May 2014 Newsletter

1405 N. San Fernando
Blvd. Ste. 303
Burbank, CA 91504
Ph 818-559-7699
Fx 818-559-8641
Inside this issue:
CEO’s
Message
1
Grease
2
CCECHS
3
Induction
4
CALS
HS,
CALS
MS
5
CCECHS
6
HR
7
HR
8
HR
9
NEED SOMETHING
NOTARIZED?
IT’S FREE FOR
ALL PUC EMPLOYEES!
Malena Otero,
Director of Human Resources, is
a notary public. If
you need any
documents to be
notarized, contact Malena for
an appointment.
Call her at 818333-0023. This is
a FREE service!!
:
s
n
o
i
t
c
e
n
n
o
PUC C
Dedicated to keeping our circle of schools connected.
PUC Milagro Charter School · PUC Excel Charter Academy · PUC CALS MS · PUC CALS HS PUC
Santa Rosa Charter Academy PUC eCALS PUC Community Charter MS · PUC CCECHS · PUC Lakeview Charter Academy · PUC Triumph Charter Academy PUC Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy ·
PUC Lakeview Charter High School · PUC Triumph Charter High School
Volume 7, Issue 9
May 2014
Greetings from Dr. Jacqueline Elliot, CEO
May has been an exciting and celebratory month filled with school activities
and special events for seniors. Many of our students proudly performed at
their school sites in music recitals and plays and amazing student artwork
was exhibited at several schools. Engaging our students in the arts always
has been and will continue to be a high priority for Dr. Ref Rodriguez and
me. We know that exposure to the beauty of the arts is a lifetime gift to our
students and provides them with a very positive and productive creative outlet. Our arts programs have been responsible for many students discovering
great talent and creativity within themselves. Many of these students will
pursue paths for their own creative expression in specific colleges and in future careers. For
many of our students, the arts education we provide for them is the only exposure to the arts
that they have. We are extremely fortunate to have exemplary arts teachers who are also
experts and professionals in their genres. Our goal is to continue to expand and enrich the
arts education program we are offering to our students. I hope all of you are taking advantage of the opportunity to attend some of the school performances, and/or view our students’
tremendous artwork. Doing so is inspirational and extremely joyful!
During the month of May, Dr. Rodriguez and I met with the graduating seniors at the all of
our high school sites (Dr. Rodriguez met with the seniors at PUC CALS and PUC eCALS
and I met with the seniors at PUC Triumph, PUC Lakeview, and PUC Community Charter).
In addition, Dr. Rodriguez and I have been meeting with teachers in Founders’ circles at all
of the school sites in order to gather input regarding the Teacher Development system. We
have very much enjoyed spending time with everybody. We know that the voices of the students we serve and the voices of the teachers who are in the classrooms with them every day
are of critical importance and we have been listening very carefully. As has always been the
case, we continuously strive to improve our practices and so the data we have collected from
these activities will be shared with teachers and other staff and
will be utilized to help drive our decisions moving forward. Below, please see a picture
of the PUC Lakeview
Charter Academy students in an evening music recital and a picture
of wonderful PUC Lakeview Charter High
School parents proudly
hugging their graduating daughter at the senior dinner.
Page 2
PUC Connections: Dedicated to keeping our circle of schools connected.
Grease Performance
GREASE was most definitely the word. The Sotomayor Learning Academies campus came
alive as students from all five high schools participated in the very first Sotomayor musical,
certainly the first of many to come. Four performances were held in the middle of May and if
you were lucky enough to be there for one of them, you knew what was happening: community
magic, uplifted and inspired. Over 50 students were involved including a cast of 25, the Grease
Band, stage, sound, and light crews from SOHDA, and hangers on – cheering everyone towards
the finish line. Truly, it was amazing!
eCALS students Angel Reyes (Kenickie) and Marie (Rizzo) were particularly stunning, delivering strong and revelatory performances. eCALS students Jessica Abarca (Cha Cha) and
dancers Arely Martinez and Daisy Mondragon also contributed significantly to the success
of the show. Fueling the production was the ever-present precision and power of the live
Grease Band, featuring two students from eCALS, Alexandro Guerrero (sax/flute) and
Grant Taylor (drumset).
