a) The All ES meeting will be at the San Joaquin Office of Education, 2707 Transworld Dr., Stockton, CA.

b) Here is the meeting schedule to prepare for your day! Please remember to bring your laptop computer for training.

c) Smile! Your picture will be taken before registration for the ES meeting. This picture will be used for the CWCS yearbook and possibly for the website. Everyone will have their picture taken unless prior arrangements have been made with Sherri Nelson.

d) Continental Breakfast and Lunch will be provided.

e) We will have a brief time to discuss the ES agenda, so come prepared with any questions for discussion and/or research.-Your regularly scheduled ES meetings will commence in September.

f) Please bring and wear your CWCS Nametag. (You do not have to wear your CW Shirt.)
g) The Modesto and Ceres Learning Centers will be open from 4:00-5:00 on August 18th after the All ES/Staff Meeting. If you have any questions, please contact Lori Porter at lporter@connectingwaters.org for the Modesto Learning Center or Melissa Valdez at mvaldez@connectingwaters.org for the Ceres Learning Center.

a) ESs must complete their pretest for all students no later than October 6th. Your December Graduates must be pre-tested in August in order to be able to do the post test before the end of the first semester.

b) Scantron Proctor Schedule
c) Performance Series now provides interactive training modules to explain the basics of Performance Series and how to create Targeted Instruction. This tool is available from the “Documents” tab on your ---Performance Series homepage or through the Scantron section of the ES manual.

d) Encourage your students to do their best on their test!

e) Students that were enrolled this summer (prior to August 4th) still need to have a Scantron Pre-test completed.

f) If a Scantron appointment is made, and the appointment is missed without giving 24 hour notice, a $50 deduction will be made from the instructional funds. Please forewarn your parents. If a student misses a Scantron appointment, please complete the Missed Appointment form and fax or mail it to Sherri Nelson in the Waterford Office to have the funding removed from their IF. When you schedule these appointments, be sure to tell the parent that if they miss the appointment without giving the proctor/teacher prior notification (within 24 hours), they will have the funding removed from their IF. The second time Scantron is missed, it will be considered a truancy.

g) Remember to check your Scantron list to be sure that a new student is listed prior to arranging for their test. If not there, email cwcstestclerk@connectingwaters.org at least one week before your testing appointment to have them added.

a) There will be three opportunities for CAHSEE this year, depending on the grade of the student. Grade 10 students must attempt one time per year, and it must be in the spring. Grade 11 students may attempt two times per year. Grade 12 may attempt three times per year. Students who desire to participate in the graduation ceremony must have passed the CAHSEE prior to the date of the May exam.

b) CAHSEE Prep Courses offered at each Learning Center. MLC/CLC.

No student will be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony who has not passed both portions of the CAHSEE.
No student who receives a failing grade in a class required for graduation will be allowed to participate in the current graduation ceremony.
If a 12th grader has not passed the CAHSEE by May, they may not participate in the graduation ceremony.
Please inform your potential 2009 grads who have not yet passed the CAHSEE as this is a new policy.
If a student has not passed the CAHSEE, they can, if they choose, submit the graduation ceremony paperwork by the deadline in hope that they will pass in the February CAHSEE administration.

a) check for any new contact info (address, phone, e-mail, etc.) for the families. To change a student’s address or phone number, please e-mail stuaddresschange@ieminc.org

b) check that Instructional Funds were deposited for each student

c) check the student grade level and courses on report card. STAR Tests will be ordered early using this. If grade levels need to be changed, e-mail stuassign@ieminc.org

d) for any 2008 potential graduates that didn't graduate, change their grad date to 2009

If you have any questions regarding the information on the student detail screen, please e-mail studentrecords@ieminc.org.

a) Parent Checklist: Complete and mark all forms by September 26^th on the parent checklist in FRED, and keep them in your students’ files but be prepared give them to your advisor or the school office if they are needed. (Checklist includes CAHSEE letters.)

b) Graduation Requirements Agreement: Complete a Graduation Requirements Agreement for all of your 9th graders and for any high school student new to our school. This form is printed from FRED and must have the information entered in FRED (“view” students, graduation tab) by September 26^th deadline.

c) First Meeting Information Sheet: Remember to complete a First Meeting Information Sheet with each of your returning families, and the post intake checklist for your new families. Please be sure that your parents read and understand each item before signing the checklist.

d) General Information Sheet: Don't forget to print out General Information Sheets from FRED for each of your families.

e) State Standards: A copy of the parent overview of the state standards and/or ES Developed Checklists of the standards for the appropriate grade level for each of your students.

f) Math Placement Exam: Any middle or high school student may take a placement test, but the Math Placement exam is required for all middle or high school students grades scoring Below Basic on the STAR test, a grade of below a C- in the previous math course, or a new middle school or high school student who is planning on beginning Algebra 1. To be done at First Meeting of the school year, and recorded in the learning record.

