Dear Rancho Families,
What a wonderful morning! Today was our annual Fun Run, and it was such a joy to see our students so energized and excited. A huge thank you to Will Dempster, our amazing parent volunteers, and our terrific PTA for putting together such a seamless and fun event. Thank you as well to all the families who came out to cheer on and support your kiddos. Your energy truly made the morning special.
As a quick reminder regarding school events: volunteer paperwork is not required when you are on campus simply to watch or cheer on your children during whole-school events. It is also not required if you are helping out with PTA activities like setup or breakdown. Clearances are only necessary for roles directly requested and coordinated by school personnel to support students directly, such as running classroom centers, providing yard supervision, or chaperoning field trips.
Before closing, I want to acknowledge the sorrow and anxiety many of us are feeling after the heartbreaking news of another school shooting. Processing these events as caregivers and educators is never easy. I am immensely thankful for our dedicated staff and local partners who strictly maintain our safety protocols and foster a protective, welcoming environment every single day. We remain fully dedicated to keeping Rancho a place of comfort, belonging, and security for all of our students.
Wishing you all a peaceful and restorative weekend.
Warmly,
AnnaMaria Young
Principal
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Halloween Costume Guidelines
We are excited for Halloween and look forward to celebrating safely together. To ensure everyone has a fun and productive day, please follow these simple costume guidelines:
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No Weapons or Blood: Costume accessories resembling weapons, as well as play blood or overly scary elements, are not permitted at school.
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Functional Clothing & Shoes: Students must wear comfortable clothes and appropriate school shoes so they can fully participate in recess, PE, and a regular day of learning.
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Comfort & Safety: Costumes should allow students to move freely, sit comfortably at their desks, and use the restroom independently.
Thank you for helping us keep our celebrations fun, safe, and focused on learning! Costume Parade is Friday 10/30 - 9 am on the Lower Playground.
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Building a strong, welcoming sense of community is essential to us, and establishing a positive tone takes all of us working together. With that in mind, I want to share a few gentle reminders about communication and campus operations:
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Email Communication: We always aim to respond to family inquiries in a timely manner. To ensure our staff can give your questions the attention they deserve, we ask that you email your child's teacher directly. Approaching teachers right before the morning bell, unless an appointment was previously arranged, is not an ideal time to touch base since their primary focus is welcoming students and starting the instructional day.
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Incident Investigations: When student incidents occur, conducting a thorough and fair investigation takes time so we can reasonably understand what happened.
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Privacy & Confidentiality: Please keep in mind that we cannot share disciplinary outcomes for other children, as doing so violates their right to privacy.
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Restorative Discipline: Please trust that every situation is handled in strict alignment with California Education Code and district policy. We utilize a progressive discipline matrix that prioritizes opportunities for reflection, learning, and restorative practices. Ultimately, our core mission is to teach, guide, and nurture the whole child.
Thank you for always treating our teachers, staff, and one another with kindness and respect.
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Rainy Day & Outdoor Recess Info
With a wet winter ahead, we want to share a quick update on how we handle outdoor play. Our goal is always to get students outside for fresh air as much as possible.
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Outdoor Play Guidelines: Unless it is actively raining, students will be playing outside during recess and lunch.
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Equipment Maintenance: Our staff will do our best to wipe down benches and playground equipment so students can play safely.
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Extra Clothes: You are always welcome to stash a fresh, dry set of clothes (including socks) in your child's backpack just in case they get wet or muddy while playing.
Thank you for helping us keep our students warm, dry, and active this winter!
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Upcoming TK/K Tour Dates are:
Wednesday, November 4 at 9:30am
Wednesday, December 2 at 11:00am
Wednesday, January 6 at 9:30am
Wednesday, February 3 at 11:00am
Wednesday, March 3 at 9:30am
Please secure a spot with Lisa Casey at lcasey@nusd.org. We do ask that only adults attend the tours.
Also, do you have a new student who will be attending either TK or Kindergarten for the 2026-27 school year? Registration opens on November 1. You will be able to register at nusd.org beginning then.
If your student is currently in TK, you do not need to register for Kindergarten. Your student will roll over into the next grade.
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Picture Make Up Day
If your child was absent for picture day, the make up day will be Monday, November 16. We will be printing the absence lists so no one gets missed. Also, if your student is new to Rancho, they will also have their picture taken on November 16.
