Welcome to Placer Academy, a public charter school in Placer County. We are part of the Harvest Ridge Cooperative Charter School serving students in Lincoln, Rocklin, Roseville and Granite Bay areas. Our unique 4-day program, based on Core Knowledge® and Project Based Learning, provides small classes, differentiated learning and a challenging curriculum. At the closure of the Accelerated Learning Academy with Horizon schools, our parent community bridged the move under the Harvest Ridge Charter to continue our amazing program and keep our phenomenal teachers.
Third grade recently finished up our science unit on properties of light and vision by dissecting cow eyes. Every year this activity is the highlight of third grade science. After the dissection students share their favorite part or what …
Kindergarten culminated a month-long unit of Art with a visit to the Crocker Museum of Art. The children studied a variety of artists from Kandinsky, O’keefe, Picasso and Pollack. Evidence of the children’s learning can be seen all over the …
This week 5th grade turned in to a living wax museum for all the students and families to see. So many inspirational historical people were brought to life as each visiting customer offered a ticket. What a great way to …
The first grade classes have been studying a Core Knowledge unit on Mexico for the past two weeks. In preparation for our fiesta, the students had made paper mache piñatas, tissue paper flowers, Mexican flags, and Mexican dolls. They also …
It is my pleasure to introduce three new teaching members of the Harvest Ridge Placer Academy staff. Each of them will bring enthusiasm, experience and dedication to your children! Please welcome them with open arms – I can promise you that they will each make our school even better! We are so lucky to have them:)
Welcome Mrs. Karen Allan – Middle School teacher
Hello, my name is Karen Allen. I am thrilled to be joining the Placer Academy junior high team this year. I am so happy to be able to work with such a wonderful group of students, parents and teachers whose goal is to provide the best learning environment possible! I am a local girl who grew up right here in the Loomis area. I went to a local elementary school, attended Del Oro High School, Sierra Junior College and went on to Sacramento State University where I received both my Bachelors Degree and teaching credential. I have been married to the same wonderful man for the past twenty-nine years. We have been blessed with two wonderful children. Our oldest, Katrina is a newlywed who married her high school sweetheart this past June. She is following in the family teaching legacy and hopes to have her teaching credential completed in the next two years. My son Derek is a student a William Jessup and is pursuing a career in Psychology. My Core Knowledge training encompasses the majority of my teaching experience. I began my teaching career as a Kindergarten teacher in Loomis. I moved on to Rocklin Academy where I spent six years as a first grade and fourth grade teacher. I then transferred to Accelerated Learning Academy where I taught grades fourth, seventh, eighth and ninth. This last year I taught at Global Youth Charter School in the sixth grade. I am truly looking forward to working with your children this year! It is my goal to help my students grow socially and academically and to help prepare them for their years ahead in high school. It will be a very exciting year and one that I am greatly looking forward to!
Welcome Mrs. Jeanne Blake – 2nd grade teacher
My name is Jeanne Blake, and I am excited join the Placer Academy Team as a 2nd grade teacher. I was born in Auburn and went to school at Newcastle Elementary from K-8th grade where I experienced wonderful teachers and a felt strong sense of community. I earned my BA from Sacramento State University in Psychology and Criminal Justice, but after volunteering as a tutor in the Placer County Juvenile Hall, I discovered I had a passion for teaching. I went back to Sac State for my teaching credential, and I have been teaching in the Yuba City Unified School District for the past 13 years. I taught 5th, 2nd, and 3rd grades until I became the Reading Intervention Teacher for Andros Karpreos School. As an Interventionist, I worked with students from Kindergarten through 8th grade who had trouble acquiring reading skills and managed our school’s Response to Intervention program. Watching students become successful and push themselves to master a challenge is awesome. Nothing gives me more joy than watching a child discover that they CAN do something! My son, husband, and I are happy to be moving back home to Placer County to spend time with our family and friends.
Welcome Mrs. Stephanie Emerson – 1st grade teacher
My name is Stephanie Emerson and I’m thrilled to be teaching first grade at Placer Academy for the upcoming school year! I have a degree in Child Development from CSU Sacramento and began teaching in 2002. I taught fourth and fifth grades in the Rio Linda Union School District until I started my family in 2005. I stayed home with my children for eight years but have recently ventured back into education teaching reading intervention to first through third graders. My wonderful husband is also a teacher and we have two great kids, two feisty cats, and a spunky dog. We are excited that our daughter will be starting fourth grade at Placer Academy in fall! Our four year old son is in preschool. I like to spend my free time with my family riding bikes, playing games, hiking, camping, and traveling. I also enjoy reading, writing, gardening, and cooking. I am passionate about nutrition and natural living.
Don’t forget that on Wednesday, June 4th parents are to drop off students at Kathy Lund Park on West Oaks Blvd. Here is a map: http://goo.gl/Kb4A2B.
Please drop off at approximately 8 am and pick up at 12:30 PM, which is after lunch. Thank you!
Report Cards will be given out the last day of school at the end of the day. Please park and come inside to get your child’s Report Card directly from their teacher. It will be a “hot day” pick up schedule. If for some reason you are unable to pick it them up on the last day, Thursday, June 5th, we will hold Report Cards in the office, and mail them out the week of June 9th.
On Wednesday morning (May 28) we invite parents to come to school to be celebrated for all of the work you have done for us. Enjoy the breakfast and let the staff treat you like you always treat us. Come as early as 7:30; we’ll watch the kids while you relax.
Have you heard of imaginU coding? imaginU was developed to teach elementary students computer science. The first class of Kodu 101 at Placer Academy enabled the kids to program and create a 3D video game which can be played either on a PC or their Xbox. imaginU will be bringing additional programming classes to our school in the Fall to compliment our enrichment program.
There have been questions regarding the relationship between Harvest Ridge Placer Academy and Rocklin Academy. Please read the communique below written by Newcastle Superintendent, Kathleen Daugherty and Rocklin Academy Superintendent, Phil Spears.
To: Placer Academy Families
From: Kathleen Daugherty, Superintendent NESD
Phil Spears, CEO/Superintendent Rocklin Academy Family of Schools Date: March 24, 2014
1) There are misunderstandings between the intent of the MOU between NESD and Rocklin Academy Family of Schools and what is being communicated to current HRPA/Newcastle parent families regarding future priority enrollment at WSCA. What agreement exists to give entrance priorities to Placer Academy kids for WSCA?
At this time the MOU addresses priority enrollment into the Gateway campus from Placer Academy. We asked legal counsel to address the issue of preferences for Placer Academy students into WSCA. Because Rocklin USD is the new sponsoring district for WSCA, any student residing within the Rocklin USD boundaries has preference for enrollment. Students not residing within the Rocklin USD boundaries cannot be given preference as law prohibits it. Due to this new information, we are now in discussions regarding starting a new high school charter, which may offer the attendance configuration of Placer Academy (hybrid program). This will increase options, expand openings and be run under the Rocklin Academy Family of Schools, but authorized by NESD, thus giving preferences to students residing within or attending NESD schools.
2) If my child is enrolled in a Newcastle school for the first time in the 2013/14 school year, what (if any) priorities are afforded my child for enrollment into WSCA?
At this time, your child, if currently enrolled in Placer Academy, only has a priority to enroll in Gateway in any year through 8th grade, and then from Gateway move into WSCA once he/she is ready for the 9th grade. As noted above in number 1, we are now also discussing the start of another high school in the next couple of years, modeled after Placer Academy, to be created and run by Rocklin Academy Family of Schools and authorized by NESD. This would expand the options for Placer Academy parents once their children were ready to exit the 8th grade, and would also give priority entrance into that high school as it would be an NESD school. In addition, the Charter was written to only give priority to students enrolled by February of 2014. We intend to remove the language from the Charter, to be finalized at the April RAFS Governance meeting. The removal of that language will enable any student, regardless of the date of enrollment into Placer Academy, to have a priority enrollment into Gateway (again pending space) at any grade.
a. Ex. My son is currently enrolled in fifth grade in a Newcastle school, will he have priority at WSCA for ninth grade? ( see above)
b. Ex. My kindergartener is currently enrolled in a Newcastle school, will he have priority at WSCA for ninth grade? (see above)
3) If my child is enrolled in a Newcastle school for the first time in the 2013/14 school year, what (if any) priorities are afforded my child for enrollment into RA Gateway?
Currently, the Charter states that any child enrolled in Placer Academy for the 13/14 year will have priority enrollment into Gateway. This priority would remain in place each year. (There will be no requirement to enroll in the Gateway program for 14/15 to be able to take advantage of the priority status.)
4) If my child is enrolled in a Newcastle school for the first time in the 2014/15 school year, what (if any) priorities are afforded my child for enrollment into WSCA?
At this time, there are none, but see the answer to number 1. The administration from NESD and RAFS (Rocklin Academy Family of Schools) are working together to refine the charter language to remove the date restrictions and create a new Rocklin Academy Family of Schools high school authorized by NESD.
