Message from the Director
Thank you again to all of the learners, parents, staff members, and community members who participated in the MLK Day of Service on Saturday, January 19. Our school community planted beautiful flowers to adorn the front of our school, and painted as well. It was an enjoyable day of fun, family, and teamwork.
Our iSupport Parent Collaborative recommended that we share a resource for our 3rd-7th grade learners who will take the State tests in April and May. This link has “Practice and Training Tests” learners can do at home.
AV Athletics
Our basketball season starts in February. Boys and girls 5th- 7th grade are signing up for teams now.
Parent Resources
- This week, the Character Lab focus is Self Control, and our 7 Habits focus is Habit 3: Put First Things First.
- “The most important scientific discovery about self-control is that it can be taught.” —Walter Mischel
- Enjoy the PBS Parents article, “Three Strategies for Teaching Children Self-Control” By Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD
- Learn how Leader in Me, the 7 Habits focus for K-12, can help parents and guardians establish a powerful framework to nurture and develop life-ready leadership skills at home using this link.
- You will also have access to download the Leader in Me Parent’s Guide, which provides a host of ideas for supporting learners by using the 7 Habits at home. It’s an incredible, free, resource that is available to parents.
Winter Production
iLEAD Antelope Valley
Winter Production & Silent Auction
Friday, February 8, 6:30-8 p.m.
Antelope Valley Church (3830 West Ave L8 in Lancaster)
Presale tickets: $5 per person, for sale now in the front office.
At the door: $8 per person
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Bidding ends at 7 p.m.
Support our fundraising by bidding!
We Need Your Help
All our classes are creating baskets for the silent auction at the Winter Production. Each class has its own theme. The class that brings in the most items will have an ice cream social to celebrate, and the class that raises the most money at the silent auction will also have an ice cream social!
Please send donation items you think will make our baskets extra special. All items must be brought in by Feb 4th. The funds raised from our baskets goes toward our class field study trips.
Classroom Basket List:
Ross, Kinder: Family Game Night
Guzman, Kinder: Movie/Date Night
Teachout, 1st grade: Superhero
Basty, 1st grade: Legos
Roque, 2nd grade: Disney
Room 5, 2nd grade: Coffee/Tea
3rd grade: Gaming
Mr. Z, 4th grade: Scratchers & Gift Cards
Bogdan, 4/5th grade: Spa Day
Standley, 5th grade: Spa Day
James/Kadlac, 5/6 grade: Wine & Dine
Kramer, 7th grade: Valentine’s Day
Curriculum Corner
Georgia Math
- To support the learners, we have adopted a new math curriculum! Click here to watch a short video about the Georgia Math strategies that are all aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
- There are many ideas and strategies to support our learners at home. GeorgiaStandards.Org allows parents easy access to information about the state’s standards, which are aligned to our California Common Core State Standards.
- This website also offers a variety of free resources to help you motivate and support your child’s curriculum at home while reinforcing the standards your child is working on in the classroom. Click here for more info.
Daily 5
- We are also fine-tuning our implementation of Daily 5 and the CAFE strategies. Read to Self and Read to Someone are strategies that learners can also do at home with you. Please encourage them to do so at least 20 minutes a day.
- We purchased a total of 1,300 narrative and informational texts so that each classroom received 100 new books for their libraries. This will support our implementation of Daily 5. Please continue to encourage your learners to Read to Self, Read to Someone, or Listen to Reading at home.
The Importance of Reading
Please take a moment to click here and review a great article on “How Reading 20 Minutes a Day Impacts your Child,” and join us as we continue our schoolwide reading initiative.
Educators have long said reading makes people smarter, and there’s research backing them up. A recent study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics found reading to children of any age wakens a number of regions in the left part of the brain. The areas in the brain that become active involve understanding the meaning of words and concepts tied to memory.
Upcoming Events
Friday, Feb. 8: Winter Production & Silent Auction, 6:30-8 p.m., AV Church, 3830 West Ave. L8 in Lancaster
Feb. 11-14: Friendship Grams for sale on campus.
