|
Dear Altura Prep Parents and Guardians,
HAPPY NEW YEAR! We were excited to see our students back at Altura Prep this morning. Seeing our classrooms and playground filled with the joy and laughter that only students, teachers, and faculty can bring to a school was fantastic.
Mark Your Calendars!
Important Dates for January and February:
Monday, January 15, 2024: No School in Observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Wednesday, February 14, 2024: Kindness Day
Monday, February 19, 2024: No School in Observance of Presidents' Day
Friday, February 23, 2024: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Showcase (9:00 am)
Core Value for January: Responsibility
Our Core Value for January is responsibility. One of the best ways to teach your children responsibility at home is to assign them chores or “family contributions.” Although calling chores “family contributions” won’t necessarily make your children enjoy them more, chores send an essential message to kids about significance. When kids help out at home, they realize that their actions and contributions make a big difference to their family’s ability to function as a unit. Humans all have a hardwired need for significance, and chores are a great way to foster a feeling in our children that they matter.
In Jessica Lahey’s book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed, Lahey reminds us that as parents, we are our children’s first teachers. As their first teachers, we are also in the best possible position to teach our children the importance of facing everyday responsibilities and challenges with courage and a good attitude. Being responsible means many things, including:
- being dependable so people know they can count on you,
- keeping one's word and agreements,
- meeting one's commitments,
- doing something to the best of one's ability,
- being accountable for one's behavior,
- accepting credit when you do things right and acknowledging mistakes,
- being a contributing member of one's family, community, and society.
Learning responsibility is one of the most important skills children can learn while they are young. Teaching your child to be responsible from an early age will help them to be confident, resilient, and prepared to approach any tasks and challenges they encounter in their lives.
Inclement Weather Reminders
With the winter season upon us, we wanted to remind our Altura Prep families and caregivers about weather delays and closure protocols this year. We will follow Albuquerque Public Schools for all inclement weather delays and cancellations.
Please note that delays and cancellations will be publicized on the school's website, KOB-TV (Channel 4), and KOAT (Channel 7). Families can also download the Edlio School News App, which is the fastest way to get updates for iOS and Android mobile devices. Need help? Find the quick start instructions here.
Morning Drop-Off Reminders
Morning arrival starts at 7:30 am. Students may arrive for breakfast from 7:30 am to 7:50 am before classes begin at 8:00 am. We ask that all families have their students ready to exit their vehicle as you pull forward to stop in the car line for your designated grade level(s). Please remember that we have 260 students dropped off each morning before 8:00 am, so please do your part to help the line move quickly. We appreciate your assistance with this.
If you arrive late, we ask that you use the Alameda entrance and have your child walk on the sidewalk to the front door. Please do not park in front of the fire hydrant and leave your vehicle unattended. If you call the school's main line, 505.539.5369, we will meet your child outside and escort them into the building.
Picking Up Your Child Early from School
Classroom instruction is a critical component of student success and continues until the dismissal bell, so early dismissal of students is discouraged. We understand, however, that there are times when students have medical appointments that require students to leave early, so we ask that you remember the following: On regular school days, dismissal changes and early pickup must happen before 2:30 pm. Early dismissal of students ceases at 2:30 pm Monday through Thursday and at 11:45 am on Fridays. Please plan accordingly.
Uniform Reminders
Please check the website here if you have questions about appropriate clothing or shoe choices for school. For example, we have had many questions about boots and rain boots. If it is raining or it looks like there will be rain, students may wear rain boots to school and bring tennis shoes in their backpacks to change once inside the building. We want to make sure that students can run and play safely during recess, and we have found tennis shoes with multichannel tread and rubber soles to be safest for the schoolyard. Please continue to send your child to school with tennis shoes each day!
MySchoolBucks Reminders
If your child pays for school meals, please continue to monitor their MySchoolBucks account and replenish any funds before the balance goes below $5.00. We can only continue providing meals to students who pay for meals if their accounts have sufficient funds. You must bring your child lunch if they have insufficient funds to purchase a meal.
Birthday Celebration Reminders
Please remember to consult with your child's homeroom teacher for any celebration requests at least one week before your child's birthday, as we want to be thoughtful about the students in your child's class who may have special dietary needs or food allergies. In addition, you can find all staff emails on the school website or your child's weekly grade-level-specific newsletter.
