Congratulations to Mrs. Jacobsen, running a Boston Qualifying time of 3 hours, 19 minutes!  Mrs. Kerkbashian ran a great half marathon with a time of 2 hours, 25 minutes!  Mrs. Reeds finished the marathon with a personal best time of 3 hours, 45 minutes.  Way to go El Rancho teachers!  (Pictured: Mrs. Reeds & Mrs. Jacobsen prior to the Full OC Marathon)

7th Grader Jonathan Pelayo had an outstanding 2nd place finish in the boys shot put, qualifying him for the State Championships in the SCMAF Track & Field Championships.  8th graders Cory Bulman and Guilherme Jergensen both went on to qualify for the State Championships in the boys long jump.  7th grader Riley Seip had an excellent showing, placing 2nd in the girls 100 meters and 1st in the girls long jump!  7th Grader Shawna Woodward had a great showing in the Girls 100 meters and 200 meters, qualifying in both events for the State Championship on Sunday, June 2.  Great job Coyotes!

• Healthy Snacks (granola bars, raisins, no nuts please)
• Bags of Ice (10-15)
• Flavored Water
• Redi-Whipped Cream Cans (approx. 15 cans needed)
• Small Prize Items (bracelets bands, small candy items, stickers, etc.)
• Sliced Watermelon (sliced in half-circle, approx. inch thick pieces)
• Water Balloons (to be filled day-of)
• Pie Tins
• Disposable Cameras (or someone willing to take pictures)
• Various Hospitality Food Items for Volunteers & Vendors (Bagels, muffins, fruit,
• EZ-Up Canopy (Approximately 10-15 needed)
• Popcorn Kernels for Popcorn Machine (Smart & Final Large Pack)

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Allyson Reeds at: areeds@orangeusd.org

3rd Quarter Newsletter

Attention all Parents, Students and Community Members!  The Second Annual El Rancho Health Expo & Fair will be held on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 for all El Rancho students to participate in during their PE class.  This exciting day is open to the community from Noon – 2:00 p.m.  We need parent volunteers, booth/vendor volunteers, a set-up crew and clean-up crew to assist with this event.  Parent hours will be given for your assistance!  Please sign up with Mrs. Allyson Reeds (areeds@orangeusd.org) or 714-997-6238 x7063 if you are interested.

The Expo will include:

Fitness-Related Games and Challenges
Healthy Food Options
Prizes
Fitness Demonstrations
Fitness-Related Neighborhood Vendors
Diet and Exercise Advice
Music
And Much More!!

Do you have any comments, suggestions or recommendations?  Please contact Mrs. Reeds!  Thank you for your support in raising healthy kids!

Parent/Volunteer Job Descriptions:

1.    Check-In Table – Check in vendors as they arrive.  Assign a student helper to show each vendor to his/her assigned location
(7:00 – 8:00 a.m.)
2.    Hospitality Stand – Donate items for parents, volunteers, vendors and helpers  (All-Day or in shifts)
3.    Games Booth Coordinator – Run/Assist with a games booth (All-Day or in shifts)
4.    Set-up Crew – Assist with table set up, signs, booth numbers, etc. (6:30 – 7:30 a.m.)
5.    Tear-Down Crew – Collect all games/booth items for storage, tear-down tables, etc.  (2:00 – 3:00 p.m.)
6.    Booth Manager – Check all booths/vendors and ensure everyone is happy and has what they need!  (Some may need electricity, bathroom break, water, food, etc.)  (All-Day or in shifts)

Second Quarter Newsletter

Mandarin Chinese 2012

Mr. Juan “Boss” Vasquez is this year’s El Rancho Classified Employee of the Year.  Juan is a very quiet guy who has been working as an aide in John Lovitt’s class for many years.  It is his low key approach that makes Juan effective with the special kids that are placed in his classroom.  His calm demeanor keeps them calm!  At the same time, he is ready to intervene on the rare occasion that it becomes necessary to protect students and staff.  He seems always prepared to do what is necessary.  Juan is an accomplished artist who on sometimes shares his work with the students.  Over the years, Juan has definitely made a difference in kid’s lives here at El Rancho.  Congratulations, Juan, we appreciate everything that you do!

