The Dolphin Digest

Walking around campus this week, the support our volunteers provide was everywhere I looked. Parents sitting with students to read, helping with assignments, working alongside small groups, making copies, and helping teachers prep.

Thank you to everyone who gives their time to support our teachers and students.

A special thank you to those of you who volunteer on a regular schedule. Knowing that you will be here on a certain day each week means our teachers can plan around it and build small group instruction into their week with confidence.

Our volunteers are not all parents either. We have junior and senior interns from Rancho Buena Vista High School who work with our students two days a week, and we have students from Madison Middle School who come in to help in the mornings. Watching older students lean in to support our youngest learners has been one of the highlights of this year so far.

The weather has been all over the place this week, with some cooler mornings that felt like fall and now warmer air and strong Santa Ana winds blowing through today. Inside, our classrooms have stayed steady. Our teachers have built clear expectations and routines, and those routines give students a consistent space to settle into no matter what the day looks like outside.

If you have been thinking about volunteering, we would love to have you. Reach out to the office and we will help you get started.

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Our 2nd graders are kicking off their exciting Famous Heroes PBL (Project-Based Learning) project! To help bring their research to life, we are looking for community members who would be willing to come in on Tuesday, November 3rd to be interviewed by our students. If you or someone you know would like to share your experiences and inspire our 2nd grade learners, please reach out or sign up to participate!

Dates: October 7; October 20; November 4; December 10

Time: 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Location: Vista Innovation Center (VIC), Multi-Purpose Room, 836 Olive Avenue

• October 7: Awareness. We will establish a shared foundation by reviewing research and examining what technology use currently looks like across VUSD. We will also consider approaches taken by other school districts, distinguish among the different types and purposes of student technology use, and discuss topics such as social media and artificial intelligence (AI).

• October 20: Empathy and Understanding. We will deepen our collective understanding by hearing what students, families, teachers, and staff are experiencing. We will also examine the benefits, concerns, research, and practical realities surrounding different types of technology use at different ages.

• November 4: Synthesis and Ideation. We will bring together what we have learned and identify what VUSD should protect, change, create, or clarify. Participants will help develop potential recommendations and language for a new VUSD Board policy and Administrative Regulation.

• December 10: Prototype and Feedback. Earlier that week, students serving on the Superintendent’s Council for Innovative Learning will review a draft Board policy proposal. At this forum, we will share the proposal, share what we heard from the students, and gather final community feedback before preparing the policy for the School Board’s first reading in January.

Date: October 28, 2026

Time: 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. (VUCPTA Association meeting is 6:00-6:30pm)
Location: Vista Innovation Center (VIC), Multi-Purpose Room, 836 Olive Avenue

VUSD families are invited to join us for a Community Collaboration focused on the Family Campaign portion of the Tech Time Review. Hosted by VUCPTA, this workshop is open to all VUSD families. During this interactive workshop, families will share ideas and work together to help shape the Family Campaign. The campaign will provide families with practical, accessible resources that support healthy technology habits, responsible use of AI and social media, and creative screen-free activities that encourage imagination, play, conversation, and connection. We hope you will bring your experiences, creativity, and ideas to help us design a campaign that is genuinely useful for VUSD families.

California SB 848 – Volunteer Mandated Reporter Training

California SB 848 requires all school volunteers who interact with students outside immediate supervision to complete annual child abuse prevention training. This applies to public, charter, and private schools and updates Education Code §44691 and Penal Code §11165.7.

Who must train:

• Volunteers interacting with students without direct supervision of a parent, guardian, or school employee.

Training content:

• Child abuse identification and reporting, updated to include content per SB 848

• The purpose of this training is to enhance student safety by ensuring all trusted adults can recognize and report abuse.

Training Link:

1. Create a Keenan SafeSchools account: Register here

2. Use this link: https://vusd-keenan.safeschools.com/register/4392b4f8 (Only the section titled Mandated Reporter: Child Abuse and Neglect, needs to be completed.)

3. Volunteers must print and submit the certificate to the office for annual documentation

Once the training begins, it can’t be paused; it must be completed in one sitting. Keenan training must be completed before application is submitted. All volunteers must complete one of these options annually.

PTA Reflections Program 2026: “What My Culture Means to Me”

That’s the theme for the 2026-27 Reflections Art Program, which has been bringing the arts to life for more than 10 million students since 1969. California State PTA and its members, families and kids are on the forefront of this amazing program, which increases community awareness of the importance of arts in education.

Lake PTA will be hosting two days after school to help kids begin their artwork.

Art days are scheduled for:

• Tuesday October 13th 2:20-3:20pm

Please only sign up for one day, as space is limited. We also need volunteers!

If your child would like to participate in Reflections through Lake PTA, please fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/i6XunnrSvSd3J53s5

If we run out of room for the art days, your child is still welcome to submit an entry! Email lakedolphins@gmail.com with questions.

Hi Lake Families! Join Lake PTA by clicking here!

**It doesn’t require you to volunteer or do anything, you can get involved as little or as much as you wish, but simply being a member helps PTA bring some fun and support to our school and Dolphins!

Please visit our Lake Website under parent tab for more additional resources.

Family Newsletter: Every Sunday afternoon you will receive an email from Lake with updates and important information. Please take the time each week to review this information.

Social Media: Stay up to date on the learning occurring on campus and the events happening at school by following us on Instagram@LakeDolphins & @LakeDolphinsPTA

District Communication: Please make sure your email address is correct in Aeries so that you receive all school and district communications. You will receive message

Our school-home communication in Vista Unified School District is called ParentSquare. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection.

Parents—Getting Started Video

ParentSquare Resumen - Espanol

ParentSquare Resources

Please download the App here to make sure you're connected to Lake:

• iOS App - Apple Store

• Android App - Google Play Store

Have questions? Click the question mark in the top right corner of the desktop version or the Help tab on the app (tap the triple bar icon at the top left) to find answers to most of your questions or contact the IT Department at 760-726-2170 ext. 92500.