Arts Magnet News!

Dear Altadena Eliot Arts Families,

February is Magnet School Month!

Thank you to all our amazing student leaders from both campuses and our middle school Drum line who helped us welcome our dignitaries including, Superintendent, Brian McDonald, Congresswoman, Judy Chu, Board President, Michelle Bailey and PEF Executive Director, Patrick Conyers in honor of Magnet Schools Month.

We started with the Eliot Arts drum line on the front steps of Eliot Arts and then walked like a parade with the drum line marching behind us with our banner held high to the front doors of Altadena Arts Magnet for more photos and awards and a tour of arts classrooms. The residents of MonteCedro and surrounding neighbors came out to watch the parade and cheer. It was a terrific Friday!

What does it mean to be a Magnet School? See the graphic below for a simplified meaning but for us at Altadena and Eliot Arts, it means we are able to build and sustain an amazing arts and French program for our students from PreK-8th grade!

Research shows that students who have fewer transitions like the transition from elementary to middle school, show less of a dip in social emotional and academic health. Creating our One School, Two Campus span school supports our students in their transition from elementary to middle school because the programs and services are articulated.

Students from AAM can now deepen their arts education by becoming part of the first Arts Conservatory in PUSD! Students in grades 6-8 will have the option to take part in a comprehensive arts program for free until 6pm daily. This program is not mandatory and students may choose to move in and out of courses.

If you'd like to know more, please join me for our next Cafe con Scheckel at 8:30 am on Friday, February 17 in the Eliot Arts Library.

We had such an amazingly full week at both sites!

Our Husky Honors Night was well attended where we celebrated over 180 students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. We are not just arts, we are academics too!

Our middle school English Learner reclassification ceremony and ELAC meeting had over 85 families in attendance! We are so happy that we have reduced our number of English Learners through the reclassification process by over 50%. We started the year with 72 students and now have 35 remaining to reclassify by June, 2023. If students do not reclassify, they must take 2 periods of English Language Arts instruction thereby excluding them from access to electives such as art, music or theatre. This requirement further marginalizes and separates English learners from their native English speaking peers. At Altadena Eliot Arts, we seek to reclassify as many students as possible before they leave elementary and middle school so they have access to the entire school curriculum. If you'd like to know more about our practices, please reach out to our ELD/ELA/Science Instructional Coach, Ms. Michele Manzanares at manzanares.michele@pusd.us.

And on Monday, our Ms. Lucy and I delivered hot and cold beverages to our elementary team with our traveling beverage cart. It's a tradition that we look forward to every year!

Please support our middle school shoe drive fundraiser now- March 17th! Clean out your closet and drop off your gently used and no longer needed new shoes at Eliot’s main office or in the bin at AAM. Your shoes will receive a second life, helping those in need and you will be helping Eliot’s PTSA. It’s a win-win!

SAVE THE DATES:

February 17,

Cafe con Scheckel @ 8:30 am in the Eliot Arts Library

6-8 pm Middle School Sweetheart's Dance.

Be sure to purchase your tickets for our Eliot Annual Fund Tower Tour happening on February 24 from 4-6 pm. See flyer below!

FEBRUARY 22ND JOINT PTSA MEETING in the Eliot Arts Library @ 6pm.

Childcare, Snacks and Translation will be provided. We will also offer a hybrid option for those who wish to listen in. Special guest presentations by our District Health Team and our Superintendent, Dr. Brian McDonald.

March 2

Elementary Family Reading Night @ 5:30 pm in the auditorium

April 26

Altadena Eliot Art Walk 2023 Big Bash Celebration!

FYI, if you receive attendance notifications and have questions or concerns, please email Rosa Magdaleno at magdaleno.rosa@pusd.us for our elementary site or Felicia Lee at lee.felicia@pusd.us for our middle school site.

Please visit our Middle School Attendance Corner:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wGodwhIZgzNfEut0ascrp53lcLQkIu0JwABK3VTSte4/edit

It's a great week to be a Cougar and a Husky!

Yours in Service,

Dr. Scheckel, Principal

If you are the parent of a fifth or eighth grader, ask your student about the fifth and eighth grade defense project.

At the Elementary Campus, the fifth grade teachers, along with Ms. Camargo, our new library coordinator, Ms. Kristensson and Dr. Scheckel are leading the way in supporting our students.

• So far each student has created a Google Drive folder with their name on it
• A document with a checklist of things to do
• A "Brain Dump" thinking map to start remembering their experiences since Kindergarten

Then students are to begin collecting 10-12 artifacts to drop in their Drive folder. These artifacts may be photos, or videos of past awards assemblies, events, performances or classroom. They should also include pieces of writing and photos of art work. Ms. Camargo will support students in getting these artifacts uploaded into their Drive.

