-Talent Show, Found Object Art, JogAThon Photos, and more
April 29, 2016
SVA News & Notes
What's Happening at SVA?
 

May 3 -- Night at the 21st Century Museum

May 6 -- Deadline to Order Yearbooks

May 9 -- PTO Meeting

May 9-13 -- Staff Appreciation Week

May 14 -- PTO Spring Auction Fundraiser

May 25 -- Open House
 
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Yearbooks ON SALE NOW!


SVA Yearbooks are available for purchase NOW through the Picaboo website!  The book is approximately 100 pages and includes 4 free pages for personalization. 

The deadline for orders is Friday, May 6!  

The pricing is as follows:
Hardcover - $34.26 (becomes $37 with tax)
Softcover - $25.00 (becomes $27 with tax)
e-yearbook - $10.00 - actual yearbook purchase not required to purchase the e-yearbook.

To purchase a yearbook, please visit http://sva.picaboo.com

You may also download the Skipple app and select our school. Through this app, you will be able to contribute photos to the yearbook (only some photos will be selected). 

After school help for completing personalized pages is available to families. Ms. Bellamy, our journalism and yearbook teacher, will be hosting two yearbook personalization sessions in Room 19 on Friday, April 22 & Friday, April 29 from 3:45 to 5:00PM. 

The only supplies you need to bring are photos you would like to use on the personalized pages (saved on a flash drive). You may also bring your own laptop and any text you'd like to include on your pages.

If you would like help or ideas for the personalization of your child's yearbook, email nbellamy@sycamorevalleyacademy.org with the date you will be attending and "yearbook personalization" in the subject line. 
SVA's 4th Annual 
Student Talent Show 

Hosted by SVA Student Council, the event will be held Tuesday, May 31st.

Bring your talent to us! 


Students may apply as individuals or with a group, no more than 5 participants per group. Maximum time to showcase talent is a firm 2 minutes. 

Auditions will be held Monday, May 16th at 3:40 in the cafeteria.

Students must bring a completed application and signed permission slip to the audition. Please read all information in attached packet carefully.

No late entries will be accepted. 


Contact Jennifer Denham with questions, jdenham@sycamorevalleyacademy.org
Found Object Art Contest

Entries due Tuesday, May 24

Students are invited to reduce, reuse and recycle while exercising your creativity! 

Encourage your child to start thinking about what they can do with milk cartons, newspaper, egg cartons, cans, shampoo bottles or wrappers instead of throwing them away. Make something amazing from what you'd normally toss into the garbage or recycle bin.
 

Entries will be on display at Open House. Judging will be in several categories and by age group. For complete rules and more information, please 

Contact Mrs. Johnson with questions in room 8 or at
cjohnson@sycamorevalleyacademy.org

Save the Date! 

Wednesday, May 25, 6-8PM

Open House &
Spring Performances

Plan to bring the whole family and spend the evening at SVA, we'll have dinner available for purchase and plenty to see and do. 

More info coming soon! 
Jog-A-Thon

What a great day! Students, staff, and parents logged as many laps as possible to support this PTO fundraiser. The collaborative spirit of our community shone bright as students supported and encouraged each other across all ages, staff and families joined in the fun, and volunteers pitched in to make the event a huge success. PTO raised over $11k and another awesome SVA event went down in the books. Check out a few photos of the day. 


Jog-A-Thon Prizes

Students have been celebrating their Jog-A-Thon success this week. Monday, 15 lucky raffle winners took a limo ride to go Bowling with Benton. Tuesday, students who raised $50 or more were treated to a pizza lunch. Wednesday, the A&W root beer truck was here with floats for all students for meeting the schoolwide $5000 pledge goal. Brave staff members were dressed up in silly costumes by top lap runners from each class on Thursday. Raffle winner Sarah Plummer was Principal for the Morning on Friday. T-shirts for students who raised $25 or more are coming soon. 
























Thank You Volunteers

A huge thank you goes out to all of the volunteers who helped make this event special for our students. We appreciate you and all that you do for our school! 



A message from PTO: Staff Appreciation Week

With the end of the year fast approaching it is time for us to recognize and appreciate the staff that serves our kids. SVA would not be the same without these amazing people.

We will be showing our gratitude with a variety of events during the week of May 9-13. 

If you are interested in helping with Staff Appreciation Week please contact Suzy Plummer at 303-0160 or suzydenham23@yahoo.com for more information. 
Middle School Admission Info 

Our innovative, student-centered middle school program is growing for the 2016-17 year. Currently, there are only a few openings remaining for new students.
 
We'll have new electives available next year along with other exciting changes which will be announced soon!  

