Husky Nation Highlights

TK-3rd on Thurs 9/12, 4th-8th on Fri 9/13

Uniforms required. Students on a waiver must follow dress code.

Any student out of dress code will need to retake photos at a later date.

Character Strong is our schoolwide social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum. We are continuing our implementation of this curriculum this year! Our weekly student-led Monday Messages in September will connect to the theme of Respect. Students in every homeroom exemplifying this theme will be recognized at the end of the month during our Student of the Month breakfast.

It is our district and school mission to provide our students with the best educational experience; technology is a big aspect and part of that. Therefore, we appreciate your continuous support and partnership in order to attain our goal.

• Please make sure the chromebook assigned to your student is charged daily; it is very crucial for the device to be charged in order for the student to do their work without delay and lose instructional time. Our classrooms cannot accommodate charging too many devices!
  
• Once the chromebook is charged, please remind your student to pack it in their backpacks and not leave it at home.
• Remind your students to use their devices gently; devices should not be thrown (even if inside the backpack) and should be handled respectfully. The life of a device should be between 3 - 5 years if handled as it should.
• If your students are having any kind of issue / damage with their devices / chargers, please have them report it to their teachers. Teachers and office staff will work together for the best solution.

Together we can maximize and enrich our kids' educational experience! Thank you for being an amazing partner.

AUSD Food & Nutrition Services is proud to present a freshly grilled lunch option to students on Friday, September 13, 2024! Students will go through the lunch line for their fruits, veggies and milk/juice. Students may opt for the grill option (BEEF HOT DOG) or enjoy the scheduled lunch offerings for the day.

If you would like to volunteer with the lunch line during your child's lunch time, please contact Mr. B!

AUSD will participate in United Against Hate Week, September 23-27 as a way of reinforcing safe and inclusive schools for all students. More information: LA vs. Hate - 2024 United Against Hate Week

Students are encouraged to participate in a poster contest, the theme is No Time to Hate. See flyers for participation information:

• No Time to Hate Poster Contest Flyer (REV).pdf
• No Time to Hate Poster Contest FAQs and Links (REV).pdf
• AdvocacyJourney.PNG

Students may upload their poster to this form when they are ready to submit. Students with questions should contact Ms. Cady Burkhart, Contest Coordinator at burkhart_catherine@ausd.us.

Submission deadline is Thursday, September 12, 2024 at 11:59pm.

Over the summer, a Scout from Troop 286 reached out and requested to meet with me. . I was very impressed with his vision and plan for a Little Free Library at Monterey Highlands. He thought it would look very nice on our campus and I agreed!

Justin Lam is a student at Alhambra HS and has gotten approval for his Little Free Library Eagle Scout project on our campus near the Flagpole/Breezeway area. Please consider supporting this young man on his journey! He is hosting a fundraiser at Panda Express on Tuesday, 9/10 (use code = 925739 for mobile orders).

Parents and Guardians, mark your calendars! We're kicking off the school year with our first PTA meeting:

Date: September 11

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Monterey Highlands Elementary Cafetorium

We will share how we plan to make this school year an amazing one for our students, teachers, and community! An agenda for the meeting is available here. Come learn about upcoming events, how you can get involved, and share your ideas.

Pizza, treats, and refreshments will be provided! Bring your energy, enthusiasm, and appetite! Let’s make this a fantastic year together! See you there!

Explore the arts and express yourself! No matter what grade you're in, we encourage you to submit your unique work of art to the PTA Reflections Art Program and unleash your creativity. This year's theme is "Accepting Imperfection” – a powerful and inspiring topic that invites you to explore and express what it means to embrace the beauty of imperfections.

This is your chance to showcase your creativity in one of our many categories:

• Dance Choreography
• Film Production
• Literature
• Music Composition
• Photography
• Visual Arts

All participants with eligible entries will be entered into a raffle to win a $10 gift card for Yogurtland. In addition, all participants with eligible entries will receive a participation ribbon. All category winners in each division, receive a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd award ribbon and certificate, with the 1st place recipient receiving a medallion.

How to Get Started? Visit bit.ly/mhreflections for more information on how to participate and to submit your entries. Submission Deadline: Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 11:59PM.

Interested in being a judge? Let us know by clicking or tapping here!

Join us in making a difference in our children's education by becoming a member of the Monterey Highlands Elementary PTA!

Whether you're a new parent or a returning member, your involvement is crucial to our success. Together, we can create an enriching and supportive environment for our children.

Join or renew your PTA Membership by clicking or tapping here.

Thank you for your continued support. Let's make this school year the best one yet!

Highlands will be forming a new Mock Trial team for students grades 6 to 8 to join and compete at the LA County competition this fall (early November to early December). The team will be led by attorney-parent volunteer coaches - Cathy Ta and Alison Worthington - and be sponsored by the PTA!

