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March 17, 2025

Principal's Message

 

Hello McGaugh Families,

March brings us to the end of our third quarter and the opportunity for you to meet with your child’s teacher regarding their academic progress.  This parent-teacher conference is a chance to discuss your child's progress thus far in the year.  You will also receive a progress report and learn about your child's goals through the remainder of the second semester.  IF YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED UP FOR A CONFERENCE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO YOUR CLASSROOM TEACHER. Parent/teacher conferences will be held on March 17th, 18th, 20th, 21st, 24th. During parent/teacher conferences, we are on a MINIMUM DAY dismissal. All students attend school from 7:55 am - 12:30 pm. Wednesday, March 19th is a regular modified Wednesday, with a dismissal of 1:20 pm. School will be back to the regular schedule, for all students, on Tuesday, March 25th. I look forward to seeing you as you visit our school campus during conference week!

NEURODIVERSITY WEEK:

Our Sea Lions had an incredible week of learning, growing, and making meaningful connections! Neurodiversity Week is a time dedicated to celebrating and understanding the unique ways our brains work. It encourages us to recognize and appreciate the diverse strengths and perspectives of individuals with neurological differences, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive variations. Through engaging activities, our students gained a deeper understanding of inclusion, acceptance, and the power of embracing differences.

We were especially honored to welcome back Mr. Poppen, who visited our school to share his powerful message of COMPASSION, ACCEPTANCE, and LOVE. If you are interested in purchasing one of Mr. Poppen’s books, please return the FORM to our office by WEDNESDAY. He will personally sign and deliver each book to students in their classrooms.

A standout moment of the week was McGaugh’s annual “Come Walk in My Shoes” program. This hands-on experience has been a cherished tradition since 1997 and has since inspired schools across the nation. It allows students and teachers to step into the world of individuals who navigate daily life with physical or developmental challenges. The program fosters empathy, inclusion, and awareness, encouraging our students to embrace differences and expand their comfort zones.

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible PTA and parent community! Your generous donations and participation in fundraising efforts made these valuable experiences possible for our students. Together, we are shaping a school culture rooted in kindness, understanding, and respect.

 

 

   

 

LOCKDOWN DRILL- TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2025:

We understand the importance of frequent and varied emergency drills to better prepare our staff and students should an actual emergency occur.  One area we are looking to improve on is the timely communication and updates during an emergency.  Utilizing Parent Square, we are going to test our communication systems with both staff and our parent community.  On March 18, 2025, at 10:20 AM, we will be doing a lockdown drill for a non-violent issue (i.e. swarm of bees, gas leak, wild animal on campus).  During the lockdown, I will be sending a message via Parent Square to our staff and one to our parents as part of the drill.  The purpose is to ensure that all staff members and all McGaugh parents have an active number to receive text messages during an emergency.

An easy way to check if you are set to receive alerts is to log-in to your Parent Square on your computer.  In the upper right-hand corner, click your name and select "My Account".  On the left side, select "Edit Contact Info."  Be sure you enter a current cell phone number if you have not done so.
 
Then, select "Notification Settings."  Be sure that the "Urgent Alerts and Notices" at the top of the page is Toggled to ON.

On Tuesday, I will be sending a test text notifying everyone of the drill.  If you receive the text by 10:30 am...there is nothing else you need to do.  If you don't, double-check the settings in Parent Square using the steps above.  If that still does not work, then please call the front office for further assistance.

Thank you so much for partnering with us to ensure timely communication in case of emergencies.

UPCOMING REMINDERS AND EVENTS YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS:

• 3/17-24 – Parent Conferences 12:30 p.m. dismissal (1:20 p.m. dismissal on 3/19)
• 3/18 – Lockdown Drill
• 3/21 – Project SEEK Auction Wrapping Party
• 3/28 – Project SEEK "The Event"
• 3/28 – Start with Hello Day
• 4/2 – College Day
• 4/3 – PTA Meeting
• 4/3 – 4th Grade Sacramento Parent Night
• 4/8 – Project SEEK Meeting
• 4/7-4/11 – Week of the Military Child
• 4/8 – 4th Grade Music Performance

Ms. Wendy Wood, M.Ed. ​
McGaugh Elementary School Principal
wwood@losal.org
(562) 799-4560