NETWORKings
Antioch Charter Academy
Newsletter for Antioch Charter Academy/TLCS Families and Staff Volume 27, Issue 31, April 24, 2023
Hello ACA Families!
I want to start out by saying thank you to our parents, guardians, and caretakers for all the effort and perseverance it takes ensuring your students make it school each day, and partnering with faculty and staff to create an atmosphere of support at ACA. It is through our partnership that your student(s) are able to become successful individuals who can independently navigate their lives by the time they leave our school community.
It takes hard work from all of us to make our school into the supportive community it is. Remember to pass a thank you along to someone who gives you support! Enjoy your week!
Cheers,
Mrs. Beaver
ANNOUNCEMENTS 
Chess Tournament and Family Game Night Fundraiser: Join us for a fun, family game night this Thursday, April 27th from 5-7pm, hosted by the Cougar Cub Club! Tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the door. Refreshments will be available for purchase! Tickets available in the office.
Games available to play include: Ticket to Ride, Princess CandyLand, Simple Bingo, Trolls, Trouble, Uno, Goju Goju, Apples to Apples, Mandala, Charades, Taboo, and the Chess Tournament!
Enter your name in the Chess Tournament in advance by emailing Ms. Moeckel at SamanthaMoeckel@
Our very own Cougar Cub Club students have planned this awesome Chess Tournament and Family Game Night Fundraiser to raise money for their program. Please come out and support our Primary and Elementary Cougar Cub Club students!!
2023-24 Intent to Return Form:are due by May 1st. Go to the following link to confirm your students’ place for next year! https://forms.gle/
The Book Fair is Coming! May 8 – 12, 2023 in the Multipurpose Room!
Hours:
Mon, Tues, Thurs., Fri: 11:45 am – 3:30 pm
Wed: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm and 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Shop online May 5 – May 18 at https://www.scholastic.com/bf/
The book fair provides many opportunities for volunteer hours: set up, take down, sales at the fair, donate snacks for Young Author’s Night, etc. Go to TrackItForward.com to claim your spot!
Summer STEAM Camps: Please join us this summer for our STEAM Camp! We will be hosting 5 free sessions this year: 4 sessions at ACA with the last session hosted at ACAII*. This is a free summer camp for our currently enrolled students. Our goal is to get students inspired to learn through fun, hands-on activities!
Camp will be 5 different week-long sessions, with Half Day and Full Day options available. Half Days are from 8am-12pm and Full Days are from 8am-4pm. The Camp’s main programming will take place from 8a-12p and from 12 – 4pm, the camp will be focused on recreation participation, not competition, with an emphasis on learning, fun, teamwork, being involved, and having new experiences.
Session 1 Super Hero Week = 6/19-6/23
Session 2 Mini Med School Week = 7/10-7/14
Session 3 Biome Week = 7/17-7/21
Session 4 Record Breakers Week = 7/24-7/28
*Session 5 offered at ACAII 7/31-8/4
Spaces are limited, so please indicate the week(s) you are interested in, and choose either the half or full day options. We will send out a confirmation to you in May, letting you know if you got in! Be sure to complete the registration paperwork that will be emailed to you prior to your session.
Sign Up here – https://forms.gle/
Cancellations: Please let us know IMMEDIATELY if you are no longer able to attend a week, so we can offer your spot to the students on the waiting list.
Parents – if you would like to come out to camp and volunteer during these weeks, please let us know! You guys are always a great addition!!
UPCOMING & ONGOING SCHOOL EVENTS
CAASPP Testing 2023: Students in grades 3-8 are once again participating in the statewide administration of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). These online Summative Assessments measure what your child knows and is able to do. If you have any questions, or would like to know which days your student will be testing, please contact the office or your student’s teachers.
First Fridays: First Fridays take place every 1st Friday of the month during the school year, at Skipolini’s in Antioch at 4pm. Come join and have dinner with your family while making new friends from our ACA community! Let us know if there is another restaurant we should try out for this!
Charter Council: The Charter Council is our governing board. The board meets usually on the second Thursday of the month @ 4PM. Please check the calendar for the next meeting date/time, or call the office at 925-755-7311 to confirm. These meetings are open to the public – all are welcomed!
Spiritwear: We are very excited to share the news that we are launching an official online spiritwear store! To celebrate the grand opening, use code SPIRIT424 to receive 25% off and get free shipping on orders over $50. Choose from a variety of garments that are delivered to your home in days. Shop at https://1stplace.sale/14399.
