Santee Falcons SOAR! Principal's Update
October 06, 2019
Principal Ansley's Weekly Message
Dear Santee Family,

I write this message with so many mixed emotions and it is difficult to find the words to describe and honor a person who has made such a great impact like Mr. Elston. So I have decided to quote, The story of the Star Fish.

"An old man was walking on the beach one morning after a storm. In the distance, he could see someone moving like a dancer. As he came closer, he saw that it was a young woman picking up starfish and gently throwing them back into the ocean. "Young lady why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" "The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if I do not throw them in they will die," she said. "But young lady do you not realize that there are many miles of beach and thousands of starfish? You cannot possibly make a difference." The young woman listened politely, then bent down picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea. "It made a difference for that one." Adapted from the original by Loren Eiseley

Mr. Elston's passion for education, equity, and love for our children has enabled him to make a difference in so many lives. He has touched not just the lives of our students throughout the years but our staff and community. He will be greatly missed. But I am also excited and proud to see him go into the next chapter of his service to our children as the new Assistant Principal at a LAUSD middle school. Mr. Elston, your service to our school community will never be forgotten and as our saying goes, "Once a Falcon, always a Falcon!"

Working Together, All Santee Falcons Will Soar !

If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to call our main office or email Principal Susana Ansley-Gutierrez at susana.gutierrez@lausd.net.
A) Santee Successes

1) Our Santee teachers are hard at work at providing opportunities for classroom talk in their daily lessons and we are seeing it in our daily observations. Keep up the great work!

2) Our Santee Cheer Team, aside from providing us a great display of spirit at our lunch pep rally, showed such amazing sportsmanship and embodied our Falcon Traits at our Friday game. We are so incredibly proud of you!

3) Great job to our girls tennis team they won their matches!

4) Great job to our Cross Country who was victorious this week.

5) Our Math Department had the highest attendance submission rate this week. Great job Math Department!

89% of Our Certificated staff attendance rate is at 96% or higher so far this school year. This is a 2% increase so far lets keep it going!
6) Our very own Santee Falcon Band performed at the UCLA half-time show!

7) Our dance teacher is here. She will be starting this Monday. Give her a huge welcome when you see her!

8). Admin Team updated the Santee Falcon Website Calendar with up to date PD dates and events. Please Click Here to see the Up to Date Santee Falcon Calendar

See electronic version of the Mission and Vision Poster. 
B) Santee Hard Truths


  • Our Water Polo Team and Football team fought hard but lost their games this week.

  • We are still battling the ANS monster. Teachers, please set your alarms, have an attendance partner do whatever you need to do to remind yourself to take regular attendance and ensure that it is as accurate as possible!

  • Due to fire alarm testing there have been issues with the AC shutting off. We are told that all testing will be completed this week!
EY Community Service Day!
Santee Football vs. Jefferson
Santee City Year

Santee Resource Fair and Falconettes
Santee Updates
A)  Faculty Meeting 
On Tuesday, October 8, 2019 there will be a faculty meeting from 2:30pm-4pm. It will be on PSAT preparation and important information in regards to our school-wide PSAT day which will be Wednesday, October 16. The following are the room locations. Please attend to the room location in accordance to your homeroom grad year.  
  • Class of 2020-Room 109-Miranda/Garrett
  • Class of 2021-Room 110-Cerda/Ramirez
  • Class of 2022-Room 114-Torres/Chang
  • Class of 2023-Room 111-Jovel/Henry
  • Alternate Curriculum-Room 107-Brooks


B)  Household Income Forms 
Teachers: You will receive a list in your second period classes of students who must complete the Household Income Form. Remember, these forms determine our eligibility as a Title I school, provides funding for additional classroom teachers, Teacher X time, field trips, and other activities on site. 


C) The Senior Luau for the Class of 2020 is scheduled for Tuesday evening.


