Wildcat Weekly 1/8-1/12
Proud Principal of Pomerado Elementary School
Happy New Year!
We hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable winter break! We are so excited to welcome our students back to school.
Friday Flag and Coffee with the Principal
We are excited for our first Friday Flag of the 2024 year and hope you can join us on Friday, 1/12 at 8:45 am on the blacktop. Parents are welcome to stay after Friday Flag and join us for Coffee with the Principal in Room 29 to talk about what's happening at school with the Pomerado Team.
Importance of School Attendance 🏫
As we transition back into school routines, we wanted to remind our community about the importance of regular school attendance to promote academic and social growth.
Being in school everyday means your child won't miss out on valuable learning and social experiences. When possible, please try to schedule appointments and family trips outside of school hours.
Did you know?
Research around attendance in elementary school suggests:
• Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
• Missing 10%, or about 2 days each month over the course of a school year, can make it harder to learn to read.
• Students can still fall behind if they miss just one or two days every few weeks.
• Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Start building this habit in preschool so they learn right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Eventually good attendance will be a skill that will help them succeed in high school and college.
What can you do?
• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
• Keep your child healthy and make sure your child has the required shots.
• Introduce your children to their teachers and classmates before school starts.
• Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor or another parent.
• Try to schedule non-urgent related medical appointments and extended trips when school isn’t in session.
• If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors and other parents for advice on how to make your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.
We want to help remove any barriers to school attendance. Please reach out if we can help connect your family with needed resources or services.
Hope Squad, Peer Support Program
We are excited to announce the arrival of Junior Hope Squad to Pomerado Elementary School.
Hope Squads will be present on every elementary school campus throughout PUSD starting in this 2023-2024 school year. The Hope Squad is an evidence-based, peer-to-peer youth suicide prevention program. The goal of this program is to increase inclusion and connectedness in schools by teaching students how to provide friendship, encouragement, and support for students who may be bullied or feel isolated. For more information on the program, please visit the Hope Squad website.
At Pomerado, we will offer an opportunity for a small group of 5th grade students to become a Hope Squad member and peer mentor. Students will be nominated by their peers or teachers and selected by the counseling team. Hope Squad members care about others, demonstrate active listening skills and are trusted by their peers. Students in this program will not be asked to act as counselors, but rather will be trained to refer students to a trusted adult for help.
Students will participate in biweekly lessons with the school counselor during the school day. In these lessons, Hope Squad members will be trained to take action when someone is struggling and look for warning signs in their peers. They will learn to show empathy, listen without judgment, and reduce stigma regarding help-seeking and mental illness.
Please contact Kristen Yearing, kyearing@powayusd.com or Julie Goldberg, jgoldberg@powayusd.com if you have any further questions about the Hope Squad.
PAWs (Parents And Wildcats) 🐾
Welcome to 2024!
We hope you had a fantastic holiday with your family and friends. Here's a look at what PAWs is working on for the month of January.
Career Day
Pomerado's Career Day is on January 24th. It's the first of its kind at Pomerado. Your children will get the opportunity to learn about dozens of careers. We want to thank all the parents who have already volunteered to share your time on the 24th. Please reach out to PAWs if you are interested in taking part or fill out the interest form. 1/24/24 Career Day - Interest Form (google.com)
Donuts with Grown Ups
Friday, January 12th is our Donuts with Grownups event before school on the playground starting at 8:15am. Have a treat then stay and join us for Friday Flag.
Restaurant Night
Our next restaurant night to benefit our 5th grade boosters will be on January 19th from 3-7pm at Board and Brew on Poway Road in Poway. Stop by for a sandwich and chips all to benefit Pomerado's 5th graders.
PAWs Meeting
Join us on Zoom for our January PAWs meeting on Wed. 1/10 at 6:30pm.
https://SDSU.zoom.us/j/85134897006
Cheers to a great first month of the new year,
Your PAWs Team
REMINDERS FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE
In Need of Donations
Our Health Tech is in need of gently used clothes:
Sizes: 4T- 8 ; Youth XS-Youth Large
- Basketball shorts
- Leggings
- Sweats
- Short sleeve shirts
(please nothing with buttons or zippers)
Snacks
Mrs. Diana provides snacks to students almost daily and often buys them on her own. If you can please donate:
- Goldfish
- Graham Crackers
- small size water bottles
Thank you for your generosity!
Flu Season Information 🤒
As a reminder, please do not send your child to school if they are feeling sick or experiencing symptoms of a virus. Keeping your sick child home will be a great benefit for the health and wellness of our students and staff.
What Symptoms to Look For
The flu and COVID-19 are both spread from person-to-person, especially indoors and in crowded places. Symptoms for both viruses include fever, headache, and muscle and joint pain, as well as a sore throat and coughing.
RSV is a respiratory virus that has been detected in previous cold and flu seasons. Symptoms of RSV include cough, runny nose, and fever. Treatment consists of managing symptoms and, in severe cases, hospitalization.
Tips to Avoid Getting Sick
San Diego County health officials offer these tips to prevent getting sick:
• Wash hands thoroughly and often
• Use hand sanitizers, if unable to wash hands
• Stay away from sick people
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Clean commonly touched surfaces
Thank you for your partnership in helping us keep our students and staff healthy. We thank you for your cooperation and support.
January Menus
Save The Date 🗓️
Upcoming Events
- Monday, January 8- Return to School
- Wednesday, January 10th- PAWs Meeting at 6:30 pm
- Friday, January 12th- 8:15 am- Donuts with Grown Ups on Playground
- Friday, January 12th- 8:45 am- Friday Flag/ Principal Coffee (immediately following Friday Flag)
- Monday, January 15th- Martin Luther King Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
- Friday, January 19th- 3-7 pm "Board & Brew" Fundraiser