Dos Caminos School

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Friends - This week is Red Ribbon Week! Please see below for flyer with overview PTA has created for our Red Ribbon Week. We could also use help decorating, supporting activities, and helping at the book fair. Dos Caminos PTA: DCS Red Ribbon Week Volunteers 2026. The theme this week is Make a Difference. Be a Hero. Make Healthy Choices!

Red Ribbon Week Spirit Days are:

Monday - No School

Tuesday - Heroes set goals - Dress as your favorite super hero!

Wednesday - Heroes work together - Wear Red!

Thursday - Dreaming of a healthy future - Pajama Day!

Friday - Healthy choices are not scary - Wear your Halloween Costume!

DCS FUN RUN has already raised $15,817! We are off to the races and excited to host our annual Fun Run Dos Caminos Dolphin Rodeo on Friday, November 13th. This is our largest fundraiser of the year and will follow a traditional Jog-A-Thon model where students run laps on the field. Every student will receive a Fun Run T-shirt featuring the names of our generous family and business t-shirt sponsors. All funds raised will support DCS’s enrichment programs and family engagement activities fostering a learning environment that celebrates academic growth, bilingualism, and community involvement. DCS FUN RUN letter to families and DCS FUN Run Paper Donation Form

DCS Dual Language Immersion Program Parent Survey - Parent Education Opportunities: Our team is preparing a series of parent education nights for families to work on strategies to support their child at home in Spanish. The tentative plan is for the meetings to take place one hour before PTA meetings and be facilitated by the DCS staff. What topics would you like our teachers to present to help you support your child’s learning of Spanish at home?

Halloween: Students may come to school in costume on Friday, October 30th and take part in the school parade. There will be two parades, one at 8:30 am for the majority of students and a second parade just for the TK / K students at 9:45 am so our staggered students can experience a parade. All TK and kindergarten will attend school at their regular times. Parents are welcome to come and watch the parades and all visitors are required to have valid identification. Students do not have to be in costume to take part in the parade. Halloween Guidelines for Dos Caminos

DCS Community Ofrenda for Día de los Muertos: You are invited to join us in creating a Community Ofrenda in the Dos Caminos MakerSpace. Dia de Los Muertos is a holiday celebrated across Latin America in honor of ancestors who have passed. The ofrenda will be decorated with papel picado, alebrijes, pan de muertos, and calaveras de azucar created in our art program. As an optional piece, we would like to offer families an opportunity to bring a photo of a loved one who has passed and add it to the ofrenda following the Halloween Parade. Include your child’s name and teacher on the back so the photo can be returned. Click here for additional resources and How to Explain the History of Día de los Muertos to Kids.

The PVSD weekly update from Dr. Cortes is sent each Friday and view here. Link to Parent Engagement Newsletter.

Sincerely,

Robert Waggoner

• October 26: No School, Professional Development Day
• October 27-30: Red Ribbon Week
• October 27: PTA ART Reflection Submissions are due to the office.
• October 27-30: Scholastic Book Fair in MakerSpace, Open at lunchtime
• October 28: Scholastic Book Fair in MakerSpace, Open from 5:30-7:00 pm for families to shop together
• October 30: Halloween Parades 8:30 am and 9:45 am for TK/K. Halloween Guidelines for Dos Caminos
• November 10: Veterans Day Flag Ceremony, 8:30 and 10:20 am.
• November 11: No School, Veterans Day
• November 12: School Site Council Meeting (SSC) at 3:15
• November 12: DCS PTA Meeting at 6:30 pm in the MakerSpace. All invited!
• November 13: DCS FUN RUN
• November 13: End of Trimester 1, Report Cards home December 16th
• November 20: Picture Make-up Day

The National PTA Reflections Arts Program is underway! This year’s theme is “What My Culture Means to Me.” Students are encouraged to explore the arts and express what the theme means to them. Our Reflections program will also connect with Family Art Night on October 20. If you’re interested in helping with Reflections or Family Art Night, please contact Julie Starbard at (805) 754-9941 or juliestarbard@gmail.com. Learn more about the National PTA Reflections Arts Program: https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections

Parking lot: The safety of our students, staff, and families is our top priority. Parents and caregivers are asked to use extra caution when driving in and around the school. The lane closest to the school is designated for student unloading only. Drivers should remain in their vehicles and may not park or exit their vehicles in this lane. Please remember that the drop-off lane also serves as an emergency access lane and must remain clear at all times so that first responders can quickly access our campus if needed. If you need to get out of your vehicle or assist your child, please park in a designated parking space or along the neighborhood streets where permitted. For everyone’s safety, all pedestrians must use the designated crosswalks. New this year: As part of our construction work and efforts to meet ADA requirements, the side parking lot entrance on Ponderosa Drive is now ONE-WAY. The new traffic pattern is clearly marked. Please follow all posted signs and markings when entering and exiting the parking lot. Please see the visual below for the traffic pattern.

Student Emergency Release and Parent Reunification: This procedure is utilized in the event of a safety situation that dictates early dismissal and emergency release of students to their families. Families will receive a notification of safety need for Student Emergency Release. Each adult picking up a child must be listed in Q/Parent Connect and must have their Identification. Step 1: The parent is to complete the PVSD Student Emergency Release Form. Step 2: Two lines will be formed based on the last name of the child A-M and N-Z. The PVSD Student Emergency Release Form is submitted and verified by DCS staff. Once approved, the parent is directed to the MPR gate, and their child is called to the MPR reunification gate. Step 3: At the MPR reunification gate, the Student Emergency Release Form is verified again and the child is then released to the adult listed in Q/Parent Connect.

Dos Caminos has been officially designated a No Place for Hate® School by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). This honor reflects our community’s strong commitment to creating and sustaining an environment where all students feel valued, respected, and safe.

Our staff has been trained to use the interrupt, question, educate, and echo strategy. We welcome you to join in when faced with hurtful remarks. At Dos Caminos we are KIND.