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MAY/JUNE 2019

Arena Elementary School

THE BEACON 20 School Street, Point Arena, CA. 95468/P.O. Box 45, Point Arena, CA 95468/Tel: (707) 882-2131

Mark Your Calendar! May 1-31 CAASPP Testing May 17 Spelling Bee May 20-24 Book Fair May 23 OPEN HOUSE 5:00-7:00p.m. May 24 SCHOOL IS OPEN

Storm Day Make up

May 27 NO SCHOOL/MEMORIAL DAY June 7 Blair Day/Schoolwide Field Day June 13 Eighth Grade Graduation June 14 12:30 Early Dismissal

Last day of school California School Parent Survey 2018-2019 How are we doing? The survey is designed to get your input into how to improve the school and better meet the needs of our students. It is anonymous and voluntary. One survey per family may to be completed. Please refer to page 3 of the Beacon for more information on how to access the survey online. If you prefer to take a written survey, one is available in the school office and will be available at OPEN HOUSE on May 23rd. The survey is available in both English and Spanish. Please return the written survey to the office staff. Please contact the school office at 882-2131 ext. 202 for survey questions you may have.

Spelling Bee Friday, May 17,2019 The check-in location is at St. Paul’s Methodist Church, in the Biaggi Hall (anteroom to the sanctuary), 50 School St., in Point Arena. Enter the Biaggi Hall through the front entrance of St. Paul’s, where you will find a Registration and Information table to your right. Spelling Bee venues are St. Paul’s Sanctuary and the Trinity Hall, adjacent to St. Aloysius Catholic Church at 70 School St. Parking for the Bee includes the perimeter of the Arena Union Elementary School, and at each venue. We look forward to seeing you all on Friday, May 17th. The spelling bee event schedule is located on page 2 of the Beacon. Sigrid Hillscan, K-8 Director Pacific Community Charter School

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2019 Mendocino Coast Spelling Bee

Friday, May 17th

Sponsored by The Pacific Community Charter School

Schedule of Events

9:00 a.m. check-in at Biaggi Hall Grades 1 – 4 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.----------- 1st grade at St. Paul’s Sanctuary 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.----------- 2nd grade at Trinity Hall 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--------- 3rd grade at St. Paul’s Sanctuary 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.--------- 4th grade at Trinity Hall

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.----- Break for lunch.

12:00 noon check-in at Biaggi Hall Grades 5 - 8

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.---------- 5th grade at St. Paul’s Sanctuary 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.---------- 6th grade at Trinity Hall 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ----------- 7th grade at St. Paul’s Sanctuary 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ----------- 8th grade at Trinity Hall

2:30 p.m. Announcement of winning school

At Biaggi Hall, St. Paul’s Methodist Church

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California School Parent Survey, 2018-2019

Arena Elementary Your school needs you to complete this online survey to learn more about your opinions about it. This survey is an opportunity to communicate your perceptions about your child’s school. This letter explains the survey and, at the bottom of the page, provides your login, password and access instructions. If you have any questions about this survey, contact Arena Elementary School front office at 707 882-2131.

You will have access to this online survey beginning May 2019. The purpose of this survey is to obtain parent perceptions about the school.

Your participation is voluntary. It is also very important. The information you provide will help guide district and school efforts to promote safety, enhance learning supports, and improve student achievement.

• This is an anonymous survey. It is designed so that no one can be identified from the data. You do not have to respond to any questions that you feel could be used to identify you. Simply skip any such questions.

• All questions apply to this school only. • The results are for the use of your district. The California Department of Education and WestEd will

preserve data confidentiality and refer any data requests to the district.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACCESSING THE SURVEY

If you have more than one child at this school, you will only need to complete one survey for this school. Please fill out just one survey about the school using your oldest child as a reference. Access the survey using the following URL:

surveys.wested.org/csps/EY929RW

Troubleshooting If you are having trouble taking the survey, check the following: • Make sure you are entering the web site address correctly. • Does the survey welcome page show the correct name of your school? • Make sure you have entered the URL (in the URL bar, NOT THE SEARCH BAR) and School Code correctly. • Make sure that your survey window is open. You should be able to find the start date on this form. • Still having trouble? Contact your survey coordinator.

Thank you for taking this important survey!

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OPEN HOUSE Join us on Thursday, May 23 from 5:00p.m. to 7:00p.m.

The evening will begin with a fundraiser barbeque chicken dinner, introductions by our Principal, Mr. Scott Carson and end the evening with visitations to classrooms. You may want to visit the book fair in the Shelley Aubrey Library during your time here on campus! See you soon!

