Good Afternoon Bobcat Families,

In this Communication

• Important Events
• PTO Bucks for Bobcats – turn in donations by Friday, Sept 15
• CMS Bus Drop-off Location
• No Screens Week
• PTO Update

Repeat in this Communication

Upcoming events

Important Dates:

• Today: Campout
• Fri, Sept 29, after school: PTO Fall Festival

PTO Bucks for Bobcats – turn in donations by Friday, Sept 15

We are approaching our final week of Bucks for Bobcats. While we have raised over $18,000 so far, we still have a long way to go to reach our goal of $45,000 and 100% family participation. Don't forget to extend the invitation to donate to grandparents, relatives, or even companies that may match your contribution. Every dollar counts! And remember, we will not ask you to sell candy, gift wrap, or any other unwanted household item in the future—this is it! Let's get the job done and support all of the amazing enrichment activities that these funds will provide to our students and beyond. Please visit www.bucksforbobcats.org to donate online, or submit your check to the drop box in front of the school office. Goooooooooooooo Bobcats!

No Screens Week

I hope you enjoyed No Screens for Ice Cream week.   If you have any good stories of time spent together or how it benefitted your family, please let me know.  We are working on a day for the ice cream and will let you know.  Please make sure to turn in your participation form by Monday to your child’s teacher.

CMS Bus Drop-Off Location

If your child takes the bus to CMS after school, please make sure to be there when the bus arrives to pick them up.  Students are not allowed to go to the CMS library or be wandering the school (if you are running late they should wait in front of the office).   Thank you for your help with this.   

PTO Update

A hearty thank you to everyone who attended our first PTO meeting last night, whether in person or virtually. We had a lot of business to cover, and everyone hung in there until the end. Exciting things are coming next week from our Fall Festival Chair Gina Nucci-Hincks, as well as our Spirit Wear committee will be moving forward on new styles/designs. Meeting Minutes will be posted soon to our website to keep you up-to-date on PTO happenings and events. Save the date for our next meeting scheduled for Thursday, October 5 @ 6:30 pm back at CVCYC.   

Repeat in this email:

Tech Guidelines to Consider

As you talk as parents and as a family this week, here are a few family guidelines that I would like to pass along for families to consider as you discuss what you want your family rules to be around screens.  (It is important to remember that smartphones and smartwatches are not just phones, but are computers connected to the internet and all that the internet offers so it is crucial to set firm boundaries with phones.)

