BSC Weekly Newsletter

Week of August 19th

The application to become an approved LAUSD volunteer for next academic year is open. You will need to be approved by the district to help out on campus during school hours. To learn more and to apply, please visit the LAUSD Volunteer Portal. You need to re-apply for each school year.

For questions, please contact Lisa Henderson: lisa.henderson@lausd.net

Donate to Compass Fund

The Compass Fund is accepting donations for this school year! Thank you to all the families who already made their donations after the New Student Orientations or at the Welcome Carnival!

If your scholar is one of the first 100 to donate, they will get a limited edition T-shirt and we will start sending those packets home this Friday!

Don’t forget to check out the incentives for the different donation levels and the class participation prizes!

Highlights from Our BSC Carnival

Balboa’s Welcome Back Carnival this past Saturday was a fun-filled success! Games were played. Dances were danced. Balloon animals were in abundance and there were popsicles, popcorn and goodies for all. Thank you to all the incredible volunteers who made this event possible. A big shout out to our event co-chairs, Julie Brooks and Lenard Cuevas, who spent the summer strategizing and navigating vendors and LAUSD permits and of course, our BSC President, Steve Otterman for leading the team. It truly takes an army of dedicated volunteers to make these school events happen and our happy scholar’s faces make all the hard work worth it. Thank you!

Check out the full album and be sure to add your photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/BKjCYfR3EJFvKeWJA

Weekly Lunch Schedule August 19-23

LAUSD Menus will be posted on a weekly basis here: https://lausd.yumyummi.com/webapp/balboa-el-prep/daily/breakfast

Check Out BSC Spirit Wear!

Shop our BSC Store and purchase your Spirit Wear shirt, hat, and hoodies for your scholar! https://www.balboaparents.org/spirit-store.html

Thank you to all our Balboa parents who signed up as Room Parents for this year! We will have a RP Orientation this Thursday after drop off in the Auditorium. Please join us! Room Parents play an integral role in building a classroom community, facilitating important communications, and supporting their teacher, the BSC, and parents. Contact balboacommunications@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Galaxy and Nova Programs

Hello Balboa families, and welcome to the 2024-2025 school year!

During the school year, we at STAR operate two different programs, called Galaxy and Nova. On the Balboa campus, the other after-school program is Beyond the Bell, which is only open to grades 2nd and above.

Galaxy refers to the daily after-school enrichment program for grades 1-5, and our most popular program. We are located in our lovely classrooms right on the Balboa campus. Students join us any day that LAUSD is open, from dismissal until 6pm, with pickup at any time. Attached are some sample enrichment calendars from this year.

Nova refers to our hour-long, daily after-school specialized classes. While students in Galaxy get a taste of everything STEAM from our teachers, these specialized classes are taught by guest teachers who are professionals in that field. These classes start right at dismissal and have two 1-hour classes, split by grade level. There are 4 Nova sessions a year, each about 8 weeks long, so if you miss a session you can always join us for the next one! This also allows for the curriculum to change every session and keep students interested.

Galaxy registration is OPEN and spots are filling quickly! Nova registration opens on the 19th at 9am, but you can check out the offerings and register for Galaxy at starinc.org. I recommend using a Chrome browser on a laptop or desktop.
If you have any questions at all, I'm here for you! Again, welcome and I'll see you soon!
Contact: balboa@starinc.org // Call/text: (310)386-6359

Community News & Resources

After School Care Resources - KIDS Crew Learning Center

KIDS Crew Learning Center is a new state-of-the-art facility offering an innovative after school program. Besides homework assistance and academics, students complete activities that facilitate their Social Emotional Development. An ample amount of time is spent in the Sensory Gym as well to improve sensory, motor, and social skills. Student to teacher ratio is kept low so that every student feels supported and is able to thrive. One day trial sessions are available for only $35 prior to registering! Visit https://www.kids-crew.org to learn more.

FREE Scouting Event for Boys & Girls - Raingutter Regatta

Join Pack 911 in Northridge for our annual Kickoff Event this Friday August 23rd! Pack 911 is an inclusive and diverse group that includes both boys and girls from K-5th. Scouts learn useful skills and an appreciation of the outdoors with camping, hiking, woodworking, crafting and community service projects. Participants will build and race a mini sailboat, make ice cream, learn about our program year and enjoy dunking our volunteers in the dunk tank! For more information or to RSVP, please email pack911northridge@gmail.com or visit The 411 on Pack 911.