The Flores Flyer
August 13, 2021 Volume 4, Issue 1
Principal's Post
Dear Davis Ducks,
I want to begin by thanking you for your commitment to Davis Magnet School. Not being a typical neighborhood school, I understand more than ever that families have options. Thank you for your trust, grace, and collaboration with our team as we work hard to provide a safe, positive learning environment.
I am a parent of two young children. I understand the wide range of emotions including excitement, joy, pride, along with anxiety or unease that a parent might feel at the beginning of the school year, especially after the past seventeen months. We all experienced a great deal of change and faced many challenges. Our Davis team stayed focused and collaborative in our efforts to do whatever possible to support all students, while following specific guidelines. I’m confident that whatever is ahead this year, we will continue to work together to find solutions to ensure our students are safe, learning, and supported behaviorally, socially, and emotionally. I am so proud to be a part of this dedicated community and I’m looking forward to another great year. Below are two important documents to help your family prepare for the 2021-22 school year. Please read through them carefully.
Arrival and Dismissal Gate Map
Clear, consistent, and timely communication is important to me. I will do my best to keep our community informed and connected through various platforms. Periodic call-outs and/or emails may be sent out throughout the weeks. Social media is another way to stay informed and to celebrate all things "Davis!" If you don't already follow us on social media, I encourage you to do so:
The Flores Flyer serves as one of my platforms. The format will be similar each month with a few small changes. This “Back-To-School” edition might be a little longer than future issues. Thank you for your attention to detail as you read through the information.
Thank you, again, for your trust, grace, and collaboration as we work together to support our students. Now let’s get ready for a great year ahead.
Go Ducks!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Flores
Principal
#ShareJoy
#davisduckspride
#ShareJoy: A Snapshot of the Flores Family Summer Vacation
Meet and Greet - Friday, August 20
We are thrilled at the chance to host our Meet and Greet event, but with a few modifications.
In-person events are scheduled for our youngest students, including preschool and kindergarten. A virtual event is scheduled for our students in grades 1-6. Teacher assignments will be available for K-6 students after 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 19. Please do not contact the front office prior to Thursday afternoon requesting information about your child’s teacher. Information, nor requests, will be provided.
We appreciate your attention to detail as you read through the outlined schedule and guidelines. Please note that these are the only school events scheduled prior to the first day of school.
Thank you for making accommodations to participate during your designated time.
Friday, August 20
8:00 to 9:00 a.m.: Kindergarten In-Person Event
Students and parents will have the opportunity to meet their teacher in-person and to learn more about the kindergarten arrival and dismissal procedures. We are grateful we can provide this opportunity for our new, young students.
Students may be accompanied by 2 parents/caregivers. No siblings please.
Enter at Gate 3.
Teachers will be spread out within a designated area on Frainie Field.
Visitation will occur outside within the designated area. Access to classrooms and other parts of the campus will not be allowed during this time.
Masks are recommended for families, but not required. Masks will be available at the gate.
8:00 to 9:00 a.m.: Grades 1-6 Virtual Event
We recognize the importance of our students and teachers connecting prior to the first day of school. Since we are not allowed to host an in-person event of this size, this is the next best thing to provide that introduction. Thank you for your understanding.
Parents will receive an email after 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 19 with the teacher assignment and zoom information for Friday morning.
Please do not contact the office prior to the afternoon of Thursday, August 19 requesting information about teacher assignments.
Zoom management is the discretion of the teacher. Some teachers may provide 1:1 meeting time, while others may provide collaborative meeting time with multiple students.
9:30 to 10:15 a.m.: Preschool Diaz, Adams, Denisi In-Person Event
Our very youngest students will have the opportunity to meet their teacher in-person, as well as, briefly visit the classroom. Thank you for your cooperation in following our procedures so that we may provide a safe, welcoming environment for everyone involved.
Students may be accompanied by 2 parents/caregivers. No siblings please.
Enter at Gate 3.
Families are allowed in the classroom. Families are asked to limit their visitation to 10-15 minutes.
Masks are recommended when outside and required while inside the classrooms.
10:15 to 11:00 a.m.: Preschool Nguyen, Conway In-Person Event
Our very youngest students will have the opportunity to meet their teacher in-person, as well as, briefly visit the classroom. Thank you for your cooperation in following our procedures so that we may provide a safe, welcoming environment for everyone involved.
Students may be accompanied by 2 parents/caregivers. No siblings please.
Enter at Gate 3.
Families are allowed in the classroom. Families are asked to limit their visitation to 10-15 minutes.
Masks are recommended when outside and required while inside the classrooms.
The First Day of School - August 23
We are SO excited to welcome our students to campus on Monday, August 23 for the first day of school. We also understand that some of our students might not be as excited as us to get out of the car and begin the year, especially those who are new. We have an incredible team where it will be all hands on deck to welcome and guide our students to their classrooms. Last year, our team experienced THREE 1st days of school transitioning to various levels. We’re ready for your children. Please continue to trust us and follow our procedures.
Kinder and preschool parents may walk their children to Gate 3. Parents in grades 1-6 are asked to stay in their car and drop off their children at either Gate 1 or 2 carpool lines. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to have parents on campus, yet. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. Please read through the slides shown above for all procedural details.
2021 California PBIS Gold Medal School
For the second time, Davis Magnet School was named a CA PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Gold Medal School. This statewide recognition is the result of the hard work, collaboration, and commitment to providing clear, consistent behavioral support and intervention, as well as, providing support in mental health and social-emotional learning.
Even when faced with incredible challenges and constant change, the Davis team ensured our students had a positive, supportive learning environment. This recognition would not have been possible without the support of our PBIS Leadership Team. Congratulations to the entire Davis Magnet School community for your involvement and dedication to supporting students’ well-being.
Staffing News and Class Placements
There were numerous staffing changes across our district due to the Cloud Campus and enrollment changes. We are fortunate to have gained several new dedicated and wonderful members to our team. Also, I would like to congratulate the following teachers on their new assignments. Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Madero, accepted a Reading Specialist position at Killybrooke Elementary and 4th grade teacher, Mr. Olsen, accepted a teaching position in Irvine Unified. We will miss them dearly and appreciate the positive impact they made within our community.
I’m pleased to introduce the following Davis Ducks to the community:
Ms. Taylor Hartgraves - Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Pam Urbaniec - 4th Grade Teacher
Ms. Sarah Limongelli - Grades K-3 Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI) Teacher
Ms. Alison Harris - Grades 4-6 SAI Teacher
Additionally, we are extremely fortunate to have two new positions at Davis Magnet School, including a Counselor and an Assistant Principal. Both positions will be split with another school site.
Ms. Heather Ozgur - Counselor
Mr. Anthony Mercado - Assistant Principal
All of these team members are bringing wonderful experience, enthusiasm, and dedication to support our students, families and fellow staff members. Thank you for your help in showing them how wonderful it is to be a Davis Duck.
As stated in my Meet and Greet email on Tuesday, August 10, teacher assignments/class placements will be available for K-6 students after 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 19. Please do not contact the front office prior to Thursday afternoon requesting information about your child’s teacher. Information, nor requests, will be provided.
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!
Foundation:
The Davis Magnet School Education Foundation provides important financial support for our students and staff. If you are in a position to contribute to their efforts, please visit their website to learn how you can make a difference.
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