Welcome back to a brand-new school year! I hope this summer has given your family time to relax, recharge, and enjoy quality time together. We are excited to open our doors and welcome back our returning students—and to extend a special welcome to our new families joining the Juniper community!

This year promises to be one filled with meaningful learning, strong relationships, and joyful moments. Our dedicated teachers and staff have been busy preparing classrooms, planning engaging lessons, and creating a safe, welcoming environment where every child can thrive. We are committed to supporting academic growth, building strong character, and ensuring that every student feels seen, valued, and inspired.

Strong family-school partnerships are essential to student success. I encourage you to stay involved, attend school events, and reach out with any questions, ideas, or feedback. Together, we can make this school year a great one!

First Day of School

August 19, 2025

8am

Bell Schedule  

***For the first week of school, we invite parents to join their students on campus before school. This allows parents to see the campus and support their students at the beginning of the year. Parents will not be allowed on campus at dismissal time, except for preschool and TK, where parents will pick up students directly from the classroom.

***Starting on August 25, we will move into a Closed Campus at all times, except for dismissal of preschool and TK students. All parents will be required to sign in at the front office for admittance to the campus. 

Meet & Greet for TK, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade

Join us for our Back-to-School Meet & Greet on Monday, August 18! Come by to meet your child’s teacher, see the classroom, and connect with our school community before the first day. We can’t wait to see you and your student there!

TK and 1st Grade:  2:00-3:00pm

Kindergarten:  3:00-4:00pm

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

During arrival and dismissal, our parking lot becomes quite busy.

Please note that our parking lot has limited parking spots. I encourage parents to park off campus during dismissal and walk to campus to meet their students. All other parents must park on the street or continue driving through the parking lot after dropping off students.

When driving into the parking lot, remain in the right hand lane to allow your child to safely exit and enter your car on the curb. Do not leave your car at any time to find your child, as staff will bring students to the cars at dismissal. The left hand lane is used only for buses and specific classes with pink passes. All parents in the left lane without a pass will be asked to go around the lot again

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Back to School Night

We can’t wait to see you at Back-to-School Night on August 28, from 5:00-6:00pm. Back to School Night is a chance to meet your child’s teacher and learn about the school year. 

iPads

Students in grades K-5 will be issued iPads for school use. iPads are a vital component of our academic program, and allow teachers to differentiate instruction, as well as provide students using academic platforms for their learning, such as iReady, Zearn (Math), writing documents, and academic practice. This year, students will not be taking their ipads home.

Nutrition - Breakfast and Lunch

We encourage healthy snacks and lunches to help our students stay focused and energized throughout the day. At Juniper, all students receive a free breakfast and lunch from our Jaguar Cafeteria. Breakfast is served before school starting at 7:35. If a student chooses not to have breakfast, we offer a nutritious snack to enjoy at recess.

Part of our healthy living commitment to our students includes what students can bring from home. We encourage students to bring healthy snacks each day to enjoy. At Juniper, students may not bring spicy (red/blue) chips, candy, gum, soda, and other sugary foods or drinks. Thank you for your support in encouraging healthy eating!

Juniper Communication - EUSD Rooms App

Partnership between families and schools are an important component to a child’s success. At Juniper, we use the EUSD app to send messages, as well as create a two-way communication between parents and teachers. Please download the app, EUSD Escondido CA, to get started.

Juniper will send a weekly message to parents each Sunday with updates and upcoming events. We also update our website weekly with upcoming events and important information. Juniper’s website: https://juniper.eusd.org/o/juniper. 

Attendance

Every school day counts! When your child is at school, they’re building important skills, friendships, and routines that help them succeed. If your child is sick, please call the school office to let us know!! Please refer to the attached Health Guidelines for more information on when you need to keep your child home from school. If you have any questions, please call the school to speak with our health tech. 

Health Guidelines for School - English

Health Guidelines for School - Spanish

Thank you for making daily attendance a priority—your support makes a big difference in your child’s learning and confidence!

School Supplies

We’ve got all your child’s school supplies covered this year—just send them with a backpack, a healthy snack, and a smile! Please make sure your child’s name is on backpacks, jackets, and sweaters.

Thank you for being a vital part of the Juniper Elementary community.

With gratitude,

Mrs. Cottingham

Principal, Juniper Elementary School