Castello Community Newsletter

Hello Castello families!

Fall is in the air! The month of October is always an exciting time at Castello. As the weather changes, all of the big holidays that both kids and adults love are just around the corner. This month also features one of our school's largest events—the Fall Festival! It is a wonderful time for our community to come together in the quad and celebrate the season. Be on the lookout for information on how to purchase game tickets and pre-order meal deals. And of course, costumes are allowed at this event!

Historically, we see an increase in student behavior challenges during October. Whether it is the change in weather, the excitement of Halloween, or simply the fact that kids have been in school for two months, impulsive decision-making tends to rise. Because of this, we double down on the positive behaviors we want students to model.

Each week, we introduce a new school focus during a Monday morning announcement. Teachers receive three special Golden Tickets per week to hand out to students who demonstrate that specific behavior. Students who earn a Golden Ticket can choose a prize from the Witch's Cauldron. Additionally, one student from each grade level will be drawn to complete a fun fall craft with Ms. Ghalambor and me. We have used this system for years and have found it makes a meaningful impact on our students.

Enjoy the changing colors of the season, the cooler nights, and the warmth of fall.

Every Day is a Great Day to be a Cougar!

Megan Jones, HCC Principal and Jessica Ghalambor, HCC Vice Principal

October 12: PTA Meeting - Library @7pm

October 13: Fall Picture Day

October 13: PTA Dine Out - Chick Fil A

October 15: Mad Science Assembly

October 16: Fall Festival

October 30: Spirit Assembly & PTA Coffee Cart - Character Dress Up Day

October 30: PTA Dine Out - Somi Somi

Families can visit mydorian.com, search for Castello, and click the green ORDER button or the yellow HELP button associated with our picture day. Families can place orders online at mydorian.com before picture day and for up to 2 days afterwards.

Fall festival flyer will be distributed early next week. Tickets and meals can be pre purchased or purchased night of.

PTA is in need of one extra BBQ to borrow for fall festival. If you live near the school and wouldn’t mind letting pta use it, please let us know by emailing us at castellopta@gmail.com. We will pick up and drop off.

Fall festival wouldn’t be possible without the help of our amazing community! Please consider volunteering for one hour!

This is the sign up for parent/adult volunteers only, if you have HCC alum that would like to volunteer please email us at castellopta@gmail.com

Click the link to the right to sign-up.

Alice in Wonderland

Auditions were held in September and forty-three 4th - 6th graders will be performing Alice in Wonderland in December. We'll be having fun and practicing twice a week:

Tuesdays - 3:00-4:30pm on the stage

Thursdays - 3:00-4:30pm on the stage

Drama Club Workshop

Students will be working on their acting skills and holding a culminating performance to show off their skill. Practice for this group are:

Thursday - 3:00-4:00pm in F2

Our 1st ELAC (English Language Advisory Committee) meeting will be Wednesday, October 7th from 6:00-7:00pm in the Library.

Families... Be sure to check out the handy-dandy QR Code on your child's math lessons and homework pages. They are typically on the right side of the page towards the top. Scan the QR for lesson support.

Parents, if your child is interested in sharing their talent, like dancing, sports, singing, acting, etc. and be in an episode of HCC News and Talent, please email: Julie Phurchpean at jphurchp@egusd.net

• Office: (916) 686-1725
• email: smgarcia@egusd.net or Maggie mwattspe@egusd.net

Our schoolwide expectations at Helen Carr Castello are: Acting Respectfully, Working Responsibly, and Staying Safe. Each week students may earn a Cougar Coupon for making good choices. Students have an opportunity to enter a drawing for a prize at the end of the week.

PBIS FOCUS FOR OCTOBER: RESPONSIBILITY

All enrolled students are welcome to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. If your family qualifies for government services, it's important to complete the 2026-2027 Meal Application Form available on EGUSD's Food & Nutrition Services webpage. Families that qualify for government services and do not complete the 2026-2027 Meal Application Form, may be removed from the government’s eligibility list. However, all enrolled students receive breakfast and lunch at no cost whether or not they complete the meal application form.

From October 6-Decemeber 6 let's help Grumble gather as many socks as he can this cold season. Please bring new sock donations to the front office to be delivered to our Champion Program!

Beginning with the 2026–27 school year, Edupoint, the developer of our Synergy student information system, will discontinue support for the current ParentVUE and StudentVUE mobile apps available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Families who use the mobile apps will need to download the new ParentVUE and StudentVUE apps to continue accessing student information.

The new apps are available now, and families are encouraged to install them before the transition. Users who still have the current apps installed and attempt to access them after August 3, 2026, will be prompted to download the new versions.

The updated apps include additional features and enhancements. Families can learn more by reviewing our updated ParentVUE/StudentVUE App Guide.

It's crucial that student information in Synergy is accurate, including: names, addresses, Emergency Contacts, etc. It's really scary when we can't reach a student's contacts when emergencies happen. To make sure all information is correct or to make changes, follow these directions: Parent Update/Verification

Check out the links below for ALL EGUSD Volunteer information, requirements and applications.

• Senate Bill 848
• Volunteer Packet
• Volunteer Public School Works How To Guide (Mandated Training)

2026-27 EGUSD School Year Calendar
2026-27 School Year Calendar – English | Spanish

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Elk Grove Upcoming Events and Key Dates

Free Food Distribution
EGUSD and Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services will continue to host bi-monthly food distribution events. These events are held at Calvine High School (8333 Vintage Park Dr.) from 3:45 to 5:15 pm. Please note that the food distribution event will take place RAIN or SHINE! The food bank will be offering a greater variety of food options, along with additional supplies for distribution.

• Free Food Distribution Flyer (translated flyers included)

THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS ARE NOT ELK GROVE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SPONSORED PROGRAMS AND EGUSD ACCEPTS NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE PROGRAMS/ACTIVITY. THESE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ARE BEING SHARED BECAUSE THEY SUPPORT THE EGUSD COMMUNITY, ITS MISSION, OBJECTIVES AND ARE SUPPORTIVE OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.