Field Elementary

Month at a Glance

Week 1 Monday, September 30th- Friday, October 4th

B Week Highlights

Chinese Sister School Visit- Huang Cheng Gen Elementary School

Tea & Talk with the Principal

Pasadena Latino Heritage Month Parade LEARNs Cheer Squad Participating

Week 2 Monday, October 7th-Friday, October 11th

A Week Highlights

Dr. Blanco's Executive Leadership Team Visit

Current Level I/Level II & Room Parent Meetings

Week 3 Monday, October 14th- Friday, October 18th

B Week Highlights

School Tour

Latino Heritage Month Dress Up Day

Academics Principal's Meeting- TUCKER OUT

The Great California Shakeout

Parent/Teacher Conference Day/Pupil Free-Day

Week 4 Monday, October 21st-Friday, October 25th

A Week Highlights

LEARNs Lights On! Event

Annual Fund Direct-Ask Campaign

PEF Principal for the Day

Field GATE Meeting

Restaurant Night Chuck E. Cheese

Schoolwide Celebration Student Assemblies

Week 5 Monday, October 28th-Friday, November 1st

B Week Highlights

ELAC Meeting

End of Trimester 1

School Site Council (SSC)

Instructional Leadership Meeting

Halloween Costume Parade

School Calendar 2024-2025

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

Please help me in welcoming Ms. Elisa Flores-Rodriguez to Field Elementary! She will serve as our new Behavior Rti Coach that we share with Don Benito during the school year. HERE

Also, Ms. Casey Taylor our new Speech and Language Pathologist is joining Field Elementary! HERE

Thank you for everyone that made our visit with our sister school from China on Monday, September 30th a great success!

Presentation

Presentation

As November 5th is right around the corner, please be informed about Measure R and Measure EE for Pasadena Unified School District HERE

As we currently deal with a few reported cases of lice on campus, we want to ensure that you are having conversations with your children at home about the importance of keeping themselves healthy through good practices of not sharing and exchanging personal items at school to reduce the likelihood of spread throughout their homeroom and/or other classrooms on campus. Here are a few documents (below) to help in aiding you understand what it is, current policies regarding how we handle these cases in schools and treatment. If you have further questions please reach out to our School Nurse, Ms. Elsa Saenz or Health Clerk, Ms. Gaby Guillen

Information

Guidance

UPDATE: HERE is a local resource to assist if needed.

As of today we will move to a monthly newsletter format with updates to that newsletter as needed and short phone messages for reminders for upcoming important weekly messages by student leaders on campus (coming in November after elections). If you have something that needs to be added in our upcoming November newsletter please submit all communication by October 15th to ensure it is included in the upcoming message home to families. A list of our Sunday message dates are listed below. All recap meeting presentations/videos/pictures will be added to the monthly Sunday message for the month and you can refer back to the newsletter for updates. As we adjust to this new format, please refer to our yearly calendar for the school year HERE.

Sunday, October 6th

Sunday, November 3rd

Sunday, December 1st

Sunday, January 5th

Sunday, February 2nd

Sunday, March 2nd

Sunday, April 13th (Due to spring break April 7th-11th)

Sunday, May 4th ....be with you

Sunday, June 1st

School Year 2024-2025

Upcoming School Year

Summer Communication: June 29th; Aug 3rd; August 10th; August 17th

First Day of School August 18, 2025

School Calendar 2025-2026

We are on a journey to increase our positive attendance by 1% over the course of this school year and decrease our chronic absenteeism rate by -6%. This is a districtwide initiative and we are taking extra steps to ensure we hit our intended goal. We are having a competition between all grade levels on a monthly basis, students will be recognized for their attendance improvements from month to month and we are looking to have an end of the year celebration for achieving our overall attendance goals.

Year Long Positive Attendance Goal from 97% to 98%

Year Long Chronic Absenteeism Goal reduction from 10% to 4%

Our Grade Level competition will be revealed later on this month for TK-5th and teachers/sfaff.

The district will send home letters and notifications regarding your child's attendance for the school year. There are 3 major ways the district will notify you of your attendance for the school year. Please click the following buttons below to learn about text messages and letters that you may receive during the school year.

Once you have a total of 3 unexcused absences a series of truancy letters (CA Education Code) can be sent to your home. Between letters 2 and 3 if absences and late tardies continue the school will hold a Student Attendance Review Team (SART) Meeting with the parent/guardian. Chronic cases without change will be referred to the Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) which is held by the Pasadena USD representatives and the City of Pasadena.

