The Blazer Bulletin

Hello Trailblazers!

What an exciting week we had at The Ranch! This week students in grades 2-5 challenged themselves by participating in the 2025 SRES Spelling Bee. I am so proud of each student for their spelling efforts! You can read more about the winning students in the PTA section below.

At Stone Ranch, we also celebrated our 100th and 101st days of school, marking a big milestone in our students' learning journey. Our students have worked hard to master difficult concepts, practiced developing their growth mindset, and improved their skills across all subjects. We are so very proud of their daily efforts to learn and grow.

Our 5th grade students participated in one of the most exciting field trips in an elementary student's life; Biz Town. They learned the value of earning a paycheck, how to work in teams, and deepened their understanding of how businesses interact to support a community.

Lastly, we officially said goodbye to Character Catches as a means of rewarding student behavior. They are being replaced with Blazer Bucks which will be available for distribution on Monday. Blazer Bucks will be redeemed at our new student store, the Trailblazer Trading Post. Read more below about how you can help us get the store up and running!

Warmly,

Teri Heard

Your Very Proud Principal

February 10-14: Kindness Week with Ms. Nikki

February 12: Fire Drill

February 13: Jammie Jam (5-7:30pm)

February 14: VAPA Vision, Valentine Grams Distributed

February 17-21: School Break (No School)

Stone Ranch has developed a new program to positively influence student behavior. This program is called Together, We RIDE and it replaces the Character Counts program. Students have been learning about the expected behaviors and beginning on Monday, they may be rewarded with Blazer Bucks!

Students will be able to redeem their Blazer Bucks at the student store, the Trailblazer Trading Post. We are so excited for this store to open and could use your help to make it the best store for our students. While we are able to purchase some items with grant money that we received, some items can't be purchased through school funds.

I created an Amazon Wish List with items that the students have asked for. In particular, the food items can't be purchased with school funds. We appreciate any items you might be able to contribute to the store!

Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of your student looks like? Do you feel like you are missing out on important school dates and details? Well, we have the answer for you! Follow us on Instagram (@stoneranchpusd) for sneak peeks into our school day and to learn about all of our upcoming events!

Last week Stone Ranch saw its highest amount of absences this school year. We averaged 70-80 daily absences last week and this week are reporting between 39-55 absences a day. While 70% of these absences are due to illness, another 30% are unverified or due to parental excusal (family trips, etc).

Last week, these absences resulted in a loss of nearly $5,000 a day in ADA funds.

Our goal this year is to increase the percentage of students who show up to school. We were on track to achieve this goal from September-December. However, we saw a decrease in total attendance in January and, without a change, we will see another decrease in February.

We absolutely want you to keep your student home when they are ill (fever, vomiting, etc). However, nearly 30% of our absences are not due to illness. Please prioritize your child's regular daily school attendance and consider scheduling family trips during school breaks.

The front office implemented a new practice to help ensure that attendance is accurately taken for students who arrive late to school. Students are expected to begin lining up for class no later than 7:38am. They are considered tardy after 7:45am. If they come to school after 7:45 the gates will be closed and they should enter through the front office. Once they check in with the office they will receive a yellow ticket to give to their teacher. This yellow ticket lets the teacher know that your student's attendance has been properly entered.

Thursday, February 13th!

Thank you all for your incredible donations to the PUSD Youth in Transition program! We are excited to drop off all of the donations this week!

If your child purchased a Valentine Gram for a friend, Student Council officers will be delivering them to classes on Friday, February 14th.

Thank you for supporting Student Council!

For more information about Chronic Absenteeism, please read this article.

Are your kids ready for another exciting PTA event? On Monday, March 3rd (Grades TK, K, 1st and 2nd) and on Wednesday, March 5th (Grades 3rd, 4th and 5th) students will participate in our 8th Annual Field Day! Each class will spend an hour down at the 4S Ranch Community Sports Park participating in fun outdoor activities with their classmates. From three legged races to rubber chicken relays, it's bound to have your kids talking!

Yearbook dedication ads for your 5th grader can now be purchased for $15

Follow the instructions to submit your personalized message via Google form: 5th Grade yearbook dedications along with payment via paypal:

The deadline to place a dedication ad is Friday February 14 at midnight. Due to processing and assembly times for the yearbook, this deadline cannot be extended under any circumstances.

*Only ONE ad will be printed per student, each ad cannot exceed 350 characters, including spaces. Additional ads will not be printed, and the $15 purchase price will not be refunded.

Dedication ads are for 5th grade students only. Any ads purchased for non-5th grade students will not be printed and the $15 purchase price will not be refunded.

Ads will be printed as written so be certain to proofread!

