White Oaks Weekly - November 15, 2020

Leah Scholer, Principal
[email protected]

Return to School Update
On Thursday, this survey was sent out to families. If you haven’t already, please take a few moments to take the survey as this will help us determine each family’s plan on returning as well as get a pulse on how distance learning has been going thus far. Connections families do not need to take this survey.

To help you to answer the survey questions to the best of your ability, we’ve outlined below what to expect for each phase of returning to school. 

Phase 1 - All staff returning to school sites on Nov. 16. PTA is graciously providing lunch tomorrow for all our staff as a “welcome back together” celebration!

Phase 2 - Urgent Learners start Nov. 30 (invitations will be sent out to families by Nov. 16). Not all students will be returning to school sites during this time. Teachers are working collaboratively with principals to determine our highest-needs students and will be providing additional instruction for them a few afternoons a week.

Phase 3 (Dec.) - Every student will have the opportunity to come to school for one afternoon between Dec. 7-17 for an intro and an activity. On Friday, December 4, students will have an asynchronous day as teachers will be using this time to plan and prepare for this phase.

Phase 3 (Jan.) - All students will be divided into two cohort groups A/B for two-afternoon sessions per week, with DL in the morning and in-person activities in the afternoons. Since core instruction will be taking place in the morning with all students, there will not be asynchronous work provided in the afternoons for the “B” cohorts (the students not on campus).

A tremendous amount of work has been done to ensure the safety of our students and staff while on campus, and our gratitude for your adherence to our protocols is immeasurable. We ask that each White Oaks family follow the CDE’s guidelines for Thanksgiving Celebrations and limit gatherings to those within your own household. This will go a long way in easing the minds of our teachers and other families as they return to in-person school. As always, we are better when we work together and we thank you in advance for your cooperation and support.

Please save the date for December 2nd at 7:30pm for an evening presentation that will provide you with additional information about our planned return to campus procedures.

School News and Events

White Oaks Book Fair Starts Today 
It's time for the White Oaks Book Fair! Please use this link to shop our book fair ALL THIS WEEK. The fair runs Sunday, 11/15 - Friday, 11/20. Choose from thousands of titles and shop from the comfort of your home. Books will be shipped to you and all orders over $25 earn FREE shipping. Proceeds from the book fair go towards buying books for the In-N-Out Library AND the school library when it opens again. THANK YOU for your support and happy reading!

White Oaks Store - THIS WEEK!
White Oaks Holiday Store is LIVE THIS WEEK ONLY!
The PTA-Sponsored White Oaks Holiday Store is a cherished tradition and WILL BE HAPPENING this year as a virtual store.

How will it work?
Students can shop “online” HERE starting Monday November 16 and the deadline for orders will be November 20. Gifts will be wrapped and ready for pick-up at school on December 12. Payments can be made online via PayPal or at the time of pick-up.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS WORK!

We are still looking for volunteers. ALL volunteers are welcome. Sewing skills are a plus! For those new to this event, you take home a kit that has all materials and instructions necessary to assemble a certain number of gifts. When they are ready, you bring them back. Your gifts are sold to the White Oaks students to give to family members on the holidays.

Please contact Sara Ting if you would like to volunteer to help wrap, etc. for pick-up day.

White Oaks Green Team
We are so excited to introduce our 2020 White Oaks Green Team! This year, it is being led by White Oaks alum, Paige Johnson. Paige and her sister, Grace, will be leading 2nd and 3rd graders in lessons about the environment, recycling and composting, pollution and more! The Green Team will be meeting every other Tuesday afternoon starting December 1. As of now, the plan is to hold these meetings in person from 3:30-4pm. Depending on the amount of interest we get, we may be able to hold an additional session from 4:05-4:35pm.

Following all of our Return to School Procedures, the Green Team will meet on the blacktop at White Oaks. If necessary, the Green Team will be able to pivot to virtual meetings and will hold material pick-ups for students who have signed up.

Check out Paige and Grace's introductional video and if you are interested in participating, please sign up here by Friday, November 20. Feel free to email Mrs. Scholer with any questions you might have.

Calling All White Oaks Makers
The NOVEMBER challenge is here, and this month it’s the “Wild Turkey Hideout” challenge where it’s up to you to help turkeys around the country escape their Thanksgiving day fate! Also please check out the “Made by Kids for Kids (K4K)” section where anyone can create a “how to” video to share. Ever wondered how to draw an owl? Ever has a special skill you wanted to tech others? If yes, the K4K section is the spot for you. More details, as well as the October challenge entries, can be found on the website. Keep making and building White Oaks!

