San Tan Families,

Summer school is still in open enrollment. Our STLC Summer School Camp is a great way to keep your student(s) engaged over the summer while having fun. The Summer School Camp follows weekly themed based activities with various hosted entertainment and events, such as Mad Science Workshops, a Magician, karate classes, Starternaut GameTruck, and an inflatable waterslide. We also have partnered with Buffalo Wild Wings to cater lunch once a week; menu items include chicken wraps, chicken tender salad, macaroni and cheese, and more!  Space is limited, please register now!

In addition to our Summer School Camp, we once again have joined with EduRobotech to offer two, one week Robotics Workshops held here at San Tan. These workshops will run the week of June 25^th. Register in the office; payment is due upon registration.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the front office or myself. Have a great day!

Information for preschool and incoming kinders can be found http://www.santanlearningcenter.com/montessori-private-preschool/montessori-tuition/

Information for elementary can be found http://www.santanlearningcenter.com/public-charter-elementary-school/elementary-enrollment/

Due to the positive response of the half day club programs offered back in March, we will be offering two half day programs on May 9^th, our next half day, for grades K-7. We have once again partnered with Talent Team ($20) and Funktional Fitness ($49) to offer two club programs that will run from 12:00 Noon – 3:30pm on May 9^th.  Registration will be held in the front office now through Tuesday, May 8^th by 4:00pm. Space is limited.  Please provide a bagged lunch and snack for your child.

Dear San Tan families,

We are excited to share with you the fundraising results of our second annual golf tournament, held April 21, 2012.

With help from the Golf Committee, Dads’ Club, and numerous staff and parent volunteers, we raised more than $6,000 for the Growing Brilliance campaign to supplement our teachers’ salaries. As you know, charter schools receive $1,600 less in per-student funding than traditional public schools. This golf tournament, combined with fundraising efforts throughout the year, helps us to bridge the gap between state funding and our actual per-student costs. Most importantly, such fundraisers allow us to offer equitable salaries for our teachers. We are profoundly grateful for their unwavering dedication to San Tan’s students and are committed to providing them with fair and competitive pay.

As you can imagine, planning a golf tournament is no small matter. A special thanks to Chad Fletcher, founder and chairman of the Golf Committee; Tony Curry, tireless parent volunteer who supports all Dads’ Club events and numerous other volunteer efforts; Andy Chandler, who maintained the stlcgolf.com website, creating online registration capability for the event, and served as the event photographer; Cassie Keown, who worked throughout the year to sign event sponsors and obtain in-kind and cash donations; and Scott and Katy Springer, who created and produced the golf tournament program.

We are very are deeply grateful for your ongoing support of your children’s education at San Tan Learning Center. Thank you for your support in raising funds for our teachers’ salaries – and for your generous contributions throughout the year.

Hello San Tan Families,

Thank you for all your donations and for coming out to support the San Tan teachers at the golf tournament.  We had a wonderful time and greatly appreciate the supportive families that we are so fortunate to work with.  There are pictures posted on the website www.stlcgolf.com  if you would like to get a glimpse of the event.  The committee will be communicating amounts raised in the next couple weeks.

We have officially completed AIMS testing.  The Chompie’s restaurant in Chandler was kind enough to provide breakfast for the students participating in state testing, which really got everyone off to a great start to do their best.  Thank you Chompie’s!

Please check the school calendar frequently during the month of May because we have many end of year events such as the music programs and promotion ceremonies.  These will all be posted online at http://www.santanlearningcenter.com/calendar/?yr=2012&month=5&dy=&cid=all .  You will also receive information from your child’s classroom teacher.

Library Books

Please have your children begin returning library books from home this week as Mrs. Kenney begins the end of year inventory.  The final due date for all school library books as well as Scholastic Reading Books checked out in the classrooms is Friday, May 11^th.  Late charges will apply to any Library or Scholastic books returned after May 11^th.

School Clubs

This is our final week of after-school clubs.   Friday, May 4^th is the last day of clubs.  Thank you to all of our staff and community club sponsors for providing over 20 possible enrichment opportunities for children!

San Tan Summer Program

It is not too late to sign your children up for the summer program.  This is an exciting program where students study weekly science themes and  still participate in Physical Education along with having special visitors and fun events planned in their classrooms.  Please visit http://www.santanlearningcenter.com/public-charter-elementary-school/elementary-enrollment/ and scroll to the bottom of the page to find enrollment information.

