Dear ASI Parents, Guardians & Students:

As we begin Week 7, we are excited to continue sharing what is happening at Alta Sierra Intermediate School! Beginning in October, you will receive a monthly newsletter to keep you informed about important dates, celebrations, reminders, and opportunities for our students. Additional event-specific newsletters will also be sent periodically throughout the year.

During the month of October, we are celebrating Filipino American History Month and recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, October 12th . A special shout-out to our Asian American Leadership Club, which is focusing on learning more about Filipino American history during their October club meetings. We appreciate our students' willingness to learn, celebrate, and build understanding of the diverse cultures and experiences represented in our ASI community.

Progress reports will be available for viewing in Parent Connect by Monday, October 5th. Progress reports are not mailed home. Please remember that a progress report is a snapshot of your student's progress during the grading period and is not a report card. While teachers may have different policies regarding make-up work from the progress-report grading period, there is still plenty of time for students to make improvements and finish the semester strong.

To provide additional support, many of our teachers offer lunch labs for students who need extra help. ASI also offers after-school labs Monday through Thursday from 3:20–5:20 p.m. Students who attend after-school labs should come prepared with specific work to complete. In addition, Tutor.com is available 24/7 to all CUSD students as an additional academic support resource.

Please continue to monitor your student's grades in Parent Connect and, as appropriate, stay aware of their social media activity and online interactions. The intermediate school years are an important time for students as they develop greater independence, make choices, and build relationships with their peers. Staying connected and having regular conversations with your student can make a meaningful difference.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and, most importantly, for taking the time to talk with your student about their progress, choices, and experiences at ASI. We appreciate your partnership and support!

Have a great afternoon!

Mrs. Carter
ASI Principal

Children thrive on routine, and consistent school attendance provides beneficial structure and purpose. Kids feel good about staying caught up not only with the daily lessons and class activities, but also with caring for themselves by getting ready each day and learning how to interact with others in formal and social settings.

This past week our students and staff participated in an evacuation drill to the soccer fields. With nearly half of our students new to campus each fall, it is important that everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency. During a real situation, students and staff would wait for an announcement before evacuating, as this allows our administrative team to confirm the emergency and ensure that it is safe to proceed. This week's drill was an opportunity for us to practice these important safety procedures together.

Today was our first Club Day of the school year! Clubs are a great way for students to meet new people, build friendships, explore their interests, and connect with other students who share similar passions and interests. Students in the photography club may use their cell phone camera's during the identified club period. When club is over, cell phones must be put away.

We are especially interested in growing our Armenian Heritage Club and African American Leadership Club this year. You do not need to be Armenian to join the Armenian Heritage Club, and you do not need to be African American to join the African American Leadership Club. Both clubs are open to all ASI students who are interested in learning, celebrating culture and history, building connections, and being part of a positive community. If your student is interested in moving to one of these clubs, please have them see Mrs. Brown or Mrs. Powell in the Main Office for more information.

Ask your student tonight: What club did you join? What did you do? You may be surprised by what they have to share!

We are excited to announce that we are adding an additional 7th grade AVID elective section this year! A huge THANK YOU to Mrs. Hutchason for volunteering to teach this new section and help make this opportunity available to even more of our students!

So, what is AVID? AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is an elective designed to help students build the skills, habits, and confidence they need to be successful in school and prepare for their future. Students develop skills in organization, time management, note-taking, study strategies, collaboration, goal-setting, and college and career readiness. AVID also focuses on WICOR strategies: Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading.

We are looking for 25 motivated 7th grade students who would like to take advantage of this outstanding elective opportunity. If your 7th grader is interested in adding AVID to their schedule, please have them stop by the Kodiak Office this week to learn more and request a schedule change.

We hope to have the new class up and running on Monday! This is also an option for students who would like to add Zero Period or Lunch PE to their schedule while participating in AVID. If your student is interested, encourage them to stop by Kodiak as soon as possible! We would love to fill all 25 spots!

