Sycamore Leaf
May 29 2020
Sycamore Celebrates this Saturday night
THIS SATURDAY evening, May 30, we will enjoy a social event in a whole new way. This year's Sycamore Celebrates is a Safer at Home version, a virtual social gathering for fun and fund raising. You don't even need to get out of your pajamas to attend! Click on this link to register. This event is free, though your link will provide detail on how you can donate to Sycamore.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sycamore-celebrates-safer-at-home-edition-tickets-106465136088Publishing House Tea-this Friday, June 5
On Tuesday, June 9 and Wednesday, June 10, families will pick up students' personal belongings and return borrowed items to the school.
Since we left school rather abruptly, most all our students have personal items in their classroom. Whether it's a personal pencil box or their artwork on the wall, we want to make sure everyone's belongings are returned to them. Teachers have gathered each students' items from their desks and around the classroom. To those those things, we'll add earthquake kits and art portfolios.
We will also use this time to return the items students have borrowed from the school during the school year or distance learning. This includes returning all library books, any school iPad, power cord or keyboard, any CUSD-loaned musical instruments, and any items you may have borrowed from the classroom. Your teacher will provide a list of the items you need to return to school.
Procedures have been thoughtfully designed to ensure physical distancing, reduced students/staff on campus, and guidelines for cleanliness. The campus will remain closed for this event and all parents/guardians will be able to complete the pick-up/drop-off without entering any buildings. Please be aware: only one parent/guardian may attend, and everyone who enters campus must wear a face covering.
- The parent/guardian will enter at the school office and move through campus in a one-way line marked for social distancing.
- At the entrance of the MPR, a table will receive iPad devices, power cords and keyboards. Staff will quickly test the device, so we ask that all devices be returned fully charged.
- Next, the parent/guardian will move around to the north side of the MPR where they'll be directed by staff to deposit library books, borrowed musical instruments, and classroom materials in designated areas and boxes.
- Staff will then bring students' personal belongings outside to the adult. This will include classroom items, earthquake kits, art portfolios, and yearbooks.
- Finally, parents/guardians will exit campus at the Yale Avenue gate just behind the MPR.
In order to limit the number of individuals on campus at any given time, we have assigned families to pick up during certain times. The schedule is built around student's last names and can be seen below.
- Those will last names A-D should attend between 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM.
- Those with last names E-J should attend from 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM.
- Those with last makes K-Q will attend from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM.
- Those with last names beginning in R-Z will attend from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM.
Families who cannot come during their assigned time are welcome to come at a time that work for them or between 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM.
Sixth Grade Send-Off, Monday, June 8 at 10:30 AM
The Sixth Grade Send-Off is a time to celebrate our sixth graders and the many ways they have grown and contributed to our school over the years. Whether they've been here one year or seven, these student leaders are a special part of Sycamore. We encourage you to gather virtually with friends for our 10:30 AM start time and enjoy teachers' personal messages to members of this year's sixth grade class. Sixth grade families will receive a separate message and the whole-school link will be sent later so everyone can join in on this annual community event.
End of Year Report Cards
In mid-March, you received a copy of your child's report card, a time-stamped picture of their progress toward grade level standards and skills. That same week, we shifted to distance learning. Teachers and students were physically separated. Parents and guardians made the shift to support school-based learning, while balancing work as well as the financial and emotional burdens of the pandemic.
On the last day of school, we will mail your student’s report card for the third trimester. This report will look different than it would during a typical year. While many students were able to "meet" with classroom teachers, participate in lessons and submit work samples, the challenges of distance learning are unquestioned. Given these conditions, we want to evaluate student progress in a sensitive and gracious way. Rather than using a value to measure mastery for each content area or skill, teachers will use the report card's comment section to highlight student participation and learning to date. We thank you for being a part of our learning team this year, and we look forward to continuing together this fall, in whatever means possible.
Meals for Students
If your family income has changed, you can apply for free or reduced price meal status on the district website at: http://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=3007091946411719 Families may also complete a simple online application before June 30, 2020 to be eligible for Pandemic EBT or P-EBT, a new benefit for families who receive free and reduced-price school meals.
