Weekly Newsletter #21 - January 31, 2024

President's Corner

We had an amazing Jog-a-thon Kick Off yesterday, and it was all thanks to our Jog-a-thon chair, Diwakar Vashishat, and the dedicated volunteers. They always deliver excellence for our students!

Join us for "Alderwood's Marvelous Jog-a-thon: Let's Jog & Jive Together!" on March 6th. Remember, it's not just a jog; it's a blend of fun, fitness, and family festivities. Check your student's Thursday folder for all the necessary information about the Jog-a-thon, our biggest fundraiser.

Don't miss the Talent Show on February 2, showcasing the incredible talents of 50 students, Thanks to the hard work of our chair, Nisha Ganatra. It's a must-see event!

We're also launching a unique initiative – a petition to continue providing a bus for our high schoolers. Let's unite as a community to make a positive impact.

As Helen Keller said: "Alone we can do so little. Together, we can do so much.”

Last call to join the Board

We're looking for awesome people like you to join the PTA Board. If you want to make our school better, and be a voice for parents and kids, this is your chance! Many seats are open.

Interest form is now available

As you may know, IUSD currently provides a bus to University High School for families living outside the district's non-transportation zone. This bus to Uni was a one-year pilot program made possible by $55,000 of funding from the City of Irvine, combined with parent fees of $450 per rider.

Current Alderwood families who are interested in having bus service to University High School continue in 2024-25 or future years, please complete this interest form to receive updates about busing options, including the request to the city to continue its funding.

Also, we encourage you to fill out the Annual IUSD Survey that is open until February 2nd. This survey is the best way to give the school district and each individual school feedback. Therefore, we urge each of you to share thoughts about the district, your children's schools, and school transportation in the comments section after the initial survey. The district and each school do read the comments section as well as review the survey results.

iLab Donations Needed

Our Alderwood iLab is looking for supplies and we need your help. Alderwood iLab is used by all classes and this will directly help our students. Check out the wish list here.

Tournament of Champions Winter Bowl

Congratulations to our 3rd-grade Co-Ed Team for making it to the Winterbowl Finals. We're also proud of all of our athletes for their outstanding effort and sportsmanship. A big thank you to everyone who made this event a blast. Next up is the Tournament of Champions Hoops Classic.

Fill out the interest form here for Hoops Classic

5th-grade Boy's Night and Girl's Night

The 5th Grade Boys and Girls Night was amazing, thanks to our volunteers and donors. Huge thanks to Laura McCormack, Rupa Reddy, and Cherine Sharkas for providing goodie bags and decorations.

We want to shout out Brian Cady and Lesley Hedrick for their informative talks at the event, and Pete Campbell and Tanya Cropsey for being the MCs.

Tina Ngo, our event chair, deserves a big thank you for making everything come together. Everyone loved the Luau theme, and the games, prizes, and Hawaiian-themed dinner were a hit with all 150 guests. It was a great night!

IPSF IMPACT - January 2024 Edition

Thanks to the incredible support from our community, IPSF continues meeting the ever-changing needs of Irvine's schools and students. Explore IPSF’s 2023 Year in Review video to see how your generosity elevated our mission, and provided opportunities for students that might not have been possible otherwise!

Watch video here

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT!

IPSF is blown away by this generous community! Over 1,172 supporters rallied this fall for IPSF’s 2023 Educational Excellence Fund, raising over $378,000 to date including the dollar-for-dollar match by the City of Irvine! Irvine is truly an amazing community. Haven’t added your name yet? Join the many families who’ve supported so far this school year on our online Donor Honor Roll. Your generosity provides vital funding for districtwide classroom support, music, science, mental health, and more. There’s still time!

REGISTER FOR ENRICHMENT DAY

Join IPSF on Monday, February 19, during the school holiday for an unforgettable day of exploration and learning! Enrichment Day is your child's chance to dive into exciting topics and master new skills through hands-on experiences in a range of engaging subjects not typically found in your regular classes. Mark your calendars: registration now open!

BECOME AN IPSF VOLUNTEER

Are you and your kids eager to lend a hand to the community? Students age 14+ can volunteer to help out in IPSF’s offices or at an upcoming event. IPSF love their dedicated volunteers who contribute their time in support of IPSF’s mission! Discover upcoming opportunities and get involved!

Irvine Parent Education Program (IPEP)

February 2024 Workshops Invitation

We have many great workshops and presentations set up for the parents/ caregivers of Irvine students. Below you will find the links to our workshops and other district wide parent/guardian presentations for the month of February.

Irvine Parent Education Programs (IPEP) are FREE seminars and educational workshops offered to Irvine parents/caregivers throughout the school year. Our goal is to empower parents/guardians with the skills and strategies necessary to become active participants in their student’s education.

We invite you to register for one or more of the IPEP Parent Workshops.

Title

Date/ Time/ Location

Registration Link

Vape and Tobacco Parent Workshop

This workshop is for parents who want to stay informed on how vaping and tobacco can impact the body during adolescence. We will cover the evolution from cigarette to vape, how tobacco impacts health, signs of use, and resources for support.

Thursday, February 1st

9:00AM

Zoom

Join Us!

Arabic Community Meeting

مسار الرياضيات المندمج (Math Pathway) – لطلاب الصف الخامس إلى الصف العاشر.

Thursday, February 1st

10:00AM

IUSD Parent Center

(155 Visions, building 2)

Join Us!

