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Dear Families of MCAS Yuma,
Happy New Year to all! It's hard to believe that a full semester of school has come and gone. I hope that your children have enjoyed their school year so far and have shown growth both academically and socially.
It has been one year since I have taken on the position of your School Liaison. What I have found to love the most about this position is that it allows me to frequently visit our local schools. With all my visits, I am always amazed at the wonderful things going on in our Yuma schools. Even though our educational system has experienced severe budget cuts over the last few years, it is still very impressive to see how our administrators and teachers are able to gather resources, and put their talents together in order to provide our school age children (K-12) with a quality education.
In this winter issue, I will highlight some of the awesome things going on in our Yuma schools. I know you will be as impressed as I am to know that education is not being compromised within our Yuma schools; even during these tough economic times. If you would like to share a program or an exciting project that you are aware of at your child's school, please contact me so I may highlight it in my next newsletter.
Please pay special attention to the "Upcoming Events" section in this newsletter. I especially would like to promote the Cyber Bullying Presentation on February 9th at the Sonoran Pueblo from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. This event will be for adults only and will provide education awareness on how to protect our school age children (K-12) from becoming victims of Cyber Bullying in school. Retired police detective and current vicitim's advocate for Amberly's Place, Christian Segura, will be here to provide us with very valuable facts and tips to protect our children.
If you have any questions or concerns throughout the school year, please let me know. Give me a call at 928-269-5373 or email me at mcshaneea@usmc-mccs.org. Schedule a visit, or a telephone conference at your convenience.
Sincerely, Elena McShane School Liaison MCAS Yuma
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Desert Mesa Elementary School Therapy Dogs
We have all heard the term "A dog is a man's best friend." Well, at Desert Mesa Elementary school, one will observe that "A dog is a child's best friend." I had the pleasure of visiting Desert Mesa last month to observe how 6 beautiful dogs make this school their home. Mr. Tim Gilliland, a 5th grade teacher who leads a 4-H guide dog group and is a "Puppy Raising Leader," works with these 8 week old puppies to train and socialize them; a process which can take up to 18 months.
Thanks to Mr. Gilliland, Desert Mesa Elementary School has had the great fortune of having therapy dogs on campus for 8 years. The beautiful Labradors and Golden Retrievers not only are a special part of the school family, but they also serve a very important role in helping children inside the classroom. Through their presence, the dogs play an important role in fostering responsibility, socialization and even increasing academic performance. The dogs can be found in general education and special education classrooms where teachers not only use their presence as an incentive for children to complete their school work and demonstrate good behavior, but also to provide a sense of calm within the classroom. On the day I visited, it was amazing to observe how the classroom environment was quiet, calming and productive whenever a dog was present.
Desert Mesa Elementary School is located at 2350 S. 7 1/2 E. near Arizona Western College and belongs to Yuma School District One. The school has met Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) for 2010 and is a Performing Plus school for the state of Arizona.
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Woodard Middle School AVID Program
Woodard Middle School is striving to prepare all of their students to become ready for college and successful citizens in our global society. A program called AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) has been growing by leaps and bounds at Woodard Middle School as a way to motivate and equip students to see themselves as leaders and scholars, increase skills needed for advanced academic work, increase career awareness and develop leadership skills. AVID is a federally funded program and has been within all School District One middle schools for 3 years.
AVID is designed for students that may need an extra push to succeed in school and who have no family history of college. It teaches students the path to take for college entry and success by teaching them organizational skills, requiring them to take advance classes, take Cornell notes and to think at a higher order. At Woodard Middle School all students benefit from AVID because all teachers are trained school-wide to use these AVID strategies to deepen student learning.
Many of our military students have been exposed to this program because The Department of Defense Education Association schools (DoDEA) also implements the AVID program. Currently, there are 1,600 students enrolled in AVID within Yuma County. Interested students must have a teacher or counselor's recommendation, have a good attendance record, have positive classroom behavior, are willing to commit to responsibly preparing for advanced classes and commit to enroll in at least one rigorous advanced course each year.
If you would like more information about the AVID program, please contact Woodard Middle School and ask for the AVID site coordinator. You may also contact Ron Watson, Castle Dome and Gila Vista site coordinators as well.
If your children attend the Crane School District, you may contact the AVID site coordinators at Centennial and Crane Middle Schools.
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Crane School District achieves 100% AYP
All 10 elementary and middle schools withing the Crane School District obtained 100% achievement of the Adequate Yearly Progress evaluations for the 2009/2010 school year. AYP is a measurement defined by the U.S. federal No Child Left Behind Act. The achievement of AYP is contingent on multiple categories such as AIMS testing scores, attendance, the percent of students tested, graduation rates, etc. This is the first time ever that all Crane schools have made AYP at one time.
