Tustin Connect News
Home of the Mavericks
Volume 6 Issue 8
It was a full week at Tustin Connect. We had lots of great stuff going on from our continued search as Dash hides in our K-8 classrooms, to some great reading journal work in our middle school, to our principal/counselor coffee, and student college application workshop. Great stuff happening with even more to come as we enter into finals week at the high school.
Times ticking! Don't forget to sign up for Trunk or Treat!!! Here's a link to the flyer! We would love to have you join us. It's going to be super fun.
Reminder that Dino Dash is coming! Please consider signing up and learn more about this great event at www.tpsf.net/dinodash. We get $10 per registration directly to your child's classroom for regsitering.
This week's background features pictures middle school reading journal share, our new bike racks and tire pump thanks to a grant from TPSF, our HS mural getting a facelift, Counselor/Principal/PTA Meeting Coffee, and a pic from our Student College Application Workshop.
As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or compliments, please reach out to Mr. Fineberg, our principal, at efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us.
Principal's Message...
A big thank you to all those that were able to attend our Principal/Counselor Coffee and PTA meeting this past Wednesday. We covered a lot in the time we spent together kicking off with our first PTA meeting, followed by the latest happenings at TC, Measure J information, and ended with an incredible presentation on executive functioning. If you weren't able to attend, no need to fear. We recorded it! Check out the entire meeting using this link. You can even fast forward to your favorite parts without hurting anyone's feelings. 😄
As mentioned previously, Dr. Johnson, our superintendent, sent an email Tuesday, September 10th regarding a School Facilities Bond-Measure J that will be on the ballot this November. In case you missed it, Please click here to view the Informational Measure J resources hosted on our District’s website. If you are interested in learning more, please don't hesitate to reach out as I am able to provide factual information regarding questions you may have.
If you have any questions, compliments, ideas, and/or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out at (714) 430-2052 ext. 52103 or efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us.
Mr. Fineberg
PTA Round Up
Hello Maverick Families,
Thank you to all who were able to attend our PTA meeting as part of the Principal/Counselor Coffee this Wednesday. We covered our proposed budget among other topics that can be found in the agenda. You can also watch the entire meeting by clicking on this link. The meeting starts at 2 minutes 48 seconds in.
As you know or learned from our proposed budget we have not yet met our fundraising goal. There is still time to support Tustin Connect PTA through our Maverick 180 campaign. The Maverick 180 campaign is the main fundraiser for Tustin Connect.
Trunk or Treat is coming! Please be sure to RSVP for the event and maybe sign up to sponsor a trunk for our Trunk or Treat. Passing out candy is fun! If you missed the email, check out this link to the flyer!
Also, be on the lookout for new spirit wear ordering opportunities as well.
✍️ Elementary Information ✍️
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Picture Day is Coming: Make sure you mark your calendars. Picture day is Wednesday, October 16th 8:30 to 12 noon. There are flyers that will be sent home this coming week for students to order pictures.
Reminder about Apps and Log-Ins: Downloading apps is something all students need to do at some point. They will be utilizing different apps throughout the year as part of their assignments. If you have a TUSD iPad, you need to use the Self-Service icon to download the apps. For Google apps, you'll want to sign in with your mytusd.org login to get access. Lastly, for Clever, you will need to sign in with the mytusd.org account as well for them to work. If you run into trouble, feel free to check in with your teacher or the office as well.
Library Visits: Don't forget to come in at 8:10 on Wednesdays to visit the library with Mrs. Vukov! She's a wonderful resource for our students and a great opportunity to explore the various titles in the Estock Library.
😃Middle School Information😃
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Pathways to Success Event: The Annual TUSD event is open to all 6-12 students. It is this Wednesday, October 9th at Foothill HS. The event focuses on preparing for a bright future. It includes college admission and preparing for exciting and interesting careers in the modern workforce.
Picture Day is Coming: Picture day is Wednesday, October 16th 8:30 to 12 noon. There are flyers that will be sent home this coming week for students to order pictures. We recognize that this is not a typical student day for our 8th graders. We are only able to schedule one day with our picture provider for our K-8 students and Wednesdays are the day we have all of our students K-7 on campus. With that being said, if you are able to come by, 8th grade students do not need an appointment. Just stop by on Wednesday anytime from 8:30 to noon and we will get your picture taken.
In Person Lab Support: Mondays from 10-12 students have the opportunity for additional support and socialization time. They can get support with their work, meet up with friends to collaborate on projects, or just get a jumpstart on the week.
👍 High School Information 👍
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Golden Touch Awards: High School students, nominate your favorite teacher or staff member for the Golden Touch Award. This is your chance to recognize those who’ve made a real difference in your life. Two staff members and their nominating students will be selected from each high school to attend the Golden Touch Awards ceremony the morning of December 12th. Let your voices be heard! Complete the nomination form by October 28, 2024. Golden Touch Nomination Form
Get Involved in Club Life and Community: Are you interested in earning service hours, supporting the community, and meeting new people? If so, join Tustin Connect's TPSF Teens club. Just fill out an interest form and join Remind by texting a2dk9h to 81010 or entering it as the class code. Our next meeting is this Tuesday (10/7) at 8:45 in Mrs. Fairburn's room!
