Week at a Glance

Monday, September 23rd "A" Day for Teachers/Staff

Early Dismissal 1:30pm

Tuesday, September 24th- Quiet Day of Instruction

SSC Meeting 3:30pm-5pm LINK

Regular Dismissal 3:10pm

Wednesday, September 25th- Quiet Day of Instruction

Regular Dismissal 3:10pm

Thursday, September 26th- Quiet Day of Instruction

Student Monthly Celebration Assemblies

2nd/3rd - 1:25pm-1:55pm

K/1st- 2:00pm-2:30pm

PK/TK- 2:35pm-3:05pm

Regular Dismissal 3:10pm

Friday, September 27th- Quiet Day of Instruction

Student Monthly Celebration Assemblies

5th- 12:35pm-1:05pm

4th- 1:15pm-1:45pm

Regular Dismissal 3:10pm

If I missed an important point and/or you still have a burning question after reading my message, please include your question(s) HERE.

Thank to PTA for yet another amazing Mid-Autumn Moon Festival!! Thank you to all of the families, students, vendors, volunteers, friends, teachers/staff, Pasadena High School, Sierra Madre Middle School and so many more that joined us for this incredible event! We look forward to seeing you for the next event but in the meantime please enjoy a brief recap HERE!

School Site Council (SSC)

We will host our next SSC meeting on Tuesday, September 24th 3:30pm-5:00pm to discuss the following items:

• SSC Vacancies

• SSC Elections

• Overview of Duties & Responsibilities

• School & District Initiatives 2024-2025

The Field School Site Council (website here) will meet on Tuesday, September 24th from 3:30-5:00pm via Google Meet (link here, also listed on the agenda). You can find the agenda for this meeting here. We welcome public comments via our online form here or as in-person statements during the public comment window at the start of the meeting.

Parents of our honored students of the month (August & September) should receive an email from their child's teacher if they are going to be recognized at the upcoming assembly this week. It's a special time for students that are going to be recognized for their hard work throughout the past month of school. We encourage our students to wear something special for the day (this is optional). Just be mindful students will still participate in recess and other activities for the school day. We will start wearing our lanyards at our October assemblies. We look forward to seeing you on either Thursday or Friday of this week!

Dates for the Year

September 26th &27th

October 24th & 25th

November 21st & 22nd

December 12th & 13th

January 30th & 31st

February 27th & 28th

March 27th (upper grade) & 28th (lower)

April 24th & 25th

May 29th & 30th

Summer Communication:

Sunday, September 1st

Wednesday, September 4th

Sunday, September 8th

Wednesday, September 11th

Sunday, September 15th

Wednesday, September 18th

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

September is Attendance Awareness Month & Updates (REPEAT)

Attendance & Independent Studies (REPEAT)

2025-2026 Open Enrollment for PUSD (REPEAT)

School Site Council (SSC) Elections (REPEAT)

Eugene Field Elementary School- Reminders (REPEAT)

Parent Involvement & Leadership Groups (REPEAT)

Metro Card Survey (REPEAT)

Share 1st Day of School Photos (REPEAT)

Homeroom Parent Contact Information Explicit Permission Form 2024-2025 (REPEAT)

Upcoming Events

HAPPY ATTENDANCE AWARENESS MONTH!

At Field Elementary, our mission is to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment where every student is empowered to achieve academic excellence and personal growth. As we celebrate Attendance Awareness Month, we also reaffirm our commitment to fostering a culture of achievement for every student, every day, all year long!

This school year, we are placing a special focus on re-establishing good attendance habits, reinforcing family connections, and creating a safe and engaging learning environment. Field Elementary has set ambitious goals for attendance, aiming to increase the percentage of students attending school. With our 2024-2025 Attendance Improvement Plan, we are committed to maintaining and building upon our current 97.64% attendance rate, with a long-term goal of reaching 98% for this school year.

"Showing up" is more than just a habit—it's an attitude. Being present and engaged in school prepares students for future success. Research shows that consistent attendance helps students:

• Get back on track and recover lost momentum.
• Promote academic achievement and increase the chances of graduation.
• Build confidence and a positive attitude toward school.
• Improve mental health by fostering friendships, empathy, and social connections.
• Keep up with personalized learning opportunities that prevent them from falling behind.

