Breakfast Before Break - Central Valley Home School

On the last day of school  before winter break, Central Valley Home School had a great turnout for Breakfast Before Break. 107 attendees signed in.  As much as Misti Jennings, Principal, tried to get everyone in the book, she said there may have been some that got by her. The site was packed! 

Students and parents really enjoyed the cinnamon rolls that Nadine Freeman and her awesome staff provided, as well as the craft activity.  

Students built bird houses.  They had to be hands on and read instructions (technical documents) in order to get the houses built before they painted them.

Rafer Johnson Jr. High School Girls Soccer

From Laura North, Principal

Rafer Johnson Jr. High School

Our girls volleyball team took league a few months ago and now this....

The RJJH girls soccer team caps off an undefeated 15-0 season with the SAL Tournament Championship. They beat Liberty 3-0 in the semifinals and beat El Monte 3-0 in the finals. So proud of the entire team and a special thank you to coach Marcus Campbell.

Kingsburg Students Take on ToughTopic of Suicide

     A suicide prevention workshop was held on December 1^st in the Rafer Johnson Jr. High School gym.  The high school, feeder elementary schools, KCAPS, the Kingsburg Elementary Charter School District Governing Board members, and the local churches were invited, and many participated along with students and parents.  Please click on the link below to see the video from one of the Fresno news stations.

http://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/kingsburg-students-take-on-tough-topic-of-suicide#.Vl7xap2FBet.mailto

Island Community Day School Newsletter - December 2015

PBIS Student Store

Our student store is up and running. Here is how it works. Every student has an opportunity to earn points daily as an incentive for positive behaviors such as attendance, attitude, dress code, and assignment completion. These points are tracked on the students’ ROCK status sheet. Once a week, on Fridays, points can be redeemed for items in our student store.

If a student wants a high point item that they don’t have enough points currently to pay for, they may save their points for the following week. Students have been part of this process from the beginning. They have brainstormed incentives and have even helped price the items.

What’s Next ?  Beginning in January 2016, we will keep tally of all points earned throughout the month and present the student with the highest amount of points with a trophy for the month. We aim to promote positive behavior one step at a time.

Community Service

ICDS students participate in community service weekly at Kings-burg Community Assistance Program (KCAPS). They are asked to sort, sweep, clean, hang, whatever needs to be done. Our students are often complimented on how well they do and how seriously they take their task. Serving with a happy heart em-braces all aspects of our ROCK motto.

Respectful
Respect Yourself, Others, Our School, All Living Things

Open Minded
Be Flexible, Try New Things, Make New Friends

Community
Be Inclusive, Take Care of Each Other, Welcome Every-one

Kindness
Think Of Others, Build Each Other Up, Smile

Central Valley Home School Newsletter - December 2015

Kristi Jensen

“A passion of mine is being able to encourage and support children to be their best - both in their education and in their life. I believe that all children have the ability and right to grow, learn and succeed, regardless of their abilities or home life. One always has an option in life - be brave!”

Mrs. Jensen and her husband, Blair, have been married for 16 years! They met in 7th grade!! Together, they have 3 children Kahlia, Tyler, and Lyla. They love to travel, camp, and watch their children in their many different sporting activities. She enjoys reading, drawing, and being crea-tive. In the future Mrs. Jensen would like to write a novel, drive a racecar, and see the Sistine Chapel.

EVIE, 3rd Grader

Evie, 3rd grade, has been working on memorizing the names of the 50 states and their capitals. As a way to encourage Evie and increase the fun factor her mom, Jill put a request out on facebook and got a very enthusiastic response from friends and family. They shared the request with their friends and family across the country. The majority of the cards they’ve received have been from people they’ve never met! Postcards are arriving daily, sometimes a dozen a day! At this rate I’m sure it won’t take long for them to collect all the states. What a great idea and fantastic project for Evie. She has really enjoyed receiving the mail and reading all the kind messages from all around the country and has made some pen pals along the way.

Kids Invent!

