The Colt Express

Greetings Colt Families,

I hope you’re enjoying the rest of your weekend and are ready to kick off another exciting week ahead! Be sure to check out the "Upcoming Dates to Remember" section in this newsletter. We have a minimum day on Thursday, March 20th, with early dismissal at 12:45 PM! There’s a lot happening this month, so make sure to mark your calendars and stay in the loop!

We wrapped up Read Across America week with a Storybook Character Dress-Up Day. Students came dressed as their favorite storybook characters on Friday, March 7, 2025. Scroll down for some pictures of the event!

Our Scholastic Book Fair was a tremendous success, and we owe it all to our amazing PTA and dedicated parent volunteers! Thank you for your hard work and support!

Join us for Open House on April 10th from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM! Your scholars will be showcasing all the amazing work they've done this semester. We’re sure you'll be impressed by everything they accomplish each school day!

Lastly, our hard working and creative students dropped another edition of The BW Colt News. They will continue to conduct interviews, write their own stories! Also, they will continue to work on public speaking, film, editing, and most importantly, giving the student body a voice! Please CLICK HERE for the latest edition! We hope you enjoy our BW Colt News!

I am thankful to lead such an amazing school and I look forward to greeting you personally before each day of school.

As always, scroll down to our Colt's in Action section of the newsletter for pictures!

Sincerely,

Mr. Dominic Camacho

Principal, Bonsall West Elementary School

DREAM BIG BONSALL WEST AND RIDE WITH PRIDE

For additional information on any of our announcements, please contact JoAnn Carruego.

In an age where online safety is more important than ever, join us for an informative assembly dedicated to equipping students and parents with essential tools and knowledge. Topics will cover cyberbullying prevention, privacy management, and responsible digital citizenship. See the flyer below for the link to the online parent presentation via Zoom.

Get ready for an morning of rhythm and melody! Our students will be showcasing their talents through music and dance performances. Don’t miss out on these incredible displays of artistry, as we celebrate creativity and passion.

Celebrate the diverse cultures that make up our vibrant community! Multicultural Night will feature music, dance, art, and food from around the world. This is a great opportunity for families to experience and learn about various global traditions and customs.

Calling all young artists! Submit your creative works for a chance to have them showcased in our upcoming Art Contest. A panel of judges will select winners across multiple categories, and the winning artwork will be displayed at the Art Showcase for all to enjoy.

3rd annual Bonsall Woman’s Club/BUSD Stages of Inspiration Art Contest & Show: “Belong, BELIEVE, Achieve”

Art Show date: April 30, 2025

Art submissions due: March 17, 2025, submit to teacher/front office

PRIZES Sponsored by: Nessy Burgers will be awarded by age/category.

CATEGORIES:

• 2D (“fine arts”)

• Watercolor, acrylic, or oil painting; oil pastel, chalk pastel, pen and ink, or graphite drawings; mixed media work

• 3D (“crafts”)

• Sewing, crochet, knitting, cross stitch, needlepoint, embroidery, pottery, sculpture, woodwork, metalsmithing, jewelry, “trash-to-treasure” etc.

• Photography

• grades 6-12 only, 8x10 prints only

• 
  

Original art only; pre-packaged “kits” not allowed.

BUSD students will also be “taking the stage” for musical and dance performances during this celebration of THE ARTS!

Join us for BUSD Family Literacy Night, a fun and educational event focused on fostering a love for reading. Families can participate in interactive reading activities, book giveaways, and discussions that promote literacy for all ages.

Looking for a career opportunity? The BUSD Job Fair will bring together a wide variety of employers, including local businesses and organizations, offering job openings across different fields. Come explore new career paths and network with potential employers!

• March 9th: Spring Forward - Day Light Savings Time - Move Those Clocks

• March 20th: Minimum Day - School is out at 12:45 PM

• March 28th: Student of the Month Awards "Synergize" - 8:30 in the MPR

• March 28th: Multicultural Night - 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

• March 31st: Music and Dance Concert - 3rd - 6th Grade - MPR at 10:00 AM

• April 7th: Music and Dance Concert - TK - 3nd Grade - MPR at 10:00 AM

• April 10th: Open House - 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

2 – Christina Podzius

5 – Nerida Manuel (LVN)

9 – Stevie Moshrefi (SPED Preschool)

18 – Maria Salazar (Cafeteria)

Bonsall Farm Information on upcoming field trips.

School Spirit is very important to us at Bonsall West and we celebrate the following each week:

Thursdays - College shirt day!

Fridays - Bonsall West spirit shirt day!

Favorite Story Book Destination

We wrapped up Read Across America Week with a fun Storybook Character Dress-Up Day on Friday, March 7, 2025. Students came dressed as their favorite storybook characters, bringing the stories they love to life!

CLICK HERE for more photos!