• Put a filter and parental controls on all your devices:  This is just good practice so children are not exposed to inappropriate content and you can monitor their activity. There are great apps and software you can install the provide you with lots of options.  commonsensemedia.org is a great resource for what is out there.
• Set a screen time limit:  Whether it’s daily (i.e. 30 minutes a day), weekly (i.e. 5 hours a week), or conditional (i.e. you get screen time after you…) set a limit on screen time and hold everyone to it.
• No Device Dinner:  Family mealtimes are extremely important.  TV’s, phones, tablets, all get in the way of the conversations families can have during that time.  Nobody, including adults, should be allowed to bring a screen to any meal.
• No screens in the car:  There are two reasons for this.  First, I always recommend to parents that they volunteer to be the drivers for their child’s, and their friend’s, activities because it is amazing what students will talk about in the back seat of a car.  The children forget an adult is driving.   Overhearing those conversations provides a great window into what goes on in your child’s life.  In the car is also a time where you can have that precious uninterrupted time with your children (or family) to talk about how life is going and connect with each other.  Second, brain research is informing us of how important “down time” or “bored time” is to the brain’s development.  It is during those down times when you are staring out the window or waiting in line that the brain builds connections to all of the learning that happened that day.   The car can be a great place for this.   Today many children get in the car and immediately go on their phones.  When they do that, it takes away from time for interactions as well as time for the brain to grow.
• Absolutely NO screens in the bedroom:  This one adjusts as the children get to middle and high school.   However, at the elementary level, there is never a time when a student should be alone in their room with a screen.   Today, computers and phones are a window to the world and all the world has to offer, both the good and bad.  As I said, as children get older, this rule will need to be adjusted because of homework demands, but screens behind closed doors is always a bad idea.  No matter where the screen is the screen should always be easily visible to the parent.
• No phones, EVER, in the bedroom at night.  This should apply all the way up until, yes I am going to say this, they graduate from high school. People make poorer decisions as the night goes on.  Children struggle with this even more.   There is nothing a child needs their phone for when they are sleeping.  In fact, we know screens prevent students from sleeping well.  So, if you allow your child to have their phone in their room because it is an alarm clock (the biggest reason I hear), get them an alarm clock and take the phone out of the room at night. I would also recommend keeping your child’s phone in your bedroom charging each night so you can also see if anything is happening.   
• Get a Family Cell Phone Basket or Common Charging Station:  Having a place where people put their cell phones when they come in the door lets your whole family know that your family relationships are important, and helps your kids see that you are not tethered to your own phone.  This helps keep people from being on their phones rather than engage in relationships with those present.  This also provides a place for your child’s friends to put their cell phones when they visit so that when the children are playing they are doing so together and not just playing side by side on their individual screens.
• Wait on Social Media: No elementary student needs to be on social media (Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, etc.).   There is even a growing body of research questioning whether middle or high schoolers should even be social media.   In addition to the fact that the law requires someone to be 13 to be on social media, studies are beginning to show the numerous negative impacts of social media on children, especially girls, before they are mature enough to handle it.  In elementary school, kids are not mature enough and should not be on social media.
• Sign a family tech use agreement: You can get ones that are already made (see commonsensemedia.org for some great resources), or create your own. These agreements should be signed by everyone in the household, child and adult, so everyone is held accountable.
• Make Screens Social:  Whether it is watching a TV show or playing a videogame, resist the urge for everyone in the house to be on their own device and use the screen as a family time.  There is a lot of great bonding and conversation that can come from watching a show together or playing a videogame together.  When you, as the adult, takes time to engage with your child in their videogames, it demonstrates to your child that you are interested in them and their interests which goes a long way in building a positive relationship.  I can also pretty much guarantee that you’ll end up with some humorous stories and fun memories afterward of how your child destroyed you in the game.
• Wait Until 8th: Resist getting your child a cell phone until as late as possible (thankfully, in response to all of the research, there is a growing movement in the country to wait until at least 8th grade).  If you feel an absolute need to get them a phone before 8th grade (when my own children got their phones), either do not make it a smartphone, or put enough parental controls on it to limit who they can call/text, the apps they can put on their phone, and shut off the internet on the phone altogether (thankfully parental controls are great now so you can have a lot of control over what your child can do on their phone – see commonsensemedia.org).  The other option is something like a watch that only calls a limited number of people.  
• More on Phones: Over the years we have found that elementary students are not mature enough to handle a smartphone of their own, the access to the internet and social media, most of the apps, and especially texting appropriately.  Students are not missing out on anything by waiting until later to have a phone that does all of that.  At the elementary level, they only need to make a phone call.  As parents, we need to start thinking twice about how early we get our children a phone (or give them our old ones) and make the best decisions for our own children, and not give in to what “everyone” in society is doing.

Even if you don’t adopt these recommendations, my hope is that these rules will at least spark a conversation in your family about screen time and help us start challenging the norm.  Setting limits now, when your children are in elementary school, will make setting the limits when they are older much easier, help establish healthy habits as a family along the way, and teach our students about the importance of relationships and face to face time.  We also want to make sure that as our children get older, we can begin handing them more and more responsibility.  If you just give them full reign now, you will not be able to put limits on later.  Children need our limits to not only thrive now, but also feel more responsibility as we give them more freedoms as they get older.  Finally, remember that children look to their parents as examples.   We have to behave as we want our children to behave.  

Like mentioned above, if you are looking for a great online source for setting family rules and expectations for screen time and online behavior, commonsensemedia.org, is a great resource. Enjoy using your screens responsibly to have fun and enhance your relationships, rather than allowing them to get in the way.  

Upcoming Events

Aug 21-Sept 15: PTO Bucks for Bobcats Fundraiser

Fri, Sept 8&9: Bobcat Family Campout

Fri, Sept 29: PTO Fall Festival

Oct 2-6: Book Faire

Thurs, Oct 5: 3:00-6:30 Book Faire Night

Thurs, Oct 5: 6:30 pm PTO meeting at the Community Center

Oct 9-13: October Break

Stay Bobcat Strong and Tular Proud

Go Bobcats!

