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Jan. 25, 2017
IN THIS ISSUE
UPCOMING EVENTS
Jan. 28
Academic Decathlon at the San Joaquin County Office of Education- Wentworth Education Center; 8am-12:30pm
Feb. 4
Academic Decathlon at Lathrop High School; 8am-5pm
Feb. 13
Abraham Lincoln Day - No school
Feb. 20
Presidents' Day - No School
Feb. 14, 16, 21, 23, 25
Mock Trials at the San Joaquin County Courthouse
Feb. 15
Feb. 23
Rotary Read In in SUSD Schools; 10am
Mar. 29 - May 3
R.A.D. Parent Academy at Weber Institute. Register by phone:  Kim Romena (209) 933-7470 ext. 2228.
PARENT  TIP
Make Attendance a Priority
 You want this year to be your child's best year in school - but how do you help? Make sure your child is in school - every day! Research shows a link between being in school and doing well in school. Missing even one lesson- and not getting caught up quickly- can cause children to fall behind.

Clearly, a child who wakes up with a fever should stay home. But many kids miss school when they're not sick. Here are some of the top reasons for school absences- and how you can help your child avoid them:

- Medical appointments. Schedule visits to the doctor and dentist for after school or during school vacations.
- Oversleeping. If your child is having trouble waking up in the morning, make bedtime earlier. Sleep is important- but so is school!
- Disorganization. If looking for homework papers and preparing for link in the morning causes your child to be late, prepare school items before going to bed.
- School refusal. If your child doesn't want to go to school, make an appointment for a parent-teacher conference. Working together, you can identify and resolve problems that make your child reluctant to go to school.

Source: "Causes/Contributing Factors of Truancy," Illinois State Board of Education, Truant's Alternative and Optional Education Program.
PHOTO GALLERIES
Curiosity Day with the Cops



Thank you to the City of Stockton Police Department and Rebecca Ray from Barnes & Noble for visiting Spanos, Kennedy and Taft elementary schools on January 20th for "Curiosity Day with the Cops!" Beloved story time character, Curious George, visited with the original Curious George book, read by Mrs. Ray. The Stockton Police and McGruff Safety Dog also shared safety tips and answered students' questions. 

SECA Marathon
Congratulations to members of SECA's Running Club for participating in the 34th annual California International Marathon. Thirty-one students ran the course from Folsom to Sacramento, many running the full 26.2 miles. SUSD's top academic performer is on the run!

The run took students anywhere from 4.5 hours to 9 hours and nine students were first-time finishers. Collectively the runners completed 650 miles! It was a huge success for SECA's biggest track team ever.


Team Members and Course Times:
  • SECA 1 - Kimberly Ancheta, Victor Vang, Zoe Salvador, Jerzee Salvador- 5:41:36
  • SECA 2 - Patrick Chanthilack, Esmeralda Sanchez, Ivan Martinez- 5:04:24
  • SECA 3 - Jazmin Garces, Raquel Belarmino, Alejandra Villegas, Julie May Mula- 5:20:45
  • SECA 4 - Andy Jin, Nikhil Menon, Juan Dominguez, Jaden Susbilla- 5:01:53
  • SECA 5 - Rain Taganas, Sianne Susbilla, Andrew Zarate, Jason Mei- 4:45:24
  • SECA 6 - Sameer Azhar, Maryann Tran, Drake Ramstead, Andy Yu- 5:29:15
  • SECA 7 - Gilbert Garcia, Marcel Rodriguez, Ly Ramiscal, Maria Mallari- 4:33:16
  • SECA 8 - Bea Saptang, Diana Pham, Juan Peiro, Rosanna Oung- 5:29:29
 
Individual Runners and Course Times:
  • Coach Hoang- 4:36:42
  • Mr. Fua- 9:00:00
  • Alaina Fua- 5:44:01
  • Neha Patel- 5:59:03

It's Crab Season Again!
Your school is very likely doing a fundraiser this year and chances are, especially for the high schools, a crab feed in in your future. There are some changes in locations this year, so check before you go. Franklin launched the 2017 season January 21 at the Amblers Club and Edison plans its event Saturday January 28 at the Scottish Rite Temple, serving marinated crab, pasta and Italian chicken AND lemons provided!

Call your school to find out more. The schedule currently looks like this:
  • Franklin, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017...5 p.m., Stockton Amblers Club,2000 Amblers Lane, Stockton 
  • Edison, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017,...5 p.m., Scottish Rite Temple, 33 W. Alpine Ave., Stockton(Tickets call 482-2436, 481-8984 or 406-8361)
  • Stagg, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017....6 p.m., Stockton Ballroom, 9650 Thornton Road, Stockton (Tickets call 406-3497 or 470-9092)
  • Kohl, Saturday, March 11,  2017...5:30p.m., Scottish Rite Temple, 33 W. Alpine,  Stockton (Tickets call 933-7235)
  • Walton, Saturday March 18, 2017 ... 5 p.m., Stockton Ballroom, 9650 Thornton Road, Stockton (Tickets call 933-7315 or 629-5459)
Some dates are still being set. Be sure to ask your school when the crab fee is this year and where. These events raise money for your schools and need your support!
1852 Foundation Supports
Academic Achievement!

