Venetia Valley Voice

Hello Venetia Valley Families,

Happy Black History Month to everyone! As February is upon us, we had the opportunity to celebrate our 100th School Day on Wednesday, 2/1/23. Additionally, we kicked off Black History Month and all of us at Venetia Valley School are excited to showcase the amazing contributions of our fellow African American citizens. Later in the month, our middle schoolers will have the opportunity to attend an engaging performance by School Yard Rap titled Our Story at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. If you're the parent of a middle schooler, we'll be reaching out to you to join us as a chaperone on that trip! In the meantime, we ask you to join us in the recognition of Black History Month, allowing all of us to learn more about a culture and people that may differ from yours. Let's have a great month ahead!

Sincerely,

Principal Quesada

Events that Happen Every Week during the Month

• Tuesdays - Food Pantry from 3:15 - 4:30 PM in front of the school
• Wednesdays - Citizenship Classes in the MPR from 5 - 7 PM
• Matrix Parent Network: 9:30 am - 11:30 am in the FC
• Wednesdays are Early Release Days. Students are dismissed at 1:15 PM for Special Day Classes (SDC), 1:35 PM for TK/Kindergarten, 1:40 PM for Middle School and 1:45 PM for 1st - 5th Grade.

Week of January 30th - February 3rd:

FRIDAY 2/3

• Community Closet: 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm in FC

Week of Feb. 6th -10th: Spirit Week

THURSDAY, 2/9:

• Charla and Conversation: 6 pm to 7:30 pm in MPR

Week of February 13th - 17th:

WEDNESDAY 2/15

• CAM "Direct Service Day" from 3 pm to 5 pm in the FC

THURSDAY 2/16

• ELAC Meeting- 9:30 am to 11 am in the FC
• Comm. Dvlp. Housing Workshop: 6 pm to 7:30 pm in MPR

Week of February 20th - 24th: Mid-Winter Break

• No School

Week of February 27th - March 3rd: Read Across America Week

MONDAY 2/27

• "Our Story" Field Trip for MS students at Herbst Theater in San Francisco

WEDNESDAY 3/1

• TK, Kinder, and High School Registration at VV- Paperwork Due

THURSDAY 3/2

• 8th grade Picture day

FRIDAY 3/3

• Community Closet: 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm in FC

Dear Families,

We have asked YouthTruth – a nonprofit organization that supports hundreds of schools and districts across the country – to conduct an anonymous survey on our behalf; 15 minutes of your time in completing an online survey will help us improve your child’s school.

Please take the survey before it closes at midnight on February 24, 2023, by clicking this link: ytsurvey.org/srcsfamily23.

Please note:

• The survey needs to be completed in one sitting.

• The survey is for ALL families who have children in TK through 8th grade

• We ask that one member of each household fill out the survey.

• If you have more than one child who attends Venetia Valley, you may respond to the survey multiple times - one time per child (not required, but helpful if you have one child in elementary and one in the middle grades).

• If you write any comments, please do not include your name or anything else that might identify you. Your responses are anonymous, and they will be combined with the responses of other families before being shared back with the school and district leadership.

• Help your child’s class with the contest for most family surveys completed! We will provide a postcard type note to send home for you to sign off, letting us know you have completed the survey and counting your household as having participated in the survey! You can also reply privately to this post letting us know you have completed the survey.

We sincerely thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. Your response is incredibly valuable to us. If you have any questions about the survey, or our plans for how we will use your feedback, please contact our Family Center Director, Ms. Sheila Ramirez or our Community Liaison, Ms. Pilar Sanchez at 415-496-0226

Hello Venetia Valley,

It seems only fitting that during the month we observe National School Counseling Week, that we take a minute to talk with more detail about what we do for our students. We would like to highlight our small groups, school assemblies, and school spirit. Working on these levels, we are able to reach all our students in positive ways.

This year, our counseling team has offered the following small groups.

• Friendship Groups ( Building skills and friendships )

• Emotional Awareness Groups ( Skills to help with emotions )

• Focusing Attention Groups

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Groups ( Skills to help with anxiety )

• Building Champions Groups ( Skills to build self, trust, and peer connections )

• Toolbox Groups ( Skills for resilience, self mastery, and empathy )

• Self Love for Teens ( Skills to build self - esteem and confidence )

Along with our PBIS ( Positive Behavior Interventions and Support ) Committee we are hosting assemblies which highlight our Falcons who have been recognized for excellent role models with the four school expectations. Be Safe. Be Respectful. Be Responsible. Be An Ally. Our “Be Respectful” assemblies begin February 14.

We have many activities planned for Venetia Valley for National School Counseling Week, February 6th -10th. This year’s theme is “Helping Students Dream Big” We hope all our students will join in our spirit week. We love seeing so many students in all grades participating. We especially enjoy all their smiles when they first see everyone’s spirit.

Feb. 6th - Pajama Day

Feb. 7th - Wear Green

Feb. 8th - Mismatch Day

Feb. 9th - Superhero/Princess Day

Feb. 10th - Jersey Day- Represent your favorite sports team

As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us via Parent Square, our emails, or by leaving a voice message.

