Parent Newsletter

Happy Friday, Ottomon Families! 💙🦦

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Back to School Night this week. It was wonderful to welcome families to campus and share more about the year ahead. If you weren’t able to attend—or would like to revisit the information—our Back to School Night/Title I slides are included in this newsletter.

A quick campus safety reminder: after 7:45 a.m., all visitors must check in through the school office and receive a visitor pass before entering campus. Thank you for helping us keep Ottomon safe and secure for our students and staff.

We’ve had a fantastic start to the school year, and I’m grateful for the partnership and positive energy from our Ottomon community. Have a wonderful weekend!

To ensure the safety of all students and staff, please note our campus visitor policies:

• Any adult on campus after 7:45 AM must obtain a visitor badge from the main office before proceeding beyond the entrance.
• Before 2:15 PM, no parents or guardians are permitted past the flagpole for safety reasons.

We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a secure learning environment for our students. If you have someone else picking up your student, please let them know as well. Thank you for your understanding!

How to Become a Volunteer for 2026-27

Step 1: Fill Out the Form Complete the Volunteer Verification form online. You will need to upload your TB (tuberculosis) test results from your doctor.

Step 2: Fingerprints If you already have fingerprints on file, we will check and send you a link to take the Child Abuse Prevention Training online.

If you don't have fingerprints on file, they will email you instructions on how to get fingerprinted.

Step 3: Get Fingerprinted (if needed) Go to www.sanjuan.edu/fingerprint to make an appointment. Appointments are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring a photo ID. Fingerprinting is free for volunteers!

Step 4: Take Online Training Complete the Child Abuse Prevention Training online. You have 30 days to finish it. You must complete this before you can volunteer.

Step 5: Wait for Approval We will check that you completed everything. When approved, you and your school will get an email.

Step 6: Start Volunteering! Congratulations! Talk to your school about volunteer opportunities.

Need Help? Call 916-971-7935 or email volunteer@sanjuan.edu

NOTE: Existing volunteers will continue to be eligible for service until Sept. 24. If an existing volunteer has not indicated their desire to continue and complete the training and TB screening requirement, they will be removed from the current list of volunteers.

Reminder: Tardies Begin at 7:46 AM

Being on time matters! Students arriving after 7:46 AM will be marked tardy. Punctuality helps you:

• Start learning immediately – Don't miss important instructions, announcements, or warm-up activities
• Build responsibility – Being on time is a life skill valued in school, work, and beyond
• Respect others – Late arrivals disrupt the class and interrupt your peers' learning
• Maximize success – Every minute of instruction counts toward your academic growth

Plan to arrive by 7:45 AM to settle in and be ready to learn when the bell rings. Let's make every moment count!

TK & Kinder Families: You should always park and drop off and pick up your students directly from the classroom. The only exceptions to this are:

• Older siblings are picking up the TK/Kinder student and walking them out
• The TK/Kinder student is going to Bridges or other daycare program

1st - 5th Grade Families: You know your child and their needs best. You can decide to drop off/pick up in the following three ways:

1. Drop off in the cul-de-sac. A crossing guard will cross your student from the cul-de-sac to the school. Please pull ALL THE WAY FORWARD so we can fit three cars along the curb.
2. Drop off along the red curb. Your child should be able to exit the vehicle on their own without support, and all drivers must remain with their vehicle. Again, please pull ALL THE WAY FORWARD, and avoid stopping in the crosswalk area.
3. Park and have your child walk on the sidewalk into the school using the crosswalk if necessary.

Parents are welcome to walk their child in and stay through breakfast or until the bell rings at 7:45. After that, your child’s teacher will take over. Please remember that no students or adults should be beyond the flagpole before 7:30—not even to drop off a backpack—and no adults should be waiting past the flagpole after school. We’ll have a sign out to help remind you. Thank you so much for partnering with us to keep everyone safe and organized!

Reporting Student Absences Made Easy!

If your child is sick or unable to attend school, you can now report their absence online in just a few simple steps:

1. Log into the Parent Portal.
2. Tap the three lines (menu) at the top right.
3. Click "Report Absence."
4. Choose your student(s).
5. Enter the reason for the absence.
6. Click "Submit."

This helps our attendance clerk keep accurate records and makes it convenient if you have children at different schools, as you can select all of the students who will be out of school.

You can also call us at (916) 979-8228 and leave a message on the attendance line.

