Robert Down Principal's Update

Dear Robert H. Down School Community,

Thank you to those of you who came out this evening to our PTA Dine Out event at Chipotle! It was nice to see several of you there supporting our school!

Culture of “We”- Opportunities for Engagement

• Read-A-Thon begins on Monday, January 20! Information was sent home with students this week.

• 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.

• Book Night will be held in our Cafeteria on Friday, January 31 from 6-7PM. Save the Date! More information will be shared next week.

• Wildfires in Southern California: I have been in contact with family and friends in the Los Angeles area impacted by the fires. I am hoping to make a connection to a school community that has been impacted for our students to connect with peers impacted. More information to come.

• Spelling Bee: We are looking for parent volunteers to be Spelling Bee correctors on Monday, March 3 or Tuesday, March 11 at 3:30PM. If interested, please sign up here.

• 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.

• Lunar New Year is coming up on Wednesday, January 29. If you would like to create a display, share about how your family celebrates Lunar New Year, or lead an activity with students, please sign up here.

• Community Engagement Forum Around PGUSD Core Values will take place on Wednesday, January 29 from 6-8PM at Forest Grove Elementary. Details can be found here. I hope to see you there!

Safety Updates

Slow Down in School Zones: Please be sure to slow down when approaching school zones. The speed limit is 25 mph in school zones and 15 mph at blind intersections. We have had several reports of cars not slowing down when turning from 12th Street to Spruce to drop off students at the Spruce Gate. In addition, please be sure to look out for children and pedestrians during drop off and pick up, especially around crosswalks and corners.

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

Upcoming Dates

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

• January 20-31, 2025 Read-A-Thon

• January 21, 2025: ELAC at 2:30 PM Agenda

• January 21, 2025: School Site Council at 3:30 PM Agenda

• January 21, 2025: PTA Meeting at 7:00 PM

• January 29, 2025: Lunar New Year

• January 29, 2025: Community Engagement Forum Around PGUSD’s Core Values at Forest Grove 6-8PM

• January 31, 2025: Student Book Swap at Lunch

• January 31, 2025: Book Night in Cafeteria 6-7PM

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thank you for helping ensure light and love grow in our school community! Have a lovely weekend!

Sincerely,

Emily Tsai Brownfield, Principal

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

January 20-31 - Read-A-Thon!

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)

January 31- Book Swap during lunch

January 31 - PTA Book Night, Cafeteria, 6:00 PM

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