Garden Road Family Newsletter #1

August 10th, 2024

Summer Update

Dear Garden Road Families,

I hope you all are enjoying your summer and spending time with your families! I want to extend a warm welcome to all of our new and returning families. I am excited to join the Garden Road Elementary School as the new principal, and look forward to building strong partnerships with families, students and staff built on mutual respect and trust. I will work hard to ensure that every member of our school community feels valued, inspired and empowered to grow through meaningful learning experiences.

Principal Meet and Greet

I am looking forward to meeting all of you! There will be several opportunities for a meet and greet with me. The first is August 15 at The Hop Stop restaurant on Midland Rd. from 5 to 7 pm. Please come on by and introduce yourself and your students. I will also have another meet and greet after our first Friday Flag ceremony on September 6. Together, we will make this year a positive one for our students!

Classroom Assignments

Parents/Guardians will receive an email after 5 pm on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 with their child's new teacher.

School Supplies

An updated school supply list is here. All donations are voluntary. A donation is not required to participate in any school activity. This year, all grades are asking for a donation in lieu of specific classroom supplies.

New Student Orientation

For families who are new to Garden Road this year, a new student orientation will be held for parents and students on August 20 at 9 am in the MPR. Please join us to learn a little bit about Garden Road Elementary School and our Eagle Pride!

TK and Kindergarten Back to School Meetings and Meet and Greet

Kindergarten's Back to School Night is Monday, August 19 at 5 pm. This night is for parents only. The meet and greet for kindergarten students will be Tuesday, August 20 from 8 am to 9 am.

TK will have a combined Back to School Meeting and meet and greet on Tuesday August 20 from 8 am to 9:30 am. This event is for parents and students. Parents will meet with teachers from 8 am to 8:30 am while the students are supervised by staff. Following this meeting, students will meet their teachers in small groups and play outside.

As the school year approaches, our teachers and staff will be hard at work preparing classrooms and getting ready to start our year off strong! Please reach out to me at smelnick@powayusd.com with comments, questions, or concerns. I look forward to working with you this year!

Sue Melnick

Principal

Meet the Assistant Principal

Please join me in welcoming Sheryl Simek back to Garden Road Elementary School as our new assistant principal. Sheryl was here last school year as a Teaching and Learning Leader at the start of the school year. This year, she will be coming back as our assistant principal. She will be shared between Garden Road and Canyon View Elementary. Sheryl will be introducing herself in a future newsletter. We are very excited to have Sheryl back to support the learning and social emotional development of our students.

Arrival And Dismissal Procedures

First Day Arrival Procedures

PUSD campuses will remain ‘closed campuses’ to ensure safety of our students and staff. On the first day of school only, parents/guardians will be able to walk their child(ren) to class or the field. Beginning Thursday, August 22, all children will be dropped off and picked up at the gate at all campuses.

Please see the map below for our arrival and dismissal procedures. The parking lot for parents is across the school. The staff parking lot is not used for parent parking or for student drop off. Please check the map and use the parking lot by the MPR for dropping off students in the morning.

Medication at School

Medication at School:

Poway Unified School District philosophy is that parents bear the primary responsibility in providing medication for their students. Whenever possible, medication should be administered at home. Parents have the option to personally administer medication to their child at any time during the school day. Health assistance can be provided to support student learning and attendance. Medication administration is provided under the direction and indirect supervision of the resource nurses in Health Services. If a student needs medication during the school day, the following procedure must be followed, according to Ed Code:

Complete an Authorization for Medication Administration form (H-26) for all prescriptions, over the counter, and herbal medication. The form requires signatures by both the parent and the student’s physician. The physician must be licensed in the state of California.
The completed form should be given to the Health Technician at the same time as you deliver the medication.
The medication must be in a pharmacy-labeled container stating the student’s full name, medication name, proper dosage, and time to be given.

Please check the expiration date on all medication you provide to the school site and update this medication as needed.

Long term medication: Provide no more than a 1 month supply and replenish the medication as needed.
Over-the-counter medication (i.e. Benadryl, Tylenol, or herbal medication): Medication must be in original container clearly labeled with student’s name. Parent and physician authorization is required.
Sunscreen and Throat Lozenges/Cough Drops may be administered to preschool/elementary school students with parent authorization only by completing and signing the top portion of the H-26 form. A physician signature is not required. All products must be in original packaging and labeled with the student’s name. No authorization for Sunscreen and Throat Lozenges/Cough Drops is required for Middle School or High School students.
Epi-pens and Epinephrine auto-injectors: A Potential Anaphylactic Reaction form (H-58) should be completed and signed by physician and parent. (H-26 form is not necessary)
Asthma: Please provide spacers for inhalers, if indicated, and review your child’s use of the inhaler with the school site Health Technician.
ESS and Medication: Health Technician and ESS Coordinator can communicate and share forms. However, you must provide separate containers of medication for each location.

Note: Poway Unified School District has a “zero tolerance” drug policy for all students.

Do not put your child at risk of receiving disciplinary action! Don’t send your child to school with any medication unless you have followed the medication procedure. Remember, even Tylenol or Advil are considered to be drugs.

Students may carry their own medication only if they are responsible and an Authorization to Carry Medication While at School form (H-26B) has been signed by the physician, parent, and student.

H26 Medication Authorization Form

H-26B Medication Authorization Form self carry