Pathways to Success Event: Be sure to mark your calendars for October 9th at Foothill HS for the Annual TUSD event focusing on Middle and High School students with a focus on preparing for a bright future. It includes college admission and preparing for exciting and interesting careers in the modern workforce.
IVC Spotlight Week: Irvine Valley College (IVC) would like to send a special invite to all high school students to participate in IVC Virtual Spotlight Week. Spotlight Week is a virtual informational series tailored for our local high school students, parents, and guardians. Daily sessions will be offered virtually starting Monday, November 18th, from 4:30 pm to 5:30pm, covering a new college topic each day. You can attend one or all sessions. Please see the flyer for more details and to register.
Picture Day and Breakfast: Come join us on Tuesday, October 15th from 8:30-12 noon for Picture Day and Pancake Breakfast. No appointment necessary. Stop by anytime between 8:30-12 noon (come early for pancakes though) and get your picture taken and enjoy some pancakes too.
Counselor Corner: Resources and link to workshops and more!!!
This Wednesday was our Principal/Counselor Coffee and PTA meeting. Mrs. Halili and Mrs. J shared about Executive functioning and provided some great strategies for parents and students. It is definitely worth a watch. The presentation begins at 29 minutes and 11 seconds of the meeting.
As mentioned previously, Mrs. Halili will continue serving our students in Mrs. W's place. We are excited to have her as she shares a wealth of experience and has been cross training to prepare for the transtion over that past couple of weeks. She had a great first full week and we appreciate her sharing her expertise. If you have any questions or would like to speak to Mrs. Halili, she can be found via email at shalili@tustin.k12.ca.us or you can call the office.
As shared previously, our Mental Health Specialist, Mrs. J has a couple of great resources for our families. She'll be talking more about them in the coming months as Principal/Counselor Coffees get started. In the meantime, this is some great stuff for families.
From Mrs. J:
I wanted to share some free resources available for our students and families.
The first is a free online parenting course tailored to the age and the specific behavioral challenges of the child (0-18 yrs)
The second resource is also free and provides in the moment one on one coaching when the maladaptive behaviors come up as well as tutorials (0-12 yrs)
The positive parenting program that's already used in 40+ U.S. states
Help your kid reach their potential and take on challenges while improving your confidence too - with positive parenting support from Triple P.
https://www.hellobrightline.com/brightlifekids/
BrightLife Kids - A CalHope Program by Brightline
Brightline brings support to kids and families for everyday challenges and behavioral health conditions.
Check out Mrs. Wijnhamer's Monthly Counselor Newsletter.
Our Counselor and Mental Health team have a great website with lots of resources to check out.
Free Online Tutoring Available for K-12 Students
Brainfuse HelpNow is an on demand, anytime, anywhere eLearning platform available for all ages and levels. Last week, it was announced that every Californian can now access free online tutoring available 24/7 through a new initiative offering homework help in every K-12 subject and skill-building resources for K-12 and adult learners.
Real-time homework assistance can now be accessed 24/7 here and on the websites of any of the 1,130 local public libraries around the state – click on the “HelpNow” link to reach a one-on-one tutor. The pilot program led by the State Library offers assistance in Math, Language Arts, and other core K-12 subjects in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. There’s no age limit to who can use the service. Adult learners can also access writing assistance, citizenship resources and other tools.
SORA Virtual Texts Collections
TUSD Resource Sora Summer Read
Sora Sweet Reads in an annual summer reading program designed for schools to encourage students to keep reading all year long. "Check out" the free collection of simultaneous use juvenile and young adult ebooks (and select audiobooks).
Login to Sora to access these and many any other great ebooks and audiobooks all summer long through Clever, TUSD Student Portal or soraapp.com using your TUSD Google login and password.
Student Request - SORA books – Here is a link to a Google Doc to send suggestions and recommendations for new books for our collections!!
Technology Questions/Needs - There's Help Available!
Important Upcoming Dates - Please check our school Website Calendar for all the latest!
October 4-6: Tustin Tiller Days Festival and Parade
October 9: Pathways to Success Event
October 15: HS Picture Day and Pancake Breakfast
October 16: K-8 Picture Day
October 28: Golden Touch Nominations (HS students to staff) Due Use Link to Nominate
October 29: Trunk or Treat 5-7 pm
November 3: Dino Dash
Our Mission
Email: efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us
Website: www.tustinconnect.org
Location: (K-8) 14741 North B Street; (9-12) 1151 San Juan Street
Phone: (714) 430-2052
Twitter: @tustinconnect