Ryan Peterson

Proud Principal, Tularcitos Elementary School

Nurturing Hearts, Expanding Minds, Inspiring Actions, Broadening Horizons

Good Afternoon Bobcat Families,

Please read the information below regarding the Campout.

In this Communication

• Important Events
• Bobcat Family Campout
• No Screens Week
• PTO Bucks for Bobcats Update
• PTO Update

Repeat in this Communication

Upcoming events

Important Dates:

• Mon, Sept 4: No School for Labor Day
• Tues, Sept 5: Morning Mile Starts
• Fri, Sept 8: Minimum Day for Staff Professional Development. Students released after lunch at 12:30
• Fri, Sept 8: Bobcat Family Campout

Bobcat Family Campout

It is looking like we will have the insurance we need before our campout, so we are moving forward with planning on holding our campout on Sept 8 & 9.  This is an event designed for the whole family.  It will be held the night of Friday, Sept 8.  Registration is due Sept 6.  Spaces will be given on a first-come-first-served basis and are limited.   Please complete the online registration form below ASAP to reserve your spot.  We are asking a $25 donation for a camping spot, but if that is too much, feel free to give what you can.  Money will be collected when you check in on Sept 9.  You can also come for all of the festivities and not camp out that night.  Regular school rules apply for this event – no pets, wheels (bikes, skateboards, etc), knives, open flames, or alcohol.  All of the details were sent in the communication that went out on Thursday.  Please see that communication to sign up.

No Screens Week

It is time for what has historically become one of the most enjoyed weeks of Tular families each year… No Screens for Ice Cream Week… where you get a week without screens and more quality time with your family and your child gets ice cream for participating.   (A flier is attached and either came home today or will go home Tuesday with details and needs to be signed and returned next Friday if your child participates).  The challenge is simple: give up all screens—TV, computers, phones, iPads, etc.—for one week, and instead celebrate family time with board/card games, reading, cooking, puzzles, sports activities, and/or being free in the great outdoors. Be creative and we look forward to hearing about the positive experiences you are sure to have. 

Our hope is that this coming week of No Screens Week will help your family evaluate your screen use and talk about what tech use/screen time in your home will look like going forward for the whole family (yes, that means you too!).  

We have all been in plenty of places where we see entire families or groups of friends sitting together looking at their phones/tablets rather than interacting and two-year-olds begging for their parent’s cell phone.  And I am guessing that I am not the only parent who has stopped in my tracks in my own home when I suddenly realize that almost every family member is on their own device at the same time.  

There is a significant amount of research out there about the impacts of screen time on children as young as 6 months.  And it all points to the fact that, in order to prevent the harmful impacts and gain from the positives, we need to put boundaries on screen time for our kids and be strategic in what we allow them to do with the technology and that time.   And most of us know from experience, if we are not strategic about it, the technology will take over and keep us coming back for more (and that is what it is designed to do!)

As a school that has computers in every classroom and individual computers for each student starting in 3rd grade, this is something we have thoughtfully discussed over the years.  We see a lot of value in using technology strategically to enhance a child’s education, but we also want to make sure we use it in a limited fashion.  We want to make sure we are teaching our students to be creators with the technology, not consumers.  It is very important to us that the students not spend too much time on computers at school (or at home), and that screen time does not get in the way of people time.  

Next week I will be sending out more information about what to consider for technology guidelines with elementary students and some thoughtful articles for us as adults as well.   One resource I always send people to is https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ This website is one of the best resources on the internet for assisting parents with technology use.  I hope you enjoy no screens next week and the extra time you have as a family.

PTO Bucks for Bobcats

We have had a great start to our Bucks for Bobcats fundraiser this week raising over $12,000 so far with about 20% of our families participating.  Our goal is to raise $40,000 with 100% family participation. Remember every donation, no matter how big or small helps.  You can place checks in the lockbox just outside the front office, or visit www.bucksforbobcats.org to donate online. 

PTO Update

Thanks to everyone who came out to support the Monterey Bay FC Union Community of Schools Program last Saturday night. Tularcitos families bought a whopping 80 tickets and the Union had a thrilling 2-1 win. AWESOME!

