SLVUSD Charter News

Hello Charter families!

Here's hoping our students and families have enjoyed a wonderful summer, whether away or at home. I am excited to begin my tenure as your principal, and we are all excited to welcome you back to school! Please click here if you're interested to know more about me!

This newsletter contains a lot of information that I hope will be helpful. But for new charter families it may feel overwhelming! Please connect with me at kleroux@slvusd.org or T. 335-0932 any time and I'd be happy to answer any questions or address any concerns. We are partners!

You'll notice we had construction on site this summer! We are excited to see our new shade structure and solar panel installation going up - slated to be ready for the first day of school!

Please note that our Charter website is still being updated - you should rely instead on info you receive from me or your teachers directly. We should be current by the end of August! (That said, if you are accessing the google calendars for the various programs, those are current!)

The Student Handbook will be handed out to students on their first day of classes, and we ask parents to return the signature page to teachers by the 2nd Friday of September (9/8).

You will have received (or will soon be receiving) communication directly from your child's teacher, and teachers will communicate regularly throughout the school year, so this newsletter - to be sent out every two weeks - is aimed at keeping you updated about upcoming all-charter events, share any important news, and keep you advised of opportunities to participate in your child's school experience.

The school year begins on August 10 for students! Mandatory orientation meetings for all homeschool programs and Coast Redwood High take place on August 10. Please note that if you're a home-school or Independent Study family (see programs listed below), attendance - documented work completion - begins on August 10. Your teachers will give you more information on that at Orientation.

Mandatory Orientation meetings for students and families on Thurs, August 10:

• Heartwood TK- 1 Homeschool: 10 - 11:30am in Room 24

• Note: Any families with children in other programs who are unable to attend at this time, please be assured that Ms Amanda will be reviewing all the information during 1:1 conferences.

• Quail Hollow 2 - 5 Homeschool

• Quails: 10 - 11:30am in Room 25
• Creeks: 10 - 11:30 in Room 26

• Coast Redwood Middle 6 - 8: 10:30 - 12:30pm in Room 17

• QHIA 6-8 - in Room 16

• 10 - 11:30am Student orientation
• 11:30 - 12:15pm Family potluck
• 12:15 - 1:15pm Orientation (new and returning families)
• 1:15 - 1:45pm Orientation (new families)

• Coast Redwood High School 9-12 - at CRHS - STUDENTS ONLY

• 9th & 10th grade: 10 - 11:30am
• 11th & 12th grade: 12:30 - 2pm
• Note: Fri, August 11 - 9 - 10:30 Orientation for CRHS parents and students enrolled in one or more Independent Study courses

Nature Academy

For Nature Academy, August 10 is the first day of school and the bell goes at 8:37am! Please click here for the detailed bell schedule. School gets out at 2:05pm most days except for 21 extended Mondays as indicated, where students will need to be picked up from the tri-campus at 3pm. We have four early-out Mondays, and 6 minimum days, so please consult the bell schedule for details. Also note that 17 excursion days - usually on a Friday - have not been finalized yet for the year, and these will also be late days.

All good wishes from us to you for a happy end to summer break! We can't wait to see you!

Kerry le Roux

• August 10 - First day of School
• Nature Academy - bell goes at 8:37; classes start 8:42; A2 schedule (all classes meet); classes end at 2:05pm
• All other programs, please see above for Mandatory Orientation times
• August 11 - All-Charter Beach Day 11 - 2pm at Crow's Nest Beach
• Details to be provided at orientation and in teacher communication
• August 14-18 - Homeschool program Conferences
• August 21 - CRHS first student day
• August 22 - Nature Academy Back to School Night 5:30pm
• August 28 - QHIA first student day
• September 1 - Teacher Professional Development Day - no school
• September 4 - Labor Day holiday - no school

Please click this link if your student would like to participate in the Athletics program offered by SLVMS (the traditional middle school on the tri campus).

You can access high school athletics information on the SLVHS website.

A reminder that any person who comes onto the campus must sign in at our Charter Office located on the lower campus, and receive a sticker to ensure that everyone knows that you are a visitor. This includes visitors to Coast Redwood High School.

We hope to see a positive improvement in our attendance rates this year, and encourage our families to support your student in participating consistently, whether it be in a homeschool program where work completion = attendance, or in our classroom-based 5 day a week Nature Academy. Students who are absent 10% or more in a school year are typically "less proficient in reading, writing and math than their peers with good attendance" (Source: CA Dept of Ed.) Thank you for being our partners in supporting good attendance.

