Podesta Ranch Newletter 05/12/2024

What a fun-filled week we had at Podesta! Thank you to all of the families that came and celebrated their students at Lunch on the Lawn and Open House this past week. We had a wonderful Book Fair and thanks to all of you, had a week where we were able to pour into our staff with appreciation! Thank you.

Red-Tailed Hawks are Responsible, Kind and Safe! Red-Tailed Hawks, Our school RocKS!

Sincerely,

Alyssa Barban, Principal

Thank you to all the parents and PTA members for the wonderful gifts and gestures in celebrating teachers and staff last week for Teacher Appreciation Week. We've enjoyed every meal, every gift, every book purchased for our personal classrooms from the book fair, and every appreciation shown to us to let us know how much you care for our well being. We are thankful for parents and one another for another great year at Podesta!

Once again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We are glad to be a part of this awesome family at Podesta Ranch Elementary!

Saturday, May 18th, 2024: Speech Pathologist Appreciation Day

Monday May 20th, 2024 - Friday, May 24, 2024: Classified Staff Appreciation Week

Attached is Podesta's calendar of events for May 2024.

Please click on the image for the pdf file of the calendar.

Upcoming minimum days are the following:

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024

Friday, May 31st, 2024

Please be sure to pick up your children at their designated dismissal time as staff have meetings and professional development immediately after school.

There will be no more after school Strings for the remainder of the year.

📢PLEASE CHECK IN ALL INSTRUMENTS TO THE LIBRARY ASAP to avoid charges.

Last week for ALL after school activities is THIS WEEK of May 13th, 2024.

Art Club's last day is Thursday, May 16th, 2024

Science Club's last day is Friday, May 17th, 2024.

First Grade Tutoring's (Mrs. Williams' class) last day is Friday, May 17th, 2024.

Fourth Grade Tutoring's (Mrs. Bou's math tutoring) last day is Friday, May 17th, 2024.

Sixth Grade Tutoring's (Mrs. Brandow's class) last day is Friday, May 17th, 2024.

Please be sure to pick up your child on time at 3:30 PM.

School will be closed on Monday, May 27th, 2024 in observance of Memorial Day. Thank you to all of our families who has served or is still serving in the military. Because of your sacrifice, our education and families are kept safe. We celebrate you today! 🎉

School will resume, Tuesday, May 28th, 2024 at 8:15 AM.

On Tuesday, May 28th, 2024 at 8:30 AM, we will be holding our annual 6th Grade VS Staff Softball game. Sixth grade parents are welcomed to join the staff to play against our 6th graders! Let's keep our winning streak! 😜

**SPIRIT DAY WEAR: Sports Day! Wear your favorite jersey or your favorite sport team colors to school!**

On Wednesday, May 29th, 2024 at 8:30 AM, we will be holding our annual Field Day event for the whole school. Please be sure to have your child sun screened and dressed in appropriate attire (tennis shoes) for this fun event!

Thank you Ms. Lord for setting this up for our students! You RocKS!

**SPIRIT DAY WEAR: Tropical Day! Wear something tropical or in tropical colors to celebrate!**

On Thursday, May 30th, 2024 at 1:15 PM, 6th grade families are invited to their 6th grader's promotion in the PRE cafeteria. A friendly reminder that no balloons are allowed.

The 6th Grade Dance held by our PTA will follow suit soon after. The event is from 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM. Thank you PTA for holding this event for our students to dance away into 7th grade! 💃🕺

Let's go Class of 2030!

**SPIRIT DAY WEAR: Fancy Day! Dress in your best or favorite outfit to school to celebrate!**

On Friday, May 31st, 2024 at 9 AM, Kindergarten families are invited to their kindergarten's promotion in the PRE careteria. A friendly reminder that no balloons are allowed.

Let's go Class of 2037!

The last day of school is on Friday, May 31st, 2024 and it is a minimum day. Please be sure to pick up your child on time.

The new school year of 2024/2025 begins on Tuesday, July 30th, 2024.

**SPIRIT DAY WEAR: Twin Day - Gather your friends to dress up together in same outfits or colors!**

Our last quarter has arrived so checking in/out books is very crucial, especially for our 6th graders!

• The week of May 13th, 2024 is the last week to check out books from the school library . Also, the last day to take Reading Count quizzes to qualify for their Reading Counts Awards for 2023/2024 is Monday, May 13th, 2024 at 4 PM.
  
  
• The week of May 20th, 2024 is the last week to return books back to the library. The last official day to turn in library books is Friday, May 24th, 2024.
  
  
• All first graders are REQUIRED to turn in their chromebooks and chargers on the week of May 20th, 2024. They will receive their new chromebooks at the start of second grade in the new school year.
  
  
• Sixth graders will hold on to their chromebooks and chargers going into 7th grade. They will swap their 6th grade chromebooks for their 7th grade chromebook during their orientation at their assigned middle school.

If you are planning to move within LodiUSD for the next school year of 2024/2025, please have your child keep their chromebooks and chargers. Your child's chromebook and charger will follow them to their new LodiUSD school.

If you are planning to move out of LodiUSD for the next school year of 2024/2025, please turn in all library books, chromebook, and chargers to the office or library. Any items that is not turned in, a bill will be sent to your home or new school.

If you want to check which books/fines your child still needs to turn in/pay for, please check their student/parent portal on AERIES or email our librarian at jhorton@lodiusd.net.

***Please take a picture or keep a copy of the receipt to verify the payment.***

Please click on the image on the right to see the digital flyer of how to make a payment to the district.

Por favor haga clic en las palabras azules a continuacion para espanol.

