From the Principal
Dear White Oaks Families,
With tomorrow being a holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr., it is more relevant than ever to talk to our students about not only his legacy, but how we can apply his perspective, ambition, and perseverance to our lives today. Unfortunately, we have not come as far as I’m sure he would have hoped in the 51 years since his death. However, I see hope in our students everyday. The World Becomes What We Teach is not only the title to a wonderful book by Zoe Weil, but also a truth that I deeply believe in. Parents and teachers have the responsibility to teach our children what it means to be kind to others despite our differences, how to have civil discourse when interacting with people of different beliefs, and how to stand up for what is right. This is challenging and sometimes uncomfortable work but it is worth the effort because our children are our future. Below are some resources I have shared with our teachers and I hope you find them helpful as well:
Resources for MLK and Addressing the Moment Article Share
- San Mateo Library Social Justice Book List
- Community Foundation of San Carlos: Racial Justice
- Teaching Tolerance MLK Do’s and Dont’s
- Town Hall on Racial Justice and Equity: Opportunity to hear Tony Thurmond and Dr. Pedro Noguera keep the conversation alive and well with educators. Anyone can attend this Town Hall.
Ruby Bridges
In November we had hoped to celebrate a very important person in the history of our public schools: Ruby Bridges. Ruby, her mother, Lucille Bridges, and her teacher, Barbara Henry, helped desegregate the first all-white school in the south, in New Orleans on November 16, 1960. Please help us share Ruby’s story here to commemorate all of their courage and remind us of the lessons Ruby’s story is still teaching us today. Here are some lessons and actions you can take in honor of Ruby Bridges and her bravery:
Doing the right thing and taking a stand for something important can be hard and some people will get upset with us because they don’t want to change, but Ruby Bridges’ courage and generous spirit can inspire us and give us the strength to stand up for what is right, even when it’s not easy, fun, or pleasant.
Walking to school or around your neighborhood is extra special because not only does it honor Ruby Bridges’ courage and spirit, it helps our planet because we're not polluting, it helps our bodies because walking makes us healthier, and it helps our minds because walking makes us smarter.
If you’d like to write Ruby a letter thanking her for her courage, letting her know what her story meant to you, telling her you are sad she just lost her mom, or anything else you want to say to her, you can write her at this address:
Ruby Bridges
c/o Ruby Bridges Foundation
3701 Canal St, Apt U
New Orleans, LA 70119-6149
Thanks for honoring Ruby Bridges, Lucille Bridges and Barbara Henry!
Book of the Month
Continuing our theme of inclusion and diversity, the book of the month for January is Teach Your Dragon About Diversity by Steve Herman. In this story we learn that having a pet dragon is very fun. He can sit, roll over, and play…He can candle a birthday cake, light a campfire, and so many other cool things…But what if your dragon is sad because he is DIFFERENT from his friends? What if he feels bad that his skin is red, and is not like any of his friends? What if he’s worried that none of his friends have wings, tails and scales like him? Then you teach him about diversity!
Teachers have created lesson plans to go along with the story and will lead discussions with the following:
- What does diversity mean?
- How are we different?
- How are we the same?
- What is on the inside counts just as much as what is on the outside
ROPES Judging
We are in need for parents, staff and community members that would like to serve as a judge for the ROPES (Rite of Passage Experiences) presentations in February. ROPES are challenging projects that 4th, 6th and 8th-grade students have completed which allow them to learn about their world and themselves in a deeper but fun way. You can learn more about ROPES on our website. This year all judging will be via Zoom.
There are 3 opportunities to judge:
- Tuesday Feb 2, 4-6:30pm
- Wednesday Feb 3, 2-5pm
- Thursday Feb 4, 6-8:30 pm
In addition we will be holding a training session for all judges on Thursday, Jan 28 from 6-7pm. This will be via Zoom and we will be recording this session if you can’t make this time.
We would not be able to maintain this valuable program without the support of our community. We are asking for you to join district staff and other community members by volunteering to serve as a judge on one of our judging panels. Typically, we have two to three judges per room and they judge four to six student presentations in an evening/session.
