White Oaks Weekly - October 30, 2022

October 30, 2022 IN THIS ISSUE Principal’s Message Book Fair & Holiday Store Plus SCEF, District and Community News  IMPORTANT DATES Mon 10/31: Halloween Parade, 8:30 a.m. Tue-Thu 11/1-11/3: Halloween candy buyback Wed 11/9: Author visit and assembly Mon-Thu 11/14-11/17: Book Fair Fri 11/18: United Against Hate Poetry Slam Sat 12/10: White Oaks Holiday Store opens   PTA EVENTS SCSD 2022-23 Calendar   Principal’s Message Dear White Oaks families, It’s that time of year again, where the children turn into ghosts and goblins and much, much more.  As a reminder, our White Oaks Halloween parade will take place on Monday, October 31 at 8:30 a.m. on the blacktop. If you are joining us, please enter through the Fairmont gate. Students will walk around the playground and show off their costumes to students, parents, and teachers. Afterwards, they will head back to their classrooms. If your student is participating in the parade, please remember to send students to school in their costumes. Please also send in a change of clothes. We ask that students not bring scary masks or weapons of any kind to school.  If you are volunteering on campus for a classroom celebration, then enter through the office to sign in and pick up a volunteer badge. Teachers will be having celebrations throughout the day. We want everyone to have a fun and safe Halloween night. Here are some Halloween safety tips from the San Mateo Sheriff’s Office.  For those of you who will be trick-or-treating, families can drop off their Halloween candy at the front office from Nov. 1-7 The candy will be shipped to our troops overseas as part of Move America Forward.  By sharing candy, not only does it help promote healthy eating but it also makes a big impact to those that are so far from home. You can also ask your child who is donating candy to write a letter for a military member, which we will include in the care package. Just a reminder, that candy is not allowed at school and should not be packed in lunches as we continue to promote healthy eating. Have a safe and happy Halloween for those who are celebrating! Sincerely, Leah Scholer, Principal   PTA News Huge THANK YOU to the Walk-A-Thon Team! On behalf of the entire White Oaks community, we would like to send a huge shout out of gratitude to the Walk-A-Thon committee for organizing and running such an amazing event last Sunday. It was wonderful to see all of the kids and families sharing a fun day and celebrating White Oaks. PTA Membership Drive Ends Monday Our PTA membership drive wraps up on Monday and we haven't quite hit our goal. Our PTA is our parent community supporting the students and teachers of White Oaks and your membership directly benefits them. Please consider joining! White Oaks Holiday Store! It’s that time of year-- the White Oaks Holiday Store is a cherished tradition and will be open on Saturday, Dec. 10 this year! Pick-a-Project will be on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 2:40 p.m. After you pick up the kids, come to the MU and pick up a project to take home and complete at your leisure. 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! Most projects require NO crafty abilities and are very easy to put together and all materials are included. It is a lot of fun for the whole family! Please contact Sara Ting for more information or if you are interested in getting involved! Holiday Store Key Dates: Nov 8: Pick-a-Project in the MU, 2:40 p.m. Dec. 1: Projects Due in the MU Dec. 9: Event Set Up in the MU, 2:40 p.m. Dec. 10: Holiday Store is OPEN! 9 a.m.-12 p.m. GET EXCITED!! Book Fair It’s that time of year again! The Scholastic Book Fair is just around the corner. The Book Fair raises thousands of dollars in books for the school library. We can't do it without your help-- please take a look at the many roles and shifts to fit your schedule and sign up here. Mon 11/14: 8:00-8:45 a.m., 2:30-3:15 p.m. Tue 11/15: 8:00-8:45 a.m., 2:30-3:15 p.m., 5:00-6:30 p.m.  Wed 11/16: 8:00-8:45 a.m., 12:30-1:15 p.m., with Family Fun Night* 5:00-7:30 p.m.  Thu 11/17: 8:00-8:45 a.m., 2:30-3:15 p.m. Make a Poster to Promote the Book Fair White Oaks students, make a poster to promote the Book Fair and pick a book from our gently used collection! Please submit posters to the library anytime this week. Minimum size is 11” X 17”. Posters must include the following information: Nov. 14-17 Multi-Use Room A slogan or message to attract shoppers. Student’s name and classroom written on the back (to receive the certificate for a gently used book) Walk to School Wednesday Please join us for Walk to School Wednesday this week. Charms will be given to students who walk, roll, ride, or scoot to school! Walk to School Wednesday takes place the first Wednesday of every month. Local Author Visit at White Oaks (and How to Order Her Book)! - Nov. 9 Assemblies are back! On Nov. 9, local San Carlos author (and mom) Jodie Antypas will visit White Oaks to share her new book Just Like an Astronaut and talk to our students about how she wrote the book. Just Like An Astronaut is a story about a girl who loves outer space, but more than that, it is a book for any child who has made a mistake, felt embarrassed or worried about something they said or did. Jodie wrote this story to help normalize feelings of embarrassment and shame and encourage kids to recognize that something positive can result from an imperfect situation. You can pre-order a signed copy of her book through the Reading Bug here by Nov. 1 and it will be delivered to your child's teacher on the day of the assembly. Order your White Oaks Yearbook TODAY! Your time at White Oaks will fly by fast, so order your child’s yearbook HERE. Ensure their 2022-2023 special memories will last a lifetime! Deadline to order is Dec. 15. It's the Season for Spirit Wear Autumn is here and so is our latest White Oaks Spirit Wear! There are new zip-up hoodies, long-sleeved tees for the kids, and heathered green tees for the entire family. Show your school spirit and order some stylish White Oaks attire. The store is open through Sunday, Nov. 6.   