Jennifer Ketring

K8 November E-news

Hello everyone. It seems like every time that I sit down to write my note for this newsletter, I find myself thinking what a dynamic time it is to be alive and how grateful I am to be able to work with our students here in our beautiful coastal community. As we move into the change of the seasons, I embrace the cooling temperatures and look forward to the longer dark nights cuddled up near the wood stove. I am also looking forward to the rains that will eventually come and refresh and recharge our land, so that everything can begin to regrow anew.  

It is very exciting that our county has moved from the purple tier to the red tier, and we are able to begin planning for a hybrid reopening in the new year. I want to ensure everyone of our commitment to making sure that we are able to do that in a way that is safe for our students, our teachers and our families. If you haven’t had an opportunity to do so yet, please fill out our fall survey. Your opinion is important, and your voice matters.  

I know that Covid fatigue is real, and the challenges of remaining motivated with distance learning are significant. Thank you for your efforts to help your students attend all of their Zoom sessions and complete their asynchronous assignments. Please be sure to contact the office or your child’s teacher if you need to miss class for any reason.

I am proud to say that our Governance Council approved a resolution to formally recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a school holiday.  This is one small gesture that we can take to recognize the people who have stewarded this land for thousands of years. The Pacific School is committed to working in partnership with local native people to teach our students about the accomplishments and history of the Indigenous people of this land. 

I really want to highlight Ms. Angela’s Kindness and Gratitude Challenge for World Kindness Day this month. One of the best ways that we can move through difficult times, is to recognize the many blessings that we do have in our lives, and then to share some of that positive energy with others. 

Take care everyone.  Stay safe and healthy.  PEACE!!!! 

-Todd, K8 Director


Read the Full November E-Newsletter

Jennifer Ketring

Ink Cartridge Recycling

Help raise funds for our school and recycle your ink cartridges! 

Drop your used cartridges off in the boxes at our K-8 or High School -OR- follow the steps below for mailing them directly.

  1. Place used cartridges in any old bag. Box it up and seal. A minimum of 4 should be mailed in one box.
  2. Click here to request a shipping label. Use our school’s code 31447.
  3. Mail in your box. 
  4. We receive a check!
Learn more about Planet Green Recycle by visiting their website.

Jennifer Ketring

Indigenous Peoples' Day Resolution

WHEREAS, The Pacific School recognizes the fact the town and school sites rest on land that has been and remains the land on which Indigenous people have resided and been richly connected to for time immemorial.

WHEREAS, the Pacific School values the many contributions made to our community through indigenous peoples’ knowledge, labor, technology, science, philosophy, arts and the deep cultural contribution that has substantially shaped the character of the local schools.

WHEREAS, the Pacific School promotes the closing of the equity gap for indigenous people thorough policies and practices that reflect the experiences of indigenous peoples, ensure greater access and opportunity and honor our nation’s indigenous roots, history and contributions.

WHEREAS, in 2011 the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, representing 59 Tribes from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Northern California, Western Montana and some Alaskan tribes passed resolution #11-57 to “Support to Change Columbus Day (2nd Monday of October) to Indigenous Peoples” Day.”

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Governance Council of the Pacific Community School support the Recognition of the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day and urges the community to join us in this observance.

Adopted by the PCCS Governance Council on November 4, 2020

Governance Council Members:
Sienna Lampi
Kyle Robinson
Lacey Glaze
Jessica Price
Isis Skarra-Pregler-Stoffers
Michael Beattie
Casie Smith

Supported by the Pacific School Management Team:
Jennifer Ketring, Executive Director
Todd Orenick, K-8 Director
Michele Taylor-Jones, High School Director
Ben Whalen, Finance Manager
Sienna Lampi, Governance Council Chair

Jennifer Ketring

K-12 October E-Newsletter

Autumn greetings!

While many of us may be feeling the “Groundhog Day” phenomena of the moment, there are also the seasonal shifts happening all around us—shorter days, cooler nights, the anticipation of rain, and the end of the 1st quarter of school. First quarter grades and progress are being finalized. High School Report Cards and K-8 Progress Reports will be mailed in the next week.

As we move into our 2nd quarter of distance learning, we continue to adapt to meet the needs of our students and strive to offer the most engaging programs we can during remote instruction. We are looking for feedback and reflections on the 1st quarter—please complete our Fall Family Survey to let us know how we can continue to improve.

Distance learning is offering a different way to participate, but attendance continues to be a vital key to success for our students. If your student isn’t able to attend their daily virtual classes, please be sure to contact their teacher or the school directly—thank you!

Moving forward we will continue to closely monitor the County COVID updates and stay in weekly communication with the Mendocino County Office of Education. We have also reached out to the District to stay informed of their plans and will keep you in the loop with any changes to our schedule. We regularly post updates on our Facebook page, and our staff is available via email or phone with any questions.

Take care. Stay healthy.

