 On the Prowl – The Panther Pulse
Oct 12, 2026
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What a busy and exciting week we had at El Portal! On Friday, our Panthers participated in our Harvest Fun Run, and it was a huge success! With bubbles, popsicles, music, and lots of running, our students had a fantastic time celebrating together.
A HUGE thank you to our amazing PTA for going above and beyond to make this event so special for our students. They certainly know how to combine FUN with fundraising! We are so grateful for all the time, energy, and heart they put into making the Harvest Fun Run such a memorable experience. We also want to give a big thank you to all of our parent volunteers who came out to help and cheer on our Panthers. Events like this are so successful because of the incredible support of our El Portal families!
And the fall fun continues this week! On Monday, our 6th grade students will be hosting a Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser, so be sure to stop by and support our 6th graders while picking out the perfect pumpkin!
Then, on Friday, it’s time for our highly anticipated Trunk or Treat! We are looking forward to another wonderful evening with our Panther families and can’t wait to see everyone there.
It’s going to be another fun and festive week at El Portal!
It’s a great time to be a Panther!
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10/12 Monday
- Monday Motivation Assembly
- Wear El Portal Spirit Gear
- Early Dismissal
- Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser Hosted by 6th Grade
10/13 Tuesday
- Young Engineers Club- 3:00
10/14 Wednesday
- Recorders and Band Grades 3-6
- 6th Grade LHPD E-bike Presentation
10/15 Thursday
- Music and Movement Grades TK - 3rd
- Love and Logic 5:00 pm
10/16 Friday:
- Wear College Gear
- Trunk or Treat
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PTA UPDATE:
IN-N-OUT PRESALES START MONDAY! Get ready, Panthers! Ticket presales for our In-N-Out Truck fundraiser begin Monday, October 12! The truck will be on campus Tuesday, November 3 at 5:30 PM. Tickets are just $8 and include a burger, chips, and a drink! Be on the lookout for ordering information, and remember, all payments are due by Wednesday, October 28!
TRUNK OR TREAT IS THIS FRIDAY! Join us October 16 from 5:30–6:30 PM for an evening of costumes, candy, and Panther fun! Our sixth graders will also be selling concessions from 5–6:30 PM. We’re still looking for trunk sign-ups and candy donations, so visit the link in our Instagram bio to help make this event a success!
ONE LAST PUSH, PANTHERS! We’ve officially raised $34,036 for our Harvest Hustle Fun Run—that’s 113% of our original $30,000 goal! We’re SO CLOSE to our $35,000 slime challenge, with just $964 left to go! Donations officially close Friday, October 16, so let’s make this final push count and see Mrs. Castillo get SLIMED! A HUGE thank-you to everyone who donated, volunteered, and helped make Friday’s Fun Run such a wonderful event for our kiddos!
AND THERE’S MORE HALLOWEEN FUN AHEAD! Mark your calendars for our Monster Mash Dance and Halloween Parade on Friday, October 30! We can’t wait to see our Panthers showing off their costumes and celebrating together!
Thank you, Panther families, for all the ways you continue to support our school! October is packed with fun, and we couldn’t do it without our amazing Panther community!
Thank you so much!!
Lorie McGill
Librarian
El Portal Elementary School
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Character Education and Patriotism
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Character Education at Home: Resourcefulness
Think Again. Try Another Way!
Our Panthers are continuing to grow their Resourcefulness this month! One of the most important parts of being resourceful is understanding that there is often more than one way to solve a problem.
When something doesn’t work the first time, resourceful thinkers stop, think, and ask themselves, “What else could I try?” They look at the tools they have, think creatively, ask questions, and aren’t afraid to try a different approach. Sometimes the best ideas come when we have to think outside the box!
At school, we are encouraging our Panthers to become independent problem-solvers who know that asking for help, using available resources, and trying a new strategy are all signs of a strong learner.
 Try It at Home!
This week, when your Panther gets stuck on something, encourage them to come up with two or three possible solutions before stepping in to help.
Try asking:
“What’s another way you could solve this?”
or
“Who or what could help you figure this out?”
Whether it’s completing homework, finding something they misplaced, working through a disagreement, or tackling a new challenge, give them the opportunity to flex those problem-solving muscles!
Resourceful Panthers know there’s more than one way forward, keep thinking, keep trying, and find a way!
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SURPRISE ATTENDANCE DAY
You never know when our next Surprise Attendance Day will be!
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Last Wednesday, El Portal celebrated our very first Surprise Attendance Day! Our Panthers arrived to a fun-filled welcome with music, pom-poms, and our teachers and staff outside cheering them on as they came to school. We loved seeing all those smiling faces arriving and ready to learn!
The celebration continued at lunchtime when students received Otter Pops as a special treat for showing up and being part of our Panther community.
The best part? Our Panthers never know when the next Surprise Attendance Day will pop up! Each one will bring a little something special as we celebrate the importance of being at school, on time, and ready to learn.
Every day counts, Panthers, you make El Portal better when you’re here!
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Looking Ahead
10/12 Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser (hosted by 6th grade)
10/15 The Great Shake Out - Earthquake Drill
10/16 Trunk or Treat
10/30 Pumpkin Decorating Contest
10/30 Halloween Parade
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