TLES Community Newsletter

Dear Eagle Families,

February is a great month to express how much love I have for this school community! Our staff continues to work hard to plan engaging and rigorous learning opportunities for our students and provide a safe and nurturing environment. Even before and after school, you see a full parking lot with staff working hard in the classroom and out (Talent Show, Science Olympiad, Running Club, Gardening Club, and more). Our families are amazing! We have had more Eagle-I and classroom volunteers than we've had in years and our PTA is extraordinary. Not only do they work hard to raise money to pay for field trips and school supplies but they sponsor all the amazing family nights like our upcoming sweetheart dance coming up on Feb. 13! They work very hard behind the scenes so students and families can be excited about school and connected to an amazing learning community. And best of all, we have THE MOST AMAZING students! We celebrate their growth as much as possible whether it be academically, with attendance, or for being kind people. They are so brave trying out for the talent show and so helpful serving in so many leadership roles on campus such as student council, safety patrol, kinder helpers, kindness crew, and more. And their spirit is unmatched. The "Dress Like You're 100 Day" was such a fun celebration of our first 100 days of school this year! And, did you know that our very own Nivaen not only won our school spelling bee but came in second in the entire school district? By the way, they competed against students across the district up to 8th grade!! See the article below.

I am not alone in recognizing what an amazing place TLES is. Last week our school was named a California Honor Roll School! We were recognized for demonstrating consistently higher levels of student achievement, improvement in achievement over time, and a reduction in achievement gaps among student populations. This is a huge honor and took a village to accomplish. I AM SO PROUD OF TLES!! Click on the image below to access the full article. Or you can CLICK HERE.

Thank you for doing your part in making our school AMAZING! As we move forward this last half, we ask that you continue to support student growth by spending quality time talking with your kids -unplugged -with the TV off and the tablets and phones away. This could look like a family board game night, reading and discussing books at bedtime, or simply unplugging while your family gathers together for meals and taking turns talking and listening to each other. We are finding that many students are having a difficult time with their communication skills either expressing their thoughts in class or with their peers. Sustaining attention is also a challenge when their brains are used to constantly switching focus with their games or shows. Even with our busy lives, let's take a pause this month, this week, or just this day to enjoy their company and have real conversations before they're grown and flown.

We appreciate you and look forward to continuing this wonderful journey together.

Sincerely,

Lani Russi

Principal, TLES

Do not park or block the red zones in the parking lot or the street. This impedes traffic and causes a dangerous situation for our students and traffic control staff. Parking or idling in the crosswalks is also a safety hazard and violates traffic laws.

• 2/5 - Kona Ice 2:30-3:30
• 2/11 - Rush Coffee Truck before school
• 2/13 - Family Dance Night at GMS
• 2/14 - 2/17 Presidents Weekend - NO SCHOOL
• 2/19 - Movie Madness - The Wild Robot
• 2/24-2/28 - Read-a-Thon Pledge Drive
• 2/26 - Kinder Student Store / Restaurant Night: Blaze Pizza & Yogurt Island
• 2/28 - Read Across America Day / Student Store

Tickets will go on sale Thursday, February 13th, Tuesday, February 18th, and Wednesday, February 19th.

On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, James L. Day Middle School was abuzz with excitement as students from across the district gathered for the annual TVUSD Spelling Bee. The competition was fierce, but it was 5th grader Kiyara Gunawardena from ARES who once again emerged victorious, impressing the audience with her mastery of challenging words. Kiyara sealed her win with the words "circadian" and "argot," securing her place as the district's top speller for another year.

The battle for alternate was just as thrilling, with students locked in an intense tie-breaker that spanned two extra rounds. Ultimately, Nivaen Sundarrajan from Temecula Luiseno Elementary School claimed the alternate spot by correctly spelling "diadem."

The event featured nine rounds of spirited competition, with rounds eight and nine dedicated to determining the second-place winner. The dedication and poise displayed by all participants were a testament to the hard work and preparation that went into this annual tradition.

Kiyara now sets her sights on the Riverside County Spelling Bee, taking place on March 26th. Last year, she made an impressive showing by tying for third place. This year, Kiyara has her eyes on the top prize, which would earn her a coveted spot at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Maryland at the end of May.

Congratulations to Kiyara, Nivaen, and all the incredible students who participated in this year’s Spelling Bee! Best of luck to Kiyara as she represents TVUSD at the next level!

2025-26 TK/Kindergarten pre-enrollment begins Saturday, February 1, 2025. ALL incoming TK/Kindergarten families must submit an online pre-enrollment form. This is also required for students transitioning from TVUSD Preschool. ALL required documentation must be submitted electronically to complete your student's TK/Kindergarten pre-enrollment. All satisfactorily completed pre-enrollments will be processed by a Centralized Enrollment Technician, ON OR AFTER the school's assigned date(s). TLES registration process date is Monday, March 3rd.

Fill out this quick form and the Communications Department will create and send a digital certificate to the employee for their hard work. As an added recognition, one employee will be selected each month as a "Community High Five Spotlight" and their shout-out will be recognized in a future edition of the Community Connection.

We're going green! Monthly breakfast and lunch menus can be found through the TVUSD website. You can also opt-in to have them emailed to you monthly once they are available or you can bookmark the menu page!

If you are not receiving our communications via text or email, please check the following:

*your cell phone is listed properly in Infinite Campus as a cell phone. If listed as "other" you will not receive text messages

*check your Spam or Junk folders to see if our emails are being delivered there. Save us as a contact:

klee@tvusd.us

messenger@tvusd.us

noreply@tvusd.us

donotreply@tvusd.k12.ca.us

You can also sign up for grade-level specific text messages through Remind. The text instructions are listed at the bottom of every newsletter.

Text the following for each class to the number 81010

TK/Kinder: @luiskinder

First: @tlesfirst

Second: @tlessecond

Third: @tlesthird

Fourth: @tlesfourth

Fifth: @tlesfifth

Running Club: @run242