Your Weekly Principal Message

Great News, the new Chromebooks for grades 4 & 5 arrived on Friday. We will be inventorying and distributing those devices to every 4th and 5th grade student next week. For families in grades K - 3, if you would like a device for your child to access school work at home, please email our school librarian, Michelle Tachera, at mtachera@gusd.net.

We hope your 3 day weekend is amazing!

Principal Scott and Assistant Principal Seese

We received feedback from our neighbors and community about some traffic issues this week.

1. Please do NOT block residential driveways. That is illegal and you could get a fine or towed.

2. Be aware of bicycle traffic. Specifically, we have designated bike lanes around campus. If your car is in that lane, be aware that there may also be bicycle traffic. Remind your children that before they open the car door into a bike lane to look first so that they don't open into a moving bike.

Monday, September 7 - No School - Labor Day Holiday

Tuesday, September 8 - Annual Title I Meeting - Coffee with the Principals @ 8am

Friday, September 10 - Family Academy @ 5:30 PM

Wed., September 16 - Baskin Robbins Night

Join us for our Annual Title I meeting on Tuesday, September 8, at 8:15 in the school library. All parents are welcome! Coffee and treats provided by the principals! Translators available in Armenian, Korean, and Russian.
See you there!

The first session will be held on Thursday, September 10, at 5:30 p.m. via Google Meet. The presentation, Every Day Counts: Supporting Student Success Through Attendance, ParentSquare, and Parent Portal, is being presented through a collaboration between the Student Intervention and Accountability and Teaching, Learning, and Family Engagement departments.

The session will focus on small but integral steps that can make a big difference in student success. Families will learn how regular attendance helps students stay connected, engaged, and on track at school. We will also share simple ways families can use ParentSquare and Parent Portal to stay informed, communicate with their child’s school, and support their learning.

Instructions to Complete Your Student Information Update

• Visit the Q ParentConnection portal at parent.gusd.net
• Log in using your email address or PIN and password
• On mobile, click the “Log In” link in the upper-right corner
• Click “Annual Student Information Update” in red at the top of the page
• Update your student and parent/guardian information for each section
• Need extra help? Check out our step-by-step guide

All volunteer guidelines for the school district have been updated. Even if you were previously cleared to volunteer, you must go through the new process. Please find all of the details and steps here. (gusd.net/volunteer)

All Tier 2 clearance (we rarely have anyone who would be a Tier 1 volunteer) is done through the school district office and may take several weeks to complete, so please get started now if you plan to help on campus, be a field trip chaperone, support a class event, etc. Mark Keppel can not clear volunteers, there are no exceptions under the new policy. Once you receive the email from GUSD that you are cleared, please forward it to Rita Janoyan, school secretary, so we have a record of it. (ritajanoyan@gusd.net)

PTA membership is just $17 per person, and every dollar goes directly to programs and activities that support our kids and strengthen our Keppel community. Our goal is 100% family membership this year! Right now we are at 21%.

The top 3 classes closest to 100% participation will earn their choice of a donut or popsicle party and their teacher will receive $150 in Classroom Supply Reimbursements! Register by September 11th and your membership will count towards your child's class totals.

Join here: https://jointotem.com/ca/glendale/glendale-mark-keppel-elementary-parent-teacher-association-inc

Keppel PTA is partnering with Mabel's Label's with personalized waterproof name labels for all of your student's belongings. The labels work on clothing tags and water bottles alike and are perfect to stock up on at the beginning of the school year.

Visit www.campaigns.mabelslabels.com and search for Keppel PTA (Glendale). When you purchase your labels, Keppel PTA earns 20% from every purchase.

The PTA does A LOT at Keppel to bring joy and core memories to all students and families, but we can't do it alone! Whether you have a little time, or a lot of time, there’s a place for you in PTA! Join a committee, volunteer for an event, or help from home. Please check off all events and committees that you'd like to support. https://forms.gle/n9mkHLrKwHZAQYB67

You are cordially invited to join Keppel PTA"s Boo Bash Planning Committee. Do you love Halloween? Have ideas for games, trunks, or treats? Join our planning committee to bring our Trunk or Treat and Halloween Carnival to life!

Thursday, September 10th at 7:00PM over Zoom.

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4218478493
Meeting ID: 421 847 8493

Over the summer, a group of generous parent volunteers gave their time and their sweat to redesign and refresh the teacher lounges in both the Main Building and the 3000 Building. Here's a few sneak peek before and after photos of the lounges!

PTA Reflections is a national arts recognition program, and this year's theme was made for a school like Keppel. Culture is the food your family makes, the language you speak at home, the stories your grandparents tell, the music that plays at every family gathering. That is the inspiration. The art is how your child chooses to share it.

Your child does not have to be an "art kid" to enter. They just have to have something to say. Every student who submits an entry is recognized, and work that earns an Award of Excellence at the school level advances to Glendale Council, then First District, then California State, and finally the National level. But the point is the making, not the placing.

Six Ways to Enter
Students may enter one or more of the following categories: Visual Arts, Photography, Literature, Film Production, Music Composition, and Dance Choreography. One entry per student per category.

Important Dates
Entry Deadline: Monday, October 12, 2026. Drop off entries at the school office.

Judging: Mid-October

Showcase and Awards: October 21, 2026 at our PTA Association Meeting, where all entries will be displayed.

How to Enter
Download the entry packet below. It includes the Student Entry Form, Official Rules, Category Guidelines, and a brainstorming worksheet to help your child find their big idea.

Download the 2026-27 Reflections Entry Packet (PDF): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CQfC8YUZFDymTqlL-TC9ssvTXAuncSoZ/view?usp=share_link

Complete the Student Entry Form, attach it to the finished artwork, and drop it off at the school office by the deadline. Please do not fold or roll artwork.

Questions?
Contact keppelptareflections@gmail.com or visit capta.org/programs-events/reflections for more information.