Schools, districts, community art organizations, and larger communities observe March as Arts Education Month in California and/or Youth Art Month. As you may know, this is a time to emphasize the value of art education for all children and to support school art programs, but here in the Cambrian School District, the arts have always been a priority. Art benefits children in multiple ways, such as promoting creativity, engaging all the senses, building motor skills, readying children for writing, developing problem-solving abilities, and understanding themselves and the world around them. Three cheers for Arts Education Month!

Also, as we march into March, I want to check in with you to share some updates that are important.

February Students of the Month were recognized at last night’s board meeting. We are excited to brag about:

Bagby: Melanie Sotelo, 1st grade

Farnham: Zackhary Svay, Kindergarten

Sartorette: Gustavo Gill, TK

Price: for March: Carlos Marquez Lara, Sienna Alvarez

Steindorf: Tesla Vulovic

Fammatre: Kaya Melendez

Great job, students!

Mark your Calendars! Saturday, April 1st is the first Cambrian Education Foundation community event! Saturday April 1st; 11 am - 3 pm at Price Middle School. Featuring - Art and Music displays from Cambrian Kids; Schoo Site Displays; Inflatables; Carnival Games; Food; Maker Faire displays and activities; and much more. If you would like to get involved please contact Melissa Ojczyk at cambrianef@gmail.com.

Many of you have been receiving emails from Medlab 2020 requesting insurance information for billing purposes for previously administered COVID 19 tests. We have reached out to the company to verify if they are affiliated with the labs we contracted with and have not been able to get confirmation. As soon as we have details, we will pass them along to you.

Also, I encourage you to read every message below, to stay informed about important events and activities coming up. So much going on in Cambrian School District! Thank you to all our incredible staff, students and families for going above and beyond to impact our students. Cambrian School District is such a special place to learn and grow!

Each spring Cambrian School District participates in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) testing. These tests include both the Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBAC) and California Alternate Assessments (CAA) for English Language Arts and Math. Cambrian students in grades 3-8 will again be participating in these tests this spring. The California Science Test (CAST) or the CAA for Science will be administered to students in grades 5 and 8 only. Parents and guardians will receive score reports around August 2023 showing your child’s performance on the tests.

Our official district-wide testing window this year will be April 17, 2023 through June 2, 2023. Within this window, each school site will create a specific testing schedule and will notify the parents and community of testing dates and times.

If you would like additional information on CAASPP, please visit the Cambrian School District Website, Educational Services Department Assessment and Accountability page: https://www.cambriansd.org/Page/2172 or the California Department of Education’s (CDE) Parent Guide page: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/parentguidetounderstand.asp.

Yes, it’s that time of the year! Once again, CSD is gathering community input, including all CSD staff, for the 2023-24 school year. Our goal is to include all of our educational partners in the planning and development process on the design and implementation of the district’s priorities for the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). Your input and participation are important in this decision-making process, and we appreciate your assistance in taking the time to complete this survey. For more information about the LCAP Survey and how to take the survey, CLICK HERE!

Helping Children Learn is written with today's fast-paced parents in mind. Every monthly issue delivers lots of advice families could use to speak with your children about. Published in age-specific versions, Elementary School and Middle School, this monthly two-page, quick read newsletter is packed with proven, evidence-based, ready-to-use school success ideas for parents, tailored to the ages of their students!

In every issue, families get guidance to help their children succeed, including:

• Building reading, language and math skills

• Establishing effective study habits

• Promoting regular school attendance

• Goal-setting to achieve academic results

• Developing persistence, resilience and enthusiasm for learning

• Instilling respect for rules, authority and other people

• Forming a school-home connection

• Plus much more!

To access the Helping Children Learn March Monthly Newsletter, please click on the following links:

• Elementary - March 2023

• Elementary Planning Calendar - March 2023

• Middle School - March 2023

• Middle School Planning Calendar - March 2023