5) If my child is enrolled in a Newcastle school for the first time in the 2014/15 school year, what (if any) priorities are afforded my child for enrollment into RA Gateway?
Please join us for a Open House on January 23rd at 6:30 pm. Here you will be able to learn about the program, meet the staff and experience student learning.
Message from the Principal
It is so hard to believe that we are at the end of the school year! There have been so many incredible successes to look back upon… far too many to share here. Here are just a few…
Our school continues to grow. 24 students were added over the year in the 1st, 4th and 6/7 classrooms (the only classrooms that had space).
The list could go on and on… but really the most important indicator of a successful school is measured by the learning and fun our students have had. The focused and smiling faces that they were wearing most of the time says a lot.
We have much, much more to do as we gear up for next year, and provide an even more dynamic program. Year 1 is almost in the books and it’s been a great one! It sure makes it exciting to consider the possibilities for next year 
Classroom Connections from Mrs. Johnson
First grade’s last science unit of the year was the Human Body. They spent the last two weeks learning about the skeletal, muscular, digestive, nervous and circulatory systems. We celebrated the end of the unit with a Human Body Day. Today the classes had six rotations through centers: the digestion process, food pyramids relays, heart rate/exercise, skeletal system, and germs. The favorite center had to be the “Paper Bag Body” in which students made lungs, a small intestine, a stomach, an esophagus and spine/vertebrae. All in all it was a very fun and educational day!
The third graders stepped back in time yesterday as part of their study of the 13 colonies. Students had a great time doing chores like making butter, sewing, and dipping candles. Don’t worry though, the day wasn’t all work. They also got to play some outdoor games that colonial children enjoyed like leapfrog, marbles, and jacks. In the end, most students expressed enjoying their colonial chores just as much as the games!
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Celebrating our Parents
This past Wednesday, our staff celebrated all of the parents that have volunteered in various ways throughout the year. We were glad to see all of your that were able to join us. Food was enjoyed, songs were sung and children made speeches. I can’t tell you how grateful we all are to have so many helpful and supportive hands.
We also recognized those families that have given an extraordinary number of volunteer hours. We have a nickname for them – Volunteer Angels. What we have seen is that all of the children benefit from their ability and dedication to volunteering here at Placer Academy. Here is a list (in no certain order) of the families that were able to contribute more than double the amount of required hours (30):
Armstrong’s; Askew’s; Bradley’s; Brooks; Burke’s; Chaussee’s; Crocker’s; Daggett’s; Feely’s; Gage’s; Hilmen’s; Holmes; Hudson’s; Kimbrough’s; Klug’s; Labinger’s; Love’s; McCall’s; Muller’s; Nedresky’s; Ogle’s; Pakyurek’s; Raddigan’s; Roberts; Robinson’s; Rogers; Safley’s; Schroeder’s; Slattery’s; Traynor’s and Waters.
Thank you all!
Report Cards Pick up on Thursday
Report Cards will be handed out to parents on the last day of school at the end of the day – which is Thursday, June 5. We will hand them directly to parents rather than put them into backpacks.
To accomplish this, parents will need to park cars and come in to pick up children, and the Report Cards. I.e., we will have a “hot day” pick up.
Lost and Found – Missing some clothes? FINAL REMINDER!
We are getting close to the end of the year and we have lots and lots of clothes with no names. Please drop through claim yours before we make a donation. All items will be taken on June 5th! Thank you!
B Assembly on Monday
On Monday we have our last assembly. We will celebrate Creativity as well have our drawing for students who earned B Bucks!
It is my pleasure to introduce three new teaching members of the Harvest Ridge Placer Academy staff. Each of them will bring enthusiasm, experience and dedication to your children! Please welcome them with open arms – I can promise you that they will each make our school even better! We are so lucky to have them:)
Welcome Mrs. Karen Allan – Middle School teacher
Hello, my name is Karen Allen. I am thrilled to be joining the Placer Academy junior high team this year. I am so happy to be able to work with such a wonderful group of students, parents and teachers whose goal is to provide the best learning environment possible! I am a local girl who grew up right here in the Loomis area. I went to a local elementary school, attended Del Oro High School, Sierra Junior College and went on to Sacramento State University where I received both my Bachelors Degree and teaching credential. I have been married to the same wonderful man for the past twenty-nine years. We have been blessed with two wonderful children. Our oldest, Katrina is a newlywed who married her high school sweetheart this past June. She is following in the family teaching legacy and hopes to have her teaching credential completed in the next two years. My son Derek is a student a William Jessup and is pursuing a career in Psychology. My Core Knowledge training encompasses the majority of my teaching experience. I began my teaching career as a Kindergarten teacher in Loomis. I moved on to Rocklin Academy where I spent six years as a first grade and fourth grade teacher. I then transferred to Accelerated Learning Academy where I taught grades fourth, seventh, eighth and ninth. This last year I taught at Global Youth Charter School in the sixth grade. I am truly looking forward to working with your children this year! It is my goal to help my students grow socially and academically and to help prepare them for their years ahead in high school. It will be a very exciting year and one that I am greatly looking forward to!
Welcome Mrs. Jeanne Blake – 2nd grade teacher
My name is Jeanne Blake, and I am excited join the Placer Academy Team as a 2nd grade teacher. I was born in Auburn and went to school at Newcastle Elementary from K-8th grade where I experienced wonderful teachers and a felt strong sense of community. I earned my BA from Sacramento State University in Psychology and Criminal Justice, but after volunteering as a tutor in the Placer County Juvenile Hall, I discovered I had a passion for teaching. I went back to Sac State for my teaching credential, and I have been teaching in the Yuba City Unified School District for the past 13 years. I taught 5th, 2nd, and 3rd grades until I became the Reading Intervention Teacher for Andros Karpreos School. As an Interventionist, I worked with students from Kindergarten through 8th grade who had trouble acquiring reading skills and managed our school’s Response to Intervention program. Watching students become successful and push themselves to master a challenge is awesome. Nothing gives me more joy than watching a child discover that they CAN do something! My son, husband, and I are happy to be moving back home to Placer County to spend time with our family and friends.
Welcome Mrs. Stephanie Emerson – 1st grade teacher
My name is Stephanie Emerson and I’m thrilled to be teaching first grade at Placer Academy for the upcoming school year! I have a degree in Child Development from CSU Sacramento and began teaching in 2002. I taught fourth and fifth grades in the Rio Linda Union School District until I started my family in 2005. I stayed home with my children for eight years but have recently ventured back into education teaching reading intervention to first through third graders.
My wonderful husband is also a teacher and we have two great kids, two feisty cats, and a spunky dog. We are excited that our daughter will be starting fourth grade at Placer Academy in fall! Our four year old son is in preschool.
I like to spend my free time with my family riding bikes, playing games, hiking, camping, and traveling. I also enjoy reading, writing, gardening, and cooking. I am passionate about nutrition and natural living.
Spirit Day
Wednesday, May 28th is our last Spirit Day! We are going out “aloha style” so find your Hawaiian garb. It will be perfect for the warming temperatures
Lost and Found – Missing some clothes?
We are getting close to the end of the year and we have lots and lots of clothes with no names. Please drop through to claim yours before we make a donation. All items will be taken on June 5th! Thank you!
A Celebration for Our Parents – Reminder!
It would be hard to imagine a more dedicated, involved and committed group of parents. Our staff realizes the value that all of you bring to the children here at Placer Academy.
With that in mind, are celebrating all of our parent volunteers on Wednesday, March 28th from 7:30 – 8:30. It will be held outside (weather permitting) and we will watch the kids on the playground while you relax. We are hoping to see many of our incredible parent volunteers that morning
Message from the Principal
Some messages bear repeating, therefore to ensure that all parents understand the status for administration for next year, I am repeating a part of my last week’s message.
“Below you will see a Governance Council update. It is speaking to what the Council envisions for its administrators. The extensive process that was used to get to this point is ultimately resulting in some recommendations that will continue to improve Harvest Ridge as a whole, and Placer Academy in its own.
I know that there are many of you wondering how I personally fit into these recommendations and specifically, whether I am returning next year.
Ultimately, as adopted, the recommendations are to maintain my current position at the current salary rate and percentage. Though some of my roles, responsibilities and energies may shift to reflect the recommendations, my position is essentially the same.
Given that, I want you to know that I am very much interested in continuing my work here at Placer Academy. It has never been my intent to spend only one year here after investing so much time, energy and passion into supporting the work that so many families and teachers did prior to my arrival. In my opinion, this school has nowhere to go but up, and I would be proud to continue to nourish and grow our current and future students. BTW, next year we will have an additional two classrooms.
In all fairness, however, if the budget is unable to sustain my current position, I will for personal reasons have to look at other professional options. This is to ensure that I am taking care of myself, and my own family.
