Principal's Message...
Many of our families have asked for ways they can connect with one another. A great way is to grab the phone and give a classmate a call and set a time to connect virtually or in-person. One great way to do that is to join the PTA and with that membership, you get a free School Directory with names, emails, and phone numbers for a number of our families that have opted in. It's easy and a great way to connect. If you haven't done so already, feel free to join and get your copy today. If you haven't received a copy and are a member, please reach out to our PTA President, and she'll get you a copy. 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
Elementary Information
Spotlight for Black History Month: Please check out the New Spotlight focusing on Black History Month by our own parent and district librarian Theresa Walsh. SORA Spotlight- week of February 16 2021 (Elem-Black History Month)
Mark Your Calendars: Dr. Seuss Read Across America is coming March 2nd. If you'd like to get a sneak peek at some of the great resources and ideas, check out this website.
iPad Issues?: Many of the recent iPad issues (apps freezing or auto-closing, apps not auto-updated, etc.) have been traced back to iPads running out of storage space. Please delete unnecessary files and apps to free up space for school-related apps to update and function properly.
Middle School Information
8th Grade Promotion and Picture Proofs: In case you missed it, Wednesday, May 19th at 5:30 pm is the 8th-grade promotion. The plan is to be in-person. Families will remain in their car while students are in-person in chairs using the B Street Campus Parking Lot. If you are able, we are still looking for volunteers to help with planning. Please contact Mr. Finebeg if you can help out.
Math Pathways Important Information: Please take a moment to review the linked letters based on your child's current math level. This is important information as we look at placing students in math classes for 2021-22.
Math 6/7 Families: English Version Spanish Version
Math 8 Families: English Version Spanish Version
Algebra 1 Families: English Version Spanish Version
High School Information
Senior Graduation Updated Date: In order to accommodate district-wide AP Testing, TC graduation is now Thursday, May 27th at 12 noon at the THS Sports Stadium. Please mark your calendars. Thank you to Mrs. Gwozdz for volunteering to help with the planning. We could use some additional volunteers. Please contact Mr. Fineberg, if you are able to help.
SAT Administration: For those juniors that signed up for the SAT, will be taking it a week from Wednesday, March 3rd in the MPR. Arrival will be between 7:30 and 7:45 on the 3rd.
Summer CTE Internship for Rising Seniors: The TUSD CTE Summer Internship Program will be launched this summer. This exploratory opportunity will be for rising Seniors in the summer of 2021. See the flyer for more information.
Leadership Class Projects: Please support our Leadership Class Philanthropic projects as you see them come up. Below is Maia's project. She's looking for support by writing letters to the frontline workers at Hoag. Please see below for more details.
Tustin Connect PTA Calendar
March
March 2 @ 5:30 pm Read Across America Virtual Event
March 3 @7:30 pm PTA General Association Meeting
March 15–19 Spring Recess
April
April 7 @7:30 pm PTA General Association Meeting
April 15 @5:30 pm Spring Virtual Event
May
May 3-7 Teacher Appreciation Week
May 5 @7:30 pm PRFA General Association Meeting
May 26 @5:30 pm End of Year Virtual Event
May 27 @noon Senior Graduation
May 29 @5:30 pm 8th Grade Promotion
Valentine's Day Lovefest: Results
In case you missed it. The virtual Lovefest was a huge success and super fun for all. We had crafts, games, costume contests, and talking. Lots of catching up with friends and students. We are looking forward to another event in March to Celebrate Read Across America. As promised, here are the winners from each of the events. We will be sending out your prizes shortly.
Elementary School Winners
Kahoot
1st Place: Abs
2nd Place: Natalie M.
3rd Place: Shinobu L.
Best Costume: Perez Family
Best Virtual Background: Mary H.
Middle School Winners
Kahoot
1st Place: Andrew D.
2nd Place: Sophie L.
3rd Place: Alex E.
Best Costume: Nadia W.
Best Virtual Background: Max G.
High School Winners
Kahoot
1st Place: Ryan S.
2nd Place: Sydney V.
3rd Place: Payton L.
Best Costume/Virtual Background: Sydney Vu
A big thank you to our PTA for sponsoring the prizes and crafts and our HS Leadership Class for organizing the high school event.
No Cost COVID Testing for In-Person Attending Students
Tustin USD is excited to announce another date for our no-cost COVID testing on a voluntary basis for all students who attend in-person for either hybrid learning, extracurriculars or athletics (flyer linked). TUSD has partnered with LivingFit Nation to provide this opportunity on February 17 and will be hosted at Beckman High School.
Here are the details:
- No cost
- February 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Beckman High School
- The linked flyer has links with information on how to register and schedule your time
- Walk-ins will only be accepted after 3:30
- On your scheduled day, park and look for the pop-up tents set up in the parking lot
- Lab results are provided within 48 hours
- Students do not need to quarantine after voluntary testing
The TUSD Board of Education is committed to student and staff safety and is offering no-cost testing to help prevent the spread of the virus. TUSD strongly encourages you to take advantage of this opportunity.
Vision and Hearing Update
Mandated Hearing and Vision will not be completed in the usual manner this school year.
Please see the “20/21 Mandated Hearing and Vision Screening Update” document which provides educational information to parents to help them identify potential problems with their child’s hearing or vision.
Parents are encouraged to contact their health care provider, or call the school to arrange for screening with the school nurse, if they suspect there is a problem.
K-12 Digital Books Resource Spotlight
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.
Counselor Corner
SEL Afterschool Workshops: Please see the flyers below for some SEL Afterschool Workshops offered through Western Youth Services. There are lots of options for students in 2nd grade all the way through 8th grade.
Social-Emotional Learning at Home Resource: Topic: Feelings and Emotions helping your child feel more in control of their emotions by giving words to feelings. SEL at Home
Building Resilience Newsletter: Please take a look at this excellent resource of topics to support your children at home from the TUSD Mental Health Professionals.
Grade 6-12: 24/7 Virtual Tutoring for all Tustin Connect Students
That's right, all TC 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.
How Do Students Use PAPER's Essay Review?
TUSD's School Opening & Safety Plan
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
Our Mission
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