El Rancho Charter School

El Rancho's office staff and administration return to campus on Wednesday, July 27, 2023. Summer office hours, July 27-August 7, are 7:00 AM-2:00 PM. Starting on August 8th, the office hours are 7:00 AM-4:00 PM.

El Rancho administration works as a management team with three assistant principals, called advisors, who work alongside our principal, Mrs. Walker, to help students be successful. Advisors work with students in the areas of attendance, academics, behavior, and scheduling. The student body is divided into groups by their last name and assigned to an advisor who is like the principal for that part of the alphabet. Students with Section 504 Plans will have Mrs. Beard as their advisor.

Advisors are always happy to help answer general questions regarding school programs. We encourage families to first address questions regarding the grade book, assignments, and classroom interaction to the individual teacher and advisors can be cc'd on communications at any time.

• A-G..........Mrs. Ozuna.......... kozuna@orangeusd.org
• H-P..........Mr. Kilgore........... gkilgore@orangeusd.org
• Q-Z..........Mrs. Beard........... kbeard@orangeusd.org

Did your student miss placement testing in March? Students who are new to El Rancho are required to take English and Math Placement tests. Please use the link below to schedule a time for your student to take the placement tests on August 2nd at 9:00 AM.

Students should arrive 10 minutes before their testing time and wait in front of the main office. They do not need to bring anything with them as all materials will be provided.

If you are unsure if your student needs to take the placement test, please email Mrs. Beard at kbeard@orangeusd.org .

Placement Test Sign-Up

This year's registration documents are completely online and can be found on our website www.elranchocharter.org . This includes all forms that need to be completed for El Rancho and a link to OUSD Parent Portal for data confirmation. You cannot edit your student's information through Student Portal, it must be through Parent Portal.

Online registration and data confirmation will be available starting August 1, 2023.

7th Grade Registration is Tuesday, August 8th and 8th Grade Registration is Wednesday, August 9th. Registration runs from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on both days. Please refer to the Registration flyer below for your registration time.

Registration is made up of three parts:

1.Go to El Rancho's web page to complete forms specific to El Rancho Charter School. Print necessary pages.

2. Log-on to Parent Portal through your parent account (you cannot use the student log-in) to update your student's forms for the 2023-2024 school year. There are 8-9 confirmations. Print designated pages.

***Please complete the entire data confirmation process on AERIES. Do not stop after the first authorization question regarding Medi-Cal.***

3. Attend Registration on August 8th or 9th, depending on your student's grade, and bring your printed paperwork with you.

*Steps 1 and 2 need to be completed BEFORE coming to Registration.*

**If you have not returned textbooks, Chromebook, or hotspots from the 2022-2023 school year, please return them by August 7th or you will not be able to register.**

If you have students in both 7th and 8th grade, they are welcome to attend Registration on the same day.

Printable Instructions

Our office will accept registration documents from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM on August 10th and 11th, and August 14th from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM, 2023. Students can also bring documents on the first day of school.

Make-up pictures will be taken on September 22, 2023, during the school day.

PTSA will need volunteers to assist with Registration on August 8th and 9th. More information to come in the next week.

Students will be expected to dress in their uniforms on a daily basis. Uniforms consist of navy bottoms and a polo shirt. PE clothes like track pants, PE shorts, PE shirts, and Dance clothes will only be worn during PE classes.

Uniforms are purchased from American Casual with the El Rancho logo on them. Purchases can be made at Registration or at American Casual's store. Please note that from August 7-10, American Casual will be closed as they prepare to be at El Rancho for Registration and all their stock will be on our campus.

Daily Uniforms include:

• Grey, green, or maroon shirts
• Navy pants, shorts, or skorts
• Sweatshirts, windbreakers, and jackets

Shirts should be tucked in.

Pants need to fit appropriately at the waist and should not "sag".

No hooded sweatshirts.

Long sleeves are not to be worn under the polo shirt.

