Viking News

We are gearing up for The Great Kindness Challenge next week. Our school counselor is organizing some activities to focus on spreading kindness. Students can choose to participate in activities and spirit days next week and continue to share their kindness everyday!

Also, one of our students has proposed an initiative for a community clean up! Students can volunteer to do a neighborhood clean up after school on Tuesday or before school on Wednesday. We will have extra trash cans available for the litter they collect. Students can take home a trash bag and gloves on Tuesday.

iReady Growth Goal Celebrations:

Students have finished their second i-Ready diagnostic of the year. We are happy to report some great gains across the campus in reading and math! This Thursday (date change), all students who met their growth goal in reading or math will be invited to build their own ice cream sundae.

See's Candy Fundraiser for 5th Grade Camp

Our 5th graders are working to get to camp this May. Our See's Candy fundraiser starts today! Anyone can order directly from the link. Items will be shipped directly to you. Share the link with friends and family!

School of Choice

The OUSD Intradistrict Transfer window is open, and will close on Thursday, February 27, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Applications will not be accepted after this date and time.

Key Points for Families:

• Families must apply if their child is entering Kindergarten, 6th, or 9th grade and they wish for their child to attend a school other than their school of residence.
  

• Students who enrolled here because their school of residence had reached capacity (overflow) did not already go through this process, and must apply in order to continue attending Del Rio.

• Transitional Kindergarten (TK) applications will only be accepted if the student has a sibling currently attending a School of Choice.
  

• There is no need to reapply if your child will remain at the same school next year on an existing transfer.
  

• All applications submitted within the open window will be equally considered; applications are not processed in the order received.
  

• Families should apply online. Paper applications are available by request for families without internet access.
  

• Families will be notified of decisions by the end of May (subject to change) via email or mail. Please do not call to check on application status.

LCAP Survey

The following survey will provide our district with information on your experiences with OUSD. This year, we will collect demographics and share the group data with our LCAP committee. If you do not have a strong opinion about a question, you may leave it blank. Your feedback will be used to make recommendations to the Board of Education based on the needs of our OUSD community. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey by January 30, 2026.

LCAP Family Survey

Please keep in mind these upcoming events:

• Presidents' Week-No School, February 16-20

Be sure to stay up to date with all of our school happenings by following us on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DelRioElementaryVikings/

Instagram: @DelRioVikings

I visit classrooms everyday and share out examples of the learning adventures of our students as often as possible!

Del Rio STEM Academy is a great place for our Vikings to learn! Our amazing teachers and staff put so much time and effort into supporting our students and our community, and we want to celebrate them! If you would like to share your appreciation for one of our staff members, complete this survey. I will highlight our shout outs from the community with our staff in and our Viking News reports.

Here are a couple of recent shout outs from our families!

• Shout out to Ms. Perla! She’s so sweet to the kids, always friendly and greets us at the front office and at the gates when there are school events. Thank you for your kindness Ms. Perla! - The Ogungbe Family
• Shout out to Mr. Haller! He's the best teacher & all the kids really like him. He's fun, funny, and understanding. - The Magana Family

It is important for students to be at school each day that they are healthy! Missing even 1 or 2 days a month can cause students to fall behind, so here are some tips for staying healthy and knowing when it is time to stay home:

• Fact Sheet: Help Your Child’s School Prevent the Spread of Infections

• Guidelines for keeping students home when they are sick

• Stay Healthy this Season!

We are excited to share the continuation of our cell phone policy, "During the Day, Off and Away," for the 2025-2026 school year (Board Policy 5131.8). Our goal is to create a safe and focused learning environment for all students by minimizing distractions and promoting their mental well-being.

Key Points:

• Cell Phone Usage: Students must turn off and store their phones in their backpacks upon entering campus. Phones should stay off until they leave campus.

• Communication: Classrooms have landlines for students to contact parents when necessary. Phones will be accessible in emergencies.

• Academic Benefits: Reducing phone usage helps students stay focused and engaged in class.

• Safety and Security: This policy helps prevent cyberbullying, ensures students focus during emergencies, and reduces the risk of theft or loss.

Support and disciplinary measures are in place for policy violations to help students adjust.

Thank you for your support as we work together to enhance our students' learning experience and well-being.

Starting in the 2025–2026 school year, all OUSD students who plan to ride and park an E-Bike on any district campus will need to go through the free E-Bike process. This helps promote safe biking habits and ensures students are prepared to ride responsibly to and from school and school-sponsored events.

Please note: Only middle and high school students will receive a permit sticker to park their E-Bike on campus.

Steps to follow:

1. Complete a liability waiver- completed in data confirmation

2. Take the OUSD-approved E-Bike Safety Course (CHP Online Certification)
   Submit the

3. Online Bicycle Permit Application with a parent or guardian

4. (Recommended) Register the E-Bike for free on Project 529 in case it is lost or stolen.

Thank you for supporting student safety in our school community!

