Viking News

Good evening Viking Families!

We had an eventful week, and have made our way to the Thanksgiving Break! I hope that you and your family enjoy time together. I am so thankful for our Del Rio community, and appreciate the partnership with you to support our students in their growth. We will be on break all next week, and look forward to seeing students back on Monday, December 2nd at 8:15am!

I want to remind everyone that we will be hosting our APEX Fun Run on December 5th! Thank you for your support of this fundraiser, and the donations that are already coming in! This is a great fundraising opportunity for Del Rio, and will bring in funds to support our STEM activities in the future. We really need volunteers to support on the event date and you can sign up to help here! Right now, we have A LOT of open spaces, and need your support to make this really fun event successful!

Our teachers, staff, and PTO are busy planning for our annual Winter Festival! Each grade level will perform a song or two in our outdoor amphitheater, and the PTO will be coordinating food options and possibly a special visitor! Your student's teacher will share more specific information about the songs being performed and the place/time to arrive and meet, but I want to share that the event will take place on Wednesday, December 18th at 5:00pm, so mark your calendars!

On December 7th, SD Legion is hosting a Flag Fest and they are inviting all of our students to pre-register for this event and to join them for a few hours of rugby fun! Local clubs and SD Legion will be running skills and drills so that kids have the opportunity to meet their local clubs where they can play rugby outside of school. At the end of the event they will play some round robin and get the kids on teams to play flag rugby. This event is completely FREE to all attendees, so they hope to see our students there! The link to register is: https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/e/hpSjVatpmrYtnU7ZWkMatn/

If your family could benefit from assistance with food and/or diapers this season, check out the flyers attached below for more information!

Dates to keep in mind:

Our Fun Run event will be happening on December 5th!

Festive Hat/Socks spirit day - Wednesday, December 11th

4th/5th grade Strings Concert will be on Friday, December 13th. Mr. Finch will be sending more information home with specific times for each grade.

Festive Sweater Day - Tuesday, December 17th

Winter Festival - Wednesday, December 18th from 5:00 - 6:30pm

Pajama Day - Friday, December 20th

There will be no school from December 23rd through January 10th for the Winter Break! School will resume on Monday, January 13th at 8:15am.

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 Thanksgiving!

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

After successfully piloting a school safety and audio system at two of our schools during the 23-24 school year, at the June 2024 Board of Education meeting, the Board approved installing this system at all OUSD schools.

This enhancement serves as an update to our current bell and intercom system. Each classroom teacher will have a device on a lanyard that amplifies sound throughout the

classroom during every lesson. Every student, no matter where they sit, will be able to clearly hear the teacher and information being taught.

Along with audio and video capabilities, the new device incorporates a safety notification button to alert administration and front offices of any emergency situation. In the event of a classroom emergency, the teacher can activate the camera for office staff to view the situation. The device identifies the exact location to initiate school safety protocols. Further, and only in the event of a lockdown or active shooter emergency, Oceanside Police Department can utilize these same cameras to access views into classrooms and throughout the school.

Thank you for your constant support as we work to provide a safe and modern learning environment for all!

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