Castle Heights Elementary School
Castle Heights Chronicles--May 2008Spring is in the air and we have had a very pleasant April. Our school looks beautiful and our students are preparing for the end of the year. We want to welcome back Mis. Amy Polanco and Mrs. Sara Boroomi from maternity leave. Also, welcome back to Mrs. Xochitl Becerra who returned in February.
It's TESTING TIME, and we are once again ready to show what we have accomplished over the course of this school year. Testing for Grades 1 -5 begins on Monday, May 12 and continues through Friday, May 23. Testing starts each day at 8:30 AM and will continue until 10:30 AM. Most of the testing occurs in the first week, however, Grade 4 does NOT test during the second week at all. It is very important that all students:
Websites are available to provide additional information and practice for your children. You may go to the State Department of Education at www.cde.ca.gov or www.cde.ca,gov/ta/tg/sa/documents/academicprep.pdf to get copies of old test questions.
If you have any questions or concerns about testing, please contact the school office.
As usual, there will be numerous exciting activities throughout the month. Many classes have the opportunity to participate in curricular field trips. Fourth Grade will be going to Mission San Juan Capistrano via Amtrak on Thursday, May 1. Kindergarten will be going to see the Bob Baker Marionettes, while part of third grade will be visiting the Heritage Museum.
On Friday, May 2 students and their families will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with performances by the Ballet Folklorico and Estudiantina. Performances will take place on the yard at 1:45 gnd the "Family Fair" begins directly after school. Our ELAC parent group is sponsoring these wonderful events. On May 1O many of our staff and students will be participating in the Revlon Walk/Run. Featuring several classes from our primary grades, on Friday, May 30, we will celebrate the season with our Spring Dance. The festivities begin at 1:45 PM. We hope you can make it.
Please remember that Monday, May 26 is a legal holiday in observance of Memorial Day and school will be closed. Early dismissal Tuesdays (1:34 PM) will end on May 6. The remaining Tuesdays will have a regular dismissal time of 2.34 PM. You will receive additional reminders about this change.
This coming year, Castle Heights has lost both its Federal and State Comprehensive Education Funding tied to Title 1. This makes it more difficult to budget for some of our students' needs especially considering the state monetary crisis. Title 1 funding is allocated to schools based on the percentage of students who receive free or reduced lunch. We lost our Title 1 status due to a lack of parents who qualify for this program, returning the Federal Lunch applications. We hope that ALL parents will plan to complete and return these applications in the coming year. Even if you do not think your child qualifies for free or reduced lunch, please turn it in anyway. You never know!
All of our parent councils and committees are active and welcome your participation.
Agendas for all meetings are posted in the front office at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting. Contact the school if you need additional information.
Friends has a big event scheduled for May. "Soiree by the Sea" will take place on Saturday, May 17 from 6:30-10:30 PM at the Santa Monica Bay Woman's Club (1210 Fourth Street). This will be an evening to celebrate our children, their teachers and the noteworthy accomplishments of our school. The event includes dinner, a silent and live auction, a raffle and entertainment. Many sponsors have donated wonderful prizes. For more information call Anne Goldring at 310-204-2009. Please support this great event and help to raise funds for the many activities that "Friends" sponsors.
"Friends of Castle Heights" is having their meeting on Tuesday, May 6 at 7:OO PM in the school library. Friends will also be sponsoring a Town Hall meeting for all parents on Wednesday, May 7 at 7:OO PM in the school auditorium. While we still do not have many answers, we hope that night to alleviate concerns and help parents understand the depth of the situation our state budget is creating.
Castle Heights PTA will be meeting on Thursday, May 1 at 8:3O AM in the staff lounge. We want to thank the PTA board and PTA members for the wonderful "Founder's Day" Luncheon provided to teachers and staff on April 4. This year our male teachers were honored, Fernando Carriel in Pre-Kindergarten, Erick Valdez and Kenneth Pope in Grade 1, William Rains in Grade 2, Barry Feeney in Grade 5 and Charles Meeks in Resource. We are grateful for the talents and expertise of all of these gentlemen as well as all other male members of our staff.