Grand opening Sale Dates: April 10th – April 24th
25% off all merchandise
Free shipping on orders over $50
Use code: SPIRIT424 at checkout to receive the discounts
FAMILY NETWORK (FN) HAPPENINGS
The ACA Family Network is made up of ACA adults who volunteer for fundraisers and social events for the enrichment of our children. The money we raise goes back to our school for study trips, family activities, assemblies, and classroom supplies. If you have a child/grandchild/niece/nephew/
2023-24 FNB Nominations: It’s time to start thinking about next school year. Our ACA Family Network board nominations are now open! Please take a look at the list of positions below and see if there is one that you could fill on the board next year. We are looking for new parents/guardians/family members to get involved. We know you have fresh ideas and lots of great energy to contribute!
Please email your nominations to acafamilynetwork@
ACA Family Network Board Positions
Chairperson: Prepares agendas for and facilitates FNB meetings; reports important information at General Membership meetings; must be a current member of the Family Network Board.
Co-Chairperson: Conducts meetings in the absence of the Chairperson; leads activities as agreed upon by the board.
Secretary: Keeps and distributes minutes (notes) of FNB meetings; accepts and confirms nominations for yearly FNB election.
Treasurer: Keeps financial records and prepares financial reports for the FNB. Bookkeeping experience not required.
Volunteer Coordinator: Helps recruit volunteers for school events and facilitates tracking of volunteer hours.
Fundraising Coordinator: Finds fundraising opportunities to present to the FNB; plans fundraising events, with the support of the board and the Family Network .
Social Coordinator: Arranges and organizes social events, with the support of the FNB and the Family Network .
Member At Large: attends Family Network meetings and assists with events/tasks as needed.
Family Network Meetings are usually the second Tuesday of each month. The board welcomes and encourages all ACA families to attend the meetings. Check with the calendar below to find out the next meeting.
Volunteers Needed: Want to help, but not sure where to start??? Then sign up on TrackItForward to find out how you can help!!! https://www.trackitforward.
Contact the ACA Family Network if you have any questions or need help accessing track it forward Acafamilynetwork@
See’s Candy Fundraiser: See’s Candies Yum-Raising storefront is open until December 25, 2023. Buy now and order some delicious chocolates. It’s simple, and you’ll love the selection. No sign-up or minimum required. https://www.yumraising.com/
Pasta Fundraiser: Order Fun Pasta all year long and ACA will get 35-40% of the proceeds! Order online and make sure to select Antioch Charter Academy I as who you are supporting! https://funpastafundraising.
Annual Give: Would you like to support whole school activities, all the classrooms, and have less fundraisers??!!! Then make a tax deductible donation…donate here via PayPal → https://www.paypal.com/us/
Family Network Volunteer Opportunities
Popcorn Fridays Volunteers Needed
We need volunteers to help out with popcorn sales each Friday 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Help set up, make popcorn, sell candy/popcorn and clean-up
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!!
April 27 Family Game Night & Chess Tournament – 5~7pm
May 3 Dining for Dollars – Panda Express
May 5 First Friday at Skipolini’s – 4pm
May 5-12 Book Fair Week!
May 9 FN Meeting (all welcome) – 3pm
May 10 Young Authors Celebration
May 18 Charter Council meeting (all welcome) – 4pm
May 23 Spring Concert (all music students perform)
May 24 Parent Appreciation Brunch – 8:15am
May 25-26 Minimum Days – dismiss at 12pm
May 29 No School – Memorial Day
May 31 Showcase of the Arts Celebration
June 2 8th Grade Trip
June 7 8th Grade Graduation Ceremony – 4:30pm
June 9 Last Day of School (Minimum Day)
June 9 End of Year Celebration in Park
REMINDERS
Parking Lot Safety – Let’s Keep ALL Our Students, Staff & Families SAFE!
SLOW DOWN
Everyone needs to use crosswalks!
Listen to the staff’s instructions – they are trying to keep everyone safe, and to keep drop off/pick up running smoothly.
Do not tell your students to cut through the parking lot to reach you – cars that are backing up may not see your student. Students should be picked up using the carpool lane, or using the crosswalk, they can walk to their cars which are parked on the street/in front of the park.
When it is your turn to enter the carpool lane, pull all the way forward, so up to 6 vehicles can load/unload their charges at a time.
