BOBCAT TALES
September 3, 2026
Mark your Calendar:
August 24th-September 4th: Read-a-Thon
September 4th: Teacher Professional Development Day/No school for students
September 7th: Labor Day (No school)
September 8th: School resumes/Bobcat Club Meeting 6;30 Library
October 12th-16th: Fire Prevention Week
A Message from Ms. Ponza
Professional Development Day on Friday, September 4th~No school for students
Tomorrow, Friday, September 4, is a Professional Development Day for our teachers and staff. The day will include training that supports teaching and learning at SLVE.
These days give our staff valuable time to learn, collaborate, and strengthen practices that help us provide safe, engaging, and high-quality learning experiences for every student, every day.
Monday, September 7th Labor Day Holiday~No school
Please remember that Monday, September 7th is a holiday. School will be closed and will reopen on Tuesday, September 8th.
PBIS at SLVE!
SLVE Student Store today
Today, was SLVE's first student store of the school year. Students have been working hard to earn Bobcat pawprints for being respectful, responsible and safe. The pawprints can be exchanged for store tickets that can be spent on a number of items. Some students choose to spend all of their pawprints, some choose to save them up so that they can "purchase" a bigger item. It's a very exciting day to celebrate their hard work. Today, they had the opportunity to visit the student store during lunch recess.
If you would like to donate items to help keep our store stocked, please click on this link, SLVE Bobcat Store Wishlist.
Friendship Assembly
Our Schoolwide friendship assemblies will be on Wednesday, September 23rd. Students who have exhibited the characteristics of a good friend, will be nominated by their classroom teachers and presented with a Friendship award at this assembly. Families of students nominated will be contacted so that they can attend the assembly.
DEIB Committee – Member Interest Form:
San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District is starting the third year of our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Committee. The committee represents a wide spectrum of SLVUSD stakeholders, including but not limited to district and school leadership, board members, school staff, parents/guardians, etc. We are looking for 5 to 7 new members, and if you are interested and would like to be considered for this committee, please complete the DEIB Interest Form by Friday, September 18, 2026.
The committee meets on the following Monday’s: September 28 (in-person), October 26 (virtual), November 30 (in-person), February 8 (virtual), March 22, (in-person), April 19, (in-person). The in-person meetings will be held from 5:00 – 6:30 pm at the District Office - Board Room located at 325 Marion Avenue, Ben Lomond, 95005. To know more about the committee, such as our Purpose and Charter, please visit our DEIB page or if you have additional questions, please contact Amy Chruchill, Student Services Coordinator at achurchill@slvusd.org or (831) 335-1753.
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.
Bobcat Club News
We hope everyone is settling into a great new school year! The Bobcat Club is excited to kick off another year of supporting our students, teachers, and school community. Thanks to your support, we help fund programs like art, ceramics, Life Lab, assemblies, field trip buses, classroom resources, campus improvements, and so much more.
Read-A-Thon Starts August 24!
Our Read-A-Thon kicks off Monday, August 24, and we hope every Bobcat will join in!
Read-A-Thon is a fun, low-pressure fundraiser that gets kids excited about reading while giving friends and family a chance to cheer them on. It gives kids an extra reason to pick up a book, read more, and build stronger reading skills!
Ready to Read? Sign Up Now!
You can also scan the QR code on the Read-A-Thon flyer when it comes home. Once your reader is signed up, you'll be able to track their reading and fundraising progress on their personal page.
Check Out the Prizes!
Class Prizes: The top two fundraising classes will each win a class party of their choice: Pizza or Ice Cream!
Top Reader Prizes: 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.
We hope everyone participates and has fun reading!
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-ThonSeptember 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
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.
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.