THE FORECAST News 9.23.24

September 23, 2024

Dear Mayfair Community,

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our community for supporting the Taco Naso fundraiser that took place last Tuesday. Thanks to your generosity, we raised almost $2,000 that will go directly toward student incentive rewards. This wonderful event was made possible by the efforts of many groups, including students, families, organizations, coaches, administrators, and counselors. It truly was a community effort, and I am grateful for your continued support. Thank you to our Dean of Climate and Culture, Krystyn Mitchell for coordinating this effort!

As we transition to another important topic, this week we will continue our emphasis on student safety. We will review emergency procedures and protocols with our students. Period three teachers will provide a brief presentation on Wednesday and/or Friday, followed by a quick quiz to ensure that all our students and staff are on the same page regarding emergency preparedness.

Lastly, please remember that Friday, October 11th is a Minimum Day (END OF QUARTER 1) and there will be no school on Monday, October 14th, as it is a student-free day.

Thank you once again for your support.

Sean R. Diaz

Proud Principal - Mayfair Middle and High School

#bewater #Soons24/7 ALL DAY EVERY DAY!

Listed below are just a few reminders:

1. Mayfair Middle/High School does not permit any drop-offs or deliveries of food or other items. Please ensure that your student is prepared for the day when coming to school in the morning with their lunch, supplies, money, etc.
2. Dress Code. For the 2024-2025 school year, we are trying to prepare our students for college and career ready with a dress code. Students will not be allowed to wear any inappropriate clothing which includes the following: No sheer, low cut, revealing blouses, bare midriff, or braless outfits, bathing suits, beach attire, tight or revealing, or strapless garments. Please be sure that your student follows the dress code and wears appropriate clothing and accessories. Also, students may not bring blankets to campus. Click here to access Mayfair's Dress Code Policy.
3. No returning back to campus. If a student has an early release (7th or 8th period), once the student leaves campus, they may not return to campus during school hours. Parents - please ensure that your students are going home early if they have the early release.

To learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month, please click here to be redirected to the Hispanic Heritage Month government website. The website also has many articles, photographs, and depictions of the different cultures that fall under the term "Hispanic." For some people, terms such as Hispanic and Latino have become interchangeable. However, other people separate those two terms. For those interested in learning more about the difference between the terms Hispanic and Latino, please click here to be redirected to the Pew Research Center, which has a detailed article, titled "Who is Hispanic?" This article also provides data and information regarding the complexities surrounding terms such as Afro-Latinos, LatinX, and more. Regardless of these complexities, here are Mayfair Middle/High School, we celebrate and are proud of the cultural diversity of our community.

Unfortunately, there is an epidemic that is happening in the United States among teens: vaping.

Using e-cigarettes, also known as vape pens, is a particularly worrisome trend within the United States among teens. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults.
• Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s.
• E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine.

Some of the other risks of vape pens include:

• Some of the ingredients in e-cigarette aerosol could also be harmful to the lungs in the long-term. For example, some e-cigarette flavorings may be safe to eat but not to inhale because the gut can process more substances than the lungs.
• Defective e-cigarette batteries have caused some fires and explosions, a few of which have resulted in serious injuries.
• Children and adults have been poisoned by swallowing, breathing, or absorbing e-cigarette liquid through their skin or eyes. Nationally, approximately 50% of calls to poison control centers for e-cigarettes are for kids 5 years of age or younger.
• There has been an outbreak of lung injury associated with vaping products, including death.

What Can I Do to Prevent My Child from Using E-cigarettes or to Help Them Stop?

• Set a good example by being tobacco-free and ensure that your kid is not exposed to the secondhand emissions from any tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
• If you use tobacco, it’s never too late to quit. For free help, visit smokefree.gov or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
• Talk to your child or teen about why e-cigarettes are harmful for them. It’s never too late.
• Get the Talk With Your Teen About E-cigarettes tip sheet for parents. Start the conversation early with children about why e-cigarettes are harmful for them.
• Let your child know that you want them to stay away from all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, because they are not safe for them. Seek help and get involved.
• Set up an appointment with your child’s health care provider so that they can hear from a medical professional about the health risks of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
• Encourage your child to learn the facts and get tips for quitting tobacco products at Teen.smokefree.gov

Students caught with vape pens on campus do face consequences. To learn more about the dangers of vaping, please click here to visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website.

