Grizzly Gossip October 2026

Mr. Cameron Shepherd

ESS SUPERVISOR

cshepherd@powayusd.com

Desk Phone: 858-673-6527

Cell Phone: 858-472-3845

Mrs. Ashley Olivo

ESS LEAD ASSISTANT

aolivo@powayusd.com

Desk Phone: 858-673-6527

Mr. Nick Moyer

ESS LEAD ASSISTANT

nmoyer@powayusd.com

Desk Phone: 858-673-6527

Please find important updates for September below:

IMPORTANT DATES

October 9-14, 2026

Parent Teacher Conference Registration

October 13, 2026

School Professional Growth Day - 12:45pm Release - ESS OPEN!

Monday, November 16th will be a non-school day, our program will be available for a full day of care for an additional fee (unless ELOP qualified) and Procare registration. The registration window for November 16th will be open, Friday, October 9th - Wednesday, October 14th and will take place in Procare . If you’ll need care for your student(s) on that day, be sure to reserve your spot soon, space is limited and will be first come first served!

Please see below for important details about the week.

Key Details:

• Registration Dates Open: Friday, 10/9/2026 thru Wednesday, 10/14/2026 at 11:59pm

• Date of Service: 11/16/2026

• Cost $50 - (ELOP families there is no cost)

• Hours of Operation: 7:30am to 5:30pm

• Last day to Drop without being charged: October 31

Registration can be completed at www.myprocare.com

If you have any issues registering, please contact us by 4pm on 10/14/2025 at esspres@powayusd.com

Please note that the registration is only for the full day of Monday, November 16th. ESS will be open immediately after the bell on Tuesday - Friday that week, minimum days included. There is no additional registration or fees required for Tuesday - Friday.

Additionally, our ESS program often reaches maximum capacity on full days, and staffing limits may prevent us from accommodating every student. If you require care, please register as soon as enrollment opens.

I want to take a moment to share a quick reminder about safety and courtesy in our parking lot during drop-off and pick-up.

With over 200 students dismissing from our ESS program, alongside our Preschool families, our parking lot stays active until 6:00 pm. Even when the lot looks quiet, there are constantly young children and parents walking through.

We need your help to ensure every student, parent, and staff member stays safe during check-in and check-out:

Give Yourself Extra Time

Please plan ahead so you do not feel rushed during drop-off or pick-up. Rushing through the lot, especially when combined with afternoon sun glare, makes it difficult to see pedestrians. Slowing down makes a world of difference.

Parking During Non-Dismissal Hours

When picking up your child during non-school dismissal hours, you are welcome to park along the loading curb or in any open parking spot while you come in to sign them in or out. Please remember this does not apply during school drop-off and dismissal hours.

Community & Mutual Respect

We are all part of the same school family. Please practice patience, slow down, watch for pedestrians, and treat fellow parents and staff with kindness and respect.

ESS Leadership:

Mr. Cameron, Mrs. Ashley, Mr. Nick

Morning Staff:

Ms. Brooklyn, Ms. Mei Mei, Mrs. Yvonne

TK:

Mrs. Yvonne, Mr. Jett

Kinder:

Ms. Mei Mei, Mr. Federico, Mr. Mohamed

1st Grade:

Ms. Shada, Ms. Taylor

2nd Grade:

Ms. Syd, Mr. Gavin, Ms. Bianca, Mr. Mohammed (Mo)

3rd Grade:

Mr. Mac, Ms. Sadie, Ms. Anaya

4th/5th Grade:

Mrs. Prabha, Ms. Ainsley

4th/5th Grade:

Ms. Ysabella, Ms. Gabby

The following information is important information for new families, and great reminders for returning families.

- ESS hours are 6:30am-6:00pm daily. Late pick ups will result in automatic late fees added to your monthly statement. Multiple late pickups will result in a suspension or termination from the program.

- If your student will be absent from ESS, please email or text us ahead of time. We assume that every child who attended school will attend ESS after school if they are enrolled. If we are not made aware of an absence we will be calling and/or texting parents to confirm absences.

- Each family will be provided with a gate code to enter the double gates by the Kindergarten playground. This code is to be used by PARENTS only. Students should not be putting the family code into the gate.

- This code should only be shared with adults that are authorized to pick up your child. Please remember that if something were to happen on campus, and your code was used, you are responsible for who used your code to get on campus.

- The sign in and out iPads are for PARENT use only. Students should not be signing in or out.

- Phones and smart watch devices should not be used by students when they are in school and at ESS per PUSD Board Policy. If your student(s) need to communicate with you, they need to come to the office and use their tech, or ours in our presence. Students using these tech items in their rooms or on the playground will have them confiscated for parent pick up at the end of the day.

- ESS (district-wide) has removed the option for vacation credits moving forward. If you are going to be absent for an extensive period of time, please let us know. Please know you will not be reimbursed or credited for the days missed.

- ESS (district-wide) has changed hours on non-student days where ESS is open. This includes Parent Teacher Conference Days, President's Break, Spring Break, and Pro-Grow Days that ESS is open 7:30am-5:30pm.

- As many of you know, our ESS program is highly impacted with a waitlist! Please know that if you drop from our program, you will not be guaranteed re-enrollment. The waitlist and enrollment process is a centralized lottery system that is managed and held by the District Office. Dropping from the program will also supersede any future enrollments.

We are swiftly approaching tax season, and many of you will need to print YTD statements on tuition paid. Please use the guide or video posted below for guidance on how to run the report from your Procare Account.

ESS hours are 6:30am-6:00pm on school days and 7:30am-5:30pm on non-student days.