Hawk Updates

May

5th: VAPA Vision

9th: 2nd Grade Musical Performance in the MPR.

May 13th: Minimum Day. 12:45pm Dismissal for ALL STUDENTS

16th: 5th Grade Invention Convention in the MPR.

19th: VAPA Vision

21st: CAPES Foundation Meeting

23rd: 3rd Grade Musical Performance in the MPR.

26th: MEMORIAL DAY. NO SCHOOL

29th: Dining for Dollars. Sunny Scoops. See flyer below.

30th: Last Community Gathering

June

6th: 5th Grade Fun Day

11th: 5th Grade Promotion. 9:15am

12th: Last Day of School

Click HERE for the School Calendar.

Next week, we proudly celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week—a special time set aside to recognize the remarkable educators who bring passion, expertise, and heart to Chaparral Elementary each and every day.

Our teachers are so much more than instructors. They are mentors, encouragers, problem-solvers, and role models. In every classroom across our campus, they foster a love of learning, encourage curiosity, and help students overcome challenges with care and compassion.

At Chaparral, we believe in the power of relationships—and our teachers embody that belief. They take the time to truly know their students, build trust, and create safe spaces where every child feels seen, heard, and valued. The connections they build form the foundation for both academic success and personal growth.

Behind every lesson plan, classroom routine, and bulletin board is an educator who is deeply committed to making a difference. The work our teachers do is not always easy, but it is always meaningful. Their impact extends far beyond the school day, leaving a lasting imprint on the lives of their students and shaping our community for the better.

During Teacher Appreciation Week—and every week—we celebrate the extraordinary efforts and unwavering commitment of our teaching staff. Chaparral is a better place because of them, and we are truly grateful to have such a dedicated and talented team.

This May, as we observe Military Appreciation Month, we proudly honor the brave men and women who serve—and have served—in the United States Armed Forces, including the incredible military families who are part of our Chaparral community.

To our students, parents, and staff connected to the military: your strength, sacrifice, and service inspire us all. We recognize the unique challenges you face and the important role you play in supporting our nation's heroes.

At Chaparral Elementary, we are grateful for your contributions to our school and our country. Thank you for your service—on and off the field of duty. We stand with you and celebrate you this month and always.

In appreciation of your service, we warmly invite all Chaparral active-duty military members, veterans, and their families to join us for a special celebratory lunch filled with games, activities, and community fun.

We hope you can join us for this meaningful event as we honor and celebrate your dedication and sacrifice.

Event Timing: Friday, May 23rd, 2025 @ 11:30 AM-12:45 PM

Event Address: 17250 Tannin Drive, Poway (Track Field)

Contact: Reach out to (858) 485-0042 EXT 4154 or rhicks@powayusd.com for inquiries.

If Interested in Attending, Please Complete Registration Link

https://forms.gle/DhQmBgi2EQtmaFHy7

Thank you all for your incredible support and participation in our CAPES "The Derby" annual fundraising gala —whether you joined us in person or online, your presence made a meaningful difference! Jessica Teng will be in the Chaparral office on Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 to 8:45 a.m. for auction item pick-ups. If those times don’t work for you, no problem—we’re happy to coordinate a time that fits your schedule. Email capesfundraising@gmail.com to coordinate a better pick up time.

Thank you to former teacher, Nancy Bellinghiere Hall and all the volunteers that helped our Chaparral Garden celebrate it's 10th Anniversary! The Poway News Chieftain was their to document the event!

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/04/29/chaparral-elementary-celebrates-10th-anniversary-of-hawks-health-garden/

We are proud to announce our new Soaring Card designs. Over 70 entries were put forth by our students and these are the selections!

Kindergarten

3rd Grade

5th Grade

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make our APEX Fun Run such a memorable and successful event! From our dedicated classroom teachers to the amazing volunteers who supported us on Run Day—and of course, the incredible APEX team—we truly appreciate your energy, enthusiasm, and commitment.

Thanks to your generosity and participation, we’ve raised an impressive amount to support our school community. Check out the Fun Facts sheet below to see the impact of your efforts!

Your contributions will help fund enriching programs like music, art, the CHES garden, and our Impact Teachers. Even more, a portion of the funds will go directly into classrooms, helping to purchase supplies and meet the day-to-day needs of our teachers and students.

Together, we are building a stronger, more vibrant learning environment for all of our Hawks—thank you!

PUSD New Student Enrollment Reminder

Poway Unified New Student Enrollment for the 2025-26 school year opens on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 8:00AM.

We can’t wait to meet our new families! New Student Enrolment for Poway Unified School District is an online process. Packets are completed digitally using any computer, tablet or smartphone with an internet connection. Please contact your assigned school of residence to schedule an appointment if you do not have access to a device/internet or need assistance with completing the online enrollment packet.

School starts on August 13, 2025 for the 2025-26 school year. Welcome to PUSD! For more information about our schools and programs, visit our website.

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten Lottery Information

If a school reaches near capacity for TK or Kindergarten, a lottery may be needed to determine student placement. To be included in the lottery (if required), families must submit their new student enrollment packets between April 1, 2025, and April 9, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. Only students who enroll during this period will be eligible. If a lottery is necessary at our school, families will be notified. District conducts the lottery for each site.

