Highland Ranch takes great pride in embracing the principles of the Character Counts Program, which acknowledges the six fundamental pillars our Stallions should embody: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.

Throughout the month of September, our focus lies on the character trait of trustworthiness. This week, each teacher will have the honor of nominating two students whom they believe exemplify this trait. These students will be celebrated at our first Friday flag for families on September 15th.

Complementing the Character Counts Program, we continue to uphold our commitment to being a Bucket Filling school, where we actively strive to enrich one another's lives. This week, I had the pleasure of visiting the Kindergarten room to read "How Full Is Your Bucket?" and spent time in the 1st-grade classrooms sharing "Justice Book Bully." By integrating the Character Counts Program with our Bucket Filling initiative, students have the opportunity to earn "drops" by filling the buckets of their fellow Stallions, including our dedicated staff. These "drops" can be placed in the buckets located in our main office.

Every Monday, I will select a name from each bucket, and the chosen students will have the chance to visit my office for a special prize. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the PTA for their generous sponsorship of these prizes. Through the celebration of positive character traits and the practice of filling one another's buckets, we aim to nurture a culture of positivity here at The Ranch.

If your student finds me on Monday, please encourage them to tell me that September is the month of trustworthiness. They will receive a "drop" as a token of recognition from me!

We would like to draw your attention to the concerning resurgence of the Paqui Brand 1 Chip Challenge, which has recently gone viral. It is imperative that everyone remains informed about the risks associated with this challenge. It is worth noting that this year's chip seems to be even more potent, given the inclusion of a second, more intense pepper. The safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority. Taking proactive measures to safeguard our students is paramount. We encourage you to share this information within our community and to not allow your student to bring this item to school so that, together, we can work diligently to prevent any further incidents.

As families begin to organize their holiday travel arrangements, we kindly request that you take into consideration the non-student days provided by PUSD to accommodate your travel needs. Thanksgiving Break spans from November 20th to November 24th, and Winter Break extends from December 25th to January 5th.

In line with our overarching goal of promoting consistent attendance throughout the school, we encourage you to schedule your travel plans during these designated periods. It's crucial to remember that students who are absent from school may miss valuable instruction. When absences become a recurring issue, students can fall behind academically, leading to lower academic performance and potential challenges that extend beyond the classroom. Your cooperation in prioritizing regular attendance greatly contributes to your child's success.

With the increasing temperatures, we've established a plan involving our MPR and shaded spaces in case the playground and outdoor areas become too hot. Depending on the temperature, we may relocate lunch to the MPR. Please ensure your student brings a water bottle labeled with their name to stay hydrated throughout the day.

Attention 2nd to 5th Graders: Kindly make an effort to memorize your lunch pin, both for breakfast and lunch. This practice will enable us to serve you more promptly and efficiently. This unique number will stay with you throughout your entire educational experience here at PUSD. Parents and guardians, we encourage you to help your student remember their the lunch pin number.

PURCHASE YOUR YEARBOOK EARLY and SAVE TODAY!

It is never too early to purchase your 2023-2024 Yearbook!

Buy today through October 31st, save 10%!

A portion of your purchase comes back to the school. Visit TreeRing.com and enter Passcode 1013489799753947.

We are looking to hire a part-time PE teacher our school. If you would like to be a part of the Stallion staff and need a part-time job while your student is in school, please email Mrs. Barry at mbarry@powayusd.com

We welcome Parent Volunteers who have completed the process. For information please click on this link for Poway Unified Parent Volunteers All volunteers must complete this process and arrange with the classroom teacher in advance. We are unable to have drop-in parent volunteers.

7:45 am – 12:00 pm

Beginning Monday, September 25, 2023, the Kindergarten students will begin the same schedule as Grades 1-5

We are remodeling our front office, and we need your assistance! We're seeking a 40-42 inch Smart TV, remote with a wall mount for displaying announcements and pictures of our Stallion staff and students. If you have a TV to spare, kindly reach out to Mrs. Barry at mbarry@powayusd.com.

DATE CHANGE! Highland Ranch Educational Foundation’s FIRST General Meeting of the Year will be held Monday, September 25 in the HRES Library at 6:30. This first meeting will be a meet and greet with light refreshments. This is a great opportunity to come out and meet the HREF Board and visit with our new Principal, Ms. Barry! Going forward, General Meetings will be held the first Monday (held on Thursdays previous years) of every other month (next meeting is Monday, Nov. 6)

Foundation Classroom Liaisons Wanted! The Highland Ranch Educational Foundation is looking for parent volunteers like YOU to be a Liaison for YOUR classroom. What do you need to do? It's EASY! Throughout the school year we will be sending you emails to forward to the rest of the parents in your classroom. These emails will give important information about upcoming events the Foundation is hosting and how they can donate! In your very important role as Foundation liaison, we highly encourage you to join us for our scheduled general meetings only if you have the bandwidth! There, you can get to know the board, learn about the three major fundraising events we host each year, and provide input on Foundation’s funding priorities. Let your teacher know today that you would like to be your classroom Educational Foundation Liaison. Our vision for the Foundation Liaison is that you are a natural extension of the board. We cannot personally visit each classroom to spread our initiatives, so we depend on you as our voice.