D) Attention AP Students !!! Please sign up for the next upcoming UCLA Center X Advanced Placement Readiness (APR) program on the campus of UCLA which provides supplemental instructional support for all students currently enrolled in AP courses.  The next scheduled APR program trip to UCLA will take place on Saturday, October 12, 2019. Contact your AP teacher or Mr. Ramirez, Assistant Principal for sign up information.
E) PSAT

PSAT Pre-registration: 
Starting Monday, October 7, students will be pulled out from their math classes to pre-register for the PSAT with their academic counselors. Math teachers: Please escort your students down and support during the period in making sure students are completely registered.  

JOVEL- Monday, Oct. 7th - Algebra 1 Class of 2023 students (students in an upper level math will receive a summons)
TORRES- Tuesday, Oct. 8th - Geometry Class of 2022 (students in an upper level math will complete during their Algebra 2 class)
CERDA- Thursday, Oct. 10th - Algebra 2 Class of 2021 students (students in an upper level math will receive a summons)

On October 16, we will be conducting a school-wide PSAT day for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders. Our 12th graders will be working on their senior portfolio and getting fitted for their cap and gowns. We will be sending out more information soon.  


F) Parents:

On Thursday, October 3, 2019 the Family Action Team held its monthly meeting and selected the "Class of Parent Meeting" as the Parent Participation Event for month of October (Meeting dates and times are enclosed below). This meeting will provide parents important information on your child's academic levels.

      DATES:                                    TIMES:                                        LOCATION:
  • Monday, October 21, 2019:  Class of 2020 Parent Meeting       AM Session: 8:00am-10:0am PM Session: 5:00pm-7:00pm     Cafeteria

  • Monday, October 28, 2019:  Class of 2021 Parent Meeting       AM Session: 8:00am-10:0am PM Session: 5:00pm-7:00pm     Cafeteria

  • Tuesday, October 22, 2019: Class of 2023 Parent Meeting       AM Session: 8:00am-10:0am PM Session: 5:00pm-7:00pm     Cafeteria

  • Tuesday, October 29, 2019: Class of 2022 Parent Meeting       AM Session: 8:00am-10:0am PM Session: 5:00pm-7:00pm     Cafeteria

Parents join us on  Saturday, October 12, 2019 from 8:30am-1:00pm  for the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools South LA Parent College Event. Parent College is a free event for families. Join us for classes that will give you the tools to help your child succeed in school and be college ready.

Monday, October 14, 2019 , we will be conducting our Parent Classroom Walk-through in the English department classes during  2nd Period  from  9:00am-10:00am . During our classroom visits parents will have the opportunity to observe for 10 minutes in each classroom and will look for evidence of a SOAR Board (Standards, Objective, Agenda, and Reflection), 3C1: Standards Based Learning Activities, and a Class Ambassador. Parent classroom walk-through is an opportunity to engage our parents in dialogue and give them examples of what learning looks like in our classrooms. All parents are invited to participate and we will be meeting in the Parent Center at 8:45am. 

G) Attendance:
Teachers thank you for taking accurate attendance this past week. We have seen a increase in accurate attendance these past few days. If you receive a discrepancy sheet in your box, please complete it and return it to the attendance office. This week we had a 96% submittal rate from our teachers. Keep up the good job teachers! Lets make it to 100%.

H) College Center: 

College Center is open during lunch time. Please encourage students to use the College Center during lunch for any questions and also sign up for College Presentations.  

Santee Education Complex is planning our annual College Fair on Wednesday, October 23, 2019. The fair hours are 8:30 am - 1:30 pm. If you are a college or university representative, you are invited to represent your university to the many college-going Falcons and their families. If you are a parent, guardian or student, please save the date!

I)   Sports: 10/7/19-10/11/19
10/07/19: 
Tennis-2:30 @ Santee against Los Angeles
Girls Volleyball-2:45/4:00 @ Santee against Maya

10/10/19:
Boys WP -2:45@ Santee against Contreras
Tennis-2:30@ Manual
Volleyball- 2:45/4:00 @Santee against 
Cross Country-2:30 away against Manual

10/11/19:
Football -4:00/7:00 @Santee against Manual
Cross Country @ Kenneth Hahn against Los Angeles


J) New Cell Phone Policy:

We have decided to begin our informational campaign on October 1st instead of enforcement because we want to make sure that we are all on the same page and that we have provided training and clear communication before we begin. We have voted to begin actual enforcement the 1st day of second semester, thank you for your patience and flexibility.

