October 15, 2023
IN THIS ISSUE
- Principal’s Message: Emergency Plan, SCSD Strategic Plan
- PTA News: Walk-a-Thon, Yearbooks
- Plus District, SCEF, and Community News
IMPORTANT DATES
Today, 10/15: Last day to order spirit wear!
Tue, 10/17: STEM Festival, volunteers needed
Sun, 10/22: Walk-A-Thon, 1:00 p.m., volunteers needed
Tue, 10/31: Halloween Parade, 8:30-9:25 a.m.
Tue, 10/31: Deadline to order yearbook with 10% off
Fri 11/10: Veterans’ Day, no school
Principal’s Message
Dear White Oaks families,
White Oaks will participate in the Great California Shakeout earthquake drill on Thursday. Our students will practice “Drop, Cover, and Hold,” and then evacuate to our assembly area on the upper playground. Every drill we do helps us learn more and we consistently work together across sites to review and update our Emergency Plans that describe our teams working together for our overall safety in an emergency. If you are interested in knowing our drill schedule, please contact Mrs. Scholer.
We are utilizing protocols developed by the Coalition for Safe Schools and Communities in San Mateo County, called “The Big Five.” Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the Big Five Protocols by reading over the attached Big Five Parent Brochure. If you want to dig a little deeper, take a look at the Big Five Community Packet. We do not practice Secure Campus or Lockdown/Barricade as these types of drills can cause anxiety in children.The Big Five is made engaging and easy to understand through the children's book, Think on Your Feet Peet. This book acts as a great entry-point to the Big Five in classroom settings and encourages situational awareness and “thinking on your feet”. While thinking about emergencies on campus can be scary, we plan to focus on how important and empowering it is to be prepared.
Our emergency plan includes communication with the district and parents. Teachers are assigned to various emergency response roles, including student assembly leaders who stay and supervise students in grade level teams when other teachers are “deployed” to their duty. Our plan also includes entrance security, with staff at each of our entrance and exit areas directing emergency response vehicles and personnel as well as parents, and it includes a student release protocol. Students will be released individually to parents or authorized guardians and adults at the student release station which parents will be informed of upon approaching campus. If you need to update this list at any time, please contact Annie Stevenson. Parents will be directed to park off site allowing for emergency vehicles to have priority. It is critical that parents follow our student release protocol so we can make sure all students are safe and accounted for in an emergency situation.
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Please park in the surrounding neighborhoods and walk to the student release station which will be located at the main gate on Fairmont Avenue. Please follow posted signs and/or staff/volunteer directions showing which gate to go to.
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Ensure you have an ID with you or other identifying information.
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Please do not text or call your child to come to the front during this time. We need to account for all students and ensure our process is followed.
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Students will be released to emergency contacts only.
In the event of a true emergency, the best thing you can do as a parent is to stay away from the school (and refrain from calling both the school and your child) until you are notified to come pick up your student. We understand that this is extremely difficult but it’s important for us to focus on students in an emergency. While keeping parents calm and informed is critical, student safety will be our highest priority and it’s best if we can avoid anything that distracts from that.
None of us want to be involved in a real emergency, but practicing and being prepared will be key in keeping our kids and staff safe and reuniting with parents if the state of our buildings aren’t usable. Please be assured, safety of our students is a top priority.
We encourage parents to review these safety conversations with their own families. Have a family plan in the event of an emergency, help your children know the plan and know how to call 911. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Strategic Plan
Join us as we take you on a journey through the very core of our new SCSD Strategic Plan.
WEEK 4: The Educator
In our fourth installment of the Strategic Plan video series, we're shining a spotlight on our incredible educators. They're the driving force behind the excellence that defines SCSD. Here's a sneak peek at what makes our educators stand out:
- Collaborative: Our educators work as a team to plan, deliver, and fine-tune standards-based instruction. Teamwork is the key to success!
- Innovative Inspiration: They're not just teachers; they're inspirers of the joy of learning. With innovative, relevant experiences, they ignite that passion in every student.
- Culturally Inclusive: Our educators use culturally responsive practices to ensure every student's unique needs are met. Diversity is celebrated here!