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HAPPY ATTENDANCE AWARENESS MONTH!

At Field Elementary, our mission is to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment where every student is empowered to achieve academic excellence and personal growth. As we celebrate Attendance Awareness Month, we also reaffirm our commitment to fostering a culture of achievement for every student, every day, all year long!

This school year, we are placing a special focus on re-establishing good attendance habits, reinforcing family connections, and creating a safe and engaging learning environment. Field Elementary has set ambitious goals for attendance, aiming to increase the percentage of students attending school. With our 2024-2025 Attendance Improvement Plan, we are committed to maintaining and building upon our current 97.64% attendance rate, with a long-term goal of reaching 98% for this school year.

"Showing up" is more than just a habit—it's an attitude. Being present and engaged in school prepares students for future success. Research shows that consistent attendance helps students:

• Get back on track and recover lost momentum.
• Promote academic achievement and increase the chances of graduation.
• Build confidence and a positive attitude toward school.
• Improve mental health by fostering friendships, empathy, and social connections.
• Keep up with personalized learning opportunities that prevent them from falling behind.

At Field Elementary, our Attendance Improvement Plan is built on three key goals:

1. Attendance & Dropout Prevention: We are focused on reducing chronic absenteeism and ensuring every student, especially those facing adversity, is supported both academically and emotionally.
2. Teaching Attendance: Through collaboration with families and teachers, we will ensure that everyone understands the importance of attendance and actively works toward our shared goals.
3. Prevention & Intervention: Our leadership team will prioritize social-emotional learning and positive behavior support to encourage daily attendance and help every student thrive.

Evidence shows that when schools and families work together, students are more likely to stay in school, excel academically, and form strong social connections. We are committed to working with you to ensure that your child has every opportunity to succeed.

Thank you for your dedication to showing up all year long and for being a part of our team as we strive to prepare, educate, and inspire every student at Field Elementary.

Our Attendance Clerk, Ms. Aide Suarez-Gomez is out on a leave of absence. We are currently working with the district to secure long term coverage and support. Please be patient as we navigate this unexpected circumstance. As you are reporting your absences and requests regarding attendance in the coming weeks, please forward your emails to me: tucker.charlene@pusd.us. For safe passage, please cc: our Office Manager, Carol Ko at ko.carol@pusd.us

We will be sending out individualized attendance letters to each Field family based on your attendance from last school year by the end of the month. Please review last school year's data and discuss with your family areas that went well and areas that require attention for this school year. Our mission is to improve our attendance across all grade levels, including our teachers/staff members within our school. Knowledge and recognition of the things we should be accountable for are our first steps in our schoolwide improvement plan. There will be more to come as we embark on this journey but in the mean time please review our plan mention above.

Still to Come:

1. Attendance Letters Home (end of September)

2. PUSD Art Contest -ends October 4th LINK (Redeem Eugene Bucks for your submission)

2. Tea & Talk w/ the Principal regarding Attendance & Goals for the school year (October 4th)

3. Attendance Recognition

4. Grade Level Competition

5. Attendance Conferences & Student Attendance Review Team (SART) Meetings

Due to our new parking routines for the start of the school year, we have not marked students tardy. Students are marked tardy after the late bell rings at 8:45am. If you need early childcare (7am-8am) or extended care (7:50am-8:20am) through LEARNs please refer to the LINK HERE.

Due to the unique make up of our dual language immersion program, our students have limited time during the school day to acquire to both languages with the hopes of proficiency and mastery by the end of the school year. Our instructional minutes are the top priority for our teachers as they deliver key standards and strategies to your children on a daily basis. Often at the end of the school day it may be the only time your child is receiving their only English instruction for the day or critical Mandarin instruction due to the structure of the day with special subjects that were delivered earlier (ie. Art, PE, Social Studies, Science etc).

