Venetia Valley TK-8 School

Supporting Your Child’s Success with the ELPAC

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we continue our commitment to your child’s academic journey, we want to highlight an important upcoming tool: the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC).

If your child’s home language is not English, the ELPAC is the most valuable resource we have to ensure they receive the specific support they deserve to thrive in the classroom.

Why the ELPAC Matters

The ELPAC is not just a test; it is a roadmap for your child’s success. Participation is vital for several reasons:

• Targeted Support: Results help us place your child in the right classes, ensuring they are challenged without being overwhelmed.

• Measuring Growth: This annual "check-in" celebrates your child's progress in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

• The Path to Reclassification: Achieving a high score is the primary way for a student to be recognized as fluent (RFEP). This often opens up more room in their schedule for electives, sports, and advanced courses.

• School Resources: Participation ensures our district receives state funding for specialized tutors, updated technology, and bilingual classroom materials.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Does my child have to "pass" to move to the next grade? A: No. The ELPAC is a diagnostic tool, not a pass/fail test for grade promotion. It simply helps us provide the correct academic support.

Q: Why take it if my child already speaks English well at home? A: "Academic English" (used in textbooks and formal essays) is different from conversational English. The ELPAC ensures students have the vocabulary needed for complex subjects like Science and Math.

Q: How long does the testing take? A: The assessment is broken into shorter, manageable sessions over several days to ensure students can do their best without feeling fatigued.

A Quick Glossary of Terms

• ELD (English Language Development): Specialized instruction to help students master the English language.

• RFEP (Reclassified Fluent English Proficient): The official status given when a student no longer needs English support services.

• Summative ELPAC: The yearly test given each spring to measure your child’s ongoing progress.

How You Can Help: The best support is simple—ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep, eats a healthy breakfast, and arrives at school on time during our testing window. Remind them that this is just a chance to "show what they know!"

Roblox Conflicts

We have recently noticed an increase in student conflicts stemming from interactions on Roblox. We understand how challenging it can be to monitor digital activity around the clock. To support you, we’ve put together some helpful tips for staying informed and managing your child's online communications.

1. Link Your Accounts (The "Parent Account")

The most important step is to create your own Roblox account and link it to your child's.

• How: Go to Settings > Parental Controls on your child’s account and select "Add Parent."

• Why: Once linked, you can manage their settings from your phone. You can see their "Connections" (friends list), track their total screen time, and even see which games (experiences) they play most.

2. Restrict "Experience Chat" and "Direct Chat"

You can adjust these specific settings under the Communication tab in Parental Controls:

• Experience Chat: Controls who can talk to them inside a game. Set this to "Friends" or "No One" if the drama is getting out of hand.

• Experience Direct Chat: This controls the "whisper" command ($/w$). Since these are private messages, it's often where the most "he said/she said" conflict starts. You can disable this entirely.

3. Review the "Connections" List

You can view every person your child is connected with.

• In your Parent Settings, go to Connections > Manage.

• If you see a username you don't recognize or one that you know is causing trouble at school, you can block and report them directly from your device. Once blocked, they cannot message your child or follow them into games.

5. Check the "Top Experiences" Report

The Screen Time Dashboard in your Parent Settings shows a list of the specific games your child has spent the most time in over the last 7 days. This helps you identify if a specific game might be the source of an issue.

REMINDER:

Personal Belongings/Electronic Devices

Students should leave personal belongings at home such as toys, stuffies and make-up. While we know students often want to bring their favorite items to share with friends, having these objects at school can lead to several challenges. These items can create distractions in the classroom, lead to conflict between peers and can be easily lost, traded or accidentally broken.

Any prohibited items will be confiscated by the Dean for retrieval at dismissal by the student, or in some cases, by a parent or guardian. 

Dear Falcon Families,

In today’s digital age, children are entering the complex world of social media younger and younger each year. While these platforms offer unique opportunities for connection, they also present significant challenges. We believe a unified approach between school and home is essential to helping our students grow into emotionally healthy, self-confident individuals.

Navigating this landscape requires more than just "monitoring screen time." During our session, we will explore a comprehensive strategy that includes: fostering communication, critical thinking, the connection to mental wellbeing, and sense of belonging.  

