Recent News

Report Card Week

We will have report card week from Nov 14th-18th and will schedule report card conferences.
All week, students in grades TK-3 (West Campus)will be released at 1:15 pm.
Grades 4-8th (East Campus) will be released at 1:30 pm.

Your child's teachers will send information about conferences and setting up meetings. Please be on the lookout for these communications.
In addition, to report cards, your child will be given information regarding their state testing, our NWEA benchmark test, and ELPAC scores when applicable.
For grades 4-8 only, there will also be a report card night on Wednesday, Nov 16. Report card night will be from 4-6 pm.

With all parent meetings, if you would like to set up an additional appointment with your child's teacher, please reach out to them, and we would be happy to accommodate.

5th Grade Pancake Breakfast
Our 5th-grade students will be having their upcoming pancake breakfast on Dec 4. The breakfast helps us in raising funds for Camp Calvin Crest.
5th Grade students have begun selling tickets for the pancake breakfast and Poinsetta sales. You can also purchase tickets in the East Campus office.
Poinsettia costs are 1=$17, 2=$34, 3=$51, 4=$68
We are looking for business sponsors for the event. If you are interested, please see the attached letter.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with [email protected] or call 209-417-0464

Book Fair
We're so excited…the Book Fair is coming!!!
Our West Campus Book Fair, located in the West Campus Library for our Tk-6 students, is JUST a week away!
It starts next week, Nov 9-10, AND the following week Nov 14-17, 7:30 am - 3:30 pm, closing at noon on Friday, Nov 18.
We hope to see our West and East campus TK-6 families there! There will be so many books to choose from for every reader.
Purchases can be paid for by cash, debit, or credit; If you'd like your child(ren) to shop cashless, we encourage you to set up an e-wallet NOW, so he/she is ready to shop on opening day! Here's a video with information about e-wallet: e-wallet information
Set up your ewallet on our webpage https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/mcswainwest
We hope all parents and grandparents will plan to visit the Book Fair! Proceeds are returned to our students in NEW BOOKS, so we appreciate your support!
And… don't forget, we are open LATE on Wednesday, Nov 16, until 6:30 during East Campus Report Card Night!
Thank you for your support! See you at the Book Fair!



Bus Reminder
Reminder for students who ride the bus, please get in touch with the office (209-354-2700) if you wish your child not to ride the bus in the afternoon that day and instead be picked up from school. Please notify the office by 11 am of the change.

This will allow us to ensure your student is picked up from school.

Here are some updates.

Mustang Night Fundraiser
On behalf of everyone here at McSwain, I would like to thank everyone who attended the Mustang Nights Fundraiser. The event was a fantastic night showcasing the best of the amazing McSwain community and helping raise funds for educational opportunities for our students. In addition, I would like to thank the McSwain Education Foundation for its hard work and leadership. They did a fantastic job in helping our community come together. Thank you!

Community Skate Night
Our Parent Association will be hosting the next skating party!
Date: Friday, October 14th, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Admission is $7 dollars which include skate rentals
This event is open to students and their friends. You will need to check them in.
Address: Roller Land, 18th and U Streets, Merced

Movie Night Date Change
The McSwain Parent Club will host our first movie night of the year!
We have moved our Movie Night to October 21st; we will show Hocus Pocus Two.
This event is open to all students and their families and will take place in the gym. Wear your PJs!
The event is free to attend, and we will be selling concessions.
Students and families are encouraged to bring blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags to get comfortable as we have our movie night.

Coffee with Mr.P!
Reminder, Coffee with Mr. Pannu is this Friday, 10/14, at 8:15 am in the West Campus Cafeteria.

The focus of our second meeting will be the dangers of social media and how to support your child.
For parents unable to make the meeting, we will also upload a presentation copy onto our website.

Donuts and Coffee will be served.
This is open to all Parents! Spanish Translation will be available.

Weather Reminder
As the temperature continues to be warmer for this time of the year. Please send your child a refillable water bottle. We have water stations on campus and want to ensure your child stays hydrated.

SSC/DELAC New Member Opportunities
We are looking for two new additional parents to join our DELAC and School Site Council committees.