A huge thank-you goes out to our friends at the Hillblom Foun-dation. They have generously agreed to fund a grant that will allow CVHS to imple-ment an amazing program -Kids Invent!
Kids Invent is a program designed and issued through the Lyles Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fresno State University. FSU personnel will train our teachers and coach them through the Kids Invent curricula to engage our students in the areas of Mathematics, English Language Arts, Engineering, and Science. Students will work in teams to stimulate creativity and solve real world problems through fun, educational activities.
Upon completion of the program, students will earn a certificate from the Lyles Center! We are excited to begin this program Spring semester.

National School Choice Week

National School Choice week is held every January with the goal of promoting awareness about educational options. All children are different and each child deserves to be educated in an environment that is best for them.

Homeschooling is one of many educational options. It is a choice! We appreciate you choosing CVHS as your homeschool support system.

In honor of school of choice week and in appreciation of you, we will hold a special assembly on Wed. January 27, 2016. The Fresno Gem and Mineral Society will be on campus at 1:00 for a presentation and demonstration. They have asked for a dark room and have hinted that some minerals glow in the dark. I’m excited and hope to see you all there.

Reagan Elementary School Newsletter - December 2015

Intramural Champions!!!

On Friday, November 20, our Volleyball Intramural season came to a close.  Since September 8 classes from each grade level played each other in a round robin format once a week during lunch.  After the round robin pool play concluded, playoff seedings were determined and a single elimination tournament began on November 2.  In the Finals we had Rooms 101 vs. 107 in 4th grade; Rooms 203 vs. 207 in 5th grade; and Rooms 301 vs. 307 in 6th grade.  After 3 very close matches, Rooms 101, 207, and 307 were crowned champions.  Great job to everyone who participated. 

Upcoming Dates

December 10—11—Winter Band Concerts

December 14—15—Winter Choir Concerts

December 14—16—Drama Club Play tryouts

December 17—KHS Carolers Perform at Reagan

December 17—18—Minimum Days

December 21—January 8—Winter break—NO SCHOOL

Lincoln Elementary School Newsletter - December 2015

Jog-a-Thon – Top Sellers & Runners

Emma Unruh was our top seller in the Jog-a-Thon, bringing in $1,287!   

     Emma won a $100 gift card to Toys-R-Us, and she received free ice cream for herself and a friend for the rest of the year!  

     Other top earners were:  Victoria Jones - $1,105, Delbert Salvadalena - $1075, Jack Visser - $980, Emily Beer - $600, Colson Chernekoff - $510, Ava Irigoyen - $481, Geneva Selsor - $440, Lola Leonardo - $429, and Rachael Erickson - $375.  

     The top runners in 2^nd Grade were Sophia Caballero (26 laps) and Jensen Hirshkorn (27 laps).  The top runners in 3^rd grade were Julia Lopez (24 laps) and Caleb Sikora (27 laps).  

     Everyone did an outstanding job!  Congratulations!!!

Spotlight on 2nd Grade - Miss Golbek's Class

Miss Golbek's class enjoyed being creative with their turkey in disguise projects before Thanksgiving.  After reading the book Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano, they learned that Mr. Turkey did not want to be eaten for Thanksgiving dinner! The students dressed up their turkeys in creative disguises. Some of these disguises included a snowman, a bride, a pirate, a football player, a cheerleader, a cowgirl, a dragon, and many more. They also got to write a letter explaining that they were not a turkey and should not be mistaken for one. Room 31 had a lot of fun presenting these turkeys in front of the class as they read their letters and showed off their disguised turkeys. There are 24 very creative students in Miss Golbek's classroom!

Spotlight on 3rd Grade - Mrs. Clifton's Class

Mrs. Clifton's students just finished presenting their three paragraph research reports on a planet in our Solar System.  They also created a display board convincing their classmates to travel to the best planet in our solar system.  Their oral presentations and research and opinion paragraphs formulated an overall grade.  They are very proud of their work and were happy to show it off representing Lincoln Eagles that SOAR!

Washington Elementary School Newsletter - December 2015

Money Madness!

Congratulations to Ekshaan, Christopher, Charlotte, Reece, Camrynn, Landon, Skyler, Cason, and Isabella for being our top earners in our Cookie Dough Fundraiser. We had a fun assembly!

“Peanuts” Float at the Santa Lucia Parade!

