BOBCAT TALES

Mark your Calendar:

September 15-October 15th: Hispanic Heritage Month

October 19th-23rd: Parent teacher conferences: Minimum Day Dismissal (12:00 dismissal TK, K, 4th, 5th Grades. 12:10 dismissal 1st, 2nd, 3rd)

October 19th-23rd: Book Fair in the MU

November 2nd: Teacher Professional Development Day~No school for students

November 6th: Report cards sent home/Family Science Night

November 14th: Bands for Bobcats Boogie at The Crepe Place

November 23rd-27th: Fall Break

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conference Week is coming up this week, October 19–23rd. Conferences are a great opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher, discuss their progress, celebrate successes, and set goals for continued growth.

Teachers have sent out emails with conference sign-up information. Please be sure to look for your teacher’s email and select a date and time that works for your family. Reach out to your student's teacher if you have any questions about conferences. They look forward to connecting with you!

Dismissal during Conference Week

Monday October 19th-Friday October 23rd will be early dismissal. This year, the dismissal times will be staggered by grade level. Please be sure to note the time that your student will be dismissed that week.

Parent teacher conferences dismissal times:

12:00 Dismissal TK, K, 4th, 5th Grades.

12:10 Dismissal 1st, 2nd, 3rd Grades

A Message from Mrs. Ponza

Fire Safety Week at SLVE

We had a busy and fun week at SLVE. Fire Safety Week was a big success. The week ended with a fire drill and fire extravaganza that involved fire trucks, sirens and fire hoses. We'd like to give a big thank you to the Felton Fire Departments for being part of our school community this week. This is always one of the students' favorite weeks of the year!

4th Grade Town

The 4th grade students celebrated their first Town on Friday. Students brought so many amazing wares to "sell" and "purchase" using their classroom currency. Items for sale ranged from sweets to drinks to jewelry, plants, beanies......the list goes on and on. Thank you to the 4th grade teachers and families for all of their hard work in helping to make Town successful

Book Fair Dates – October 19th – 23rd. 7:45 am – 3:30 pm.

• Please help us remind students of the following:

• This is a store and not a library- We are not borrowing, we are purchasing.

• Sales tax – Remind student that there is an “extra cost” to every item and to plan ahead.

• Backpacks will not be allowed into the MU- They will need to stay outside of the room.

• E-Wallets- E-wallets help transactions go a lot faster. We would love your

help in reminding families of this and helping us transition to more of a cash free environment. Information on the E-wallet will be going home to each

family but can also be found at –

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/content/fairs/ewallet.html

Halloween Parade

Our annual SLVE Halloween Parade will take place on Friday, October 30th, beginning at 8:45 a.m. Families are welcome to join us for this fun SLVE tradition! The parade will end on the basketball courts, where our entire student body, staff, and families will come together to dance the Monster Mash!

Students are welcome to wear costumes to school that day. Please remember that weapons, blood, or gory costumes are not permitted at school. If a costume includes a mask, students may wear it during the parade, but will need to keep it in their backpack for the remainder of the school day.

We look forward to a fun and festive morning with our Bobcat community!

"The Spider's Web" Mini Art Show

Stop by the MU on October 30th to see SLE’s mini art show, “The Spider’s Web!”

🐾 Bobcat Club News

📚 WE NEED BOOK FAIR VOLUNTEERS!

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming, next week, October 19–23, and it’s always a highlight for our kids! We love seeing their excitement as they browse books and find something new to read, but we need volunteers to help make it happen. The best part is it raises funds for our School Library!

Can you spare some time to help? Whether you can volunteer for one shift or several, every bit of help makes a difference. Please consider signing up to help make this year’s Book Fair a success!

🙌 Sign up to volunteer here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F044FA9AD22ABF94-51259942-book#

🐾 NEXT BOBCAT CLUB MEETING

Join us for our next Bobcat Club meeting on Tuesday, November 10, from 6:30–7:30 p.m. in the SLVE Library.

🍕 Childcare and pizza will be provided!

Please RSVP so we can plan for food and childcare. We hope you can join us!

RSVP here: https://forms.gle/SdURA1f9jxej1cy88

🎨 SQUARE 1 ART IS HERE!

Get a head start on holiday shopping with gifts featuring your child’s very own artwork! Square 1 Art makes it easy to turn your child’s masterpiece into a special gift for family and friends.

