Mustang's Message
December 3, 2023
Message from the Principal
Hello Mission Meadows Families!
Can you believe it is December already? We have so many fun and exciting events happening at our school this month that we hope you and your children will be able to participate in and enjoy, especially our holiday family night on December 14th.
In addition, we want to keep you updated on a couple of other important things that are happening at our school, including our implementation of the Positive Behavior Intervention & Support (PBIS) program. As part of our Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) systems, we have behavior expectations which are posted throughout campus. These expectations were introduced early in the year, and include that leaders are RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE, HONEST, SAFE AND KIND. Throughout the year, these expectations are revisited often in the classroom. In addition, we hold impromptu expectations reviews when our PBIS team notices some areas of need. Several weeks ago, Mr. Reese presented a behavioral expectation review to our TK-2 students around bathroom etiquette. Over the past several weeks, these students have met their expectations and were awarded with a classroom visit, positive praise, and a sticker from Mr. Reese this week!
Finally, at our Friday Morning Sing Assembly on Friday we updated everyone on the great progress our students are making in our school-wide reading goal. As a reminder, we set a Wildly Important Goal (WIG) of 80,542,384 words read by May 4th. We announced that the total words read combined by all students in November were 8,246,895, and the that so far this year you children have read 29,431162 or 36% of the way towards our final goal! This is fantastic. But remember, we need everyone to keep on reading throughout December, and especially over Winter Break to help us stay on track for our goal! We can do this mustangs!
Thank you again for all of your support, and have a wonderful week!
Sincerely,
David Peel, Principal
Important Dates to Remember
Dec. 5 1st Grade Trip to Play "Finding Nemo"
Dec. 6 4th Grade Mission Study Trip
Dec. 6 ELAC Committee Meeting
Dec. 7 4th/5th Field Trip to MVSH/Steel Drums
Dec. 8 Wild Wonders Animal Assembly
Dec. 13 School Site Council Meeting
Dec. 13-15 Holiday Craft Fair
Dec. 14 Family Holiday Night
Dec. 15 SDC to Elk’s Lodge
Dec. 15 TK Winter Celebration
Dec. 18-20 Holiday Spirit Day's
Dec. 18 2nd Grade Reindeer Games
Dec 20 Kindergarten Winter Extravaganza
Dec. 21 - Jan 9 Winter Break - NO SCHOOL
Jan. 10 School Resumes
Jan. 12 Friday Morning Sing
Jan. 15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day - NO School
Jan. 18 5th Grade Safari Park
Jan. 19 2nd Grade Safari Park
Holiday Craft Fair: Dec. 12th - 14th
Your student's teacher will choose a time slot this week to visit the Holiday Craft Fair, Dec. 12 - 14th. This is a Mission Meadows tradition and brings together local crafters to provide students with a festive opportunity to shop for hand crafted & low cost items for friends and family. The Craft Fair will also be open for family visits during our Holiday Family Night on Dec. 14th, 4:30pm - 7:00pm!
Important Parent Meetings in December
There will be two very important meeting held this month that we would appreciate more parent participation. The first will be an English Language Acquisition Council (ELAC) meeting, made up of parents & community members interested in helping our students who are English Learners. This meeting will be Wednesday, December 6th beginning at 1:00pm. The second meeting this month will be our School Site Council (SSC) Meeting on Wednesday, December 13th @ 2:30pm. One topic of discussion at this meeting will be our school safety plan. We have amazing parents and guardians here at Mission Meadows, and we invite all who would like to be more involved with discussing important matters regarding your children's education to come out and participate.
Holiday Spirit Day's - December 18th-20th
Our student council decided it would be fun to have the last three days of school before winter break be fun spirit days for the school, so there will be a week of holiday "spirit" on December 18th-20th. We hope all students will be able to participate and bring some joy to the season.
- 12/18- Merry Monday: wear red and green
- 12/19-Santa's Workshop Imposters: Dress like you work in Santa's workshop! You can be Santa, an elf, reindeer, toy, tree, etc.
- 12/20: Pajama Day: wear your coziest pajamas, socks or scarves etc.
Running Club Update
The Running Club is up and running and going strong! Since the start of the club in October, our students have run a total of 15,399 laps which is approximately 2,155 total miles. We recognized our Top 3 runners in each grade level at our last Friday Morning Sing. In addition, students are earning key chain charms for every 5 miles run. We have 150 students who have already earned their first charm. Students have the opportunity to run/walk on our track every morning. A big thank you to our parent volunteers who are able to supervise this program!