I am, by nature, optimistic and hopeful that things will work out for everyone’s best interest and am working with our Director, Janet Sutton, to ensure that your children’s interests are the most important factor.”
Governance Council Update
The following message is being sent from Janet Sutton, Director Harvest Ridge Cooperative Charter.
Dear Harvest Ridge Placer Academy Parents,
On Tuesday, May 6th, the Governance Council met in a workshop to review recommendations from parents, staff, and Council members on how the HRCCS administration might better serve and support the school and its campuses. Additionally, the Council wanted to specifically reinforce the “One School – Two Sites” concept. As the attached documents will show, the recommendations from parents and staff aligned well, and were incorporated with those mapped out by the GC a few weeks back. After review, and few refinements to both documents, the GC adopted them as direction for the HRCCS administration.
Classroom Connections from Mrs. Johnson
Westward, Ho!” Attending Wagon’s West camp last week on an overnight camping trip was a highlight of the year for the fourth graders. Imagining life as a 49er and living it for two days allowed the students to catch a glimpse of what it must have been like during the times of the pioneers. After acquiring the appropriate clothing for the journey, students were given lessons on manners and many traditions during the time period. Some other activities enjoyed were making butter in a jar, square-dancing, gold-panning, archery, eating Smore’s at the campfire, and, the favorite amongst many, WASHING DISHES! Despite the rain, the students had an amazing time while making memories to last a lifetime!
These are must see pics!
Advisory Committee Selected
The parent group for next year’s Advisory Committee was elected at our Open House on Wednesday. The following parents will be members of the committee:
Laura Daggett
Heidi Holmes
Jennifer Muller
Jenn O’Neill
More information regarding the Advisory Committee will be shared. Most importantly, know that all meetings are open to all parents. This encourages other interested non-committee members to stay abreast of “what” the Advisory Committee is “advising”. We will of course also post Agendas and Minutes so that all are aware.
Thanks ahead of time to the parents volunteering for the Advisory Committee for next year.
A Celebration for Our Parents
It would be hard to imagine a more dedicated, involved and committed group of parents. Our staff realizes the value that all of you bring to the children here at Placer Academy.
With that in mind, we would like to celebrate all of our parent volunteers. Please look for an “evite” coming your way for a breakfast that the staff is providing on Wednesday, March 28th from 7:30 – 8:30. It will be held outside (weather permitting) and we will watch the kids on the playground while you relax. We are hoping to see many of our incredible parent volunteers that morning
Text Messages from Our School – Reminder
As I mentioned in prior newsletters, we are starting to use our text message services as well as phone messages. We will typically use texting for quick reminders and/or updates, e.g., rainy day pick-up.
What we have noticed is that over ½ of the phones receiving the texts are not receiving them because they are blocked. If you are, by accident, blocking the text messages from the school, there is one way to reopen the ability to receive our text messages. In the “To” box, type 68453. Then, in the message area, type the word “Yes”. You can always stop receiving text messages from us by typing the word “Stop” instead of yes.
STAR NOVA Summer Camps – Reminder
STAR NOVA, the company the provides many of our Friday enrichment classes, offers a summer camp program. If you are interested visit https://starcamps.starsacramento.org/ for more information.
“Hot Day” Pick-up – Reminder
If/when the temperature outside climbs well up over the 100 degree mark, standing in a parking lot for up to 15 minutes is not a good idea for our students, nor our staff. It is especially hard because we do not have adequate shade where we load students.
To avoid this, there may be a day or two when we have a Hot Day pick-up. It will look a lot like a Rainy Day pick-up, in fact, the schedule will be the same.
Kindergartners may be picked up starting @ 2:30 and, 1st – 7th graders can start getting picked up @ 2:45.
We hope to avoid the over-the-top-heat before school ends but want to make sure you understand the pick-up process should it surface.
May 9, 2014
First, what a week of learning and fun!
I saw 1st graders become Egyptians! I saw 3rd graders dissecting cow eyes! I saw 6/7th graders building aqueducts! I saw 4th graders dissecting sheep hearts, and then on Thursday they were packing their bags for an overnight trip in the Auburn Hills that will take them back to 1849! I saw 3rd graders making speeches, impersonating an historical character. I saw student art work that was simply phenomenal during our first ever Art Show! I saw kids and parents galore in the Book Fair perusing the shelves for the next best story to be read. And I saw student work being celebrated all around the school at our Open House.
It was indeed one of those special weeks where everything planned comes together in a marvelous fashion. There were smiles for miles, throughout the week. What a celebration! What a school!
Second, thank you to all of the parents/families for showing your appreciation of our wonderful teaching staff. All of us were showered in gifts, food, sweets and warmth. It means a lot to all of us that you notice, care and appreciate what we are doing to make learning meaningful and engaging. Please see below for a “parent celebration” we are hoping you can attend.
And third, below you will see a Governance Council update. It is speaking to what the Council envisions for its administrators. The extensive process that was used to get to this point is ultimately resulting in some recommendations that will continue to improve Harvest Ridge as a whole, and Placer Academy in its own.
I know that there are many of you wondering how I personally fit into these recommendations and specifically, whether I am returning next year.
Ultimately, as adopted, the recommendations are to maintain my current position at the current salary rate and percentage. Though some of my roles, responsibilities and energies may shift to reflect the recommendations, my position is essentially the same.
Given that, I want you to know that I am very much interested in continuing my work here at Placer Academy. It has never been my intent to spend only one year here after investing so much time, energy and passion into supporting the work that so many families and teachers did prior to my arrival. In my opinion, this school has nowhere to go but up, and I would be proud to continue to nourish and grow our current and future students. BTW, next year we will have an additional two classrooms.
In all fairness, however, if the budget is unable to sustain my current position, I will for personal reasons have to look at other professional options. This is to ensure that I am taking care of myself, and my own family.
I am, by nature, optimistic and hopeful that things will work out for everyone’s best interest and am working with our Director, Janet Sutton, to ensure that your children’s interests are the most important factor.
Governance Council Update
The following message is being sent from Janet Sutton, Director Harvest Ridge Cooperative Charter.
Dear Harvest Ridge Placer Academy Parents,
On Tuesday, May 6th, the Governance Council met in a workshop to review recommendations from parents, staff, and Council members on how the HRCCS administration might better serve and support the school and its campuses. Additionally, the Council wanted to specifically reinforce the “One School – Two Sites” concept. As the attached documents will show, the recommendations from parents and staff aligned well, and were incorporated with those mapped out by the GC a few weeks back. After review, and few refinements to both documents, the GC adopted them as direction for the HRCCS administration.
Classroom Connections from Mrs. Johnson
Biographies Come to Life in Third Grade!
Third grade students recently completed book reports on biographies of their choice. This week they presented those reports to their classmates. Students were encouraged to be creative in their presentations and they did not disappoint. Several students dressed as the person they read about and others dressed as characters related to the person. Mrs. Green feels that these presentations are a valuable way for students to teach each other about famous people from history and modern times. Biographies presented included: Abraham Lincoln, Leonardo da Vinci, J.F.K., Steven Spielberg, Elvis Presley, Dr. Seuss, Jane Goodall, Sally Ride and many more!
Advisory Committee Selected
The parent group for next year’s Advisory Committee was elected at our Open House on Wednesday. The following parents will be members of the committee:
Laura Daggett
Heidi Holmes
Jennifer Muller
Jenn O’Neill
More information regarding the Advisory Committee will be shared. Most importantly, know that all meetings are open to all parents. This encourages other interested non-committee members to stay abreast of “what” the Advisory Committee is “advising”. We will of course also post Agendas and Minutes so that all are aware.
Thanks ahead of time to the parents volunteering for the Advisory Committee for next year.
A Celebration for Our Parents
It would be hard to imagine a more dedicated, involved and committed group of parents. Our staff realizes the value that all of you bring to the children here at Placer Academy.
With that in mind, we would like to celebrate all of our parent volunteers. Please look for an “evite” coming your way for a breakfast that the staff is providing on Wednesday, March 28th from 7:30 – 8:30. It will be held outside (weather permitting) and we will watch the kids on the playground while you relax. We are hoping to see many of our incredible parent volunteers that morning
Text Messages from Our School – Reminder
As I mentioned in prior newsletters, we are starting to use our text message services as well as phone messages. We will typically use texting for quick reminders and/or updates, e.g., rainy day pick-up.
What we have noticed is that over ½ of the phones receiving the texts are not receiving them because they are blocked. If you are, by accident, blocking the text messages from the school, there is one way to reopen the ability to receive our text messages. In the “To” box, type 68453. Then, in the message area, type the word “Yes”. You can always stop receiving text messages from us by typing the word “Stop” instead of yes.
STAR NOVA Summer Camps – Reminder
STAR NOVA, the company the provides many of our Friday enrichment classes, offers a summer camp program. If you are interested visit https://starcamps.starsacramento.org/ for more information.
