Bobcat Tales

Mark Your Calendar

Open now:TK/Kindergarten Registration Open Now

March 28th: Survey closes at 9:00 pm tonight.

SLVE Annual Family Survey English Link

SLVE Annual Family Survey Spanish Link

April 1st: SLVE/BCE Vigilant Parent Workshop @ BCE 5:00-7:00 pm Please read details below.

April 2nd: TK/Kinder Meet and Greet: New to SLVE: TK 2:00-2:25/New to SLVE: Kindergarten 2:30-3:00

More info. below

April 7th-14th: Spring Break

April 24th: SLVE Open House

May 7th: Jump Start to Kindergarten 2:00-2:30 more information below.

June 4th: SLVE 5th Grade Promotion 9:00 am Field of Dreams

June 5th: Last student day of school. Dismissal: 12:05

A Message from Principal Ponza

Family Survey

Today is the last day to complete the SLVE family survey. We've already received at least 50% participation which means we've earned the $5000. incentive for SLVE. If we can rise to the top by securing the highest percentage of responses, we will earn another $5,000. We did it last year. We can do it again!

SLVUSD is looking to gather feedback from our families regarding our Academic, Communication, and Learning Environment goals. We anticipate the survey will take from five to seven minutes to complete. The valuable feedback that you submit will provide the District and the site with important information as we plan for the 2025-2026 school year.

Here are the current totals for our schools:

BCE: 240 Respondents = 57.55% - Congrats on meeting the 50% threshold

SLVE: 298 Reponses = 55.49% - Congrats on meeting the 50% threshold

SLVMS: 217 Responses = 54.80% - Congrats on meeting the 50% threshold

SLVHS: 246 Responses = 42.56%

SLVE Annual Family Survey English Link

SLVE Annual Family Survey Spanish Link

The survey closes today, Friday March 28th at 9 pm. Who will win the extra $5,000 of their school? Will it be the Bears, Bobcats, Panthers, or Cougars!

Fun Run

Students TK-5th grade had an amazing time at this year's annual Fun Run. There was running, dancing and singing. Thank you to all of the families that came out to cheer our students on. The smiles and laughter among our students before, during and after the Fun Run was amazing to see. Thank you to everyone, our Bobcat Club, teachers and staff who helped to organize and support this super popular event.

Speedy Sam and her team wanted to share this message with our school community:

We raised over $42,500 for LifeLab, art programs, and campus enhancement. Thank you so much for all your hard work and support throughout the program; we truly couldn’t do this without you! Donations will remain open until Thursday, April 3rd. Thank you so much for all your help and support during the program. If you’d like to continue to give and share, head to MYBOOSTER.COM today.

TK/Kindergarten Music Performances this week

Our TK/Kindergarten students put on incredible music performances this week. The students were so excited and proud to share the many songs that they learned with their families and friends. Thank you to Mr. G., our amazing music teacher, for all of his effort and enthusiasm in preparing our students for this big event. Thank you to our TK/K families for being a great audience.

SLVE and BCE Vigilant Parent Workshop April 1st @ BCE

The Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will help parents understand privacy and parental controls on apps, games, and social media. We will distribute iPads and walk parents through the process and teach you how to have a conversation with your child about Internet Safety.

Our goal is to keep children safe from online predators. The workshop will take place at the Boulder Creek Elementary School MU on Tuesday April 1st from 5:00-7:00 pm. This class is for parents only. Childcare will be available and pizza will be served. Please fill out this Vigilant Parent Workshop Form so that we can plan for childcare and available IPADS. Please use the QR code to sign up for this class.

SLVE Student Council Presents "Spirit Week" March 31st-April 4th!

Monday - Pajama Day

Tuesday - Fancy Day

Wednesday - Group Up! (Match your outfits with a person or group!)

Thursday - Throwback Thursday (dress old school / retro)

Friday - Beach Day ( Can include towels, water wings, goggles, sun hats, etc.)

Intent to Return for the 2025-2026 School Year

We are excited to get started on the 25/26 school year planning. Please complete this

Intent to Return Form for each child in your family. We are so excited to have you back next year. Please note that this is just for incoming students Kindergarten-4th grade. 5th-grade students will register with the middle school.

