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June 1, 2026

Principal's Message

Principal's Message
 
 Dear Sea Lion Families, 
As we embark on our summer adventures, I am filled with gratitude for the incredible community of students, parents, and staff that I have the privilege to lead. This past year has been nothing short of amazing! I am immensely proud of the achievements and milestones reached by our Sea Lions, and none of this would have been possible without your unwavering support and dedication.

Reflecting on the past school year, we have had so many great memories and exciting events to look back on. We continued many successful traditions such as our PTA family fun night, with an International flair, book fair, Jog-a-Thon, Month of the Military Child, Teacher Appreciation Week, ice cream social, carnival, and many more heartfelt memories. A heartfelt thank you to our incredible PTA for being the driving force behind many of these cherished opportunities.

Through the volunteer efforts of Project SEEK, and our generous parent community, we've continued to provide enriching experiences for our Sea Lions. From weekly art instruction to hands-on STEM sessions and bi-weekly book checkouts in our Media Center, we've strived to offer diverse learning opportunities tailored to our students' needs. Our 43rd Annual Pageant of the Arts once again showcased the incredible artistic talents of our students, thanks to the dedication of Project SEEK and our passionate teachers.

We continued to strengthen our instructional focus on Social-Emotional Learning through Morning Meetings and our implementation of RULER. Looking ahead to next year, we are excited to host a Parent Education RULER Night and begin Year 2 of implementation, including the incorporation of restorative circles to strengthen peer interactions, build empathy, and support positive student relationships. 

Our year ended with celebrating student achievement and outstanding citizenship at our regularly scheduled Sea Lion Awards assembly where grade levels came together and cheered each other on! We are very proud of all of our Sea Lions and their successes.

Looking ahead, we remain committed to our pursuit of excellence. In the coming year, we will continue to prioritize strong academic instruction as we pilot a new mathematics curriculum during the 2026–2027 school year, with full implementation planned for 2027–2028. 

We will also continue our goal in the area of attendance, for school improvement. It has been proven that students who arrive at school on time and are present everyday perform at a higher level. We have seen a decrease in chronic absenteeism this school year, but we are striving to continue to progress going forward. We are looking to you as parents and partners in your child’s education to help us in this endeavor.

A special thanks to you, the parents who have contributed in ways small, large, and unimaginable! Thank you for the partnership between home and school. We appreciate all that you do each and every day for our school and our children!

As we look back on what made this year so special, we also want to take a moment to share a heartfelt farewell to our wonderful Assistant Principal, Mr. Larson, who will not be returning next school year. We are immensely grateful for his leadership, dedication, and the positive impact he has made on our Sea Lions. Please join me in wishing him the absolute best in his next chapter! 

As we bid farewell to another remarkable school year, let's cherish the memories we’ve created together. We’ve learned much and shared experiences that will remain in our hearts for years to come. The passion and strength within our community makes our school truly a special place for our children. Thank you, wonderful parents, for a beautiful school year. I could not be prouder than to be part of such an outstanding school community. Have a safe and fun filled summer! We will see you back on August 13th. 

CONGRATULATIONS:

On Wednesday, we had the joy of celebrating our PTA HSA Award winners for the 2025–2026 school year. These deserving award recipients were recognized for their countless contributions to our school community through PTA-sponsored activities, fundraisers, family events, and so much more.

McGaugh is a special place because of the incredible dedication, generosity, and hard work of our parent volunteers. Simply put, we could not do what we do without them. To all of our PTA volunteers, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the time, care, and energy you pour into making McGaugh such an amazing place for our students and families.

 
MOVING? PLANS CHANGED? NOTIFY THE OFFICE ASAP:
As we begin planning for the upcoming school year, we kindly ask families to notify the school office as soon as possible if there are any changes to your enrollment status, including plans to move or transfer to another school.

Accurate enrollment information is essential for staffing, class placement, and ensuring we are able to best support all students. Early communication allows us to plan thoughtfully and make any necessary adjustments to minimize disruption for students and classrooms.

If your family’s plans have changed, please contact the school office right away. We appreciate your partnership in helping us maintain accurate records and support a smooth transition for all students.

WE CARE EARTHQUAKE KIT DONATION DRIVE:
Help us support families in need by donating your old, prepackaged earthquake kits during our “We Care” Emergency Earthquake Kit Donation Drive!

Dates: Monday, June 1st – Thursday, June 4th

Drop-off Locations: Look for the black “We Care” cans near the Front Office, and Kids Korner Gate.
Together, we can make a difference, one kit at a time!
 

MEDICATION PICK-UP:
As we approach the end of the school year, we kindly ask families to please pick up any student medications that are currently stored with the school nurse in the office. Medications must be collected no later than 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 4th. Medication must be picked up by parents/guardians only, it can not be sent home with students. 

Any medications that are not picked before the school office closes on June 17th, will be disposed of in accordance with school health procedures. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

REPORT CARDS:
The Los Alamitos Unified School District issues report cards at the conclusion of each semester for all students.  Semester II Report Cards will be available for parents to download on Friday, June 5th. Below are live links to PDF and video tutorials. 

To access your student’s report card simply log into the District’s Illuminate Home Connection portal. When logging into the portal, parents/guardians will use their student’s @golosal.net account information and click on the RED "Sign in with Google" button.

•    For detailed instructions on accessing your student’s report card please use the PDF GUIDE or watch the VIDEO TUTORIAL.

•    If you need assistance locating your student’s @golosal.net account information, please use the PDF GUIDE or watch the VIDEO TUTORIAL guiding you through Aeries to locate the necessary information.

To better understand how to interpret your student's report, please use the parent guides below:  
•    Transitional Kindergarten Report Card Parent Guide
•    Kindergarten - 3rd Grade Report Card Parent Guide
•    4th and 5th Grade Report Card Parent Guide

Should you encounter any issues with logging into Illuminate or downloading a Report Card, please contact the Technology Help Desk at (562) 799-4780 ext. 80445 or via email at technologyhelpdesk@losal.org.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUPPLIES:
 
ORDER YOUR SUPPLIES NOW!! The deadline to order supplies is July 1st!! Click the link to order:
👉 Order Here: https://1stdayschoolsupplies.com/gs/10606

UPCOMING REMINDERS AND EVENTS YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS:
•    6/1-6/4 – We Care Emergency Food Kit Donation Drive
•    6/1 – Los Alamitos High School Seniors Visit 
•    6/2 – PTA Meeting in Kids Korner
•    6/3 – Open House Good-Bye for Mr. Larson
•    6/4 – Last day of the 2025-2026 school year
•    6/4 – Dining for McGaugh Calypso Juice
•    6/5 – Report cards viewable on Illuminate

Ms. Wendy Wood, M.Ed. ​

McGaugh Elementary School Principal
wwood@losal.org
(562) 799-4560