From the Principal
Dear White Oaks Families,
As I mentioned last week, parent involvement in a child’s education is an invaluable component of creating a successful school experience for students, families, and staff. At White Oaks, we cherish our community and believe that working together is of the uppermost importance.
There are several ways you and your family can continue to support not only the White Oaks community, but San Carlos School District as well. Your donations to the San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF) support key personnel and programs that allow us to provide a well-rounded education for all of our students. This weekend, SCEF is hosting an online auction, virtual live auction and Fund-The-Future campaign for science education. These efforts will support our return-to-school in the fall. Check out the online auction featuring several teacher and school items. You can learn more at www.scefkids.org/events/. We are very grateful for your continued support of our San Carlos public schools.
At our school level, we hope to bring back all the beloved events that we are allowed to safely implement next year, but it is going to take a village. Please take a look at the fun events White Oaks typically has throughout the year and reach out to our PTA presidents, Britta Ellis and Debbie Blucher, if you can help out!
I’d also like to remind everyone to please fill out this parent survey by tomorrow, Monday 4/19. Our goal is to have one survey per child so we can take your feedback and apply it to our new Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals.
The cliche,“it takes a village” has never been more true. The tremendous amount of support we’ve received this year from our parent community has shown what is possible when we all work together. Let’s keep that momentum going into next year! Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do.
With warmest regards,
Leah Scholer, Principal
[email protected]
School News and Events
Come Join our Virtual Founder’s Day Celebration!
Founders’ Day is right around the corner and we would love for you to join us in celebrating this year's award recipients. This event is a time honored tradition at White Oaks where we recognize those volunteers and staff members who have given countless hours to our school community. We are thrilled to announce this year's honorees: Andrea Anderson, Melissa Brenner, Amy Ihde, Trinity Murphy and Jennifer Rudy. Please plan on joining us via zoom on Thursday, May 6 at 7:30pm as we celebrate and recognize the contributions of our award winners. Click here to RSVP. Any questions? Please email Britta Ellis or Jennie Romeo.
White Oaks PTA Volunteer Spotlight - WOW Editor Amy Ihde
Hi there! It’s Amy Ihde here, your behind-the-scenes White Oaks Weekly (WOW) Editor. It’s been a pleasure serving our school community for the past 3 years, but alas, my 3rd grade daughter will be moving on to Arroyo next year and our PTA is looking for someone to take over my duties. I wanted to take a minute to share a little about the role and invite anyone interested to contact me to learn more about it.
Here are a few highlights of the job:
- The WOW Editor role is an awesome way to help Mrs. Scholer, the White Oaks PTA, and SCSD deliver timely communication to our entire community - school staff, parents, students and more.
- The job involves easy, straightforward tasks that involve copying and pasting content from a few different sources into a template-based email editor provided by SCSD.
- You will also schedule select content to periodically push out to Facebook and the White Oaks Web page (this would be a great way to share the job with someone else).
- There is a 1.5-2 hour/week time commitment, between Thursday evening and Friday morning, with draft finalized by 3pm Friday.
- Editing the newsletter can be done from anywhere - all you need is a computer and an internet connection.
Please consider serving this important role so that our White Oaks community stays connected and informed!
In-N-Out Books – Wednesday
Please join us at the pop-up library this Wednesday from 1:30-2:30pm. We have plenty of books to choose from. White Oaks alumni (4th & 5th Graders) are welcome too. We’re always looking for volunteers. If you’re able, please sign up here.
SCEF News and Events
The Gala is THIS Weekend!
The new family-friendly SCEF Virtual Gala is THIS Sunday, April 25, 5-6pm. SAVE THE DATE and register NOW!
It will be fast and fun with a dynamic auctioneer hosting the event. We will have a special message from Congresswoman Jackie Speier, a great LIVE Auction and a Fund-a-Need segment featuring a “Last SCEF Auction Hero” with a special prize.
This year, the Fund-a-Need is a campaign to FUND-THE-FUTURE. This is a spectacular opportunity to fund science and technology tools, equipment, and teacher training for all San Carlos public schools. SCSD is launching a new science curriculum that will bring science appreciation, critical thinking skills, and hands-on learning to San Carlos students. San Carlos Charter is also funding tools and consumables to support science education.
ALL will have a chance to win 3-Nights at a Fairmont Hotel/Resort! Sign into the virtual Gala by 5pm to be eligible, and be present when the Lucky Door Prize ticket is drawn. Enter the Starlight Raffle for a Chance and a Choice: winner chooses one of a selection of Silent and Live Auction Packages. Only 300 tickets will be sold. $100/1 ticket; $250/3 tickets; $500/6 tickets. For details go to https://scefkids.org/starlight-raffle.
TICKET INFORMATION
To register, please go to www.scefkids.org/events.
Leadership Circle level donors, please use the registration link provided in the email sent to you from Jackie King, VP Leadership Circle.