Yearbook Orders
You are guaranteed a better price when you order your child's yearbook before January 26, 2024! You may order your child's yearbook now using this link. You may also access Josten's Order Page, which can be found on our website under the Student Life tab- and click "Yearbook." The price is $35.00 per book, which will increase to $38.00 on January 27, 2024. Therefore, we recommend placing your order today!
New Student Enrollment for 2024-25
Parents may apply to enter their child for the 2024-25 school year lottery. As a current Altura Prep family, you are our best ambassadors for new families! If you have relatives with school-aged children or rising kindergarten students, please share Altura Prep with them. We love having cousins and siblings join our Altura Prep family! New families can also learn more and submit an enrollment form through the school website.
Do you have a sibling ready to join your Prepster at school? Current students' siblings must submit an enrollment form via the school website. Click “Enroll Now” to be redirected to our new enrollment portal. Please check the box to show that your new student has an enrolled sibling, as we have a sibling preference. A sibling preference means that siblings move to the top of the enrollment priority list in a lottery.
Note: Students currently enrolled at Altura Prep and who will be returning do not need to submit new applications! Returning student re-enrollment and registration will happen in late January/early February. You will receive an email with a link providing more information and directions to access the re-enrollment paperwork. Please do not submit a new application for your current Altura Prep student.
Emergency Contacts
All Altura Prep students must have four emergency contacts in our system: two guardians and two additional emergency contacts or one guardian and three additional emergency contacts in our school information system. These must all be current and reliable in the event of an emergency in which we need to contact someone. If you’d like to update this information, please email [email protected] or call us at 505-539-5369. We will confirm these entries with everyone as part of the re-enrollment process. If we are missing contacts, you will be contacted in the next few days to add emergency contact information to your child’s records.
Fourth Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Showcase
We are so excited for our 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Showcase at Altura Prep! In honor of the great orator, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Altura Prep students will be able to showcase their oratorical skills in a public speaking competition.
This showcase celebrates the eloquence and the leadership for justice that defined the life of Dr King. Individual students and groups will take the stage and recite poems and speeches fearlessly and with emotional power. Classes will perform songs important in the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. This year’s theme is “Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. Indeed, it is a weapon unique in history, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the wo/man who wields it.” The context for this theme comes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Nobel Peace Prize Lecture on December 11, 1964, titled “The Quest for Peace and Justice.”
Students may write an original monologue, poem, or speech that reflects Dr. King's message. They may also give a famous monologue, poem, or excerpts from one of Dr. King’s speeches that share his quest for civil rights, equity, and progress.
This oratorical competition's categories are as follows:
Individual Performer – One Performer on Stage
- Monologue- original or published in a script (3 min)
- Poetry- published poetry (3 min)
- Poetry- original poetry (poet performing poem they wrote, 3 min)
- Speech- famous & not so famous – (3 min)
Groups- Two or More Performers on Stage Groups
- Poetry- published (up to 3 min)
- Poetry- original (written by the performing poets, (up to 3 min)
- Speech- famous & not so famous (up to 3 min)
Students will be judged on these four criteria:
- Interpretation / Creativity
- Expression / Stage Presence
- Delivery / Presentation
- Overall Effectiveness
If your child is interested in participating in this year's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Showcase, please complete the Entry Form here.
Here are some additional public speaking resources for our families:
Holidays at Altura Prep
While we recognize that Valentine’s Day is a fun holiday for many, not all of our Altura Prep families do not celebrate it for various reasons, and we want to honor that. In this spirit of inclusivity, our position at Altura Prep is that Valentine’s Day is an at-home experience and celebration for our families who choose to celebrate this holiday.
We strive to ensure that all students feel welcome at Altura Prep and that we celebrate one another every day. On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, students at Altura Prep will celebrate Kindness Day. Students will have the opportunity to have fun with their classmates and engage in activities that promote acts of kindness by showing love to others on a broader spectrum. At Altura Prep, having students practice gestures of genuine compassion towards others can and will make a difference in the world. Please look for a SignUp.com email later this month for Kindness Day donations. #makekindnessthenorm
Thank you for supporting Altura Preparatory School as a beacon of learning in our community. Have a fantastic January!
In Partnership,
Lissa and Meaghan
|