Habit 4: Think Win-Win® Everyone Can Win
Leader in Me: During December, your child will be learning more about how to put Habit #4 "Think Win-WIn" into practice. Thinking win-win is the key to working well with others. It is the most effective way of thinking, especially in a family. Families that learn and practice win-win thinking are happier, experience less conflict, and are better able to meet the family challenges that arise.
STEPS
1. I balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for what others want.
2. I make deposits in others’ Emotional Bank Accounts.
3. When conflicts arise, I look for 3rd Alternatives.
4. I cooperate instead of compete.
COMMON LANGUAGE - Cooperate, Mutual, and Win-win
“Think Win-Win is a frame of mind and heart that seeks mutual benefit and mutual respect. It’s not thinking selfishly (win-lose) or like a victim (lose-win). It’s thinking in terms of ‘we, not me.’” —Stephen R. Covey
Family Art Night, Jan 24th, 5:15pm - 6:15pm
This is a brand new event and your PTA is thrilled to be adding this to the calendar during this year's Kindness Week. This event will be free to all participants, but space will be limited. The RSVP is coming soon so be on the lookout! You won't want to miss out.
PTA News
The goal of the Mission Meadows Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is to positively impact the lives of each child, their families, and the school staff at Mission Meadows! Do you want your kids to love coming to school? WE DO TOO and we need your help!! Consider joining the PTA today. It's easy, incredibly rewarding, and completely flexible. You can do it! CLICK HERE to join.
Mission Meadows Spiritwear: Additional spiritwear sizes will be available for purchase at the first Friday Morning Sing, Sept. 1st. You can visit the office starting on Monday to order spirit wear directly. Students are encouraged to wear their Mustang spirit wear every Friday to school. Thank you, Mustangs!
BOXTOPS : Please see information below about how you can sign up to scan your grocery receipts for boxtop items and help support Mission Meadows. It has never been easier to help our school earn some free money!
Attendance Goal for 2023-24
- We have a huge goal this school year to have every student achieve the HERO Award (Here Everyday Ready & On-time) by being at school at least 95% of the time. We know that student who miss an excessive amount of days (more than 10% of the school year have a greater chance of falling behind their peers academically.
- We hope that students will achieve at least 95% attendance this school year.
- Students are to stay home when sick, but can only miss up to nine school days to still meet our 95% goal.
- At last weeks Friday Morning Sing Assembly it was announced to all students that if we meet this goal at the end of the year, students will be able to duct tape Mr. Peel to a wall and through cream pie at him. Please help your child be successful by having them in school everyday, and help them achieve the goal of taping Mr. Peel to a wall!
Tips Families Can Use To Maintain or Improve Attendance:
Make school attendance a priority. Talk about the importance of showing up to school on time, everyday.
Help your child maintain daily routines such as getting ready for school, homework, and getting a good night’s sleep.
Encourage your child to join a club or extracurricular activity at school.
Keep your child healthy by providing adequate nutrition. Reach out to your school’s Community Liaison if you need assistance with basic resources.
Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor or another parent.
Try to schedule medical appointments and extended trips when school isn't in session. Bring them to school before and after appointments if a middle-of-the-day appointment is necessary.
If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors (see list of school counselors linked HERE) and other parents for advice on how to make your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.
What to do when my child is sick
Students with Illness Symptoms - For students with symptoms, (fever, diarrhea, vomiting) should test and stay home until symptoms have improved and are fever free for 24 hours. For students who test C+, they may return as early as Day 6 if they feel well, symptoms are improving and they have been fever free for at least 24 hours. Asymptomatic close contacts may continue to attend school. COVID testing is recommended, but not required. Schools are not required to verify negative test results.
COVID-19 Positive Students - Students and staff members who test positive for COVID must stay home from school or work. Students and staff may return to school as early as Day 6 if they meet the following criteria:
Must feel well
Symptoms must be improving
Fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication for at least 24 hours
Students should wear a mask on Days 6-10.
New Mission Meadows Family Handbook
We are also excited to share with you our new Mission Meadows Student & Family Handbook. When you have some time, please check it out to get more information regarding important information and procedures here at Mission Meadows.
Mission Meadows Elementary School
Location: 5657 Spur Avenue, Oceanside, CA, USA
Phone: (760)630-7884