Parent Square is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with your school(s) and the district. It provides a safe way for parents, district administrators, school principals, teachers, and staff to • Receive school and class information via posts • Send direct messages to teachers and staff • See school information in your preferred language with automatic translation • Share pictures and files • See calendar items • Sign up to volunteer • Schedule parent-teacher conferences • and much more . . . all in one centralized place

PS - Students have been introduced to a student version: Student Square. Student Square is where we post daily announcements and information specific to students. We will also post surveys and send out sign-ups through this application.

Congratulations to our over 200 8th graders with a 4.0 GPA last semester. These students are being invited to the Big Fresno Fair to compete in a 4.0 program drawing on Wednesday, October 7th at 6:30pm. This is only open to 8th-12th graders. Each eligible student will receive an entry ticket and a drawing ticket next week. 

Prizes for Intermediate school include scholarships, laptops, Apple Air pods, and more. The year before last, we had an ASI student win a $1500 scholarship. Students are encouraged to arrive 2 hours early as they must be present to win. Good luck Bruins!

A HUGE thank you to our amazing ASI parent community for your outstanding support of our Fall Fundraiser! Because of your generosity, encouragement, and willingness to support our students, we raised an incredible $63,560.29! 🎉

We are so grateful to everyone who participated, shared information with family and friends, made purchases, and encouraged our students along the way. Your support makes a tremendous difference and allows us to continue providing meaningful experiences and opportunities for our Bruins. We truly could not do this without our families!

We also want to give a special shout-out to our top-selling classes:

🏆 Top-Selling 7th Grade Classroom: Mrs. Hodges – Period 3-4

🏆 Top-Selling 8th Grade AB Class: Mr. East – Period 1-2 AB

Congratulations to these classes, and thank you to ALL of our students and teachers who helped make this fundraiser such a success!

Prizing will be completed in October. Dates and additional information will be posted on the Cluster Office windows so students can check when and where their prizes will be distributed.

Thank you again, ASI families, for always showing up for our Bruins! 💙

Career Day is fast approaching! This is an exciting opportunity for our students to learn more about careers and explore industries that may interest them. Community speakers will push into classrooms to share information about their careers, experiences, education, and the pathways that led them to where they are today. Students really enjoy the opportunity to make a personal connection with adults in our community and ask questions in a small-group setting.

However, we are still looking for a few additional parents and community members to participate in Career Day. If you are willing to come share information about your career with our students, we would love to have you join us! We also ask that you help us with recruitment by reaching out to friends, family members, co-workers, and other community members who may be willing to share their career experiences with our Bruins. Your participation can make a lasting impact by helping students see the many possibilities that exist beyond the classroom!

Bruin Fall Athletics are in full swing! We are cheering on our boys and girls water polo teams; girls golf, girls tennis, girls volleyball, cross country, and our Bruin football team. All teams have started strong, sweeping Sanchez in all sports. Go Bruins!

Winter sports season is just around the corner! To try out, all students must have a completed profile on HomeCampus.com with a current sport physical uploaded.

Winter Sports Include:

• Boys & Girls Basketball
• Boys & Girls Soccer
• Gymnastics
• Wrestling

Make sure you’re cleared and ready to go before tryouts begin!

Let’s keep the momentum going—Go Alta Bruins!

Our Fall Dance is Thursday, October 29th from 6:30pm-8:30pm in our tennis courts. This is our most well attended dance of the year. Our students love it! We hope your student will join us!

This is a dress-up dance, but students must be in dress code. Administration will begin dress code checks at 6:15pm outside the dance. Students will be dress coded without sweatshirts/jackets on. Shirts worn underneath must be in dress code. Students in shorts with a tutu over them will be dress coded without the tutu on. Shorts worn underneath must be in dress code. (5" inseam, hemmed evenly around.) Holes in clothes must have patches underneath, skin may not show. If a student is not in dress code, they can go home correct their dress and return to the dance as long as it is before 7:30pm. No students are allowed entry after 7:30pm.

If you have questions, please ask! More information will be sent home the week of the dance....

Zachary Duran - Teamwork

Christian Cazares - Kindness

Kensington Miller - Kindness

Chase Barker - Kindness

Hunter Ulrich - Kindness

Parents! Are you looking for an exciting opportunity for your child that will encourage them to think deeply, collaborate with their peers, problems solve, and become better listeners? If so, then Destination Imagination is the Academic Team for your child! Check out this short video to learn more!

