January 14, 2024
IN THIS ISSUE
- Principal’s Message: Building Positive Behaviors
- PTA: New Volunteer Positions Open
- SCEF: Read-a-Thon
- District: Nutrition Corner, 2024-2025 Calendar
- Community News: Week of the Family, After School Classes and Camps
IMPORTANT DATES
Mon 1/15: Martin Luther King Day, no school
Wed-Wed 1/17-1/31: SCEF Read-a-Thon
Thu 1/18: SCSD Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Mon-Fri 2/19-2/23: Midwinter Break, no school
Mon-Fri 4/8-4/12: Spring Break, no school
Principal’s Message
Dear White Oaks families,
I hope the adjustment back to school is going smoothly. This is the time of year to not only reflect and set goals, but also revisit expectations and routines. Last year, our school psychologist conducted a training with our teachers that reviewed strategies for implementing positive behavior in the classroom. Although these slides are focused on in-class supports, there are several strategies that can cross over into the household. The following 4 elements apply to any environment in which we want kids to thrive:
- Set clear expectations/rules
- Create predictable and consistent procedures and systems
- Rewards/positive reinforcement for expected behaviors
- Clear and consistent (natural) consequences for unexpected behaviors (this is different from punitive punishment)
PBIS, or Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports, is a practice we use daily to support our students. When you hear us say the “White Oaks Way Expectations”, this is part of our Tier I support under PBIS. This week, I will be visiting each classroom to review the expected behaviors around our campus. Use this matrix to review at home and create a common language between home and school. (Here is a pictorial version of the matrix for younger students).
Resources:
- PBIS At Home (was created in 2020 for distance learning but many points still very relevant)
- Managing Problem Behavior at Home (from Child Mind Institute)
- Positive Parenting Tips (from the CDC)
- The Power of Positive Parenting (from UC Davis Health)
Warmly,
Leah Scholer
Principal
This Week's Menus
PTA News
PTA Open Volunteer Positions
Happy New Year! The PTA has several open volunteer positions to fill right now-- this is your chance to jump in and help out! Each role can be filled by one or more people. Please reach out to Sara Ting or Amy Kim if you are interested or if you would like more information.
1. Makerspace Liaison: On an ongoing basis, check in on Makerspace to take inventory, organize and manage materials, and solicit supplies as needed. [Hours: 1-1.5 hours per month]
2. Measure H White Oaks Site Lead/s: Responsible for being the main point of contact for White Oaks during the Measure H Campaign. All materials and training will be provided for our phone banking and neighborhood canvasing week (Feb. 12-16). All communication will be provided; you just need to forward it. [Hours: 6-8 hours week of Feb. 12-16, plus 1-2 hours weekly until election day on Mar. 5]
3. Disco Bingo: We are looking for 1-2 parents to help Tiffany Day plan this fun family event on Mar. 8 in the MU. Contact Tiffany if you are interested. [Hours: 5-6 hours in planning and event itself]
4. Running Club Chair: Plan and supervise 2nd/3rd grade running club. [Hours: 5 hours in the beginning to set up and 1-2 hours a week managing volunteers and weekly supervision at lunch from Feb to May]
5. Spring Dance: We would like a committee of 3-6 people to divide tasks and coordinate vendors for this event. The Spring Dance includes all students plus their parent/adult for an evening party from 6-8 p.m. on Apr. 26 in the MU and outside patio space. There will be decorations, a DJ, snacks, and a photo booth. [Hours: 5-10 hours per person including pre-event coordination and set up and break down on event day]
Lunchtime Playpod Volunteers Needed for Winter and Spring
We're looking for volunteers to help run the Playpod for two shifts on Tuesdays (12:10-2:40 p.m. and 12:40-1:10 p.m.), and if there's enough interest, we'll expand to add Thursdays. Our Playpod is a large container of "loose parts" that learners convert into all kinds of amazing designs-- forts, restaurants, houses, endless ramps and more (learn more here). Parent volunteers will help for 30-minute shifts to set up signs and materials, invite kids to join and play respectfully, responsibly and safely, and clean up a few minutes before the post-lunch recess period ends. Please sign up!
PTA-SCEF Read-A-Thon Starts THIS WEEK!
The Read-A-Thon is coming! Over 1200 students have already signed up and raised $20,000.
Sign up NOW. From Jan. 17-31, students win prizes for registering and reading and sending pledge requests. Just think, if every student received $100 in pledges and donations, we would raise over $260,000 for key programs, staff and our school PTAs!
Are You a Leadership Circle Donor?
Watch your email for an invitation to a Leadership Circle Appreciation Party on Friday, Jan. 26 at La Honda Winery. Donors who were at the Leadership Circle level last school year and anyone who has joined the Leadership Circle this year will receive an invitation. To learn about Leadership Circle (donors at $5k and over) please visit HERE.