Student drop off and pick-up:

Please be mindful of safety during drop-off and pick-up. Drive slowly, and stay with your young child when walking to and from your car. Older students should walk (never run), and watch for moving cars when the are in the parking area.

• Parents/guardians of elementary-age students need to park and walk their students to their classroom and sign them in at their classroom.
• Middle school and High school students can walk to their classroom, where the teacher will take attendance, or students will sign in.
• If your student is taking the bus, they will be dropped off in the morning in front of the District Office.
• At pick up time, teachers will supervise all students until they are picked up - either at the bus stop at the top of Marion, or at the parent pick-up spot behind the District Office building.

NOTE: The driveway down to the main campus is not designed for walkers and cars at the same time. Buses need to take wide turns to exit the transportation lot. Please use the stairs when going up and down from Marion Avenue to the central campus area.

Parking:

• Parents for elementary and middle school students can park in front of the District Office Building.
• CRHS students who are driving to classes can park in the front parking lot and walk up the stairs to the CRHS building.

Bikes:

• Any student who is riding their bike to the campus needs to park their bike at the top by the Coast Redwood High School building, along the side of the path, and walk down the steps to the central campus area.

Parents are encouraged to register with the District as a volunteer and a field trip driver. It's a process getting all the legal paperwork on file, but it enables you to enjoy more time with your child if you're wanting to help in the classroom or on the yard, or drive on excursions. (Parents are all asked to be available to drive on excursions...)

Please click here to access the required volunteer paperwork. Hard copy paperwork is also available at the Charter Office.

Ø New Volunteer: You will be required to fill out the volunteer paperwork and obtain a signature from the principal. Once complete, please bring your signed paperwork to the Human Resources Office. You will be required to provide a current TB result. Also, all new volunteers will be required to be fingerprinted.

Ø Returning Volunteer: You will be required to provide current TB results. This documentation can be provided to the Charter office. The school site will forward current TB results to the Human Resources Office. You may also bring current TB results directly to the Human Resources Office.

To use your personal vehicle to transport your own or other students, we will need updated driver information on file as well - please click here for the form.

PLEASE NOTE: The Charter Office and Human Resources Office hours will accept volunteer registrations on Tuesdays from 7:00-11:00 am and Thursdays from 12:30-3:30 pm. The Human Resources Office is located at 325 Marion Avenue, Ben Lomond, CA 95005.

If your child takes the bus to or from school, please remember you will need to purchase a bus pass. Please click here to access the Transportation web page with all the information you will need.

The Charter Office staff ask families to call in before 1:50pm if they have a message for their student about changing that day's bus transportation arrangement should

(Note: Students at Coast Redwood High who need afternoon transportation to the tricampus for concurrent enrollment classes can take the TK bus that leaves the District Office at noon each day. They will not need to pay for a bus pass. However they still need to register with Transportation. Rides will be denied if students are not registered.)

• All SLVUSD students are eligible to receive a free breakfast and lunch through the cafeteria. But lunch must be ordered online.
• Complete the Free/Reduced Lunch Application at https://family.titank12.com/
• Although a meal application is not necessary to receive free meals during the 2023-2024 school year, households are encouraged to complete a meal application to ensure that your school receives accurate funding. As well, your child’s eligibility for free or reduced lunch could qualify you for additional outside services or benefits including Free/Reduced Bus passes, student fee waivers, P-EBT, discounted utilities, and more.
• Meals will be served from our Multi-use Room in the central area of the campus.
• Breakfast will be available in the mornings from 8:15 - 8:45am - no need to place an order
• Lunch times vary per program, but generally happen in the 11:50 - 12:30 window
• CRHS students can order lunch and it will be delivered to the CRHS building.
• Elementary students will have lunch cards (kept by teacher)
• Secondary students will need to key in their student ID on a keypad
• Make sure your online order is in by 9am on the day prior to ensure hot lunch. Some limited cold lunch options will be available for anyone who didn't order in time. Here is a link to the steps for setting up a LINQ account and ordering your child's lunch. (Free to all; no charge!)
• The menus will be posted by Friday August 4th for online ordering to begin. Student Nutrition department. SLV Student Nutrition Services.
• Please click here for more information

After-School Childcare: SLVUSD partners with the YMCA to provide before and after-school childcare at Boulder Creek Elementary and San Lorenzo Valley Elementary. For more information, please reach out to the YMCA (831) 338-2128, or visit their website - YMCA CHILDCARE.