May 2-6 is National Charter School Week!

The first week of May is National Charter School Week. This is your opportunity to tell someone about your charter school and how you appreciate this choice in education.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell encourages Californians to recognize National Charter Schools Week, May 2-6, 2005.

"I urge everyone to honor the state's public charter schools, their teachers, parents, and supporters for their hard work and commitment to improve education for students," said O'Connell.  "I am committed to expanding the number of high-quality charter schools and helping them become the laboratories of best-educational practices that may serve as models for other schools to emulate."

“It has been almost 15 years since the first charter school opened its doors in 1992. Once considered just a fad, charters now represent the fastest, most successful reform in public education today. This week is National Charter Schools Week, a time to celebrate the movement that has gone from a ripple to a tidal wave in bringing about a sea change for public education.” The Center for Education Reform

CWCS’s First Prom a Success!

Connecting Waters junior and senior students and their guests gathered to attend our school’s first prom, Saturday, April 30^{th at} the Wyndham Hotel in Pleasanton. Students traveled from all around to attend this event. Some even brought their dates in Limousines. Everyone looked really beautiful and we were happy to see that some even had masks to go with the ‘Hollywood Masquerade’ theme. The decorations were fabulous and fit the theme perfectly! The evening began with everyone mingling and getting to know someone that they didn’t already know. Next, dinner was served and everyone had their choice of Fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken Teriyaki, or London broil. I understand that the meal was delicious! They played games, danced, took pictures and overall seemed to have enjoyed their evening.

We owe a debt of gratitude to our wonderful parents who made this happen, Mrs. Erian, Mrs. Troglione, and Mrs. Devine. Without their persistence and determination this grand event would not have happened! The staff and students at Connecting Waters want to thank you for all of the time and energy you put forth for the students in planning the prom. This was our first prom but I doubt if it will be our last!

High School Math Competition

by Debbie Kutz, CWCS Math Specialist

Three Connecting Waters Charter School students participated in the Stanislaus Mathematics Council High School Competition on Saturday, April 23.

They all participated in the Algebra 2 level of the individual competition, “The Blitz”. They also combined with 2 students from another school to compete in the team portion of the competition, “The Bomb”.

This was a first experience for our students and for the school and they did well. Now that they have a taste of the competition, they are determined to come back next year even more prepared.

Graduation

Our eighth grade graduation will be Tuesday, May 17, 2005 at 7:00pm and will be held at the Waterford High School gymnasium.

Our high school graduation ceremony will be Thursday, May 19, 2005 at 7:00 pm and will also be held at the Waterford High School gymnasium.  The High School gym is a new facility and is located at 121 S. Reinway Avenue in Waterford.

New Parent Orientation

There will be two new parent orientations this year one was held on April 26^th at Manteca Learning Center and the other will be held on May 3^rd at the Ceres Learning Center each beginning at 6:30 p.m. Parents will be given the opportunity to find out more about our school and determine if this is the best placement for their student.  The new parent orientation will be presented by Sherri Nelson, Executive Director, Marsha Silva, Education Services Director, and Mary Halter our School Counselor.

For your convenience here is a “Check List Calendar” of events/activities and deadlines for the final month of our 2005 school year.