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Happy fall, Rancho families! Please remember that Friday, October 30th is a regular school day, and attendance will be taken as usual. We will have a costume parade for students who would like to participate. However, costumes and parade participation are completely optional.
We have plenty of fun, engaging, Non-Halloween themed activities for students who choose not to participate. We look forward to a wonderful day together and can't wait to see all of our Rancho Eagles at school.
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Meet Mrs. Casey!
Mrs. Casey has been Rancho’s Office Manager for four years and brings 20 years of experience in education. Rancho holds a special place in her heart, as all three of her children attended the school, and she lives right in the Rancho neighborhood! She loves that the students make her smile every day, the families are so supportive, and the staff feels like her second family. Outside of school, Mrs. Casey enjoys hiking, reading, going to the movies, and cheering on the Golden State Warriors. And here’s a fun fact: she loves scary movies!
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Meet Catherine Falzon!
Catherine Falzon is a 5th grade teacher who has been at Rancho for five years. A Novato native, Catherine is also a proud Rancho alumna! She has six years of teaching experience in California, plus a year teaching at a bilingual elementary school in Madrid, Spain. Her favorite part of teaching is building connections with her students, sharing laughs, and creating a classroom community each year. Outside of school, she enjoys neighborhood walks, trying new restaurants, and reading on her Kindle. Catherine is a big Bay Area sports fan, loves summers at Lake Tahoe, and is a fan of Taylor Swift and Harry Styles—so much so that she has life-size cutouts of both in her classroom!
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October in Art and Garden Class
This month our Rancho artists are learning about the Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama, famous for her polka-dotted pumpkin sculptures and paintings. Ask your student if they remember where they can see one of her famous pumpkin sculptures in San Francisco (hint: SFMOMA). Our Kinder students are making and painting clay pumpkins. The first and second graders made 3D dotted paper pumpkins. The third through fifth graders are drawing, shading, and painting Kusama-inspired pumpkins, which they will finish with "infinity nets." Our special day students had fun painting with marbles this week.
Sincerely,
Ms. Amelia and Ms. Stephanie
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Rancho Library Gift Book Program
Help grow our Rancho Library collection by donating a new hardcover book in honor of your child or family! Celebrate a birthday, special accomplishment, holiday, favorite teacher, or loved one while supporting literacy at Rancho. For a tax-deductible donation of $25 per book, your child will be invited to a special library book party, where they’ll choose a grade-appropriate book, receive a personalized bookplate, and be the first to check it out. Thank you for helping us put more wonderful books into the hands of Rancho readers!
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We've noticed an uptick in tardies and absences lately. Everyday counts, and every minute matters! Thank you for helping your student arrive at school on time and ready to learn. We truly appreciate your students' regular attendance. We love having our Rancho Eagles here!
Also, looking ahead, please take a moment to review our official Novato Unified School District Calendar and work to plan family vacations during scheduled school breaks, which include November 23 - 27, 2026, December 21, 2026 - January 4, 2027, February 15 - 19, 2027 and April 5 - 9, 2027. NUSD School Calendar 2026-2027
Having your students here each day makes a big difference. We love seeing them learning and growing with us. Thank you for being here and for your continued support!
If your student will be absent, please let us know each day by using one of the following options:
- Scan the QR Code Below
- Use the Absence Link: Click HERE
- Call the Attendance Line: (415) 897-9082
- Email: byaeger@nusd.org
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All the parking spots labeled "Staff" are for staff only from 7:30 - 3:30. Please honor our staff by leaving them a spot to park, so they can being their work with your children. There are 6 unmarked spots near the entrance of the school for guests. Thank you! |
10/29 - Minimum Day, 12:45 Dismissal
10/30 - Costume Parade 9am - Lower Playground
11/2 - PTA Executive Board meeting 6:30 pm
11/5 - Fire Drill -
11/6 - End of Trimester 1
11/10 - ELAC And SSC moved 5:30 and 6:30 pm
11/12 - Family STEAM night
11/16 - PTA General Meeting 6:30pm
10/30 - Costume Parade 9:00 am
Parent-Teacher Conference Week is November 16–20.
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Thank you so much to our PTA for the new chairs and amazing ice machine in the staff room.
Thank you to Amy Lin and Jennifer Smith for taking on the role of stocking the staff lounge.
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If your student will be absent, please let us know by doing one of the following:
- Scan the QR Code
- Use the absence link - CLICK HERE
- Call the Attendance Line: (415) 897-9082
- email Brandi Yaeger: byaeger@nusd.org
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