Dear Theodore Judah Families,

Welcome to the 2018-19 at Theodore Judah!  We are looking forward to welcoming you back to school on August 30th, but in the meantime, want to share information with you to make sure you are prepared for the first day of school.

BELL SCHEDULE

SCUSD will continue to give teachers dedicated time every week to plan together to support improved outcomes for students.  To accommodate this collaborative time, we will continue to release students early on Thursdays.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays and Fridays
Kinder:  8:00am- 11:20am
1st- 3rd  Grades:  8:00am- 2:07pm
4th-6th Grades:  8:00am- 2:12pm

Thursday ( including the first day of school)
Kinder:  8:00am- 11:20am
1st- 3rd:  8:00am- 1:07pm
4th- 6th:  8:00am- 1:12pm  

UPCOMING DATES
     Kinder Meet and Greet- Wednesday, August 29, 9:30am- 10:30am (auditorium)

Meet your kinder teacher, learn about the first day of school and visit your classroom.

Kinder Back to School Meet and Great PTA Playdate
Wednesday, August 29, 11:00am-12:00pm
Meet other kinder families for an early afternoon play date at Bertha Henshel Park. 

First Day of School

Thursday, August, 30th, Early Release Day:
please refer to bell schedule above.

Back to School Night- Wednesday, September 12th, 5:30pm- 6:30pm

Parents only preferably, please join us to find out about the 2018-2019 school year, learn how to get involved, and hear from your child’s teacher about this year’s new ELA program, events, class expectations and communication.

When attending these events and viewing class list for the first time, please know that that our staff takes great measures each spring to build balanced classes that allow teachers to maximize student learning and meet individual needs.  This is a careful and thoughtful process that has already been completed, so please understand that I am unable to consider individual requests for class changes.  It is important to us that every child has a positive, challenging and meaningful experience at Theodore Judah.  Please know that if, at any time, you have concerns or questions about your child’s education, the teachers and I will always make time to talk with you.

STAFFING CHANGES

As with any profession, people move and positions change.  At the end of last year, we said goodbye to Mrs. Hovander. We wish her well in her future endeavors. This year, we welcome Amber Christiansen as our new 2nd grade teacher. We are very excited to have her join our Judah Family.

ACADEMIC UPDATES

This year, SCUSD has adopted new English Language Arts/English Language Development curriculum called Benchmark Advanced.  All teaching staff has been fully trained in the use of this curriculum and we are implementing it fully in all grades, which means you will certainly see some different materials in your child’s work and assessments.  We will working throughout this year and next to navigate together the new curriculum, but you can expect us to maintain our focus on developing our students as 21st century learners regardless of the materials we use.  To learn more about the Benchmark Advanced curriculum, visit: 
http://www.scusd.edu/elaeld-materials-adoption.

VOLUNTEER INFORMATION

This is a great time to stop by and get a jumpstart on your volunteer paperwork.  Remember that even with cleared fingerprints, an annual Level II Background Check is required  for all school volunteers.  Submitting early will make it possible for you to volunteer in the classroom sooner.  If you are hoping to go on field trips with your child this year, you also must have fingerprints processed (only one time) which takes 6 to 8 weeks, so stop by soon to get the paperwork information you need to make this happen.  Please also note that teachers will establish field-trips for their grade level and classrooms. They will be responsible for communicating how many chaperones are needed, and therefore their may be times when you are not able to participate. You cooperation is appreciated.

NEW FAMILIES

If you are a new family to Theodore Judah Elementary or just looking to get the lay of the land, please join our PTA. This will provide you with an opportunity to meet other Judah families and help out in PTA sponsored events.  For more information, please contact our PTA President, Alice Lui at theodorejudahpta.org

Lastly, please take a few more minutes looking over our school website, student/parent handbook, the attached school calendar and bells schedules. All be sure to review the district Wellness Policy that will be in affect this school year.

Getting a full night’s sleep each night, eating a nutritious breakfast daily, limiting screen time, arriving and attending school on time everyday and having the needed supplies are critical factors in how your child is able to learn for the entire school day.  Please do your best to begin the summer-to-school transition early so we have rested and prepared students on the first important days of school and throughout the school year.  I look forward to working with all of you this year and excited to see our scholars as we celebrate the beginning of a new school year.

With Regards,
Troy Holding
Principal