Tustin Connect News

It was a big week for our Maverick family this week. TUSD announced its plans for the 21-22 school year and the role that TC will fill along with the Spring Fling and details on 5th, 8th, and 12th-grade end-of-year celebrations. Please take a moment to review the important updates below. This week's background features a screenshot from our Spring Fling MS where we witnessed a historic comeback from Andrew from 0 points after the first 4 questions to a victory. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Mr. Fineberg, our principal, at efineberg@tustin.k12.ca.us.

Please be sure to complete the 2021-22 TC Student Enrollment Survey. Whether you're returning to TC or another school, it's critical that everyone respond to the survey so that we can ensure that students have a spot where they'd like to attend and be able to offer spots if families are not returning. In addition, we will use the survey to provide 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. In order to be able to plan accordingly, we ask that you complete the survey by Monday, April 19th. If you have friends or family that are considering Tustin Connect, please encourage them to review our one-page handout with additional information as well as view our Parent Night. Lastly, be sure to check out the information on 5th, 8th, and 12th-grade end-of-year activities. 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

We are excited to share the details of our end-of-year activities for our 5th, 8th, and 12th graders.

5th Grade: Mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 26th for our 5th-grade promotion picnic. It will be held on the field behind P11 at the B Street Campus. We are in need of a couple of parent volunteers to help with the details. Please let Mrs. McCourtney know if you're interested in helping out. In addition, there is an opportunity for 1-2 students to speak as well. Please see the flyer for additional details.

8th Grade: Thank you to Dr. Kim as she has headed up the 8th-grade promotion planning. We are set for Wednesday, May 19th at 5:30 pm. Families will have access to their assigned spot in the parking lot beginning at 3 pm. It will be all yours to decorate for the ceremony and dinner if you choose. Please see the flyer for additional details for 8th-grade speeches and talents.

Seniors: Big thank you to Mrs. Gwozdz for all of her work as she is creating an impressive collection of swag for the senior swag backs. Students will be able to pick up a bag, cap and gown, yard sign, and more as well as a special treat from the ICE CREAM MAN on Wednesday, May 19th from 3-5 pm. In addition, we are also looking for students interested in giving a speech at graduation, performing the National Anthem, and/or sharing their talents at the ceremony. Please see the flyer for additional details on timelines.

Thank you to our nominating committee for taking the time to perform the important task of filling positions for next year's PTA.

The nominating committee has put forward next year's Executive Board nominees, they are Corine Goodwin for President, Tara Hirose for Secretary, and Maneesha Singh for auditor. A vote will take place at our next PTA meeting in May.

We are looking for someone to fill our treasurer position, the remaining Executive Board position. If you have a vision for our PTA or passion, please consider volunteering in your school’s PTA. A list with descriptions will be on our TustinConnectpta.com website will be up soon. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

smw1196@sbcglobal.net

714-719-3782

Thank you,

Melissa Weiss

PTA

Spring Virtual Book Fair: April 5-18

Teacher Appreciation Week: May 3-7

Senior Cap and Gown, Swag Bag, and More Pick Up: May 19th, 3-5 pm @ HS Campus

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

HS Course Request Due: May 21st, 3:00 pm (don't delay in getting your requests in)

5th Grade Promotion Picnic: May 26th @ 10:30 am B Street Campus Field

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

Senior Graduation: May 27th, 12 noon @ THS Stadium

TUSD is committed to promote a smoke free environment for our students and families. Students were taught lessons on tobacco/vaping and the negative effect it has on their bodies. Afterwords, students who took the classes were able to participate in our Tobacco Prevention Campaing Slogan contest. Congratulations to our student Sami for entering her slogan and winning a set of Apple air pods! Enjoy and keep being a leader for TC Mavericks!

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.

Social-Emotional Learning at Home Resource

Topic: Resilience

English Copy

Spanish Copy

K-2nd Grade Workshops: Please take a look at the linked flyers regarding an SEL workshop offered after school for K-2 students to help all students learn ways to identify and communicate their feelings, develop problem-solving skills, and learn strategies to help them build success in school and life.

• Link for Flyer: English
• Link for Flyer: Spanish

Mental Health Newsletter

Below is an outstanding resource for families to access with a wealth of resources that is created by our Mental Health Professional team at the district level.

• Link for Flyer

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.

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.”