Month of: MAY

 2^nd Character Assembly

 3^rd New Parent Orientation Ceres/Modesto Learning Center

 6^th Deadline for: Benchmark/STAR Testing Survey

 10^th Parent Council Meeting

 13^th Parent Council ELECTION BALLOTS Due

 17^th 8^th Grade Graduation

 19^th Senior Graduation

 Last Day of 2005 School Year

 20^th End of the School Year Picnic

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH! We could not have been as successful as we have been without everyone’s continued efforts to help us meet our testing goal of 95% this school year. We already have most of our students tested before the end of our testing window. We will keep working until our numbers are where they need to be. The Assessment Director was able to visit all nine sites this year which proved to be much fun. It helps us to see how we can be a better service in the future to the staff, students, and parents. Two of the things we tried to improve on this year for testing to help make things run smoother were having pre-id tests and encouraging the students with prizes for positive reinforcement. Most of our students were a delight and really tried hard to do their best. The pizza parties, coupons and raffle tickets for prizes were a BIG hit! Those students who were unable to be a part of that really missed great fun. The parent volunteers who helped during testing made the job of the site coordinator a little easier. We hope to have even more parent volunteers next year. Our school offers so many benefits for families working together to help educate their students. We tried to make the few days the state requires for mandated tests to be as painless as possible.

Assessment Department

SUMMER SCHOOL!  SUMMER SCHOOL!  SUMMER SCHOOL!

Connecting Waters Charter School will be offering summer school for
currently enrolled students. Summer school dates are Friday, May
20th, 2005 through Friday, July 1st, 2005. Contact your current ES and
ask him/her to submit the necessary form (Summer School Request Form).
There is a cap on the number of students that may enroll, so please
enroll soon. Students must complete approximately 4 hours of school per
day, but may do so by completing work in more than one course.

The Summer School ES meets with the parent/student once each
week to collect all the work that was completed during the previous
week. The entire summer's work is compiled into the student's Summer
School portfolio.

Remember, enrollment is limited, so contact your ES promptly to complete
the required paperwork.

 Thank you,
Rolff Christensen
 Summer School Coordinator

GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT INFORMATION - May

Greetings from the Guidance Department! We are here to help you determine your future academic and career goals. Contact information:

Mary Halter

1-800-458-7050 ext.2

mhalter@connectingwaters.org

Becky Cote

bcote@connectingwaters.org

Fall Orientation at MJC

MJC has several orientation dates to choose from for students who will be attending full time next fall. To schedule your Fall Orientation date, please call MJC at (209) 575-6789.

San Joaquin/Delta Registration – 5 Easy Steps

Individuals who have never attended San Joaquin Delta College and those students who have not attended for more than one semester must apply ONLINE for admission to the college before enrolling in classes. http://www.deltacollege.edu/dept/ar/admissions/fivesteps.html

College Fair - Monday May 2, 2005

CSU Stanislaus Warrior Arena

9 am to noon and 6 pm to 8pm

For high school students and their parents!

Featuring more than 150 colleges and universities from across the USA!

Workshops will be offered on topics such as choosing the right college, financial aid (and FAFSA), and parent's workshops.

Directions:  On highway 99 coming north or south, take Monte Vista Ave exit, travel east about 1 mile.  Enter campus parking lots from either Monte Vista Ave or Greer Blvd for the closest parking.

For more info: website: http://www.csustan.edu/EnrollmentServices/Events/WACAC-CollegeFair

Seniors - Although the March 2nd deadline for the Cal Grant Entitlement Award program has passed, you should know that financial aid may be available to you year-round at all California Community Colleges. This includes Board of Governors Fee Waivers, Federal Pell Grants, and Competitive Cal Grants for community college students who file a FAFSA by September 2. Financial aid is still an option! www.fafsa.ed.gov

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

Hot tips for finding scholarships:

1) Check the monthly newsletter Guidance Department section.

2) Register for an online scholarship search service: www.fastweb.com www.xap.com www.wiredscholar.com www.brokescholar.com

3) Use a search engine to find scholarships specific to your needs: i.e. www.google.com  "scholarships for athletes with asthma"

4) Check with parents' place of employment, credit unions, service clubs, etc. to see what scholarships may be available

Ahahui Kalakaua Hawaiian Club provides scholarships to students who are residents of Northern California. Applicants must be of Hawaiian ancestry, born in Hawaii, or have a parent who was born in Hawaii. Need for financial aid is also considered. Students must write directly to the Scholarship Committee to request an application and enclose a fee of $2.00. Send requests to: Ahahui Kalakaua Hawaiian Club, 1330 36th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122. Transcripts must be sent directly from CWCS to their organization. Deadline to apply is June 1.

