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Testing Time At Pacifica

For two weeks beginning May 11th, we will be conducting the state-mandated California Standards Tests with grades two through eight.  We will be sending you very soon more information about how families can support students through this important process, but please start planning ahead for restful nights, nutritious breakfasts, arriving at school on time, healthy snacks, extra bottles of water and plenty of exercise during these two weeks.

Attitude toward testing is as important as the knowledge required, so please talk with your children about this opportunity to demonstrate what they know.  Testing is another way for all of us to communicate with each other and this is each student’s opportunity to tell the world how much they have learned.

Without applying too much stress, let your child know the importance of this process and that this type of testing/assessment will be a part of their lives in the future, and that our collective goal is to support him or her to show what they’ve learned.

These assessments will also demonstrate the learning that has occurred at Pacifica this school year, and we want to celebrate that and shout the news to the world.

Your teachers have been discussing with students the process and getting students ready both academically and psychologically with lots of practice on the technical aspects of test taking, strategies for how to take the test itself, and being mentally postive and alert.  We ask that you reinforce some of these ideas and also have reassuring discussions at home.

If you have questions or concerns, please talk with your teachers and look very soon for additional information in your family mailbox in the lobby.

Director’s Weekly Report

Next Wednesday (3/25), you will find in your mailbox the Spring Progress Report from your children’s teachers.  Please read these over and discuss them with your student(s).  If you have any questions please talk with your teachers.  They are always available to meet with you.

A final tabulation from the Art Party tells us we made about $6200 profit toward the education of our students.  Thanks to each of our families who participated in so many ways, and another big thank you to Stephanie and Erika for making it all happen.

We have postponed the grades 5 and 7 state required Physical Fitness Test originally scheduled for this week, until after Spring Break.  We found we were missing some of the testing materials.  We will provide you with the date as soon as we can confirm.  In the meantime, it will provide students time to get some extra exercise and get ready for this event.

We have two critical community-wide meetings scheduled tomorrow at 3:30 and 6:00, regarding the status of our charter renewal.  We need every community member; student and adult, to weigh in on this important topic.  Read the separate notice distributed today.

And don’t forget our Site Beautification Day coming up this Saturday.  This will be a good opportunity for a “Spring Cleaning” that will greatly enhance our learning environment.  We look forward to lots of families participating.

We are still hoping to organize our final term’s Explorations around community service activities.  These can include around the school or in the local community, or work here on campus resulting in a culminating visit off-campus.  We really need parents to jump in and help us organize this.  So far no one has stepped up to assist, and it can’t happen without you.  Think of the potential learning in so many ways that will be possible.  Please talk with Gary if you can help in any way or have ideas for contacts.

Director’s Weekly Report

While we all eagerly await the financial accounting from the Art Party, as a social event it was a resounding success, and I am sure the money earned will reflect that.  I know their were a tremendous number of people involved in bringing our community together to make it successful (and I personally want to thank every one of you), there were two people who were responsible for making it all happen and getting all of you to make productive contributions in so many ways.  Daria Mokhtari and Annabel Gonzalez were here constantly during the weeks and months prior to the Art party, always very busy charming people and making sure their mothers did what needed doing.  They certainly get my heartfelt thanks for all their contributions of time and energy.  Please pass along your personal thanks when you see them around school.  Oh, and also show your appreciation to their mothers.

As a reminder, we ask you to please not park in the apartment spaces next door to school.  These people have been very good neighbors and we need to respect their need for parking when they come home.  If you see one of our parents park there, please give them a friendly reminder about this reminder in the Weekly.  Thanks for your cooperation.

I truly hope you all found your student led conference last week informative and a celebration of the learning that has occurred this school year.  From our perspective they seemed to go very well. Thank you all for your attendance and cooperation.   If you have not yet completed a survey for these conferences, there are still blanks by the front door.  As a follow up you will be receiving a written progress report on March 25^th.   And as always your teachers are always available to speak with you.

Director’s Weekly Report

Tuesday morning the entire school watched the Inauguration ceremony, using both the Church hall and the 2/3 classroom. Afterwards classes discussed the historical significance of this event in an appropriate manner for their ages. Class 2/3 is in the midst of a newspaper project and set up a Pacifica News Press room, complete with reporter badges and official status. They watched the ceremony and speeches on TV and then prepared for a news conference that took place early in the afternoon when Barack Obama himself came to their press conference to be interviewed.

We are all fortunate to be a part of this historic event. It is one of those events we will all remember for our entire lives and where we were when we shared the experience.

