The Sequoia Spotlight
November 6, 2017
Principal's Message
With November upon us, we are finally experiencing some fall weather! Please note that on extreme weather days, we do open the auditorium and/or gym. We also have a few different clubs that meet during lunch on campus and our Boys and Girls Club is available too.
Here are some of the key highlights from the month of October...
As part of our Single Plan for Student Achievement, we created five goals that we will be working on this year. The goals focus on: increasing academic achievement in all subject areas, utilizing technology as a teaching and student learning tool, supporting student activities and enrichment programs, narrowing the achievement gap for special populations, and enhancing partnerships with students, parents and the community.
Every morning, our student representatives and administrative team make announcements at the start of first period. As part of the announcements we discuss events for the upcoming week, provide rule reminders, tips to stay green and talk about important character traits. We also announce birthday messages too! This is a great way for your student to stay informed on what is happening around campus.
One of the highlights of the month was an assembly presentation by Houston Kraft. Mr. Kraft is a motivational speaker who talks about life lessons he has learned. His main message during the assembly was in regards to making a choice to be kind.
Have an amazing November and a Happy Thanksgiving! I am very thankful to be principal of Sequoia!
Mrs. Chambers
5K
The 35th Annual Sequoia 5k and 18th Annual Activity Expo will be held on Friday, November 17! Registration is available between 10/25 – 11/9 by accessing the following link or by visiting your Physical Education teacher’s website. https://docs.google.com/a/learn.conejousd.net/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfM2BCXJcEorHkKFc8HQdMORY9nU3aaXRBTdVJY2IB1UhcnMQ/closedform
Please note that parents/guardians must complete the registration by November 9 (no exceptions). Please contact Mrs. Wastell (jwastell@conejousd.org) with questions.
MTSS
Our second session of MTSS starts on Wednesday, November 29. Enrichment sign-ups will take place on November 20, 21, 27 and 28. We need volunteers to assist with enrichment sign-ups during lunch on November 20, 21, 27 and 28. A Sign-up Genius will be sent out with more information.
In addition, we already have three parent volunteers signed up to teach enrichment classes in robotics, Spanish and debate. Do you have a talent that you could offer the students at Sequoia? Possible enrichment topic ideas include: art, crocheting, origami, foreign languages, Women in History, coding, and more! If you are interested in teaching an enrichment class, please contact Mrs. Chambers at hchambers@conejousd.org. MTSS dates for session 2 are as follows: 11/29, 11/30, 12/1, 12/6, 12/7, 12/8, 12/13, 12/14, 12/15, 12/20 from 12:50 - 1:20 PM.
Principal Lunch
Student Connections
We want our Sequoia students to have a sense of school belonging and to be connected to their school. During the month of October, the following events and activities took place. Our ACES (GATE program) built towers out of toothpicks and marshmallows. ASB sponsored a spooky fall carnival complete with a Haunted House. ASB also led a teacher mummy wrap for COTY (Class of the Year) points and sponsored lunchtime activities like the pumpkin pass and dress days during Red Ribbon Week. We dressed up for Halloween and several of our staff members got in the spirit by dressing up like "puns". Our WEB students helped their 6th grade peers belong by planning several ice breaker activities. Two NPHS students, Monroe and Brooke, offered a free basketball camp for girls on Friday afternoons. We started peer tutoring at lunch where 8th grade peer tutors assist 6th and 7th graders with homework. Our sports teams served on the volleyball court, dribbled in the Thousand Oaks Teen Center gym and scored goals on the soccer field. We also had 55 student entries as part of our PTA sponsored Reflections program with 17 moving on to the district level!
Student Learning
Here is a snapshot of some of the student learning that took place during October! In math, students multiplied and divided decimals and fractions and graphed coordinates. There were silent cheers (and sometimes loud cheers) when the Chromebooks came out and students were able to review and check their mathematical understanding using online programs like Kahoot and Quizzes. One lucky math class even got to test their fraction knowledge out by making no-bake cookies. Our Sequoia scientists learned about reactions through an experiment involving vinegar and eggs. Other classes discussed chemical reactions that were exothermic and endothermic by completing an “Experiment in a Bag”. From the history perspective, students learned about ancient Japan, and were able to observe some artifacts from the country. In English, students finished reading The Giver and created group projects where they designed their own utopian societies. Doesn’t Suntopia sound like a nice place to live? Our physical education students practiced their basketball skills and continued strengthening their endurance in preparation for the annual 5K run. Mr. Saute’s horticulture class is creating a new 40 plant orchard! The students have completed 2/3 of the fencing and should be getting the plants in the ground by the second week of November. In addition, the expansion of the garden plots is about 50% complete. The garden will now hold forty 4x4 plots for our future vegetables. Finally, DISCOVER students in 6th grade wrapped up their Ice Age unit where they visited La Brea Tar Pits and read Maroo of the Winter Caves and are moving on to “wrapping” their chicken mummies. As part of the unit on Ancient Egypt, they will be writing a biography and designing their pharaoh’s (chicken) sarcophagus.
Support our School
In addition, PTA is sponsoring a restaurant night at Sharky's in Newbury Park on Tuesday, November 7 and Wednesday, November 8. Enjoy dinner, raise money for our school and watch your teachers smash avocados to make guacamole!
Several of our teachers have accounts set up online at Donors Choose. Help support our garden and flexible seating arrangements by visiting: https://www.donorschoose.org/donors/search.html?includeNearbyLocations=true&school=29643.
Our Band Booster club is sponsoring a See's Candy fundraiser from 11/13 to 11/27 with deliveries on 12/11. Orders may be placed with any band students or by emailing kstevenson@conejousd.org.
Upcoming Events
- PTA Sponsored Sharky's Restaurant Night: Tuesday, November 7
- PTA Sponsored Sharky's Restaurant Night: Wednesday, November 8
- Talent Show Try-outs: Wednesday, November 8
- Talent Show Try-outs: Thursday, November 9
- Veteran's Day Assembly: Thursday, November 9
- No School: Friday, November 10
- SSC: Wednesday, November 15 at 7:30 AM
- Talent Show Rehearsal Act 1: Wednesday, November 15
- Talent Show Rehearsal Act 2: Thursday, November 16
- 5K: Friday, November 17
- Minimum Day/Early Dismissal: Friday, November 17
- No School: Wednesday, November 22 - Friday, November 24
- Step-it Up Event: Monday, November 27
- CVUSD Reflections Event @ TOHS: Wednesday, November 29
- Talent Show Rehearsal: Thursday, November 30
- CVUSD Parent Workshop: Parenting with Humor: Thursday, November 30