Pac-West Telecomm Scholarship applications are now available to high school seniors. Eligibility requirements include enrollment in a 4-year college in fall 2005, 3.5 minimum cumulative unweighted GPA, SAT score of 1100 or higher or ACT score of 24 or higher, demonstrated service in the community. Selection will be largely based on financial need. Last year's awards ranged from $5,000 to $8,500. Recipients have the option of receiving funds in either fall 2005 or fall 2006. Download an application at http://www.pacwest.com/community/. Postmark deadline is June 30.

PacifiCare Foundation is offering scholarships for Spanish-speaking bicultural high school seniors who want to pursue a career in the health-care industry. Applicants must be fluent in English and Spanish, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA and show acceptance to a 2 or 4-year college or university. Applications are available at www.pacificarelatino.com or www.pacificare.com . Deadline is June 30.

United Negro College Fund offers thousands of scholarships to African American college-bound students. Eligibility requirements include minimum GPA of  2.5, demonstrated financial need and completion of the FAFSA. Go to http://www.uncf.org/scholarships/index.asp for applications and details. Deadlines vary by program.

SUMMER PROGRAMS

Savannah College of Art and Design Summer Programs 2005 – Rising Star: June 18–23.  Five-week residential program for high school seniors offers college experience and 11 hours of college credit applicable to a BA degree at SCAD or elsewhere.  SCAD summer seminars: June 26–July 2, July 10–16, July 17–23. Three workshop sessions for grades 9–12 offer a week full of art, fun and friendship in residence at SCAD. Housing, meals, supplies and activities are included. For more information about SCAD summer programs, contact the admission department at 800-869-7223, or visit www.scad.edu

The Pre-College Program at the San Francisco Art Institute is an intense, 5-week summer arts program for high school students ages 16–18. Participants experience the atmosphere of college life while earning up to 5 units of college credit. For more information on dates & programs available, visit www.sfai.edu

A Taste of College at HARVARD UNIVERSITY for high school students who have completed their senior, junior, or sophomore year. For more information and to apply online visit www.ssp.harvard.edu.

UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC (UOP) Summer Scholars Program for high school seniors and juniors. Visit www.pacific.edu/cpce for information and to download the application packet.

Pre-College Summer at Brown University in Providence, RI. Visit www.brown.edu/summer for the latest information on courses, enrollments, fees, deadlines, and more.

Summer Sessions 2005 at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. For more information visit www.ucollege.wustl.edu/summersc.

Summer Leaders Seminar 2005 at West Point. Visit http://forms.admissions.usma.edu/AL for more information.

Pre-College Program at Barnard College in New York City for students who have completed 10 or 11th grade. Visit www.barnard.edu/pcp for more information.

At US Performing Arts Camps, students will participate with others between the ages of 11 and 18 in intensive performing arts and media programs of the highest quality. Ten campuses across the country (including several in CA) offer diversified programs, including dance, animation, musical theater, TV news, playwriting/screenwriting, etc. For specific classes and workshops, and to read camp descriptions, visit www.usperformingartscamps.com.

AnyCollege.Net is a free online college search engine - Check it out at www.anycollege.net

College Entrance Exam Test Dates and Deadlines – Class of 06 and beyond

Test	Test Date	Registration Deadline	Late Registration Deadline
SAT I & II	June 4 2005	April 29	May 11
ACT	June 11, 2005	May 6	May 20

For College Entrance…take the new SAT and/or the ACT (with optional writing portion). Register – SAT - www.collegeboard.com , ACT - www.actstudent.org

School Code 053706

Ceres/Modesto Learning Center News

May 2005

We have had a fantastic year at the center and would like to recognize and thank our clerks and all of our contract program instructors! This year students had the opportunity to take foreign language, algebra, writing, history, computers, science, arts and crafts, piano, guitar, and many other classes. See what some parents had to say about classes:

“My son took the Better Writing class and loved it. He is much more confident in his writing and able to write using details and vivid language.”