We hope that you will be able to join us in this worthwhile event. If you are interested in being a judge this year, sign up here.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via [email protected].
Sincerely,
Leah Scholer, Principal
[email protected]
School News and Events
White Oaks is Sending Our Hopes and Dreams to the Moon
Our White Oaks PTA is excited to announce that we are going to send our hopes and dreams to the moon this year!
The Readiness Institute at Penn State, in collaboration with Global Moonshots in Education, is collecting messages of hope from students, educators, and members of the global community and then sending those messages to the moon to create a lasting reminder that the hopes of today can become the reality of tomorrow.
Once your hope has been sent to the moon, every time you look into the night sky, you’ll be reminded of what it is that you’re hoping for and how your actions can contribute to the greater good of community and future readiness.
We will collect our hopes until January 19th and submit them to the Hope Moonshot project as a school. These hopes will then be saved on an SD card, which will be placed in a durable storage capsule that has been created for space travel. In 2021, this capsule will be delivered to the moon’s surface on the Peregrine Lunar Lander, built by Astrobotic Technology, Inc., a space robotics company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Please submit your hope here.
If you have any questions, please contact Britta Ellis.
We are so excited that the beautiful hopes of our White Oaks students will soon be on the moon!
Thank You to Our 2020-2021 PTA Corporate Sponsors
A HUGE thank you to the corporate sponsors who supported our PTA this year, including Platinum Sponsors Chang Orthodontics, San Carlos Orthodontics and Roberts Market. Your contributions make a big difference to our school community and we appreciate your support.
Order Your White Oaks Yearbook Today!
2020-2021 yearbooks are for sale! They can be purchased directly from Jostens here. Yearbooks are $25 each, and the sales deadline is Sunday, 1/31. Yearbooks are distributed the last week of school by your student's teacher.
We don't have a lot of extras to sell at the end of the school year, so buy your yearbook now to reserve a copy.
Please contact Teresa Williams with any questions via email or 650-508-7317.
Order your White Oaks yearbook HERE
Yearbook - Call for Photos – Deadline Friday, 1/29
We need your photo contribution to fill the following pages and capture this historic school year for your children and school. Please collect and submit your photos before Friday, 1/29.
- Welcome Wednesdays – if your child has presented or performed at Welcome Wednesday, please submit your photos of that special moment.
- Mask Fashion – Let your student show off their favorite mask.
- Pets – We all know kids like to show off their pets on zoom. Here’s their chance to share Fluffy in print.
- DYI Fieldtrips – corn maze, zoo, beach day, etc.
- Music – Students at home playing instruments or dancing their heart out.
- Sports – martial arts, Legarza, soccer, tennis, equestrian, etc.
- Outside Play – water games, sidewalk chalk, backyard fun
- Celebrations – birthdays, cultural events, holidays
- Makerspace/STEM – home experiments, favorite STEM toys, LEGO creations
- Clubs – If your student is participating in Running Club or Green Team, please share some photos of them participating
- Art – Making art and showing it off
- 3rd Graders – A photo that shows your 3rd Grader at their best or silliest for their special montage page.
- Upcoming Events: 100th Day of School & Lunar New Year (these will have a later deadline)
Instructions for uploading:
- 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.”
- Please be sure to complete the Description portion of the form when submitting (it’s super helpful).
SCEF News and Events
The SCEF Read-A-Thon is Coming Next Week!
The San Carlos Education Foundation’s first ever Read-A-Thon will encourage students to read as much as they can January 25 - February 5, 2021. Participation is free and voluntary, but students will have the option to invite sponsors to support their reading with an online donation. Our goal is 100% participation in the Read-A-Thon and $200,000 raised to support San Carlos students.
All the information you need to know can be found on our SCEF Read-A-Thon website at www.scefkids.org/read2021.
Jenni Holm, author of Babymouse, Squish and Sunny Side Up is visiting with us virtually to kick off the Read-A-Thon, on Sunday, January 24! She is releasing her newest book, a middle school novel, The Lion of Mars, this month. We are excited to meet Jenni, hear about her books, and have the chance to ask her questions. Sign-up for this special event on the Read-A-Thon website.