CalKIDS, a program administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board, an agency of the State of California and chaired by the State Treasurer, will automatically provide eligible, low-income public school children in grades 1-12 in California with the tools to start saving for college, including an initial deposit and possible financial incentives in a college savings account. The State of California created the program to expand access to higher education and encourage families to jumpstart saving for college and other forms of career training, regardless of household income.

The State of California will offer eligible low-income public school students the following awards in a CalKIDS account to save for higher education, as applicable:*

• $500 automatic deposit for eligible low-income public school students enrolled in first through 12th grade

• $500 additional deposit for eligible students identified as foster youth

• $500 additional deposit for eligible students experiencing homelessness

To access their CalKIDS account, eligible low-income students or their parents will need to register on the online CalKIDS portal at https://calkids.org/, which requires key

information, including the child’s Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) or a unique code

included in a notification letter that the family has (or will) receive by mail soon. Please see below on how to access your student’s SSID Number through AERIES Portal.

High School Voter Registration Week in 2024 starts September 23rd through September 27th. Thousands of high school students throughout the USA will sign up to register to vote.

Are you at least 16 years of age and a US Citizen? If so, then you can pre-register to vote!
Pre-registering allows you the opportunity to cast your votes when you do turn 18.
Sign up online at: https://registertovote.ca.gov/

If you are already 18 years old and haven't registered to vote yet, you can also use the link above to register to vote.

To register online you may need:

• Your California driver license or California identification card number,
• The last four digits of your social security number and
• Your date of birth.

Join the Mayfair Middle School and Mayfair High School Counselors each month for a relaxed and informal Coffee Hour, where you can connect, share thoughts, ask questions, and gain valuable insights into your student’s educational journey. Each meeting will feature a presentation on a key topic relevant to your student’s experience, followed by time for discussion. The meetings will be held on September 27, October 18, November 22, January 31, February 28, March 28, and May 2, from 9:00 – 10:00 am at the College and Career Center for high school and in the Welness Center for Middle School. We look forward to connecting with you! #SOONS247

On Monday, September 16th, Mayfair celebration our AP Scholars, those who passed the AP Exam, from May of 2024. Scores were released during the summer by the College Board.

The First and Second Batches of our Dual Immersion Students who have passed both AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature tests.

I'm Annette Cebula, a BUSD alumna who has now become an employee. I started at Betsy Ross for preschool (now ILC), then attended Foster for elementary school, and later went to Mayfair. I graduated in 1995, and there are some familiar faces here who attended during my time as well, including two good friends, Kelly Young and Toni Lundgren. We met in elementary school and are still close friends today.

As a Monsoon, I was involved in ASB and athletics, playing volleyball, soccer, and softball. My softball coach was the one who started the JV soccer team and recruited us softball girls to form the team. Soccer was so much fun; I wish I had started playing it earlier.

After graduation, I attended various local community colleges but eventually returned to BUSD to take the esthetician course at the Cosmetology School. I did wedding makeup and worked in retail, selling skincare and makeup. In 2000, I got married, and in 2002, we had our daughter. After that, working nights and weekends just wasn’t going to be practical for our family. I joined BUSD as a Title I aide at Ramona, where I spent eight years. My goal was to work closer to my daughter’s school, Foster, and be with her, but when she started kindergarten, she struggled with separation and would cry at drop-off and during lunch, which affected other students. I had been offered a job at Foster, but I had to turn it down. Staying at ILC turned out to be the right decision.

Eventually, I was encouraged to become a clerk, and that's what I did. When our clerk at ILC retired, I covered the job while learning it and was eventually hired for the role. I spent many years at ILC and even received my 25-year service pin there a few years ago.

I'm happy to be here at Mayfair. It’s been a hectic first few days, but everything will be just fine.

