Dear Flora Vista Families,

As we prepare to turn the page on the first part of the year and head into fall break, I want to thank you for your support and partnership. This week’s parent conferences are a great reminder of how much the school and home need each other in or effort to help nurture the kind, confident, and resourceful learners we hope to grow at Flora Vista. Here are a few specific notes as we close out the opening stretch of the year: 

Teaching & Learning in Mathematics:

Growth in mathematics might look and different than parents are used to. This is particularly true for parents as students progress and engage in productive struggle, challenged with rich tasks that push them to wrestle with mathematical understandings. Success in mathematics is not just defined by a correct answer. Mathematics is about reasoning and communicating one’s thinking. I have a favorite quote by Steven Reinhart, “My definition of a good teacher has changed from “one who explains things so well that students understand” to “one who gets students to explain things so well that they can be understood.”” 

School Safety:

Last week was a busy one, with Encinitas Fire & Sheriff joining us for the public forum for our safety plan, followed by the Great California ShakeOut. Key to emergency preparedness is communication, of course, including how we support parents. To help prepare for what to do in case of an emergency during the school day, please review the parent flyer HERE. Note that most communication from the school (Parent Connect/Blackboard) goes only to the primary contact. However, in a real emergency, ALL contacts would receive a notification. FYI: We will test that Emergency Communication system at 3:30pm TOMORROW, October 14. 

Please continue to read Dr. Grey’s Friday updates for the most current information regarding COVID flowcharts, testing, and protocols, so we can all do our part to help keep our communities safe. Reminder: If you would like your child to be tested at school in the event of an exposure, make sure you have completed and submitted your consent form. Please click here or use the attached QR code to access the Primary  Health consent form. **Please note all quarantines (modified and at home) require the students to refrain from all before and after school activities and community events. This includes all social activities, sports practices, dance practice, school events, and before or after school care/programs, for the duration of quarantine. This is critical in attempting to reduce the potential spread of Covid-19. 

In Gratitude,

Chris Juarez,

Principal

There is still time to help us meet our goal of $75,000! We have raised over $52,000 towards our goal but we still need your help. 

If you have not already, please consider donating to the Flora Vista Falcon Fund. Your donation supports our teachers and children by providing enrichment education that other schools can’t (science, art, and drama), AND classroom needs (supplies, fieldtrips, and grade-level mini-grants, etc.), AND other great programs (Reflections, Walk, Bike, & Roll to School Week, Flora Vista Reads, etc.). EVERY child benefits from these programs and the instruction provided, so we humbly ask that you please help support the Falcon Fund. (ALL donations are tax deductible to the FV PTA & EEF.) 

Donate online HERE or participate in our payment plan by clicking HERE.

When we return from Fall Break, we will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is a week dedicated to bringing awareness to healthy living and making healthy choices.

Each day of the week, beginning on October 25th, we will have a different dress up theme for the students. On Thursday, October 28^th, every student will help decorate the school by tying red ribbons to the fences surrounding the grounds. During Red Ribbon week please talk to your children at home about healthy living and choices. 

Some great conversation starters are:

• “What are good habits and what are not good habits?”
• “What was one thing you did for your body to keep it healthy today?”
• “Tell me what healthy choices you made today?”  
• “What made you feel happy?”
• “What game did you play on the playground today?”

Red Ribbon Dress Up Days

THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14TH

Visit The Crack Shack Encinitas between 4pm-8:30pm for open-air and outdoor dining, or to place an order to-go. You can also order online in advance for pick-up (they offer curbside!).

Mention Flora Vista Elementary when you place your order or upon pick-up (there’s a special request box to use when ordering online). Not valid on delivery.

Visit the Coop at 470 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas, CA 92024

Phone Orders: (760) 230-2968

Online Orders: crackshack.com (click “order now”)

Flora Vista 4^th-6^th graders have the opportunity to participate in a CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture) grant-funded project that includes promoting EUSD farm-to-school efforts, running a monthly farm stand after school (that offers produce grown at Farm Lab!), and leading food recovery and waste diversion projects on site with our environmental consultants, BCK. Creative environmental stewards wanted!!

