From the Principal
Dear White Oaks families,
We are definitely in the homestretch of the school year! There is so much to complete and to celebrate. To help keep our community safe during the many end-of-year events, I’m sharing the most recent updates from the San Mateo County Office of Education:
COVID Situation in San Mateo County and Schools
According to the CDC website, our COVID-19 community level is moderate, up from low a couple of weeks ago. Meanwhile, schools have also seen an uptick in cases, which have been tied to large end-of-year gatherings.
Strong Finish to the 2021-22 School Year
We have learned a lot in the past year about COVID, how it operates, and what we can do to keep ourselves, families, and schools safe. Given our shared hope for finishing the school year strong and healthy, we can put that knowledge to good use. Please follow these Strategies for keeping yourself safe when attending events:
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If you’re not feeling well, stay home and take a COVID test.
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Carry a mask with you wherever you go, and slip it on if you are in a crowded space or indoors.
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Know where you’re going. Will there be safety measures in place? Remember that when testing is not required in advance, for example, the risk is greater.
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Consider others in your household. If they are unvaccinated or at risk for severe illness, wear a mask, maintain distance, or consider not attending.
We want to help ensure that our students finish the year healthy, without interruptions during their last weeks of school. Let’s all do our part!
Warm regards,
Leah Scholer, Principal
[email protected]
This weekend is Hometown Days, and after two long years we invite you to the SCEF Celebrates Music concert at Burton Park at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 20. Bring your blanket and picnic, and enjoy our amazing middle school musicians!
Thanks to all for your participation in our SCEF Day kickoff for the Make It Happen in May campaign. As we approach the end of the school year, and the end of the San Carlos Education Foundation’s fiscal year, we are asking for your support to meet our fundraising goal of $3.2 million — we still have $1 million to go! Our suggested donation is $1,500 per student, and Leadership Circle begins at $4,000. However, gifts of any amount are valued and help us meet our goal. We strive to ‘Make It Happen in May’ by asking donors to finalize their annual fund contributions during May so that we can provide the School Board with a solid estimated grant amount to aid in their budget planning for next school year.
SCEF, in support of San Carlos schools, has long been committed to nurturing the “whole child.” This includes all aspects of the child’s well-being, including: social-emotional, physical, creative, and cognitive capacities, in pursuit of every child reaching their fullest potential. What this means in your child’s school day: smaller elementary class sizes, school counselors and social-emotional programs, libraries and librarians, middle school electives (including band and orchestra), Teacher Innovation Grants, iPads, Chromebooks and the support of a Tech Associate, Music for Minors, Legarza PE, professional development for teachers, and support for school-site needs through a principal fund.
Please consider making your annual donation TODAY. Our 2021-22 fundraising calendar ends on June 30. You can make a donation today at scefkids.org/donate. Matching corporate gifts, stock donations, and Donor-Advised Fund gifts are welcome too. Contact [email protected] for more information.
May 21: Join White Oaks in the Hometown Days Parade!
All students and families are welcome to walk, scooter or bike with White Oaks in the San Carlos Hometown Days Parade on Saturday, May 21! Meet at 9 a.m. at the Central Middle School parking lot, and look for the green balloon garland and White Oaks banner. The parade starts at 9:45 and goes down Cedar Ave., San Carlos Ave. and Laurel St., ending at Burton Park.
Wear green! We hand out pompoms, necklaces, leis, and noise makers, and provide green streamers for decorating your scooters and bikes. We look forward to seeing you there! Contact Sara Ting or Amy Kim with any questions.
Sign Up to Be a Buddy Family for New Families!As we get closer to summer, we want to encourage families to sign up to be Kinder Family Buddies. This special White Oaks tradition pairs current families with incoming Kindergarten and TK families to help them feel like a part of the White Oaks community. It is a wonderful resource for the new families in case they have questions about school over the summer and/or at the beginning of the year. First-time families often have normal jitters, and having a particular person or family to talk to helps a lot. Please fill out this form by May 31 to sign up to be a Kinder Family Buddy. Contact Kari Burchard with questions.
District News and Events
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 your school office; after business hours, contact J. Smith at 650-590-5922. For more information, visit our COVID-19 Resources page and review the SCSD Health & Safety Plan.
Community News and Events
Join the San Carlos Hometown Days Pre-Parade Roll!
On Saturday, May 21, at 9:30 a.m., just before the Hometown Days Parade, bicyclists and wheel riders (human-powered) can ride on an open Laurel Street. (The parade starts at 9:45.) All ages are welcome. Decorations and costumes are encouraged! At 9:30, gather on Laurel Street at San Carlos Avenue to ride the parade route, which ends at Burton Park. Park your bikes and wheels in the bocce ball area, or head back to watch or join in the parade.