At Field Elementary, our Attendance Improvement Plan is built on three key goals:

1. Attendance & Dropout Prevention: We are focused on reducing chronic absenteeism and ensuring every student, especially those facing adversity, is supported both academically and emotionally.
2. Teaching Attendance: Through collaboration with families and teachers, we will ensure that everyone understands the importance of attendance and actively works toward our shared goals.
3. Prevention & Intervention: Our leadership team will prioritize social-emotional learning and positive behavior support to encourage daily attendance and help every student thrive.

Evidence shows that when schools and families work together, students are more likely to stay in school, excel academically, and form strong social connections. We are committed to working with you to ensure that your child has every opportunity to succeed.

Thank you for your dedication to showing up all year long and for being a part of our team as we strive to prepare, educate, and inspire every student at Field Elementary.

Our Attendance Clerk, Ms. Aide Suarez-Gomez is out on a leave of absence. We are currently working with the district to secure long term coverage and support. Please be patient as we navigate this unexpected circumstance. As you are reporting your absences and requests regarding attendance in the coming weeks, please forward your emails to me: tucker.charlene@pusd.us. For safe passage, please cc: our Office Manager, Carol Ko at ko.carol@pusd.us

We will be sending out individualized attendance letters to each Field family based on your attendance from last school year by the end of the month. Please review last school year's data and discuss with your family areas that went well and areas that require attention for this school year. Our mission is to improve our attendance across all grade levels, including our teachers/staff members within our school. Knowledge and recognition of the things we should be accountable for are our first steps in our schoolwide improvement plan. There will be more to come as we embark on this journey but in the mean time please review our plan mention above.

Still to Come:

1. Attendance Letters Home (end of September)

2. PUSD Art Contest -ends October 4th LINK (Redeem Eugene Bucks for your submission)

2. Tea & Talk w/ the Principal regarding Attendance & Goals for the school year (October 4th)

3. Attendance Recognition

4. Grade Level Competition

5. Attendance Conferences & Student Attendance Review Team (SART) Meetings

Due to our new parking routines for the start of the school year, we have not marked students tardy. Students are marked tardy after the late bell rings at 8:45am. If you need early childcare (7am-8am) or extended care (7:50am-8:20am) through LEARNs please refer to the LINK HERE.

Due to the unique make up of our dual language immersion program, our students have limited time during the school day to acquire to both languages with the hopes of proficiency and mastery by the end of the school year. Our instructional minutes are the top priority for our teachers as they deliver key standards and strategies to your children on a daily basis. Often at the end of the school day it may be the only time your child is receiving their only English instruction for the day or critical Mandarin instruction due to the structure of the day with special subjects that were delivered earlier (ie. Art, PE, Social Studies, Science etc).

Additionally, we are normally short staffed in all areas due to continued budget cuts but we find ourselves down to 1 employee in the afternoon in the front office further draining our resources over the last couple of weeks. Afternoon early pick up stops at 12:50pm on Mondays and 2:30pm on Tuesdays-Fridays. All appointments and early departures for the weekend, vacation and other such trips will not occur after these mentioned times. A courtesy call to the front office for scheduled appointments or student retrieval at some point in the school day would also be appreciated. The teachers do not always forward email messages sent to them regarding an early departure. If you are sending an email to your child's teacher about an upcoming appointment please take the next step and include an office staff member on the email so we can be prepared for our regular workday and the occasional calls to classrooms to gather students that are either leaving for the school day or going and returning from an appointment. Emails listed below. As much as we can anticipate our workday and the coverage that is needed in the front office, the smoother things will run and the better we will be able to serve the needs of your child and your family.

