Arleta K-5

Dear Arleta Community,

We had such a wonderful All School Assembly today! The purposes were to celebrate our neurodivergent community at Arleta, and simultaneously to create a neurodivergent affirming community at Arleta. It was emceed by two 4th grade leaders, Hazel and Vivi, and included the voices and perspectives of our staff, interviewed by students Reid and Ethan, and included unique, meaningful and helpful contributions and insights from many of our students. Getting to listen to and experience our own student’s gifts and perspectives as they shared and led our growth as a community was so special and touching. And, the leadership and contributions of our joint parent and staff planning team and our staff contributors was also incredibly meaningful and powerful. The assembly was videotaped (thank you!) and will be posted on our Uniquely PTA website sometime in the coming weeks!

Yesterday our School Climate Team reviewed staff, student and community feedback and has chosen Caring School Community as our Social Emotional Learning resource for next year and going forward. The reason we chose CSC is because our intention is to build a sense of belonging in our Arleta Community. By prioritizing a curriculum with a clear, cohesive scope and sequence we aim to cultivate a supportive atmosphere that grows from grade to grade. This approach supports students as they grow to feel valued, understood, and empowered to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. The structure of Caring School Community supports our need for a Tier 1 (whole school) system that nurtures essential life skills such as conflict resolution, communication, building relationships across grade levels (cross-age buddies), emotional regulation, teamwork and collaboration. Embracing the Caring School Community curriculum reflects our commitment to cultivating well-rounded individuals who feel they are an essential part of our community and are equipped with the empathy and understanding necessary to contribute positively to our community.

Specific components of Caring School Community that made us choose it:

• Connection to Zones of Regulation, a tool we already use
• Connection to our Peace Path
• Activities for cross-age buddies
• Spotlight student
• Whole school cohesiveness and shared experience of Friday choice time
• Cooperative learning structures

Have a wonderful Spring Break, then see you all at 7:50-ish on Monday, April 1st.

**On that note, a reminder that the school day begins in classrooms at 8 a.m., so students should be arriving prior to that, at 7:40 for breakfast or at 7:52 for the first bell. Students should be in class ready to go at 8 a.m. which is when the tardy bell rings.

Lisa