Hawk Updates
CHES Weekly Newsletter
Calendar At-A-Glance
October
21st - 25th: Green Envelope Week
25th: Community Gathering
28th: VAPA Vision
28th: Getting Unstuck presentation in the MPR. 6 - 7:30 pm. Details below.
31st: Halloween. Halloween Parade at 9am on the track. Details below.
November
4th: School Site Council. 3:45 pm
9th: Dining 4 Dollars at Everbowl
11th: VETERAN'S DAY. NO SCHOOL
14th: PUSD Board Meeting
18th: CHES NON-STUDENT DAY (Parent/Teacher Conferences)
19th - 22nd: Minimum Day for all students (Parent/Teacher Conferences). Release at 12:45 pm
25th - 29th: THANKSGIVING BREAK. NO SCHOOL.
Click HERE for the School Calendar.
School Announcements
Green Envelope Week
Our annual Green Envelope Week fundraiser is here, and we’re reaching out for your support!
What is Green Envelope Week?
This is a direct give fundraiser where 100% of the money donated goes directly to supporting Chaparral Elementary programs. There’s no selling involved—just an opportunity to make a direct impact on your child’s school experience.
How can you help?
During Green Envelope Week, we ask families to contribute what they can by donating through the green envelope that will be sent home with your child or online. Every dollar raised goes toward important initiatives, such as:
- 2 Reading Impact Teachers
- PE Impact Teacher
- 2 Garden Artists in Residence
- Art Attack
- Music
- Grade Level Field Trips
- Movie Nights, Dances and so much more!
When is it?
Green Envelope Week will take place from October 21-25. Look for the green envelope that came home with your student on Friday.
No amount is too small, and every contribution counts! Thank you in advance for your generosity and for being such a valuable part of our Chaparral community.
Halloween Costumes
We are inviting your student to dress up in his or her Halloween costume on Thursday, October 31st, but we ask that parents keep a few things in mind when selecting a costume. We do not allow any blood, weapons, or costume masks (this includes full-face paint). No treats or trinkets are allowed to be passed out. Thank you.
Additionally, while we are excited for our students to have a great Halloween and gather as much candy as you will allow, we want to caution parents from allowing students to bring bags of candy to share. Bringing a piece or two from the collection is fine, but large amounts of candy can cause disruptions, not to mention upset stomachs! Thank you.
Halloween Parade
We are excited to host our annual Halloween Parade once again this year!
Date and Time: Thursday, October 31st. Parade will begin at 9am and it will conclude at approx. 9:30 am.
Who: 5th - 1st and TK participate in the parade. Our Kindergarten students will be going off on their traditional field trip to Bates Nut Farms.
Location: CHES track. Parents, please join us by gathering on the grass on the INSIDE of the track.
Time: Students will go to class and then we will have our first class arrive at the track at 9am. Traditionally we have started with our oldest grades first, working down to our TK students.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher Conferences are quickly approaching. The schedule for conferences is as follows:
Nov 18 (Mon) - No School for Students. P/T Conferences all day
Nov 19 - 22 (Tue-Friday) - ALL GRADES dismiss at 12:45pm. P/T Conferences during the afternoons.
Please be on the lookout from your student's teacher regarding sign ups for your meetings.
Parent Ambassadors
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.
We Can Always Use Your Help!
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
Dining for Dollars!
November D4D!
Counselor Corner
Upcoming Parent Education Courses
October 2024 Parent Education Courses:
- Gender Identity and Expression Part II – All Grades In Person
Please note, scholarships are available to parents who may be in need. Parent can contact the Caring Connections Center for more information.
CAPES Announcements
2024/2025 School Year Birthday Marquee Signups
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.
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.
Click the link HERE to sign up today!
Yearbook Volunteers!
We are looking for any parent who may be interested in helping with the 24-25 Yearbook!
If you are interested, please reach out to Will Smith at chaparralcapes@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Important Resources & Reminders
Free Parenting Workshops
- FREE SPANISH Teen Positive Parenting Workshop Series In Person
Valley Elementary School
Thursday, November 7th, Wednesday, November 13th and Thursday, November 21st from 6:00pm – 8:00pm
*Childcare provided for school-aged children
- FREE Bereavement Parent Workshop
via Zoom
Wednesday, November 6th from 6pm-7pm
School Breakfast and Lunch
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.
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS
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.
Front Parking Lot - Drop Off and Dismissal
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.
Off Campus Independent Study
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.