White Oaks Gratitude Tree
During the month of November, we’ll be growing our first Gratitude Tree. It's an opportunity for the White Oaks community to reflect and share what they are thankful for. Here’s the plan:

• Print the gratitude leaves on white or color paper.
• Cut out the leaves.
• Write or draw what you are grateful for.
• Bring your leaves to school and share them on the tree.

The tree will be hung on the fence on Fairmont Ave. Hopefully, it will warm all our hearts to see the tree fill with color and gratitude throughout the month.

White Oaks Yearbook - First Photo Deadline and Call for Volunteers
This year your photo contributions are instrumental in the yearbook’s success. Please submit your First Day of School and Halloween Photos to the Jostens site by Friday, November 20. 

Instructions for uploading photos:

• LOG ON TO: images.jostens.com 
• Enter our school ID: 415473954
• Browse to select the photo(s) you wish to upload, click on “Select My Images.” 
• Click “Upload Chosen Images.” 

Other photos are also welcome now! Here are some ideas:

• Candid moments of your student learning virtually
• Music – student at home play instruments
• Virtual Events – Welcome Wednesdays, etc.
• Sports – Martial Arts, Dance, BMX, Equestrian, etc.
• Outside Play – water games, sidewalk chalk, hiking
• Celebrations – birthdays, traditions, cultural events, holidays
• Science/Math – experiments, STEM toys, LEGO creations

We still need Yearbook Class Rep for the following classes: McGuigan, Eaton, Murgo, Steele, Schas, Fox-Sennett, Cullinane, Bishop, Mitchell-Ardwan, Richards/Hardie, Norgaard, and Martin

It’s a fun and creative way to get involved. No previous experience in necessary. Click this link and sign up today!

Cyber Monday and Holiday Shopping is Just Around the Corner!
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support White Oaks PTA every time you shop. Use the link smile.amazon.com and Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase to our school. Create a bookmark and make it easy to remember. If you use chrome, clink on this link to activate a redirect that will automatically take you to smile.amazon.com whenever you type amazon.com. You'll never miss an opportunity to earn money for our school.

In-N-Out Books on Wednesday – W.O. Alumni Welcome!
The pop-up library will be set up on the East White Oaks Way cul-de-sac in front of the library from 1:30-2:30pm this Wednesday. Come by, return your books and check out some new ones. Also, we have quite a few reading options for 4th & 5th graders. White Oaks alumni are welcome to scooter over and pick up some books as well.

Lastly, we still need volunteers for this week. If you’re able to help, please sign up here.

SCEF News and Events

SCEF Day
Our fall SCEF Day is this Wednesday, November 18 and represents the beginning of SCEF’s annual fundraising campaign. We encourage everyone to celebrate SCEF day by wearing GREEN on their Wednesday school Zoom meetings! Bring the fun to your SCEF Day Zoom calls by downloading and coloring your own SCEF moustache and using this festive SCEF Virtual Background. Share the love on social media and decorate at home with SCEF Coloring Sheets or some fun sidewalk chalk art! Be sure to share your creativity online with the hashtag #SCEFday! Visit https://scefkids.org/scef-day-2020/to check out these and more fun and educational activities SCEF has planned for the week.

This flyer is a summary of our robust planning for both fundraising and grant-making for the 2020-21 school year.

Holiday Cooking Camp with Caroline & Paloma!
Let your kids cook for YOU! Sign-up your kids to cook 3 weeknight dinners AND prepare 3 side dishes for your Thanksgiving meal! Side dishes include Cranberry Relish (Monday), Butternut Squash Soup (Tuesday), and Pumpkin Pie (Wednesday). Recipes for weeknight dinners and side dishes are provided a week in advance with links to Instacart so you can shop quickly and easily for any missing ingredients! Class includes Digital Cookbook with all the recipes for you to print at home in advance of the classes. Tickets on sale now at https://paybee.io/@scef2020-21@1.

Mon-Wed, Nov 23-25, 4:30-6:30pm - Ages 6-18 - $125 ticket price counts toward your annual SCEF giving!

Honey Bear Christmas Trees
Honey Bear Trees is again coming to our area this Christmas season and offering SCEF a donation for every tree purchased when you mention SCEF. More information available here - https://scefkids.org/honey-bear-trees/.

