The Weekly BUZZ

Monday, August 26, 2024

8/21/24-9/13/24: Learning Period 1

9/2/2024: Labor Day, School Closed

9/3/2024-9/13/2024: Star 360 Fall Window

The annual Back to School Packet will be distributed Today, August 26, 2024. Please take a couple of minutes to complete the annual Back to School Packet.

Only one form is required per household. You do not need to complete this form for each student. Please complete this packet by September 6, 2024.

This form includes the following annual school items:

*Proof of Residence (upload required) or Housing Questionnaire for Special Circumstances.

*Parent-Student Handbook

*Parent Compact (Title 1)

*Media Release Form

*Household Data Collection instructions to complete the form in the Parent Portal.

The Enrollment Department may contact you via email, phone, and text message for the following reasons.

*Remind you about the deadline if you have not completed the packet.

*Follow-up with households who upload a non-compliant proof of residence.

*Completion Confirmation

If you have questions about the Back to School Packet, please email us at Enrollment@centralvcs.org or call us at 559-512-7103.

Click this link for a 2 minute video message about Star Assessments from Becky Bennett.

Click HERE for Testing Coordinator's Encouraging Message

Let’s dive deeper into learning with the Star 360 Benchmark. Parents, for more information about this assessment, view our Star 360 Info Flyer! Your student will take the Star 360 test three times throughout the year.

The test is taken online at home during the following windows: Fall (Sept. 3 - Sept. 13) Winter (Jan. 21 - Jan. 31) Spring (May 19 - May 30th) Your teacher may communicate a deadline before the official end of the window. Please respect your teacher’s assigned deadline if it is different from the one stated above.

If you would like to receive results immediately following the test directly to your inbox, you may follow these instructions!

Did your student participate in State Testing last school year? Results can be accessed in the Parent Portal by following the steps below.

Yosemite Valley Charter Parent Portal

Monarch River Academy Parent Portal

Click Student Name> Reports> Test Results> View HTML Link

Our school urges students to conduct themselves ethically and honorably. It is expected that the grade a student earns is based on work the student has completed. Teachers can use Grammarly or other plagiarism checker websites. Please review the definition of plagiarism as outlined in the 24-25 School Handbook located on our website under resources.

The Lending Library is full of thousands of wonderful educational resources for our families to borrow. Remember to check the library before spending your funds on OS orders, we may have just the item you are looking for! The Library Van delivers library orders to seven locations around the Central Valley.

Please check the Library Newsletter page for the upcoming delivery schedule, locations, library hours, and more.

Online Library Orders Library Newsletter

Do you want a say in how your student's EL services occur? If so, please join our English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) meetings! Currently, Yosemite Valley Charter is our only Charter with an ELAC meeting. Our meeting is scheduled for September 5th @ noon via Zoom. Those families that are a part of Monarch River Academy are welcome to attend. Look for more information to come via email regarding this very important meeting. Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/my/kellypettitzoomroom

Families, please watch the following video that explains new features in the Ordering System (OS) which ensure service orders are placed on-time and ready for processing.

Reminder: Do not accept services without a processed certificate in-hand to provide to your Community Partner. Services must be placed at-least 7 days in advance of a service start date. This ensures time for your teacher to review and the processing team to process prior to starting lessons.

Click to Watch Detailed Video (1.41)

As a California public school student, your child may be eligible to receive $500 to $1,500 for use towards their future education expenses. The California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS), funded by the State of California, provides eligible low-income students with funds to promote a college-going culture. Checking eligibility and claiming their money is easy. All you need is your child’s 10-digit Statewide Student Identifier (SSID). For more information and to check your eligibility, visit CalKIDS.org.

Project Food Box provides nutritious, farm-fresh produce, providing equal access to fresh, healthy produce straight from the fields right to your door! Go to https://projectfoodbox.org/mtm/ to see if your family is eligible!

All students, parents, and IST's are invited to attend our HSVA/MSVA Virtual Academy Back to School Night. We will give a brief overview of our program, introduce our teachers, and answer any questions you may have.

Link to High School Syllabus

Link to Middle School Syllabus

Use the How to Choose Curriculum Guide to determine what curriculum to choose and the HS Recommended Curriculums and MS Recommended Curriculums to locate our recommended curriculum picks.

