Cub Connection

Dear CELC Familles,

The staff and students had a fabulous, fun-filled week. The classrooms combined learning and love with theme-based activities for Valentine's Day. Thank you to everyone who included me on your Valentines' list. I enjoyed getting notes (and treats) from the kids. Students passed out Valentines to each classmate and sent them home for you and your child to enjoy/go through together. Thank you to our awesome PTA for passing out a special Valentine to every CELC student!

A huge congratulations to CELC's Teacher of the Year (TOY) and Classified Employee of the Year (CEOY). Shannon Brown, our TOY, is an amazing kindergarten teacher in our DL program. Her instructional skills and teaching is outstanding. She is also a great artist, who is often challenged by her students to draw some very difficult examples on their letter posters :).

Maria Antrim, CELC's CEOY, is the English Language Learner Specialist for CELC, SHES, and MVLA. She makes strong connections with our families and is dedicated to supporting our English Language Learners (ELL). Maria recently helped to organize and host a luncheon for our ELL families. She goes above and beyond to ensure that our Cubs and their families are loved and supported.

Both ladies love our Cubs, love our school, and love learning! We are so proud of them and will be rooting them on as they now move on to be considered as AUSD's TOY and CEOY.

A BIG congratulations to Mrs. Noemi and her husband, who welcomed their baby boy to this world on Wednesday, February 7th. Mrs. Thank you for bringing Emilio by to visit the staff. He is a handsome future Cub!

Updates and reminders:

• As a reminder, there is no school on Monday, February 19th. All school sites are closed for Washington's birthday.
• Mark your calendars for Thursday, February 22nd. It is Spring Picture Day! Wear your favorite shirt and bring your best smile.
• Please see upcoming community events in the "Community Events" section below.
• For the safety and security of students and staff, gates are locked during school hours.
  
• Please use the front gate for entering and exiting the campus. the side gates are for employees only and must remain closed.

• As a reminder, breakfast is served from 8:35 am to 8:55 am daily. It is free for all students. Parent may join their child at the tables.

• Students are expected to follow school rules at all times. Please help support safe, responsible, and respectful behavior while you are on campus with them before and after school.

• ATTENTION: If your student is going to be absent for an extended period, please make sure to request an Independent Study Contract from the office at least one week in advance. This will ensure that your child's teacher has ample time to prepare assignments, and your student can receive attendance credit during their absence.

• For transportation questions, please visit AUSD's website at https://www.alpineschools.net/page/transportation

Have a fantastic week!

Sincerely,

Tamara Ripke, Proud Principal

Congratulations to Shannon Brown and Maria Antrim!

Congrats Ms. Noemi! Thank you for coming by to visit. Our littlest future Cub is so cute!

We are asking that all AUSD families fill out this short Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) survey by March 1, 2024. This survey is a tool used by AUSD to gather feedback from parents about their perceptions of our schools’ climate, safety, and effectiveness of behavior management strategies. Filling out the PBIS survey is crucial for our schools as it provides valuable feedback that can help identify areas of improvement to create a positive and inclusive learning environment for all students.

Congratulations to our TK and K classrooms for the best attendance from February 5th to the 16th. The classes will be presented with the PAWsome Attendance Trophy on Tuesday to display until the next period.

Did you know that CELC has an Attendance Team? Miss Camryn, Mrs. Barkely, and Mrs. Ripke are here to support families with challenges and celebrate outstanding attendance.

Student attendance is of utmost importance for academic success and overall school well-being. Regular attendance not only contributes to the continuity of a student's learning journey but also plays a crucial role in their social and emotional growth. Consistent attendance ensures that students actively engage with the curriculum, interact with their peers, and benefit from valuable classroom experiences. Moreover, it fosters a sense of responsibility and discipline, preparing students for future commitments. In addition, attendance directly impacts school funding, as absences, whether excused or unexcused, results in financial losses. Last year, AUSD lost over 1 million dollars in funding due to attendance rates. Recognizing the significance of attendance, AUSD schools promote regular attendance and incentivize outstanding attendance to help foster a positive and supportive learning environment for all students.