Leading the charge were eCALS teachers Dan Ostermann on music and Vanessa
Koneffklatt (KK) on choreography, working alongside dramatist and lead teacher David Levine from SOHDA, two doors down from PUC eCALS. The next one is sure to be even better,
look out for it!!
Page 3
PUC Connections: Dedicated to keeping our circle of schools connected.
Titans Win Titles at Track Meet
On Saturday 5/31, two of our very own CCECHS Titans won individual titles at the 2014 YPI City-Wide
Track Meet. Special thanks to the Silva family, Mr.
Melgar, and Ms. Edwards for their support during this
event.
Joaquin Silva (800 Meter champion, placed 3rd in
400 Meter final)
Julian Silva (400 Meter champion)
Page 4
PUC Connections: Dedicated to keeping our circle of schools connected.
PUC BTSA Induction
PUC BTSA Induction celebrates and completes a year filled with growth, supportive, and deep
conversations around instruction. Gratitude for all participating teachers’ and support providers’ hard work.
Participating teachers and Support Providers “toast” (with sparkling juice) the highlights of Induction. Toasts went to the encouragement and coaching from Support Providers and strong
collaboration relationships built during Induction.
PUC Induction teachers collaborate with colleagues and complete Monthly Reflections and Induction portfolio work.
Teachers: Do you hold a preliminary California teaching credential? You have the opportunity
to enroll in PUC’s induction program for the 2014-15 school year! Enrollment forms are available here and are due by July 1, 2014.
Page 5
PUC Connections: Dedicated to keeping our circle of schools connected.
PUC CALS ECHS Students Debate
Andrea Alas (11th grade), Emely Gaytan (11th grade), Jacob
Santos (9th grade), and Stephanie Rosas (9th grade) will be
participating in their last debate tournament of the year.
They were selected to compete and represent Cals Early College High School in a very special debate taking place next
weekend and if they win their respective rounds, they will
earn a spot in the finals the following weekend.
Students will be debating in the prelim and semi debate
rounds this Saturday, June 14th at USC in building VKC
from 9:00-8:00 p.m. If any of my students make it into the
finals, the finals will be held on Saturday, June 20th at City
Hall here in Los Angeles from 4:00-7:30 p.m. If your schedule permits, we hope to see you there.
Thank you,
Crystal Fernandez
English Teacher
CALS Early College High School
Middle School Shakespeare
Last month on May 29 at PUC CALS Middle School, Mr. Cline’s 8th grade theatre students presented an abridged version of Macbeth. The students created a performance space on the
schools terrace, performing outdoors just like performers in Shakespeare's time. For students
this was the culminating performance that capped their year-long course in theatre arts.
Mr. Cline’s 8th grade theatre students at PUC Excel Charter Academy will perform an abridged
version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on June 11. This performance is another culminating
performance for students to show the many skills they have improved upon and learned this
year in theatre arts.
Students at both campus' studied historical background and language performance skills for
both plays. All students have done a terrific job understanding and exploring Shakespeare’s
complex and poetic writing.
PUC CALS Middle School Students in rehearsal for Macbeth:
Page 6
PUC Connections: Dedicated to keeping our circle of schools connected.
PUC CCECHS Dance Team Wins First Place
CCECHS Dance team wrapped up their year recognizing their dedicated dancers. Last competition of the season was at Sierra Vista High School in Baldwin Park and the girls brought home
first place. Coach Palacios and the dance team are proud to end the year on a high note.
Page 7
PUC Connections: Dedicated to keeping our circle of schools connected.
Teacher Referrals
We are reaching out to all our amazing teachers and staff in hopes that you have some excellent
teacher referrals. This year the bonus structure has changed, instead of Disneyland
tickets, you will receive a cash bonus for your referrals.
Referral bonus is eligible for full-time new hires for the 2014-2015 SY:
Chemistry & Physics - $350
All Other Science - $300
All SPED - $250
All Math - $250
All Other Core Teachers - $200
All Elective & PE Teachers - $100
Please keep in mind the applicant must list you on their application in order for you to qualify
for the referral bonus. Additional details are available at: http://www.pucschools.org/careers/
refer/
Thank you for all of your support, we look forward to receiving excellent candidates from all of
you. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to Tina Bright, Talent Manager at: [email protected]
Discounted Software Available for Home Use
PUC employees are now eligible to purchase Microsoft Office Professional software to
download for home use at the low price of $9.95 instead of the typical retail price of $189 to
$249.
