All-Star News

• August 16 - Chalk the Walk, 2-4pm (See PTA flyer below.)
• August 17 - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, All-Star Sips
• August 21 - Coffee with the Principal after Flag Deck (in the MPR)
• August 27 - BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT - EARLY DISMISSAL, 1:30pm
• August 27 - General PTA Meeting & Back to School Night, 5-7pm
• September 7 - No School, Labor Day Observed

Dear Adams Families,

Welcome to another exciting school year at Adams Elementary! As we begin the 2026–27 school year, I am filled with optimism and excitement for all that lies ahead. This promises to be a year of innovation, exploration, and meaningful learning as we continue to provide exceptional educational experiences for every Adams All-Star.

Our school has much to celebrate. In 2025, Adams Elementary was honored as a California Distinguished School, recognizing the outstanding academic growth of our students, the dedication of our exceptional staff, and the strong partnerships we have built with our families and community. This prestigious recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.

This past year brought even more exciting news. Adams Elementary was named a Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Distinguished School for 2026, recognizing our outstanding commitment to STEM education and providing students with engaging, hands-on learning experiences that prepare them to become the innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow. We are especially proud that our STEM teacher, Kathleen Harmon, was recognized as the California C-STEM Teacher of the Year, an incredible honor that reflects her passion, creativity, and dedication to inspiring our students every day.

While we are proud of these accomplishments, we are even more excited about where we are headed. This year marks the beginning of several new initiatives that will continue to expand opportunities for our students. As our school evolves, you will notice an increased emphasis on global perspectives, international-mindedness, inquiry, collaboration, and developing the skills students need to thrive in an increasingly connected world. These exciting endeavors will build upon the strong academic foundation that has made Adams such a special place to learn.

At Adams Elementary, we believe in educating the whole child. Along with rigorous academics, we provide enriching opportunities in STEM, the arts, leadership, physical wellness, and character development. Our goal is for every student to feel challenged, supported, and inspired while developing the confidence and compassion needed to make a positive difference in their community.

As your principal, I feel incredibly fortunate to serve such a caring and dedicated school community. Our talented teachers and staff work tirelessly to create engaging learning experiences while fostering a warm, welcoming environment where every child is known, valued, and celebrated. The partnership we share with our families is one of our greatest strengths, and together we create the supportive environment our students need to succeed.

With more than 25 years in education—as a science and AVID teacher, assistant principal at both the middle and high school levels, K–8 principal, and executive director overseeing schools—I remain deeply passionate about instructional excellence and creating opportunities for every student to reach their fullest potential. It is an honor to serve the students, families, and staff of Adams Elementary and the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

Thank you for trusting us with your children and for being such an important part of our Adams family. I encourage you to stay connected, get involved, and share your ideas throughout the year. Together, we will continue to make Adams Elementary a place where every child can learn, grow, and shine.

I hope you have enjoyed a wonderful summer filled with rest, laughter, and time with loved ones. We cannot wait to welcome our All-Stars back for what promises to be an extraordinary school year. Here's to another year of learning, growing, and reaching for the stars—together!

Dr. Joe Erven

Adams Principal

Greetings Adams All-Stars!

Welcome to an exciting new school year! Whether you're returning or joining the Adams’ school community for the first time, we're so glad you're here. The 2026-27 school year will be filled with fresh opportunities to learn, grow, and lead, and we can't wait to see all that our All-Stars will accomplish.

Together, we'll continue to build a school where every student feels safe, valued, and inspired to do their best. By showing up every day, making positive choices, and leading with kindness and integrity, our students help create a community where everyone can thrive. Thank you for your partnership, encouragement, and unwavering support!

Here's to a year of growth, leadership, and unforgettable moments. Let's make the 2026–2027 school year our best one yet. Go All-Stars!

Gabrielle Thurmond

Adams Assistant Principal

Chalk the Walk – Sunday, August 16, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Front Sidewalks of Adams Elementary
Grab your chalk and meet us in front of the school as we cover the walkways with colorful messages of encouragement for our students! Bring the whole family, all ages welcome. Chalk will be provided, but feel free to bring your own too. It's a fun, low-key way to kick off the school year and show some All-Star spirit before the first day.

All-Star Sips: Parent Coffee Social – Monday, August 17

During Morning Drop-Off
Kick off the first day of school with a cup of coffee on us and some friendly faces! Stop by during drop-off to meet other Adams Elementary parents, connect with our PTA team, and start the year feeling a little more at home. No RSVP needed — just swing by the front lawn!