“Hot Day” Pick-up – Reminder
If/when the temperature outside climbs well up over the 100 degree mark, standing in a parking lot for up to 15 minutes is not a good idea for our students, nor our staff. It is especially hard because we do not have adequate shade where we load students.
To avoid this, there may be a day or two when we have a Hot Day pick-up. It will look a lot like a Rainy Day pick-up, in fact, the schedule will be the same.
Kindergartners may be picked up starting @ 2:30 and, 1st – 7th graders can start getting picked up @ 2:45.
We hope to avoid the over-the-top-heat before school ends but want to make sure you understand the pick-up process should it surface.
So sorry it’s being shared a week late but Channel 10 just put it up on their page a couple days ago.I also want to celebrate students in Mrs. Long’s classroom. Our middle schoolers decided to create a video on creativity (the skill we are focusing on) to show others some of the creative things happening here at school. Special thanks to Benny for handling the editing. Here is the link to the video http://youtu.be/k6NmU3Hd3tg
Enjoy, this is must see Placer Academy TV and Video!
The last couple of weeks kindergartners been learning some interesting little facts about Dr. Seuss from Mrs. Grissom. Dr. Seuss (Ted Geisel and his wife Audrey were friends of the Grissoms) when she lived in San Diego. Said Mrs. Grissom, “The Geisel’s were really fun people. When they gave dinner parties everyone got a funny hat to wear for the evening.”
What else would you expect from Dr. Seuss?
Parent conferences are scheduled next week. Here is the link http://goo.gl/g6tO6Y to sign up if you haven’t scheduled yet (yikes time is running out!). Realizing we are in the home stretch of the school year, please walk away from the conference with a good understanding of how your child is doing, and what, if any, areas need focus and attention.
With conference week comes minimum days and no lunch. Thank you for being here to pick up your kiddos @ 12 noon!
We are just about ready to start using School Messenger, a communication system that allows us to communicate via SMS (text messaging), phone and/or email. While it won’t replace other means of communication, we see it as an additional tool to send out brief updates and reminders. For example, we would use School Messenger to let parents know that there is a rainy day pick up.
As I mentioned, we can use it to make automated phone calls. Typically they would come from myself or Sheri for updates or brief reminders. We promise not to inundate you
Also know that when we send out the first text message, you will be able to “opt out” of future text messages. This is a courtesy for users that may not want to be texted.
Pending successful testing of the system over the next couple of days, we hope to send out our first messages next week sometime.
Three students from Placer Academy received awards at the Placer County STEM Expo and will receive special recognition for their work in: Scientific Inquiry (5th grade student Audrey Robinson and Claire Daggett – 1st Place) and Rube Goldberg (6th grade student Benny Rosario). They were celebrated at this past NESD School Board meeting! Having 3 students win awards from a small school is incredible considering the hundreds of students who entered. Congratulations are certainly in order!
NESD Board President, Jeff Sevey; Placer Academy students, Benny Rosario, Audrey Robinson and Claire Daggett; Superintendent, Kathleen Daugherty and two HRCCS 8th grade students.
I can speak confidently as a spokesperson for the Middle School Committee that we are excited about the continuing development, and direction of the program (both current and future). After getting input from parents at our Feb. 10th Town Hall meeting and several follow up meetings with the Middle School Committee, we have put together a general framework to work from. Without going into detail/description, here are some of the key components (in no particular order) for the program.
Teacher Specialization (e.g. a teacher responsible for teaching math/science; a different teacher responsible for teaching language arts/social sciences)
STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math
Project based learning; real world curriculum and application
21st century skills (focus on creative and critical thinking, collaboration, etc.)
Personalized Learning
Community / Service based learning (students working out in the community) and, bringing experts and community into the classroom
Enrichment and Electives integrated into school day with additional opportunities after school
1:1 computer (every student has a device)
Spanish
Again, these bullets are broad stroke and general, but should give you a sense of our direction at this time. Next steps?
We are in the process of establishing a budget for next year (for both the Middle School and Placer Academy in general). Our budget allocations will be aligned with the philosophies, goals and direction of our developing program.
Also, we are excited to be posting a middle school teaching position next week on Edjoin.org.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR – if you are interested in learning more about the Middle School, mark your calendar for Thursday, April 10. We will hold 2 sessions, one @ 5pm and one @ 6pm. At the meeting we will elaborate/explain the proposed ideas mentioned above, with additional information about the program.
High School Math Information Night~ Monday, March 31st, we have John Cooper, the Math Chair from Del Oro High School, coming to share information on the changes that are happening with math at the high school level. Mr. Cooper will be presenting at 7:00pm at Newcastle Elementary School. This is open to all parents, regardless of your child’s current grade level.
It is always nice to be able to share good news. And it is especially nice to let you know that our budget is very good shape. As a start up school, upfront expenses are obviously higher than normal. You are not spending your money on “ongoing” expenses; you are having to spend money on things like textbooks, chairs, desks, cabinets, etc. Of course those type of purchases typically last for years and some of the purchases are considered to be “one time expenditures.”
Even with that said, I can report to you that despite those upfront costs, the NESD Director of Fiscal Services, Nancy McKenzie, reported at the Wednesday School Board meeting that Harvest Ridge / Placer Academy is in strong financial shape. Working with Janet Sutton, Director HRCCS, we allocated an additional $20,000 for Placer Academy this school year! Some of that funding is going towards our middle school program as we look to next year, and I am going to be working with our staff to prioritize the remaining funds. I can assure you that when we allocate funding, our first consideration is, “is this good for kids?”
This week the 6th and 7th grade classes celebrated Pi Day. Although they were not on campus together for the actual date, 3/14, they were able to celebrate this math concept by finding the radius, diameter, and circumference of various cookies and crackers, making crafts representing Pi, and eating yummy chocolate and apple pies. The kids had a blast!
Ms. Danskin’s 2nd grade class has been learning about the different types of simple machines, including wedges, inclined planes, wheels and axles, screws, levers and pulleys. Students had to build a simple machine to trap leprechauns. After demonstrating their creatively built traps, the students set them up in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day. Let’s see how many leprechauns will be trapped using their simple machines!
Wednesday is “WHAT YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP” Spirit Day. Come dressed up as your dream profession. (IE doctor, baker…)
Three students from Placer Academy received awards at the Placer County STEM Expo and will receive special recognition for their work in: Scientific Inquiry (5th grade student Audrey Robinson and Claire Daggett – 1st Place) and Rube Goldberg (6th grade student Benny Rosario). They were celebrated at this past NESD School Board meeting! Having 3 students win awards from a small school is incredible considering the hundreds of students who entered. Congratulations are certainly in order!
Pictured above from left: NESD Board President, Jeff Sevey; Placer Academy students, Benny Rosario, Audrey Robinson and Claire Daggett; two HRCCS 8th grade students.
Last month we focused on a critical 21st century skill, collaboration. This month, our focus skill is creative thinking. I have attached a “rubric” that will help guide as we teach and reinforce the skill.
We are continuing to build momentum as we enter Trimester 3 here in our first year at Placer Academy. Next week we will sending out Intent to Return forms. This will help us plan for next year as well as keep families on the waiting list informed. Thank you for returning them promptly.
And BTW, we think Year 2 is going to be twice as good
I can speak confidently as a spokesperson for the Middle School Committee that we are excited about the continuing development, and direction of the program (both current and future). After getting input from parents at our Feb. 10th Town Hall meeting and several follow up meetings with the Middle School Committee, we have put together a general framework to work from. Without going into detail/description, here are some of the key components (in no particular order) for the program.
Teacher Specialization (e.g. a teacher responsible for teaching math/science; a different teacher responsible for teaching language arts/social sciences)
STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math
Project based learning; real world curriculum and application
21st century skills (focus on creative and critical thinking, collaboration, etc.)
Personalized Learning
Community / Service based learning (students working out in the community) and, bringing experts and community into the classroom
Enrichment and Electives integrated into school day with additional opportunities after school
1:1 computer (every student has a device)
Spanish
Again, these bullets are broad stroke and general, but should give you a sense of our direction at this time. Next steps?
We are in the process of establishing a budget for next year (for both the Middle School and Placer Academy in general). Our budget allocations will be aligned with the philosophies, goals and direction of our developing program.
Also, we are excited to be posting a middle school teaching position next week on Edjoin.org.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR – if you are interested in learning more about the Middle School, mark your calendar for Thursday, April 10. We will hold 2 sessions, one @ 5pm and one @ 6pm. At the meeting we will elaborate/explain the proposed ideas mentioned above, with additional information about the program.
High School Math Information Night~ Monday, March 31st, we have John Cooper, the Math Chair from Del Oro High School, coming to share information on the changes that are happening with math at the high school level. Mr. Cooper will be presenting at 7:00pm at Newcastle Elementary School. This is open to all parents, regardless of your child’s current grade level.