SCEF News The Third Annual SCEF Read-A-Thon: Oct. 28 - Nov. 10 The Read-a-Thon is underway and there are so many great ways to support and celebrate our readers! Check here for events and resources. We appreciate the support from our presenting sponsor, Christie’s/Sereno Real Estate. Join us at The Reading Bug for the SCEF Read-A-thon Pajama Party Thursday, Nov. 3 at 5:30 p.m.  Wear your pajamas & bring your sleeping bags. Story time with marshmallows. Winners of Scavenger Hunt announced. Story times and read alouds count as reading minutes in your Reading Log! Participate in Our Twelfth Annual Halloween Candy Buyback! Drop off extra candy Nov. 1-3 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 one dollar per pound of wrapped candy to SCEF. Thank You to Our Business Sponsors Renewing Again This Year! Our San Carlos schools are supported by parents and the broader community. We are grateful to the following generous business sponsors who have renewed their support this school year: Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Black Mountain Properties, CA Water Services, County Consumer, Hummingbird Music, Lyngso Garden Materials and Peninsula Chemical Company. Learn about the benefits of our Business Sponsorship Program.   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. What’s Next for SCSD Schools? Share Your Ideas to Inform Our Strategic Plan Refresh We are refreshing the SCSD Strategic Plan. Many commitments in the existing plan were ahead of their time and will continue to be part of our learner’s experience: Whole Child education, Project-Based Learning and the 5 C’s. However, much has changed since 2013 and now is the time to consider how to educate future-ready learners. Our process will involve workshops, surveys, stakeholder meetings and a design team. We need you! The time is now to imagine what our strategic plan will look like. Your input will be invaluable to co-create a roadmap to inform next steps for our learners. We want to hear from you, so we invite you to participate in our upcoming in-person meetings and/or complete a survey. Complete our new strategic planning survey online before Nov. 30: Take the survey in English Para realizar esta encuesta en Español Participate in a strategic planning community meeting-- join us for a live session, click here to RSVP, and select from the following: Thursday, Nov. 3 - 8:45-10:15 a.m. - Tierra Linda Middle School Multi-Use Room NEW Wednesday, Nov. 30 - 6:30-8:00 p.m. - Ravenswood YMCA (550 Bell St., East Palo Alto) **habrá traducción simultánea** Tuesday, Dec. 13 - 6:00-7:30 pm - Arundel Elementary Elementary Multi-Use Room  All feedback will be brought back and considered by a Design Team to represent 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 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 Free COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic - Nov. 18 Plan now for happy and healthy holidays! SMCOE and San Mateo County Health is hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Nov. 18, 1-4 p.m. at the Medical Therapy Unit Multipurpose Room (65 Tower Road, San Mateo). Vaccinations are available for adults and children 3 and older. Learn more (English and Spanish). Stand United Against Hate Poetry Slam - Nov. 18 In celebration of United Against Hate Week (Nov. 13-19), the Community Foundation of San Carlos and Devil's Canyon Brewing Co. are throwing its second annual Stand United Against Hate' Poetry Slam on Friday, Nov. 18 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Devil's Canyon. Please come and watch our talented community members bring their craft and whole selves to share their stories of what it means to stand united against hate. The deadline for poetry submission is Tuesday, Nov. 1 via this link, or refer to the attached flyer for more information. Stand in solidarity for UAH and download a San Carlos Stands United Against Hate poster here.   Join the Kindergarten Daisy Girl Scout Troop at White Oaks If you would like to join the new White Oaks Girl Scout troop for kindergarten girls, please follow these steps to reserve your place today.  We’re a co-op troop where everyone helps, so be sure to register yourself too! Use this link to find Troop 61920.  Click the + sign to add a girl and adult space (please register at least one adult per family as a Troop Helper or another role that may interest you). Click LOG IN and Don't have an account? Sign up now to create your account. Annual Girl fee is $40 and Adults fee is $25, plus $11.50 every three years for an online background check. Financial aid is available. Email Lauren if you have any questions. Parent Education Opportunities How can we help kids find friendship in the age of digital media? Devorah Heither, PhD, author of Screenwise, offers Friends vs Followers: Friendship Dynamics in the Age of Social Media (Nov. 3 Online). NEW How can we create a culture of hope in the face of stress, trauma, or setbacks? David Feldman, PhD, Santa Clara University, presents Grounded Hope: Why Hope Is Important in Times of Stress and Loss (Nov. 10 Online). Visit the Parent Venture Series of Upcoming Events page for more information.    PTA CORNER Join the White Oaks PTA. Your membership matters and helps support programs and events for our students and teachers. REWARDS PROGRAMS Participate in our rewards programs and a percentage of your purchases will automatically be donated to the White Oaks PTA — at no cost to you! FOLLOW @WHITE OAKS Follow us on Facebook for up-to-date info on events and issues.