- Holistic Approach: It's not just academics; it's about the whole child. Our educators plan and adapt instruction to support social, emotional, and academic growth.
- Community Connection: They partner with parents, caregivers, and the community to create a well-rounded education for our children. It takes a village!
- Lifelong Learners: Our educators are committed to their own growth. They embrace ongoing learning, feedback, and reflection to lead by example.
Let's celebrate and support our amazing educators as they lead the way in making SCSD extraordinary! Stay tuned for more insights into our strategic plan.
Warmly,
Leah Scholer
Principal
This Week's Menus
PTA News
Walk-a-Thon: Sign Up to Help, Plus Fan Club for Extended Family and Friends!
Join us for the Walk A Thon on Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. We truly can’t pull this off without your help – there’s a job for every family! Please browse the list and sign up for a spot. The shifts are short and a lot of fun!
Special traditions such as the White Oaks Walk-a-Thon are powered by the PTA parent volunteers and your SCEF donations and we thank you! This is one of our biggest events and truly excites our kids and our school community.
If your extended family or friends would like to become a Walk-a-Thon Fan to support your child while they walk, please encourage them to donate. We want to continue our efforts to raise money and support an enriching experience here at White Oaks and across the San Carlos School District.
Thank you to our Day of Service Committee!
The PTA would like to thank the Day of Service chairs, Emily Sangi and Aurelia Abcouwer for their hard work and dedication in organizing our White Oaks Day of Service! What a joy to see our community come together and spruce up our gardens and patios. Also, thank you to all of the White Oaks families that came out to help and those who donated flowers, soil and other materials.
PTA Membership: We Need You!
We need you!! We currently only have 55% of families signed up and our goal is to have 100% of White Oaks families participate. The PTA supports Art in Action, materials, family fun events, and so much more! As part of this month's PTA membership drive, if we reach our goal of 85% of families joining the White Oaks PTA, Mrs. Scholer will wear a green wig on the first Wednesday of November! The cost is $20 per family. Join here.
Save 10% on Your Student’s Yearbook
Order your White Oaks Yearbook TODAY! Regular price is $24.15. Order before Oct. 31 for a 10% discount. Yearbooks are distributed the last week of school. Already have a Treering account? Log in → in My Stuff select Kids → select Settings and Add Kid → select Add New School/Year → enter Passcode for White Oaks (1016947994291205).
Thank you to SCEF Business Sponsors
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 fall:
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Black Mountain Properties, CA Water Services, Devil's Canyon Brewing, Lyngso Garden Materials, TOWN, Peninsula Chemical Co., Sakura Teppanyaki & Sushi and Wendy Wood Design. Special welcome to new sponsors: Happy Healthy Teeth Pediatric Dentist, Paris Baguette, Recology and Sares Regis. Learn about how your business can benefit from our business sponsorship program.
District News
It's Time to Enroll Your New TK Student in the TK Extended Learning Program (TKELP) for the 2024-25 School Year!
TKELP is dedicated to enriching our littlest learner's lives after school. We provide a fun, safe and welcoming place for our TK students to spend time each day. Through daily physical activity, Legarza sports, JamaRoo Kids Dance and STEAM enrichment, TKers will explore, invent and discover new ways to create. We provide a developmentally appropriate space with enriching activities where students can thrive. Visit our TKELP website to learn more about our program and meet our staff!
The program is available to TK students at all four elementary schools-- Arundel, Brittan Acres, Heather, and White Oaks-- and students are given priority into the ACE enrichment program in their kindergarten year!
Enrollment for the 2024-2025 School Year is Open! REGISTER HERE
EZMeal Application
With the introduction of universal meals for all children attending school in the state of California, you may feel that it is not necessary to fill out the EZ Meal Application to benefit your family, school, and community; However, completing this form every year helps your school receive more funding to support your child’s learning environment. The application is used to calculate school funding levels from the state and federal level, so a few minutes of your time may add to the resources available to our school district. In addition, families that qualify for assistance may be eligible for additional benefits.
Please visit the EZMeal Application website for more information.
