McPherson News for May 4, 2025

Hello McPherson Families,

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Open House! It was wonderful to see so many families connecting with our school community. This week, we’re celebrating Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week, and we invite you to join us in recognizing the incredible dedication and hard work of our McPherson teachers and staff. Also, Muffins with Mom is this Friday morning—we hope to see you there for a sweet start to the day to celebrate our McPherson Moms!

Have a great week Meteors,

Dr. Godsey

Principal

Dear McPherson Parents,

We are currently seeking a PTSA President for the upcoming school year. Without a president, our school will not have a functioning PTSA. Without a PTSA, our school will not have many of the wonderful activities listed below.

No experience is required, and the rest of the PTSA Board will provide full support to ensure a successful year. If you’re interested or have any questions, please reach out to Dr. Godsey (bgodsey@orangeusd.org)

Thank you for considering this important role!

We will be celebrating our annual teacher & staff appreciation week the first week in May.
This year the theme is ROAD TRIP FUN! Below is an itinerary of weekly events along
with a suggestion of ways you can contribute to the fun of showering our teachers and
staff with the appreciation they deserve!
MON. 5 - FUEL UP BREAKFAST - Have your student bring a fresh coffee, coffee gift card or morning breakfast treat.

TUES. 6 - SCENIC ROUTE - Bring a flower or nature themed gift to show your appreciation.

WED. 7 - SOUVENIR SURPRISE - Bring in a small gift or token of appreciation.

THURS. 8 - 2025 ROAD TRIP SNACKS - Bring in a healthy snack or sweet treat.

FRI. 9 - YOU"RE GOING PLACES - Show your appreciation with a thank you note, drawing, or card.

OPEN UP THE ATTACHED FLYER FOR ALL THE DETAILS!!!

Wear you favorite Star Wars outfit or color for Star Wars Day on Monday, May 5 - "May the 4th Be with You".

We’re excited to invite you to Muffins with Mom, a special event hosted by the Dad’s Club! Bring Mom (or another special guest) to enjoy a sweet start to the day with your child.

📍 Where: School Cafeteria
📅 When: Friday, May 9th
⏰ Time: 7:15 AM – 8:00 AM

*All students should be accompanied by an adult*

Light refreshments will be served, and it’s a wonderful way to celebrate the amazing women in our students’ lives. We hope to see you there!

Let your creativity shine and help design next school year’s Spirit Shirt! This is your chance to leave your mark and get the whole school wearing your artwork.

🖌️ Design Requirements:

• Must fit on one side of an 8½" x 11" sheet
• Use no more than 3 colors
• Include the school name and school year (2025–2026)

📅 Deadline: All designs must be turned in to the front office by Friday, May 23, 2025

Whether you’re doodling by hand or creating digitally, we can’t wait to see your bold, spirited, and school-proud ideas!

🎉 The winning design will be featured on our official 2025–2026 Spirit Shirt!

Please click on the link below to fill out a form if you DO NOT plan on returning to McPherson for the 2025-2026 school year. It is VERY IMPORTANT that we know if you are not returning to McPherson next year. Thank you for responding promptly.

https://tinyurl.com/McP-No-Return-25-26

PLEASE READ BELOW FOR IMPORTANT DETAILS FOR LUNCH ON THE LAWN

Friday, May 16

Schedule

Kindergarten: 11:35 to 12:20

1st through 2nd Grade: 11:20 to 12:05

3rd through 5th Grade: 11:49 to 12:26

6th through 8th Grade: 12:34-1:09

• Parents or family members may bring lunch, picnic baskets, lawn chairs or blankets to the McPherson Lunch on the Lawn (easy ups and umbrellas are also allowed, and the entire grassy lawn area is available to use). School lunch is still available for all students.

