White Oaks Weekly - January 9, 2022

From the Principal

Dear White Oaks families,

 

It has been a week full of emotions! The joy of seeing our friends again after break has mixed with the anxiety of the new coronavirus variant spreading rapidly in the area. I am so proud of our students for the precautions they are taking when at school. The respect that is shown to one another by keeping masks on and washing hands is refreshing to see. We have extra masks on hand that we have been providing for students with loose-fitting masks. Take a moment to chat with your child about masks and ensure that masks fit appropriately before leaving for school. With all of the doors and windows open, classrooms can be chilly, so dressing in layers is highly recommended. 

Here are some resources to support proper mask wearing, along with additional links you may find useful at this time: 

• Get the Most Out of Masking
• CDC Guide to Masking
• Latest COVID facts for California
• SCSD COVID Resources Page
• SCSD Health and Safety Plan (Pro tip: use the table of contents to find it fast!)

It is important that we stay vigilant during this time, and we appreciate the precautions you are taking.

 

If your child is experiencing any symptoms:

• We ask that you keep them at home and strongly encourage you to get tested as soon as possible.
• Please also let our school office know by either calling us at 650-508-7317 or emailing Teresa Williams.
• Testing sites: If you are looking for a place to get tested, Virus Geeks in San Mateo is a drive-through, with no appointment needed. You may have to wait a while to get through the line for testing, but their turnaround for results is about 24-48 hours. Curative has sites in San Carlos on the Central Middle School and Tierra Linda campuses. Here is a list of additional testing sites in San Mateo County.

Should your child need to quarantine:

• We have a study program in place that will be sent out as needed.
• There have been a lot of questions regarding the protocols for quarantining, so here are the instructions for isolation and quarantine for people with COVID-19, their household and close contacts.
• Note on 10-day isolation from SCSD: 

Our district practices on COVID-19 isolation and quarantine guidelines will continue to follow those from the San Mateo County Office of Education’s Pandemic Recovery Framework (PRF). Once the PRF is updated, or until notified otherwise, we will continue to follow the guidelines in our current SCSD Health and Safety Plan, updated December 1, 2021. 

The SCSD Health and Safety Plan which our district is currently following, recommends a 10-day isolation period for all positive cases. While we hope to update our plan early next week, we will notify you, ideally Monday, if the 10-day isolation period has been reduced to five days per the Pandemic Recovery Framework. 

We are here to support you and your family any way we can and cannot thank you enough for working with us to keep our students, teachers, staff, and community healthy and safe.

Warmly, 
Leah Scholer, Principal
[email protected]

---

SCEF News and Events

 

 

SMARTE Afterschool Clubhouse Registration Opens Jan. 11!
We are excited to announce that registration for the SMARTE Afterschool Clubhouse for the 2022-23 school year is about to begin! The SMARTE program is dedicated to enriching children's lives after school. We provide a fun, safe, and welcoming place to spend time each day. Through daily homework help, physical activity, and STEAM enrichment, children enhance their academic performance and character development preparing them for future success. Programs are available to all Kindergarten-3rd grade students.

Registration for students/families who are NEW to the SMARTE program will open on Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 1:00 p.m. Please click on this link to register your child.

If you have any questions about the program, please visit our SMARTE Clubhouse page or email us at [email protected].

New for 2022-23: TK Extended Day Program
Beginning next year, we will be offering a NEW Early Learning Extended-Day Program for our TK students. Knowing some families will need afternoon care for their TK students, SCSD will offer an enriching, extended-day program for our littlest students in collaboration with our preschool program from the end of the school day until 5:30 p.m.

Registration for the TK Extended-Day Program will open on Tuesday, Jan. 18. For more information, please visit our Transitional Kindergarten page and reach out to Preschool Director Sue Dawley ([email protected]) if you have any questions.

TK Extended-Day Program Sample Schedule*
1:25-2:00 - Rest Time/Quiet Reading Time
2:00-2:15 - Music & Movement Circle
2:15-3:15 - STEAM Activities 
3:15-3:45 - Spanish Language Circle
3:45-4:00 - Snack
4:00-5:00 - Outside Time (soccer, basketball, etc.)
5:00-5:30 - Stories/Library
*Approximate times are given and adjusted based on Early or Late Bird student schedule

Mental Health Forum for Parents and Caregivers
San Carlos School District is gauging interest for hosting a mental health forum(s), where parents and caregivers can ask questions of mental health professionals, to get support and resources. Please fill out this form if you are interested in attending, and feel free to reach out to Ilana, SCSD Health and Wellness Director, to discuss this more ([email protected].)

Parent Night with Susan Resnick, US Consultant and Author of Math in Focus
Singapore Math is about ideas to support your student at home. This online session will include a brief overview of the the success behind Singapore Math and the key instructional strategies that have led to Singapore's place as top in the world in mathematics. Additionally, Susan will give you practical ideas of how to help your student at home, whether they need more scaffolding or more enrichment. You will learn about number bonds, bar modeling, long division and other approaches that might look a little different from how math looked when you went to school.

K-3rd Grade: 6:30-7:15 p.m. Jan. 13
Grades 4-5: 7:15-8:00 p.m. Jan. 13

Join via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9816352626.

