Dear Altura Prep Parents and Caregivers,
It's hard to believe that March is here and that Spring Break is right around the corner! We look forward to sunshine and brighter days with the transition to spring. We want to tout the exceptional instruction that happens each day at Altura Prep and the immense dedication of our teachers and staff. We feel so lucky to work with such an incredible team each day!
Mark Your Calendars! Important Dates for March:
Friday, March 10th, 2023 - Parent Teacher Conferences (12 pm Dismissal)
Sunday, March 12th, 2023 - Daylight Savings "Spring Forward" Reminder
Thursday, March 16th, 2023 - Parent-Teacher Conferences, NO SCHOOL for Students
Friday, March 17th, 2023- Parent Teacher Conferences, NO SCHOOL for Students
Monday, March 20th - Friday, March 24th, 2023 - Spring Break, SCHOOL CLOSED
Other School Updates:
Parent-Teacher Conferences Parent-teacher conferences will take place on Friday, March 10th, Thursday, March 16th, and Friday, March 17th, 2023. Therefore, we will follow our regular early dismissal schedule on Friday, March 10th, and students will not have school on March 16th or 17th, 2023.
Your conference times have been scheduled and sent home in your child's Home-School Binder. If you still need to return your confirmation slip, please do so by Friday, March 3rd, 2023.
Here are some tips to help you to prepare for a successful parent-teacher conference and make the most of your conference time:
Before the Conference:
-Ask your child how she feels about school and if there is anything they would like you to talk about with the teachers.
-List topics you want to discuss with your child's teachers. Some questions to ask are
as follows:
- What is my child's strongest and weakest subject?
- Is my child able to work independently?
- Does my child hand in their homework on time?
- Does my child participate in class?
- What can I do at home to support your work with my child in the classroom?
-Review your child's report card and make a note of any questions you might have regarding their grades or academic data.
During the Conference:
-Arrive/log in on time (or early) for the meeting.
-End the meeting on time. Remember that teachers have back-to-back conferences all day!
-Relax and be yourself during the conference.
-Ask the most important and pressing questions first.
-Ask for explanations of anything you need help understanding or if something needs clarification.
-Ask your child's teachers for ways that you can support your child at home.
-Thank your child's teachers.
After the Conference:
-Talk about the conference with your child. Be direct about any problems.
-Tell your child about any plans you and the teachers created and things you will be working on together at home to support their learning in the classroom.
-Have a special "report card dinner" for your child. Highlight your child's academic and social growth with the family. A special celebration will give you another time to voice pride in your child's work.
-Review your child's report card and make a note of any questions you might have regarding their grades or data.
-Email to follow up if you have any other questions that need answers. Continue to check in with your child's team about their progress.
Report cards serve many purposes, but first and foremost, it is a communication tool to share with your child about their growth and learning. It is important to remember that report card grades belong to your child, not to you as parents. Use this report card as a means by which we can teach personal responsibility, natural consequences, the value of hard work, the importance of good study skills, and affirmative social skills. Lastly, remember that your child's report card is not an endpoint—but a starting point for meaningful discussions about school.
Core Value for March- Positive Behavior
This month, we will empower our Prepsters to continue working on and refining their leadership skills by demonstrating positive behavior across campus. We aim to celebrate when students display values we've recognized to date so far: Kindness and Caring, Helping Others, Demonstrating Good Judgment, Responsibility, and Being a Good Listener.
Spring Break
Altura Prep staff and students will have Spring Break from Monday, March 20th, through Friday, March 24th, 2023. Classes will resume on Monday, March 27th, 2023.
Attendance
Forty percent (40%) of students in New Mexico are chronically absent, which means they have missed ten (10) or more days during the school year.
There are long-term effects of chronic or repeated school absences. For example, missing twelve or more days in kindergarten is correlated with lower achievement in first grade, and attendance problems in later years can increase the risk of everything from dropping out of high school to suffering physical health challenges as an adult. Routine is vital for children's sense of stability in the world and essential for the healthy development of our children. When a child's routine becomes interrupted, it creates additional stressors. The more we can do to maintain predictability in a child's life, such as attending school regularly, the better it is for their overall social and emotional health.
Please keep communication lines open with the school if your child is absent. Cynthia Hernandez, our fantastic Office Manager, is always here to help. Please get in touch with the school after 7:30 am if your child will be absent. Phone calls to the school before and after hours are forwarded to Ms. Cynthia's cell phone, so as a community, we want to respect her time with her children.
Dropping Students Off When Late
If your student is late, please drop off your child at the top of the sidewalk using the Alameda entrance. Students may walk directly to the office to check in. You may also park your car in the fire line and call the front desk, and a member of our office staff will come and pick up your child from your vehicle. Please do not park and leave your car unattended in the fire line!
Daylight Savings Reminder
Daylight Savings "springs forward" on Sunday, March 12th, 2023, so be sure to set your clocks one hour ahead before going to bed on Saturday!
Yearbook Orders
Order your child's yearbook now using this link: https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/2927539/Altura-Preparatory-School/2023-Yearbook/20220701121507243134/CATALOG_SHOP/. You may also access the Josten's Order Page can also be found on our school website under the Student Life tab - click "Yearbook." The cost for a yearbook is $38. Unfortunately, we only have 42 yearbooks left for sale for the year. So be sure to get yours before they sell out!
Volunteering
Please read about Altura Preparatory Schools' volunteer guidelines here. In addition, individual teachers will contact parents about volunteer opportunities in their classrooms in their classroom newsletters. Parents interested in volunteering for a spring field trip MUST complete a background check and clear before the event. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Ms. Cynthia via email at [email protected] or call the office at (505)539-5369.
Thank You
Lastly, a huge THANK YOU to all of our Altura Prep families and caregivers who attended the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Performance last Thursday. Our Prepsters were AWESOME! Our teachers across the school worked incredibly hard to bring you their songs, poems, and speeches for this event. We hope that by having taught our students about the significant events and people of the Civil Rights Movement, our Prepsters have learned to appreciate the ordinary people who struggled to change society, to use their voices to make the world a better place to live, to understand the importance of legislatures and policies in overcoming an uphill battle in the United States, to stand up for what they believe in, to consider diversity appreciably, and to realize the value of equality, justice, freedom, and democracy.
In Partnership,
Lissa and Meaghan
