Vivian Banks Charter School
Eagle's Nest News: October 10, 2025
October 10, 2025
Hello Vivian Banks families! Today, we had our second lunch on the lawn! We had a wonderful celebration for Hispanic Heritage month. We had ballet folklorico dancers, had free elote that was grilled by one of our staff member's fathers, had special art work displayed, and a table set up with special coloring pages with Spanish translations. We had two raffles: we had a full size basketball hoop and two pumpkin pinatas that were raffled off to raise money for the school.
This week, we had an incredibly generous donation dropped off at the Vivian Banks office: We had a cashier's check for $5,000 for our 30 for 30 fundraising campaign donated by the great grandmother of one of our students. Thank you to Janet Long for your incredibly generous donation. She is a part of our Pala Peak Circle. She will receive a free anniversary t-shirt once it is created, a tile in our newsletter, a banner that will hang all year at the school and a banner will hang at our movie night. Thank you again for your generous donation!
This Monday, 10/13, there will be no school in honor of Indigenous People day. Next Friday, 10/17, we will host our first movie night from 5:30-8:30. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for a movie under the stars! We will watch The Night at the Museum. Dinner, nachos, popcorn, drinks, candy and glowsticks will be available for purchase. We still have raffle tickets for $10 each for the basketball hoop available. We need to sell 18 more tickets to do the drawing! We will be raffling a hoverboard next week as well. Tickets are $5 each. We need to sell at least 20 tickets. Don't forget parent confereces are coming soon the week of October 20-24th. We will have early dismissal at 12:45 this week.
Many of our children continue to astound me with their incredible behavior! Students are demonsrating the Circle of courage traits of belonging, independence, mastery and generosity.
As we shared, we are focusing on the Circle of Courage for behavioral expectations this school year. Our students are being encouraged to demonstrate belonging by being safe, demonstrate mastery by being responsible, demonstrate independence by being respectful, and demonstrate generosity by being helpful. Our students have been celebrated for demonstrating these traits daily and weekly.
Follow us now on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/vivianbankseagles?igsh=bXdnMXoydW9sY244&utm_source=qr
Tina Calabrese
Principal
Vivian Banks Charter School
If you fly with the eagles, you will soar!
Thank you families for sending your child to school every day on time! We have a 95.23% rate since school started!!
Vivian Banks Charter School Honoring Tradition. Empowering the Future.
Welcome to a brand new school year! As we begin the 2025–2026 school year, we want to take a moment to emphasize something that is absolutely essential to your child’s success—school attendance.
Showing up matters. When students are present at school—on time and ready to learn—they are better able to access high-quality instruction, build meaningful relationships, and stay on track academically. Research consistently shows that attendance is one of the strongest predictors of student achievement, especially in the early years when foundational skills are built.
Why Attendance Matters:
Every minute counts in the classroom. Learning is cumulative, and when students are absent or arrive late, they miss more than just a lesson—they miss opportunities to ask questions, practice skills, engage in discussions, and connect with their teacher and classmates.
Let’s break it down:
Scenario 1 day absent per month = 9 days per year ( 2 weeks of school missing 60 hours of instruction)
2 days absent per month = 18 days per year: classified as chronically absent: equivalent to nearly 4 weeks of school
10 minutes late per day = over 30 hours per year: that's nearly a full week of lost instructional time
Leaving early once a week= over 20 hours per year: misses critical end of the day routines, homework review, and closure of daily learning.
Even seemingly small amounts of missed time can add up. For example:
Missing just 2 days a month is 18 days a year, almost an entire month of school.
Arriving 15 minutes late every day is the same as missing two full weeks of school over the course of a year.
Attendance and Student Success:
Students with consistent attendance are more likely to:
Meet or exceed grade-level standards in reading and math
Build strong social-emotional skills and friendships
Develop healthy school habits that prepare them for middle school, high school, and beyond
Students who are frequently absent—especially in early grades—are at greater risk of falling behind, struggling academically, and eventually dropping out of school.
How Families Can Help:
We recognize that sometimes absences are unavoidable due to illness or emergencies. However, we ask for your support in making school attendance a top priority. Here are a few ways you can help:
Schedule routine appointments outside of school hours when possible
Ensure your child gets plenty of sleep and a consistent morning routine
Avoid extended vacations during the school year
Communicate with the school if you’re experiencing challenges getting your child to school—we’re here to help
Vivian Banks is Here to Support You
We are committed to partnering with families to ensure every child feels welcome, supported, and excited to come to school each day. If your child is facing any barriers—transportation, health concerns, anxiety, or other issues—please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. Together, we can find a solution. Let’s work together to make this a year full of learning, growth, and success—for every student, every day.
Vivian Banks Charter School
Email: tina.calabrese@bonsallusd.com
Website: https://vb.bonsallusd.com/
Location: 11800 Pala Mission Road, Pala, CA, USA
Phone: (760) 742-3300
Follow us on instagram: vivianbankscharterschool