Robert Down Principal's Update

January 9, 2025

Dear Robert H. Down School Community,

Happy New Year! I hope each of you had some extra time spent with family and loved ones with new fond memories made.

Several students shared with me that they turned a year older and showed me new gaps in their smiles that resulted in some exciting visits from the tooth fairy! It was an absolute joy welcoming students and staff back to school this week!

Culture of “We”- Opportunities for Engagement

• Wellness Fair at PG Middle School on Saturday, January 25, 2025 11AM-1PM Please come if you are interested in learning about local wellness and mental health resources available in our community. See flyer below for more information.

• Wildfires in Southern California: I would like to acknowledge that the wildfires in Southern California may also be impacting families in our community. As a school community, we will be looking for opportunities to support impacted families. Please feel free to email me if you have ideas.

• Book Fair: Our PTA will be hosting a Book Fair on site the week of February 24-28. Please feel free to sign up to help with the Book Fair here.

• Volunteers: We are so grateful for the generous volunteers who give of their time and expertise to our school community. Please note that all volunteers who have contact with students MUST be fingerprinted. Our District is now reinforcing this policy and volunteers not fingerprinted will unfortunately be turned away. If you would like to volunteer on site and would like support with the cost of fingerprinting, please contact our office and we are happy to use our site funds to pay for it.

Safety Updates

Accessible Parking Spots: We know pick up and drop off can be a stressful time in the day. It is important to only use the accessible parking spots as indicated by the blue line on the pavement if you are displaying an accessible placard on your car. We have several families with accessible placards who rely on these spots to get their children safely to and from school. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Bullying Prevention Learning Series: Join us for this informative series for parents, held on the second Tuesday of each month from January to April at 6 PM at PGMS. See flyer below for more information. Topics include:

• Understanding and Responding to Bias-Based Bullying

• Cyberbullying and Internet Safety

• Students' Rights and Parent Responsibilities

• Supporting LGBTQ+ and Neurodiverse Students

Active Crisis Response Training: Our staff along with staff from Forest Grove and PG Middle School will be participating in an Active Crisis Response Training called We Got Your Back on Monday, January 13. We will be collaboratively developing a plan on how to implement this at each site as part of our Safety Plan.

Upcoming Dates

• January 9, 2025: National Day of Mourning in honor of former President Jimmy Carter

• January 20, 2025: School closed in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

• January 21, 2025: ELAC at 2:30 PM, School Site Council at 3:30 PM, PTA Meeting at 7:00 PM

Wishing you a peaceful weekend.

Sincerely,

Emily Tsai Brownfield, Principal

January 12 - PTA 2nd Sundays Playdate, RHD Playground 1:00-4:00 PM

January 14 - Bullying Prevention Learning Series, PGMS, 6:00 PM

January 15 - PTA Dine Out, Chipotle Del Monte Center, 4-8PM

January 16 - Picture Re-take Day

January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No School

January 21 - 100th Day of School

January 21 - English Language Advisory Committee Meeting, 2:30 PM

January 21 - School Site Council Meeting, 3:30 PM

January 21- PTA General Meeting, 7:00 PM

January 25 - Wellness Fair, PGMS, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM (flyer below)

Due to an increase in illnesses at school, we are asking families to monitor their children for the following signs and symptoms of illness and then keep them home until symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of over the counter medications. Symptoms to watch for are:

• Persistent headache and fatigue
• Elevated temperature
• Body aches
• Sore throat
• Congestion
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Loss of taste or smell

Please have your child to school on time. Gates open at 8:30 AM. Warning bell rings at 8:40 AM. Final bell rings and instruction begins at 8:45 AM. When a student is tardy it is disruptive to the office and classroom. In addition, students miss important information and announcements from their teacher first thing in the morning.

Did you know that you can report your child's absence with your ParentVUE app? Simply log into your ParentVUE account to send the office a message about why your child is absent.

* Ways to report a student absent *

a) ParentVUE app

b) 24 Hour Absence Line (831) 646-6663

c) Email Annie Deis at adeis@pgusd.org

If you plan on being a VOLUNTEER on campus or a CHAPERONE for a field trip, please be sure you are fingerprint cleared with our district. To make an appointment at the District Office please contact Bree Nehring by calling 607-8892 or emailing bnehring@pgusd.org

Before coming to campus to volunteer, please check with your child's teacher to schedule a time that works best for them.

This notice is to tell you about our voluntary program designed to build the RHD library and foster your child’s love of reading.

Here is how it works: To join the Robert H. Down Birthday Book Club fill out the information below (scroll way down to the bottom of this message to print the Birthday Book forms) and deposit it in the Drop Box at school along with a check for $20.00 (please make the check payable to the P.G.U.S.D. and write R.H.D. Birthday Book on the memo line).

When your child’s birthday month comes around Ms. Scanlon will present a new book in honor of your child’s birthday. Your child will be the first one to check out and read the book that has been donated to the library to celebrate their birthday. A bookplate with your child’s name will be affixed to the inside cover for all future readers to appreciate.

Website: https://robertdown.pgusd.org/
Location: 485 Pine Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
Phone: (831) 646-6540

Email: RHDOffice@pgusd.org