Carol Ko- Office Manager ko.carol@pusd.us

Ning Cui- Community Assistant cui.ning@pusd.us

Charlene Tucker- Principal tucker.charlene@pusd.us

This courtesy also extends to when your child is going to be out due to an illness. The two individuals that should be emailed are our School Nurse, Ms. Elsa Saenz and our Health Clerk, Ms. Gaby Guillen. An office staff person should also be cc:ed in the email for attendance purposes. Their emails are listed below:

Elsa Saenz- School Nurse saenz.elsa@pusd.us

Gabriella Guillen- Health Clerk guillen.gabriella@pusd.us

If I missed an important point regarding attendance and/or you still have a burning question after reading my message, please include your question(s) HERE.

California compulsory education law requires everyone between the ages of six and eighteen years of age to attend school, except students who have graduated from high school or passed the California High School Proficiency Exam and obtained parental permission.

Truant

• Any student who is absent from school without a valid excuse for three full days, or tardy or absent for more than 30-minutes from any period during the school day, or an combination thereof [EC 48260(a)]0

Habitual Truant

• Any student that has been truant three or more times per school year and the school/district has made a conscientious effort to hold a least one conference with the student’s guardian [EC 48262]

Chronically Truant

• A student who is absent without a valid excuse for ten percent or more of the school year, approximately 18 days [EC 48263.6

First Truancy Letter

• Mailed to parents when student becomes truant (combination of 3 unexcused absences or tardies over 30 minutes late

Second Truancy Letter

• Mailed after 4th unexcused absence or 30 minute tardy

Student Attendance Review Team (SART) Conference

• Conference held to provide attendance interventions

• SART Contract is signed

Third Truancy Letter

• Mailed after 5th unexcused absences and SART conference (or a conscientious effort was made to hold a conference) - Student is now deemed a Habitual Truant

School Attendance Review Board (SARB) Hearing

• Once third truancy letter is mailed and student is habitually truant

District Attorney Truancy Mediation Meeting

• SARB Contract is violated

• Student continues to be truant

• 15 full days of unexcused absences

Court Truancy Case Filing

• Student has missed an additional three days after DA Truancy Mediation

The SART meeting addresses attendance issues with the student and parents/guardian and provides agreed upon directives with the goal of guiding the student back into the classroom.

What is SARB?

• A multi-agency, community/school-based program that provides intensive guidance and coordinates service delivery to students with severe attendance issues. SARB seeks to understand why students are experiencing attendance issues and provide resources to break down these barriers.

Which students to refer?

• Students deemed severe chronically truant

• Students with SART contract (or attempted conference)

• Students who have received their third Truancy Letter

• When all interventions available at the school site have not worked

A Chronically Absent Student is defined as:

• A student who misses ten percent of the days the student is enrolled in the school year. This includes all absences (excused and unexcused). [EC 60901(c)(1)]

This can equate to 18 days or more of missed school days.

Some of the Negative Effects of Being Absent/Late

• Students miss out on classroom learning.

• Students miss out on social skills experiences.

• Catching up on missed learning/classwork is twice as difficult.

• Students feel disconnected from school and friends.

• Students can feel stressed out and embarrassed.

• Absenteeism not only has short term effects but long term as well.

Socio-emotional Effects of Being Absent/Late

• Students who are often absent can feel isolated and left out of classroom activities.

• Students can feel sad and anxious due to missed material during class time.

• Students can often times feel embarrassed when called on in class due to being behind on classwork.

As a member of our community, you have signed a permit in order to attend our specialized program in the district. Your commitment to our program is key and directly linked to your child's success over the course of their time with us. All students that attend Field Elementary are on permit (inter-district meaning coming from outside of the district or intra-district meaning coming from within our district). Your continued support starts with your child being present and in school every single school day. As we enter a new season of Open Enrollment please review the commitment signed as your last step before receiving your inter-district or intra-district permit to Field Elementary:

Please read the important terms and conditions below:

