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Dear Altura Prep Parents and Caregivers,
We had an incredible week back at Altura Prep after the Thanksgiving Break. It was so lovely to see our halls, classrooms, and playground filled with the joy, laughter, and curiosity that only students and teachers can bring to a school. We also want to thank all of you for participating in our Parent-Teacher Conferences. We had 100% attendance from our families! We thank each one of you for actively participating in your child’s education.
Here's the scoop for December:
Tuesday, December 13: Altura Preparatory School Charter Renewal Hearing (8:30 am - 10:30 am, details below)
Tuesday, December 20: Winter Festivities
Tuesday, December 20: LAST DAY of school before the Winter Break (3 pm Dismissal)
Wednesday, December 21 - Wednesday, January 3, 2022: WINTER BREAK (No School)
Thursday, January 4, 2023: School Resumes
Calling all families and friends!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Altura Preparatory School's 5-year Charter Renewal Hearing and Decision will take place on Tuesday, December 13, at the CNM Workforce Training Center, 5600 Eagle Rock Ave NE, Room WTC101, from 8:30 am - 10:30 am.
Every five years, all charter schools in New Mexico must participate in a renewal process to be able to continue to serve their students and families for another five-year term. This hearing is an opportunity for the voting body, the New Mexico Public Education Commission (PEC), to hear the school's supporters and to ask questions of the school leadership team. In addition, a demonstration of support from our families is critical to the success of this renewal hearing!
Everyone is invited to attend this open meeting. When you arrive, Ms. Idali and Ms. Diana will be there to give all Altura Prep supporters an Altura Prep t-shirt in your size to wear in the meeting hall!
If you are unable to attend and can't have someone come in your place, letters of support can be addressed to The Public Education Commission and emailed to [email protected]. We urge you to share with the Public Education Commissioners why Altura Prep is such an excellent place for your child to learn and grow. Click here to view a sample letter of support.
Winter Festivities
On Tuesday, December 20, 2022, we will be having our annual school-wide winter celebrations.
K-2
Students in K-2nd grades will be closing 2022 with a magical Polar Express Pajama Party celebration. A SignUpGenius.com event organization email will go out to parents and caregivers on Monday, December 5, 2022, with detailed information on our Polar Express Pajama Party needs.
3-5
Students in 3rd-5th grade will have a Hogwarts "Yule Ball" Sock Hop to close out 2022 on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. Students are highly encouraged to dress up as their favorite Harry Potter character or wear their most comfortable Harry Potter pajamas. A SignUpGenius.com event organization email will go out to parents and caregivers on Monday, December 5, 2022, with detailed information about our Hogwarts "Yule Ball" Sock Hop needs.
Yearbooks
Families can now order their yearbooks through this link. You can also order through our school website under the Student Life tab. Please place your order directly from the website. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ms. Cynthia.
MySchoolBucks Update
We can't thank our Altura Prep families enough for your patience and support with our new online system for the lunch program, MySchoolBucks. We have recently learned that when an account is set to auto-transfer, money will only be transferred if the amount falls to the exact defaulted amount. For example, if the amount is set at $10.00, but the account has a balance of $9.80, MySchoolBucks will not transfer additional money unless the account hits the exact $10.00 amount. Please be sure to check your account balances to see if you need to transfer funds.
Inclement Weather Procedures
With the winter season quickly approaching, we wanted to remind all 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). We also ask that all families download the Edlio School News App, which is available for iOS and Android mobile devices, the fastest way to get updates. Need help? Find the quick start instructions here.
School Volunteers
Please read about Altura Preparatory Schools volunteer guidelines here. If you want to volunteer around the school and not specifically in your child's class, contact Lissa Hines at [email protected]. We always have many things that you can do to help our staff and learning activities that you can help us put together during the school day.
Ways to Support Altura Prep
There are many ways that parents, grandparents, and caregivers can support our teachers and students here at Altura Prep. Here are a few ideas:
-We need scooters and helmets! Donations of razor scooters, junior razor scooters, and helmets for our students to play with during recess would be greatly appreciated! If you would like to purchase one or more of these items to donate to our students, we assure you the students will be thrilled! Be sure to email Lissa and Meaghan at [email protected], and we will ensure that you receive a donation acknowledgment letter to document your charitable gift/donation for tax purposes.
-If you shop at Amazon.com, begin your Christmas shopping through Smile.Amazon.com. Look for "Altura Schools" and register Altura Prep as your charitable organization, and Amazon will then give back to us.