• We will open the Palmyra gate located on the north east side of campus (on Palmyra) at 11:15am. Please be mindful of parking signs as the north side of Palmyra is parking by permit only. (Unfortunately, The Revive Church Parking Lot is NOT available for parking during the day)
• Students 1st through 5th will line up on the playground by teacher name during the first 5 minutes of the schedule ABOVE (please be sure to note that lunch schedules vary by grade level). After students are in line for 5 minutes they will be released to eat lunch and play. No one will be eating in the quad area near the cafeteria as everyone will enjoy lunch.
• ·Students that get school lunch will be picking it up before they line up. Please make sure your student knows if you are coming with lunch, they should not get a school lunch on Friday.
• Administration will make announcements for students to line up at the end of each lunch period. Please be sure to encourage students to line up at this time and then ONLY parents will exit out through the Palmyra gate. We want to make sure that everyone has exited and the gate is locked by 1:20.
• Should you want to take your student home after Lunch on the Lawn, please have them bring their backpack from the classroom when they come out for lunch. If they have their things, you will be able to check them out at the Palmyra gate. I

MS Track and Field (May 22nd) (buses available email Ms. Manion at lmanion@orangeusd.org)

Carnival of Champions- grades 3-6 , May 17 at 9 AM, link to register

PTSA TALENT SHOW COMING!!!

🎤 SAVE THE DATE! 🎤

McPherson PTSA is thrilled to announce our Spring Talent Show! 🌟

🗓 When? May 30th, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
🎭 Where? McPherson School (Details to follow!)

Do you have a special talent? Dance, sing, magic tricks, comedy—ALL acts are welcome! 🎶🎩💃

💥 Want to perform? Fill out the Google Form https://forms.gle/nKQhYz21UW5rBjtf6 to sign up!

Get ready to shine and make this year’s Talent Show the best one yet! 🌟 Let’s make some memories, McPherson!

Please stop by the front of the school and check to see if your students LOST AND FOUND is located on the clothing racks. The racks are OVERFLOWING!! Many items were picked up over Spring Break and are now located on the racks. All clothing will be donated at the end on June 13, 2025. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE ITEMS THAT DO NOT BELONG TO YOUR STUDENT.

Orange Unified School District is hosting a School Readiness Fair to connect families with resources and support for all of their children's early learning needs. Join them for a fun event to help parents and kids play, learn and grow together. Saturday, May 17, from 9:00am to 12:00pm at Fred Kelly Stadium. Open the attached document for more information.

The event will include:

Games & Crafts

Raffles & Fun Giveaways

Preschool & TK Registration

Free Development screenings

Balloon Art

Education, Health & Community Resources

Diaper Distribution

Petting Zoo

Thursday, May 8 @ 4:00 pm

Topics: Child Development, Behavior, and Resilience

These classes will be in person (Room 500) and will be taught by faculty from Santiago Canyon College.

Dear OUSD Families,

New for Summer 2025!
We are excited to introduce a brand new OUSD College & Career Exploration Summer Camp for OUSD students entering grades 4–6 in the 2025–2026 school year! This hands-on program is presented by Orange Unified’s Career Technical Education department and provides a fun and engaging way to explore real-world careers.

Location: Yorba Middle School
Session 1: June 23–26, 2025 | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Session 2: July 7–10, 2025 | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

This program is FREE and spots are limited, so don’t wait to sign up!

Click here for more information. Sign up here!

College for Kids Summer Program

We are thrilled to once again offer the Santiago Canyon College “College for Kids Summer Program” for current Orange USD students in grades K-12! This free program provides fun, interactive, and engaging classes designed to support academic growth, close learning gaps, and offer rigorous enrichment opportunities. Each OUSD student may register for one free class. Space is limited, and registration will close once classes are full.

Register starting May 5 at 10:00 a.m. at www.sccollege.edu/ck
Browse the course brochure here: https://online.fliphtml5.com/qlhdz/pnet/#p=36

ELOP & CARES Summer Enrichment
Registration is currently open for the Expanded Learning Opportunities Programs at California, Cambridge, Canyon Rim, Esplanade, Handy, Lampson, Olive, Portola, Prospect, Sycamore, Taft & West Orange.

