Hawk Updates

September

16th: VAPA Vision

16th: Library Time Begins!

16th - 20th: Start with Hello Week!

19th: Dining for Dollars - Tony Pepperoni's

20th: Character Counts Coaches Training at 9am in the MPR

25th: Picture Day Make up

25th: CAPES Board Meeting. 5:30 pm

27th: Community Gathering

30th: Teacher Professional Growth. NO SCHOOL.

October

1st: Kindergarten starts full day

2nd: Start of Fitness Club

4th - 11th: Scholastic Book Fair

14th: VAPA Vision

15th: Minimum Day for all students. Release at 12:45 pm

17th: Dining 4 Dollars at Mendocino Farms

18th: CHES School Dance. SAVE THE DATE! See flyer below.

21st - 25th: Green Envelope Week

28th: VAPA Vision

31st: Halloween

We are excited to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month which starts on September 15th.

You may be thinking to yourself, "why does Hispanic Heritage month start on September 15th and not Sept. 1st?"

The day of September 15th is significant because it is the anniversary of independence of Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively.

If you are looking for some fun resources to use with your kids, here is a good website: https://www.pbs.org/parents/hispanic-heritage-month

Ellen Ochoa, the first female Hispanic astronaut to go to space. In 1993, she boarded the space shuttle Discovery for nine days as part of her research on the ozone layer. Since then, she has spent nearly 1,000 hours in space missions and has become a notable Hispanic figure in science.

Due to her significant contributions, NASA has awarded her the coveted Distinguished Service Medal. Up to this day, Ochoa continues to inspire women and young girls to pursue STEM.

Character Counts volunteer training is Friday, September 20th in the MPR at 9:00 am.

The Character Counts program is an amazing opportunity to assist our students in developing important social and emotional skills. We focus on the core ethical traits known as "The Six Pillars of Character": Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Trustworthiness, and Citizenship.

If you haven't signed up with your child's teacher yet, but are interested in learning more, please feel free to attend the training.

As a volunteer, you'll have the chance to go into your child's classroom six times and teach a lesson on one of the six character traits.

This is not only a fantastic way to get to know your child's classmates, but also to foster an environment of caring and kindness within our school.

Each classroom can have one or multiple volunteers, so you can divide the lessons or collaborate with other parents. We have an entire Google drive dedicated to the lesson plans. If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to reach out Liana Hunt lkaufmanhunt@gmail.com

We love dogs and it's obvious that our furry friends are loved members of our Chaparral families. However, we want to remind everyone that dogs are not allowed on campus; and this includes during drop off and pick up. We appreciate everyone supporting us with this. Please keep your furry members of the family home when you drop off and pick up your children.

Thank you.

CHES

Parent Ambassadors are parent volunteers and mentors who support and enlighten fellow parents of students with IEP and those seeking directions as they consider special education. Their contribution to schools and community is important to help all students learn and grow to reach their full potential.

Your contribution matters. Please lend a hand and spread the sunshine. Your involvement will make the world a bit brighter for those around you.

To apply to become a Parent Ambassador, please click here or the link on the flyer. Watch the video to meet some of our Parent Ambassadors. Visit the website for more information.

Flyer: https://4.files.edl.io/e73b/06/13/24/163945-728eb2e0-902b-4ca2-b178-996164cd61a1.pdf

We want to remind everyone that taking photos of your child on the playground is not allowed. The reason for this is for the privacy and protection of all children on our campus. While we recognize that the intention is innocent in that parents want a picture of their child on the playground, but remember that the children in the background or who are playing with your child did not give permission for their photo to be taken.

We love pictures, but please wait until your kiddo gets home!

Thank you.

It takes a lot to ensure our kids are getting the best experiences and education. If you or someone you know wishes to donate to a teacher's classroom or the overall school, one way you can do so is through the follow site: CLASSROOM SUPPLIES - ONLINE DONATION PROGRAM

As a parent or guardian, we often need your help to pull off some of the great field trips we have planned for your student. If you are interested in chaperoning a field trip it is required for you to be a Level 2 volunteer. This is a process that does take some time as finger printing is eventually required. If you think there is a chance that you want to chaperone a field trip sometime this year, we encourage you to begin your volunteer paperwork TODAY.