Congratulations to Crane Superintendent Cindy Didway and all administrators, teachers, staff members and students for a job well done. Our military families thank you for your hard work and dedication in providing a first rate quality education for all students!
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Kofa High School Remembers Local Veterans
Thank you Kofa high school for honoring our local men and women who are and have served in our nations military. Currently the names of 26 veterans have been recognized on the Kofa High School Wall of Honor. This special gift from the class of 2009 was dedicated to Kofa high school because of the large number of students from Kofa who go on to enlist in the military. Official dedication of the wall will be February 19th at 10 a.m.
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PARTNERSHIPS IN EDUCATION
Partnerships are alive and well between MCAS Yuma and our local Yuma schools. The first semester of the school year proved to be another successful one with many of our Marines & Sailors supporting various school wide events.
- The Single Marine Program supports Palmcroft Elementary's Open House, Book Fair & Family Night, and Olive Garden dinner night
- MALS 13 & MWSS 371 Marines support Palmcroft Elementary School's Book Fair and Family Night
- MAG 13, MALS 13, & MWSS 371 Marines support Ronald Reagan Elementary School's Fall Carnival
- VMA 214 adopts McGraw Elementary School
- MAG 13 Marines present Veteran's day lesson on military uniforms at Desert Mesa Elementary
- MALS 13, MWSS 371, CLC 16, & Dental Battalion provide support during Yuma Catholic High School Rib Cook Off
- School Liaison Program and Marine Corps Family Team Building collaborate to present "LINKS for Teachers" at Desert View Academy
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Upcoming Events and Important Dates
- MCX Super Star Student program at your MCAS Yuma Exchange all throughout school year 2011
- International Children's entertainer and author, Trevor Romain, presentation for all parents at Sonoran Pueblo Jan. 26th at 7:00 p.m. Hosted by School Liaison and Child Youth & Teen Programs
- Cyber Bullying presentation hosted by School Liaison, EFMP & MCFTB Feb. 9th at 6:00 p.m. Sonoran Pueblo
- Hearts Apart for Kids (K-5) Jan. 12 4:00-5:00 p.m. Contact MCFTB
- Strong & Fit Healthy Habits Feb. 23 4:00-5:00 p.m. Contact MCFTB
- LINKS for Teens: Jan. 11, Feb. 8, Apr. 12, May 10 Contact MCFTB
- LINKS for Kids: Feb. 7, Mar. 7, Apr. 4, May 2 Contact MCFTB
- Corps Values for Kids sponsored by MCFTB Jan. 4, 11, & 18 from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
- Family Nights at Station Library Jan. 25, Feb. 22, Mar. 29
- Martin Luther King Jr. day observed (No School) Jan. 17
- Presidents Day - No School February 21st
- Spring Break March 28th through April 1st
- AIMS & SAT 10 Testing April 18th through April 29th
ACT dates: (Register Early)
February 12, 2011 April 9, 2011 June 11, 2011
SAT dates: (Register Early)
March12, 2011
May 7, 2011
June 4, 2011
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Guidelines on Student Absences and Tardies
Frequent school absences and tardies can be considered an educational disadvantage for school age children. It can also be a contributing factor in determining if your child will be promoted to the next grade level. 5 absences or tardies during one grading period means that a child is absent or late over 10% of the time school was in session. If a child has more than 5 unexcused absences the family can be referred for truancy according to the Arizona State Statute. Leaving early prior to the end of the school day is also considered a tardy on the Student Accounting Information System (SAIS) according to Arizona State Law.
The less tardies and absenses a child has during the school year, the more academically sucessful he/she will be . Please review your child's school policy on absenses and tardies.
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Educational Resources
- Private Tutoring Resource List available for MCAS Yuma families. Contact School Liaison Elena McShane at (928) 269-5373 for more information.
- Tutor.com provides free access to a tutor 24/7 for all grade levels and many subjects. To create an account, contact your MCAS Yuma Librarian.
- SOARathome.com is a free online program for all military families that provides access to standards-based assessments, tutorials, and lessons to improve math and reading skills.
- SAS Curriculum Pathways is a free online curriculum program that will enhance student achievement by providing web-based curriculum resources in all the core disciplines. Log in at http://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/login and use Student User Name - store7hill
- Free tutoring is available to all high school students enrolled in dual credit college courses through the Arizona Western College Student Success Center . Call (928) 317-6031.
- Check out the new DoD website to help America's youth explore opportunities for their future at Myfuture.com. This website provides information about careers, education, and military options for young people, ages 16 - 24. Go to http://www.myfutures.com.
- Distance learning is now available through the Department of Defense Education Association's Virtual High School at http://www.dodea.edu/virtual school/
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SCHOOL LIAISON CONTACT INFORMATION
School Liaison: Elena McShane
MCAS Yuma - Building 1071
Phone: 928-269-5373
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