5:00-6:00p.m. – Fundraiser dinner by our 8th grade students and Mr. Bob Shimon as grill master.

5:30p.m - Principal’s Orientation & Introduction in the multipurpose room (MPR)

5:45p.m. Cathleen Michaeals-Introduction to “Into the Wild” Student Poetry Readings

6:00-7:00p.m. – Classroom Visitation

Visit your child’s classroom and see what occurred throughout the school year!

Arena Elementary School Book Fair May 15th through May 25th

There are 2 ways to shop the book fair this year; on campus at the Shelley Aubrey Library or shop

the on-line Book Fair. ARENA CAMPUS BOOK FAIR- May 20th- May 24th Shop for summer reading materials (books and eBooks!) every day that week throughout the school day. Shop on, Thursday, May 23rd from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. during Open House. ARENA ON-LINE BOOK FAIR - from May 15th- May 25th If you are unable to attend the Book Fair in person, we invite you to visit our online Book Fair at the Official URL: http://www.scholastic.com/bf/aues2019 MORE ON-LINE! Visit On-Line Book Fair site to discover how to set up a “Go cash-free” eWallet, take a look at the Book Fair calendar, view the Interactive book flyer, how to volunteer for the Book Fair, how to use the Book Fair App and how to reach our Book Fair Goal! Anyone may shop at the on-line Fair, including far-away relatives who might like to enrich your children's summer reading experience. Books ordered on-line will be delivered by the last day of school. BOOK FAIR E-WALLET-Available May 3 through May 28. May Give your student a secure, cash-free way to shop the fair. Simply create a free account, preauthorize a spending limit, and have funds immediately available. VOLUNTEERS In order to have a successful fair, volunteer helpers are needed with cashiering, helping students locate and select books and just being a helpful adult presence. Contact Mrs. Jen Biglow at 882-2131 x 319 or jbiglow@auesfamily.org to sign up to help.

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Yearbooks are Here! The yearbook is available to preview in the school office and at OPEN HOUSE on May 23rd. Come on by, take a look and reserve your copy today! Yearbook price is $30.00 per book and will be distributed the last week of school. A yearbook is a snapshot of memories made during the school year with friends, staff and activities from every classroom.

Into the Wild: A Cross-Age, Integrated Arts Poetry Writing & Bookmaking Project This year’s integrated arts poetry writing and bookmaking project had an incredible start in Mr. Jimerson’s 4th grade class in February. The 4th graders researched and wrote remarkable tribute poems for wild animals near and far which then served as inspiration for the impressive mini-block prints and dos á dos (or back-to-back) books they created. The 4th graders have made 3 Art Buddy visits to help Mrs. Gaona’s 1st grade students write their poems and make their books. Also, they have written and transcribed amazing odes for wild animals near and far and started to make beautiful decorative paste papers inspired by their animals which will be used for their cover collages—construction of the 1st grade slat accordion books will soon be underway with the help of the 4th grade Art Buddies. Don’t miss this year’s exhibit of all the beautiful poem books and always inspiring poetry presentations by the 1st and 4th graders at the school’s Open House on Thursday, May 23rd! Appreciation and gratitude to our project’s continued generous funders—Arena Boosters Club, Arena Union Elementary School Site Council, Good Buy Clothes, Gualala Rotary Club, Mendocino County Office of Education Young Authors’ Fair Project and the Soroptimist International of Mendocino-Sonoma Coast!

Excellent Citizenship April 2019 The following students were observed and recognized for their positive school citizenship. Congratulations! Being Respectful- Mileidy Arelleno, Sienna Park, Jorge Davila Being Responsible-Ryder Thez, Videl Dieck, Rianna Arellano, Sal Steckler

Preschool Registration Arena State Preschool Registration will be held in the school library on May 24th from 10:00a.m-12:00p.m. All four years old children have priority as well children three years old who are income eligible have priority enrollment. For income eligible families, there will be no cost. Call Kerri Sundstrom at 707 882-2131 ext. 302 for any questions.

School Textbooks and Library Books Please return books to school AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Students with overdue books will have their report cards withheld until the books are returned or the replacement fee is paid.

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Reminder 2019-2020 7th Graders Turn in your proof of immunizations for the one Tdap vaccine, two MMR vaccine doses and two Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine doses.

Students entering 7th grade who do not meet the immunization requirements will not be able to attend school until the school office received required documentation.

Please feel free to call us with any questions at (707) 882-2131.

Kindergarten Enrollment for 2019-2020 If you child is five years of age or will be five by September 1st, 2019, they are eligible to enroll. By enrolling now, you help us plan for teacher and classroom assignments for next school year.