Visit ca.p-ebt.org/info for more information.
Scholastic Book Fair
Art and Music
This week, Mary will be working on preparing our students' art portfolios. Those will be given to families during pick-up on June 8 and 9.
Use this link to return to any art or music lesson we've posted through distance learning. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YEs47lAsrkASFblyIePgAtMk-qAilAR0/view?usp=sharing
This week's music lesson reviews many concepts students have been learning about through the year. You'll be looking at music, following melody and rhythm and hearing some beautiful compositions. Connect here to Mr. Hensley's lesson.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10VJG1Df1q73bfqfIzxDef4ki90FrThmC?usp=sharing
Getting ready for 2020-2021
Several families have asked if they need to verify their student's enrollment for the coming year. On Tuesday afternoon, families received an invitation to complete "Required Forms for 2020-21." These include the annual Emergency Form, Media Release, and the like. Completion of these forms affirm your intent to have your student attend CUSD schools next year.
It is very important that we have accurate contact information for parents, guardians, and anyone who can pick up your child in the case of an emergency. Important notices will continue to come to families via Blackboard Connect emails and phone calls, so please ensure you have submitted contacts you check regularly. If you or members of your family are not receiving these emails as you'd should, please contact Tina Hensley at thensley@cusd.claremont.edu.
Finally, if you have plans to move or plan to attend another CUSD school this fall, please notify the Student Services Department, Tina Hensley or myself as soon as possible.
Thank you!
Looking for some Summer Fun?
I'm happy to pass along an exciting summer learning opportunity created by former Sycamore students and rising CHS seniors Zack Kreines and Rowan Orlijan-Rhyne. Zach and Rowan will be offering virtual summer physics camps including a session for incoming 4th to 6th graders and another for incoming 7th to 9th graders. See the linked flyer for details. Zach or Rowan can answer any of your questions via email. Space is limited. Enjoy!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1th7noT_WFYkOaqLhWn1_MIQt7UDwLtls/view?usp=sharing
Sycamore Gear? We've got it!
Simply enter your name and information to order Sycamore apparel. This form is for CASH, CHECK OR ZELLE. You will receive a confirmation email of your order. We offer contactless pick up and drop off. We have both this years and last years designs for sale. if you do not see your size then it is no longer available.
Zelle ID: sycwaysmeans@gmail.com.
Parent Input Letters
As we near the end of this school year, we begin to think about plans for the fall. One thing we’ll be planning for is classroom assignments. As a staff, this is no small undertaking. Though we know quite a bit about our students, we are eager to have the input of families as we make decisions about classroom placement. Families are encouraged to complete a Parent Input Letter, a written statement about their child as a learner, with their observations about their child’s response to various learning environments and insights into their school-based relationships.
Classroom placement decisions are based upon countless and often confidential student variables, so requests for specific teachers cannot be granted. Furthermore, I ask that you refrain from speaking to your child’s teacher about specific classroom requests. Be assured they want the best for your child and all teachers contribute in the process of making supportive placements. Letters must be received by June 12 to ensure your comments are available for consideration.
The form is available using this link. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KcEV6yrbqRJKaGNUxWFEB4z-4drw2Uud/view?usp=sharing
Please complete it and email it to me at astanger@cusd.claremont.edu.
Sycamore's Gift Card Program-SCRIP
These days, it's especially nice to share as you shop. Using SCRIP, you can make a habit of it! Simply order SCRIP using this form and we'll get it to you. Each time you buy, a percentage of each purchase raises funds for our school. Consider stocking up for the summer. Here's the link to the form:
Sycamore Contacts
Principal, Amy Stanger, astanger@cusd.claremont.edu
Office Manager, Tina Hensley, thensley@cusd.claremont.edu
Health and Attendance, Norma Perez, nperez@cusd.claremont.edu
Email: astanger@cusd.claremont.edu
Website: http://sycamore.cusd.claremont.edu/
Location: 225 West 8th Street, Claremont, CA, USA
Phone: (909)-398-0324