Mock Trial offers our middle grade students the opportunity to learn about our legal system, an important but sometimes mysterious aspect of our self-governing society. It will also offer our students the chance to develop skills in a variety of areas - public speaking and presentation, advocacy skills and critical and strategic thinking - that will help through as they advance to high school and later on in life.

We are grateful for our volunteers. Here are some of our volunteer needs at this time:

Ongoing PTA Volunteer Opportunities:

• Interested in helping plan and organize our PTA events? Let us know by submitting your interest here! (PTA)
• Interested in being a judge for our Reflections Art Program? Let us know by submitting your interest here! (PTA)

Ongoing School Volunteer Opportunities:

• Morning Valet: Please sign up here if you are interested in lending a hand!
• Husky Store: We're looking for volunteers to help re-open our Husky Store in October! Please contact Mr. Perez, School Counselor if you are interested!
• Library: Our Library begins classroom visits and lunch hours this week! Contact Mrs. Sarah Taylor, our new Librarian, if you are interested in being a Library Volunteer!

The Associated Student Body (ASB) oversees all fundraising and school activities at Monterey Highlands. The ASB Cabinet meets most weeks to review activity and fundraising requests.

Useful ASB Information:

• ASB Fundraiser Request Form
  
• ASB Approved Fundraisers

ASB produces our monthly Wonderful Wednesday virtual assembly. In the month of September, 7th Grade teaches us how to show Respect. Our morning PA messages to start the week will also focus on this theme.

We're excited to support 6th Grade as they raise funds for Science Camp from May 5-9, 2025 and 8th Grade as they raise funds for Promotion Activities in May 2025. We will hold parent meetings throughout the year to plan activities, provide updates on fundraising and more. Our first parent meetings are:

• 6th Grade Parent Meeting - Mon 9/9 @ 5pm on Zoom - zoom.us/my/mh.principal
• 8th Grade Parent Meeting - Mon 9/9 @ 6pm on Zoom - zoom.us/my/mh.principal

PS: These meetings will be recorded if you are unable to attend.

The start of school is a busy and challenging time for students. Students are navigating new teachers, new expectations, new friend groups and much more. We want to make sure your child has the social emotional supports they need to thrive at school.

If you feel your child may need some support, check-ins or possibly a referral for counseling services, please connect with our Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Mr. Christian Perez - perez_christian_1@ausd.us.

Mr. Perez will reach out to parents/guardians to complete a Gateway to Success (GTS) referral and explore linkage options with you. We're proudly collaborating with Sycamores to ensure mental health services are accessible to everyone.

Don't forget - College Wear Wednesdays and Fun Fridays (Husky Spirit Wear) continue

• 9/11 - Parent Engagement Meeting - Study Skills, Cafetorium @ 5:30pm
  
• 9/11 - PTA Association Meeting, Cafetorium @ 6:30pm
• 9/12 - PTA Mock Trial Informational Meeting, Library @ 5pm
• 9/12 - Fall Photos (TK-3rd)
• 9/13 - Fall Photos (4th-8th)
• 9/17 - AUSD Board of Education Meeting
• 9/18 - School Site Council Meeting on Zoom @ 1:15pm
• 9/18 - Intervention Night, Rm I-38, 5:30-6:30pm
• 9/19 - Erika's Lighthouse Parent Meeting, Zoom @ 8:30am
• 9/20 - Lockdown Drill
• 9/20 - Minimum Day (Parent Conferences Prep)
• 9/23 to 9/27 - Parent Conferences
• 9/24 - English Learning Advisory Council Meeting, Library @ 8am
• 9/26 - Erika's Lighthouse Parent Meeting, Cafetorium @ 5:30pm
• 9/27 - Student of the Month in Cafetorium @ 8am
• 10/2 - PTA Reflections Submissions are Due at midnight
• 10/3 - Safety Committee on Zoom @ 3pm
• 10/4 - Parent Engagement Meeting - PBIS and LEAD on Zoom @ 9am
• 10/8 - AUSD Board of Education Meeting
• 10/9 - Parent Engagement Meeting - English Learner Night, Cafetorium @ 5:30pm
• 10/9 - PTA Association Meeting, Cafetorium @ 6:30pm
• 10/11 - Minimum Day (Site Professional Development)
• 10/11 - 4th Grade Walkthrough CA On-Site Experience
• 10/31 - AUSD Food Fair (please call school office to RSVP)

📥 Email: highlands@ausd.us
🌐 Website: www.montereyhighlandselementary.org
📍 Location: 400 Casuda Canyon Drive, Monterey Park, CA, USA
📲 Phone: (626) 570-6220