February Highlights
- Congratulations to TLC San Diego 11th grader, John Edelman, for scoring in the 99th PSAT percentile!
- Student imaginations soared at the San Diego Air & Space Museum this month. They participated in a robotics project that involved coding and explored the museum and its new exhibit, "Above & Beyond".
- SDSU welcomed TLC students at their campus on a college admission tour earlier this month. Students met with admissions officers to learn about admission requirements, majors, careers, financial aid, and what the university has to offer.
Student Work Spotlight
TLC La Mesa launches first Advance Placement Class
TLC's La Mesa campus is offering their first Advanced Placement course via CollegeBoard, which is AP US History.
Five 11th grade students are currently completing their second semester in AP US History and working hard to study for their AP Exam in early May.
The course provides students the opportunity to survey an expansive range of US History topics, from pre-colonial indigenous histories to contemporary events and developments.
Students build historical thinking, reading, and writing skills such as contextualization, continuity, and change over time, causation, synthesis, and argumentation. Students also explore themes in history including: American & national identity, politics & power, work, exchange & technology, culture & society, migration & settlement, geography & the environment, and America in the world.
Special thanks to TLC teacher, Daphne White, for leading this class!
American Heart Month
February is American Heart Month, a time when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health. It's never too early to start taking care of our hearts. Here are some ways to show "love" to your heart all year round:
1. Take up a heart-healthy habit
Staying active, eating well, and watching our weight are all important parts of maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system. Pick a new heart-healthy habit like jogging or substituting sodas with water and try to stick to it for a whole month.
2. Educate yourself
Learn about the risk factors for heart disease, the ways you can prevent them, and the lifestyle choices that can help you stay healthy.
3. Get your cholesterol tested
If you’re worried you might be at risk for heart disease, ask your doctor to perform a simple cholesterol test to let you know if you’re at risk and should make adjustments to your diet.
World Read Aloud Day
February 1st marked World Read Aloud Day. Students and teachers across TLC participated, including Ms. Wilson’s 1st grade class at TLC La Mesa, who read "Sheila Rae the Brave", by Kevin Henkes and received their own copy of the book to take home.
Of course reading aloud or silently can be enjoyed all days of the year. LitWorld compiled an activity hub in honor of World Read Aloud Day with ideas that can be used at any time, including lists of recommended books and reading related activities.
In addition to being fun, reading has many amazing benefits, including reducing stress, exercising the brain, and enhancing writing skills. Studies show that reading can even help you sleep better!
So whether you read aloud or silently, why not pick up a book today?
“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” – Albert Einstein
Public Charter Schools
Last month we celebrated National School Choice Week, which is all about recognizing families' numerous options when it comes to finding the right educational fit. While this includes all types of schools, from public to private to magnet, and more, we wanted to take a moment to specifically highlight charter schools, like The Learning Choice Academy.
There is a lot of misinformation about charter schools out there. As a public charter school community, we have a unique responsibility to share what our school means to us and dispel some of the misconceptions about charters. If you want to stay informed, Schoolchoiceweek.org has a lot of great information about charter schools, including what they are and what they are not. Below is a graphic with some helpful shareable facts about charter schools to help educate yourself and others.
TLC Brings Tiny Homes to TinyFest California 2023
You have probably heard by now about The Learning Choice Academy’s Tiny Home Project, in which students from our La Mesa (and soon, Chula Vista) sites construct a sustainable tiny home as part of our Career Technical Education Program. We launched the Tiny Home Project in 2020 to give students real-world education and skills while simultaneously addressing critical community issues like the affordable housing crisis.
This year, we will be taking two student-built tiny homes to TinyFest California 2023, an annual festival that brings together like-minded people who value the ideals behind building small and living large. TinyFest California 2023 will take place March 11-12 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego.
One of the student-built tiny homes will feature a silent auction, where TinyFest attendees can bid to purchase the unique project.
In addition, TLC students will be participating in a panel on Sunday, March 12 at noon, in which they will share information about their experiences working on this project and how it has impacted them.
Attending TinyFest & Learning More
- Tickets to TinyFest are available for the general public to purchase here.
- You can learn more about TLC’s Tiny Home Project here. We will also include updates about our silent auction on this website starting on March 11.
- If you are interested in bidding on the tiny home but are not able to attend TinyFest, please email kacie.desmond@learningchoice.org
We look forward to providing more updates about this exciting project soon!
Facilities Update
We have heard parent and student feedback regarding the need to update facilities, particularly at our La Mesa site.
While we do not have any firm details to share at this time, please know that we are working on plans to update and remodel our facilities.
We know these updates will be exciting and welcomed, but we also understand that the process of construction can bring its own challenges.
We will communicate updates to families as soon as plans become more solidified. Rest assured that we will take all necessary steps to ensure that our students' educations are not impacted during any facility updates.
We look forward to upgrading our spaces and providing an enhanced environment for our students!
Welcome to TLC! If you meet these new students in your class or at an event or field trip, please help us welcome them to the TLC community.
Chula Vista
Tristan Isaac Anderson, Homeschool Program, 8th grade
Elissa Becerra, Hybrid Program, 6th grade
Jacob Becerra, Hybrid Program, 4th grade
Gabriel Comaduran, Hybrid Profgram, 9th grade
Rhys Frenzel, Homeschool Program, 2nd grade
Sylvester Grijalva, Homeschool Program, TK
Scarlett Razo, Homeschool Program, TK
Nalani Trujillo, Hybrid Program, 7th grade
Shy'Kharri Verissimo, Hybrid Program, 2nd grade
Shy'Lynn Verissimo Strawder, Hybrid Program, Kindergarten
Anabella Zurita, Hybrid Program, 10th grade
La Mesa
Mason Botthof Hybrid 6
Michaelangelo Collica, Homeschool Program, TK
Roco Cruz, Homeschool Program, 2nd grade
Sagean Curley, Homeschool Program, 8th grade
Baron Daley, Hybrid Program, 8th grade
Abdel Hafidh, Hybrid Program, 12th grade
Eli Hecox, Hybrid Program, 1st grade
Sabino Oropeza Gonzalez, Hybrid Program, 11th grade
Ava Ramos, Homeschool Program, Kindergarten
Caleb Sison, Homeschool Program, 7th grade
Sophia Sison, Homeschool Program, 9th grade
Lacy Tuilesu, Hybrid Program, 2nd grade
San Diego
Dio Orci, Homeschool Program, TK
Lucas Pacetti, Hybrid Program, 4th grade
Taeh Rojas, Homeschool Program, 4th grade
Ryan Sammarco, Hybrid Program, 8th grade
Russell Stewart, Hybrid Program, 5th grade
STAR Student Recognitions
February: Humor
TLC recognizes STAR students each month based on a determined character trait. February's character trait is Humor. Students are nominated by their Educational Partners and School Site Administrators. Congratulations to this month's STAR students!
Jax Avina
Zach Benton
Isaac Castaneda
Jayden Charles
John Edleman
Hazel Garcia
Hannah Jaramillo
Jairus Kungurtsev
Lance Martin
Lilian Parman
Austin Pratt
Credits:
Created with images by klikk - "Close-up of the U.S. Constitution" • Africa Studio - "Collage of painted heart isolated on white"