Message from the Principal - Alta Vista Public Charter School

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Volume 4, Issue 2
August 1, 2015
School News
Inside this issue:
Message from the Principal
All of us have something that drives us a little crazy.
One of the things that drives me crazy is how our
educational system has left so many of you, our students, without real goals for, or in, your lives. For
example, since kindergarten, you have been told
that you are going to school so that you can go to
college. That’s great, but for what? I speak with students daily that tell me they are going to college, but they do not know what for,
or why. Right now, at the beginning of this school year, is the best time to pick a
direction and decide where you are going with your life, not just where you are
going after high school, but in a career for your future. Meet with our counselors,
talk with your teacher, talk to me; please find a direction and go for it! The great
thing about making a decision now is that you are young enough to change your
direction if you decide the career you have chosen doesn’t work for you. Set a
career goal and find out all about it, and let us help you with your education so
you can achieve your dreams. And yes you can play in the NFL or NBA if you prepare and are willing to pay the price!
Credit Incentive
Program
2
Rotary Club Honor
3
Counselor’s Corner
4
Student Spotlight
5
Staff Making a
Difference
6
What’s Happening at
our Sites
8
Calendar
9
Important Dates
10
Summer School Students
Summer school is nearly over, and our summer school students will soon be
returning to their regular schools. Please make sure you return your books and pick up
your report card during your final appointment with you teacher.
We wish you a wonderful school year, and please remember we are always
here for you should you ever need us in the future. Thank you for being with us this
summer!
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Alta Vista’s New
Credit Incentive Program
Let’s Celebrate Your Hard Work!
Beginning in Learning Period 2 (July 27- Aug 21), we will be implementing a Credit Completion Incentive Program to celebrate the hard work our students are doing. Students will be invited
to participate in Credit Completion Socials at the end of each Learning Period in which they meet
the requirements. In addition, students who meet the requirements will be eligible to receive gift
cards to Del Taco or Starbucks. The current requirements to participate in the campus Social and
receive a gift card are as follows:
1. CREDIT COMPLETION: Students must be completing an average of 1 ½ credits per week,
for a total of 6 credits per learning period. This means students must turn in at least 1
credit each week, not 6 all in one week!
2. SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT: No missed appointments. If a student is unable to meet
with his/her teacher for any week within the learning period, that student will not be eligible to participate in the incentive program for that Learning Period. Students, make sure
you sign in at the front desk and see your teacher every week!
3. DISCIPLINE: No discipline issues. Students must have good behavior at all times while
on campus in order to be eligible for the Incentive Program.
REQUIREMENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
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Rotary Club Honor
Adelanto Student Honored at Local Rotary Club Luncheon
David Guerrera, a sophomore student
attending the Alta Vista Adelanto site, was
invited to attend the Adelanto Rotary Club
luncheon on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at Astro Burger in Adelanto. The Adelanto Rotary
Club is a group of community leaders and local
business professionals who desire to give back
to the community and better the future
through various projects and giving opportunities.
David was presented with an award of
a $25 gift certificate at the lunch and recognized for striving to succeed in school. David’s
goal after high school is to become a cardiac
surgeon. David’s teacher, Ms. La Ferriere, de-
scribed David as “always responsible, respectful and a true pleasure to work with.” In
addition to the certificate, lunch, and gift card,
the Rotary Club also presented David’s father
with a gift certificate for the whole family to
come back to the restaurant to celebrate.
In attendance at the Rotary luncheon
were Jermaine Wright Sr., the Rotary president and Adelanto Mayor Pro Tem, Ramiro
Guerrera, David’s Father, Ken Larson, Alta
Vista’s principal, Stephanie La Ferriere, David’s
teacher, and other members of the Adelanto
Rotary Club. Alta Vista is proud to have one of
our own students honored for his hard work
and dedication!
Featured in picture: Ken Larson, David Guerrera, Stephanie La Ferriere, and Jermaine Wright Sr.
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Counselor’s Corner
We have a new addition to the counseling team at Alta Vista!
We are very happy to announce that Mrs. Gazca has joined our counseling team at Alta Vista. Please give Ms. Gazca a warm welcome when you see her. She is very nice!
