Happy Chinese New Year!

We have a fun-filled week of kindness in store for students this week! Please see the information below regarding "The Great Kindness Challenge!" Tomorrow, we kick off our week with a Salute to Veterans. Students are encouraged to wear camouflage, and we will write letters to Veterans during lunch. The notes will be sent to (www.honorflightsandiego.org), or if a student knows a Veteran in their family, they will be encouraged to send one to them. Each day is a new kindness message, dress-up day, and lunchtime activity so please review the schedule with your child.

Additionally, we are excited to kick off our American Heart Association Fundraiser next month at the Flag Salute on Friday. Our very own 4th-grader, Logan Dudley, is the AHA Student Ambassador for the whole county! We have several students with "special hearts" at SEES, and next month we will rally around them and support the research. Please look for more information coming home through our PE program.

SEES is participating in https://thegreatkindnesschallenge.com/, a worldwide effort to promote kindness in our schools and prevent bullying, harassment, etc. Our Student Council and counseling teams met and designed a week of kindness and gratitude activities, dress-up days, and video messages for students. With the Great Kindness Challenge and our Social Emotional Learning Focus (Second Step Lessons) on kindness and empathy this month, we are working toward our vision that everyone at SEES feels that they belong to our community, feel safe, and work together productively. Please see the attached picture for all the activities starting next week (January 23).

All parents are invited to eat lunch on campus during their child’s scheduled lunch on Wednesday, February 1. If you plan on attending, please complete the RSVP Form by January 31 at 12 pm, which will expedite the security check-in process.

Please bring a photo ID to check-in.

Plan to come early for parking and to grab a spot on the lawn. No food will be sold for adults/guests. In the event of rain, Lunch on the Lawn will be canceled. If you have any questions, please call the SEES office at 760-290-2600.

Lunch on the Lawn Schedule:
K-1st 11:00 to 11:45
2nd-3rd 11:30-12:15
TK PM 11:00-11:45
TK AM 11-11:45
4th 12-12:45
5th 12:30-1:15

It's Time! The Local Control Accountability Plan, or LCAP, survey provides SMUSD parents/guardians, staff, students, and community members the opportunity to share feedback on our programs and services. Your input is crucial in developing the goals, actions, and budget priorities for our district.

Please take a few minutes to complete this important survey. All responses will remain anonymous. The survey will close on February 12, 2023. Click here to take the LCAP survey

We are all about starting new traditions here at SEES and providing opportunities to bring our community together. We have a small team in place to start planning our very first multi-cultural event to be held in March. We would love to have more families that are interested join in the planning. Please fill out this Google Form if you would like to represent your culture/country and help with the planning of this fun event. If you have questions please contact mara.mcleod@smusd.org

The San Diego Sockers (professional indoor soccer team) is offering discounted tickets to all SEES Families for their games on January 29 and February 3. The team will also donate money back to our SEES PTO based on how many attended! Please use the links below if you are interested in participating. We'd love to see you out there!

Jan. 29th: https://san-elijo-fundraising-night-1-29.cheddarup.com

Feb. 3rd: https://san-elijo-school-fundraising-night-2-3.cheddarup.com

We are excited to share that all California students now have access to BrainFuse free through the public library website listed below. BrainFuse is a product very similar to Paper. They offer online tutoring, writing assistance, and more.

https://www.brainfuse.com/highed/helpNow.asp?a_id=CB8A57CC&ss=&r=

Let's Face It. Together. is a mental health awareness campaign supported by the San Marcos Unified School District and the City of San Marcos. The campaign aims to help youth and teens get support from the District to address mental health challenges.

Learn more about the program and accessing resources at smusd.org/mentalhealth

Inspire Diagnostics, the onsite COVID testing provider for SMUSD, has closed the COVID-19 testing center at the District Office due to a decline in the demand for PCR testing. State and local health agencies recommend the use of over-the-counter (OTC) tests as the primary testing option in K-12 settings. Should you need any at-home test kits, please contact the school health office.

Updated information on COVID-19 testing can be found on our website.

It's almost time for our SEES Family Dance Party! Get yourself dressed to the nines and invite your special "Plus One" out for a night of music, dancing, treats, and FUN! Admission is FREE, but tickets for activities, snacks, and souvenirs go on Sale on February 3rd. We can't wait to see you there for a "Starry Night - Neon Bright" extravaganza!

• January 23-27- Great Kindness Spirit/Dress Up Week

Tuesday, 1/24- Dress like a staff member

Wednesday, 1/25- Work out attire/activewear

Thursday, 1/26- Wear Black, white, and/or yellow (like a Bee)

Friday, 1/27- Wear Red (American Heart Association Kick Off)

• January 27- Flag Salute/Awards and American Heart Association Fundraiser Kickoff/Sockers Visit

• February 1- Lunch on the Lawn

• February 6- PTO Meeting

• February 10- Semester 1 Report Cards on ParentVUE

• February 11- SEES Family Dance Night

• February 13- Dineout at Jersey Mike’s and Menchies

• February 17 and 20- No School for President’s Weekend

• February 24- Flag Salute/Awards and AHA Recap