Day by day, what you choose, what you think, and what you do is who you become. - Heraclitus
Dear Charter Families,
We have entered September. Monday is Labor Day, a holiday from school. What a wonderful milestone; that we have been in school long enough this year that we can celebrate a typical school holiday together. We hope you and your family are having a restful and happy three-day weekend and come back to us healthy and ready to learn with your fantastic teachers and fellow learners.
Welcome to all the families who have joined our Charter as Independent Home Study learners.
We continue to work on developing our shared spaces at our new school site. There is still much more work to be done to complete our library, the outside spaces, gardens, and shared classroom spaces.
Of special interest is our Library, teacher Resource Room, and our shared Science/Cooking, Art Room. These rooms are currently being developed by our fabulous parent volunteers, teachers and staff whenever they have free time. I have added a pdf that shares a bit about our upcoming library. I am so excited that we will are developing such great resources for our students and families.
If you would like to volunteer to help with the rebuilding of our Charter school site, please contact our Charter office.
The Student Nutrition Services has changed the way they are serving breakfast and lunch. In order to not waste food, they are asking parents to order meals online beforehand. Please read on to learn how.
ALSO! Please note that Nathan, our Music Teacher will be having his Zoom meeting for interested middle school families this Tuesday, September 7. More information is below.
Thanks for sharing your family and children with us. I have you have a lovely Labor Day holiday.
~Rhonda
______________________________________________________
Band Opportunity for Middle School Students: Charter Band Introduction, Tuesday 9/7, 6pm We have received 28 responses to the Band survey that was sent out to all our middle school famlies. There is plenty of interest as we move forward to our next step, which is an informational Zoom meeting at 6pm tomorrow night, Tuesday, September 7. Music Teacher, Nathan Gonzales will be offering an introduction to our new band program https://slvusd-org.zoom.us/j/81215530148
______________________________________________________
Covid Protocols to All Families who come on-site: When your child is sick
Important for all of our students enrolled in our programs. We are committed to make sure that we are doing all that we can to mitigate the COVID virus so that we can keep our programs open for those who want to attend classes on our site. One piece that is important is to make sure that we trace any positive case. This is done by accessing any student who comes on site and shows symptoms that may be signs of the COVID virus.
If your child comes on site for classes. Please call our Charter Attendance Line at 831-336-8527 to report when your student is ill. If your student has experienced any covid-like symptoms:
*Cough *Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
*Fatigue *Muscle or body aches
*Headache *Congestion or runny nose
*Sore throat *New loss of taste or smell
*Diarrhea *Nausea or vomiting
You will either need to:
- Receive a negative PCR Covid Test, be free from vomiting, diarrhea or fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, and have had an improvement in symptoms.
- Isolate at home for 10 days from symptom onset. OR
- Be seen by their physician and provide a medical evaluator note to verify that an alternative diagnosis has been made and the symptoms are not due to COVID-19.
Parents who have further questions can contact Nurse Sarah Dahlen at 831-335-4452 x142.
Thank you so much to all of you who are wearing your masks properly while you are in the classrooms and outside, close to others. It is by doing so that we can keep the virus at bay and keep learning together in classrooms and on campus.
Proper mask-wearing includes the following:
- Wearing your mask properly, over your nose and mouth, whenever you are inside and there is another person present in the room
- Not pulling it down or taking it off in order to be better heard when speaking in class
- No eating or drinking in class. Breaks during class or stepping outside to take a drink will be made available.
- We have plenty of masks in every room if you need one.
Pandemic Safety Updates and Protocols: Please read Chris Schiermeyer’s email for the most recent update. Parent Communication - District Update #4
Here are some good links to perhaps bookmark regarding Covid Safety protocols: RETURN TO SCHOOL POLICY.
- Please print this guide out and refer it if you are considering whether your child should come to school
- The California Department of Public Health updates their information regularly. CDPH GUIDELINES.
- If your child is symptomatic at home, we ask that you take them to their primary care provider for testing or one of our free Santa Cruz County testing sites. Please click on the following link for a list of County testing sites COUNTY COVID TESTING SITES.
- ROUTINE STUDENT COVID SCREENING: Separately, the district is working with the County Office of Education to provide routine screening of staff and students. Once we have the ability to provide routine testing, student tests will require parental consent. If you are interested in routine screening for your student, please click on the following link INTEREST FORM FOR ROUTINE STUDENT COVID-19 SCREENING TESTING.
From Our District Nurse: SYMPTOMATIC STUDENT TESTING (Primary Health) At this time, we are able to offer on-site symptomatic rapid antigen, as well as PCR testing, through a partnership with CDPH and Primary.Health. To get started, please pre-register your student by clicking this link: SLV Primary Health Registration. Each student attending school in SLVUSD will need to register once. The program is free for all participants and all questions included in the registration are required for California state public health reporting.
If you need assistance with registration or have questions about the Rapid Antigen Testing Program, you can contact a call center representative Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm PST at 650-275-5419. For more information, please contact our school nurse, Sarah Dahlen, at [email protected].
