News and Events

August 24, 2010

Dear Parents and Guardians:
Welcome back! We are excited to work with you and your students this year.
Please look for our newsletter, which will be sent home with your student (s) on Friday, August 27th. It contains a brief message from our new Principal, Maribel Luengo. It also introduces our new teachers and staff, as well as our new library and honor student recognition programs. Please ask your student (s) to see the newsletter after school on Friday.
I need to take a moment to clarify our tardy and attendance procedure, because we are having too many students showing up late. Students will be marked tardy up to 10 minutes late (after the 8:15 a.m. bell rings). Students who reach 3 tardies in a trimester will be given a natural consequence to attend After School detention. Students who arrive more than 10 minutes late will be marked absent and will need a parent note get into class.
Please make it a priority to get your students to school on time. Every student who walks into class late disrupts the educational flow of the class, both for the students and the teacher.
I realize that it’s a difficult transition time and that many/most of the students may still be on their summer wake up schedule. Nevertheless, we really need your help getting the students here on time every morning so classes can start without disruption at 8:15 a.m.
It’s going to be a great school year. Thank you so much for your support.

Sincerely,

Michael Westover
CEO/Director.

August 20, 2010

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Welcome back! We are excited to get the 2010-2011 school year under way. School starts on Monday, August 23rd at 8:15 a.m. Please note that school will now end promptly at 3:00 p.m. Mondays - Thursdays.

Please also note that both the Preschool and the After-school Program will be starting on Monday, August 30th (not the first day of school). Please check the school’s website for more information regarding changes to the Preschool program this year (http://www.diacharter.org/?page=preschool).

I’m also very excited to announce your student’s teacher for 2010-2011: ____________________________________________________. I am truly excited for each of DIA’s teachers, new and returning. I am confident that it is going to be a fantastic school year.

Please add to your calendars the “Meet and Greet” BBQ/Potluck that VIA will be holding behind the school on Saturday, August 21st at 6:00 p.m. You and your families are welcome. It will be a wonderful opportunity to meet the new school administration and to prepare the school garden for student use.

DIA is undergoing many personnel and program improvements in the 2010-2011 school year, such as:

1.    DIA has a new school administration and a handful of new teachers:

•    Michael Westover (me) – CEO/Director
•    Maribel Luengo (Spain) – Principal (she comes highly recommended and is a specialist in dual immersion philosophy)
•    Jeanne Whitmore – Business Director
•    Amy Trombetti – Special Education Director
•    Alan Shino – Assessment Director
•    Mat Murdock – Technology Director
•    Angela Fanjul – School Counselor, Community Outreach Coordinator, and Grant Writer
•    María Álvaro Rivilla (Spain) – Kindergarten
•    María Narvaiza Recuero (Spain) – Kindergarten
•    Yolanda Perez Murillo (Mexico) – Kindergarten
•    Carolina Godoy Sáez (Spain) – 4st grade
•    Gabriela Orozco Mark (Mexico) –1st grade
•    Paul Sucher – 6th-8th grade Math and Science
•    Stefany Adinaro – Kindergarten-5th grade PE, Health, and CTE Intro.

2.    You will also want to note other various program and technology improvements taking place at DIA:

•    We have adopted a new Math curriculum, “Bridges in Mathematics,” and teachers will be trained throughout the year to implement it successfully.
•    We are continuing our focus on the “Balanced Literacy” approach to Language Arts instruction at DIA. Teachers will also be receiving consistent         feedback on the successful implementation of this program throughout the year.
•    We have purchased some new Library software to help us catalog our books and make the library fully operational.
•    We now have a new SIS (student information system) called “Compass: Education Management Software.” It will allow parents and guardians to check attendance, grades, teacher unit plans, teacher blogs, library books, lunch accounts, etc., in real time.
•    Each teacher is receiving a new classroom computer, as well as other important technology upgrades needed throughout the school.
•    We have contracted with LunchBoxers, Inc. to help us offer a greater variety of healthy lunch offerings to our students.

Please know that we are all truly excited for this upcoming school year, and I look forward to working with you and your student.

Sincerely,

Michael Westover, CEO/Director

August 19 2010

Dear parents,

Because of the adoption of the 90-10 model of Dual Immersion in our school, we can no longer accept students in grades 3rd-5th that do no speak and read Spanish. We are very sorry for the inconvinience. Thank you.

