Internet Safety Tips
TIP: Know who children are exchanging e-mail with, and only let them use chat areas when you can supervise. Limit chatroom access to child-friendly chat sites. |
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Honoring Our Volunteers
Beth Albiani of Pleasant Grove Elementary School 
Beth Albiani was recognized as an Education Partner at the January 8, 2013, meeting of the Elk Grove Unified School District Board of Education. Albiani is a devoted and organized parent volunteer at Pleasant Grove Elementary School. She served one year as treasurer and two years as president for the Pleasant Grove Parent Teacher Association (PTA). In the past, Albiani has spearheaded funding assistance to keep the library open and provide supplies in classrooms, as well as beautifying the campus with track clean-up evenings. She has welcomed new families to Pleasant Grove with Welcome Back to School events and spent four years as the donations committee chairperson for Pleasant Grove's annual Denim and Diamonds Auction. Albiani has been a driving force in keeping the tradition-rich history of Pleasant Grove alive and well. Her passion for education and the high expectations she has for herself and the educational system are modeled on a daily basis. Beth is married to Dennis Albiani. They are the proud parents of four children - Nic, a 5th grade student at Pleasant Grove and triplets Sophie, Bella and Samantha - 3rd grade students at Pleasant Grove. |
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Superintendent's Art Contest now accepting entries
For the eighth year in a row, students will have the opportunity to compete in the Superintendent's Art Contest. Created in 2005 by EGUSD Superintendent Dr. Steven M. Ladd during his first year with the district, the contest showcases the artistic gifts of district students in grades 7-12. This year's theme is "Ideas, Innovation and Learning." Art will be accepted in the following categories for high school students: paint/pastel, pencil/colored pencil/ink/charcoal, black and white photography, digital photography/computer graphics, mixed media and 3-dimensional. Middle school students can compete in the mixed media and 3-D categories only. First, second and third place winners will be selected in each category. A "Best of Show" winner will be selected from among the first place winners. The deadline to submit all entries is Friday, February 8, 2013. To obtain an entry form and size requirements for art submissions, contact the art teacher at your child's school or email Suzanne Thibault at sthibaul@egusd.net.
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Laguna Creek High School to hold International Baccalaureate Informational Night
Laguna Creek High School's International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme will hold an Informational Night on Wednesday, January 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The informational night will cover an overview the IB Programme and its curriculum, requirements and the enrollment process. Laguna Creek High School is the only high school in the Elk Grove Unified School District and one of only four high schools in Sacramento County to offer the IB program. Laguna Creek welcomed its first IB class in Fall 2011. As "World Scholars," freshmen and sophomores take honors and advanced courses which prepare them for this programme. The Programme offers juniors and seniors a broad, balanced and rigorous curriculum. Students in the IB Diploma Programme take six subjects, which usually include one from each subject group: English A Literature; Language Acquisition B; History Route 2; mathematics; the arts; and experimental sciences. Students also write a 4,000 word extended essay, complete a course in Theory of Knowledge and complete a number of creativity, action and service projects. Click here for more information about the IB Programme at Laguna Creek.
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New prizes in January for Attendance Campaign
A new year - and month - is underway and the No Excuses - Go to School Attendance Campaign is offering new prizes for the month of January for students with perfect attendance. Remember - each month that a student achieves perfect attendance, they are eligible for some pretty awesome prizes! January's perfect attendance prizes are as follows:
Elementary Schools: California Automobile Museum free admission coupons, Sacramento River Cats tickets
Middle Schools: Long John Silver's gift certificates, Sacramento River Cats tickets
High/Alternative Schools: Del Taco gift certificates, Sacramento River Cats tickets |
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Welcome to eguNews, an EGUSD email newsletter published every two weeks. If you have questions about eguNews, you can email communication@egusd.net or call (916) 686-7732.
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EGUSD selected to participate in Linked Learning Pilot Program
The Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) has been selected as one of 20 participants in a new state pilot program designed to help students graduate from high school prepared to succeed in college and careers. EGUSD will implement the four-and-a-half year pilot program in its 16 "Linked Learning" California Partnership Academies as well through other district-wide programs.
The state-facilitated Linked Learning Pilot Program was established in 2011 through the passage of AB 790 by former Assembly Member Warren Furutani. "Linked Learning" programs use coursework, technical training, work-based learning and other related support mechanisms to create connections between high school and college and career. Both statewide and in EGUSD, students in Linked Learning programs graduate at higher rates and with skills and knowledge needed in the California workforce. This pilot will be used to assess how Linked Learning can be expanded to other schools in California.
"The district has brought to fruition many career academies and pathways that offer rigorous and relevant educational experiences for our students," said EGUSD Superintendent Steven M. Ladd, Ed.D. "Through these programs, our students leave high school well prepared to be successful in college or careers in the 21st century."
At Elk Grove Unified, the district's 16 California Partnership Academies and their success in connecting academics to workforce development will be the focus of the program's implementation. Through Linked Learning, the district will enhance district-wide systems of support to increase access to career pathways for every student in EGUSD. The Elk Grove Unified School District also plans on serving as a model for other districts throughout California that are interested in starting or retooling their pathway programs.
