NETWORKings
Antioch Charter Academy
Newsletter for Antioch Charter Academy/TLCS Stakeholders
Volume 28, Issue 9, October 16, 2023
Next week in Primary and Elementary we will be going on another Being There Experience! We are going to the pumpkin patch G and S Farms in Brentwood. Students will get a farm tour from Farmer Joe, learn all about the parts of a pumpkin, how they grow, what they do at the farm, and they get to cut their own pumpkin off of the vine!
Some the Montessori Botany jobs we will be in the classroom showing the parts of the pumpkin so students can be familiar and have prior knowledge going into the trip.
For Wonderful Wednesday that week Primary will be using pumpkin to cook, roasting pumpkin seeds, doing pumpkin art and drawings.
It’s such a fun and exciting part of the year and we get to fully immerse all of our curriculum around pumpkin fun! One of the best things about our school is how we can create our curriculum around what interests the students and follow the child!
Don’t forget to ask what your Primary or Elementary student is doing with pumpkins next week- and we hope to see you on our trip!
Rebecca Zaccardi
Primary Teacher
ANNOUNCEMENTS 
Reminder – Absences HURT Your Student: Missing days of school can have a profoundly detrimental effect on students, impacting their academic progress and overall well-being. Regular attendance is crucial for students to fully engage with classroom instruction, participate in discussions, and build a strong foundation of knowledge. When students miss school, they not only fall behind in their studies but also miss out on important social interactions and opportunities for skill development. Additionally, the cumulative effect of absences can lead to gaps in understanding, making it increasingly challenging to catch up and succeed academically. Moreover, the emotional toll of falling behind and feeling disconnected from peers can negatively affect a student’s self-esteem and motivation. Thus, consistent attendance is not just a matter of compliance but a key factor in a student’s educational journey and future prospects.
When students miss school, it can really hurt them. It’s like missing pieces of a puzzle – they can’t learn everything they need to. Plus, they miss out on making friends and getting better at things like reading and math. If they keep missing school, it gets even harder to catch up, and they might feel bad about themselves. So, going to school every day is super important for doing well in the future.
Family Movie Night: Thursday October 19th will be our family movie night. This is a free event. We will be playing a movie out on the lawn (weather permitting) and there will be popcorn and snacks for purchase.
Dining for Dollars: Join us for dinner Tuesday, October 31st at ANY Panda Express restaurant nationwide. This makes it very easy for family and friends to support our school. You may place a pre-order. The code is valid 7 days prior to the event date. Just make sure to enter the event code 916651 in the Fundraiser Code box during online checkout at www.pandaexpress.com or via App. Please share the fundraising. Thank you for your support! 💐
October 30th & 31st Holiday Events
October 30th – After School Haunted House: Our annual Middle School “Haunted House” fundraiser will run from 12~12:45pm. This is an age appropriate haunted house put on by the Middle School class. Cost is $3 per student. This is a minimum day – pick up time is at 12pm.
October 31st – Costume Parade & Trick or Treating. Around 11:15am, there will be our annual on campus School Families “Trick or Treating”, and a costume parade. Parents are welcome to come watch. Students who do not want to participate will have a supervised room set-aside for them where they can play board games during the activities, or they can be signed out by a parent/guardian at 11:15am. This is a minimum day – pick up time is at 12pm.
October 31st is a normal learning day for all students, except students will be able to wear their costumes to school, if they choose. No masks, weapons, or gore are allowed. Students must still be able to participate in learning, so no costumes which would hinder school work (school dress codes still apply).
Electives: We want to take this opportunity to give a “Shout Out” to our wonderful 1st trimester elective volunteers: Mr. Ferguson and Mrs Farrington. One of the reasons our school is successful is because of people like you who are willing to invest in our students!
Believe or not we are already setting up electives for the 2nd trimester. Our hope is to offer at least 9-10 different options for students to choose from on each day. This is only possible if our wonderful ACA community volunteers to help!! 2nd Trimester Electives run from November 27th to March 1st. This averages from 8-10 classes (depending on which day you choose to teach).