Maribel Luengo
Principal
Dual Immersion Academy
Tel: 801-347-1750

August 18, 2010

Dear parents, guardians and friends of DIA,

Welcome back to 2010-2011 new school year! As the new principal of DIA I would like to introduce myself. My name is Maribel Luengo, Spanish is my first language, both at birth and by education and am delighted to be part of DIA family. I am a true believer in Dual Immersion education. I am anticipating an exciting new school year in which we will all work together to make DIA a great school and where our children continue their path to bilingualism and bi-literacy successfully. I am here to serve DIA community to the best of my abilities. I thank you for trusting us with your children. Let us have a wonderful and successful school year!

Maribel Luengo

08-06-10 Fee Waiver

Dear parents, please click here to see the Fee Waiver Application form.

05-28-10 Dear Parents

Parents and guardians of DIA students have the right to request and receive information regarding the qualifications of their children's teachers, as per state code 1111(h)(6)(A).

For more information please contact Diana Suddreth at the USOE at Diana.Suddreth@schools.utah.gov

05-25-10 Follow-up to Questions from Board Meeting on 05-18-10

Please click here

05-21-10 2nd Annual Walk-A-Thon

Please click here to see more information and here to see the sponsor sheet

05-21-10 Dual Immersion Academy Table of Consequences

Dear parents, please click here to see this documen

05-18-10 Dear DIA Parents and Guardians (Survey)

Please take 5 to 10 minutes to help the new school administration by filling out this survey. Also, for those individuals who don’t have access to computers, we will place hard copies in the front office. Thank you for your participation.

Please click here to access the survey in English.

05-18-10 Newsletter from DIA's Board of Directors, please click here

05-17-10 Dear DIA Parents and Guardians:

I am excited to work with the staff and students at Dual Immersion Academy. I am also excited to get to know you. It is my intention to finish out the school year strong. We have a month left of school, and there is still time to improve! I have worked as an administrator with various traditional public schools and charter public schools, and I am confident that my colleagues at Utah Education Consulting (UEC) and I can help your school improve in its administrative, business, curriculum, assessment, technology, and Special Education functions. There is much to do at DIA, and it will not happen over night, but we are starting now to take the steps that will take DIA to the next level so that it truly becomes one of the premier education institutions in the state of Utah. We will be distributing an electronic needs assessment for your to complete, which will help me and my team understand and prioritize the most critical issues. Please complete the Needs Assessment (one per household). If you do not have access to the internet, please pick up a hard copy of the Needs Assessment in the front office. Thank you for your willingness to provide feedback for the UEC team as we endeavor to make critical changes and improvements that will be a blessing for your students, employees, and the community.

Sincerely,

Michael A. Westover
Executive Director, UEC

05-13-10 Public announcement, please click here

PTA positions-English

Posiciones para el PTA-Español

Newsletter from the DIA Board of Directors 05-18-10

As many of you know, there are a lot of changes happening at DIA, and we are committed to working together and communicating openly to resolve concerns as we move forward.

First, there are some new faces at DIA. Mr. Michael Westover is our new Interim Director since the resignation of Dr. Laurencio Pena. Mr. Westover and his colleagues at Utah Education Consultants (UEC) have been contracted to serve our school during our search for a new permanant director. DIA's business manager, Nadia White, has also stepped down, and Barbara Lovejoy, Dean of Students, resigned and her last day was Friday, May 14th. UEC staff will be helping to fill these and other positions for the rest of the school year as needed.

Second, everyone should have received a flyer about the Open Mic Board Meeting being held Tuesday, May 18th, at 5:30pm at DIA, most likely in the Cafeteria. Anyone is welcome to submit questions ahead of time to board members, so they can have answers ready for the meeting, but submission in advance is not required. Anyone who would like to speak will be allowed up to 3 minutes at the meeting. The Board's goal is to answer as many questions
as possible at the meeting, and has committed to answer any remaining questions within a week after the meeting. Mr. Westover will be present to listen and respond to any operations questions as appropriate.

There have also been some changes on the Board of Directors in recent months. Temma Martin has stepped down in order to care for her baby. In February, Jesse Soriano was elected to serve a 2-year term on the Board, and in May Mac Newbold was elected to serve a 2-year term. Angelica Flores, VIA President, is nearing the end of her term on the Board, and the new PTA President will be joining the board after the PTA elections on May 27th. More information about the Board of Directors and its members is posted on the school website at www.diacharter.org along with meeting minutes and other information.

