From the Principal
Dear White Oaks Families,
Now that we are heading into the second full week of school and you have had a chance to learn more about your child(ren)’s classroom(s) during Back to School Night, we are working hard to implement the routines and expectations that come with the new school year. Students are learning classroom rules, expected behaviors for live instruction, and how to transition into the “school” mindset. For some children, this settling-in process seems smooth, and for others, it takes longer and may require additional support and effort.
I want to take a minute to appreciate how hard this is. This is hard for kids, parents, and teachers. We can do hard things but it helps when we tell ourselves it is ok and accept that it really is hard. We, as a society, are still in crisis mode. If we weren’t, we’d be in school together. I read an article title, “Your ‘Surge Capacity’ is Depleted - It’s Why You Feel Awful” and it really helped me put things in perspective and validated the way I sometimes feel. Be sure to be kind to yourself and others.
Attendance and Engagement Matters
Attendance matters just like “regular school”. We have state mandates to adhere to this year, just like “regular school”. Teachers will be taking roll, live on Zoom, each morning. They will be recording student attendance in PowerSchool, our student data system, at the start of the day. If a child shows up for their morning Zoom and is counted in attendance, but then leaves for the rest of the school day, the child’s attendance will be corrected as “absent”.
Teachers are also required, by the state, to monitor and document engagement. The district will be tracking engagement data as well and is required to submit engagement data to the state, along with attendance data.
If you know your child will be absent, please contact the school office to inform Teresa Williams, just like “regular school”. Parents will receive automatic phone notices of any uncleared absences each day.
I will reach out to families once a child has been marked with three unexcused absences to learn more about the family situation and to inquire how we can support your child’s improved attendance. Three or more unexcused absences are considered to be truant. Let’s work together to make virtual school as close to “regular school” as possible.
School-Wide Expectations
To support our students and build a strong home-to-school connection, it helps when we are all using a common language. We will be talking more about “The White Oaks Way” and our school-wide expectations every week during Welcome Wednesday and teachers will be discussing in their classes and encouraging students with Owl bucks. I will be “visiting” all the classrooms next week to go over these expectations, how students can earn Owl bucks and information about Owl buck drawings during Welcome Wednesday. I’ll include more details about that in next week’s WOW as well. Here are some resources to refer to when talking with your child(ren) about expectations around school.
White Oaks Way Resources:
Destressing
This is a stressful time for most of us and while we are working on getting into the “groove” of things, consider using the resources below to help create structure, routine, and overall “calmness” at home. Also, do not hesitate to reach out to your teacher, myself, or our school counselor, Kim Arasato ([email protected]), for any guidance you may need to support your students during Distance Learning.
Helpful Resources:
- Distance Learning: 4 Smart Tech Solutions for Keeping your Kid on Track
- Back-to-School Care Package from One Life Journal
- How You and Your Kids can Destress During Coronavirus - PBS Kids
Calming Resources:
- 5 Meditation and Mindfulness Activities for Families
- Bee Calm
- Goodnight Yoga
- I am Peace
- The Secret of Saying Thanks and 7 Yoga Poses for Kids and Parents to do together
Sincerely,
Leah Scholer, Principal
[email protected]
School News and Events
First PTA Meeting - September 2 at 8pm
Don’t miss our first PTA meeting of the year on Wednesday, September 2 at 8pm via Zoom. We will be hearing about our incredible year ahead from our principal, Mrs. Scholer and our new Idea Teams. All parents are welcome to attend! Just a friendly reminder that to be eligible to vote, you must be a member of the PTA. Look for the Zoom link in last week's WOW email. We hope to see you there.
Join the White Oaks PTA
Join the White Oaks PTA! We are hoping you join us in reaching 100% PTA membership this year!
How Do I Join?
Log on to Totem
What is the Cost?
$20 per family
Why Join the PTA?
CONNECT with new friends and the White Oaks community
SUPPORT school-wide events and programs
MAKE your voice heard in Sacramento
SCEF News
Two Great Ways to Support SCEF This Year
Please support our efforts through your workplace giving program, where you can make a one-time gift, or set up for a monthly recurring gift. Check Double the Donation to see if your company participates. We know that MANY companies have special DOUBLE or TRIPLE opportunities between now and the end of 2020. Check your company’s internal website/intranet for these AMAZING giving opportunities.
If your employer doesn’t offer a charitable giving program, please consider setting up a recurring gift to SCEF. Select a monthly amount that you are comfortable with and see how easy it is to meet our annual ask of $1500 per student. For example, if you act NOW, $150/mo x 10 months (Sept-June) gets you to the “ask”. As always, whatever amount works for your family is appreciated! Go to www.scefkids.org/donate to set-up your monthly contribution.
District News and Events
SMARTE Afterschool Clubhouse - Grades TK-3
We still have a few openings in our SMARTE Afterschool Clubhouse program!
The SMARTE Clubhouse will open on Wednesday, August 19 to provide on-site, all-day care while schools are on a distance learning schedule.
Programs will run from 8:30am-4:30pm each day. We have three different options available for families:
- Full-time care 5-days a week on all school sites
- Part-time 3-days or 2-days a week on either the Arundel or Brittan Acres campus
The SMARTE Clubhouse is dedicated to enriching children's lives outside of school. It provides a fun, safe and welcoming place to spend time in a supervised childcare environment to support online learning along with engaging enrichment activities. The program is available to TK-3rd grade students at our four elementary schools - Arundel, Brittan Acres, Heather and White Oaks. Each program offers age-appropriate educational and enriching activities in a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Please visit the SMARTE Clubhouse website for more detailed information. If you have additional questions, please email us at [email protected]. Scholarships are available for families in need and we offer both an employee and sibling discount.
Click on the SMARTE Clubhouse Registration link to sign-up today!
Community News and Events
Healthy Cities Tutoring - Become a Tutor!
Join our community of volunteers who range in age from 14-96 and provide one-on-one tutoring and mentoring to students for 30-45 minutes per week to improve their academic performance, engagement in learning, and self-esteem. This year with distance learning we are seeking volunteers willing to be trained in tutoring a student remotely once a week. We expect the need to grow this year and hope you or someone you know will get involved in this rewarding volunteer experience.
If you are interested in learning more, please mark your calendar for our annual new tutor orientation & training which will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, September 15. There are two identical sessions, 10:00-11:00 am OR 7:00-8:00 pm. Please RSVP via the links to attend whichever time is most convenient for you.
For more information to become a Healthy Cities tutor, visit healthycitiestutoring.org and click VOLUNTEER to complete the online application or email [email protected].
Healthy Cities Tutoring is recruiting volunteers – Reach a child. Touch a Family.