Crocs may not be worn.

Belts are recommended with their pants and shorts.

Failure to comply with the Uniform Policy will result in lunch detention.

PE Uniforms:

• Navy track bottoms or green PE shorts
• Grey PE t-shirt
• Dance students wear black shorts or leggings and a black dance shirt.

Your student's schedule is primarily based on the options your family selected during enrollment. If your circumstances have changed or your child's elective choice has changed, we will make changes when possible, before the school year begins. Changes after school starts are very limited.

As a reminder, honors placement for 7th grade is based on placement test scores and grades. Students must have both an advanced placement score and a minimum of 3 A's and 2 B's(3.6 GPA) over the last 5 trimesters. A list of students who completed the AMC program during the last school year or over the summer was provided by OUSD and will be reflected in class lists.

Honors placement for 8th-grade students is based on grades and teacher recommendation. Students needed both qualifiers to move to honors courses. Teachers considered class participation, performance, critical thinking skills, writing ability, work ethic, and study habits in their recommendations.

Students will receive their class list during textbook pick-up and their official schedule on the first day of school.

The bell schedule for this year will remain the same as last year's schedule. On Wednesday and Thursday, Tutorial is built in to provide student support during the school day. Thursday will be our early release day to provide time for our staff development and collaboration.

El Rancho has one school-wide fundraiser each year, which is a donation-based fundraiser.

● Donations will be accepted for the entire month of August. Donations must be received by August 31st in order to receive a t-shirt, which can be worn on Fridays the entire year!

● Donations can be made in three ways:

• During Registration when you purchase your student’s school Binder (Agenda) and PE lock.

• Online at: https://webstores.activenetwork.com/school-oftware/el_rancho_charter_sc/

(Online donations can be made as early as August 1st and still, be counted towards

prizes).

• Directly to Ms. Garabedian in the office starting August 1st. Credit cards, checks, or cash will be accepted. Checks should be payable to El Rancho Charter School.

● For questions regarding the fundraiser or prizes, please contact Ms. Garabedian at

ngarabedian@orangeusd.org or at 714.997.6238.

All donations are tax-deductible! The generosity of El Rancho families benefits our school and students in numerous ways! Proceeds from this fundraiser will directly support students through incentives, ASB activities, award ceremonies, and class gifts such as a refillable water station, a new flag pole, updated sound equipment for our music classes, and a presentation screen and sound system for our new gymnasium.

With last year's donations were able to update the boys' and girls' restrooms. Thank you in advance for your support! We look forward to an exciting and successful year!

The first week of school we will follow the 7-period bell schedule.

Zero Period PE will begin Monday, August 21st.

August 15th:

• First day for 7th graders.
• Zero Period will not meet.
• Students pick up class schedules before school starts.
• Minimum Day Schedule (see schedule above)

August 16th:

• First day for 8th graders.
• 8th Graders will pick up their schedules before school starts.
• Zero period PE will not meet.
• Monday, Tuesday, Friday schedule.

August 17th:

• 7-period schedule-Assembly Schedule
• No Zero Period PE
• 1:25 PM dismissal-see assembly schedule below.

August 18th:

• Monday, Tuesday, Friday schedule.
• No Zero Period PE

All students will be expected to change into their PE clothes in the locker room.

Zero-period students should arrive in their PE clothes and then change into their uniform prior to 1st period.

Students will participate in PE four days a week, except for those in Zero-period which is five days a week.

For the first week of school, students will need pens, pencils, and paper. During the first days of school, teachers will share with students what supplies are needed for each class.

Travel from class to class to meet your child's teachers and learn about course expectations and curriculum.

Save the Date! Back to School Night will be Thursday, September 7, 2023. More details to come.

Students who intend to use the bus for transportation to and/or from school will need to purchase a bus pass through Orange Unified School District.

Avoid the last-minute rush and get your bus pass now!

