Dear MTUESD Community,
Well, we know school starts soon because it sure is getting hot! Guaranteed, when I was a little girl the week after school started in the Bay Area the temperature would spike about 20 degrees. We certainly enjoyed the cooler summer and much progress was made on the sites. I appreciate the work of the maintenance and custodial team on cleaning the properties even with the challenge of so many rooms used for summer school.
We look forward to welcoming our students back on August 13. Please note there is a lot of Caltrans and City of Angels road construction going on throughout the highway system and the community. The city has been a great partner in notifying us what’s going on along our main streets near Mark Twain and it has been pretty easily navigable during the summer months, but it’s going to be crazier with all the traffic heading for the school sites. Allow some extra time to arrive! We have asked the city officials to please repaint the crosswalks, and I know that is on their radar. That four-way stop really helped keep kids safe.
I want to remind everyone at Mark Twain, it is very important that you make only a right turn out of that exit driveway. I see people sometimes waiting for a break in the traffic to make a left.
Please do not do that.
If backs up the whole street and law-enforcement will support us at the beginning of the year to keep traffic moving. Please go right, even if traffic is light, as that is how it is posted and enforced.
Copper has a really smooth system for drop off and pick up and we just ask that please to minimize conversations with staff to keep the line moving. Staff always want to respond to questions, but don’t hesitate to drop them an email or leave a voicemail at the school so they can call you back and quickly support your student’s transition into the car.
The bathrooms at Copperopolis gym were updated a little bit to comply with ADA requirements. I know you’re going to say, “Louise, why didn’t you replace all the tiles and the answer is the tiles were in good shape and we simply couldn’t afford it. We had to go in and do some modifications to get an old permit from several years ago out of the Department of State Architect. We had to do the minimum required work to make sure we could get that shade permit signed off. It is frustrating, but sometimes you just have to play the game. The handicap restroom stalls were refreshed and it looks clean and neat, but there are some floor patches, so I just wanted to give you a heads up on “the why”.
To our TK and K parents please make sure you go to your school office before school starts and fill out the form that states your preference for morning only, morning and afternoon; or morning, afternoon, and extended afternoon time. Please note extended afternoon time is available by qualification and may be impacted by a waitlist. We can serve everybody up to regular dismissal. That’s not a problem, but that later one is depending on staffing. We are excited to offer these choices to families that may only want a morning session. Sometimes, especially with our TK students, a shorter school day when they’re so young produces better outcomes because they’re excited to be there and leave before they get really tired, and they’re refreshed when they come back the next day. It just depends on the kid. We look forward to kicking off these alternatives.
You may have noticed we repainted the front gates at Mark Twain. Ever since my first visit, I never liked the “black paint vibe” and the dangling padlock. It just set a tone that didn’t sit well from the first day I saw it. We changed it out to a coordinating beige, put in a lock set, and we’ll add some floral pots to the front and I hope it will look much more welcoming for kids.
A huge shout out to our site assistants Nicole Boucke, Jessikah St. Louis, and Michele Speyer as they gear up for the new year. That is a daunting task, but they are already hard at work. Please keep in mind there is a Sneak Peak for all classes at both sites on Tuesday, August 12 from 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Please note there is no Sneak Peak for 7th-8th grade.
You will be getting THAT STACK of papers to fill out and send back. I am so sorry to have you do that, but so much of it is required by the State and other important paperwork relates to having updated contacts for you and your designated pick ups in the event of an emergency.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR STUDENT IS CURRENT ON THE VACCINATIONS. If we don’t have the paperwork they may not attend. Please help us to make sure we can fully include them on the first day!
ENJOY YOUR LAST WEEKEND OF SUMMER AND WE WILL SEE YOU BRIGHT AND EARLY ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13! The first day is a FULL DAY. YAHOO!
Sincerely yours,
Louise Simson
Superintendent
650-996-3290