Vol. 38 May Ranch Family Newsletter

Monday May 26th

• No School! Happy Memorial Day!

Tuesday May 27th

• 100 Mile Club 7:25-7:50 am
• 5th Grade Castle Park Field Trip
• 1st Grade In-House Field Trip- STEAM Museum (MPR)
• Softball 2:30-3:30

• 100 Mile Club 7:25-7:50 am

• TK Tri. 3 Awards @ 8:15 am

• Staff vs. 5th Grade Students Kickball Game

• Minimum Day (Dismissal 12:40/12:45)

• Boxing Academy (1-2)

Thursday May 29th

• 100 Mile Club 7:25-7:50 am
• 1st Grade Tri. 3 Awards @ 8:15 am
• 2nd Grade Tri. 3 Awards @ 9:00 am
• 1st Grade Magic Show 10:30-12:30 (MPR)
• Minimum Day (Dismissal 12:40/12:45)
• Softball Practice 2:30-3:30

Friday May 30th

• 100 Mile Club 7:25-7:50 am
• 3rd Grade Tri. 3 Awards @ 8:15 am
• 4th Grade Tri. 3 Awards @ 9:00 am
• Minimum Day (Dismissal 12:40/12:45)
• Last Day of Think Together

Weekend Happenings

31st- Softball Game

31st- Happy Birthday Natalia Cortez!!

• 6/2-6/3 Minimum Day (Dismissal 12:40/12:45)
• 6/2-6/4 No Think Together
• 6/3 Kindergarten Completion Ceremonies (EB: 8:15 am/ LG: 9:45 am)
• 6/4 5th Grade Promotion @ 8:30 am
• 6/4 Last Day of School (all grades)
• 6/5 First Day of ELOP Summer Program

Toys- I want to kindly remind everyone of our school policy regarding personal items and toys, as outlined in our Parent/Student Handbook (below.) While we understand that Labubu's/Lafufu dolls are popular, they unfortunately fall under the category of toys, which are generally not permitted during the school day.

Our goal at May Ranch Elementary is to create a learning environment that is focused and free from unnecessary distractions. Toys can sometimes become a source of disruption in the classroom and on the playground.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in ensuring that Labubu/Lafufu dolls, and other toys, remain at home. This will help us maintain a positive and productive learning environment for all our students.

Dress Code- With the weather getting hotter, it's important to ensure that students are dressed comfortably and appropriately for school.

Here are the key points of our dress code from our Parent/Student Handbook (below):

• Shoes: Must be worn at all times and all footwear must have a back (i.e., strap). Slides and/or flip-flops are not acceptable.

• Clothing: Should be free of writing, pictures or any other insignia which are crude, vulgar, profane or sexually suggestive, which bear drug, alcohol or tobacco company advertising, promotions and likenesses, or which advocate racial, ethnic or religious prejudice.

• Concealment: Clothes shall be sufficient to conceal undergarments at all times. See-through or fish-net fabrics, halter tops, off-the-shoulder or low-cut tops, bare midriffs and skirts or shorts shorter than mid-thigh are prohibited.

• Gang-related clothing: Any clothing considered by the administration/law enforcement agencies to be gang related is not to be worn.

• Sun-protective clothing: Students may wear sun-protective clothing.

We understand that finding the balance between comfort and adhering to the dress code is important, especially during warmer weather. Please work with your child to ensure their clothing choices meet these guidelines.

Thank you for your continued support in making May Ranch Elementary a wonderful place for our students to grow as scholars and leaders.

Students continue to work on refining math understanding.

We want our students to WANT to come to school, feel safe and connected to other students and adults.

Our goal is to connect with our May Ranch Families!

All students are working to become proficient readers and writers!

Every day that the class has perfect attendance they earn a letter. When the class has spelled out "GO WRANGLERS" the class receives a prize! On double and quadruple letter days they earn multiple letters. Thank you for your support in making sure your student attends school daily!

Every Day Counts!

Number of students absent each day

Where we rank with other VVUSD Schools

Get ready! The last PBIS Rewards Store of the year opens May 12 for the grade level with the highest attendance! After that, it will open each day for another grade level based on attendance data—so show up and show out!

🛍️ Important Info:

• You can spend all your points OR save them for next year (except 5th grade—spend them while you can!).

• Limit ONE item per category per student.

Let’s finish the year strong with great choices and great attendance! 💪✨

A quick tip for parents: Teach the "Pause, Breathe, Think" strategy.

When your child is upset or facing a problem, guide them to:

1️⃣ Pause – Stop and take a moment before reacting.
2️⃣ Breathe – Take a deep breath to calm down.
3️⃣ Think – Ask, "What’s the problem?" and "What are my choices?"

This helps them develop emotional regulation and problem-solving skills in a simple, repeatable way. Modeling this yourself will reinforce the habit.😀

Mindfulness is all about paying attention to the present moment without judgment. It can help kids (and adults!) manage stress, improve focus, and increase emotional awareness. Here are some simple, fun, and practical ways to incorporate mindfulness into your family's daily routine:

1. Mindful Breathing Exercises😤

• Belly Breathing: Have everyone lie down and place a hand on their belly. As you breathe in, feel your belly rise like a balloon. As you breathe out, feel it deflate. Count each breath in and out. Try for 5-10 breaths.

• "Smell the Flowers, Blow out the Candles": 💐Pretend you're holding a beautiful flower. Breathe in deeply through your nose, smelling its fragrance. Then, pretend you're blowing out birthday candles, exhaling slowly through your mouth. Repeat several times.

• Take 5 Breathing:5️⃣ Hold up one hand, palm facing you. Using the index finger of your other hand, trace up and down each finger, breathing in as you go up and breathing out as you go down. This is a great one for kids to do independently.

2. Mindful Eating🥗

• Sensory Exploration: 🍓Choose a small snack like a raisin, piece of chocolate, or a berry. Before eating it, encourage everyone to use all their senses. What does it look like? Smell like? Feel like? Finally, slowly taste it, paying attention to the flavors and textures.

• No Distractions: 😎Designate one meal a day as a "mindful meal." Turn off the TV, put away phones, and focus solely on the food and enjoying each other's company.

We have two crosswalks located inside the parking lot that we appreciate you using and modeling for our students! One is located in between the MPR and 3rd grade dismissal area. The other is located in front of the TK/K dismissal area. We appreciate you taking the time to use them, keeping yourself and your scholar safe! Thanks for being a role model "even when you think no one is watching!"

• Parking Reminders: Please do not park, stop, or leave your car along the red curb or on Evans or Morgan or in our Fire Lane. Thank you for prioritizing the safety and accessibility of our designated areas. Please refer to our Parking Lot Flow below for arrival/dismissal expectations. Our Val Verde Police Department is enforcing this!

• Please try to plan appointments outside of the school day to avoid your child missing valuable instruction.
• Any individual picking up a scholar early from school needs to provide a Photo ID and be listed on the emergency contact list.
• For your child's safety, we cannot release a scholar to someone who does not have an ID or who is not listed in the emergency contacts.
• Parents can update emergency contact information through Parent Portal or by presenting identification to update their contact information in person. Phone requests to update contact information will not be permitted.
• To limit disruptions to classroom dismissals, we do not call out scholars within 20 minutes of dismissal.