RUSD Family & Community eNews

👋 As the Director of Student Services in the Redlands Unified School District, it is an honor to serve our school communities in areas such as Health, Athletics, and Student Attendance Improvement. It is our mission to remove barriers for students and offer support so that they can fulfill their academic, personal, and career aspirations. 🌟

Health

🏥 Here at RUSD we have 11 nurses and 28 healthcare technicians/LVNs who manage student medications, procedures, medical emergencies, and daily health office visits. As a team, we strive to provide best practice care to all RUSD students.

4 Ways to Keep Your Student Healthy in School

1. Hand Washing 🧼 Encourage your child to wash their hands after recess and before eating. Washing their hands is the best way to prevent illness. 🤢
2. Prioritize Healthy Sleep Patterns 😴 Help your child create a good bedtime routine to get enough sleep. 🛌 Lack of sleep can have a negative impact on your child’s health and education. 🥱
3. Breakfast! 🍳 Starting your child’s day with a nutritious breakfast sets them up for success in class. 🍌 Don’t forget, all RUSD students can have breakfast for free! 😁
4. Stay Up to Date on Regular Checkups 🩺 If your child has not had a well-child checkup in the last year, schedule a back-to-school physical which will include any needed medication forms, vaccinations, or sport physicals for the start of the new school year. 💉
   
   

Please visit the Health Services website or contact your school nurse with any questions.

Athletics

🏀 The fourth Quarter of the school year means that middle school basketball will be in full swing soon. ⛹️‍♂️ Soccer just concluded in March. ⚽️ Congratulations goes out to the schools that completed their championship runs: Beattie girls and Clement boys. 🥅

Student Attendance

🗓️ Here are a few facts regarding school attendance that are important to be aware of as we finish one school year and begin another in just a few months.

• Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. 🙅 Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school. 😥
• Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back. 📖
• By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school. 🎓
• Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month and that’s known as chronic absence. 📉
• When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating. 🧑‍🎓

Sincerely,

Adam Waggoner, Director of Student Services

📚 To foster a love of reading, Superintendent Juan Cabral and other district office staff joined in the nationwide celebration of reading - Read Across America. 🥳 Venturing into elementary classrooms, they brought stories to life through lively read-aloud sessions, captivating the imaginations of young minds. 🤩 The event not only promoted literacy but also fostered connections between students and district leaders and emphasized the importance of community engagement in education. 🤝

🏫 Additionally, our schools enthusiastically celebrated Read Across America through various activities including spirit days, family reading days, and visits from esteemed community members! 📚 Some of our high school students visited classrooms and participated in creating a short video inspiring our younger students to keep on reading! 🎥

Last month, our district proudly facilitated the attendance of our District African-American Parent (DAAPAC) members and Black Student Union students at the 2024 Parent Empowerment Summit and Youth Leadership Summit in San Diego, hosted by California Association of African-American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA). 📆 This significant event not only marked the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. The Board of Education ruling, but also underscored CAAASA's unwavering commitment to advocating for educational equity and excellence for African-American students across California. 💪🏾

🫱🏾‍🫲🏿 The day was filled with exciting opportunities for everyone to connect, learn, and grow. They enjoyed making new friends, discovering valuable resources, and gaining insights to support their academic journey and leadership development. 🙌🏾 It was an inspiring celebration of African-American culture, leaving everyone feeling uplifted and empowered. 👏🏾

ELOP's Spring Intersession provided great opportunities for students! Each ELOP site immersed itself in a range of engaging activities centered around themes like oceans 🌊 , spring 🌸 , deserts 🌵, outer space ☄️ , and the solar system 🪐. From fascinating field trips to hands-on workshops, here's a glimpse of the fun-filled experiences our ELOP students enjoyed:

🚀 Field Trips: Our students went on captivating field trips that perfectly aligned with their site's themes. Whether they explored the ocean's wonders at the Aquarium of the Pacific, delved into the landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park, or embarked on a cosmic journey at the California Science Center and Orange Coast College Planetarium, it was an unforgettable experience for all. Additionally, some sites had the incredible opportunity to visit renowned institutions such as the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the White Water Preserve, while also visiting a local favorite, Harkins Theater!

🎨 Enriching Activities: The intersession included enriching activities! From the Art Barn to the Prismatic Laser Show to an outstanding visit from the mobile zoo showcasing the Cool Critters Show, students had the chance to learn from many experts. They also engaged in hands-on crafts, including crafting rockets, creating "Space Books," crafting sharks and jellyfish, and so much more. Students also expressed their artistic talents through watercolor painting, acrylic pour art, and chalk creations.

🎓 Special Guests: One inspiring moment at one site was a special visit from an alumnus, who shared their expertise on Mars. Witnessing students supporting and learning from each other was heartwarming and represented the spirit of our community.

ELOP’s Spring Intersession was a testament to the power of immersive learning experiences and community collaboration. ELOP continues to inspire and empower students in their educational journey! ✨

🙌 We wanted to take a moment to highlight an integral aspect of the district's educational approach – the inclusion of all students within our classrooms.

🏫 In our commitment to providing a nurturing and enriching learning environment for every child, we embrace the concept of inclusion in our general education classrooms. Inclusion is more than a policy; it is a philosophy that celebrates diversity, fosters empathy, and cultivates a sense of belonging among all students, regardless of their differences. ✨

💪 We firmly believe that every child brings a unique set of strengths, talents, and perspectives to our classrooms, enriching the learning experience for everyone. By fostering an inclusive environment, we aim to:

• Celebrate Diversity 🎉 Our classrooms reflect the natural diversity of our youth, where differences in strengths, backgrounds, cultures, and experiences are accepted and celebrated.

