Laurel Ruff Transition School SAN JUAN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Family Bulletin http://www.sanjuan.edu/LaurelRuff DECEMBER 2016

Hello Laurel Ruff community, Amazing – the 2016/17 school year is half over! Our last day of school this semester is Friday December 23. The spring 2017 semester begins Tuesday January 10th when school resumes after the winter break.

SPRING 2017 SCHEDULING - student course planners were distributed to students, and are due back by Monday December 12. The planners, printed on legal sized pink paper, were personalized with each student’s name; please contact our office if you need a new one. In our ongoing efforts to refine our program we anticipate some changes to our master schedule: We are offering a new 3 period ‘CTP-101’ block that will provide intensive on and off campus instruction for

students who need to work on core transition skills (e.g. CTP 101 students will participate in extensive mobility training and community based instruction). The CTP101 team will also support students taking non-academic PE classes at American River College (note – ARC PE-only students can enroll in other vocational blocks). Case managing teachers indicated their recommendation for CTP101 by circling YES or NO on each student’s course planner. This course is especially pertinent for students who are graduating this year.

Students who are dual enrolled at American River College for academic courses should sign up for the American River College / Technology block. Integrating technology instruction with ARC academic courses will maximize instructional support for relatively rigorous classes (e.g. we have a group of students taking a beginning programming class at ARC and will have a study group specifically supporting these students.)

Elective changes – we are adding a ‘Comic Book / Graphic Arts & Publishing’ elective; and, will not be offering Performing Arts (sign up for TV careers block ), or Cooking / Nutrition (sign up for hospitality or CTP101).

Students will receive their schedules on Tuesday January 10, and will have the opportunity to make schedule changes the first two weeks of the semester.

LAUREL RUFF ANNUAL HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE - Our tradition is to provide holiday food and gift items to Laurel Ruff families in need of extra support & holiday cheer. Please help, by directly donating food items, or by sending in funds. (A basket is in the front office if you would like to contribute. Contact us if you would like to donate perishable items (e.g. turkeys). We give each family a turkey for their December holiday meal. If you are a family in need this season please let us know. The boxes will be distributed to families the week of December 19th. Thanks!

PROJECT SEARCH NEWSLETTER – See the attached December newsletter for updates about our Kaiser based internship program. DONORS CHOOSE – 2016 was an awesome year for Laurel Ruff on Donors Choose! The six Laurel Ruff teachers who posted projects this year are full of gratitude to the community donors who supported their projects. Recently funded projects include robotic kits for the technology class, iPads for the business class, and editing equipment for the TV broadcasting class. Keep track of upcoming Laurel Ruff events by monitoring the master calendar of events posted on our website (and included with this bulletin). Laurel Ruff’s next School Site Council meeting is scheduled on Tuesday December 20th (agenda is attached). Site Council meetings are open to the public; agendas and meeting packets will be posted in our office and on our website at least 72 hours before the meeting.

If you have questions/needs please contact us at 971-7586 / 979-8335 (message line) or email me at jarreguin@sanjuan.edu. Your ongoing support of Laurel Ruff students and programs is essential and appreciated!

I hope everybody in our community enjoys some quality family time during the upcoming Winter Break.

Enjoy Your Winter Break! Julia Arreguin, Ed.D., Laurel Ruff principal

At Laurel Ruff, our Mission is to Educate Students in The Least Restrictive Environment

As They Attain Their Maximum Potential.

San Juan Unified School District Pam Costa, President Michael McKibbin, Ed.D., Vice President Lucinda Luttgen Clerk Greg Paulo, Member Saul Hernandez, Member Kent Kern, Superintendent of Schools Donna O’Neil, Ed.D., Associate Superintendent Schools & Student Support Debra Calvin, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services Matthew Patterson, Director of Special Education

OFFICE MESSAGE LINE

24- hour attendance & office message line 979-8335 - Use this number to leave a message without speaking to office staff. The Laurel Ruff parent message & attendance hot line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When leaving an attendance message please include: student name, date(s) of absence; reason for absence; your name & relationship to student.

BASKETBALL– is starting soon. Students interested in Special Olympics basketball need to sign up with Coach Jeff Crist by December 12. ALL Special Olympics paper work needs to be completed by January 20, 2017. Contact the office at 971-7586 if you need paperwork. Special Olympic physicals are good for 3 years; if it has been longer than 3 years you will need to submit a new application. Practices will be held January to March at Laurel Ruff (dates & times TBA). The culminating tournament at Sac State will be during the weekend of March 18 & 19, 2017.