There will be three opportunities to participate this year; each block will run 8-10 weeks. During each block, there will be a weekly time commitment of 40 minutes on Wednesdays during the school day (the last 20 minutes of lunch followed by 20 minutes of class time) and the running of a farm stand one Wednesday each month after school. (Set up time will occur at the end of the school day.)

If supporting healthy kids and a healthy planet inspires your student, please encourage them to apply to be a Seed to Soil Farm Stand Ambassador! There is a QR code on the flier, or you can access the online application here.

Hope to see you at the farm stand!

Does your child enjoy making videos? Dancing? Writing? Photography? Composing music? Drawing? Creating?

The Reflections program gives your student an opportunity to show their talents in any of these areas!

1.Students pick from one of six categories and create an art piece based on the theme "I will change the world by..." Please check out the category information and rules, found at https://capta.org/resource/reflections-materials-for-ptas/ 

2. Last week, (October 4-8), Ms. Morsher provided time during ART Wheel for all students to brainstorm, plan or work on their projects. Please check with your child if they started a project and have them complete it at home with NO adult direction.

2. Digital art submissions and a statement relating their art to the theme are due on Monday, October 25th. The entry form can be found here.  Please note: a Google account is required to submit and upload your submission. If you do not have a Google Account, please let us know and we can figure out an alternative method to submit your child's work.

(Submissions in the visual arts category will need to be submitted physically as well as digitally on a later date- TBD).

3. Entries will be judged by local art enthusiasts. The three criteria used for judging are: interpretation of the theme, creativity, and technique. The top 4 submissions from each category per each grade division will move onto the next level. (North Council PTA)

4. All submitted entries will be awarded a certificate and shown at an art gallery during our school Gratitude Festival on Sunday, November 7th from 2-5PM.

If you have any questions please email Christine Lustig (christinelustig@gmail.com ) or Tianne Watson (tls8221@hotmail.com)- we would love to help!

Recess with Rick Riordan

- Did your student attend the Rick Riordan event at recess? We would love to hear how it went for your student.

- Feedback Survey - https://bit.ly/3msbwo8

- Also if they want to see more of this author event it was posted on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFQkwN22SrI

- Disney and Flipgrid will be hosting more Rick Riordan recommends authors. These events will be hosted live in the library the next few Fridays at 10am in the library.

Sharing Stories in October

October is a great month for sharing stories. Do you have a tale about the Fall season? Perhaps you prefer to share a scary story? Feel free to dress up and bring your story to life. This activity is open to students, teachers, and staff. You can view the community of stories online. They will also be broadcasted on the projector screen during recess/lunch in the library during the month of October.

If you plan to share a picture book, choose the link "Fall Stories Grade K-3" below. If you prefer to read a chapter book, choose the link "Fall Stories Grade 4-6" below:

Fall Stories Grades K - 3 - https://flipgrid.com/4f24f261 - code 4f24f261

Fall Stories Grades 4 - 6 - https://flipgrid.com/413b00b2 - code 413b00b2

These are moderated discussions so please remember your digital citizenship instruction from the beginning of the year.

To do a recording, students will need to log in with the EUSD Google Account. Need help with Flipgrid? See instructions at the following link - https://bit.ly/2YeJjss

Need help choosing a story? We have many wonderful books available in the library. See Mrs. Wilson in the media center for help with this activity. Our community can't wait to see your story come to life!


Thanks,
Sarah Wilson
Encinitas Union School District
Flora Vista Elementary
Library Media Assistant

• October Lunch Menu can be found here.
• PTA/EEF School Calendar - add the PTA/EEF School calendar to your google calendar and never miss a school event. Click here to add.

https://www.fvpta.org/

Flora Vista Elementary School

1690 Wandering Rd

Encinitas, CA 92024