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 Tuesday, November 18th Rhonda Rigney from NASCO will meet with us at the Modesto Learning Center. She will give us some training in how to do Japanese Fish printing.

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

7:00 – 7:30 Training Session - Japanese Fish Printing

7:30 – 8:00 Questions for Rhonda Rigney from NASCO

8:00 – 8:30 Open Forum and Refreshments

Rhonda will also bring a display of materials to browse.

New Release…

Released on Thursday, October 23, 2003

Statement of State Superintendent O’Connell on his meeting with Governor-Elect Arnold Schwarzenegger

SACRAMENTO –“Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger and I had a good meeting this afternoon. Our discussion was intended simply as an opportunity to get reacquainted, and I appreciated the Governor-elect’s willingness to come to my office and spend some time with me. We met for about 20 minutes and in that time discussed a variety of topics. I went over with him what I believe are some key issues facing education today, including adequate funding, a preview of our upcoming API scores and our overall successful accountability system, and the ramifications to California of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. I was pleased with the tenor of our conversation and am particularly happy that the Governor-elect reiterated his commitment to protecting our state’s 6.1 million schoolchildren by ensuring that the budget for education remains as whole as possible.”

Released on Friday, October 24, 2003

State Superintendent O’Connell announces nearly all California schools improved academically last year.

LOS ANGELES - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today released the 2002-03 Academic Performance Index (API) Growth reports showing that 90 percent of California's public schools improved their scores, and that 78 percent of schools met their academic performance targets - a 26-point gain from 2002.

"This is terrific news," said O'Connell. "I am very proud of our entire education community and am encouraged by the outstanding academic progress our schools are making. These scores show that when given clear standards, even if they are rigorous, our students can and will learn the curriculum."

The 2002-03 API Growth report contains the results for more than 6,400 California public schools and reflects the schools' performances on student assessments that are a part of the California's Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program plus results from the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). This API Growth report marks the fourth year of the completion of an API reporting cycle.

The 2002-03 API Growth reports are available on the California Department of Education's Web site at: http://api.cde.ca.gov/

The API is the cornerstone of the statewide accountability system for California public schools, established through the Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) in 1999. The API is a numeric index that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1000. The 2002 results established the current baseline and academic growth targets for each school's academic performance. A school's annual growth target is set at 5 percent of the difference between the school's base API and the statewide performance target of 800.

Manteca Learning Center

Cathy Moretto, Site Program Coordinator
Kim Davis & Kathrin Gardea, Site Clerks
Closed Mondays
Tuesday- Thursday 9-4
Friday 10-3:30
209-239-7306

Welcome to Fall at the Manteca Learning Center. Classes are continuing and the site is buzzing with activity. Now is the time to start planning for next semester. Please stop by or call and let our clerks know what classes you want to see offered in the Spring.
Instructional materials continue to flow in and out of the center. We never know from day to day what we will have to offer you. Besides the obvious textbooks and teacher’s editions, we have an amazing array of posters, science kits and equipment, math manipulatives, reader/tape sets, computer programs, and library books. Come in today to see if we have what you need and save instructional funding for other things.
Speaking of library books, we have a huge collection of paperback and hardcover books for all ages. If you are a librarian or have great organizational skills, we could use you. We are looking for someone to organize the books into age/interest groups so they will be more accessible to everyone. Please call the site at 239-7306 if you can help us out.

Modesto Learning Center

News for November

Monthly Spotlight: Learning Activities in Full Animation and Color

Our November Curriculum Spotlight displays two computer programs that will not only make learning exciting and fun, but will help your children achieve success as they learn. Are you looking for something that will help your child build a solid foundation in Math? Try our Math Blaster Plus software, that was designed by teachers and tested in classrooms. Math Blaster Plus uses positive reinforcement to encourage students as they learn. They will spend hours reviewing their math facts while playing the exciting "Blasternaut" game.

Are your children bored with reading about history out of a text book? Try our Discovery SkyTrip America Program and take an incredible ride through U.S. History! In this adventure CD-Rom, travel through time in your very own flying machine. You create the flight plan. Pick any state or region on the map, click your mouse and you're off to an incredible ride through U.S. history. This program has 3-D graphics, narrated stories and colorful video clips to take you on your personal tour through the U.S.