Destination Imagination meets every Thursday at lunch in room 202. Encourage your child to attend!

A few Reminders:

• Dresses and skirts are to be worn no shorter than five inches (5”) above the top of the kneecap, but no shorter than mid-thigh.
• No slippers will be allowed. This includes UGG slippers. (UGG Booties and Boots are allowed.)
• Distressing is allowable. Holes on clothing must be patched from behind so that undergarments or bare skin are not exposed. 
• Undergarments must be covered at all times.  This is for both boys and girls. Boys may not have undergarments that are longer than their shorts. Girls may not have undergarments that are not fully covered by their tops.

Most of our students are in dress code daily thanks to your support! With your help we will not need to dress code students or apply progressive discipline.

THANK YOU for your partnership and support!

For the safety, security, and supervision of our students, Alta Sierra Intermediate School does not accept deliveries for students from food delivery services or outside vendors. This includes DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, Jimmy John’s, and other food delivery services. We also do not accept deliveries of balloons, flowers, gifts, or other items for students during the school day.

Parents and approved family members are always welcome to bring lunch to their own student. If you are bringing lunch for your student, please come to the main office between 12:35–12:40 p.m. with a valid photo ID. We will use our Raptor system to verify your identity and relationship to the student, and you will be cleared to provide the lunch directly to your student.

Please remember:

• Lunch may be provided only for your own student.

• Students may not receive food from delivery drivers or outside vendors.

• Students are not permitted to share food items with other students.

• Please do not ask your student to meet you at the street, in a parking lot, or elsewhere on campus to pick up a lunch delivery. For student safety, all parent/family lunch deliveries must come through the main office.

Please share this information with grandparents and other approved family members who may occasionally bring lunch to your student so they are familiar with our procedures.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, secure, and well-supervised campus for all of our Bruins!

We need your help! We are seeing an increase in the number of students being picked up early from school, particularly on Wednesdays and Fridays. We understand that appointments and unexpected circumstances happen, but every minute your student is at school matters, and every class period is important.

When students are picked up early, it can interrupt classroom instruction and distract other students from their learning. Teachers have to pause instruction, call students out of class, and then work to get the class refocused and back on track. These interruptions take away valuable instructional time for everyone.

Please partner with us by making every effort to schedule appointments and other activities outside of the school day whenever possible. In particular, we ask that you do your best to avoid picking up your student early on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. We do not have Early Release on Wednesdays, and Fridays are regular instructional days.

Thank you for helping us protect instructional time and ensuring our Bruins have the opportunity to get the most out of every school day!

When students are absent, it is important that they take responsibility for communicating with their teachers and making up missed work, quizzes, and tests. We want to support students in getting caught up after an absence while also protecting valuable classroom instructional time.

Test make-ups must be completed outside of regular class time in our Afterschool Labs or designated detention rooms. Students are responsible for speaking with their classroom teacher in advance to determine when and where the test will be made up. The classroom teacher must provide prior notice to the Lab or Detention teacher before a student is sent to complete a make-up test.

Some shorter quizzes may be able to be completed during a Lunch Lab when time allows. Students must make arrangements with their classroom teacher in advance and communicate those arrangements to their teacher.

Please remember: It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with their teacher for all test and quiz make-ups. Parents and guardians should not request a make-up test on behalf of their student. Students should take ownership of their learning by communicating with their teachers, asking what they missed, and making a plan to complete any required assessments.

Class time will not be used for test make-ups. Our teachers are actively teaching new content, and we want to protect every student’s opportunity to learn without interruptions. Allowing students to complete make-up assessments during Labs or designated support times gives them the opportunity to make up missed work while keeping classroom instruction moving forward.

Thank you for partnering with us in helping our Bruins develop responsibility, communication, organization, and ownership of their learning. These are important skills that will serve our students well both in school and beyond.

Block ASI is an award that gives very special recognition to students excelling in the domains of Mind, Body, and Spirit.