Thank you for your support!

See below for directions on how to log into your Parent Portal.

Three things to do in Parent Portal:

1. Please verify all phone numbers and addresses are correct. This is really important so you receive our communication and we can contact you if your child is ill or has an emergency.
2. View your child's teacher. You can also find this out at the Meet the Teacher BBQ on Monday, August 11 or find out the first day of school!
3. Fill out the school funding form. Even if you do not eat school breakfast or lunch, this funding really helps our school! Thank you!

English Directions:

https://www.sanjuan.edu/cms/lib/CA01902727/Centricity/Domain/721/ParentPortalTutorial.pdf

Direcciones en Espanol:

https://www.sanjuan.edu/cms/lib/CA01902727/Centricity/Domain/721/parentportaltutorial%20spanish.pdf

If you have an upcoming vacation or event that will require your child to be away from school, and you would like to request an independent study, please notify us at least 1 week PRIOR to your trip. This advance notice allows the teacher to prepare the necessary materials and plan accordingly. Please note that each student is allowed up to 14 days of independent study per school year.

Thank you for your cooperation!

When your day feels like a meteor shower or the classroom schedule looks like a black hole, our Office Squad is here—like friendly astronauts—ready to help students, teachers, and families. We’ll help you navigate all the constellations. No mission is too small: whatever it is, we've got you! Reach out anytime; consider us your trusty crew on this bright, ever-expanding journey through elementary school space. 🌟🪐🚀 - Mrs. Shilo, Mrs. Christina & Mrs. Teachout

If your child has a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, please keep them home until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school. This helps prevent the spread of germs and keeps everyone healthier.

If your child is sent home sick from school, the following day will be marked as staff-verified, so there’s no need to call the office to report the absence. You can also conveniently report your child’s absence anytime by logging into your parent portal.

If you have any questions about this policy or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact the office at 916-979-8228. Thank you for helping us keep our school community safe and healthy!

A designated school employee may administer medication during the school hours only upon written request of both the physician and parent(s) or guardian, detailing the method, amount, and time the medication is to be taken.

Medication will be administered only to students whose parent and physician deem it necessary for potentially life-threatening medical conditions or for those who need medication administered during the school day in order to interact appropriately at school.

Authorization forms for medication are available to download in multiple languages at https://www.sanjuan.edu/resources/health-services/medication-at-school or at each school office. A new form must be completed before the start of each school year. Medications must be brought to the school office in their original container. Parents are encouraged to ask the child's physician to prescribe long-acting medication if possible so that medication does not need to be given at school.

Ed. Code § 49420-49425; District Policy 5141.21/Ed. Code § 49480

Sept 7 - NO SCHOOL

Oct 2 - Minimum Day @ 11:55

Oct 5 - NO SCHOOL

Oct 7 - Fall Picture Day

Oct 26 - 30 - Scholastic Book Fair

Oct 26 - 30 - Red Ribbon Week

Oct 29 - PTA Trunk or Treat Event from 5-7pm

Oct 30 - Character Parade @ 8am

Nov 10 - Picture Retake Day

Nov 11 - NO SCHOOL

Nov 12 - Teacher Work Day

Nov 13 - NO SCHOOL

Nov 16 - 20 - Conference Week - Dismissal @ 10:55

Nov 19 - Turkey Trot @ 8:15am

Nov 20 - NO BRIDGES

Nov 23 - 27 - Thanksgiving Break

Dec 21 - Jan 4 - Winter Break

Jan 5 - Read & Relax Day

Jan 6 - Hearing Screening (1,2,5)

Jan 18 - NO SCHOOL

Feb 15 - 19 - Presidents Week - NO SCHOOL

Mar 2 - Read Across America Day

Mar 4 - Spring Picture Day

Mar 16 - 19 - Conference Week - Dismissal @ 10:55

Mar 19 - NO BRIDGES

Mar 22 - 26 - Spring Break

Apr 8- Open House from 6 -7pm

Apr 23 - NO SCHOOL

May 3 - 7 - Staff Appreciation Week

May 28 - Minimum Day (Tenative) @ 11:55

May 31 - NO SCHOOL

Jun 4 - Field Day

Jun 7 - 5th Grade Promotion @ 8:15am

Jun 7 - Kinder Promotion @ 12:30pm

Jun 8 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - Dismissal @ 11:55

Jun 8 - NO BRIDGES