High Desert School Hawk Happenings

Good evening High Desert Hawks and Families,

This school year at High Desert School, we are "Anchored in Achievement!" Set sail on a smooth school year by anchoring strong routines early—review your planner each night and keep your supplies shipshape. Steer clear of rough waters by asking for help when you need it; teamwork keeps the crew afloat!

Student Success Reminders:

As we enter a new month filled with hope and possibility, we want to focus on our goal of being Anchored in Achievement by supporting our students maintaining good work habits! Here are some tips:

• Check Aeries: We are in the home stretch for grades. Grades for awards are due May 9th. Grades for the report cards will continue to the last week of school, but awards grades are complete May 9th. Students should work to complete missing assignments and bring grades up so that end of the year grades will positively reflect their efforts.
• Attend Daily: Daily on-time attendance is critical to participate in the incredible lessons teachers have prepared and ensure that students are learning the content.
• Encourage Positive Behavior: Encourage your student to focus on good choices and staying on task. Reminder that positive and productive behavior will help students maintain eligibility to attend the many events that close out the year.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your student’s success!

Athletics:

• Reminder to all parents: Please be mindful of practice end times and pick up your athletes promptly.
• Reminder to all athletes: Please remember that you are a member of the team on and off the field. Keep up your grades and good behavior to remain eligible all season!
• Sports Currently in Season
• Spirit Squad
• 100-Mile Club
• JV Flag Football
• JV Girls Volleyball
• Varsity Girls Basketball
• Varsity Boys Basketball
• Track and Field (starts this week)

Monday, April 28

• STARBASE all Week - Higdon's Class
• 6th Grade Handbells 2:30-3:15pm
• 100-Mile Club 2:20-3:00pm
• Track Practice 2:30-3:30pm
• JV Flag Football Practice 2:30-4:30pm
• Varsity Girls Basketball Practice 2:30-4:30pm

Tuesday, April 29

• Project 2 Inspire Virtual Parent Workshop 9:00am
• Spirit Squad Practice at 5/6th Lunch
• 7/8th Handbells 2:30-3:15pm
• Track and Field Practice 2:30-3:30pm
• JV Volleyball Game at Legacy 3:00pm
• JV Flag Football Game at Tesoro Sports Park 3:00pm
• Varsity Boys Basketball Practice 2:30-4:30pm
• Adult Handbells 6:00-7:00pm

Wednesday, April 30

• Early Release Dismissal at 1:10pm
• 100-Mile Club 1:15-2:00pm
• Vaccination Clinic at HDS 2:00-4:00pm
• V. Basketball Game vs. Knight Prep at HDS (4:00 - Girls, 5:00 - Boys)

Thursday, May 1

• Parent Empowerment Workshop 8:30am
• DELAC Meeting 9:30am
• Mural Education and Painting Session 2:30-3:30pm
• Justice Choir Practice 2:30-3:30pm
• Varsity Basketball Game vs Challenger at HDS (3:00 - Girls, 4:00 - Boys)

Friday, May 2

• Show your Hawks Pride and Wear Green, Black, and White on Friday!
• Walk Through the American Revolution (Banola at 8:10am, Reveles at 11:40am)
• ASB Meeting 1:30pm
• Mural Education and Painting Session 2:30-3:30pm
• Robotics Team Meeting 2:30-4:00pm
• Varsity Basketball Game vs. HELUS at HDS (3:00 - Girls, 4:00 - Boys)

Have a great week and Go Hawks!

Calling all High Desert Hawks Artists!

Our new mural project begins this upcoming week. Artist Derrik Diza from Influential Walls will be here to support our students in painting our new mural. We invite all interested students to join and share your love of art in creating this project that will last for years to come. Students will participate in designing, sketching, and painting the murals as well as engaging in curriculum for how to make a career as an artist. Ideally, students would commit to all four days of painting if possible.

Mural Education and Painting Schedule:

• Thursday, May 1 - 2:30-3:30pm
• Friday, May 2 - 2:30-3:30pm
• Monday, May 5 - 2:30-3:30pm
• Tuesday, May 6 - 2:30-3:30pm

If you are interested in joining the artist team, please email Mrs. Van Ornum or sign up in the office.

This past week, our amazing counseling team gave Bullying Prevention presentations to each of our AVID classes. They spoke with students about appropriate communication and how to respond when there are concerns. They also cautioned students about cyberbullying and the consequences for engaging in this behavior. Our goal is to support students with making the right choices.

This year, our AVID Advisory's have been pursuing Perfect Attendance. Each day that ALL students in the class are in attendance, they color in a letter spelling out PERFECT ATTENDANCE. So far, the following homerooms have successfully completed the perfect attendance challenge.

• Alford Walsh
• Acuna
• Higdon

We are excited to see which Advisory class will be next...

Anchored in Achievement, this year’s yearbook is packed with memories you won’t want to miss! From splashy spirit days to wave-making wins, our ASB/Yearbook crew has captured it all. Huge congratulations to the class on completing this epic voyage, and a special thank you to Mrs. Goodstein for steering the ship with creativity and dedication! Dive into this year’s book before it sails away—the deadline to purchase online is May 15th! After that, it’s $40 cash only while supplies last. Don’t miss the boat! ⛵📘

Every year, California students take several statewide tests. When combined with other measures such as grades, class work, and teacher observations, these tests give families and teachers a more complete picture of their child’s learning. You can use the results to identify where your child is doing well and where they might need more support.