If your child is symptomatic at home, we ask that you take them to their primary care provider for testing or one of our free Santa Cruz County testing sites. Please click on the following link for a list of County testing sites COUNTY COVID TESTING SITES.
______________________________________________________
Student Nutrition Services: New online ordering system
Parents and Students will need to order meals using this link to the online ordering system: https://family.onlineordering.linq.com. You will need your student’s school ID number to create an account if you do not already have this, please call the Charter office at 831-335-0932 or email us at [email protected] or [email protected].
FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
- USDA has extended free breakfast and lunch to all students through the 2021-2022 school year.
- Meals will be served from our Multi-use Room in the central area of the campus.
- Breakfast will be available in the mornings starting at 8:15-8:40.
- Lunch will be served to start at 11:45 on Mondays, 12:10 Tuesdays-Fridays
- CRHS students can order lunch and it will be delivered to the CRHS building.
- The more students use this service and share what they enjoy eating, the better Alicia and her team can support us.
In Memory of Rob Lahey:
We lost a great man, a great friend, and a great math teacher this past week. Rob Lahey was one of a kind. He is an SLV Legend and we will miss him dearly. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family in this difficult time.
This is also a time to reflect upon the fact that time is short and we need to remember to be kind to one another, take the time to notice one another, support each other, and acknowledge the positive aspect each of us brings to the SLV Community and our own families.
______________________________________________________
After School Performing Arts Update: The Charter School prides itself on offering after-school visual and performing arts options. Unfortunately, at this time, we don't have enough information to confirm if our All Charter Play will carry on as originally scheduled. Ideally, auditions would begin at the end of October, yet we will need to wait until the end of September to update our community, based on Covid protocols. We will also provide info on our annual Thrill the World dance event at that time as well. We are keeping our fingers crossed that these well-loved Charter VAPA opportunities will be available to our students this year.
Sincerely, The Charter Theater Booster Club
______________________________________________________
Parent Volunteers:
Volunteer opportunities will be available on a limited basis at each school site. The registration process for volunteers is as follows:
New Volunteer: You will be required to pick up and fill out the volunteer paperwork from your school site and obtain a signature from the school site administrator. Once complete, please bring your signed paperwork to the Human Resources Office. You will also be required to provide verification of a full COVID-19 vaccination and a current TB result.
Returning Volunteer: You will be required to provide verification of a full COVID-19 vaccination. This documentation can be provided to your child's school site. The school site will forward proof of vaccination to the Human Resources Office. You may also bring the proof of COVID-19 vaccination documentation directly to the Human Resources Office.
Registration packets are available in our Charter Administration Office.
The Human Resources Office hours will accept volunteer registrations on Tuesdays from 7:00-11:00 am and Thursdays from 12:30-3:30pm. The Human Resources Office is located at 325 Marion Avenue, Ben Lomond, CA 95005.
______________________________________________________
Transportation:
Students in grades K-8 can use the District’s bus transportation to get to and from the campus. Bus information, fees and schedules can be found at this link. Bus Transportation; SLVUSD
- The bus will drop off students at the front of the District Office and pick up students at the top of Marion Avenue by our CRHS building (formally Ponderosa). I will be there to greet them and help manage the drop-off/pick-up.
- Students will use the stairs to walk up to the bus..
- CRHS students who are taking classes at the SLVHS: Transportation can be provided from the Tri-campus or to the Tri-campus in the middle of the school day. Please contact the Charter Administration (335-0932, [email protected]) or your teacher of record if you want to use this service.
Student Drop off, pick-up:
- All student drop offs and pick-ups must be made safely
- Parents with elementary-age students need to park and walk their students to their classroom and sign them in at their classroom.
- Middle school students can walk to their classroom where the teacher will take attendance or students will sign in.
We will have more drivers coming onto the campus, dropping off/picking up their students. Please help ensure the safety of our children by driving slowly, and staying with your young child when walking to and from your car. Older students, please do not run and watch for moving cars when you are in the parking area.
NOTE: The driveway down to the main campus is not designed for walkers and cars at the same time. Buses need to take wide turns to exit the transportation lot. Please use the stairs when going up and down from Marion Avenue to the central campus area.
Bikes:
- Any student who is riding their bike to the campus needs to park their bike at the top by the Coast Redwood High School building and walk down and up the steps to and from the central campus area.
Parking:
- Parents of elementary and middle school students can park in front of the District Office Building.
- CRHS students who are driving to classes can park in the front parking lot and walk up the stairs to the CRHS building.
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.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Dates to Remember:
- Monday September 6: School Holiday
- Thursday, September 23: K-8 School Pictures 10:00am-11:30am
- Monday, November 1: Professional Development Day - No School
Key Contacts
Administrator: Rhonda Schlosser: [email protected]
Administrative Assistant: Danelle Matteson: [email protected]
Registrar: Jane Hendricks [email protected]
Mental Health Counselor: Robin Bate [email protected]
HS Academic Counselor: Mary Zilge [email protected]
__________________________________________________________________________