Tustin Connect News

Happy (Good) Friday. We hope you had a fantastic week. It's been very busy for sure. We have some important announcements, information, and good news below including the link to the survey to communicate your intention for the 2021-22 school year. This week's background features Mrs. Fairburn's Leadership Class assembling our planter boxes they have been working on for the high school quad area. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Mr. Fineberg, our principal, at efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us.

I am excited to share with you all the 2021-22 TC Student Enrollment Survey. Please use this link to let us know your intention for the 2021-22 school year as well as provide us feedback on your experience at Tustin Connect. The survey will serve as the only required method for communicating your intentions for the 2021-22 school year. No additional transfer application is needed. We appreciate your patience as we worked to provide you with an opportunity to make an informed decision for the 21-22 school year. As has been communicated, Tustin Connect will be the only 100% online option for families as we continue to run our traditional program. For more information, here's a one-page handout with additional information. We ask that you complete the survey by April 12th. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out at (714) 430-2052 ext. 52103 or efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us

Mr. Fineberg

Our seniors received more good news as they heard from some of their top choices. Just this week students received acceptances from the following schools:

UCLA

UC Berkley

USC School of Business

UC Irvine

and the list keeps growing... We are so proud of our seniors and all of our students.

Spring Virtual Book Fair: April 5-18 (more details to follow)

PTA Meeting: April 7 @ 7:30 pm via Zoom (see flyer for more information)

Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night: April 8 5 or 6 pm dependent on school

Spring Virtual Event: April 15 Mark your calendar. More information to come.

Teacher Appreciation Week: May 3-7

8th Grade Promotion: May 19th, 5:30 pm @ B Street Campus

End of Year Virtual Event: May 26 @5:30 pm

Senior Graduation: May 27th, 12 noon @ THS Sports Pavilion

Registration is now open for the TPSF Summer Academy. The Academy runs over 4 weeks split into 2 2-week sessions. June 7-17 and June 20-July 1 M-Th from 8:30 - 12:30. There are options for in-person and online courses for students in K-12 grades. In case you didn't know, Mr. Fineberg is the director of the program. It's pretty amazing. Check out the different options at www.tpsf.net/summer or you can always ask Mr. Fineberg.

As we return from Spring Break and head into the summer months, it is also a time when many of our students are thinking of enrolling in community college courses. If you are thinking of doing so, please take a moment to review the linked document. It provides an overview of the enrollment process and related websites as well. It's super helpful and a great place to start. If you're considering taking a community college course, please reach out to Mr. Moreno and/or your advisory teacher. We can help you not only pick the best courses for your graduation plan but also help you navigate the process.

If you have not heard, IVC offers a Promise Program that provides two years of free tuition and other fees. The deadline to apply has been extended to April 16, 2021. Prospective IVC students must complete the steps to becoming an IVC student and submit a FAFSA or California Dream Act application before that deadline in order to be considered for the Irvine Valley Promise Program. For more information or to learn about the Promise Program please visit www.ivc.edu/promise or email ivcpromise@ivc.edu.

Social-Emotional Learning at Home Resource

Topic: Handling Conflicts SEL at Home

TUSD Mental Health Newsletter: Please take a look at this excellent resource of topics to support your children at home from the TUSD Mental Health Professionals.

• Link for Newsletter

That's right, all TC 6-12 students have access to this terrific resource. Take a moment to check it out! It's terrific.

Paper/Grade Slam: Don't forget to use this 24/7 free tutoring service! You can even use it for college essay review and SAT and ACT prep. Here are links to a few resources.

Video Tutorials

• Getting Started on Paper (8:36)

• How Teachers Use Paper (10:48)

• Introduccion a Paper (10:44)

• Paper for Parents (7:05)

• Paper para Padres (14:23)

• Student Dashboard Walkthrough (3:12)

• Teacher Dashboard Walkthrough (2:18)

Online Learning Guide for Students - PDF

Upcoming Parent Nights the second Tuesday in English and every second Thursday in Spanish.

• Tustin Parent Night (English) - Second Tuesday every month. Register using the following link: https://pages.paper.co/webinars-for-parents-and-guardians

• Tustin Parent Night (Spanish) - Second Thursday every month. Register using the following link: https://pages.paper.co/es-us/presentaciones-para-padres-o-representantes

Tustin Unified has a growing collection of over 750 read-along titles available in Sora.

Read-alongs are a great way for students to experience picture books, beginning readers, and easy non-fiction in an eBook format with professionally recorded narration that plays while they read. Read-along features include:

• Narration that you can start and stop

• Text highlighting so the reader can follow along

• Automatic page-turning and speed control

You can find read-alongs by logging into Sora through Clever, select Explore and look for the featured Fiction and Non-Fiction Read-Along collections!

Questions? Visit the TUSD Library Service eBooks & Audiobooks webpage OR contact your site library staff.

The health, safety, and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority as they return to school. When the new school year begins, the on-campus school will look much different than previous years due to new health and safety measures.

Tustin Unified has created a School Opening and Safety Plan that addresses how schools will meet the needs of students in the coming school year. The plan to reopen schools is based on current guidance from public health officials, state agencies, as well as your valuable input from the recent parent survey, and will be updated as the situation evolves. As a result, TUSD has put together two options that will address social-distancing requirements to keep TUSD students and staff safe while also supporting student learning.

For the 2020-21 academic year, Tustin Unified will provide families a choice of two instructional options, including the hybrid model – a blend of in-person and remote learning, and Tustin Connect (K-12) – 100% online virtual school with optional in-person instruction.

The TUSD School Opening and Safety Plan (English linked, Spanish below) covers ​the many procedures and protocols that are being put in place for a successful and safe reopening. The plan can also be found on the TUSD website at https://www.tustin.k12.ca.us.

PLAN DE SEGURIDAD Y APERTURA DE ESCUELAS PARA EL AÑO ESCOLAR 2020-21

To provide students a flexible, yet rigorous, alternative education solution within a caring community that cultivates success, resilience, and advocacy for themselves and others

Email: efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us
Website: www.tustinconnect.org
Location: (K-8) 14741 North B Street; (9-12) 1151 San Juan Street
Phone: (714) 430-2052
Twitter: @tustinconnect

TUSD News Release:

Tustin Connect School Principal Erick Fineberg has been named the 2021 California Continuation/Educational Options Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA).

“There are thousands of school administrators in California representing 19 regions and to be chosen as a state Administrator of the Year is quite an accomplishment,” Tustin Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Gregory Franklin said. “Erick is an outstanding educational leader who is making a tremendous difference in Tustin Unified by expanding learning opportunities for all students.”