The Flores Flyer
September 9, 2021 Volume 4, Issue 2
Principal's Post
Dear Davis Ducks,
There is an exciting and joyous buzz around campus as our school year is underway. The enthusiasm and positivity among students and staff have been fun to witness. Most of our time has been spent building our classroom communities, teaching and learning expectations, along with collecting informal and formal data about our learners so that we may best support them this school year. It’s been a good start and I’m optimistic as to what we will accomplish this school year.
Every first Thursday of the month, you will find The Flores Flyer in your email inbox. Within this monthly newsletter I will share school updates, family resources, and highlight various staff members, students, and grade levels. Every once in a while I will send out weekly emails with brief updates and reminders. Social media is also the best way to stay connected and view pictures of events and celebrations.
I understand the constant juggling act as a working parent, myself. I hope you will make time to read through these various forms of communication. If you have questions, concerns, or would like resources in a particular topic please email me at cflores@nmusd.us. If you want to #ShareJoy about the positive impact our teachers/staff are making on your child’s life you may email me or complete this quick and easy form to give a Davis staff member a "Shout Out" Award.
Thanks for your continued support and collaboration.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Flores,
Principal
#ShareJoy
#davisduckspride
Goal Setting Conferences
At Davis Magnet School, we elect to participate in the earlier conference dates offered through our school district. We believe that this helps establish a strong foundation of communication, collaboration, and support among our students, teachers, and parents/guardians. If you haven’t already received communication from your child’s teacher about scheduling conferences you will soon. Please make the following adjustments to your family calendar so that transportation accommodations can be arranged.
Conference Week: September 27
Early Dismissal for all K-6 students at 1:20 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
NO School for students on Wednesday, September 29.
Health and Safety
We are grateful that our students and staff are on campus following the typical school day schedule. Our goal is to keep students and staff in school, while maintaining a safe learning and working environment. You may learn more about NMUSD’s response to COVID-19 through the district’s website. I would strongly encourage you to read through a new Parent FAQ. It contains A LOT of information about parent involvement, outside events, masks, contact tracing with quarantine options and isolation.
Additionally, please familiarize yourself with this Symptom Decision Tree and note that it is different from last year’s Symptom Decision Tree. This year’s decision tree is the main reference point when determining if a student needs to be sent home and for what length of time. If you are in doubt if your child should come to school, please refer to this document and/or contact our health office.
While social-distancing is no longer a requirement under the CDC K-12 School Guidance, it is still relevant when conducting close-contact tracing. A close contact is someone who has been within 6 feet of a COVID-19 infected individual for a period of 15 minutes or more during a 24 hour period. In the event a student or staff member tests positive, our health office staff will conduct close-contact tracing and notify those affected.
Student-Parent Handbook
Our school’s student/parent handbook contains a lot of information that will help your child and family succeed as a Davis Duck. Please make sure that you are familiar with the policies, procedures, and expectations outlined in the handbook. This will help us all to be on the same page when supporting our students so that we may keep everyone safe and ensure a positive and productive learning environment. The Davis Details from August 12, 2021is also an important tool to reference. Contact the front office with any questions.
Spotlight on Academics
Establishing a routine at home for our students to read and practice their math facts is important to a student’s academic success. Below are a few suggestions and resources to help families and students start the year strong with those reading routines.
Determine where and when your child will read.
Turn off the TV and decrease the distractions as much as possible.
If reading is a struggle, then break it up into smaller increments and take turns reading.
Build your child's reading stamina by starting with a small amount of time and then add minutes each week.
A couple of resources for parents are Read Brightly and Scholastic. Both sites have helpful tips, book lists, and other resources.
No matter the level or interest, we want to keep reading fun, positive, and engaging. We talk a lot about stretching our brain and demonstrating a growth mindset, when we might just not know the answer YET. Thanks for your efforts at home and be sure to contact your child’s teacher or me to brainstorm ways to support your child’s reading.
Meet Mr. Hacker, Davis Magnet School Music Teacher
Mr. Hacker has created a Davis Music Website. Within this site you will learn about Mr. Hacker, along with all things music at Davis, including band and choir. Students in grades 4-6 will have the opportunity to participate in band and choir.
Interest forms for both band and choir are due by September 17. Both forms may be found on the Davis Music Website.