1. Complete the following forms
   1. Level I Application (Megan’s Law)
      • English: Megan's Law Level II (pdf)
      • Spanish: Ley de Megan – Nivel II (pdf)
   2. Volunteer Code of Conduct
      • ​​English: Volunteer Code of Conduct (pdf)
      • Spanish: Código de Conducta del Voluntario (pdf)
   3. Volunteer Code of Confidentiality
      • English: Volunteer Code of Confidentiality (pdf)
      • Spanish: CODIGO DE PRIVACIDAD DE LOS VOLUNTARIOS
   4. Proof of identification/driver’s license [proof of identification/driver’s license to be shown at school site]
2. Applicant will turn in completed forms plus proof of a TB clearance to the school site where they plan to volunteer.
3. Request a Level 2 Approval form from the school site. The form must be signed by the school site and then brought to the District Office on:
   • Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
   • Thursday 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
4. Please be prepared to show a picture ID when you pick up the form.
5. This form will be exchanged for an application and Livescan Fingerprinting Form. Please be prepared to show picture ID when you pick up the form.
   1. Livescan runs fingerprints through databases of the CA DOJ (CA Department of Justice) and FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations). There is a $20 cost for the applicant. This is a mandatory requirement for Level II volunteers.
6. The school site will notify applicant once they are approved.

The electronic ballot for School Site Council is open until tomorrow, Monday 9/16, at 4pm.

Case your 5 votes today!

https://forms.gle/Y24j1HmTceNZjSXQ7

The start of Fitness Club this year will be October 2nd. Grades 1 - 5 will run the track during their lunch recess on Wednesdays and Fridays, in addition to the 2nd Tuesday of the month for incentive day.

See the flyers below for more information and if you are interested in being a volunteer!

Training is required for all new AND returning volunteers as there is lots of new information for both programs. Coming to orientation/training does not mean you have to volunteer- if you have questions about the programs or are just curious to know more, please come!

Please help us keep the parking lot safe and the drop off and pick up in our front lot running smoothly.

We ask of everyone:

1. Do not park in the parking lot. You may see open spots, especially in the morning, but those are reserved for our staff. If parents fill those spots our staff has a hard time getting onto campus and getting prepared for your students.

2. Please pull forward. Whenever possible, before picking up or dropping off always pull as far forward as possible.

3. Stay in your cars. To keep everything running smoothly, please stay in your cars while in line for the drop off and pick up. If your child needs help, please just roll the passenger side window down and ask one of our staff and they will assist.

4. Stay back from the gates if you are picking up your students in person. It is very helpful if parents stay back from all gates before they open. Additionally, we ask they all parents, even those in grades 1-5, who use the front gates to not go beyond the TK/K gate. Your students will meet you there.

Thank you in advance for helping us keep drop off and dismissal running smoothly by following these guidelines. We are a large school and we need everyone's help in keep kids safe.

Important information for students with medications...

1. Medication should be turned in no later than 8/20/24. Parents can turn medication into the main office during office hours 8:00 am to 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

2. Medication Authorization to Administer must be attached to medication forms. If your student has more than one medication, only one Authorization to Administer form needs to be filled out with all medication listed and attached to the other specific medication forms.

3. All medication listed needs to be listed with name of medication, dosage, method of administering medication and time of day to be given.

4. No expired medication will be accepted.

5. Only school provided forms (attached) are accepted. All forms need to be completely filled out by the student’s physician.

6. Parents must sign and date forms.

7. Medication measuring cups or syringes must be provided with medication. We do not have measuring cups/syringes here at school.

Important Forms:

Medication Authorization Form

Anaphylaxis Form

Seizure Medication Orders

Asthma Form

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Jessica Rasoul at jrasoul@powayusd.com.

Obviously, the best environment for any student to learn is the school environment. Whenever possible, families are strongly encouraged to avoid taking vacations and other trips that results in their students missing extended periods of time from school.

However, when these trips are unavoidable, parents can request an OCIS contract. Details of OCIS contracts can be found below.

Off Campus Independent Study (OCIS) Contracts

This contract allows the student to complete work that he/she would be doing if they were in class and helps the school to continue to receive funding from the state. The student needs to work with his/her teachers closely to submit the assignments.

The threshold for implementing an OCIS contract is limited to a minimum of 3 days through a maximum of 14 school days. The 14-school day limit for OCIS contracts is cumulative for the entire school year.

At least 5 school days of notice is required to set up an OCIS Contract.

*A family who plans to keep their student out of school beyond the 20 days must enroll their child in Poway Home Education Program (PHEP: TK through 8th grade)

Please refer to the PUSD website for more information and contact the student’s counselor.

