Our Dolphins earned our THIRD school wide prize this past week and we celebrated with music at lunch and popsicles at dismissal! We are closing in on the next school-wide goal of $50,000 for a school-wide pajama day. If we hit our $60k goal, we will celebrate with an extra recess for everyone with field games.

We are extending our fundraiser thru tomorrow, Monday the 27th, at 11:59p.m. for all online donations and close of business for all cash/check donations. The highest earning class at each grade level will earn lunch with Dr. Smith-Johnson.

Veterans Day is Tuesday, November 11th (a non-student day). Additionally, we have Monday, November 10th as a non-student day. Therefore, we will hold our annual Veterans Day Assembly next Friday, November 7th at 9:30a.m. If you or anyone in your family is a Veteran, we would love to honor them at our assembly this week. Peterson students have been hard at work learning songs for this special occasion as well. We encourage all students and attendees to wear red, white, and blue and to join together in honoring those who have served.

A big 'thank you' to all of our families who joined us for Parent-Teacher conferences last week. We truly appreciate you taking the time to partner with us in supporting your child's learning. Your involvement makes a significant difference in fostering a strong home-to-school connection that helps our students thrive.

Another 'thank you' to the Municipal Water District of Orange County for sponsoring our 'Waterology' assembly this past Friday. Our TK, Kinder, 1st and 2nd graders learned students learned about the water cycle including conservation issues and drought concerns specific to California as well as the many ways we can all conserve water and be 'water-smart' every day. Again, a big thank you to MWDOC for their sponsorship.

I would like to especially thank the following Peterson families and businesses for their partnership & sponsorships as follows:

Ms. Krong's class, sponsored by all class families

Ms. Gray's class, sponsored by Heather Hall of Luminous Beauty

Ms. Gray's class, sponsored by Zach Catanese of Heffernan Insurance Brokers

Ms. Serafano's class, sponsored by Long Dinh & Vivien Nguyen

Ms. Bakx's class, sponsored by Maegan Romanello & Richard Rule

Ms. Mendoza's class, sponsored by Elijah Goble

Ms. Flory's class, sponsored by Zach Catanese of Heffernan Insurance Brokers

If you, or your business, is interested in sponsoring your child's classroom, please contact Ms. Renae Ciulei in the front office. We sincerely appreciate those who have already sponsored classes on campus!

Please note the following updates regarding events that are happening at Peterson and throughout HBCSD this week. As always, we thank the entire Peterson community for your ongoing support.

With Dolphin Pride,

Dr. Smith-Johnson

Principal

The Peterson Elementary School Site Council (SSC) is a representative group of parents, teachers, staff, and the principal who work together to develop, review, and approve the school’s goals, plans, and budgets to improve student achievement. The SSC helps oversee the use of state and federal funds, such as Title I, ensuring that resources are aligned with the school’s priorities and the needs of all students.

The council also monitors the implementation and effectiveness of the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) and serves as a key advisory body that promotes collaboration and shared decision-making within the school community.

Peterson's School Site Council currently has two open seats under the 'Parent/Community Member' category. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please email Dr. Smith-Johnson directly at KSmith-Johnson@hbcsd.us. This committee consists of three - four meetings via Zoom of approximately 1-hour each.

At Peterson, our Dolphins S.U.R.F. We are Safe, United, Responsible and Focused. So far this year, our 1st graders are leading the way with 16,730 points earned, followed by our 4th grade class at 13,940 points and our Kinders have earned 11,653 points.

Kinder: Chayanne C. with 315 points

1st Grade: Cassian A. with 358 points

2nd Grade: Vincent C. with 128 points

3rd Grade: Siena A. with 98 points

4th Grade: Jeremiah B. with 291 points

5th Grade: Jacob A. with 151 points

Consistent attendance is a key ingredient in student success. Research shows that students who attend school regularly—starting as early as preschool—are more likely to achieve academically and develop lifelong skills. In contrast, chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more of the school year, about 18 days) can hinder progress. Chronically absent students often struggle to read proficiently by third grade, face challenges in middle school, and are at greater risk of not graduating high school.