Students participate in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). Your child will take the following tests, depending on their grade level or instructional program:

• Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for English language arts and math, required tests in grades 3–8 and 11 - SBAC Parent Guide

• California Science Test (CAST), a required test in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school - CAST Parent Guide

• Physical Fitness Test (PFT), a required test in grades 5, 7, and 9 - PFT Parent Guide

You are an important part of your child’s education. To make sure your child feels comfortable taking tests, you can:

• Explain to your child that these tests are tools to help them learn, and they should not be anxious or scared.

• Explore the practice tests with your child at home so they can become familiar with the platform and setup of the tests.

• Remind your child that you and their teacher want them to try their best and are there to help every step of the way. - Smart Start for Parents

Preparation for testing should include:

• Getting a good night’s rest

• Eating a nutritious breakfast each morning

• On-time arrival to school and 100% attendance

• Confidence! Students should go into testing with confidence and do their best at each testing session.

Calling all athletes... Athletic Sweatshirts have arrived and are in stock. Purchase yours today to stay warm and support your team!

"Mrs. Banola puts her heart into everything that she does. She truly loves her students and uses her creativity to make their lessons fun and engaging. We are grateful to have her as part of our team. She is a bright light on campus and her work in our 5th grade team is extremely valued. She is thoughtful and kind to everyone. Thank you Mrs. Banola for everything you do for your students and your colleagues."

"At lunch, he came and offered to clean the lunch tables with a friend. They did a wonderful job."

~ Mrs. Christine

"At lunch, he came and offered to clean the lunch tables with a friend. They did a wonderful job."

~ Mrs. Christine

"Julia is a remarkable student. She always strives to do her best, she is always on task, and she takes the time to help others. She also helps look after Poe and is a great caretaker."

~ Mrs. Higdon

"Celeste demonstrates integrity daily. She is always ready to learn, on task, and following the rules. She is a model student and I appreciate her greatly!"

~ Mrs. Higdon

• AVID - This year in AVID, we will be focusing on organization, goal setting, and academic achievement with the support of WICOR strategies implemented in all classrooms. This week, the focus is citizenship.
• SEL - Each week, on Wednesday, our students will be working on soft skills to support their social and emotional development during middle school.

i-Ready Classroom Mathematics is a robust mathematics program designed to help your student become a strong, independent mathematical thinker. Through the Try-Discuss, Connect framework, students deepen their conceptual understanding and collaboratively solve problems. Check out the family center for more information on how to support your child with mathematics from home.

Check out i-Ready Classroom Mathematics Family Center

Step Up delivers 1-on-1 math tutoring, conducted online with a consistent tutor

• Students receive tailored math support using a curriculum that is tailored to address their needs

• Tutors focus on relationship-building and provide mentorship in a fun learning environment

• Students receive tutoring at least twice weekly via one of three program models: at-home, during an after-school program, or during the school day

Families, please click this link to apply.

All students must have a new athletic physical and online clearance each school year. To complete the online clearance go to: https://www.homecampus.com/login

• For School - Select Vasquez
• For Sport - Select the sport the applies with MS in the title (ex: MS Volleyball)

You will need to submit the following documents as part of the clearance process:

• Current health insurance card
• Physical (Medical History / Physical / Clearance)

CalHope Mental Health Resources

Digital mental health support for youth, young adults, and families provides free, safe, and confidential mental health support for young people and families across the state with two easy-to-use mobile apps: Brightlife Kids and soluna.

BrightLife - Mental health coaching and resources for parents with kids ages 0-12

Soluna — your space to de-stress, bounce back, and reset. Completely free and confidential for California teens and young adults. Always.

Soluna | California's Mental Health App for 13 - 25-year-olds

About half of teens in the U.S. had a mental health concern at some point in their life. Recognizing teen mental health issues and connecting to early intervention and treatment can be lifesaving. Check out this free guide to the most common teen mental health challenges and find local mental health resources.

Stay up to date on all of the Hawk Happenings throughout the school year. Check out our Yearlong Calendar for the 2024-2025 School Year.

Our School is using PBIS Rewards to help us with our PBIS program! PBIS Rewards is a technology-based PBIS Management System that helps us with our behavior incentive program. You can learn about PBIS Rewards at their website (www.pbisrewards.com).

Our students can earn rewards throughout the day by meeting our behavior expectations. These rewards are in the form of electronic points. They can redeem these points for privileges, tangible items, access to events, and other similar things. Our expectation is that we will see overall behavior improve throughout the school and that the number of referrals we have will decrease.

PBIS Rewards has a Family App that will give you some insight into how your child is doing with respect to our PBIS program. The Family App will run on most smart devices, including smartphones and tablets. You can find it in the iPhone/iPad App Store, Google Play, and the Amazon App Store. Just search for "PBIS Rewards Family."

An email has been sent to families to get you set up on the PBIS Rewards Family App. Please access this email from PBIS Rewards if you wish to access your child's progress. If you did not receive an email, please contact Mrs. Van Ornum so she can help get you set up.

Principal, Mrs. Michelle Van Ornum

Email: mvanornum@aadusd.k12.ca.us
Website: http://aadusd.k12.ca.is/domain/9/
Location: 3620 Antelope Woods Road, Acton, CA, USA
Phone: (661) 269-0310
Facebook: facebook.com/hdsboosterclub/
Twitter: @Highdesert_aad