Welcome CELC Families,

It is the final countdown! We can't wait to welcome all of you. The campus has been bustling with activity. Teachers and staff have been organizing and planning, crews have been painting, and families have been turning in paperwork for registration. We are completing last minute preparations to be ready for our first day on Wednesday, August 17th. We apologize for any mess or work in progress while the district finishes up our painting project.

Class lists are scheduled to be posted at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 16th. Teacher will also have informational letters to view. Cookies will be passed out to Cubs that stop by between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. If you can't stop by, the lists will also be available on ParentVUE.

Here is a list of the latest updates and news to keep you informed:

• The first 5 days of school are minimum days. The student dismissal time is at 12:15 p.m. to allow time for teachers to meet with students individually and complete initial assessments. Teachers will be asking parents to sign up for a time with your student. There will be sign ups outside their classroom doors and/or a digital sign up sent out.

• Our regular schedule begins on August 24th. Student dismissal is at 1:35 p.m. EVERY Wednesday, with the exception of the first day, which is 12:15 p.m. See schedules below.

• School begins for CELC on Wednesday, August 17th. See schedule below.

• CELC has 1:1 Chromebooks in Kindergarten and small group sets in TK. Chromebooks will not be checked out to CELC students this year. However, each student will have them in the classroom.

• For the safety and security of students and staff, gates are locked during school hours.

• The district has been working over the summer to increase safety on all of our campuses. Improvements include more lighting, additional cameras, push gates in key areas, and increasing the height of fences and gates.

• CELC’s Back to School Night is scheduled for Thursday, September 1st at 5:45 p.m. Please start in the Multipurpose Room for a quick PTA meeting. Classrooms will open at 6:00 p.m. Stay tuned for more information.

• GREAT NEWS! AUSD will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students this school year. Please see note below from our Director of Child Nutrition.
• Students may choose to eat a cafeteria lunch or bring a sack lunch from home.
• Please send your student to school each day with a backpack, refillable water bottle, a healthy snack, and a lunch (unless they are getting a cafeteria lunch).
• Please include a change of clothes in a ziplock bag in their backpack. Potty accidents tend to happen early in the year. We have clothes on hand but having their own change of clothes seems to make them feel more comfortable.
• Please consider the following when planning your students day at school: Will your student be able to snap/fasten their bottoms, tie/fasten their shoes,? Will they be able to open food packages they bring for snack/lunch? Will they be comfortable in their outfit? Are their shoes safe for the playground?

• Masks are not required.

• Please report any absences to your child's teacher and the office. We still are required to follow COVID protocols for illnesses. Please let the office know the reason your child is out and what symptoms they have.

• We LOVE volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please pick up the required paperwork in the office. All volunteers must be cleared and either be vaccinated or test negative within 7 days of the event.

• We need PTA and School Site Council volunteers. If you are interested, please contact the school office. More information will be sent out soon.

• Before and after school care is available. Please contact our ESS Coordinator, Natalija Worrell, if you have any questions at nworrell@alpineschools.net

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

• Although we have water filing stations, we like to keep water bottles on hand for students that forget to bring a refillable bottle from home. If you would like to donate water, please drop it off at the school office.

Our staff is looking forward to seeing all of the new and returning faces to our campus. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Please keep your eyes out for additional communications as we get closer to our first day.

Please find us on FB and IG!

Teachers will be in contact with families to set up a time to pick up plan work, sign a contract, and check out a Chromebook. The district encourages families to purchase the Chromebook insurance that is offered.

Plan pick up days will be on August 17th, 18th, and 19th. The first day of in- person learning is Wednesday, August 24th.

A message from Kelly Massey, AUSD's Child Services Director:

Under a grant from the State of California called Universal Meals, ALL students K-12 will be provided FREE breakfasts and lunches until June 30, 2025. No money will be needed for your student(s) to receive meals at school. If snacks are available at your student(s) school, those are not considered meals and can be purchased with cash or funds from their School Cafe account. However, we still need ALL students to have a Free & Reduced Application on file for the upcoming school year regardless if they are eligible or not. This application is used to determine the funding our school receives for this program through the California Department of Education and the USDA. All parents, please fill out this application as soon as possible at www.SchoolCafe.com. If you are creating a new account you will need your student’s ID number. Our School District is listed as ALPINE USD. If you have any questions or need assistance with the application, please feel free to contact me at: Phone: (619) 445-3639 or Email: kmassey@alpineschools.net

Thank you,

Kelly Massey

If you were unable to attend one of our informational meetings for CELC in May, or our Dual Language Orientations in February/March/April, here are the slide shows that were shared at the meetings. Also see the presentation on MVLA and CELC updates presented at the school board meeting in March 2022.

CELC and MVLA have 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 productive and positive year (H.A.P.P.Y.)!

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 looks out for future, current, and former Cubs! She is ready to meet the 2022-23 challenge. She had some fun summer sightings and is looking forward to her first sighting of the current school year. See one of her summer sightings below.

Spirit Days

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)

School shirts will be available for purchase. Stay tuned for information about ordering.

"No Act Of Kindness, No Matter How Small Is Ever Wasted."

AESOP

Altruism is vital for the human race to survive and thrive; and each of our lives is supported by countless kind acts from other people. Yet in our world today, so much is directing us to think only about ourselves - and we often forget the happiness that comes by caring for others. We want to change that. This August Action for Happiness asking everyone to take one kind act per day. Let's help create a wave of kindness to spread around the world.

For more information and resources go to:

https://www.actionforhappiness.org

If you, or any of your friends/family, love kids and are looking for part time work, please share our postings. We have a couple of positions on our site as well as on other campuses. Please visit https://www.edjoin.org/alpineschools. Please send friendly, qualified candidates our way!

CELC currently has three part time instructional aide positions open and one special education aide position open. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Mrs. Ripke.

8/16 Class lists posted 1:00 pm

8/17 First Day of School

9/1 Back to School Night at 5:45 pm

9/5 Labor Day- No School

9/15 Picture Day

9/22 Picture Day Make-ups

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/