a) The following has been added to the post intake directions for the ES:

"The ES must tell all parents when they call them to schedule their first meeting, to obtain a drop slip from their previous school. This slip must be collected at the time of the post intake meeting and mailed or faxed to CWCS Student Records: 1166 Broadway, Suite Q, Placerville, CA 95667 (Fax: 530-295-3583) within 2 weeks of the date that you receive the email notifying you of the student assignment.The drop slip is required for all students, even those that enroll before the school year commences."
(If the student is coming from a homeschool situation and the parent has previously filed an R4 affidavit as a private school, they must write and sign a statement that they are no longer enrolled in the the private school and will not be submitting another R4 affidavit.)

All students that were enrolled this summer, will need to have a drop slip submitted from their previous school. Please inform your parents and collect these at your first meeting. Since this is a new policy this year, late notices will not be sent until September 12th. Starting August 13th, Centralized Intaked will be providing newly enrolled families with a generic Notification of Withdrawal form to use when requesting a Drop Slip from their previous school if that school does not have a form that they typically use for this purpose. It is posted on the generic forms page for ESes to email to their families if the family is having difficulty obtaining a drop slip from their previous school

b) This has been added to the post intake checklist:

"I have given a drop slip to my ES indicating the last date of enrollment with my previous school. I have been informed about concurrent enrollment and understand that my student can not be enrolled in any private or correspondence school while attending CWCS. My student can not enroll in another public school except for ROP or community college classes with approval from administration."

c) This Parent Letter was sent on the listserve and is posted to the CWCS webpage. Please be sure that your parents have read it. Thanks!

a) CWCS 2008/2009 Events Calendar

b) DAN WYRICK’S Science QUEST Labs

c) Lecia Liege's Chemistry Labs

d) Lecia Liege's Biology Labs

e) Debbie Kutz's PreCalculus Course
f) 2009 Yearbook info (prices, classes, etc.)
g) The 08/09 Parent Handbook is now posted on the CWCS webpage.

Attendance to all classes is expected! Attendance and promptness to classes and appointments is an expectation of our school. We want to honor your time and the instructor's time by being prepared and on time to all classes/appointments.

a) Truancy Policy Revisited: Please remember that the definition of "truancy" for this charter School is defined in the policy below as a missed appointment/attendance period. This is not the same definition of "truancy" as defined by California Education Code, nor are the practices and procedure below defined by California Education Code, but by this charter school.

b) Student classes or tutoring appointments missed without prior notice are considered truancies according to the CW Truancy Policy. A school appointment may be defined as learning record meetings, classes, tutoring, any required testing appointments, special education meetings, etc. We are currently applying the truancy policy to the HQT Dept. courses and other CP courses (grades K-12) for the following subjects: English, Math, Science, Social Science, VPA, Foreign Language. The truancy policy has been updated to include this policy. (More info below in HQT information.)
ESes must explain this policy to their students/parents. Use the parent info linked to the truancy policy when explaining.

c) Scantron appointments: When you schedule these appointments, be sure to tell the parent that if they miss the appointment without giving the proctor/teacher prior notification (within 24 hours), they will have the funding removed from their IF. The second time Scantron is missed, it will be considered a truancy.

a) Curriculum: The following has been added to the Intake Curriculum description:

"Here is a list of curriculum given to students at intake. All items, even consumables (unless all used up) are to be returned by the ES when a student drops so that they can be used for another incoming student. The items highlighted in yellow are the grades, items in green are English curriculum, and items in purple are Math curriculum".

b) Notes from Intake: Remember to please read and take action on any notes you receive from the intake ES. Also check your incoming high school student's "placement recommendation", and make any needed course changes to the report card based on your evaluation of the student. (New students, grade 10-12 who have gone through Centralized Intake, should have a placement recommendation in FRED from our Guidance Department. Please review the placement recommendations by going to “view” Students in FRED, and click on the student number and then the yellow placement recommendations button. These course recommendations may be changed, if needed, by the assigned ES.)
c) Parent Listserve: Parents are no longer automatically added to the parent listserve at intake. (Too many of the emails that were added automatically at intake were bouncing and the email addresses were often incorrect or illegible.) Please encourage your newly enrolled parents to join, and then email the information as directed in the above link to parentlistserve@connectingwaters.org. (This has been added to the post intake meeting checklist).
Reminder: Read all list serve messages carefully. There is often information sent on the Parent Listserve that the ES is responsible to read and share with their parents, that is not sent on the ES listserve.

a) HQT Department Courses

for Fall 2009 are also included on a Master calendar that includes all CP courses at the learning center and online. Please check the HQT Contract Program courses that you have enrolled your students in since the end of last school year for this school year. If the student has dropped or will no longer be taking the class, please remove them.

