Principal’s Message
Dear White Oaks families,
October is Digital Citizenship Month, and our students use technology in various ways that support critical thinking, creativity, communication, curiosity, and collaboration. Some examples of digital projects your student may experience at White Oaks across TK-third grade are: authoring ebooks, producing videos to communicate a point of view, expressing learning using Google Docs and Slides presentations, researching science and social studies topics, engaging with learning apps via Class Link and collaborating during project-based learning units – just to highlight a few. Along the way, they are learning how to search safely, protect privacy, give proper credit to authors, share workload responsibilities, and model kindness and caring in all communications – on and offline.
Our kids are immersed in the digital age, from research and reading online, to playing games and exploring social media. With our support, children learn that “online life” guidelines closely mirror those of life offline. During the elementary school years, children are learning how to self-regulate. As they reach new physical, social, and emotional milestones, children begin to balance active time with rest time, time with friends with quiet time alone, and healthy eating with the occasional sweet treat. With our guidance, they also are learning how to manage their “digital diets” to balance both quality and quantity of media consumption.
Here are a few guidelines you may want to draw from as you consider how technology functions in your family:
- Get involved: Engage with your child and find out what he/she enjoys online.
- Take a look at Common Sense Media, a great source for movies, books, and technology reviews and tips.
- Set an example: Model positive behavior about when, where and how it is acceptable to be “on” a device. Check out this 45-second video about taming device time.
- Make dinner time device-free.
- Set clear limits: Together, create a schedule that shows when media will be used and how screen time fits into the larger picture of the day or week. Institute a “device bedtime” so that devices are put away in advance of your child’s bedtime. Ensure that devices are used and charged in public areas, not in children’s bedrooms. Create a Family Media Plan.
Already, our children are learning to leverage technology to fuel learning in exciting ways. Together, we’ll help them take the next steps to become powerful digital (and non-digital) citizens!
Warm regards,
Leah Scholer, Principal
PTA News
White Oaks Holiday Store - Opens Dec. 10!
The White Oaks Holiday Store is a cherished tradition and will be open on Saturday, Dec. 10th this year! We are looking for volunteers with sewing skills to share. For those new to this event, you take home a kit that has all materials and instructions necessary to assemble a certain number of gifts. When they are ready, you bring them back. Then on the day of the event, your gifts are sold to the White Oaks students to give to family members on the holidays! Please contact Sara Ting if you have sewing abilities to share, and look for more information in future WOWs.
PTA Membership Drive - 60% to Goal
Our PTA membership drive for the 2022-2023 school year is half over and we're 60% to goal. The PTA directly supports our White Oaks students, staff, and teachers. All we need is you! Please join here.
Calling All Volunteers: There's A Walk-a-Thon Job for Everyone!
Make sure to mark your calendars for the White Oaks Walk-a-Thon on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. on our campus! And please take a few minutes to check out all the volunteer opportunities to support one of our favorite school traditions. If you haven’t been to a Walk-a-Thon before, the shifts are short, the duties are easy, and it’s a whole lot of fun! Plus, you’ll get a front-row spot to cheer on our kids. Sign up heretoday.
SCEF News
SCEF Read-a-Thon is Around the Corner
Register Early!
Kids who register early (Oct. 17-21) will be entered into a drawing to win Warriors tickets or gift cards to Boba Guys, Reading Bug, Gelataio, and Tutti Frutti.
Plus, parents can enter the drawing to win a Cuisinett $100 Gift Card.
Mark Your Calendars for the SCEF Read-a-Thon Kickoff Event - Oct. 23
Join us at The Reading Bug on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. for story time, giveaways, a scavenger hunt, and more. Don't forget to pick up your SCEF bookmark.
Participate in Our 12th Annual Halloween Candy Buy-Back - Nov. 1-3
Drop off extra candy at your school’s office, and it will be donated to Operation Gratitude and sent to our troops. Drs. Chang, Amin, and Kaher will donate $1 per pound of wrapped candy to SCEF.