SLVE TK/Kindergarten Registration

1. Prepare for Registration. SLVE TK and Kindergarten student registration is now open. Please review the registration page here to determine if your child is eligible for TK or Kindergarten and all the documents needed to complete the Enrollment Process.

2.Please plan on attending these future TK/Kinder events:

TK/Kindergarten Round Up/Meet and Greet

Who: New to SLVE: TK 2:00-2:25 New to SLVE: Kindergarten 2:30-3:00

When: Wednesday, April 2nd

Where: SLVE MU

The TK/Kinder Meet and Greet serves as a great opportunity for students to meet the teachers, see the classrooms and do some fun activities. It's also a great opportunity for parents/adults to meet the Principal, the teachers, inquire about our Transportation and Nutrition Programs, and get to know more about our school and our TK/Kindergarten program.

The times are as follows:

Kindergarten Jump Start on Wednesday, May 7th

Who: Students who will be in Kindergarten for the 25/26 schoolyear

When: Wednesday, May 7th 2:00-2:30

Where: Kinder Classroom (Room 16)

SLVE Kindergarten Jump Start is for all incoming kindergarteners who are registered for the 2025-2026 school year. Students will have the opportunity to get to know the Kindergarten teachers and classroom while participating in some fun kinder activities with their future teachers. Parents will have the opportunity to meet with Principal Ponza and one of our SLVE Kindergarten teacher to learn about what kindergarten is all about. There will be time for questions and discussion.

Bobcat Club News

Bobcat Auction and Bake-off!

Register today by emailing braedenliam@gmail.com for the SLVE Bobcat Bake-Off at the Annual Auction & Parent's Night Out on April 25 at Roaring Camp. Remember to buy your auction tickets!

Back to School Night Art Show Help needed!
Our amazing art teachers need help setting up the art show for Open House. Please volunteer today!

Buy Your Yearbooks!
Take advantage and get free shipping to school Buy your yearbook by April 28!
5th Grade Families: This is the last weekend that you can buy a 5th-grade dedication!

Attendance Matters

We continue to emphasize the importance of daily attendance for your student. Absences do add up!

We know people get sick, people get injured, and there can be family or life responsibilities and other issues that are reasonable and excused. But if your student can attend, they need to be in school.

If your student is out for three or more consecutive days, we may request a doctor’s note to continue excusing the absences. Students who miss 3-5 days will receive a Chronic Absence letter. We will then meet with those families to attempt to support the student attending school. On the second Chronic Absence Letter, families may be required to meet at the District Office to put a plan in place for the student’s attendance. On the third Chronic Absence Letter, families may be required to meet with the County Office Student Attendance Review Board for truancy. Our goal is that no family ever gets that far along with truancy. We are here to help and support, but it does start at home with the expectation that your student will attend school regularly.

Please remember that students who are absent 3 days or more should complete an independent study contract. Lisa Ghelardi, at lblairghelardi@slvusd.org our SLVE Registrar, will work with families to get the paperwork and the missed classwork assignments needed to complete the contract.

Learning Websites~IReady and Lexia

Your student can access Lexia Core5 (phonics/reading support) or i-Ready (math & reading) from home using their Google login information or their Classlink QuickCard (QR Code). Teachers will be sending home IReady/Lexia log in information (also linked below) and QR codes with students by Friday, October 4th.

You can access these applications from a personal computer (Mac or Windows), a personal Chromebook, a school-issued Chromebook, or an iPad. See the instructions for how to access them below:

How to Access Lexia/i-Ready from Home (Slideshow with all options)-SLVE

How to access Lexia/i-Ready from Home (School-Issued Chromebook)--SLVE

How to access Lexia/i-Ready from Home (iPads)--SLVE

How to access Lexia/i-Readyy from Home (Computers/Personal Chromebook)--SLVE

Updated Student Illness Protocols

For suggestions to help with knowing when to keep your child home when they are not feeling well please click on this Illness Protocol Link. Contact a health care provider if your child needs medical care. A doctor’s note is generally not required to return to school or child care. For more information, please visit the CDPH guidance page.

