Principal's Corner

Dear Monterey Heights Staff and Families, 

Welcome back to the 2023-2024  school year! I hope you had a relaxing summer. I am looking forward to working with you and your child(ren) again this year. At Monterey Heights STEAM Academy  we are committed to providing your child(ren) with rich learning experiences. I personally believe in, and take pride in always doing what is best for students. I will continue to use this guiding principle when making decisions about our school.

We welcome our Monterey Heights  families back to school. This year, Monterey Heights  is beginning the year with approximately 400 students. We continue to have new families moving in, and we welcome these new families to our school. If I have not had a chance to meet any of our new families, feel free to stop by the office so that we can meet in person. If I am not available, I am most likely in a classroom, in a meeting, or around the school. I look forward to meeting all of you and seeing all the familiar faces of our returning families.

Included in this letter is my contact information. Feel free to contact me anytime via phone or email. We can also set up scheduled times to meet, if needed throughout the year. For now, here is some important information I would like to convey to you regarding the 2023-2024 school year. Please keep this information for your reference.

School News:

The Eagle Flight  is our Monthly school newsletter created for Monterey Heights families. In here you will find important information regarding our school, practices, dates, and up-coming events for students and families. The STEAM Newsletter is our monthly STEAM Newsletter that highlights our Gizmos & Gadget STEAM Lab and Makerspace. Both newsletters are  sent home electronically (via Schoolmessenger), or a paper copy can be requested. This newsletter can always be found on the school’s  website and Classdojo.

We are utilizing predominately electronic communications.

You can also find information pertaining to our school on our School Website:

http://www.mhe.lemongrovesd.net

Follow us on Instagram:: 

@mhsteamacademy

Follow us on Facebook: 

@MHSTEAM

Office:

Office hours during the school year are from 8:00 am-3:30 pm daily. Office: (619) 825-5633.

Please be sure to call the school to report if your child will be absent.

School Hours:

Whole days: 8:20 a.m.  to 2:40 p.m.  Half days: 8:20 a.m.  to  1:28 p.m.

All school gates will be locked daily from 8:20 am until dismissal.  Visitors are required to check in at the front office. 

Morning Routine/Drop-Off:

**Please do not drop off students prior to 8:05 because there will be no adult supervision at this time.** 

At 8:05 a.m. ,the gate at the front of the school  will open for grades K-2 to enter. The back gate (towards the north end of the school parking lot) will open for Grades 3-6. During drop off students are required to walk independently to their classes. Parents may not walk their children down to the classrooms. Student drop off may be completed outside or in our front lobby.

Pick-up/Dismissal:

In order to ensure the safety of our students, children who are being picked up early must be signed out. At 2:40 p.m. (and at 1:28 p.m. on Minimum Days), teachers will escort their students out for pick up. Grades K-2 will be brought out to the front entrance of the school and students will wait on the grass to be picked up. Grades 3-6 will be brought to the eastern side of school, on the grass next to the school parking lot. All students will be supervised by staff until 2:55 p.m. (1.43 p.m. on Minimum Days). Any student who has not been picked up by this time will be escorted to the Front Office.

Volunteers:

We welcome volunteers to involve themselves in our school in many ways . LGSD requires that all visitors scan into the office with their photo identification as a means to increase campus safety. All visitors must check in/out the school office and will be asked to present identification. 

In compliance with district policy, all volunteers must be screened annually. Every year prior to volunteering, volunteers must fill out the Volunteer Application Form and must also submit proof of a negative TB test.  Once volunteers are approved, our Parent Volunteer Coordinator will support by coordinating Volunteer Opportunities. 

If you would like to volunteer at Monterey Heights, please contact our Parent Volunteer Coordinator at [email protected] or call the Main Office.  If you are interested in visiting your child’s classroom, please contact School Administration to schedule an appointment. It is important to preserve instructional time and allow all children the time to meet with their teacher and work in class. Dropping by when you are volunteering, even just for a minute can disrupt instructional time. Scheduling an appointment allows you and all of the students in the class the time needed to meet with the teacher. The best way to reach teachers is by email or phone.

Back to School Night:

Mark your calendar! Back to School Night will be:

Thursday, September 7, 2023  from 5:30-7:00 p.m.

During Back to School Night, you will learn what your child will be doing throughout the year and receive some procedural information about the classroom.

I am looking forward to another wonderful year at Monterey Heights. I welcome you to involve yourself in our school in a variety of ways. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can answer any questions or be of further assistance to you and your family. Together, we can make this school year a success!

Sincerely,

Rosaland Turner, Principal