MAVS Newsletter
Manual Arts-Vermont Square Community Schools March 2023
From The Desk of Rafael Balderas, Community of Schools Administrator
Greetings MAVS Family,
This month we will celebrate Women’s History and the women who have made a difference not only in this country, but also throughout the world. There are so many stories for us to learn about and our students are indeed curious! Did you know Women’s History Month started right here in California? Here is a very short video on how March became the time to honor women. This year, the International Women's Day theme is #BreakTheBias. "Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead,". As a reminder, It is our responsibility and moral imperative to ensure any bias against women not be tolerated within our schools. Rather, as an educational institution we teach tolerance, acceptance and advancement for all.
Within our community of school’s we have to acknowledge the dedicated and resilient women that lead our schools, teach our students, nurse our children, counsel our students and feed our children. We owe them our deepest gratitude and recognition for the amazing work they do for all students in the MAVS community of schools.
I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize the women who lead our schools and MAVS Offices:
School - Principal
24th EEC - Patricia Ojeda
Salvin Center - Natalie Smith
King Elementary - Chanelle Thomas
24th St. Elementary - Dr. Sandra Hernandez
Mack Elementary - Juana Aguilar
Normandie EEC - Rhonda Granados
Norwood - Irene Worrell
Vermont Elementary - Patricia Ferguson
Weemes Elementary - Mercedes Pineda
Menlo Elementary - Kiesha Moton
Foshay Elementary - Tracy Murray
MAVS Office
Adrienne Arias, LRE Specialist
Rocio Cortez, Program Specialist
Vilma Monzon, Parent Educator Coach
Alma Lopez, Parent Educator Support Assistant
Devona Young, Office Tech
In closing, I leave you with this; only through our collective efforts, we can lift all students and ensure they are ALL Ready for the WORLD!
We Are All In This Together!
In Partnership,
Rafael L. Balderas,
Community of Schools Administrator
Spring Acceleration Days - April 3-4, 2023
Acceleration Days are designed to help address learning loss associated with the pandemic. Face-to-face instruction is a critical element of student success. In total, students will be given 32 additional hours of instruction, enrichment, connectivity and social and emotional support at school.
With these extra days of instruction, teachers and support staff will be able to meet with students one-on-one or in small group settings to identify areas of improvement. In preparation for Acceleration Days, school staff can identify students in need and provide them with the appropriate educational support so that they may reach their highest potential. We want our students to graduate ready for the world.
For students who need additional instructional support, Acceleration Days provide valuable learning opportunities. Acceleration Days will take place on April 3-4, 2023 at the following schools:
32nd St USC Magnet
Foshay Learning Center
Jones Primary Center
King Jr Elementary
Mack Elementary
Manual Arts SH
Normandie Ave Elementary
Norwood St Elementary
Obama Global Prep Academy
Poindexter LaMotte Elementary
Weemes Elementary
Salvin SPED Center
Widney Transitional Center
Our schools are accepting new student enrollees at our upcoming Acceleration Days in April, we are asking school families to visit your school and sign-up.
Teacher Spotlight: Mr. Iñiguez of Menlo Ave Elementary
As schools were struggling the past two years to find quality teachers, veteran Principal Keisha Moton recognized Mr. Iñiguez's potential early on. She saw that while serving as a substitute teacher at Menlo ES, he was very patient, kind, caring towards the students, and ready to learn new things. She notes that he was very flexible and up to any challenge. Principal Moton knew that he was a perfect fit for the high needs AUT class. He accepted the challenge and the parents and students have loved him since Day One.
As an alumni of LAUSD and UCLA, Mr. Iñiguez takes “Bruin” pride in giving back to the neighborhoods he grew up in. He believes “patience, persistence, and punctuality combined with a positive approach to community involvement are the qualities that allow (him) to create an inclusive environment that champions trauma-informed social emotional learning.”
When asked why he chose teaching, Mr. Iñiguez quotes legendary Bruin basketball coach John Wooden; “I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession.”
