From the Principal
Dear White Oaks families,
As a TK-3 school, our primary focus is teaching students how to read. We do this by using a variety of strategies during Reader’s Workshops in our classrooms every day. Recently, a colleague brought this article to my attention, “6 Elementary Reading Strategies” by Emelina Minero, who researched best practices in literacy instruction to arrive at a list of strategies that develop strong reading skills and confidence for all students. Please click here to read the full article.
Parents can work on many of these same strategies at home. Here are some of the ways that you can read with your child:
Choral Reading: Practice reading a book aloud with your child at the same time. This will help your child to improve reading fluency and expand vocabulary.
Partner Reading: Take turns reading a text aloud. This allows you to model good reading fluency and have your child practice this skill.
Ear Reading (Audiobooks): Listen to audiobooks either in the car or right before bed. Listening to audiobooks allows children to practice higher-level comprehension skills and expand vocabulary. This is especially beneficial for students with dyslexia.
Choice in Reading: Visit the library to allow children to choose books that interest them. This leads to higher engagement in books.
Comprehension Questions: Pre-read your child’s book and then ask your child questions about the books they are reading. Please click here to access “Parent Leveled Questions” that you can ask based on your child’s reading level.
Reading together is one way to help your child find joy in reading. If you have specific questions on how you can help your child with their reading, please reach out to me or their classroom teacher.
Sincerely,
Leah Scholer, Principal
[email protected]
Dates to Remember
Dec. 11: White Oaks Holiday Store
Dec. 16: Minimum day
Dec. 17-Jan. 3: Winter Break
School News and Events
Thank You For Supporting the PTA / Get a Lawn Sign!
We are overwhelmed with our community’s generosity during our PTA Fall Fundraising Campaign. THANK YOU to all who became members and donated to the PTA this year. With your help we were able to meet our goal of $20,000. Amazing! If you are a PTA member or donor and would like a White Oaks PTA lawn sign, please fill out this form. We will be delivering lawn signs over the next few days and weeks and would love to drop a sign off on your doorstep as a sign of our gratitude!
While our fundraising campaign has ended, you may still donate if you didn’t get a chance. Donations can be made here.
2021 White Oaks Holiday Store!
The White Oaks Holiday Store is around the corner on Dec. 11! Your children are invited to participate in this treasured White Oaks shopping experience to choose gifts for their loved ones for the holidays. We have many volunteer roles available and need your help to make it a success! Please consider signing up for a time slot here.
If you have taken home a Holiday Store project to complete, they are due back to school on Tuesday, Nov. 30. Please bring them to the PTA workroom or the MU stage. Contact Sara Ting with any questions at [email protected].
Shop with AmazonSmile and Support the White Oaks PTA! AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support the White Oaks PTA every time you shop. While shopping this holiday season, 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, click here to activate a redirect that will automatically take you to smile.amazon.com whenever you type amazon.com (so easy!). You'll never miss an opportunity to earn money for our school. Thank you so much!
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SCEF News and Events
The 2nd annual Read-A-Thon starts in January. Visit scefkids.org/read2022 to learn more and register before Dec. 15 to be entered into our early-bird registration prize raffle!
Honey Bear Trees are Comin’ to Town!
The annual tradition of scouting the Honey Bear lot for the perfect Christmas tree continues! Visit the San Carlos or Redwood City location, and don’t forget to mention SCEF; they donate 15% back! Details here.
Ways to Donate to SCEF Before Year’s End
Appreciated Stock: A gift of appreciated stock (that you have held for more than 1 year) is better than selling the stock and donating the proceeds. If you itemize, you may take a charitable deduction for the total donation amount while avoiding capital gains taxes. Learn more here.
Workplace Giving: Many employers will match your donation to SCEF, and some are offering end-of-year matching at 2:1.
Give Every Month Program: Start now and spread your contributions across the school year. Every little bit helps SCEF meet our fundraising goal of $3.2 million to meet our mission of supporting every child, every day, in every classroom.
District News and Events
Walk Audit: Volunteers Needed Dec. 7
Walk Audits are conducted each year with all San Carlos School District schools and city officials to ensure safe routes to school and the best flow of traffic for pedestrians, bikes, and cars. Each school needs five to eight community members to volunteer to help on Dec. 7 from 1:50 to 3:20 p.m. No prior experience is necessary; you will get your “job” when you arrive. If you are interested, please fill out this form. We appreciate the support to ensure safe schools for all!