Our first PTO meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 7 at 6:30 pm at the Carmel Valley Community Youth Center (CVCYC), or via Zoom. We have plenty of opportunities to help and committees are still forming. This is a great way to meet other parents and show your Bobcat Pride. 

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Morning Mile Starts Tuesday, Sept 5!

If you are new to Tular, Morning Mile is an event that is hosted every Tuesday and Thursday morning before school starts from 8:15am-8:30am. We will start Sept 5. This is a great event in which students are able to run by themselves or with their families on our hilly track that encompasses our field. I will be playing music, there will be dancing on the hill, and it is genuinely a fun party environment twice a week. The primary intention for Morning Mile is grounded in the research that activity prior to academic learning increases cognitive retention and classroom behavior. It is also a great opportunity to establish an activity-based habit with you and your students to help your scholar grow as a healthy individual. I am a big believer in extrinsic motivation at primary grades, so as you run or dance around the track, I will be passing out popsicle sticks. Students will be turning in these popsicle sticks for twinkle toes and/or charms at certain times in the year. Each member of your family will receive a popsicle stick when you circulate the track, so invite grandma, grandpa, uncle, aunt, that long-lost cousin that came to town for the week, as the more popsicle sticks you collect, the more twinkle toes your student will receive. 

Upcoming Events

Aug 21-Sept 15: PTO Bucks for Bobcats Fundraiser

Mon, Sept 4: No School for Labor Day

Tues, Sept 5: Morning Mile Starts

Sept 5-8: No Screens Week

Thurs, Sept 7 @ 6:30 pm: PTO Meeting at CV Community Center and via Zoom

Fri, Sept 8: Minimum Day. Students released after lunch at 12:30

Fri, Sept 8&9: Bobcat Family Campout

Fri, Sept 29: PTO Fall Festival

Stay Bobcat Strong and Tular Proud

Go Bobcats!

Ryan Peterson

Proud Principal, Tularcitos Elementary School

Nurturing Hearts, Expanding Minds, Inspiring Actions, Broadening Horizons

Good Afternoon Bobcat Families,

Please read the information below regarding the Campout.

In this Communication

• Important Events
• Update on Bobcat Family Campout Sept 8
• PTO Bucks for Bobcats
• Monterey FC Union Game Tomorrow
• Bobcat Spirit Wear
• Morning Mile Starts Sept 5

Repeat in this Communication

Upcoming events

Important Dates:

• Today, Fri Aug 25: Enrichment Signups go live at 5:00. The link is on the Tular website.  Be aware that, with everyone signing up at once, you may have to keep trying for a while.
• Aug 21-Sept 15: PTO Bucks for Bobcats – see below for details
• Sat, Aug 26: Monterey Bay Union Soccer Game
• Tues, Sept 5: Morning Mile Starts

Update on Bobcat Family Campout Sept 8

Unfortunately, there are new insurance requirements on school grounds for outside organizations that just went into effect and we are still working with our PTO insurance company to verify that we have the correct insurance for our PTO events involving students on campus this year (everyone is dealing with this).  If obtaining the additional insurance is going to take us a while, we may have to postpone our Campout to a future date.  However, for now, we are going to move forward with our plans and keep our fingers crossed.  As soon as I know what we need to do, I will send out a communication.  For now, see below for how you sign up for a spot, swimming and dinner (optional), and ways to help (we need help to make this happen).  

We will be holding our annual family campout on Friday, Sept 8 (changed from the 15th).   On that day anyone who wants to campout for the night comes back to Tular at 3:30, sets up a tent on our lawn in designated spaces, hangs out on campus or goes swimming at the pool.  Enjoy dinner (either purchased from the pool or bring your own), smores and movie at night, sleeps in their tents, and gets a pancake breakfast Saturday morning.  It is a fun night and another great way to hang out as a community.  For those of you who do not want to camp, but want to join the rest of the festivities, you can sign up to do that as well.  Remember: Because we are on campus, school rules apply and alcohol and personal stoves are not allowed.

