The Back to School Issue

July 29, 2025

Dear Tustin Ranch Families,

A special WELCOME to new families joining our TRE community!

The Tustin Ranch staff is excited to start the year with all of our students and families. I am thrilled to be joining the Tustin Ranch community as the new principal. If you didn't see the TUSD TRE Principal Announcement, I included it at the bottom of the newsletter. I look forward to meeting all of you at Back to School Night as we kick off celebrating 30 years of Coyote Pride!

To start the year strong, below are a few things families can do to prepare for the first day of school on August 13th:

• Mark your calendars for UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES

• Save the date for BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT on August 12th from 5:15-6:15 pm

• Complete DATA CONFIRMATION in Aeries Parent Portal by August 12

• Connect via PARENTSQUARE & social media

• Gather SCHOOL SUPPLIES

• Check the BELL SCHEDULE

• Save our Weekly SCHEDULE

• Review ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL PARKING LOT PROTOCOLS

If you have family, friends, or neighbors that are new to the neighborhood and haven't registered for school yet, please encourage them to call or come by the office, we are now OPEN! (714) 730-7580. The office is open from 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM.

Enjoy these final days of summer! We can't wait to meet our new Tustin Ranch students and welcome back our returning students. See you soon!

Mrs. Ciecek

Proud TRE Principal

August 12th: Back to School Night 5:15 PM in the quad area

August 13th: First Day of School - MINIMUM DAY

PTA Coffee Social (8:15-9:15 AM)

EVERY WEDNESDAY is a MINIMUM DAY!

August 15th: Friday - TRE Spirit Day - wear spirit gear

Friday, August 29: MINIMUM DAY

Kindergarten Dismissal: 12:55 PM

1st-3rd Dismissal: 1:24 PM

4th-5th Dismissal: 1:34 PM

September 1st: Labor Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL

September 10th: School Picture Day

Back to School Night is on August 12th from 5:15-6:15 pm. The night gives families a chance to meet their teacher, connect as a TRE community, deliver classroom supplies (see below), and hear a few words from their teacher about classroom and school systems and expectations. Students are welcome and encouraged to join you at the event. No class lists will be posted at school. You will need to check Aeries Parent Portal on August 12th after 4:00 pm for your assigned class.

BTSN Schedule

• 5:15-5:30 PM Principal and Staff Introductions (Quad)

• 5:40 Meet & Greet Teacher - Classroom Teacher Presentation (Round 1)

• 6:00 Meet & Greet Teacher - Classroom Teacher Presentation (Round 2)

• After 4:00 pm teacher assignments will be available in Aeries Parent Portal

• Make sure you complete Data Confirmation first
• Click on student name
• Click on 3 lines in upper left corner
• Click "Student Info" then "Demographics"
• Halfway down on the left you will see "Teacher" (this will only happen after 4:00 on 8/12).

Teacher assignments will be posted on the Aeries Parent Portal on August 12 at 4:00pm.

See directions below.

Please be aware that the classroom assignments are not fully secure until the first couple of weeks of school. As families continue to move and/or enroll, classes will be adjusted to accommodate students as best as possible while maintaining effective class sizes. To that end, combination classes may be created or disbanded once students arrive for the school year. We make every attempt to minimize disruptions to the start of the school year, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we adjust to our ever-changing student population.

Data Confirmation cannot be confirmed via a cell phone - a computer must be used. The local library is a great resource for use of a computer if needed.

Please login to your Aeries Parent Portal to start confirming your data. Data Confirmation should be completed ASAP and is due by August 12.

Parent Data Confirmation is required for all students enrolled in Tustin Unified. In addition, Data Confirmation must be completed before accessing any other parts of the Aeries Portal.

As a review, the Data Confirmation process will:

• Allow schools to have the most current contact information.

• Help determine which programs a student may be eligible for.

• Assist the school in school funding.

• Allow parents to review and approve authorizations and annual documents for the school year.

For any technical support, please visit our Portal Support Page or contact your school office.

Have you downloaded the Parent Square app?

ParentSquare is the only way you will get information from the school.

We are in the digital age and we do not send papers home anymore. In order to know what is coming up, holidays, spirit days, events, news, and much more, you need to have the ParentSquare app. It is free and you sign up using the email you use in the Aeries Parent Portal.

The app allows you to stay connected with Tustin Unified School District and Tustin Ranch Elementary. Stay connected with TRE school news this year!

Follow Tustin Ranch Elementary on social media!

Instagram: Tustin Ranch Elementary School @trecoolcoyotes

HERE you will find our Suggested School Supply Lists for the upcoming school year.

In addition to these supplies, it is incredibly important that students bring their TUSD-issued iPad to school each day, fully charged (new students will be issued iPads once school begins).

As you get into your Back-to-School routine, we suggest plugging in the iPad each night and placing it in an easy-to-remember location so it is not forgotten in the mornings!