⭐ Welcome to the First Day of School! We are SO excited to welcome our Adams All-Stars back to campus for the 2026–2027 school year! The first day is always a special one, and we invite all families to join us on campus to celebrate this exciting new beginning together.

🕗 Gates Open at 7:45 AM

Families may enter campus beginning at 7:45 AM through either of our two regular gates:

• The gate closest to the Main Office
• The gate by the drop-off area

Once you enter campus, look for the signs that will help you find your child's line location (by teacher name).

⭐ Where Do We Go? On the first morning, our classrooms will be sectioned off while we prepare for the school day. For this reason, we ask families and students to gather in the Quad area and wait with their teacher's class line. Don't worry—we'll have plenty of signs and staff members available to help you find your way!

🚩 8:13 AM — Welcome to Adams! When the bell rings at 8:13 AM, we'll gather together for a quick Flag Deck welcome to officially kick off the 2026–2027 school year. We can't wait to see all of our All-Stars together!

📸 Classroom Welcome & Pictures After our Flag Deck welcome, teachers will lead their students and parents to their classrooms. Families will have a few special moments to:

• 📸 Take a quick first-day picture
• 🏫 See the outside of your child's classroom
• ❤️ Meet your child's teacher and begin the year together

After this brief classroom visit, we will ask parents and guardians to say their goodbyes and exit campus so that teachers can begin the school day with their students.

❤️ A Few Helpful Reminders We know the first day can bring a mix of excitement, nerves, and maybe even a few happy tears! Our staff will be here every step of the way to help make the morning smooth and joyful.

Please remember:

• Arrive anytime between 7:45–8:10 AM to give yourself time to find your child's line.
• Follow the signs and staff directions when you arrive.
• Please remain in the Quad/class line area until teachers are ready to bring students to classrooms.
• Keep classroom visits brief so we can help all of our students transition successfully.
• Once classroom pictures and visits are complete, parents will be asked to exit campus.
• Closed campus (dropping off at the gates) will begin on Tuesday 8/18

Most importantly, don't worry if you aren't sure where to go—we've got you! Our Adams staff will be out and ready to welcome you, answer questions, and help you find your way. We are so excited to begin another amazing year with our Adams All-Stars! ⭐ Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! Let's make it our best year yet!

We look forward to seeing you for Back to School Night on Thursday, August 27th.

• School is dismissed at 1:30 for all students

Teachers Machado, Gomez, Nunez, Ball, and Howell will hold a brief Back to School Night session in their classrooms from 8:00–8:30 AM.

Student supervision will be provided during this time.

Students in these classes who participate in general education classrooms are also encouraged to attend the evening Back to School Night session with their general education teacher. This is a great opportunity for families to learn more about the general education classroom, including routines and expectations.

Each week, teachers will be training students on Thinking Maps. Thinking Maps help students organize thoughts. Students will use Thinking Maps as a pre-writing activity. Next week, our teachers will be training students on the Circle Map. Please see the attached information so you can learn more about how these maps are used. The Circle map is used to help brainstorm ideas for prewriting.

🌟 What an AMAZING morning at Adams Elementary! 🌟 Our TK & Kindergarten Meet-and-Greet was the perfect way to kick off the excitement for the new school year! 🥳

Our newest All-Stars got to meet their teachers, explore their classrooms, make crafts, and start making new friends—while families had the opportunity to connect with our incredible TK/K team. ❤️⭐ A HUGE thank you to our amazing PTA for always supporting Adams and for helping make today so special! And, of course, thank you for bringing the 🔥 with our awesome Adams spirit wear! 👕⭐ We are SO excited to welcome our newest All-Stars to campus and can't wait for an incredible year ahead! 🎨 We hope to see everyone Sunday for Chalk the Walk! Come help us decorate Adams and get ready for the first day of school!

Class lists will be available to families on Friday, August 14th. Messages will be sent to families via the Parent Portal.

Please remember our parking lot is closed to non-school traffic. Parents will be allowed on campus the first day of school and then on Fridays for Flag Deck.

Arrival

• Please do not drop off student before 7:45 as there is no supervision before that time
• Students may enter through our main entrance at 7:45 AM and our side entrance by the park starting at 8:00 AM.
• When students arrive, they may walk to their line, put their backpack down, and when the bell rings at 8:00 AM, play.
• The warning bell will sound at 8:13 AM, and students are to walk to their line for the start of school at 8:15 AM.
• Students who enter after 8:15 AM are tardy, and parents will need to bring them to the office to sign them in for the day.
• Students riding bikes must walk their bikes onto campus and store them in the locked fence on campus.

