Pathways to Possibilities and Student Success          February 14, 2019
A Message from the Superintendent
Message from the Superintendent

Dear TTUSD Families and Community Members,
As I visit our schools each week, it's wonderful to see the significant academic and emotional growth that our scholars have experiences so far this school year. With Ski Skate Week right around the corner, I'd like to encourage all families to make time for reading during the break! Read together, read aloud, have fun and READ!

I was thrilled to recognize the winners of the second annual CLO Student Art Contest at last week's board meeting. It is wonderful to have a scholar gallery with student artwork brightening our walls and atmosphere in our district office! We certainly have a lot of talented artists in our district. Click here to view the photo album from the board recognition of our scholar-artists.

Also at the board meeting, the Board of Education passed  Resolution No. 15-2018-2019 and declared February 4-8, 2019 as National School Counseling Week to honor our incredible school counselors for all they do to support our students. We are so fortunate to have counselors at every grade level in our district, thanks to Measure A. P lease join me in thanking our school counselors for all they do to make a difference for our scholars!

We've had six snow days this school year and you may be wondering - when is the last day of school for the 2018-2019 school year? Since the number of snow days to date puts the official last day of school into late June, we plan to look at options to keep the end date of June 21 for ALL schools. This will mean requesting a waiver from the state and/or if we have too many additional snow days, an Independent Study option during spring break similar to what we did in 2017. Stay tuned!

Note, that the high school graduations remain as follows:
June 13 - North Tahoe High School
June 15 - Truckee High School
June 18 - Sierra High School

Our eighth-grade promotions will be:
June 20 - North Tahoe School
June 20 - Alder Creek Middle School

I invite you to join us at our next board meeting on Wednesday, February 27 when we host our annual Student Voice Panel. The ASB presidents from North Tahoe and Truckee High schools serve as the moderators of a panel of students from all of our high school programs. They select the questions the panelists can answer. It is always a great meeting and an opportunity to hear directly from our scholars.

Lastly, I'd like to invite you to join us for our third annual State of the District event which will be held on March 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Olympic Village Lodge. Please save the date!
 
Sincerely,

Robert J. Leri, Ed.D.
Superintendent Chief Learning Officer
       Important survey about shifting school 
        start & end times 30 minutes later                 
We have an important issue - implementing later start times for students - that we'd like your feedback on.

In late December 2018, the district formed the TTUSD Committee to Consider Later Starts for Secondary Schools. The committee is made up of 26 stakeholders - parents, students, teachers, community members, DELAC (District English Language Advisory Committee) representatives, and administrators - who represent a variety of viewpoints. This balanced committee has been tasked with evaluating the potential of changing school start times and ultimately making a recommendation to the board.

After examining the benefits and drawbacks of the options proposed in the district's transportation feasibility study, the committee narrowed their focus. They are now evaluating shifting the start and end times of all TTUSD schools 30 minutes later. This option has no change in instructional time, no change in bus routes, and does not add additional costs to implement. (click here for FAQs)

We know that a schedule change would have an impact on each and every family. Before our Board of Education makes a decision, they want to have as much information and feedback as possible. Please take five minutes to complete the survey and share your input! 

The survey closes on February 28, 2019. In late March, based on a comprehensive evaluation of the survey results and weighing all input received from our stakeholders, the committee's next steps and timeline will be identified. This information and the survey results will be posted on all of the district's websites, along with when any proposals may be brought to the Board of Education.

Thank you for your time!
Why they love working with kids                               
Teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world. Their work and impact extend far beyond the boundaries of the classroom. They educate and shape our youth. They teach them life skills. Their job takes passion, heart, and commitment. In each Education Connection, teachers across the district will share why they love teaching. We'll also hear from a classified employee. These are our front-line employees who make a huge difference in a positive school and district environment. From transporting and feeding students to teaching them vital skills and ensuring that schools are operating smoothly, classified employees are integral to the success of TTUSD.

Diane Welch, Second and Third-Grade Combo Teacher, SELS
I am passionate about teaching and experiencing the "A-HA's" from the students give me such joy! I love spending time with kids and getting to know them and helping them celebrate their successes and find strategies to help them overcome their challenges. Pushing students just beyond their comfort zone is when I see the most growth. Seeing students push through difficult assignments and giving them a sense of purpose for their assignments allows me to raise the bar and see them reach their goals on a daily basis.

