The Blazer Bulletin

Hello Trailblazers!

This week brought all of the treats and none of the tricks as we celebrated school pride at our Community gathering, commemorated our 50th day of school, had community members teach us about Diwali and Día de Muertos, and dressed to impress in our annual Halloween costume parade.

We are gearing up for next week's Wild About Reading Book Fair. This year's event will include the continuation of two special traditions: Books & Breakfast and Pajama Story Time! Read more about the upcoming Book Fair in the PTA section below.

Don't forget to set your clocks back on Sunday as we officially "Fall" back as Daylight Savings Time comes to an end.

Lastly, we look forward to seeing many of you on Thursday, November 7th for the first Family Paper Picnic of the year!

Warmly,

Teri Heard

Your Very Proud Principal

November 3: Daylight Savings Time Ends (Fall Back)

November 4: School Site Council Meeting

November 5-8: Book Fair

November 6: Books & Breakfast

November 7: Pajama Story Time

November 7: Family Paper Picnic

November 8: VAPA VISION

November 11: Veterans Day - No School!

November 13: Foundation Meeting

November 14: PTA Meeting

November 15: Trimester 1 Ends

We were honored at this Friday's Community Gathering to hear from the school's founding principal, Dr. Suzanne Roy. Dr. Roy and her colleague, Pam Klevesahl, are delegates of the DKG International Society for Key Women Engineers. They awarded Mrs. Lasho, a 5th grade teacher at SRES, with a $1,000 grant to build a Broadcast Journalism program. This program, set to start in the new year, will allow students the opportunity to learn about filming, producing, and editing newsworthy productions. We are so proud of Mrs. Lasho for earning this incredible grant.

Additionally, Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Dickey, were the recipients of the Greater San Diego Mathematics Council grant and will each receive over $800 to purchase manipulatives to support student learning in mathematics.

Stone Ranch is incredibly fortunate to have a teaching staff that is committed to offering our students with hands-on learning opportunities and willing to go the extra mile to apply for and receive high quality grants. We appreciate all that our teachers do for us every day!

Stone Ranch staff have witnessed multiple instances of unsafe driving behaviors in our parking lots and surrounding streets. Keeping our students safe is of utmost priority. Please help us keep students safe by following directions from staff directing traffic in the parking lots and the Safety Patrol directing traffic on 4S Ranch Parkway.

Under no circumstances should cars be left unattended in either the bus or staff parking lot loops. We have seen multiple cars parked in the loops without a driver in sight. This creates a serious safety concern and traffic hazard. If you need to come onto campus to retrieve your student, please park in a designated parking spot.

Additionally, we have been told that some parents/guardians are parking their cars on 4S Ranch Ranch Parkway, blocking the road and causing a major disruption. Please be mindful of all driving rules and regulations on the streets near campus. Your commitment to safe driving is appreciated.

Chronic absence refers to students missing an extended period of school when both excused and unexcused absences are taken into account. Given the critical importance of time devoted to learning, especially in the early years, we believe it is important to count all absences. We intentionally use the term “chronic absence,” because the more frequently used term, “truancy,” only refers to unexcused absences and connotes inappropriate student behavior requiring a punitive response.

Chronic absence is most commonly defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year (equivalent to 18 days out of a 180 day school year) regardless of whether absences are excused or unexcused. If children miss this much school while in grades K-3, it is chronic early absence.

Research by the National Center for Children in Poverty found that absenteeism has a direct impact on student performance in their current and future academic achievement and social emotional development. Chronic absence in the first years of school was associated with lower academic performance in subsequent grades (see chart).

Information taken from Hedy Chang and Mariajose Romero’s report, “Present, Engaged and Accounted For: The Critical Importance of Addressing Chronic Absence in the Early Grades.”

At Stone Ranch, we believe that coming to school every day is an important opportunity for students to learn as well as connect with their peers. If your child is consistently late to or absent from school, you can expect a phone call from the office. Our goal is to help our families make coming to school a priority.

