Dear Charter Families,
The end of the year has come and summer break is here.
This year we have had a lot of firsts:
- First-year with all Charter programs on the Quail Hollow Campus
- First-year after the pandemic students started the year in classrooms ..with masks
- First-year transitioning to full-day social interactions with their peers for academic and social interactions
- First-year managing Coivd testing, positive cases, vaccines, lessoning mask protocols
- First-year building academic expectations, student self-reflections on their work, report cards
- First-year of CAASSP testing
- First-year with field trips, extended excursions, and community projects after the pandemic.
- First-year of full graduation and promotion ceremonies after two years.
These are a bulk of the firsts we had together as a Charter community. And within the year each of the students has had many milestones in their social-emotional and academic development, not to mention their height and maturity as a member of their program and of our community as a whole.
I admire and appreciate each student for the effort they have put into their learning throughout the year, and to each parent for all that you have done to support your student your academic program and teachers, and the Charter as a whole.
I hope that each of you has a wonderful summer; filled with lazy days, time outdoors, sharing reading together as well as plenty of joy and loving moments. This summer will go by fast so please remember to appreciate each other in words and deeds. We all need more hugs and various forms of kindness. My summer will be one to make sure my sciatica is fully healed so that I can be back on campus asap.
For those of you who are returning, we hope you come back healthy and well rested. For those of you who have graduated, advancing, or moving on to another school, we wish you the very best!
- Teacher’s last day is June 8th
- Our office will be closed as of June 16th
- Our Charter office will open again on July 25th
- School starts August 11th for all programs
- Please watch for communication from your school in late July or early August for information regarding class assignments, orientations, etc.
Thank you for allowing us to share in the growth and positive well-being of your children.
All the best and take care,
~Rhonda
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Last Call for Lost and Found Items: We will have clothes out on the table outside of our office for one last look before we give them to goodwill.
Time to Return Books from the Charter Library: If you have not done so already, please bring us any books or school Chromebook that you may still have at home.
Clara (and parent helpers) would love to be able to complete a full inventory of all library materials before summer break. The books can either be returned to the main office (blue bin by the door) or to the library return cart. Thank you!
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From or Mental Health Counselor: Kindness without Judgment
Hello families. This is my last letter to you all as your Charter Mental Health Specialist. It’s difficult to decide what I’d like my last message to be to all of you, given that I’d like it to be something I feel is very important, and that I feel each of you is very important!
It’s been a long couple of years since 2020! All families have struggled in some form or fashion during these “unprecedented times” (that term has been used way more than I ever dreamed it would be). Behind all of the smiles and conversations with other parents - there are parents with worried minds about failed efforts to get their kids when and where they need to be with what they’re supposed to have to be ready, figuring out the rising costs of things and housing situations, difficult family dynamics only made worse by the pandemic or the fire, and fear of health issues and covid. I try to remember when I’m talking to a smiling parent that I have no idea what struggles have kept them up the night before, or the insecurities they feel about an issue they think only they have! I try to remember what it feels like when we show up late, miss an assignment due date, or not being able to get enough volunteer hours in for a particular month. The truth is - we don’t know what our fellow parents are struggling with behind closed doors.
One of my own spiritual advisors has often told me to “stay in my own lane”. If I’m doing too much - rather than blaming others (which is veering “into their lane”) - I just need to pump the brakes and slow down to take care of myself. The rest will eventually fall into place (this takes an incredible amount of patience and trust sometimes). And if I feel I’m not doing enough, then it’s time to focus on being kind to myself and recognize the importance of what I actually do in order to get things done!
Kindness without judgment starts with the way we care for ourselves. Can I be kind and nonjudgmental to myself when I make parenting mistakes, or I say the wrong things, or just generally get things wrong? When I am, it’s easier to pass on kindness and non-judgment to others.
With lots of love and appreciation for each one of you and for the uniqueness you bring to this charter community,
Robin Bates, LMFT
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Without the added support of our school during the summer months, it’s even more important for parents and kids to know what to do in the event of a psychiatric emergency! The following are resources and instructions for supporting yourself or someone else who is in crisis.
HOTLINES
- National Domestic Violence: 1-800-799-7233
- Suicide Prevention Crisis Line: (Santa Cruz, San Benito, & Monterey counties) 24-hour Hotline: 1-877-663-5433 (1-877-ONE-LIFE)
24-hour National Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
- Parental Stress: (800) 632-8188 (24/7-all languages)
- Walnut Ave Family and Women’s Center Domestic Violence Hotline: (866) 269-2559 (24/7, bilingual)
- Monarch Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: (888)-900-4232 (Immediate crisis response to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, 24/7, bilingual)
- California Peer Run Hotline: 1-855-845-7415 (Non-emergency resources for anyone in California seeking emotional support)
CRISIS TEXT LINES
- Crisis Text Line: Text Home to 741741 (Free 24/7)
- The Trevor Project (LGBTQ): Text Start to 678678
WHAT TO DO IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS:
If you are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide, tell someone who can help right away:
- Call your doctor’s office.