ESPANOL

LodiUSD is still accepting Early Childhood and Preschool Registrations. To place your 3 & 4 year old's on the waitlist, please complete the application through the link or QR codes on the flyer.

Please click on the image on the right for more information on the digital pdf flyer.

Lodi USD is hosting three weeks of fun and interactive learning activities in English Language Arts, Math, STEAM, Enrichment & Physical Activities. Intersession dates run on Monday, June 10th to Friday, June 28nd, 2024 from 8 AM - 5 PM. Please see the flyer for the QR code to register you are interested enrolling your child. Registration is currently open. Deadline to register is Thursday, May 23rd, 2024.

Who Qualifies for Summer Intersession?

ALL Lodi USD students currently enrolled in grades TK -6. NO Preschool or HeadStart students.

Flyer Information:

Our flyers communicate general information, registration links, QR codes, dates, and locations. See the links below for detailed information.

Area -1: Hosting Sites: Ansel Adams & Wagner Holt Elementary

Please click on the image on the right for more information on the digital pdf flyer.

We have opened up our applications for the after-school program for next school year. Parents may visit our website at ymcasjc.org and head over to either our 'after school programs' or 'youth development' pages where they will be able to fill out the application 100% digitally!

Disclaimer: The form is not an enrollment or registration form, but simply an application. After families fill out the application, parents/guardians will receive an email with more info on when to expect any registrations to go out.

While current families do have priority enrollment, we still require parents/guardians to submit an application.

You may also click on the image on the right to go to their website.

Exciting news! If your child turns five between September 2, 2024, and June 2, 2025, they're eligible for Transitional Kindergarten (TK). It's like a cool stepping stone between preschool and kindergarten. Our awesome teachers focus on learning and making friends in a fun way. It's a great start for your little one's big school adventure. Check out the blue words: flyer below for more details and enroll them in TK now!

FLYER

We are getting ready for the enrollment period for children who will turn five between September 2 and June 2. To learn more about Lodi USD TK, please see the attached flier or watch our TK promo video here.

Click on the image to see more information on the flyer.

We want to bring your attention to the recent updates in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) COVID-19 guidelines for K-12 schools. The revised guidance now allows individuals who test positive for COVID-19 but remain asymptomatic to return to work and school without the need to stay home. However, it is crucial to note that students showing symptoms are strongly encouraged to wear masks. This adjustment in guidelines reflects a more flexible approach to managing the virus, aiming to strike a balance between public health concerns and our evolving understanding of its impact. For additional information, please read updated California Division of Public Health – COVID-19 Isolation Guidance by following this link:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID-19-Isolation-Guidance.aspx.

Your ongoing cooperation is vital in ensuring the safety of our school community.

You may also click on the image on the right to go to the website link.

We want to bring to your attention the importance of discussing the proper care of district-issued student Chromebooks with your children. We have observed an increase in incidents involving damage, often linked to carelessness or misuse. As we address these situations, we want to remind you of the importance of engaging in discussions with your child about the proper care of their district-issued Chromebook. Students will be held responsible for any damages, and charges may apply for repairs. Principals will conduct thorough investigations in collaboration with students to ensure fair outcomes. Additionally, please remind your students to charge their Chromebooks overnight, ensuring they are ready for the next day's learning activities. Your involvement in these discussions is crucial, and we appreciate your attention to these matters.

Free breakfast is served every school day at 7:45 AM - 8:00 AM. If your child intends on eating free breakfast at school, they may arrive no earlier than 7:45 AM. If they are not eating breakfast, children should not arrive at school before 8:00 AM in lieu to safety concerns. No adults are supervising the students before 7:45 AM.

Please remember to NOT pick up or drop off your child in the bus loop or parking lot area, especially by the DEAD END section of the parking lot. Bus loop is ONLY for our SPED students and busses, and families are highly advised to accompany their child when walking through the parking lot. We do not have adults supervising these areas. Please park your car in the parking lot if you are planning to pick up your students directly from their teachers. Please leave the drop off area ONLY for moving vehicles that are picking up/dropping off quickly, and refrain from double parking, as we need ease of car movement for student and driver safety.

Thank you for partnering with us and modeling to our students the importance of following traffic and road safety rules. 👍

If your child is participating in after school activities, please be sure to pick them up on time. All after school activities end at 3:30 PM. Office hours are closed and there is limited adult supervision. If emergencies should occur to delay pick up or absense from the club activity for the day, please contact the office or the teacher in charge ASAP.

Excessive late pick ups may result to drop out of participating in after school activities.

One of our site goals, and our challenge from the Superintendent, is to improve attendance and curb truancy. The law states that students will attend every day, on time, and ready for school. With a new system in place, absences are carefully tracked, and notices are automatically sent to guardians. You have 10 days to clear an absence. On the 11th day it reverts to all unexcused and is considered truancy.

If you request IS, it must be requested 2 weeks prior and approved by IS administration. So please don’t wait until the night before.

Join us for free nutritious breakfast each morning at 7:45 AM!

Please click on the image on the right to see a digital pdf copy of the lunch menu.

Click on the blue words below for their Quarterly newsletter.

NEWSLETTER

For more information about lunches and nurtrition, please click on the link below.

https://www.lusdnutrition.org/

As the weather becomes warmer and as a safety reminder, please send your student to school in appropriate attire, including shoes. Our dress code can be found in the Student Handbook in your student's planner or online. Students are expected to wear closed toe/heeled shoes. Students with sandals, slides, or Crocs will be asked to sit out during recess and PE to ensure student safety on the playground, stairwell and in the bark box.

Please click on the image on the right for the digital Student Handbook regarding their dress code.