What the SSC does: Develop site plan to improve student academic achievement for all students, including:
Special Education
Enrichment
Migrant
EL
At-risk
DELAC advises the school about the following:
The school’s academic plan and budget
Parent survey(s) for the school’s EL program
Administration of the school’s annual language assessment, the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)
A plan to ensure attendance, if needed

If you are interested in joining, please fill out this form. As a member, you will be expected to attend quarterly meetings. In addition to filling out the form, please indicate why you would like to be part of the SSC/DELAC committees. The deadline to submit will be 10/19.

5th Grade Pancake Breakfast
Our 5th-grade student will be having their upcoming pancake breakfast on December 4
The breakfast helps us in raising funds for Camp Calvin Crest
We will begin to sell tickets next week! More information to come
4H Upcoming Meeting

Our next 4H club meeting will be Wednesday, 10/19, at 6 pm in the East Campus Cafeteria.

Merced County Nut Festival
Community event open to all! Free admission and fun activities for the entire family. Come celebrate the harvest of our local farmers at the Merced County Fairground.

Hello McSwain families!

I wanted to reach out and say thank you to all students and families that came out and supported our float during the Atwater High School Homecoming Parade! As this was a first for our community, it was amazing to see all of the Mustang Blue and White! Great job, Mustangs!

Rachels Challenge

We are excited to bring the program Rachel's Challenge to our school on October 6th.

Rachel's Challenge is based on the beliefs of Rachel Scott. Rachel passed away during the events at Columbine High School. Rachel believed that kindness and compassion go a long way when you express it to others, no matter who they are.

Rachel's Challenge is a proactive measure in helping our students focus on the kind things we do instead of the negative things. Only Grades 5-8 will be introduced to the Columbine tragedy at an age-appropriate intensity level. If you do not wish for your student to participate, an alternative educational opportunity will be provided.

Students and faculty pass out chain links daily when they witness an act of kindness. These links go onto a school-wide chain for all to see. These chain links of kindness are built throughout the school year and are used to show kids how easy it is to be kind. The school's climate is transformed just by focusing on the positive efforts we make for one another.

The five challenges will be: Accept and Include Others, Choose Positive Influences, Be Kind, Dream Big, and Start a Chain Reaction. We know that this is going to have an amazing impact on everyone.

We look forward to creating our chain reaction of kindness with all students, staff, and families! More information will be sent next week.

Hello McSwain Families!

It isn't too late to enroll in McSwain 4-H. If you are still interested in joining, all the directions are on our website. https://www.mcswain4hclub.com/

Please join us for our first club meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 6 pm in the McSwain East Campus Cafeteria.

Hello McSwain Families!

Here is a fantastic opportunity for all students. Please take a look at the announcement below.


All of California Now has Access to HelpNow.
The California State Library provides free online tutoring for California K-12 students through public libraries. Through HelpNow, live real-time homework assistance is available 24 hours a day by laptop, tablet, or phone from qualified tutors using state curriculum and standards.

24/7 assistance is available in English and Spanish for Language Arts and Mathematics.


Every day between 10:00 am and 10:00 pm, assistance is available in core K-12 subjects in the following languages:

English
Spanish
Mandarin
Cantonese
Vietnamese
Tagalog

Tutors can provide a virtual whiteboard, conduct live audio interactions with students, and work with learners on a wide range of concepts. Students are expected to work through the content and learn from the feedback.



The California State Library is partnering with the Pacific Library Partnership (PLP) to bring this resource to California public libraries.



Our Merced County Public Library is participating. Please click this link to help your student get started!

Grandparents Day for West Campus!

We look forward to welcoming our Grandparents to the West campus for lunch on Monday, September 12th.

Parents, please share this message with your student's Grandparents. We will also have dedicated staff on hand in blue to help assist folks.

For those Grandparents that are attending, you will check in at the front gate.

A dedicated table will be set up for you to pay; the cost is $5. We are only taking cash or check. No outside food will be permitted.

Grandparents who have RSVPd to the event will be the only individuals allowed to enter. Unfortunately, we are not allowing walk-ins; this event is solely for Grandparents.

Once checked in, Grandparents will meet their student and head into the cafeteria to receive their meal.

Students will eat with their Grandparents in the West Campus Quad. Once lunch is over, your student will join their class, and your Grandparents will leave via the library exit.