Ideas for classes:
Art: crafts, sewing, knitting, crocheting, fine art, ceramics, photography, woodworking, etc
Indoor: board games, chess, strategy, role playing, etc.
Outdoor: gardening, basketball, volleyball, kickball, soccer, flag football, wiffle ball, dodgeball, etc
Cooking (always a big hit): simple cooking skills, baking, cake decorating, microwave recipes, airfryer recipes, juicing, multicultural, etc
Language: ASL, Spanish, etc
Movement: yoga, dance (line, zumba, hip hop, modern, etc), pilates, etc
Science: rockets, fun science experiments, technology, building things, etc
Other: drama/acting, debate, and the list can go on and on – teach what you enjoy doing!
If you can donate an hour of your time, once a week for the next trimester, to help teach or supervise a class, please let us know ASAP!!! We could really use some more volunteers!
You can also team up with a friend to teach a class, and you do not need to have a student in the 4-8th grade classes to help. We want this to be a good experience for all! All volunteers will need to have a Livescan fingerprint on file with our office (school will pay the fee).
Please contact the school by Friday, October 27th if you are interested, or if you have any questions about this program.
Friendsgiving Vendor Faire: ACA 2 is having a Vendor Event on November 16th, on ACA’s campus. We are opening it to our Student entrepreneurs as well as others. Please see the attached Event Form for more details. Any questions please email acaiifnb@gmail.com
UPCOMING & ONGOING SCHOOL EVENTS 
2023-24 Yearbook: We have selected TreeRing as our yearbook provider for the 2023-24 school year. TreeRing is a yearbook company that shares our community’s values, makes capturing student memories easy, and creates beautifully printed books. You can create your very own custom pages for your student!
Ordering is easy, and if you order before the end of October, you get 10% off your yearbook! See attached document for details.
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!
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/
Holiday Wreath Fundraiser: It’s time for our annual Holiday Wreath Fundraiser with Sherwood Forest Farms! Students received a paper copy of the product catalog last week.
Both local delivery and direct delivery items are available for purchase. Local delivery items will be delivered to our school in a large shipment and distributed to students/families. Direct delivery items will be shipped directly to an address provided by the purchaser. This is a great option for family and friends who live farther away and still want to order.
Feel free to check out the website and make orders at sherwoodfundraiser.com/ACA2023
This link can be shared with family, friends, neighbors, etc. and they can order directly from there. If your family and friends order via local delivery, make sure they type in your name (or your student’s name) in the “credit order to” box at checkout. This will help us organize the orders when we receive them at the school.
Orders may be placed until November 3rd.
Local delivery items will be delivered to the school between November 27 – December 5, 2022. We will provide pick up details once we know the exact delivery date. Volunteers will be needed to help with distribution!
Please email any questions to acafamilynetwork@
Family Network Meetings are the second Friday of each month at 3pm. The board welcomes and encourages all ACA families to attend the meetings. Check with the calendar below to find out the next meeting.
See’s Candy Fundraiser: ACA Family Network is holding a See’s Candies Yum-Raising event for the See’s Winter selection. You will be able to order your favorite See’s Candies without ever leaving your house. Now until December 2nd. Attached is a QR code to our exclusive Fundraiser Storefront. Click on the link below and start shopping. No sign-up or minimum required. Please feel free to share it with your friends and family. Thank you for your support!
https://www.yumraising.com/
Family Network Wish List: We have created a Family Network wish list on Amazon. If you’d like to donate any of these “Wish List” items we would greatly appreciate it. These items are needed throughout the school year. Pick the items and pay for them and Amazon will ship directly to the school.
*ALL DONATIONS COUNT TOWARD YOUR FAMILY SERVICE HOURS AS WELL!
*ANY DONATION YOU ARE ABLE TO MAKE IS FULLY TAX DEDUCTIBLE.
ACA I Family Network – Amazon Gift List – Amazon Gift List
Thank you for your support!