Through a recent agreement, PUC staff can take part in Microsoft's
Software Assurance Home Use Program that is a benefit of volume
licensing. The program includes access to a copy of either Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 or Office 2011 for Mac (not
both) and other applications to install and use on a home computer
or laptop.
Click here (http://hup.microsoft.com/) to access the program. Enter your PUC email address and insert the program code 6794456FB2. Employees will receive an email confirmation approving their
participation, and then the order can be placed online.
Click here for more information about Microsoft's Home
Use Program.
Page 8
PUC Connections: Dedicated to keeping our circle of schools connected.
PUC Polo Shirts and Laptop Bags for Sale
You can now purchase PUC Polo Shirts and PUC Laptop bags! Items can be purchased throughout the year. Please contact Jonathan Liu from the Human Resources
Department in order to place an order. You can reach him at [email protected] or
818-478-2093.
PUC Polo: $20 for either the male or female cut.
PUC Laptop Bag: $40
Page 9
PUC Connections: Dedicated to keeping our circle of schools connected.
Human Resources Employee Perks Program
Human Resources is pleased to announce a new employee benefit. All employees now
have exclusive access to the Working Advantage discount network which allows you to save up 60% on ticketed
events and online shopping. Through Working Advantage you can save on: Movie Tickets, Theme Parks, Ski
Tickets, Broadway Shows, Sporting Events, Hotels and Travel, Health and Fitness, Museums and City
Passes, Merchant Gift Certificates, Online Shopping…and much more! To subscribe, you may access the
Working Advantage website by clicking here: www.workingadvantage.com. When opening an individual account
you will need the PUC Schools ID #413401740.
Working Advantage offers 24-hour online shopping and customer support Monday through Friday from
8:30 AM to 6:30 PM Eastern time. If you have specific questions regarding the site, please contact Working Advantage at 800-565-3712.
Human Resources is proud to announce that Disneyland tickets are now available for purchase online via our intranet only! Disneyland tickets
WILL NO LONGER be available for purchase at the home office. You will now have a variety of tickets to choose
from as opposed to our prior one-day, one-park deal. Please note that you will ONLY have access to the online Disney ticket purchasing website while at our school sites; it WILL NOT work from home as the web page only recognizes our school’s IP addresses. Please follow this link: Disneyland Tickets to start purchasing.
Human Resources has AMC tickets available for sale. As of January 1, 2014, AMC will no longer sell Silver Tickets. AMC has decided to move to one ticket going forward which will be the unrestricted Gold Ticket. The Silver tickets
that remain in distribution will be honored as stated in the terms and conditions listed on the tickets. The Silver tickets
do not expire. Prices are as follows:
AMC Tickets:
Gold
Prices:
$8.00
PAYMENT METHOD: ONLY CASHIER’S CHECK, PERSONAL CHECK OR MONEY ORDER. NO CASH!
Any questions regarding our employee perks program, please contact Cristina Trujillo, HR Associate,
[email protected] or (818) 478-2090.
T-Mobile offers exclusive discounts for PUC Schools Employees. Click on the T-Mobile logo above to visit T-Mobile’s promo website. To enroll by phone, contact Advantage Direct at 866-464-8662 and use promotional code 20356TMOFAV.
Page 10
PUC Connections: Dedicated to keeping our circle of schools connected.
Do you know which medical plan you are enrolled in? You now have
24/7 access to all of your PUC Schools benefit information!
You can go directly to our online site using the web address http://pucschools.charterbenefits.com. This site
supports the following browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 6.0 and up, Mozilla Firefox version 2.0.0.4
and up, and Safari version 4.0.1 and up. We encourage you to keep your browser updated.
Usernames and Passwords
All usernames and passwords have been set to the following:
Username: The 1st part of your PUC Schools Email Address (Example: E-mail: [email protected] username:
a.jones)
Password: Enter the last four digits of your Social Security number or the password you changed it to during your
last enrollment.
**For successful navigation of the site, do NOT use the “back” button in your internet browser, as this
will automatically log you out of the site. To navigate through the site, use the navigation bar located
on the left hand side of the screen.

Download Report