Special Education Corner by Adrienne Arias
In alignment with LAUSD’s Strategic Plan, the Division of Special Education, is proud to have collaborated with several Divisions, to create the new Family Academy Equity Course Pathways. These are 4-cohort classes that will focus on 1) Families with Exceptional Learners, 2) Families with the Youngest Learners, 3) Families with Multilingual Learners, and 4) Families with African American and Black Learners. In an Equity Course Pathway, families can participate in deeper learning over 7 class sessions, held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Click here for the flyer.
Parent and Family Engagement Corner by Vilma Monzón
Re-imagining Parent-Teacher Conversations for Student Success
Maintaining an open line of communication between home and schools yields excellent results for our students’ academic progress and social-emotional well-being. According to the Harvard Family Research Project in their Parent-Teacher Conferences: A Tip Sheet for Parents (2010): “As a parent, you are your child’s first and most important teacher. You and your child’s school have something in common: You both want your child to learn and do well. When parents and teachers talk to each other, each person can share important information about your child’s talents and needs. Each person can also learn something new about how to help your child.” To support our Region South parents and families establish open lines of communication with school personnel, the Parent and Community Services Unit provided an in-depth presentation to share various tips and tools during the Title I Conference: Re-imagining Parent-Teacher Conversations for Student Success in mid-January. The materials, including the recordings of the presentation, are available for families to continue building their capacity to establish and maintain on-going communication with their child’s school staff. You may find these valuable information here Title I Conference Documents.
Also, please note the new and continuing engagement and collaboration opportunities available to you.
- MAVS CoS: In-person School Volunteer Program Orientation for approved volunteers and prospective volunteers. Please reach out to your school to inquire if the school will participate on either the Spanish orientation on March 8, and/or the English presentation on March 13. Other opportunities forthcoming.
- Region South Mental Health Series: LAUSD Clinic and Wellness Centers, School Mental Health, and Student Health and Human Services have programmed a series of mental health topics to support our families engage in often times difficult conversations with our children on topics such as anxiety, grief and loss, and mental health wellness.
- Learning opportunities at your child's school: All LAUSD schools offer parents and families various monthly opportunities for learning and engagement. I invite you to visit your school's website to learn about these opportunities- from parent workshops, Coffee with the Principal, to council and committee meetings, your school welcomes your attendance!
Don't see the information you are looking for or you need additional support? You are welcome to contact me, Vilma Monzón, at vlm3436@lausd.net.
SEL Corner by Miguel Garcia, Mental Health Consultant (MSW)
March is Self-Injury Awareness month and the perfect opportunity to discuss what self-injury is and how to support someone who struggles with injuring. Self-Injury, or Self-harm, is any deliberate and non-suicidal act that causes physical harm to one’s body. There are a multitude of reasons why one may harm themselves and it can occur in any population. Self-injury does not discriminate by age, gender, race, religion, or any other qualifier. In most cases the injuring is triggered or caused by an inability to cope with emotions or stressors. While the act of injuring may temporarily relieve the emotional distress, it is often times followed by a period of shame or guilt and that can start the cycle over again.
Warning Signs to Look For:
- New or unexplained scars
- Fresh wounds (cuts, burns, scratches, bruises, etc)
- Keeping or hoarding tools, such as sharp objects
- Wearing clothing to cover wounds that may be inappropriate for weather
- Excessive accessories that are not due to a fashion statement
- Claiming frequent accidents or making excuses for accidents that don’t quite match the wound
- Spending excessive time alone
- Difficulties in relationships
- Questioning their role in the world, reason to live
- Impulsive or unstable behavior
- Mood instability
- Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, or worthlessness
- Low self-esteem
- Expressing negative feelings towards self
MAVS Town Hall Meeting - March 6, 2023
Region South Town Hall - Tuesday, March 6, 2023 at 5:30 pm
Please join us for our Region South Town Hall
on Acceleration Days
Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at 5:30 PM
Join Zoom Webinar at: https://lausd.zoom.us/j/82861601432
Meeting ID: 828 6160 1432
SAVE THE DATE: Region South STEAM Gala - May 6, 2023
Manual Arts Vermont Square CoS
Email: PR-3492@lausd.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/lausd.net/manual-arts-vermont-square-cos/home
Location: 1700 W 46th St, Los Angeles, CA 90062, USA
Phone: (323) 220-2980
Facebook: facebook.com/MAVSCommunityofSchools
Twitter: @ManualOF