Dear ASI Parents, Guardians, and Students,

It’s hard to believe we are already wrapping up Week 5 of the school year! These first few weeks have flown by, and it has been wonderful to see our Bruins settling into routines, building relationships, and becoming more connected to our ASI community. There is so much positive energy on campus, and I am incredibly proud of the way our students continue to demonstrate kindness, leadership, school spirit, and pride in being a Bruin.

Our Climate & Culture focus continues to be an important part of our work this year. We want every student to feel that ASI is a place where they belong, are supported, and are encouraged to grow. Through the Positivity Project, classroom conversations, activities, athletics, clubs, and the many opportunities available on campus, we are continuing to build a culture where students recognize the strengths in themselves and in others.

This week, we are continuing to emphasize the importance of Other People Mindset: being present and giving others our attention. The intermediate school years are such an important time for students to develop meaningful relationships and learn how their choices and actions impact those around them. We encourage our students to take advantage of the many opportunities throughout the school day to connect with others, participate, and be fully present in the ASI experience.

A reminder about our bell-to-bell cell phone policy: Students are not permitted to access their cell phones during passing periods, break, or lunch. We know phones are an important way for students to communicate with their families, so if a student needs to contact a parent or guardian during the school day, they may do so with permission from any ASI office. Once the communication is complete, the phone should be put away for the remainder of the school day. We appreciate our students and families partnering with us as we work to create an environment where students are focused on learning, connecting with others, and fully participating in the ASI experience.

As we approach our first progress reporting period, please remember to check Parent Connect regularly. Taking a few minutes each week to review grades and assignments with your student can make a big difference. Celebrate the successes you see, and when challenges arise, use them as an opportunity to set a goal and make a plan together. These early progress checks are a valuable opportunity for families and teachers to work together to keep students on track.

Thank you for your continued partnership, encouragement, and support of ASI. We are so fortunate to have families who care deeply about their students and our school community. Please take a few minutes to read this message with your student and talk about the many ways they can continue to make a positive difference at ASI.

Together, we are building a culture where every student feels connected, supported, and inspired to do their best.

Have a wonderful week, and thank you for all that you do to support our Bruins!

Warmly,
Mrs. Carter
ASI Principal

Reading Skills: Regular attendance in Intermediate School positively impacts a child's reading level. Research shows kids with daily attendance have higher literacy skills than those who are absent more frequently.

A quick reminder about our Bravo Bruin Awards! Any ASI staff member can recognize a student who demonstrates one of our 24 Positivity Project character strengths by submitting a Bravo Bruin. Each week, students who are recognized are entered into a drawing for a certificate or gift card. It’s a simple way for us to celebrate the many ways our Bruins show kindness, character, leadership, and positivity each day. We love catching our students doing great things!

This week's winners are:

• Julian Jimenez - Open Mindedness

• Colton Alcorn - Teamwork
• Miles Meadows - Open Mindedness
• Chase Barker - Open Mindedness
• Rockwell Lewis - Love of Learning

We are in the final week of our ASI Fundraiser, and we are currently at $41,000 of our $75,000 goal! Our fundraiser ends Friday, September 18th, and we would love to finish strong!

⭐ REACH $60 — EARN 3 AWESOME REWARDS! ⭐

Students who raise $60 will earn:

• 🏃 Inflatable Fun During PE
• 🎟️ A “No Run” Mile Pass
• 🍔 Early Release Bracelet for the November Food Fair

And $60 is just the beginning! 🎉 Students who raise more can earn additional prizes at the higher donation levels. Check out the prize flyer below to see what you can earn!

💙 HOW TO DONATE

Online: Make a secure, tax-deductible donation using the link below:

ASI Fall Fundraiser – Online Donation

Cash or Check: Bring donations to the Main Office. Checks should be payable to Buchanan Foundation. Please include your student’s first and last name and AB teacher.