Additionally, we are normally short staffed in all areas due to continued budget cuts but we find ourselves down to 1 employee in the afternoon in the front office further draining our resources over the last couple of weeks. Afternoon early pick up stops at 12:50pm on Mondays and 2:30pm on Tuesdays-Fridays. All appointments and early departures for the weekend, vacation and other such trips will not occur after these mentioned times. A courtesy call to the front office for scheduled appointments or student retrieval at some point in the school day would also be appreciated. The teachers do not always forward email messages sent to them regarding an early departure. If you are sending an email to your child's teacher about an upcoming appointment please take the next step and include an office staff member on the email so we can be prepared for our regular workday and the occasional calls to classrooms to gather students that are either leaving for the school day or going and returning from an appointment. Emails listed below. As much as we can anticipate our workday and the coverage that is needed in the front office, the smoother things will run and the better we will be able to serve the needs of your child and your family.

Carol Ko- Office Manager ko.carol@pusd.us

Ning Cui- Community Assistant cui.ning@pusd.us

Charlene Tucker- Principal tucker.charlene@pusd.us

This courtesy also extends to when your child is going to be out due to an illness. The two individuals that should be emailed are our School Nurse, Ms. Elsa Saenz and our Health Clerk, Ms. Gaby Guillen. An office staff person should also be cc:ed in the email for attendance purposes. Their emails are listed below:

Elsa Saenz- School Nurse saenz.elsa@pusd.us

Gabriella Guillen- Health Clerk guillen.gabriella@pusd.us

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

California compulsory education law requires everyone between the ages of six and eighteen years of age to attend school, except students who have graduated from high school or passed the California High School Proficiency Exam and obtained parental permission.

Truant

• Any student who is absent from school without a valid excuse for three full days, or tardy or absent for more than 30-minutes from any period during the school day, or an combination thereof [EC 48260(a)]0

Habitual Truant

• Any student that has been truant three or more times per school year and the school/district has made a conscientious effort to hold a least one conference with the student’s guardian [EC 48262]

Chronically Truant

• A student who is absent without a valid excuse for ten percent or more of the school year, approximately 18 days [EC 48263.6

First Truancy Letter

• Mailed to parents when student becomes truant (combination of 3 unexcused absences or tardies over 30 minutes late

Second Truancy Letter

• Mailed after 4th unexcused absence or 30 minute tardy

Student Attendance Review Team (SART) Conference

• Conference held to provide attendance interventions

• SART Contract is signed

Third Truancy Letter

• Mailed after 5th unexcused absences and SART conference (or a conscientious effort was made to hold a conference) - Student is now deemed a Habitual Truant

School Attendance Review Board (SARB) Hearing

• Once third truancy letter is mailed and student is habitually truant

District Attorney Truancy Mediation Meeting

• SARB Contract is violated

• Student continues to be truant

• 15 full days of unexcused absences

Court Truancy Case Filing

• Student has missed an additional three days after DA Truancy Mediation

The SART meeting addresses attendance issues with the student and parents/guardian and provides agreed upon directives with the goal of guiding the student back into the classroom.

What is SARB?

• A multi-agency, community/school-based program that provides intensive guidance and coordinates service delivery to students with severe attendance issues. SARB seeks to understand why students are experiencing attendance issues and provide resources to break down these barriers.

Which students to refer?

• Students deemed severe chronically truant

• Students with SART contract (or attempted conference)

• Students who have received their third Truancy Letter

• When all interventions available at the school site have not worked

A Chronically Absent Student is defined as:

• A student who misses ten percent of the days the student is enrolled in the school year. This includes all absences (excused and unexcused). [EC 60901(c)(1)]

This can equate to 18 days or more of missed school days.

Some of the Negative Effects of Being Absent/Late

• Students miss out on classroom learning.

• Students miss out on social skills experiences.

• Catching up on missed learning/classwork is twice as difficult.

• Students feel disconnected from school and friends.

• Students can feel stressed out and embarrassed.

• Absenteeism not only has short term effects but long term as well.

Socio-emotional Effects of Being Absent/Late

• Students who are often absent can feel isolated and left out of classroom activities.

• Students can feel sad and anxious due to missed material during class time.

• Students can often times feel embarrassed when called on in class due to being behind on classwork.

