🌟 Family Newsletter Updates 🌟

🎭 Thank you to the Readers Theater for coming to perform for our 1st and 2nd graders! Our students enjoyed the wonderful performance and engaging experience. 📚✨

🌊 Our 5th graders had an exciting field trip to Crystal Cove State Park! A big thank you to all of our parent volunteers for helping make the trip a success. 🚌☀️🥾

➕📐 Thank you to our Family Math Night Committee and PTO for all their hard work in making Math Night happen! It was a fun-filled evening of learning and family engagement. 🎉

🏫 Open House is this Wednesday!
Gates open at 5:15 PM and classrooms will be open from 5:30–6:30 PM. We look forward to seeing all of our families! 🌟

💻✏️ Statewide Testing is coming up for grades 3–5! Please make sure Chromebooks are updated and charged regularly. Encourage students to get plenty of rest 😴 and eat a healthy breakfast 🍎 each morning so they are ready to do their best!

Thank you for your continued support! 💙

🏷️ BoxTops Update
Don’t forget to scan your receipts using the BoxTops app! 📲🧾 Every scan earns money for our school. Check out the PTO section below to start raising money for our school! 🎉🏫

🤝 Volunteers Needed!

We are looking for extra hands to support our community! We need volunteers every other Monday (next day is May 4th) to assist with our food distribution program. 🍏📦

Prep & Set Up 8-10 Volunteers

9:30a-11:30a

M.P.R.

Distribution 4-6 Volunteers

2:30p-4:00p

Post & Clean Up 4-6 Volunteers

Your help makes a massive difference in ensuring our families are supported. If you are available to help, please contact the front office.

📌 Important Dates & Events

April 29 - Open House 5:30 - 6:30 pm
May 4 - 13 Statewide Testing - 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grades
May 21 - Health & Human Development Lesson - 5th Grade
May 22 - Health & Human Development Lesson - 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grades

💡 Family Resources & Reminders

Take a look at the resources included in the lower sections of this newsletter for family resources

Every year, California students take several statewide tests. When combined with other measures such as grades, class work, and teacher observations, these tests give families and teachers a more complete picture of their child’s learning. You can use the results to identify where your child is doing well and where they might need more support.

Your child may be taking one or more of the following California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) assessments. Pursuant to California Education Code Section 60615, parents/guardians may annually submit to the school a written request to excuse their child from any or all of the CAASPP assessments.

Testing will take place from May 4th to May 15th.

Please see the attached documents for more information. Thank you!

State testing is coming for 3rd-5th graders, and at the end of May, all students will work on i-Ready to show their progress. Set your students up for success by making sure they sleep well, avoid electronics near bedtime, get a nutritious breakfast, and remind them to charge their Chromebooks.

If your student is nervous about their tests, practice their calming tools with them, like deep breathing or thinking positive. You can even plan something special at the end of testing to help them celebrate their work. Let’s go Laurel students!

Register Now! THRIVE Summer Camp 2026 – Limited Spots Available!

Exciting News! THRIVE + BASE Summer Camp is open for registration! Join us for a fun, engaging summer program that is designed to keep students active, learning, and connected all summer long! Registration is now open from April 1–May 15, and the program runs June 22–July 31 from 8:00 AM–5:00 PM daily at the following school sites: Foussat, Ivey Ranch, Libby, Laurel, Pablo Tac, Palmquist, Nichols, North Terrace, Lincoln MS and MLK MS. Please note: There is no camp on July 3rd (observed holiday). A separate registration is required for each student.

Each week features a unique theme—from Adventures & Nature to Space & Ocean—bringing fresh energy and new experiences for students all summer long. Campers will enjoy daily fine arts, STEM, and sports activities, along with field trips, special on-campus events and family engagement opportunities that make each week unique and memorable!

Best of all, this program is offered at no cost for all OUSD students in rising grades K–5 with transportation available from non-hosted school sites.

Be sure to register early!

Dates: June 22 – July 31 *No camp on July 3rd in observance of the holiday

Times: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Daily

Locations: Pablo Tac, Libby, Foussat, Nichols, Ivey Ranch, North Terrace, Palmquist and Laurel

Cost: At no cost to families

Questions? Contact us at camp@baseprograms.com or visit the OUSD Website

We are excited for another amazing summer with your students!

Dinosaur School at Home!

We’re excited to share a collection of eight short Dinosaur School videos that match the most important social-emotional lessons your child is learning at school—both in the classroom and in small groups. These family-friendly videos show simple ways to reinforce positive skills at home, from mastering Stop, Walk, Talk to building friendship and problem-solving skills. Each video offers practical, easy-to-use strategies to help your child grow into a confident, kind, and responsible learner.

Para SUBTÍTULOS en los vídeos:

Escanee el código (con cámara)
Hacer clic en ícono de configuración
“Traducción automática”
Seleccionar idioma Español

The City of Oceanside Parks and Recreation Department provides scholarships for qualifying low income Oceanside Residents. The new scholarship program will increase the annual scholarship allocation to $300 per child with an additional $250 per child allocated specifically for summer camps. Each child in a family that meets the income limits will have access to $550 per year for scholarships. The intent is to provide each child with sufficient scholarship funds to participate in after school programming and 2 weeks of summer camp, but each family will have the flexibility to register for any Parks and Recreation Department program they select. If a child prefers to only register for camp, they can use all $550 in scholarships to attend summer camp.

City of Oceanside Scholarship Application

The Food 4 Kids Backpack Program, established in 2006, provides weekend food packages to chronically hungry elementary school students from low-income households who are at risk of hunger over the weekend when free school meals are unavailable.

Every Friday afternoon students on the program are called out of class, often to the school nurse’s office, and discretely given a bag of food which is tucked into their backpacks. Each bag contains enough food to see the students through the weekend, and the discreet distributions remove the stigma that might be attached to the program.

Food 4 Kids

Food 4 Kids parent permission form

The For Kids Sake After School Program is designed for elementary-aged children (ages 6–12). Participants will enjoy a variety of fun activities, including crafts, games, and sports in a group setting. They'll also have the opportunity to learn new games and receive homework help from the dedicated FKS staff.

Staff will pick-up children after school at Laurel Elementary School and walk to the Joe Balderrama Recreation Center. Staff will meet children in front of the tree at the main gate of the school.

The program follows the Oceanside Unified School District calendar.

No For Kids Sake Program on the following dates:

September 1st - Labor Day

November 11th - Veterans Day

November 24th - 28th - Thanksgiving Break

Please contact Joe Balderrama Recreation Center directly at 760-435-5530 if you have further questions.

We are excited to share our cell phone policy, "During the Day, Off and Away," for the 2025-2026 school year (Board Policy 5131.8). Our goal is to create a safe and focused learning environment for all students by minimizing distractions and promoting their mental well-being.

Key Points:

Cell Phone Usage: Students must turn off (ringer/tone/sounds off) and store their phones in their backpacks upon entering campus. Phones should stay off until they leave.
Communication: Classrooms have landlines for students to contact parents when necessary. Phones will be accessible in emergencies.
Academic Benefits: Reducing phone usage helps students stay focused and engaged in class.
Safety and Security: This policy helps prevent cyberbullying, ensures students focus during emergencies, and reduces the risk of theft or loss.

Support and disciplinary measures are in place for policy violations to help students adjust.

Thank you for your support as we work together to enhance our students' learning experience and well-being.