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! This year the Foundation is thrilled to continue the fantastic Junior Achievement program, providing our Stallions with a unique opportunity to participate in an engaging financial literacy program designed for elementary students right in their classroom! Each week for five weeks, the students will participate in a 45 minute hands-on lesson led by a parent volunteer and supported by the classroom teacher.

If you would like to partner with us to bring this program to your child’s classroom, WE NEED YOU! No experience or prior knowledge is necessary and you will receive proper training and all classroom materials! Please complete our short volunteer interest form https://forms.gle/Bc1UpnaW4UWWcjyY8 to learn more and get involved!

JOIN AND DONATE TO THE PTA BY SEPTEMBER 30TH TO BE ENTERED INTO OUR MEMBERSHIP RAFFLES

Welcome back Stallion families! As we gear up for another year of learning and fun, please make a note to see that your PTA membership is up to date so you are ready for all of the great events we have planned for this year! Your Annual PTA Membership truly supports all that your Highland Ranch PTA does!

You may have received an email entitled, “Time to Renew Your Membership to Highland Ranch Elementary PTA.” If you have, renewing is simple. Just click the “renew now” button and process your $10 payment! If you did not receive the renewal email, or you are joining the PTA for the first time, head over to TOTEM using our unique link: https://jointotem.com/ca/san-diego/highland-ranch-elementary-pta. Only $10 per member. Anyone can join (parents, grandparents, teachers, staff and even students!) and your annual PTA membership benefits all children in our school!

*All who join PTA by Sept. 30th will be entered into a raffle to win a special Stallion gift basket including a Highland Ranch Spirit wear T-Shirt of your choice, gift certificates to restaurants, and more! All donations of $100 or more will also be entered into a raffle for a special Stallion gift basket as well!

Join PTA for just $10/member: https://jointotem.com/ca/san-diego/highland-ranch-elementary-pta

*Like & Follow PTA on Facebook: www.facebook.com/highlandranchpta

*Check out our website: www.highlandranchpta.com

BUSINESS MARKETING OPPORTUNITY - HRES PTA BANNER SPONSORSHIP

Have a business you would like to feature on your very own 3X5 banner on the chain link fence facing Eastbourne Rd. at our school? We have a couple spots left so reserve yours today! All proceeds directly benefit our school and your sponsorship donation may be tax deductible (HRES PTA is a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status)! For more information, contact our HRES PTA Parliamentarian, Melissa Pascual at melissa@melimarmonte.com. Thank you in advance for your support!

ANNUAL PTA FAMILY PARTICIPANT WAIVER

If you plan on attending any of our events such as Trunk-or-Treat/Outdoor Movie Night, International Night, Family Dance, STEAM Night and more, please take a quick moment to fill out our Annual PTA Family Participant Waiver: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdX37bo6ttMrlD5CfJMhmOmykOKsCoR2SOoDc6rBVyqFlFiVg/viewform?usp=sf_link

*We need one on file per family per year to attend all PTA events. This will also speed up your entry to these events.

NATIONAL PTA REFLECTIONS ARTS CONTEST

Each year, students in Pre-K through Grade 12 are invited to create and submit original works of art in the areas of Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography and Visual Arts, in a nationwide contest. The theme this year is “I Am Hopeful Because…” See Link for more information on what PTA Reflections is. An Entry Form will be coming to the Ranch Round Up soon. Please email Heidi Moreno at hmoreno@rsf.k12.ca.us for more information. The deadline will be mid-late October.

GOT HRES SPIRITWEAR?

Highland Ranch PTA has you covered! To view and purchase HRES Spirit Wear shirts and hoodies, please visit our spirit wear website: https://hrespta.itemorder.com/shop/home

*You can choose to pick up your order at Big Frog for free or get it shipped directly to you for a fee.

The San Diego County Office of Education and Computers2Kids are hosting an event for families to purchase affordable computers on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at San Diego County Office of Education (6401 Linda Vista Road San Diego, CA 92111 - enter the drive thru on Via Las Cumbres).

See attached flyer for details and here is a link to the information.

Highland Ranch is a school with motivated students, enthusiastic teachers, and engaged parents who come together to prepare Stallions for their future.

Website: https://highlandranch.powayusd.com/
Location: 14840 Waverly Downs Way, San Diego, CA 92128, USA
Phone: 858-674-4707