White Oaks Weekly - October 13, 2019

From the Principal

Dear Families,

We will be participating in the "Great California Shakeout" earthquake drill this Thursday 10/17 at 11:00. Our students will practice "Drop, cover, hold," and then be evacuated to our assembly areas, practicing what we'd do if the emergency didn't allow us to return to classrooms. White Oaks staff have been reviewing and updating our White Oaks Emergency Plan that describes our teams working together for our overall safety in an emergency. We are utilizing protocols developed by the Coalition for Safe Schools and Communities in San Mateo County, called "The Big Five". Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the Big Five Protocols by reading over the Big Five Parent Flyer. If you would like to dig a little deeper, take a look at the Big Five Community Packet

Our emergency plan includes communication with the district and parents. Teachers are assigned to various emergency response roles, including student assembly leaders who stay and supervise students in grade-level teams when other teachers are “deployed” to their duty. Our plan also includes entrance security, with staff at each of our entrance and exit areas directing emergency response vehicles and personnel as well as parents, and it includes a student release protocol. Students will be released individually to parents or authorized guardians and adults at the student release station which parents will be informed of upon entering campus. Parents will be directed to park off-site allowing for emergency vehicles to have priority. It is critical that parents follow our student release protocol so we can make sure all students are safe and accounted for.

In the event of a true emergency, the best thing you can do as a parent is to stay away from the school (and refrain from calling, keeping phone lines open for emergency personnel) until you are notified to come pick up your student. We understand that is extremely difficult but it’s important for us to focus on students in an emergency. While keeping parents calm and informed is critical, student safety will be our highest priority and it’s best if we can avoid anything that distracts from that.

None of us want to be involved in a real emergency, but practicing and being prepared will be key in keeping our kids and staff safe and reuniting with parents if the state of our building isn’t usable. Please be assured, the safety of our students is a top priority
We encourage parents to review these safety conversations with their own families. Have a family plan in the event of an emergency, helping your children know the plan and know how to call 911 in their own homes.

Sincerely,

Leah Scholer, Principal
[email protected]

 

School News and Events

October PTA Meeting
Please join us for our next PTA meeting on October 16 at 7:00pm. We will be discussing the Walk-a-thon and receive a school update from Mrs. Scholer. This meeting will take place at Debbie Blucher’s house (1550 Cedar). Refreshments will be served. We look forward to seeing you there.

Spiritwear Store Now Open!
Check out our online store to order your White Oaks Spiritwear. Ordering is only available until October 31 for this school year!! Samples will be available to check sizing at the Walk-a-thon and Welcome Wednesdays. Contact Catherine Dunne if you have any questions or comments.

PTA Appreciation
We would like to give a huge thanks to Natalie Joyce for organizing our White Oaks Day of Service. Thank you for organizing the event and the volunteer efforts. Our students and teachers are so grateful for the cleanup and beautification projects done throughout our school. 

Thank you to all the families who volunteered! We greatly appreciate you taking time out of your weekend to give back to our school.

Walk-a-Thon is NEXT SUNDAY!
The best part of the Walk-a-Thon (Sunday, October 20) is that everybody joins in: our kids walk and fundraise, our generous community partners sponsor, and our parents volunteer!

Fundraising: direct friends and family to www.whiteoaks.dojiggy.com to donate. Just click on Make a Pledge and search for your child’s name. You can also personalize your child’s page using the login information sent last week. All students are encouraged to raise $250, but any and all donations are accepted and appreciated!

Volunteering: please take a few minutes to check out all the volunteer opportunities available leading up to and during the Walk-a-Thon and Family Fun Day. From prepping snacks and equipment to managing the course to leading carnival games and more – there’s quite literally a job for everyone. We can’t do it without you!

Questions? Email us at [email protected]. Also, if you spotted the typo in last week’s flyer (oops!!) please note the correct date is Sunday, October 20th.

Maverick Jack’s Community Event
Please join us for a fun night out at Maverick Jack’s (622 Laurel Street, San Carlos), on Wednesday, October 23. Mention “White Oaks” when placing your order and Maverick Jack’s will generously donate 20% of the total to our school. Dine-in or Take-out anytime between 11am-9pm (3rd party delivery services like Door Dash do not apply). Take advantage of early release day and grab some friends for lunch and/or swing by for dinner. Don't forget to give a shout out to White Oaks so we get credit for your visit. We look forward to seeing you there!

Join Our Fundraiser and Help Us Add an Extra $75 to Our Fundraising Check
Have you tried Good Eggs yet? Now is your chance. If three new families new to Good Eggs join our fundraiser this week we will earn an extra $75 to add to our final check.

Use our school code on your first Good Eggs order at checkout to join the fundraiser. Current Good Eggs customers can enter our school code as well and will earn 5% back on all orders.

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How to join the fundraiser:

  1. Visit schools.goodeggs.com
  2. Enter the school code whiteoaksfall2019. Click "Shop Now."
  3. Add your groceries to your Good Eggs basket and check out.

New customers get $20 off their first order with this code. We'll earn a $150 bonus if 10 new families try Good Eggs for the first time, and an additional $350 for 20. Thank you for your support and happy shopping.