As a member of our community, you have signed a permit in order to attend our specialized program in the district. Your commitment to our program is key and directly linked to your child's success over the course of their time with us. All students that attend Field Elementary are on permit (inter-district meaning coming from outside of the district or intra-district meaning coming from within our district). Your continued support starts with your child being present and in school every single school day. As we enter a new season of Open Enrollment please review the commitment signed as your last step before receiving your inter-district or intra-district permit to Field Elementary:

Please read the important terms and conditions below:

• Please visit our website for important dates and deadlines. pusd.us/enroll – Applicants are responsible for responding to school offers and completing any required next steps by published deadlines.
• This application system sends important reminders via email or text. Please check your email (including SPAM/Junk) frequently to ensure you do not miss any important messages or deadlines.
• This application may only be submitted by the child's educational rights holder.
• The district does not provide transportation to the schools/programs selected in this Open Enrollment process.
• Any school or program offers resulting from this application may be revoked or rescinded for falsification of information on the application, any change to the criteria required for the offer to be made, and/or failure to maintain satisfactory citizenship, attendance, and scholarship.
• This transfer may not carry athletic eligibility.
• Once an application is submitted, students may not participate in any other upcoming enrollment lotteries for that same school year.
• Students applying for a dual language program as a native speaker of the program’s target language or applying for a dual language program for grades 1 or above must be continuing in a PUSD dual immersion program or pass a language assessment in the target language. This language assessment will be scheduled by the school after the application closes. Students who do not pass this assessment may be offered a placement in the non-native-speaker lottery or the school’s general program.
• Placement offers for students in special education programs are subject to the availability of services at the requested school/grade level/program as listed in the student’s IEP.
• Any priorities or preferences are dependent on available space in the school/level/program and may only be valid during applicable phases of Open Enrollment.
• If multiple applications are submitted for the same student, all applications for the student may be deemed ineligible.
• By selecting the “Agree” checkbox, you are signing this agreement electronically and consenting to use an electronic signature to acknowledge and agree to these terms and conditions.

Out-of-District Residents only:

• Any school offers here are provisional and contingent on an approved permit to exit your district of residence. Both permits are required before an offer becomes valid. If you did not upload all required documents during your initial application, please return to this site to upload any requested documents (such as your release from district of residence) as soon as they are available.
• Inter-district permits expire when students transition to a new school and/or district.
• PUSD may deny initial requests for inter-district attendance permits based on overcrowding of school facilities at the relevant grade level, or other considerations that are not arbitrary, including but not limited to failure to maintain satisfactory citizenship, attendance, and scholarship.

I have read and agree to these terms and conditions.
☐ Agree / Aceptar

ATTENDANCE

For reporting student attendance or requesting Independent Study for short-term absences (minimum of 1 consecutive school day and up to 15 cumulative days), please contact the school’s attendance clerk-typist in the front office at (626) 396-5860.

TEMPORARY STEP: Please also email all requests to:

• Carol Ko: ko.carol@pusd.us
• Dr. Charlene Tucker: tucker.charlene@pusd.us

You may use the same contacts to report a student absence. Please ensure the school nurse and health clerk are included for reported illnesses.

For early excused medical appointment pickups, please email the individuals listed above and include the doctor’s note either in advance or after the visit. Please follow these steps:

1. Call the main office at least 1-2 hours prior to your planned arrival.
2. Call 10 minutes before your actual arrival so that the office staff can assist in bringing your child to the front office as soon as possible.

Note: Early dismissals will not be granted within 40 minutes of school dismissal time.

Attendance Updates in Aeries:

• Attendance updates may take 5-14 working days due to current staff shortages in the front office.
• If you receive a daily attendance call or email after reporting an absence, please allow a few days for the system to catch up.
• You can also check the Parent Portal to view attendance updates.

INDEPENDENT STUDY (IS)

Short-term Independent Study (IS) is available on a site-by-site basis for absences of at least 1 consecutive school day (NEW), and no more than 14 cumulative days per school year. IS does not require synchronous instruction and is designed for students capable of completing assignments independently. IS may be denied if the student has a history of not completing previous IS contracts, is not in good academic standing, or has attendance concerns. Participation in IS is voluntary for families.

Application Process for Independent Study:

• Submit your IS request 2-4 weeks before the intended start date.
• Approval is required from both the administrator and teachers.
• Once approved, parents will be notified and provided with IS assignments, aligned with current grade-level standards for the trimester (1, 2, or 3).

Note:

• Teachers (homeroom and English) will not provide specific IS packets for the absence period. Instead, all relevant classwork and homework can be found on Canvas and/or Parent Portal and is optional.
• Missed in-class assignments will not be repeated upon your return; Independent Work Packets will replace these during the student’s absence.
• All Independent Work Packets must be completed and returned to the school office upon the student's return.

