We are very excited to have begun our 10th year of instruction as Fuente Nueva Charter School. This year we look forward to further settling into our new site by improving our playground.  The first steps are to paint a map of the United States and the World on our playground.  This is going to be a great learning tool for our students.  One of our parents is going to lead the effort to also paint a labyrinth on the blacktop.  As the year goes on, you will also see a new basketball court, improved sandbox, small field with soccer goals and more.  All of these improvements are being funded by our parent booster club Amigos de Fuente Nueva, family donations and the generous grant award from a private foundation.

These are only the beginning of our vision.  We also plan to expand our wood chip area so that we can install a climbing wall and other equipment.  To do this, we need your help to raise the funds necessary.  The goal is to raise $10,000 by the end of the year.  These additional fundraising efforts will also provide an opportunity to strengthen our community!

On Saturday 9/13 and 9/20 from 10am-3pm we hold work parties to paint the maps and labyrinth.  Wear your painting clothes, bring a brush and some refreshments to share or just show up.   The end result is sure to be a wonderful addition to our little school.

Muchas gracias por todos.

At Fuente Nueva, one of our goals are to have a campus that is safe for every child.  A place where everyone feels that they belong.  I am sure that we are no different from all schools who want this for their students, families and educators.  To provide a safe school climate we incorporate character education into the student’s daily lessons.  Each week we study a character word of the week which is related to traits that students need to be successful in life.   In addition, I as the director, have the honor of teaching weekly character education lessons to each grade.  This is an amazing way for me to build a strong relationship with all of our students while also getting to know the culture and dynamic of each class.  During our lessons this year, we learned about feelings, how to experience feelings in a productive way, how to solve conflicts, and so much more. This year, a big focus of our lessons was about how to prevent bullying at our school.  Through our discussions, sadly, we all realized that we do not have a bully free school.  No one was satisfied with this realization and in turn, we all acted to see what we can do to end bullying.  The kindergarten through second grade students learned how to stay S.A.F.E. in the event that they see or experience bullying.  The acronym stands for: say what you feel, ask an adult for help, find a friend, and exit the area.   We read books, did activities, and watched videos to strengthen what the students came to call their “tool kits” for ending bullying.   In the third grade, students created skits, posters and comic books to share their ideas  with younger students on how to stop bullying.  In the fourth and fifth grade, the students made were motivated to make a short movie.  All of the students helped to write the script which was based on events that had happened right here at our school. Our school counselor, Robi Sclafani, has a hobby of film editing so she was eager to join the project.  After many long hours of collaboration between students, Robi and myself we are proud to share this short film with you. Follow the link below and enjoy.  Special shout out to local celebrity Sara Bareilles for her inspiring song Brave that helped us to find our own voices and stand strong against bullying.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLScsHfqGkmby4shgfq-lTCQq8iom9ArwU

Come join us for a fun filled summer where your child will learn Spanish, explore other cultures and make new friends. Serving Kindergarten through fifth grade students. Advance registration is required.

June 22nd – August 14th (closed 7/6-7/10)
Mon-Fri 7:30am-5:30pm
1730 Janes Road, Arcata, CA 95521

707-822-3348

 Click here for registration forms and fee information  or email fuentenueva@humboldt.k12.ca.us

All elementary school children, with any level of Spanish are welcome to enroll.

¡ Muchas Gracias por todos !  For all the long hours, sleepless nights and early mornings, we give our thanks.  The dedication and commitment of the entire team at Fuente Nueva (many of whom are not pictured here) are at the heart of our success.  Special thanks to our core teaching team captured here while attending a conference on Immersion Education.  We hope you are all given a sense of how deeply you are valued, not just this week, but every day!

Attending conference on Immersion Education at the CARLA Institute in St. Paul, Minnesota, October 2012

This Wednesday, April 30 at 5 PM the leadership team will meet to review our first draft of the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) that will be approved in early June.  The community has provided input into the creation of goals and actions that will drive the school’s budget development for the following three school years.  The next steps will include reviewing, modifying and prioritizing goals and actions, along with identifying costs and funding sources.  If you were unable to join us at our Community Forum Meeting, you still have a chance to provide input.  We have merged our annual Parent School Evaluation Survey with questions that can also help us with the creation of the LCAP.   Even if you did make it to the Community Forum, we hope you will take time to fill out the survey and provide us with the feedback we need to remain in the cycle of continuous improvement.  The survey takes about 10-30 minutes depending on how many written comments you provide.  I have listed below the upcoming dates to be aware of in the event you are able to take part in the process.  Also below is the link to the Parent Survey.  Many thanks for your time and energy to shape the future of Fuente Nueva Charter School.

Important Dates for LCAP adoption:

Advisory committee review of first draft: April 30, 5pm

Community Session to provide feedback to first draft: May 6, 4:55pm

Public Hearing to receive comments for the LCAP: May 20, 5pm

Final Fuente Nueva Charter Council approval of LCAP: June 3, 4:55pm

Parent Survey Link: http://tinyurl.com/mb3pozr

April 15th marks the end of our open enrollment period for the 2014-2015 school year.  We will hold a lottery and include all complete applications that are on file as of 4pm on April 15th.  If you miss this date, you can still get on the wait-list for next year.  All you need to do is complete a registration packet and your child will be placed on the list in the order in which the packet is received.  We will hold the lottery on April 16th and post the results in the office display case by the end of that business day.  Letters will also be mailed to all participants in the lottery.  Thank you for your interest in Fuente Nueva Charter School!  

After many hours of research and feedback from parents, teachers and community members, we are proud to launch our new website.  The expertise at the Humboldt County Office of Education guided the development of the site so that it is more user friendly, visually pleasing and offers a comprehensive overview of our school.  While we are thrilled with the current state of the website, it is a dynamic product that can change and be updated over time.  If you have ideas of how we can improve the website, we invite you to share your suggestions so we can best meet the public’s needs.  There are ample resources suggested for learning of all kinds for both students and parents.   This list is by no means extensive and surely there are more resources that would be valuable for us to highlight.  Please send me the links to your favorite learning websites or smartphone/tablet apps.  Also, we are forever looking for more photos to add to the site.  Professional quality photos are needed from our community in order to make this happen.  Please consider sharing with me your photos from this year or our history.

I hope you like what you see here at Fuente Nueva Charter School’s new website.  Enjoy exploring and let us know what you think.  ¡Muchas gracias!

Thank you for your interest in Fuente Nueva. Our school community is located in Arcata next to a residential neighborhood that borders farm land on the edge of the Arcata Bottoms.  We serve elementary age students kindergarten through fifth grade in a dynamic and engaging full Spanish immersion program. Students at Fuente Nueva are given the unique and valuable opportunity to gain proficiency in a second language while also learning the core subjects in a safe and supportive learning environment.

There are many reasons to choose Fuente Nueva as a school for your child. Many choose our school for the opportunity for students to learn about our world community through the study of Spanish language and culture.  Many stay because of our close and connected student and parent population.   Together, we are a true learning community.  I hope that this website gives you a window into our educational program offerings. If you need further information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

¡Muchas gracias y Que tengas un buen día!