Principal's Message...
What an awesome week! It was so great to have students back on campus. As we navigate through the logistics of in-person and online learning, there are sure to be some hiccups, but I can tell you it was AMAZING to have students back on campus. We also had our first general PTA Meeting and are looking at Picture Day on Thursday. Please be sure to sign up for a timeslot for your pictures. It will be a super quick process for sure. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out at (714) 430-2052 ext. 52103 or efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us
Mr. Fineberg
Picture Day: THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8TH - Sign Up Today
Picture Day is coming this Thursday, October 8th with a make-up day at each campus on November 19th. The times are noted below along with a link to sign up. We will be having individual appointments every 2 minutes. Please come camera ready with your mask on (you'll be asked to take it off for the photo and then put back on after. :) The photos will also be used for School IDs and pictures in Aeries Portal. You don't want to miss it. We've included a video from Lifetouch about the new health protocols they are putting in place if you're interested.
K-8 Campus: 11:00-2:30 pm Link to sign up
9-12 Campus: 10:30-2:00 pm Link to sign up
Tustin Connect In the News
Elementary Information
Reading/Math Assessments: This is the final week for Reading/Math assessments. Your teacher's newsletter will be providing details. Some of your students may need help getting started. Please be sure they complete the assessments on their own in order to ensure we get an accurate measure of their current achievement.
Conferences: You may be hearing about Fall Conferences for our traditional TUSD Schools. Since parents are very involved at Tustin Connect, we do not require all families to meet for a conference. If you have questions or concerns about your child's progress, please contact your child’s teacher and they can schedule a conference. Our first trimester ends on November 6th, and soon after we will send home the first report card.
Middle School Information
Paper/Grade Slam: For those of you new to us, all 6-12 students have access to Paper/Grade Slam. It's 24/7 free tutoring for everyone! It's a great product and an opportunity for students to get help. They are monitored and provide great insight. Here are links to a few resources.
How Do Students Use PAPER's Essay Review?
How Do Students Access 24/7 Live Help on PAPER?
High School Information
Hybrid Learning Schedule: We started! In-person instruction began this week. As shared in our Wednesday email blast, students are able to attend office hours and live class sessions aa well as drop-in anytime from 8-3:30. Students will need to practice social distancing, hand washing, and wearing a mask. There will be a 17 person max in each classroom.
Paper/Grade Slam: For those of you new to us, all 6-12 students have access to Paper/Grade Slam. It's 24/7 free tutoring for everyone! It's a great product and an opportunity for students to get help. They are monitored and provide great insight. We will be having a presentation from our high school students during Advisory on Monday, October 5th. Here are links to a few resources.
How Do Students Use PAPER's Essay Review?
How Do Students Access 24/7 Live Help on PAPER?
Message From our PTA
PTA Meeting Recap
We held our first General PTA meeting this week to introduce the executive board and discuss our 2020-21 school year plans. If you weren’t able to make it or you’d like to see the presentation, you can download it here - https://www.tustinconnectpta.com/pta-meetings
Fall Fundraising Campaign
The Fall Fundraising Campaign is officially kicking off. Our goal is to raise $7,500. Instead of asking your children to sell magazines or snack foods, we ask our families if they would consider a one-time donation of $75 per family. You can make your donation online at https://jointotem.com/ca/tustin/tustin-connect-pta
Please note that donating is entirely optional! We do not want you to give if it will cause hardship.
Call For Volunteers
We have big plans for this year, but we can’t accomplish them alone. We’re looking for Room Representatives, Campus Beautification volunteers, Spirit Wear coordinators, and Communities and Programs volunteers. If you would like more information about how you can help, please contact us at tustinconnectpta@gmail.com.
PTA Website
We have created a PTA Website that will help keep you informed about our plans, volunteer opportunities, and progress towards our goals. We are also working on setting up an online Spirit Wear store so you can show your Maverick Pride! We encourage you to bookmark our website, https://www.tustinconnectpta.com, so you are always up-to-date.
Counselor Corner
We are excited to announce that our new counselor, Mr. Gustavo Moreno, began today, Friday, October 2nd. Prior to coming to Tustin Connect, Mr. Moreno was a high school counselor in the Antelope Valley. Mr. Moreno is bilingual and uses that skill set as a tool to connect with students and families. He's passionate about creating an equitable educational experience for all families and students as they pursue their personal/academic goals. Stay tuned for a link to sign up to meet with Mr. Moreno. In the meantime, please call the office or email him at gmoreno@tustin.k12.ca.us
Also, please check out our Building Resilience Newsletter. TUSD's Mental Health Team has launched a newsletter, Building Resilience. This newsletter will come out monthly. We are excited to provide information and helpful tips that can be used at home and in the classroom
FREE Virtual Tutoring K-12 from Cal State Fullerton
Handwashing and Health Check Protocols
To best prepare students for hybrid instruction, our district nurses have created four videos that families must watch before students return to campus.
VIDEO #1 - Hand-washing and Mask Wearing
VIDEO #2 - Health Checks
VIDEO #3 - How to Keep Yourself Healthy During COVID-19
VIDEO #4 - Collection of 4 videos explaining - Corona-virus, hand washing, mask wearing & social distancing
Please take time to watch these videos with your student(s).
I will also be sending out a video of specifics related to Tustin Connect highlighting the ways we are preparing for a safe return to campus along with directions for the arrival and the departure of students.
Tustin Public Library
Visit the Technology Support Section on our Website: There's Help Available
TUSD's School Opening & Safety Plan
The health, safety, and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority as they return to school. When the new school year begins, the on-campus school will look much different than previous years due to new health and safety measures.
Tustin Unified has created a School Opening and Safety Plan that addresses how schools will meet the needs of students in the coming school year. The plan to reopen schools is based on current guidance from public health officials, state agencies, as well as your valuable input from the recent parent survey, and will be updated as the situation evolves. As a result, TUSD has put together two options that will address social-distancing requirements to keep TUSD students and staff safe while also supporting student learning.
For the 2020-21 academic year, Tustin Unified will provide families a choice of two instructional options, including the hybrid model – a blend of in-person and remote learning, and Tustin Connect (K-12) – 100% online virtual school with optional in-person instruction.
The TUSD School Opening and Safety Plan (English linked, Spanish below) covers the many procedures and protocols that are being put in place for a successful and safe reopening. The plan can also be found on the TUSD website at https://www.tustin.k12.ca.us.
PLAN DE SEGURIDAD Y APERTURA DE ESCUELAS PARA EL AÑO ESCOLAR 2020-21
Our Mission
Email: efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us
Website: www.tustinconnect.org
Location: (K-8) 14741 North B Street; (9-12) 1151 San Juan Street
Phone: (714) 430-2052
Twitter: @tustinconnect