The Lion Letter

Good evening Laurel Families!

I hope that everyone is enjoying their summer break! Our 2024-2025 school year will begin on Thursday, August 15th! It is time for our returning families to complete data confirmation, so please take a few minutes to log into AERIES to update and confirm all of your student's information. Once this is completed, your student will be enrolled in their class for this school year! If your address has changed, you will need to bring two proofs of residence to our office as well. Our office will be open from 8:30am to 2:30pm from August 5th-13th if you would like to come by to ask questions or get support. Our office will be open from 8:30 to 11:00am on the 14th so that we can finish processing all of our registrations for the 1st day of school. We will reopen at 10am on the 15th, after we get all of our registered students settled in classrooms!

Our office will be open for 2024-25 Registration and questions:

August 5-13 8:30am-2:30pm

August 14 8:30am-11:00am

August 15-16 10:00am-2:00pm

As I said, school begins on Thursday, August 15th at 8:55am! We have many incoming students who are new to school or new to the neighborhood and we are so excited to meet you! I know that students and families are anxious to find out who their teacher will be for the upcoming school year, and I would like to invite you to our Sneak Peek event on Wednesday, August 14th from 4:30-5:30pm! Students and families are invited to join us at Laurel to find out their class assignments! TK and Kindergarten families will also join us for Orientation in the MPR at 4:00pm for our kindergarten and transitional kindergarten information session. If you aren't able to attend this event, class assignment information will be available in AERIES after 3:30pm. Also, we will have staff members available to help connect students with teachers on the first day of school.

The first two days of school (August 15th and 16th) are minimum days! All TK - 5th grade students will attend from 8:55am to 1:05pm. Just our TK and K students will continue with minimum day schedules for the first 12 days of school (August 15th - 30th). Please make arrangements so that students are picked up on time. Look for Arrival/Dismissal Procedures in a future update. If you have any questions, our office staff is here to help!

We are excited about the coming school year. During the year we will focus on:

• Building our collective capacity
• High Quality Instruction and Learning
• Positive Learning Environment
• Meaningful Community Engagement

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

Instagram: @Laureloside

Phone number (760)966-4200

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

Enjoy the rest of your summer and I will share more information as our first day approaches!

Pre-Registration for 2024-2025 school year is open on our OUSD website.

Aeries Online Enrollment allows you to quickly start the process of enrolling a student for school. Information about the student such as emergency contacts, medical and language information will be collected.

Once in Aeries, to get started enrolling a new student click the “Enroll A New Student” button. Make sure to select “2024-2025” year from the drop down menu. After you have pre-registered online, school sites will be reaching out to families in May 2024.

Transitional Kindergarten (TK): Use Aeries Online Enrollment to enroll your student in TK if they turn five between Sept 2nd, 2024 and June 2nd, 2025. Click here for more information about TK enrollment.

For the following programs, please note the process for enrollment.

State Preschool Students
Please go to the state preschool website for all registration forms and information. OUSD hosts 2 state-funded preschool sites:

• North Terrace School
• Santa Margarita School

Please note that Santa Margarita is only available to families with access to Camp Pendleton.

Special Education Preschool Students (With existing IEP newly moved into the district)
To be assigned to an attendance school Special Education Preschool Students must register in person at:

OUSD Educational Support Services (ESS)
2080 Mission Ave
or call (760) 901-7878 to make an appointment.

Please bring a copy of your child’s current IEP, birth certificate, immunizations, and proof of residency (2 documents).

The Laurel office will be open for 2024-25 Registration and questions.

August 5-13 8:30am-2:30pm

August 14 8:30am-11:00am

August 15-16 10:00am-2:00pm

Laurel office phone number (760)966-4200

Dear Laurel Elementary School Community,
My name is Dieter Swank, and I am thrilled to introduce myself as the new principal of Laurel Elementary. Having served as the assistant principal here, I am excited to continue our work at Laurel. (click here to read more about Mr. Swank)

Dear Laurel Families,

As a bilingual leader that is passionate about building a respectful culture of excellence, I am deeply humbled to have been selected as your new Assistant Principal for the 2024-25 school year... (click here to read more about Ms. Alton)

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 (ringer/tone/sounds 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.

Our office will be open for 2024-25 Registration:

August 5-13 8:30am-2:30pm

August 14 8:30am-11:00am

August 15-16 10:00am-2:00pm

Wednesday, August 14, at 4 pm come to meet our new Principal and Assistant Principal to learn more about this year's TK and Kinder classes.

We have many incoming students who are new to school or new to the neighborhood and we are so excited to meet you! I know that students and families are anxious to find out who their teacher will be for the upcoming school year, and I would like to invite you to our Sneak Peek event on Wednesday, August 14th from 4:30-5:30pm! Students and families are invited to join us at Laurel to find out their class assignments!

If you aren't able to attend this event, class assignment information will be available in AERIES after 3:30pm. Also, we will have staff members available to help connect students with teachers on the first day of school.

Our 2024-2025 school year will begin on Thursday, August 15th at 8:55 am.

School dismissal is at 1:05 pm on both the first and second day of school, August 15th and 16th.

Welcome back students, families and staff!