LAUREL RUFF TV - student created videos are posted on our website.

See the Laurel Ruff TV quicklink at www.sanjuan.edu/laurelruff to view current & previous episodes. The password to view all of the videos is RUFF1 (all caps and the digit 1).

FACEBOOK - Laurel Ruff is on Facebook -find us via the quick link posted on our website www.sanjuan.edu/laurelruff or via this direct link www.facebook.com/LaurelRuffTransitionSchool

At Laurel Ruff our mission is to educate students in the least restrictive environment

as they attain their maximum potential.

The Laurel Ruff office is open to the public 7:15 AM to 3:30 PM

ATTENDANCE NEWS – Congratulations to 56 students who had perfect attendance in November; to honor this achievement these students will receive certificates and $20 in Tiger Bucks. Perfect attendance is defined as missing less than 5 class periods across an entire month based upon attendance taken by teachers for periods 0 through 6. Attendance data includes attendance verified by teachers each period of the school day, and student timecard data. Students also self-monitor attendance using a timecard system (time clocks are located in the front office and in every homeroom class). Our technology students input attendance data on a spreadsheet so we can determine who has perfect & near perfect attendance. On the last day of school at least $100 in actual cash will be awarded to students with the highest number of hours documented across the school year using timecards.

TIGER’S BANK NEWS - All students earn $10 an hour in Tiger bucks for each period of attendance. Students with perfect monthly attendance will receive $20 bonus Tiger bucks. We incorporate monthly budgeting into our Tiger Banking program. Students are charged $1000 TB’s for basic expenses based on the expected costs for living in a one bedroom apartment with a roommate. Students can conduct research to determine a lower monthly figure.

HOLIDAY BONUS CHECKS – in December students will receive a ‘holiday bonus’ of up to $500 TB’s to help pay bills during this short ‘work month’. Students negotiated with their case managing teacher to determine the amount (up to $500).

Tiger Bucks remaining after required monthly expenses can be spent at the school store / clothes closet, and for extra-curricular events (e.g. positive behavior events, Camp Ruff, etc.). Coming to school and remaining all day is an important transition skill! Our attendance incentive program is designed to increase school wide attendance and establish positive attendance habits to support future independence.

Laurel Ruff Transition School, San Juan USD School Site Council Meeting

Meeting Agenda for December 20, 2016

I. Sign-in & Approval of Previous Minutes: ACTION ITEM approximate time 2:45 PM A. Sign-in B. Review of previous minutes (from Nov 15, 2016) C. Laurel Ruff Site Council Membership & By-Laws review as needed II. New Business: approximate time 2:55 PM

A. Open Forum for new items (new items will move to ‘old business’ at next meeting) B. CAASPP SCIENCE PILOT C. DONOR’S CHOOSE – 6 teachers submitted at least 1 project in 2016

III. Site plan & budget review and actions ACTION ITEM approximate time 3:05 PM

A. School Site / LCAP ( Local Control Accountability) Plan 1. 2016/17 Site Plan & LCFF budget - review and update if necessary

B. English Language Learner advisory committee (ELLAC)

IV. Old Business: (will delete from agenda if necessary)

A. Laurel Ruff Team & Committee Reports approximate time 3:20 PM 1. Safety Committee & Grounds / Safety Plan Review as necessary

Site crime & safety report 2. Facilities updates 3. Health & Attendance Updates – 56 students perfect attendance in November. 4. Community, Climate & Culture approximate time 3:30 PM

parent support updates Extracurricular events Laurel Ruff public relations

5. Assessment, Curriculum & Instruction approximate time 3:40 PM Article 24 – school leadership team & ‘collaboration’ Thursdays update curriculum & assessment updates social skills development

monthly clubs / PBS events / Tiger’s bank Staff development updates Project Search updates

B. district updates approximate time 4:00 PM 1. District updates 2. SJUSD Special Education Department updates 3. Workability updates

V. Component Reports approximate time 4:10 PM

A. Certificated B. Classified C. Parents / SPAC updates

D. Community VI. Correspondence and/or Public Comments approximate time 4:25 PM

A. Thank you letters - for community supporters from site council

VII. Next Meeting Date/Time January 17, 2017 at 2:45 VIII. Adjournment ACTION ITEM approximate time 4:30 PM

At Laurel Ruff our mission is to educate students in the least restrictive environment as they attain their maximum potential.

December 1st, 2016

Quarter 2, Issue 3

Project SEARCH, (916) 973-4872

What our Interns have to say:

`

This past workshop

week held a lot of

exciting opportunities

for our interns. Our

students studied hard

in preparation for their

interviews with the

department heads.

