Mark Twain Union Elementary School District

Frog Jump is here! What fun it was to see the Junior Frog jumpers coax their frogs to hop across the gym floor last weekend. These are memory-making times our kids remember a lifetime.

Just a reminder,school on Monday is a school day. Our district does not receive funding when students are not at school. Every day away costs the district about $40 per student per kid. If we have 10 kids out every day of the school year, that is $72,000 I need to cut from the budget.  If I have 20 kids out every day of the school year, that is $174,000 I have to cut from the budget.  That matters.  Help me, help your kids!   Please make sure your students are in school the remainder of the year. Please also remind them about behavior expectations. I know it’s warming up and kids are excited to be done, but we still have a good three weeks of school left.

I am super excited about all of the wonderful events unfolding over these next couple weeks. A huge shout out to both of our parent clubs for their amazing efforts to celebrate the staff. The time, care and effort were truly extraordinary.

Don’t miss the Spring Sing at Copperopolis. What a chance to see our kid shine. It’s been fun to see the rehearsals on-going.

Summer school is going to have so many fun things going on plus some really fantastic small group intervention. I urge you to sign your student up. They can come for one or both sessions, morning, afternoon, or all day. This is really like a “Burger King have it your way” program so let us help you give your kids some extra support this summer while they have some fun. The staff are very excited about what’s in store.

I just want to take a moment to talk about class assignments. Staff work closely together to evaluate levels and placements for the following year. Please know that balancing classes is key to success for everyone. Your trust in us that we make the right placement is appreciated. We also have the reality without the parcel measure funds of larger classes and split classes. I wish there was more I could do to mitigate that but I’m a little bit out of tricks for this coming year on that issue given the current funding parameters of the state. We’re all going to be in this together and we’re all going to support it together.

We are actively looking for parent volunteers that can go through the clearance process and support small group work. You would be under the direction of a teacher and work on materials provided by the teacher. If you are interested in donating an hour a week to support the instruction that would be super helpful. We have a marvelous volunteer core from Vine and Branch that has committed to serving our students. The more direct intervention we can provide the better.

I also want to share a Back-to-School event that Vine and Branch is creating for our kids. They are committed to supporting families that need help with school supplies, including backpacks, water, bottles, craft supplies, etc. They’re planning a fun event for the kids to pick up the items with their family member.  We have a list going and if you feel your student would benefit from some supplies, please email Michelle Speyer at mspeyer@mtwain.k12.ca.us and we can get you on the list.

Also relating to community partnerships, we have four additional brand new bikes that were donated by WeDeliver Wheels.  If you are interested in receiving one of those bikes, email me at lsimson@mtwain.k12.ca.us. We gave away almost 55 bikes that were brand new and built by WeDeliver Wheels, Rotary, and Angels Camp Fire Department.

Please be aware that over the summer we will be resealing the staff parking lot and striping that up. Our hope is to provide additional parking through maximizing the striped lines and less dust. We will also be putting a fresh seal over the kindergarten lot to try and extend the life of that area.  AGAIN, these are restricted funds that can't be used for instruction.

The Copper Gym will be painted this weekend and should look nice and fresh. This is for the interior. The ramps to the classroom will also be refreshed.

I wish you a happy and safe Frog Jump weekend. To all of our students and families that are showing animals in the FFA program or jumping frogs, "Good luck!" Only in Calaveras County, right? --Magical.