Santa Margarita School Newsletter

Dear Santa Margarita Parents,

We are excited to share that our Middle School students have been actively engaging in thoughtful and respectful debates in the classroom. Our 8th graders in Mrs. Wilkins' History class have been featured in this week's Oside Week in a Minute. Recently, they have been discussing a timely and important topic: whether we should continue to celebrate Columbus Day. This topic has provided an excellent opportunity for students to explore different perspectives, practice critical thinking, and develop their communication skills.

We are especially proud of the way our students are handling this debate with kindness and respect for one another's viewpoints. In these discussions, they are learning the importance of listening carefully, considering different perspectives, and engaging in respectful dialogue, which are all essential skills for their personal growth and future success.

We encourage you to ask your student about the debate and the various perspectives they’ve encountered. Let’s celebrate their hard work, thoughtfulness, and the healthy exchange of ideas that they are fostering together. The latest Oside Week in a Minute is linked below.

Thank you for your continued support in helping our students grow academically and emotionally.

Also, Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for Middle School Back to School Night this past Wednesday. It was great to see another great turnout in all the classrooms. A special thank you to those of you who attended the Meet the Principal/Parent Information Meeting before the classroom sessions. Again, It was a pleasure sharing my background as an educator, my experiences growing up in a Marine Corps family, living aboard Camp Pendleton in Wire Mountain 3 in the early 80s, and later serving with HMLA-775 in the 90s.

For those Middle School Families who were unable to attend the Meet the Principal/Parent Information Meeting, I’m linking the presentation here.

Warm regards,

Daniel J. Jarvis

Principal

Just a reminder, in our newsletters, there was a call for nominees for our School Site Council. Here is the ballot including the parents who responded. Please take a minute to vote and elect our new members to the School Site Council. We still need additional nominees, so if you did not get a chance to complete the nomination form, there is an option to submit a "write-in" name on the ballot.

The School Site Council is a group of parents, teachers, and staff that provide input as we update and monitor our School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). Members of the council are elected to serve two year terms and we meet a minimum of 5 times a year after school from 3:15pm - 4:15pm.

As part of our Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports Plan, we provide students with a set of clear and consistent school rules and expectations. The Mustang Pledge lists out our school rules and the Mustang Way describes the schoolwide expecations around the campus based on our school rules.

The San Diego County Office of Education and Computers2Kids are hosting an event for families to purchase affordable computers on Saturday, October 5 from 9 to 11 a.m. at San Marcos Elementary School located at 1 Tiger Way, San Marcos, CA 92069. (Drive thru event)

See attached flyer and link for details.

Help Students get connected with Tutor.Com!

Tutor.com provides 24/7, expert, individualized academic support for students K-12. Students can access this resource in ClassLink. Please Note: Military students will use Tutor.com (Military).

How Tutor.com Works

Top 10 Facts about Tutor.com for Parents

This past Thursday, September 19th we held school assemblies titled "Stand Together against Bullying." During the assemblies, students learned:

• What bullying and threats are,
• The harm that results from bullying and threats
• What students can do if they are being bullied or threatened
• What students can do if they know someone is being bullied or threatened

These assemblies support our work towards creating a safe and positive environment for our students.

We will be continuing our month Mustang Assembly on Wednesday September 25th. During the Mustang Assembly we recognize our Students of the Month and parents of those student selected will be contacted and invited to attend to celebrate their students achievement.

We are going to make our Mustang Assembly Days, Spirit Wear Days as well. This month we are going to ask student to wear gear representing their favorite sports team or they can wear spirt wear to represent our school. Please see the link to Santa Margarita gear below.

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 guadlupe.frias@oside.us

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.

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.

Link to Menus

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.

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.***

Your child’s attendance is important to their success in school. When students have 3 or more absences that are unexcused, parents will receive a letter indicating the attendance concern. This is the first step of the School Attendance Review Team process. A second letter will be sent out if absences or tardies continue to be a concern, and the school will be following up with the family to find ways the school can help or provide resources to the family to support school attendance.

If a student exceeds 10 absences (unexcused or excused) in a school year, the Administration will be

notified and a school attendance contract may need to be signed by parent, student, and administration. If attendance continues to be a concern, the Administration will submit the student to School Attendance Review Team. The School Attendance Review Team is designed to intervene when a school district identifies students who have problems with school attendance or school behavior. When a student develops a pattern of irregular attendance, including truancies, excessive tardies, early releases, and/or excessive excused absences, a school administrator may refer a student and the student's family to SART.

A student attending Santa Margarita on “School of Choice” or an Inter-district transfer who has attendance concerns including habitual absences, tardies, and/or late pick-ups may result in this approval being revoked.

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.

Please review the 24-25 Santa Margarita School Handbook.

Please review the 24-25 OUSD Student/Parent Handbook

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.

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.

Please see the updated OUSD’s updated student cell phone use policy. During the Day, Off and Away

Email: dan.jarvis@oside.us
Website: smargarita.oside.us
Location: 1 Carnes Road, Oceanside, CA, USA
Phone: (760) 901-7900
Twitter: @SM_Mustangs