Biking/riding to all Hometown Days events is encouraged. Free valet parking for bikes and other Wheels will be available 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday in Burton Park’s bocce ball area. Find more info at sancarloshometowndays.com and
SamTrans Bus Route Study
SamTrans is conducting a study to help determine how to speed up travel times and enhance reliability on Route ECR, SamTrans’s busiest bus route, and is asking for your help in getting input from the school community. Public outreach ends on May 20.
The community is being asked to provide input on the draft improvements — online, by phone to Customer Service or at the May 19 virtual community meeting. For more information on the study and how the public can submit their comments, visit samtrans.com/ecrstudy or call Customer Service at 1-800-660-4287.
Rock Band Summer Camp at White Oaks
Have you ever wanted to play in a rock band? Do you want to learn a new instrument? Or do you want to get better at one you already play? Join us this summer at Rock Band Camp with Hummingbird Music School! Campers will be immersed in live music and performance, experiencing what it’s like to be in a rock band with fellow musicians and bandmates!
Camp will be held throughout June and July at White Oaks. One-week sessions run Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Sign up to learn guitar, ukulele, bass, drums, keyboard, winds, or vocals. Campers will form a band, attend daily band rehearsals, participate in music workshops, and perform with their band in a live showcase at the end of the week. Bands will be formed on the first day of camp, based on experience level and/or age. Campers can choose to form a band with friends!
All skill levels are welcome. Campers may bring their own instruments or rent an instrument from Hummingbird. For more information and to register, visit hummingbirdmusicschool.c
Kidizens Lego Summer Camp at
Would your child like to build and be the mayor of an entire Lego city? Or leverage their love of Lego to have fun and learn real-life 21st-century skills and leadership strategies?
Calling all creative builders, responsible thinkers, and future leaders to join us for one week of supercharged and exciting summer fun! Take your creativity and confidence to towering heights in an immersive journey as a Young Mayor at Kidizens Summer Camps. During the Lego City-Building and Leadership Camps, kids collaborate on building and role-playing in a Lego city that they plan from the ground up.
In a fast-paced and engaging environment, campers develop strong leadership, problem-solving and social-emotional skills while dealing with natural disasters, concerned citizens, and financial crises. Register today at kidizens.com/camps/lego-sum
Parent Education Opportunities
More event info at parentventure.org/events
“The Mask You Live In” Film Screening and Discussion
May 17, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Join a livestream of “The Mask You Live In,” a documentary film about how we raise boys in America. After the screening will be a 30-minute conversation with Ashanti Branch, founder of the Ever Forward Club, who will share compelling efforts to reframe masculinity led by young men and answer live questions. Learn more.
Fentanyl Prevention Education: How to Help Teens Make Healthy Decisions
May 18, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
How can we prevent fentanyl (opioid) use in adolescents? Join Eduardo Torres, senior prevention specialist, Prevention Solutions, Hazeldon Betty Ford Foundation, to better understand the risks of intentional and unintentional fentanyl use among teens. Learn what each parent and caregiver can do to protect their students from these risks while promoting their health. Learn more.
Understanding Severe Mental Health Conditions
May 24, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
What should parents know about severe mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and psychosis? Join Steve Smith, PhD, clinical psychologist and professor of psychology, UC Santa Barbara, to understand more about severe mental health conditions in children and youth. Traducción simultánea al español (simultaneous Spanish translation). Learn more.
Mental Health & Overcoming Stigma Community Conversation (in person)
May 24, 6-7 p.m., San Carlos Adult Community Center, 601 Chestnut St.
A community panel event discussing the implications of mental health on our physical health and to overcome the stigma associated with mental health, together. The panel includes our very own Ilana Yakubovich, MA, RYT, director of Health and Wellness for the San Carlos School District. Join us for light food and drinks before the event. RSVP and submit questions: cfsancarlos.org/Mental-Health-
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics for Ages 5-11
San Mateo County Health is offering pediatric COVID-19 vaccines at eight sites throughout the county. Free and advance appointments are available, highly encouraged, and may be scheduled through MyTurn. Families may also come without appointments. Learn more.
COVID-19 PCR Testing in San Carlos
Please take advantage of the free COVID-19 virus testing at one of our school sites or those provided by the San Mateo County Health Department.
WORKSITE LABS: Arroyo School, Patio 3, 1710 Arroyo Ave. Make appointment here.
- Mondays and Wednesdays 3:30-6:30 p.m.
CURATIVE KIOSK: Central Middle School parking lot, 757 Cedar St. Make appointment here.
- 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.
CURATIVE VAN: Tierra Linda Middle School parking lot, 750 Dartmouth Ave. Make appointment here.
- Wednesdays and Fridays 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Saturdays 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Find other community testing sites in San Mateo County here.