Each year thousands of schools and youth organizations nationwide participate in Start With Hello Week, a national call-to-action week dedicated to making new social connections and creating a sense of belonging among youth.

How does Chaparral participate in National Start With Hello Week?!?!?

-Glad you asked

Monday 9/16 - We are celebrating Dot Day, which is a global celebration of creativity, courage, and collaboration that takes place on September 15th each year. It's inspired by the book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, which is about a teacher who encourages a student to trust in her abilities. The story begins with a small dot on a piece of paper, which leads to a breakthrough in confidence and courage. I will be reading the book "The Dot" Live on Hawk Talk to start the day off. We will then dismiss you to talk about it with your classrooms if you wish.

Tuesday 9/17 - Name Tags, we will put name tags in all teacher mailboxes for students to write their names on. The goal is that students will be able to visibly see other student's names and learn a new name or two or three...

Wednesday 9/18 - Our Legendary Kindness Wall is back and better than ever! We invite all staff to write a kindness note to add to the wall before school on Wednesday. Students will get the opportunity to leave or take a kind note written by a fellow student or staff member throughout the day.

Thursday 9/19 - We’re challenging all students to sit with a new group of friends/friend at lunch. Have new conversations, make sure nobody is sitting alone on this day. 🙂

Friday 9/20 - We're showing that we're all family. Please wear any and all Chaparral gear that you may have. If you don't have any Chaparral gear yet, just wear green or blue!

2024/2025 School Year Birthday Marquee Signups are now open!

Complete the form from the link provided below if you would like your child's name (first name and last initial) to appear on the Chaparral Marquees during the week of his/her birthday. To secure your marquee reservation, please make a $25 donation to CAPES after submitting the form. Donations may be received via Paypal (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/ChaparralCAPES). Include this note with your donation: "Birthday Marquee for [Child's first name and last initial]".

Note--Each marquee has only two (2) available sign-ups per week. If a week is not listed, it has reached the maximum capacity of reservations. Holiday weeks have not been included. This form is ONLY for the 2024/2025 school year. Please do not submit a response for a future school year.

Your child's birthday message (ex. Happy Birthday Lizzie B.) will appear at some point during the week and will stay up for a minimum of 1 day.

Please note that our CAPES volunteers may need at least one (1) week of advance notice to honor birthday marquee reservations.

Google signup sheet link: https://forms.gle/qsiBngvtxDDcAh8YA

Annually Poway Adult School provides parent education courses throughout the year.

Below are their first round of parent workshops.

Parents can also visit our website at https://www.powayusd.com/apps/pages/parenting-classes-education and search for the course they are interested in and enroll directly from our site.

September 2023 Parent Education Courses:

• Gender Identity and Expression Part I – All Grades In Person
• Taming Your Child’s Tantrums and Meltdowns - TK-5th Grade via Zoom
• Navigating Autism and Supporting Your Child – TK-5th Grade via Zoom

Please note, scholarships are available to parents who may be in need. Parent can contact the Caring Connections Center for more information.

PUSD provides breakfast and lunch to all students free of charge pursuant to the California Universal Meals Program. Free meals are available to all families, regardless of their free or reduced-price meal eligibility status. Breakfast service will begin at 8:25 am and end at 8:40 am. Students will report directly to the playground after eating breakfast. Students not eating breakfast need to arrive when the playground opens at 8:25 am.

Meal program details are provided on the Food and Nutrition Department website at PUSD Food and Nutrition. Families are still encouraged to submit a school meal application for free and reduced-priced meal benefits because this information may be used for other programs such as Federal and State funding for your school, reduced registration fees for academic tests, free or discounted fees for bus passes, ESS childcare, and athletic programs, discounted rates for internet service and many more! The application can be found online at https://www.myschoolapps.com/ . Applications must be submitted on an annual basis.

In order to Volunteer on campus, PUSD's Volunteer Requirements must be met and the following documentation needs to be submitted to the office:

1) Volunteer Application & Megan's Law clearance form + picture ID (signed annually)

2) TB clearance/negative result from a health care provider (Good for 4 years)

3) Code of Conduct form (signed annually)

4) Code of Confidentiality (signed annually)

Note--the district office needs at least 2 weeks to process and clear volunteers once all forms/documents are submitted; therefore, please submit the volunteer paperwork as soon as you are able.