Arts Magnet Weekly News

Dear Altadena Arts Magnet Families,

I hope you found time to rest and enjoy some delicious food and conversation with those you hold dear. We had a quiet Thanksgiving with just our immediate family and instead of turkey, had an Italian feast complete with lasagne, garlic bread and a big New York cheesecake!

Now it's time to finish the first half of our school year strong with our Wacky Fun Run, Holiday tree and wreath pick up day and our outdoor holiday show on December 16 at 8:30 am on the playground.

Tonight marks the first night of Hanukkah and for those who celebrate, I wish you a beautiful chag sameach!

Fifth Graders Return to Campus this Week!

On Monday-Wednesday, our fifth grade students will continue to be at Eliot Arts Magnet with guest teachers while Ms. Lopez and Ms. Luna set up their classrooms back at the elementary campus. Ms. Lopez's class will be in the Black Box Theatre and Ms. Luna's class will be where the LEARNs office has been right off the parking lot on El Molino.

On Thursday, 12/2/21 Parents, please drop your students off in front of AAM like in the good ole days :) Students will be at AAM for the rest of the school year. We are so happy to welcome them home!

Principal's Choir

Parents look for a communication this week with rehearsal days/times and other important information regarding the upcoming performances!

Holiday Show

Parents, we are excited to welcome you back to campus for our holiday extravaganza, You Raise Me Up, on Thursday, 12/16/21 @ 8:30 am on the playground. Please bundle up and join us for this beautiful show. Entrance is FREE!

School starts at 7:50 am!

Parents, please remember to have your students at school no later than 7:45 for a 7:50 start time. There are way too many students arriving late to school. The doors of the auditorium will close at 7:50 daily. If you arrive after this time, you will need to park your car and walk your student into the main office for a tardy pass. Thank you for your cooperation with this.

I wish you a wonderful sunny Sunday and a great last few days of November.

It's a great year to be an Altadena Cougar!

Yours in Service,

Dr. Scheckel, Principal

Updates from Health Programs:

Pfizer Vaccinations for 5 – 11 year olds:

· Following this week’s CDC recommendation, we are finalizing our plans with the Pasadena Public Health Department to provide pediatric COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5 - 11. It is our goal to offer opportunities for the first dose before Thanksgiving and the second dose three weeks later which will allow our students to be fully vaccinated before they return from winter break.

· PUSD will partner with PPHD to host 3 pediatric clinics in November for first dose and two pediatric clinics in December for second dose for kids 5 – 11 only. Dates and times will be announced through the Superintendents Monday message. The locations of the clinics are Ed Center, Willard/Wilson, and Madison. Appointments will be first come first served and completed through myturn.ca.gov. We will hold a small amount of appointments for walk up patients.

Pfizer Vaccinations for 12 – 17 year olds:

· Vaccination appointments for 12 and older individuals can be accessed through myturn.ca.gov. Locations included:

o Pharmacies

o CHAPCare clinic in Santa Anita Mall, appointments or walk ins 626.398.6300

o PPHD

Booster Shots:

· PUSD staff is eligible for boosters due to our work in a high risk setting (CDC language). Anyone can find a clinic and Register for an appointment on MyTurn.CA.gov. You will be asked to self-attest to eligibility upon registration.

· PUSD Primary Clinic is offering Pfizer boosters. People must call the Primary Clinic for an appointment, 626-396-3600, xt. 88180. We are waiting for confirmation of our Moderna booster supply and are tentatively holding Nov. 15 for Moderna booster appointments.

COVID-19 Testing:

· Weekly school site testing will continue. We are working through adjustments in the schedule when there are holidays and shortened days.

· On November 27 will host a drive through testing clinic from 9:00-2:00pm at the Ed Center, Oak Knoll parking lot. This is a pre-entry screening after vacation for students and staff.

Quarantine and Notifications:

· Now that elementary students are eligible for vaccinations, we will revise the quarantine letters for close contacts.

Governor Newsom’s Executive Order can be found here. This will be further discussed on Monday.

Envelope count date is tomorrow!

This is the last week of our Wacky Fun Run fundraiser and we have raised over $11,000!!!!! **Make sure you bring your envelope to school tomorrow if you have collected cash or check donations so they can be counted.** They’ll be returned so you can keep taking your envelope with you to ask family, friends, or even the dentist if they’d like to support you! Parents are encouraged to take them to work as well.

