April 1, 2016
SVA News & Notes
What's Happening at SVA?
 

April 7 & 8 -- DE Food Drive 

April 18 -- Staff Development, No School

April 22 -- PTO Jog-a-Thon

May 14 -- PTO Spring Auction Fundraiser
Food Drive Benefiting Tulare Food Link

DE, our after school program, is collecting dry and canned foods for their annual food drive. Please bring donations to school on April 7 & 8. 

Save the Date!

SVA PTO will host their annual Spring Auction Fundraiser on May 14 at Pita Kabob Gastropub in downtown Visalia. 

This event is sure to be a great time with great food and great people. 

Look for more info coming soon, including how to get your tickets. 
Lost and Found Cleanup

Parents, please collect your child's belongings from the lost and found by Friday, April 8. 

Everything left behind at the end of the day on 4/8 will be donated to Visalia Rescue Mission. 
Honoring Student Achievement

Third grade students Will McAllister and Lucas Featherston created their very own
SVA Magazine! Along with writing much of the original material in the magazine, Lucas and Will also published and printed the magazine. Other student contributors to this issue are Brooklyn Renzi and Christopher Alegre.



The magazine creators plan to continue producing the magazine and are accepting student submissions on an ongoing basis.  

Please submit original student work to: lucasfeatherston@gmail.com or wmcallister@sycamorevalleyacademy.org


We accept nominations for student recognition on an ongoing basis, so be sure to let us know when something great happens! If you would like to nominate a student for their extra curricular accomplishments, complete this form. 

Admissions Info


We have a few seats remaining in our new middle school class next year. If you know someone who is looking for an alternative to the large middle school experience, please share our application for 2016-17 admission, linked here.
Provide your Input on our LCAP Survey

California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) requires schools to solicit stakeholder input in developing their Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAP). Please take a few moments to complete the brief survey linked here. 
2016-17 Academic Calendar 

Check out the calendar for next year so that you and your family can make your summer plans accordingly. 

Action Alert: Proposed Ballot Initiative Aims to Shut Down Charter Schools

Have you heard that an anti-charter group is trying to gather enough signatures to put an initiative on the ballot in November that would close every single charter in California? 

Join us in asking California to support its charter schools and not let a few angry people close great public schools. 

Take one minute to sign this petition. 

Join the Facebook group "Save California's Charter Schools" https://www.facebook.com/groups/1681832272094240/?fref=ts 
Action Alert: Support $20 Million for Charter School Start-Up Funding in the State Budget
 
Governor Jerry Brown's 2016-17 proposed budget includes $20 million in funding for Charter School Startup Grants to support operational startup costs for charter schools opening in 2016 and 2017. These vital funds will help offset some of the loss of federal funding previously available for this purpose.
 
For nearly 20 years, California has received federal Public Charter Schools Grant Program funding. Over the last five years, California's grant has been approximately $60 million per year. Unfortunately, during the most recent application cycle for the grant, California was not selected to receive this critical funding in a competition that strongly favored newly eligible states.
 
Out of the 784 charter schools that opened in the last eight years, 421 charter schools, or nearly 54% percent received start-up funding through PCSGP. The loss of start-up funding would create a significant chilling effect on the charter school sector. The $20 million one-time allocation is a modest, but necessary stop-gap measure to maintain a robust growth trajectory in the charter school sector.
 
Help us ensure that charter school momentum continues in California.Act now to send a letter in support of charter school start-up funding!


Awards Assembly April 29
Property Reminder

At SVA, we make every effort to maintain a safe, healthy, and equitable learning environment for our students. 

We provide necessary school supplies (pencils, markers, etc.) for student use.
Please do not allow your child to bring items to school that are not part of the education program, unless specifically requested by the teacher. 

Cell phones may be brought to school for use AFTER school. Phones must remain turned off (not on vibrate or silent) and may not be used during school hours. If a cell phone is visible during school hours, it will be confiscated. 

SVA is not responsible for loss or damage of personal items brought to school. 
HELP WANTED! 

Please help us spread the word that SVA is seeking highly qualified individuals to fill several positions. Share the SVA Staff Recruitment Brochure with anyone who might be a match for our organization. 

Principal 
With growth on the horizon, Ms. Dutton's dual role of Principal/Superintendent will be divided. Ms. Dutton will become a full time Superintendent, and SVA will gain a new full time Principal beginning July 1. If you know someone who might be the perfect candidate to fill this role at SVA, please send them our way. 

Substitute Teachers and Instructional Aides 
We pay substitute teachers $116/day. 
Substitute Instructional Aides earn $10.30-14.42/hr (depending on education & experience). Must have Tulare County fingerprint clearance. For more information on qualifications and requirements, contact office@sycamorevalleyacademy.org. 
DE Logo
Current DE Session - 
March 29-April 8

Destination: Mystery

Read, write, and learn about famous mysteries, and make some new ones of your own. Let's discover!
Lunch Menu

Monday -  4/4 Pepperoni pizza
Tuesday - 4/5 Spaghetti w/meat sauce
Wednesday - 4/6 Hamburger
Thursday - 4/7 Chicken taquitos
Friday - 4/8 Grilled cheese sandwich

SVA PTO NEWS
Jog-a-Thon Coming Soon!

Attention Parents! Business sponsors are needed for the 2016 SVA PTO Jog-a-Thon. 

PTO has expanded sponsorship opportunities this year. Sponsors will be recognized on event signage (Silver level $50 and up) and event t-shirts (Gold-Diamond level, $250-$750). Please help us make this event the huge success it was last year. 

Use this letter to reach out to your contacts in the community. 

Student pledge forms will be sent home on April 11 for parent and family Jog-a-Thon sponsorships. 
Next PTO Meeting

Monday, 
April 11, 6:00PM

Round Table Pizza
4035 S. Mooney Blvd. 
Community Events
 

Featuring SVA's own Faye Lewis! 
Excellence or Bust! 

SVA will be hosting an event especially for educators on April 1 and April 8. 

Leaders in education will visit our school to learn about our programs and instructional practices. 

If you are an educator, download the invitation here. Feel free to share with other educators in the community.
Sycamore Valley Academy | 559.622.3236 | office@sycamorevalleyacademy.org
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