2302 Martin Street, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92612 949.630.0335 www.halstromacademy.org

HALSTROM_ACADEMY_NEWPORT_BEACH

Campus Community Inspired

“What you do matters” is our new saying at Halstrom Academy, Newport Beach. To help kick start this new program, students will be asked to name three things they can do to make our school a better place. They will each put their ideas on post-it-notes on a bulletin board located in a common area of the campus. In the past, a lot of great ideas have been generated from this program; from making sure everyone recycles, to picking up around the campus, to helping out with homework. Each student will also receive a jelly bracelet with the saying "What You Do Matters" as a reminder to keep this as a daily practice. The theme “What You Do Matters” will continue throughout the school year. Please prepare your students for this exciting program by discussing at home how they can improve our campus community and culture.

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Mark Your Calendar

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Winter 2016

12/7/16 Medieval Times Field Trip

12/15/16 Holiday Gingerbread House Competition

TBA Shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child

12/19 - 1/3 Winter Break – No Classes 1/16 Martin Luther King Day

– Campus Closed 1/17 Monthly Speaker Mike Mitchell - Director DreamWorks 2/20 Presidents’ Day –

Campus Closed

Halstrom Holler – Winter 2016 Page 2

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On May 21 Halstrom Academy families were invited to our showcase spotlighting the exemplary work of our current students. The night was filled with presentations, an art exhibition, and displayed student course work across subject areas. Matthew Hamparyan demonstrated

Message from the Director

On May 21 Halstrom Academy

families were invited to our

showcase spotlighting the

exemplary work of our current

students. The night was filled

with presentations, an art

exhibition, and displayed

student course work across

subject areas. Matthew

Hamparyan demonstrated his

We thank all of our students and

families!

Marcia Johnson

Our Harvest Hope food bank

drive was a success! Special

thank you to Connor and

Marianne Perkins for

i i th d i

Parents/Guardians, we are three months into the school year. I’m impressed with how nicely our students are settling in. We have a great group, that overall is not testing the limits too much. Yes! To ensure we continue the school year on a successful, productive route, I offer some suggestions below: Lines of Communication: Communicate with your child’s teachers on a regular basis. I strongly encourage you to call or email your child’s teachers as soon as possible to open the lines of communication to determine how you can work together to optimize your child’s academic success. Also, check parent portal often.

School Support: If you notice that your child is showing signs of academic, social or emotional trouble, please contact me, or our support staff right away. We want to work together, as a team, to support your son or daughter. Get Involved: Finally, encourage your child to get involved in a school activity. There are a variety of activities such as: academic clubs, student government, etc. Activities give students an opportunity to meet new people, explore something new, and it fosters student engagement. I am here to ensure that your child has a successful year. Do not hesitate to contact me at 949.630.0335 or via email @ mjohnson@futures.edu.

College Corner: MAP Testing Our campus recently wrapped up the Fall MAP Testing window with our full-time students. As we begin to analyze students’ results, we are reminded of how valuable the testing platform is for our students! Here are a few reasons why:

MAP Testing measures the incredible growth our students make at Halstrom Academy. The RIT scale measures student achievement and growth. It is an equal-interval scale, like feet and inches, so the scores make it possible to follow a student’s educational growth from test to test and from year to year.

MAP Testing helps our teachers meet the needs of every student. Because the MAP tests give us scores that are accurate and reliable, teachers can use the data to pinpoint where each student is performing and deliver instruction directly related to that performance level.

Normative Data reveals a student’s progress in relation to his or her grade-level peers. By comparing a student’s RIT score to the normative data, we can track how a student is performing in comparison to students in his or her grade level. We can use this information to determine whether a student needs additional support or an advanced course to get the most out of his or her educational experience at Halstrom!

If you have questions about MAP Testing, please contact your Campus Director.

Halstrom Holler – Fall 2016 Page 3

Preparing for College Life Picture it: You received the acceptance letter. You made the deposit. You even purchased the school sweatshirt. You are ready for some of the best years of your life….

…except getting ready for college is about way more than buying out the bookstore’s apparel section.

Becoming part of the campus community takes just as much effort as getting into college (though it’s a lot more fun). If you want to feel connected to your campus, make memories that last a lifetime, and burst with pride at the mere mention of your school’s name, here’s what you should do: Start Building Connections Early Visit the campus again You should (re)visit the college you’re planning to attend (or visit your top choices if you’re not quite decided yet). Attend orientation You should make every effort to attend freshman orientation. It’s a chance for you to get acclimated to campus life, learn important start-of-semester info, and meet other accepted students who are in the same boat as you. Connect with other students You can do this before, during, and after orientation. Find your roommate on social media, and search for Facebook groups for incoming freshman, academic departments, athletic teams and other groups. This will help you feel a little more at home when you see familiar faces on campus.

Fall 2016 Activities Field Trip to Medieval Times

Our students will travel through the mists of time to a forgotten age and a tale of devotion, courage and love—at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament. Imagine the pageantry and excitement that would have been yours as a guest of the king ten centuries ago. That’s exactly what they will experience! spirited horses displaying the astounding athletic feats and thrilling swordplay that

Gingerbread House Holiday Competition

December 15th, 2016@12pm