For questions, email Stoneranchyearbook@gmail.com

The Yearbook staff is looking for photos of our wonderful 5th grade orchestra! If you have any photos you'd like to share of your budding instrumentalist performing or practicing their stringed instruments, please share with us in this dropbox."

Yearbooks can be purchased now for the last remaining discount of $35! Don’t delay, as prices will go up at the end of April to $40. Walk-ups during the last week of school will also be available for $40 though these yearbooks will not be reserved for your child and will be on a first come first serve basis. Many kids love looking back at their year and enjoy collecting messages from peers and teachers, so get your copy today!

Ralph’s and the Kroger family have long supported schools in passive fundraising efforts but we need 5 minutes of your time to help us get a piece of the pie! This is an incredibly easy way to help us raise money for Stone Ranch! Up to 4% of your purchases come directly back to our school.

Even if you have done this in the past you will need to do this again! There are two easy ways to make this happen. The easiest way is to download the Ralphs app, sign up for an account or login to your account if you already have one. In the top right hand corner click the three little lines. A drop down menu will appear. Click “Rewards”, then click “Community Contributions” and search for our school. That’s it!

Alternatively, if you do not want to download the app, you may create an account on the Ralphs website and then follow these steps:

• Scroll to the bottom of the page

• Look under Community

• Click on Ralphs Community Rewards

• Under instruction Number 2 - Link your card to an Organization

• Go to Number 2 - Search for your Organization here (click Here)

• You may have to sign in again

• Search for Stone Ranch Elementary School PTA (organization number DB957)

• Add to your account

The Poway Unified transfer window opens on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 8 a.m.! If you live within the Poway Unified boundaries and want your child to attend a school different than your assigned school, submit your request online through the Transfers page on the PUSD website. (This includes siblings of current students.) Please make sure to still enroll your child at their assigned school of residence when new student enrollment opens on April 1, 2025. Transfer requests can only be processed once your child is enrolled in their school of residence. The transfer request window will close on March 31, 2025 at 5 p.m.

Managing Screen Time

Managing screen time is an essential part of supporting children’s well-being and academic success in today’s digital world. Technology offers incredible opportunities for learning and creativity, but maintaining a healthy balance is key. Setting clear boundaries and encouraging mindful tech habits at home helps children develop the skills they need to navigate their digital lives responsibly. By working together to create a balanced approach to technology use, we can empower students to thrive both in and out of the classroom.

• Elementary Resource: How Much Screentime is OK for My Kids?

• Secondary Resource: 4 Conversations to Have with Older Kids and Teens About Their Screen Time Habits

Family Resource Fair for Students with Special Needs

The Parent Ambassadors invite you to join the Family Resource Fair, an event to connect families with resources and opportunities in Poway and surrounding areas that promote inclusion, whole-person development and fun for students with special needs.

When: Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 6-8pm

Where: Community Room at PUSD District Office

15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128

Join us to explore:

• Social opportunities tailored to meet diverse needs

• After-school social and recreational activities

• Inclusive sports programs

• Camps for all abilities

• Vocational training opportunities

Why should you attend?

• Activities for ALL age groups including young adults

• 16 booths featuring varieties of options in Poway and surrounding areas

• Opportunity to ask questions and sign up with the providers

• Get a head start on summer planning

Join us anytime between 6 to 8 pm to meet providers, learn about programs in our community, and find activities that support your child's growth and happiness.

Kindly RSVP here so we can ensure adequate handouts to all families. See this flyer for more information.

Parents of English Learners: Today through Friday, February 28th, Poway Unified will be conducting our Family Engagement and Accountability survey to gather input from all families of English Learner students. This survey helps shape the District’s goals and guide priorities for the 2025-2026 school year. Your feedback is extremely helpful as we continue to seek ways to better our English Learner program. Please click HERE to complete the survey.

Nondiscrimination Philosophy and Policy Statement

The Poway Unified School District (PUSD) is an equal opportunity employer/program and is committed to an active Nondiscrimination Program. PUSD prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, nationality, immigration status, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. For more information, please contact: Title IX/Equity Compliance Officer, James Jimenez, Associate Superintendent of Personnel support Services, Poway Unified School District, 15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128, 1-858-521-2800, extension 2121, jjimenez@powayusd.com. For students, you may contact Title IX Coordinator/504 Coordinator Jamie Dayhoff, Director of Attendance and Discipline, Poway Unified School District, 1-858-521-2840, jdayhoff@powayusd.com.

Stone Ranch Mission: To create an environment where each and every child feels safe, valued, and inspired to be their authentic self.

Principal email: theard@powayusd.com

Website: stoneranch.powayusd.com

Location: 16150 4S Ranch Parkway, San Diego, CA 92127

Phone: 858-487-8474