If you know someone who is looking for an alternative to the traditional, large middle school experience, please share our application for 2016-17 admission, linked here.
We're Hiring 

Please help us spread the word that SVA is seeking highly qualified individuals to fill several positions. Share the SVA Staff Recruitment Brochure with someone who might be right for SVA! 

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.  View the job posting on EdJoin. 

After School Program Coordinator 
A part time position for the 2016-17 academic year. View the EdJoin posting here. 

Instructional Aide
An excellent opportunity to join the SVA team in 2016-17. This position is part time, approximately 32 hours/week. Apply here. 

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. 
Attention Parents

Kindergarten oral health screenings must be completed and turned in by May 31. 

Tulare County is hosting TDap vaccination clinics at Visalia elementary schools. All students entering 7th grade must show proof of TDap vaccination. 

All clinics are held 3:00-4:00PM at the locations/dates listed below. 


  • May 10 - Manuel Hernandez School 
  • May 16 - Mineral King School
  • May 31 - Mt. View School

There is no cost for Medi-Cal recipients, $62 for those with private insurance.
We're a California 
Gold Ribbon School

Out of over 6300 elementary schools in the state only 772 schools have been selected to be Gold Ribbon Schools. Just four of the selected schools are in Tulare County, and SVA is one of them! 

This award has replaced the "Distinguished Schools" award you may be familiar and is the California Department of Education's highest recognition for schools which are modeling outstanding practices. 

Our school is recognized for our Gifted Education for All program and we are thrilled! If you'd like to read the description of the model that discuss the awesome work we do here, click this link. 

Hooray for SVA! 

Check out the other Tulare County award recipients. 


Provide your Input on our Community 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. 



Awards Assembly May 27
DE Logo
Current DE Session - 
April 25-May 6

Destination: Mythology

Mythology from around the world provides us with ways to think about the people who told those stories and what they thought about the world around them. Read lots of stories and write some of your own. 
Lunch Menu

Monday -  5/2 Rib B Q Sandwich
Tuesday - 5/3 Penne & White Sauce
Wednesday - 5/4 Mini Hot Dog Twins
Thursday - 5/5 Chicken Drummies
Friday - 5/6 Pizza Pocket

Engaging Your Children in an Election Year
 

From now through Election Day on November 8, 2016 we will share information and ideas for engaging your children in conversation about the upcoming elections. 

We encourage you to start the conversation, to get involved, and to exercise your right to vote.  

Why should people vote?

Raise a future voter by teaching children about the importance of making their voices heard. Tell them that despite the struggle to extend the vote to all American citizens over 18, only 57.5 percent of U.S. citizens age 18 and over voted in the 2012 presidential election. Explain that because a surprising number of elections are determined by small margins, it's important for all eligible voters to participate at the local and national level.

Honoring Student Achievement

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
Student Placement Information/Request

As we engage in the process of putting classes together, we use numerous factors to ensure balanced classes.  These factors include academic needs, gender, and social relationships and behaviors.  In addition, we know that you, as parents/guardians, have information about your child that can be helpful to us as we prepare class rosters.
 
If you would like to provide information that we should consider during the formation of class rosters, please complete this form and return it to the SVA Front Office no later than Friday, May 6, 2016.  While you may note a teacher preference, placement in a specific teacher's classroom cannot be guaranteed.  Multiple factors are considered in student placement; parent requests are one factor among many.
 
 
Parents will be informed of class placement in August.
SVA PTO NEWS
Next PTO Meeting

Monday, 
May 9, 6:00PM

Round Table Pizza
4035 S. Mooney Blvd.
Community Events
Watch the trailer
Holocaust Memorial Event

In recognition of Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Visalia Fox Theatre partners with the California Holocaust Education & Resource Center to present the award winning documentary film, WHAT OUR FATHERS DID. May 3, 6PM.


A poignant, thought-provoking account of friendship and the toll of inherited guilt, WHAT OUR FATHERS DID explores the relationship between two men, each of whom are the children of very high-ranking Nazi officials and possess starkly contrasting attitudes toward their fathers. Eminent human rights lawyer Philippe Sands investigates the complicated connection between the two, and even delves into the story of his own grandfather who escaped the same town where their fathers carried out mass killings. The three embark on an emotional journey together, as they travel through Europe and converse about the past, examining the sins of their fathers and providing a unique view of the father-son relationship, ultimately coming to some very unexpected and difficult conclusions.
Night at the 21st Century Museum

SVA students and students from around the county will show off their PBL projects at the Visalia Convention Center. May 3, 5-7PM. 

 

Featuring SVA's own Faye Lewis! 
Sycamore Valley Academy | 559.622.3236 | office@sycamorevalleyacademy.org
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Sycamore Valley Academy | P.O. Box 1189 | Visalia | CA | 93279