As a counselor, we can help you with questions and concerns regarding your personal life, school, and planning for the future.
Please stop by to see us, email, or call/text if we can help you. We look forward to meeting you!
Mrs. Gazca’s Schedule:
8:00 to 3:30
Hesperia: Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday
Apple Valley: Wednesday & Friday
Adelanto: As needed
Ms. Garcia’s Schedule:
8:00 to 3:00
Adelanto: Monday, Wednesday - Friday
Apple Valley: Tuesdays
Hesperia: As needed
Contact Information:
Email: bgazca@altavistalearning.org
Phone: 760-628-4330
Contact Information:
Email: jgarcia@altavistalearning.org
Cell Phone: 760-998-7882
Emergency Counseling Information
What is an emergency counseling
situation? A crisis counselor should
be contacted if you, or someone you
know, is experiencing emotional or
mental distress. An example of emotional or mental distress is when
you, or someone you know, has
thoughts of suicide or threatening to
hurt someone else. A crisis counselor or crisis team will provide immediate, short-term support and resources to continue seeking help.
If you are at school and need immediate
crisis counseling, please contact the school
counselor or have a staff member contact
the school counselor.
If you are not at school, please use the following information for crisis counseling:
Community Crisis Response Team
The Community Crises Response
Team is a community-based mobile crisis response program for
those experiencing a psychiatric
emergency.
High Desert Region
Phone: (760)-956-2345/ Pager
(760)-734-8093
24 hours a day 365 days a year
Crisis Walk-In Clinic
The Crisis Walk-In Clinic (CWIC) provides
urgent mental health services to residents
of the County of San Bernardino. CWIC
provides crisis intervention, crisis risk assessments, medications, referrals to county, contract and community resources, education and when necessary evaluations
for hospitalization. Consumers will be
screened for appropriateness of service
and will either be provided referrals or
admitted in to CWIC for additional assessment. A consumer may meet the criteria to
see a psychiatrist, which will be arranged
same day for adults and an appointment
will be scheduled for children.
CWIC High Desert
Valley Star Community Services
12240 Hesperia Road
Victorville, CA 92395
(760)-245-8837
24 hours a day 365 days a year
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Counselor’s Corner
The first field trip of the new school year is coming up!
Alta Vista will be visiting San Joaquin Valley
College (SJVC) on August 11th. Students from our
Adelanto, Hesperia, and Apple Valley campuses are
invited to attend. SJVC is a private junior college
located in Hesperia. The school offers degrees in
the Business, Criminal Justice, Medical, Dental,
Technical, and Industrial fields. The degrees and
certificates offered by SJVC can be earned in two
years or less (which is perfect for students who are
too busy for the full-time college experience!).
Our day will start off with a bus
ride from our school to SJVC. Once at
SJVC, we will go on a tour of the campus.
We will step into the classrooms and labs
where medical students listen to lectures
and practice their medical skills. Not interested in the medical field? We will
also see the labs where students learn to
repair air conditioners. For those that are interested in criminal justice, we will visit the classrooms
where students learn self-defense. At the end of
the tour, students will have the opportunity to ask
questions about the school. It is always a good idea
to ask questions about enrollment requirements
and financial aid, if it was not addressed during the
tour. We will end the trip by having lunch provided
by SJVC.
Even if you are not planning on
attending SJVC, use the opportunity to
check out what one of your local colleges
has to offer anyway. Please sign-up if you
are interested in joining us in the field trip.
(Space is limited and filling up fast). Signup sheets are located at the front counter
at each site. Hope to see you there!
Alta Vista Student of the Month
Adelanto student Jazmin Ortiz is Alta Vista’s student of the month! Jazmin is
currently earning 90% or better on all of her homework and has high goals for herself. After high school, Jazmin plans on attending the University of California, Riverside where she plans on completing her pre-med qualifications with the eventual
goal of becoming an Orthopedic Surgeon. “Jazmin can do anything she puts her
mind to, and I know she will be successful wherever she goes,” stated Ms. La Ferriere, Jazmin’s teacher. Jazmin spends a lot of time completing homework but in her
spare time she likes to spend time with family, enjoy the outdoors, and spend time
with her horses.