Bonsall West First Graders had an exciting time exploring, playing, and learning about all aspects of making music at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad. The expressions on their faces say it all!

Students and families generously donated books they no longer needed, allowing our students to swap for a new one and share the love of reading! A big thank you to the Read Across America Committee for this wonderful idea. And the best part? They get to keep the books too!

In addition to the monthly awards, we have some amazing scholars who are being recognized by staff for being safe, respectful, responsible and doing their personal best each day. If they are caught exhibiting these traits they are given a raffle ticket for a chance to win a prize! Wow, just for doing the right thing all the time! Those tickets remain in the spinner for the entire month and each Friday the winners are acknowledged at our Patriot Ceremony.

Please visit our CNS website which contains forms and information for parents to request special diets. Free meals again in 2024-25!

https://www.bonsallusd.com/apps/pages/nutrition

* Menu subject to change *

What to expect each regular full day:

• TK school day FIRST Semester - 8:15 AM - 12:30 PM

• TK school day SECOND Semester - 8:15 - 2:35 PM

• K school day - 8:15 AM-2:35 PM

• Grades 1st - 6th school day - 8:15 AM-2:45 PM

• Front gate opens at 7:50 AM

• Back Gate Opens at 7:5 0AM

• Running Club & Reading Room begins at 7:55 AM

• Drop Off & Pick Up Remains the Same

The Bonsall Unified School District prioritizes student attendance for good reason. When students are absent, they miss valuable learning experiences within the classroom, as well as opportunities to engage in programs and activities. We emphasize the importance of daily attendance because it not only contributes to student success but also helps establish a positive pattern that will benefit students throughout their lives.

However, we recognize that there are occasions when students may need to miss school due to illness or unexpected family circumstances. Additionally, we understand that there may be pre-planned family events, significant religious observances, or important cultural activities that may necessitate a student’s absence.

In such cases, if your schedule allows, and your student is well enough to complete assignments, we kindly ask that you contact the attendance line at your respective school to request a Short Term Independent Study (STIS) Master Agreement. This process involves completing a simple form, reviewing the terms, and signing the agreement. The agreement needs to be completed only once per year.

Once the agreement is finalized, and you state the dates of absence, your child will be provided with the necessary work to complete during their absence. This can be picked up at the school or made available electronically. Upon returning to school and submitting the completed assignments, the teacher will evaluate the work and confirm that the required tasks have been fulfilled. This process ensures that students can recover lost learning, allows the attendance clerk to re-code the absence from the student’s record, which helps maintain positive school attendance rates. Additionally, this process preserves financial resources that would otherwise be unrecoverable if there was no Short Term Independent Study Master Agreement in place.

Although our hope is that families would only need to use Short Term Independent Study on one or two occasions, there is an allowance for the schools to recover up to 15 days of absence for each student.

Thank you for your cooperation and for supporting your child's education.

BUSD, Student Services

Click on the link below to learn about this year's Student Attendance Review Team and how BWE and all of BUSD will be working with families on improving attendance. I will explain how all absences, excused or unexcused impact your child's academics.

SART/SARB Process

If you would like to see what was covered at our first ELAC Meeting, CLICK HERE.

Please click on the link below for additional resources for students of all ages.

Resources

If you have any questions, please reach out to Caroline Carcamo at caroline.carcamo@bonsallusd.com

We cannot do the work we do without you, the parents and guardians. You are an important piece in your child’s academic success and your child’s first teacher. Now, more than ever, we need to work as community partners to support each and every child. One way to continue with support is by joining the PTA on Totem: https://jointotem.com/ca/oceanside/bonsall-west We have been very fortunate to have a strong relationship with our PTA and receive significant financial support for our students.

The Bonsall West PTA is here to support you, your students, our staff and teachers. Please contact us at bonsallwestpta1@gmail.com for any questions or concerns.

Many thanks,

Bonsall West PTA

PTA Website

**Check out the Parent Resource Guide for any questions you may have about school, bell schedules, pick up/drop off and more!

We encourage parents, guardians, and other members of the community to share their time, knowledge, and abilities with students. Volunteer assistance in schools strengthens the schools' relationships with the community.

If you wish to volunteer please read through the Volunteer Handbook as it defines the procedures to protect the safety of students and adults as well as conform with laws related to tuberculosis testing and criminal record checks as required by law. The forms needed in order to be a volunteer are in the handbook. Please complete the forms and turn them in to your student’s school site office manager for processing. You will also need to obtain a LiveScan request for fingerprinting, please contact the Human Resources Administrative Assistant by

e-mail at meghann.cate@bonsallusd.com or by phone: 760-631-5200 x1013

We need your help in keeping our students and visitors safe by obeying our safety signs when driving onto campus! Please do not park in the bus lane and use the designated drop off lanes. Do not leave your cars unattended and say your goodbyes quickly as you drop off. If you decide to park and walk your child to the gate, please use the appropriate crosswalks and watch for moving vehicles.

