Connecting Waters Charter School

~ October Newsletter ~

 


How was Connecting Waters’ AYP Report?

Sherri Nelson, Director

 

You must be asking, what is an AYP report?  Every school has an AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) Phase I Report for the 2003 school year, which is required by the accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).  NCLB mandates that all students in all grades meet the state academic achievement standards for English-language arts and mathematics and that all schools and districts demonstrate AYP toward achieving that goal.

 

The Phase I reports include the following information for each district or school and their subgroups for each content area (ELA and mathematics)

 

  • Enrollment on first day of testing
  • Number of students tested
  • Participation rate
  • Indicator: meeting or not meeting 2003 AYP criteria for participation rate
  • Number of valid scores
  • Number of scores proficient or above
  • Percent of scores proficient or above
  • Indicator: meeting or not meeting 2003 AYP criteria for proficient or above

 

The report indicates if the district or school met or did not meet the 2003 Phase I AYP criteria.

 

To meet Phase I AYP criteria, districts and schools must meet the percent proficient or above criteria and test at least 95 percent of students enrolled on the first day of testing in both the ELA and mathematics content areas in the grades tested.  Unfortunately, CWCS did not meet the 2003 Phase I AYP criteria because we did not have 95% participation.  To view the report go to http://ayp.cde.ca.gov/reports.html , click on school level report and then type in Connecting Waters and push the submit button. However, our students did meet the proficient or above criteria in English Language Arts and Mathematics!  Congratulations to all who participated!

 

 

We are so happy to be part of Waterford’s school district.  They have welcomed all of us with open arms.  My desire is that we can help the district meet the AYP criteria this year.  Will you help our school and all of the families that enjoy the flexibility that our school provides?  Please make sure that your students attend STAR and CAHSEE testing this year.  We are counting on you and can’t do it without you!

 

 

What’s New from the Director’s Desk…?

 

 

Accreditation:   WASC accepted the request for CWCS to proceed with the full accreditation self-study and on-site visit during the 2004-2005 school year!  This visit will be one year sooner than anticipated! 

 

 

Edusoft:   CWCS signed a contract with Edusoft in August.  We hope to be up and running by mid October.  We provided an overview of Edusoft for the teachers on September 23rd.  Mini trainings as needed for teachers and parents are forthcoming. Edusoft is an online, web based software program that will take the anxiety out of testing! This tool will help teachers and parents prepare their students for the yearly standardized tests.  You will see how quick and easy it will be to create a test for your student to check their understanding of concepts that they will be testing on in the spring!  Ask your ES for more details.

 

Enrollment:    We are still taking applications and currently have 1196 students enrolled.

 

Governance:  Our remaining 2003/2004 Parent Council Meetings are December 9, 2003, March 9, 2004, and May 11, 2004 at the WUSD conference center.  All are invited to attend.

 

Guidance Department:    Some of our A-G courses have been submitted and approved, thank you Marsha!    Go to https://pathway2.ucop.edu/doorways/list to view the list. We welcome Becky Cote as our guidance counselor; she has a wealth of experience working with charter school/home school families interested in attending CS/UC colleges. 

 

Learning Centers/Co-ops:   We would like to welcome the students and families that are participating in the Riverbank co-op!  We would also like to welcome students who are participating in the Waterford Independent Study co-op that meets at the Waterford high school in the evening.

 

Program expense agreements need to be turned in for the Manteca and Modesto/Ceres learning centers today! 

 

School Picture Take Days:  Our pictures will be taken by Leonard’s Photography.  The yearbook will be done in full color and will be paid for at the time that school pictures are taken.  Make up pictures will be taken at the Modesto/Ceres and Manteca learning centers October 7th and 9th respectively.  You must call to schedule your appointment.

 

Yearbook:  A full color yearbook can be purchased for $23.93.  Make checks payable to CWCS.  The yearbook committee will meet on October 30th to complete the first phase of the yearbook. If your student has not taken pictures with Leonard’s they can still be included in the yearbook!  Just mail your own picture by October 28th, size 1” x 1 ˝” or a mini wallet size 1 5/8” x 2”, for the class picture page of the yearbook.  Please put your student’s full name, grade and phone on the picture.  Please send photos to Modesto/Ceres Learning Center, 2600 Mitchell Road, Ste. G, Ceres, CA  95307.

Remember to take action photos of your students throughout the year.  We will be gathering pictures of students engaging in school activities including: sports, group activities, dance, drama, piano, guitar, voice, science, art, and many others. 