SCSD Presents: Supporting Your Students' Mental & Behavioral Health - Oct. 17
Attention Parents/Guardians! Join us on Tuesday, Oct. 17 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Heather Elementary MUR for an exclusive Caregiver Session on "Supporting Your Students' Mental & Behavioral Health." Dive deep with a Mental Health Lead and the former Director of Student Services as they reveal essential strategies! To attend, please RSVP.
- Struggling with bedtime routines?
- Worried about your child's anxious thoughts?
- Not sure how to handle meltdowns?
Discover actionable solutions and foster a supportive environment for your child's growth. Equip yourself with tools to ensure their well-being and success!
Save the date & empower your parenting journey. Your child deserves the best, and so do you. #ParentSupport #MentalHealthMatters
Community News
Community Foundation of San Carlos Poetry Submissions Due Nov. 3
In celebration of United Against Hate Week (Nov. 12-18), the Community Foundation of San Carlos and Devil's Canyon Brewing Co. is throwing its 3rd Annual Stand United Against Hate Poetry Slam.
For the last two years, brave folks (as young as 8 years old) from all over the Bay Area brought their whole selves onto stage and shared their stories of what it means to stand united against hate.
- When: Fri, Nov. 17 from 5-6 p.m.
- Where: Devil's Canyon Brewery Co., 935 Washington Street
- Why: Come out and use your voice to tell your story on how you stand up against hate and how we can become more united and build inclusive and equitable communities for all. All ages welcome.
- How: Deadline for poetry submission is Fri, Nov. 3
- Prize: The first, second, and third place winners will donate their winning prize to a 501(c)3 nonprofit of their choice that is focused on justice & equity.
Stand in solidarity for UAH and download a 'San Carlos Stands United Against Hate' poster here!
San Carlos United Soccer Club Tryouts
San Carlos United will be holding tryouts for boys and girls born between 2006 and 2016 starting in Nov. for the Spring 2024 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!
ACE is Now Enrolling for the 2024-25 School Year!
Afterschool Care Enrichment, also known as ACE, offers a flexible, innovative, California State licensed child care program focused on enrichment and youth development to challenge our Lower & Upper Elementary students. Each day includes a Healthy afternoon snack, our Homework Lab with staff assisted support, STEAM activities and Active Outdoor Enrichment Programming. ACE will offer both Morning and Full Time or Part Time Afternoon Programming for the 2024-25 school year. Click here to register at White Oaks.
Please visit our website or contact us by phone (650-931-4007) if you have any questions.
Growing Mindful: Introduction to Mindfulness Class at White Oaks
This class will explore a variety of evidence-based mindfulness techniques, through art, games, and STEAM activities that are designed to promote self regulation, resilience, and overall well-being. We will practice: regulating big emotions, focusing our attention, breathing techniques, working with unhelpful thoughts, compassion & kindness, and gratitude. We will cover new curriculum. All beginners welcome! Sign up here.
- Location: White Oaks, Room 6
- Date: Wednesdays, Oct. 25-Dec. 6 (6 sessions)
- Time: 12:25-1:45 p.m.
Parent Education Opportunities
How can we teach our kids to strive towards excellence without crushing them? In her new book, Never Enough, bestselling author Jennifer Breheny Wallace investigates the deep roots of toxic achievement culture (Oct. 18).
Too many youth are struggling with mental health. Mental health experts Dr. Steve Adelsheim and Dr. Shashank Joshi, Stanford Medicine Children's Health, present Youth Mental Health: Prevention Strategies, Resources, and Support (Oct. 19).
NEW! How can we increase learning and joy while offering kids much-needed support? In Whole Child, Whole Life: 10 Ways to Help Kids Live, Learn & Thrive, Stephanie Malia Krauss offers a guidebook for parents everywhere (Oct. 25).
NEW! In a three-part series, MY BODY TO LOVE, Emmy award-winning filmmaker Preeti Mankar Deb presents short films (6 minutes) that profile youth coming into their sexuality. Join us for Arjun's Story (film and discussion) on Oct. 26.
Visit the Parent Venture Series of Upcoming Events page for more information.
PTA CORNER
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