Use the Art Search function to find your child’s artwork and browse the available products. It’s a fun way to celebrate their creativity while checking a few gifts off your holiday list!

🎁 Find your child’s artwork and shop here: https://shop.square1art.com/artwork/Search

📅 Orders must be placed by November 5, 2026!

🎸 BANDS FOR BOBCATS BOOGIE

Tickets are now on sale for our first-ever Bands for Bobcats Boogie at The Crepe Place!

Featuring local bands Dan P and the Bricks, Hod and the Helpers, Not Yet, Old Dog, The Down Beets, Audio37, SCM Sound, and Beast!

🎶 This is a family-friendly event, and kids are FREE!

🎟️ Key and raffle prizes will also be available!

🎫 Get your tickets here: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/bands-for-bobcats-boogie-the-crepe-place-tickets/14354674?pl=thecrepeplace

Volunteers are added to the guest list. Sign up to volunteer here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F044FA9AD22ABF94-66556627-2026

🔬 FAMILY SCIENCE NIGHT

Join us for Family Science Night on Friday, November 6, from 5:00–7:00 p.m. in the SLVE cafeteria!

Bring the family for an evening of science, exploration, and hands-on fun.

Sign up to volunteer here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F044FA9AD22ABF94-66474422-2026

🏀 SLVE NIGHT AT THE SANTA CRUZ WARRIORS!

SLVE Night at the Santa Cruz Warriors is Saturday, January 30, at 7:00 p.m.!

We’ll have another opportunity for students to sing the National Anthem, plus an opportunity for students to participate in a high-five tunnel as the players take the court!

🎟️ Tickets are $35 and are now on sale!

🎫 Get your tickets here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2027-slve-santa-cruz-warriors-night

More details will be coming about National Anthem practice and how students can participate. Stay tuned!

🔎 LOST AND FOUND PHOTOS

Have you been wondering if something your child lost has made its way to the Lost and Found? We’re making it easier to check!

Thanks to Danielle Oku for coming up with this great idea and generously taking care of the whole thing! We’ll have links to photos of the Lost and Found, organized by date, so families can check for missing items without having to make a trip to school.

📸 View the Lost and Found photos here: https://www.slvbobcatclub.com/lost-and-found

📅 SAVE THE DATES

October 19–23 — Book Fair

November 5 — Square 1 Art Order Deadline
November 6 — Family Science Night
November 10 — Bobcat Club Meeting
November 14 — Bands for Bobcats Boogie at The Crepe Place
January 29 — Family Game Night
January 30 — SLVE Night at the Santa Cruz Warriors

Join the SLVE Bike Bus!

This Biketober, SLVE families are riding to school together! Every school day in October, parents can join the Bike Bus with their kids riding along as passengers.

Where & when: Meet at Cooper & Farmer in Felton at 8:00 a.m. We’ll cross the Fall Creek bridge, take Fall Creek Drive to Hwy 9, and arrive at SLVE around 8:10 a.m. (we've cleared our route with Caltrans).

Our big kickoff is Monday, October 5! Come for one ride or join us every day.

Learn more at www.slvbikebus.org/sle. Every ride you log also earns an entry in Biketober’s countywide prize drawings, with prizes up to $1,000.

Questions? Email Ben Ruggeberg at hello@slvbikebus.org.

Bikes can be parked along the SLVE perimeter gate, facing the SLVE Cafeteria.This is a parent sponsored activity.

Community Opportunities Website

The "Community Opportunities" website link is provided as a courtesy to parents and students, by the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, to enable you to receive information of current local events and opportunities for adults and/or children.

Triple P Parenting Classes

Triple P Positive Parenting topical workshop flyers for OCTOBER.

Información sobre programas en español disponibles en el sitio web.

Each flyer has its own unique link to register for each class, or go to https://www.first5scc.org/triple-p-classes and register on the website. All of these classes are on Zoom!

Workshops are all free, and grant funded by First Five of Santa Cruz.

Individual sessions are also available for free or sliding scale. If you are interested in a 1:1 session, please contact First Five of Santa Cruz at First 5 Santa Cruz County at (831) 465-2217.

If your child will be riding the bus this year and will need a bus pass, please make sure you purchase your bus pass. Once you log in to LinqConnect you will see "School Store" on the bottom right hand corn. Click that to buy your pass. Any questions contact the Transportation department at 831-336-2223 Please also complete the Bus Registration Form 26-27.for all students riding the bus.

