November Newsletter

The 2026 GLT has been very busy presenting in classrooms this past month. Learn more about our presentations below!

Scottie Talks:

• Students who failed one or more classes during Fall Semester 1 received the Scottie Talks presentation. During the presentation, students created success plans where they reflected on their study/work habits of Fall Semester 1 and committed to new habits for the new semester. The GLT will be following up with each student individually throughout the term to support them in achieving their goals.

Project SaFE:

• In an effort to continue to combat the growing issue of human trafficking in our state, the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) and Helix Charter High School has chosen to implement the PROTECT prevention education program in our 9th grade classes (our students received presentation last year) which provides social and emotional learning opportunities to equip students with knowledge that will enhance their personal boundaries and protective skills. It was developed by three anti-trafficking organizations and has been implemented with thousands of students across the country. Assembly Bill 1227 mandates Human Trafficking Prevention Education for all 7th and 9th grade students and is also a mandated training for school educators and staff.

Substance Abuse:

• Using results from our California Healthy Kids Survey taken in May of 2023, the C/O 2026 GLT with the support from our Student Support Department presented to all 10th graders in their English and World History classes in late October/early November. This presentation teaches students about alcohol and drug awareness and prevention. Students will be empowered with the tools they need to recognize potentially unsafe situations and implement healthy decision-making strategies.

• November 2: On Campus Physical Exams for Winter Sports
  

• November 10: No School - Veteran's Day
• November 20: Progress Reports Due - Fall Semester 2
• November 20-24: No School - Thanksgiving Break
• November 22: Athletic Eligibility Determined
• 
  
• December 18-21: Finals Week - Fall Semester 2
• December 22-31: No School - Winter Break
• December 26: Athletic Eligibility Determined
• 
  
• January 1-9: No School - Winter Break
• January 10: First Day of Spring Semester 1
• January 15: No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• January 24: Parent Shadow Day

Daily attendance is important for all students. As we enter the holiday season and winter months of cold and flu the Helix Attendance Office wanted to remind you of a few things:

1. FINALS: December 20-21
   
   

2. November 10: No School - Veterans’ Day
   November 20-24: No School - Thanksgiving Break
   December 22-January 9: No School - Winter Break
   
   

3. Please avoid scheduling early or extended vacations. These absences are unexcused and may cause unnecessary stress for your student(s)
   
   

4. If staying home ill, please be sure to email the Helix Attendance Office at attendance@helixcharter.net or call the Attendance Office at ext. 231 (9th and 12th grade) or ext. 232 (10th and 11th grade) within 24 hours of your student’s return to school.
   
   

5. If your student needs to leave school early, please contact the Attendance Office at least 40 minutes in advance to ensure there is enough time to send the Off Campus Pass to your student.
   
   

6. We encourage students to get plenty of rest and drink lots of water as we enter this busy time of year.

If you have any questions or need support, please contact the Grade Level Team

Big congratulations to our students who earned Perfect Attendance for Fall Semester Term 1. To earn perfect attendance, a student must be present every single day with no tardies, no lockouts, and no off-campus passes.

Truly a remarkable accomplishment!

We'd like to recognize our Fall Semester Term 1 Honor Roll students. All of the students listed earned a 3.5 GPA or higher.

Every Thursday at 6pm, Helix staff or special guests present on different topics applicable to high school parents. These events are held in the Helix Library and are open to the public! See below for our upcoming schedule. Visit helixcharter.net/FamilyFirst for more information and for links to previous recordings.

If you've ever struggled to understand your teenager, this Info Night is for you. Julie Damschen, Child Development & Psychology teacher will present the latest information about teenage brain growth and development. With new technology, we better understand why peers have such a big influence on our teens, why substance abuse can be more harmful to teen brains and how parents can best support their teens through this developing brain period.

This event will be held in person, in the Helix library from 6-7pm. Dinner will be provided, please RSVP here for food ordering purposes. Students are welcome to attend with parents/guardians. Doors open at 5:45. For translation services, click here bit.ly/46c6iT2

You are invited to attend our first ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee) meeting of the school year. Your involvement is vital in shaping a successful educational journey for all students. We value diversity and inclusivity and want to work together to support our English Learners and create a nurturing academic environment. We will present on ELAC's role in enhancing our students' education, connect with fellow parents and educators, cultivate a strong community focused on students' success and iscuss insights and ideas on improving language programs.

This event will be held in person, in the Helix library from 6-7pm. Dinner will be provided, please RSVP here for food ordering purposes. Students are welcome to attend with parents/guardians. Doors open at 5:45. To ensure that all parents can participate, translation services will be available in various languages. For translation services, click here bit.ly/46c6iT2

The Mid High School Reflection project is an opportunity for students to reflect on their high school experience. Through the reflection process students will examine their growth within Helix's School-wide learner Outcomes (SLO's) and will have the opportunity to research post-secondary options. Most of the work will be done through Advisory activities with support from families. The MHSR will take place in the Spring semester of Junior year. Join us to learn more about the MHSR graduation requirement.

This event will be held in person in the Helix library from 6-7pm. The 2025 GLT will be available to answer questions. Snacks wll be required, registration not required. Students are welcome to attend with parents. Doors open at 5:45. For translation services, click here bit.ly/46c6iT2

Is your student interested in taking English 120 next year? Wondering what the workload will be like? How much effort is expected? We welcome all students and families that are registered for English 120 to hear the truth about the course from teacher Aleen Jendian. This event will be held in person in the Helix library. Students are welcome to attend with parents/guardians. Doors open at 5:45. Refreshments will be served. Registration is not required. For translation services, click here BIT.LY/46C6IT2.

