RFK New Open World Academy

Dear NOW Families,

What a wonderful first week! Thank you for helping us start the school year with such positive energy, excitement, and a strong sense of community. We are looking forward to an amazing year of learning and growth together!

At NOW, we are committed to knowing our students well and making sure they receive the support they need to be successful. Our teachers and staff work together through our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to identify student needs and provide the right support at the right time.

We also use a process called PDSA—Plan, Do, Study, Act—to continuously improve our teaching and learning. This means we look carefully at what students need, try intentional strategies, study the results, and adjust our approach to help students grow.

Our goal is simple:

Every student gets what they need, when they need it, so every student has the opportunity to thrive.

i-Ready Testing Begins August 17

Beginning Monday, August 17, students will participate in i-Ready assessments in reading and mathematics. These assessments help teachers understand what students already know, where they may need additional support, and what they are ready to learn next.

i-Ready is much more than a test or a box to check. The information helps our teachers make informed decisions about instruction and support. It gives us another important piece of the puzzle as we work together to help every student grow.

How Families Can Help

Students do their best when they are well-rested, encouraged, and understand that the purpose of the assessment is to help their teachers understand how to support them.

Please remind your child to:

• Get a good night’s sleep before testing.

• Eat breakfast and arrive at school on time.

• Listen carefully to directions.

• Take their time and do their very best.

• Stay focused and do not rush through the assessment.

• Remember that the assessment is an opportunity to show what they know and what they are ready to learn.

Our teachers will work to provide quiet, focused, and supportive testing environments and will make sure students understand the purpose of the assessment and how to use the technology.

We want the results to give us the most accurate picture possible of each student's learning needs. This allows us to make thoughtful instructional decisions and provide the right support, enrichment, and opportunities for every student.

We Are In This Together

Thank you for partnering with us as we begin this important work. Your encouragement at home makes a difference!

Test with purpose. Learn from the results. Grow together.

Together, we will use what we learn to ensure that every student gets what they need, when they need it.

RISE to our PRIME

C. Vela, Principal

We are RFK NOW Academy! Bobcat Pride!

We offer the following college classes for our secondary students!

School Begins 8:30 am

Vela, ES, Lara Sec

Visual Arts Teacher Blasi

ES Dismissal 2:53 pm

Sec Dismissal 3:40 pm, ODD

Elementary Weekly Assembly-Zoom

• iReady Assessment Window Opens-Read Principal's Message
• SEC: RFK NOW Athletic Sports Clinic. Appointments, Blacktop by handball courts

School Begins 8:30 am

Vela, Sec, Lara ES

Theatre Arts Teacher Nichols, MPR

ES Dismissal 2:53 pm

Sec Dismissal 3:40 pm, EVEN

Weather: 90º, 5% rain

School Begins 8:30 am

ES Dismissal 2:53 pm

Sec Dismissal 3:40 pm ODD

ES Library

• Vela Principal Meeting 7:30-12:00 pm
• ALL: SSC/ELAC/GSC Community Orientations 8:45 am, 9:30 am, & 10:00 am Zoom/Parent Center
• Sec: Convocation 12:25-1:30 pm

Weather: 90º, 4% rain

School Begins 8:30 am

Vela, Sec, Lara, ES

ES Dismissal 2:53 pm

Sec Dismissal 2:33 pm, Shortened Day Sec (ONLY)

• Vela, Building Council 1:30-3:30 pm
• ALL: Synthetic Turf and Track Replacement Community Meeting, 6 pm, Zoom

Weather: 90º, 3% rain

School Begins 8:30 am

Vela ES, Lara Sec

ES Dismissal 1:53 pm, PD Day Schedule

Sec Dismissal 2:40 pm, PD Day Schedule

ES Library

• SEC: Final Day for Schedule Change Requests

Weather: 90º, 3%

"I don't have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness-it's right in front of me if I'm paying attention and practicing gratitude."

-Brene Brown

This year, I ask that we lean into hope.

Hope for our students.

Hope for one another.

Hope for our school.

Hope for the collective future we are building together.

Let us begin and end this year believing that what we do together can make a difference—and that the best is still ahead. Let these snapshots be proof of the strength of our community.

We are still accepting students! Visit our main office to learn more!

August

8/17-Elementary School Assembly #1

8/17-i-Ready BOY Window Opens MEMO

8/18-Textbook Distribution Secondary

8/19-Convocation (MS & HS)

8/19-Principals' Meeting, Pio Pico MS

8/20-8/21-Initial ELPAC Coordinator Calibration Training, Virtual

8/21-EDST Informational Session (Select Teachers)

8/22-RDRS Training for K-2 Teachers (8-11 am, 12-3 pm, Pio Pico MS)

8/25-Coffee with the Principal #1

8/26-8th Grade Town Hall

8/27-Secondary Back to School

8/27-12th Grade Town Hall

9/3-Elementary Back to School