For the first few weeks of school, please be sure your child wears sunscreen and brings a refillable water bottle. We no longer have drinking fountains, only water bottle filling stations. Students may wear hats at recess. Be sure that any hat with a logo is school appropriate.

We are a closed campus, so only TK and Kindergarten parents will be allowed on campus the first three days of school. Grades 1-5 will need to say goodbyes at the gates. TK and Kindergarten parents can walk onto the Kindergarten playground with their children. Please remember, if you have a child that has a hard time separating from you, as hard as it is, the quicker you leave, the quicker they learn how much fun school is!

Arrival/Dismissal:

Students can be dropped off at school at 7:55 AM. There is no supervision before 7:55 AM. If you need before or after school care, please call Catalyst Kids Club at (714) 573-9256.

Instruction, in the classroom starts at 8:10 for TK-2nd grade and 8:20 for 4th-5th grades.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday instruction in the classroom ends at 1:50 PM for TK-K, 2:38 PM for 1st-3rd grade, and 2:48 PM for grade 4-5. Please allow enough time for teachers to walk their students to the front gates.

Wednesday dismissal: TK and K: 12:55 PM, 1st-3rd: 1:24 PM, 4th-5th: 1:34 PM

Please take a minute to review the parking lot procedures below.

Hey, incoming TK/Kinder students at Tustin Ranch Elementary!

The PTA is hosting a second summer playdate at Tustin Sports Park on Saturday, August 2nd, from 10am to 12pm. This will be a great opportunity to meet new families and/or reconnect with the ones you met at the last playdate! During this meet-up, we'll take a short walk to Keller Drive, where the TK and Kinder gates are located. We'll be going over drop-off and pick-up procedures to help ensure a smooth and stress-free first day of school. We hope to see you there!

It's a must-read to know what is happening at TRE!

Every Sunday Mrs. Ciecek sends out TRE News. This is your way to read about everything coming up at school and see some pictures from the previous week. Be sure to look it over!

The Tustin Unified School District (TUSD) is excited to announce Michelle Ciecek as the new Principal of Tustin Ranch Elementary School (TRE). Mrs. Ciecek will assume her new role on July 1, 2025, pending Board approval on June 9, 2025.

Mrs. Ciecek has been a part of the TUSD Family for more than nineteen years, currently serving as assistant principal at Pioneer Middle School. Before joining Pioneer, Mrs. Ciecek was a Teacher on Special Assignment, Digital Learning Coach, and elementary teacher in TUSD. Throughout her twenty years in public education, Mrs. Ciecek has remained deeply committed to fostering student success, creating positive, supportive environments where every child feels cared for, respected, and empowered to thrive.

“I am incredibly excited and honored to join the Tustin Ranch Elementary community,” shared Mrs. Ciecek. “I look forward to building strong relationships with students, families, and staff as we continue to cultivate a learning environment where every child feels valued, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Mrs. Ciecek to her new role,” stated Superintendent, Dr. Mark Johnson. “Mrs. Ciecek leads with her heart and builds deep connections with the students, staff and families she serves. She is also a strong communicator, a gifted instructional leader, and is passionate about collaboration. She will be a strong asset to Tustin Ranch Elementary’s already tremendous programs.”

Mrs. Ciecek earned her master's in teaching and bachelor’s in psychology from Chapman University.

Principal: Michelle Ciecek, dciecek@tustin.k12.ca.us

Secretary: Sumitra Vittal, svittal@tustin.k12.ca.us

Office Assistant: Karen Dillon, kdillon@tustin.k12.ca.us

Community Liason: Lupe Inutan, ginutan@tustin.k12.ca.us

Community Specialist: Maura Vaughn, mvaughn@tustin.k12.ca.us

Health Clerk: Victoria Lawrence, vlawrence@tustin.k12.ca.us

Website: https://www.tustin.k12.ca.us/tustin-ranch
Location: 12950 Robinson Drive, Tustin, CA, USA
Phone: (714)730-7580
Twitter: @trecoolcoyotes

The Tustin Unified School District prohibits discrimination, intimidation, harassment (including sexual harassment) or bullying based on a person’s actual or perceived ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, immigration status, national origin, religion, race or ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. For questions or complaints, please contact Equity Compliance Officer: Stephanie Yang, Director Educational Service TK-12, 300 S. C Street Tustin, CA 92780, 714-730-7301 ext. 51318 | Title IX Coordinator: Stephanie Yang, Director Educational Service TK-12, 300 S. C Street Tustin, CA 92780, syang@tustin.k12.ca.us, 714-730-7301 ext. 51318 and Section 504 Coordinator: Michelle Everitt, Coordinator of Student Services, 1151 San Juan St. Tustin, CA 92780, 714-730-7301 ext. 51326.