Voyager Family News
Back-to-School 2019-20 Edition: August 22, 2019
First Day of School!!
We are so excited to welcome you tomorrow morning at SSES! Some helpful info:
- Students will line up by 8:05 AM but parents are invited to BRIEFLY escort students through the gates to meet teachers and drop off students and donated supplies in classrooms. We will ask that all families exit campus by 8:30 so staff and student team building and magic can begin!
- Please plan on parking if you are visiting campus tomorrow morning. Parking will NOT likely be available in front of school, so look for spots in the back of our staff lot next to Strand Hall, or on the streets of the neighborhood.
- Teacher Assignments are up on the ParentVue site/link on this page.
- See our Nutrition Page for school lunch menus and to add funds to your child's account.
- Please send your child with a labeled water bottle and morning snack.
- Please pick up TK students at 11:50 AM at the Preschool Gate (to the right of the library building in front) and all other students at 2:55 PM (Kindergarteners will reunite with parents at the Preschool Gate between 2:45 and 2:55 PM).
- It's going to be a great year! We are here to help with questions and concerns.
Welcome from Principal Jenny Moore
Welcome, Voyager students and families, to the Silver Strand Elementary School 2019-20 school year!
I am grateful and proud to support a unique, small, and special school in Coronado Unified School District, and to serve Silver Strand’s dedicated and inspiring staff, kind and curious students, and generous and involved families and community members.
Coronado Unified School District believes every child every day needs a connection, a challenge, and a champion. Your child has the opportunity to make connections with peers and teachers through our daily classroom meet-up/circles, through cross-grade mentorships and “buddies,” through access to clinical and Military Family Life counselors and community mentors, and through learning with classroom, Visual and Performing Arts, Innovation Lab, and PE teachers.
Silver Strand Elementary School offers curriculum, instructional strategies, and resources to meet the needs and styles of diverse learners. Each student will be challenged to achieve based on individual strengths and areas of growth and through small group instruction, personalized education time, and interventions built into the school day. Through our VAPA and Innovation Lab specials, as well as enrichment club opportunities beyond the school day, students can discover new areas of interest and excitement in music, art, dance, computer science, engineering, coding, robotics, gardening, yoga, sports, running, world languages, and more.
The Silver Strand Elementary Voyager family recognizes how critical it is to belong to a safe and supportive community which champions the gifts and contributions of each individual. Our Sanford Harmony social-emotional learning program promotes peer support through problem-solving, mentoring and partnerships, and coping strategies. At our weekly Friday Flagpole community assembly, we recognize students and staff for their positive contributions to our Voyager Family, celebrating character and kindness. Through the lens of a growth mindset, we champion our students’ individual growth and successes, encouraging them to recognize leaps in both academics and personal responsibility.
Our families come from the neighboring Lincoln Military Housing at Silver Strand, the Coronado Cays housing development, as well as neighborhoods in Imperial Beach and San Diego through inter-district transfers. We extend a warm welcome to our military families, recognizing the unique gifts and challenges associated with families who serve. Silver Strand Elementary and Coronado Unified School District are proud to offer robust resources for students and families through our partnerships with the military, including our Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC), Military Spouse support groups, and mentoring programs (Operation BIGs and PALs).
Our programs and opportunities are the result of generous community support. We encourage you to connect with us and other families through joining and volunteering with our Silver Strand PTO, the Coronado Schools Foundation, and in your child’s classroom. Communicate with your child’s teachers and participate in school activities such as weekly Friday Flagpole assemblies and Family Fun Nights, fairs, and performances.
Invest in and champion your child’s education and personal growth this year by talking with your child about daily learning challenges and experiences, and reading, researching, and exploring together.
We look forward to knowing your children and you. It’s going to be a wonderful year!
Welcome to our Voyager Family,
Jenny Moore, Principal
2019-20 Parent and Student Handbook
What's New in School Year 2019-20!
New Bell Schedule: See section below for details!
New Paint: Our buildings are being refreshed with new paint and a new color palette! Thank you to our Maintenance & Operations Department for beautifying our school inside and out!
