“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” - Anonymous
Dear Charter Families,
Here is one last newsletter to share what the Charter staff is thinking about so far as we prepare for next year. Additionally, I have listed some resources that you may want to refer to throughout the summer.
Next year, we will still work under the guidelines of the Department of Health and Santa Cruz County Office of Education as will SLVUSD as a whole. I'll be working with the County Office Taskforce regarding reopening schools; in particular with a committee focusing on Curriculum, Blended learning, Local Assessments/Grading/State Testing/Field Trips/Work-based learning.
During the last days of school, the Charter teachers worked together and brainstormed plans to support you and your children within our programs. NOTE: we will continue to work with the District and the Health Department as we finalize our Charter programs’ plans to ensure we do what is needed within COVID-19 constraints. Plans will more than likely not be finalized until August.
Here are some examples of our ideas;
- (All programs) Begin with conferences to establish strong dialogue from the start to help ensure we understand your student’s needs from the start.
- (All programs that are moving this year) Involve parents and students in Quail Hollow school site related projects to vision and create the school site that we want.
- (6-8) “Go boxes” for kids. They will have hands-on items for at-home learning. We’ll collect and redistribute every couple of weeks
- (All) Outdoor classrooms and activities: Outside spaces for all programs. Recognize and find ways to support young students' difficulty with Social Distancing requirements while outside. Individualized supplies, Hula hoop spacing, limit the time per activity, activities designed with spacing, and safety in mind.
- (All) Online community and SEL: have the students work on digital citizenship with cross grade-level mentoring/coaching (8th gr. leaders), Learning style assessments. Mental Health videos, art therapy activities. Online PE and dance opportunities.
- (All) Distance learning: Continue to look at using Zoom effectively for teaching/ reaching our most vulnerable kids. Limit the time of online sessions. Personalize Screencasting when using it to support the greatest engagement. (K-5 homeschool) Push out one integrated lesson per week on Mondays with an end of week Zoom meeting with the class for responses and so they can share their experiences doing the lessons
- (All) Group Activities, Clubs: Online with some on-site (conclusions/recognitions)
- (All) Community projects: local environmental education partners would like to support the work we do and so may have resources or be open to visits within the restrictions
This is just the beginning, but I am confident that we will be able to start the year in a way that honors the Charter program you have chosen to participate in while we also support the health and safety restrictions schools will have.
Change is the wave of the times! United, our changes will be positive and productive for our students and children.
Take care everyone and enjoy your summer together.
~Rhonda
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Online Registration is now available. Registration has been finalized and you should have received an email link to complete your annual registration for the 2020 - 2021 school year. Please complete this as soon as you can. If you are having trouble accessing the link, please contact Amy Kuo [email protected] or 831-336-4022 for help and instruction on this issue.
TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE Please email [email protected] if you need tech assistance or are having any tech problems.
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In These Times: No one can deny that we are in the throes of dramatic times. The protests around the world are not something that can be ignored. Our children are watching, and they need their loved ones to help them understand and possibly help them to consider how they can share their voice or actions to the events that are shaking our country. You are the ones who model the importance of listening to those who are marginalized, sharing our empathy and finding ways to unite in our humanity. It is a time in history for us all to step in, to listen more, learn more, do more, together.
For parents looking for resources and tools for how to talk to children about the George Floyd/Black Lives Matter protests, violence, police brutality, racism, etc. Here are a couple that may be useful. The first is from GMA, who reaches out to experts for advice on the topic:
The second is a blog and I don't normally turn to blogs, but this one has a host of links, including children's books, that you may find helpful:
http://www.ramshackleglam.com/2020/05/28/how-to-talk-to-your-white-children-about-george-floyd/
A list of books from our local Book Store: Bookshop Santa Cruz Anti Racism Reading for All Ages
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Final Grades for CRHS and Nature Academy Grades were calculated and entered a bit differently than normal due to the school closure, pandemic and all that followed. Teachers reviewed two criteria for each class: the grade that was frozen when we started school closure, and an overall grade for all that followed. In the spirit of hold harmless, teachers reviewed each of these grades and awarded the student the higher mark of the two.
