Dear Parents/Guardians,

I wanted to make you aware of a great opportunity for your student that is right in our own “back yard.” Students age 12-18 may become a member of Civil Air Patrol, which in turn can serve to prepare them for future college and career opportunities. Please read the information below and on the attached sheet to determine if this is something you want to learn more about or to visit to find out if your student would like to join.

Civil Air Patrol

CAP is the volunteer, non-profit auxiliary of the United States Air Force. Its three missions are to develop its cadets, educate Americans on the importance of aviation and space, and perform life-saving humanitarian rescue missions.

Through their experiences as CAP cadets, young people develop into responsible citizens and become tomorrow’s aerospace leaders. The leadership skills, self-confidence, and discipline cadets gain through CAP prepares them to achieve whatever goals they set for themselves in life.

To fulfill its goal of developing young people into responsible citizens and aerospace leaders, the Cadet Program is developed around five program elements: Leadership, Character Development, Aerospace Education, Physical Fitness, and Activities. As cadets participate in these five elements, they advance through a series of achievements, earning honors and increased responsibilities along the way.

The local squadron meets on Peterson Air Force Base on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-9:00 p.m. each week. About once per month there is also a Saturday meeting for squadron activities. Cost is minimal with a one- time $15 registration fee and a yearly membership renewal of $37 (Just $52 to get started which includes a free dress blues uniform). Students will also wear BDUs to meetings twice a month and have Physical Training one time per month.

We will be having a CAP assembly at school during the upcoming months and will inform you of the date/time via the school website and upcoming newsletters. In the meantime, I encourage you to call or email Rex Jakeman (719-332-6197 or rexjakeman@mac.com) , the CAP recruiter for the Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron, who will be more than willing to answer any additional questions you may have. Also, please visit the website at www.coloradowingcap.org .  Click on “Find a Colorado Squadron” in the box on the left side of the web page. Next, click on “Group 3” in the Site Navigation Box, and “Colorado Springs Cadet” in the Site Navigation Box in the new window.

If your student has goals of attending a military service academy, majoring in science, aerospace technology, computer science, or just desires to become more disciplined and better prepared for adult life, CAP should be something you consider seriously.

The CSAP tests are coming! Will you be ready?

CSAP is the Colorado Student Assessment Program. CSAP scores are one measure used to assess your child’s performance toward state standards. CSAP helps us identify your child’s learning needs so that we can tailor instruction to ensure that every child is reaching the state standards.

When are the CSAP tests given?

Middle/High Schools

Monday, March 8th – *8th Grade and 10th Grade students will take the Science CSAP and will be dismissed for the day at 12:30 p.m. All other students will have a regular school day.
March 9th, 10th, & 11th for grades 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 – all students will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m.
Friday, March 12th is a regular school day.

Elementary School

February 17 -18 – 3rd Grade Reading
March 8 – 18 – 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will be taking Math, Reading, Writing, and Science Tests at various times throughout the day. The March schedule will be in the JICES March Newsletter sent home the end of February.

In Case of Inclement Weather

Middle/High Schools

If there is a two hour delay, please bring your student to school at 9:45 a.m. This will move dismissal time to 2:30 p.m.
If we miss an entire day, we will make it up on Tuesday, March 16th. Dismissal on Tuesday would be at 12:30 p.m.

Elementary School

If there is a two hour delay, please bring your student to school at 9:45 a.m. Dismissal will be at normal 3:30 time.

How can I help my child prepare for CSAP tests?

• Make sure your child arrives at school on time.
  • Students need to be here prior to 7:45 a.m. for testing to begin on time. Once testing has begun, students who are late must test in a separate classroom for the entire day.
  • Additionally, once CSAP testing has begun, students will not be excused for any reason including doctor’s appointments. This is a required test by law and students must be present during the testing window.
• Make sure your child gets a good rest the night before each test day.
  • Children who are tired are less able to pay attention or to handle the demands of the tests.
• Feed your child a nourishing breakfast on the morning of the test.
  • Hunger can detract from good test performance.
• Make sure your student has a calm, unhurried morning.
  • Get him/her up early enough so that he/she doesn’t have to rush to get to school.
  • Tell your child that you believe that he/she can do well and succeed in school.
  • Offer praise and encouragement for achievement and improvement.
  • Have a positive attitude about the test and encourage your student to do his/her best.

(Tips adapted from the CDE CSAP Guide for Parents) Thank you for your help and support!

CAN YOU HELP?

Would you be willing to donate a box of snacks for the students to have during their breaks during CSAPs? If you are able to donate, here is a list of suggestions.

• Granola Bars – chewy
• Cereal Bars
• Cheese & Crackers
• Pretzels
• Trail Mix (without peanuts)
• Raisins

Because of peanut allergies, please do not include anything that contains peanuts or peanut butter.