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/
Spiritwear: Gear up for the school year with Antioch Charter spirit wear! With hundreds of designs waiting for you, shop now and get your order in just 10-12 business days! Shop at https://1stplace.sale/14399
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@
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. Sign up on https://www.trackitforward.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!! 
Oct 17 Cougars in Action (morning activity)
Oct 19 8th Grade Girls Empowerment Day @ CCC Fairgrounds (9~1:45pm)
Oct 19 FN Movie Night – 6:30pm (everyone is invited)
Oct 24 Prim/Elem Being There Experience – Pumpkin Farm
Oct 30-31 Minimum Days – dismiss at 12pm
Nov 1-2 MS Medieval Days (Museum & Banquet)
Nov 7 Make up Picture Day
Nov 9 Last Day of 1st Trimester Electives
Nov 9 Charter Council at 4pm (all welcome)
Nov 9 FN Meeting at 3pm (all welcome)
Nov 10 No School – Veterans’ Day
Nov 13-17 Minimum Days – dismiss at 12pm
Nov 16-17 Pri/Elem Multicultural Days
Nov 16 ACA 2 Friendsgiving Vendor Fair @ ACA Campus
Nov 20-24 No School – Thanksgiving Break
Nov 27 2nd Trimester Begins
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!!
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. Reminder – no outside food delivery services are allowed on campus.
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!
REMIND: This APP 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 (example from last year: a power outage that required early dismissal!). You can receive messages through email or through texting (recommended) – you decide! Ask your student’s teacher for their classcode!
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
Co-Chairs: open
Secretary: Brooke Farrington
Treasurer: Sarah Glenn
School Volunteer Coordinator: Salena Killion
Social Chair: Janika Barnes
Fundraising Chair: Yessika Berrios
Members at Large: Everyone!
Email: ACAFamilyNetwork@
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: https://www.first5coco.org/
CocoKids East County: https://www.cocokids.org
Surviving Parenthood Resource Directory for Contra Costa County: https://capc-coco.org/wp-
Be Exceptional: a local program for all ages who have “exceptional needs”: https://beexceptionalprograms.
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.
Antioch Charter Academy is Fully Accredited for Grades K-8 by the Schools Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Volumen 28, Número 9, 16 de octubre de 2023
¡La próxima semana en Primaria y Primaria viviremos otra Experiencia Estar Allí! Vamos a las granjas G y S del huerto de calabazas en Brentwood. Los estudiantes recibirán un recorrido por la granja del granjero Joe, aprenderán todo sobre las partes de una calabaza, cómo crecen, qué hacen en la granja y ¡podrán cortar su propia calabaza de la vid!
En algunos de los trabajos de Botánica Montessori estaremos en el aula mostrando las partes de la calabaza para que los estudiantes puedan familiarizarse y tener conocimientos previos al viaje.
Para el Miércoles Maravilloso de esa semana, Primaria usará calabaza para cocinar, tostará semillas de calabaza y hará dibujos y manualidades con calabazas.
¡Es una parte del año muy divertida y emocionante y podemos sumergir completamente todo nuestro plan de estudios en torno a la diversión con calabazas! ¡Una de las mejores cosas de nuestra escuela es cómo podemos crear nuestro plan de estudios en torno a lo que interesa a los estudiantes y seguir al niño!
No olvides preguntar qué hará tu hijo de Primaria o Primaria con calabazas la próxima semana. ¡Esperamos verte en nuestro viaje!
Rebeca Zaccardi
Profesor de primaria
ANUNCIOS
Recordatorio: las ausencias DAÑAN a su estudiante: Faltar días de escuela puede tener un efecto profundamente perjudicial en los estudiantes, impactando su progreso académico y su bienestar general. La asistencia regular es crucial para que los estudiantes participen plenamente en la instrucción en el aula, participen en debates y construyan una base sólida de conocimientos. Cuando los estudiantes faltan a la escuela, no sólo se atrasan en sus estudios sino que también pierden importantes interacciones sociales y oportunidades para el desarrollo de habilidades. Además, el efecto acumulativo de las ausencias puede generar lagunas en la comprensión, lo que hace que sea cada vez más difícil ponerse al día y tener éxito académico. Además, el costo emocional de quedarse atrás y sentirse desconectado de sus compañeros puede afectar negativamente la autoestima y la motivación de un estudiante. Por lo tanto, la asistencia constante no es sólo una cuestión de cumplimiento sino un factor clave en el recorrido educativo y las perspectivas futuras de un estudiante.