The winter dance concert will be held in the PAC on Thursday & Friday, Nov. 16 & 17 at 7pm. Visit www.helixdancers.com for more information.

Helix Vocal Music Department presents Fall Cabaret on November 29 & 30, 2023 at 7pm in the PAC, showcasing all 5 Helix Choirs and featuring specialty acts from our talented Helix singers!

Helix is excited to welcome 2 Sport Social Workers to our campus! Ms. Williams & Ms. Morrill will work with our student athletes and coaches to provide support in social, emotional and athletic performance areas. They'll be available during office hours Monday, Thursday & Friday from 1:30-5:30. They can meet by appointment, referral or walk-in. They'll also be meeting with teams. For more information, please contact your coach.

Click here to check out the lineup and register.

A list of community service opportunities can be found at helixcharter.net/community. We keep it very updated and some interesting new opportunities have just been added!

Helix students will learn to use Building Information Modeling (BIM) using Revit. This is an online course that students can do on their own, but will be required to attend one day after school to work in groups. Students completing modules will earn UCSD College of Extended Studies credit. There is no cost to be in this course. The first course will be starting in the beginning of December. Upon completion of all 3 courses, students will be eligible to participate in the opportunity to apply for internships for the Summer of 2024.

Students may sign up by using this link.

The National Electrical Contractors Association and Los Rancheros Kiwanis are teaming up to offer a Trade School Career Fair for Building and Construction careers on Saturday, 11/4/23 from 1pm-4pm at the San Diego Oasis Center in Rancho Bernardo.

The event will feature representatives and hiring managers from the National Electrical Contractors Association, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors, and other organizations in the plumbing, iron working, and carpentry fields. This is a great opportunity for students to explore careers and post-secondary training opportunities. Job seekers will have a chance to submit applications.

This event is open to the community and there is no registration required.

EVENT DETAILS

• WHERE: San Diego Oasis at Rancho Bernardo – Assembly Hall, Second Floor; 17170 Bernardo Center Drive, San Diego 92128
• WHEN: Saturday, 11/4/23; 1pm-4pm
• WHO: Open to the community.

10th graders can now qualify for $500 and $40,000 scholarships from BigFuture®! The scholarships are open to all students, with no GPA, test score, essay, income, or citizenship requirements. Every month, they award $500 and $40,000 to students who take steps toward their career and the education they need to reach it.

How to Get Started

To qualify for monthly drawings, you just need to sign in to your BigFuture dashboard and complete steps, beginning with starting a career list and building a college list. Here is a how-to video and another video to see past winners.

As part of the One Book, One Helix programming this fall, there will be a field trip to Balboa Park on Saturday, 11/4/23 to see "Little Amal," a twelve-foot tall puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl. Little Amal has traveled through 14 countries since 2021, and will be ending her 9,000-mile journey through the U.S. here in San Diego.

"Little Amal" has become a global symbol of human rights, calling attention to the plight of refugees forced to flee their countries, and La Jolla Playhouse is sponsoring the last leg of her journey in San Diego.

Are you interested in trying out the career you are interested in? An internship may be for you!

Complete the survey below to indicate if you are interested in signing up for this new program starting in January 2024!

SDSU invites you to PISA’s Annual High School Conference that will be hosted at San Diego State University’s Conrad Prebys Student Union on Sunday, 11/5/23 from 9am - 5pm.

During our annual High School Conference, we aim to build a community for Pacific Islander students to feel that they have a place within higher education. In doing so, we provide informative, educational, and cultural workshops to deepen their understanding of the resources and opportunities that may exist for them post-graduation.

This year’s theme is Inafa’Maloek which is the Chamoru phrase that encompasses interdependence, harmony, and to make good for everyone. In the spirit of Inafa’Maloek, we will have numerous opportunities for students to engage in interactive workshops, learn from community members, immerse themselves in cultural activities, hear from an exciting keynote speaker, and showcase their talents in a dance competition! Lunch will be provided for high school attendees!

We look forward to seeing you in attendance on November 5th! Please be advised that while the event begins at 9am, we are strongly recommending and kindly asking that participants arrive at 8am to accommodate parking and the check-in process.

All attendees must fill out these forms to attend:

• Visual Image Release Form (for Minors): Visual Image Release (Minors).pdf

• Visual Image Release Form (for Adults): Visual Image Release (Adults).pdf

• Liability Waiver: Liability Waiver (1).pdf

Please email COMPLETED forms to pisa.academic.sdsu@gmail.com or a printed and signed copy in person on the day of.

More information will be provided regarding parking and other logistical information as we confirm our attendance guest list. Please stay on the lookout for follow-up emails!

For students who plan to attend, please fill out the Individual Pre-Registration Link Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdjUqXHDFfC3XslSkN-w9qmFJIkaFkN-pClbIlABOrlVBcdmg/viewform

This link will close 2 weeks before HSC (October 22, 2023 @ 11:59 pm PST)! Same-day registration will be permitted, however, Pre-Registration is preferred! More information will be included in the form above!

Mrs. Paula Ann Trevino (trevino@helixcharter.net) - Grade Level Principal

Mr. Hugo Gonzalez (gonzalez@helixcharter)- School Counselor

Ms. Lopez-Barajas (lopez-barajas@helixcharter.net)- Academic Advisor

Ms. Joan Urich (urich@helixcharter.net) - Administrative Assistant

Ms. Brenda Flores (bflores@helixcharter.net) - Attendance Technician

Ms. Rebekah Smith (rsmith@helixcharter.net) - School Social Worker