Exciting news for our TK program! Beginning 2025-26, PUSD Transitional Kindergarten will be a full-day program. The range of age-eligibility will also expand - children who turn four-years-old on or before September 1, 2025, will be age-eligible for TK. (Students who turn 5 on or before September 1, 2025 will be age-eligible for Kindergarten) Please feel free to share this news with your friends and neighbors who have children in this age range.

Enrollment for TK for next year opens on April 1, 2025.

As we begin planning for the next school year, we want to share our process for student class placement. Our goal is to create well-balanced classrooms that support the academic and social success of all students. To achieve this, we carefully consider a variety of factors, including academic needs, learning styles, peer relationships, and overall class dynamics.

Because of this thoughtful process, we are unable to accept teacher requests for individual students. Please know that our staff works diligently to ensure that each child is placed in an environment where they can thrive.

Thank you for your understanding and support. If you have any specific concerns about your child’s learning needs, feel free to share them with us, and we will do our best to take them into account during the placement process.

Aaron Little

Principal

We are excited to announce that we have a new Student Support Assistant, Ms. Jenny Oesterblad. Ms. Oesterblad will be working with Mr. Hicks to support our students with Second Step lessons and all of our children's social-emotional needs. Welcome!

"What's this 'Second Step' I keep hearing about?" Great question! Second Step is a longstanding program at Chaparral and throughout our district. It forms the foundation of our Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum, which is designed to help students from Transitional Kindergarten (TK) through all grade levels develop vital social and emotional skills.

Second Step lessons guide students in building empathy, learning strategies to self-regulate and calm down, solving problems effectively, and understanding bullying prevention, along with many other important life skills.

At Chaparral, we have a dedicated SEL team: Ms. Oesterblad teaches our youngest learners in TK through 2nd grade, and Mr. Hicks works with students in grades 3 and up. Together, they equip students with the tools they need to confidently navigate social and emotional challenges, fostering a positive, inclusive learning environment where all students can flourish.

2024/2025 School Year Birthday Marquee Signups are now open!

Complete the form from the link provided below if you would like your child's name (first name and last initial) to appear on the Chaparral Marquees during the week of his/her birthday. To secure your marquee reservation, please make a $25 donation to CAPES after submitting the form.

Note--Each marquee has only two (2) available sign-ups per week. If a week is not listed, it has reached the maximum capacity of reservations. Holiday weeks have not been included. This form is ONLY for the 2024/2025 school year. Please do not submit a response for a future school year.

Your child's birthday message (ex. Happy Birthday Lizzie B.) will appear at some point during the week and will stay up for a minimum of 1 day.

Please note that our CAPES volunteers may need at least one (1) week of advance notice to honor birthday marquee reservations.

Click the link HERE to sign up today!

We are looking for any parent who may be interested in helping with the 24-25 Yearbook!

If you are interested, please reach out to Will Smith at chaparralcapes@gmail.com.

Thank you!

PUSD provides breakfast and lunch to all students free of charge pursuant to the California Universal Meals Program. Free meals are available to all families, regardless of their free or reduced-price meal eligibility status. Breakfast service will begin at 8:25 am and end at 8:40 am. Students will report directly to the playground after eating breakfast. Students not eating breakfast need to arrive when the playground opens at 8:25 am.

Meal program details are provided on the Food and Nutrition Department website at PUSD Food and Nutrition. Families are still encouraged to submit a school meal application for free and reduced-priced meal benefits because this information may be used for other programs such as Federal and State funding for your school, reduced registration fees for academic tests, free or discounted fees for bus passes, ESS childcare, and athletic programs, discounted rates for internet service and many more! The application can be found online at https://www.myschoolapps.com/ . Applications must be submitted on an annual basis.

In order to Volunteer on campus, PUSD's Volunteer Requirements must be met and the following documentation needs to be submitted to the office:

1) Volunteer Application & Megan's Law clearance form + picture ID (signed annually)

2) TB clearance/negative result from a health care provider (Good for 4 years)

3) Code of Conduct form (signed annually)

4) Code of Confidentiality (signed annually)

Note--the district office needs at least 2 weeks to process and clear volunteers once all forms/documents are submitted; therefore, please submit the volunteer paperwork as soon as you are able.

Obviously, the best environment for any student to learn is the school environment. Whenever possible, families are strongly encouraged to avoid taking vacations and other trips that results in their students missing extended periods of time from school.

However, when these trips are unavoidable, parents can request an OCIS contract. Details of OCIS contracts can be found below.

Off Campus Independent Study (OCIS) Contracts

This contract allows the student to complete work that he/she would be doing if they were in class and helps the school to continue to receive funding from the state. The student needs to work with his/her teachers closely to submit the assignments.

The threshold for implementing an OCIS contract is limited to a minimum of 3 days through a maximum of 14 school days. The 14-school day limit for OCIS contracts is cumulative for the entire school year.

At least 5 school days of notice is required to set up an OCIS Contract.

*A family who plans to keep their student out of school beyond the 20 days must enroll their child in Poway Home Education Program (PHEP: TK through 8th grade)

Please refer to the PUSD website for more information and contact the student’s counselor.