Cuando los estudiantes faltan a la escuela, esto realmente puede perjudicarlos. Es como si les faltaran piezas de un rompecabezas: no pueden aprender todo lo que necesitan. Además, se pierden la oportunidad de hacer amigos y mejorar en cosas como lectura y matemáticas. Si siguen faltando a la escuela, será aún más difícil ponerse al día y es posible que se sientan mal consigo mismos. Por eso, ir a la escuela todos los días es muy importante para tener un buen desempeño en el futuro.
Noche de cine familiar: el jueves 19 de octubre será nuestra noche de cine familiar. Este es un evento gratuito. Estaremos proyectando una película en el césped (si el clima lo permite) y habrá palomitas de maíz y bocadillos para comprar.
Cena por dólares: Únase a nosotros para cenar el martes 31 de octubre en CUALQUIER restaurante Panda Express en todo el país. Esto hace que sea muy fácil para familiares y amigos apoyar a nuestra escuela. Puedes realizar un pedido anticipado. El código es válido 7 días antes de la fecha del evento. Solo asegúrese de ingresar el código de evento 916651 en el cuadro Código de recaudación de fondos durante el pago en línea en www.pandaexpress.com o mediante la aplicación. Por favor comparte la recaudación de fondos. ¡Gracias por tu apoyo! 💐
Eventos festivos del 30 y 31 de octubre (la escuela aún es obligatoria, pero todos los eventos son opcionales)
30 de octubre – Casa encantada después de clases: nuestra recaudación de fondos anual “Casa encantada” de la escuela secundaria se llevará a cabo de 12 a 12:45 p.m. Esta es una casa embrujada apropiada para la edad creada por la clase de secundaria. El costo es de $3 por estudiante. Este es un día mínimo: la hora de recogida es a las 12 p.m.
31 de octubre: Desfile de disfraces y truco o trato. Alrededor de las 11:15 a. m., se llevará a cabo nuestro “Truco o trato” anual para familias escolares en el campus y un desfile de disfraces. Los padres son bienvenidos a venir a ver. Los estudiantes que no quieran participar tendrán una sala supervisada reservada para ellos donde podrán jugar juegos de mesa durante las actividades, o un padre/tutor podrá firmar su salida a las 11:15 am. Este es un día mínimo: la hora de recogida es a las 12 p.m.
El 31 de octubre es un día de aprendizaje normal para todos los estudiantes, excepto que los estudiantes podrán usar sus disfraces en la escuela, si así lo desean. No se permiten máscaras, armas ni sangre. Los estudiantes aún deben poder participar en el aprendizaje, por lo que no deben usar disfraces que obstaculicen el trabajo escolar (aún se aplican los códigos de vestimenta escolar).
Electivas: Queremos aprovechar esta oportunidad para dar un “Agradecimiento” a nuestros maravillosos voluntarios electivos del primer trimestre: el Sr. Ferguson y la Sra. Farrington. ¡Una de las razones por las que nuestra escuela tiene éxito es porque personas como usted están dispuestas a invertir en nuestros estudiantes!
Lo creas o no, ya estamos preparando asignaturas optativas para el segundo trimestre. Nuestra esperanza es ofrecer al menos entre 9 y 10 opciones diferentes para que los estudiantes elijan cada día. ¡Esto sólo es posible si nuestra maravillosa comunidad ACA se ofrece como voluntaria para ayudar! Las asignaturas optativas del segundo trimestre se llevarán a cabo del 27 de noviembre al 1 de marzo.