Principal's Message
Dear Santa Margarita Parents,
I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the families who joined us for our September Mustang of the Month assembly! It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our students who were recognized by their teachers for being outstanding role models, especially in demonstrating our core value of “Be Respectful.” As I reflect on my time serving in the Marine Corps, the Marine Corps Values come to mind—especially the value of honor. Just as honor emphasizes the importance of respecting others, we strive to teach the same principles here at school through our rule of “Be Respectful.” It’s a guiding value that we hope to instill in all of our students, helping them grow into responsible and kind individuals.
We also took a moment to applaud the students with perfect attendance since the start of the school year. These students have earned a special invitation to join our Blue Ticket Friday celebration and enjoy a popsicle. Don’t worry—every student will have the chance to shine next month when we review attendance again!
A heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful parents who have already signed up to volunteer on campus! We are incredibly fortunate to have so many of you assisting in classrooms, acting as crossing guards, caring for our school garden, and supporting us in various ways throughout the school. We’re always eager to involve more families, so if you’re interested in joining our efforts, we’d love to have you! Our PTSA is currently being reorganized under the guidance of the 9th District PTSA, who will manage our PTSA assets for the rest of the year. I will be reaching out to parents who want to get involved and help here at school. If you’re interested in volunteering to support activities for our students and families, we’d be thrilled to have your ideas and enthusiasm!
There are also several exciting opportunities coming up for parents to engage with the school. We’ll be hosting more “Lunch on the Lawn” events this fall, with the first one on October 25th. Plus, on October 4th, the Single Marine Program will be holding a PE fitness challenge, and we invite parents to come cheer on their students. Our PE teacher is also organizing the “Miles of Smiles” before-school running club—if you’re interested in helping out, please let me know!
Finally, don’t forget that Parent-Teacher Conference Week is coming up from Friday, October 11th to Friday, October 18th, with half-days scheduled to give teachers time to meet with each family and discuss your child’s progress. Please make arrangements to pick up your child each day at 12:25 during conferences.
I’m looking forward to continuing our collaboration and hearing your thoughts on how we can further enhance the educational experience for our students. Please remember, I host “Coffee with the Principal” on the first Friday of every month at 8:15 AM in the cafeteria. It’s a great opportunity for parents to drop by, share ideas, and ask questions. If you can’t make it, feel free to reach out to me by phone, email, or schedule a meeting at a convenient time. I’d love to hear from you!
Warm regards,
Daniel J. Jarvis
Principal
Parent Conferences October 11-October 18
Parent teacher conferences will be held from Friday, October 11th until Friday, October 18th. We will be on minimum day schedule during conferences to allow teachers to meet with families to review their students' progress. Please make arrangements to pick up students at 12:25 each day. Teachers will be reaching out to schedule a conference time.
Coffee with the Principal - First Friday of the Month
We're excited to announce another "Coffee with the Principal," on Friday, October 4th at 8:15 until 9:00 AM in the cafeteria. After the instructional day begins, the cafeteria's outside door will be opened, and parents are warmly invited to join our school Principal for coffee. This is a great opportunity to connect, share your thoughts, and explore ways to enhance the school experience for all our students. We look forward to seeing you there!
Lunch on the Lawn
We are excited to announce our first "Lunch on the Lawn" event for the year on Friday, October 25th. Parents are invited to come have lunch with the children on this day. Like last year, we will have the lawn area and lunch tables available, however, if you would like to bring lawn chairs or a blanket, you are welcome to do so.
Miles of Smiles Running Club - Parent Volunteers Needed
Our PE teacher will be starting a before school running club called "Miles of Smiles." He could use a couple of parent volunteers to support with the program. If you are interested, please let us know. Also, please review the OUSD Volunteer Procedures in the newsletter below.
Counseling Supports at Santa Margarita
Meet our school counselors and brief description of the services they offer. If you have any questions regarding counseling services, please reach out to our school counselor, Mrs. Guadalupe Frias at (760) 901-7961 or guadalupe.frias@oside.us
Updates from Special Education Department
This year, I'm excited to share that there has been increased training for staff supporting our students with disabilities. Including:
- All staff participated in Inclusivity training before the start of the school year
- All paraprofessional staff received in-person and online training at the start of the school year. (Our paraprofessional positions are fully staffed.)
- New this year, all case managers and general education teachers were provided collaboration time to review student IEPs.
To improve the experience and increase safety:
- Our ESN classrooms moved over the Summer to rooms that better support student needs,
- All Special Education classrooms are appropriately staffed,
- Ongoing training for SpEd staff in addition to beginning of the year training
- The addition of security cameras to monitor the gates.
Data Confirmation - AERIES
If you have not yet completed Data Confirmation in AERIES, you still have time to complete the process in AERIES. Completing Data Confirmation ensures that we are adequately staffed, receive all of our funding, and that we have accurate information for every student. If you have any questions, regarding Data Confirmation, please see this link to our Data Confirmation page or contact our front office.
