Dear Robert H. Down School Community,
I am so thrilled to have seen so many of you make it out to our Back to School Night last night! Thank you for your commitment to our school and supporting your children in their growth!
For those of you who were not able to attend the Principal’s Address, I am including a link to the slides for your reference. Our teachers also shared their information via email for those who were not able to make it.
I hope you will take the time to get involved and join the Robert Down PTA as well as participate in Walk with PRIDE on Saturday, September 12!
Welcome to our Student Teachers!
Our school is so fortunate to be hosting eight student teachers this year! Please join me in welcoming the following student teachers being mentored by our amazing staff!
Annika Altman, 4th grade
Ava Ildefonzo, 1st grade
Candace Bookbinder, 5th grade
Haley Riedel, 4th grade
Juliet Perlstein, 1st grade
Leah McCarter, 2nd grade
Madison Santora, 5th grade
Maryssa Beck, Kindergarten
Superstars on Staff!
Erica Chavez, one of Kindergarten teachers, is a finalist for the Monterey County Weekly Best K-12 Teacher recognition! If you’d like to vote for her along with any of your favorites in other categories, click here! Polls are open until August 28th!
Did you know we have a nationally acclaimed wrestling champion coach in our midst? Roberto Dixon (aka Mr. D), RHD staff member for over 40 years, led the California Wrestling team to the National Championships this summer!
We are so proud of you, Erica and Roberto!
School Supplies
Many thanks to those of you who donated school supplies through the PTA fundraiser with 1st Day of School in the Spring and Summer! For those of you who didn’t have a chance to donate through PTA and would like to, here is a link to the TK-2nd grade school supplies list and a link to the 3rd-5th grade school supplies list. There is absolutely no obligation to purchase or bring school supplies to Robert Down. We will ensure every student has what they need.
Justifiable Absence Request for Independent Study
Thank you so much to those of you who have submitted your Justifiable Absence Request forms!
We are so proud of the progress we made in reducing our chronic absenteeism last year! Please be sure to complete a Justifiable Absence Request for Independent Study at least two weeks in advance, if you anticipate your child will be absent. Otherwise, the absence will be marked as unexcused and may contribute to truancy. These requests may be made for up to 15 days during the school year.
Important Policy Updates
Health and Wellness Policy As mentioned in the last newsletter in May, the Robert Down Elementary Leadership Team has decided that we will no longer allow food-related birthday celebrations in order to better comply with our new updated District Wellness Policy. Some alternative ideas for non-food related celebrations include stickers, small games, pencils, erasers, fidgets, and other age appropriate items. Moving forward, any food-related classroom activities will be planned exclusively by teachers, directly tied to the grade-level curriculum, and fully compliant with district wellness guidelines. Please also keep in mind we have many students with life-threatening food allergies. We appreciate your partnership in keeping our students healthy and safe.
Volunteer Update We are so grateful for the many volunteers that support us throughout the year! Our District has a new policy requiring all new and returning volunteers to complete an online training in addition to getting fingerprints cleared. Be aware that some content in the training is not suitable for children, in case you were planning to watch it with your children in the room. Please see the information below.
Building Our "Culture of We" – Get Involved!
At Robert Down Elementary, we believe in the power of community. There are so many ways to get involved and support our students:
September 15-October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month! Would you like to share about your family’s Hispanic heritage through a bulletin board display, presentation, or slide deck? If so, please sign up here!
Sign up here to join the Robert Down PTA! Your involvement makes a real difference.
Complete this survey to let us know how you'd like to contribute or what you would like to learn more about. Opportunities abound, from joining the School Site Council or School Safety Committee, to volunteering in classrooms, with lunch supervision, or as a guest speaker. We will also be working on developing a new school vision this year. Feel free to share your ideas in the survey!
Safety and School Procedures
Drop-off and Attendance: Please ensure your child arrives at school on time. We recommend dropping students off at 8:30 AM to allow for some extra play and connection time with friends. Students are to enter through the side gates. 1st-5th grade stay on the playground until 8:40AM when classrooms will open.
Traffic and Parking: To ease traffic, please use the recommended pick-up gates listed below and see the attached map.
Gate A: TK Rm A2, K Rms A1 & A3, 2nd Gr Rms 11, 13 & 15, Rm 18 - SDC
Gate B: K Rm C1, 1st Gr Rms B1, B2, B3, Rm 17 - SDC
Field Gate: 3rd Gr Rm 8, 4th Gr Rm 10, 5th Gr Rms 6, 7, & 9
Gate D: TK Rm E1, 3rd Gr Rm 3, 4th Gr Rms 2 & 4
Of course, if there is a gate more convenient for your family, please be sure to communicate with your child(ren) your plan. Older siblings are encouraged to pick up their younger siblings before proceeding to a gate.
Safety Reminders: For everyone's safety, please do not park in drop-off zones, avoid U-turns and double-parking, and remember to slow down and stop at all crosswalks. We want all of our children to arrive at school and leave school safely.
If you prefer to walk your child(ren) to the gate, please consider parking a block or two away and enjoy the walk with your child(ren). Carmel Avenue is a wider street and typically has plenty of parking available.
Community Events
Robert Down 4th grade students Lennox Andrade, Ever Karai, Tenar Karai, and Emmi Leyva Nguyen are featured in this year’s Fall PacRep production of The Little Mermaid at the Outdoor Forest Theater in Carmel! It is playing on Thursdays-Sundays through September 20! If interested, more information can be found here!
Free Eye Clinic Sponsored and Run by the Lions Club of District 4-C6
Sunday, August 23, 2026
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Monterey County Office of Education
901 Blanco Circle, Salinas, CA 93901
By appointment only – space is limited
Services include:
No medical insurance or identification is required.
Registration
Registration is open August 10–20. People can reserve an appointment using the QR code on the flyer or the appropriate link:
English: tinyurl.com/Salinas-Vision-Clinic-Aug-2026
Spanish: tinyurl.com/Salinas-Clinica-de-Vision-2026
Upcoming Dates to Remember
August 13th: Board Meeting (Our school will have a special presentation.)
August 18th: School Site Council at 3:30PM
August 21st: Safety Drill- Evacuation
With joy,
Emily Tsai Brownfield, Principal