In the hallway there is a map to help you determine in which LAUSD district area you reside, and a sign up sheet. We are looking for people to make contact with school board members and various other officials to enlist support for our Charter Extension. There is an advocacy informational sheet being developed to give you information on how, what and who. To be successful, we need everyone to do his or her part. So please read the information in the hallway and put your name on the appropriate sheet. Thanks for your help in assuring our school’s success.

If your child will be out of school for more than 5 consecutive school days for any reason and you know ahead, please talk with your teacher and make arrangements for a short term independent study agreement. This will provide some meaningful educational plans for your child if on a trip, or some work to accomplish if away for another reason. This process also allows us to collect much needed ADA money for your child while away. Upon completion of the absence and return to school, the work must be turned in to your teacher for your child to be credited with attendance. If you have any questions about this process, please ask in the office.

We Need Every Family’s Help With Charter Renewal

We need your help in the Charter Extension approval process! In the lobby, there is (or shortly will be) a map to help you determine in which LAUSD district area you reside, and a sign up sheet.

We are looking for people to make contact with LAUSD school board members and various other officials to enlist support for our Charter Extension. There is an advocacy informational sheet being developed to give you information on who to contact and what to say. To be successful, we need everyone to do his or her part.

We need other help, too!  Check with Gary if you have time and talents to lend to this important project.

Director’s Weekly Report

We regularly are having prospective families come to informational meetings about our school. These include a tour of the school and we have been using pairs of grades 4-8 students as tour guides, along with an adult. Visitors have been complimentary of our student’s knowledge, politeness, confidence and willingness to talk about our school and their experience as students here. Visitors appreciate having first hand models of what we are trying to accomplish and the opportunity to ask questions of our students. A big thank you to our student volunteers!

At last Tuesday’s meeting to discuss our charter status, we shared that we are applying for a three-year extension of our current charter. We have reason to believe that the Charter Division of LAUSD will support a recommendation to extend to the Board, provided our upcoming site visit on February 3 and 4 verifies what we have said about our school and all of you. BUT we are also mindful that the Charter Division also recommended last year that we be granted a three-year renewal and the Board gave us only one. Also, thirty minutes prior to each Council meeting every other Tuesday we will meet with all who are interested to discuss our progress. We do not expect any decision from LAUSD until at least the end of March or April or even later.

A Word From Our Director

Whether you are already a member of our Pacifica Community Charter School family or interested in finding out more about us, we welcome you to our community of learners.

As you navigate our website looking for specific information or to get a picture of who we are and our goals for educating young people, keep in mind that we are deeply committed to six basic pillars of education – parent participation, democratic process, constructivist project-based learning, humanistic education, diversity, and compassionate communication.

We strive here at Pacifica to support our students in becoming lifelong learners.  We value inquiry and children’s natural curiosity as a catalyst for developing curriculum to learn basic skills and standards. We develop with our students the tools and study skills that allow them to grow into proficient and self-directed learners.

Our humanistic philosophy attends to the development of the whole child. We honor self-expression as a right of each person in our community and we ask that each person take responsibility for their actions and words. As a part of this philosophy, we support and validate children in processing their feelings. We support them though active listening and reflect their thoughts, to ensure understanding. This process allows our students to grow in their ability to clearly articulate their thoughts and feelings and attaches a sense of value to self-reflection.

As a California public school, the California State Standards are an integral part of our whole child education goals. Blending our philosophy with State Curriculum Guidelines, we strive to offer a child-friendly, developmental approach to education. We look to meaningful, relevant, real-life learning activities to maintain children’s interest and strong desire for learning.  We believe students must also acquire the skills necessary to become collaborative workers, effective communicators, community contributors, and critical thinkers.

It is our goal that students grow in the areas of understanding and compassion as we embrace diversity in our community. Our commitment to anti-bias education principles and multiculturalism asks all members of our community to stretch beyond the superficial levels of simple interaction. We ask for mutual respect of all members of our community of learners. By working together students, teachers and parents foster a thoughtful learning environment that includes a sense of compassion, awareness and sensitivity to each other.  Children learn and work best in a cooperative, non-competitive environment where student’s thoughts and opinions are honored and respected.

We also strive to create an environment where students’ wide range of interests and talents can be uncovered, encouraged and nurtured.  Learning best occurs through active participation where children have opportunities to freely explore, discover, question and investigate

As members of the Pacifica Community Charter School community of learners we know that childhood is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We have set ourselves ambitious goals and take joy in offering the absolute highest standards of teaching, learning, facilitating, mentoring and sharing with our families.

We welcome your thoughts, ideas, concerns, questions and total involvement in all we do.

Gary Winning, Director