News & Events Archive

Yearbook Deadlines - Extended!

March 29th

Remember to design your 2 FREE custom pages by March 29th!  These will be printed only in your own yearbook.  

We still need photo submissions for activities like field trips, fall festival, Ignite the Day/Ignite the Night, career day, glow party, etc.  You may upload photos using the below link or email photos to PTALynseydouglas@gmail.com by March 29th.   

6th grade yearbook dedications are needed!  Design your own 1/8 page FREE ad and include baby photos, words of wisdom, etc. by March 29th.  

March 12th is picture day.  The photographers have a list of students who still need a yearbook picture.  Feel free to also remind your child to let the photographers know they still need a yearbook photo.

Students can still turn in a hand drawn or painted image for the yearbook cover contest until March 13th (guidelines were provided in a separate ParentSquare post).   

Thank you for helping make this year’s yearbook special for our students.   

Haiku Contest

Submissions due by March 29th

We’re thrilled to announce our 3rd annual Haiku in the Garden contest, which starts today!

Santiago’s annual Haiku in the Garden contest is an invitation to celebrate Spring through poetry. Our school gardens are abloom and filled with inspiration!

Entries will be judged by a panel of guest experts, winners and participants will receive a special prize plus all entries will be eligible for publication in our annual book of poems! New this year, by popular demand, grown ups are invited to join the fun.

Please clearly note the poet’s name, teacher, and submit to the office by March 29.

Happy writing,

Santiago STEAM Green Committee


March Recycling Drive: Household Batteries

March 4th-29th

This month we are collecting household batteries. Help us reduce waste in landfills, and drop off your household batteries in the blue bucket by the front office!

Glow Party

March 15th from 5:30-7:30PM

Our Glow Party is ON! We've got a DJ cranking tunes, black lights turning the place into a glow-in-the-dark wonderland, and the best part? It's all FREE and fabulously fun!

Bring your family, meet up with classmates, and let's light up the night with some seriously awesome dance moves! Save the date, Santiago crew – it's gonna be a glowin' good time!



Walk & Roll to School

March 15th

Join the STEAM Green Team in taking a step towards a greener planet. Even families who live far from school can participate. Take the bus, carpool, or drive part way to school, and walk the rest of the way with friends. We can’t wait to see you all making a difference for our environment. 

Click here to review the safety map for suggested routes and safety tips!




Yearbook Cover Art Contest

Due by March 13th

It is time to start our Yearbook Cover Contest! Entries are due by Wednesday, March 13, 2024.

This year's theme will be "GROWING TOGETHER" as our students grow together as friends and as a community.

Please follow these instructions:

STEAM Green Speaker Series: Teens Against E-Waste

March 12th at 2:30PM

Join us on Tuesday, March 12th for our monthly STEAM Green Speaker Series. This month's topic will be Teens Against E-Waste! This event is FREE, no need to RSVP! Just grab a seat on the front benches at dismissal and ENJOY! 

March PTA Meeting

March 7th at 6:30PM on Zoom

Join us for our March PTA Meeting! This meeting will include our annual election to vote in the 2024-2025 PTA board members. 

The meeting will be held via Zoom on Thursday, March 7th at 6:30PM.  Please refer to Mrs. Thomsen's ParentSquare communication for the registration link.


First Friday Recycling

March 1st from 7:50-8:30AM

Start saving those empty bottles and cans! 

Instead of tossing them in your home bins, set them aside for a good cause! The first Friday of each month we’re collecting your recyclables. Simply take the “recycling” side of the drop off lane and hand them off to our friends from @pinkrecycling - so easy!

It takes just a minute to raise big money for Santiago’s green programs. Plus, did you know when you recycle for CRV your waste has a better chance of getting reused? Good for the planet, good for our school…let’s do this! 

Accepted items: Beverage cans, Plastic bottles, Electronics, Scrap metal (please contact us for items larger than a toaster). Presorting helpful, but not required. 

Career Day - Volunteers Needed!

February 29th 

Get ready for CAREER DAY here at Santiago STEAM. The PTA is looking for 17 parent volunteers to speak to our students about their careers on Thursday February 29, 2024. Speakers need to be at the school from 8:15 – 10:15 AM and will speak to three classes.

Please email PTALynseyDouglas@gmail.com if you are interested (include the grade + teacher’s name of any classes you would like to speak to).

All careers are welcome!

STEAM Green's Walk & Roll to School Day

February 23th 

Join the STEAM Green Team in taking a step towards a greener planet. Even families who live far from school can participate. Take the bus, carpool, or drive part way to school, and walk the rest of the way with friends. We can’t wait to see you all making a difference for our environment. 

Click here to review the safety map for suggested routes and safety tips!

Donate Pet Shelter Items

February 5th-29th

The STEAM Green Team will be collecting pet shelter items in February! Stay tuned for more information to come. 

PTA Spirit Wear Sale

February 1st-12th

The school spirit wear ordering window is open now through February 9th. This will be the last shirt sale of the school year, so be sure to get your orders in before the window closes!

Spirit wear will be delivered to school on February 22nd.


