Robert Down Principal's Update

Dear Robert H. Down School Community,

🌟 A Note of Gratitude

Thank You, Community!

I feel incredibly blessed to serve such a vibrant community of students, staff, and families. Thank you for the many kind notes, cards, and gifts for National Principal’s Day!

Additionally, a huge thank you to everyone who made Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week so memorable. The breakfast feast hosted by our families and the PTA made the entire staff feel truly spoiled and appreciated.

🏫 School Highlights & Updates

🏠 Open House Success

It was a joy to see so many families at Open House last Thursday! Celebrating your children’s accomplishments together is the highlight of our year.

Your Voice Matters: As we approach the finish line, please share your thoughts via our survey to help us grow.

📱 Tech-Wise Parenting

Prior to Open House, the parent group Screen Free Monterey Bay hosted a fantastic workshop with ScreenSense. They shared valuable strategies for navigating technology choices with children.

• Access the ScreenSense ePacket Here

🚲 Rolling into School

It was wonderful seeing so many students participate in Bike and Roll to School yesterday! A special shout-out to our riders for wearing their helmets and keeping safety a top priority.

Celebrating Neurodiversity!

On Monday, May 8, we had a schoolwide assembly to share about neurodiversity, which culminated in a schoolwide activity to create chains that list out our super strengths as well as ways we are growing. Here is a link to our presentation. Special thanks to Evelyn Ulmer, Cooper Maxson, Connor Logan, and Mrs. Andrea Webb for taking part in leading this assembly.

🏆 Celebrating Excellence: Nargess Akhavi

We are bursting with pride for Instructional Assistant Nargess Akhavi, recipient of the CSEA Golden Bear Award!

Nargess was honored on May 2 for her exceptional dedication. Whether she is advocating for colleagues, supporting students with professionalism, or volunteering as a "team mom," Nargess consistently holds herself to the highest standards. Her collaborative spirit and compassion make her an invaluable member of the RHD family. Congratulations, Nargess!

📢 Important Notices

• 📚 No May Book Fair: Due to our packed end-of-year schedule, we will not host a Scholastic Book Fair this month. If you received an automated email regarding "eWallet" accounts, please disregard it.

• ✈️ Independent Study Reminders: Planning travel for graduations or events? Justifiable Absence Requests must be submitted at least two weeks prior to travel.

• Link to Digital Request Form for Robert Down]

• 🚧 Join the Team: We are looking for crossing guards! View Position & Apply Here.

• 🎒 Summer Moves: If your family is moving before the 2026-2027 school year, please notify the office at rhdoffice@pgusd.org.

• 🧸 Personal Items: To prevent loss or "heartbreak," please keep toys and sentimental items safely at home.

🎭 Stars on Stage

Support our RHD students and alumni in the local production of Beetlejuice, Jr. at the Founders Theater (Golden Bough Playhouse)!

• Featuring: Lennox Andrade, Emmi Leyva-Nguyen, Ever Karai, and Tenar Karai.

• More info here.

📅 Upcoming Dates

May - Mental Health Awareness & Asian American Heritage Month

May 4–15 - CAASPP Testing (Grades 3–5): Ensure students get plenty of sleep and a healthy breakfast!

May 5–29 - Schoolwide Art Mural Project

May 14 - Instrumental Music Concert @ 5:00 PM

May 22–23 - 5th Grade Campout

May 29 - Last Day of School

5th Grade Promotion (11:00 AM)

Family Picnic (11:50 AM)

Dismissal @ 12:15 PM

🤝 "Culture of We" Opportunities

• Asian American Heritage Month: We would love your help highlighting this month! If you’d like to create a bulletin board or give a presentation, please email me at ebrownfield@pgusd.org.

• 2026-2027 Registration: Know an incoming TK or Kindergartner? [Pre-registration is now open!]

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, aunts, and maternal figures in our community. I hope you have a beautiful, relaxing weekend!

With gratitude,

Emily Tsai Brownfield, Principal

We are now happy to accept Short-Term Independent Study Request Forms digitally (see link below). Please remember, the request needs to be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the first day of your child's absence.

Justifiable Absence for Short-Term Independent Study Request Form

Please have your child to school on time. Gates open at 8:30 AM. Warning bell rings at 8:40 AM. Final bell rings and instruction begins at 8:45 AM. When a student is tardy it is disruptive to the office and classroom. In addition, students miss important information and announcements from their teacher first thing in the morning.

Did you know that you can report your child's absence with your ParentVUE app? Simply log into your ParentVUE account to send the office a message about why your child is absent.

* Ways to report a student absent *

a) ParentVUE app (click the bell icon next to your child's name)

b) 24 Hour Absence Line (831) 646-6663

If you plan on being a VOLUNTEER on campus or a CHAPERONE for a field trip, please be sure you are fingerprint cleared with our district. To make an appointment at the District Office please contact Bree Nehring by calling 607-8892 or emailing bnehring@pgusd.org

Before coming to campus to volunteer, please check with your child's teacher to schedule a time that works best for them.

Pre-registration for the 2026-2027 school year is OPEN for new to the district TK and Kindergarten age children. If you have a child turning 4 or 5 years old by September 1, 2026, please submit a NEW STUDENT PRE-REGISTRATION FORM

Turn 4 years old on or before 9/1/26 = Transitional Kindergarten (TK)

Turn 5 years old on or before 9/1/26 = Kindergarten

If your child is a current student at Robert Down you do not need to submit a pre-registration form. This form is only for new to the district children.

This notice is to tell you about our voluntary program designed to build the RHD library and foster your child’s love of reading.

Here is how it works: To join the Robert H. Down Birthday Book Club fill out the information below (scroll way down to the bottom of this message to print the Birthday Book forms) and deposit it in the Drop Box at school along with a check for $20.00 (please make the check payable to the P.G.U.S.D. and write R.H.D. Birthday Book on the memo line).

When your child’s birthday month comes around Ms. Scanlon will present a new book in honor of your child’s birthday. Your child will be the first one to check out and read the book that has been donated to the library to celebrate their birthday. A bookplate with your child’s name will be affixed to the inside cover for all future readers to appreciate.

Our teachers worked directly with 1st Day School Supplies to build next year’s lists.

That means when you order, you are getting exactly what your child’s teacher requested.

No substitutions.

No second-guessing.

It is a simple, organized way to start the school year confident and prepared.

Order today!

Purchase of these items through 1st Day of School is optional and would be considered a donation to the school and is a fundraiser for PTA.

Robert Down is proud of our commitment to social and emotional learning (SEL). Both of the programs we use, Toolbox and Second Step, are aligned with the Center for Social and emotional learning (CASEL). You can learn about CASEL and our SEL programs below.

https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/what-is-the-casel-framework/

Robert Down SEL Programs:

1. TOOLBOX

Toolbox is taught in every classroom at RD and on ‘Toolbox Tuesdays’ during P.E. time with Mrs. Tobin and Mr. Dixon. Robert Down has embraced this program for over ten years.

https://toolboxproject.com/https://toolboxproject.com/

2. SECOND STEP

We are in our second year of piloting the Second Step program. Second Step is a research-based program that focuses on developing human skills. Students (K-5) have two second-step lessons per month and 15 in total throughout the year.

https://www.secondstep.org/digital-k-12-curriculum

Website: https://robertdown.pgusd.org/
Location: 485 Pine Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
Phone: (831) 646-6540

Email: RHDOffice@pgusd.org