Harvest Ridge’s (Newcastle) annual fundraising auction is around the corner! If you haven’t done so already, mark your calendars for this not-to-be-missed evening on Friday, April 4th at 6:00pm. Our gala will take place at The Ridge in Auburn, where we will enjoy an elegant dinner, both a silent and a live auction, a DJ, dancing, and plenty of time to visit. Tickets are $25/person and $180/table of eight. See attached for the flyer and contact information.
I’d like to give a shout out to the Placer Academy PTO. I can personally attest to the daunting and challenging work of building a new organization. Creating a positive culture, getting policies and procedures in place, and doing this while you are continuing to work on your goals takes tons of time and dedication. I liken the process to “building the plane while it is flying!”
So while the PTO has not been able to fill all of the Board positions (still lacking a Treasurer), the Board has continued to support the school and positively make a difference for our school. A great example of that is the Spaghetti Dinner they put on last Friday evening. They did a fabulous job! The room looked great, the food was yummy, the prizes were terrific and best of all, everybody had a great time It was especially fun watching the kids dance around to the music provided by the DJ. Their efforts on raising supplementary funds that support our educational programs have been great, especially considering that our school and the PTO are still in it’s infancy. They have accomplished much in a short period of time and we should all be thankful for the work they have done and I know will continue to do (I hope you all are going to be at the golf-n-dinner fundraiser in May!)
These events symbolize the kind of school we want to have. We want to stay small with a family friendly culture where “everybody knows your name.”
Over the past two weeks, the first and fourth grade classes have been learning about the 13 Colonies, the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere’s Ride, all leading up to the American Revolution. The fourth graders, acting as King George III and the Redcoats, entered the first grade classrooms to impose taxes on them. They had to pay to use paper, pencils, kleenex, etc. These “colonists” were outraged and were then ready to fight back. On Monday, the first graders reenacted their own version of the Boston Tea Party by dressing up as Indians and Patriots, sneaking into the 4th grade (British) classroom, and throwing tea bags all over. After much discussion of these historical events, the classes decided to call a truce and ended this exciting, educational experience with a real tea party and friendly games on the playground.
Having had kids of my own to get em up, get em ready and get em to school, I recognize the challenges of getting them to school on time. Despite the challenges, our family worked hard to make sure we were on time to school. Getting your child to school on time reinforces a message that 1) school is important and 2) timeliness is important. If school is your child’s job and responsibility, we want to impress on them the importance of showing up to their job on time. Thank you for making every effort to reinforce those messages by getting to school before 8:10.
PS – we recognize that sometimes things come up; but we just don’t want to make it a habit.
Please help support Placer Academy by contributing your CRV cans, plastic bottles and glass for recycling through our recycling event. Bring your CRV items for collection during drop-off and pick-up, and we will turn all proceeds into funds for our school. Every bit counts! Invite grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbors and friends to contribute CRV items too!
For large donations, we can arrange to come to your home to pick-up your recycling. Please contact the school office.
Next Tuesday at approximately 2:30 (weather permitting) we are continuing to celebrate student’s good efforts and skills. To reward students who receive Be Tickets (Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Kind, Be On Task and Be Safe) teachers randomly draw one the tickets from those who earned them and they receive a $5 gift certificate for various places, e.g.,
We are also initiating a “low key” way to recognize students that are demonstrating 21st century skills (this month Collaboration). At the assembly, teachers will read the names of their students that showed proficiency in collaboration. The following day, those students will get a small key chain and a pendant that represents the skill of collaboration. For each skill, students will receive a different pendant that symbolizes the skill. Next month the skill we are focusing on is Creative Thinking!
Harvest Ridge’s (Newcastle) annual fundraising auction is around the corner! If you haven’t done so already, mark your calendars for this not-to-be-missed evening on Friday, April 4th at 6:00pm. Our gala will take place at The Ridge in Auburn, where we will enjoy an elegant dinner, both a silent and a live auction, a DJ, dancing, and plenty of time to visit. Tickets are $25/person and $180/table of eight. See attached for the flyer and contact information.
Below is the notice that went out via paper last week
Dear Placer Academy Families,
We apologize for the confusion about Spirit Days. As a student council, we are learning the process of organization and communication. lt is especially powerful to learn these lessons when the stakes are low. We are sorry that this has given some families additional stress. We have new ideas in place to make it easier to know what is happening so it will help everyone know what we are doing in the future. lt will continue to be on the school calendar and will ensure that it is in Mr. Scott’s newsletters. We will also have posters up and announce it to the classes ahead of time. We hope to stay as “green” as possible so we will not send flyers home but will rely on the newsletter and the calendar. lt is our sincere hope that this will help our families. We appreciate your patience as we are learning.
Sincerely,
Placer Academy Student Council
March 18 “Who you want to be when you grow up” (dress up like what career you want to do when you grow up. IE doctor…)
April 30 Rainbow Day Each class has a chosen color to wear (check with your teacher)
May 28 Hawaiian Day Dress up in your most colorful Hawaiian colors. Florals, solid bright colors, anything tropical works!
Students in grades 3 – 7 will be taking the Smarter Balanced Practice Tests this next week. This will give the students an opportunity to see the type of questions that they will need to understand, and let us see how our network holds up when we have a couple classrooms taking the tests at once. If you haven’t already done so, I suggest you, as parents, take some time to take a few practice tests. Here is the link http://sbac.portal.airast.org/
Good luck
There are so many great things happening here at Placer Academy; in fact it’s hard to keep up!!! All of you already know the things going on in your own child’s, but unless you’ve heard it thru the grapevine, you don’t get to hear what’s happening across the school. To help “get the word out” and to further celebrate the work our kids our doing, I have asked our Lead Teacher, Mrs. Johnson, to contribute to this weekly update by sharing some of the great things happening in the various classrooms. Below is our first one!
Mrs. Fletcher’s 5th grade class celebrated the end of their Renaissance unit this week. Visiting various stations students practiced writing Shakespeare quotes with quills and ink, used their knowledge of the scientific method to determine the color yarn would be using natural dyes from vegetables such as beets, and sewed Renaissance coin pouches. To top it all off they enjoyed tasting Leonardo da Vinci’s favorite lunch, delicious minestrone soup. What a great way to wrap up their study of the Renaissance!
In Ms. Danskins’ 2nd grade class, art was one of the highlights this week. The second graders learned about the difference between realistic art and abstract art. Students looked at different pieces from artists, such as Marc Chagall, and created their own abstract art masterpiece by using crayon, watercolor, and salt. The results were beautiful!
It is fairly typical to have students forget sweatshirts, jackets, etc. at school. In case you haven’t seen the pile, it is getting enormous! It is time to take some action!
On Monday, we will have all of the teachers take their students out to look at the clothes. Hopefully some will recognize their lost clothing!
Then after school on Monday and Tuesday, several parents will help get the clothes out so that parents can easily look/find. If we still have clothing left by the end of Tuesday, a run will be made to the Good Will. Feel free to drop thru any time Monday or Tuesday to look through the pile but again, if it’s not picked up by Tuesday after school, we are donating the clothes to a worthy cause.
Below is the notice that went out via paper earlier this week.
Dear Placer Academy Families,
We apologize for the confusion about Spirit Days. As a student council, we are learning the process of organization and communication. lt is especially powerful to learn these lessons when the stakes are low. We are sorry that this has given some families additional stress. We have new ideas in place to make it easier to know what is happening so it will help everyone know what we are doing in the future. lt will continue to be on the school calendar and will ensure that it is in Mr. Scott’s newsletters. We will also have posters up and announce it to the classes ahead of time. We hope to stay as “green” as possible so we will not send flyers home but will rely on the newsletter and the calendar. lt is our sincere hope that this will help our families. We appreciate your patience as we are learning.
Sincerely,
Placer Academy Student Council
March 5 (Twin Day for classes who did not do it this week)
March 18 “Who you want to be when you grow up” (dress up like what career you want to do when you grow up. IE doctor…)
April 30 Rainbow Day Each class has a chosen color to wear (check with your teacher)
May 28 Hawaiian Day Dress up in your most colorful Hawaiian colors. Florals, solid bright colors, anything tropical works!
Students in grades 3 – 7 will be taking the Smarter Balanced Practice Tests this next week. This will give the students an opportunity to see the type of questions that they will need to understand, and let us see how our network holds up when we have a couple classrooms taking the tests at once. If you haven’t already done so, I suggest you, as parents, take some time to take a few practice tests. Here is the link http://sbac.portal.airast.org/
Excellent communication is one of the most important components inside and outside of a successful organization. We are continually trying to improve ours but realize we are still a work in progress. We understand for example that our website, is not completely up to date. The site is in the midst of a transition and my hope is that it is fully up and running by the end of March. These weekly updates are I believe helpful but I know how hard it is to sift through emails to get information.
Our teachers are also using various means of communication and yes, I understand it is “various”. Some of them are using shutterfly, others emails, etc.
Over time, my promise is to simplify the communication systems with parents.
