From the Principal
Dear White Oaks Families,
October is Safety Month
Each year we join other Californians in participating in the International Shakeout Day which is always the third Thursday of October, which this year is Thursday, October 15. There has been a lot of uncertainty over the past few months. Work environments are adapting and changing. Schools are considering how to operate. It seems like every day, we are confronting new challenges. All while earthquakes are still happening.
As with any year, we can "Shakeout" when and where we want, whether that's at home, work, school, or perhaps through a video conference with people working or taking classes from home. We can and should still practice how to be safe when the earth shakes, especially when your situation changes.
This year, on October 15 at 10:15am, we will participate in the Great California Shakeout at White Oaks for anyone who is on campus, but we will not be doing the safety drill live on Zoom. Teachers will need to either pause or stop any live sessions they're doing and will resume approximately 10 minutes after the drill. We encourage families to have a plan in the event of a major emergency and to practice safety procedures, such as “Drop, cover, and hold-on” and hope that you can participate wherever you are with your family.
White Oaks staff will be 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 attachedBig Five Parent Flyer. If you want to dig a little deeper, take a look at the 2020-21 Big Five Community Packet. When school is in session on campus, our emergency plan will be in place and communicated with our families.
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, safety of our students is a top priority.
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As part of the October safety month, teachers will also be taking State mandated training in October. This year the list has grown to include safety training around Covid health practices in addition to normally required yearly training. In order for teachers to complete this training, there will be one day of mostly independent work / asynchronous learning this month. Grade levels will choose the day with the least disruption to the daily schedule. You can expect to have students log in for a morning meeting, work throughout the day on independent work assignments or asynchronous learning and then meet for an end of the day class meeting. Teachers will be using the time during the day to complete the required safety training in compliance with California State guidelines. Teachers will send out more information on which day will be affected.
Sincerely,
Leah Scholer, Principal
[email protected]
School News and Events
Join TeamKid and Support White Oaks School
Distance Learning has presented new and unique challenges for our students and staff. Join TeamKid today by supporting the White Oaks PTA and SCEF. Your generous donations will be used to fund PTA programs this year like teacher stipends, art supplies, enrichment, staff appreciation, community building, special projects and needs, Healthy Cities Tutoring, and much, much more. SCEF donations will support grants for excellence in teaching, technology, mental health, electives and music as we plan for 2021-22.
Thank you for supporting TeamKid in our efforts to enhance and enrich your student’s education and provide tools for our teachers to create meaningful learning opportunities for their students. We have only raised about 7% of our $50K goal to date and our fundraising window closes in December.Join the TeamKid movement by making your PTA donation TODAY and planning your SCEF donation at a time that works best for your family. Find out more HERE.
October PTA Meeting - October 14
Please join us at our next PTA meeting on Wednesday, October 14 at 7:30pm via Zoom. We will receive a school update from Mrs. Scholer as well as hear from our 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. We hope to see you there.
JOIN THE WHITE OAKS PTA 2020 MEMBERSHIP CHALLENGE!
Last week at Welcome Wednesday we kicked off our PTA Membership Challenge!
Our Goal: 100% Membership!
But if we get to 85% by October 31, Mrs. Scholer will NOT ONLY wear a green wig, but will dance to a song LIVE on the first Welcome Wednesday of November.
The students will vote on 1) The Chicken Dance 2) The Hokey Pokey or 3) The Macarena!!
When: Wednesday, October 7
Where: Zoom
How: Log on to TOTEM ($20 per family membership fee)
PTA Mission
PTA is the longest-running advocacy group in the nation. Our goal is to support and celebrate partnerships, programs, and events that enrich the educational experience, community, and overall well-being of students, teachers, and parents. Our goal this year is to advocate for every child locally, state-wide, and nationally and demand for quality education and funding.
Why is Your Membership Important?
- Every PTA membership helps give us a strong, powerful voice in advocating for our children with the California State Legislature
- 100% membership sends a message to Sacramento that our district is made up of voters who are concerned and involved
- Members play a role in decision-making at our monthly White Oaks PTA Meetings
Looking for a Way to Show Appreciation for the White Oaks Teachers and Staff?
There are countless reasons to appreciate the White Oaks Teachers and Staff! The Staff Appreciation Committee creates and plans ways to show them our love and gratitude. This includes Back to School treats, snack baskets during Parent Teacher Conference Week, fun things throughout the year, and celebration of teacher appreciation week. Please contact Annie Stevenson if you are interested in helping out or joining the committee. Thank you!
Calling All White Oaks Makers!
WHO: You!!
WHAT: The Monthly Maker OCTOBER Challenge - Building a Spooky Bone Bridge
WHERE: Submit your entries to [email protected]
WHEN: Submission deadline is October 31
WHY?: Let your imagination and STEAM skills run wild and have some fun! All entries will be featured on the White Oaks Virtual Makerspace!
More details can be found in the White Oaks Weekly (WOW) and of course on the website.
District News and Events
SMARTE Afterschool Clubhouse
Do your children miss spending time with other kids? Would they like to join their friends in the SMARTE Clubhouse? We still have a few openings in our program!
The SMARTE Clubhouse is providing 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
- Part-time care, 3-days or 2-days a week
The SMARTE Clubhouse 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. 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
Proposition 15 - Schools & Community First
The San Carlos School District unanimously approved a resolution in support of Prop 15 Schools and Communities First on the ballot in November. The District would receive an estimated $1,896,397 and the City of San Carlos $4,112,000 in additional funding if the initiative passes. According to the measure's sponsors, The California Schools & Local Communities Funding Act would raise an estimated $12 billion annually statewide for schools and local communities including $830 million for San Mateo County.
For details, go to the California PTA's website.
SCSD Parent Website
We hope you will check out our new SCSD Pandemic Care & Support website that specifically addresses resources for our school community during the Pandemic.
We've created a Parent Education Calendar and will keep that updated with new events. Note: we will be adding new events to this calendar regularly, so you may wish to link the calendar to your own.
The site also houses pages for Counseling & Mental Health where you will find links to make appointments with your school counselors, along with information such as the Green Folder which details an action plan to help during a mental health crisis. We added a page about Meals & Groceries just to make sure everyone knows how to order weekly meal boxes and get support from the PTA if you need groceries.
Finally, you'll find our newly-released guidelines for families about the process we are following if a student is ill. Each time those processes are revised, we will let you know.