Cradle to Career

Cradle to Career Santa Cruz County (C2C) is a family advocacy organization and community connector that strives to uplift all families. C2C has expanded into SLVUSD and has developed free programming, including recreation activities, parent workshops, and advocacy opportunities for families. Register with C2C for more information about upcoming yoga classes, and more! Contact Claudia Oblea, SLVUSD's Community Organizer, for more information about C2C, questions, or resource support.

To Register with C2C visit: https://share.hsforms.com/1PECJBXBRREmsdHAUyGb4Ggdl8zs

Claudia's Contact information:

Email - Coblea@c2cscc.org

Phone: 916-270-5237

Triple P Parenting Classes

Triple P Positive Parenting topical workshop flyers for March are attached. Información sobre programas en español disponibles en el sitio web.

Each flyer has its own unique link to register for each class, or go to https://www.first5scc.org/triple-p-classes and register on the website. All of these classes are on Zoom!

Workshops are all free, and grant funded by First Five of Santa Cruz.

Individual sessions are also available for free or sliding scale. If you are interested in a 1:1 session, please contact First Five of Santa Cruz at First 5 Santa Cruz County at (831) 465-2217 or

The "Community Opportunities" website link is provided as a courtesy to parents and students, by the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, to enable you to receive information of current local events and opportunities for adults and/or children.

Student Drop Off and Pick Up at SLVE

As the rainy days are upon us, it is important to focus on safety during our drop off and pick up time each day. As a reminder, the far right lane is the ONLY lane that you may stop in to pick up your student. The middle lane is a drive thru lane only. If cars stop in the middle lane, buses CANNOT get up the hill to pass without going into the far left lane which is the exiting lane.

Cars dropping off and picking up students must drive all the way up to the cafeteria to drop off and/or pick up their students. Please do not open car doors into the driving lanes. When stopping to drop off your student, students should leave their car through the car door on the cafeteria/playground side of the car. Please do not get out of your car to drop off/pick up your students. School staff can assist students out of their cars if needed.

Please remember to park ONLY in marked parking spots. Please do not park in fire lanes or bus lanes. A reminder that the parking lot in front of the school office is reserved for teachers/staff only. Please do not stop there to drop off or pick up your student. We appreciate your role in helping to ensure the safety of our SLVE students and families.

Perimeter Fence Update

Our perimeter fence is almost complete. We are just awaiting a couple of small panels. The fence is a nice addition to our campus as it helps to prevent balls and other recess items from rolling into the parking lot. It also provides a very clear and visual boundary to our campus which helps to keep students safely inside.

Beginning on Tuesday, January 7th, we will be opening the gates at 7:50 am and closing them at 8:30 am. The gates will be reopened forTK dismissal and then remain closed until 2:00 for afternoon student dismissal. All volunteers will need to enter through the SLVE front office to check in and get a volunteer badge.

Please remember that school remains in session from 2:15-3:00 for our 4th and 5th grades. During this time, the SLVE playground is closed unless being used by SLVE PE classes and their teachers, or the after school ELOP program and their leaders. As a reminder, Kindergarten-3rd grade students should NOT be playing on the playground between the hours of 2:15 pm-3:00 pm. We appreciate your help in supporting this school protocol.

Bus and School Lunch Information

We will continue to provide free lunch to all students this year. We do ask that you complete the application on the district webpage. It is very important that ALL families complete this form, as it helps us with funding in several different areas.

If your child will be riding the bus this year and will need a bus pass, please make sure you purchase your bus pass online here. Once you log in to LinqConnect you will see "School Store" on the bottom right hand corn. Click that to buy your pass. Any questions contact the Transportation department at 831-336-2223

Please complete the Transportation Registration Form for all students riding the bus. Should there be a school bus breakdown, closed route or a route delay, School Messenger will not contact you unless your student(s) are registered.If you do not have your student registered by Thursday, 08/29/24 your student will be left at the school and sent to the office. For more information please call the Transportation office at 831-336-2223 or email Heidie at hoconnor@slvusd.org.

Thank you for your understanding.

-Transportation Department