Thank you to the Washington Parent Club for all their hard work on the "Peanuts" Float that was entered in the Santa Lucia Festival of Lights Parade.  It was a huge success and parents and student, alike, had a lot of fun.

Polar Express Day

On December 18th, Mr. and Mrs. Claus will make a special visit to Washington Elementary School.

First Ever Clothes Swap During 2015 Santa Lucia Festival of Lights

From Misti Jennings, Principal Central Valley Home School:

We held our 1st ever clothing swap during the Santa Lucia Festival.  I would rate this a huge success.  In general the community was really excited to get rid of some items and to restock the closets.  Left over items were donated to KCAPS. I actually donated fewer items than I started with, which means our community was taking advantage!!!  

I was able to go and speak with parent clubs at Washington and Lincoln.  Washington parents were present big time at the booth. CVHS families also attended this event.  Many community members wanted to make sure we would be there next year doing it again.     

Lincoln Elementary School Santa Lucia Festival of Lights Parade Float

Congratulations to Lincoln Elementary School for winning the following awards for their float during the 2015 Santa Lucia Parade:


Children's Christmas:   1st place Lincoln Elementary 

$100 Grand Prize Winner: Lincoln Elementary School

Santa Lucia Festival of Lights Parade 2015

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Santa Lucia Parade on December 5th.  It was a wonderful event.  The students and parents were so excited to be part of the floats.  We heard so many wonderful comments about each of the schools from the community.  

The Winners Of The 2015 Santa Lucia Parade

Swedish Christmas:  1st place Kingsburg Boy  Scouts Troop 392

The Nativity:  1st place Holy Family Catholic Church

  Children's Christmas:   1st place Lincoln Elementary 

                                           2nd place Reagan Elementary

General Christmas:   1st place Mid Valley Disposal 

                                                            2nd place Kingsburg Four Wheel Drive Club

$100 Grand Prize Winner: Lincoln Elementary School 

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who participated in the parade!

Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS)

Congratulations to Dr. Wesley Sever!  He recently received official word that his application to serve on the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) was approved. ACCS will report to the State Board of Education (SBE). The application process included lengthy written responses to several questions as well as an oral interview. This is a two-year appointment. ACCS will meet every other month in Sacramento. All expenses will be covered.  

The Kingsburg Elementary Charter School District is one of eight charter districts in the state. Dr. Sever said it is an honor to serve on this statewide commission and he looks forward to representing our district at the state level and being a positive influence for continuation of our charter.

Central Valley Home School Newsletter - November 2015

A huge thank you to The Discovery Center in Fresno for allowing students to tour their museum.  The Discovery Center was happy to welcome the group, gave us a great discount, and most importantly, a fun learning opportunity.

Students also had a great time with Tanya and Caleb Crevier.  The duo brought a great message:  Enthusiasm wins the GAME (Goals, Attitude, Morals, Ethics).  Champions for Tomorrow was an excellent assembly and we hope to have them back next year.

Santa Lucia - Community Clothing Exchange

CVHS wants to encourage the spirit of community and giving that takes place during this special time of year.  This year, CVHS will host a community clothing exchange.  Bring your clean, gently used children's clothing that they no longer fit into.  Take other clean, gently used items that will fit your children.  Take what you'll use, leave what you won't.  There is no cost associated with this event.  If you don't have anything to leave, you may still take, and vice versa.  Any items left over at the end of the event will be donated to KCAPS.

We could use volunteers to help man the tables.  Please spread the word and invite your friends.  

Upcoming Events

November 11 - Veterans Day

November 18 - Chaffee Zoo/Stingray Bay

November 20 - See's Fundraiser ends

November 23-27 - Thanksgiving Break

December 5 - Santa Lucia Parade

December 18 - Breakfast Before Break/Arts Day

Rafer Johnson Jr. High School Newsletter - November 2015

     Celebrating PBIS and student behavior!

We want to catch students meeting PRIDE expectations!!

Why? RAP Citation is a positive behavior recognition to encourage students to consistently demonstrate PRIDE.

  

Who? All staff (teachers, office, cafeteria, yard duty, etc.) should be awarding students who show PRIDE with RAP Citations. 5-10 per week min.