The goal of this meeting is to explore how schools and parents can work together to provide the parental oversight and emotional support children need to thrive online. By aligning our efforts, we can help our kids navigate the digital world with resilience and wisdom.

In partnership, 

Mariya Cree K, 2, 4, 6, 8 School Counselor

Barbra Katz 1, 3, 5, 7 School Counselor

Happy March Venetia Valley Falcons!

Independent Studies

Please note that NO Independent Study contracts submitted after March 29 will be approved by the district. If your child is absent for more than 10 consecutive days, they will be disenrolled from the school.

Attendance

If your child will not be attending school, please contact the Main Office directly on the morning of the absence at 415-492-3150, and provide the student’s name and the reason for the absence.

When a Child Should Stay Home: 

• Fever (typically 99°F or higher) — stay home until fever is gone without fever-reducing medication and symptoms are improving.
   

• Vomiting or diarrhea — remain home while symptoms are active and usually until 24 hours after symptoms stop.

When a Child Can Return to School:

• Fever-free without fever-reducing medicine for at least 24 hours and symptoms improving.
   

• Vomiting/diarrhea resolved (typically 24 hours after last episode).
   

• For diagnosed contagious diseases (like strep throat, pertussis, etc.), return may be allowed after appropriate treatment and medical advice.

***After 3 absences, a medical note will be required to excuse the absences***

Please return any medical, dental, or other appointment notes to the Main Office as soon as possible. These notes ensure that your child’s absence is officially excused and help us maintain accurate attendance records.

Thank you for helping us support your child’s education by keeping their attendance up to date!

Technology: Chromebooks

• If your child is experiencing difficulties with their Chromebook and/or internet access, please visit the Main Office. It is crucial that all student Chromebooks are up to date and functioning properly to support academic success.

First-time repairs are free. After that, the following charges apply:

• $95 — Replacement screen
   

• $325 — Replacement Chromebook
   

• $30 — Replacement charger

Head Lice Guidance

CDPH has released guidance for the care of children found to have head lice. The transmission of head lice in the classroom setting is low, CDPH recommends that children should not be excluded from the classroom based on finding head lice or nits. For more resource see below:

• CDPH How-To Guide for Nit Combing (ca.gov)

• CDPH Head Lice Flyer (ca.gov)

Conference Week is coming up March 16-March 20th!

(No School for students on March 16th)

• K-5: 3/16-3/20 

• 6-8: 3/17-3/20

Here are some tips for families K-8th grades:

• In English

• En español

• Questions | Preguntas 

Middle School students who have 2 or more Ds and/or Fs will have a conference scheduled. Middle School grades can be reviewed in Aeries Parent Portal at any time. Please reach out to your child’s teacher(s) for any questions about assignments and grades. 

K-8 Read-a-thon Fundraiser is coming 3/9-3/20!

The Marin County Public Library is a great, FREE resource with:

• books & ebooks & Audiobooks

• multimedia

• technology

• homework help & tutoring

• events

• community resources

VISIT ANY OF THE 12 LOCATIONS 

Free English Classes in Canal Alliance:

Hello Venetia Valley Falcons,

ELAC Meeting Tuesday 03/24 at 6pm:

ALLENS SPORTS - SPRING 2026 Calendar

Free After School Program is started  (This is a sports program for grades  6th to 8th)

SRCS Reclassification Ceremony (March 26th at 6:pm in Terra Linda High School)

San Rafael City School , te invita a una serie el miércoles 1 de Abril a las 6:pm, donde se tocará el tema para :

          Tipos de Disciplina y Comportamientos

Walk & Roll - Mar 4, 2026

Family Literacy Night: 3/12-

Coffee with the principal: 3/13-

For the month of March, we will be joined by Michelene Moayedi from HeadsUp for a presentation, as well as our Venetia Valley PTA!

Please join us for this important presentation on March 13th at 9am!

City of San Rafael After School Enrichment Activities

Venetia Valley families! The City of San Rafael is now hosting some of their after school activities here at our school, but it’s not too late to join if you are still interested in signing your student up. Please reach out to the Family Center team to see which activities still have spots available for sign up/any questions you may have beforehand. You can call us at 415-496-0226 and our extensions are as follows:

Jesse Ochoa- ext: 2070

Rosa Flores- ext: 2049

Kim Mazariegos- ext: 2007