CRHS students who ended up with final grades of a D will instead be given a P for Pass this semester only. Students who had an F when we left and still have an F will be given a grade of INC. Incomplete grades will be changed to NM for No Mark and No Credit earned and the semester for that class will need to be repeated.
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From our Mental Health Counselor: Resources for you to refer to over the summer, if you choose.YouTube videos for Charter Students by Robin Bates
NOTE: these can be found under our Mind and Body tab as well.
https://charter-slvusd.edlioschool.com/apps/pages/mind-body-videos
6-12th graders: “IMPROVE skills and journaling”. This video contains ideas from DBT for
adolescents to regulate big emotions. IMPROVE is an acronym filled with lots of tools for
managing a variety of difficult thoughts and feelings. There are prompts and ideas for different
styles of journaling (include art and collage). https://youtu.be/2L6lfojFvXY
K-3th graders: “The Stars” (book reading) and Journaling. The purpose of this video is to
remind young children that in spite of any kind of change, there are still things that are always
there and constant (the Stars!). https://youtu.be/JwbZOB7d-V0
4-5th graders: “Collage Journaling”. This is a quick journaling lesson for kids in 4th and 5th
grade, introducing different forms of expression in journaling. https://youtu.be/atZ_t3l4k-c
6-8th graders: “4 Options for Any Problem”. Emotional problem solving is a big topic for middle schoolers, as they are often faced with emotional challenges they’ve never had before and have few skills to manage. This DBT skill has multiple benefits - as a template for dealing with any problem, and also as a reminder that we do have something we can manage when we feel out of control!
K-5th graders: “Ocean Breathing”. This video is an introduction to guided imagery and
mindful breathing all in one - this is a tool kids can use for life. https://youtu.be/48Qvw45XSvg
6-12th graders: “The Comfort Box” . This is a lesson in “Open Focus” and “Focusing Away”
in times of distress. It includes a fun art activity that can be done in a variety of ways! https://youtu.be/Kg4Rr1a-v2k
Websites for Mental Wellness
https://insighttimer.com/ - I have always loved this app/website. You can scroll through and choose through a huge list of topics and find a guided imagery video of any length that you want! There are thousands of facilitators and they are reviewed by we users. They even have a section devoted to support for feelings associated with the Coronavirus. Great for parents!
https://www.apa.org/topics/ - this is an old trusted friend! It’s PACKED with anything and everything psychology, with wonderful articles, resources and information. I often start here when researching hard-core science or new topics in the field.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us - if looking for an outside therapist or psychiatrist
seems like a daunting task (you’re not alone on this one), this is an excellent resource. You can narrow your search down by location, population or issue you need support for. Plus, there are some decent articles to browse through as well.
Please visit our Charter “Mind and Body” page for more local resources, clinicians and programs for mental health!
The California Department of Social Services is supporting Parents Anonymous in the launch of the new California Parent and Youth Helpline, which provides support and resource referrals to parent and youth during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The California Parent and Youth Helpline provides support and resource referrals to parent and youth during the current COVID-19 pandemic, 7-days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Call or text 1-855-4APARENT (855-427-2736) for services in English, Spanish and other languages.
For more information, please visit: https://caparentyouthhelpline.org/
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Summer Reading Fun:
Bookshop Santa Cruz Summer Reading Program Summer Reading Program 2020.
Dear SLV Families,
To help encourage your students to read over the summer and help prevent the summer slide, beginning Friday, May 29th, Bookshop will be offering our Summer Reading Program.
Our reading program encourages students to read six books this summer. Once the student has completed the reading they receive a $5 gift card from Bookshop, a free scoop of ice cream from Penny Ice Creamery, a free slice of pizza from Pizza My Heart, and a special prize from the Santa Cruz Warriors.
We also keep track of how many completed bookmarks are returned from each school. The school with the most bookmarks returned receives books for their library from Bookshop Santa Cruz. Students do not need to purchase a book from Bookshop to participate in the program. But all of the books and descriptions of the books can be found at: Summer Reading Program 2020.
Santa Cruz Public Library Summer Reading Program
https://www.santacruzpl.org/pages/srp/
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Dates to Remember:
- July 27: Charter Office open
- August 10: Teacher’s first day back
- August 13: First School Day of 2020-21