For the week of August 25, 2008

• Who do I contact with questions regarding office telephones?
• Please send an e-mail to Marty Schloegel, IT Database Manager, for assistance.

• Who are the Twin Rivers Unified School District 2009 Teachers of the Year?
• Four extraordinary teachers will represent Twin Rivers Unified School District in the Sacramento County 2009 Teachers of the Year program. The teachers were nominated by their colleagues and are considered the “best of the best” in the field of education. Twin Rivers has four teachers representing our district because of the unification of north area school districts. In the future, we will have two teachers who will represent us at the county level. To read more about our 2009 Teachers of the Year, be sure to check out the Spotlight section of the TRUSD web site. http://www.twinriversusd.org/newsroom/spotlight/

• Where can I see the slides show and video from the Twin Rivers Back to School Rally?
• The Back to School Rally and First Day of School slide shows are now available to view on the Twin Rivers USD web site. See link below.
  http://www.twinriversusd.org/newsroom/slideshows/

• Who do I contact if I need assistance from the Twin Rivers Police Department?
• Please call the Communications (Comm) Center at 286-4875. The dispatcher will ask some pertinent questions before sending the appropriate officer to your site. Please visit the Police Department’s web page at http://www.twinriversusd.org/depts/police_services/ for more information on how to report an incident or emergency.

For the week of August 11, 2008

• Where can I find information regarding lunch menus and bus routes?
• Lunch Menus are posted on the Twin Rivers web site (www.twinriversusd.org). They can be posted on each of the school pages.
  Bus Routes are posted on the Twin Rivers web site (www.twinriversusd.org). They can school web pages.

• What is the status of the new high school in the East Natomas area?
• The combination junior high/high school complex is under construction. Unfortunately, the housing developments once planned for that area have slowed due to various factors such as the sluggish economy, mortgage crisis and recent FEMA announcement. This leaves the school in an area without the road that would have been built, sufficient levels of students to maintain operating costs, and a tremendous debt because the developer fees and state funding is much lower than hoped. However, because there has been some investment, our facilities staff and the construction firm are meeting to figure out the best compromise to meet student needs.

• How will STAR test results be distributed to our parents?
• STAR test results will be mailed at the end of August.

• What should we do if a student on our campus does not want to be photographed?
• Twin Rivers has an “opt-out” policy which means that students must return the form in the back of the student and family handbook. The form is returned to the site principal, and all communications staff have been instructed to inquire at school offices about any of these “opt-out” students. In the handbook, families are also encouraged to tell children to avoid photo, filming, and media situations.

• When will we get the student and family handbooks?
• The revised handbooks will be delivered to the warehouse late next week and we will get them out to schools as soon as possible. In the meantime, the handbook can be accessed on our website home page at www.twinriversusd.org

• What types of plans are in place for Late Start Wednesdays?
• Each school site has been asked to come up with a near-term limited supervision plan for those students who are on campus early, and a longer-term plan for creating programs that take advantage of the new opportunity to engage students. Some sites are considering and putting into place:
  • High school volunteers to help with homework and reading
  • Senior volunteers to help with homework and reading
  • An art club
  • A homework club
  • Extended library time
  • Spanish classes taught by parents
  
  A letter template has been prepared and is in translation. It will be sent to principals for their personalization and distribution on Monday. In addition, an NTI message in English, Spanish, Russian, and Hmong is being recorded and placed in the NTI system that will tell parents a letter went home that day and they should ask their children about it.

Week of July 14, 2008

• To whom do I direct calls from parents who speak a language other than English?
• In the TRUSD Administrative Services/Communications office, the following people are available to assist with translation services: Spanish: Shari Malespin (566-1774; Rafael Enriquez and Arturo Miranda. Ukranian & Russian: Roman Rykun (286-5125)
  
  For all other departments and school sites you can contact Lorena Morales-Ellis, E.L. Coordinator, and Pat England, Categorical/E.L. Director at 286-4997.

• From where does district-wide communication come?
• ALL district-wide communications (e.g. district newsletters, district-wide flyers, announcements, memos, etc.) must be reviewed by the communications office. If outside agencies would like to distribute materials at our schools, they must first receive approval from Ziggy Robeson's office (566-1774).

• To what address should individuals direct mail?
• Please direct all mail to the 5107 Dudley Blvd., McClellan, CA 95652, but advise them of the physical location for the time being.

• What is the distance requirement before bus transportation is provided for students?
• For kindergarten through 6th grade, the distance requirement is one mile; for 7th and 8th grades, it is 1.5 miles; for 9th through 12th grades, it is 2 miles.

• How are we handling time sheets and how do we submit absence requests?
• Whatever you did in your district of origin, please continue to do so until further notice. If you need to take a sick day, please call your immediate suprevison.

• How are we handling the ordering of district supplies?
• The new warehouse order form and instruction page will be available electronically by July 18th. Please contact the Purchasing Services Department for assistance (566-1618)

• How can I schedule the use of the conference room in the Howard Avenue building?
• Please contact Debra Thorne at 566-1600 to schedule the room.

• How do I tell parents what school their child should attend in our district?
• Please visit www.totalschoolsolutions.net and click on "school finder." The subscriber login user name is "twinrivers" and the password is "trsf." This link will soon be on our newly revised TRUSD website for easier access.

Week of July 7, 2008

• Since several employees have changed positions and locations, how do I know who I should contact regarding questions or concerns that arise?
• We are attaching to this first update two documents that should prove very useful during this transition period. The first is a functional directory that lists current administration, job titles, contact numbers, and support staff for the various central office locations. Please note that this document is a draft and will be revised as more information becomes available. The second is a schedule that shows the interim locations and move dates for central office staff until the completion of the new district office.

• What should we do if we don’t have a Twin Rivers form for something we need?
• Staff in each department is busy revising and printing new district forms, and they will be distributed as they become available. In the meantime, staff can use previous versions of forms, cross out the name at the top, and add Twin Rivers.

• When will the new web site list the school sites and other additional information?
• A preliminary site is currently up at www.twinriversusd.org and a second phase of the site will be up August 1. The second phase site will link to the school sites if they already exist. A third phase will include creating sites for those schools without them and is planned for launch in the winter/spring.

• What type of newsletter or newspaper is Twin Rivers planning?
• We have contracted with a company that will print and distribute our newsletter at no charge to our district. It will be sent out quarterly, and the first issue will arrive in homes the first week of school (mid August.) The newsletter will not be sent to every residence, only the families of our students and members of the community who request distribution. It will be written and designed by our communications staff, posted on our web site, and a link will be sent to all employees.

• To whom do I pay my retirement benefits?
• Please continue to send your payment for retirement benefits to the same location. However, please make checks payable to "Twin Rivers Unified School District."

• Who do I contact with questions regarding my paycheck?
• Please contact the payroll department of your previous district.