OCT5–9
Elementary minimum days
Kindergarten: 12:20 PM; grades 1–2: 12:25 PM; grades 3–5: 12:30 PM. Middle school follows its regular schedule. All ELOP and middle-school sports practices and games are canceled this week.
Events & important dates
Fall fundraisers, family activities, and the school-day details McPherson families need in one place.
Starts October 7 · $40,000 school-wide goal
Get the Ball Rolling.
Every student can play. Every family can help.
Register for the fundraiserMore movement. More possibilities.
Elementary PE: dedicated physical education time requested by our teachers, giving them more time for lesson planning and classroom preparation.
Middle-school enrichment: monthly activities to help students learn, explore, and connect throughout the year.
Your first play: October 9
Register and send 10 emails by Friday, October 9 to earn a Free Dress Pass for Monday, October 12 and sign the Giant Beach Ball. Raise $25 by October 9 to earn a Super Bouncy Ball.
The more you raise, the more you score.
- $25 by October 9
- Super Bouncy Ball
- $50
- Handheld Sports Game
- $75
- Rock Paper Scissors Game Keychain
- $100
- Stretchy Noodle Fidget
- $125
- Two Tiny Finger Hands
- $150
- Mystery Squishy Dumpling, distributed at the end of the fundraiser
- $200+ as a family
- Private Family Movie Screening
- $250 individually
- Catered Hot Lunch with a Friend; date to be announced
Get your class in the game.
- 50% registered
- Punch Balloon for the whole class
- 75% registered
- Extra Recess
- 100% registered
- Popsicle Party
- Most donations in each grade
- Pizza Party for the winning class
Bring home the TopBall trophy.
At $40,000, the principal and teachers from the top-fundraising classes face off in the McPherson Ball Challenge. Let’s get the ball rolling together!
October–December 2026
Upcoming calendar
Updated from the October 4 school newsletter and ParentSquare posts through October 6. Check ParentSquare for later changes.
OCT07
Wear Pink Day
Wear pink clothes and accessories for Breast Cancer Awareness Day. A $2 donation is recommended; bring it to the classroom or front office.
OCT07
PTSA Fall Fundraiser Begins
Get the Ball Rolling! Our $40,000 goal supports elementary PE and monthly middle-school enrichment.
OCT09
Middle School Dance
Subway Surfer theme. Tickets are $7. McPherson middle-school students only; no guests. Parent pickup is required by 5:15 PM.
OCT09
GATE referrals due
Submit referrals for October 26–November 6 screening. All third graders are screened October 19–23 without a referral; opt-out information is in the newsletter.
OCT13
Middle School Make-up Pictures
Previously announced: middle school make-up pictures on campus. Check ParentSquare for changes.
OCT16
Family technology survey closes
Share your family’s technology access in four questions that take less than three minutes.
OCT17
Free Family Science Festival
Explore hands-on science, demonstrations, and tours at Mt. SAC. Free for all ages.
OCT19–23
Third-grade GATE screening
Universal screening for third graders. Check the newsletter for opt-out information.
OCT26
GATE referral screening: October 26–November 6
Screening for referred students; referrals are due October 9.
NOV10
Astronomy Night
Enjoy a Science Olympiad evening and bake sale. Preorder In-N-Out meals; there will be no on-site In-N-Out sales.
DEC09
Poinsettia Pickup
Pick up your poinsettia order. Each $15 plant supports eighth-grade end-of-year celebrations.
Fundraisers & family activities
Take part in simple ways to support McPherson students and school programs.
Friday, October 9 · After school–5:00 PM
Middle School Dance
Tickets are $7; pizza slice tickets are $1.50. Buy tickets at lunch or after school, or during nutrition on dance day. Streetwear and baggy clothing must follow the school dress code. McPherson middle-school students only; no guests. Parents must pick up students in the school parking lot by 5:15 PM; leadership students by 5:45 PM.
Read the dance guidelinesTuesday, November 10 · 5:00–7:30 PM
Astronomy Night
Join Science Olympiad for astronomy and a bake sale. An $8 In-N-Out preorder (plus $0.40 processing per meal) includes a hamburger or cheeseburger, chips, and a drink. Order by Monday, November 2. Quantities and pickup slots are limited; no on-site In-N-Out sales. Seventy-five percent of meal proceeds support Education Foundation STEM and Science Olympiad.
Preorder an In-N-Out mealSaturday, October 17 · 10:00 AM–1:00 PM
Free Family Science Festival
Mt. SAC welcomes all ages for hands-on science, demonstrations, and tours in the Science Quad and Building 4 walkway. Parking in lots B and D is free until 2:00 PM.
See festival detailsThrough Friday, October 16
Family technology survey
Help Orange Unified understand families’ technology access. The four-question survey takes less than three minutes.
Take the technology surveyRescheduled date pending
Lunch on the Lawn
The October 2 event was canceled due to heat. Watch ParentSquare for a new date.
Pickup Wednesday, December 9
Poinsettias for eighth grade
Buy a 15-inch red poinsettia for $15 to support eighth-grade celebrations. Check the sale page for order details. Pickup time has not been announced.
View the poinsettia saleAvailable now
PTSA Birthday Marquee
Celebrate your student with a special message on the school marquee.
Order a birthday messageArrival & dismissal
Gates open at 7:30 AM. Supervision is not available earlier. If you have children in multiple grades, use the gate for your youngest child. Please keep crosswalks clear and follow traffic laws.
Kindergarten gate
Kindergarten
Drop off and pick up at the kindergarten playground gate. At dismissal, park and come to the gate so staff can release each child to the correct adult.
Back gate
Grades 1–2
Use the school’s back gate for both drop-off and pick-up.
Front main gate
Grades 3–8
Use the main gate at the parking-lot entrance near the school office for drop-off and pick-up.
Recent PTSA event highlights
A look at the community gatherings and staff appreciation activities McPherson families have helped bring to life.
For readers
Book Fair
McPherson’s Book Fair brings books, journals, and student favorites to campus while supporting the school library.
See the Book Fair on Instagram
For teachers
Teacher Appreciation Week
PTSA celebrates McPherson teachers with on-campus appreciation events, including the mini pancake and crêpe bar pictured here.
See Teacher Appreciation on Instagram
Want to help at an event?
Find the volunteer team’s contact information and school approval requirements in one place.
Find ways to helpRegular Wednesday schedule
Early-release times
Wednesday start times are 8:00 AM for kindergarten and grades 1–2, 7:50 AM for grades 3–5, and 8:00 AM for grades 6–8. For October 5–9, follow the elementary minimum-day notice above: middle school follows its regular schedule.
- Kindergarten
- 12:20 PM
- 1st & 2nd grade
- 12:25 PM
- 3rd, 4th & 5th grade
- 12:30 PM
- Middle school
- 12:40 PM