Walnut Creek Weekly Newsletter

Dear Walnut Creek Learning Community,

I hope that you all enjoyed your first week of summer vacation! I know that our students have earned some relaxation and fun after working so hard during the school year, but, I also want to remind our families that the "Academic Summer Slide" is real, and that if our students don't engage in any sort of critical thinking during the summer months, they will take an academic step backward during the next few months.

This summer, I will once again encourage students to participate in the Summer Academic Engagement program. Each week, I will send out an activity that was developed by Creek teachers. The learning activities are designed to be simple activities that students can complete from home to engage in some critical thinking. The feedback that I have received from families over the years is that they appreciate having some basic activities that they can hand off to their kids when they want to pull them away from screens. None of the activities that I send out during the summer are required, and we do not collect any of the work back from students - it's simply meant as an option for families that want to encourage thinking and academic engagement during the summer.

I recommend that all students partake in two fundamental components each week to maximize the benefits of the program. The first is the completion (and passing) of one Math and one Reading iReady lesson weekly. We do not recommend that students complete more than 2 lessons per week in each subject area. I know that iReady is not a favorite of our students - but the lessons really work. The lessons are tailored to address individual learning needs identified in the most recent iReady Diagnostic Assessment. The iReady lessons are accessible via “classlink” which is located under “quick links” on our school website. Please remember that logging in directly through iReady or the Classlink website will not work; students must use the classlink from our school’s website for access to iReady. This is the same login method that students have used all year long.

In Addition to the iReady lessons, we are excited to continue offering the second component of the summer program: weekly academic learning activities crafted by our dedicated and incredible Walnut Creek Teachers. These activities have been created by our teachers to engage your child at home, utilizing minimal supplies and adult guidance. Our hope is that the activities will spark your child’s interest and provide an opportunity for critical thinking.

Linked below in this email, you will find the first Walnut Creek Teacher Designed activity of the summer. By integrating both the iReady lessons and these teacher-crafted activities, your child is set to continue their growth over the summer.

Summer Academic Engagement Activity 1 - Phases of the Moon

Your support is invaluable in nurturing your child’s academic growth. Together, we can continue to diminish the summer slide and help to propel our students toward academic success and excellence.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.

Thank you!