- Call 911 for emergency services.
- Go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
- Call the toll-free, 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to be connected to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest you.
- Ask a family member or friend to help you make these calls or take you to the hospital.
If You Have a Family Member or Friend in a Crisis: If you have a family member or friend who is suicidal, do not leave him or her alone. Try to get the person to seek help immediately from an emergency room, physician, or mental health professional. Take seriously any comments about suicide or wishing to die. Even if you do not believe your family member or friend will actually attempt suicide, the person is clearly in distress and can benefit from your help in receiving mental health treatment.
If you are not in imminent danger but need immediate crisis support call: (800) 952-2335 / (24-hours a day for Santa Cruz County residents to assess for hospitalization in a psychiatric crisis.)
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Parent Advisory Committee: At our last meeting, our core group of parents, representing every program helped to plan and schedule special All-Charter events for next year with me. They are committed to supporting the teachers in their annual planned events, while aosl offering more support in uniting the student and parent community through more activities at our site. They are looking forward to supporting our initial Beach day, on August 12, and connecting more of the programs together for an October event as well as a Craft day that every program participates in.
Expect an initial PAC meeting at the start of the year to ensure we continue to move with our community event planning to support the teachers and the entire Charter.
A big thanks to those who attended our meetings all year. I look forward to working with you next year!
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Summer Cyber Camps for HS Students - FREE Cabrillo College and the Santa Cruz County Office of Education are bringing Cyber back! We invite Santa Cruz County high school and community college students to join our annual Bay Cyber Summer CyberCamps. These are free week-long courses with hands-on activities in cybersecurity and technology, as well as connections to future internships and other college/career readiness opportunities.
Two weeks of in-person CyberCamps on the Cabrillo College campus:
- Introductory CyberCamp: June 13 - 17 from 9:00am. to 3:00 pm daily
- Intermediate CyberCamp: June 20 - June 24 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm daily
The ideal CyberCampers are current (2021-2022) 8th-12th graders and community college students with basic computer skills and little to no cybersecurity experience. Computer equipment and lunch/snacks will be provided.
Need more details? Check out the website:
https://cs.santacruzcoe.org/programs-and-events/2022-summer-cybersecurity-camp
or send us an email at [email protected]
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Band Update: We will have Mr. Gonzalez with us again next year for Middle School Band. It will once again be on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
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Beginning of the New School Year:
August 11, First Day of the 2022-23 School Year.
Friday, August 12, All-Charter Beach Day: To connect with the broader community of teachers, parents and students in all charter programs.
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COVID Update for next year – Vaccines will NOT be required for students and/or staff in the 2022-23 school year as previously anticipated. Schools will most likely continue with testing and tracking of exposures. Schools will still be required to provide Independent Studies as a choice for families; SLVUSD provides this through SLV Charter School.
COVID Update: Inspire Testing over the Summer. Inspire will continue to be at the DO on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1-5pm until Friday, June 10.
Beginning Monday, June 13, Inspire will be at the DO on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12-4pm. The DO is closed on Fridays in the summer. There will be summer school testing and I will message out those details after they have been ironed out.
To register your student(s), please click on INSPIRE DIAGNOSTICS REGISTRATION.
Employment Opportunities at SLVUSD: Are you looking for part-time or full-time work? Interested in joining the SLVUSD Team? We have several job opportunities. You can review SLVUSD job opportunities at www.edjoin.org/slvusd.
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Community Opportunities: The district has transitioned the Community Opportunities site to the new platform that Google will continue to support. Here is the LINK to the website.
Dates to Remember:
- Tuesday, June 7: Last day of school for students
Beginning of the New School Year Dates:
- August 11, First Day of the 2022-23 School Year
- Friday, August 12, All-Charter Beach Day: To connect with the broader community of teachers, parents and students in all charter programs.
Key Contacts
Administrator: Rhonda Schlosser: [email protected]
Administrative Assistant: Danelle Matteson: [email protected]
Registrar: Janet Hendricks [email protected]
Mental Health Counselor: Robin Bates [email protected] Jem Sims [email protected]
HS Academic Counselor: Mary Zilge [email protected]