Alder Creek Middle
Cougar News
April 22, 2018

Cougar News is a weekly communication that comes out via email.  This weekly update is brought to you by the ACMS staff in an attempt to keep parents and students informed as to the “happenings” at ACMS.
 

Save the Date!  OPEN HOUSE & STUDENT SHOWCASE

Come Celebrate The Power of Connections

April 26, 5:00-7:15 PM

See samples of the work students have done all year.  All parents and students invited, including incoming families.

Classrooms will be showcasing from 6:00-7:15

Kermes Dinner-Hosted by ELAC-5:00-6:00 

OPEN HOUSE-ELAC/PTO-KERMES

April 25th, 5:00-6:00-Mexican Kermes Dinner-Hosted by ELAC (English Language Advisory Committee)

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION LINDA BROWN FELLOWS AWARD OR STAR AWARD

It's that time to nominate your favorite staff member for the Linda Brown Fellows Award or Star Award. Is there a TTUSD staff member that you would like to recognize for consistently going above and beyond in their job, making a huge difference in the education of students?

The Excellence in Education Foundation would like to encourage you to nominate them for the Linda Brown Fellows Award or the Star Award. The Fellow and Star Award programs are designed to recognize outstanding staff who demonstrate originality, innovation and dedication to the teaching profession that is above and beyond the normally high standards of the school district.

Nominations are due by May 4, 2018 and forms can be found in the school office or https://www.exined.org/node/2749

IMMUNIZATIONS-ATTENTION 6TH GRADE PARENTS!

The Tdap shot is required for all students entering the 7th grade.  Please make sure ACMS has a record of your student's shot by May 1. If your student has already received the Tdap vaccine, please bring proof of the immunization to the ACMS office. Thank you!

CAASPP STATE TESTING

State testing begins Tuesday, May 15 and ends on Friday, May 25 for sixth and seventh graders. Eighth graders will finish after a one day state science exam, the CAST, on Wednesday, May 30.

ELA State Testing: Tuesday, May 15- Friday, May 18

Math State Testing: Tuesday, May 22- Friday, May 25

Science State Test (Eighth Grade Only): Wednesday, May 30

Please remind your child to charge his/her chromebook each night throughout testing and to bring his/her earbuds to school during testing. We appreciate your support!

PROMOTION CEREMONY DRESS REQUIREMENT

Attention 8th Grade Parents! Promotion is on June 21st.

Since caps and gowns will not be worn, we plan to provide uniformity for the evening by asking students to follow these guidelines. Dress shirts and slacks are appropriate.  Tie is optional. Tuxedos, jeans, shorts, tee shirts, and overalls are not acceptable. Dresses or skirt and blouse as worn to a nice restaurant are appropriate.  Strapless, spaghetti strap, off-the-shoulder, backless, and formal dresses are not acceptable.  The intent of the dress code for this event is to avoid the purchase of formal atire.

TTUSD ACCELERATED LEARNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE

College Admissions Workshop with Guest Speaker

• Wednesday, May 9, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• District Office Board Room (Child care is provided)
• Flyer and Registration link

DID YOU KNOW THAT TTUSD HAS A MOBILE APP?

It's an easy way to access:

• Snow Day information
• School and District News
• Calendars
• Announcements
• Events
• Push notifications
• Aeries and much more!

Links to download the TTUSD mobile app:     Apple iOS       Android

ACMS PTO

Open House at ACMS is April 26 this year. This is an opportunity to share dinner at the school (provided by ELAC) and visit the classrooms to see student work. Open House will also have a silent auction this year featuring themed baskets of goodies.

We ask that students bring in an item in line with their home room basket them or a small cash donation in lieu of an item.

Please have your student bring in their item by Monday, April 23. Thank you for supporting ACMS!

If you can donate an item, service, or experience, please start making arrangements to do so. The Alder Creek PTO is a 501(c)(3) organization; and our Tax I.D. is 94-3467147. A copy of our donation request letter is here. Please share this letter with donors and prospective donors to spread the word.

