Explorer Informer

Dear Del Sur Families,

Welcome Back Del Sur Families!

We cannot wait to see our Explorers on Monday! I know this is not the start to the school year that any of us imagined. Over the past few weeks, there have been tears, laughter, and plenty of hugs among our Del Sur staff. Through it all, what has continued to drive us forward is our amazing Explorers and the incredible Del Sur community.

We are so grateful to our gracious hosts at Stone Ranch and their Trailblazers, who are excited to welcome our Explorers on Monday. Principal Heard and the Stone Ranch staff have been incredibly welcoming and helpful as we settle in as new neighbors. We are also deeply grateful to you for your patience and understanding as we work to ensure our Del Sur campus is safe for our students and staff to return to, and safe for the long term. While Stone Ranch is our temporary home, we have already been amazed by the outpouring of support from our Del Sur community.

A special thank you to the Del Sur Foundation for organizing a book drive for our classrooms. The books arrived today, and it was so special to see some of our Foundation parents and students on campus delivering them. These donations will help us begin building our classroom libraries in our temporary home, and we are incredibly grateful.

We are incredibly excited to see our students on Monday, to welcome them into their new temporary home, and most importantly, to begin the school year together.

Thank you for being such an important part of our Del Sur family. We are ready for a great first day!

With love and gratitude,

Mrs. Ganesan
Proud Principal, Del Sur Elementary School

Monday is going to be an exciting day! I know there are lots of questions and wonderings about what the first day and the next few weeks will look like. Please read this newsletter in its entirety to understand what to expect, including arrival, dismissal, bell schedules, and our new campus routines. Some routines will look different from what we are accustomed to at Del Sur, and we will continue to refine them as we get settled at Stone Ranch.

Please note that we are expecting warmer weather in the days ahead. Please have your child wear comfortable light clothing, closed-toed shoes, sunscreen, bring a water bottle, and snack.

First Day Arrival

8:30 AM — Students and families arrive

Families will enter through the left gates of the Stone Ranch campus, located near the blacktop and play structure.

Teachers will be on the blacktop at cones with signs displaying their names. Students and families should find their teacher and line up with their class. Breakfast will be available for any students who would like to eat. Breakfast will be served at the lunch tables, and Miss Renee, our Noon Duty Assistant, will be there to welcome students.

8:40 AM — Welcome Ceremony

Explorers and their parents/caregivers will follow their teacher onto campus. We will begin the morning with a special welcome ceremony for our Explorers.

Following the ceremony, students and parents/caregivers will continue with their teacher to their classroom for a brief opportunity to see their new learning space.

9:00 AM — Parents/Caregivers Exit

Parents and caregivers will exit campus, and our Explorers will begin their first day together!

If you have any student medication to drop off, please read this message from our District Nurse, Alison Antoine and Administration. You can also contact Ms. Becky, our Health Tech, with any questions. Her email is rubino@powayusd.com.

We will also have QR codes available when you arrive Monday to help families get acquainted with the Stone Ranch campus.

Four of our classrooms will be located in the Boys & Girls Club building next door to Stone Ranch.

Please know that this building is locked and secure. All visitors will be identified before being permitted to enter, and PUSD Campus Security has been assigned to the Boys & Girls Club to provide additional support.

Students assigned to these classrooms will:

• Arrive at the Stone Ranch blacktop each morning and meet their teacher.

• Be escorted by their teacher to and from the Boys & Girls Club.

• Have recess and lunch with their grade-level peers at Stone Ranch.

• Be picked up at Stone Ranch at dismissal.

For late arrivals, parents/caregivers will continue to check students in through the Stone Ranch Front Office. For early dismissals, students will also be checked out through the Front Office.

Our arrival and dismissal times remain the same:

• School begins: 8:45 AM

• Regular dismissal: 3:05 PM

• Thursday dismissal: 1:25 PM

Our recess and lunch schedules have been adjusted to align more closely with Stone Ranch so that our Explorers can eat and play with their grade-level Trailblazer peers.

Please review the Recess & Lunch Schedule here. This document also includes our Thursday minimum-day schedule and VAPA schedule. The first day of VAPA is Tuesday, August 25th.

Beginning Tuesday, the left gates will open at 8:25 AM.

Parents/caregivers will drop students off at the front of the gate. Students who would like breakfast may head to the lunch tables to eat.

Before school begins, students may either:

• Eat breakfast

• Play on the blacktop, or

• Line up at their teacher's cone.

Several teachers and staff members will supervise students during this time.

8:38 AM: The bell will ring, signaling students to head to their classroom lines on the blacktop.

8:40 AM: The bell rings, and teachers will greet their students at the cones and walk their classes inside.

8:45 AM: Gates are locked; any late arrivals will enter through the Main Door and check in at the Main Office.

TK & Kindergarten Arrival — Tuesday, August 25

On Tuesday only, TK and Kindergarten parents/caregivers may escort their students to their teacher's cone on the blacktop. Teachers will meet their classes there, and parents will exit the blacktop.

Beginning Wednesday, TK and Kindergarten families will follow the regular drop-off procedure and drop students off at the front of the gate.

TK Arrival — Moving Forward

TK Teachers will meet their students at the gate, and TK Support Staff will take students to eat breakfast or play at the TK Playground until 8:38 am.

• TK - 2nd Grade will dismiss their students at the left gate.
• Third - Fifth Grade will dismiss their students at the right gate.
• ESS Students will be escorted by their teachers to the MPR for check-in. Ms. Jessy, our ESS Supervisor, will send more details about ESS morning drop-off and afternoon pickup.
• Older siblings will exit through their assigned gate and can walk to their younger sibling on the opposite gate.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up Location:

• Only drop off and pick up your child in the designated loop areas in front of the school. You can enter by the first entrance to the loop or the second entrance by the curb.

• Do not double-park or stop in the middle of the lane: this creates unsafe conditions for children and other drivers.

• Do Not Leave Your Car Unattended:

• Do not leave your car in either loop or outside of marked parking stalls. These areas must stay clear.

All Del Sur parking will take place at the Boys and Girls Club and street parking during arrival and pickup, except for ADA and/or Handicap Parking. The Stone Ranch Parking lot is designated for Stone Ranch Staff and Families.

Our school phone number is 858-674-6200 and extensions will remain the same and will be transferred to Stone Ranch. Please do not call Stone Ranch’s school line.

Our Office Staff includes:

Ms. Nancy Diamond - Office Manager, ext. 6313

Ms. Wai Kwon - Office Assistant, ext. 6305

Ms. Andrea Mitchell - Office Assistant, ext. 6310

Ms. Becky Rubino - Health Technician, ext. 6314

Mrs. Jennie Ganesan - Principal, ext. 6312

Ms. Maggie McCutchen - Assistant Principal, ext. 6311

We will continue to offer the free breakfast and lunch program, so any student can get free breakfast or lunch any day of the week. Students can bring their lunch from home if desired. If your child brings lunch, be sure to include only as much food as your child eats. Lunch containers should have the student’s name and room number on the outside of the sack or lunch box. Please ensure that your child can open their lunch container. Students can bring a light snack to eat during morning recess. Be sure to send your child to school with a bottle of water.