November 5, 2023
IN THIS ISSUE
- Principal’s Message: Book of the Month, STEAM Rotations
- PTA and SCEF: PTA Meeting, Book Fair
- Plus District and Community News
IMPORTANT DATES
Sun 11/5: Daylight Savings Time ends
Wed 11/8: PTA Meeting (agenda), 6 p.m. in the MU
Fri 11/10: Veterans’ Day, no school
Mon-Fri 11/20-11/24: Fall break, no school
Fri 11/24: SCEF Night at Warriors game
Sat 12/2: Holiday Store in the MU 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Mon-Fri 12/11-12/15: Book Fair
Principal’s Message
Dear White Oaks families,
Book of the Month
Our November and December Book of the Month is The Flying Hockey Stick by Jolly Roger Bradfield. Barnaby Jones, the hero of this tale, had an exceptional imagination, and he had no doubt that, with the proper design, he could build a craft that would lift him into the sky. Not for a moment did he doubt that a series of electric cords would provide the proper thrust for his vehicle or that a common fan could pull it high into the air, over tall buildings and across vast oceans. Surely such faith and determination will assure that his name will be forever linked with those other pioneers of flight history, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Charles Lindberg and Neil Armstrong.
This book will spark students’ imagination and inspire them to ideate, create, and tinker in ways they may not have thought about before. They’ll also learn about perseverance and build resiliency through the creative process.
STEAM
Thanks to SCEF and their sponsorship of Legarza and STEAM, students in each grade level have started STEAM rotations with our coaches. Throughout the year, students will experience hands-on lessons in coding (mostly unplugged), engineering, and science! We’ve started our first rotation this past month and look forward to many more!
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our fabulous volunteers for making our STEAM day with Lawrence Hall of Science a success! This day-long interactive assembly could not have been possible without you! This is an amazing example of how your donations of both time and money are benefiting our students!
Warmly,
Leah Scholer
Principal
This Week's Menus
PTA News
Join us for the Next PTA Meeting Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. in the MU
We welcome all parents and teachers to join us for our monthly PTA meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 6-7 p.m. Come and hear about upcoming programs, events and ask any questions you have. Hope to see you there! Here are the agenda for this week and minutes from the October meeting.
Order your White Oaks Yearbook TODAY!
Your time at White Oaks goes fast - Order your child’s yearbook HERE to keep 2023-2024 special memories for a lifetime. 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).
Book Fair Dec. 11-15
The exciting Book Fair is coming Dec. 11-15. You can find a variety of books for all ages and interests. It is a great opportunity to support our library and foster a love of reading in our students. This event raises thousands of dollars in books for our school library. In the early December newsletter, we will share the detailed schedule and volunteering sign up information. So mark your calendars and get ready to dive into the world of books. We can't wait to see you there!
Book E-Fair Starts Nov. 13
This year, we bring another option for you to help raise money for our library-- the Online Book Fair. It opens on Nov. 13 and ends Dec. 15. We will share the link when the E-Fair is open. It allows the whole community to shop at the book fair with an expanded catalog of books, including the ones who can’t visit in person.You will also be able to buy gift cards to make in person checkout easier or send them as teacher gifts. Literati Book Clubs are like getting a book fair in a box, every month. 10% of every dollar spent goes back to our school. Sign up today!
Celebrating SCEF This Month!
Music! Signs! Banners and people! Each campus will have their own celebration and call to action to celebrate SCEF this month.
Explore all the ways to give and make your gift now!
- Annual Fund
- Leadership Circle
- Workplace Giving/Employer Matching
- GEM: Give Every Month
Still have questions? Email us at [email protected] or set up a time for a call or coffee.
There is still time to participate in our 13th annual Halloween Candy Buy-Back!
Drop extra candy by 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 6, at your school’s front 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.
District News
Mark Your Calendars for a Community Outreach Event in East Palo Alto!
On Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m., join SCSD for an outreach event with our families in East Palo Alto. We will take time to review our Strategic Plan, explain what/why the LCAP is, and empower families to be a part of our ongoing planning and community building. All caregivers are encouraged to attend! Please click here to RSVP.
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.
Community News
Healthy Cities Tutoring Needs Your Help
Do you have an hour a week to make a difference? Becoming a Healthy Cities volunteer tutor is an incredibly enriching and rewarding experience that has a positive impact for students, families, schools and local communities. Last year, Healthy Cities Tutoring placed 398 students with a volunteer tutor in Redwood City and San Carlos. We've already placed over 150 students this year, but we still have more than 100 students on our waiting list.
Can you sign up now to help us match all students on our waiting list?
- Flexible schedule: 1 hour per week between 3-6 p.m. most weekdays
- Tutors of all ages are welcome (adult tutors are in high demand!)
- Training and support provided
- All San Carlos & many Redwood City K-8 Schools
- High school student volunteers earn valuable service hours, mentoring experience, and HCT will provide references for future job and college applications
- Tutoring only happens during the school year (no tutoring during holidays or summers)
Please take the next step to becoming a volunteer tutor and visit our website. Click the VOLUNTEER button to complete your Healthy Cities Tutoring application. Becoming a volunteer tutor will make a difference in a child’s life and your life. As one of our tutors said, “This has been such a great experience - I don't really have just one word to describe it. That one hour a week is the most important hour of the week for me.” We couldn't agree more, and we hope you will join us!
Thanks for considering becoming a volunteer; please reach out to Janelle with any questions at 650-508-7323.
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.
- 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!
Parent Education Opportunities
In this special presentation, renowned brain and trauma expert Bruce Perry, MD, PhD, joins us for What Happened to You? A Conversation on Trauma, Healing, and Resilience. Dr. Perry's NY Times bestselling book was co-authored with Oprah Winfrey (Nov. 9).
NEW! In a special Parent Forum (English), Eran Magen, PhD, founder of Parenting for Humans, addresses How to Talk With Your Kids About Violence and War (Nov. 10).
Visit the Parent Venture Series of Upcoming Events page for more information.
PTA CORNER
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