In my personal life, I’ve been married for 24 years. We have one daughter, who is also a Monsoon, and she graduated in 2020. She had a drive-thru graduation, which we actually loved. Recently, she moved to Colorado with her cousin, so I’m still adjusting to that. She's close to family, so it’s okay, but I miss her.

During the summer, you’ll find me either at the beach or in Havasu. I love both! You might also catch me at a country concert or shopping at Target. We have a couple of pups and have inherited a few cats, too.

I’m looking forward to meeting new faces! If we haven’t met yet, please stop by the attendance office to say hi anytime. I’m excited about this change of scenery and am looking forward to a fantastic school year.

The PSAT/NMSQT® (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is offered to 10th and 11th grade students. As part of the SAT® Suite of Assessments, itʼs designed to help prepare students for the SAT, college, and careers.

Date: Monday, October 28, 2024

Location: Various classrooms on campus

Time: 8:30A.M. – 11:30 A.M Arrive on campus by 8:00 am (students check in at Admin 300 Office)

Cost: $25.00 (CASH/CREDIT/DEBIT) Pay fee at the accounting window (*11th grade students that qualify for a fee waiver - please see your counselor)

Make sure to bring with you on test day:

-Photo ID: student ID card - physical ID (not digital ID) or driver’s license/Calif ID card

-2 No. 2 pencils with erasers

-Calculator (The digital test platform has a built-in graphing calculator or you can use your own approved calculator)

More Info:

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat-suite-assessments/psat-nmsqt-psat-10

Our Soak A Teacher event will take place during the lunches on Friday, September 27th! See the flyer for details! Hope to see you there!

The city of Huntington Beach holds the Civil War Days event every Labor Day weekend at Central Park in Huntington Beach. For a few days, scores of Civil War re-enactors converge on the park and replicate the Civil War. They re-create battles, speeches, and general life for soldiers during the Civil War. Several Mayfair students took advantage of an extra credit opportunity offered to them and they had a wonderful day at the Living History event.

Here's a link to the organization's website: Civil War Days

7th grade students have been learning about the Engineering Design Process in their science class: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve. This week they put the process into action as they completed their first engineering design challenge. Students had to use up to 5 different materials to create a catapult that would launch a small object at least one meter. They showed so much creativity in their designs and had a blast launching their object in the classroom. Thank you Ms. Williams for your engagement!

Uprooted Academy will host a FREE VIRTUAL College Fair open to all high school students, families, and educators. There will be universities across the country, resource exhibitors including scholarships, and also panels for students and families. Lastly, they are giving away $10,000 in scholarship giveaways and any student who attends is eligible to participate. Please register at explorewithuprooted.vfairs.com. The event will take place on Saturday, October 19th, 2024, starting at 10am.

"Mayfair's 2nd annual College Prep Month is in full swing. It began on Tuesday with a College 101 presentation hosted by our College and Career Technician Ms. Saucedo. Check out the calendar for the schedule of College rep visits this month. Keep in mind colleges are added daily so please visit the college and career center for up to date information. In addition to the visits, students are also encouraged to participate in the spirit wear days. Students spotted in spirit wear will receive 2 minga points. If you have any questions see Ms. Saucedo in the college and career center."

Kona Ice will be back on Campus Thursday October 17th for both lunches!!! Each Ice will be $5 for students!!

All students will have the opportunity to get VIP Access to the Kona Ice truck, and 30 extra minutes of lunch if they obtain 95% attendance/tardies, 2.0 GPA, and no assertive discipline for the next 30 days, starting 9/16/24.

This event will be for 150 Middle School kids, first come first serve, and the cost is $25. Additional qualifications are listed below on the Bowlero flyer!!! Students will be able to make up tardies with lunch detentions for this event. Please see Ms. Mitchell to make up time for tardies.

We are excited to announce a special event aimed at promoting organization and cleanliness among our middle schoolers. Our "Backpack, Backpack!" clean-out initiative is scheduled for every third Wednesday of the month during middle school lunchtime. The upcoming dates are September 18, October 16, November 20, and December 11.

We kindly ask for your support in encouraging your students to participate. It’s a great opportunity for them to organize their supplies and start fresh. Plus, all middle school students who participate will earn 5 Minga Points and a fun sticker!