Let’s toast together! Join your community in celebrating our public school and supporting them with our annual fundraising SCEF Gala.
Can’t attend the virtual event? You can still bid in the online auction from April 22 to April 30.
District News and Events
Nursing Notes - COVID-19 Protocol Reminders for All Families
Please keep your child and all siblings home if anyone in your household is sick.
Please remember to contact your school site if someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 or if your child has been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. Our district nurses are here to help support you in understanding quarantine lengths and ways for getting your student back to school as quickly as possible within the county health guidelines.
Student and Community Testing to Keep our Kids On Campus
Please take advantage of the no cost surveillance COVID-19 testing provided by the San Mateo County Health Department.
Please sign up for weekly testing for yourself and your child. Contact your health provider for a test if you have symptoms or know you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
Keeping COVID cases off of our campuses will keep our in person learning possible. As a reminder, if a student or or teacher tests positive for COVID, we will need to transition that cohort back to distance learning for at least two weeks to avoid spreading the virus.
Sign up at one of the following locations to begin your regular weekly testing:
- Central Middle School - Thursdays, 1-7pm Register Here
- Other Community Based Testing sites in San Mateo County Here
Community News and Events
The City of San Carlos Celebrates Earth Day
To celebrate Earth Day this year the City of San Carlos is hosting a photo competition with four different categories: Energy, Transportation, Waste, and Water.
To participate, share a photo on Twitter or Instagram with #CityofGoodLiving or #SanCarlosEarthDay, or email a photo to [email protected] showing how you are celebrating Earth Day. Along with the photo include a description explaining how you are reducing your impact for one of the four categories. Share your photo by April 21 and the best submission for each category will win a $25 gift certificate to The Reading Bug! Winners for each category will be chosen based on creativity and positive environmental impact and announced on Earth Day.
Learn more at: cityofsancarlos.org/earthday
Free Mental Health & Wellness Workshops for Youth
The San Carlos Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is hosting a series of free mental health workshops for middle school-age students. The workshop topics include an overview of mental health in COVID, coping skills for teens during the pandemic, and destigmatizing mental health treatment. Workshops will be virtual and led by counselors from One Life Counseling Center on April 20 and May 18 at 5pm. Registration is required. For more information and to register, visit: www.cityofsancarlos.org/yac.
City of San Carlos Summer Camps
Registration is open to residents and non-residents for San Carlos Parks & Recreation summer camps! We are excited to offer a variety of camps including Adventure Camps, Club Ed, and Sports Camps. Additional safety measures will include face coverings for staff and campers, daily wellness screenings and temperature checks. A Fee Assistance Program, funded in partnership with the Parks & Recreation Foundation of San Carlos and the City of San Carlos, is available to help San Carlos residents and students enrolled in a San Carlos-based school participate in Parks & Recreation summer camps. For more information and to register, visit www.cityofsancarlos.org/camps or call (650) 802-4382.
REDISCOVER SUMMER FUN - Camp Galileo for PK – 8th Grade
Galileo's award-winning camps engage kids in the perfect mix of hands-on learning and unforgettable fun, thoughtfully redesigned for 2021. Small groups and safety protocols keep every Galilean safe. Engaging art, science and outdoor challenges deliver the innovation-igniting experiences kids love. Flexible enrollment policies make planning stress free. It all comes together for a joyful summer.
Limited enrollment—sign up now!
Save $25 per week before May 3rd! When you book for 3 weeks you’ll save $175, that’s $25 per week, plus $50 savings for weeks two and three.
Optional extended care. Learn more at www.galileo-camps.
Poetry, Art and Music Competition
As a part of our Affordable Housing Month in May 2021, the Housing Leadership Council and Poet Laureate Aileen Cassinetto are hosting a poetry, art, and music competition for eligible students (grade 12 and below) in San Mateo County! Students can submit their poem, or musical/art piece to [email protected] by the April 30 deadline! All submissions should be inspired by or touch upon the notion of home in the area. Check out our flyer and submission details here.
City of San Carlos Pedestrian Enhancements
The city’s Pedestrian Enhancement at Arroyo-Cedar and Hemlock-Orange Pathway Project requires roadway resurfacing at the intersections to provide a safe path of travel for pedestrians between the curb ramps.
The intersections require significant grading. Allowing vehicles to travel through the intersection with large drops between the existing and proposed roadway surface can be dangerous. Also, the contractor will use heavy equipment and machinery to resurface the intersection, which requires narrowing of lanes and adding more danger for vehicles travelling through the intersections. Therefore, we are planning the closures of the intersection of Arroyo Ave-Cedar St as well as Hemlock-Orange during the work to keep everyone safe. The closures will also expedite the schedule so the contractor can finish in one week as opposed to two weeks.
The closure of the Hemlock St-Orange Ave intersection will occur during the week of April 26 while the closure of the Arroyo Ave-Cedar St intersection will occur on May 3.