The Dolphin Splash vol. 2

Dear Peterson Families,

The countdown is officially on! We are just days away from welcoming our Dolphins back to campus and beginning an exciting new school year together. I hope your family is looking forward to the first day as much as we are!

As we begin the 2026–2027 school year, I am excited to introduce our schoolwide theme:

ONE POD, WAVES OF POSSIBILITIES

Learn • Lead • Inspire

A pod of dolphins is strongest when they move together—supporting one another, communicating, and working toward a shared direction. That is the kind of community I hope we continue to build at Peterson this year: one pod made up of students, staff, families, and community members, each bringing something unique and important to our school.

And within our pod, there are endless waves of possibilities for our Dolphins. Every new lesson is an opportunity to learn. Every choice to step forward, help someone else, or take responsibility is an opportunity to lead. And every act of kindness, creativity, perseverance, and courage has the power to inspire others.

As your new principal, I am incredibly excited to experience my first school year as a Peterson Dolphin alongside all of you. Over these first few weeks, my priority will be getting to know our students, staff, families, traditions, and all of the things that make Peterson such a special place. I look forward to being out at arrival and dismissal, visiting classrooms, talking with students, and connecting with families as we begin our year together.

Thank you in advance for your patience, cooperation, and extra kindness during these first few days as everyone settles into our routines. A smooth and safe arrival and dismissal depends on our entire pod working together!

I cannot wait to see our campus filled with Dolphins again and to officially begin this new chapter with all of you.

Here’s to a year of learning, leading, inspiring, and discovering all of the possibilities ahead.

One Pod. Waves of Possibilities.

With Dolphin Pride,

Ms. Angeles

Principal

Our first day of school is Tuesday, September 1!

Please remember that both Tuesday, September 1 and Friday, September 4 are planning days with early dismissal:

We know the first day brings a lot of excitement (and sometimes a few butterflies!) for students and families alike. Parents and guardians are welcome to join us on campus that morning as we kick off our new school year.

Please remember that students gather with their classes on the blacktop, so keep that in mind when selecting those special first-day-of-school outfits.

Keeping our Dolphins safe during arrival and dismissal takes all of us working together. Please carefully review our arrival and dismissal information so that everyone knows where to go and what to expect.

For the first two days of school, parents and guardians may walk their children onto campus.

Beginning Thursday, September 3, students will enter and dismiss through their assigned gates.

Students arriving after 8:45 a.m. will need to enter through the front office and obtain a tardy pass.

For families using our vehicle drop-off and pick-up lane, please remember that traffic enters through the main parking lot entrance off Farnsworth & Reilly Drive.

Please pull forward as far as possible, follow the directions of staff and volunteers, and only load or unload students within the designated yellow-cone area along Gates 5 and 7.

The right lane is for immediate loading and unloading, while the left lane is for through traffic.

When exiting the Peterson parking lot during school hours, please turn right only.

Planning and minimum days can be especially busy because our dismissal times are staggered. Please do not enter the loading lane before your child’s scheduled dismissal time.

Students who have not been picked up within ten minutes of their dismissal bell will be brought to the office, where a parent or guardian will need to sign them out.

Peterson’s 2026-2027 Bell Schedule is attached to the end of this post in addition to being available on our school’s website.

In order to maximize student learning and avoid classroom interruptions, please be sure that your child arrives on time. Students who arrive after 8:45a.m. enter through the front office to obtain a tardy pass prior to entering their classroom.

Strong communication between school and home is an important part of our partnership, and I want to make sure our Peterson families know where to find the most current information throughout the school year.

ParentSquare will be our primary communication platform for schoolwide messages, reminders, and important updates. Please take a moment to make sure the email address and contact information listed in your Aeries Parent Portal are accurate and up to date. I also encourage families to download the ParentSquare app and enable push notifications so you don’t miss important information from Peterson.

Each Sunday at approximately around 5:00 p.m., families can expect to receive our weekly principal newsletter, The Dolphin Splash, with important information, upcoming dates, reminders, and a look at what is happening around campus. You will also receive regular communication from your child’s teacher with classroom and grade-level updates.

Our Peterson PTA will also share information through ParentSquare regarding PTA-sponsored events, activities, and opportunities for families to get involved.

I know how quickly emails and notifications can add up, so my goal is to keep our schoolwide communication consistent, helpful, and easy to follow. Please make it a habit to check ParentSquare and The Dolphin Splash each week so you can stay connected to all that is happening within our Peterson pod! 🐬

One of the things that makes Peterson so special is the strong partnership between our school, families, and community. We truly value our volunteers and appreciate the time, energy, and support you give to our students, teachers, and school!

There will be many opportunities throughout the year for parents, guardians, and community members to support our classrooms and campus. After all, being One Pod means working together—and we are excited to have our families be an active part of the Peterson community.

To volunteer on campus, all volunteers must have the following completed and on file:

For the safety of our students and staff, all visitors and volunteers must check in and out through the main office each time they are on campus.

If you volunteered last year and are unsure whether your TB clearance is still current, or if you have any questions about the volunteer requirements, please contact our Peterson office. Our office team will be happy to help you confirm what is already on file and what, if anything, you need to complete for this school year.

We are grateful for our volunteers and look forward to having you be part of our pod this year! 🐬

Important Information from Our Health Clerk:

If your student requires medication while on campus, we must have their prescription(s) with their doctor's orders on file in the Health office. Please drop off any medications with the appropriate paperwork anytime during regular office hours between 8:30-3:30 daily.

Hello Families,

Welcome back!  For those of you who are new to our school, my name is Mei Pauw, and I am excited to be starting my fourth year as Peterson's School Counselor.  Similar to previous years, I will be going into classrooms during the school year to teach social-emotional lessons on various topics to your student(s).  Please reach out if you have any questions at mpauw@hbcsd.us  I look forward to an amazing year with our Dolphins!

Our Peterson PTA has been busy preparing for a wonderful year ahead! Be on the lookout for a PTA packet coming home with your child on the first day of school. It includes important information about upcoming events, activities, and ways for families to get involved at Peterson.

IMPORTANT: Included in the packet is the PTA Parent’s Approval, Student, Family, and Participant Waiver. This form must be signed by a parent/guardian and returned to school. Please keep an eye out for it among all those first-day papers!

Our first PTA Association Meeting will also be held on Tuesday, September 1 at 9:00 a.m. in the Learning Commons. We would love to have you join us, learn more about PTA, and hear about what is planned for the year ahead.

Thank you to our PTA and all of our families for helping make Peterson such a wonderful place for our Dolphins! 🐬