Donations Fund: Each year, donations help provide meaningful opportunities and experiences for our students. Funds support student incentives and awards, classroom teacher grants, grade-level spirit T-shirts for all students, Academic Team T-shirts, entrance fees for co-curricular events, and special projects that directly benefit our students. In past years, donations have helped us upgrade the sound systems in the MPR and Gym, install two blue water bottle filling stations for students, and add skateboard and scooter racks. This year, we are continuing to enhance our MPR with new Positivity Project wallpaper, updated mascot graphics, and refreshed award signage. We hope to continue this project by adding a new projection system and screen to enhance student awards, assemblies, and performances.

Let’s make this final week count and get our Bruins across the finish line! 

On Friday, September 18th we will have a table outside the Main Office to collect any cash or checks not previously turned in. Candy will be given to students for donations turned in on Friday.

Thank you for supporting Alta Sierra Intermediate and helping us provide great opportunities and experiences for our students!

Mrs. Brown: Activities Director
Mrs. Carter: Principal

We are excited for our 1st Food Fair of the year this Tuesday! We’re kicking things off with a special early-release opportunity for 100 students whose names were randomly selected from our Back-to-School Night sign-in sheets.

🎉 Food Fair Early Release Winners

• Student names are posted in each Cluster Office.

• Winners will receive an early-release bracelet and front-of-the-line privileges at the Food Fair.

• Students will be released 10 minutes early.

• Please note: This is a Food Fair #2 prize for students who achieve Level 1 in our fundraiser.

🍔 Food Fair Vendors

We have a great lineup of favorites!

• Little Caesars

• Rice on Wheels

• Dippin’ Dots

• Tacos La Vaquera

• Old Tyme Kettle Corn

• Colorado Grill

• Ohana Whip

• Jamba Juice

• Wetzel’s

• The Chicken Shack

We will have an extended lunch schedule to give students plenty of time to enjoy the Food Fair. Please check the ASI website for lunch times.

💵 A few important reminders:

• Some vendors accept cash apps, while others accept cash only.

• Students should come prepared with the payment method they need for the vendor they want to visit.

• Students may use their cell phones in the Food Fair lines only to make purchases. Once they leave the line, phones should be put away.

We’re looking forward to a fun afternoon and another great ASI Food Fair! Enjoy, Bruins! 🐻

Get ready, Bruins! Our first rally of the year is this Friday, and we are bringing the FIRE & ICE to ASI!

We will be on a special rally day schedule, so please be sure to check the ASI website for the schedule and bell times.

🔥 7th Grade = BLUE | ❄️ 8th Grade = RED

We want to see a WALL OF BLUE on the 7th grade side and a WALL OF RED on the 8th grade side! Students are encouraged to wear their ASI blue or red spirit shirts or any red or blue shirt to show their grade-level spirit.

Our rally will include the introduction of all of our fall athletic teams, along with plenty of fun games, activities, music, and school spirit!

It’s going to be an afternoon full of energy, competition, and Bruin pride! We can’t wait to see our Bruins bring the FIRE and ICE!

Let’s show them how ASI does school spirit! 🐻🔥❄️

As a reminder, we want all of our Bruins who ride bikes or scooters to and from school to make safety a priority every day.

Please encourage your student to:

• Wear a properly fitted helmet every time they ride.

• Stop at all driveways and crosswalks and carefully look for vehicles before crossing.

• Walk their bike or scooter across driveways and crosswalks rather than riding through them.

• Once on campus, walk their bike or scooter to and from the bike and scooter racks.

• Stay alert and avoid distractions while riding.

A few extra seconds to slow down, stop, and look can make a big difference. Thank you for helping us keep our Bruins safe on the way to school, on campus, and on the way home!

Safety first, Bruins! 🐻

At Alta Sierra, we are committed to supporting our students academically, socially, and emotionally. We are fortunate to offer several resources on campus designed to help students feel connected, supported, and successful.

• Peer Counseling – Students are paired one-on-one with a trained Peer Counselor who listens, encourages, and helps them navigate challenges and find positive solutions. Sometimes, having a peer who is simply willing to listen can make all the difference.

• Clovis Support Intervention (CSI) – CSI is an 8-week small-group support led by two trained adults. Groups typically include 8–10 students and meet once a week, providing students with a safe and supportive space to build skills, strengthen connections, and work through common challenges.

• Please reach out to Mrs. Albee mailto:alyssaalbee@cusd.com for more information.