Did you know California is expanding Transitional Kindergarten (TK), making all 4-year-old eligible by 2025-26?
For the 2022-23 school year, parents of students who turn 5 between Sept. 2 and Feb. 1 can register their children for Transitional Kindergarten (TK). TK is optional, and parents may choose to keep their children enrolled in preschool or day care until they are eligible to enter Kindergarten. Stay tuned for more information on what TK programming will look like in San Carlos schools and plans for a robust, early learning aftercare program to support families who need all-day care. Visit our Transitional Kindergarten page to learn more about the San Carlos School District TK program.
Here are some key dates for new student registration:
- Monday, Jan. 10: Virtual TK/Kindergarten Welcome Night, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Jan. 11: PowerSchool Priority Registration opens for all new students at noon.
- Wednesday, Jan. 26: Schools hold Virtual Elementary School Tours for incoming TK/Kindergarten families, 4-4:30 p.m.
- Friday, Feb. 11: PowerSchool Priority Registration deadline, 4 p.m.
COVID Reminders: Stay Home When Sick and Get Tested
Staying home when sick and getting tested for the COVID-19 virus are two of the most effective ways to keep our community safe. Find details from the SCSD Health & Safety Plan in this document.
If you have any of the symptoms listed above, call your school office to report an illness, stay home, and take a COVID virus test.
If you need to report a positive COVID test, please call District Nurse Page Pollack at 650-632-8300 (Arroyo office) or Human Resources at 650-590-5922 if the nurse is unavailable.
For more information, visit our COVID-19 Resources page and review the SCSD Health & Safety Plan.
Second Location and More Days for Curative COVID-19 Testing
Please take advantage of the free COVID-19 virus testing provided by the San Mateo County Health Department. Sign up online for your weekly testing.
Central Middle School parking lot, 757 Cedar St.
- Mondays 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Thursdays 1-7 p.m.
- Fridays 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Book at the Central location here.
Tierra Linda Middle School parking lot, 750 Dartmouth Ave.
- Wednesdays and Fridays 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Saturdays 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Book at the Tierra Linda van here.
Find other community testing sites in San Mateo County here.
Community News and Events
San Carlos Parks and Rec Presents Night of Holiday Lights
Friday, Dec. 3, 5-8:30 p.m.
Join the City of San Carlos for a night of live music and entertainment, holiday lights and snowfall, plus family fun, games and rides, on Laurel Street. For more information, visit cityofsancarlos.org/pr.
ACE 2021-22 Holiday Programs
Winter Break - Mid-Winter Break - Spring Break
As schools close throughout the year for holiday breaks, ACE remains open at our Arroyo site for a fun-filled, action-packed time!
ACE offers full-day Holiday Camp programming from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily that includes lunch and afternoon snack. Each camp has its own creative theme, with daily enrichment programming that includes STEAM, outdoor athletic activities, indoor games, cooking, and, of course, FUN FOR EVERYONE!
ACE welcomes all children between the ages of 4.5 and 12 years. Please visit acesancarlos.com for more information and see our Holiday Program Page.
San Carlos United Tryouts - For Boys & Girls Born 2003-2014
Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 4-5
San Carlos United is holding tryouts for AYSO players and players not currently playing competitive soccer. Tryouts for the upcoming 2014 teams will be held Dec. 4 and 5. For more information on all age groups and to register, go to sancarlosunited.org/
San Carlos Little League Registration Is Open for the 2022 Season!
We’re excited to announce that registration for the 2022 Little League season is officially OPEN for all divisions, from T-ball (born before Sept. 1, 2018) and Seniors (born after Aug. 31, 2005).
To help us plan, we are asking families to register their players and for coaches to sign up to volunteer by Dec. 17. Unlike previous years, we will be conducting player evaluations in the January timeframe for Farm to Majors divisions.
Please go to sancarlosll.org to start the process. If you have any questions, please reach out to Danielle Van Wert at [email protected].
Parent Education Opportunities
Parent Venture Series: www.parentventure.org/events
San Mateo County Reads Fireside Chat: Voting Rights Discussion with Champions of the Civil Rights Movement (Nov. 30): The County Office of Education invites community members and educators to discuss voting rights with champions of the civil rights movement. Among the speakers are Reena Evers-Everette, executive director of the Medgar and Mylie Evers Institute; Lisa McNair, civil rights activist; and Jerry Mitchell, founder of the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting and author of Race Against Time. Learn more here.