THE
Turtle Rock Times
Providing the highest quality education we can envision
Summer 2016
A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS
Mrs. Rosenthal
starts a new chapter
Whether your child was in one of
Mrs. Rosenthal’s classes or not,
everyone knows her cheerful smile
and dedication to our students’
success. 2016 marks the start of a
new life chapter and retirement
adventure for our beloved 1st grade
teacher. Affectionately referred to
as “Mrs. R,” she leaves an impactful
legacy:
“Always follow The
Golden Rule: Treat
others as you would
like them to treat
you.
Share smiles and
friendship
throughout your
life.”
~ Pauline Rosenthal
“I had Mrs. R 12 years ago!
She is one of the few teachers
I've had in my life who made
me care about friends,
family, and personal growth.
She is the benchmark for
teachers the world over.”
Originally from Chicago, Mrs. R has
taught at Turtle Rock Elementary
since 1980. Her first job with IUSD
was teaching the GATE program for
the entire school. Her “classroom”
was actually a conference room! We
had 600 students then, now we have
over 900 enrolled Turtle Rockers!!
Along with all the changes she has been a part of, she is known for her
passion and dedication to helping kids learn to read. She arrives at school early
(some say before dawn) for reading groups and stays into the evening to write
“thank you” notes religiously.
It’s our turn Mrs. Rosenthal to say “THANK YOU!” for being you, for sharing
your passions with our children, and for your years of service to our school and
community.
Message from Principal Catabijan: Another amazing year at Turtle Rock Elementary comes to a close. I am
excited for Mrs. Rosenthal’s new retirement adventure, but will greatly miss hearing the joy and laughter she
brings to our students and faculty every day. Summer is here and as the final bell rings on June 9th, let’s all take
a moment to remember the wonderful things we’ve enjoyed throughout the year, some of which are highlighted
in this issue of TR Times. I am so proud of our teachers, operations staff, parent volunteers and our students for
making our school an amazing place to learn! ~ Mrs. Catabijan
In partnership with Turtle Rock Elementary PTA
Turtle Rock Times is developed and written by parent volunteers and students. Printing made possible
through your generous contributions. Visit PTA.rocks for more information and program details.
Turtle Rock Times
Summer 2016
First Place Win Awarded
to TRE Students
Hooray to Radin Admadizadeh,
Asher Mahajan, and Aria
Dehghani 1st place Middle School
Division. You ROCK, boys!
It’s a first place win for team
of business minded 6th
graders in this year’s SIFMA
online Stock Market Game!
14-weeks of stock picks,
trading, tracking, and
hours of number
crunching paid off for
this team! The SIFMA
Foundation's acclaimed
Stock Market Game™
program is an online
simulation of the global
capital markets that
engages students grades
4-12 in the world of
economics, investing and
personal finance, and
prepares them for
financially independent
futures. More than
600,000 students take
part every school year
across all 50 states.
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Academic Challenge –
Highest Participation EVER!!
The results are in! The 2016
Academic Challenge had the
highest participation ever
with 112 students who
earned trophies for
completing 4 challenges and
66 who were awarded the
prestigious Principals’
Challenge Medals. Many
more earned ribbons too,
including:
Reflections: 156
Science: 187
Multicultural: 122
Reading: 96
Typing: 99
Math: 112
Hard work and learning pays off!
TRE at IRVINE JR. GAMES
It was an early morning for Turtle Rock student athletes on June 15th for the Irvine
Jr. Games. Turtle Rock was well represented with 52 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. Our
athletes ROCKED the track sprinting the 50 and 100-meter race and burning tread
for the 400 and 800-meter-long haul! We were jumpin’, shootin’, throwin’, and
kickin’ our way across the fields! Shout out to our medal winners: 6th Graders
Catherine Diyakonov 1st place 400-Meter, Noah Scherson 3rd place Long Jump, 4th
Grader Joey Payan 1st place Soccer Kick. Our kids gave it their best effort and had a
fun day of activities. Thank you to Ms. Lezak, Mr. Giambone, and Coach Wilson for
helping organize and coach our team before, during, and after the event!
unBEElievable
Rockin’ Spellers!
Rockin’ Spellers After
competing against 58 other
schools, a “surprise” list of
words, and 15 rounds of
word challenges Sophia
Chen and Krista Ng took top
spots in this year’s OC
Parenting Magazine Spelling
Bee, placing 2nd and 3rd
overall, respectively.