  

How? Each staff member is given a stack of sticky note RAP Citations. Staff members are to write their own name on the bottom of the note. When they see a student displaying PRIDE, they can give them a citation and tell them to write their name on it and turn it into the office.  We will have once-a-month drawings where students AND REFERRING STAFF MEMBERS will win prizes for PRIDE!

Rafer Johnson Red Ribbon Week

We had Grant Thiessen come talk to Rafer Olympians regarding making choices that impact their lives.  He spoke to students on 4 of the 5 days of Red Ribbon week.  He told us his story.  He then taught us about influences and conditional and unconditional love.  Students then identified hurts in their lives.  They learned about forgiveness.  They learned that when you forgive someone you really free yourself from the hurt. We then made promises for our futures.  It was a great week!

Reagan Elementary School Newsletter - November 2015

Band March-A-Thon

On Wednesday, October 28, the 5th and 6th grade band members from Reagan participated in the annual Band March-A-Thon.  183, 5th and 6th grade band members from Reagan marched along with the Rafer Johnson Jr. High band, marching from Rafer Johnson to Reagan.  The bands, under the direction of Mrs. Kimbi Sigle and Mr. Jason Awbrey, stopped to perform at various locations, ending with a lunchtime performance at Reagan.  The students sounded great and they all had a lot of fun.  We would like to thank all who donated their time and/or financially, to this important fundraiser.  “Let’s Go Band.”

Fill the Bus/KCAPS Christmas With Dignity

We would like to thank all who contributed to Reagan’s Fill the Bus event for Fire Fighters.  It was a great success!  Mrs. Zapata’s 5th grade class helped facilitate the event.

Beginning Tuesday, November 3, and running until Friday, December 4, we will be collecting toys for KCAPS Christmas With Dignity event.  This is an important event for the families of Kingsburg who may not be able to purchase gifts for loved ones during the holiday season.  The donated toys are sold at a reduced price to pre-screened families who qualify.  Last year, this event provided approximately 500 gifts to be purchased by families from the Kingsburg area.  Please consider donating an unwrapped gift to this worthy cause.  A red box has been placed in each classroom at Reagan where gifts can be stored.  Suggested gifts include: sports equipment, toy trucks, board games, baby dolls, Barbies, Legos, action figures, and glove/hat/scarf sets.  

Upcoming Dates:

·   November 2—Music Boosters 7:00 pm @ Reagan

·   November 3—SSC Meeting 3:30 pm @ Reagan Library

·   November 3—ELAC Meeting 4:30 pm @ Reagan Library

·   November 3—PTA Meeting 6:00 pm @ Reagan Library

·   November 4—Fall Sports Tournament @ Selma 9:00 am

·   November 5—After School Intervention First Session ends

·   November 9—5th grade to Monterey Bay Aquarium

·   November 11—No School—Veteran’s Day

·   November 12—5th grade to Monterey Bay Aquarium

·   November 13—End of 1st Trimester

·   November 13—Permission slips for After School Intervention 2nd session due

·   November 20—Report Cards Go Home

·   November 23-27—No School—Thanksgiving Break

Lincoln Elementary School Newsletter - November 2015

Lincoln Eagles

#TOGETHERWESOAR

Red Ribbon Week Assembly - Rick Alonzo

On October 26, students were treated to an awesome assembly from local artist, Rick Alonzo.  Students were reminded how important it is to have great character in everything they do.  Also, students were able to do a fun activity each day of Red Ribbon Week:  creating posters, signing banners, enjoying music at lunch recess, and dressing in fun ways.

Jog-a-Thon

October 30 was a great day as the Lincoln students gave it their all running laps in the annual Jog-a-Thon fundraiser.  The students did their best during the fun event.  Thank you for your generous donations!  For every $20 a student turns in, they will receive a ticket that will make them eligible for the daily fun drawing in which they can receive the generous prizes that parents donated.  On November 13, at 1 pm, Lincoln will have the Jog-a-Thon Awards Assembly.  On November 18, students who brought in $75 or more will get to throw a water balloon at Mr. Stovall!

