When schools and families work together, good things happen for children. At Almond Acres (AACA), we see good things popping up all around: in children’s smiles, the achievements of our students, and the positive connections between students and teachers.
Our goal is the same as yours: to grow great kids. When we combine our efforts, we all flourish. We are honored that you trust us to continue the hard work you do to help your child become the best version of themselves. It’s a goal that we nurture day in and day out at Almond Acres.
Home & School Links
The foundation of our strong community is even stronger communication, the key to understanding each other and making sure everyone’s needs are met. We build trust with you by promising to provide honest and open communication between all parents, staff, students and families.
We primarily utilize ParentSquare to keep you informed and up-to-date with school events, our calendar, and notifications from teachers. We love the simple, uniform app that makes communication a snap. Be sure to turn on alerts!
If you are on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll also find highlights of sporting events and classroom accomplishments. You can join our closed Facebook group that is run by parent volunteers to be notified of fun reminders and event invites.
And chances are good, since you are reading here, that you’ve already found the Almond Acres Blog. We update our blog weekly with notes and stories about our philosophy, student achievement, and recaps of special events. If we’re lucky, Mr. B will share a bit of his parenting/teaching wisdom and tell us more about the Habits of the Week. You’ll want to check in weekly so you won’t be alarmed when your child comes home and wants to talk about ways to sharpen her saw.
Student-Led Conferences
At AACA, you get frequent contact and honest dialog about your student’s growth. Our twice yearly, student-led conferences help students take an active role in identifying their own strengths and struggles. During conferences, young learners will identify personal and academic goals while seeking support from both their teachers and families to achieve these goals. You are an essential part of your child’s success!
Growing Great Families
When you enroll your child at AACA you gain a community that rallies around children and families. One of the ways we give to our relationship with parents is through our Growing Great Families series led by Former Executive Director Bob Borgault, aka Mr. B. This is a weekly community event that welcomes parents and caregivers to come together to learn something new on topics of interest in education and parenting. We discuss the Habit of the Week and enjoy learning from each other. We hope you’ll join us!
Volunteering
We lean on you to help make our school community great. There are many ways to get involved to make our school community stronger. One of the simplest ways is through the Parent Site Council (PSC), Almond Acres’ version of a PTA. The PSC provides support to both school families and the school administration. They assist with passive fundraising, the Uniform Swap, spirit wear, parade floats, staff appreciation, family events, and more! Whether you want to be a member of the council, or are interested in volunteering, the PSC is the place to start.
The success of our children is our greatest collaboration. We are eternally thankful for the support of all of our families in lifting up the Almond Acres community. We make a great team!
About AACA
Almond Acres Charter Academy is a public, tuition-free K-8 school that employs credentialed teachers and administers state-mandated testing to provide families in northern SLO County an additional choice in public education. Located in Paso Robles in a newly built, state-of-the-art facility, AACA is open to all students from all communities. AACA’s mission is to help students succeed academically and socially by educating the whole child: heart, mind, body and soul. We grow great kids!
Are you beginning to feel the Back-to-School jitters? If so, you’re not alone! Everyone feels a little nervous about a new school year and a new adventure – students, parents and even teachers! We invited resident teaching and parenting expert Amy Brabenec to walk us through how to prepare for the first day of school and reduce our jitters to maybe just some gentle butterflies.
Take it away, Amy:
I am almost as excited for this school year as I was the very first year we opened! It feels like a fresh start with endless possibilities for creating our best school year yet! Here are some practical things to discuss and practice before school starts.
You are safe!
Teachers (all adults at school are teachers in some capacity!) have two jobs: keeping your students safe and learning. They take both jobs very seriously!
Meals
Some students are not used to making decisions about what to eat when, so they try to eat everything in their lunchbox during the morning snack time, leaving little to no food for lunch. That makes for a hungry afternoon! It’s worth a conversation ahead of time and maybe a practice run or two.
Packaging and Containers
Practice opening food packaging, juice pouches, and containers. I wish someone had suggested this to me when my children were little. I sent my son to school with containers he couldn’t open without making a giant mess, and I didn’t include any utensils! Did I think those would magically appear? Did I think the adults could open every child’s container for them? I don’t know. I’m just grateful his teachers were kind and non-judgmental when they explained what was happening!
Lost & Found
Label everything with your child’s name. Label every little thing.
Listening and Following Directions Fast, the First Time
Do your children stop and give you their attention when you say their name? When you give instructions, can they stop and do what you asked? For safety and scheduling reasons, we need students to respond to calls to attention and follow instructions. It takes practice, so make it fun. Try to beat yesterday’s record of how many times your child looked at you when you said their name, or track how fast they followed directions.
Shoes
If your child does not know how to tie shoes, consider whether they have the fine motor skills to learn right now. If so, teach them! If not, consider shoes without laces for school.
Launch Pad
Consider a box or designated area as a launch pad for each child. The launch pad is where they will put everything they need for the next day. You could add a photo of the items or a written list to remind your child what they need!
