The 2025-26 School Year is Underway

 

Dear Community Families,

Our school year is now officially underway! Here are a few activities your students will be participating in this week:

Our Beginning-of-Year Assessment windows open this week so your child will be taking diagnostic tests in reading (DIBELS for Gr. K-2 / iReady for Gr. 3-5) and math (iReady for all grade levels). Teachers will use these results to determine classroom small group instruction, after-school intervention groups, advanced math groups, and tutoring groups. As of last school year, LAUSD requires students to complete 30-45 minutes of iReady Personalized Learning per week. Your child's teacher may ask that some of these required minutes be completed at home. 

We hold Behavior Assemblies during the first week of school. Students are introduced to and/or reminded of our school's expectations for behavior. Every community member should know our school norms: 

• We Are Kind
• We Are Respectful
• We Are Responsible
• We Are Safe
• We Are Trustworthy

Behavior Expectation Posters are posted around the campus so that everyone knows what behaviors are expected whether we're on the upper yard, in the cafeteria, in restrooms, or even on the bus. Please review our Hierarchy of Interventions for School Wide Positive Behavior Support which shows Tier 1, 2, and 3 behaviors and a list of possible interventions teachers may use to address the behaviors. 

All parents are invited to the Friday Morning Assemblies on our upper yard at 8:10am. During Morning  Assemblies we review our school rules, recognize Students of the Week, Bus Bosses, Kindness Counts coupon recipients, and Above &  Beyond Club members. Once a month, TeaTime with Toni is scheduled immediately  after  the morning assembly. I will touch on topics such as attendance, assessments, behavior expectations, building community and connections, etc. If you have a specific topic you'd like to discuss, please email me at trk2932@lausd.net with your suggestions.  Our first TeaTime with Toni meeting is Friday, September 26th. Please join us if you can..

We are  excited to have a variety of after-school activities for our students this year. We are working to ensure that all come with the option of late bus transportation. These are the activities we have planned:

After-School Tutoring with Student Nest - Mon., Wed., Thurs., beginning Sept. 22

Math Kangaroo - Mondays beginning Oct. 6

Tuesday  Enrichment Classes - TBD

Musical Theater - Tuesdays beginning Aug. 26 and 28. 

After-School Intervention with Teachers - TBD

We're ready and excited to begin the new school year!!

Best,

Toni

REGISTER FOR KIDS 4 COLLEGE FREE AFTER SCHOOL CHILD CARE

Kids 4 College Program Application

Beyond the Bell Application

CMCS After-School Program Handbook

**If your child is participating in LAUSD's GATE Conservatory auditions on November 15, please let Lindsay know when you register for Tiny Spotlight.

WE NEED PARENT REPRESENTATIVES FOR COMMUNITY COUNCIL!

Community Council is the main decision-making body for Community Magnet Charter School. Council has the authority to guide many important aspects of our school, including curriculum, budgeting district funds, personnel, enrichment, and school safety.

Each year, six parent members are elected to represent our six grade levels (K–5). Two parents may share a position if that works best. If you’re elected, your voice will help ensure that the parents in your grade level are informed, heard, and represented.

Grade-level representatives are expected to:

• Attend all Community Council meetings (held once a month from 1:45–3:00 p.m.)

• Share important updates with families in your grade level in a timely manner

• Participate in Town Hall meetings to connect with parents, discuss concerns, and share information

The term for a Grade Level Representative is one year. Parents may nominate themselves to represent only one grade level, and you must not be a regular employee of Community Magnet Charter School or a current board member of CFF (the CFF president appoints their own representative to Council).

If you’d like to nominate yourself:

1. Return the Council Nomination Form to Toni by Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 4:00 p.m.

2. Email Toni (trk2932@lausd.net) a 75-word statement introducing yourself and your interest in serving, so families in your grade can get to know you.

3. Parent elections will take place on Thursday, August 28, 2025 during the grade-level first session of Back to School Night.

Thank you in advance for your commitment to our students and our school community. If you have any questions about Council or the election process, please reach out to me directly.

PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE . . .

SCHOOL IS COMPULSORY!