It’s not too late to sign up for a free donation site at www.Pledgestar.com/Altadena! This is the best way to get info out and support our school.

Friday is the big day, so come to school on time in your wackiest outfit (free dress day!) with good running shoes, and head straight to your lineup spot with your teacher to wait for instructions! Be ready to have fun!

The holidays are quickly approaching, and before you know it, Christmas is here! Despite the hardships of the pandemic on students and families, one of our local community partners, the Salvation Army, in collaboration with the PUSD Families in Transition, has come alongside many of our families with food boxes and other basic necessities. For the holidays, the Salvation Army is opening its annual Christmas Gift registration program available to PUSD families. This is an opportunity for parents/guardians to make an appointment to pick out a Christmas gift for their children, ages 0-12, at the Salvation Army - Pasadena Tabernacle during the week of December 13th through December 17th. The Salvation Army has four (4) registration partners in the greater Pasadena community including PUSD Families in Transition at the Center for Student & Family Services. All parents or guardians need to do is call PUSD Families in Transition at (626) 396-5782 or one of the other agency numbers on the accompanying flyer to register. All registrations go into one database so repeat registrations will be voided. If you have any questions, please call PUSD Families in Transition or the Salvation Army directly. 'Tis the season for family and giving so let's make this holiday season better than ever!

The Great Kindness Challenge for 2021-2022 has arrived! This year both campuses will participate. Please visit https://thegreatkindnesschallenge.com/ for more information.

Dear Families,

We have a strict mask mandate on both our campuses to keep all students, staff and families safe from infection with COVID-19. We understand the masks can be uncomfortable for students to wear all day long, but they are necessary. We will follow the process below for students who do not/can not wear a mask over their nose, mouth and chin:

1. First time, Verbal warning to wear their mask
2. Second time, Phone call home
3. Third time, Recommendation for PUSD Independent Study for 3 days

Student will be placed on our regular independent study program for 3 days. This program keeps the student enrolled at their present school with work delivered on Canvas. After 3 days the student returns to their home school and the process starts all over. Each time we get to step three, we add an additional day of independent study until we reach the maximum which is 15 days. After that, student will be referred to our district's CIS program for the rest of the school year.

If you have any questions about this policy, please reach out to principal Scheckel.

Participants or their parents/guardians can register one of two ways:

1. Using their own device
• Email registration links to students (and parent/guardians) and staff so they can register at home before testing.
• Turn registrations links into QR codes to print and post at the collection site. To create a QR code, head to qrcode-monkey.com, enter your URL, click “Generate QR Code”, then “Download PNG”
2. With assistance
• For participants or parent/guardians without access to technology or who need additional assistance, set up a device on site on testing days.

Here's the registration links for Altadena Elementary:

1. Staff URL
2. Student URL

Here's the registration links for Charles W. Eliot Middle:

1. Staff URL
2. Student URL

Questions?

• Walk through the site setup process at www.color.com/cdph-site-setup
• Join Zoom office hours Wednesday and Friday at 10:00am PT
• Fill out the form at the bottom of this page to reach Support

Pauline is HERE in Altadena!!! She will be finishing up her paperwork with HR and will be working in the classroom soon. We are so grateful to all our third grade families for your patience as we awaited her arrival!

November

● 11/28 Hanukkah Begins

● 11/29 School Resumes

December

• 12/3 Wacky Fun Run
• 12/4 Holiday Tree and Wreath Pick Up 11am - 3 pm
• 12/8 Cougar Values Awards Assembly @ 8am
• 12/9 Cafe con Scheckel @ 8:30 am
• 12/14 Special SSC Meeting @ 3:00 pm
• 12/16 Holiday Show @ 8:30 am on the Playground, Families invited
• 12/17 Last day of school before Winter Break, Shortened Day

January

• 1/4/22 School Resumes

Email: scheckel.benita@pusd.us
Website: https://www.pusd.us/Page/9
Location: 743 East Calaveras Street, Altadena, CA 91001, United States
Phone: 626-396-5650
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/altadenacougars/
Twitter: @altadenaES