A huge BRAVO to our ASI Girls Volleyball teams for an outstanding performance at the tournament this past Friday!

👏 8th Grade — 1st Place! 🥇
👏 7th Grade — 2nd Place! 🥈

We are so proud of the hard work, teamwork, and determination our Bruins showed on the court. Way to represent ASI and show your Bruin pride!

Congratulations, ladies, on an incredible tournament! Great job, Bruins! 💙

Alta Sierra is proud to be an AVID school! This year, 115 of our approximately 1,400 students are enrolled in AVID and AVID Excel. While these students participate directly in our AVID programs, all of our Bruins benefit from AVID because our core teachers are trained in AVID strategies and incorporate these practices into their daily instruction.

This month, our spotlight is on Focused Notes. Focused Notes go beyond traditional note-taking by helping students organize their thinking, identify key ideas, and reflect on their learning. This powerful strategy helps our Bruins strengthen their study habits, deepen their understanding, and become more confident and effective learners.

We are excited to continue growing our AVID culture across campus and helping all Bruins develop the skills they need to be successful in school and beyond!

We’re excited to have our Club Program up and running for another great year! Clubs are a wonderful opportunity for our Bruins to explore interests, meet new people, build friendships, and feel connected to our school community.

Throughout the school year, students will have opportunities to participate in Club Days during the school day. Students selected their top club choices earlier this year, and each student is being assigned to a club.

In addition to our school-day Club Program, ASI offers a variety of lunch clubs throughout the year. These clubs give students another opportunity to get involved, pursue their interests, and connect with others who share similar passions.

• African American Leadership

• Asian Leadership

• Campus Life

• Chess Club

• Dungeons & Dragons Club

• E-Sports

• FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes)

• GSA

• Hispanic Leadership

We love seeing our Bruins step outside their comfort zones, try something new, and discover where they belong. Getting involved is one of the best parts of the intermediate school experience!

We’re looking forward to another great year of connection, involvement, and Bruin pride!

As we continue to reinforce our schoolwide expectations for student safety and privacy, we want to remind families that Meta Glasses are not permitted on the Alta Sierra Intermediate campus at any time.

This includes Meta Glasses that are prescription glasses. Regardless of whether the glasses have prescription lenses, the device itself is not permitted on campus.

We appreciate your partnership in helping us maintain a safe, focused, and respectful learning environment for all of our Bruins. Please remind your student to leave Meta Glasses at home each day.

Thank you for your support and cooperation!

A huge thank you to our parents, community members, and staff who have already joined the ASI & BHS Foundation during this year’s Membership Drive! Your generosity and partnership make a meaningful difference for our students and help provide classroom grants, student incentives, special events, academic team support, and many of the extras that make the ASI experience so special.

If you haven’t joined yet, there is still time to become a member and support our Bruins. Every membership matters, and when our families and staff come together, the impact is tremendous!

We are incredibly grateful for everyone who has already shown their support. Thank you for investing in our students and helping make great things happen at ASI!

Email our counselors for more information

mailto:meghantenney@cusd.com or mailto:mackenziemennucci@cusd.com

The library is pen after school until 4:30pm. Come on in and finish homework, work on a project, or just sit and read a book. Students must have transportation home or attend a lab afterwards until picked up or ride the bus home.

Students are encouraged to bring water to campus in plastic or metal containers. No glass containers please!

• Tuesday, September 15th - Food Fair #1
• Wednesday, September 16th - SART Parent Meeting - Room 853 - 8:30am
• Wednesday, September 16th - Foundation Parent Meeting - Room 853 - 11:30am
• Friday, September 18th - Fall Fundraiser Ends
• Friday, September 18th - Fall Rally - Rally Day Schedule
• Friday, September 18th - PASA meeting - LMC - Lunch
• Saturday, September 19th - Jazz Night @ PAC
• Tuesday, September 22nd - Club Day #1 - Club Day Schedule
• Wednesday, September 23rd - Safety Drill
• Friday, September 25th - Progress Report Grading Period #1 Ends
• Wednesday, September 30th - Fieldtrip: Intro to Teaching Class to Teacher Center