Santa Lucia Parade

On December 5, Lincoln Elementary School will be having a float with the theme, "The Lego Movie:  Christmas is Awesome!"  The Parent Club will be organizing the float, so please like the parent page on Facebook for all upcoming float information.  

2nd Grade Spotlight - Mrs. Eckgren's Class

Mrs. Eckgren's class enjoyed their field trip to the Discovery Center in Fresno.  Students experimented with "states of matter."  They blew up balloons using gas made from mixing baking soda and vinegar.  Dry ice experiences visually illustrated the formation of water vapor.  Students made a Borax solution that turned into "Flubber," turning a liquid into a solid.  The reptile room was a big hit, especially when the staff allowed students to touch the boa constrictor.  Climbing into the space capsule was great fun, as was seeing all the turtles sunning on the rocks and swimming in the pond.  Examining the many history and science artifacts formed an excellent storehouse of knowledge from which to build future learning. 

3rd Grade Spotlight - Mr. Garcia's Class

On October 16, Mr. Garcia's class planted flowers around the tree outside of the classroom as a school beautification project.  This was a team effort with teacher, parent, and student alike.  Many of the parents from Room 21 graciously donated to this autumn planting event.  The number one goal was to inspire the students to give  back and donate their time and effort to Lincoln Elementary School where they come every day.  These students learn from example, as this may have been their first community service project. Room 21 has inspired other classrooms on this part of the campus to plant flowers as well.  Thank you to all who contributed!

Roosevelt Elementary School Newsletter - November/December 2015

Thank you to all families who attended Parent/Teacher conferences, Grandparents Day, and Danish with Dad.  All of these activities were a huge success and a great deal of fun for all who were able to join us! 

On behalf of the Roosevelt Staff, I would like to recognize the Roosevelt Parent Advisory Club for their hard work and effort in making sure our activities have gone off without a hitch.  From donation organization to arriving early for Danish with Dad, we appreciate their efforts and look forward to working together on future events that support our Roughrider student body!! 

Veterans Day

One tradition at Roosevelt is to honor our Veterans.  On Tuesday, November 10 at 1:15 p.m., we will be honoring our men and women, who have served, and who are serving in our armed forces.  We are inviting all Veterans and service personnel to join us for our program and refreshments.

Santa Lucia Parade~

The Santa Lucia parade will be on Saturday, December 5^th.   We will be creating a float to represent Roosevelt!! With that being said, we are in need of some donations!  White Christmas lights, small Christmas trees, white sheets or white table cloths are items we are looking to be donated.   Flyers will go home in the near future providing details about putting the float together and participating in this big community event!

         We’ve got S.T.A.R. character!

 During our Character Education day our students learned about character and what it means to have “S.T.A.R.” Character.  In every location on our campus, students are learning what it means to:

Stay Safe, Take Responsibility, Act Respectfully, and are Ready to Learn!  Students received a badge last week signifying our school has S.T.A.R. character.   

Dates to Remember:

11/3                Site Council Meeting (2:30 pm)

11/10              Veteran’s Day Assembly (1:15 pm)

11/ 11             No School – Veterans Day

11/13              End of First Trimester

11/16              See’s candy flyers home

11/20              Report cards home

11/23-27         No School – Thanksgiving Week

11/30              See’s Candy money/orders due

                        Santa’s Secret Shop preview day

12/1-2             Santa’s Secret Shop

12/11              See’s candy pick-up

12/ 14-17        Winter Programs

12/17-18         Minimum Days

Washington Elementary School Newsletter - November 2015

Washington students have learned what STAR stands for:  

Stay Safe
Take Responsibility
Act Respectfully
Ready to Learn

For the past month, staff quizzed students and those who knew received a "STAR Bucks."  They put them in the STAR Jar for a fun raffle on Fridays.

October was an exciting time for both TKers and Kindergartners. TK students went on a field trip to the zoo and Kindergartners went to the Pumpkin Patch.  All students enjoyed Safety Day, where police officers and firemen talked to the students about staying safe.  We had a great turnout for Danish with Dads.  Ice cream Fridays started.  Students watched the Reagan and Rafer bands march by the school and heard some great music!