K) There will be an Enrichment PD after-school on Friday next week regarding Student Led Conferences.

L) Office Hours:

Office Hours have begun. Please notify your students of the day and hour that you will be available. Tutor X time will be compensated 1 hour a week per teacher. Door sheets are done and will be posted this week. Lastly, if you have chosen lunch time, please still adhere to the objective of office hours which is to support any Falcon with academic support and to answer any questions they may have. All teachers who offer office hours are to turn in their office hours at the end of each month.

M) City Year Tutoring
City Year tutoring has begun in the student cafeteria from 3pm-5pm. Please encourage students to attend tutoring for extra help. Any student may attend. 


N) Intervention and Supports:
This week are PSW's hosted a Resource Fair for our parents. There were various community agencies in attendance providing information for our parents. If you would like information about these agencies please see Ms. Marroquin or Ms. Razo.

A reminder that NO email referral should be sent to the PSW's. We can not send confidential information via email. Please complete a referral form and place it in their boxes. They will response in a timely manner.

Teachers we need to remember to document referrals in the MiSiS system. The Intervention Coordinators are receiving students in their office without referrals. We need to make sure all of these incidents are documented.

Please remember that there are no passes for the first 10 minutes of class. Also if students are sent out of your class they will need a vest. The campus aides will be sending the students back to class.

O) ILT Meeting: 

Friendly reminder that on Thursday, October 10, there will be an ILT meeting from 3:15-5pm in room 235. If you are an ILT member, please be sure to attend. Please email Ms. Gutierrez if you want anything added to the agenda.
Santee Staff Information

A) Access Resources from the Santee Falcon Teacher Google Classroom Use your single sign-on to access.

B) All staff information is provided in the staff handbook.

C) TEXT-A-TIP -  Remind your students about the TEXT-A-TIP program at Santee! The TEXT-A-TIP phone number is 213.805.7627 or 213.805.SOAR.

D) Parking:   
Please remember to park in your assigned parking space. If you need a parking pass please see the main office because we will be enforcing parking next week. School Police will be helping with enforcing this.

As a reminder, there is no parking on campus. This includes the blacktop and the LA Gate entrance between the softball and Gym areas. The entrance is a fire lane and in case of an emergency, the ambulance and Fire Truck will be unable to get onto campus. 

E) Air Conditioner
  • The air conditioners are working overtime. Please make sure that you close your windows and doors so that it remains cool in your room and to ensure that the AC does not stop working. 

F) Facilities
  • If you lose your keys, please notify Ms. Ruiz as soon as possible. 
  • If you need furniture in your classroom, please email our plant manager. 

G) Field Trips

  • Field trips will only be considered for approval if paperwork is submitted at least 30 days ahead of time. Field trips not on the pre-approved list or overnight trips will not be considered for approval if paperwork is not submitted at least 45 days in advance. As a reminder, field trips occurring during instructional time must be related to the curriculum and standards in your class. 

H) Restorative Justice:

Teachers, please let Ms. Farris know if you would like to have the student RJ ambassadors help facilitate circles in your 8th period and core classes. Contact Ms. Farris for more information.

I) Keys-  You are responsible for keys checked out to you. If you lose your keys, immediately notify Ms. Ruiz. Taking care of your keys is vital for maintaining safety on campus.

During the school year, the academic side of campus closes at 5:00 p.m. All students on the academic side of campus must exit before 5:00 p.m. 

J) Remind Emergency Tree
Falcons, please sign up to our Santee Emergency Communication Emergency Phone Tree. It is a one-way communication method where you will receive updates in case of an emergency.   https://www.remind.com/join/7chkge?utm_medium=android

K) Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) 

All BIC items need to be returned to the Cafeteria by 8:30 a.m. Also, BIC items should not be left in your classroom after BIC.