New Curriculum:
- Bridges Math: We are implementing new curriculum in mathematics which aligns with the Common Core standards and prepares our students for mathematics at Coronado Middle and High Schools. Our 3rd and 5th grade teachers piloted Bridges Math this year and report more excitement about numbers and problem solving, as well as increased scores in math among their students. Exciting features of the new curriculum are its accompanying intervention and challenge/extension activities, to meet the needs of a range of learners.
- English/Language Arts Pilot: A few grade levels at Village and Silver Strand Elementary Schools will be participating in pilots of ELA curricula this fall (Scholastic and Benchmark). Our intent is to pilot in 2019-20 and adopt a new curriculum for the following school year. If your child is in a class participating in the pilot, you will receive more information at the beginning of the year.
- New Science "Innovation" Special: We are excited to continue to offer our weekly Science Special with a new curriculum, Project Lead the Way (the engineering/design/robotics/project-based program used by CMS and CHS). Students will be incorporating more technology and STEAM activities into their time in this new "Innovation" special, funded by CSF!
New Voyager Crewmates and Roles: Our enrollment has increased and some teammates have moved or transferred, so we are excited to have new staff at Silver Strand Elementary School in the following roles (we will introduce you to specific personnel when we finalize our hiring process).
- Kindergarten (additional class)
- 1st/2nd Grade Combo Class (additional class)
- 4th Grade (Kathleen Spane transferred to Village Elementary)
- Special Education (Coleen Holgate transferred to CHS and Sydney DeTurk out of district)
- PE (Eric Bachman transferred to CMS)
- Visual & Performing Arts
- Health Technician (former Health Tech Frankie Guillen is our new Attendance and Preschool Assistant)
- Child Nutrition
- Military Family Life Counselor (Gia del George is working with Coronado SAFE)
We will miss our former teammates but have welcomed wonderful new crew to SSES!
New Bell Schedule for the 2019-20 School Year
We used the following criteria and goals in the development of our schedule:
1. Create a schedule which is family-friendly and deliberately prioritizes student achievement.
2. Calibrate instructional minutes from Kindergarten to Grade 5.
3. Limit student transitions during the instructional day.
4. Designate blocks of designated time for Math, English/Language Arts, Science/Social Science, Specials, and Sanford Harmony (SEL).
5. Ensure common daily teacher prep time (TK-5) by grade-level team.
6. Provide weekly collaboration time for staff.
Highlights of the new schedule:
- ALL students in grades K-5 will start and end their days at the same time, Monday through Friday (students in TK will end their school day at 11:50 before kindergarten lunch).
- TK students will be in school from 8:10 to 11:50 AM all days all year, including Wednesdays.
- ALL students K-5 will have PE or VAPA/Innovation every day for 50 minutes Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (PE twice a week and either Innovation or VAPA twice a week, switching topics halfway through the year to provide continuity and concentration on one topic per semester). ALL students K-5 will have 30-minute PE on Wednesdays.
- Social-Emotional Learning time, in the form of lessons, morning circles/meet-ups and/or buddy time, is built into our schedule every day.
- Our new lunch schedule will make serving, transitioning, and supervising students safer and more manageable.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday Bell Schedule Basics:
8:10 AM: School begins for all students TK-5th Grade
9:45-10:00 AM: TK-2nd Grade Recess
10:00-10:15 AM: 3rd-5th Grade Recess
10:40-11:30 AM: VAPA/Innovation/PE for 4th and 5th Grade
11:30-12:15 PM: 4th and 5th Grade Lunch
11:50 AM: TK Dismissal
11:50-12:35 PM: Kindergarten and 1st Grade Lunch
12:15-1:00 PM: 2nd and 3rd Grade Lunch
1:00-1:50: VAPA/Innovation/PE for 2nd and 3rd Grade
1:50-2:40: VAPA/Innovation/PE for Kindergarten
2:00-2:50: VAPA/Innovation/PE for 1st Grade
2:55: Dismissal for ALL students K-5th Grade
Wednesday (Early Release) Bell Schedule Basics:
(K-5th Grades have 30-minute PE during the school day)
8:10 AM: School begins for all students TK-5th Grade
9:45-10:00 AM: TK-2nd Grade Recess
10:00-10:15 AM: 3rd-5th Grade Recess
11:30-12:15 PM: 4th and 5th Grade Lunch
11:50 AM: TK Dismissal
11:50-12:35 PM: Kindergarten and 1st Grade Lunch
12:15-1:00 PM: 2nd and 3rd Grade Lunch
1:40 PM: Dismissal for ALL students K-5th Grade
PM Staff Professional Development
Questions about the schedule? Email Ms. Moore at Jennifer.Moore@coronadousd.net
Community Agreements and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
Calendar Highlights: Plan Ahead!