Last school year, our school-wide chronic absenteeism rate was 8.48%. While we made great progress last year, improving from our 2023 rate of 12.9%, our goal this year is 5.0% or less, which would return us to pre-pandemic attendance levels. Attendance is reported on the California Dashboard, and high chronic absenteeism rates can affect our school’s eligibility for awards.

We track attendance monthly and work closely with families to support improvement when needed. In next week's newsletter we will announce our current standings once the month of October closes. The highest attendance rate classroom in our lower grades and our upper grades will earn a popsicle party! Additionally, students earn an 'Attendance Brag-Tag' for each month in which they have earned perfect attendance. Perfect Attendance means no late-arrivals and no early-releases.

If your child is sick, please keep them home to rest and ensure they are fever-, vomit-, and diarrhea-free for 24 hours before returning. Otherwise, please help us by ensuring your child attends school every day they are well enough to do so. Schedule family trips and appointments outside of school hours whenever possible.

Thank you for supporting strong attendance for all students—because every day counts!

The English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) consists of parents, staff, and community members who advise the principal and school staff on programs and services for English Learners. The committee helps review and provide input on the school’s English Learner program, language development strategies, and how Title I and other funds are used to support these students. ELAC also promotes communication between English learner families and the school, encourages parent involvement, and ensures that the needs and voices of English Learner students and their families are represented in the school’s decision-making process. We are seeking up to five parents of English learners to serve on this committee that meets three times per year. If you are interested in serving personally or you would like to nominate somebody, please email Dr. Smith-Johnson at KSmith-johnson@hbcsd.us

Per the county ordinance, Board policy and CA Ed Code, dogs are not permitted on school campuses. Although we love our furry friends, we ask that you do not bring your dog on campus during drop off and dismissal. All dogs must remain in your car or out along the Farnsworth sidewalk. We want to ensure that all are safe during an already chaotic time of the day.

Thank you for your help with this!

School breakfast and lunch will be offered free of charge throughout the 2025-2026 school year.

Please refer to the HBCSD Food & Nutrition Services website for more information.

At Peterson, we pride ourselves on our strong sense of community and we love campus and classroom volunteers!

Parent & community volunteers are welcome to support our various classroom activities with proof of a negative TB test, Raptor clearance, and a signed Peterson Volunteer Agreement. All campus visitors must enter and exit through the main office.

Please contact the Peterson office with any questions regarding this requirement or to check the date/status of TB results you may have on file from last year.

Garden Days & Themes: Snacks and crafts provided, 10am - 1pm 

11/9/25 - Giving Thanks to the Garden:  Give your time or Donate from the  Garden's Amazon list 

12/14/25 -  Winter Solstice at the Garden 

1/11/26 - New Year, New Garden: Plan for Spring Planting 

2/8/25 - Love Our Garden Day - Flower Seed Bombs and  Seed  Valentines 

3/15/25 - Spring Planting at the Garden 

4/12/25 - Flower Harvest Garden Day Gather flowers to press 

4/22/25 - Earth Day: Dinner Social  

5/3/25 - Celebrating Moms’ Garden Day:bookmarks for mom from pressed flowers 

6/7/25 - Annual Peterson Garden Party

11/04 A.S.B. Election Day

11/06 Peterson S.S.C. Meeting No. 1 - 3:30p.m.

11/04 Makeup Fall Picture Day

11/06 PTA Association Meeting 9:00a.m. - Learning Commons

11/07 Veterans' Day Assembly 9:30a.m.

11/9 - Giving Thanks to the Garden:  Give your time or Donate from the Garden's Amazon wishlist! 10:00-1:00p.m.

12/14 -  Winter Solstice at the Garden. 10:00-1:00p.m.

As a reminder, if you plan on participating / volunteering in any of our special activities in our classrooms or on campus, please be sure you have the appropriate documentation on file with the front office. If you are unsure of your volunteer status, please simply call the office and we can verify what you have on file or we can tell you what we are missing.