-Jen Ketring
Executive Director

Read the Full E-Newsletter Here

Jennifer Ketring

Outdoor Learning Protocols

Outdoor learning and field studies have always been an integral component of our programs. In the current climate of distance learning and COVID-19, outdoor classes are being promoted as a safe way for offering in-person instruction. We received a waiver from the State to initially offer outdoor learning days with our K-5 classes. We are continuing our K-5 outdoor classes in the 2nd semester with additional days and expanding to include middle school students beginning March 23. In-person Spring Fridays for high school students will begin after Spring Break. Our Outdoor Learning Protocols offer details for participating families.

Read our Outdoor Learning Protocols

Jennifer Ketring

High School October E-newsletter

At the Pacific School we are committed to building strong relationships with our families. Our biweekly e-newsletters, quarterly progress reports and regular teacher-parent communication are some of the ways we aim to maintain those relationships. We seek to establish long-lasting partnerships with families as we know that these partnerships are a key ingredient to the personal and academic achievement of our students.

A few updates I’d like to share this month include: 

  • Our new ramps are installed and the building is being painted. We are looking for parent-student support to complete the painting of the buildings. 
  • Facial masks are available. Made with love by Ms. B.
  • Chromebooks are ready for check-out. Please email me if you need a computer: mtaylorjones@pacificcharterschool.org.
  • Art supplies are coming in daily! Art supplies materials will be available for pick up this Friday, October 9.
  • On-site Academic Tutoring with Andrea Mazza will be starting this month.
  • Progress reports have been sent and October parent-teacher conferences will be scheduled.
  • We have welcomed several new students this past month. 
  • Staff participated in Odysseyware Training and are launching self-paced  courses to help during Distance Learning.
  • All teachers will be attending California Assessment Conference this week to help us with COVID teaching and assessment strategies. Students will receive assignments for those days.
  • Friday is the day for students to check-in with teachers for one-to-one support. Attendance counts! Please check-in with your teachers, myself or Jami at the H.S. Office.


Stay safe and take care.

Michele


Read the Full High School October E-newsletter

Jennifer Ketring

K8 October E-news

Hello everyone and Happy Autumn!

As we enter into our next month of distance learning, I am reminded how adaptable our students are. While full time distance learning is not ideal for everyone, our students are really working hard to make the best of a challenging situation. I know that this requires constant diligence on the part of our families in order to make sure our students are on time for their many Zoom lessons and completing their class work. Thank you for all that you do. Together, we will continue to work through the challenges and provide the best learning experience possible for our children.

In an abundance of caution, we chose to put our outdoor learning program on hold. We will continue to monitor the local situation, and will restart this program as soon as we feel that we can do so safely for our students, our teachers and our families. Prior to pausing this program, we were able to come together in person at Windy Hollow Farm and for Coastal Clean-up Month at Moat Creek. These two events were a great reminder of how inspiring it is to have our students together.  

Lastly, I want to remind everyone that communication is key to successfully navigating through distance learning. Please let us know as soon as you are able if your child is going to miss a scheduled Zoom session so that your child’s teacher can help you to access asynchronous learning options. Also, because we are having regular communication with so many of you, we are not going to schedule school-wide parent conferences this year. If you would like to schedule a thirty minute one-on-one conference with your student’s teacher, please let the teacher or the office know.

Take care everyone. Enjoy the change of seasons, and hope for rain!

-Todd, K8 Director


Read the Full K8 October E-newsletter

Jennifer Ketring

K-12 August E-Newsletter

I think we can all agree that the past few months have been challenging, and now here we are at the beginning of the school year and so many things are different. Our teachers are providing lessons over the computer, our students are missing their peers and classrooms, and our community is dealing with the many effects of the pandemic and wildfires. 

Our staff is committed to navigating these times in the best ways that we can. This means learning new teaching tools, setting up online resources, adjusting to new schedules, purchasing student devices, connecting our students and families to community resources, and the list goes on. We recognize that there will be hiccups along the way and we ask for your patience and understanding as we address problems and find solutions together.

Below are some resources to support distance learning at home:

-Jennifer Ketring, Executive Director

Read the Full E-Newsletter Here

Jennifer Ketring

Learning Continuity & Attendance Plan

PCCS developed a Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan for the 2020/21 School Year in accordance with guidance from the California Department of Education. The Learning Continuity Plan was adopted by the PCCS Governance Council on September 23, 2020 after receiving and incorporating feedback from our stakeholders.

The Learning Continuity Plan is intended to balance the needs of all stakeholders, including educators, parents, students and community members, while both streamlining engagement and condensing several preexisting plans. In particular, it was important to combine (1) the intent behind Executive Order N-56-20, published in April 2020,which envisioned an off cycle Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) due December 15th, and (2) the ongoing need for LEAs to formally plan to return to school in the midst of the uncertainty and of COVID-19, without requiring two plans. The Learning Continuity Plan replaces the LCAP for the 2020–21 school year.

The Learning Continuity Plan template memorializes the planning process for the 2020–21 school year and includes descriptions of the following: addressing gaps in learning; conducting meaningful stakeholder engagement; maintaining transparency; addressing the needs of unduplicated pupils, students with unique needs, and students experiencing homelessness; providing access to necessary devices and connectivity for distance learning; providing resources and supports to address student and staff mental health and social emotional well-being; and continuing to provide school meals for students.