We will also be selling water for $1 inside the quad.


Lunchtime Schedule

Please arrive a few minutes before your student's lunch schedule

TK Lunch 10:45-11:25

K Lunch 10:50-11:30

1st 11:00-11:40

2nd 11:05-11:45

3rd 11:10-11:50


McSwain Gear

We are pleased to announce that we have parented with an online retailer to deliver McSwain Gear to students and families!

If you would like to order McSwain Swag, please click this link.

We have an assortment of shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, and more!

Students are encouraged to show their Mustang pride every Friday by wearing blue and white!

Hello McSwain Families,


Due to the excessive heat, MUESD will continue to follow our safety plan and implement our indoor schedule for Wednesday, September 7, 2022.


Our indoor schedule includes the following:

Physical education and indoor recess will occur inside.

For students who ride the bus, please contact the office (209-354-2700) if you wish your child not to ride the bus in the afternoon and be picked up from school on September 7.

Please notify the office by 10 am Wednesday, September 7. This will allow us to ensure your student is picked up from school.


As we continue to deal with the excessive heat, we will monitor the situation and update the community on our plan daily. We would follow the same procedure of keeping students inside during a rainy day.


Please continue to remind students that they are encouraged to bring water bottles to school. In addition, students can fill their water bottles at our hydration stations. Thank you for your continued partnership.


Best,

McSwain Administration

Due to the excessive heat, MUESD will follow our safety plan and implement our indoor schedule for Tuesday, September 6, 2022.


Our indoor schedule includes the following:


Physical education and indoor recess will occur inside.


For students who ride the bus, please contact the office (209-354-2700) if you wish your child not to ride the bus in the afternoon and be picked up from school on September 6.



Please notify the office by 10 am Tuesday, September 6. This will allow us to ensure your student is picked up from school.


As we continue to deal with the excessive heat, we will monitor the situation and update the community on our plan daily. We would follow the same procedure of keeping students inside during a rainy day. Please continue to remind students that they are encouraged to bring water bottles to school. In addition, students can fill their water bottles at our hydration stations. Thank you for your continued partnership.


Best,

McSwain Administration

As you know, a significant heat advisory is coming next week, with temperatures expected to surpass the 100-degree mark. Please note that MUESD has a plan in place for the heat advisory in addition to air quality events.


Action plans include the following measures:


Physical education activities are limited to less strenuous activities or rescheduled to classroom instruction, calm games, cafeteria, and gym.
Cooler areas such as classrooms, cafeterias, and the gym are used during recess if needed.
Running or strenuous activities will occur earlier in the day during cooler periods.
To partner with us in his effort, students are encouraged to bring water bottles to school. In addition, students can hydrate their water bottles at our hydration stations.

SEL

Our school will engage in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) this year. We will focus on the core competencies based on research done by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and built on the student expectations here at McSwain. We will be two distinct programs here in developing our SEL program. The Leader in Me in grades Tk-5 and 6-8, Sown to Grow.


The SEL curriculum is designed to help develop the ability to self-manage and regulate emotions, build empathy, create positive and long-lasting relationships with others, and make responsible decisions in our daily lives.


When practiced daily, these character values can transform students and their relationships with others and create a ripple effect of happiness, health, and productivity. We want to encourage a thoughtful and respectful two-way partnership between your family and the staff here at McSwain. This way, we can continue to build on each other’s work in your child’s day-to-day life.


Community Skate Night

Our Parent Association will be hosting the first skating party of the year!

Date: Friday, September 9th, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Admission is 7 dollars which include skate rentals
This event is open to students and their friends. You will need to check them in.
Address: Roller Land 18th and U Streets, Merced
Please refer to this attached flier

Celebrating a Birthday

McSwain School offers birthday treats for your child and their class!

If you want to pre-order birthday treats, please look at this flier.


Reminder

4‑H is America’s largest youth development organization—empowering young people with leadership skills, community service opportunities, and hands-on experiences in arts, science, health, and agriculture.


If you would like your student to join, we will have our first 4H club meeting for new members and enrollment on Wednesday, August 31st, at 5:30 pm at the East Campus Library.


Students must be in grades four and up or nine years old by December 31st
Please see the attached flyer for more information and meeting time. Spanish translation is also available.