Special Education Coffee and Connections

Please join IUSD in partnership with the Irvine Special Education Community Advisory Committee and Dr. Stephen Bayne, IUSD Director of Risk Management and Safety, for a presentation addressing School Safety and Emergency Preparedness. More information can be found at the registration link.

See future Special Education Coffee and Connections Dates

Monday, February 5th

9:00AM

IUSD Learning Center, Room 5 (3387 Barranca Pkwy)

Join Us!

Mandarin Chinese Community Meeting

IUSD GATE 和 APAAS 线上问答

对象：幼儿园至小学五年级家长，需要报名才能获得线上讲座链接

Friday, February 9th

9:30AM

Zoom

Join Us!

Active Parenting School Aged Children Series (Spanish)

Esta serie de 6 sesiones ofrece a los padres recursos y herramientas entre varios temas. Es necesario registrarse. Puede encontrar más información en el enlace de registro. Esta clase se lleva a cabo por zoom en español.

February 6th - March 19th

Tuesdays at 5:30PM

Zoom

Join Us!

Active Parenting School Aged Children Series (Korean)

6번의 세션으로 진행되는 이번 시리즈는 다양한 주제에 걸쳐 학부모님꼐 리소스와 도구를 제공합니다. 등록이 필요하며, 자세한 내용은 등록링크에서 확인하실 수 있습니다. 본 수업은 전문가가 한국어로 직접 진행합니다.

February 8th - March 22nd

Thursdays at 10:00AM

IUSD Parent Center

(155 Visions, Building 2)

Join Us!

Active Parenting School Aged Children Series (Farsi)

این مجموعه 6 جلسه ای منابع و ابزارهای در مورد موضوعات مختلف به والدین ارائه می دهد. ثبت نام الزامی است. اطلاعات بیشتر در لینک ثبت نام موجود است. این کلاس از طریق زوم و به زبان فارسی برگزار می شود.

February 8th - March 22nd

Thursdays at 5:30PM

Zoom

Join Us!

Active Parenting School Aged Children Series

This 6 session series offers parents resources and tools among various topics. Registration is required. More information can be found at the registration link. This class is held on zoom in English.

February 8th - March 22nd

Thursdays at 5:30PM

Zoom

Join Us!

Japanese Community Meeting

Topic: Networking meeting for parents with current middle schoolers.

中学生をお持ちの保護者の方向け情報交換会を開催します。

Monday, February 12th

10:30AM

IUSD Parent Center

(155 Visions, building 2)

Join Us!

LGBTQ+ Community Advocacy Meeting

Topic: LGBTQ+ Advocacy

Tuesday, February 13th

9:00AM

Join Us!

African American/Black Community Meeting

This meeting will be hosted on zoom with an open-topic discussion. Zoom Meeting ID: 862 3083 7764 and Passcode: Lh6Nz1

Tuesday, February 13th at 5:00PM

Zoom

No registration required.

Korean Community Meeting

Topic: Road to College

Friday, February 23rd

10AM-12PM

IUSD Parent Center

(155 Visions, building 2)

Join Us!

Early Childhood Coffee and Conversations

Topic: Getting Ready for Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten. More information can be found at the registration link.

Friday, February 23rd

IUSD Early Childhood Learning Center

(1 Smoketree Ln)

Join Us!

Spanish Community Meeting

Topic: Sesión informativa sobre la prueba ELPAC

Friday, February 23rd

9:30AM

IUSD Parent Center

(155 Visions, building 2)

Join Us!

Learn How to Best Support Your Child in Reading

Join us for our Literacy Parent Event to learn more about how to best support your child in reading. You will walk away with tips that you can implement right away at home. Reading is the foundation for success in all content areas. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about the Science of Reading and what to do to support your child!

This parent event is designed for parents of students in the elementary grades.

Tuesday, February 27th

9:00-10:00AM

IUSD Learning Center, Room 1 (3387 Barranca Pkwy)

Join Us!

African American/Black Community Meeting

This meeting will be held in person. We will continue our discussion on Parent Rights and Responsibilities.

Tuesday, February 27th at 5:00PM

Parent Center

(155 Visions building 2)

No registration required.

If you have any questions please contact Kim Bates, Coordinator or Family Outreach and Student Engagement, at kimbates@iusd.org or (949)936-5283.

Upcoming Meetings & Events

Tuesday, January 30

5:00p PTA Meeting

Friday, February 2

Talent Show Performance Day

Tuesday, February 6

Family Time Tuesday

Friday, February 9

Jamba Juice After School

Monday, February 12

8:30a Executive Board Meeting

Friday, February 16

Staff Development Day (No School)

Monday, February 19

Presidents Day (No School)

Does Your Employer Match Your Donations?

Many companies offer to match their employees' donations including IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft and The Capital Group.

{Check here} to see if your company will match your gift to Alderwood.

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Thanks to Our Sponsors

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Become an Alderwood PTA Sponsor

Did you know that Alderwood PTA offers local businesses sponsorship opportunities at various levels? Sponsors make a major impact on our community through their support of PTA programs -- and they can qualify for benefits such as having a logo showcased on the school marquee and website, or hosting a booth at popular schoolwide PTA events. Plus, the sponsorship is tax-deductible!

Alderwood PTA offers a special discount to Alderwood parents for the entry-level Bronze Partnership -- a $250 sponsorship for just $100!

Visit {alderwoodpta.com/sponsor} to learn more and become a sponsor, or email sponsorship@alderwoodpta.com if you know a local business that might be interested.

SUBJECT: PTA Newsletter 01.31.24