We also need volunteers to help put on the Open House. If you would like to join our energetic committee, please email us at aldercreekpto@gmail.com or text/call Kari at (415) 717-8486.

Other Fundraising

Benefit-Mobile and eScrip. We have two more easy ways for you to help our PTO raise money for the school, to support programs, buy supplies, and sponsor events. We have partnered with eScrip and Benefit Mobile to raise money for ACMS. Please watch your email and the PTO facebook page for additional information on how to sign up for Benefit Mobile and eScrip.

Shop using the Benefit Mobile app. Benefit is a free iPhone and Android app that allows you to shop at places like Target, Whole Foods, Starbucks, Amazon, Walmart and many more, while giving up to 20% of every transactions back to our organization. Just shop like you normally do. When it comes time to checkout, instead of pulling out your credit card, pull out the Benefit app and purchase a digital gift card that you redeem instantly. Download the app and select Alder Creek Middle School as your chosen beneficiary to start giving today.

Register your Savemart “Save Smart Rewards” card at eScrip.com and earn money for our school, at no cost to you, by simply shopping as you normally do. Last year we received more than $1,000 for this source, with only a few parents participating. Let’s bump up this easy source of funds for our school!

Amazon Smile. If you have an existing Amazon account, you can use the same account on Amazon.com and smile.amazon.com. When you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate .5% of the purchase price of eligible products marked "Eligible for AmazonSmile donation.”

  - Go to: https://smile.amazon.com

  - Select charitable organization- Alder Creek Middle School PTO- Truckee, CA

Boxtops. Please bring your Boxtops for Education in to the office - we have placed a receptacle there.

Check us out on Facebook

Please like us on Facebook to see updates and photos:   https://www.facebook.com/TruckeeACMSPTO/

HOMEWORK CLUB-TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS AFTERNOON ONLY

We will have support available for students to receive after school help with homework.  Homework club is from 2:20-3:20 in room 207 on Tuesdays and M-9 on Thursdays. Students may not leave early unless picked up by a parent. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons- 2:20 to 3:20.

FACEBOOK

ACMS has a Facebook page.  Please like us on FACEBOOK. 

STUDENT DROP-OFF WITH BUSES

Please remember when dropping your child off in the student drop-off area with our buses in the back of the school that you need to turn left as you enter the drop-off area; the outer lane is for buses only. We appreciate your support!

INTERNET SAFETY RESOURCES

Here are a couple of great resources to support Parents as they navigate the online world of digital and social media.

• Parent and teacher guide for social media: http://SafeSmartSocial.com
• A Cyber Safe curriculum provider and digital media review: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/

ATTENDANCE

  Whenever your son/daughter will not be, or is not in school:

• Call the school before 9:00 a.m. at 582-2750 and give your son/daughter’s name, and reason for the absence; or
• If you have not called the school, when your son/daughter returns to school, send a note listing the date(s) and reason for absence.  A parent or guardian must sign this note.
• Automated calls will go out twice a day if the absence is not called in before 9:00 a.m. 

Absences:  There are two kinds of student absences from school: Excused and Unexcused. EXCUSED Absences: Per the Education Code the following are excused absences: illness, death in the immediate family, medical or dental appointments, appearance in court, observance of religious holiday, or school related activity, such as athletic event or field trip. Any other absence is considered to be unexcused. Any student that accrues three unexcused absences is considered to be a truant; truancy letters will be mailed home and placed in the student’s file. Should a student have five or more unexcused absences, parents may be asked to attend a Student Attendance Review Team (SART) meeting whereupon a SART contract will be reviewed and signed. 

LOOKING AHEAD: SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY EVENTS

April 26-Open House

May 9-Minimum Day

CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) Testing Dates

• ELA week of May 14-18
• Math week of May 21-25
• Science Wednesday, May 30

June 21-8th grade promotion

HOMEWORK CLUB:

Homework Club is in room M-9 on Tuesdays & Thursdays.  It will start at 2:20 and will end at 3:20. Please be on time with work to do! No early release unless picked up by a parent.