Teacher of the Year

Our El Rancho Teacher of the Year goes to the Mrs. Nana Cahill.  We decided to “borrow” Nana from Portola for a summer program here at El Rancho a few years ago and decided to never give her back.  Nana is currently serving as co-chair of our math department.  She is an innovative teacher with a ton of energy and new ideas.  Just like Juan, she loves all of her kids here at El Rancho and has a special place in her heart for the struggling mathematicians.  There are plenty of kids and adults who say they can’t do math, but none of them had an opportunity to take a math course from Nana.  She brings a great smile and a crazy sense of humor to school with her every day and all of that positiveness seems to be contagious.  Congratulations, Mrs. Cahill, on the great job you do for our kids and the leadership that you bring to our school.

What makes a career exciting and fulfilling?  That answer is different for everyone.  That’s why El Rancho Charter School held its annual Career Day on Wednesday, January 25.  El Rancho students had the opportunity to speak with a variety of Career Professionals.  Over twenty-five career fields were represented.  The cafeteria was transformed into a job fair atmosphere where students were exposed to varied career opportunities and had the chance to ask presenters questions about their professions.  Mr. Gorski and his talented students created the beautiful art work displayed on the walls depicting the careers of our presenters.

In appreciation, El Rancho Charter School would like to acknowledge the important contribution of time and talent by our Career Day Presenters who took time out of their day to educate our students on career possibilities.  They include:

Dr. Satinder Bains – Optometrist, Christopher Butler – Special Agent in Charge/US Secret Service, Julia Cherney – Dental Hygienist, City of Anaheim Fire Department – Engine 10, City of Anaheim Police Department/ SWAT, Dr. Sandra Cotter – Internal Medicine Physician/Kaiser, Kortney Dodd – Orange County District Attorney Investigator, Keith Foelsch – Professional Musician, Laurence Gilbert – Sr. Program Manager/Electron Technologies, Jeff Hemerson -  SWAT Training Detail Sergeant, Marc Kazlauskas – Creative Director/Owner Mfactor Inc, Mike Lynch – SWAT Sergeant, Carlo Marzocca – CHP Police Officer/K-9 Unit, Larissa Marantz – Artist/Illustrator/Animator/ Owner OC Art Studios, Leticia McMahan – Sr Financial Analyst/Disney Domestic Parks Capital Reporting, Lori Neill – Community Services Specialist/Marriage & Family Therapist, Justine Nguyen – Relationship Advisor/Silicon Valley Bank, Poorvi Parekh – President & CEO Canterbury Consulting, Kristine Ridge – City of Anaheim Human Resources Director, Dr. Giselle Rocha – Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Alexandra Rodriguez – Used Oil Recycling Program Coordinator/Anaheim Fire, Maria Sabol – Public Information Officer Anaheim Fire, Alan Smith – Firefighter/Anaheim Fire Department, Dr. James Sposa – Doctor of Physical Therapy/Ando & Aston Physical Therapy, Suzanne Stover – Funeral Director & Licensed Embalmer McAulay & Wallace Mortuary, Dr. Paul Yang, Optometrist, Dr. Frances Yang – Major,163rd Medical Group March Air Force Base/Flight Surgeon with Air National Guard/Pediatrician, Kaiser.

We are so fortunate to have supportive & dedicated families at El Rancho…thank you to the generous parents who donated breakfast items & supplies for our presenters, as well as those who volunteered their time to help make Career Day a success.  We would also like to thank the Walker Family and Cantina Lounge for their generous donations, and Eva Mogannam for her work on all of the Career Day printed materials.

Finally, we’d like to thank Mr. Besta, Mrs. Walker, Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Nicol, Mrs. Noonan, Boone and the El Rancho staff for their guidance and for making Career Day a success!