One of the managers

was really impressed

by how much

progress our students

have made with their

interview skills, stating

“the difference is night and day.”

After Interviewing

with the departments

the interns had a day

of fun and pizza in

Old Sacramento. We

wrapped up the

week by filming our

graduation video

which will be shown

at their graduation on June 6th.

We would like to

thank Hester Wagner

for giving our interns

excellent direction;

Future’s Films for

capturing the magic

and Laughs Unlimited

for giving us the

space to make it all happen!

With the start of the

second internship we

are happy to

announce that we

have two new

internships. One is in

Food Services and the

other is a Storekeeper

position in Rancho

Cordova.

“I would like to get my

CNA certificate. I’m really

close to getting my driver’s

license. I love working with

people, I hope I can get a

job in PACU. I can’t wait to

show them how hard I can

work!” – Tim R.

“I like everything about my

internship! The people are

nice in Food Services. I

enjoy taking out the trash

and stocking the sodas in

the cafeteria.” – Ian F.

“I like meeting new

people and getting

new job experience. I

really like working.” –

David R.

Project SEARCH Partners:

Upcoming Intern Birthdays:

Kyle S. – December 18th

Upcoming Staff Birthdays:

Shari S. - December 10th

Workshop Week

2 TYPE TITLE HERE

Upcoming events

December 14th Ugly Sweater Holiday Contest

December 26th – January 9th Winter Break

About Project SEARCH

Written by: Rain Williamson

The Project SEARCH

Program is a unique,

one year school-to-work

program. Project Search

provides total

workplace immersion

through a seamless

combination of

classroom instruction,

career exploration, and

hands-on training

through worksite

rotations. The goal for

each student is

competitive

employment. Project

SEARCH gives real-life

work experience

combined with training

in employability and

independent living skills

to help youths with

disabilities make a

successful transition from

school to a productive

adult life.

Project SEARCH

2025 Morse Avenue

Sacramento, CA 95825

Across from LL7

Phone

(916)973-4872

E-mail shari.studebaker@sanjuan.edu

- rainwilliamson@futures-explored.org

”I learned a long time ago the

wisest thing I can do is be on my

own side, be an advocate for

myself and others like me.”

Maya Angelou

Questions or suggestions? Want

to get involved? Contact us!

Health News for December

DID YOU KNOW:

A cough releases an explosive charge of air and germs that can move at speeds up to 60 mph!.

A sneeze can exceed 100 mph. The levels of two stress hormones, cortisol and epinephrine which suppress the body’s immune system will actually drop after a dose of laughter.

Lack of water is the number 1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

It is almost impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. It is the body’s defense mechanism that has evolved to protect our eyes from bacteria and debris.

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO WASH YOUR HANDS?

Hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable disease. Correct hand washing can help prevent the spread of diseases such as Hepatitis A, Influenza (the Flu), common colds as well as other infections.

Believe it or not, there is a correct way to wash your hands. Here it is:

1. Wet your hands with warm running water. 2. Add soap, then rub your hands together, away from the

running water, for at least 15 seconds (this is as long as it takes to sing the A-B-C song or twice through Row, Row, Row Your Boat). Make sure to rub in between your fingers AND the tops of your hands. Clean under your fingernails.

3. Rinse your hands well under the warm running water. Let the water run off the tips of your fingers and not down your wrists and elbows.

4. Dry hands thoroughly with a clean towel. It is best not to use a common hand towel for drying. Disposable towels are more sanitary.

Covering your nose and/or mouth when you sneeze or cough with the bend of your elbow (like Dracula) can also help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases. If you do cover your mouth with your hands when you cough or sneeze, make sure you wash your hands immediately.

Have a happy and healthy Holiday Season from the nursing staff at Laurel Ruff!

Presented by

SATURDAY, DEC 10, 2016

9 A.M. to 2 P.M.

SLEEP TRAIN ARENA1 Sports Parkway

Sacramento, CA 95834

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For more information, visit MyNavigator.org/Healthy-Kids-Day or call 1.866.850.4321

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Flu shots*

Farmers’ Market*

1-on-1 health coveragge information & enrollment

Healthy lunches*

Important resources & information

Games & family-friendly activities

Entertainment & more!

*While supplies last

FREE transportation! Call us today at 1.866.850.4321 to preschedule your ride to

Healthy Kids Day

LAUREL RUFF TRANSITION SCHOOL 2016/17 MASTER CALENDAR of EVENTS

Events will be deleted after they occur - updated 12/6/16.