Catching Character and the 7 Habits in Action
Last week, the Character Lab focus was Grit and the 7 Habits focus was Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind. The learners in Ms. Teachout’s 1st grade class exhibit Grit and Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind on a daily basis. They work so diligently in all of the academic areas.
Keeping the Valet Process Moving
Dear iLEAD AV families, thank you for your patience as we perfect our new valet procedure on 22nd Street West. The morning and afternoon process is going smoothly. With your support, each day became more efficient and every learner was directed to class or walked in by their parents or an iLEAD AV team member.
Thank you for your feedback on the new valet procedure. As a result, we were able to make a few changes to improve the process:
- In the mornings, the Valet gate now opens at 8 a.m.;
- Based on parent requests, in the afternoon the valet gate opens at 3:00 p.m.;
- Many of you requested the opportunity to walk on site to pick up your learners in the afternoon. To honor your request, we added to our process. Please park on 22nd Street West, walk on to the valet lot using the exit gate, and present your valet card. You will be able to walk to the classroom to pick up your learner/learners;
- Please remember the valet traffic flow pattern. There are no left turns to enter or exit the lot.
- To help us continue to be good neighbors, please do not block the driveways for Miller Elementary School or KinderCare on 22nd St. West. To assist us with that, our leadership and maintenance team has designed a new flow pattern to get more of our parents inside the valet area.
Pick-up is from 3:30-4 p.m. Learners who have not been retrieved by 4 p.m. will go to extended care and accounts will be billed at $3 per hour, per learner.
Our Goals
Our planning and preparation is consistent with our three Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals. I am looking forward to sharing how we are meeting each goal throughout the school year, and I have listed the goals below:
Goal 1: Provide optimal conditions of learning through providing basic services, implementation of California State Standards, and access to an academic and educational program.
Goal 2: Provide all learners with a rigorous, creative, and broad curriculum to maximize academic achievement and college and career readiness.
Goal 3: Generate active engagement between parents/families and the school, and connections with the community, to promote learner achievement and communication among all stakeholders.
Valet Procedures
As promised at the end of last school year, we have created a solution for our parking dilemma. The owner of the shopping center asked all parents and staff to stop parking there and posted signs warning us that cars would be towed, so that is no longer an option.
I am happy to report we will begin using our lot on 22nd Street West for Valet before and after school. The lot is very large. As a result, we will no longer have Valet in front of the school.
To access the lot, please turn right on K-4 from 20th Street West. You will pass Miller Elementary School, drive right around the bend, and make a right into our lot. At the start of the day, your learner will be greeted and escorted onto campus. At the end of the day, your learner will be summoned and escorted to your car. Please be sure to post your Valet card on the dashboard daily. Once your learner is safely in your car, you will exit the lot and make a right, which will take you to Avenue K. We will have cones, signs, and iLEAD team members to support you and the learners.
In the mornings, the Valet lot will open at 8:00 a.m., and it will open at 3:00 p.m. for dismissal. If you are walking your learner to class in the morning, we will have a parking area in the lot just for you.
A Few Reminders…
Parent Square: Click the Apple or Android links to download the app to your smartphone for free and get instant alerts.
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/parentsquare/id908126679?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.parentsquare.psapp&hl=en
iSupport: Get involved and help make change! Join iLEAD’s version of PTA. We need you! Learn More
Lunch Program and February Menu
Please submit your Free/Reduced lunch application to the front office as soon as possible. Lunch balances must remain under $20 this school year. Please make payments in the front office. NO LUNCH on Fridays.
Meal Prices:
Breakfast: $ 1.60
Lunch: $2.95
Reduced prices:
Breakfast: 30 cents
Lunch: 40 cents
What About Those Heelys?
We’ve seen an influx of Heelys on campus. Learners are zipping along the halls and on the playspaces. While we LOVE fun and seeing our learners enjoying themselves, we have to ask that they don’t use the wheels while at school. Please understand this is a safety concern for learners and staff. We want to prevent accidents and keep everyone safe. Heelys brand shoes can be worn; just please remove the wheels for school.
General safety guidelines also include no skateboards or bicycles being ridden on campus; they must be carried and walked. Thank you for your understanding and support!