SCHOOL NEWS
December 7, 2007

Coins for CHOC
Thank you to everyone for participating in this coin drive. It was a big success!  It is very heartwarming this time of year to give to those that need it most.  We earned over $2,000.00! What a wonderful opportunity to teach our children this important lesson!

‘tis the Season for DJAES to Give!
Please feel free to participate in as many of the following events as possible.
Thursday, December 13 DJAES food Drive: canned meat, beans, soups or chili, tuna, peanut butter and jelly (plastic jars only), pasta, macaroni and cheese or cold cereal.

Thursday, December 20 “Toys for Tots” Please bring a new toy to donate.

Report Cards
Report cards will go home on Friday, December 14. You will also receive a survey, with the report card and we will also send out a website so that you can give your opinion.

Attendance
Thank you for getting your students to school. We went from 96.37% in the 2005-2006 school year to 96.49% in the 2006-2007. If your student is not here then they can not learn. It is also important to get them here on time. Let’s strive for 98% this year. Remember “on time” is 7:45am!  You may drop off your students as early as 7:30am.

ATTENTION TALENTED FIFTH GRADE CHOIR PARTICIPANTS:
Be a part of the largest choir event of the year!  You may audition for the 2008 Superintendents Honor Choir!  The only restrictions are that you are currently in fifth grade at a CUSD school and are currently enrolled in your school’s block music choir.  Tryouts are Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at Niguel Hills Middle School in Laguna Niguel.  There are six rehearsals for this wonderful event that will be held at Marco Forster Middle School.  The combined choir event will be held at Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest on Monday March 3, 2008.  If you are interested please have your student talk to his/her music teacher or call the office.

KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION:
Spread the word…families with students entering Kindergarten in 2008-2009 (children must be 5 by 12/2/08) are invited to attend our annual Kindergarten Orientation on Thursday, February 21 at 2:00pm in the multipurpose room.  We will discuss Kindergarten readiness, the instructional program, and hand out packets for registration.  This will be our only formal Kindergarten Orientation of the year.  Any help you can give in spreading the word is greatly appreciated as it helps with projecting our enrollment and starting the year with stabilized classes. You must bring proof of residency to pick up an enrollment packet.

AAA/GATE Fee-Based Test
Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) is offering parents an opportunity to have their children take the Otis-Lennon School Abilities Test (OLSAT). The OLSAT is used by CUSD to identify students for the Accelerated Academic Achievement/Gifted and Talented Program (AAA/GATE). The OLSAT tests both verbal and nonverbal reasoning. CUSD students who score in the 90th percentile in both math and reading on their fall CORE tests will be invited to take the OLSAT in January 2008 at their school site. Invitations to take the school site OLSAT will be mailed home during the month of December 2007. If a parent does not receive an invitation to take the OLSAT, he/she may have his/her child take the fee-based OLSAT on a designated Saturday in February 2008. Students who score at or above the 95th percentile on the OLSAT qualify for the AAA/GATE program in the fall. The fee-based OLSAT will be offered on Saturday, February 9, 2008 at George White Elementary School, in Laguna Niguel (Grades 2-8) and on Saturday, February 9, 2008 at Capistrano Valley High School, in Mission Viejo (Grades 9-10). The cost for taking the OLSAT is $65.00.  OLSAT registration forms will be available in all CUSD school administration buildings in December.  Parents may also download the "Fee-Based AAA/GATE Test Application" from the CUSD AAA/GATE Website at www.capousd.org/aaa. Checks and registration forms must be postmarked by January 23, 2008 or delivered to the AAA/GATE Office before 4:30 pm on January 25, 2008, so that the appropriate number of tests can be ordered. No late registrations will be accepted.