Greetings Parents, Guardians, Students, Community and Staff!

Welcome to January! The first month of the year on our calendars, but the fifth month of the 2017 – 2018 school year. As we begin a new calendar year and the second half of our school year, I would like to share my New Year’s wishes for you.

My first wish for you is that you believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. You have the capability to do anything that you put your mind to. When I see you, I don’t see failure, I see a child with potential. I see an individual who has already overcome some adversity. My first wish for you is to believe.

My next wish for you is for you to trust yourself. I trust you. I see in you a desire to make the changes that will have a positive effect on your lives. Trust your instincts. Seek advice when needed, but remember to follow your heart. My second wish for you is trust.

My third wish for you is for you to know that we hear you. We may not always be able to help immediately, but we are listening. What you have to say is important. What you are feeling matters. My third wish for you is that you know that you will always have a voice that is heard.

My fourth wish for you is that you know you are important. You matter. You are uniquely you. You are valued. You are appreciated and deserve to be respected. My fourth wish for you is that you realize your importance.

My final wish for you is that you know that you can be successful. It’s true! If you will apply these wishes to your mindset, you will succeed. Everything you need to achieve is inside you. I believe there is nothing that can hold you back from reaching your dreams this year and always.Sincerely,Ms. Rosa Carmon, Principal“Believe in yourself, and the rest will fall into place. Have faith in your own abilities, work hard, and there is nothing you cannot accomplish. “ Brad Henry

EMAPs Gazette 2017 – 2018 sy

Benefits of Daily Attendance

By attending class regularly, your child is more likely to keep up with the daily lessons and assignments, and take quizzes and tests on time.

There are other benefits as well:

Achievement: San Diego Unified School District found that students who attended school regularly were more likely to pass reading and math assessments than students who didn't attend school regularly.

Opportunity: For older students, being in school every day gives them a chance to learn more about college and scholarship opportunities, and to take the important exams they need to build a successful academic record.

Exposure to the English language: Regular school attendance can also help students who are learning English by giving them the chance to master the skills and information they need more quickly and accurately — even in other subjects!

Being part of the school community: Just by being present at school, your child is learning how to be a good citizen by participating in the school community, learning valuable social skills, and developing a broader world view.

The importance of education: Your commitment to school attendance will also send a message to your child that education is a priority for your family, going to school every day is a critical part of educational success, and that it's important to take your responsibilities seriously — including going to school.

Greetings from the desk ofMs. C. Jenkins

Educational Associate

Elementary/Middle Alternative Programs1500 Harlem Avenue

What Does a School Counselor Do?

People often wonder what I do. After all, I am the school guidance counselor. What is my job? Why do we need school counselors anyway? Let me start by saying that school counselors no longer sit behind a desk and hand out applications or make schedules. I am proud to say that school counselors today are vital members of the education team who work to help all students in the areas of academic achievement, personal/social development and career development. School counselors are involved in character education, violence prevention, career planning and more, ensuring that today's students become the productive, well-adjusted adults of tomorrow.  

` As a school counselor, I work with our administration, behavior/attendance teams, social worker and psychologist to implement a comprehensive school counseling program based on EMAPs academic, attendance and behavioral data that identifies our students’ needs. This program supports our students as they developmentally grow and transition while here at EMAPs. Our program provides education, prevention and intervention activities, which are integrated into all aspects of our students’ lives. I do not work in isolation, but am part of a team. I collaborate with teachers, staff and parents for identification and intervention of children’s academic and social/emotional needs, which is essential in removing barriers to learning and developing skills and behaviors critical for academic achievement.

Everything I do is meant to address students’ academic, attitudes, skills, vocation goals and social/expressive development, in addition to balancing delivery methods by recognizing that students learn in multiple ways. The end result is reflected in improvement in academic, attendance and behavioral outcomes related to academic development, college and career readiness and social/emotional development. And now you know some of what I do.

Sincerely, Ms. BaldwinProfessional School Counselor From the desk of Mrs. Hill,

Attendance Monitor Just a reminder: there will be NO early releases without written documentation from a student’s parent or guardian. Any caregiver requesting an early dismissal should send a written note that includes a working phone number for verification of the request. It is school policy to verify all

Counselor’s Corner

letters and notes via a phone call for the safety and security of our students. No student will be allowed to leave school premises without the proper documentation and verification.

By: Mr. Arnquist

Question: What are some interesting facts about the month of “January”?

Below are some fun facts about January:

1. January is named after the Roman god Janus. In Roman mythology, Janus was the god of beginnings and transitions. (How appropriate for our Bridge Academy!)

2. January’s birthstone is the garnet, a dark red semi-precious gem that represents faithfulness.

3. On average, January is the coldest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. No argument here!

4. The first Superbowl was held at the L.A. Coliseum in January, 1967.5. January is National Soup Month in the United States. 6. January 1, 1776, the first American flag, the “Grand Union” was presented. Betsy Ross

later added the stars in place of the British flag, the Union Jack.7. The two zodiac signs that fall in January are Capricorn and Aquarius.8. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday in January. This year it is

on January 15th.

It’s been a cold winter. It’s been downright frigid. When I think back over my 30 winters, I can’t remember below freezing temperatures lasting for so many consecutive days. But then again, when I was a kid, I don’t think I felt the cold the same way I do now. When it would snow, my mom would have to

Things That Make You

Go Hmmm…

SNOW, THEN AND NOW

Mr. E. Schaule

drag me and my brother in the house by our frozen ears. When it snowed, it was a chance to be in another world. Everything sounds different when wrapped in snow. It makes the world slower. It makes the world softer.