Don't Forget to Vote
Ballots are in the mail, and the field of school board candidates is amazing.
Watch the San Carlos School Board Candidate Forum held earlier this month, hosted by SCEF and PTA Coordinating Council, and moderated by League of Women Voters of San Mateo County.
District News
State-Subsidized Preschool Spaces Now Available at Arundel Elementary
The San Carlos Early Learning Center has space available in our new, part-day, California State Preschool Program (CSPP) class at Arundel from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Student tuition may be covered for families that qualify, based on income.
Visit our San Carlos Early Learning Center website for more information, or contact ELC Director Sue Dawley.
Free COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic - Nov. 18
SMCOE and San Mateo County Health are hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Anne Campbell Center located at 65 Tower Road in San Mateo. Vaccinations are available for children 3 and older and adults. Learn more.
- Nov. 18, 1-4 p.m.
What’s Next for SCSD Schools? Share Your Ideas to Inform Our Strategic Plan Refresh
Your input will be invaluable to co-create a resulting roadmap to inform next steps for our learners. We want to hear from you, so here are upcoming opportunities to share your feedback:
Complete our new strategic planning survey online before Nov. 30. The survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete and is available in Spanish and English.
Attend one of our October or November in-person community meetings to learn more about the strategic planning process, receive an update on recently collected input, and join us for a real-time brainstorm as we think together about future opportunities for SCSD and our students. Light refreshments will be served. To join us for a live session, please click here to RSVP and select from the following:
- Wed., Oct. 26, 4:00-5:30 p.m. at Arroyo Upper Elementary Learning Commons
- Thu., Nov. 3, 8:45-10:15 a.m. at Tierra Linda Middle School Multi-Use Room
All feedback will be brought back and considered by a design team to represent the thinking across all interested groups, identify themes, and revise the objectives and directions regarding Teaching and Learning, Social Emotional Learning and Learning Spaces. For more information on our Strategic Plan and process, please visit our website.
COVID Reminders and Testing Options
If your child is experiencing symptoms, please keep them home and give them a rapid antigen test. Staying home when sick can lower the risk of spreading infectious diseases to other people and testing remains a key mitigation layer to detect and curb transmission of COVID-19. If your child tests positive for COVID-19 or your household is in need of additional test kits, please contact your school site as soon as possible.
Testing Resources
- Worksite Labs at Arroyo School is no longer available.
- Curative - Central Middle School parking lot - Sign up
- Curative - Tierra Linda Middle School parking lot - Sign up
- Other Community-Based Testing Sites in San Mateo County
COVID-19 Testing for Schools and Students - Find up-to-date resources on testing in districts and schools as well as at home.
Follow @scsdschools
Follow the San Carlos School District on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for up-to-date info on events and issues.
Community News
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day Poster Contest!
Students in all grades are encouraged to submit their original artwork inspired by Ruby Bridges, the six year-old who became a symbol of courage, bravery, and social justice during the civil rights movement.
Submit your poster by Oct. 25. Winning entries will be shared with schools countywide to promote Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day on Nov. 14!
Learn more about Ruby Bridges. Contest details are available in English and Spanish.
#RBWTSD #RubyBridges #WalkwithRuby
San Carlos United Soccer Club Tryouts
San Carlos United will be holding tryouts in November for AYSO players and players not currently playing competitive club soccer for the upcoming Spring 2023 season.
Please register online. A representative from the respective age group will contact you regarding a tryout. We look forward to seeing you at the San Carlos United tryouts!
Parent Education Opportunities
On Oct. 19, we continue our fentanyl education series with Stacey Wisniewski, Prevention Solutions, Hazeldon Betty Ford Foundation, in Fentanyl Prevention Education: How to Help Teens Make Healthy Decisions (Oct. 19, online).
How can you raise a well-balanced student? Denise Pope, PhD, co-founder, Challenge Success, Stanford Graduate School of Education, presents Raising a Well-Balanced Student: Avoiding a Culture of Stress (Oct. 26, online).
Visit the Parent Venture Series of Upcoming Events page for more information.