Many of our students' absences are not due to illness and there is a pattern of higher absences on Mondays and Fridays. Here are tips and suggestions to help attendance rates:

• Schedule appointments during school breaks or in the afternoons on Wednesdays (CELC early release days).
• Plan vacations/trips during school breaks.
• If your child is going to be out for 3 or more days, request an independent study contract (ISC). ISCs help a student's learning stay on track and it also counts for attendance credit/funding.
• If your child is not feeling well, use the guidelines below to help decide whether they should attend school or not.
• Reach out to the CELC Attendance Team if you have needs/challenges that affect the ability to get your student to school. We are here to support families.

The CELC Attendance Team monitors absences daily, weekly, bi-weekly and 30 day periods. Beginning Monday, January 22nd, the K classroom and TK classroom with the best attendance rate for a two week period will be presented with a trophy. This trophy will be displayed in their classroom for the following two weeks.

Please report any absences to your child's teacher and the office. Please let the office know the reason that your child is out and any symptoms if they are sick. Email Mary Barkely, our amazing Clerk or call the office at 619-659-8250.

Answer: ABSOLUTELY

FACT:

Did you know that chronic absenteeism, which means missing a lot of school or work, can have a big impact on your child's future? It's not just about missing a few days here and there. When kids miss school regularly, it can make it harder for them to do well in school, stay healthy, and succeed later in life. So, it's really important to make sure they're attending regularly!

See image below. For more information, visit https://www.attendanceworks.org/.

The Governor's budget for education mandated that every school district in California needs to update its Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). The Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) is a component of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The LCAP is intended to be a three-year plan to improve student achievement by setting annual goals for the district in eight priority areas. Each of the priorities has established data requirements to track district progress improving student achievement. The LCAP requires Districts to gather input from students, teachers, parents, and community members to determine the goals, actions, and budget priorities for the District. Our District staff worked together with all of our stakeholder groups to gather input and craft the draft of our Local Control Accountability Plan. Below are AUSD's 2023-24 LCAP Goals. The District is in the process of reviewing the goals and completing the annual review.

Goal #1: Effective Instruction and Curriculum - Provide equitable access to high-quality classroom curriculum and instruction in an inclusive environment that promotes student success.

Goal #2: Safe and Respectful Environments - Ensure all school sites are safe and have healthy and welcoming climates for staff, students, and their families so that all students feel connected and are motivated to attend and ready to learn.

Goal #3: Equitable and Culturally Responsible Systems - Ensure systems and processes eliminate barriers to student success and are equitable and culturally responsive to the needs of our students and their families.

You may also view the full LCAP by clicking the button below

Did you know that Alpine Union School District has a valuable online resource available to all students — the Sora digital library? Sora provides access to a huge collection of books, including audiobooks, and can be accessed at any time. Here's how your child can make the most of this resource:

1. Accessing Sora:

• Log into their Google account

• Navigate to Clever (lower left side of Chromebook)

• Click on the Sora app

• Once in Sora, log in using your Google credentials. This is a one-time requirement, and subsequent logins will be automatic.

Note: If you're unsure about your student’s Google login information, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

2. Exploring the San Diego County Public Library:

In addition to our library, students can also access books from the San Diego County Public Library through Sora:

• After logging into Sora, click on the down arrow next to Alpine Union School District (under EXPLORE) on the top left-hand side

• Search for San Diego County Library and click on San Diego County Library Digital Media

• Choose your desired book

• Click "borrow"

• Select Alpine Union School District

• Click on the blue bar

• Click on your student's email address again

• Click on borrow again

• Access the book by clicking on “shelf” at the bottom of the screen

We highly encourage students to make the most of this resource.

Hello CELC families! Here is the latest news and updates:

Thank you for your ongoing support! We are looking forward to an amazing 2024. We can't wait for Spring Fling and Dr. Seuss Week.

