- First Day of School is WEDNESDAY August 10!

August 5, 2016
SVA News & Notes
What's Happening at SVA? 

August 10 -- First Day of School 
That's right, WEDNESDAY! 

August 8 -- PTO Meeting

August 23 -- SAVE THE DATE! Public Hearing for SVA's Charter Renewal and approval of our new school's Charter 

September 1 -- Back to School Night
Let's Get Started! 
SVA staff are eagerly anticipating another exciting school year.  In their time "off" teaching staff have been busy with training in: classroom management strategies, communication styles, extensive math training that aligns with SVA's philosophy, school safety, and most teachers volunteered to take a math teaching course developed by world renowned Stanford Professor Dr. Jo Boaler. Classrooms are coming together and teachers are ready for students to return. 

We are excited to welcome students back to campus on Wednesday, August 10. Take note that this is one day before VUSD schools begin. 
Charter Renewal Update 

Please read on to learn about how you can help SVA by showing your support for our charter renewal. Ed Code requires charter schools to be reauthorized every five years. Our authorizer, the VUSD Board of Education, will hear our petition for renewal on Tuesday, August 23. At this same meeting, we will present our petition for  the charter of our new school, Blue Oak Academy. 

Please come to the VUSD District Office at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, August 23. We'll likely be on the agenda between 7:00 and 8:00 PM. We would love to fill the board room with supporters at this meeting. Children may attend, but please plan to supervise them closely and let them know that we expect them to show utmost respect for the Core 4 if they attend. This meeting is crucial and their behavior is a symbol of our work.

Your presence speaks volumes for our school, it puts a face on the families we serve in the eyes of the VUSD board, and reminds the publicly elected board that they serve charter school families, too. The way they serve us is by approving the charter of the school that suits your learner, ensuring that you have this option.  

We'll have 20 minutes to speak on SVA's renewal, and 20 minutes to speak on Blue Oak Academy's new charter petition. We would like to show the myriad benefits of this school through the stories we share. All speakers will be very, very brief (1-2 minutes).  Even if you do not wish to speak at the hearing, your presence in the room sends a powerful message to the Board. 

We would like to have a few voices speak that night and would love to hear from folks who think they have a unique success story or story of appreciation that the VUSD board should hear.  If you are interested in sharing your story, please send an email with the subject line "interest in speaking at public hearing" to office@sycamorevalleyacademy.org.  Share your story with our staff so we can determine who'll speak, in what order, and schedule the time.  

We are interested in student voices, too, so if your child believes SVA has made an important difference for them and wants to have an advocacy experience, have them email us, too.  We have many change-makers in our student body!  


Please sign our petitions for SVA's charter renewal and for opening our new school next fall. 
  • for SVA, currently enrolled parents, parents on the waitlist, or parents who wish they were these things should sign.  Signing means you are "meaningfully interested in enrolling a child at this school."
  • for Blue Oak Academy, same as above, but only parents with students who would enter K-2 grade in 2017-18 can sign this one.
  • We're collecting signatures for submission with the charter August 8-10 on campus and all teachers have signature pages, so parents can sign these at drop off or pick up on the first day of school.
  • Please encourage your friends, family, and neighbors who are parents who are interested in having their children attend our schools to come by the SVA office to sign the petitions.

You can read the full text of our charters on the SVA website beginning Monday, August 8, at 10AM. 

Thank you for participating in this critical process for your school! 
Bus Information

All families who requested bus service should have received an email update with their child's application status. If you believe you requested bus service but did not receive an email confirmation this week, please call or email the school office at (559) 623-8396 or office@sycamorevalleyacademy.org. 

Route #2 is at capacity and a waitlist has been started. Safety is always our top priority. Parents, please wait at the bus stop until the bus leaves to ensure every child has a seat. 

Many children become confused about their bus stop in the first weeks of school. Be sure your child knows the name of the stop where they will be dropped off in the afternoon. It may be helpful to write the information on a note your child can carry in their pocket or backpack. 

Plan to arrive at your bus stop 10 minutes before the scheduled arrival time. The times given on the schedule are subject to traffic conditions and other circumstances beyond our control. If SVA knows that a bus will be running late, we will do our best to notify families via Facebook and text message. 

Kindergarten students will NOT be left at a bus stop if a parent is not present to pick them up when the bus arrives. If no parent is present at the stop, the child will be taken to the VUSD transportation office. 

We will monitor bus riders daily in 2016-17. Students who are signed up for the bus and are not utilizing the service will be removed from the rider list and their seat will given to a student on the waitlist. 

Remember, all families using bus service at SVA must attend a mandatory bus rider safety meeting at Back-to-School Night on September 1. 

New Bus Schedules! 

We have new routes and schedules this year. Be sure to check the schedules below for changes. The schedule is also posted on our website for easy reference. 


Uniform Dress Code

Remember to reference SVA's uniform dress code policy when doing your back-to-school shopping. You may purchase compliant items wherever you normally shop. Items embroidered with the SVA crest can be purchased through 

A few key reminders about SVA's uniform dress code: 
  • Denim is allowed for pants/shorts, skirts/skorts, and jackets only. 
  • All shirts must have collars and sleeves.
  • School spirit t-shirts may be worn on Fridays only.
  • No logos or printed designs are allowed. 


SVA Uniform Dress Visual Reference Guide
Lunch at SVA

Sycamore Valley Academy is contracted with VUSD to provide lunch for our students. 

Please complete the application for free or reduced price lunch included in the packet coming home with your child on the first day of school. Be sure to complete the form even if you do not plan to participate in the program or think that you do not qualify. 
 
To purchase lunch at school, students will use their My School Bucks account. Visit myschoolbucks.com to create an account, add money to your child's account, and check account balances. 

Monthly lunch menus are posted on our website and included in weekly News & Notes emails for your quick reference. 

For more information on lunch at SVA, please visit our website. 

Lunch Menu
 
Wednesday, 8/10 - Chicken Burger
Thursday, 8/11 - Cheesy Chicken Burrito
Friday, 8/12 - Cheese Pizza

Click here to download the August Lunch Menu
Substitute Teachers Needed

Sycamore Valley Academy has a experienced and dedicated teaching staff, but our substitute list is short.  

If you or someone you know has the desire to be a substitute teacher at our amazing school, has a bachelor's degree, has passed the CBEST, and is willing to get a substitute credential and fingerprint clearance we would love to expand our team.  

If you are interested please email Shauna Dolin at sdolin@sycamorevalleyacademy.org. 
Tdap Vaccine Required  

All students entering 7th grade are required to provide proof of receiving the Whooping Cough booster shot (Tdap) prior to the first day of school. If you have not yet submitted proof that your child has received the Tdap immunization, please provide this information to the office staff as soon as possible. 
Next PTO Meeting


Monday, August 8
6:00PM

Round Table Pizza
4035 S. Mooney Blvd. 
Sycamore Valley Academy | 559.622.3236 | office@sycamorevalleyacademy.org
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