September Newsletter

School will be closed.

There will be one minimum day each month to allow for staff professional development and collaboration. School will end at 1:20, click here for the minimum day bell schedule (hover your cursor over the bell schedule document and scroll to the second page). We understand that minimum days can cause scheduling challenges for parents. Rest assured, students can stay on campus if they cannot be picked up immediately after school. Our campus is supervised from 7:00am-5:15pm Monday through Friday. Academic support will be available from 1:30-2:30pm in room 1340 on minimum days. Also, our career fair will be happening on September 12, so that is a perfect thing for students to do after dismissal!

Helix's second annual Career Fair will be held in the gym on Thursday, September 12 from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. We will have exhibitors from a variety of industries, including the medical field, IT, programming, construction trades, engineering, army, culinary, law enforcement and much more! This is a minimum day, so students are encouraged to go check out the career fair after 4th period!

Find more info on helixathletics.net

The Homecoming football game with King and Queen crowning ceremony at halftime will be held on Friday, September 13th. The Homecoming dance will be held on the Helix campus on Saturday, September 14th from 7-10pm.

Women of Color Roar (WOCR) is excited to announce our Fall 2024 Women of Color Roar Leadership Academy workshop as a continuation of the work we start at our annual Women of Color Roar breakfast in February of each year. Our team has been working to design workshops and identify speakers to provide the best experience for our Future Leaders.

We are thrilled to announce that our next Women of Color Roar Leadership Academy Workshop will be held on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at The Live Well/Tubman-Chavez Center, 5101 Market St., San Diego 92114. We are inviting young women of color ages 15 to 20. We will open the day with an in-person town hall with some of San Diego’s amazing woman elected leaders. In addition, workshops will be presented on topics including Medical Careers, Financial Planning and Interviewing Skills. We will also be offering a Career Fair, information on college scholarships, intern opportunities and much more from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

The application can also be accessed through this link: https://bit.ly/WOCRLA_Fall_2024

Every Thursday at 6pm, Helix staff or special guests present on different topics applicable to high school parents. These events are held in ExL or 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.

In honor of Check Your Mood week, we are collaborating with San Diego Youth Services to present to parents, guardians and students about general mental health reminders as well as suicide prevention. This will be presented by licensed social workers from our Wellness Center and Marriage & Family Therapists from SD Youth Services. This event will be held in the ExL building (room 1600) and is open to all parents and guardians. Registration not required

Dinner will be provided! RSVP is required for food ordering purposes. You can park in the staff lot next to the new cafeteria. For translation services, click here.

In this Algebra 2 / Financial Algebra Info Night, we will explain the class, how we keep students on track, helpful resources, how to stay up to date with your student's progress and more. Megan Crim, Math Department Chair and Algebra 2 / Financial Algebra teachers will present and be available to answer questions. This event will be held in the ExL building (room 1600) and is open to all parents and guardians.

. Refreshments will be provided. For translation services, click here.

Come learn about ASPIRE offerings and Performing Arts programs. Katie Pipes, Department Chair, will present about the programs, how to get involved, audition dates and more. This event will be held in our Performing Arts Center. Students and siblings are welcome to attend with parents/guardians. Registration not required, just show up! Doors open at 5:45. For translation services, CLICK HERE.

The Den is a place to get academic support before and after school. It will be open Monday through Thursday in ExL (room 1600). Students can drop in before and/or after school to receive help in all subjects from academic coaches and credentialed teachers. They will provide tutoring, remediation, test prep, test proctoring, timed writings and study groups. Any students missing mid-week tutorials should definitely drop in to the Den! See below for the daily schedule.

We hope all families will consider joining the Helix PTSA, click here to join. There is no commitment involved. It is just an annual, one-time donation of $13. The funds raised through PTSA memberships go directly back to the school and students for scholarships, special programs and anything the students may need! The more members we have, the greater access we have to grants and programs that will support Helix students. Any students interested in applying for PTSA scholarships (we give out $5,000 each year) must be PTSA members.

If you want to make more of a commitment, consider joining the PTSA board. This means attending one meeting per month (if you're available) and being on an email distribution that shares information about upcoming volunteer opportunities. The meetings are typically held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 5pm at the school or via Zoom. If you're interested, please email PTSA President Dave Hardenburger at helixptsapresident@gmail.com.

And if you just want to be informed about upcoming events and school news, follow us on social media at Facebook and Instagram.

If your student will be parking on campus, they must complete the 2023/2024 STUDENT PARKING REGISTRATION form found here. After completing the form, your student can get their sticker from Ms. Arielle Carroll at the front desk.

Click here to check out the lineup and register.

A list of community service opportunities can be found at helixcharter.net/community.