Mother of a 5^th Grader

“My daughter loves guitar lessons! She has recently written her own song and practices playing every day.”

Father of an 11^th Grader

“I am so thankful for the Algebra class. The teacher really helps my daughter understand the math concepts that I had a hard time explaining to her. This has been so helpful!”

Mother of a 10^th Grader

Talk with your ES now about classes you would like to sign your child up for in the fall. Below is a tentative class list for the fall - dates and times may change but this will give you an idea of what we plan to offer. Most classes will begin at the end of August and your ES will be able to sign your child up during the summer. If you are interested in seeing a particular class offered or if you are interested in teaching one, please contact the center at 541-1531.

Ceres Learning Center

Prospective Fall ‘06 Classes as of May ‘05

Note * This is a tentative list for Fall. Classes and/or times are subject to change.

Time Class Grades Instructor Monday and Wednesday

9-10:30 Algebra 1 Jr. High 7-8^th D. Kutz

10:30-12 A-G Algebra 1 HS D. Kutz

Monday

9-3 Guitar Lessons K-12 D. Harris

10-11 Life Skills 101 HS B. Harris

11-12 Cool Craft Creations K-6 B. Harris

12-1 Hands on Science K-6 B. Harris

3-4 Character First

Tuesday

9-10:30 US History 9-12 J.Kaiser

10:30-12 Economics 9-12 J.Kaiser

12:00-1:30 Government 9-12 J.Kaiser

Tuesday & Thursday

11-12 Spanish 1 9-12 B. Monroe

12-1 Spanish 2 9-12 B. Monroe

2-3 Jr/HS Writing 7-12 T. Matranga

3-4 Advanced Writing 9-12 T. Matranga

Wednesday

10-11 History Made Real 2-5 K. Anderson

11-12 Space Up Close 2-5 K. Anderson

12-1 Reading and Writing

Presentations 2-5 K. Anderson

1-2 Computer Basics 2-5 K. Anderson

12-1 Arts and Crafts K-6 D. Siam

1-2 Arts and Crafts 7-12 D. Siam

Thursday

9-10:30 World History 9-12 J.Kaiser

10-12 Geography 4-8 J.Kaiser

9-3 Piano K-12^th C. Pearson

9-12 Math Tutoring K-12 J. Carkeet

Friday

9-10 Beg. Drawing K-12^th J. Gray

10-11 Color Design K-12^th J. Gray

11-1 Guitar K-12^th J. Gray

12:15-2:15 Algebra 1 9^th-12^th J. Pelezynski

2:30-4:30 Algebra 2 9^th-12^th J. Pelezynski

Summer Hours at the Center

We will keep our regular hours through July 1st.

We will be closed the rest of July and re-open August 1^st.

Manteca Learning Center News
Cathy Moretto, Site Program Coordinator
Heidi Bowman and Shalimar Eldridge, Site Clerks
209-239-7306
Fax 209-823-7439
955 W. Center, #9
Open Hours
Monday  9-3:00
Tuesday  9-3:00
Wednesday 9-1:30
Thursday 9-3:00
Friday  9-2:00
Summer hours to be announced

Classes are winding down and we are nearing the end of the school year. If you find you have extra funding that you won’t be spending this year, please consider asking your ES to donate it to a learning center. As you order for next year, think about which books and materials you are finished using. Check with your ES to see if they need them. If not, bring extra materials to the Learning Center and we will shelve them for others to use. Visit the center before ordering to see if we have what you need.

Computer Lab The computer lab has 6 computers available for student use during regular business hours. Please do not save your work to the computers. You may purchase a disk from the front desk for 50¢. Each computer is loaded with Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, to assist in keyboarding skills and other Office programs to help meet High School computer requirements.