SLVE Mobile Device Policy

Electronic devices must be turned off and kept in the student's backpack during school hours, including breaks and lunch. If the devices are used during the school day, the District employee will confiscate the device and return it to the student's caretaker at the end of the school day. If a student needs to contact a family member during school hours, they can request permission from a district employee, and the office can facilitate the communication. We ask all families to support this new legal requirement and our staff by reviewing our updated policy and helping ensure your child(ren) understands and follows these guidelines. Together, we can support their focus on academics, healthy social development, and the meaningful, positive interactions happening around them every day.

Electronic devices also apply to, but are not limited to, headphones, AirPods, earbuds, portable speakers, smartwatches, and tablets.

Student Pick up Drop off

We are really needing to focus on safety during our pick up time each day. As a reminder, the far right lane is the ONLY lane that you may idle in to pick up your student. The middle lane is a drive thru lane only for parents who are driving up to park. If cars stop in the middle lane, buses CANNOT get up the hill to pass without going into the far left lane which is the exiting lane. There have been some close calls and unsafe situations where cars are stopped in the middle lane when buses are making the wide turn to go down the driveway to head out onto Highway 9. We would also like to remind you that the parking lot in front of the school office is reserved for teachers/staff only. Please do not stop there to drop off or pick up your student. We appreciate your role in helping to ensure the safety of our SLVE students and families.

SLVE Drop Off and Pick Up Protocols

• Our perimeter gates will be closed from 8:30 am-2:00 pm each day.
• All visitors should enter the school through the front office and sign in.
• In an effort to minimize noise and distractions for our 4th and 5th grade classrooms the SLVE Playstructure and Field of Dreams playground areas will be closed from 2:15-3:00 pm.

• If you plan to remain on campus while waiting to pick up an upper-grade sibling between 2:15 and 3:00 p.m., we kindly ask that you wait at the picnic tables located under the shade structure on the basketball court playground. Your cooperation helps us maintain a quiet, focused and safe learning environment for all students through the end of the school day. Thank you for your continued support!

• New TK Pickup Procedure: Due to the construction along Highway 9, the TK classes are implementing a new pickup procedure this year. Upon TK dismissal, TK students, who are being picked up by a vehicle other than Bus transportation, will be picked up near the SLV Middle School parking area. For vehicle pickup, drivers will drive up El Soyo Heights off of Highway 9, make a left onto Hacienda Way, and drive through the parking area to pick up their student. Students will be waiting, with their teacher, under the awning facing the Middle School staff parking lot until the teacher releases the student to the caregiver indicated to the teacher by the student's family. Parents who typically walk in to meet their TK student, will be meeting their student at the Middle School pick up area as well.

  TK will only be using the Middle School parking lot (this is the area right in front of the Middle School) FOR PICK UP ONLY!

• A quick reminder about campus access during drop off. Because our elementary and middle school campuses are connected, we want to make sure everyone is helping us keep both campuses safe and secure.Please do not walk, bike, or cut through the Middle School campus when traveling to or from SLVE between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. The Middle School is in session during this time, and students and families should use designated routes to access the elementary school rather than traveling through the Middle School quad or other campus areas. We appreciate your help in respecting our neighboring campus and supporting a safe school environment for all students and staff.

Attendance Matters

We know people get sick, people get injured, and there can be family or life responsibilities and other issues that are reasonable and excused. But if your student can attend, they need to be in school.

If your student is out for three or more consecutive days, we may request a doctor’s note to continue excusing the absences. Students who miss 3-5 days will receive a Chronic Absence letter. We will then meet with those families to attempt to support the student attending school. On the second Chronic Absence Letter, families may be required to meet at the District Office to put a plan in place for the student’s attendance. On the third Chronic Absence Letter, families may be required to meet with the County Office Student Attendance Review Board for truancy. Our goal is that nobody ever gets that far along with truancy. We are here to help and support, but it does start at home with the expectation that your student will attend school regularly. For more information please visit our SLVUSD Student Attendance Policy on the SLVUSD website.

Please remember that students who are absent 3 days or more should complete an independent study contract. Lisa Ghelardi, at lblairghelardi@slvusd.org our SLVE Registrar, will work with families to get the paperwork and the missed classwork assignments needed to complete the contract.