Rockin’ Spellers Krista & Sophia!
Awesomely
Astounding!
Awesome Radin Ahmadizadeh!
Super shout out to TRE
Astounding Invention
winner 6th grader, Radin
Ahmadizadeh. Radin’s
invention made it to the
free patent search and
patent application provided
by Knobbe Martens in
Irvine. ROCK-on Radin!!
Way to go Turtle Rock Athletes!!
California Science Do you have
Fair – 1st Place!
something to say?
Congratulations to 6th
grader Emily Hsi! Emily
earned 1st place in the
Biological Sciences
category for her work in
“Increasing the Longevity
of Cut Roses.”
The California State
Science Fair is the final
science fair of the
academic year for students
throughout the State of
California in grades 6 – 12.
This year there were 941
participants from 421
schools presenting 845
projects!
In 2016-17 the TR Times
will be published bimonthly through student,
parent, and teacher
contributions. We need
your ideas, articles, and
pictures. Please visit
PTA.rocks homepage to
submit your article or idea
for upcoming publications.
We are hoping to start a TR
Times journalism after
school club for 4-6th
graders next year to help
with article development
and publication. Stay
tuned!
Turtle Rock Times
Summer 2016
2016 Academic Challenge Awards Ceremony
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Turtle Rock Times
Summer 2016
Page 4
Congratulations to our Rockin’ Math Whiz Kids!!
Math Field Day is an opportunity for
Orange County Elementary Schools
to join together in promoting
excellence in mathematics, team
work, achieving goals, and school
spirit.
4th grade team: Sophia Chen, Kristine Lu, Asger Ross, Devin Li, Prajwal Vandana (not pictured)
Math Field Day is an all-day math
competition for students in Grade 4,
5, and 6 sponsored by the Orange
County Math Council (OCMC).
4th Grade
1st Geometry
1st Numbers & Operations
2nd Algebraic Thinking
1st Data Analysis
1st Measurement
5th Grade
3rd Geometry
5th Numbers & Operations
5th Algebraic Thinking
1st Data Analysis
1st Measurement
5th grade team - Joshua Chen, Henry Ding, Minh Trinh, Katherine Wu
6th grade team - Mandelina Chokry, Alissa Kopylova, Matthew Lou, Michael McPhie
6th Grade
1st Geometry
2nd Numbers and Operations
2nd Algebraic Thinking
3rd Data Analysis
1st Measurement
Turtle Rock Times
Summer 2016
Page 5
Your new 2016-17 TRE PTA Parent volunteers keep
things Rockin’
Executive Team
Next year’s planning is already underway! In April the
new PTA Executive Board was elected into office. The
team is already meeting to start planning our school’s
events for the upcoming year.
President
Executive VP
VP of Membership
VP of Fundraising
VP of Family Events
Treasurer
Financial Secretary
Auditor
Secretary
Parliamentarian
Historian
Jennifer Nelson Martinez
Akshee Gandotra
Carmela Rossi-Lane
Judith Gass
Aarti Jain
Patricia Diaz
Erin Hyland
Michelle Chavira
Mary von dem Bussche
Cheherazad Raetz
Grace Kim.
Thank YOU to our amazing 2015-16 PTA Executive Team
for a fantastic year and for supporting our school.
Parents like you are vital to
the success of our school
programs. Your
volunteerism makes
everything happen! If you
are looking to stay involved
or find a way to be involved,
there are many ways to help.
Next year, consider
volunteering or even being
program chair.
 Classroom helper
 Room parent
 Back to School Night
Social
 Movie Night & Camp
Out
…and more!
Visit the PTA.rocks website for
more information on
volunteer opportunities.
Turtle Rock School Improvements
In order to maintain high student achievement and provide equal access to 21st-century
educational facilities, the IUSD Board of Education has voted to place a School Facilities
Improvement Bond Measure (Measure E) on the June 2016 ballot. If passed, Turtle Rock
Elementary is approved for construction of three (3) music classrooms, instrument storage, as
well as new design and innovation labs. Also our student “pods” shared by the classrooms
will be re-designed for better functionality. For more details on Measure E visit
iusd.org/schoolimprovements.
Where does the Money Go?