Drop off/Pick up Procedures:

To ensure a smooth and safe drop off in the mornings, please do not leave your car unattended or wait too long after your children get out of the car to exit. We want everyone to have enough time to get to class on time each day.

Drive thru or park and pick up for all grades will take place at the front side gate near the TK/K playground. You may park or line up while remaining in your car to wait for your child(ren) to be dismissed from school. No student pick up at the main gate. Only students with a walker ID Tag will be allowed to exit the main gate. If you are wanting to pick up at the back gate they must follow the walker requirements.

Walker Requirements:

· Must be in 1st - 6th grade, TK/K can if they are accompanied with older sibling/s.

· A “Walker” permission slip is sent home with children the first week of school each year and must be filled out yearly.

· All registered walkers are required to have a bracelet keychain, distributed by BWE.

· Registered walkers with their bracelet keychain can exit the main gate in front of the school or the back gate.

E-bikes continue to be a concern on campus - All visitors and students are expected to walk your bike or e-bike on campus. Helmets are required so please be sure that those on the bikes are correctly wearing helmets. Parents/Guardians, it is still being witnessed that older students are riding their e-bikes with younger students on them who are not wearing helmets. Safety is extremely important to the entire Bonsall West community. A big thank you to those of you who are walking your bikes and e-bikes on our school campus.

Dogs - Dogs are not permitted on campus at any time, including outside the campus gates.

Thank you for your attention to these important safety reminders!

Bonsall Unified School District takes an active role in protecting students online. At the end of last year, our Board of Trustees adopted a cloud managed filter and reporter system which has further bolstered cyber-safety controls for students. The vast majority of students in Bonsall Unified are conscientious about internet searches and respect the terms included within the Appropriate Use of Technology. If your student should attempt to access content that is inappropriate, site level administration will be immediately notified electronically about the specific search in a Red Flag Warning. This allows the administration to work with the student and discuss the search and deliver consequences as appropriate, yet also, and most importantly, to notify the parents so that you have the information in order to follow up as a family. Please note, if students are utilizing school issued Chromebooks from home, inappropriate searches will also come to the attention of administration. As administrators do deserve weekend reprieves, oftentimes the Red Flag Warning cannot be monitored in real time on Saturdays and Sundays, yet we have confidence that parents are taking on the responsibility of monitoring computer use at home.

We all know that the use of the internet is an incredibly powerful and now an essential aspect in our world. We look forward to continuing to partner with parents to guide students toward searching topics that are useful, productive, and good.

Thank you

Districts receiving Title I, Part A funds are required to jointly develop with, agree upon with, and distribute to parents and family members of children participating in Title I, Part A funded programs, a written parent and family engagement policy.

Bonsall Unified School District has jointly developed with, agreed on with, and distributed to, parents and family members of children participating in Title I, Part A funded programs, a written parent and family engagement policy. The policy describes the district’s plan, how families are involved in the joint development of district and school plans, how parents are involved in the annual evaluation of the policy, strategies for supporting effective family engagement, and how families at school not receiving Title I funds are also engaged.

BUSD Bilingual Community Liaison, Leonor Rodriguez

Check out her monthly newsletter below:

The February Newsletter

Contact information: leonor.rodriguez@bonsallusd.com or (760)631-5200 Ext: 1000

Go to our PTA Corner for the Parent Resource Guide for additional resources.

Home Depot - Our Community Garden looks amazing!

The Bonsall Education Foundation wants to remind you that through their Support Our Students program, we raise money for BWE classrooms. All donations go directly to BWE. If you are interested in donating, parents/guardians can use the QR code or go to www.bonsallschools.org. 100% of donations will go back to your school for teachers to use.

At Bonsall West Elementary School we are focusing on the Leader in Me to build lifelong leadership skills.

We want our students to focus on the 7 habits:

1. Feel empowered to be proactive and be in charge of themselves.

2. Set goals and begin with the end in mind,

3. Focus on work first then play with put first things first.

4. Have an abundance mindset and think win-win.

5. Listen to our peers and seek first to understand, then be understood.

6. Work collaboratively and synergize.

7. Have school work/life balance and sharpen the saw.

We have a couple of resources that explains the paradigm shifts and habits that we focus on and will get them to you soon.

All students will attend a BWE expectations assembly this week. We will review schoolwide expectations/rules and answer any questions.

At Bonsall West, everyone is inspired to do their best, be respectful, work hard, think of others and dream big!

At Bonsall West, we will focus on the future by setting goals and collaborating to create a culture of leaders that respectfully serve the community.

Email: info@bonsallusd.com
Website: bw.bonsallusd.com
Location: 5050 El Mirlo Drive, Oceanside, CA, USA
Phone: 760-721-8001