Viking News

Good evening Viking Families!

Thank you for partnering with us for our Parent Conferences throughout the last week! We appreciate you meeting with teachers, and supporting their work at home. We will be back on regular schedule on Monday!

Our Fall picture proofs are finally here! They either came home today, or will be sent home on Monday. You can check out the proofs and decide if you would like to order prints for your family.

Our Fall Festival is quickly approaching on Wednesday, October 23rd from 5:00-6:30pm! If you would like to volunteer, here is the link to sign up! Also, we could really use donations of bags of individually wrapped candy, as well as store bought baked goods for our cake walk. If you are able to donate, please drop those off in the front office anytime!

Beginning on Friday, October 25th, we will begin our Red Ribbon Week Spirit Days! As a part of our learning about Healthy Habits, students and staff may participate in the dress up days. Please see the attached flyer for more information. Also, on Thursday, October 31st, students are able to wear their costumes to school. Please keep these costume guidelines in mind: no inflatables, no masks, no face paint, no weapons or accessories, nothing bloody, gory, or scary. For all of the dress up days, they need to be school appropriate and have closed toe shoes.

Be sure to stay up to date with all of our school happenings by following us on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DelRioElementaryVikings/

Twitter: @DelRioVikings

Instagram: @DelRioVikings

I visit classrooms everyday and share out examples of the learning adventures of our students as often as possible!

Have a great weekend!

Please call or stop by our office if you have any questions!

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, dedicated to raising awareness of the harm bullying causes. At OUSD we strive towards safe, affirming, and inclusive schools and work spaces. And, it takes everyone to realize this vision.

What is Bullying?

The Board of Education recognizes the harmful effects of bullying on student learning and school attendance and desires to provide safe school environments that protect students from physical and emotional harm. No student or group of students shall, through physical, written, verbal, or other means, harass, threaten, intimidate, cyberbully, cause bodily injury to, or commit hate violence against any other student or school personnel. Cyberbullying includes the transmission of harassing communications, direct threats, or other harmful texts, sounds, or images on the Internet, social media, or other technologies using a telephone, computer, or any wireless communication device. Cyberbullying also includes breaking into another person's electronic account and assuming that person's identity in order to damage that person's reputation.(Board Policy 5131.2).

Discipline

Any student who engages in bullying on school premises, or off campus in a manner that causes or is likely to cause a substantial disruption of a school activity or school attendance, shall be subject to discipline, which may include restorative practice, suspension, or expulsion, in accordance with district policies and regulations.

Preventative Work

OUSD proactively supports students in their understanding of bullying behaviors, as well as behaviors that upstanders can use to disrupt bullying type of behavior. In all TK-5 classrooms, School Counselors teach regular lessons focused on the social emotional learning competencies of - social awareness, self awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and self management. In secondary classrooms, advisory classes focus on the Wayfinder curriculum, which focuses on similar competencies. We have full-time mentors, School Counselors, contracted mental health service providers, Restorative Justice Coaches, School Social Workers, and Administration at every site to address concerns, mediate conflict, and intervene as necessary.

We ask that students and staff work together to create an inclusive and safe experience for all. We ask parents/guardians/caregivers to partner with us in ensuring their student comes to school with this mindset. It is important to know that all of our campuses have support for students who need it. Please talk to your school’s designated on site School Counselor if you need help. They can connect students and their families with free resources to additional professional mental health support.

Here are some additional resources we are sharing to raise awareness about bullying:

• How to know if your child is being bullied

• How to Help Kids Deal With Cyberbullying

• My Child Is Bullying Others: What Should I Do?

• District Student Tip Line

Safety is our first priority, and it is important to keep that in mind at morning drop off and afternoon dismissal. Here are a few things to remember so that we can all work together for successful transitions:

• If you are not in the drop off/pick up line, you may not double park or block parking spaces in the parking lot. Do not park on the red curb in the traffic circle. You must use a parking spot in the lot even if you are waiting with your car!
• Please do not block the crosswalk at the entry to our parking lot, and be vigilant about watching for students!
• Have your child ready with their backpack with them, so that the driver does not need to get out of the car. Please stay with your car and continue to pull forward!
• If you are dropping off in the car line at the front gate, please remember that the driver must stay with their car, and that you need to pull all the way up to the stop sign at the top of the circle so that we can keep traffic flowing.
• Please wait until you have gotten past the cones/crosswalk to let your student(s) out of the car. It keeps everything moving faster!
• Your car must be pulled up to the curb before any students can enter or exit a vehicle, so please do not double park!
• If you do park in either parking lot, you must walk up and accompany your student using a crosswalk. They will not be allowed to walk out to cross into the parking lot on their own.
• For pickups, it would be helpful if you wrote your child's name/teacher/grade on a sheet of paper and kept it on the dashboard! That will help our staff to locate students and keep things moving!

I will be out front helping to keep things moving and safe, so let me know if you have questions.

Please remember that ALL absences from school need to be reported to our school, letting us know the reason that your student has missed school! When you need to report your student's absence, please email us Attendance.des@oside.us. Often our main office phones are very busy in the mornings and this is a faster and easier way to report your student's absence! You can also call our Attendance Line at (760)901-7301, but please speak slowly and clearly, as many times the messages are difficult for our staff to hear.

We are excited to share our new cell phone policy, "During the Day, Off and Away," for the 2024-2025 school year (Board Policy 5131.8). Our goal is to create a safe and focused learning environment for all students by minimizing distractions and promoting their mental well-being.

Key Points:

• Cell Phone Usage: Students must turn off and store their phones in their backpacks upon entering campus. Phones should stay off until they leave.

• Communication: Classrooms have landlines for students to contact parents when necessary. Phones will be accessible in emergencies.

• Academic Benefits: Reducing phone usage helps students stay focused and engaged in class.

• Safety and Security: This policy helps prevent cyberbullying, ensures students focus during emergencies, and reduces the risk of theft or loss.

Support and disciplinary measures are in place for policy violations to help students adjust.

Thank you for your support as we work together to enhance our students' learning experience and well-being.

Please take a few moments to read through our Del Rio STEM Academy Handbook. It includes information about how to contact our staff, how to report attendance, school policies and procedures, and available supports for your student. Reach out to our office if you have any questions!

In the Spring, I shared some upcoming changes to our breakfast program. Beginning on the first day of school, all students may go to the cafeteria from 7:45 to 8:15 to eat breakfast, free of charge. If you think your student will be eating at school, please plan to have them here as early as possible to have time to finish eating before the bell rings at 8:15. Students will line up and go straight to class at 8:15!

Emails, text messages and phone calls from OUSD including those from your principal, teacher and the district office will be directly sent to you using the email address and phone number you provided in Aeries during data confirmation. It’s important that all the emergency contacts listed in Aeries have updated contact information so everyone can receive important messages from OUSD.

You no longer need to download any third party apps to receive messages from our school.

Our hard working PTO needs your help! If you would like to join the PTO, or help with events and planning, you can contact them at pto.delriovikings@gmail.com.

Are you interested in before/after school care? Del Rio STEM Academy is proud to offer before and after school care through our district's THRIVE Program. For more information, visit the OUSD website. To register, click HERE.

We believe that partnerships with our families are essential to the success of our students and our school! Call, email, or stop by the office if you have questions or need support. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to see updates on the learning adventures happening around campus!

Email: lorrah.hogue@oside.us
Website: delrio.oside.us
Location: 5200 North River Road, Oceanside, CA, USA
Phone: (760)901-7300
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DelRioElementaryVikings/
Twitter: @DelRioVikings

Instagram: @DelRioVikings