 May 7, 2023 IN THIS ISSUE
IMPORTANT DATES Wed 5/10: PTA Meeting, 6 p.m. on Zoom (agenda here) Thu 5/11: TK/Kindergarten Orientation (adults only) Mon 5/15: San Carlos Night at the Giants, 6:45 p.m. Wed 5/17: Heritage Day, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thu 5/18: Mental Health Q&A, 7 p.m., Arroyo Commons Sat 5/20: Hometown Days Parade, 9:00 a.m. Wed 5/24: Celebration of Learning, 6:00-6:30 p.m. (TK-1st) and 6:30-7:00 p.m. (2nd-3rd) Fri 5/26: Minimum Day, dismissal at 12:25 p.m. Mon 5/29: No School (Labor Day) Wed 6/7: White Oaks Folk Dance, 8:25-9:00 a.m.  Principal’s MessageDear White Oaks Families, We want to say a HUGE thank you to the PTA for sponsoring an amazing Staff Appreciation Week! We enjoyed treats, drinks, and love all week. Doug Okamoto went above and beyond supporting the events that took place and we are very appreciative. We have arrived in the month of May, and every year at this time I am reminded of the importance of SCEF. The Make it Happen in May campaign has begun and I urge you to learn about the value of SCEF and its role in supplementing our budget for excellence in education. I am grateful for the educator positions that your donations help to fund. The additional staffing helps us offer programs not possible with base funding alone. Each year, I meet with leaders from the PTA and SCEF to discuss my goals as it relates to SCEF principal funds, teachers grants, and PTA grants and how best to put those to work at our school. This can range from investments in our libraries, to improvements in our classrooms with technology or sensory materials to help students feel focused. This year at White Oaks we successfully installed sound systems in each classroom to amplify student and teacher voices. I’m so proud of the impact that this has on each child’s school experience every day. We also enjoyed many PTA sponsored events at our school including the recent dance, Walk-a-thon and upcoming Heritage Day. These would not be possible without our PTA volunteers and your SCEF donations. Our San Carlos schools are fortunate to have parents engage on so many levels including volunteering on campus and or contributing financially to supplement our budget. These funds help bridge the gap so that our students receive what they deserve for a well-rounded education. With thanks,  PTA News Hometown Days- Save the DateJoin us! The Hometown Days Parade on Laurel Street is on Saturday, May 20 at 9 a.m. The parade leaves from Central Middle School and circles around downtown for all to see and is a highlight of the Hometown Days weekend. White Oaks won first place last year, so we are hoping all families can join in the fun again this year by walking, scootering or biking.  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 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. Reach out to our Kinder Buddy volunteers with any questions via email.  Thank You to Our PTA Staff Appreciation Committee!Thank you to our White Oaks Staff Appreciation committee for planning a wonderful week of gifts and treats for our White Oaks Staff last week. Shout out to Doug Okamoto, Linda Okamoto, Joy Pimentel, Tiffany Day, Kohar Kojayan, Jess Jorgensen and Annie Stevenson! And thank you to SCEF for providing funding for us to treat our wonderful teachers and staff at White Oaks!  SCEF News Community Support for our Schools “Making it Happen In May” will help us deliver a reliable grant estimate for 2023-24 so that SCEF contributions can be considered in the final school board final budget deliberations in June. Please help us achieve our goal of $3.7 to support San Carlos public schools and PTA programs by making a donation today!  District News SCSD Parent Speaker Event: How to Support your Child to Find Purpose and Contentment - May 9As parents we want our children to be happy, and we do countless things (some supported by evidence, others not) to ensure our child will be successful-- and hence happy. In a world of 8 billion people, and only a few Ivy league schools, it may not be possible for our children to follow a straight path to success-- and happiness. Instead, research shows that helping children explore and find a sense of purpose, build an identity and a strong sense of self-efficacy are much more likely to lead to contentment and well-being-- as a child, and later as an adult.  Mental Health Q+A with SCSD Wellness Leads - May 18Have questions about supporting your student? Unsure what's developmentally appropriate vs. when it's time to get help? Come chat with Kiersten and Ilana, SCSD Mental Health and Wellness Leads!
Community News City Council Supports Permanent Closure of the 700 Block of Laurel StreetOn April 24, the City Council directed staff and the consultant team to move forward with a bold vision to transform the 700 block of Laurel Street into a plaza, thereby paving the way for a more pedestrian friendly downtown. Learn more.  Stanford Powwow is Back!The 52nd Annual Stanford Powwow (the largest student-run powwow in the nation) will take place on the Stanford campus Mother's Day weekend, May 12-13. The event is a celebration of Native American culture, song and dance.  Celebrate AANHPI MonthThe Community Foundation of San Carlos is throwing a community-wide celebration in honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI). The event will take place on Saturday, May 13 at the San Carlos Youth Center from 2-5 p.m. The event will feature live music, cultural performances, and a variety of craft vendors.  Welcome to Lando Summer Camps at Brittan AcresAt Lando, campers will flex their curiosity and creativity by engaging in real-world engineering challenges while balancing fun summer days playing games and enjoying the outdoors. Our camps develop a camper’s confidence in their own ability to build, test their own design, and solve engineering challenges while having fun. Challenges may include designing a car that can move through wind power, creating an epic catapult to sling resources to those in need, or building an air filter to help solve pollution problems. Campers will collaborate and problem-solve with their friends in a way that they never have before. No experience necessary.  Community Transportation Benefits ProgramQualifying San Mateo County residents aged 18 or older can now receive $100 in transit credit on their Credit Card or $100 tool credit on their FasTrak account. Multiple members of the same household can apply. Learn more.  San Carlos United Soccer Tryouts May 8San Carlos United will be holding tryouts for boys and girls born between 2006 and 2015 starting the week of May 8 for the Fall 2023 season. If interested, please register online and a manager from the team will reach out to coordinate. We look forward to seeing you at the San Carlos United tryouts!  Parent Education OpportunitiesWhat do teens believe about cannabis and vaping? Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, professor of adolescent medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, presents Teen Misconceptions about Cannabis and Vaping: What’s True and What’s Not (May 9). Our children are experiencing the changing climate. Anya Kamenetz, author, journalist, and senior advisor at the Aspen Institute, will offer strategies for How-- And Why-- to Talk to Kids About Climate Change (May 11). Visit the Parent Venture Series of Upcoming Events page for more information.  PTA CORNERJoin the White Oaks PTA. Your membership matters and helps support programs and events for our students and teachers.  A percentage of your purchases will automatically be donated to the White Oaks PTA — at no cost to you!  FOLLOW
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