What is AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. Once your computer or app remembers your Altura Schools selection, every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation. The AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.
-Mabels Labels will support Altura Prep by giving us a 20% commission on every sale when you order their personalized labels online. Just type in Altura Preparatory School once you are on their "support fundraiser" page.
-Many companies in New Mexico use donation matching as a corporate giving initiative, in which an employer matches their employee's contribution to a specific cause, increasing the gift. For example, if an Intel employee donates $50.00 to Altura Schools, the matching gift would be Intel's additional donation of $50.00. Contact your Human Resources department for more information.
-Donations are always welcome from our families! You can donate online by going to the Contact Us tab on our website and clicking on Donate Today. Checks can also be made payable to "Altura Schools." In addition, you will receive a donation acknowledgment letter to document your charitable gift/donation for tax purposes.
Uniform Reminders
Please check the website here if you have any 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 into 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.
Core Value for November/December: Using Our Good Judgement
At Altura Prep, we teach students that we develop good Judgment by making decisions based on analyzing situations and experiences we have had in our lives. As one of the wise sages of Ancient Greece noted, "Judgment develops from experience. Good Judgment develops from a bad experience."
Our goal is to give our students experiences in making decisions and ensure they can reflect on those experiences and learn. As a learning community, we must provide our students with opportunities to make decisions for themselves and ensure that they have the chance to reflect on those experiences and learn from them. It is also important to raise children who feel good about themselves so they make wise choices each day rather than poor ones. Good judgment skills are necessary to lead a happy and content life.
Research has shown that when children are taught good judgment skills from a young age, they grow into problem-solvers and increase their ability to think logically and react rationally. The following are some strategies to use to help your child develop good judgment skills:
1. Teach your child that mistakes are a part of life. At Altura Prep, teachers often remind their students that mistakes are proof that they are trying. Let your child make mistakes, and let them see you make mistakes. Then, directly demonstrate to them how you correct mistakes you make in your adult life. The earlier children realize that mistakes do not define them but help shape who they are, the better!
2. Model The Process of Decision Making. Share how and why you make decisions with your child as early as the toddler years. In the educational world, we often refer to this method as a think-aloud. For example, "It is cloudy outside. I think we should bring an umbrella on our walk today." Then, as they get older, give them two options so that they can practice how to make decisions for themselves. For example, "Would you like to wear your gray sweater today or your blue sweatshirt?"
As your child grows, they will have more significant decisions to make. Some of these decisions will require negotiation and compromise. Even so, don't always jump in if you see your child making a wrong decision. Children often learn best when they learn directly from a mistake. If it is a safe situation, it may be good for them to make a wrong decision.
When they make mistakes, please help them learn to stay calm and not to blame others. If they regret their choice, support them while they are feeling difficult emotions and help them to think about what they could do differently next time. For example, your child chooses to play a video game before going to bed and then forgets to put his Home-School binder that has his homework assignment that is due the next day in his backpack. He calls you from school during morning recess and begs you to please bring his Home-School binder to him so that he doesn't receive a consequence from his math teacher. As easy as it would be to fetch the binder from his room and drive it to school, do not bring it to them.
Experiencing consequences from mistakes helps your child to grow. Unfortunately, over the last decade, we have seen a drastic increase in parents who want to shield their children from experiencing difficult emotions. However, it is from experiencing those upsetting feelings that children learn how to make better decisions. Therefore, it is critical to have children experience the consequences of poor choices and learn to work through the complex emotions that stem from their poor decisions. It will not only help to shape their character but also help them develop the self-confidence to trust themselves and know how to make good choices as they enter adolescence.
3. Let your child know that you trust and believe in them each day. As I leave the house each morning, I repeat the same quote to my daughters that they have heard every day since they started preschool: "Work hard, be nice, and know that I trust you to make good choices." It is crucial that, as parents, we work hard to form a close relationship with each of our children. We want them to know that we trust and love them and that they can always come to us for support when they muck things up because they will. Every child needs to know that as their parents, you love them unconditionally and accept them for who they are, even when they make the wrong decisions. Taking the time to build a relationship of trust will ensure that they open up to you when they have a dilemma.
In closing, we hope to see many of you at the Altura Preparatory School Renewal Hearing on Tuesday, December 13, at the CNM Workforce Training Center, 5600 Eagle Rock Ave NE, Room WTC101, from 8:30 am - 10:30 am. Thank you in advance for your continued support and engagement. We would not be the school we are today without the students, parents, families, and faculty that we have here in our Altura Prep community.
In Partnership,
Lissa and Meaghan
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