Viking News

Good evening Viking Families!

We are about halfway through our Coins For Camp fundraiser, and appreciate all of your support! Our Vikings having been bringing in spare change to add to their grade level bottle, and every penny will help our 5th graders go to Outdoor Camp in the Spring! We will continue to collect money through Friday, the 13th, and the grade level with the most money raised will win a popsicle party! Thank you for your support of our 5th graders!

On Friday, November 20th, we will participate in our 2nd annual Egg Drop STEM Challenge. Our Vikings will be working in teams to design and build a contraption that will protect an egg from a fall from the roof! Teams will work on their designs all week and then grade levels will come out to test their designs on Friday! Families are welcome to join us for their grade level's event. Here are the times for each grade level:

• TK - 10am
• Kindergarten - 11:45am
• 1st grade - 12:15pm
• 4th grade - 12:45pm
• 5th grade - 1:15pm
• 2nd grade - 1:50pm
• 3rd grade - 2:20pm

Del Rio is looking for someone to join our Duty Supervisor team! If you are interested in this paid position, supporting our student supervision at recess, please stop by the office and we can share more information.

Great news! We just got in a new order of our Spirit Shirts! If you would like to purchase one for $15, they are available in the office.

Upcoming Dates to Remember:

• Veterans Day - No School on Wednesday, November 11th
• School Wide Egg Drop STEM Challenge - Friday, November 20th
• Thanksgiving Break - No school from November 23rd - 27th

Be sure to stay up to date with all of our school happenings by following us on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DelRioElementaryVikings/

Instagram: @DelRioVikings

I visit classrooms everyday and share out examples of the learning adventures of our students as often as possible!

Email: lorrah.hogue@oside.us
Website: delrio.oside.us
Location: 5200 North River Road, Oceanside, CA, USA
Phone: (760)901-7300
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DelRioElementaryVikings/

Instagram: @DelRioVikings

Del Rio STEM Academy is a great place for our Vikings to learn! Our amazing teachers and staff put so much time and effort into supporting our students and our community, and we want to celebrate them! If you would like to share your appreciation for one of our staff members, complete this survey. I will highlight our shout outs from the community with our staff in and our Viking News reports.

Here is a recent Staff Shout Outs:

• Thank you to Mrs. Honkus! She communicates often with parents and a is fun teacher. - The van Schie family

Please take some time to read our Del Rio STEM Academy Handbook. It outlines many of our school rules, procedures, and programs that will help your student to be successful!

• If you are not in the drop off/pick up line, you may not double park or block parking spaces in the parking lot. Do not park on the red curb in the traffic circle. You must use a parking spot in the lot even if you are waiting with your car!
• Please do not block the crosswalk at the entry to our parking lot, and be vigilant about watching for students!
• Have your child ready with their backpack with them, so that the driver does not need to get out of the car. Please stay with your car and continue to pull forward!
• If you are dropping off in the car line at the front gate, please remember that the driver must stay with their car, and that you need to pull all the way up to the stop sign at the top of the circle so that we can keep traffic flowing.
• Please wait until you have gotten past the cones/crosswalk to let your student(s) out of the car. It keeps everything moving faster!
• Your car must be pulled up to the curb before any students can enter or exit a vehicle, so please do not double park!
• If you do park in either parking lot, you must walk up and accompany your student using a crosswalk. They will not be allowed to walk out to cross into the parking lot on their own.
• For pickups, it would be helpful if you wrote your child's name/teacher/grade on a sheet of paper and kept it on the dashboard! That will help our staff to locate students and keep things moving!

We are excited to share the continuation of our cell phone policy, "During the Day, Off and Away," for the 2026-2027 school year (Board Policy 5131.8). Our goal is to create a safe and focused learning environment for all students by minimizing distractions and promoting their mental well-being.

Key Points:

• Cell Phone Usage: Students must turn off and store their phones in their backpacks upon entering campus. Phones should stay off until they leave campus.

• Communication: Classrooms have landlines for students to contact parents when necessary. Phones will be accessible in emergencies.

• Academic Benefits: Reducing phone usage helps students stay focused and engaged in class.

• Safety and Security: This policy helps prevent cyberbullying, ensures students focus during emergencies, and reduces the risk of theft or loss.

Support and disciplinary measures are in place for policy violations to help students adjust.

Thank you for your support as we work together to enhance our students' learning experience and well-being.

Emails, text messages and phone calls from OUSD including those from your principal, teacher and the district office will be directly sent to you using the email address and phone number you provided in AERIES during data confirmation. It’s important that all the emergency contacts listed in AERIES have updated contact information so everyone can receive important messages from OUSD.

You no longer need to download any third party apps to receive messages from our school.

Please remember that ALL absences from school need to be reported to our school, letting us know the reason that your student has missed school! When you need to report your student's absence, please email us Attendance.des@oside.us. Often our main office phones are very busy in the mornings and this is a faster and easier way to report your student's absence! You can also call our Attendance Line at (760)901-7301, but please speak slowly and clearly, as many times the messages are difficult for our staff to hear.

In the Spring, I shared some upcoming changes to our breakfast program. Beginning on the first day of school, all students may go to the cafeteria from 7:45 to 8:15 to eat breakfast, free of charge. If you think your student will be eating at school, please plan to have them here as early as possible to have time to finish eating before the bell rings at 8:15. Students will line up and go straight to class at 8:15!