• Promote Equity ⚖️ Inclusion ensures that every student has equal access to quality education and resources, regardless of their needs or challenges.

• Foster Empathy and Understanding 💞 Through interaction with peers who have differing and diverse experiences, all students develop empathy, compassion, and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

• Encourage Collaboration 🤝 Inclusive classrooms provide opportunities for students to collaborate, learn from one another, and develop essential social and communication skills that are invaluable in today's interconnected world.

• Prepare for Life Beyond the Classroom 🌎 By embracing inclusion in the classroom, we equip our students with the skills, attitudes, and values needed to thrive in a diverse and inclusive society.

👩‍🏫 Three Teachers On Assignment for Inclusive Practices provide support to our teachers across sixteen elementary schools. This support includes collaborative planning, professional development, co-teaching, establishing peer support networks, creating flexible classroom environments, using data to monitor student progress, and modeling Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies. 🧠 The UDL strategies aim to optimize learning for all students by minimizing barriers to learning, planning for students' natural variability, and providing varied supports to meet every student's needs. UDL is a way to connect every student to the learning experience and a way of considering the process of learning that is fully inclusive and promotes success for all students, regardless of ability. 💪

🤲 Whether through volunteering, participating in school events, or simply having open and honest conversations with your child about the importance of diversity and acceptance, we invite you to join us in fostering a culture of inclusion within our school communities. Your support plays a vital role in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all so that every child continues to feel valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential. ✨

🗓️ Stay tuned for a future edition of RUSD Family & Community eNews featuring a special "Spotlight on Inclusion" to give you a glimpse into some of RUSD's stellar inclusive classrooms! 👀

🔎 Looking for more photos from district events? Check out the new District photo gallery! Families can view and download photos from all events the Communications Department covers. 💾

Visit https://redlandsusd.smugmug.com/.

Help shape our schools! Take our Family Engagement survey to share your thoughts. Your feedback drives positive change. Results will be revealed on June 11th and the California School Dashboard this fall. Make your voice count!

English: https://bit.ly/redlandsparentsurvey2024

Spanish: https://bit.ly/redlandsparentsurvey2024spanish

The survey will be open until 11:59 PM on April 16, 2024.

RUSD students showcased their remarkable talents and scientific minds at the San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono Counties Science & Engineering Fair (SIMSEF). 🧠 Their achievements were nothing short of outstanding as they secured gold, silver, and bronze medals, along with numerous community awards. 🏆

😺 Two Wildcats from Redlands East Valley High School, Senior Lucas Torres and Freshman Michael Stodelle, also earned the phenomenal honor of being named Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair finalists! Congratulations to all RUSD students who participated in this event!

🤝 Redlands Council PTA hosted their 2nd brunch last month, welcoming all PTA presidents and administrators. During this meeting, the elections for new, or returning, officers took place! The 2024-2025 officers are:

• Jessica Keating, President
• Michele Morgenthaler, VP Membership
• Iwona Contreras, VP of Training & Compliance
• Jennifer Moore, Secretary
• Christine Kuzdal, Treasurer
• Gary Wintergerst, Financial Reviewer
• Marie McCully, Historian

Curious about becoming a PTA member? Check in with your school to join and support their fantastic initiatives! 🍎 Together, let's pave the way for a brighter future for our children and community! ✨ 🙌 🎓

Staying informed is key to a smooth school year (for everyone!). Outlined below are ways the district as well as school sites will communicate with you.

🏢 District Communication

The District will send monthly newsletters, letters from the Superintendent, and updates through ParentSquare containing important information and various action items. By reading through the communication, you are helping your student(s) stay on top of any pressing issues, updates and information. ParentSquare is also an app you can download on your phone and set up your personal communication preferences. Seeing too many emails? You can adjust your notification preferences to digest mode and only receive one email from both your child(ren)'s school and the district in one readers digest format (click here to see how!). You can also enable text and push notifications (which we recommend in case of emergency). 📲

In an effort to effectively and efficiently communicate with our staff, families, and community members, the Redlands Unified School District has adopted an electronic flyer communication tool, Peachjar. If you have any questions regarding this new digital flyer service, please email peachjar@redlands.k12.ca.us 🍑

The district also uses social media to share positive stories and happenings throughout the district, in addition to important dates and reminders. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X (Formerly Twitter), YouTube, and LinkedIn! 📱

🏫 School Site Communication

School site communication varies depending on site and grade level. However, all sites will send out either weekly or monthly newsletter-style communication through ParentSquare. For questions related to school site communication, please reach out to the site directly!

📲 ParentSquare Resources

Here is a link to more information and resources related to ParentSquare. See the contact information below for assistance with your ParentSquare account.

We post new positions regularly! Join our school community by applying here, or share this link with someone who may wish to apply. Call Human Resources at (909) 307-5300 with any questions.

Website: www.redlandsusd.net

Location: 20 West Lugonia Avenue Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: (909) 307-5300

Facebook: facebook.com/RedlandsUSD

Instagram: instagram.com/redlandsusd

X (Formerly Twitter): twitter.com/RedlandsUSD

YouTube: youtube.com/RedlandsUSD Media

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/redlandsusd

Photo Gallery: redlandsusd.smugmug.com

Redlands Unified School District, as a unifying agent of several unique communities rich in local history, culture, and tradition, is committed to preparing students to become productive participants in a diverse, multi-cultural, democratic society through quality education, high expectations, flexible programs and innovative partnerships. Our students will be empowered with the knowledge and commitment necessary to confront the challenges of our changing world, as they become the leaders of the 21st century.