The Blazer Bulletin

Hello Trailblazers!

Did you know that SRES has a new broadcast program called Trailblazer TV or TBTV for short? A group of 5th grade students work on filming, editing and producing this production. A new episode airs every two weeks, watch the latest episode here.

On Thursday night, students from every grade participated in the annual Jammie Jam event. They made ice and glow in the dark slime, danced around with their teachers, had snowball fights, and more. Most importantly, however, they strengthened friendships and built a stronger sense of community alongside their teachers.

The week ended with students celebrating Valentine's Day with class parties and by sharing kind messages with each other. As we head into the February break, I hope that everyone takes time to relax and re-charge. We look forward to seeing everyone when we return to school on Monday, February 24th.

Warmly,

Teri Heard

Your Very Proud Principal

February 14: VAPA Vision, Valentine Grams Distributed

February 17-21: School Break (No School)

February 25: Fire Drill (Rescheduled due to rain)

February 28: Ramadan Starts

February 28: Community Gathering

Stone Ranch has developed a new program to positively influence student behavior. This program is called Together, We RIDE and it replaces the Character Counts program. Students have been learning about the expected behaviors and will be rewarded with Blazer Bucks that they can redeem at the Trailblazer Trading Post (our student store).

Last week I shared an Amazon Wishlist to help stock our store with items that the students wanted. I want to thank those parents who purchased an item from the wish list. However, thanks to your PTA membership dues, our wonderful PTA has made a donation to support our remaining store needs!

Our first store will be Wednesday, March 19th. We are looking for a few parent volunteers to help out during the store. Please sign up here if interested.

Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of your student looks like? Do you feel like you are missing out on important school dates and details? Well, we have the answer for you! Follow us on Instagram (@stoneranchpusd) for sneak peeks into our school day and to learn about all of our upcoming events!

Attendance rates improved this week! Please help us reach our attendance goals of having fewer than 5% of students out by prioritizing your child's daily school attendance. With 30% of absences due to parental excusal, it would help us if you would consider scheduling doctor appointments and family events during school breaks or after school. We appreciate your partnership!

The front office implemented a new practice to help ensure that attendance is accurately taken for students who arrive late to school. Students are expected to begin lining up for class no later than 7:38am. They are considered tardy after 7:45am. If they come to school after 7:45 the gates will be closed and they should enter through the front office. Once they check in with the office they will receive a yellow ticket to give to their teacher. This yellow ticket lets the teacher know that your student's attendance has been properly entered.

This week, the Stone Ranch Student Council delivered the items that we collected during our charity drive to the Poway Unified School District Youth In Transition program. These items will support over 300 families experiencing housing instability or homelessness within our district.

For more information about Chronic Absenteeism, please read this article.

Are your kids ready for another exciting PTA event? On Monday, March 3rd (Grades TK, K, 1st and 2nd) and on Wednesday, March 5th (Grades 3rd, 4th and 5th) students will participate in our 8th Annual Field Day! Each class will spend an hour down at the 4S Ranch Community Sports Park participating in fun outdoor activities with their classmates. From three legged races to rubber chicken relays, it's bound to have your kids talking!

We are in need of volunteers for this event. If you'd like to help, please signup below:

Field Day Volunteer SignUp

Yearbook dedication ads for your 5th grader can now be purchased for $15

Follow the instructions to submit your personalized message via Google form: 5th Grade yearbook dedications along with payment via paypal:

The deadline to place a dedication ad is Friday February 14 at midnight. Due to processing and assembly times for the yearbook, this deadline cannot be extended under any circumstances.

*Only ONE ad will be printed per student, each ad cannot exceed 350 characters, including spaces. Additional ads will not be printed, and the $15 purchase price will not be refunded.

Dedication ads are for 5th grade students only. Any ads purchased for non-5th grade students will not be printed and the $15 purchase price will not be refunded.

Ads will be printed as written so be certain to proofread!

For questions, email Stoneranchyearbook@gmail.com

Yearbooks can be purchased now for the last remaining discount of $35! Don’t delay, as prices will go up at the end of April to $40. Walk-ups during the last week of school will also be available for $40 though these yearbooks will not be reserved for your child and will be on a first come first serve basis. Many kids love looking back at their year and enjoy collecting messages from peers and teachers, so get your copy today!

Ralph’s and the Kroger family have long supported schools in passive fundraising efforts but we need 5 minutes of your time to help us get a piece of the pie! This is an incredibly easy way to help us raise money for Stone Ranch! Up to 4% of your purchases come directly back to our school.

Even if you have done this in the past you will need to do this again! There are two easy ways to make this happen. The easiest way is to download the Ralphs app, sign up for an account or login to your account if you already have one. In the top right hand corner click the three little lines. A drop down menu will appear. Click “Rewards”, then click “Community Contributions” and search for our school. That’s it!

Alternatively, if you do not want to download the app, you may create an account on the Ralphs website and then follow these steps:

• Scroll to the bottom of the page

• Look under Community

• Click on Ralphs Community Rewards

• Under instruction Number 2 - Link your card to an Organization

• Go to Number 2 - Search for your Organization here (click Here)

• You may have to sign in again

• Search for Stone Ranch Elementary School PTA (organization number DB957)

• Add to your account

The Poway Unified transfer window opens on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 8 a.m.! If you live within the Poway Unified boundaries and want your child to attend a school different than your assigned school, submit your request online through the Transfers page on the PUSD website. (This includes siblings of current students.) Please make sure to still enroll your child at their assigned school of residence when new student enrollment opens on April 1, 2025. Transfer requests can only be processed once your child is enrolled in their school of residence. The transfer request window will close on March 31, 2025 at 5 p.m.

Managing Screen Time

Managing screen time is an essential part of supporting children’s well-being and academic success in today’s digital world. Technology offers incredible opportunities for learning and creativity, but maintaining a healthy balance is key. Setting clear boundaries and encouraging mindful tech habits at home helps children develop the skills they need to navigate their digital lives responsibly. By working together to create a balanced approach to technology use, we can empower students to thrive both in and out of the classroom.

• Elementary Resource: How Much Screentime is OK for My Kids?

• Secondary Resource: 4 Conversations to Have with Older Kids and Teens About Their Screen Time Habits

Parents of English Learners: Today through Friday, February 28th, Poway Unified will be conducting our Family Engagement and Accountability survey to gather input from all families of English Learner students. This survey helps shape the District’s goals and guide priorities for the 2025-2026 school year. Your feedback is extremely helpful as we continue to seek ways to better our English Learner program. Please click HERE to complete the survey.

Nondiscrimination Philosophy and Policy Statement

The Poway Unified School District (PUSD) is an equal opportunity employer/program and is committed to an active Nondiscrimination Program. PUSD prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, nationality, immigration status, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. For more information, please contact: Title IX/Equity Compliance Officer, James Jimenez, Associate Superintendent of Personnel support Services, Poway Unified School District, 15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128, 1-858-521-2800, extension 2121, jjimenez@powayusd.com. For students, you may contact Title IX Coordinator/504 Coordinator Jamie Dayhoff, Director of Attendance and Discipline, Poway Unified School District, 1-858-521-2840, jdayhoff@powayusd.com.

Stone Ranch Mission: To create an environment where each and every child feels safe, valued, and inspired to be their authentic self.

Principal email: theard@powayusd.com

Website: stoneranch.powayusd.com

Location: 16150 4S Ranch Parkway, San Diego, CA 92127

Phone: 858-487-8474