“When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it’s our job to share our calm, not join their chaos.” L.R. Knost
Principal’s Message
Dear Voyagers Families,
I hope you have had a great week. We had a great time on campus and especially when we connected as a whole school community during our morning assembly today. A special thanks to Mrs. Castillo's students Mia and Lauren for their help facilitating.
Remember, you can also submit a virtual Voyager Voucher any time by clicking the image below. Also this month, you can get particular kindness accolades by completing the following ACTS of KINDNESS form HERE.
Below are a few updates as we go into the weekend:
Welcome back 4th and 5th-graders! On March 1 we will welcome back our 4th and 5th-grade students to campus for in-person learning. There will be more cars in our drop-off and pick-up carlines beginning next week so please be patient, drive slowly and safely, be alert for pedestrians, and follow all traffic procedures. Parents and guardians must wear masks while in their cars when dropping off or picking up students. This is a health department required for the safe operation of our schools.
Please do not bring your child to school if they are sick. Can my child go to school today? Is a simple guide to follow to answer this question.
Quarantine Reminder: Families who travel out of state or country for non-essential purposes must quarantine for 10 days upon their return. CLICK HERE for a link to the LA County Department of Public Health Travel Advisory and Quarantine Requirements. For those in quarantine, we have assembled independent learning plans available HERE. Please reach out to our main office if your student will be in travel quarantine.
March 11 and 12, Optional Parent/Teacher Conferences: Conferences for TK-5 students will be held on March 11 and 12. The schedule for March 11 and 12 is linked HERE. If they have not already, your child’s teacher will let you know if they will be requesting a conference.
Notes regarding 4th and 5th-grade return to campus on March 1:
Principal Webinar: If you missed our principal webinar yesterday, please watch the recording CLICK HERE. In this webinar, important information was shared about our arrival and pick-up procedures, safety protocols including the health screener that must be completed before your child enters campus, and other important information. The slides from this webinar are CLICK HERE.
Student Requirement: Students must wear a mask at all times while on campus unless they are eating or drinking. Please have your child bring a water bottle to school. They will be able to refill this at our hydration station.
ParentSquare Health Screener: The ParentSquare health screener that must be completed before your child enters campus is LINKED HERE. Parents must quickly show this check-in confirmation page at drop-off to our staff. Our staff will then take your child’s temperature with a touchless thermometer before they walk to class.
Arrival and Pickup Procedures:CLICK HERE for our arrival and pick-up procedures and a map of our school that includes gate names and locations.
We are so excited to see our 4th and 5th-grade students on Monday, March 1. Have a wonderful weekend.
Liberty Logan,
Proud Sumac Principal
School News
Spring 2021 Community Series: We are excited to share three parent and community events this Fall. Please see the attached for our Equity Talks, the Coming out of the Pandemic panel discussion, and the return of nationally acclaimed author and speaker: Julie Lythcott-Haims who will speak about her new book: Your Turn: How to be an Adult. All events are free to the public and will be hosted virtually. Virtual registration can occur through Community360.me/events
Student Tutoring and Activities: We are again launching our free virtual tutoring and after-school activities for our families. Tutoring is now for students in K-12, and the activities are for students in K-8. All of these activities are free of charge and provided by the generous donation of time by Agoura and Calabasas High School students.
Click Book Now next to the subject/area/activity you’d like virtual support.
Tutoring sessions are 30 minutes.
Classes are weekly (Sign Up Quickly, as they close the day before classes start).
A student tutor will reach out to you at the email you provide with a Zoom or Google Meet link.
Las Virgenes Independent School (LVIS) Did you know that LVUSD is offering a new, flexible learning option for the 21-22 school year? Las Virgenes Independent School (LVIS) offers alternative education to support students in need of a personalized and custom program.
Hello Voyager Families! It’s been wonderful seeing the smiling faces of some of our K-3rd grade students at recess, and I’m looking very forward to welcoming our 4th and 5th-grade students back on campus as well. It’s so hard to imagine that it’s almost been a year since we started distance learning, and I am proud of our student's level of resilience, and persistence & grit along this journey. I’m also witnessing how the kids are practicing our February disposition of Empathy & Understanding when observing them on the playground or while chatting with them here on campus. When one child felt left out, I saw two students run over to ask if they wanted to play, or when a student felt sad, another student asked if they could help. Raising empathetic children has a ripple effect. An empathetic child can promote self-regulation skills, which helps them feel secure. When they feel secure, they take more emotional risks, when they take more risks, they make closer connections feel more confident, are better learners, and more able to take responsibility for their actions. When children learn empathy, they can look at situations from other’s perspectives and learn to make positive changes, and learn to be less defensive. As parents, being an emotional coach to our children can help them foster this crucial trait. Emotion coaching is the art of speaking with children about their feelings and offering coping strategies for emotionally charged situations with the key goal being to empathize, reassure, validate and teach. Here are some articles that may be of help and please reach out anytime with any questions or concerns you may be having.
