Principal's Weekly Newsletter

Welcome Bob Rowe, our Interim Principal

Dear Santa Margarita Families,

It is a pleasure to introduce myself as the Interim Principal of Santa Margarita.  Interim is a fancy word for “temporary”.  The good news is that while away for personal reasons, Mrs. Richmond will be back.  In the meantime, you will get someone with extensive experience, someone who knows the school and district at all levels, and most importantly, someone who loves kids.

Yes, I was principal of Santa Margarita many years ago.  During a 40 year career in the Oceanside School District, I served as a teacher, and a principal at Palmquist, North Terrace, McAuliffe, King Middle, and El Camino High School. When I retired a few years ago, I knew that I had made a difference in the lives of thousands of students, and the community as a whole. I truly loved each school, each experience, and each child.  .

I’m excited about being back to work with the students, military families and staff at Santa Margarita. I am not coming back due to boredom, or a lack of things to keep me occupied.  This is a temporary need, and I am happy to help.

I am encouraged by a recent article in the U.S. News and World that states the Santa Margarita Mustangs are the top school in Oceanside, and one of the best in California.  This says a lot about the staff, our families and the children. Congratulations!

I ask that we sincerely try to work together, to support each other, and to make every day on campus as smooth as possible.  Please try to introduce yourselves to me when possible.  I will make it a point to be visible, and to be out and about.   And, you are always welcome to make an appointment to see me.

Please be patient, talk with me directly if issues arise, and I look forward to being part of the Mustang Family once again.

Sincerely, 

Bob Rowe
Interim Principal

Re:  Student Injuries and Insurance

        2022-2023 School Year

Dear Parent/Legal Guardian:

The safety of our students is of critical importance to all of us and we want to protect them from injury. Even so, accidents do happen (at school and elsewhere) and required medical care can be expensive. Please know that your school does not assume responsibility for such costs but does offer you access to several student accident insurance plans for voluntary purchase. Details can be found in the attached brochure/enrollment form.

Options are available to cover your child 24/7, anywhere in the world or you can limit coverage to school-related injuries only. The plans do not restrict your choice of doctors or hospitals. However, you’ll also have access to an extensive network of providers with discounted fees. Seeking care through contracted providers may further reduce your out-of-pocket costs, particularly if your child needs surgery or hospitalization.

Also offered is the pay-as-you-go Student Accident & Sickness Plan which covers sickness as well as injury, in and out of school. The Dental Accident plan can be of particular value with younger students as final treatment to injured teeth often needs to be deferred until after they mature.

Common emergency benefits – Regardless of the benefit level selected, all of the accident medical plans and the Student Accident & Sickness Plan will cover eligible charges for Ambulance, Emergency Room and Emergency Room Physician at 100% of Usual, Customary and Reasonable charges (UCR) up to plan limits.

Enhanced benefits for qualified concussions – If an insured student suffers a concussion while participating in any covered activity and is consequently removed from play from his/her interscholastic sport per the school’s formal concussion protocols, then any deductible or inside limit features of the plan are waived and eligible charges for the evaluation and treatment of the concussion are paid at 100% of UCR subject to remaining policy terms and conditions.

Interscholastic Sports – Please know that all plans offered (other than the Dental Accident Plan) may be used to comply with applicable state and local insurance requirements for participation in interscholastic sports (coverage for high school tackle football is offered on a stand-alone basis).

COVID-19 – Although Covid-related restrictions are lifting, we will continue the adjustments made at the beginning of the pandemic for as long as the Covid State of Emergency continues. In brief, they include: 1) qualified extension of coverage to distance learning at home; 2) qualified coverage for COVID-19 testing costs; 3) the addition of Telemedicine as a covered service. As matters concerning COVID continue to evolve, updates will be posted on the MST website.

You are strongly encouraged to carefully review the information provided. If your child already has health coverage, the student insurance plans offered can also be used to expand your choice of providers and help cover the high deductibles and 30% to 40% cost sharing obligations imposed by many health plans today.

To enroll, please visit www.myers-stevens.com; instructions for enrollment are available on the website.  While your child is eligible to enroll at any time, one-time-pay rates for the accident medical plans and Dental Accident Plan are the same regardless of enrollment date. As such, you are encouraged to consider enrollment now in order to include coverage for this summer and the full 2022-2023 School Year. Once processing is completed, an ID card verifying coverage will be mailed home to you.

 If you have any questions concerning the coverages available, COVID 19 adjustments or need help with enrollment, please call Myers-Stevens & Toohey at (800) 827-4695. Bilingual representatives are available for parents who need assistance in Spanish.

22-23 Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Information

7th & 8th grade music students from Santa Margarita, Stuart Mesa and North Terrace perform at California Adventure.

The 7th and 8th grade (and a few 6th grade) band students from North Terrace, Santa Margarita, and Stuart Mesa participated in the SCSBOA band competition at El Camino High School. Students had to perform three pieces for professional music judges and received a score based on their performance. The students earned Unanimous Superior, which is the highest possible rating a group can earn. This is the first time these schools have ever received a superior in any music competition.