The Flores Flyer
October 14, 2019 Volume 2, Issue 2
Stay Committed to the Training Plan
Dear Parents,
This past weekend, I joined thousands of other runners in Long Beach for the JetBlue Long Beach Half Marathon. While this was not my first half marathon, it was my first since having two kids and juggling the training with my busy schedule as a principal.
In order to reach this milestone, I set a goal, developed a plan, surrounded myself with a solid support team, focused on my training plan, thus leading to accomplishing my goal. The school year for our students is not any different and can often feel like running a race. It’s long. Some days the training is harder than others, but the sense of accomplishment and growth at the end is always worth it.
This past week, each student had the opportunity to sit down with their classroom teacher and parent(s). As a team, goals were established, a team was formed, and plans were outlined. Now the training begins. This is the hardest part and requires great commitment. Our teachers and staff are committed. We’re counting on all of our parents and students to stay committed too. Stick with the plan. Read and practice those math facts every night, not just when it’s convenient. Focus on mini milestones and take steps to help your child move forward towards the finish line in June.
I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to serve as everyone’s coach and cheerleader. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if your team needs help with the training.
Keep up the great work and I believe in our team!
Mrs. Flores,
Davis Magnet School Principal
#WeNotMe #WePracticeEmpathy #DavisDucksPride
Davis Ducks Continue to Soar Academically
Late last week assessment results were released for the 2018-19 California Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBAC). In elementary school, all students in grades 3 through 6 take the Smarter Balanced Assessments, which are computer adaptive tests that adjust the difficulty of the test items based on how a test taker responds. This provides a more precise measure of student performance.
Davis Magnet School students continued to excel by demonstrating growth in both English Language Arts and Math. When compared to baseline assessments, Davis has shown growth of seven percentage points in students meeting or exceeding ELA standards, and a growth of six percentage points in students meeting or exceeding math standards. Davis Magnet School is also one of the top NMUSD schools with perfect scores.As a result of these high test scores, Davis Magnet School is in the “Blue” or “Highest Performance” category on the California Dashboard Accountability System.
The consistent growth and high academic achievement levels is the result of hard work and collaboration among our teachers, staff, and parents to support our students' efforts and learning. Our staff has already dug into the data and developed plans to support students’ continued growth. Our big focus areas are reading comprehension and problem solving skills in math.
Parents play a critical role in assisting students’ academic achievements. Below are some tips and resources that you can apply at home. Additionally, check out this excellent Parent Guide that is organized by grade level with specific actions for parents to apply at home to support students in both ELA and Math.
Designate quiet time for reading every day. Whether your child is reading on their own, listening to you read, or a combination of the two, it is really important to spend time practicing reading.
Mix up the genre of books that your child is reading. As a classroom teacher I would establish a rotation for students who were only wanting to read one particular type of book. An example would be 1)fiction picture book, 2)nonfiction book, 3)chapter book, 4)student choice. Reading fiction and nonfiction books require different reading skills. It is equally important to practice both.
Ask your child questions about the books. Here’s a parent ‘Cheat Sheet’ to help your child develop their comprehension that dives a little deeper than the basic 5 W’s.
To assist students’ listening skills, check out these recommended podcasts for students.
While at school, students are expected to explain their thinking in math through their written work, but there are also multiple opportunities for collaboration and discussion. At home ask your child questions as to how they got their answer, other strategies to apply, and make connections through different types of problems.
We are proud of the academic achievements of our students and appreciate the collaboration among staff and parents to best support our students. If you have questions or would like additional ideas please contact your child’s teacher or myself.
"UnSelfie" Parent Book Club
Our UnSelfie Parent Book Clubs have begun and there have been many wonderful ideas shared by parents, for parents. It's never too late to join, all parents are welcome, and Spanish translation is provided. The next in-person book club is Friday, October 25. We will discuss Chapter 2, "Empathetic Children Have a Moral Identity: Developing an Ethical Code." This is a powerful and important chapter.