Emails, text messages and phone calls from OUSD including those from your principal, teacher and the district office will be directly sent to you using the email address and phone number you provided in AERIES during data confirmation. It’s important that all the emergency contacts listed in AERIES have updated contact information so everyone can receive important messages from OUSD.

You no longer need to download any third party apps to receive messages from our school.

Safety is our first priority, and it is important to keep that in mind at morning drop off and afternoon dismissal. Here are a few things to remember so that we can all work together for successful transitions:

• If you are not in the drop off/pick up line, you may not double park or block parking spaces in the parking lot. Do not park on the red curb in the traffic circle. You must use a parking spot in the lot even if you are waiting with your car!
• Please do not block the crosswalk at the entry to our parking lot, and be vigilant about watching for students!
• Have your child ready with their backpack with them, so that the driver does not need to get out of the car. Please stay with your car and continue to pull forward!
• If you are dropping off in the car line at the front gate, please remember that the driver must stay with their car, and that you need to pull all the way up to the stop sign at the top of the circle so that we can keep traffic flowing.
• Please wait until you have gotten past the cones/crosswalk to let your student(s) out of the car. It keeps everything moving faster!
• Your car must be pulled up to the curb before any students can enter or exit a vehicle, so please do not double park!
• If you do park in either parking lot, you must walk up and accompany your student using a crosswalk. They will not be allowed to walk out to cross into the parking lot on their own.
• For pickups, it would be helpful if you wrote your child's name/teacher/grade on a sheet of paper and kept it on the dashboard! That will help our staff to locate students and keep things moving!

I will be out front helping to keep things moving and safe, so let me know if you have questions.

Please remember that ALL absences from school need to be reported to our school, letting us know the reason that your student has missed school! When you need to report your student's absence, please email us Attendance.des@oside.us. Often our main office phones are very busy in the mornings and this is a faster and easier way to report your student's absence! You can also call our Attendance Line at (760)901-7301, but please speak slowly and clearly, as many times the messages are difficult for our staff to hear.

Every family should know that every child in the Oceanside Unified School District (OUSD) has the Constitutional right to attend school regardless of immigration status. OUSD does not request or record information about a student’s immigration status. Federal and state laws protect student information from disclosure to others, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). OUSD does not permit non-students, including ICE agents, access to OUSD facilities unless they can produce a warrant signed by a federal judge. School administrators will not permit the disclosure of confidential student information without first consulting their attorney to make sure that the information has been properly subject to a federal judge’s warrant.

Families should consult community resources to learn their rights and additional information will be provided to help families access these resources

Please see below for resources to support:

• Student/Family Rights Checklist

• Step-by-Step Family Preparedness Plan

• OUSD Board Policy & Administrative Regulations

• Community Resource Guide including immigration support services: English & Spanish

• OUSD Family & Community Page

• SDCOE Resource Page for educators, families and students

• MiraCosta College Resource Page

After successfully piloting a school safety and audio system at two of our schools during the 23-24 school year, at the June 2024 Board of Education meeting, the Board approved installing this system at all OUSD schools.

This enhancement serves as an update to our current bell and intercom system. Each classroom teacher will have a device on a lanyard that amplifies sound throughout the

classroom during every lesson. Every student, no matter where they sit, will be able to clearly hear the teacher and information being taught.

Along with audio and video capabilities, the new device incorporates a safety notification button to alert administration and front offices of any emergency situation. In the event of a classroom emergency, the teacher can activate the camera for office staff to view the situation. The device identifies the exact location to initiate school safety protocols. Further, and only in the event of a lockdown or active shooter emergency, Oceanside Police Department can utilize these same cameras to access views into classrooms and throughout the school.

Thank you for your constant support as we work to provide a safe and modern learning environment for all!

Please take a few moments to read through our Del Rio STEM Academy Handbook. It includes information about how to contact our staff, how to report attendance, school policies and procedures, and available supports for your student. Reach out to our office if you have any questions!

In the Spring, I shared some upcoming changes to our breakfast program. Beginning on the first day of school, all students may go to the cafeteria from 7:45 to 8:15 to eat breakfast, free of charge. If you think your student will be eating at school, please plan to have them here as early as possible to have time to finish eating before the bell rings at 8:15. Students will line up and go straight to class at 8:15!

Our hard working PTO needs your help! If you would like to join the PTO, or help with events and planning, you can contact them at pto.delriovikings@gmail.com.

Are you interested in before/after school care? Del Rio STEM Academy is proud to offer before and after school care through our district's THRIVE Program. For more information, visit the OUSD website. To register, click HERE.

We believe that partnerships with our families are essential to the success of our students and our school! Call, email, or stop by the office if you have questions or need support. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see updates on the learning adventures happening around campus!

Email: kelli.mocny@oside.us
Website: delrio.oside.us
Location: 5200 North River Road, Oceanside, CA, USA
Phone: (760)901-7300
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DelRioElementaryVikings/

Instagram: @DelRioVikings