 

 


Cooperative Learning Opportunities

 

Hola. Como estas?

Estoy Bien.Y tu?

Como te llama?

Perdon.

You so rubio, alto, y delgada.

Nosotros somos athletico y fuertes.

Soy de California.

 

These are just a few of the hundreds of words and phrases that students in Bob Monroe’s Spanish 1 classes have learned so far this semester. Students have the opportunity to learn basic vocabulary and to converse with each other in a language that was once foreign to them.

 

One of the most effective teaching/learning strategies is cooperative learning, in which small groups of learners work together to help each other achieve a shared learning goal. Cooperative learning can be used as a basic instructional strategy for even just one subject, such as Spanish.

 

Students have called the Spanish class, “Fun,” “Exciting,” “Challenging” and they like the opportunity to meet and learn a language in a group setting. If you are interested in signing up your student to participate in a teacher directed, cooperative learning setting for Spanish or another class offered at the Modesto Learning Center, please talk with your ES and he/she will get you enrolled!

 

Future Classes

 

If you are interested in taking any of the following classes in the future, please let your ES know. We would like to get an idea of interest before we create new classes coming up. Potential classes include: Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science, Physical Science, Psychology, Public Speaking, and Computer Applications.

 

 

Make-up Picture Day

 

If you were unable to make it to get your school photo taken in September, we are offering a picture make-up day at the Modesto Learning Center on October 7th from 1:30-3:30. Please call 541-1531 to schedule an appointment. Yearbooks are also available to purchase.

 

 

 


Manteca Learning Center News
Cathy Moretto, Site Program Coordinator
Kim Davis & Kathrin Gardea, Site Clerks
Closed Mondays
Tuesday- Thursday 9-4
Friday 10-3:30

School is now in full swing and the Manteca Learning Center is always busy.

Stop by and see what is going on.


There is still time to sign up for the following classes, which are beginning soon:

*Math Prep, grades 4-5, Thursday, 10-11, $90, 10/2-12/18, Daneen Campa

*Hands-on Science, grades 3-5, Thursday, 11:15-12:30, $95, 10/2-12/18, Daneen Campa

*Hands-on Math, grades 1-3, Wednesday, 10-11:00, $45, 10/22-12/17, Jennifer Sandberg

*Writing Skills 3-5, grades 3-5, Friday, 10-11:00, $45, 10/22-12/17, Jennifer Sandberg

*Grammar & Lit., grades 9-12, Wed. & Fri., 10-11:30, $165, 10/22-12/19, Joanne Case

*Psychology, grades 9-12, Wed. & Fri., 12-1:30, $165, 10/22-12/19, Joanne Case

*Public Speaking, grades 9-12, Wed. & Fri., 10-11:30, $165, 10/22-12/19, Joanne Case

Above classes require your ES to sign up for you via the internet.

SCIENCE CAMP- Science camp will be for 5th and 6th grades. It will be the week of March 1-5 and will cost $210-240, depending on enrollment. This can come from instructional funding. There will be an informational meeting for parents on October 13 at 10:00 a.m. It will be held at the San Joaquin County Office of Education in the Education Services Center at 2707 Transworld Drive. This is located behind the Gaylord Nelson Center which is off of Arch Road and Highway 99 next to the Post Office. You can also access the office via Airport Rd. to Arch Road. Take Giannecchini Lane from the West or Quantas Lane from the East to Transworld Drive

 

 

 

Pictures

If you were unable to make it to get your school photo taken in September, we are offering a picture make-up day at the Modesto Learning Center on October 7th from 1:30-3:30. Please call 541-1531 to schedule an appointment.

Yearbooks may also be paid for at this time.

 

A big thank you to all of you who have turned in your program expense agreements to support your site. We really appreciate it. Full support for the year is $145 for high school students and $110 for elementary/junior high students. If you don’t opt to pledge full support, you will be charged $5 per visit from instructional funds. This includes attending classes, checking out materials, and meeting with your ES at the site.

 

 

Parent Monthly Curriculum Training

 

We are inviting our various vendors to meet with us and give us some training as well as some question-answer time!  On Wednesday, October 29th Judy Miranda from the Pearson Learning Group will meet with us at the Manteca Learning Center.  She will give us some training in how to teach our high school students to write.

 

6:30 – 7:00  Introduction and overview of curriculum

7:00 – 7:30  Training Session - High School Writing

7:30 – 8:00  Questions for Judy Miranda from Pearson Learning Group

8:00 – 8:30  Open Forum and Refreshments

 

Judy will also bring a display of materials to browse.