ROPES Judges Needed!
We are looking for parents and community members that would like to serve as a judge for the ROPES (Rite of Passage Experiences). ROPES are challenging projects that 4th-, 6th- and 8th-grade students have completed that allow them to learn about their world and themselves in deeper but fun way.

There are 3 opportunities to judge:

• Tuesday, Feb. 8: 4-6:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, Feb. 9: 2-5 p.m.
• Thursday, Feb. 10: 6-8:30 p.m.

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. If you are able to judge on any of those times, please complete this form.
 

Virtual TK/Kindergarten Information Night for New Families - Jan. 10
New Student Priority Registration - Jan. 11-Feb. 11
Virtual TK/Kindergarten Information Night: Do you have an incoming TK or Kindergarten student? Are you new to the district? If so, please join us for our Virtual TK/Kindergarten Information Night, which is designed to provide parents and guardians with information about the San Carlos School District, its community partners and programs, and to provide an overview of how to register for school. Join us on Monday, January 10, 6:30-7:30 p.m. for a presentation via Zoom.

Transitional Kindergarten: Will your child turn 5 between Sept. 2, 2022, and Feb. 2, 2023? If so, they will be enrolled in our Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program. Visit our Transitional Kindergarten program page to learn more.

New Student Priority Registration for all students (TK-8th grade) opens on Tuesday, Jan. 11. Priority registration closes Feb. 11.

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.-6 p.m. 
• Tuesdays and Wednesdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Thursdays noon-7 p.m.
• Fridays 11 a.m.-6 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 Youth Center Closed Through Jan. 17
As a precautionary measure, the Youth Center After School Drop-In Program will be CLOSED the next 2 weeks as COVID-19 cases in the Bay Area have rapidly increased. The closure will be effective through Monday, Jan. 17. We will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 18. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause to you. Youth Center classes, sports practices, and our Recreation Youth Basketball League will continue with strict indoor masking and distancing requirements. For more information, please email [email protected].
 

For Parents of Current 3rd-Graders: Afterschool Care Enrichment (ACE) Now Enrolling at Arroyo for 2022-23
Afterschool Care Enrichment, also known as ACE, offers a flexible, innovative, state-licensed child-care program focused on enrichment and youth development to challenge our upper elementary students. ACE will offer both Morning and Full Time or Part Time Afternoon.

Morning Programming Including Breakfast: Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to the start of the school day.

Full Time (5 Day) or Part Time (3 Day) Afternoon Programming: Monday-Friday from end of school day to 6:00 p.m.

Each day includes a healthy afternoon snack, our Homework Lab with staff-assisted support, STEAM activities and Active Outdoor Enrichment Programming.

Arroyo 22-23 Registration Link

Please visit our website for more information or to register your child at www.acesancarlos.com or contact ACE. Phone: (650) 931-4007. Email: [email protected].

Tutor Training for Healthy Cities Tutoring
Interested in helping a child succeed in school? Have a free hour to volunteer each week? Attend HCT's Tutor Orientation and Training on Tuesday, Jan. 18, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. to learn how simple it is to apply and help a local student with reading, writing, math, and study skills.

For more information, visit healthycitiestutoring.org. Register, and if the training is moved online we will notify you. Training will be at San Carlos Library, 610 Elm St., Upstairs Community Room.

Jr. Chef Classes
Looking for a hands-on, tasty activity for your Jr. Chef? Join us this winter as we provide junior chefs with the tools necessary to create, cook, and learn. Have your junior chef expand on their cooking knowledge as our curriculum covers nutrition, seasonal cooking, knife skills, the purpose of core ingredients, and the many cultural aspects of food, all while having a blast and making new friends.

Where: White Oaks Elementary MU
When: Thursdays, 2:30-3:45 p.m.
Dates: Jan. 27 to March 17

Register today at www.juniorchefstars.com/REGISTRATION. QUESTIONS? Call 650-898-8742 or email [email protected].

SamTrans Art Takes a Bus Ride 2022 Contest
The San Mateo County Office of Education is partnering with SamTrans to give students in grades 1 through 12 a chance to have their artwork displayed on the side of a SamTrans bus for an entire year. Artwork must illustrate this year’s theme of San Mateo County Reopens. Entries are due Feb. 25. Learn more here.

Parent Education Opportunities
Parent Venture Series: www.parentventure.org/events

Redistricting Public Hearing #1: Sequoia Healthcare District Town Hall
The Sequoia Healthcare District hosts a Town Hall meeting on redistricting (rezoning) with new district lines following the 2020 Census. Wednesday, Jan. 12, 6:00-7:00 p.m. Register here.

Smoking on Snapchat? Talking about Vapes, E-Cigs, and Tobacco with Teens
What should parents know about teenage trends in vaping, tobacco, e-cigarettes, and social media? Join Erin Vogel, PhD, USC, to learn more. Wednesday, Jan. 19, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Register here.

Valedictorians at the Gate with Author Becky Munsterer Sabky
Offering prescriptive, actionable advice for students and their parents, Becky Sabky illuminates the pathway to finding the ideal college. Wednesday, Jan. 26, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Register here.