Next students will create a Google Slideshow with 8-10 slides highlighting their learning and growth from PreK-5th grade. Ms. Kristensson will support with the creation of the slideshow.

Finally, 5th graders will give an oral defense presentation for 3-5 minutes in front of a panel of site and district level leaders where they will receive a certificate of completion and be celebrated for their work. Dr. Scheckel will be working with students on their presentation skills.

At the Middle School Campus, the eighth graders are working with their English teacher, Mr. Jones and our Librarian, Ms. St. Pierre to create a Google Website where they will upload their artifacts of videos, photos and writing samples.

Then eighth graders will present their oral defense presentation for 5-7 minutes in front of a panel of site and district level leaders where they will receive a certificate of completion and be celebrated for their work. Dr. Scheckel will be working with students on their presentation skills.

These defenses will take place between May 8-19 and parents will be notified of their child's date/time.

Each of these defense experiences build upon each other to support the Senior Defense requirement as outlined in the PUSD Graduate Profile that students must complete in 12th grade.

We are so looking forward to watching our students show what they've learned and their growth over time!

Families,

Thanks to our Uniform Exchange Parent Leader, Ms. Charlotte DeWaele we have a new process. All lost items will be added bagged up and then added to our Uniform Exchange events throughout the year. Charlotte will notify parents to come look through the items at our next Uniform Exchange event and then the rest will be donated to Full Circle Thrift.

Additionally, parents are welcome to come go through the bin at any time to search for lost items. We've already overfilled it! Lastly, labeling your child's items is the best and most surefire way to ensure we can match your student with their lost items. Questions? Please reach out to Charlotte or the PTA.

Thank you,

Dr. S

Eliot Arts shoe drive is happening now through March 17th. Please consider supporting our PTSA just by cleaning out your closet. No need to open your wallet, just donate your gently worn, used and new shoes!

Bins are located in the Eliot Arts main office and by the Altadena Arts office.

Thank you!

Don't miss our annual spring Gala and Auction at the beautiful Altadena Country Club on March 30! This event supports the middle school annual fund but all families K-8 are welcome to attend. Get your tickets by scanning the QR code below.

• Open Enrollment Dates for the 2023-24 school year are now posted on our website. All current PUSD families will receive a hard copy of the Open Enrollment calendar in the mail in mid-October, and we will send extras to your school sites in October.
• Sibling and Program Priority Registration applications go live online Oct. 24, 2022, 9AM - Nov. 14, 2022, 4PM.

Hello Huskies!

This week I made public comment at the PUSD Board of Education meeting and saw Dr. Scheckel's presentation of updates on the future of Altadena Eliot Arts Magnet, One School, Two Campuses.

The Board had a few questions but overall appeared to like what they heard and were supportive.

Students, Teachers, Parents we are at the start of great things!

The PTSA has started a shoe collection fundraiser. This will be going on through March 17th, with a drive-by drop off day on Saturday March 11th. Please donate your gently worn, used and new shoes. There are bins on campus.

Looking for donations and help for the upcoming Altadena Eliot After Dark Family Fun Night. More information to follow, but it's going to be fun.

Michael McCarthy

Eliot Arts PTSA President

"Many hands make light work"

Amazon Smile

http://smile.amazon.com or https://org.amazon.com/npo/portal

Please consider making a recurring donation of $45 to one or both of our Annual Funds! Our annual funds help to create a bridge for special services and arts programs at each of our campuses. Our annual funds are separate. Altadena's annual fund is chaired by Ms. Tasiah LeConte and Eliot's annual fund is chaired by Ms. Wendy Silva. Please join their committees and consider making a donation today!

February

• 1 Husky Honors Night @ 6 pm in the Eliot Arts Auditorium
• 9 Elementary School Tour @ 9:00 am in the Parent Room
• 13 Lincoln's Birthday NO SCHOOL, CAMPUSES CLOSED
• 17 Cafe con Scheckel @ 8:30 am in the Eliot Arts Library
• 17 Middle School, Sweetheart's Dance 6-8 pm
• 20 NO SCHOOL, PRESIDENT'S DAY
• 22 Joint PTSA Meeting @ 6 pm in the Eliot Arts Library
• 23 Middle School Tour 8:30 am Auditorium
• 24 Black History Assembly
• 24 Eliot Tower Tour 4-6 pm
• 27 Read Across America Week begins at Elementary

March

• 2 Elementary Family Reading Night 5:30-7:00 pm