Charter News•February 26, 2023

Dear Charter Families,

 

We have had yet another storm day closure; this one with snow along with the lack of power and fallen trees.  Mountain people are resilient! I hope you are all safe and with power. 

 

- We have heard back from the WASC commission. The ACS WASC Commissioners have determined SLVUSD Charter School (K-12) meets the ACS WASC criteria for accreditation.  It is the decision of the Commission to grant six-year accreditation status through June 30, 2029.  This is great news! This accreditation status is based on all of the information provided by the school, including the school's report, and the satisfactory completion of the accreditation visit.

 

- We will be holding our annual information nights in the next couple of weeks. 

 

The Information Night for All Homeschool Programs is March 7, at 6:00 pm.

Nature Academy’s Information Night is March 14 at 6:00 pm.

Both will be held in our Multipurpose Room

Please share this information with your friends through your various social media sites.  The flyers for these special events are attached below and can be copied and pasted into your social media groups if you like.

 

- And another reminder on the importance of helping your child with their academics. Please help your child do their best by providing a specific time and place for them to do their school work at home.  The Nature Academy is ending their second trimester and students are completing their self-reflections on their progress. CRHS students are mid-semester and after-school sports and play eligibility is coming up as well.

 

Show them that you are their co-facilitator by looking at Schoology, Google Classroom, teacher emails, or their paperwork and helping them with questions or clarity when needed.  All of our programs have field excursions and special events each month, with our secondary programs having sport, drama, and work experience opportunities. We want all students to know that their academic learning comes first. Help them when necessary and please contact your teacher if you have any questions.

 

Thank you for sharing your children with us.  

 

~Rhonda

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NEW Parent Advisory Committee meeting; Tuesday, February 28 at 9:30

We will meet in the Library or on Zoom.  We will continue our discussion on programs and planning for next year.

For those who cannot meet in person, you can connect via Zoom  Join Zoom Meeting:

PAC  Feb. 28 meeting

These meetings are designed to ensure we have parent input into critical documents that are the backbone of the Charter, as well as supporting the growth and development of the campus activities and culture of the Charter as a whole.  Yearly this committee gives input to our Local Control Accountability Plan (includes our school goals and funding) School Safety Plan, Annual Parent Survey, and our 5 year Charter Petition Renewal and Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation review.

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Metro Bus Service will be FREE to all Students beginning March 1st

Starting on Wednesday, March 1st, all students in Santa Cruz County can ride the Metro Bus for free.

This Youth Ride Free program will be piloted for one year.  High School students will be asked to show a student ID to the driver.   Those without one can get a special pass from their school or at the Pacific Station Customer Service window in Downtown Santa Cruz.

The year-long program, set to launch March 1, aims to increase access for riders in grades K-12 and also foster familiarity with the public transportation system that local authorities are leaning into for future planning opportunities.
"This pilot program is a big step toward reducing barriers in ridership. A key goal for the Youth Ride Free program is to help develop lifelong transit riders while meeting METRO's overall goal of increasing transit ridership.”

More information regarding the pilot program can be found at https://www.scmtd.com/en/youthcruzfree 

The bus routes can be found at    https://www.scmtd.com/en/routes.

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See’s Candy for a safe and sober Grad Night 2023:

Please support our CRHS and SLVHS graduating seniors by ordering your Springtime and Easter treats through our online store until 3/24. Beautifully boxed selections and gift cards are available! Free shipping for orders of $70 or more.
https://www.yumraising.com/secure/slvhsgn_spring_for_grads5/AmyArr8048/

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Free online live tutoring available. Students can now have 24-hour access to various resources, including live 1:1 tutors. This is a fantastic resource for our students and families. Here is the link to check it out:
https://www.brainfuse.com/highed/helpNow.asp?a_id=6BE9380D&ss=&r=

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WHAT HAPPENS DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER

As a reminder, when stormy weather is present, the Superintendent's Office initiates the Storm Team to check major roadways and schools for power. This activity generally takes place around 5:00 am prior to the start of school so that parents can be notified in a timely manner via an  "All Call" should there be adverse conditions that may impact the ability for schools to be open. The district attempts to make the "All Call" to families by 6:00am whenever possible. The information is also posted to the District website if power and internet are available.

 

Please make sure that your contact information is kept up to date with your child's school to ensure you are receiving important information from SLVUSD

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Earned Income Tax Credit Information Act Communication: 

Based on your annual earnings, you may be eligible to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit from the Federal Government (Federal EITC). The Federal EITC is a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. The Federal EITC has no effect on certain welfare benefits. In most cases, Federal EITC payments will not be used to determine eligibility for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, food stamps, low-income housing, or most Temporary Assistance For Needy Families payments. Even if you do not owe federal taxes, you must file a federal tax return to receive the Federal EITC. Be sure to fill out the Federal EITC form in the Federal Income Tax Return Booklet. For information regarding your eligibility to receive the Federal EITC, including information on how to obtain the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Notice 797 or any other necessary forms and instructions, contact the IRS by calling 1-800-829-3676 or through its website at www.irs.gov.