Please note the following changes to the classes:
General Biology class, which is CP#13430, was changed from Wednesdays at 10-11am to Wednesdays at 4-5pm- Instructor Jessica Walker
Pre-algebra, CP# 13421 has been cancelled and replaced with CP#13759. CP# 13759 is not a free/school sponsored class-Instructor Sherry Woo. The cost of this course is $150 per semester.Each student who was enrolled in CP#13421 had been automatically enrolled in CP# 13759. If you do not want your student in this class, please remove them or $150.00 will be encumbered to your budget in the student’s name.
We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

b) HQT Access Courses: Information on HQT Access has been posted in the ES manual. New Access courses and Access course requirements have been added. (note new Chemistry Access course!)
c) Remember to give your parents the user name and password for the HQT site (found in FRED on your ES Detail Screen)

d) Parent is HQT and Parent denied options: Additions have been made to the HQT learning record documentation that defines when a parent can be the HQT and when a parent may deny an HQT for their student.

e) HQT curriculum at Learning Centers available for checkout. MLC inventory also includes (as of August 1st, subject to change after that date).

f) HQT truancies: The following has been added to the truancy policy, the contract programs policy, and the HQT overview, and will be sent to all core class instructors:

The truancy policy applies to the HQT Dept. courses and other CP courses (grades K-12) for the following subjects: English, Math, Science, Social Science, VPA, Foreign Language. An unexcused absence will be counted as a truancy.

1) Excused Absence is defined as :

The student or parent shall notify the teacher of the absence at least 24 hours* prior to the time the class meets. Students who have notified their teacher that they will be absent due to illness, doctor's appointment, or another reason, MUST complete their assigned make-up work within 48 hours of the regularly scheduled class meeting. If make-up work is not turned in to the teacher within 48 hours, the missing make-up work will affect their grade.

2) Unexcused Absence is defined as:

The student or parent shall notify the teacher of the absence at least 24 hours* prior to the time the class meets. If the teacher has not been notified by the student or parent of an absence at least 24 hours* prior to the time the class meets, the student absence will be "unexcused". The student MUST complete their assigned make-up work within 48 hours of the regularly scheduled class meeting. If make-up work is not turned in to the teacher within 48 hours, the missing make-up work will affect their grade.

3) Truancy notification: The CP instructor will email the ES and cc the student on the same day that the unexcused absence occurred to notify them that the student was unexcused and therefore truant, and that they must turn in their make up work within 48 hours or it will affect their grade. The ES must follow the truancy policy and mail a truancy letter within 24 hours of the date that the email was sent.

(If there are extenuating circumstances that do not allow for at least 24 hours, then the teacher must still be notified prior to the start of class; allowances may be made depending on the circumstances. Examples of extenuating circumstances: car accident, sudden illness, etc.)

a) A new Materials Checkout Form now includes the following statement: "I agree that I am fully responsible for all items provided for my student's education (books, materials, non-consumable supplies, equipment- including computers. These borrowed items will be returned to my ES in reasonable condition when my student disenrolls from CWCS, or I must immediately pay the full replacement cost of such items. I am placing my initials here to show that I fully agree with this policy in exchange for CWCS providing such items for me or my child(ren) to use. _____". The Student Agreement now has this same statement without the requirement of the initials.

b) The CET form (accessible in FRED by clicking on the computer item in your materials list), now has the following wording added (letters in green are new additions). This form is to be filled out and kept in your student files.

"By signing below I acknowledge that I am fully responsible for this computer system which is the property of the Connecting Waters Charter School. I will take reasonable care of this machine while it is in my home or possession, calling for warranty service as needed. (My ES has the warranty information for this computer if it is under a warranty.) I understand that it is being loaned to Charter School enrolled students for educational usage only, I agree to abide by the school's acceptable use agreement, which includes avoiding misuse (indications of pornography, unethical or illegal solicitation, racism, sexism, inappropriate language), and understand that the computer system must be immediately returned in reasonable condition to the current ES upon leaving the Charter School, or at the request of the ES, or I must immediately pay the full replacement cost.
c. More information forthcoming regarding New Materials List in FRED: Beginning with this school year, all items purchased with Instructional Funds will be posted in your FRED Materials list. No longer will you have to keep those reams of paper for your family inventories! There will also be a new way of printing the materials checkout form directly from FRED with all of the information from the PO preprinted on the list. Directions and Policy/Procedures will be forthcoming as soon as IT has the FRED program finalized and ready for your use. Look for an all ES email to be sent before the All ES meeting.

a) 15% Classified Staff on CP: Remind your parents that a 15% fee for employee costs is added to the cost of any CP course taught by vendor that is a school employee. Service POs do not have this additional cost as the employee costs are paid for by the business.