Recommended Curriculum The links above point to the recommended curriculum for High School and Middle School students. Our top picks will always be our in-house HSVA and MSVA Live! classes that are taught by single-subject credential teachers. To view class times, please click here.

Secondary Learning Period Meetings (7-12) ISTs will check in with HS and MS students weekly to measure student progress and pacing. ISTs will work with students and Learning Coaches to build pacing guides and monitor progress at LP check-ins and school-wide progress monitoring checks.

Refer to the Secondary Learning Period #1 Parent Newsletter to learn more about what to expect from your upcoming meeting with your IST. Expectations are all laid out in this edition of the newsletter.

LP #1 Parent Newsletter

It’s not too late to sign up for college courses! Some colleges like Monterey Peninsula College, Bakersfield, and Hartnell have later start dates.

Use our CVCS Guide to CE Programs for live links to everything needed to enroll. If your student is already enrolled (and you haven't done so already) please send proof of enrollment to your teacher in order for the college course to be added to your Master Agreement. Proof of enrollment must clearly show the Student Name, Class Name, College Name, and Term. It can be a registration email or screenshot from the college student portal (class schedule through WebAdvisor or your Canvas dashboard).

Please note that the drop date for college courses is usually within the first few weeks of the semester. If your student feels that the college course no longer suits them, please drop the course prior to the drop date. This will avoid a withdrawal "W" on the college transcript, which is not ideal and can affect future financial aid.

SCCCD's (Fresno City, Clovis Community, Reedley, Madera) drop date is August 30th, CoS's and Merced College's drop date is August 25th, MPC's is September 2nd and Bakersfield's is September 8th.

Check the Important Dates flyer linked in our CVCS Guide to CE Programs for more colleges' upcoming dates. To drop a course, log into the Student Portal, then go to Self-Service and access the Schedule. Click on the blue "DROP" button to drop the class. If you do not have access to drop the course in the schedule, please reach out directly to the college's Admissions and Records department. Once the course is dropped, please send a screenshot verifying the course is dropped to your IST.

College textbooks can be ordered through the Ordering System (OS). Please follow the steps below: 1. Students should create an account with the college bookstore and then place the items in their cart.

2. Place an order for the items in the school Ordering System with the approved vendor (the college bookstore) and place the login credentials in the order. The OS will need the student's log-in information to purchase college textbooks. This is the only time the OS will need to log in to the family account to make a purchase.

3. Specify in the order if books will be picked up or shipped. If the materials are digital only then disregard this step.

4. Students can use the URL from their bookstore cart as the URL link for the items in the OS. It should allow the OS to view the cart link once they sign in as the student. However, they should list each item in their cart as a separate item.

Concurrent Enrollment students are college students! Please remind your student to utilize all their college resources to help them succeed this semester, including professor office hours, tutoring centers, and the library. Good luck!

Welcome to Central Valley Charter Schools! We are delighted to extend a warm greeting as you embark on this exciting educational journey with us. At Yosemite Valley Charter and Monarch River Academy, we believe in the power of collaboration between home and school, and we are thrilled to partner with you in fostering your child's academic and personal growth. Your teacher will be reaching out to you to ensure you set up for a successful start to the school year. In the meantime please feel free to get started reading our Welcome Newsletter.

Dive deeper into learning with our Academic Challenges! Central Valley Charter Schools want to encourage our students to take pride and ownership in their educational journey. We are offering opportunities and incentives for our students as they work towards mastery of essential skills, such as Sight Words, Math Facts, Writing, and Reading. Please refer to our newsletter for more information and participation details. If you have any questions please email our Curriculum and Instruction team at curriculum@centralvcs.org.

Academic Challenge Newsletter

We are excited to partner with you and your students throughout this educational journey. To ensure we provide the best support, our teachers will be reaching out soon to schedule a meeting for Learning Period One. We look forward to this opportunity to collaborate and support your student’s success.

Learning Period Expectations The Learning Coach and all enrolled students must be present at each Learning Period meeting.

Please set aside 1 hour for a single student and 15 minutes for each additional student to meet with your teacher for your Learning Period meeting.