"Participation in Linked Learning extends EGUSD's ongoing commitment to career technical education and multiple pathways to student success in college and career," said Kathy Hamilton, director of career technical, charter and adult education for the district. "Through participation, EGUSD will be better positioned to receive state and federal funding for CTE-related programs as it becomes available over the next several years."
Click here for more information about Linked Learning.
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EGUSD selected to participate in national
FAFSA completion pilot program
The Elk Grove Unified School District has been selected as one of 92 school districts from throughout the United States to participate in the U.S. Department of Education's Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Completion Pilot Program. Three EGUSD high schools will participate in the pilot program - Las Flores, Sheldon and Rio Cazadero.
In February, Elk Grove Unified's three pilot schools will receive their first list of seniors who have yet to start or finish the FAFSA. Counselors will then begin a focused and strategic plan to call in and work with students and parents during evenings and weekends.
Elk Grove Unified and its selected pilot high schools will partner with the Sacramento California Student Opportunity Access Program (Cal-SOAP), University of the Pacific and Cosumnes River College to help train district counselors in the use of the electronic FAFSA application and help target efforts to ensure more students take and complete the application. Participation in the pilot program will enable EGUSD's high schools the ability to track student completion of the application and assist with targeting efforts to ensure more students complete the FAFSA.
"Our goal is to develop a successful comprehensive program that we can expand to all nine comprehensive high schools, four alternative high schools and one charter school next year," said Ralph Robles, district head counselor at EGUSD. "We will use the U.S. Department of Education's FAFSA completion tool to ensure that all of our students who need help completing the FAFSA receive it. We also want to remind students who have forgotten to apply or who don't think they are eligible to get the help they need to complete it."
The FAFSA is an application that provides access to all types of federal financial aid, including Pell grants, work study and federal student loans. The FAFSA also acts as an application for state and institutional aid in many cases. The FAFSA and California Student Aid Commission's Cal-Grant applications are both required for California students to compete for aid. All students planning on pursuing a post-secondary education are encouraged to complete a FAFSA form and FAFSA applications are now being accepted. Although the FAFSA deadline is March 2, students are encouraged to complete the form as soon as possible to ensure they meet varying priority aid deadlines at colleges and universities.
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CAAP continues to grow at
Laguna Creek High School
From providing after-school tutoring opportunities to helping students find scholarships to finance their pursuits after high school graduation, the Concerned African American Parents (CAAP) at Laguna Creek High School continues to expand their plethora of options to assist students in reaching their goals and dreams.
Since spring 2007, CAAP has been an ever-present, positive fixture at LCHS. Started by the "Laguna Creek Nine" - a name that signifies the nine members who started the organization, CAAP was created to help eliminate the academic achievement gap between African-American students and their white and Asian counterparts. LCHS staff and administrators embraced CAAP's vision and the group has been going strong ever since.
"What makes CAAP unique is the willingness of caring adults to volunteer with the group, generally comprised of parents who have children attending the specific school site," said John Taylor, president of CAAP at Laguna Creek. "CAAP prepares students for real life and life beyond high school by using the 'self-sufficiency' curriculum adopted from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.'s Alpha Academy and by strategically bringing caring, competent adults into their lives as mentors, tutors, speakers and group exercise facilitators."
At LCHS, CAAP provides and oversees a variety of programs open to all students, including the Black Student Union (BSU), Alpha Academy, Rising Scholars Mentor Program, after-school tutoring and enrichment activities, SUCCE$$ Scholarship Assistance Program, Parent on Campus and community liaisons. CAAP also has a presence at LCHS events throughout the year, including the "Welcome Back" event in August, a family holiday festival in December, Black History Month programs in February, BSU conferences in November and March and academic improvement awards and Rising Scholars celebrations.
CAAP has also expanded to other schools in the district. A CAAP group has been established at Elitha Donner Elementary School where an after-school tutoring program is run by CAAP volunteers. CAAP members from LCHS are also collaborating with GEAR UP staff at Harriet Eddy Middle School to develop another CAAP group before the end of the 2012-2013 school year.
Click here to learn more about CAAP at LCHS.
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EGUSD goes "paperless" with EGUSD Portal
The Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) is "going green" in a big way with the EGUSD Portal website.
The new portal website allows middle and high school parents and guardians the option to receive their student's official academic progress reports and report cards electronically. Parents and
guardians are also able to securely update and change opt-out elections, such as directory information, posting of student photos, as well as movies and videos.
Plans are currently underway to offer the program to elementary schools in the 2013-2014 school year. Parents who choose to participate in the portal program will be asked to complete a feedback form where they can identify suggestions for improvement at the end of the school year.
Additional features and reports are planned for the portal in the near future that will provide parents and guardians with the opportunity to view other academic information about their student rather than receive printed reports through the U.S. mail.
For the 2012-2013 school year, EGUSD is offering the program at the following secondary schools:
Middle Schools
Katherine L. Albiani, Harriet Eddy, Edward Harris, Jr., Toby Johnson, Joseph Kerr, Elizabeth Pinkerton, James Rutter, T.R. Smedberg
High Schools
Cosumnes Oaks, Elk Grove, Florin, Franklin, Laguna Creek, Monterey Trail, Pleasant Grove, Sheldon, Valley
Alternative Schools
Calvine High School, William Daylor High School, Elk Grove Charter School, Las Flores High School, Rio Cazadero High School
Click here to learn more about the EGUSD Portal.
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