White Oaks Weekly - December 6, 2020 | White Oaks Elementary School

From the Principal

Dear White Oaks Families,

I hope you all had an easy week transitioning back to school. December always flies by as we only have two weeks left together before winter break! Although we were disappointed to not be transitioning into our in-person learning like we had planned, these next two weeks will still be filled with holiday cheer!

This past Friday, teachers worked to put together their cohort assignments for students who elected to come back for some optional afternoon sessions beginning once we return to the Red Tier in the County. Students were divided into two cohort groups: A=Mon./Tue. B=Thur./Fri. Teachers will be sharing your child’s cohort assignment tomorrow (Monday, 12/7) via email. Once we get the go ahead from the County, we will start with the following schedule:

Week 1: Students will have the opportunity to come to school for one afternoon for an introduction and an SEL activity. Students will be divided into smaller groups for this training/orientation.
Week 2 and ongoing: Students will attend two afternoon sessions per week for in-person instruction, with Distance Learning continuing in the morning for core subjects. TK/K students will come onto campus from 12:50-2:20 and 1st-3rd grade students will be on-site from 1-2:30.

This is the beginning of our in-person instruction in Phase 3. Planning for Phase 4, which includes a full hybrid model, will begin soon so please stay tuned for more information.

This past Wednesday, I held a Parent Information Night that discussed our plan for our Return to School once we, as a county, move back into the Red Tier. These are the slides (updated Zone map) that were presented. I encourage every family to take some time to review them to ensure we all are as prepared as possible and “in the know”! We have also put together a FAQ sheet to help answer some of the burning questions you may have.

To make things run smoothly when we return, we are in great need of parent volunteers to help with traffic flow in our many pick up/drop off zones. If you think you may be able to help out, please fill out this form.

As we continue to prepare for our students to return to campus, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of staying diligent by exercising covid safety protocols. Wearing masks, practicing social distancing, avoiding gatherings outside of your household and limiting travel will help move us closer to seeing our students in person sooner rather than later (hopefully!).

Take care of yourself and one another,

Leah Scholer, Principal
[email protected]

School News and Events

Third Grade Baby Photos for Yearbook
Please submit one baby photo of your child to be included in the Guess Who 3rd Grade Baby section of the yearbook. Please follow the submission guidelines below and upload your photo by Friday, December 11.

Rename your image file to include the child’s last and first name (smith_bob.jpg)
JPEG images are highly preferred
Please use this google form to upload your photo

We would love for every 3rd Grader to be included on these pages. Please email any questions to [email protected].

SCEF News and Events

Early Bird Gets the Gift Card! The SCEF Read-A-Thon is Coming.
SCEF's first ever Read-A-Thon will encourage students to read as much as they can from January 25 to February 5, 2021 - and help raise much needed funds for our schools. Prizes for individuals & classes. Sign up for this district-wide event by December 17 and be entered to win a gift card to The Reading Bug, Crepe Stop, or Boba Guys!

IT'S FREE! SIGN UP NOW: https://app.99pledges.com/fund/SCEF2021/addme

Michelin Star Cooking & Cocktails: "The Epicure & The Alchemist”
Join us on Saturday, Dec. 12th, 6-8pm for a cooking and cocktail preparation event. This virtual event (adults only) features Chef Patrick Newton from Michelin star kitchens Atelier Crenn and Keiko å Nob Hill, and Kenny Jones, bartender from The Alchemist.

Thank You For Your Continued Support
There are so many BIG and little ways to contribute to SCEF and the work it takes to keep our local public schools funded and vibrant. Here are some great ways to support SCEF:

Gift Appreciated Stock
By donating stock that has appreciated for more than a year, you are actually giving 20 percent more than if you sold the stock and then made a cash donation. The reason is simple: avoiding capital gains taxes. SCEF benefits by directly receiving your stock gift, which is then sold for zero tax consequences due to SCEF’s non-profit tax status. There are also some specific 2020 tax treatments that you can read about here: https://scefkids.org/2020-charitable-contributions/

Support SCEF as You Shop on Amazon
SmileAmazon is a great way to support SCEF while doing all your online shopping. Visit https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/change/ and choose “San Carlos Education Foundation,” and Amazon will donate a portion of each purchase to SCEF. It’s super easy and works on both desktop and mobile purchases.

Shop Local
Please remember to thank our local merchants and restaurants who are SCEF supporters. We count on many local business sponsors each year to reach our goal. See our shopping guide at https://scefkids.org/take-action/families/shop-local/.

District News and Events

New Student Registration for 2021-2022 School Year
Each year, the SCSD welcomes our newest families into the district with a Kindergarten Information Night, introducing them to our community partners and reviewing the process for registering for Kindergarten.

This year, we will post a virtual "Meet the San Carlos School District" presentation for families on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. The presentation will include a welcome from SCEF, PTA, Healthy Cities Tutoring, Extended Day Programs, Preschool Programs, and district Wellness Programs as well as an overview of the registration process.

On Wednesday, January 20, 2021 the Powerschool Registration Form opens for new students to begin their registration. All registration paperwork will be completed online and parents will be asked to upload their documents into the system. More details will be available on our SCSD website in January. The deadline for priority registration is February 26, 2021.

See our Key Dates for Registra tion page for more information.

Parent Education: Mental Health 101 - When Parents Should Worry
On Monday, December 7, 2020, 5:00-6:15pm, Live Event (Webinar) with Shashank Joshi, MD discussing how parents can support the mental health of children and teens, especially during the pandemic. With rates of anxiety and depression on the rise, many parents wonder: Should I be worried?

Info & Tickets: https://mentalhealth2020phcd.eventbrite.com

Parent Education: How to Give Advice Your Child (Might) Listen To
On Friday, December 11, 2020, 12:00–1:00pm, Live Event (Meeting) join Eran Magen, PhD, Center for Supportive Relationships to focus on parent-child communication and managing relationships with your child or teen.

Info & Tickets: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6508543154

Community News and Events

FREE Subscription to Headspace
Thanks to the San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, the app Headspace is now available for FREE to all San Mateo County residents: www.headspace.com/san-mateo-county You may preview flyers in Spanish and English on this link.

Eco-Friendly Holiday Show
Join Rethink Waste team on Friday, December 11 at 5pm or an exciting hour of waste-related, kid-friendly holiday cheer! RethinkWaste’s Holiday Show will include a eco-friendly guide to gift giving and wrapping, our take on some classic holiday carols, and a chance to test your waste knowledge in a rousing game of trivia (played via Kahoot!) Bring your holiday cheer and a snack if you wish, all ages are welcome!