You may also be eligible to receive the California Earned Income Tax Credit (California EITC) starting with the calendar year 2015 tax year. The California EITC is a refundable state income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. The California EITC is treated in the same manner as the Federal EITC and generally will not be used to determine eligibility for welfare benefits under California law. To claim the California EITC, even if you do not owe California taxes, you must file a California income tax return and complete and attach the California EITC Form (FTB 3514). For information on the availability of the credit eligibility requirements and how to obtain the necessary California forms and get help filing, contact the Franchise Tax Board at 1-800-852-5711 or through its website at www.ftb.ca.gov________________________________________________________________________________

Student Nutrition Services: FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

  • All SLVUSD students are eligible to receive a free breakfast and lunch through the cafeteria.
  • Complete the Free/Reduced Lunch Application at https://family.titank12.com/
  • Although a meal application is not necessary to receive free meals during the 2022-2023 school year, households are encouraged to complete a meal application to ensure that your school receives accurate funding. As well, your child’s eligibility for free or reduced lunch could qualify you for additional outside services or benefits including Free/Reduced Bus passes, student fee waivers, P-EBT, discounted utilities, and more.
  • Meals will be served from our Multi-use Room in the central area of the campus. 
    • Breakfast will be available in the mornings from 8:00-8:30
    • Lunch will be served as followed:
      • Mondays: 11:45-12:15 
      • Tuesdays, Thursdays and a few Mondays  12:10 - 12:40
      • Wednesdays: 12:00-12:30
      • Fridays: 11:50-12:20
    • CRHS students can order lunch and they can pick it up from the Charter multi-use room.
    • More details are coming from our Student Nutrition department. SLV Student Nutrition Services.

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Student Absences: REMINDER

For Nature Academy families, everyday that your child is absent from school you need to call our attendance line at 831-336-8527 to report their absence. Please leave your child's name, your name, and the reason for the absence.

For Homeschool families if your child will be absent from enrichment classes please contact your teacher of record to report their absence.

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GENERAL COVID NOTIFICATION: 2022-2023  COVID-19 GENERAL NOTIFICATION

 

We are still hearing of students and families who are getting various strands of COVID.  While it is certainly much less, and less severe in general, the possibility of getting it is still a possibility.  This information is still relevant.

 

This notice is to inform you that Santa Cruz County has dropped to a lower status as it relates to COVID-19. While the County COVID rates may go up and down there is still a higher exposure potential in a school setting. Due to the potential of being exposed to someone with COVID-19 (both in and out of school), we encourage ALL students to follow the actions below to protect one another:  

  • CDPH recommends that students wear a mask while in indoor settings to protect themselves and to prevent the spread of COVID-19. High-quality masks with a good fit and filtration provide the best protection.  
  • If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, stay home, email your school site’s Health Office and get tested. You may pick up home test kits from any school site or the District Office. In addition, students can be tested at one of our Inspire testing locations.  
  • If you test positive for COVID-19, isolate at home and notify your students’ school site Health Office right away. 

This general notification will be sent each time in this Charter News in lieu of providing individual exposure notifications for COVID-19. Note that infections diagnosed in students and school staff are not necessarily the result of exposure at school, and when safety protocols are followed in schools, COVID-19 transmission remains more likely to occur outside of school settings. 

 

Thank you for considering this important information. We consider the health and wellbeing of our community a priority. Additional information can be found at 2022-2023 SLVUSD Students: General Protocol for Symptoms and Positive Test Results. 

 

-Health Office Contact Information  Charter – [email protected] ________________________________________________________________________________

 
2023-2024 SLVUSD School Calendar: The 2023-2024 SLVUSD School Calendar It is posted to the Charter website SLVUSD 23-24 calendar
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Dates to Remember: (Please refer to your program’s newsletter for greater detail regarding dates and details specific to your program’s Field Trips and class events.)

  • Tuesday, March 7, 2023: Information Night - All Homeschool programs, 6-7:30pm
  • Tuesday, March 14, 2023: Information Night - Nature Academy, 6-7pm
  • Friday, March 17, 2023: No School-Teacher Professional Development Day
  • Monday, April 3 - Friday, April 7, 2023: Spring Break
  • CAASPP Testing Dates (maybe subject to slight changes)
      • Monday, April 17-Friday, April 21, 2023: Coast Redwood HS, Coast Redwood MS and Quail Hollow Integrated Arts
      • Monday, April 24- Friday, April 28, 2023: Coast Redwood HS, Fall Creek Homeschool and Quail Hollow Homeschool
      • Monday, May 1- Friday, May 5, 2023: Coast Redwood HS and Nature Academy
      • Monday, May 8 - Friday, May 12, 2023: Nature Academy
      • Monday, May 15 - Friday, May 19, 2023: Nature Academy
  • Monday, May 29, 2023: District Holiday
  • Thursday, June 1, 2023: Last day of school
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