LUCHA Ledger
Weekly Newsletter from L.U.C.H.A. Elementary School
September 15, 2021
Hispanic Heritage Month
The Hispanic Heritage Month theme for 2021 is: “Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope.” The theme invites us to celebrate Hispanic Heritage and to reflect on how great our tomorrow can be if we hold onto our resilience and hope. It encourages us to reflect on all of the contributions Hispanics have made in the past, and will continue to make in the future. It is also a reminder that we are stronger together.
Enjoy this year's poster contest winner's drawing - Ms. Adroma Castillo:
“Humanity is going through very painful moments caused by the pandemic, but we must remember that after the storm comes the calm. In this portrait, we can appreciate a hand that raises the flags of Hispanics together with people of different ethnicities looking towards a majestic rainbow that represents Hope. “Esperanza!”
Los Dichos
We are looking for parent volunteers from each classroom who would be willing to read (virtually over Zoom) a book to your child's class and lead them in a follow up arts & craft activity.
We will have a meeting with all interested parents On Tuesday, September 21st at 11am:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81664206203?pwd=azZnUHltUm9MN1dNbGtmR21hSTVBQT09
Meeting ID: 816 6420 6203
Passcode: 640370
If you can't make this meeting, but would like to participate, please reach out to Ms. Rubi at (408) 928-8314 or rubi.solis@arusd.org.
School Compact
Free Dress
We have made it one month into the school year and our LUCHA leaders have had a wonderful transition back to in person learning. They have been hard at work completing all of their beginning of the year assessments and relearning what it means to be back in a school setting. As a celebration for all their hard work, we would like to provide a FREE DRESS day on Friday, September 17th.
On this day, students will not be required to wear uniform and may come to school in appropriate clothing of their choice. Please remember that open toed shoes (sandals, crocs, etc.) are not permitted.
Virtual Family Visits
One signature practice that has helped LUCHA teachers to better get to know their students and families has been home visits. Because of the pandemic, we are still not conducting actual visits to our students' homes, but our teachers are holding virtual visits via Zoom. These meetings are a great opportunity to get to know their child's teacher better and ask any clarifying questions. It is also a wonderful chance for the teachers to get to know more about your child in order for us to best meet his or her needs!
We are asking all families to please take the time to sign up for a virtual home visit (teachers' have posted information on ParentSquare - though if you need help, please reach out to your teacher or call us in the office!).
And, once you have signed up, please ensure that you log in at your assigned times. Our teachers conduct these home visits during their personal time, so we want to respect their time by avoiding having no shows!
Principal's Coffee
Here is the presentation that helped guide our conversation.
I appreciated all the questions and comments that parents shared as I know that many of the new COVID protocols can be confusing! Keep the questions coming! You are always welcome to call the office or send me an e-mail (kristin.burt@arusd.org).
Our next Principal's Coffee will be on Friday, October 15th at 9am.
COVID Testing
We wanted to share information with everyone about testing sites in the community that you can take advantage of should you need to get your child (or anyone in your household) COVID tested.
Visit https://sccfreetest.org to find more information!
Fairgrounds-Expo Hall Gate D
2542 Monterey Hwy, San Jose, CA 95111
Appointment hours:
Thursdays - Mondays, 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Tuesdays - Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Testing is by appointment only. Appointments will be open for scheduling 5 days before the testing date.
For questions, please go to www.Healthvana.com/FAQ
Emmanuel Baptist Church
467 N. White Road, San Jose, CA 95127
Tuesdays through Fridays, 9:00am – 6:00pm
If your test is positive, you will be contacted by phone within 72 hours. If your test is negative, you will be contacted within 1-3 days by email. If you did not provide an email at registration, your results with be mailed to you and will arrive within 7-10 days.
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) - Valley Health Center East Valley
1993 McKee Road, San Jose, CA 95116
Saturdays and Sundays, 8:30am – 4:00pm
Appointments required. To schedule an appointment call 1-888-334-1000
Pooled Testing by Concentric
More detailed information will be sent home in the coming weeks along with a parental consent form. No students without signed parental consent forms will be tested.
Family Night
LUCHA has traditionally held monthly Community Meetings as a way to keep parents informed and involved in their child's education.
Last year, these events shifted online and the focus became in creating a space where all LUCHA leaders together with their families could come together and connect around a shared activity. We had very positive feedback on these monthly Family Nights and are excited to keep the tradition going this year.
Please save the date for our first LUCHA family night which will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, October 6th at 6pm.
Kimochis - Meet Cat
We hope that your children have been telling you about the Kimochis characters they have met this year! Over the course of the last 4 weeks they have met Cloud, Bug, Lovey Dove, and Huggtopus. Today we introduced the final of the main Kimochis characters, Cat. Cat is a strong leader, but she needs support when her strong opinions overshadow her peers. She teaches children how to redo a moment when we forget to take turns, share, and value others’ ideas.
Ask your child to describe the Kimochis characters. Have fun and consider together which Kimochis character you might think each family member is the most like, and why. This discussion can help all family members understand how they “come across” to others. As your child learns more about themselves and others, you can have rich discussions about personality and temperament and how to use effective tools to improve social relationships.
The Kimochis characters can be a safe third-party to help children consider their own personality and temperament. They can also help children learn about others so that we all can treat each other with patience, tolerance, kindness, and compassion.
4th & 5th Grade Instrumental Music
If this is something your child might be interested in, please review this presentation and complete this google form by Thursday, September 30th.
After School Program
If your child has still not been included in the YMCA program and you are still interested in securing a spot for your child, please reach out to our site director, Danery Cervantes at danery.cervantes@ymcasv.org or (408) 708-6124.
We are working hard to hire additional staff to accommodate our community need!
Let's Stay Connected!
In addition to the LUCHA Ledger and Parent Square, we encourage you to follow us on our social media outlets. This is a place for us to highlight what's happening on campus!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LUCHASchool
(Every Sunday night at 7:30pm Mrs. Burt and her sons do a Facebook Live Bedtime Story - all are invited to tune in with us!)
Instagram: @LUCHASchool
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2sMaDpQcypxFUvneMTXNig/videos
Please be sure to fill out our request for exclusion form (in parent handbook that went home today or request a copy in the office) if you prefer that images of your child not be shared!
Upcoming Events
- Monday, September 27th - Fundraising Night at Pollo Loco (Story Road)
- Friday, October 1st - 8:15am - Core Value Assembly
- Wednesday, October 6th - 6pm - LUCHA Family Night
- Friday, October 8th - Fall Picture Day
- Friday, October 15th - 9am - Principal's Coffee
- Wednesday, October 27th - College Day
Contact Us
Email: kristin.burt@arusd.org
Website: www.arusd.org/lucha
Location: 1711 East San Antonio Street, San Jose, CA, USA
Phone: (408) 928-8300
Facebook: facebook.com/LUCHASchool