BOBCAT TALES
August 21, 2026
Mark your Calendar:
August 24th: Read a Thon starts
August 26th: Fall Picture Day
September 4th: Teacher Professional Development Day/No school for students
September 7th: Labor Day (No school)
A Message from Ms. Ponza
SLVE Back to School Night~Thank you for coming!
Back to School Night was a big success!! Thank you to parents and families for being enthusiastic participants. BTSN is always a great opportunity to get to know your student's teacher, current grade level expectations and a great introduction to what they will be learning this year. It is going to be a great school year!
1st PBIS Assembly of the Year
We are very excited to celebrate our August PBIS theme: Welcome Back! This assembly is our first opportunity to be together, review our theme and honor all students for the positive, welcoming, and enthusiastic characteristics they have exhibited throughout the start of our new school year!
Dear SLVE Volunteers,
Due to changes in a state bill, all volunteers have updates that require training to be able to volunteer this 2026-2027 school year. Please click on the Mandated Reporter Memo link from our Human Resources Department to know the changes and how to complete the mandated training (by September 16th).
We appreciate all our volunteers and want to make sure to get the word out so people know the changes in a timely manner.
Bus and School Lunch Information
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.
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.
Bobcat Club News
We are off to a fantastic start to the school year! Thank you to all of our Bobcat families for supporting the programs, resources, and experiences that make SLVE such a special place to learn and grow. We have some exciting updates this week!
Read-A-Thon: We’re Already Off to a GREAT Start!
Our Read-A-Thon officially kicks off Monday, August 24, but our Bobcat community is already showing up in a BIG way. We’ve raised nearly $6,000 before the reading has even begun!
That’s an incredible start, and we’d love to keep the momentum going. Our goal is 100% participation, so whether your Bobcat is a bookworm, a reluctant reader, or somewhere in between, we hope everyone will jump in and have fun!
Don’t Forget About the Prizes!
Class Prize: The top two fundraising classes will each win a class party of their choice: Pizza or Ice Cream!
Top Reader Prize: The student who reads the most in each grade* will receive a $100 credit toward the Scholastic Book Fair, October 19-23!
* TK and Kindergarten will be combined into one group for the Top Reader prize.
Ready, Set, READ!
You can also scan the QR code on the Read-A-Thon flyer that has come home. Once your reader is signed up, you'll be able to track their reading and fundraising progress on their personal page.
Thank you for cheering on our readers and helping make this our best Read-A-Thon yet!
We Want to Hear From Our Bobcat Families!
The Bobcat Club is planning for the year ahead, and we want your input! Please take a few minutes to fill out our Bobcat Club Family Survey and tell us what’s working, what you’d like to see, and how we can better support our school community.
Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a raffle for a $50 Amazon gift card!
And there’s a bonus for the students, too:
The class with the most survey responses will win a Popsicle Party!
Their teacher will also receive a $50 Amazon gift card!
Take the Bobcat Club Family Survey
Parents, grandparents, and other active adult caregivers are all encouraged to participate! If you’re an adult who is involved in your Bobcat’s school life, we’d love to hear from you. Each adult can complete the survey and receive their own raffle entry, so please feel free to share it with the other adults in your Bobcat’s village!
Family Dance | September 18
Get ready to dance the night away! Join us for our Family Dance on Friday, September 18, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. on the SLVE Basketball Blacktop.
Bring the whole family for music, dancing, and a fun night together. Snacks will be available for purchase, with proceeds supporting 5th-grade Science Camp scholarships.
This is a family event, no drop-offs. We can't wait to see our Bobcat families out on the dance floor!
First Bobcat Club Meeting
Tuesday, September 8 at 6:30 p.m.
SLVE Library
Join via Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/rek-ffzg-ugi
Whether you're a returning family or brand new to SLVE, we'd love to see you there! Come meet other parents, hear what we're working on this year, and learn how you can get involved. There is no obligation to volunteer; everyone is welcome.
We're also working to offer free childcare during Bobcat Club meetings to make it easier for families to participate. Stay tuned for more details!
Order Your Yearbook Today!
Save 10% with the Early Bird Discount through September 30!
Save the Dates
August 24 - September 4: Read-A-Thon
September 8: Bobcat Club Meeting
September 15 - October 16: Drive for Schools
September 18: Family Dance
October: Square 1 Art Fundraiser
October 19-23: Book Fair
November 6: Family Science Night
November 10: Bobcat Club Meeting
November 14: Bands for Bobcats — NEW EVENT!
Attendance Matters
We are so happy to welcome our students back to school after the summer break. Now that we are all back, we'd like to emphasize the importance of daily attendance for your student.
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.