Volunteers on Campus
During Back to School Night, teachers may be sharing opportunities to volunteer on campus and in classrooms. We encourage and welcome volunteer support. Please see the volunteer procedures below from page 6 of the School Handbook.
Volunteer Procedures
All visitors and volunteers to our campus must sign-in at the office, provide government I.D., and
wear a visitor’s badge while on campus. If you would like to volunteer or assist in the classroom
regularly, please contact your child’s teacher and complete the volunteer process. Please review
OUSD Volunteer procedures here. Once the volunteer process is completed your child’s teacher
will contact you to arrange a day and time for you to volunteer.
While on campus, we ask that all volunteers:
● Follow and support the policies and rules of the school.
● Respect and maintain the confidentiality of matters that occur within the school. Please do
not discuss a student with others. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance. If you have
a concern about any issue, contact the teacher/principal to protect students’ privacy
rights.
● Expect children to treat you with respect. Students who are disrespectful or disobey a
school rule should be reported to the person in charge (teacher, administration).
● Attend strictly to the duties and area for which you have volunteered. Please do not use
this time to monitor your child’s class or inquire about his/her progress.
● If you are volunteering, your other children should not accompany you.
● Please switch your cell phone to vibrate while working in the classrooms. If you need to
make a call, please step out of the classroom.
Reporting Absences
As you know, good attendance is essential to academic success. We expect and encourage parents to make sure their child arrives on time and attends regularly.
If your child is absent from school, please call School Office 760-901-7900 and provide the following information:
(information can be left on the message machine after office hours)
Your Child's Name - First Last (legal last name please)
Teacher's Name
Specific Reason for Absence (illness, doctors/dentist appointments and or personal)
Anticipated Length of Absence
Absences must be cleared with the office within 5 days of the absence. Those absences not cleared within 5 days will remain Unexcused.
***Every student is allowed 3 personal excused absences in a school year.
If your child is sick for three or more days due to illness, please bring a doctors note to the office.***
No Early Pick Up during the last 15 minutes of school
In the school handbook, we do ask that parents/families do not check-out their children within 15 minutes of dismissal. The last few minutes of the school day are often used for important activities such as wrapping up lessons, making announcements, or distributing homework. Allowing students to leave early can disrupt these activities and affect the learning environment for other students. We appreciate your understanding.
24-25 Santa Margarita Parent/Student Handbook
Please review the 24-25 Santa Margarita School Handbook.
24-25 OUSD Handbook for Student, Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers
Please review the 24-25 OUSD Student/Parent Handbook
Device Protection Available
We're excited to announce that the enrollment window for the Device Protection Plan for student Chromebooks is now open.
We highly recommend taking advantage of this affordable plan to safeguard your child's Chromebook against accidental damage or theft. The cost of repairs for Chromebooks can range from $40 to $400, but for only $20 per school year, the Device Protection Plan provides coverage for up to two incidents of accidental damage or theft.
Purchasing the plan is simple and convenient. You can do so online with a credit card or electronic check through our secure payment portal at www.myschoolbucks.com.
The enrollment window for the Device Protection Plan is limited, so we encourage you to sign up as soon as possible. Invest in your child's learning experience and ensure their Chromebook is protected throughout the school year. More information can be found on the ITS webpage under Student Chromebook Program.
Traffic and Parking Safety
Under the district safety guidance along with PMO, the following procedures are in place for the
safety of all students, families, visitors, and employees:
Parking lots are not safe for unaccompanied children. Please do not have your child walk across the parking lot/drop off/pick up area unaccompanied.
To drop off or pick up your children, please do not get out of your car. If your child is not able to exit the vehicle without your assistance, please park your vehicle and walk your student up to the gate. It is dangerous to get out of your car in the drop-off/pick up lane. It also causes a traffic delay for all other families dropping off/picking up students. To drop off/pick up your student, please pull up to the yellow curb. This area is marked as a drop-off/pick-up lane.
Please follow the yellow curb as far forward as possible so that we can optimize the available space and allow room for as many vehicles as possible. It is CRITICAL that drivers DO NOT PARK IN THE DROP-OFF/PICK-UP LANE, as it disrupts the flow of traffic.
Please DO NOT stop any part of your vehicle next to the RED curbs.
Unaccompanied children may NOT be left in an unattended vehicle.
Also, the parking lot near the Kindergarten area is staff parking. This is not a pick up/drop off area.
Updated OUSD Cell Phone Policy
Please see the updated OUSD’s updated student cell phone use policy. During the Day, Off and Away
Santa Margarita School
Email: dan.jarvis@oside.us
Website: smargarita.oside.us
Location: 1 Carnes Road, Oceanside, CA, USA
Phone: (760) 901-7900
Twitter: @SM_Mustangs