Enrollment packets and immunization requirements are available in the school office. If you have any questions or concerns about enrollment, please contact the school office at 707 882-2131. We are happy to assist you.

IMPORTANT Changes in School Immunization Requirements

Effective July 1st, 2019 In addition to required doses of Polio, DTaP, and Hepatitis B vaccines for school enrollment (Tdap for 7th grade entry), the following updated regulations will be in effect as of July 1st, 2019.

Starting in the 2019-2020 school year, the changes include, but are not limited to: • Requiring 2 Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine doses at:

o Kindergarten entryo 7th Grade Advancemento K-12 Admission or Transfer

• Requiring 2 MMR doses and 3 Hepatitis B vaccine doses at admission or transfer moreuniformly throughout K-12 (age restrictions are removed)

• Medical exemptions for new admissions may be signed only by a California-licensedMD/DO

• Each temporary medical exemption may be issued for no more than 12 months.

Please contact the school office at 707 882-2131 for any questions you may have regarding the required immunizations for school entry.

Kindergarten Changes for Friday, June 14th The afternoon kindergarten session will join the morning session from 8:20 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

The kindergartners will enjoy the last day of kindergarten together with their teachers, Ms. Mara Gahagan and Ms. Lori Ledbetter.

All students will be dismissed at 12:30p.m. on the last day of school on Friday, June 14th.

If your child is riding the bus home on the last day of school, please see the bus schedule for early dismissal bus stop times.

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Blair Day, Friday, June 7th Mr. Jasper W. Blair was a Civil War veteran who lived close to Arena Elementary in the early 1900s. Children on their way to school each morning would wave hello to him as he sat on his porch and he acknowledged with a “Good morning” and waved back. This simple act of salutation and kindness from the children would not be forgotten. In Mr. Blair’s will in 1926 provided for a trust for the children of the Arena Elementary School. He wanted a day every year to be set aside as Blair Day; and on this day the children were to play and have ice cream. Although the fund was depleted long ago, the school continues to honor and enjoy the day with a school-wide picnic at Bower Park for our primary grades and a day at KOA- Manchester or the beach for our middle school students. In the month of May, a few students from middle school tidy Mr. Blair’s grave and lay branches of cypress on it in remembrance and gratitude. Blair Day information will be sent home with students sometime in May. If you would like to be a volunteer on Blair Day, please contact your child’s teacher and ask about how you can help on this field day.

Eighth Grade End of Year Activities June 6th-7th Sacramento Field Trip The 8th grade class will attend a 2-day field trip to Sacramento and stay at the Hostel International Sacramento. June 12th and 13th Graduation Rehearsals at Point Arena High School Gymnasium June 12th 12:15pm - 1:30pm at the PAHS gymnasium Students may ride 1:30 bus home from PAHS or be picked up by their parents the auditorium at that time. June 13th 12:15pm - 2:00pm at PAHS gymnasium *Students may be picked up by their parents after rehearsal at 2:00pm. Students not being picked up, will return to the elementary school with their teacher and take the 3:15pm bus home. There is no early bus. June 13th at 5:30pm Graduation Ceremony and Dance Eighth grade students should arrive at the PAHS Gymnasium no later than 5:00pm. Graduation Commencement will begin at 5:30pm at the Point Arena High School Gymnasium The dance will begin approximately 7:00pm at Arena Union Elementary School. This is for grades 6, 7, and 8 students and their guests.

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Lost and Found Our Lost and Found table and rack has an abundance of outerwear, backpacks, lunch boxes, mittens, scarves, hats and caps that are missing their owners! Please take a moment to look through the Lost and Found in the main building hallway to retrieve your child’s things. Looking for a smaller lost item? Please contact the school office and give a brief description. We have cellphones, keys, jewelry, watches, wallets, and glasses. Anything left at the end of the month will be donated to charity.

After School Program is Open on the Last Day of School Friday, June 14th is the last day of after school program. There is no after school program bus transportation available after the 12:30 school dismissal time. Parents are responsible for picking up their children on this day.

Last Day of School June 14, 2019 Dismissal at 12:30p.m. Please be on time to pick up your child from school. If your child rides the bus, please be on time at the bus stop. A last day of school bus schedule is attached.

2019-2020 School Year

The first day of school begins on Wednesday, August 21st at 8:20 a.m. We look forward to the return of our students. See you soon.

Have a wonderful summer!

Arena State Preschool Graduation Ceremony

& Last Day of School June 13, 2019

Morning session graduation ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. Afternoon session graduation ceremony will begin at 2:00 p.m. Preschool sessions will be released at their regular dismissal times.