December 6 - SJUSD Community Advisory Committee CAC meeting, 6:30 to 8:30, Kenneth Avenue

Annex, 4825 Kenneth Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608

December 12 - course planners due / last day to sign up for basketball

December 16 - CBI Friday

December 20 - Laurel Ruff site council meeting at 2:45PM

December 22 - Class of 2016 December grads goodbye celebration at 12:45PM

December 23 - PBS event after lunch (4-H animal visitors)

December 27- January 6 – no school, Winter Break

January 3 - SJUSD Community Advisory Committee CAC meeting, 6:30 to 8:30, Kenneth Avenue Annex, 4825 Kenneth Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608

January 9 – no school Secondary Teacher Work Day

January 10 - first day of the spring 2017 semester

January 13 - Friday Clubs after lunch

January 16 – no school, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday

January 17 - Laurel Ruff site council meeting at 2:45PM

January 20 - CBI Friday

January 27 - PBS event after lunch (talent show)

February 3 - Friday Clubs after lunch

February 7 - SJUSD Community Advisory Committee CAC meeting, 6:30 to 8:30, Kenneth Avenue Annex, 4825 Kenneth Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608

February 14 - Laurel Ruff site council meeting at 2:45PM

February 17 - CBI Friday; PBS event after lunch

February 20-24 – no school, February Break

March 3 - Friday Clubs after lunch

March 7 - SJUSD Community Advisory Committee CAC meeting, 6:30 to 8:30, Kenneth Avenue Annex, 4825 Kenneth Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608

March 17 - CBI Friday

March 18-19 - Special Olympics basketball tournament at Sac State

March 21 - Laurel Ruff site council meeting at 2:45PM

March 31 - PBS event after lunch

April 4 - SJUSD Community Advisory Committee CAC meeting, 6:30 to 8:30, Kenneth Avenue Annex, 4825 Kenneth Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608

April 5 – minimum day dismissal at 12:10

April 5 – Laurel Ruff Open House & Info Night, 4 to 6:30

April 10-14 – no school, Spring Break

April 18 - Laurel Ruff site council meeting at 2:45PM

April 21 - CBI Friday

April 28 - PBS event after lunch

May 2 - SJUSD Community Advisory Committee CAC meeting, 6:30 to 8:30, Kenneth Avenue Annex, 4825 Kenneth Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608

May 12- Friday Clubs after lunch

May 16 - Laurel Ruff site council meeting at 2:45PM

May 19 - CBI Friday

May 26 - PBS event after lunch

May 29 – no school, Memorial Day holiday

June 7 - Graduation Class of 2017

June 8 – minimum day, dismissal at 12:10 – LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

June 19 to July 20 – tentative extended school year summer program

RECURRING EXTRA-CURRICULAR & SCHOOL EVENTS

Special Olympics & VIP - we participate in bowling, basketball and swimming

BASKETBALL SEASON - It’s time to play…. Basketball Students interested in Special Olympics basketball need to sign up with Coach Jeff Crist by December 12. ALL Special Olympics paper work needs to be completed by January 20, 2017 (sonc.org) Contact the office at 971-7586 if you need to request paper work. Please note Special Olympic physicals are good for 3 years. If it has been longer than 3 years you will need to re-submit a new application.

Practices will be held January - March at Laurel Ruff (dates & times TBA)

Sac State Tournament: March 18 & 19, 2017

Participants need to have current Special Olympic Physicals, and SJUSD CBI permission forms on file.

Whole School 'CBI Friday' Community Based Instruction Days - are scheduled one Friday per month. On CBI days teachers arrange a variety of community based experiences. In lieu of whole class excursions small groups may also disperse to participate in customized community experiences. 'CBI Friday' schedule for 2016/17: October 21 (added since there's no bowling), November 18, December 16, January 20, February 17, March 17, April 21 & May 19

Club Day - is scheduled one Friday per month during 5th & 6th period - designed to provide students the opportunity for facilitated social interactions with peers who have similar interests; students signed up on 8/19

Club Day schedule for 2016/17: September 9, October 7, November 4, December 2, January 13, February 3, April 7 and May 12

PBS Events - positive behavior support celebrations are scheduled once per month - students can purchase tickets using Tiger Bucks (each student has a Laurel Ruff Tiger Bank account; Tiger bucks are earned based upon attendance) PBS celebration scheduled for 2016/17: September 30, November 18, December 23, January 27, February 17, March 31, April 28 and May 26