 

SCEF News

TOWN event was a record-breaking success!
Thank you for your support of SCEF. Sunday’s Evening at TOWN broke all fundraising records for this event because of the generosity of our community. A huge THANK YOU to Greg St. Claire and his partners and staff for an amazing venue and meal. Shout-out to Roberta Marks, Tanya Lehman, Annie Ramirez, Debbie Blucher and Christopher Kashap for their behind the scenes work on the event and auction. SCEF relies on in-kind donations from local professionals and we would like to recognize graphic designer Adria Olender and printer Moquin Press for their in-kind donations putting together the TOWN program. Thank you to event photographer Lisa Noble for capturing the spirit of the evening! Photos and more can be found at https://www.scefkids.org/news/.

Do you work for Oracle?
If you work for Oracle, please sign in to the Oracle Volunteering Portal to log any volunteer hours at your school or with with Healthy Cities tutoring. Keeping track of this volunteer information helps SCEF when we make our grant request to Oracle each year. The Oracle grant supports technology and professional development. 

Faculty and Friends’ Got Talent!
Beloved San Carlos music teachers and instructors along with other local musicians will perform on Friday, November 8 at the 14th annual Friends and Faculty Concert. This popular event is great for the whole family and all proceeds benefit SCSD middle school music programs. To purchase tickets, please visit https://www.scefkids.org/events/.

Come out and hear some of your favorites do their thing! Performers include Doug Chin, Chris Anthony, Joe Murphy,  Sara Murphy, Katie Tupper, Tabitha Tetreault, Selena Gould, Scott Daily, Grace Schulz, Hummingbird Music, and The Peninsula Scottish Fiddlers. 

  • Friday, November 8, 2019
  • 7:00 pm
  • St. Charles Church in San Carlos

 

District News and Events

New Student Registration
The San Carlos School District will be opening the first window of registration for any NEW students enrolling for the 2020-2021 school year, on November 1, 2019. This registration window is open until February 28, 2020 and parents may register at anytime during this period. 

New Student Registration is for all incoming Kindergarten, Transitional Kindergarten and any student in grades 1st through 8th that will be new to the District (currently enrolled students do not need to complete this process).

Visit our website for more information.

Preschool & Kindergarten Parent Information Meeting
Have an incoming Kindergartener? Looking for a great preschool? Join us for our Preschool & Kindergarten Parent Information Night on Monday, November 18 from 6:30-8:00pm in Mustang Hall. Info Night is designed to provide parents and guardians with information about the San Carlos School District and its programs.

Highlights:

  • How to Register for School
  • Overview of our District, Schools, Preschool, Kindergarten & Transitional Kindergarten programs
  • Meet the Elementary School Principals
  • Parent/Teacher Association (PTA) Overview
  • San Carlos Education Foundation Overview
  • Resources Booths for Parents - Afterschool Programs, Healthy Cities Tutoring, Sequoia Health Care District

Visit our website for more information.

 

Community News and Events

Healthy Cities Tutoring Orientation and Training for New & Existing Tutors
Join us and make a difference in the life of a child. Healthy Cities Tutoring matches volunteer tutors with students in K-8th grade who are struggling in school and need additional support. Tutoring is just 45 minutes once a week, and timing is flexible with openings before, during, or after school. Tutors select the school(s) and grade-level(s) they prefer and we match them accordingly.

Attend one of our upcoming training sessions on Wednesday, October 16, 8:30am-10am or 6:30pm-8:30pm at White Oaks School to learn how to help children one-on-one in the areas of reading, writing, math, engagement in learning, and self-esteem. Additional trainings on 10/22 at Henry Ford Elementary & 11/7 at Clifford School.

Visit healthycitiestutoring.org for more information.

Chickens’ Ball Variety Show PTA Fundraiser
Got Talent? Want to raise money for your kids’ music and art programs? Want to have fun? Sign up online and attend auditions October 24 or October 26 at Heather Elementary school. Watch our short video for all the info you need. www.chickensball.org.

Special Screening of Ghostbusters!
The San Carlos Youth Center will be hosting a special screening of Ghostbusters (the original) on the big screen at Youth Center gym on Friday, October 18 from 7-9pm! The movie will begin at 7:00pm, but arrive early for FREE Mister Softee, games, and a haunted house starting at 6pm. The event will be chaperoned by Youth Center Staff.

All Aboard for The Transportation Museum
The Transportation Museum features interactive and educational exhibits and activities related to all kinds of transportation. This year's museum will take place on Sunday, October 27 from 10-3 inside the Multi-Use Room at Brittan Acres.

This year's exhibits include analyzing the legacy of the Transcontinental Railroad, exploring transit-oriented development in the Bay Area, traversing the world's most extreme airports, and an in-depth look at the history of SamTrans. In addition, there will also be a hands-on flight simulator and bus driving simulator, a transit-themed escape room, a virtual reality activity, and outreach booths hosted by representatives from local transit agencies, including the California High-Speed Rail Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and more. You can learn more at TheTransportationMuseum.com.