Students need to come to school every day. When possible, please schedule your child’s medical appointments outside of school hours. (See the bell schedule for our school hours.) If you must schedule an appointment during school hours, please check in at the main office to pick up/drop off your child.

The following types of absences are excused: illness, doctor’s appointments, funerals, family emergencies, court dates, religious observances, etc. Examples of unexcused absences include: vacations, “we slept in,” “we took a family day,” “we went to Disneyland for her birthday,” "we visited relatives out of state/country," etc. Even if you send in a note to explain the absence, those examples would be designated as unexcused. For more information, please refer to LAUSD’s Attendance Guide.

You may know that LAUSD has an Independent Study program. This program is intended to provide make-up classwork for students who must miss school for legitimate long-term absences (for example, needing to go out of town for a death in the family, quarantine/lengthy stay at home for serious illness, or needing to make a visa appointment in a home country). Independent Study is NOT for “we are taking 2 weeks off and going abroad,” or “we are starting our Winter Break 10 days early.” For Independent Study in excess of 15 days, you must enroll in the online City of Angels program.

Save the Dates . . .

Recurring Activities

• Morning Assembly: Fridays
• Student Nest Tutoring Services: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays- begin September 22
• Tiny Spotlight Musical Theater: Tuesday cast begins August 26th, Thursday cast begins August 28th.

AUGUST

• August 21
• Safety Fire Drill
• Community Council Parent Nominations due
• Field Trip: Rooms 21 & 24 to Skirball Cultural Center
• August 22
• Opening Morning Assembly
• Tea Time with Toni - Introduction to the New School Year
• Parent Meeting - Creating Welcoming Environments
• Returning Families back-to-school packets due
• Field Trip: Room 22 to Skirball Cultural Center

• August 26  & 28
• Musical Theater scheduled to begin, Tuesday and Thursday casts
• August 28
• Safety Earthquake Drill
• Back to School Night
• August 29
• NO SCHOOL - Admission Day

SEPTEMBER

• September 1
• NO SCHOOL - Labor Day

• September 10
• Picture Day

• September 17-19
• 5th graders to Astro-Camp
• September 18
• Safety Drills

• September 23
• NO SCHHOL- Unassigned Day
• September 26
• TeaTime with Toni

• September 29-October 3
• Six Week Invitational parent conferences (mandatory for Kindergarten)
• Warning notices go home for students earning 1s or 2s on report cards
• September 29
• CATCH begins
• September 30
• Picture Make-Up Day
• Hispanic Heritage Grade Level Presentations
• October 1
• Minimum Day, 12:50 dismissal
• October 2
• NO SCHHOL- Unassigned Day
• October 3
• Hispanic Heritage Month Assemblies

Click here to view the 25-26 School Calendar

VALET RULES

For the SAFETY of your child and ALL children and parents at CMCS, if you are driving your child to school you MUST follow these valet rules. 
• Arrive at CMCS between 7:30 and 8:00
• Enter through the gate on the EAST side of the school.
• Drive along the left curb.  The right curb is a bus lane whether or not the buses have arrived.
• Wait patiently in a single file line along the left curb of the driveway.
• When a valet volunteer or LAUSD staff directs you, turn right at the parking lot and pull up to the Valet Curb.  There can be a maximum of 3 cars at the Valet Curb.  
• Under no circumstances can you park with your child and walk them through the parking lot. If, especially during these first weeks of school, you want to walk your child to the front gate, you MUST drop your child at the Valet Curb and then park your car.  Your child can wait for you near the valet volunteers on the bench by the Valet Curb.
• When you arrive at the Valet Curb, your child should be ready to exit the car from the passenger side of the vehicle.  IF a passenger side exit from your vehicle is unavailable, your child must wait until a valet volunteer opens the driver side door and escorts them in front of your car onto the curb.
• Under no circumstances should the driver exit the vehicle.
• Do not pull around cars in the valet line including at the Valet Curb.  The line is single file from the east gate entrance  through to the west gate exit.  Please wait your turn to drop off your child and to exit campus.
• FINALLY, be patient and kind.  The valet volunteers and LAUSD staff are there for the safety of your children.  Please treat them, the children, and the other drivers with respect.