b) Drops: To drop a student from a course before the course begins, you may click on the red X on this page. To drop after the course begins, you must email cp@ieminc.org. Include the drop date in the email.The ES is responsible to make sure that the CP instructor is notified when one of their students drops from a class. A phone call to them is sufficient. If they find that an instructor has billed for that student, after they have been notified of the drop, e-mail ap@ieminc.org and the charge will be adjusted (keep in mind that some instructors may charge for remainder of month). 

c) CP Instructor Progress Report: The following has been added to the CP Course Policy: The CP Instructors send a Student Progress Report Form to the school office on a monthly basis. These forms include the name of class, learning period dates, class times and instructor name along with the students’ assignments and what they’ve covered during that period. It also lists the individual student name, ES name, attendance, positive participation, # of assignments completed, understanding of material, grade to date and any comments the instructor would like to include. If you are not currently receiving a progress report for your students taking classes with our CP Instructors and would like to, please email bjohansson@connectingwaters.org to let her know and she will mail you a copy when we receive them in the school office.

a) Although not explicitly stated in the policy, it is expected that a K-8 student will be working in at least 5 growth areas, and therefore will have at least 5 samples per semester.

b) Non Sectarian Samples only: According to the Portfolio Policy, Samples must be non-sectarian, must be from materials that are or could be purchased by the school with ADA funding, and must come from the learning documented in the student’s learning record for that semester. The ES may not edit the portfolio sample in any way.

a) 2009 Assessment Calendar

b) CELDT(California English Language Development Test):

The Assessment department will contact you if you have a student who needs to complete this test. As soon as you receive this information, please let the parent know that a trained examiner will be contacting them to schedule the exam.

-Initial tests must be completed within 30 days of enrollment. This is for newly-enrolled students to help identify English Learners who need to develop their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in English.

-Annual tests must be completed by 10/31/08. This is for students who have already been identified as English Learners. The purpose is to assess the student’s progress towards English proficiency.

c) WRAT:Wide Range Achievement Test:Please remember to enter a student’s raw scores in FRED after a student has completed testing. You will also need to enter the date the test was administered, test color, and whether it was an entrance or exit administration. As a courtesy, reports will be generated on September 30, December 30, and March 30 to identify missing scores.If you need more WRAT forms, please email cwcsassessment@connectingwaters.org.
d) WRAT Gains Report for 2008 and Scantron Gains Report for 2008

August Curriculum News from Lori Freeman

a) Guidance Department Courses and Educational Opportunities for 2008/2009 School Year
b) If you have a student wanting to take an AP Exam in May, please have the student contact Mary Halter as soon as possible to find a testing site.
c) CSF or NHS Applications are due by September 14.
d) Online courses for a-g courses and AP courses – a list of vendors with specific course titles that can be used for a-g credit
e) Class of 2009…important dates for your seniors are on the Guidance page in the High School Handbook

August Math News from Debbie Kutz

a) School owned computers are for students use only, and only for educational purposes. Work computers for CWCS staff are for work related use only.

b) FRED Quickstart: The directions for opening FRED have been changed to include the below shortcut. You may continue to open FRED as you have in the past, or you may choose to make the changes as indicated at this FRED Quick start link. The “preferences” window discussed in this link is accessible once you log into FRED. Thank you HeatherAnn for this helpful timesaver!

c) The Student Agreement in FRED now has an "auto fill" button that may be clicked for the "duration" of the contract for those students that enroll after the beginning of the school year.

d) The Grade School Report Card in FRED now has an "auto fill GA's" button that will automatically fill in the growth areas for you (excluding political science.)
e) Go to "view" CP Student List in FRED, for a list of courses that your students are enrolled in.

a) Acc. Reader and MathFacts: Due to the fact that we use Accelerated Reader and MathFacts in private homes instead of a site, Renaissance Learning will no longer allow CWCS students to access these programs. Their site license policy requires that the programs only be used at one site, which is not feasible for a school like ours. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

b) Love's Driving School: The following has been added to the PO information for Love's Driving School. This information is not given over the telephone to ESes when they call as CW receives a lower rate than their other customers, so phone price quoting can cause upsets if other customers are present:

"Include ES name telephone # in BODY of PO. To receive the ‘package rate’, ESs are to submit 2 separate PO's on the same day for the same student. One for Driver's Ed (classroom) for $75.00 & Behind the Wheel for $250.00 or Driver’s Ed (Online) for $65.00 & Behind the Wheel (6 hrs)for $250.00. If not ordering as a package the prices are as follows: Behind the Wheel (6 hours) for $250.00 Driver's Ed (classroom) for $85.00 Driver’s Ed (Online) for $75.00. DMV Driver Test = $50.00 (Love’s driver & car) For transfer students (If a student needs one individual lesson it is $90.00 per two hour sesson.)"
Home Tutoring Plus: Information for the 2009 School Year has been added to the Curriculum page for Home Tutoring Plus.