Happy Fall VVCP Families!
I hope this message finds you well. It is hard to believe that this month will mark the end of the first quarter for the 22-23 academic year. I am seeing the positive results that come from a cooperative partnership between teachers and parent educators. Through these collaborative efforts, and based on the needs of each learner, teachers and parent educators have developed individualized learning plans and created programs for every student. It has been a joy to read about all of the academic and enrichment activities our students take part in throughout both Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.
I want to thank everyone who participated in our annual Cookies and Curriculum Exchange in Walnut Creek, California. I am happy to report that it was a tremendous success! Our families have requested that we host an additional Cookies and Curriculum Exchange in the spring, and we are open to exploring that possibility. Look for more information about a second-semester Cookies and Curriculum Exchange in February’s newsletter for spring 2023.
If you have not signed up for a SPEE yet, please review upcoming excursions to see if there is one you would like to attend. We have fantastic Student Parent Enrichment Excursions, (SPEEs) coming up and I am looking forward to spending time with our families at Fleet Week and Alliance Redwoods for Outdoor Education. Please find the SPEE dates for October 1 through November 1 listed below.
- Oct 6, 2022, SF Fleet Week Ship Tours, 10:00-2:00, San Francisco, CA
- Oct 18, 2022, Black Diamond Mines Hazel Atlas Mine Tour, 10:00-11:30, Antioch, CA
- Nov 1-4, 2022, Alliance Redwoods Outdoor Education, Occidental, CA
I want to congratulate the VVCP community on its 98% participation rate for fall testing. Thanks to the incredible work of the VVCP staff and families, we were able to meet our assessment compliance for fall 2022. As we gear up to participate in winter assessments and state testing in the spring, it will be important that our participation rate remains high, and I thank you in advance for partnering with us to ensure that we meet our compliance obligations as a public school charter.
On behalf of the Valley View team, we are excited to continue this educational journey with you and your family. As always, if you have any questions or suggestions that you would like to share with us, please do not hesitate to reach out and do so.
Happy Learning,
Catherine Ward-Mikes, Director
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High School News
Hello High School Families!
I hope your school year is off to a great start and you are enjoying this beautiful fall weather. I’ve truly enjoyed meeting with many of you to discuss your goals and plans. Below is important information for October.
Senior Check-Ins: All seniors (and graduating juniors) need to meet with me by November 1 to review their credits and to ensure they are on track to graduate. We do this so that there are no surprises come graduation.
Use this link to schedule your appointment: Chat with Mr. Mittan
In addition to a graduation check, the following are items we can/will discuss:
- UC Applications: Requirements/ Personal Statement
- Common Application for Private and Out of State Colleges
- Cal State University Application
- Community College Pathways for Career and Transfer
Financial Aid/FAFSA
The application window for Federal Financial Aid opened on October 1.
SAT Dates & Deadlines:
There are two more dates for the SAT in the fall. Students must register by Oct 7, 2022 for the Nov 5 SAT offering. Otherwise, students must register by November 3, 2022 for the December 3 SAT offering. Please note that PCI is not a testing center for SAT/ACT.
Below are the dates and deadlines for the SAT and ACT.
SAT Dates and Deadlines – SAT Suite | College Board
The ACT – Register for the Test | ACT
The deadline for UC applications is November 30, 2022. The deadline for CSU priority application is also November 30 and the final deadline is January 15.
Counselor Power Hour:
Check out our Power Hour every Thursday @ 2 pm. Each week, we have presenters from various career sectors and educational/training program representatives. Students can click on the Power Hour icon on their Clever Page. (Or just click this link: Power Hour Link)
- Oct 6 – FAFSA Workshop
- Oct 13 – Stress Management
- Oct 20 – Budgeting and Personal Finance with First Northern Bank
- Oct 27 – Resume Building Workshop
Parent Advisory Committee
Are you interested in supporting the future success of Valley View Charter Prep? Looking ahead to next year’s full WASC accreditation cycle, we invite all parents to provide input for future strategic planning through the support of our school’s accreditation self-study. PAC parent meetings will be periodically held through the fall and spring and increase through next year leading into fall ‘23 accreditation focus groups.
Please contact me at john.mittan@pacificcharter.org if you are interested in participating.
Happy Learning,
John Mittan, HS Dean
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VIRTUAL CLASSES, TECHNOLOGY and BOOKS
Pacific Charter Institute offers virtual opportunities for our students through two programs:
• V.O.L.T.s (Virtual Opportunities to Learn Together) geared toward our elementary homeschooling families.
• The Virtual Advantage classes for middle school and high school students.
In both programs, our credentialed teachers interact with students and families in real-time through secure online environments. A complete listing of class offerings can be found in the PCI Virtual Class Catalog. Contact your teacher for sign-up procedures.
The Virtual Advantage
Flexibility – attend live classes online from any location.
Support – Taught by highly-qualified credentialed teacher AND free in-person tutoring available in multiple locations
Collaboration – students have the opportunity to work together and to get to know their peers
Current and accredited – activities and problems meet current standards and pacing to ensure that students are adequately prepared for future courses and for standardized tests.
Transparent – Parents are included in all student communications and in some courses, given the opportunity to evaluate students’ daily work while weening students off dependence on parent instruction. Classes are recorded so that students and parents may refer to any lesson on their own time. Timelines, assignments, and worksheets are given in advance so that families can plan their homework schedules.
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New Math Curriculum:
We are excited to report that we have adopted a new Math curriculum, “Reveal” by McGraw-Hill. This will be available for ALL levels K-12. K-8 has online interactive and video lessons with consumable workbooks that follow the lessons. Ask your teacher for more information.
Middle School Math Class: Integrated Math Readiness
We have an Independent Study Integrated Math Readiness plan for you. This class uses the same curriculum series as the CP Integrated 1 class so you are really on target for next year. Go through interactive video lessons at your own pace and get help on the specific skills you need as you work through the adaptive practice. Work with your own teacher and
tutor. Talk to your teacher to get access & books for Reveal Integrated Math Readiness.
Cheryl Gomes , Math Teacher and Intervention Specialist
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Science Corner
Dear Scientists,
Students are probably halfway through their Carolina curriculum or farther for the younger grades. All of the units have culminating projects. Sometimes these projects give little instruction, which is frustrating for the parent. Part of the NGSS for engineering is allowing students to go through the process of engineering. Students will pose a question, will do some study to see what has been done before, create a model, evaluate, and make the necessary tweaks to make their model better. Based on previous years’ projects, I am blown away by what students create. So, this is why there are no step-by-step directions. We want the models to be unique, albeit similar since they are trying to solve the problem presented.
Additionally, in the 3rd-5th grade Carolina classes, students will receive codes to access materials and assignments on the Carolina website. These assignments are helpful to give students some autonomy, but also experience for the online assessments in 5th grade and 8th grade called CAST, which is embedded in CAASPP.
Until next month, have fun exploring the world around you!
Laurie Bradshaw “AKA” Mrs. B
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For more information on Valley View and our sister schools, go to the PCI website.
Valley View Charter Prep 