June 16-July 25, 2025 | 7:30-4:30 PM

The CARES parent paid program will be taking place at Chapman Hills, Fletcher, Crescent OPK, McPherson and CDC Preschool

June 16-August 15, 2025 | 7:00-6:00 PM

Click here for more information

Optional Summer Activities
We would also like to share a collection of optional activities to keep students engaged in learning throughout the summer.

Link to Optional Summer Activities

For questions, please contact the OUSD Office of Curriculum and Instruction at 714-628-5452 or curriculum@orangeusd.org

We look forward to a summer filled with learning and exploration!

Sincerely,
Orange Unified School District

Office of Curriculum and Instruction

We are excited to offer math tutoring BEFORE school for all middle school students on Wednesdays. This is a great opportunity for students to get extra help with math assignments, prepare for tests, or simply improve their math skills. No sign-up necessary. These are drop in tutoring sessions.

When: Every Wednesday morning from 7:15am to 8:00am (Starting September 5)

Where: Mr. Castro's Room #107

Who: Any 6th, 7th or 8th grade student

At McPherson, we value a partnership with parents and families and we want you to take an active role in your child's education. We do have an expectation that every family will contribute ten hours of volunteer time every year. There are many ways to volunteer throughout the year but if you intend to volunteer on campus during the year (classroom help, parties, field trips, etc) we must have you complete OUSD's volunteer application. You can complete this now and it will be good for the entire school year. The majority of our campus volunteers will be working 5 hours or less on campus so you will only need to complete the requirements listed under #1 and #2 on the links below. Please call the office if you have any questions regarding the volunteer application process.

English:

https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/MjY4OmVuLVVT

Spanish:

https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/MjY4OmVzLVVT

It is always fun to post a special message for your child's birthday. You can purchase Birthday Marquee messages now at - https://mcp-birthday-marquee.cheddarup.com

All birthday marquee messages must be purchased by the Wednesday prior to the week you are requesting.

Our school is participating in BoxTops, which means that you can earn cash with the products you already buy to help our school earn money for classroom supplies. We need your help, collecting Box Tops to earn cash for McPherson. Each one is worth 10¢! Everyone’s participation is helpful. Let's work together to give our students what they need to succeed — and see how much we can earn this year!

If you're new to BoxTops, you can download the app, select McPherson and input referral code C86O5H22 to earn an extra $2.50. Spread the word!

Here's how you can help:

· If you haven't done so already, Download the Box Tops app on your smartphone.

· Buy Box Tops products, Scan your receipt with the Box Tops app within 14 days of purchase and earn for McPherson with every Box Tops product you buy. The earnings through the application are recognized immediately.

· Our school will get a check to spend on classroom supplies. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE STUDENT & TEACHER’S NAME UNDER “GIVE CREDIT MEMO.”

· Refer your friends, family and other parents in the school to sign up for Box Tops. You'll earn Bonus Box Tops for our school when your referral scans their first receipt!

· Turn on notifications in your Box Tops app to get scan reminders and stay updated on special offers, new products and opportunities to earn for our school. Go to your Communications Settings by tapping on the person icon in the upper-right corner of the app.

· If you shop online, you can earn with your digital or email receipt, too.

MCPHERSON MAGNET SCHOOL | School ID: 227368

If you have trouble scanning your receipts, please email Trinh a copy of the receipts immediately.

Thank you for your support of the Box Tops Program and McPherson! We couldn’t do it without you!

Trinh Guevara
Box Tops Coordinator
trinhandcarlo@gmail.com

5/5 - May The 4TH Be With You -Star Wars Free Dress

5/5-5/9 - Teacher/Staff Appreciation

5/8 @ 4:00 pm - Santiago College Parenting Class @ McPherson/Room 500

5/9 - Muffins with Mom

5/16 - Lunch on the Lawn

5/17 @9:00am - Carnival of Champions Track Meet for 3rd thru 6th Grade

5/17 - Early Learning Round Up - Free Kelly Stadium

5/22 - Middle School Track Meet for 7th & 8th Grade

5/30 - Talent Show