Thank you to all those who contributed to the SUSD 1852 Foundation during 2016! The foundation held two successful fundraisers, won some generous sponsors and was able to begin funding grants for projects that advance achievement but are outside the regular classroom activity. Congratulations to the following recipients of 2016 funds:

*SUSD Health Services was approved for funding for summer camps for two students who have missed significant amounts of school this year due to illnesses associated with diabetes. These special classes help bring students with diabetes up to grade level for the following year.

*Henry teacher Rachel Navarrete will receive foundation funds to help her team, the only SkillsUSA middle school team in the area, participate in the statewide SkillsUSA competition in San Diego in April. Last year this chapter brought home four medals and this year membership has grown from ten students to 40 who plan to compete. The team has raised most of the funding on their own. Good luck Henry students!

*Wilson teacher Suzette Steers plans to take her 6th-8th graders to Orlando, Florida for a "Science in Motion" trip of discovery. The trip will include the Kennedy Space Center, a tour of the unique wildlife in the area and a kayak trip through mangrove forests at Fort Desoto State Park. The school has fundraised most of the expense.

*Pittman teacher Savan Prak is taking his students to the California Scholastic State Youth Chess Championship in March. The funding he is receiving from the foundation will pay for chess boards, pins and fees. His team has been playing chess during lunch all year and this tournament is their chance to shine!

Go to the 1852 Foundation website under Community Relations for more information about this great program to help students advance!
College & Scholarship Resources
High school families: Now is the time to apply for financial aid, scholarships and grants to help pay for college! Important application deadlines are approaching for seniors. Please look at the  SUSD College and Scholarship Resources page, where we've gathered helpful resources for your college and scholarship search. For more information, contact your school counselor.
SUSD SPOTLIGHTS
2017 Specialty Schools & Programs Fair - Smashing Success!

Over 1,000 SUSD students and their parents filed through Danner Hall at San Joaquin Delta College to discover the pathways offered in our schools at the  2017 Specialty Schools and Programs Fair!

Eighteen SUSD schools and programs were represented this year, including Pittman Elementary and their dual-immersion program; Commodore Skills with their AVID and robotics program; the new Stockton Public Safety Academy with student cadets; Merlo Institute with their award-winning SkillsUSA team; and more! Entertainment at the fair was provided by the Chavez High School Show Choir and the Fremont Elementary Travel Troupe, each performing a twenty-minute set in Delta College's West Forum. Students from Primary Years Academy also showcased their skills this year in their set, "Creative Minds Making Music." (Click here for see live video of PYA's performance on the Stockton Unified Facebook Page)

Thank you to everyone who attended this year. Special thanks to San Joaquin Delta College programs for tabling, holding open houses during the fair and providing food and takeaway bags for our families.  

The application priority period is from January 21 - February 3, 2017, although applications will be accepted until March 31. All student applications received during the priority period will be placed in a random selection computer program for processing. A lottery will be held in the SUSD boardroom on February 24 to establish lists used to determine placement into each program. 

Selection is determined by the lottery, with preference given to siblings already enrolled in the program and other school-specific requirements. Kindergarten placement is based on available space, the lottery, with sibling preference and other factors taken into consideration. 
Congratulations Mid-Year Graduates!


Congratulations to fifth-year seniors who graduated during the first-ever SUSD Mid-Year Graduation Ceremony at Chavez High School this week.

The celebration marked the hard work these students put in to make sure they received their high school diploma. The festive event included SUSD Superintendent Eliseo Dávalos, members of the SUSD Board of Education, high school principals and counselors and student families.

"I want to thank the graduates," said SUSD Superintendent Eliseo Dávalos. "You worked very hard for this. A high school diploma is the beginning of a new chapter in your life. What you have shown me is that you can set your mind to a goal and make your dreams come true. Remember, this is a just a stop along your way."

The very best to our newest graduates! From Edison: Benito Isidro Castro, Julian Paul Leal, Mandy Tolentino Talaroc, Ariel Panuco and Jesus Antonio Rayo. From Franklin: Elias Hernandez, Fracisca Calmo and Jose Acevedo. From Jane Frederick: Briyitt Samantha, Jose Antonio Mejia, Lizette Saldana, Stephi Washington, Katy Ortiz, Diana, Ruiz, Yesenia Geronimo and Brian Johnson.

From Stagg: Merisa Jimenez, Torre Pesetti, Samantha Mendoza and Cynthia Saing. And from Stockton High School: Isaiah Fiapule-Aranda and Ammariah Lashle.

W ant your news in the next issue of SUSD Connects? Email your stories and events to the SUSD Connects team at  [email protected] ! Due to space limitations, we may not be able to share all of the news we receive, but we will do our best to share it with as many people as possible. Thank you!