Be sure to check out our website at www.castleheightselementary.com and its link to Friends of Castle Heights for any additional information or if you wish to contact someone specific.
All students on permit must submit a renewal application to remain at Castle Heights next school year. These applications have been sent home and must be returned no later than Friday, May 16. Unless there is an issue with the application, all complete renewal permits will be taken at this time. Late renewals will be put on a waiting list and placement will be determined on space availability.
If you have a child who will be four years old by December 2, 2008 he or she is eligible for Pre-Kindergarten. We are now issuing "Intent to Enroll in Pre-Kindergarten" forms. Interested parents should complete the form and return it to the office NO LATER THAN MAY 9. A lottery will be held on Wednesday, May 14 to fill the 30 seats available. All applications received on time will be considered. Enrollment of selected students will begin by appointment on Saturday, May 31.
Enrollment packets for all new students, Grades K-5 are available in the main office. All packets contain a checklist of items necessary to complete the process. Office personnel will be available to answer your questions. Completed packets may be returned to the school office at any time. To make this process more convenient to working parents, Saturday, May 31 has been set aside for enrollment. The office will be open from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM to accept completed applications and to begin the interview process for Pre-Kindergarten. All new permit applications will be placed on a waiting list until resident enrollment is determined. You will be notified no later than August 22 if you have a place on permit.
REMEMBER THAT ALL STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN PRB-KXNDERGARTEN MUST RE-ENROLL TO BE CONSIDERED FOR KINDERGARTEN AT CASTLE HEIGHTS. NEW KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS MUST BE FIVE YEARS OLD BY DECEMBER 2, 2008. If your child has a "late" birthday (October, November) and you are concerned about enrollment, please see Mrs. Tann before making a final decision.We had a tremendous turnout for Parent Conference Week (over 96% participation). We work hard to keep the lines of communication open for the benefit of all our students. Our Open House was fantastic. Students showcased their excellent social studies and science projects while parents had an opportunity to visit classrooms. We had dozens of "future families" visiting our school as well, and look forward to including them in our academic community. We also want to thank Ms. Colina for organizing the "Green Truck" dinner event. That was a real treat.
Thanks to the efforts of our terrific Environmental Coordinator, Charmaine Colina, all of our students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities focusing on recycling and ecology. We celebrated EARTH WEEK, beginning with School Beautification Day and even made it on the evening news! This past month, we have all learned something important about preserving our Mother Earth.
Locked Campus for Security: For the safety of all students, staff members and parent visitors and in accordance with District policy, Castle Heights has a secure campus. All gates, except the front gate on Cattaraugus Ave., will be locked at 8:15 and will remain locked during the school day. Please know that parents are ALWAYS welcome at Castle Heights, but must follow District procedures. Just remember to enter through the front gate and stop in the office to identify yourself and receive a visitor's pass or volunteer badge before going on campus. Your child's safety is our greatest concern.
Keep our School Safe and Clean: Please help us by reporting any unusual events or trespassers on our campus at night or on the weekend. If you see anyone damaging the school, or involved in any other illegal activity, please call School Police at (213) 625-6631. You will be helping to keep our school safe and clean for all of our students.
Student Safety Guidelines: Possession of guns, knives or toy replicas of guns or knives at school is ILLEGAL and WILL result in expulsion or suspension. There is NEVER a reason to bring a knife to school-this includes lunch, art projects, etc. Please discuss this with your child.
Medicine Guidelines: Any student needing to use medication during school hours must have a statement to this effect on file at the school, signed by the doctor and parent/guardian. The required form is available from the school nurse or office manager. The medication will be kept in the Nurse's office and dispensed as required.
Emergency Preparedness: Castle Heights has received a new Earthquake Bin and all classrooms have Emergency Kits for student safety. We do request that parents provide a bottle of water and two "protein bars" in a Ziplock bag with the child's name to remain in the classroom in case of a "Lockdown". We feel confident that we are prepared for any emergency.
For questions or comments about the school please email the Principal.
For questions or comments about the content of this site, please email Ann Warren.
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