From the Principal
Dear White Oaks Families,
With Halloween coming up this week, we are all wondering how we will celebrate the holidays while following safety and health guidelines. As with so much of 2020, our holidays are going to look quite different, and yet it is important to mark these occasions, especially with our children and to find creative alternatives to our traditional Halloween parties and parades. Please take some time to review the San Mateo County Health Officer’s Halloween Safety Guidance. It outlines activities that are banned (e.g., large gatherings) and other activities that are strongly discouraged (e.g., trick or treating) due to COVID safety concerns. There are also safe alternatives highlighted that celebrate this time of year.
As always, White Oaks also supports the Teal Pumpkin Project, raising awareness for food allergies and promoting inclusion of all trick-or-treaters. This year the project will not be hosting a teal pumpkin map, but instead they are encouraging families to take the Teal Pumpkin Pledge telling your friends and neighbors that you want Halloween to be safe for everyone.
Although we won’t be able to have our annual live Halloween parade at school, we are planning a virtual parade via our Welcome Wednesday on Wednesday, October 28 at 8:45am.
Students are invited to participate by taking one photo and adding it to our shared album by Tuesday, October 27. The photo can be of anything Halloween. Please keep it age appropriate for our P-3 children, including no weapons. Some photo ideas include:
- Pumpkin / Jack-o-lantern carvings
- House Halloween decorations
- You in your costume
- Halloween Art
We will then compile the photos into a slideshow playing our annual Halloween Parade music playlist and watching it as a whole school on October 28.
Join in the fun, take those photos and add your photo to our shared album: White Oaks’ Virtual Halloween Parade 2020 by Tuesday, October 27.
White Oaks School Virtual Halloween Parade flyer
Sincerely,
Leah Scholer, Principal
[email protected]
School News and Events
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.
Parent Book Group Discussion
The White Oaks PTA Anti-Racism Idea Team will be hosting a virtual parent book group discussion on Tuesday, November 10 at 7:30pm. We will be discussing the book, So You Wanna Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo. This will be an open group discussion that all are welcome to join and feel safe to share their thoughts. If you're interested please RSVP here. A zoom link will be sent out closer to the event date.
JOIN THE WHITE OAKS PTA 2020 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, November 7
Where: Zoom
How: Log on to TOTEM ($20 per family membership fee)
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.
Proposition 15 - Schools & Community First
The White Oaks PTA has joined the San Carlos School District in approving 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.
SCEF News and Events
BOO! Sadly, the 10th Annual Halloween Candy Buy-Back will not be happening this year. SCEF is grateful for the ongoing support of Dr. Mike Chang, Dr. Nancy Kaher and Dr. Urmi Amin, and we are proud to announce that they are making a donation matching the 2019 candy total. Thank you to Drs. Chang, Kaher & Amin for their continued support of SCEF and San Carlos public education.
SCEF is proud to partner with PTAs and the District to bring you some wonderful parent education opportunities over the next few weeks. Mark your calendar for the events below and visit the Parent Education & Resources page for details and registration.
District News and Events
COVID-19 Testing Available for Children in San Mateo County
The County of San Mateo announced FREE testing for COVID-19 is available for children age 5 and older starting Tuesday, October 20 - a new option that expands the County's testing capacity. Testing is open by appointment to all families that live in San Mateo County with children ages 5 and older. Appointments for the drive-through testing at the San Mateo County Event Center are available weekdays from 1-8pm. The County is offering a simple-to-use oral mouth swab test that is self-administered for children and families in partnership with Curative Inc., a rapid diagnostics firm based in Southern California. Curative has the capacity to test over 500 individuals each day at the Event Center with results available typically within 48 hours. With the addition of testing by Curative, the County has the capacity to test up to 7,500 individuals each week. There is no cost to participants.
Parent Screening: The Social Dilemma Wednesday, Oct 28
We tweet, we like, and we share - but what are the consequences of our growing dependence on social media? In the Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, Silicon Valley insiders reveal how social media is reprogramming civilization by exposing what’s hiding on the other side of your screen. Take a look here at this thought-provoking trailer.
This is such an important topic, especially now that we (and our children) have become so dependent on the screen to stay connected both socially and academically, Mrs. Scholer, Principal of White Oaks, will be hosting a screening of this documentary, followed by a discussion on Wednesday, October 28 from 7:30-9:30pm (adults only).
If you are interested in attending, please RSVP here by Monday, October 27. Participants will receive the Zoom link beforehand.
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!
San Carlos School District Preschool Program
Did you know that the San Carlos School District Preschool is open and safely running? Children are painting, building, creating, learning and playing with their friends. They are happy and enjoying their days in the preschool classroom.
The program has been open and safely running Monday-Friday from 7:30am-5pm since May 11. Your preschooler is welcome to attend 2, 3, 4 or 5 days - we have open spots available at each of the four elementary sites.
Each preschool classroom is self contained with up to 12 children and 2 teachers. A strict health and safety protocol is followed each day. Children and teachers are wearing masks as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
To find out more information, visit our preschool website or contact the Director of the program, Sue Dawley at [email protected]. She will be happy to answer all of your questions.
Community News and Events
San Carlos Park & Recreation
San Carlos Parks & Rec’s Halloween Decorating Contest Map is ready to view: https://viewer.mapme.com/schalloweenmap
Residents can visit decorated homes and businesses around San Carlos. Get ready for a spooky night as you explore the Halloween fun our residents have prepared! We ask that all community members stay in their cars when viewing all 46 Halloween displays. For more information, visit: cityofsancarlos.org/halloweendecorating.
Happy Halloween!