Signup for dinner and/or swimming (it is a package deal)

https://www.cvcyc.org/event-details/tularcitos-family-camp-out-and-swim

Signup to help

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f4cacac23a3f58-2023#/

Sign up for a camping spot or to tell us you are coming for the evening but not staying the night.

https://forms.gle/scN9G1LPkrPDRosn9

PTO Bucks for Bobcats

We are kicking off our PTO Bucks for Bobcats fundraising campaign next week. You should receive a letter and envelope in your child's backpack next week explaining the program.  It's super simple. Between now and Sept 15 we ask for donations. A flat donation, big or small. We don't ask families to participate in any other fundraising activities, until our Spring Fling party in May. No caramel apples, wrapping paper or See's candy. Promise.  Bucks for Bobcats funds all the great things that PTO does for our school – Field Trips, Art Program, School Garden, Swim Lessons, Assemblies, School Supplies, Campus improvement, playground equipment, Classroom materials, and all the wonderful events the PTO puts on throughout the year.  On average we spend $181 per student.  Our goal is 100% participation, which means a donation made for every student at our school.  
 
 Donations can be made by check, cash or PayPal. There is a lock box in front of the office on the picnic table where you can place your donations. Or you can send it back to school to your child's teacher. You can also pay online at www.bucksforbobcats.org via PayPal. We understand that everyone is in different financial situations. All donations are kept private. For those who can donate extra, please consider doing so. For those who have businesses, family foundations, Grandparents, employers, neighbors - they can also donate! The Tularcitos PTO is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization, EIN 77-0010111, so your donation is tax-deductible. Thank you for making Tularcitos such an amazing community for our children!
 
 HAPPY BUCKS FOR BOBCATS!!
 Tularcitos PTO

Join fellow Bobcats at the Monterey Bay FC Union Game Tomorrow

It's not too late to get your Monterey Bay FC Union ticket to tomorrow night's game! Remember to wear your Spirit Wear and show our Bobcat Pride by cheering on our local professional soccer team, Monterey Bay FC Union. Our special link will be open until this evening (see attachment), but if you need a last-minute ticket tomorrow, please contact Senior Sales Executive Brady Bergeron directly at (831) 718-0336. Looking forward to seeing all of you at Cardinale Stadium to cheer on the Union! #defendthe831

Bobcat Spirit Wear

The Spirit Wear Committee will be meeting this Monday, August 28, after school pick-up (3:00 pm) in CV park near the picnic benches. All are welcome to join the committee to help consider new spirit wear designs, and help create a schedule for selling at The Barn. Please reach out to Committee Chair Kelsey Pearson (tularspiritwear@gmail.com) with any questions.  

Morning Mile Starts Tuesday, Sept 5!

If you are new to Tular, Morning Mile is an event that is hosted every Tuesday and Thursday morning before school starts from 8:15am-8:30am. We will start Sept 5. This is a great event in which students are able to run by themselves or with their families on our hilly track that encompasses our field. I will be playing music, there will be dancing on the hill, and it is genuinely a fun party environment twice a week. The primary intention for Morning Mile is grounded in the research that activity prior to academic learning increases cognitive retention and classroom behavior. It is also a great opportunity to establish an activity-based habit with you and your students to help your scholar grow as a healthy individual. I am a big believer in extrinsic motivation at primary grades, so as you run or dance around the track, I will be passing out popsicle sticks. Students will be turning in these popsicle sticks for twinkle toes and/or charms at certain times in the year. Each member of your family will receive a popsicle stick when you circulate the track, so invite grandma, grandpa, uncle, aunt, that long-lost cousin that came to town for the week, as the more popsicle sticks you collect, the more twinkle toes your student will receive. 

PTO Update

Fall Festival is fast approaching and our first committee meeting will be next Thursday, August 31, after school pick-up (3:00 pm) in Bobcat Hall. Committee Chair Gina Nucci-Hincks (gina.nucci@gmail.com) is back at the helm for this family-friendly event, so please join us to make it the best yet! Thank you to everyone who has already expressed interest to help plan this event. We look forward to seeing you there. Please contact Gina with any questions.

Repeat in this email:

Upcoming Events

Aug 21-Sept 15: PTO Bucks for Bobcats Fundraiser

Thurs, Aug 31: Picture Day

Mon, Sept 4: No School for Labor Day

Tues, Sept 5: Morning Mile Starts

Sept 5-8: No Screens Week

Thurs, Sept 7 @ 6:30 pm: PTO Meeting at CV Community Center and via Zoom

Fri, Sept 8: Minimum Day. Students released after lunch at 12:30

Fri, Sept 8: Bobcat Family Campout

Fri, Sept 29: PTO Fall Festival

Stay Bobcat Strong and Tular Proud

Go Bobcats!