This honor is available to ALL students in 7th and 8th grade. We encourage parents to work closely with their students, throughout the school year, making it a part of their planning for their school experience. Whether or not the student receives the award, striving for it will enrich and enhance his/her educational foundation.

To earn credit in the Mind category, your student needs to participate on an Academic Team. We have many academic teams that will begin soon.

Block ASI Applications are available for students to pick up in the Kodiak Cluster.

Our Outstanding 8th Grade Bruin of the Month Students are.... We are very proud of them!

• Bennett Bernhoft
• Beryl Quarshie
• Brayden Barlocker
• Bristol McEwen
• Cameron Valenzuela
• Caroline Cohrs
• Carson Alvarez
• Chloe Hunt
• Connor Scott
• Dallas Cummings
• Damien Fimbres
• Daniella Garcia
• Daphne Watson
• Don Morrison
• Evelyn Phelps
• Hayden Long
• Johaina Abu Senan
• Juliana Weber
• Maddeline Gong
• Makai Steward
• Marco Cornelio
• Nayelie Frutos
• Rylan Best
• Trevor Johnson

Arts in Action — Brooklyn Smith

Boys Water Polo

Bruin Spotlight — Andee Bernhardt

Rally Highlights

Dance Highlights

• Monday, September 28th - Club Day #1 - Club Day Schedule
• Tuesday, September 29th - Chipotle Fundraiser (Fowler & Herndon) - Cross Country 4pm-8-pm
• Friday, October 2nd - 8th Grade Bruin of the Month Luncheon - Oct.
• Friday, October 2nd - BHS Football Feeder School Spirit Night & Pink Out - VMS
• Monday, October 5th - Picture Retakes in PE
• Tuesday, October 6th - Fundraiser Reward - Last Name A-L - Whole Pizza & Soda w/ Friends & Money Wheel Spin
• Tuesday, October 6th - BHS Area SART Mtg - BHS -12:00pm
• Wednesday, October 7th - Fundraiser Reward - Teppan-Yaki Lunch Off Campus
• Wednesday, October 7th - AVID College Day - Wear College Shirts
• Thursday, October 8th - Art Awards - Fresno Fair - 6:00pm
• Thursday, October 8th - Fall Choir Concert - PAC - 6:00pm
• Friday, October 9th - PASA - Lunch - LMC
• Friday, October 9th - Fundraiser Reward - Ohana Whip
• Monday, October 12th - Fundraiser Reward - No Mile Pass in PE
• Tuesday, October 13th - Fundraiser Reward - Last Name M-Z - Whole Pizza & Soda w/ Friends & Money Wheel Spin
• Thursday, October 15th - Parent Information Night & IDAC - LMC - 5:30pm
• Thursday, October 15th - Fundraiser Reward - Canes & Jamba - Lunch
• Friday, October 16th - Fundraiser Reward - Inflatables in PE
• Monday, October 19th - Advanced Orchestra Concert - PAC 6:30pm
• Tuesday, October 20th & Wednesday, October 21st - Intermediate Choir Festival - PAC
• Tuesday, October 20th - BHS Area IDAC Mtg. - BHS - 12:00pm
• Wednesday, October 21st - Foundation Meeting - BHS - 11:30am
• Thursday, October 22nd & Friday, October 23rd - Adv. Drama Production -Room 601 - 7:00pm
• Saturday, October 24th - Intermediate Football Championships - Lamonica
• Monday, October 26th - Friday, October 30th - Red Ribbon Week - Drug Free Dess Up Days & Elective Lessons
• Tuesday, October 27th - Club Day #2 - Club Schedule
• Wednesday, October 28th - CIAL Golf Championships
• Wednesday, October 28th - Cross Country Championships - Woodward Park
• Thursday, October 29th - Fall Outdoor Dress-Up Dance - 6:30pm - Tennis Courts
• Thursday, October 29th & Friday, October 30th - Spooky Run in PE
• Friday, October 30th - CUSD Band Night - VMS
• Friday, October 30th - Pom & Cheer Fundraiser - Panda
• Friday, October 30th - Tennis Championships