• Please visit our website for important dates and deadlines. pusd.us/enroll – Applicants are responsible for responding to school offers and completing any required next steps by published deadlines.
• This application system sends important reminders via email or text. Please check your email (including SPAM/Junk) frequently to ensure you do not miss any important messages or deadlines.
• This application may only be submitted by the child's educational rights holder.
• The district does not provide transportation to the schools/programs selected in this Open Enrollment process.
• Any school or program offers resulting from this application may be revoked or rescinded for falsification of information on the application, any change to the criteria required for the offer to be made, and/or failure to maintain satisfactory citizenship, attendance, and scholarship.
• This transfer may not carry athletic eligibility.
• Once an application is submitted, students may not participate in any other upcoming enrollment lotteries for that same school year.
• Students applying for a dual language program as a native speaker of the program’s target language or applying for a dual language program for grades 1 or above must be continuing in a PUSD dual immersion program or pass a language assessment in the target language. This language assessment will be scheduled by the school after the application closes. Students who do not pass this assessment may be offered a placement in the non-native-speaker lottery or the school’s general program.
• Placement offers for students in special education programs are subject to the availability of services at the requested school/grade level/program as listed in the student’s IEP.
• Any priorities or preferences are dependent on available space in the school/level/program and may only be valid during applicable phases of Open Enrollment.
• If multiple applications are submitted for the same student, all applications for the student may be deemed ineligible.
• By selecting the “Agree” checkbox, you are signing this agreement electronically and consenting to use an electronic signature to acknowledge and agree to these terms and conditions.

Out-of-District Residents only:

• Any school offers here are provisional and contingent on an approved permit to exit your district of residence. Both permits are required before an offer becomes valid. If you did not upload all required documents during your initial application, please return to this site to upload any requested documents (such as your release from district of residence) as soon as they are available.
• Inter-district permits expire when students transition to a new school and/or district.
• PUSD may deny initial requests for inter-district attendance permits based on overcrowding of school facilities at the relevant grade level, or other considerations that are not arbitrary, including but not limited to failure to maintain satisfactory citizenship, attendance, and scholarship.

I have read and agree to these terms and conditions.
☐ Agree / Aceptar

ATTENDANCE

For reporting student attendance or requesting Independent Study for short-term absences (minimum of 1 consecutive school day and up to 14 cumulative days), please contact the school’s attendance clerk-typist in the front office at (626) 396-5860.

TEMPORARY STEP: Please also email all requests to:

• Carol Ko: ko.carol@pusd.us
• Dr. Charlene Tucker: tucker.charlene@pusd.us

You may use the same contacts to report a student absence. Please ensure the school nurse and health clerk are included for reported illnesses.

For early excused medical appointment pickups, please email the individuals listed above and include the doctor’s note either in advance or after the visit. Please follow these steps:

1. Call the main office at least 1-2 hours prior to your planned arrival.
2. Call 10 minutes before your actual arrival so that the office staff can assist in bringing your child to the front office as soon as possible.

Note: Early dismissals will not be granted within 40 minutes of school dismissal time.

Attendance Updates in Aeries:

• Attendance updates may take 5-14 working days due to current staff shortages in the front office.
• If you receive a daily attendance call or email after reporting an absence, please allow a few days for the system to catch up.
• You can also check the Parent Portal to view attendance updates.

INDEPENDENT STUDY (IS)

Short-term Independent Study (IS) is available on a site-by-site basis for absences of at least 1 consecutive school day (NEW), and no more than 14 cumulative days per school year. IS does not require synchronous instruction and is designed for students capable of completing assignments independently. IS may be denied if the student has a history of not completing previous IS contracts, is not in good academic standing, or has attendance concerns. Participation in IS is voluntary for families.

Application Process for Independent Study:

• Submit your IS request 2-4 weeks before the intended start date.
• Approval is required from both the administrator and teachers.
• Once approved, parents will be notified and provided with IS assignments, aligned with current grade-level standards for the trimester (1, 2, or 3).

Note:

• Teachers (homeroom and English) will not provide specific IS packets for the absence period. Instead, all relevant classwork and homework can be found on Canvas and/or Parent Portal and is optional.
• Missed in-class assignments will not be repeated upon your return; Independent Work Packets will replace these during the student’s absence.
• All Independent Work Packets must be completed and returned to the school office upon the student's return.

Attendance Coding for Independent Study:

• During the IS period, attendance will be marked as “N” to prevent an absence call.
• Once the work is completed, the code will be updated to “O” in the student’s Aeries attendance record for audit purposes.
• If the Independent Work Packet is not completed, the “N” code will remain, and future IS requests will be denied.