CLASS PLACEMENTS/TEACHER ASSIGNMENTS VISIBLE on Synergy ParentVUE by 3PM on 8/21
Thurs 8/22: First Day of School for Students: School begins at 8:10 AM!
Mon 8/26, 6 PM: Elementary Band Info Night (4th and 5th grades) at Village Hall
Thurs 8/29: Back-to-School Night at SSES (5-7 PM)
Mon 9/2: Labor Day Holiday/No School
Fri 9/6: Loews Play on the Bay Event benefiting Coronado Schools: https://www.loewshotels.com/coronado-bay-resort/play-on-the-bay
Fri 9/13, 4:30 PM: All-School Carnival sponsored by CSF at CHS Quad
Thurs 9/26: Late-Start: all students start at 10:00AM
Fri 9/27: 5th Grade Bring a Parent to Lunch (11:30 AM) and PTO Family Fun Night at SSES
Mon 10/14: District Holiday/No School
Fri 10/25: 4th Grade Bring a Parent to Lunch (11:30 AM)
11/4-8: Parent-Teacher Conferences (Students Early Release)
Mon 11/11: Veteran's Day Holiday/No School
Fri 11/15: PTO Family Fun Night at SSES
11/25-29: Thanksgiving Holiday/No School
12/9-13: Holiday Shoppe at SSES
Fri 12/20-1/3/20: Winter Holiday/No School
Mon 1/6/20: School Resumes
Fri 1/17/20: Teacher Workday/No School for Students
Mon 1/20/20: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday/No School
Thurs 1/30: Late-Start: all students start at 10:00AM
Fri 1/31: 3rd Grade Bring a Parent to Lunch (12:15PM)and PTO Family Fun Night at SSES
Fri 2/14-Mon 2/17: Presidents' Weekend/No School
Thurs 2/27: Spring Open House
Fri 2/28: 2nd Grade Bring a Parent to Lunch (12:15)
Fri 3/13: PTO Family Fun Night
Wed 3/18, 4:30-9 PM: CSF Telethon at CHS
Thurs 3/19: Late-Start: all students start at 10:00AM
Fri 3/27: 1st Grade Bring a Parent to Lunch (11:50)
3/30-4/3: Spring Break Holiday/No School
Tues 4/7-Thurs 4/9: Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences (Students Early Release)
Fri 4/10-Mon 4/13: District Holiday/No School
Fri 4/24: Kindergarten Bring a Parent to Lunch (11:50) and SSES Luau
5/25/20: Memorial Day Holiday/No School
6/11/20: 5th Grade Promotion/Last Day of School/Early Release
Meet Our New Board and Join our PTO!
Welcome to our new PTO Board:
- President: Lauren Koehler
- Vice President Lori Blauert
- Treasurer: Leslie Broussard
- Secretary: Leigh-ann Williamson
- Parliamentarian: Becca Kofonow
- Luau Coordinator: Heather Pettit
- PTO Advisor: Nellie Ritter
In addition to building community, supporting curriculum, and enriching students' school experience, the Silver Strand PTO is responsible for Family Fun Nights, Holiday Shoppe, Yearbook and Luau to name a few. Our fundraising efforts provide for school field trips and enrichments clubs. We are unable to do what we do without the support of Silver Strand families, teachers and staff. Your first opportunity to support our endeavors this year is by joining the PTO. You can join online now! Link: http://bit.ly/2yMRMTL Please let us know on our membership form where you would like to help us with your time and talents.