As a kid, it meant less cars roared down the road in front of our house. This meant less shouting out of the living room window from my father at the cars to “SLOW DOWN!” There were usually other words included that emphasized just how angry he was with their driving, but I’ll leave them out for now. When it snowed, there were less people outside. Birds were scarce. Everyone and everything would bunker down and try to stay warm. School didn’t exist. We got to sleep by the fire in the living room, which normally was never lit because my sister had asthma. It meant unlimited play. After we shoveled the driveway, that is.

My brother and I never really took to making snowmen. It was a little too neat for us. We needed something a little more destructive to satisfy our imaginations… and our energy levels. When we did make snowmen, it was only for the purpose to see who could tackle them harder. One year, we decided to have a competition to see who could make the biggest ball of snow. It was sort of like making a snowman, just we never made it past the first step. Little did we know that this competition would become a snow day tradition. Sometimes, we would work together to make a massive ball of snow that would eventually get so big that even with our combined strength we could not move it any further. And there it would sit in a random spot in our yard like a massive trophy for the word to see. Eventually, the sun slowly reversed our efforts until the ball of snow was completely erased from our self-admiring eyes.

My brother is two years older than I am. As a kid, he was my hero. We are both in our thirties now. He is still my hero. I look up to him for many reasons, but a real point of admiration is that my brother is a wonderful father. He protects everything he loves with total selflessness. This is who he has always been, and continues to be with his kids. I hope I can be as good of a husband and father as he is.

Now that I have a daughter, I get the opportunity to figure out what it means to be a father. Even though I really do not enjoy this freezing weather, I hope we get lots of snow in the years to come. I can’t wait to play in the snow with her. I hope that she finds a world of imagination in everything snowflake, like I did. I hope she finds a world of imagination when it isn’t snowing. I hope that she always feels loved and protected. I hope she sends out love and protection to the world as she grows older, and always have a warm place to bunker down when the world gets cold.

Party Pitchers

Question

SNOW, THEN AND NOW

Math Fun

At his birthday party, Derrick served lemonade and punch. The pitchers show how much lemonade and punch was left over after the party. As he cleaned up, Derrick poured all the leftover lemonade into a polka-dot pitcher. He poured all the leftover punch into a striped pitcher. Before the cleanup, this is what Derrick saw.

Three pitchers had lemonade and three pitchers had punch. Two pitchers had the same amount of liquid. One pitcher contained lemonade; the other contained

punch. The pitcher that had the least amount of liquid contained lemonade. One pitcher of punch was   full. That pitcher was twice as full as another pitcher of punch.

After the cleanup, how full was the polka-dot pitcher?  How full was the striped pitcher?

Polly's Party

Question

.

Polly is planning to invite 14 people to her birthday party.

She went shopping with her mother for party supplies. They went through the express check-out line because they had fewer than 15 items. Polly and her mother bought cupcakes, plates, ice-cream sandwiches, and juice boxes. There were 3 more cupcakes than juice boxes, but the same number of packages of each.

They wanted to make sure that each person at the party got one of each item. They also wanted to have the least possible amount left over.

How many packs or boxes of each item did they buy? How many items in all did they buy?

If you have fruit, a couple of nails, and wire, you can generate electricity to turn on a light bulb. Learn how to make a fruit battery. It's fun, safe, and easy.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED citrus fruit (e.g., lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit)

Solve both problems, show Ms. Taer, Ms. Vinson, Ms. Shaw or Mr. Muldrew, and win a prize! How to Make a Fruit Battery

Mrs. Lumongsod

copper nail, screw or wire (about 2 inches long) zinc nail or screw or galvanized nail (about 2 inches long) holiday light with 2 inch leads (enough wire to connect it to the nails)

MAKE A FRUIT BATTERY1. Set the fruit on a table and gently roll it around to soften it up. You want the juice to be

flowing inside the fruit without breaking its skin. Alternatively, you can squeeze the fruit with your hands.

2. Insert the zinc and copper nails into the fruit so that they are about 2 inches apart. You don't want them to be touching each other. Avoid puncturing through the end of the fruit.

3. Remove enough insulation from the leads of the light (about 1inch) so that you can wrap one lead around the zinc nail and one lead around the copper nail. If you like, you can use electrical tape or alligator clips to keep the wire from falling off the nails.

4. When you connect the second nail, the light will turn on!

HOW A LEMON BATTERY WORKSHere's the science and chemical reactions describing a lemon battery. It applies to other fruits or vegetables that you can try, too.

The copper and zinc metal act as positive and negative battery terminals. The zinc metal reacts with the acidic lemon juice (mostly from citric acid) to produce

zinc ions (Zn2+) and electrons (2 e-). The zinc ions goes into solution in the lemon juice while the electrons remain on the metal.

The wires of the small light bulb are electrical conductors. When they are used to connect the copper and zinc, the electrons that have built up on the zinc flow into the wire. The flow of electrons is current or electricity. It's what powers small electronics or lights a light bulb.

Eventually, the electrons make it to the copper. If the electrons didn't go any further, they'd eventually build up so that there wouldn't be a potential difference between the zinc and the copper. If this happened, the flow of electricity would stop. However, that doesn't happen because the copper is in contact with the lemon.

The electrons accumulating on the copper terminal react with hydrogen ions (H+) that are floating free in the acidic juice to form hydrogen atoms. The hydrogen atoms bond to each other to form hydrogen gas.

Sponsored by the Academic Team in Conjunction with the Student Family Counsel