Attendance Coding for Independent Study:

• During the IS period, attendance will be marked as “N” to prevent an absence call.
• Once the work is completed, the code will be updated to “O” in the student’s Aeries attendance record for audit purposes.
• If the Independent Work Packet is not completed, the “N” code will remain, and future IS requests will be denied.

Important District Policy:

• Requests for student leave beyond 14 days in one school year will not be approved. In such cases, the student must withdraw from Field Elementary and enroll in PUSD’s Center for Independent Study (CIS).
• Permit status to Field Elementary will not be held during this period, and re-enrollment will be required upon return if continued enrollment at Field is desired.

Submission Process:
All Independent Study requests should be submitted through this LINK and emailed to the student’s homeroom teacher, English teacher (if applicable), and the front office staff listed above. Failure to complete this 1st step will result in a delayed response or denial for the request.

2025-26 Open Enrollment: Sibling and Program Priority begins October 22nd, 9AM at pusd.schoolmint.com!

More detailed information HERE

We will celebrate this upcoming event a little differently this school year with a Halloween Costume Parade on Thursday, October 31st from 2:20pm-3:00pm for all grade levels. Parents/guardians that wish to celebrate with us will need to RSVP for this event between now and Wednesday, October 23rd. For security reasons all parents/guardians that are listed on the RSVP will need to check in at the front office and exit through the front of the school (only entry/exit point that will be open on the day of the event) at 3:00pm. Parents/guardians will not be permitted to walk back to the classrooms with their cohort at the conclusion of the event. Pick up from school will be at our regular time of 3:10pm. Early pick-ups on this day will stop at 2:15pm instead of 2:30pm due to the parade event. Please RSVP HERE

Please return to this location after each of the events listed below so that can see the recap from the event/meeting throughout the month.

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

If you are interested in leading this parent-led group for the school year please email me at tucker.charlene@pusd.us

Direct-Ask Campaign Monday, October 21st-Friday, November 1st

We need your help! If you are willing to help with our traffic control both before and after school please sign up below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0444ACAF28A2FF2-50377046-carline#/

Field Flash:

Week 1 Field Flash

Week 2 Field Flash

Week 3 Field Flash

Week 4 Field Flash

Week 5 Field Flash

Upcoming SSC meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 29th 3:30pm-5:00pm

This survey is taken during school hours with a classroom teacher.

Eugene Bucks will be issued to students for confirmed completed surveys.

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

Please complete this form to provide school officials (teachers/staff) to share your information with other parents in your homeroom cohort. Your homeroom teacher will also share this form with you. Please complete the form HERE

Breakfast Menu October

Lunch Menu October

Supper Menu October

Latino Heritage Month Celebration September 15th-October 15th

Tea & Talk w/ the Principal Friday, October 4th 9am

Dr. Blanco & Executive Leadership Team Visit to Field Tuesday, October 8th

Emergency Drill October 11th 9am Shelter in Place

Level I/Level II/Room Parent Meeting(s) Thursday, October 10th 5:30pm & Friday, October 11th 9am

PTA Yearbook Cover Contest Begins Sunday, October 13th

School Tour Tuesday, October 15th 9:00am

The Great California Shakeout Thursday, October 17th @ 10:17am

Parent/Teacher Conference Friday, October 18th

Annual Fund Direct Ask Campaign Monday, October 21st-Friday, November 1st

PEF Principal for the Day Tuesday, October 22ns 8:30am

PTA hosted Restaurant Night Chuck E. Cheese Wednesday, October 23rd 4pm-8pm

Schoolwide Student Celebration Assemblies

Thursday, October 24th Pre-K-3rd

2nd/3rd - 1:25pm-1:55pm

K/1st- 2:00pm-2:30pm

PK/TK- 2:35pm-3:05pm

Schoolwide Student Celebration Assemblies

Friday, October 25th 4th/5th

5th- 12:35pm-1:05pm

4th- 1:15pm-1:45pm

ELAC Meeting Monday, October 28th 9:30am (Virtual)

School Site Council Meeting Tuesday, October 29th 3:30pm-5:00pm

Instructional Leadership Meeting Wednesday, October 30th 3:30pm-5:00pm

Halloween Costume Parade Thursday, October 31st 2:20pm-3:00pm (RSVP Required)

Professional Development for Teachers Friday, November 1st Pupil-Free Day