Teacher Appreciation Week

STLC—SPECIAL BUDDIES PROGRAM

Please sign up to be a Special Buddy Family during the week of May 7-11 at tamara.olin@cox.net. Please e-mail Tamara Olin your first and second choice.  A full list of staff members is listed on the school website (www.santanlearningcenter.com) under “Meet The Staff”.  Remember, we are honoring all of the Super STLC staff and teachers!

HOW THE SECRET BUDDY PROGRAM WORKS:

Each staff member is paired with a volunteer San Tan family.  That family secretly provides the staff member with cards, treats, or items from the Favorites Book during the week of May 7-11. YOU CAN REVEAL YOUR IDENTITY ON MAY 11! (Special Buddy families do not have to follow the daily themes for their buddy.)  The volunteer family will receive an e-mail with a list of the staff members’ interests or they can look in the Favorites Book located in the front office.  Tamara Olin will be outside at drop off time to collect items from cars and there will be a table set up in the office to leave items.  Please contact Tamara Olin at tamara.olin@cox.net or (480)

538-2766 with any questions.

Student Service Club Project

You can help feed a local family!  At the present time, nearly 1 in 5 Arizonans live in poverty.  This results in a massive, increasing need for food that is predicted to remain high.  Food banks connect local families in need of assistance.  The Open Arms Care Center in Gilbert is helping to fight that problem right here in Gilbert and the STLC Service Club wants to assist in the fight.  The Open Arms Care Center, servicing more than 1500 Gilbert residents per month, is the only food bank in Gilbert.  Please help them feed your friends & neighbors by donating non-perishable food items to the Open Arms Food Drive.

When:   The Open Arms Food Drive will run April 30^th – May 11^th.

Where: Collection bins will be located in STLC’s Office Hallway. 

What:  Any non-perishable items will be greatly appreciated, however the Food Bank is especially in need of the following items:

·         Jelly

·         Tuna

·         Canned meats

·         Soups with protein in them

·         Rice

·         Beans

·         SPAGHETTI SAUCE

·         NOODLES

·         Personal hygiene items

·         Canned fruit

The Service Club is always grateful for the generosity of the STLC families and appreciates your support for their final charitable act this school year.  More importantly, you will make life a little easier for a struggling local family.

Have a wonderful week Roadrunners!

As San Tan prepares to conclude the school year, I would like to share with you some of the organizational staffing shifts we will be making for the upcoming school year.

As many of you may know Mrs. Haughan is expecting her first child this fall and will be taking most of the first semester off as she settles into being a new mom. When she returns she will begin her new position as the Professional Growth and Instructional Services Director for Learning Center Public Schools and will have oversight over both San Tan and Fulton Ranch Learning Centers. Ms. Haughan has an immense understanding of the Common Core National standards as she herself is a National Board Certified Teacher. It has been with her leadership along with the amazing instructional staff that has allowed us to show great gains as a school this year. This position will allow Learning Center Public Schools to thrive in the upcoming years as a high academic achieving charter school district.

Mrs. Campbell will be moving up into the Principal’s position and will continue to lead San Tan Learning Center’s faculty and staff. She has been with San Tan Learning Center for more than five years and is a seasoned staff member in the organization. Possessing a Master’s degree in School Administration and having worked under both Mrs. Haughan and myself over the last few years, I am excited to have her leading San Tan in the future. Please be on the lookout for an email from her in the next few weeks.

Legislative Update – 50^th Legislature – Second Regular Session, 2012

Since Governor Jan Brewer is in Washington D.C. this week for the United States Supreme Court hearing on SB1070, Arizona’s tough immigration bill, the budget talks have stalled. Bills are also moving slowly as the Governor has stated that she will veto any bills that come up before the budget. Governor Brewer has signed more than 300 bills and she’s vetoed about 17. Most of the budget negotiation issues are around education funding. Legislators want to save surplus funding for projected budget shortfalls in FY2014-15. The Governor believes revenues will increase and wants to put funding back into education, including soft capital funding, building renewal funding for districts and financial support for Move on When Reading.

We are still working on SB1257 (tax credit; charter schools). It’s safely sitting in House Rules until the budget starts moving. But, now is the time to contact your House and Senate representatives and Governor Jan Brewer to get SB1257 moving. It is important that lawmakers know the community supports this bill. Find your legislators here and click here and use the online form to send an email to the Governor.  Find sample messaging here.

The Arizona Department of Education released a timetable for AZ LEARNS, AIMS and AZELLA data corrections, appeals, and public release. The Department said they will not extend any deadlines, so it is critical you know the submission dates. The Department also wanted to remind schools that embargoed AIMS results and A-F letter grades are not to be shared outside the school until the Department releases them publicly. Find the Department’s memo and 2012 deadlines here.