One question the PTA hears often is “Where does the money parents donate go?” Your Turtle Rock PTA has only two major
fundraising events each year: the Fall PTA Annual Membership drive and Spring Jog-A-Thon. It is through generous parent
contributions that the PTA can provide additional educational tools, programs, and activities to our amazing students. This
year your contributions helped fund our school health aid, recess and lunch time fitness with Fit Kids America, 3rd grade
Chrome Books, student homework planners, Scholastic News magazines, and the Art Master’s Program. Additionally, your
contributions supported supplies, trophies, ribbons, and medals the PTA volunteers used for the Academic Challenge,
Reflections, and Egg Drop Challenge as well as all the awesome goodies for our Camp Out Movie Night, Fall Festival, Book
Fairs, Jog-A-Thon, Multi-Cultural Dinner and Talent Show! Your PTA volunteers hope you have enjoyed this year’s programs
and events as much as we have enjoyed organizing them for you and your children. Next year’s planning is already
underway so make sure to stay tuned by “liking” the Turtle Rock PTA on Facebook and bookmark our homepage at
PTA.rocks.
Turtle Rock Times
Summer 2016
Page 6
What’s up for your summer vacation?
By 4th grade field reporter Andrew Bogard
”I am going to
Korea and visiting
my Grandparents”
~ Phoenix
”I am going to
Catalina Isalnd and to
London, England. ”
~ Amir
”I am playing in an
All-Star baseball
tournament with
Irvine Pony!”
~ Chase
”We’re taking a Disney Cruise!”
~ Sheridan & Andrew
Turtle Rock Times
Summer 2016
Page 7
What’s up for your summer vacation?
”I am going to Gold
Arrow Camp and flying
to Colorado then to
Wisconsin! ”
~ Tyler
”Aloha!
I am going to
Hawaii!! ”~ Beckhem
”We are goin g hiking in
Colorado and then to Flori da
to visit my Grandparents”
I am
going to
the M&M
store in
Las
Vegas!!
~ Julia
~ James
”I am coaching the
Edison High
School Cross
Country kids,
running everyday,
and a run in
Mammoth ”
~ Coach Wilson
Turtle Rock Times
Summer 2016
IRVINE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
2016-2017 SCHOOL CALENDAR
DATE
DAY EVENT
2016
July 4, 2016
July 13
August 24
September 5
September 19-October 7
October 10
November 11
November 23-25
M
W
W
M
M-F
M
F
W-F
Independence Day Holiday
First day for Year-Round Students
First Day for Traditional TK-12 Students
Labor Day Holiday
Fall Recess (year-round calendar only)
TK-12 Staff Development Day- Student Holiday (TK-12)
Veterans Day Observance
Thanksgiving Recess
November 23 – Lincoln’s Birthday Observance
December 19-January 6, 2017
December 19-January 2, 2017
M-F
M-F
Winter Recess (year-round calendar)
Winter Recess (traditional calendar)
T
M
M
F
M
F
M
M-F
M-F
F
M
F
Classes resume TK-12 (traditional calendar)
Classes resume (year-round calendar)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observance
9-12 Student Holiday/Teacher Workday
9-12 Student Holiday/Teacher Holiday
Staff Development Day- Student Holiday (TK-12)
Washington's Day Observance
Spring Recess- (year-round calendar)
Spring Recess – (traditional calendar)
Teacher/Student Holiday (TK-8)
Memorial Day Holiday
Last day for TK-12 Students and Teachers
9-12 Summer School
K-8 Summer School
(deferred to this day)
2017
January 3
January 9
January 16
January 20
January 23
February 17
February 20
March 20-April 7
April 3-7
May 26
May 29
June 9
Dates TBD
Dates TBD
YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS
Fall Recess
Winter Recess
Spring Recess
Sept 19, 2016-Oct 7, 2016
Dec 19, 2016 - Jan 6, 2017
March 20, 2017 - April 7, 2017
HIGH SCHOOL
9-12 Students have Semester Break Friday, January 20 and Monday, January 23, 2017.
9-12 Teachers have Monday, January 23, 2017, as a holiday.
9-12 Teachers have Monday, August 22, 2016 and Tuesday, August 23, 2016 and
Friday, January 20, 2017 as work days.
ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS
TK-8 Students and teachers have Friday, May 26, 2017, as a holiday.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY
TK-12 teachers: Friday, August 19, 2016, Monday, October 10, 2016, and Friday, February 17, 2017
All students attend school 180 days
All teachers work the equivalent of 186 days
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