We at Alta Vista are proud to have the opportunity to work with Jazmin and take a
moment to honor her as student of the month. Great job Jazmin! Keep up the great
work!
Stephanie La Ferriere, AVPC
Teacher and Jazmin Ortiz,
AVPC Student
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Staff Making a Difference
Greetings! My name is William Niemeyer and I am the new tutor in Apple Valley. I have worked as a
high school and college math tutor for twenty years. I love inspiring students to be their best. I am currently working on my single subject credential and I’m excited to continue teaching and inspiring students. Some of the things I enjoy doing are hiking and backpacking, playing guitar, riding mountain bikes,
and gardening.
William Niemeyer,
Apple Valley Tutor
Greetings everyone, I’m Martin Votruba. I’m glad to be here at Alta Vista Public Charter. I am
highly qualified in English and Social Science. Although I’m new to the Alta Vista family, I bring over 10
years of experience teaching in the independent study charter school setting. I look forward to helping
our students reach their educational goals. You can find me in the afternoons at the Adelanto school site.
Please feel free to stop by my desk to say hello. Cheers!
Martin Votruba,
Adelanto English Teacher
Hi everyone! My name is Beatriz Gazca, and I am the new school counselor! I am so happy to be
joining an awesome team. I have lived in the high desert for about 20 years. I started going to school at
VVC and received my associates in Liberal Arts. I then transferred to CSUSB to receive my Bachelors in Psychology. Finally, I attended Azusa Pacific University to receive my Masters in School Counseling with my
PPS Credential. I have always worked with kids, from being a school bus driver, to an after school program
leader and a substitute teacher. I have always loved working and helping kids to be the best that they can
be! I have been married for about 10 years to my wonderful husband, and I have two daughters who are 9
and 2 years old. I love spending time with them whenever I can, especially on the weekends. Thank you for
letting me join your team, and I look forward to the wonderful things ahead!
Beatriz Gazca,
Counselor
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Staff Making a Difference
Principal’s Coffee
This year, Mr. Larson will be hosting monthly Principal’s Coffee events, a
chance for parents to meet the Principal to discuss the direction of the school. Each
month this event will be held at a different site. The next three Principal’s Coffee
events will be:
August 27th at 9:30am in Adelanto
September 25th at 9:30am in Apple Valley
October 28th at 9:30am in Hesperia
Please come join us for an informal time to share ideas and hear about school news.
Who’s Who at your site?
With all the new staff at each of our sites, now is a great
time to pick up a Bingo Card and learn the names of the
new staff who are here to help students learn. Find out
who’s who by asking your teacher how to play next time
you are on campus. Students who participate can earn a
free Alta Vista hat. Alta Vista hats are the ONLY hats
allowed to be worn on campus. Come on out and play!
See your teacher for details.
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ALL SITES
What’s Happening At Our Sites
ALL SITES:
Game Day
Your teacher will invite you as a “Great Job Incentive” for completing 1 1/2 credits a week for LP 2.
Join us on August 21st from 12pm-2pm.
APPLE VALLEY
Military Day with Army guest speaker
The army guest speakers will be at school August 14 from 11:00am to 12:00pm and will provide
information on Army requirements, benefits, and military life.
Get Involved with Ambassador Club
Our first meeting was a success! We currently have 4 ambassadors, and counting! Come to our
next meetings on August 13th and August 26 from 1-2pm in Apple Valley. We will be planning
events for September, and planning our first Incentive
Game Day scheduled for August 21st. All students who complete 1 1/2 credits a week in LP2
will be invited to game day (snacks, prizes, competition and fun) Come join our first club and make your
school year at Alta Vista memorable!
Spanish class in Apple Valley
We are organizing a Spanish lab that students can take at the resource center in Apple Valley. See your
teacher today if you are interested!
Intro to College presentation
ADELANTO
This presentation will give students information on the various types of colleges and the requirements for acceptance at each. Join us August 25th from 9:00am to 11:00am.