One tool we will start using soon is School Messenger. It is a program that allows us to communicate via text message. You can if you like opt out of receiving the messages but our plan is to use School Messenger for important info and reminders only. Look for more information coming soon.
Another communication tool we sometimes forget is called F2F. That is: face to face
Yes, sitting down to chat or discuss things is often much more productive. As the principal I want to ensure you that I welcome F2F meetings. Although there may be times when I am not available, I want to encourage you to contact Sheri and she will make sure we get dedicated time.
You should have received a document regarding emergency procedures / evacuation. If it didn’t make it into your child’s backpack, I have attached a copy for you to keep. Please review and keep handy in the unlikely event you need it. Thank you.
We had a great turnout this past Monday for our Town Hall meeting designed to solicit input for our growing 6-8 middle school program. Thank you to the many parents who attended! Some great student outcomes were generated, many of which correlated with our staff’s ideas of what a great program looks like.
Our next steps are to carefully vet through the ideas, and complete feasibility studies. This will translate into a draft action plan – which will be a set of specific strategies-actions regarding services, programs and practices that guide decisions. We will bring this back to the community. We do not, as this is being written, have dates however we are hoping by mid/late March. Know that we are continuing to invest in our program. We recently allocated $10 K towards providing books, materials, supplies and technology for the program. It is becoming our “Field of Dreams” If you build it they will come
You may not know that Harvest Ridge Placer Academy has a facebook page! School and special class events are posted appropriately to share with others, the many great things going on at our school. Be sure to check it out and LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!!!
Today I would like to celebrate “the face” of Harvest Ridge Placer Academy – Mrs. Sheri Baldridge, aka Miss Sheri. As a principal, I cannot begin to tell you the importance of having a person in her position that is efficient, knowledgeable, energetic, people friendly, talented and dedicated. In Miss Sheri I have all of those things, and more. I feel blessed every day I am at work knowing that she is there taking center stage in the running of the school. Here are a few things that our staff said about Miss Sheri.
“I appreciate Sheri’s willingness to help in any capacity and I love her warm infectious smile.”
“Miss Sheri is incredibly organized and often thinks of things that need to be done before I even have time to ask. The students in my class rave about Ms Sheri!”
“I appreciate how helpful and warm she is!”
“Sheri is happy to help with anything you need and always has a smile on her face. She is amazing!”
“Shari is a delightful gift to us all. She starts each day with a smile. She is patient, kind and fun. She is reliable, helpful, and conscientious . There is nothing she won’t try!”
“Placer Academy would not be the same if we did not have her sweet face to greet us as we walked in and to take care of all our last minute requests.”
“What a wonderful addition Sheri has been to our school. She is always positive, efficient, and pleasant with all students, teachers, and parents.”
“I appreciate Sheri’s immense patience and unending positive attitude! She always helps everyone in any way she can, solves problems, and generally makes all of our lives easier all with a smile on her face.”
“Miss Sheri is like chocolate – she makes everything better :)”
Suffice to say that all of us here at Placer Academy are very grateful to have Miss Sheri in our lives here. She simply makes us better at what we do, which is to educate our children. Thank you Sheri for all you do – you are appreciated!
On Monday (February 10th) afternoon we are having an assembly with the Ned Show. They have great reviews about providing exciting and inspiring assemblies that reinforce positive messages about school. We sent out an informational flyer this week with your child (I attached it as well). You are welcome to attend the assembly however if it is raining, we will have to split up the school and squeeze half of the classes into one of our spare rooms. So if it is raining, unfortunately I recommend that you do NOT attend. If it is NOT raining, we will have the assembly outside at 2pm and space will not be an issue.
They are able to provide the entertaining assembly for FREE because they sell yo yo’s that they of course use during the assembly. It does generate a lot of enthusiasm for “yo yoing”. We will be selling the yo yo’s Tuesday Feb. 11th – Friday Feb. 14th in the morning before school and during lunch only. Please use the order form on the flyer when purchasing. Make checks payable to: Harvest Ridge Placer Academy.
You may not know that Harvest Ridge Placer Academy has a facebook page! School and special class events are posted appropriately to share with others, the many great things going on at our school. Be sure to check it out and LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!!!
Please join us as we gather to collect input on what you (our parents) want to see as we continue to build our 6th, 7th and 8th grade program. We realize the incredible potential we have here at Placer Academy to create a unique and powerful middle school experience that will provide our students an enriching education that will prepare them for life in high school and beyond.
Who: Parents
Where: Placer Academy
When: Monday, February 10th @ 6 PM – 7:30
Why: Get input on what parents want in a middle school
How: See you then
All parents are welcome, regardless of whether you have 6th grader, 3rd grader and/or kindergartner or?!
While the winter season has been mostly void of precipitation, it has not been void of students getting sick. I am officially releasing a notice of alert for Strep Throat. We’ve had seven students come down with Strep throat yesterday and today! Please see attachment. In particular, Ms. Allan’s kindergarten class and Ms. Danskin’s 2nd grade class are being hit hard. As you know strep is extremely contagious so siblings and/or playmates are very susceptible.
Thank you for being on extra alert. Ensuring your kids are eating good healthy food, staying hydrated and getting plenty of sleep will help their immune system fight the bad bugs coming through. Also remind them how to sneeze properly and wash their hands often. Our teachers will help remind them of healthy practices while they are here at school.
Again, please read the attachment. Thank you.
Please join us as we gather to collect input on what you (our parents) want to see in our 6th, 7th and 8th grade program. We realize the incredible potential we have here at Placer Academy to create a unique and powerful middle school experience that will provide our students an enriching education that will prepare them for life in high school and beyond.
Who: Parents
Where: Placer Academy
When: Monday, February 10th @ 6 PM – 7:30
Why: Get input on what parents want in a middle school
How: See you then
All parents are welcome, regardless of whether you have 6th grader, 3rd grader and/or kindergartner! Again this meeting will focus on collecting input from you, the parents. After we collect the information, we will share out the top priorities that come from the input, and hold a follow up meeting to share plans for the program.
Thanks to Krista Hilmen, Tasha Raddigan and the many others who helped organize the growing number of enrichment activities here at Placer Academy. We have a Reading Club, a K-2 and 3-7 Stem Science Club, a K-2 and 3-7 Arts and Crafts Club, and even a Band! Thank you to the many talented parents that are running the clubs – sharing your talents with the kids is a tremendous gift!
As you are aware, all students have google accounts that are protected and safe. Teachers are slowly but surely starting to get their students logged in and using some of the excellent google apps available. In all honesty what all teachers need is more time to get new things implemented. A group of us are attending a Google Festival Saturday 8th and 9th. We will come back with some great ideas and then share them with teachers not able to attend.
We are adding another layer of recognition here at Placer Academy. It will build on our current “5 B” program (Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Kind, Be On Task, Be Safe) which we celebrate with a school wide assembly on the first Monday of each month.
A huge part of what we want our students to have (aside from the academic excellence we expect) are skills that will help them be better prepared in our global society. To help teach, encourage, and recognize we are putting into place a “LifeSkills Program”. The idea behind lifeskills has been around for many years. More recently many of those skills have been identified by large influential organizations such as Partnership for 21st Century Skills. If you click on the link, you will see the skills and literacies they believe are going to be critical for our future generations. The Common Core State Standards have also identified and embedded the following skills into the Common Core: Collaboration, Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking and Communication.
Our Charter is in agreement with the idea that our children absolutely do need those skills and in fact, we embed, teach and reinforce skills throughout day. What we are adding to our program is to provide school wide recognition for students that are demonstrating the skill at a high level.
To celebrate these students we will announce all qualifying students at the 5B Assembly starting in March. Certificates will also be given to each student.
The first skill we are focusing on is Collaboration!
There are times when a student goes too far in breaking school and/or classroom rules. Maybe they were disrespectful to an adult? Or damaged property? Or used inappropriate language? Or was using rough or unsafe play? Of course we hope not! However if the supervising adult believes the infraction needs documenting, parents may get a ½ sheet with the title Harvest Ridge Placer Academy Infraction Report.
Infraction Reports may be written by any staff member and/or supervising adult. After they are written, they are given to the child’s teacher who will send it home. There should be 2 copies (yellow on top and pink on bottom). If your child receives one, please sign the form, keep the pink copy (for your records) and send the yellow signed copy back to the teacher. This process does not mean you agree or disagree; it simply means that you have seen it, signed it and returned it.
Should you have any questions about the report please feel free to contact the adult who wrote the report. While I realize that it may be upsetting to have one of these come home, I encourage you to stay open minded about what happened. The adult who wrote it obviously weighed in on the situation and believed that it was important that you, the parents, know what happened. There may be a school consequence written on the form – this is for your information. Your decision as to how you work with it at home is of course your decision. Know that your concern and support are appreciated.