Special thanks to the Partners at Dwell Realtors -- Laura Bertolacci, Bob Bredel, Tatum Clarke, Alana Corso, and Joyce Romeo -- our inaugural Read-A-Thon sponsor.
District News and Events
K-5 Math in Focus Night with Susan F. Resnick - Jan 20
Join us on Jan 20th for a virtual discussion:
K-2 Parents from 6-7pm
3-5 Parents from 7:15-8:15pm
Join Zoom Meeting here
Meeting ID: 981 635 2626
Passcode: MathNight
- Discover Singapore Math Pedagogy and Effectiveness
- Learn new strategies to help your child at home using important math tools to increase mathematical thinking and procedural fluency
- Learn how to ask better questions and get better results
- Have Fun and Ask Questions!
Kindergarten Information Night - Jan 19
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 hold a virtual Kindergarten Welcome Night/Meet the San Carlos School District at 6:30pm 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.
Zoom has a capacity of 300 participants. If you are unable to join via Zoom, please watch the presentation live on YouTube. Zoom participants will have a Q & A option at the end of the meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 989 2821 4883
Passcode: 340068
- or -
Watch on YouTube
On Wednesday, January 20, 2021 the Powerschool Registration Form will open 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 Registration page for more information.
Free TCRWP Parent & Caregiver Workshop - 1/28, 10am-12pm
Join expert Teachers College Reading and Writing Project staff at our upcoming workshop day for parents and caregivers of students in grades K-8. Learn more about ways to support your child’s literacy education at home, what or how they are learning in school, how to best engage in home literacy projects, and more.
These days are typically 2-3 hours long, composed of a series of 15-minute small-group presentations. Parents and caregivers can choose the workshops that match their needs and are free to come for one workshop or many. The schedule of workshops will be made available prior to the event. These sessions are offered live and are not recorded for later viewing.
Register here.
Check Out Parent Education Offerings
Remember to check out our Pandemic Care & Support website for parent education events and resources, mental health support, and more! You can also add the SCSD Parent Education Calendar to your phone.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Remember to Order Lunch Meal Kits
We have weekly meal boxes available for pick up each Monday (including delivery to Menlo Park and East Palo Alto). Each box includes five meals - an assortment of hot and cold entrees and a variety of fruits, veggies, and milk. Simply order online and safely pick-up your box for the week. To order your student’s Weekly Lunch Box, please log onto LunchIsServed and place your order. You must place your order by 9am on Sunday before the following week.
Community News and Events
Youth Arts Competition
Does your child have a talent in art and would to share their work with the community? San Carlos YAC is holding an arts competition called "Creations and Connections." Any youth ages 10-18 can submit artwork under the theme of "Peace, Love, and Community" in one of many categories ranging from poetry and short stories to film production, fine art, and even dance choreography. Entries will be broken down into different age groups. Prizes will be awarded for each age group! Don’t miss this opportunity to express artistic talent! Read and learn more at cityofsancarlos.org/yac.
San Carlos Week of the Family
What: San Carlos Week of the Family
When: Jan 15-31, 2021 (yes, we have a couple of great events after the official week)
Who: Your family (San Carlos families take many forms. Everyone in our community is encouraged to participate.)
Where: All over San Carlos
Safety: All events should be COVID-safe. Lots of at-home activities and virtual sessions.
Info: www.sancarlosweekofthefamily.org (get info here and register for events)
The 21st San Carlos Week of the Family starts Friday. There are dozens of events. Have fun with the family and enjoy some safe events.
Some highlights of this year’s Week of the Family (Details are on our web site):
- We have 100’s of FREE family art packets available for the City-wide Art Project
- There are volunteer opportunities to build Family Care Packages
- Take Monday as your Family Activity Day to enjoy games with your family
- Invent using the Hiller Virtual Invention Lab
- Attend one of the many Library Events
- Each Green Corner is presenting 3 video sessions on gardening
- Practice your trivia skills at Adult Trivia Night
- Help kickoff the SCEF Read-A-Thon with multiple events
- Attend a virtual theater event by the San Carlos Children’s Theater
- Eat crab and support the community at the San Carlos Lions Club Drive-by Crab Feed