If you would like to get ideas on how to support your child in developing strong moral courage in difficult situations, please RSVP here to attend our October 25 meeting at 8:30 a.m. in the MPR. You may also participate through our private parent Facebook group.
Below you will find resources shared through our study of Chapter 1.
Spotlight on Preschool!
Each month we shine a special spotlight on one grade level at Davis Magnet School. This month we shine a special spotlight on our five preschool classes!
We are so excited to start another fun year at Davis Preschool. Many of you may not realize that Davis is home to 5 different preschool classes; one general Ed preschool and 4 Special Day preschool classes. The Special Day class is a fabulous program where our special education students and our general education students learn side by side as they prepare for Kindergarten. Our general Ed preschool class follows a S.T.R.E.A.M.(Science, Technology, Relationships, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Focus approach; preparing children to become tomorrow’s innovators, critical thinkers, and entrepreneurs by encouraging curiosity learning through play.
Our program utilizes the World of Wonders Pre-K as our foundation for language, literacy, science and math. This curriculum is aligned with the K-6 Language Arts curriculum used by the school district. Children will be provided with a strong foundation in phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, beginning writing and storytelling, number sense and early math concepts. Skills are taught and practiced in a playful, hands-on, developmentally appropriate way.
In addition to the academic content, students are taught and supported in their social and emotional learning. Learning how to appropriately communicate, play with others, manage and express their feelings are a few of the skills that students practice while attending preschool. Teaching empathy and compassion has always been a top priority in our preschool classrooms. Our 5 preschool classes use the Second Step early learning curriculum. This curriculum is designed to increase children's school readiness and social success by building both their regulation skills and social-emotional competence. Second Step promotes skill development in four key areas: empathy and compassion, friendship skills and problem solving, emotional management, and skills for learning. Building a solid foundation in these areas helps ease our preschoolers as they transition to kindergarten and sets them up for a success both at home and in school. #WeNotMe #WePracticeEmpathy
Our preschool classrooms are actively involved in collaborating with the community and broadening the classroom experience by attending field trips, such as Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch, Long Beach Aquarium, We Play Loud, and Tanaka Farms Strawberry Farm. When students leave the classroom, they are able to see the connections between what is happening at school and in the “real-world”. Teachers will also invite our community helpers (e.g., police officers, firefighters, doctors, etc.) to educate our students on safety and awareness. Preschoolers have the opportunity to experience school on a K-6 campus by visiting the library, computer lab, Art Masters, etc. Our youngest scholars frequently team up with big buddies, or upper grade students, to explore the playground together and complete fun activities within the classroom.
Preschoolers reading with their Big Buddies.
Preschoolers learning and exploring in our garden.
Preschoolers spreading positivity with their shirts each Thursday!
Nutrition Nuggets -" Exploring The Local Farmers Market " by NMUSD Nutritionist, Francesca Protano
Every day, we can find farmers’ markets in our communities and the number of them are increasing. So, what is the big appeal? There are good reasons to shop at these wonderful markets, from savoring the freshest produce to meeting the individuals who grow our food. It’s a fun experience for adults and kids alike.
Shopping at our local farmers market is a great way to teach kids where food comes from. Regular grocery stores don’t tell us how a peach is grown. The farmers can tell us everything about how our food grows, and they may even give us tips on how to store and prepare them. Kids love trying new foods and learning from the growers about the origin of fruits and vegetables.
A great way to buy foods that are in season and fresh is to shop at farmers markets. The fruits and vegetables are allowed to fully ripen on the plants and are brought to us directly from the field. This as fresh as it gets. The foods are not shipped long distances after sitting in a storage facility for a week. The produce is brought to us at the peak of its growing season from the local California farms and is more nutritious and flavorful.
Walking through our local farmers market may lead to finding and trying a new fruit or vegetable. It is a great place to meet the people growing it. Shopping at a farmers market can be a fun way to introduce our family to new foods, and to share an experience the whole family will remember.