Always Watching & Listening
We sometimes think our children are too busy playing to overhear our conversations. They pick up on more than we think. So, to prepare your child for school, consider how they might feel if they know you are sad because you will miss them while they are at school, or you are worried about how other students will treat them, etc. A child may think, “If my parents are sad or anxious, maybe I should be, too!” That isn’t to say we should be fake; our kiddos see right through that, too. But, we can be mindful of our impact.
Dropping Off
I was the parent who hung out too long. If my daughter cried at drop off, I held her and sometimes I cried, too. I felt awful leaving her upset, and the guilt was crushing. Her teachers would tell me that “She’s just fine as soon as you leave!” That would drive me crazy and hurt my feelings. Fast forward to becoming a kindergarten teacher who would be in family counseling soon after. Sure enough, the students who had a hard time leaving their parents were just fine within a minute or two after the parents departed. Lingering only made things worse. Our daughter struggled with anxiety and had very few coping skills as she got older because I tried to rescue her out of ever being uncomfortable. I share this because if I could do it all again, I absolutely would. I would tell her I love her and I’ll see her later, and I’d leave her in the capable, caring hands of her teachers. The unspoken message is, “I love you. You are safe. I feel good about you being here. You got this!”
Grand Opening & Meet the Staff
The week before school starts we have our Grand Opening & Meet the Staff event. It’s a fun, informal way to meet your teachers before the first day of school, which can help with some of those new-school-year jitters! It’s also a great time to meet other families. See ParentSquare for more details!
All That in a Nutshell
The AACA staff are excited about our upcoming school year, and we are committed to making it a great experience for ALL students!
Productive struggle is important in learning, so let your child work through wrestling a granola bar wrapper or having big feelings. You can give some pointers, but let them practice and celebrate their independence.
Practice now is freedom later. If we practice the routines we need for each day, we build productive habits. Our brains are then free to focus on learning and building relationships at school!
About AACA
Almond Acres Charter Academy is a public, tuition-free K-8 school that employs credentialed teachers and administers state-mandated testing to provide families in northern SLO County an additional choice in public education. Located in Paso Robles in a newly built, state-of-the-art facility, AACA is open to all students from all communities. AACA’s mission is to help students succeed academically and socially by educating the whole child: heart, mind, body and soul. We grow great kids!
Without a doubt, the key to our success as a thriving charter school is due to the active and engaging community we enjoy at Almond Acres. This isn’t a community that happened accidentally. We believe that it takes a village to Grow Great Kids and we’ve intentionally built a community that not only rallies around our mission, but all members of Almond Acres and our greater community. We offer many opportunities to come together, connect and share our talents. Here are a few ways we hope to draw you in and make you feel that you belong here.
New Families
Joining a new school community might be a little intimidating at first, whether you are 7 or 37. For new families, your first introduction to our school might be at our summer Meet the Staff Picnic. It’s an exciting time to meet your new teachers, see friends from last school year and mingle with other AACA families. Our Parent Site Council (PSC) also has a table at the event with information on how to get involved and to answer questions.
On the first day of school, we host a coffee event at school for all AACA families. Whether it’s your first child or your baby, sending one of your kids off to kindergarten is both momentous and emotional. You are invited to gather with us and meet people who are going through the same thing.
You’ll also find that AACA has a variety of informal social gatherings throughout the year to help you connect with other families. We have moms who gather after drop off to walk and talk and parents who make plans to play bingo or hang out at a trivia night. There is a spot for everyone if you are interested.
If you would rather ease into the social events, participating in zoom calls with Mr. B on Wednesdays for our Growing Great Families is an opportunity for you. We meet you where you are–virtual or in-person!
Many Hands Make Light Work
Our community is strengthened by the generous gift of time our families give to our school. After health and fingerprint clearance, parents are encouraged to share their strengths with our school. There are so many options, whether you want to be in the school during school hours or provide support from the comfort of your home. We can work with your schedule. Here’s a few examples of ways parents get involved:
Don’t see your specific skill listed? Tell us! We are a strengths-based school and we want to utilize your talents. Reach out to the Parent Site Council (PSC) and we will work with you to create an opportunity to make a difference in our community. Better yet, join the PSC and be a part of the planning!
Community Events
We also host a variety of events throughout the year that bring us together for a common goal and have fun. The annual Read and Run Relay brings out AACA families and our greater community to cheer on our kids every spring. You can be a lap marker, help distribute water, cheer on the kids as they pass by or sit with a student who chooses to read rather than run. This incredible fundraiser brings out one hundred volunteers in one day!
Our Performing Arts Production is a chance for all AACA students to shine. Everyone from kindergarten to 8th grade is welcome to audition for our school play. It’s wonderful to see the kids use an ounce of courage to audition and do something that may be a bit outside of their comfort zone. When you volunteer to help with the production, you may even be helping kids discover an unknown talent!
Our vibrant community is doing great things together for the kids of Paso Robles. Jump in and join us–we’ll find a spot for you.
About AACA
Almond Acres Charter Academy is a public, tuition-free K-8 school that employs credentialed teachers and administers state-mandated testing to provide families in northern SLO County an additional choice in public education. Located in Paso Robles in a newly built, state-of-the-art facility, AACA is open to all students from all communities. AACA’s mission is to help students succeed academically and socially by educating the whole child: heart, mind, body and soul. We grow great kids!
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