These and many other incredible software programs are available to check out at our center, so hurry in today!

Reminder: There are several times when classes are offered outside of the learning center hours. However, our clerks will only be available to assist you in checking out materials and answering questions during our posted hours.

Our Center Hours

Monday 9:00-12:00; 2:00-4:30
Tuesday 11:00-4:30
Wednesday 9:00-4:30
Thursday 11:30-4:30
Friday 9:30-11:30; 12:00-4:30

Congratulations to our Winners!

Congratulations to those who won gift certificates to Mimi's Café or to Olive Garden, by turning in their completed Program Expense Agreements to our center. Our centers are run solely on parent donations of instructional funding. Please talk with your ES if you would like to make a donation to keep our centers running.

Health and Physical Fitness Web Sites

(THE BEST WEB SITES FOR TEACHERS, FOURTH EDITION)

California Physical Education Instruction provides teachers with model lessons. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find sample lesson plans for the elementary, middle and high school levels. http://www.stan-co.k12.ca.us/calpe/Instruction.html

PE Lesson Plans and Activities, from Sports Media, provides more than 50 lesson plans for all areas of the PE program. http://www.sports-media.org/

PE Central is specifically designed for physical education teachers, students, interested parents, and adults. Sponsored by Virginia Tech, its goal is to provide the latest information about contemporary physical education programs for children. The site includes assessment ideas, lesson plans, activities of the week, PE people on the Web, links to other relevant sites, and information on how to subscribe to a mailing list.

http://pe.central.vt.edu/

Physical Education Lesson Plans – This web site offers a rich assortment of physical education lesson plans for the middle school submitted by PE teachers around the country. From “Bionic Ball” to “Batman and Robin,” these fun and challenging activities will shake up students who were expecting a typical PE hour.

http://members.tripod.com/~pazz/lesson.html

SPARK Physical Education: "PE for the 21st Century" is an innovative K-6 physical education curriculum and staff development program. The SPARK program offers materials and services to schools and health organizations on a nonprofit basis through San Diego State University.

http://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/projects/spark/index.html

Dole 5 A Day Homepage provides nutrition information about fruits and vegetables for elementary school students. It offers fun school activities for children, and teachers can order a free CD-ROM from Dole.

http://www.dole5aday.com/

KidsHealth, a project sponsored by the Nemours Foundation Center for Biomedical Communication, is an interactive Web site providing health, information. Click on Parents, Teens or Kind to find relevant resources. Students can play games, participate in polls and quizzes, and read a health tip of the day.

http://kidshealth.org/index2.html

Multimedia Tutorials for Children and Parents, sponsored by Children’s Medical Center of the University of Virginia, provides tutorials on asthma, cerebral palsy, and gastro esophageal reflux, with additional topics coming soon. Each tutorial features text, graphics, sound, and video.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

MATH *A* THON

Sponsored by Connecting Waters Charter School

It’s as Easy as 1-2-3!

1. Students will pick up a Permission/Registration form and collection envelope from one of the CWCS Learning Centers or Co-op. They will need to return the Permission Registration form to the CWCS Learning Center or Co-op by November 14^th. Then they will need to get sponsors that will pledge .03, .05, or .10 cents per math problem. There are approximately 200 problems.

2. When your math funbook or CD arrives, complete all the fun problems and puzzles within seven days. Funbooks and CD will be available at the CWCS Learning Centers on December 5^th.

3. Collect your pledges from your sponsors and return them to the CWCS Learning Center or Co-op no later than December 15^th.

There will be a contest between both CWCS Learning centers and co-op. Please put the name of the Learning Center or Co-op that you are participating with on the Permission/Registration form. The CWCS Learning Center or Co-op that collects the most donations will receive a prize. Also students collecting $35 or more will receive a t-shirt, certificate and a free pass to Six Flags Theme Parks. Those collecting $75 will receive a St. Jude sports bag, t-shirt, certificate and free pass to Six Flags Theme Parks. The student who raises the most money over $125 will win a CD boom box. Everyone who turns in money will receive a certificate.

Please visit the Math*A*Thon web site at www.mathathon.org. Here you can see sample questions, and your students can play games, download a Math*A*Thon screensaver and send e-cards. There is also a special section for parents to learn more about the program and the hospital.