Dismissal

• Students must be picked up from Adams Elementary by 3:05 pm.
• Students will be able to exit any gate at the end of the day. If students are taking the bus, they will meet on the blacktop and be escorted to the buses. If you have an older student, please ensure they pick up their younger siblings (TK-K) before meeting you at your pick-up location.

Welcome Our Newest All-Stars! Please join me in welcoming the newest members of our Adams family!

• Alyssa Difrenna – 6th Grade
• Diana Arce Davila – 1st Grade
• D'Ellen Gomez – SCC TK/1st
• Taylor Bullington (Hartgraves) – Administrative Intern / CARE Club
• Anna Cialfi – School Psychologist
• Lisa Pecoraro – School Psychologist (one day per week)
• Angela Park – Speech-Language Pathologist
• Elijah Goodman – Special Education Instructional Assistant

Attendance is very important to a child’s success in school. Students are expected to be here each day on time and ready to learn. However, we understand that there are occasions where an absence may occur. Please be sure to contact the absence hotline to report all absences at (714) 424-7935 and press 2.

Did you know? Research shows that chronically absent students (students with 10% absences over the school year = 18 absences) are less likely to read on grade level by 3rd grade, are more likely to score lower on standardized tests, get suspended in middle school, and are at least four times more likely to not complete high school.

The following list are general standards for appropriate and safe dress for school:

• Clothing must be clean.
• All attire must be modest. Undergarments must be covered.

• No clothing with offensive or distasteful words, promotes alcohol, tobacco or drugs, or has pictures, or slogans. Offensive would be defined as anything that is obscene, contains racial or ethnic slurs, or propagates violence, gangs or products which are illegal.

• No spaghetti straps, crop top shirts, halter tops or bare midriffs. Shoulder straps must be at least one (1) inch wide.

• Shoes must be practical so that students can run, jump, and kick while involved in physical activities on the playground. This means that tennis shoes or other closed-toe and closed-heel shoes are appropriate.

• Inappropriate shoes: open-toed shoes, Crocs, flip flops, slippers, heels, and platform shoes.

• Shorts, skirts and dresses are appropriate if they are the type designed for play and the highest point of the hemline reaches the student’s thumb when their arm is at their side.
• Makeup is not to be worn by elementary age students.
• Jewelry, if worn, should be small and non-distracting.
• Hats (particularly baseball caps) must be worn forward-facing and are not permitted to be worn indoors at any time unless with permission by teacher. Hoods and beanies are not to be worn indoors.

Our campus has been busy all summer, and we're excited about the improvements taking place.

• Field Renovation: Our field is being completely replaced and is still fenced off while construction continues. Everything is on schedule; however, the sod it taking time to settle (right now the field is very squishy). We should plan that during the first couple of weeks, we will probably not have time on the grass to ensure that it grows in completely (more information to come).
• Library Remodel: Work on our library is also nearing completion. I can't wait for everyone to see the finished space—it is going to be an incredible resource for our students and staff. The room has been prepped and at this point the furniture should be in by next week.
• New Oven for our Kitchen: This electric oven has been delivered and will be operational by the time the school year begins.

2026-2027 WAITLIST Interest Form Information

Adams C.A.R.E. Club After School Expanded Learning Opportunity (ELO) is a FREE program provided through NMUSD’s Engagement, Partnership, and Expanded Learning Department. The program is open to students in TK-6th grade and runs 5 days a week from the end of the school day with two pick-up windows from 4:15-4:30 and 5:15-5:30 pm*. Students must be registered and accepted into the program to attend and participate in any programs after school.

If you are interested in this FREE After School Program, please visit here to access and complete a Google Interest Form. Submitting this form will place your child(ren) on a waitlist for the After School Program at Adams Elementary School. Our Program Admin or Bilingual Office Assistant will reach out to you with more information if space is available for your child(ren) in this program.

*Families who completed the early interest form in June DO NOT need to complete this WAITLIST Interest Form as we already have your request on file and will be reaching out to you by August 12th with more information regarding your child(ren)’s placement in our afterschool program.

The CARE Club program prioritizes enrollment for Foster Youth, McKinney-Vento, and English Learners. The program also considers students as a priority who remained on the waitlist through the end of the previous school year. Acceptance into the program is based on need and availability.