Sincerely,

CELC PTA

creeksidekpta@gmail.com.

Thank you to our amazing sponsors! We appreciate you! Your donations will be supporting spring activities including butterfly and ladybug studies (with live insects), Dr. Seuss Week, 100's Day, student incentives/prizes, field trips, and other special events.

Did you know that our 100% of our teachers our trained to teach reading by using a proven, multi-sensory approach called Orton-Gillingham (OG)? We are proud to be leaders in early literacy! For more information about OG and our training visit Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE) and read below.

See the forecast below to help plan your child's attire and arrival and departure from school. We are excited to see that we will likely not have rain this week. Please send your student to school with a jacket.

'Around Alpine Union!' Join us as our students share their perspectives on what it truly means to be adaptable and discover how we can seamlessly integrate this valuable skill into our daily lives. Tune in for inspiration and insights! #Adaptability #AlpineUnion #InspireChange

Mrs. Ripke will continue the Cubs in the Community tradition. Her goal is to connect with 100 Cubs (Future, Former, or Current) by the 100th day of school. Building relationships with our students is important to us! If you see Mrs. Ripke out in the community, encourage your student to say hi. Not only does it create an opportunity to connect, it also supports students' language and communication skills. Follow the sightings on FB and IG. Feel free to share our postings to spread the word. Mrs. Ripke (and the CELC staff) looks out for future, current, and former Cubs! She is ready to meet the 2023-24 challenge. See the latest sightings below! The most recent Cub sightings were at Albertsons, Al Panchos, and Mount Laguna!

Dismissal gates open at 1:30 pm on Wednesdays and 2:45 pm all other days. If you would like your student released early, please sign them out in the office.

TK rooms 2 and 4 are currently using the little playground for their afternoon recess.

CELC has three school rules. Students will be learning behavior expectations that are aligned with being safe, responsible, and respectful. We practice Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). We understand that our students are still learning to problem solve and deal with school expectations. We believe in progressive discipline and restorative practices. Teachers and staff document concerns and communicate them with parents to form a partnership in your child's success. We love our Cubs and are looking forward to having a year of fun, friendships, learning and laughter!

Our Cubs are Comical!!!

Humor helps the heart! Join us in spreading "Smiles for Miles!"

Answer from last week:I love you smore and smore each day!

Thank you to our adorable Cubs for making us smile! Stay tuned for next week's Comical Cubs!

Mondays- Wear a College Shirt or College Colors

Wednesdays- Mid-Week Mindfulness- wear a shirt with a kind message

Fridays- Wear a school shirt or school colors or RED for (Remembering Everyone Deployed)

Check out what we are serving for breakfast and lunch in our cafeteria! As a reminder, breakfast and lunch is free for all students for the 2023-24 school year.

2/19 Holiday- no school

2/22 Spring Photo Day

3/9 AEF STEAM Fair

3/21 CELC Open House 5:00 pm

AUSD is excited to announce the first-ever Alpine Education Foundation (AEF) STEAM Fair to be held on March 9 at Joan Macqueen Middle School. The Fair is open to all students TK-8 grade. Do you have a student interested in showcasing an invention or exploring a scientific topic? Do you have a student who makes art or has an innovative product to sell? The Alpine Education Foundation is seeking students to participate in the Steam Fair. Students can participate by submitting a science fair project to present to a panel of judges or hosting a vendor booth to showcase or sell their creations. The event will also feature games, activities, music, and more! Please visit AEF4kids.org to learn more and sign up. STEAM Fair. Thank you to AEF for your continued support and dedication to our AUSD students. See the flyer below for more information.

Family Game Night at the Library

Camryn McInerney, School Social Worker

cmcinerney@alpineschools.net

Office Hours

M-F 8:00 am to 3:30 pm

Email: sgreen@alpineschools.net
Website: https://www.alpineschools.net
Location: 8818 Harbison Canyon Road
Phone: (619) 659-8250
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Creekside-Early-Learning-Center-414783265277455/