CAL Update

Dear Students and Families,

March always sneaks up on us. The past few weeks at CAL have been full in the best ways, and it’s been great to see the energy across our classrooms and programs.

We’ve been welcoming many prospective students and families through Fast Tracks visits and open houses, giving them a chance to see CAL in action. There’s nothing better than watching our students and teachers share their work and show what makes this place special.

At the same time, our current students are deep into their learning to earn college credit, build technical skills, and work toward industry credentials. This is the time of year when all that hard work really starts to show!

As we head toward spring break, it’s a good moment to recognize how far our students have come and keep the momentum toward the finish line for the semester. Thank you for being part of the CAL community and for all you do to support our students.

I’m looking forward to the rest of the spring and all that’s ahead.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Gallagher

The past few weeks have been full as we’ve been out sharing CAL with future students visiting all five partner high schools for assemblies, welcoming 10th graders to campus for field trips, and hosting families at our Open House.

Just this week, we held our first lottery and are excited to welcome members of the Class of 2028 who will be joining CAL next fall.

A special thank you to our CAL Student Ambassadors who showed up with heart and leadership by leading tours, sharing their stories, and helping future students see what’s possible here. You represent CAL with authenticity, pride, and generosity, and it made all the difference!

We continue accepting applications on a rolling basis as space allows. If you know a current 10th grader who might be interested in CAL, they can apply at www.calcharter.org/apply.

Produced and Filmed by Ashley Tran, CAL Media Lab Student

February was CTE month- a busy month celebrating Career and Technical Education at CAL!

Here are just a few highlights:

Recent field trips have included:

All our program areas, students, and staff have so much to celebrate and more to come!

Project: House

One of our seniors designed, fabricated, and welded a 3D house for her senior project. It was an impressive blend of creativity, design, and welding skill. It’s always fun to see what students dream up and then bring to life in the shop!

"Growing up, my grandmother and I weren't as close as I hoped, but in the final years of her life, we grew much closer. My grandmother always encouraged my ambitions of entering the medical field, often saying how there needs to be more people like me. As a senior at Sam Barlow High School, a student at the Center for Advanced Learning, a member of the National Honor Society, and a candidate for Scholar of Distinction, I have always set my goals high. While my schedule keeps me busy, I still try to have a positive impact on my community. Honoring my grandmother through my senior project was a no-brainer. She left a lifelong positive impact on my life and encouraged me to accomplish great things, and I hope to make the same positive impact on others."

*If you would like to donate, please bring suggested donations to the CAL office.

One thing that never changes at CAL: students love snacks. And we love being able to share them.

If you ever find yourself with an extra box of granola bars, fruit snacks, crackers, or other individually wrapped treats, we are always grateful for snack donations. These small gestures go a long way in helping us support students throughout the day.

Thank you to our CAL community for always showing up for our students in thoughtful ways, snacks included!

Snacks can be sent with your student or dropped off at the CAL office.

The 11th-grade Language Arts state test will be given in the first and second weeks of April. The purpose of the assessment is to show individual student growth over time and to provide supplementary student-specific data that teachers can use to ensure every student is on track to reach goals for college and career readiness.

Oregon law (ORS 329.479) permits parents/guardians and adult students to annually opt out of Oregon’s statewide assessments in English Language Arts (ELA), the only state testing offered at CAL, by submitting your opt-out form to the district the student attends directly. Links are below.

CAL shall provide any student who is excused from a statewide ELA assessment with supervised study time while other students are testing.

On Monday, March 30, the Monday after Spring Break, CAL will have a 1-hr late start day.

*Reynolds and Centennial High School students will receive additional transportation information shortly.

March 23-27: Spring Break (no school)

April (1st and 2nd week): Language Arts State Testing (11th grade only, regular schedule)

April 24: 12-week grading day (no school)

May 21: Senior CALebration

May 25: Memorial Day (no school)

May 28-29: Senior Finals (12th grade only)

June 1-2: Senior Final Make-up Days (12th grade only)

June 4-5: Junior Finals (11th grade only)

June 8-9: Junior Final Make-up Days (11th grade only)