From the Principal
Dear White Oaks Families,
As the month of January comes to a close, I know that we are all feeling some pandemic fatigue. I still am hopeful that with the vaccine rollout to our older citizens in our community, that our case numbers will go down so that we can have students return to campus.
While we are still in distance learning, I wanted to share some helpful suggestions on how you can help your child with math at home. Number sense and counting are building blocks and important skills that students learn in Kindergarten and are built upon in subsequent grades.
Last week, Susan Resnick, a well-known math consultant and one of the authors of Math in Focus, our K-5 Math program in SCSD shared strategies to help your child at home using important math tools to increase their mathematical thinking and procedures. If you were unable to attend the live sessions, here are the recorded videos from the sessions:
K-2
3-5
In TK and Kindergarten classes, part of our math work includes Counting Collections. Students grab a bag of items to count. During counting collections, students are counting but they show us so much about how they count. Students may sort items or make a pattern before counting or they may count by ones or tens. They may also use a tool to help them count (such as a ten-frame or 100-chart).
What are students learning by counting objects?
Depending on the student, the size of the collection, and how the student approaches counting the collection, all of the following concepts could be developed.:
- one-to-one correspondence
- cardinality - knowing the last number stated when counting represents the total
- conservation - knowing the total number does not change if the collection is counted in a different way
- estimating
- place value (e.g., teens as ten and some more)
- connecting a count to a numeral
- skip counting
How can I help my Kindergartener count?
- Count the number of steps you climb, the number of cars you see while driving, the number of items bought at the store or the number of items going into the laundry
- Start collecting objects and have your child count the number of objects in the cup. Change the object but use the same cup. Are there more or less objects?
- Post a large calendar and count the number of days until an upcoming event
- Ask your child to compare numbers. “Who has more Cheerios, you or your sister?” As your child counts, does he/she touch each object?
As you go about your day, think about all the different ways and objects you count.
If you are interested in learning more about Counting Collections, click here, or ask your child’s teacher.
For older children, here is a great article by Jo Boaler, Professor at Stanford University:
Sincerely,
Leah Scholer, Principal
[email protected]
School News and Events
PTA Meeting - February 10, 7:30pm - Zoom
Please join us for our next PTA meeting. We will receive a school update from our principal, Ms. Scholer, as well as receive an update on Cultural Arts Day. Everyone is welcome and we hope to see you there.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83635299343?pwd=bUc0enIzNkxwTzloRWpOK1hjZ0xIdz09
Meeting ID: 836 3529 9343
Passcode: 621256
SCEF News and Events
The SCEF Read-A-Thon Continues This Week and It’s Not Too Late to Register!
Visit scefkids.org/read2021 for registration, event calendar and amazing reading resources.
Our goal is 100% participation and $200,000 raised to support San Carlos students.
Participation is free and voluntary. Students have the option to invite sponsors to support their reading with an online donation.
Literacy All Year Long
We are grateful to our wonderful San Carlos principals and teachers for showing their support for our first-ever SCEF Read-A-Thon! Thank you for encouraging participation and creating your own innovative activities to engage students. Check out some of the exciting Reading Innovations and Student Stories happening across our District.
District News and Events
New Student Registration is Now Open!
New student registration for the 2021-2022 school year has begun!
On Wednesday, January 20 the Powerschool Registration Form opened for new students and any students returning to the district to begin their registration. All registration will be completed online and parents will be asked to upload their documents into the system. The deadline for priority registration is February 26.
See our How To Register for the 2021-2022 (Next) School Year page for more information.
ROPES Judges Needed
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, 4:00–6:30 pm
- Wednesday, Feb 3, 2:00-5:00 pm
- Thursday, Feb 4, 6:00-8:30 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. Please sign up here to be a ROPES Judge.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via [email protected].
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
Save the Date for Healthy Cities Tutoring's 7th Annual Perfect Pairings Benefit - Feb 26
As always there will be food, wine and stories of our Perfect Student-Tutor Pairings. Be inspired by the impact our tutors make and the connections they share.
February 26 from 7-7:45pm.
This year, there are many ways you can participate:
- Register for and attend our free online event
- Enjoy delicious food and drinks with one of our Perfectly Paired Party in a Box options from Domenico Winery
- Participate in our Fund-A-Pairing & Silent Auction
- Invite your friends and share the fun
- Keep an eye out for registration information in next week's newsletter! Interested in Sponsoring our event. Sign-up Now!
Sign Up for San Carlos Youth Softball
Interested in playing softball this spring? San Carlos Youth Softball is a great way for girls to get outdoors with friends, have some fun, and develop skills. The 2021 spring rec program is now open for registration. Click here to register online.
Our program is for girls ages 4+ (as of January 2021) at all skill levels. Registration for the season is just $50 for girls in 8U and below, and $100 for girls in 10U and above. The health and safety of our players are a top priority so we have put in place COVID-19 protocols and procedures. We plan to start practices in mid-February so please sign up soon!
Questions? More information online at sancarlosyouthsoftball.com or email [email protected].
IMPORTANT Survey for City Safety Programs
City Hall is asking for residents' input through a SHAPE SAN CARLOS survey (that closes soon, Feb 12 at 5pm). City Hall wants to hear from as many residents (including youth).
- How can the City encourage community members to use more alternative transportation around town (walking, biking, shared transit, etc.)?
- Should the City consider making some streets one-way to improve traffic and enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety?
- Should the City add more buffered bike lanes, paint more red curbs, and add more pedestrian paddles on City streets at the expense of losing street parking?
- What other solutions do you think the City should consider to improve traffic, encourage alternative transportation, and increase safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers in the City of Good Living?
Your feedback is going DIRECTLY to city staff, and all comments, suggestions, and creative ideas are welcome. The survey closes soon, on Feb 12 at 5pm. Go to: www.cityofsancarlos.org/shapesancarlos. Your feedback matters!