• Bring your curriculum to your Learning Period meeting to review progress in all academic subjects listed on the Master Agreement.
• Bring all of the work completed since the last learning period meeting and be prepared to discuss the curriculum plan for the weeks ahead. If there is not a curriculum plan you will work with your teacher to create one for the next Learning Period.

RSVP to your Learning Period meeting invitation from the teacher within 48 hours.

After two attempts to schedule the Learning Period meeting, the teacher will schedule a Learning Period meeting for you to attend

To prepare for our upcoming meeting, please review the agenda for Learning Period 1, which outlines the information and activities that will be covered.

Learning Period #1 for Primary Students

We're building friendships through fostering social skills, empathy, and communication in a supportive environment for students TK-8th! Check out our website for more information!

The purpose of Launchpad is to provide daily live interaction within specific grade-band communities, taught by the same teachers. Our mission is to nurture and develop positive friendships among young children through teacher-led, engaging virtual online activities, games, and interactive sessions. Focused on fostering social skills, empathy, and communication, our program provides a supportive environment where kids can build lasting bonds while having fun.

LOADS of Details

Informational Flyer

Got Questions? Stop by our Curriculum and Instruction Office Hours starting September 4th every Wednesday from 9:30am-10:30am

https://zoom.us/j/92062819014

Friday, September 6th at 6:15 am: SENIOR SUNRISE! Attention High school SENIORS! Be sure to sign up for Senior Sunrise, it is approaching quickly!

✅Register and get more information using the link below:

https://adventures.centralvcs.org/

We’ve got some exciting news—our intramural flag football season is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to get started! If your child loves the game of flag- football, the fun of teamwork, and the joy of being active, this is the perfect opportunity for them.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Parent Kickoff Meeting: September 4th, 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
  Join us to learn all about the season and get all your questions answered. This meeting is the perfect chance to see what the season has in store! Meeting attendance is not required to particiapte for the season.

• Sign-Up Deadline: September 13th
  Make sure to secure your child’s spot by signing up through our ordering system before the deadline. It is listed as a Service under “Central Valley Charter Schools Intramural Sports.“ Don’t miss out!

• Game On: October 1st
  Mark your calendars—our flag football season officially kicks off on October 1st! Get ready for a season full of fun and excitement.

We’re thrilled to have your child join us on the field this season. If you’re ready to jump in, sign up now and be sure to join us for the parent meeting on September 4th! Thank you for your support, and we look forward to a fantastic season of flag football!

Interested or already signed up for flag football? Attend the parent information meeting on September 4th.

Click to join!

Exciting news! Academic Adventures for the 24-25 school year are previewing now! Visit adventures.centralvcs.org to review the updated instructional field trip policy, and get a sneak peak of this year’s line up of educational adventures!

Sign ups begin August 26th at 9:00 a.m. at https://adventures.centralvcs.org/

The schools are enhancing their academic trips this year to make them more enriching and engaging! With a focus on quality over quantity, there will be fewer school-sponsored trips, but parents can still take advantage of OS funds to explore educational destinations with their students. And with a Big List of ideas available, there are plenty of opportunities for learning and making new friends. Sounds like a fantastic way to make the most of the school year!

🧠The BIG List of IDEAS! 🧭

📅Mark your calendars! Our free park events for all enrolled students are gearing up for an incredible year of connecting and learning together! The first and third Fridays at 11:00 a.m. the Community Arts Team will host time in the park for our students.

Adventure Days are full of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Music) activities, field play, and loads of laughs!

Hangouts! are free spirited, fun, and primarily student led. The staff will offer a short activity at the beginning of the event and then students will have opportunities to build relationships through games, crafts, and other activities.

Meet the Team!

Our EL newsletter is here to help you with all your questions about English Learners. Click the link to read what is going on this month.

English Learner Newsletter

If you have not joined our private Facebook group, you are missing out on some amazing conversations. You must answer the group questions to join and then connect!

Central Support for Families and School Staff

Another awesome group to join is where our approved vendors and school community are able to interact and ask questions or share advice. YVC & MRA Vendors

Monarch River Academy: https://monarchriveracademy.org/
Yosemite Valley Charter Website: https://yosemitevalleycharter.org/
Location: 3610 East Ashlan Avenue, Fresno, CA, USA
Phone: (559) 258-0800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CentralCACharters