Important District Policy:

• Requests for student leave beyond 14 days in one school year will not be approved. In such cases, the student must withdraw from Field Elementary and enroll in PUSD’s Center for Independent Study (CIS).
• Permit status to Field Elementary will not be held during this period, and re-enrollment will be required upon return if continued enrollment at Field is desired.

Submission Process:
All Independent Study requests should be submitted through this LINK and emailed to the student’s homeroom teacher, English teacher (if applicable), and the front office staff listed above. Failure to complete this 1st step will result in a delayed response or denial for the request.

2025-26 Open Enrollment: Sibling and Program Priority begins October 22nd, 9AM at pusd.schoolmint.com!

More detailed information HERE

Our SSC elections for parents will run from Monday, September 16th- Monday, September 23rd. Please be on the lookout for our ballot that will be shared with the community starting Monday, September 16th. Good luck to all of the candidates!!

REMINDERS:

Reminder #1:

The front semi-circle drive is for carline drop-off and pick-up only. This area will not have adult supervision or volunteers in the morning for drop-off. The east side TK/Kinder Gate is for walking students only. The parking lot on the east side of our campus is for teachers/staff only. Please refer to the map of the area HERE.

DO NOT PARK YOUR CAR IN THE DESIGNATED CARLINE IN THE SEMI-CIRCLE AND THEN PROCEED TO LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE IN ORDER TO DROP OFF OR PICK UP YOUR STUDENT(S) FROM SCHOOL. THIS IS A DRIVE THROUGH NOT A PARKING LOCATION. THANK YOU!

Reminder #2:

Doors/gates will open at 8:25am and all students should report to the multi-purpose room (MPR)/cafeteria and surrounding areas until 8:35am. The first bell is at 8:40am and the final bell is at 8:45am.

At 8:45am (final bell) all teachers will have their students line up on their respective playgrounds.

NEW: Please let us know if we offered extended care from 8am-8:25am if you would take advantage of this drop off period HERE

Reminder #3:

Simple Dismissal numbers have been issued to a majority of our students on campus.

Great job TK/Kinder/New Students at Field! You will now remain in your classrooms to wait to be dismissed based on whether you should report to the carline or TK/Kinder walking gate. Parents that have not picked up your child's Simple Dismissal number please report to the front office (sibling sets) to retrieve your number. TK/Kinder parents please see your child's homeroom teacher for your Simple Dismissal number.

Carline Pick-up (Front Semi-Circle)- Please place your parent number placard in the right passenger window for pick-up.

Walkers (TK/Kinder Gate)- Please have your parent number for pick up as you request your child after school.

Independent walkers- Please complete this form HERE in order to designate your child as an independent walker for the school year.

Afterschool Programming- Students will be released by their teacher based on completion of this form HERE.

You will find information from the following parent groups with upcoming events & activities here:

We need your help! If you are willing to help with our traffic control both before and after school please sign up below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0444ACAF28A2FF2-50377046-carline#/

Field Flash:

https://us14.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=9b5d8c056b94088fc783784fa&id=e0e409805c

If you are a returning or new Field Family you have an opportunity to receive a new Metro Card or you can reload your Metro Card as a returning family. Please see the information below in the flyers provided. Please share your interest HERE

Thank you for sharing wonderful 1st day of school pictures! If we missed you, please use the link below:

Please share your first day/week of school pictures HERE! We would love to share them with the community either on our PowerPoint slide show in the front office and/or on Instagram!

Keep the photos coming! We love them!

If you would like your child excluded from all posts for Instagram, please complete the form HERE.

Please complete this form to provide school officials (teachers/staff) to share your information with other parents in your homeroom cohort. Your homeroom teacher will also share this form with you. Please complete the form HERE

1st Schoolwide Celebration Assembly September 26th & 27th

Breakfast Menu (August/September)

Lunch Menu (August/September)

Latino Heritage Month Celebration September 15th-October 15th

Tea & Talk w/ the Principal Friday, October 4th 9am

Parent/Teacher Conference Friday, October 18th