February 1, 2026

Hello Lake Community,

I want to remind everyone of the importance of encouraging your children to READ at home! Reading for enjoyment, or pleasure reading, is a critical driver of child development. It fosters superior cognitive performance, better mental health, and enhanced academic achievement.

If you have a difficult time finding books that your child enjoys, please reach out to us. We have an awesome Librarian, Mrs. Hayes, who can help with suggestions. Research indicates that children who read for pleasure, especially starting early in life, develop stronger vocabularies, better memory, and larger brain cortical surface areas. It also fosters empathy, reduces stress, and improves focus by providing a relaxing escape. Thank you for supporting your child by fostering a love of reading at home!

If you have not already, please complete the UCSD Better Together Survey.

As a reminder, February break is during Presidents’ Week. Please mark your calendars: NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 16th, through Friday, February 20th.

Valentine Grams Are Coming to Lake — and It’s for an Amazing Cause!

From February 9–12, we will be selling Valentine Grams to support two incredible San Diego County students facing life-threatening illnesses through Vista’s Big Give Campaign.

Meet Ezra (age 4) — currently battling leukemia. His dream is to go on a Disney Cruise. Meet Eliza (age 14) — living with a serious blood disorder. Her wish is to travel the country to attend BMX races.

Our Lake community has a goal of raising $3,000 to help make these wishes come true — and every Valentine Gram purchased brings us one step closer!

Bonus motivation: If we reach our goal, Dr. Stringer has agreed to be covered in silly string!

Spread kindness. Share the love. Make a wish come true. Stay tuned for ordering details and grab your Valentine Grams next week!

Please support the San Diego North County Special Education Conference, happening Wednesday, February 11, 2026, from 9:00 AM–3:30 PM at California State University San Marcos. Co-designed by parents, educators, and community partners.

SYNC Inclusive Basketball Experience set at Madison Middle School on Saturday, February 7, 2026. Morning and afternoon sessions are available for grades 3–8 and 9–12 at Madison Middle School. FREE Registration for Vista Unified Students Use code VUSD-SYNC2026 at checkout.

Families have until next Friday to sign up for this year’s Zip Racer Challenge! Once your family is registered, your child will receive a kit (no Legos will be included) with all the supplies needed to build your racer at home. Students will then bring their completed Zip Racer to STEM Fest to enter the competition, where there will be prizes, food trucks, demos and experiments, make and take activities and lots of fun. Since STEM Fest is being held at RBV this year, we’re hoping to see lots of family participation!

STEM FEST - March 25th - 5-7 pm - RBV High School

The San Diego County Office of Education's Educational Technology team is launching a new virtual training series aimed at supporting families. The eight-session series is designed to help parents understand online safety and become confident digital partners in their child's learning journey. All sessions are free to attend and will take place via Zoom from 4 to 5 p.m. Register online to receive the meeting links.

Training Schedule:

• Understanding Cyber Envy - Jan. 27

• Info Security and Passwords - Mar. 10

• Popular Apps - What Are They and Should Your Child Use Them? - Apr. 15

Please visit our Lake Website under parent tab for more additional resources.

Family Newsletter: Every Sunday afternoon you will receive an email from Lake with updates and important information. Please take the time each week to review this information.

Social Media: Stay up to date on the learning occurring on campus and the events happening at school by following us on Instagram@LakeDolphins & @LakeDolphinsPTA

District Communication: Please make sure your email address is correct in Aeries so that you receive all school and district communications. You will receive message

The purpose of our Student and Parent Handbook is to assist our students and families with important information regarding school policies, procedures, and agreements we have set us up for us to have an enjoyable, successful, and safe school year.

Click on the link above to review the handbook. It is expected that each family reads through our Family Handbook. We appreciate your support and involvement as we work in partnership to provide a nurturing, inspiring, and rigorous educational program for each of our Dolphins.

Our school-home communication in Vista Unified School District is called ParentSquare. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection.

Parents—Getting Started Video

ParentSquare Resumen - Espanol

ParentSquare Resources

Please download the App here to make sure you're connected to Lake:

• iOS App - Apple Store

• Android App - Google Play Store

Have questions? Click the question mark in the top right corner of the desktop version or the Help tab on the app (tap the triple bar icon at the top left) to find answers to most of your questions or contact the IT Department at 760-726-2170 ext. 92500.