In the past two weeks we’ve had both a Spelling Bee (4th – 7th graders) and a Speech Contest (6th/7th only). The speech contest was meant to coincide with last night’s Open House for families interested in sending their children to Placer Academy. I would like to recognize and celebrate the two students who won the contest and as a result, spoke last night in front of a packed room. Congratulations to:
MacKenzie Onstine
Grace Rodgers
They did a great job representing the good things about our school
Our school-wide Spelling Bee had 10 contestants. They were:
Mrs. Johnson’s 4th grade class: Nathan Tilahun, Damon de los Reyes and Summer Melin
Mrs. Fletcher’s 5th grade class: Christian Roberts, Jackson Onstine and Josh Darke
Mrs. Long’s 6th/7th grade class: Grace Rodgers, Madison Johnson, Benny Rosario and Jordan Hatcher
After many grueling rounds, we ended up with our top three winners. Each of these students participated in the 1st round of the Placer County Office of Education Spelling Bee. Congratulations to:
1st Place – Damon de los Reyes
2nd Place – Jordan Hatcher
3rd Place – Christian Roberts
We are again looking for parents that are interested in helping out during our lunch time. We actually have a paying job available however if you are interested in volunteering with your hours on a more occasional basis, we could really use your help! Please contact Sheri sbaldridge@placeracademy.org or call us 259 – 1688. Thank you for considering.
We are adding another layer of recognition here at Placer Academy. It will build on our current “5 B” program (Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Kind, Be On Task, Be Safe) which we celebrate with a school wide assembly on the first Monday of each month.
A huge part of what we want our students to have (aside from the academic excellence we expect) are skills that will help them be better prepared in our global society. To help teach, encourage, and recognize we are putting into place a “LifeSkills Program”. The idea behind lifeskills has been around for many years. More recently many of those skills have been identified by large influential organizations such as Partnership for 21st Century Skills. If you click on the link, you will see the skills and literacies they believe are going to be critical for our future generations. The Common Core State Standards have also identified and embedded the following skills into the Common Core: Collaboration, Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking and Communication.
Our Charter is in agreement with the idea that our children absolutely do need those skills and in fact, we embed, teach and reinforce skills throughout day. What we are adding to our program is to provide school wide recognition for students that are demonstrating the skill at a high level.
To celebrate these students we will announce all qualifying students at the 5B Assembly starting in March. Certificates will also be given to each student.
The first skill we are focusing on is Collaboration!
There are times when a student goes too far in breaking school and/or classroom rules. Maybe they were disrespectful to an adult? Or damaged property? Or used inappropriate language? Or was using rough or unsafe play? Of course we hope not! However if the supervising adult believes the infraction needs documenting, parents may get a ½ sheet with the title Harvest Ridge Placer Academy Infraction Report.
Infraction Reports may be written by any staff member and/or supervising adult. After they are written, they are given to the child’s teacher who will send it home. There should be 2 copies (yellow on top and pink on bottom). If your child receives one, please sign the form, keep the pink copy (for your records) and send the yellow signed copy back to the teacher. This process does not mean you agree or disagree; it simply means that you have seen it, signed it and returned it.
Should you have any questions about the report please feel free to contact the adult who wrote the report. While I realize that it may be upsetting to have one of these come home, I encourage you to stay open minded about what happened. The adult who wrote it obviously weighed in on the situation and believed that it was important that you, the parents, know what happened. There may be a school consequence written on the form – this is for your information. Your decision as to how you work with it at home is of course your decision. Know that your concern and support are appreciated.
We are so excited to announce that we have Mary’s Pizza Shack catering our dance this coming Friday night! We have also had an overwhelming sign up by PlacerAcademy families and expect to have a packed house. There is still time to donate a raffle item if you own a business, have unused gift cards laying around, or just want to give to the school . We also welcome your favorite goodies to be sold in our bake sale.
This is to be a time of food, fellowship and fun for all ages!
Mary’s Pizza Shack is catering our dinner! Don’t forget there are limited tickets at the door, so it is best to buy tickets now.
Hey did you buy enough raffle tickets? We have more than 10 raffle items!! All raffle tickets purchased by 2/27 are only 3/$1. Raffle tickets are used for raffle items, drink sales, bake sale goodies, and other fun items. Most importantly, please consider helping out the day and evening of the event. It takes a lot of us to get an event like this up and running, plus you get to use up those volunteer hours. Sign up here!!!!
Classes start Friday March 7th. Check out this flyer for more information. This is a STEM enrichment program designed to unlock the mystery behind computer programming.
Want to get involved? Need to build your volunteer hours? Here are some upcoming events where we can use your help and you can get volunteer hours, too!
Please join us for an afternoon of golf and an evening of dinner and fun at the Rocklin Golf Club.
Placer Academy PTO is hosting their 1st annual “Sail Into Summer” Golf and Dinner to benefit the STEM and Technology needs of our school.
$125 per player/$400 per foursome, $30 dinner only.
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL: register before 2/27 to receive 3 HRPA volunteer hours per player!
The parents and families that are associated with this school are simply amazing! I can’t put it any other way. Every single day, I see parents in and out of the school and the classrooms. Before school, during school and after school. And yes, even on the weekends. The simple truth is that it is this ongoing committed network of parents and families ( did I mention we have lots of grandparents that support us too?!?!?) that keep this ship floating in the right direction. Yes, I might be the Captain, but without the “parent crew”, we would be mired in the mud somewhere
The list of parents that go waaaaay above and beyond the required 30 hours is a long one, and as I write this I wouldn’t dare try to publish that list without absolutely having a definitive list. That being said, you know who you are. What we, who work here have to come to understand is that you do what you do not for fame, not for glory, and certainly not for money. You do what you do, because you are committed, like the staff is, to ensuring that all of our students here at Placer Academy have every opportunity for success.
I can only hope that you know how much the staff and I appreciate your time and commitment. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you from all of us.
I am working with the Development Committee to create a new school entity called the School Advisory Committee. It will be composed of teachers, parents and myself with the purpose of providing feedback and guidance as we move into future years. School Advisory Committee (SAC) members will be voted in at our Open House scheduled for May 8th. More information about the committee will come in the next couple of months.
We often get the question of how parents can further participate in “school-wide activities”. Please know that PTO is in process of updating their committees. Over this next week we will be meeting to examine the various committees listed on the school website http://goo.gl/2Lw3z7 as well as the various school-wide committees we have created. The goal is to make it clear what parents can do to fulfill their hours beyond the classroom walls. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me, or email traddigan@gmail.com. Thank you!
Thank you for spreading the word about our Open House Thursday, Jan. 23 @ 6:30 for any other families interested in attending Placer Academy next year.
Harvest Ridge Placer Academy is an Independent Study Charter Program. Therefore we operate under the policies and procedures under California State Independent Charters even though our students actually attend school 4 days per week. Our Independent Study days then are very important in terms of learning! They are considered, under law, to be a day of school. This explains why we have Learning Calendars that should reflect assignments made. Your signature on each of the Learning Calendars tells us, and the state, that the students have completed all of the expected assigned work. Each year, we are audited which means they go through the calendars and student work.
Most of our “independent study days” fall on Fridays. Fridays are school days. And while in a traditional sense, we would expect the students to be completing their work on that day, we understand that there is flexibility for you as a family in determining when the work is done, as long as it is ready by the following Monday. What is important for all of us to understand is that the independent work is an integral part of your child’s education. They are receiving less direct instruction from their teachers than most other students attending school. Since we are considered a non-classroom based charter, we expect and encourage the parent’s participation in their child’s learning – yes – your participation and support is obviously and most certainly very important. We believe in the concept of “parents as teachers.”
As a school staff, we have recently spent time thinking critically asking questions and sharing best practices regarding Friday’s Independent Work. Our goal is to be as consistent as possible, yet allow teachers the autonomy to assign meaningful work that meets the needs of all/each of their students. The biggest overarching question when assigning Friday work is, “What do we want students to know and be able to do as a result of the assignments?”
In assigning independent study work, two of the biggest concerns revolve around the amount of time students are expected to be spending, and the level of difficulty. What we know is that where a particular activity may take one student 10 minutes to complete, another student may need 20-30 minutes. Thus time and difficulty are intricately linked. Additionally, some students may need “support” to complete the assignment or activity, usually because of the level of difficulty. With regard to this issue, we have decided that in general we should try to provide work that, for the most part, students can do on their own. That being said, we also believe that work should not be “overly easy” so parental oversight is important.
What type of work should we assign?
Assignments should not strictly be skill based practice worksheets although there may be some. Ideally a blend of activities are given, some of which allow the children to practice/learn skills, and some which allow them to apply their learning in new and creative ways. The type of work assigned may reinforce concepts taught during the prior week, may provide foreshadowing of concepts coming in the future, or may be something that allow students to creatively apply their understanding of a concept. Projects may also be assigned. While students may not have a project assigned every week, as a staff that believes in the value of using projects to improve student learning, you can anticipate that your child will have projects throughout the year. Please note – we strongly recommend that you allow them to be your child’s work, not you, the parent. Guidance is encouraged, but authenticity is important.