Bus Pass:

Tuesday-Friday
7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Closed daily for lunch
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Bus Pass Information

El Rancho offers a hot lunch daily, except for minimum days. Breakfast and lunch will be free of cost for all students this school year.

For student safety, students who have a late start or early release will need to be dropped off or picked up at the main campus. The gate at Santa Ana Canyon will close at the start of the 1st period and will not open until the end of 7th period.

Parking Lot Etiquette:

1. There are two lanes in the parking lot. The right lane is for drop-off and the left lane is for those who need to park in the lot.

2. When dropping off please pull all the way forward.

3. At drop off, please do not drop students off in the middle of the parking lot. Either pull up to the curb or pull into a parking stall to drop your student off. The safest option is to drop students at the curb.

4. At pick-up, please do not park in the red zone. This makes it difficult for buses to park and pick-up students.

5. If you would like to avoid the traffic, plan to pick your student up a little later, about 3:05 PM - 3:10 PM, it is so much easier.

6. Please drive SLOWLY!!!!

7. Please follow all traffic laws.

Santa Ana Canyon Drop-Off Area

1. Please pull all the way forward.

2. Do not double park.

3. Avoid blocking the intersection at Fairmont and Santa Ana Canyon.

4. If you would like to avoid the traffic, plan to pick your student up a little later, about 3:05 PM - 3:10 PM, it is so much easier.

We DO NOT recommend picking up students in the Hibachi or Big Lots parking lots. Students should not be in either area after school unsupervised, even on early release Thursdays.

During the 2023-2024 school year, all visitors must come to the office through the main doors to sign in. Parents dropping off "forgotten items" or lunches will also drop off items at the main office cubbies, not the Attendance office.

The Attendance office should only be used for signing in late students and picking up students early from school.

Mrs. Cannon, our Attendance Clerk, appreciates your phone call if your child has to miss school. Please call the Attendance Hotline 714-628-5427 on the day of your student's absence.

Please check Google Classroom for work missed up to 3 days.

Students who have a planned absence that is more than 3 days should pick-up an absence form at the attendance office.

During Tutorial, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, please avoid picking students up early, between 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM.

The Attendance Office is for signing-in students who are late to school and signing-out students who are picked-up early from school.

Cell Phones are expected to be on silent mode or completely turned off and in students' backpacks from 8:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., with the exception that is used as an in-class learning tool under the supervision of the teacher. Cell phones may not be carried in pockets.

Students who need to call their parents should come to the attendance office to use the available phone. Students who are not feeling well should come to the health office to call home and rest until a parent arrives to take their student home.

Parents, when an emergency arises and you need to reach your student, please call the office and we will get a message to your student or have them come to the office and call you.

Phones that are used during the school day will be held in the office for parent pick-up and the student will attend a 1-hour after-school detention.

The Cell Phone Policy also applies to headphones, earbuds, Airpods, and iWatches.

Using the Binder Reminder is a great way to stay organized and keep track of homework. Every student is expected to:

1. Have their Binder Reminder at school every day.

2. Have their name on the front page of their Binder Reminder.

3. Have their Binder Reminder out and ready on Tutorial days (Wed./Thurs.)

4. Keep all pages intact for the entire year.

5. Write their homework and upcoming tests and quizzes down for each class, daily.

Students without their Binder Reminder on Tutorial days will earn after-school detention.

Follow El Rancho on social media to find up to date information, activities, and the talents of our fantastic students and staff. Click on each icon to get to El Rancho's accounts.

Aug. 8 - 7th-grade Registration

Aug. 9 - 8th-grade Registration

Aug. 15 - 7th-grade first day of school (Minimum Day)

Aug. 16 - 8th-grade first day of school

Aug. 17- Assembly Schedule

Sept. 4 - Labor Day-No School

Sept. 7- Back to School Night

Sept. 22- Make-up Picture Day

Oct. 10 - 8th Grade Vision and Hearing Screening

Printable Student Calendar