Get Involved with Ambassador Club
As we start the new school year, we look forward to doing more for our school and getting involved in the community. We will be more involved with promoting our school and letting
people know what a great opportunity this school provides for those that need an alternate
learning style. Our current project is to decorate the float and help plan for events for our upcoming Hesperia Day Parade. We have a fair amount of projects and events to plan for our 2015/2016 school
year and will need some help doing so. We are inviting dedicated and motivated students to join the Ambassador Club. You must be able to maintain your credits each week and stay active in the meetings and activities to stay a member. Meetings are usually held on Tuesdays at 12pm (starting 8/18). If you are hoping to be
more involved and want to make a difference in your school, please speak to Mrs. Adachi or Ms. Momohara
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Military Day with Army guest speaker
HESPERIA
The army guest speakers will be at school August 7th from 11:00am to 12:00pm and will provide
information on Army requirements, benefits, and military life.
World Geography Lab in Hesperia
World Geography A and B (Edmentum Online Version) will be offered at the Hesperia
site. Labs will be held every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday starting August 4, 2015. The
time is to be determined but probably 11:00-11:50 am each day. The labs will guide students
through the online course which will fulfill the L4L on-line course requirement for graduation.
The class will be about 10 weeks in duration. World Geography A will include a general survey
of geography including cultural geography, human geography and economic geography. North
and South America will also be covered.
World Geography B will cover Europe, all of Asia, East and West Africa, and the Pacific World. Both
semesters will include elements of environment, places and regions, climate, human settlements, natural
resources, and economic systems.
August
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Military Day Speaker
Hesperia—11am
10
11
12
13
FIELD TRIP:
Military Day Speaker
San Joaquin
Valley College
17
18
14
Apple Valley—11am
19
20
21
Professional
Development
End of LP 2
Credit Incentive
Social 12-2
SCHOOL CLOSED
24
25
Introduction to College
Adelanto 9-11am
31
1st day of school for
Home Study
26
27
Principal’s Coffee
Hesperia Site
9:30am
28
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Important Dates:
Coming soon:
8/7 - Military Day Speaker - Hesperia Campus - 11am
9/7 - Labor Day Holiday (campuses closed)
9/8-11 - ”Summer” break - reduced staff at all campuses
9/15 - Beginning Resume Workshop - Apple Valley Campus
10-12
9/17 - Career Day Speaker - Adelanto Campus - 10-12
9/18 - End of LP 3 - Credit Incentive Social (all campuses)
12-2
9/19 - Hesperia Days Parade
9/22 - Beginning Resume Workshop - Adelanto campus
10-12
9/22-24 - Awards Ceremonies at all campuses - 6pm
9/25 - Principal’s Coffee (Apple Valley campus 9:30am) - PAC/
ELAC meeting
9/28 - Professional Development - No students on campus
9/29 - Intro to College - Hesperia Campus - 9-11am
8/11 - SVJC Field Trip
8/14 - Military Day Speaker - Apple Valley Campus - 11am
8/17 - Professional Development - No students on campus
8/21 - End of LP 2 - Credit Incentive Social (all campuses) 12-2
8/24-28 - Home Study Back to School conferences
8/25 - Intro to College - Adelanto Campus - 9-11am
8/27 - Principal’s Coffee (Adelanto Site, 9:30am) - PAC/ELAC
Meeting
8/31 - 1st day of school for Home Study
ALTA VISTA SITE LOCATIONS AND HOURS
ADELANTO
12100 Palmdale Blvd. #B3
Adelanto, CA 92301
Ph. 760-904-0533
Fax 760-246-4554
Monday—Friday
8:00 a.m.—6:00 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday
Closed
APPLE VALLEY
21660 Bear Valley Rd, Suite F3-F4
Apple Valley, CA 92308
Ph. 760-203-4846
Fax 760-247-5314
Monday—Friday
8:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday
Closed
HESPERIA
11988 Hesperia Rd, Suite B
Hesperia, CA 92345
Ph. 760-947-0006
Fax 760-949-5876
Monday—Friday
8:00 a.m. — 6:00 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday
Closed
Alta Vista Mission
The mission of Alta Vista Public Charter is to
provide quality education in a personalized
setting to students seeking an alternative to
the traditional high school setting, empowering them to take responsibility for their education and to graduate with the skills needed
to become productive Citizens and lifelong
learners.
Our vision is to encourage students to become actively engaged, passionate learners.
Graduates are prepared to successfully compete in the workforce, to attend the colleges
or vocational schools of their choice and to
value service to others in society.