Auditions were last May, but there is still room in our treble show choir for soprano/alto voices! If you sing in a lower range just let your counselor know to sign you up for our tenor/bass show choir, no audition required! Please email tolvo-chan@helixcharter.net for more information, and get ready for a fun and exciting year in CHOIR!

• General Reminders:

• The home side gate is located on the southern side of the stadium. From the parking lot, you can access this side from the top of the solar parking lot. Follow the fire lane entrance near the Orien Ave.exit.

• The visitor side gate is located on the north side of the stadium, next to the sand volleyball court. From the parking lot, walk onto campus, past the gym toward the west side of campus.

• Helix football games are well-attended and the parking lot gets busy. Please walk or carpool if possible. If driving, please use caution in the parking lot and arrive early if possible.

• Backpacks are not allowed into the stadium.

• Bathrooms are located inside the stadium on both the home and visitor sides. Other bathrooms on campus will not be open.

• Spectators are not allowed on the field before, during, or directly after the game.

• No re-entry into the stadium.

• If you see something, say something. Find a Helix staff member, security guard or use this anonymous tip form.

• Student Seating:

• Students must have a valid (current year) Helix student ID card to enter the home side gate and sit in the home bleachers.

• Non-Helix students are welcome to watch the game from the visitor side bleachers.

• The student spirit section is located at the far end of the bleachers on the west end of the stadium.

• Students must find a seat in the bleachers during games. Students may not congregate or loiter behind the bleachers.

• Student Section Etiquette:

• Backpacks are not allowed into the stadium. Please take backpacks home after school, arrange for them to be picked up, or store them in your locker.

• “Spraying” powder is not allowed.

• If you are seen throwing anything (e.g. powder, water, water bottles, etc.), you will be escorted out of the stadium immediately.

Thank you,

Research shows the better your attendance, increased understanding of material and the higher your grades.

When you miss school...

• you miss lecture and guidance
• your work piles up
• you miss work, while making up missed work

Students who consistently miss school are less likely to graduate on time

Contact your Grade Level Attendance Technician

Class of 2027 - Bridgette Bojorquez

(619) 644-1940 ext 231

bojorquez@helixcharter.net

We encourage you to talk with your student about the importance of attending each day.

Reach out to the Grade Level Team if you need help

glt2027@helixcharter.net

The Office of Office of Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. has invited the students of Helix to participate in their 2024-2025 Academic Year Perfect Attendance Challenge. The challenge will begin Sept 2, 2025 and run through May 2, 2025.

To be eligible to receive the Perfect Attendance Award, students must have no full day absences on their record for the 2024-2025 academic year during our attendance challenge time frame. With the support of SeaWorld San Diego and our sponsors, all students with Perfect Attendance will be honored at an event at the end of the academic year, and provided complimentary SeaWorld San Diego tickets. Students with Perfect Attendance will receive a perfect attendance award certificate and a medallion. The date for the Perfect Attendance Celebration and SeaWorld passes is tentatively set for June 20, 2025 at SeaWorld San Diego.

Beginning this month, Helix parents/guardians will receive an automated phone call and email notification, if your student is currently failing one or more classes. The purpose of this call is to ensure that you are aware of your student's academic standing and to encourage timely intervention.

Students who receive this notification should attend tutorial sessions on Friday morning, starting at 8:30 AM, with their teacher(s). This will provide them with the necessary support to improve their grades and understanding of the subject matter.

Please review the tutorial schedule below.

If your student is enrolled in a Dual Enrollment class for the Spring semester, please make sure they have completed all the necessary enrollment steps and have added the college class to their Grossmont/Cuyamaca schedule.

If your student has questions about their Dual Enrollment class, please contact Ms. Morgan at morgan@helixcharter.net or visit the College Center in Room 180 during lunch, or before or after school.

Xello is an engaging college and career readiness software that unlocks every student's potential by opening their eyes to future possibilities and equipping them with the self-knowledge, skills and confidence to build actionable plans for future success.

9th - College Fair

10th - Career Exploration - Presentation Slides

11th - Postsecondary Research

12th - Post- high school planning

Concurrent enrollment classes are college courses that students can take through CA community colleges that are NOT during the regular school day..

• Students earn both college and high school credit for approved courses.

• Students are responsible for fees and textbooks/materials (tuition is waived)

Reminder:

• Students must be approved by either Counselor or Academic Advisor before taking a Concurrent Enrollment course.

Ms. Carbajal has nominated Simran for her outstanding contributions during the first week of school. Simran was instrumental in giving tours to new students from grades 9-12, demonstrating her extensive knowledge, dedication, passion, and reliability. Her exemplary leadership has truly embodied the spirit of being a Scottie. We are incredibly grateful for her efforts and the positive impact she made!