L) PSW:

A reminder that NO email referral should be sent to the PSW's. We can not send confidential information via email. Please complete a referral form and place it in their boxes. They will response in a timely manner.
Santee Shout Outs
Please email susana.gutierrez@lausd.net a brief positive or inspiring message to a Santee Falcon Staff Member to include in this email.

Shout out to Ms. Carolina Maria who has been working diligently to collect Household Income Forms.

Shout out to Mario Rodriguez, Victor Mendez, Ms. Chan, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Bedolla, and all staff members who saw to it that Santee demonstrated Williams Sufficiency during our visit on Thursday. LACOE visited 87 classrooms, escorted 37 students to the Textbook Room, and all received their books. Thank you staff for another successful year of Williams compliance.

Shout out to Ms. Torres and Ms. Jovel for working overtime making class changes for those students whose schedules were disrupted because of Ms. Branham's mid-year departure. Thank you Father Kraft, Ms. Vasquez, and Mr. Rodriguez for providing new classrooms and new homes for many of those same students.

Shout out to Dr. Cataldo and Ms. Pulgarin for coordinating an extension PD specific to APES for the ELD department on Tuesday after-school.

Shout Out to Ms. Gigi for your help with the school bus supervision on Friday and for making sure that our Special Education students entered safely onto campus!
 
Shout Out to Ms. Chavez for providing a welcoming and positive environment for all of her students!!
 
Shout Out to Mr. Demar, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Feldman, Ms. Reyes, Dr. Cataldo, Ms. Glick Neagle, Ms. Chavez, Ms. Georges, Mr. Rillo, and Ms D. Johnson for standing in front of their classroom door to welcome students during transition periods.

Shout out to the Counseling Team for supporting with students applying for college and giving them individualized support! 

Shout out to Ms. Miranda in making sure she is meeting with every single senior student providing them with their Individualized Growth Plans.  

Shout out to Ms. Chavez and Mr. Muskrath in supporting with 7th period APEX and calling home for students needing to finish APEX. 

Shout out to Mr. Guzman for continuing to facilitate with SSPT meetings and making sure we are providing supports and resources for students to be successful! 

Shout out to Mr. Keys for always lending an extra hand and being a positive influence to staff and students!

Shout Out to our Ms. Marroquin and Ms. Razo for putting together a resource fair for our parents.  


Shout out to Ms. K. Johnson, Mr. Manriguez and Ms. Miller for putting on an awesome pep rally this week.

Shout out to Ms. Alex in the attendance office for keeping track of all of our ANS issues and supporting the PSA's.

Shout out to Nancy for creating a new copy room protocol to help get copies out in a timely manner.

Shout out to Coach Martinez for assisting with supervising the away games.

Shout out to all the staff who worked extra hours on Friday to ensure that we had a spirited and safe football game.

Shout out to Ms. Ordonez for going above and beyond to support our Sped team!

Shout to Ms. Ma for all the work you do to get our fundraisers and clubs approved.

Shout out to our custodial team for always ensuring that we have clean and safe learning environments despite being short staffed.
Upcoming Events


  • 10/07/2019- SSC Meeting

  • 10/08/2019- PD Tuesday/ Faculty Meeting (PSAT)/ Senior Luau

  • 10/09/2019- Unassigned Day-No School

  • 10/10/2019- ILT Meeting (rm 235), Parent Workshop (Higher Education)

  • 10/11/2019- Parent Workshop (Higher Education), Enrichment PD (Student Led Conferences), Football vs. Manuel Arts

  • 10/12/2019- Parent College

  • 10/14/2019- Parent Walk-through (English), New Teacher Meeting #3
Continue to keep students engaged from bell to bell with technology; work with your peers to improve your instruction and lesson plans based on common assessment data; and always stay professional with all Santee stake holders.  By keeping students focused and engaged with relevant lessons, planned essential questions that promote collaboration-creativity-critical thinking-communication, and using academic language every day in your classroom we will ensure our Falcons SOAR by better preparing them for their future. 

Santee Education Complex
Check out our website: http://www.santeefalcons.org/
Working Together, ALL Santee Falcons Will SOAR! 
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