Ryan Peterson

Proud Principal, Tularcitos Elementary School

Nurturing Hearts, Expanding Minds, Inspiring Actions, Broadening Horizons

Good Afternoon Bobcat Families,

I hope everyone has had a great first week of school.  It has been so much fun to see all of the smiling faces and reconnect with people as well as meet new families.  I know this message is long, but there is still al lot of information to get out to all of you.  They will get shorter.

Typically, this weekly update comes out at 4:00 on Fridays, but I wanted to get it out a little earlier to remind everyone of the PTO’s Welcome Back Pool Party today after school.   It is at the community center pool next to Tular.  Everyone is welcome.  You must supervise your own children as this is not a drop-off event.  The pool will be open to Kinder and TK at 2:00 and everyone else at 3:00.  

For Kinder families, class lists will go out this evening at 5:00.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

In this email

• Important Events
• 1st – 5th Grade Back to School Night
• Snack and Lunch
• Bobcat Family Campout Sept 8 (change of date)
• Swimming for 3rd-5th grade PE
• Morning Mile
• PTO Update
• First Emergency Drill
• Emergency Student Pick-Up Area

Upcoming events

Important Dates:

• Thurs, Aug 17 @ 6:00-8:00 Back to School Night.  Details below
• Fri, Aug 19: Minimum Day. Students released after lunch at 12:30
• Fri, Aug 26 after school: PTO Pool Party and Movie Night at CV Pool and Park

1st – 5th Grade Back to School Night 

We will be holding our 1st – 5th Grade Back to School Night on Thursday, Aug 17 (kinder and TK already had their night).  This is a very important night to meet your child’s teacher and see how you can partner with us to provide the best year possible for your child.  We look forward to seeing all of the parents (this is a parent only event) that night. Here is the schedule for the 17th.

• 6:00-6:45  1st and 2nd grade classroom presentations
• 6:50-7:10  Principal and PTO Welcome in Bobcat Hall
• 7:15-8:00  3rd-5th grade classroom presentations

Snack and Lunch

As a reminder, snack and lunch are free this year to anyone who wants it.  You can find the menu on our website or on the front office window.   Students can have just the snack, just lunch, or both.  Whatever they chose.  So you are aware, at the start of the year snack and lunch take a little longer to distribute because students have to put in their lunch code each time.  This gets better quickly and we always allow students extra time to eat if they are at the back of the line and get their snack or lunch a little late.  By next week the timing will work itself out.  If your child ever feels like they didn’t have enough time to eat, remind them that they just need to ask the yard duty or their teacher for more time.

Bobcat Family Campout Sept 8

We will be holding our annual family campout on Friday, Sept 8 (changed from the 15th).   On that day anyone who wants to campout for the night comes back to Tular at 3:30, sets up a tent on our lawn in designated spaces, hangs out on campus or goes swimming at the pool.  Enjoy dinner (either purchased from the pool or bring your own), smores and movie at night, sleeps in their tents, and gets a pancake breakfast Saturday morning.  It is a fun night and another great way to hang out as a community.  More details and signup will be coming as well as how you can help out, but mark it on your calendars now.  

Swimming

The third, fourth, and fifth grade classes will be starting their swim unit the week of Aug 21. Please make sure they remember their swim suit, towel, goggles, and hair ties. We do not have any loaners at the beginning of the year, so if they forget their suit, they will be doing dryland exercises. If your student is a competent swimmer, they will be working with Ms. Di perfecting their strokes. If your student is an emerging swimmer, or if they are scared of the water, I get in the water with those groups of students and we focus primarily on water safety. It is truly a great time and though students get nervous that first week, please reassure them that we respect their boundaries and will work at their pace. 