Congratulations to our Hope Squad and Character Ambassador committees! Looking forward to a great year together.

Hope Squad:

1. Walker Hague

2. Hanna Brar

3. Avery Wong

4. Anika Jaiswal

5. Aiden Belekanich

6. Mia Tsujimoto

7. Lauren James

8. Jouri Hage Hassan

9. Zoland Thai

10. Jyotsna Mohan

11. Maddie Ow

12. Mihit Patil

13. Ashwin Sundaresan

Character Ambassadors:

1. Gavin Reisert

2. Aarav Virk

3. Sai Mayukha Chintalacheruvu

4. Avani Tathele

5. Maahi Shrimali

6. Shreyan Hande

7. Vrikshitha Srivathsan

8. Sophia Diaz

9. Mary Huntley

10. Makenna Freeman

The family picnic is scheduled for Thursday, November 7th. On this day, parents are encouraged to come to campus during their child's lunch period and eat lunch with them. You may bring a special lunch for your child to enjoy or they can also grab a lunch from school as well. We want to remind you that lunch is a little shorter on Thursdays. If you plan to pick up food, the wait times can be significantly longer than usual. We encourage you to plan ahead, have the lunch ready to go, and consider walking to campus or parking in the Boys and Girls Club lot next to campus. You are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for a more cozy lunch experience. With proper planning, this should be a wonderful event for all.

Parents/guardians are encouraged to bring a ream of paper (or more if you like) as an entry ticket to the picnic. This is completely voluntary and all are welcome to attend with or without paper.

As you might know, paper is an important commodity on a school's campus. Our teachers and staff work tirelessly to provide learning materials that support and nurture your student's growth. To make this happen, we go through a LOT of paper. Any paper donation that you consider bringing is greatly appreciated.

Please join us in donating to our Foundation’s 30 Days of Giving fundraiser! Your donations help enhance the learning experience for each Trailblazer, and provide the sole source of funding for:

• TK/K Aides

• Impact Teachers

• PE Coaches

• Classroom Funds

• Teacher Assessment Days

• STEM equipment and new technology

• School safety equipment

The suggested donation of $300 is based on the budget needs and goals to support the above teaching professionals, programs, and equipment. However, any and all donations are appreciated! Stone Ranch Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible. Ask your employer about corporate matching, as well! Donate online at: www.stoneranchfoundation.org , or through Venmo at: @SRESFoundation . The class with the most participants will earn a special surprise each Friday of the Fundraiser!

DISNEY RAFFLE- November 7 through December 6

🎉✨ Get ready for some magical news! Enter our raffle for a chance to win Disney gift cards! Whether you’re dreaming of a trip to the parks, unforgettable merchandise, or movie nights at home, these gift cards will bring the magic of Disney straight to you. Don’t miss your chance to experience the joy and wonder of Disney! Raffle sales begin at the Family Paper Picnic, November 7! 🌟🏰

The Parent Ambassadors of PUSD Special Education Department, in partnership with EFRC (Exceptional Family Resource Center) would like to share these valuable community resources with you. Please see linked Community Resource Update flier for details.

Please complete the free/reduced-price meal application! Although school meals are free for all students, the application for free and reduced-price meal eligibility is still very important. School funding depends in part on the number of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. If income-eligible families do not apply, we risk losing important educational funds for our school.

Students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals may also qualify for discounts on testing fees, before and after school care, and home internet! Income qualifications change annually, so a new application is needed every school year. For school year 2024-2025, children from a family of four are eligible if the total gross (pre-tax) household income is less than $4,810 per month, or less than $57,720 per year. Household income information is confidential and applying online is quick and easy. Apply online at MySchoolApps.com, or pick up a paper application in the

Join other 4S families on Thanksgiving Day for the Turkey Trot and support a great cause! Please affiliate your registration with Stone Ranch Elementary School. With 10% school participation, SRES will receive $500 for playground sports equipment!

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