The Davis Book Nook
The place to come to find book lists and resources to support your child’s reading comprehension, while also developing empathy for others by diversifying their library and understanding of others.
Telling Her Story: Picture Books About 99 Real-Life Mighty Girls & Women from A Mighty Girl.
The Diverse Book Finder is a collection of more than 2,000 children’s books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color.
Tips to support your child as they read NonFiction Text.
Do you have some favorite book lists or ‘go-to’ resources to support your child's reading? If so, send them my way to cflores@nmusd.us.
Student Wellness Tip
Digital Citizenship Week Kicks off October 14
Check out this video to learn more.
Also, spend a minute to read through this great article for parents titled, "Help! My Kid Wants to Use Social Media!"
Davis Magnet School
Instagram @davis_magnet_school
Facebook @facebook.com/DavisMagnetSchoolDucks
Twitter @DavisMagnet
Email: cflores@nmusd.us
Website: http://davismagnet.nmusd.us/
Location: 1050 Arlington Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, USA
Phone: (714)424-7930
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavisMagnetSchoolDucks/
Twitter: @DavisMagnet
Digital Citizenship Week
Monday, Oct 14, 2019, 08:15 AM
Davis Magnet School, Arlington Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, USA
Lunch Art
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2019, 11:30 AM
Davis Magnet School MPR
California Great Shakeout Emergency Preparedness Drill
Thursday, Oct 17, 2019, 12:00 AM
Davis Magnet School
General PTA Meeting
Friday, Oct 18, 2019, 08:30 AM
Davis Magnet School MPR
Davis Family Beach Party
Saturday, Sep 21, 2019, 04:00 PM
Magnolia-Pacific Coast, Huntington State Beach, Huntington Beach, CA, USA
Red Ribbon Week
Monday, Oct 21, 2019, 08:15 AM
Davis Magnet School
PTA Reflections Art Deadline
Wednesday, Oct 23, 2019, 04:00 PM
Davis Magnet School Office
Parent Education Series with Dr. Weichman
Wednesday, Oct 23, 2019, 06:30 PM
Davis Magnet School
Parent UnSelfie Book Club
If you would like to get ideas on how to support your child in developing strong moral courage in difficult situations, please RSVP here to attend our October 25 meeting at 8:30 a.m. in the MPR. You may also participate through our private parent Facebook group.
Friday, Oct 25, 2019, 08:30 AM
Davis Magnet School MPR
OCC Science Night - Band Performance
5:20 p.m.: Call Time
5:40 to 6:10 p.m.: Performance
Free dinner will be provided
Friday, Oct 25, 2019, 05:45 PM
Orange Coast College, Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA, USA
PTA Trunk-Or-Treat
Saturday, Oct 26, 2019, 05:00 PM
Davis Magnet School Blacktop
PTA Reflections Art Show
Wednesday, Oct 30, 2019, 03:00 PM
Davis Magnet School MPR
Happy Halloween!
Thursday, Oct 31, 2019, 08:15 AM
Davis Magnet School
October Shout Out Awards
Thursday, Oct 31, 2019, 08:15 AM
Davis Magnet School Flag Deck
No School For Students - Teacher Professional Development Day
Friday, Nov 1, 2019, 08:15 AM
Davis Magnet School
NMUSD Parent Education Series
Wednesday, Oct 2, 2019, 09:00 AM
Harper Assessment Center, East 18th Street, Costa Mesa, CA, USA
NMUSD Parent Education Series
Wednesday, Oct 2, 2019, 06:00 PM
Harper Assessment Center, East 18th Street, Costa Mesa, CA, USA
School Site Council (SSC) Meeting
Thursday, Oct 3, 2019, 03:30 PM
Davis Magnet School Library
UnSelfie Parent Book Club
Submit your RSVP here.
Friday, Oct 4, 2019, 08:30 AM
Davis Magnet School MPR
Goal Setting Conferences
8:15 to 1:20 p.m. M, T, Th, F
NO School for students on Wednesday, October 9