We are thrilled to announce that over $830,000 of the giving last year was by YOUR employers. If you can give with a match through your workplace giving program, now is a great time to give as many companies are doubling or tripling their match in Nov/Dec. Visit www.doublethedonation.com/scef to see if your gift can be matched, or donate via your company’s internal website. If you have appreciated stock to donate by year end, please act now.

Honey Bear Trees is again coming to our area this Christmas season and offering SCEF a donation for every tree purchased when you mention SCEF. There is more information available here: https://scefkids.org/honey-bear-trees/

District News and Events

Inclusion Counts Parent Listening Sessions - Nov 17
The San Carlos Elementary School District is partnering with Inclusion Counts to assess our current state of diversity, equity and racial-justice. In order to ensure our priorities, goals and actions related to anti-racism in our community are reflective of our diverse community voices, we’re taking time to hear from members of our community - staff, students and families.

On Tuesday, November 17 we invite parents to participate in a Community Listening Session/ Group Interview with our consultants at Inclusion Counts. During this session, you will be asked to share about your experience at San Carlos Elementary School District - and, if applicable, how you/ your family has been affected by racism, bias or intolerance.

More information and session times can be found here.

Community News and Events

Healthy Cities Tutoring is Recruiting Volunteers – Reach a Child. Touch a Family. Build a Community - Nov 17
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, November 17 at 7-8:15pm - RSVP here. For more information to become a Healthy Cities tutor, visit healthycitiestutoring.org and click VOLUNTEER to complete the online application or email [email protected].

November Parent Education Events
The new podcast discussion series starts this week. Watch the podcasts and RSVP before attending each session. Check out the full schedule of parent education events here.

• Tuesday, Nov 17, 12-1pm: Failing Toward Resiliency
• Wednesday, Nov 18, 7-8pm: Your Child's Brain: How to Supercharge for Resiliency & Optimism
• Thursday, Nov 19, 12-1pm: Helping Children Process Grief & Disappointment

San Carlos Parks and Recreation Thanksgiving Gobble Wobble 5k 
San Carlos Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the Parks and Recreation Foundation, is hosting a Virtual 5K Gobble Wobble Fun Run! Participants are encouraged to get outside the week of Thanksgiving and walk, jog, run or bike/scooter a 5K route. Once registered, participants will be given three suggested routes around town, but can choose their own route as well.

Participants will receive a San Carlos Gobble Wobble t-shirt, running bib, and medal. Finishing times and photos can be emailed to [email protected] no later than Sunday, November 29 to be included in our results update on Facebook.

Registration limited, register early to guarantee t-shirt size by Thanksgiving, see more information here.

COVID-19 Testing Available for Children in San Mateo County 
The County of San Mateo announced no-cost 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.

San Carlos Housing 2040 Workshop - Nov 30
Those of us living in the Bay Area are well aware of the cost of housing. As the cost of housing has risen throughout the Bay Area, increasing numbers of people are finding it difficult to pay rent or make monthly mortgage payments. San Carlos is not immune to the crisis and has experienced an unprecedented surge in the growth of home prices and rental rates. San Carlos is committed to addressing the housing needs of everyone in our community to ensure that the City is more inclusive for people of all incomes, and having more housing choices that suit all stages of life.

To address the underpinnings of these housing challenges, the City is embarking on updating the Housing Element, which is a policy document that will guide housing decisions for the next 8 years. The City is inviting all community members to come together virtually and have a meaningful exchange, share ideas, and express concerns.

Register at https://sancarlos2040.eventbrite.com for the virtual workshop scheduled for November 30 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. The Eventbrite link will have more information on how to participate.

San Carlos Youth Advisory
Interested in a San Carlos Skate Park? Members of the San Carlos Youth Advisory Council are looking into the possibility of creating a skate park in San Carlos. Right now, we are focusing on a pilot project, which we will observe over a 6-month period. We would love to get your opinion on the matter.

If you or anyone you know is interested in seeing this project come to life, please fill out our survey form: https://forms.gle/Uhu7w8mWZprXKed89 

San Carlos United Soccer Tryouts
San Carlos United is delighted to announce that all existing teams will be holding open practices as tryouts this fall for boys & girls born between 2003 - 2014. Additionally, we will be holding tryouts to form our new boys & girls 2013-14 teams.

Please register online - http://www.sancarlosunited.org and you will be contacted by the respective age group regarding a tryout. **These tryouts are intended for those NOT currently playing competitive soccer.