PAL Student Leadership Applications Due September 24
The Peer Assistance Leadership Program is a national school-based, peer-to-peer youth development program for students in grades 4-12 built upon the philosophy of students helping students. The mission of the PAL school program is to develop youth leaders who connect with their peers to crate a caring, safe, and supportive school environment for all.
PAL has been an important component of Davis Magnet School for the past seven years and we are thrilled to work with a new group of PAL Student Leaders.
The PAL program is an application based process, which is currently available for Davis students in grades 5 and 6. 5th and 6th grade students must complete and submit the online application by Friday, September 24 by 11:59 p.m.
Mental Health and Wellness Support
I encourage you to spend a few minutes reviewing the many, many resources included within this month's NMUSD Monthly Mental Health and Wellness Digest. Additional resources may be found at NMUSD Student Services Mental Health & Wellness Community Resources website.
Recycling Updates
Recycling has returned to Davis. Yay! Thank you Ms. Keller and Mrs. Gordon for leading the charge! You may learn more about our current programs by watching this short video.
If you recycle at home and take the recyclable materials to the OCC recycling center please consider donating the proceeds to Davis by telling a worker that you are Davis family.
The Costa Mesa Sanitary District Alkaline Battery Recycling contest just kicked off and will end March 18th. Please send used batteries to school with your child to be deposited into our collection bins. This is a great way to earn money for our school while helping the environment. We have been the top collecting school for several years running!
Go Ducks!
Grade Level of the Month: Preschool
Our preschool classes have been focusing on the topic “All About Me.” As we get back into the swing of things, we have been discussing what we do in school and how we learn new things. We have slowly been adding new weekly activities as our students become more comfortable with their new friends and our classroom routines. One of our favorite lessons so far has been Mat Man. He has helped us learn body parts, help in the discussion of how we are similar and different, and help us understand how we use our senses.
Upcoming Events
- September 10: Wear Red, White, and/or Blue in honor of 9/11 Patriot's Day a National Day of Remembrance and Service.
- September 11: PTA Spirit Wear Shop from 9:00 to 12:00 p.m. at Davis Gate 2
- September 15: PTA Dine-out Night at The Crack Shack
- September 21: World Gratitude Day
- September 24 (technically the 25th) - National Food Services Worker Day - Help us show our appreciation to our wonderful cafeteria staff.
- September 25: Foundation & PTA Sponsored Family Luau at Magnolia Street, Huntington State Beach. 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. with a Treasure Hunt at 5:00 p.m. More details to follow.
- September 27-October 1: Goal Setting Conferences with Early Out Dismissal at 1:20 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
- Wednesday, September 29: No School for Students
- September 27-October 1: Book Fair
- October 1 (technically the 2nd) - School Custodian Appreciation Day - Our custodial team is THE BEST. Help us #ShareJoy by showing our gratitude for their hard work.
Daily Flag Deck Videos are available here.
Parent Organizations Update
We are grateful for the strong, positive support from our parent community. If you are not already involved, I encourage you to find a way that meets your availability to connect with one, or all, of our parent organizations. Thank you SO much to the parent leaders who are already involved and contributing to our community.
PTA:
Our PTA does SO much to support our students, teachers, and community. More information about how to get involved, but the first and best step is to join the PTA. You may do that quickly and easily here!
The PTA Spirit Wear Shop will be open again this Saturday from 9:00 to noon at Gate 2. All event details may be found here.
The PTA is also hosting a Davis Dine Out Night scheduled for September 15 at The Crack Shack in Costa Mesa. Eat in or take it to go...either way, it supports our Davis PTA which supports your children. Learn more by reading this flyer.
Our PTA and Foundation are collaborating to host Davis Family Luau on Saturday, September 25 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. with a Treasure Hunt at 5:00 p.m. This event is hosted by the PTA and Foundation. Davis families are invited to this optional outdoor event located at Magnolia Street at Huntington State Beach. More details to follow.
Foundation:
The Davis Magnet School Education Foundation provides important financial support for our students and staff. We have lofty goals for the 2021-22 school year, which you may learn more about here. If you are in a position to contribute to their efforts, please visit their website to learn how you can make a difference or donate through the QR code found on this flyer.
School Site Council:
We have a wonderful group of parents, teachers, and staff who serve on our School Site Council. I look forward to collaborating with them this year to support our community. Stay tuned for more information.
English Language Advisory Council (ELAC)
Our ELAC meets throughout the year to discuss supports and resources for our English Language Learners. More information will follow with exact meeting times.
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