It’s day three and we’re on our way to a fantastic school year!

A theme that we will continuously examine in the upcoming 177 days is, “Take Flight and SOAR!”  

As a staff, we’ve been working tirelessly for the past three years to build the plane to personalize learning for ALL students.  Now, we’re ready to take off!

Our eaglets (aka students) have been flapping their wings and getting ready for that open sky.  We are excited to help them master their flight techniques so they can reach any goal on which they set their focus.

In order to ensure that we all reach great heights, we will apply some consistency to various practices at our school.  Let’s start that with the behavior expectations we have for our students.  Rather than having an exhaustive list of 112 rules, we’re keeping it simple and tying in our theme and mission to the messaging.

Almond Eagles SOAR!

• Solve problems

• Own my learning

• Always make good choices

• Respect myself and others

Here are some examples or methods for SOARing.  We would appreciate your partnership in this effort by carving time out when you are together as a family to review these expectations.

Solve problems:  speak directly to the person with whom you are experiencing a challenge, listen thoughtfully, brainstorm solutions, follow through on your agreements.

Own my learning:  contribute to class discussions, ask for help when I don’t understand something, actively grow my brain by challenging myself, persevere when learning feels tough.

Always make good choices:  stay in supervised areas, adhere to bell schedules, place play equipment in storage bins after recess/lunch, walk wheeled vehicles on campus, use technology as per the acceptable use agreement.

Respect myself and others:  walk on campus, keep bathrooms clean, transition quietly, follow directions from ALL adults campus, make eye contact when speaking with someone, show gratitude and grace through my words (say please, thank you, etc…).

Thank you for being our co-pilots in this very important work of educating a future generation of leaders.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - NEW

*NEW* FAMILY ORIENTATION @ 6pm for BRAND NEW FAMILIES

Did you come to the kinder and new family night back in December of 2015?  Did you bring your kinder child to the kindergarten screening?  Have I (Mrs. Benadom) given you a tour of Almond?  Have we sat together and talked about our school?  If so - you DO NOT need to come tonight to the family orientation at 6pm because you won’t learn anything that you haven’t already heard.  Tonight I will share information about the Los Altos School District, specifics about the Almond prototype model to personalize learning for ALL students, nuts and bolts to help us work together as a community.  You will also be welcomed by our Los Altos Education Foundation and our PTA.

ICE CREAM SOCIAL @ 7pm on the Blacktop

Students have already been asking, when is the ice cream social.  It’s a fun evening activity where we gather on the blacktop and share a cone or a cup while catching up with friends we haven’t seen for a while.  Be here as close to 7pm as you can because the ice cream goes fast.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE COMPLETE THE PTA BTS REGISTRATION!

Picture me, Mrs. Benadom, pleading with you to take just 15 minutes to complete this process.  It allows you to become a PTA member, sign up for your Walkathon shirt, sign up for birthday book club, chorus, Bookwave, and other volunteer activities.  Log in via THIS link and select the “Click Here” button at the bottom.

UPDATE ON SBAC/CAASPP STUDENT REPORTS for 6TH GRADE STUDENTS (last year’s 5th graders)

• It has very recently come to our attention that we did not receive the Almond 5th grade standardized testing reports from the CAASPP administration last school year. After speaking with the CAASPP group, we learned that district reports are sent from the state once the state has completed scoring 90% of a school district's assessments. The Almond 5th grade reports are still being generated or tests are being scored. This is happening state-wide and does not imply that there is anything wrong or missing with Almond school. If you remember last year, reports were not sent out by the state until September.

• We did receive online preliminary overall scores from the state in both ELA and Math around mid-July, which helped inform our math placement process in 6th grade. Those scores came in the simple 4,3,2,1 form you saw on your math placement letter, as opposed to the detailed 2000-3000 scores that you will receive from the state report. Your one 5th grade state report will include scores for Math, ELA, and Science.

• As soon as these are received, they will be mailed home.

PTA & SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - REPEATED

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS

• We are excited to share the Aftercare program options for the Fall.  We have many of the old favourite programs returning as well as several new programs such as a Guitar group, Art in Math and a drama program.

• THIS website has a listing of what is available.  The week view is very helpful to see what is available by date.

• We have all new bell times this year so programs have shifted to accommodate the later times on most days and the new early Thursdays.  We are offering “two shifts” of classes on Thursdays so you can sign up your kids for one or both of the options to take them through to around 4:30pm.

• We will also have flyers up about other programs in the neighbourhood such a new offering at Hidden Villa.

• Lastly, a call for a few volunteer parents to help Almond offer the program called  Girls on the Run Program.  We need three coaches only to get this program at our School.  Please contact Kylie Owen or Jennel Massey if you are interested to learn more.

SCHOOL START and END TIMES

HERE is the detailed schedule that you can download and print.

Transitional Kinder, M/T/W/F = 8:45am – 2:25pm*, Th = 8:45am - 1:10pm*

Kindergarten, M/T/W/F = 8:30am – 2:25pm*, Th = 8:30am - 1:10pm*

Grades 1 & 2, M/T/W/F = 8:30am – 2:35pm, Th = 8:30am - 1:20pm

Grades 3 thru 6, M/T/W/F = 8:30am – 2:55pm, Th = 8:30am - 1:40pm

*From 8/17 – 9/9, TK and Kinder will dismiss at 12pm to allow students a transition period to full day as well as an opportunity for teachers to assess students and collaborate with team members to ensure your child’s success.

DISTRICT INFOSNAP – Online Registration

Please look for an email from Registrar@lasdk8.org with instructions about completing the InfoSnap Online Registration.  It is recommended that you add registrar@lasdk8.org  to your contacts to prevent the email from going into spam folders.

LASD InfoSnap registration is not the same thing as the PTA Back to School System.  You must complete BOTH.