Dear MTUESD Community,
I don’t know about you if you’re a horse racing fan or not, but that Kentucky Derby race was spectacular. To see Golden Tempo all the way at the back and hang tough until the final stretch and then just turn it on to take the prize IS TO ME, A METAPHOR FOR THIS DISTRICT. The remarkable work that our community of students, staff, and parents/guardians has accomplished over a short amount of time is truly amazing. I wish to thank YOU all. I also wish to thank AGAIN our amazing Copperopolis Parent Teacher Club, the awesome Badger Boosters, and the thoughtful DELAC crew for their incredible efforts to honor the staff this past week with special food, decorations, gifts, and MORE. The lightness in the air when staff walk into a break room where someone has done something special is HUGE. Thank you for your generosity.
This bulletin is a little early, as I know that everyone will be headed out to the Frog Jump and Fair. Then we come back and we will be entering the last few days of school. Lots of special events are ON THE BOOKS, so listen for those site messages. Please remind your students when they return after that MONSTER CAR MASH on Sunday that we are still at school and we’re working hard and doing work. Sometimes, kids get the urge to hit the summer behavior switch, but it is NOT TIME YET. This is especially important for our middle school students that they’re making wise choices in the run up to graduation.
I also want to remind everyone that we still have room in Summer School. Do not hesitate to go to the office and get a sign-up packet. The more the merrier. We have a really fantastic program planned and we would welcome your student into this opportunity.
We are assembling class assignments for next year. Again, we appreciate your independence from the process, as teachers really evaluate each student's relationships with other students to create effective learning environments, academic support and extension needs, etc. We balance those classes as best possible. As you know, our class sizes in the elementary band are large. This is how we figure out how to “staff classrooms” and school sites. We take the total enrollment less the TK students and the middle school students and divide by 30 and that is the ratio of the number of teachers. Split classes in small school systems are the norm. I wish it was different, but that is the way it is, and we do our very best. We are working on that middle school reconfiguration for 27/28 and that should help somewhat in our out-years.
We thank those parents that participated in both the special education survey and the middle school survey. There is still time IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE IT YET:
The paperless registration packet for next year will be sent out shortly. We appreciate Richard Burkdall of CCOE who managed this process and the forms. It was complicated! It’s in the final steps of being prepared and we will share the links. I urge you to COMPLETE THE ENROLLMENT AS SOON AS YOU GET THE LINK, so that your student has a class assignment for next year. This is for all families. If you need help getting through the process, you can come into any school office or the district office and we will support you.
Also, as we get closer to school start, I really would appreciate it if you complete the income verification form. This allows us to receive supplemental money from the state as our need numbers are high and gives every student free lunch. I also use the information not for each person, but as a “number for the whole district”, as we apply for grants as it gives us some compelling data that our school is worthy of the support. People think one or two or five missing surveys doesn’t matter, BUT, it really does, and this is an easy way to support your student’s school program.
Don’t miss the parade tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. in Downtown Angels Camp sponsored by the Soroptimists. That’s a really sweet little event.
Open house at Mark Twain is on May 19 and Copperopolis’ Spring Sing/Open House is May 21. DON’T MISS IT!
As the news clips of Golden Tempo recede, keep on playing that educational horse race in your mind. I am proud of MTUESD for a strong race this year. This mighty little district is, in horse racing terms, a deep closer as we go down the home stretch. Achievement has a hold on kids.
Sincerely yours,
Louise Simson
Superintendent
Cell: 650-996-3290
Every Student. Every Day. Every Possibility.