All items must be individually wrapped and purchased from a store. We will not be able to accept any homemade items. Please bring all donations to the Middle School, High School or Elementary front offices. Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Jane E. Olk
Assessment Coordinator
James Irwin Charter Middle/High School

Nancy Cooper
Assessment Coordinator
James Irwin Charter Elementary School

Free Parent Day at Colorado Charter Schools Conference

Free Parent Day – Colorado Charter Schools Conference
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sheraton Denver Hotel, Downtown Denver

Join charter school parents from across the state for a free full-day at the Colorado Charter Schools Conference (cost of lunch and parking not included). Feel free to join us for the entire day — or for just a portion of the day – whatever is most convenient for you!
8:00-9:00AM – Registration and Breakfast (no cost)
Hear from Colorado State Legislators about the 2010 legislative session and what’s at stake for charter schools.
9:00-11:30AM – Visit the State Capitol (no cost)
Meet with your school’s elected officials and educate them about the importance of charter schools and school choice (we will set up the meeting and provide all the talking points).
12:00-1:45PM – Enjoy a Networking Luncheon (cost of lunch $35)
After your visit to the Capitol, hear from education policy and movement leaders while networking with hundreds of charter school parents, administrators, board members and other supporters at our networking luncheon.
2:00-5:30PM – Attend Breakout Sessions Designed for Parents/Taught by Parents (No cost)
Spend the afternoon learning from other parents and charter school supporters about important topics such as:
-Clearing up public misperceptions about charter schools.
-Advocating for charter schools in the local government and media.
-Getting involved in your school to help your child succeed.
Register today at http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=797359(be sure to select “Parent Involvement Workshop” when registering.
Questions? Contact Stacy Rivera at 303-989-5356, ext. 112 or srivera@coloradoleague.org or visit www.coloradoleague.org/charterconference.

James Irwin Charter Elementary School student Macaylah LeBlanc, makes the Gazette’s “Great Kids” list for her work to create the ‘Operating Blanket’ program. Read more on the Gazette website: http://www.gazette.com/articles/leblanc-92307-macaylah-nominated.html

We care about James Irwin families and want to provide the right tools to be successful at JICS. Our school has been blessed with newer computer donations and now we want to pass that blessing on to you. Our goal is to provide free computers to those families at James Irwin who do not already have a computer.

Requirements

The free computer donations are for families who do not even have one computer in their house. If we have computers left to donate after we have helped each family get one computer, we will open the program up to other families in need.
In order to receive a computer donated from JICS, please write a letter describing how your life would be better with a computer at your house. Please be sure to include your name, address, email and a contact phone number to reach you.

Submit the letters to

James Irwin Charter Schools

FREE COMPUTER

5525 Astrozon Blvd.

Colorado Springs, CO 80916

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Is it guaranteed I will get a computer if I submit a letter?
A. No. We will do our best to provide a computer to everyone who writes a letter, however, we have a limited supply of computers to donate, so it’s possible not everyone who writes will get a computer. We will keep the letters of those who do not receive a computer and get in touch with those families if more computers become available.

Q. What is included with the computer?
A. Computers include computer tower, monitor, keyboard, mouse & applicable cables.

Q. What are the hardware specifications of the computers you are donating?
A. There is a variety of different computers that we are donating which have a range of specifications.
CPU: Pentium 3-4 – 1.6-1.8Ghz
Memory: 256MB – 1GB
Hard Drive: 20GB – 60GB

Q. What operating system and applications come with the computer?
A. The computers we donate will come with an Ubuntu Linux operating system disk and installation instructions. The Ubuntu operating system is not that different from Windows, however, it is free and easy to use. Ubuntu also comes with Open Office pre-installed. Open Office contains programs similar to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Q. Do you provide technical support?
A. Unfortunately at this time, we cannot provide technical support for the computers we donate.

Q. Will you deliver the computer?
A. We will not be able to deliver the computer to your house. If awarded a computer, we will schedule a day and time for you to pick up the computer from the Technology Department.

ACTION ALERT: Support Using Race to the Top Funds for Education Reform in Colorado!

On July 24th, President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan held a press conference to announce the release of the Administrations draft priorities and guidelines for the Race to the Top Grant competition. Continue reading

The James Irwin library is now offering the Love & Logic series written by Jim and Charles Fay on CD and DVD. This is a Positive parent teaching/training instruction for your family.

This CD & DVD series may be checked out at the James Irwin library located next to the commons in the high school building.

Parents please come prepared to leave your contact information with the librarian. Continue reading

I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas break. Enclosed you will find your student’s grade report for the first semester. I want to share some great news with you prior to your student’s return to school in January. Continue reading