Nominate Yourself for the PTA Board

Until February 1st

Are you interested in being more involved in the PTA and helping make a difference at our school? Nominate yourself for the PTA board for the 2024-2025 school year!

All qualified candidates should be a PTA member for at least 30 days and available to attend meetings on the first Thursday of every month at 6:30PM.

If you're interested in joining, please complete our interest survey by February 1st. For more information on the PTA board positions and responsibilities, please refer to the Executive Board Duties page.

For additional questions, please reach out to info@santiagopta.com


STEAM Green's Guest Speaker Series - OC Master Gardeners

January 23rd 

An interactive discovery of edible plants, a tasting session, and a giveaway. Event will be held at school at dismissal (2:30PM) at the front benches, weather permitting. Event is FREE and OPEN TO ALL.

STEAM Green's Walk & Roll to School Day

January 19th 

Join the STEAM Green Team in taking a step towards a greener planet. Even families who live far from school can participate. Take the bus, carpool, or drive part way to school, and walk the rest of the way with friends. We can’t wait to see you all making a difference for our environment. 

Click here to review the safety map for suggested routes and safety tips!

REcycle Winter Coats

All January

Outgrown your winter jacket or coat? Has your style changed?

We’re collecting clean, gently used winter clothing for local families, such as jackets, coats, sweaters, sweatshirts, socks, beanies, scarves, and blankets.

Adult and child sizes are welcome. Please leave items neatly in the bin near the front office, and take home any you’ll enjoy!

PTA Meeting

January 11th at 6:30PM on Zoom

Join us for the first PTA Meeting of 2024! The meeting will be held via Zoom on Thursday, January 11th at 6:30PM.  Please refer to Mrs. Thomsen's ParentSquare communication from January 7th for the registration link.


Winter Spirit Week

December 4th-8th

Save the dates for our winter spirit week! This spirit week is going to be a "mini" staff appreciation week to help show our teachers and staff how grateful we are for them!

Recycle Toys & Games

December 4th-8th

Drop off games to trade and recycle! Take your pick at Outdoor Movie night (December 8th), we’ll send the rest for recycling or donation.

Outdoor Movie Night

December 8th from 5:00PM-8:00PM

Have you been meaning to plan a playdate with friends from school but you keep kicking the idea down the road? Why not make it happen, and meet up at this free family movie night! 

The event will be setup in the Kindergarten Yard at school. We will be showing the Polar Express movie, along with providing several 5 STEAM activities kids can enjoy, such as making your own snow or building a reindeer!

This is a free community event, but please be sure to bring the following:

STEAM Green's Walk & Roll to School Day

December 15th 

Join the STEAM Green Team in taking a step towards a greener planet. Even families who live far from school can participate. Take the bus, carpool, or drive part way to school, and walk the rest of the way with friends. We can’t wait to see you all making a difference for our environment. 

Click here to review the safety map for suggested routes and safety tips!

PTA Coffee Connections

December 15th from 8:15-9:00AM

 The Santiago Steam Elementary PTA is organizing a get-together where we will have the wonderful opportunity to chat and get to know each other better! We will be meeting in the MPR at 8:15AM right after school drop-off. Join us for some coffee, pastries, and holiday cheer!

Full Sized Scarecrow Winners

On display until November 3rd!

Thank you so much to all the families and groups who entered the Scarecrows for STEAM Contest this year. The scarecrows were absolutely amazing. The students had a blast exploring each one and voting for their favorites!! What wonderful examples of exploring STEAM skills with an emphasis in ART through community and play.

These scarecrows will remain on display through the Fall Festival THIS FRIDAY from 5PM-8PM to line our Scarecrow Forest. Please come check them out if you haven't already. Individual scarecrows will remain on display in the MPR alongside the Book Fair.

Full-Sized Family Scarecrow Winners:

Full-Sized Group Scarecrow Winners:

Family 1st Place winner received a $50 Target Gift Card

Family 2ndPlace winner received a $40 Target Gift Card

Family 3rd Place winner received a $30 Target Gift Card

Group Winner received 100 Packets of Seeds

Beware the Candy Monster

October 23rd - November 3rd

Leading up to the Fall Festival & Silent Auction we will be hosting spooky monsters at Santiago STEAM. Don’t be scared, they can be tamed by a simple trick. Feed them candy! Help our scary monster collect candy for the trick-or-treat trail by feeding it unopened bags of candy.

Book fair

October 30th - November 3rd

Save the dates for our upcoming Book Fair! The Book Fair will be setup in the MPR from October 30th - November 3rd and will be open during the evening of Fall Festival as well. 

November PTA Meeting

November 2nd at 6:30PM

Join us for our November General PTA Meeting! This month we will be meeting on Zoom. Please be sure to pre-register to join. 


Please see the details below for how to join:

Fall Festival & Silent Auction

November 3rd from 5:00PM-8:00PM

Join us for a night of fun during this year's fall festival! Activities will include a large inflatable obstacle course and triple-lane slide, games, STEAM booths, a trick-or-treat trail, and silent auction! Its a great way to spend time with friends and have fun!