Please remind your students about this event and let's make it a productive and enjoyable time for everyone. Thank you for your cooperation and support in fostering a positive school environment.

We will be having our first parent workshop at the District Office. It is open to parents Pre K-12 grades. If you have a family that will benefit from the workshop please invite them. The topic is Managing Difficult Emotions. We will have it in English and Spanish at 5-6pm on Sept 24th. Child Care and food will be provided.

IMPORTANT: ALL FAMILIES must complete online data confirmation through BUSD's Aeries Parent Portal for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. If you already haven't done so already, please be sure to get this completed as soon as possible. Families that haven't completed this will eventually be contacted multiple times by the school in order to ensure completion.

To complete data confirmation, parents need a Parent Portal account. If you do not have the required information (Student ID Number and Verification Code) to create a Parent Portal account, please contact your school site. The school sites open on August 1, 2024.

Forgot your password? Reset it by selecting "Forgot Password."

Below are helpful resources to assist with the data confirmation process:

Parent Portal - How to create an account

Data Confirmation directions (click on Aeries Portal for details on the site)

Parent Portal Link

Click below to download a PDF version of the Mayfair 2024-2025 Calendar and Bell Schedules.

Mayfair Middle/High School students will utilize the app called Minga as a digital ID card. The app enables staff to create hall passes, reward students for doing well and helping others, and the digital ID card will help students have an easier time entering or leaving campus. The digital ID has a "live" interface, with a running digital clock and a moving background, thus preventing students from using a screenshot [Screenshots of ID are not permitted]. Students will utilize their school email (via Google) to log in. The app is safe to use, uses very little data, and doesn't require access to any of the information stored on your phone. If your child does not have a smartphone, don't worry - they will receive a printed ID card as well. Click here to access a quick document that shows you how to log into your school's Minga account.

The Think Together Program is available at Mayfair is available to students of grades 7 and 8.

Parent Teacher Association:

• Promotes strong school to community collaboration and engagement

• Recognizes community and student achievements and service

• Serves to advocate for all children and families

• Dedicated to educational success, health and wellbeing

Parents! We want you to get involved! Our PTA (Parent Teacher Association) has done an outstanding job on helping our students and staff in the past, and we want that positive relationship to grow! Thank you in advance for joining our Mayfair Middle/High School PTA! Click here to visit the Mayfair PTA Facebook Page.

This year's theme is "Accepting Imperfection," and we are encouraging students to explore their creativity in various art forms. The attached flyer contains submission details. Deadline: October 25th.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17YB3L1FxjVSjXSN5nSBLM7ZMNd_KuPjh/view?usp=drivesdk

This program helps our PTA raise funds for the school by logging shopping and dining receipts from participating malls. We can win up to $10,000 for our school!

https://shopandlog.wufoo.com/forms/schoolcents

Did you know that free online tutoring is being provided by the BUSD district? Students can log in to Paper using their school district's Clever accounts (which uses the student's school email/password), or they can download the Paper app!

PAPER Online Tutoring is available for all students in 4th-12th grade through their Clever account. Students may ask tutors questions through the chat feature using the PAPER APP to get help with homework, feedback on their writing, support with studying for assessments, and even help with college/scholarship essays! The APP can be found in the Google Play and Apple APP store.

Click here to register for a free parent webinar (provided in English and Spanish). If your child needs more information about how to use PAPER, they can watch the following videos for more information:

Click here to watch the video titled "How Do Students Access 24/7 Live Help on PAPER?"

Click here to watch the video titled "How Do Students Use PAPER's Essay Review?"

We build futures for our students by providing a pathway for all students to become responsible, informed, productive citizens who can compete in a diverse world.

The Bellflower unified School District produces graduates who are globally competitive learners. Through equitable access to high quality academic, social, and applied learning, students are ready to excel in college, careers, and life.

Instagram/Twitter(x)/Facebook: @Mayfair_BUSD

Website: https://mayfairmonsoons.org

Location: 6000 Lakewood Ave., Lakewood, CA 90713

Phone: 562-925-9981