In partnership,

Ms. Wong and Ms.Katz

cwong@srcs.org

bkatz@srcs.org

Students from Terra Linda High School visited our 8th graders to encourage them to join AVID in high school. AVID, known as Advancement Via Individual Determination is a college preparatory class that helps students organize themselves, teaches them how to properly take notes, and exposes them to opportunities that encourage a college bound student. Venetia Valley also offers AVID to all of our middle schoolers and it was great seeing your children hear a similar message to that of what our very own AVID teacher, Mr. Koller, shares with them! If families have any questions regarding AVID enrollment, you're encourage to speak with our Family Center staff or the freshman counselors at TLHS or SRHS.

Hello Venetia Valley Families,

Come and enjoy our ELAC meeting (English Learner Advisory Committee) on 2/16/2023, from 9:30- 11:00 am. Come and enjoy a morning with lots of school information regarding what ELAC is. We will have a special guest Mr. Armando Oseguera, Vice Principal from San Rafael high school, who will be talking about what are the “A-G” requirements for high school.

Allen Sport Dominican Program. First day for Allen Sport 1/18/2023 For students in the 6th-8th grade, If you signed up for the program this past semester, you do NOT need to sign up again. for Registration Come into the office or Family Center for more information.

8th grade picture day,

The 8th-grade students will be taking their graduation pictures on March 2nd. Please mark in your calendar.

Office hours are Monday- Friday from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.

Pilar Sanchez

Venetia Valley Community Liaison

Office (415) 492-3150 Ext 2001

Fax (415) 492-3160

psanchez@srcs.org

Hello Dear Venetia Valley Families,

We are delighted to welcome our new Family Advocate: Nicole Lescano. She will start working with the Family Center on Feb. 16th, 2023.

"Hello, everyone, my name is Nicole Lescano. Some of you may know me from the afterschool program, Leap. I am transferring to the Family Center. I am a student at Sacramento State University, studying Sociology. My career goal is to advocate for the youth and families in our communities through the juvenile justice system. I want to use my voice for those who can't. In my free time, I like to discover new hiking trails. I like to spend time with cousins and family, and I love trying new food. I am excited for this new chapter and looking forward to meeting all of you!"

Our former Family Advocate, Erick De La Rosa, is LEAP's new Assistant Coordinator. This means he will no longer be with the Family Center as a Family Advocate. Erick has decided to once again work closely with students and take on a role that will better suit his career path. We truly appreciate all the hard work Erick has done over the past months, as a Family Advocate, and we wish him the best. Indeed, many of our families will miss working with him.

Friendly reminder, parents and guardians, please ensure our students are here and ready to learn daily. Attendance is very important, when they miss many days of school, the effects are always negative. Below are tips on how you can help your child succeed in school:

Attendance-Works-Elementary__handout_101421.pdf

Elementary_handout_SPANISH_110421-1.pdf

Upcoming Events:

• Food Bank distribution happens every Tuesday from 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm

Families, remember that bags of food are handed out every Tuesday in front of the school. Feel free to stop by if you need this service.

• Matrix Parent Network- Every Wednesday from 9:30 am - 11 am - FC.

Starting 1/11/23, there will be a representative from Matrix to support families with any questions they may have regarding Special Education, EIPs, and much more.

• Citizenship Classes- Every Wednesday from 5 pm to 7 pm- Cafeteria

Know the citizenship process, study for the exam, receive help with your N-450 form, and much more. For questions, please call the family center.

• Community Closet- Friday, Feb. 3, from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm in the Family Center

• Coffee & Conversation- Thursday, Feb. 9, from 6 pm to 7:30 am in Family Center

Families, join us for informative monthly presentations, essential school updates, and an opportunity to voice any questions, comments and/or concerns. Also, learn about services or events happening in our community. This month's topic is YouthTruth Survey

• Community Action Marin “Direct Services Day- Wed. Feb. 15th- 3pm to 5pm.

Join us and Community Action Marin for "Direct Service Day!" We are so lucky that they chose our school site to be the first in reaching out to the community to help families with PG&E and CalFresh Applications.

• Comm. Dvlp. Agency Housing Workshop- Thursday, Feb. 16th at 6 pm in MPR

We’ll Discuss Housing Basics – What is Affordable Housing?, Housing Assistance – What resources are available?, Energy Efficiency – How to Save Money! Food, Childcare, and Stipends are Available. Translation is Available for English Speakers.

• Community Fridge- Bay Marin Church parking lot at 150 N. San Pedro Road

The Community Fridge is open 24/7 for families to come and grab what they need! If you wish to donate any food, this is also a place where you can donate by placing your food in the community fridge.

Families, make sure you are following us on Facebook and Instagram @venetiavalleytk8.

Want to contact us? Here's how:

Family Center Hours

Monday to Friday from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Direct line: 415-496-0226

Kristal Garcia - Family Advocate - kgarcia@srcs.org

Erick De La Rosa- Family Advocate- ebeltran@srcs.org

Sheila Ramirez- Family Center Director- sramirez@srcs.org

Follow us on social media: Facebook and Instagram @ventiavalleyTK8, and follow Mr. Quesada on Twitter @PrincipalPaulQ.

Our Mission Statement

Venetia Valley is a community school where students, families and staff are celebrated for who they already are and are supported in every way to become all that they aspire to be.

Nuestra Declaración de Misión

Venetia Valley es una escuela comunitaria donde los estudiantes, las familias y el personal son reconocidos por quienes ya son y son apoyados en todos los sentidos para convertirse en todo lo que aspiran a ser.

Email: aquesada@srcs.org
Website: https://vv-srcs-ca.schoolloop.com/
Location: 177 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael, CA, USA
Phone: 415-492-3150
Twitter: @PrincipalPaulQ