The Washington Parent Club is planning a "Peanuts" float for the Santa Lucia Festival of Lights Parade on December 5.

Title I Parent Night - Thank You

Thank you, EVERYONE, for helping at the recent Title I Parent Night!  Everyone played an important part in making the event a success.  I'm not sure how many parents actually attended.  I did a quick, rough count and counted 70 something, although not all of them signed the check in sheet.   The presentations were great and the parents I talked to expressed that they were having fun attending the sessions facilitated by all of you.  The kids had a great time with our paraprofessionals - Thank you!  The kids' technology projects were so impressive.  I even saw a first grader show me how she could use the keyboard without looking at her hands!

 

Bobby Rodriguez and Amy Sutton- Thank you for letting us use Reagan.  I know that meant a lot of extra time and work on your part, getting the rooms ready for us, and cleaning up afterwards.   Thanks to our leadership team for helping  plan the event and to Sarah Ballard for sending the automated messages.  If you're a member of ALT, we will reflect on the event and talk about what worked and what we can do to improve.  All others, please email me any thoughts or suggestions you have for improvement. Let's do it again next year!  Thanks again! 

--Melanie Sembritzki

Geronimo Bobby

Reagan Elementary School recently held their very successful book fair.  Look who made an appearance.  It's Geronimo Bobby!  He is holding a Geronimo Stilton book.

Geronimo Stilton is a best-selling children's book series published by the Scholastic Corporation.  The books are intended for readers in the 6-12-year-old age range.

MESA Math Day - Students Place First!

Congratulations to Rafer Johnson Jr. High School students, 

Sofia Righetti and Mikayla Vierra, for taking first place for the 

7th grade Math test at the Fresno State MESA Day!

Congratulations to Maya Solorio for winning First Place, Best of Show, at the Fresno Fair for her watercolor painting of a tiger.   Maya and her teacher, Terri Wilson, are pictured with Maya's first place painting. 

Rafer Johnson Jr. High School Girls' Volleyball Champions!

Rafer Johnson Jr. High School 7^th and 8^th grade girls won the volleyball division championships in their individual grades. This is the first time ever that the girls have been undefeated and won the championship.  Thank you to Kerry Pickrell and Nikki Raven for their coaching the girls on to victory!

4.0 GPA and Above Event at the Fresno Fair

Central Valley Home School was able to send eight students to participate in the 4.0 GPA and above event at the Fresno Fair.  One of the CVHS students, John (Jake) Diaz, won a $1,500 scholarship from the Vartan Family!   Congratulations to Jake and to all the CVHS students who participated in the event!  We are very proud of you!

Here is a picture of John (Jake) Diaz with his teacher, Lori Arnsberger.

Congratulations!

Central Valley Home School - Poem from a Parent

William Baker, a Central Valley Home School parent, wrote a poem for the CVHS staff.  He has given permission to share it on the blog.

Thankful Hearts

I wrote this for all of you

Who work at Central Valley Home School

Because there are things that go unsaid

Even though the thoughts are in our heads

First of all I’d like to say

That I am grateful to you every day

Because as I watch my children as they grow

I am thankful for the things that they have come to know

And even though we have all done our parts

We couldn’t have done it without your hearts

You know the ones that took our children aside

And taught them that they didn’t have to hide

As they began to learn and grow

Into somebody that only God really knows

I’m not saying that they’re perfect little beings

As you know proof of this has been seen

But I am saying that it brings joy to my heart and tears to my eyes

To see them stand up with pride

As they walk through this life

Believing in themselves and what is right

So remember that when things get tough

That the love God has put in your hearts is enough

To help you keep pushing on

So that they can live better lives from dusk til dawn

Knowing that somebody truly cares

When so much of the world really isn’t there

At least in a way that really matters for their sakes

Because so many things in it are sadly fake

And as they grow into adults

They will realize that it’s not their fault

That the world is like it is

Because they grew up as awesome kids

And with some real hope

They will truly be able to cope

And help to change many lives

In a world so lost and filled with strife

So thanks again with all our hearts

For loving our children from the start

As you‘ve watched them grow

And go through the things which they did go

As you helped them see

who it is that they can truly be.