Do not move forward in the carpool lane until all children have entered/exited their vehicles in front of you – a fender bender could severely injure a child who is partially in a vehicle.
When leaving the parking lot, please drive the speed limit so our students walking to school are safe.
Thank you for keeping everyone safe – remember picking up/dropping off is only a few minutes out of your day, but an injury could last a lifetime!!
Food Delivery Services will no longer be allowed on campus. Make sure you send lunch with your student, or order lunch at school!
School Lunch Order Form – https://forms.gle/
You MUST order meals in advance in order to receive them or else we may not have a meal available for your student. Breakfast and Supper will be the same for all students, while lunch has a menu that you can choose one entree from.
Absences, Tardies, Leaving Early: If your student will be absent, or tardy, please call the office at 925-755-7311, or email your student’s classroom, before 8:00am. Please make sure to check into the office if your student arrives late. If your student needs to depart early, the person picking up the child must call the office at (925) 755-7311 so the office can retrieve the student prior to walking into the office to sign out their student. Please remember to request an “Independent Study” or “IS” every time you email/call to report an absence. This helps the school, which helps your student!
Clothes Donation Bin: As some of you may have seen, we have a clothes donation bin in our parking lot now. Not only is this a great way to have our unclaimed lost and found items find a new home, but it is actually a form of fund raising for the school. When people donate clothes, the owners of the bin, Tree Machine, will give money to the school. Keep this in mind as you start doing some Spring cleaning.
CONTACT INFORMATION
School Phone – 925-755-7311
School Address – 3325 Hacienda Way, Antioch 94509
School Website – www.AntiochCharterAcademy.org
School Lunch Order Form – https://forms.gle/
ACA Office – ACAOffice@
ACA Family Network – ACAFamilyNetwork@
ACA Elementary – ACAElementary@
ACA Intermediate – ACAIntermediate@
ACA Primary – ACAPrimary@
ACA Middle School – ACAMiddleSchool@
ACA I & II Special Education – SPED@antiochcharteracademy.org
ACA Newsletter – ACANewsletter@
ACA Yearbook – ACAMemories@
Social Media – Accounts are set to private; you need to request to join our groups.
Instagram Antioch Charter – https://www.instagram.com/
Facebook ACA Family & Friends – https://www.facebook.com/
Parent Network Board & Contact Info
Co-Chairs: Corey Cruz
Secretary: Brooke Farrington
Treasurer: Sarah Glenn
School Volunteer Coordinator: Salena Killion
Social Chair: Yessika Berrios
Fundraising Chair: open…can you help???
Members at Large: Everyone!
Email: ACAFamilyNetwork@
Remind: This is another way for the school to quickly inform you on what is happening on campus. Never miss another minimum day schedule, or a whole school event. You can receive messages through email or through texting – you decide! If you have not signed up yet, please contact your student’s classroom for the code – each grouping has their own code!
Need Assistance – it is OK to ask!
Antioch Charter Academy: call the school office (925-755-7311) if you need help finding school supplies, figuring out how to get school meals, and/or need to talk with someone regarding any struggles your student(s) may be facing.
Contra Costa Crisis Center (call 211): https://www.crisis-center.org/
Contra Costa Health Services: https://cchealth.org/
First 5 of Contra Costa County: http://www.first5coco.org/
CocoKids East County: https://www.cocokids.org
Surviving Parenthood Resource Directory for Contra Costa County: https://capc-coco.org/wp-
Statewide Online Tutoring Program: Students in California, with or without a library card, will be able to access HelpNow through links on their local library’s website or through the State Library’s. Go to Digital Resources | Contra Costa County Library (ccclib.org) Click “Brainfuse HelpNow”.
VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS
Our Vision To provide a learning environment where students of all socio-economic levels and ethnic backgrounds embrace education, exhibit compassion, and accept personal responsibility
Our Mission: The mission of the Antioch Charter Academies is to facilitate academic and personal growth of TK-8th grade students of all socio-economic levels and ethnic backgrounds. ACA enables 21st century students to become literate, self-motivated, innovative, lifelong learners, and compassionate, collaborative active citizens. We nurture and support a partnership of students, teachers, families and the community; embrace individual strengths; and build upon research informed educational best practices including Montessori, multiple intelligences, brain-compatible teaching, and multi-age groupings with small class sizes.