Program requirements include mandatory after school attendance when students are in school during the day. Students with absences in excess of 10% of the of the school year are subject to program placement review. Students may be excused for participation in extracurricular activities after school with accepted documentation.

Recommended pick-up times are between 4:15 and 4:30 pm or 5:15 and 5:30 pm. An evening bus arrives at Adams around 5:10 pm to pick-up students with an approved district bus pass. For more information on the evening bus, please contact the district transportation department at 714-424-5080. Emergency contacts will be called for any students not picked up by 5:45 pm. Students picked up at or after 6:00 pm are subject to program placement review. If parents/emergency contacts cannot be reached authorities will be contacted to pick up students remaining on campus at 6:00 pm.

If you have any questions about Expanded Learning Opportunities at Adams Elementary School, please contact Taylor Bullington, ELOP Admin Intern Adams tbullington@nmusd.us

We are looking forward to having a great year!

Taylor Bullington

Recreation on Campus for Kids (R.O.C.K.S) afterschool program is a fee-based program at the following NMUSD sites: Adams, California, College Park, Davis Magnet, Killybrooke, Paularino, Sonora, Victoria, and Whittier. The R.O.C.K.S Program provides supervision by City of Costa Mesa Parks & Community Services staff on the school’s playground Monday through Friday from the time school is dismissed until 6:00 p.m. for children in grades kindergarten through 6. The program is open during the school year and is closed during all school holidays, in-service days, and vacation breaks. This program focuses on four areas: educational activities, youth sports, recreation, and arts & crafts. Staff encourages personal growth, academic enrichment, and group cooperation in a structured environment.

For more information, contact the R.O.C.K.S staff at (714) 754-5013.

2026-2027 R.O.C.K.S Program Registration Dates

July 21, 2026: Online enrollment

• Online: www.cmclassesonline.com
• Go to: Activities, then ROCKS, then Adams Elementary

July 21, 2026: In person enrollment

• City Hall - 3rd Floor (77 Fair Drive) or Downtown Recreation Center (1860 Anaheim Avenue)

Newport Mesa’s transportation department is located at 2985-D Bear Street and can be reached via telephone at 714-424-5084. Transportation can provide you with information regarding applications and schedules. Bus riders enter campus via the sidewalk leading to our front gate.

We are happy to welcome volunteers to our campus. Volunteering is a perfect opportunity to become more familiar with our school and support your child’s teacher. Volunteer applications for the 2026-27 school year are now available.

What’s new?

Senate Bill 848 expands Mandated Reporter obligations to include volunteers. (This includes field trip chaperones.)

What does this mean?

The Mandated Reporter training will be issued to returning and new volunteers this year and on an annual basis.

What to expect?

For returning volunteers:

Notifications will be sent by our District Volunteer Coordinator, Sydney Stravolo, to eligible volunteers with instructions on completing their clearance requirements for the upcoming school year. These instructions will include guidance on how to complete the new Mandated Reporter training.

For new volunteers:

Instructions on completing their clearance requirements can be found on our Volunteer Information webpage: https://web.nmusd.us/volunteers.

Adams volunteers are required to complete a volunteer application through the NMUSD website and check in at the office each time through our Raptor System. Please see the link: NMUSD Volunteers.

Once your application is approved, you will receive a notification. All cleared volunteers will then complete an orientation at Adams. Please note that field trip volunteers need to go through the volunteer/visitor system before attending a field trip.

All teachers and Adams staff have been trained on the Standard Response Protocol. This protocol allows everyone on site to use clear and common language during emergency responses. Whenever emergency drills are held at Adams Elementary (dates are all posted on the Adams Elementary website), we will inform our parent community through our weekly newsletter

Our PTA group page is your go-to spot for everything Adams PTA — membership, spirit wear, event sign-ups, and more, all in one place.

Bookmark my.cheddarup.com/me/adamsptacostamesa for anytime you need to join, pay, sign up, or check what's coming up.

Our full 2026-27 PTA calendar of events is here, plus a closer look at what's happening this August! CLICK HERE TO VIEW — and keep the yearly calendar handy so you never miss what's coming next. Please note all dates are subject to change.

Membership Drive – Now through Saturday, October 31, 2026 Join Online Anytime The Adams PTA Membership Drive is officially underway! Every membership helps fund the programs that benefit our students, our school, and our community — from PBIS initiatives and classroom enrichment to after-school programs and community events.
Email adamspta.memberships@gmail.com for more info.