Many of you may know about the School Improvement Grant that was being worked on before Dr. Pena's departure. A few days after April's board meeting it was modified from the "Turnaround" model to the "Transformation" model that would not impose any requirements about staff changes for DIA. Notification of whether or not we received funding for this potentially multi-million dollar 3-year grant is anticipated on Friday, May 21st.

Many hours were spent working through the mediation processes between the stakeholders at DIA, and significant changes in our situation have occurred. The need for continued mediation efforts is being evaluated, and mediation will be on hold until a decision is made. Steps have been taken to increase communication, and the Board anticipates weekly updates for the remainder of the school year, both on paper and via email and the website and bi-weekly or monthly updates over the summer to be distributed electronically.

As we begin the search for our new director, we encourage participation in the process as job requirements are determined, candidates are located and
interviewed, and as we meet with the finalists and select a director. Some of the requirements are mandated by law, rules, or by the charter, bylaw, or policies, but we look forward to your input throughout the search. Please contact Mac Newbold (mac@maacnewbold.com) who will be heading the Director Search Committee.

Parents would like to get more involved at the school should start by volunteering with the teachers in their child's classroom and by contacting the parent organization. Formerly known as VIA, the parent association will officially become a PTA for next year, and will be electing officers at their May 27th meeting at the school. They also have a list of ways in which help at the school would be appreciated, and can help you find ways you would like to contribute.

Our goal is to get a great permanant director in place as soon as we reasonably can, so we can get a great start for the new school year. DIA values include "recruiting and retaining the best faculty and staff available" and everyone will be striving to do that. We ask for your help in keeping communication open with all stakeholders, so that any concerns can be seen and resolved quickly.

Boletín de la Junta de Directiva de DIA 05-18-10

Como muchos ya saben, hemos tenido mucho cambios en DIA, estamos comprometidos en trabajar juntos y comunicarnos abiertamente para resolver dudas mientras salimos adelante.

Primero, hay unas caras nuevas en DIA. El señor Michael Westover es nuestro nuevo Director Interino después de la renuncia de Dr. Laurencio Peña. El señor Westover y sus colegas en Utah Education Consultants (UEC, Consultas de Educación de Utah) se han contratado para servir nuestra escuela durante la búsqueda de un nuevo director permanente. La gerente de negocios de DIA, Nadia White, también ha renunciado y Barbara Lovejoy, decano de los estudiantes, renunció y su ultimo día era el viernes 14 de mayo. Los empleados de UEC ayudaran a llenar estas y otras posiciones durante el resto del año escolar como sea necesario.

Segundo, todos deberían haber recibido un volante concerniente a la Reunión de Micrófono Abierto con la junta directiva que se va a llevar a cabo este
martes, 18 de mayo, a las 5:30 en DIA, probablemente en la cafetería. Todos son invitados a enviar sus preguntas a la junta directiva antes de la reunión, para que se pueda preparar respuestas, pero esto no es mandatario. Todos los individuos que quieran hablar se les dará hasta 3 minutos en la reunión. La meta de la junta directiva es de contestar la mayoría de las preguntas durante la reunión, y se han comprometido a contestar el resto dentro de una semana después de la misma. El señor Westover estará presente para escuchar y responder a cualquier pregunta al respeto de operaciones como sea apropiado.

Hubieron también algunos cambios en la junta directiva en meses recientes. Temma Martin se ha retirado de su cargo para cuidar a su niño. En febrero, Jesse Soriano fue elegido a servir dos años en la junta, y en mayo, Mac Newbold fue elegido para servir dos años. Angelica Flores, presidenta de VIA, llega cerca al fin de su tiempo con la junta, y el nuevo presidente del PTA se unirá a la junta después de las elecciones el 27 de mayo. Más información acerca de la junta directiva y sus miembros esta disponible en el sitio Internet de la escuela en www.diacharter.org junto con las minutas de reuniones y otras informaciones.

Muchos tal vez conocen de el School Improvement Grant (SIG, subvención para mejoramiento escolar) que se estaba preparando antes de la salida de Dr.
Peña. Pocos días después de la reunión de la junta directiva en abril, se modifico del modelo "turnaround" (cambio) al modelo "transformation" (transformación) que no impondría ningún requisito de cambiar empleados en DIA. La notificación de si vamos a recibir fondos de esta subvención que podría llegar hasta millones de dólares en el transcurso de los próximos tres años, se espera el viernes, 21 de mayo.