Morning Dropoff and Afternoon Pickup in 2019-20
Our new bell schedule means ALL students TK-5th Grade will start school at 8:10 AM (same as this past year), and ALL Kindergarten-5th Graders will release at 2:55 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and at 1:40 on Wednesdays (Transitional Kindergarten will release at 11:50 each day). Our afternoon pickup time will be BUSY! Your cooperation with protocols and safety provisions will be essential for smooth and safe transitions for students.
Adult supervision outside school in the morning does not begin until 7:50 AM; please do not plan to drop your child off prior to this time unless they are participating in band/choir/other officially supervised school activities.
IN THE MORNINGS: TK and Kindergarten students will line up outside the gate to the right of our office door each morning by 8:05 AM to be picked up by their teachers and escorted to class. First graders will enter the same gate and proceed to class at the first bell. All other grades enter the gates to the left by Strand Hall when the first bell rings to line up by class on the blacktop.
IN CASE OF RAIN OR INCLEMENT WEATHER, students will report to Strand Hall and line up in designated areas in the Hall.
At the end of the school day, Kindergarten teachers will escort their students to the front of school for parent pickup ahead of other students, so parents of kindergarteners should plan for their students to be ready to reunite with you 5-10 minutes before 2:55 (or 1:40 on Wednesdays).
We anticipate a VERY BUSY afternoon pickup each day, with more students releasing at the same time! It will be critical that all drivers follow our safety protocols and plan for efficient reunification with students. We encourage those students/families who can walk/bike/scooter to do so!
Crosswalk Safety
Dropoff/Pickup Safety
Important Information Regarding Nutrition and Meals at Silver Strand Elementary School
Band for 4th and 5th Graders
Coronado Unified School District
Strike Up the Band Night!
Monday August 26 – 6:00pm - Village Hall
Village Elementary School
Interested in learning how to play a musical instrument? Please join us for an open house and instrument petting zoo. Open to all 4th and 5th grade students at Village and Silver Strand Elementary and all CMS students.
● Meet the teachers from Village and Strand.
● See and hear each instrument up close before choosing which one to play.
● Learn about rental programs and instrument costs from Harper’s Music.
● You may choose from the following instruments: Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, and Percussion.
Returning band students do not need to attend - you will be sent a separate form to fill out in order to sign up again this year.
For more information please contact:
Matt Heinecke – Village/CMS: mheinecke@coronadousd.net
Mark Margolies – Silver Strand Elementary: markmargolies@hotmail.com
Band made possible by presenting sponsor, The Werth Group, with additional support from Coronado Schools Foundation donors and Coronado Band and Choir Boosters.
Coronado SAFE Events and Activities
Coronado SAFE supports healthy families and children through workshops/"coffee talks," school programs, speakers, and counseling.
Military Connections
Silver Strand Elementary School is SO fortunate to have the full-time services of our very own MFLC (Military Family Life Counselor), Marie Millard! Our MFLC is available to help students through the emotions and transitions associated with military life.
Village Wed. Nov. 20 8:30-9:30 Building Resiliency in Children
Strand Wed. Feb. 19 8:30-9:30 Supporting Your Child Through Deployment
ECDC Wed. May 20 8:30-9:30 Transitions
Confirmed---CMS Wed. Sept 18 8:30-9:30 Children and Moving/Challenges of Changing Schools
For information about military-sponsored activities for youth, visit the Fleet and Family Services website here.
Stay Connected with Silver Strand Elementary School!!
Check out and "like" our Facebook page to see photos of student events and programs! https://www.facebook.com/Silver-Strand-Elementary-School-176775765849277/
About Silver Strand Elementary School
After-School Enrichment Clubs
*They will be starting the week of 9/15
*Vendor Flyers w/details on how to register, etc., will be posted to Peachjar ON Friday 8/30 (and
*Some clubs have enrollment caps
*If their child didn’t get into a particular club this time, there will be one (possibly 2) more sessions this yr.