Additionally, not all students may be assigned the same work. This approach, called differentiation, gives teachers options to meet the individual needs of their students. Technology and learning games will increasingly be a component of Friday work. This may obviously need your involvement.
How long should students be working on their Friday Independent work?
On classroom-based assignments our K – 3 students should be working an estimated 2 ½ – 3 ½ hours to complete expected assignments. In general, our younger students will be on the lower end of this range and as they get older, a bit more time will probably be required. Our 4-6 students would typically have more to do, and thus the amount of time needed increases. The range is closer to 3 ½ – 4 ½ hours, and there may be days, depending on the type of assignments that it goes a bit longer. For 7th graders, as you might suspect the workload again increases. The amount of time students spend for Friday work is not written in stone, and it will vary from week to week. An hour of PE is also generally assigned for Fridays. Additionally we take into account the fact that families do fun and interesting things on Fridays, as well as enrichment activities outside of the school. The flexible Friday schedule is, we think, one of the great benefits of our program.
How do the enrichment classes offered on Friday fit in?
Classroom assignments that teachers make are not related or connected to the wonderful enrichment opportunities that are offered here. The Enrichment classes offered through our PTO are optional, and are not attended by all students. Therefore students that attend enrichment classes still must complete their assigned Independent Study work. We think the enrichment classes are very valuable, and they provide students great opportunities to learn about and do things they may not be able to do in school, or home.
However, the enrichment classes are provided from outside vendors and as you know, they cost money. Independent Study is assigned in a manner that allows for all students to benefit from the learning activities, as well as take part in whatever Enrichment activities work for individual families.
Thank you for your support. We will continue to reflect, learn and grow in our ability to provide an outstanding instructional and curriculum program here at Harvest Ridge Placer Academy. Should have further questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher, or Mr. Scott.
The onset of January has been known to be a tough time for people and families. Obviously “the holidays” are over and it’s back to reality and routine. While I do enjoy the holiday time, every year that I put up a new calendar I get excited.
So what new experiences will this year bring? What do I want to accomplish? What goals am I setting? What opportunities are out there? What are the endless possibilities? Etc. etc. These thoughts make me motivated to get up and experience life to the fullest!
I know that Placer Academy is headed for an awesome year! We continue to incrementally grow, yet we stay small. We have waiting lists in most grade levels and while we do wish we could accommodate everyone, we realize that a factor of our excellence is tied to the commitment to “stay small.” We will not go beyond two classes per grade level. Our focus on bringing families into a small community environment is vital to the success of our precious students.
In all likelihood we will be adding at least an additional two classrooms. Our two 1st grade classrooms mean we will need to have two 2nd grade classrooms next year. Of course we currently only have one. That “bubble” will move up the chain each year. Additionally, we are anticipating adding a full 6th grade class as our 5th graders move on up. Our current 6th/7th graders will then move up to a 7th/8th classroom.
We are very excited about creating a dynamic and meaningful middle school program. It is a powerful concept to have a family centered K-8 school! With both myself and Mrs. Long having lots of middle school experience we, and others, are continuing to research “what is critical” for middle school age students to learn, thrive and be over-the-top prepared for the high school transition. If you are interested in having input on the development, you might mark your calendars now for Monday, February 10 @ 6 PM. A town hall meeting will bring collaborative brainstorming, conversations and input for those attending. Look for more info soon!
May all (well at least some of your resolutions and dreams come true during 2014!
As mentioned above, we have some room for growth. And we have plenty of families on waiting lists and others that call looking for information. Thursday, Jan. 23 @ 6:30 is a time for those, and any other families interested in attending Placer Academy next year. The flyer is attached (hopefully, it is large file). Spread the word!
Harvest Ridge Placer Academy is an Independent Study Charter Program. Therefore we operate under the policies and procedures under California State Independent Charters even though our students actually attend school 4 days per week. Our Independent Study days then are very important in terms of learning! They are considered, under law, to be a day of school. This explains why we have Learning Calendars that should reflect assignments made. Your signature on each of the Learning Calendars tells us, and the state, that the students have completed all of the expected assigned work. Each year, we are audited which means they go through the calendars and student work.
Most of our “independent study days” fall on Fridays. Fridays are school days. And while in a traditional sense, we would expect the students to be completing their work on that day, we understand that there is flexibility for you as a family in determining when the work is done, as long as it is ready by the following Monday. What is important for all of us to understand is that the independent work is an integral part of your child’s education. They are receiving less direct instruction from their teachers than most other students attending school. Since we are considered a non-classroom based charter, we expect and encourage the parent’s participation in their child’s learning – yes – your participation and support is obviously and most certainly very important. We believe in the concept of “parents as teachers.”
As a school staff, we have recently spent time thinking critically asking questions and sharing best practices regarding Friday’s Independent Work. Our goal is to be as consistent as possible, yet allow teachers the autonomy to assign meaningful work that meets the needs of all/each of their students. The biggest overarching question when assigning Friday work is, “What do we want students to know and be able to do as a result of the assignments?”
In assigning independent study work, two of the biggest concerns revolve around the amount of time students are expected to be spending, and the level of difficulty. What we know is that where a particular activity may take one student 10 minutes to complete, another student may need 20-30 minutes. Thus time and difficulty are intricately linked. Additionally, some students may need “support” to complete the assignment or activity, usually because of the level of difficulty. With regard to this issue, we have decided that in general we should try to provide work that, for the most part, students can do on their own. That being said, we also believe that work should not be “overly easy” so parental oversight is important.
What type of work should we assign?
Assignments should not strictly be skill based practice worksheets although there may be some. Ideally a blend of activities are given, some of which allow the children to practice/learn skills, and some which allow them to apply their learning in new and creative ways. The type of work assigned may reinforce concepts taught during the prior week, may provide foreshadowing of concepts coming in the future, or may be something that allow students to creatively apply their understanding of a concept. Projects may also be assigned. While students may not have a project assigned every week, as a staff that believes in the value of using projects to improve student learning, you can anticipate that your child will have projects throughout the year. Please note – we strongly recommend that you allow them to be your child’s work, not you, the parent. Guidance is encouraged, but authenticity is important.
Additionally, not all students may be assigned the same work. This approach, called differentiation, gives teachers options to meet the individual needs of their students. Technology and learning games will increasingly be a component of Friday work. This may obviously need your involvement.
How long should students be working on their Friday Independent work?
On classroom-based assignments our K – 3 students should be working an estimated 2 ½ – 3 ½ hours to complete expected assignments. In general, our younger students will be on the lower end of this range and as they get older, a bit more time will probably be required. Our 4-6 students would typically have more to do, and thus the amount of time needed increases. The range is closer to 3 ½ – 4 ½ hours, and there may be days, depending on the type of assignments that it goes a bit longer. For 7th graders, as you might suspect the workload again increases. The amount of time students spend for Friday work is not written in stone, and it will vary from week to week. An hour of PE is also generally assigned for Fridays. Additionally we take into account the fact that families do fun and interesting things on Fridays, as well as enrichment activities outside of the school. The flexible Friday schedule is, we think, one of the great benefits of our program.
How do the enrichment classes offered on Friday fit in?
Classroom assignments that teachers make are not related or connected to the wonderful enrichment opportunities that are offered here. The Enrichment classes offered through our PTO are optional, and are not attended by all students. Therefore students that attend enrichment classes still must complete their assigned Independent Study work. We think the enrichment classes are very valuable, and they provide students great opportunities to learn about and do things they may not be able to do in school, or home.
However, the enrichment classes are provided from outside vendors and as you know, they cost money. Independent Study is assigned in a manner that allows for all students to benefit from the learning activities, as well as take part in whatever Enrichment activities work for individual families.
Thank you for your support. We will continue to reflect, learn and grow in our ability to provide an outstanding instructional and curriculum program here at Harvest Ridge Placer Academy. Should have further questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher, or Mr. Scott.
We appreciate your patience and support as we institute the practice of buzzing people in (rather than leaving it unlocked). What Sheri and I both have realized is that neither one of us, as we sit at our desks, have clear visibility of the front door. Therefore we don’t always see people standing outside of the door.
Since we don’t have a doorbell, please feel free to give a little knock on the door so we can hear you. Then we will lean over to see you (or whoever else is wanting to come in) and hit the buzzer.
We already have more applications than slots for our next year’s kindergarten program! Certainly that is great news from an enrollment standpoint, but we also realize that it means, not everyone will get placed. Given that, we want to make sure that everyone understands the kindergarten enrollment process.
First, if you currently have a student enrolled in Placer Academy, you have priority enrollment. Your son/daughter will most certainly be placed in one of the kindergarten classrooms.
For families that DO NOT have a child currently enrolled, they participate in a lottery drawing on January 31, 2014 @ 4PM. We will contact the families with enrollment offers the following week. Offers will continue to be extended until all spaces are filled.