Muchas horas se han dedicado a trabajar en el proceso de mediación entre las partes interesadas en DIA, y cambios significativos han ocurrido en nuestra situación. La necesidad de continuar en mediación se está evaluando y la mediación se va a posponer hasta tener una decisión. Se han tomado pasos para mejorar la comunicación, y la junta directiva espera poner actualizaciones semanales hasta el fin del año escolar, por medios de cartas, también por correo electrónico y la pagina de Internet de DIA. Se darán también actualizaciones mensuales o cada dos semanas durante el verano que se van a distribuir electrónicamente.

Mientras empezamos la búsqueda de un nuevo director, los alentamos a que participación en el proceso mientras se determinen los requisitos, encontramos
y entrevistamos a los candidatos, conocen a los finalistas y escogemos un director. Algunos de los requisitos son mandados por leyes, reglas, o por nuestro charter, estatutos, y pólizas, pero esperamos sus comentarios durante la búsqueda. Por favor, póngase en contacto con Mac Newbold (mac@maacnewbold.com) que dirigirá el Comité de Búsqueda de Director

Padres que quieran involucrarse más en la escuela pueden empezar siendo voluntarios en la clases de sus niños con los maestros y por contactar a la
organización de padres. La organización que se conoció antes como VIA, está cambiando oficialmente a ser un PTA (Parent Teacher Association, asociación de padres y maestros) para el año que entra, y va a elegir sus oficiales en la reunión del 27 de mayo en la escuela. PTA tienen una lista de como usted puede apoyar a la escuela y también pueden ayudarle a encontrar la manera en la cual le gustaría contribuir.

Nuestra meta es encontrar un director permanente que sea excelente y ponerlo lo más pronto que sea posible, para que tengamos un empiezo excelente para
el nuevo año escolar. Los valores de DIA incluyen el "reclutamiento y retenimiento de los mejores profesores y personal administrativo" y todos se esforzaran para cumplirlo. Les pedimos su ayuda en mantener abierta la comunicación con todas las partes interesadas, para que cualquier duda se pueda ver y resolver pronto.

Public Announcement 05-13-10

May 12, 2010

Dear Dual Immersion Academy Community,

As you know, we at DIA have been experiencing tumultuous times. We are a community of individuals all dedicated to the success of the school and our students but with varying perspectives about how to best achieve this success. In response to feedback about concerns at the school and in an effort to help us work more collaboratively, we have been participating in a facilitation process. Unfortunately, the process was not as successful as we had hoped.

Today, Dr. Pena formally resigned. The board is prepared at this time to accept his resignation. We have agreed to an amicable separation and expect respectful conduct from all involved.

As of Thursday, we will have a management consulting team in place to assume the Director?s responsibilities as well as fill in any gaps that may exist. The team is highly qualified and comes with much experience working with charter schools.

Thank you all for your ongoing support of DIA through these challenging times. We look forward to your cooperation as we move forward. We will communicate more information about our transition as it becomes available.

Barbara Fink

Board President, Dual Immersion Academy

Anuncio Público 05-13-10

Mayo 12, 2010

Queridos miembros de la comunidad de Dual Immersion Academy,

Como ustedes saben, hemos experimentado tiempos tumultuosos en DIA. Somos una comunidad de individuos dedicados al éxito de la escuela y nuestros estudiantes, pero con diferentes perspectivas sobre cómo lograr mejor este éxito. En respuesta a los comentarios sobre las inquietudes de la escuela y en un esfuerzo para ayudarnos a trabajar en equipo, hemos estado participando en un proceso de facilitación. Lamentablemente, el proceso no fue tan exitoso como esperábamos.

Hoy día, el Dr. Peña renunció formalmente. En este momento, la junta directiva está preparada de aceptar su renuncia. Hemos acordado en tener una separación amistosa y esperamos tener una conducta respetuosa de parte de todos los involucrados.

Empezando el jueves, tendremos un equipo de consultores administrativos que van a asumir las responsabilidades del director, así como llenar los vacíos que puedan existir. El equipo está altamente calificado y cuenta con mucha experiencia de trabajo con las escuelas charter.

Gracias a todos por su apoyo continuo en DIA durante estos tiempos difíciles. Esperamos su colaboración a medida de que avancemos. Comunicaremos más información acerca de nuestra transición, cuando esté disponible.

Barbara Fink
Presidente de la Junta de Dual Immersion Academy



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