Kristi Hoffman, Enhancement Paraprofessional, Tahoe Lake Elementary
I love working with the kids at Tahoe Lake because every day there is excitement, wonder, joy, hugs, and smiles abound. It's a lot of fun and the kids are great! It is refreshing and can make the worries of the world and life seem a little less. Our students truly enjoy learning throughout the day and our entire staff at TLE is so loving, caring, and supportive and the kids can feel that. They flourish because of all the wonderful teachers and staff at the school.
Do you have a young child ready to start school?
TTUSD's Kinder Preview nights are coming up and offer a great way to check out our elementary schools to learn more about what makes each one special.

2/26:  Tahoe Lake Elementary, at 5:30 p.m., 582-2700    
2/28:  Kings Beach Elementary, at 5:30 p.m., 582-3730         (*lottery date - 3/15)
3/13:   Donner Trail Elementary, at 5:30 p.m., 582-2720        (*lottery date - 3/13)
3/19:  SELS, at 6:00 p.m., 582-3701                                           (*lottery date - 3/27)
3/28:  Truckee Elementary, at 5:00 p.m, 582-2650
4/4:  Glenshire Elementary, at 6:00 p.m., 582-3720

Computer registration support and babysitting will be provided at each Kinder Preview Night.
Save the date - State of the District on March 21
You are invited to our upcoming community-wide State of the District event where students, staff, and our Superintendent Chief Learning Officer will be highlighting some of our educational program offerings. This event offers an excellent way to learn more about the amazing things happening within our school district to ensure all students are college and career ready.

It will be an interactive and informative evening that includes student entertainment and I hope you'll join us from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m on March 21, 2019 at the Olympic Village Lodge at Squaw Valley.
Outstanding Leadership &  Commitment to Quality Education
ACSA, the largest professional organization for school leaders in the United States, annually recognizes outstanding administrators for "their leadership skills, professionalism, creativity, innovation, and commitment to a quality education."

Two of our TTUSD administrators were recognized recently by the Placer County Charter of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). Stephanie Foucek, Tahoe Lake Elementary School's principal, was named the 2019 Elementary Principal of the Year and Hien Larson, Alder Creek Middle School's principal, was named the 2019 Middle School Principal of the Year.

In addition, our amazing educational partner, the Excellence in Education Foundation, won the Partners in Educational Excellence Award! Congratulations to Stephanie Foucek, Hien Larson, and Laura Brown on these very well-deserved awards.
Electronic flyer delivery starts in March                
TTUSD is getting ready to launch a new electronic flyer communication tool called "Peachjar." It's a green initiative to ensure parents are well informed about school programs, activities, and events.

Parents will now receive flyers digitally. This transition will save our schools time and money while ensuring information makes it home to parents. Digital flyers will be posted on your school's website homepage. To view just click on the Peachjar button.
In the next few weeks (after Ski Skate week) you will receive a welcome email from our service provider (Peachjar) that includes a username and password. This is provided to give you the opportunity to manage your account and flyer delivery preferences. (This system is used exclusively for the distribution of school-approved flyers. Your email address will not be shared or used for any other purpose.) You do not need to login to receive or view school digital flyers.

We plan to launch this new program the second week of March and you'll get a notification from your child's school when the flyers are digital! Stay tuned and thank you for your support!
  When is the last day of school?
With the number of snow days we've experienced so far this school year, you may be wondering what is the last day of school for the 2018-2019 school year. Based on our snow days, "officially" June 26, 2019, is the last day of school for all schools except Kings Beach. As you may recall, we delayed the start for Kings Beach Elementary School two days because of construction and safety concerns. The "official" last day of school for Kings Beach is June 28, 2019.

However, as we move further into February and March,  we plan to look at options to keep the end date of June 21 for ALL schools . This may mean requesting a waiver from the state or if we have additional snow days,  an Independent Study option during spring break similar to what we did in 2017. We will keep you posted.

High school graduations remain as follows:
June 13 - North Tahoe High School
June 15 - Truckee High School
June 18 - Sierra High School

Eighth-grade promotions will be as follows:
June 20 - Alder Creek Middle School
June 20 - North Tahoe School