Dear Robert H. Down School Community,
We have had a busy past week at Robert Down!
PGMS visits 5th Grade at RHD!
Last Friday, March 27, our 5th grade students got a special visit from Mr. Sean Roach and Mr. Jason Tovani, PGMS Principal and Assistant Principal, along with Ms. Vanessa Ginez, MS Counselor, and two RHD alumni and current PGMS students! The PGMS team was able to share a bit about their school, what to look forward to, and provide a chance for our 5th grade students to ask questions and hopefully get them excited about middle school! We are so grateful for PGMS for taking the time to help to ease the transition for our students as they prepare for middle school.
PG Rotary Donates Dictionaries to 3rd Grade!
We are so grateful for our local chapter of the Rotary Club who presented each of our 3rd grade students with a dictionary on Friday, March 27! In addition, our students had a chance to see the longest word in the English language and even attempted to pronounce the word spelled with over 1000 letters!
TK/K Toolbox Assembly on Apology Tool
On Friday, March 27, our TK and Kindergarten classes hosted our monthly Toolbox Assembly sharing about the Apology and Forgiveness Tool! They did an amazing job singing and sharing about the importance of “I’m Sorry!” We are so proud of them!
RHD Drama Club Presents: Storytime Revue
Our RHD Drama Club performed a series of skits on Sunday, March 29 at 2PM and 5PM, as well as for the school on Monday, March 30 in the RHD Ottertorium! Our Drama Club students did an incredible job writing, acting, performing, and engaging their audience with their creativity and humor! Many thanks to parent Shawn Rozsa, who generously volunteered to work with our students in Drama Club and the many additional volunteers who worked behind the scenes on costuming, sets, and special effects!
Women’s History Month Special Speaker
On Tuesday, March 31, our 2nd through 5th grade students had a chance to learn from Profesora Jenny Nadaner, a Robert Down parent, about a young woman named Divine Mugisha, who is a Rwandan refugee who is a changemaker and making a difference for others. She also had an important message for our students letting them know that young people can make a difference in their school and community. Here is a link to the slides and a special video from Divine. Thank you, Jenny!
Purple Up Day April 8
Wear purple on Wednesday, April 8 to honor our many military connected youth!
Purple Up Day is a time to recognize and celebrate the strength, resilience, and sacrifices of military-connected children, many of whom attend Robert Down Elementary.
The color purple represents the unity of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, blending the colors of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.
Trash Turtles Community Clean Up Day Save the Date- April 19th
Trash Turtles, a local non-profit started by the sibling of a Robert Down student, is hosting a community beach cleanup in honor of Earth Day on Sunday, April 19th from 1–3pm at Lover’s Point. They would love for your students, families, and staff to join in. It’s a fun, hands-on way to connect students to the mission and see their impact in real time. #leavewith3
Thank you to our Facilities and Maintenance Team and Custodial Staff!
Our deepest gratitude goes to our Facilities and Maintenance team members Robert Bullas, Jeff Stutzman, Cliff Houston, Bob Tischio, and Ryan Pryer for continuing to support us with essential custodial services while we have been down custodial staff in the day time. In addition, our two evening custodians, Andy Terry and Anthony Johnson, have taken on some additional tasks. We are so grateful for you all!
Does your student have an unused Golden Pineapple Award?
If so, please have your child exchange it for a new Bubba Gump’s certificate! Islands closed unexpectedly a few weeks ago and we are so grateful to parent, Gardenia Bracamontes, who provided us with Bubba Gump’s certificates!
Justifiable Absence Request for Independent Study
As we approach Spring Break, please remember that if your family plans to take an extended vacation, please complete a Justifiable Absence Request for Independent Study at least two weeks in advance. The form is now electronic for Robert Down as a pilot program for our District.
🛑 Safety: Safe Routes to School
PGUSD has partnered with Transportation Authority of Monterey County (TAMC) and a group of CSUMB students to support our Safe Routes to School programming.
Together, this team designed a parent survey to better understand families’ top safety concerns related to how students arrive at and leave our school sites each day. Your feedback plays an important role in helping us identify areas of need and improve traffic flow, pedestrian access, bicycle safety, and overall student supervision during arrival and dismissal times.
The survey takes no longer than 5 minutes to complete.
Robert H. Down Elementary:
Safe Routes To School Survey
Crosswalk
Huge appreciation goes to our District Office staff as well as PGHS students who have volunteered to support us with safety at the Pine and 13th intersection! Our Crossing Guard position remains open and we invite you to apply here, if interested.
We have placed buckets with flags at the corner of Pine and 13th in the event you see a student or family who may need support, you are welcome to use the flags to assist with the crosswalk.
📅 Upcoming Dates
