Dear VCS Community,
Fall is in full swing at Valley Charter Schools, with all the events and traditions that come with it!
Please read below for announcements, upcoming events, and reminders.
VCS Highlights
- Fall Conferences: Thanks to all of our families who have participated in fall conferences this week. Showing up sends a powerful message to your child about the importance of school and helps to strengthen the school-home partnership that is a huge contributor to students’ academic success.
- VCES
- Trunk or Treat and Movie Night: This past Saturday, 10/28 we had a wonderful trunk or treat and move night event at our elementary school; it was wonderful to see many of our families join the festivities. A big thank you to Jessica McGlothin, and all of our trunk or treat parents and all of the parent and VCMS student volunteers who made the event run smoothly!
- Writing Celebration: This past Friday, 10/27, VCES had a school-wide writing celebration. Families were invited to join for the last 20 minutes of the day and students shared their recently published pieces from their writing workshop. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to practice their presentation skills with an authentic audience!
- Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive: The VCES food drive will run from October 30th to November 15th; all donations will go to LA Family Housing. Look out for fliers sharing the class assignments that will be coming home in your child’s homework folder.
- VCMS
- Quarterly Awards: On Monday, 10/23 VCMS held quarterly awards on each middle school site. Teachers and school leaders selected students who are exemplifying core values, demonstrating strong progress, and excelling in each subject area. Congratulations to each of our students who earned an award, thank you to all of our staff who support them, and last but not least, a big thank you to all of our families who came out to recognize our students’ achievements!
- Meet the High Schools Night: On Thursday, 10/26 VCMS hosted 10 high schools and approximately 60 families. Families had the opportunity to meet with high school representatives and begin to explore or finalize their high school choices. Thanks to Rebecca Avery and her 7th and 8th grade student tour guide team for bringing this event to life: Nery Larin, Rosy Gamez, Max Bossley, Giselle Barrios, Amit Plunkett, Joaquin Pinerua, Manny Virgen, Gabriela Robles, Esmeralda Ramirez and Amelie Colgan.
- PBIS Challenges: VCMS is running positive behavior incentive challenges on two week cycles; the challenges emphasize attendance, academic expectations, and good citizenship at VCMS. Each challenge runs for two weeks and prizes awarded so far include writing homework passes, footballs, and extended lunch or nutrition time.
- Grill Days: VCMS is working in partnership with Revolution Foods to provide students with a special Grill Day at each site, Nov. 2nd (Sherman Way) and Nov. 3rd (Van Nuys). This is a great way for students to engage within our school community while breaking bread together as a school community.
- Math Escape Room: 7th and 8th grade students got to solve a virtual escape room in mathematics class during their most recent unit! Using their knowledge of square roots and the power of two, students observed patterns and used their problem solving skills to discover clues and eventually escape! This is a great example of bringing learning to life in a relevant, engaging, and challenging way.
- Reminders:
- We are closed on Friday, November 10th in observance of Veterans’ Day
- We are closed November 20th through November 24th for Fall Break
VCS Annual Giving Campaign and Talent Show
The 2023 VCES and VCMS Annual Giving Campaigns (AGC) are now officially underway! These are our most important fundraising campaigns of the year as we base our budget for the following year, in part, on our AGC fundraising numbers. Our schools do not receive enough funds from the state of California to cover all of the costs that are so important in ensuring our students’ foundational TK-8 program. Field trips, TAs/ATs, enrichment, campus security, and extra student support staff all cost money that must be made up in either fundraising or special grants. Help us bridge the budget gap and make your meaningful contribution today. Donate today: supportvalleycharter.org and click on your school’s name. Click here to learn more about the campaign and the Talent Show that ends the fundraising campaign on December 8th!
New VCS Board Member
We are excited to announce that Haleigh Ike has joined the Valley Charter School board of directors at the end of August. Haleigh was one of the founding 3rd grade teachers at VCES and we are excited to have her lens as an educator and a parent as we continue to evolve as an organization! Please see her full bio here.
VCS Story Collector
Along with 18 other small charter organizations, VCS is a founding member of the LA Public Charter School Collaborative and a key part of our mission is to raise the public’s awareness of what charter schools are and how we serve our communities effectively. To that end, we are collecting stories from our families and staff members about two foundational and impactful elements of VCS: the positive, nurturing relationships between students and staff and the power of our diverse-by-design model. Do you have a personal anecdote that connects to either of these topics? If so, please fill out our VCS Story Collector to share! Our goal is to showcase these stories on our social media platforms and potentially incorporate them into a larger story for a news outlet. Please feel free to reach out to Rebecca Avery or myself if you have any questions.
Equity Spotlight
Our Equity Spotlight shines a light on projects or practices in our organization that support our anti-bias work, the goals of which are to foster a sense of belonging for all community members and to support equity of opportunity and outcomes for our students.
This quarter’s Equity Spotlight focuses on how our teachers collaborate to plan powerful and fun experiences that bring students together around the concept of culture and foster a sense of belonging for all students. Please read more here!
Charter School Policy Updates
This is a pivotal time for the charter movement in Los Angeles. Advocacy at the state level thankfully defeated Assembly Bill 1604, which would have made it harder for Charter Schools to procure and afford private facilities. At the local level, the LAUSD board voted to pass the Goldberg-Rivas Resolution, which will negatively impact charter schools’ ability to be located in underutilized LAUSD facilities. on under-used LAUSD facilities. The California Charter Schools Association is planning continued advocacy efforts regarding this resolution and I will keep our community informed regarding a call to action.
Please keep in mind that the most important ways to support charter schools are:
- Mobilize when there is a call to action. As I have in the past, I will send out phone and email campaigns that our families can engage in when there is an important vote or urgent issue on the table. There also may be times when we need to mobilize in person. We thank you in advance for your fast response if I send out a “call to action.”
- Vote for charter friendly candidates! The most important piece of the puzzle for charter schools in Los Angeles County is an LAUSD board composed of members who understand the important role that charter schools play in the lives of the children of Los Angeles. Please keep yourself updated on elections in your district, research candidates, and vote!
VCS Vaccination Policy
At the end of September, the LAUSD school board voted to rescind their employee and volunteer vaccination policy and recommended that LAUSD-authorized charters followed suit. We brought this item to our board on October 26th and the VCS board, recognizing the shift from pandemic status to endemic status, voted to rescind the requirement that employees and volunteers be vaccinated against COVID-19. While VCS continues to strongly recommend vaccination, it will no longer be a condition of employment or a condition for parents wanting to volunteer for events that involve prolonged exposure to students.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions and enjoy the next few weeks that lead up to our fall break.
Best,
Carolyn
Valley Charter School 