Morning Mile

If you are new to Tular, Morning Mile is an event that is hosted every Tuesday and Thursday morning before school starts from 8:15am-8:30am. We will start in a few weeks once kids are settled into the swing of school! This is a great event in which students are able to run by themselves or with their families on our hilly track that encompasses our field. I will be playing music, there will be dancing on the hill, and it is genuinely a fun party environment twice a week. The primary intention for Morning Mile is grounded in the research that activity prior to academic learning increases cognitive retention and classroom behavior. It is also a great opportunity to establish an activity-based habit with you and your students to help your scholar grow as a healthy individual. I am a big believer in extrinsic motivation at primary grades, so as you run or dance around the track, I will be passing out popsicle sticks. Students will be turning in these popsicle sticks for twinkle toes and/or charms at certain times in the year. Each member of your family will receive a popsicle stick when you circulate the track, so invite grandma, grandpa, uncle, aunt, that long-lost cousin that came to town for the week, as the more popsicle sticks you collect, the more twinkle toes your student will receive. 

PTO Update

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Meet & Greet on Wednesday morning! There was a lot of enthusiasm and positive energy surrounding our scheduled events and committees, and we can't wait to work with all of you to make this a memorable year. To those of you who signed our interest forms, the specific committee or event chair will be in touch with you shortly. In the meantime, please reference our 2023-2024 PTO Activities Calendar (attached to this message) to save the dates of upcoming events. If you missed the Meet & Greet, we will have additional sign-ups at next week's Back-to-School Night. We will also be selling Spirit Wear prior to the start of the event. Look for us at The Barn, near the entrance to the front office. 

First Emergency Drill

Today we did our first emergency fire drill.  This is also a good reminder to parents to make sure your entire family knows what to do at home in case of an emergency.  Here is a link to the Monterey County Office of Emergency website where you can get information for what to do as a family:

https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/administrative-office/office-of-emergency-services

Emergency Student Pickup Area

Every month we practice some sort of emergency drill (earthquake, fire, hostile intruder) so our staff and students know what to do in an emergency, and in October we do a full-scale drill with emergency personnel where we practice search and rescue and student release. More information will be coming about that drill when we get to October. I also know that the mention of a hostile intruder drill brings up a lot of emotions. For this drill we do it in a very age-appropriate way and more information will be coming home to parents before we do that type of drill so you know what to expect.  

In a real emergency one of the biggest components is safely returning the students to you.  This is something we will practice in the coming months when we do a full scale emergency drill, but I wanted to take the time now to inform all of our families what you would do to pick up your child at Tular if there was ever a big emergency.  In every emergency training I have attended, the trainers emphasize the point that student release is the most complicated, emotional, and potentially volatile part of an emergency.  Parents come in, rightfully so, very concerned about the safety of their child, and at times can become impatient and hostile to the people trying to release students safely to their parents.  Our biggest concern in student release after an emergency is to safely return students to the right person.  In an emergency we all must work together, so the most important thing to remember in an emergency is to stay calm and know that we have a process in place to safely release your child to you.   However, with over 433 students, this process will take time so patience, staying calm, and helping each other is extremely important.  

To pick up your child safely in an emergency you would go to the following locations:

1. In an emergency where students cannot be in the classrooms, parents will be directed to check out their children from the gate along Pilot Rd near our garden.
2. In an emergency where students are in the classrooms, parents will be directed to check out their children from Bobcat Hall.

In any emergency, we will have staff and signs out directing parents where to go.  Again, the most important thing is to know that we have a process in place to safely return your students, and we need everyone to work together to stay calm so we can safely return students to their parents.  

If you have any questions about emergency preparedness, please feel free to give me a call.  Here is also a link to our district’s emergency website: https://www.carmelunified.org/domain/29

Upcoming Events

Thurs, Aug 17 @ 6:00-8:00 Back to School Night

Fri, Aug 18: Minimum Day. Students are released after lunch at 12:30

Mon, Aug 21: Swimming starts for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade PE

Aug 21: PTO Bucks for Bobcats Fundraiser starts

Thurs, Aug 31: Picture Day

Mon, Sept 4: No School for Labor Day

Wed, Sept 7 @ 6:30 pm: PTO Meeting at CV Community Center and via Zoom

Fri, Sept 8: Minimum Day. Students are released after lunch at 12:30

Fri, Sept 8: Bobcat Family Campout

Stay Bobcat Strong and Tular Proud

Go Bobcats!

Ryan Peterson

Proud Principal, Tularcitos Elementary School

Nurturing Hearts, Expanding Minds, Inspiring Actions, Broadening Horizons