Tickets will be used for the inflatables, STEAM activity booths, games, snack bar, and pizza dinner. To purchase tickets in advance and avoid the lines, please click here

Additionally, volunteers and donations are needed for the silent auction! If you are interested in contributing, please click here for more information or email santiagosilentauction@gmail.com!

STEAM Green's Walk & Roll to School Day

October 20th 

Join the STEAM Green Team in taking a step towards a greener planet. Even families who live far from school can participate. Take the bus, carpool, or drive part way to school, and walk the rest of the way with friends. We can’t wait to see you all making a difference for our environment. 

Click here to review the safety map for suggested routes and safety tips!

STEAM Green's Plastic Bottle Recycling

October 13th from 7:30AM-9:00AM

Save up those plastic bottles! Santiago is keeping plastic out of the landfills, and raising money for a good cause!

ONE DAY ONLY, Friday October 13 from 7:30-9:00 am, bring your clean plastic containers at drop off time. Come through the drive-thru dropoff line, we’ll have a special lane dedicated to recycling and a crew ready to help unload.

Scrap material value of the recyclables will be shared between Santiago and PINK Foundation, a non-profit protecting the environment while empowering women in vulnerable situations.

Note: Please, for the safety of our students, NO GLASS. Aluminum cans will also be accepted, if sorted separately from the plastics.

Fund Photos

October 7th-8th

Join us Oct. 7th-8th for a classic family photoshoot along a beautiful neighborhood park. Each family gets a 15-minute portrait session and 2 digital images with a $50 donation to Santiago STEAM Magnet Elementary.


Additional images and prints available for purchase starting at $30

Pumpkin City Fundraiser

October 5th (Deadline September 29th)

Join us on October 5th from 3:30 – 8:30 pm for an exciting adventure at Pumpkin City’s Pumpkin Farm at 24203 Avenida de la Carlota in Laguna Hills. 

Families can purchase a Pumpkin City Wristband Pass, which will allow their child to ride all the carnival rides at Pumpkin City as many times as they like on their reserved Pumpkin City Wristband Night for $25 per child! 

Order by September 29th. Wristband passes will be delivered to students on October 3. This special pass is ONLY valid on October 5th, so don’t miss out!

Raise Craze Fundraiser - The Kindess Challenge

September 11th-29th

What is Raise Craze? 

Raise Craze is an online platform enabling students to set up secure, custom websites where they request donations via email, text, or social. During the fundraiser, students pay it forward by completing Acts of Kindness for others.

Why are we doing Raise Craze for our annual school fundraiser? 

We want to continue to make our school a better place by providing helpful and enriching benefits to our students & families, but that takes money! We've chosen Raise Craze to help with these needs because it keeps kindness and inclusivity at the center, while allowing our school to keep 90% PLUS! WooHoo!

STEAM Green's Walk & Roll to School Day

September 15th 

Join the STEAM Green Team in taking a step towards a greener planet. Even families who live far from school can participate. Take the bus, carpool, or drive part way to school, and walk the rest of the way with friends. We can’t wait to see you all making a difference for our environment. 

Click here to review the safety map for suggested routes and safety tips!

Santiago STEAM ANgels Day

September 10th at 1:07PM

Join Santiago Elementary School at Angel Stadium as your Angels take on the visiting Cleveland Guardians with tickets starting at just $16 each!

Enjoy upgraded seating choices including Field All-Star and Club MVP seats.

Tickets are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For those who want to sit next to one another, be sure to purchase the tickets together at the same time so they are assigned the best seats available within that section. Feel free to share this link with friends and family!

First PTA Meeting

September 7th at 6:30PM

Join us for the first PTA meeting of the year! We will be meeting in-person in the MPR on campus. 

Come hear more about all of the upcoming activities and learn more about how you can get involved!

PTA Spirit Wear Sale

Extended through August 31st!

The school spirit wear ordering window has been extended until August 31st!

All orders will be delivered to the school by September 15th. 

Kids and adult sizes are available!


Santiago PTA Coffee Connections

Wednesday, August 16th, 2023 from 8:15AM - 8:45AM

The Santiago Steam Elementary PTA is organizing a get-together where we will have the wonderful opportunity to learn more about the essential role our PTA plays in fostering a thriving learning environment for our students. This event will also mark a momentous occasion as we warmly welcome our new principal, Mrs. Thomsen, to our close-knit community. We hope to see you all there!

National Green Ribbon Ceremony

Tuesday, August 8th, 2023

Santiago STEAM Magnet Teachers and PTA Delegates are in DC to celebrate our National Green Ribbon Award! Those who wish to watch the ceremony from home can do so on Tuesday, 8/8 from 6:30AM–7AM. (keynote speakers) and 11AM–12:30PM (awards presentation) on the U.S. Department of Education’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@USEdGov ). 

Special PTA Meeting

Monday August 7th, 2023 at 12:00pm

Your Santiago STEAM PTA invites you to join our special association meeting on Monday August 7th at 12:00 PM.  We will be meeting to approve a travel expense to send the Santiago STEAM Delegation to the Green Ribbon Ceremony and events in Washington DC.


This meeting will be held via ZOOM. Please see the details below for how to join: