for our dismissal from school. TK/Kinder and new students will report to the MPR/Cafeteria for dismissal the first few days of school until new numbers, new procedures and locations are all clear for all students and homeroom classes. Please refer to my message from last night (8/17) for further instructions and explanation.

Carline Pick-up (Front Semi-Circle)- Please place your parent number placard in the right passenger window for pick-up.

Walkers (TK/Kinder Gate)- Please have your parent number for pick up as you request your child after school.

Independent walkers- Please complete this form HERE in order to designate your child as an independent walker for the school year.

Afterschool Programming- Students will be released by their teacher based on completion of this form HERE.

All completed summer packets can be dropped off in the MPR/Cafeteria on the first day of school (Due Date). Please make sure students sign their name on one of the clip boards available and place their packet in the bin provided. A reward will be distributed based on the sign-in sheet and corresponding packet. Great Job Everyone!

Our summer construction projects for the walking ramps, hand railings and B Building restrooms are complete. These items were needed due to ADA compliance in association with our shade installation that took place last school year on the upper grade playground. The PUSD Maintenance & Operations Department is currently working on our AC chiller that will be replaced with a temporary unit over the next few days until a new one is manufactured, delivered and installed this school year. We will keep you posted!

In light of the increased number of earthquakes we have experienced this summer, we will host our first schoolwide drill on Friday, August 23rd. We will practice how to safely protect ourselves during an earthquake (Drop, Cover & Hold On) and then evacuate our locations to a safe/secure area on the main field. Please ensure you have a family plan of action in cause of an earthquake and discuss this plan with your child. We will participate in The Great Shakeout Drill for the State of California in October. You can find information HERE in anticipation for this event.

We will have our first Tea & Talk w/ the Principal on Monday, August 19th in the front of the school from 9am-10am. Our regularly scheduled events will be hosted on the first Friday of most months throughout the school year in the MPR/Cafeteria. Our first tea will be hosted by the PTA. Thank you PTA!

Dear Field Elementary Families,

The PTA is hosting free childcare for Back to School Night which will take place on Wednesday 8/28/2024 from 5:30pm-7:00pm.

Please indicate below how many children from your family will require childcare for the event. We will do our best to accommodate your childcare needs (for children as young as TK and Kinder up through 5th grade). LEARNs staff will be supervising the children, but are unable to accommodate children aged PreK and younger.

Due to limited availability, we will only be able to offer childcare for a maximum of two students per family. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Questions/Comments: Please email info@efieldpta.com

HERE

You will find information from the following parent groups with upcoming events & activities here:

Please share your first day of school pictures HERE! We would love to share them with the community either on our PowerPoint slide show in the front office and/or on Instagram!

If you would like your child excluded from all posts for Instagram, please complete the form HERE.

Back to School Night Wednesday, August 28th 5:30pm-7:00pm

1st Schoolwide Celebration Assembly

Celebration of July/August/September Birthdays

Breakfast/Lunch Menus

Picture Day

Additional Afterschool Programming

Latino Heritage Month Celebration

PTA hosted Mid-Autumn Moon Festival