District News
New SCSD Nutrition Corner
Hello Parents! Welcome to our newest addition to the SCSD newsletter, The Nutrition Corner by Dr. Lisa Nadiv. As part of our San Carlos Health and Wellness Council’s update of the SCSD Student Wellness policy, Dr. Lisa will be providing resources on the topic of child nutrition as it is her area of expertise.
Did you know that currently, American children derive at least 67% of their calories from ultra-processed foods? This dietary choice increases their risk of developing chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
What exactly are ultra-processed foods (UPF)? The fast-paced nature of our lives and the widespread availability of UPFs make them a quick and convenient option. However, there are practical ways to reduce our dependence on UPFs. Start by engaging in a conversation with your children about why nutrition matters. Emphasize that healthy foods serve as the best fuel for optimal brain and body function. You can explain to your kids that trying something new might not only benefit their overall health but could also enhance their performance in activities such as basketball or improve their grades in math. Consider incorporating health-focused series or documentaries into your family time or taking your kids to a local farmer’s market and explore the joy of cooking together at home.
At San Carlos School District, our goal is for students to learn and practice healthy habits. This includes nutrition. The food that we choose to fuel our bodies directly impacts our physical and mental health which, in turn, impacts our ability to learn. Therefore, as part of our Wellness Plan, we will include opportunities to meet regularly throughout the school year to discuss all areas of wellness. Please let us know if you are interested in joining our Wellness Committee!
Our next Wellness Meeting is in Jan. 31 at 2:00 p.m. Please reach out to Jennifer Gaboury if you would like to join the group. Questions and comments are welcome at [email protected].
2024-2025 SCSD Calendar Approved
The SCSD Calendar is the official calendar for the school year for all schools and includes all start and end dates, official holidays, and in-service teacher workdays. The 2024-2025 school year calendar is now available for download.
Subscribing to School and District Calendars
Never miss a school event again! You can subscribe to your school's and the SCSD calendar so that the events will load onto your favorite supported calendar program (iCal/Outlook, Google, or Download ICS).
- Go to the SCSD Events page
- Check the boxes for the calendars you want to subscribe to (school(s)/district)
- Click on Subscribe on the top right of the page and choose your preferred calendar program
Community News
Calling All Superheroes!
After School’s Mid-Winter President’s Week Program registration is now open. Program runs Tuesday, Feb. 20-Friday Feb. 23 from 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Sign up or get more information here. All are welcome!
Additionally, our Kamparama Summer Camp registration will be opening up this month! Keep an eye out in this newsletter for information about the registration date. We will have lots of fun daily arts and crafts, games and sports, also magicians, Happy Birds, the Bubble Lady, a Balloon Guy, and fun weekly field trips! Lunch is served 4 days a week and we offer a stay back option during all field trips. Don't miss out on the fun! More information will be available on our website.
New After School Engineering & Design Thinking Class at Mariposa This Winter!
Lando has built out a series of great classes that teach kids grittiness and design thinking across a few different subjects. Their new class for 4th and 5th graders has a free trial on Jan. 17 (trial class at White Oaks) and starts the week after— this class teaches kids how to design, prototype, and test solutions to real world engineering problems through trial-and-error instead of step-by-step instructions.
Check out FindLando.com/Mariposa or text 321-514-3322 for more information.
San Carlos Week of the Family & Bike Safety Event and Community Fun Ride at Central
San Carlos Week of the Family starts on Friday, Jan. 19! Please take a look at all of the events available and consider participating. It’s a great way to spend time together as a family. Whether at those activities or elsewhere, we hope you’ll set aside a little extra time to spend as a family throughout that week.
Bike Safety Event & Community Fun Ride
On Saturday, Jan. 20 from 1-4 p.m., bring the whole family on bikes to the Central Middle School blacktop for the Tour de Family Bike Fair & Fun Ride. There will be free bike safety checks, repair, maintenance, safe riding skills education, life-size practice course, and more. Register or get information here.
Parent Education Opportunities
How can you become more effective parents? This month's Parent Forum (Spanish) features Edwin Fernandez, LCSW, One Life Counseling Center, in Ajustando el lente: cambios para ser padres más efectivos (Jan. 16)
NEW! Looking to start 2024 on a mindful note? Carin Winter, CEO, and Corinne Cortes, mindful educators from Mission Be, present Cultivating Mindful Routines for the New Year in English (Jan. 17) and Spanish (Jan. 18).
NEW! We welcome NYT bestselling author and journalist Dashka Slater in discussion of her new book, Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives it Changed (Jan. 25).
NEW! What do students need to succeed in college? Louis Newman, PhD, former Dean of Academic Advising at Stanford, will discuss his new book, Thinking Critically in College: Essential Tools for Student Success (Jan. 30).
NEW! We're proud to join a consortium of Silicon Valley nonprofits to launch the all-new Neurodiversity Speaker Series. The series begins with Barbara Pape, EdM, in A Strength-Based Approach to Learner Variability and Neurodiversity (Feb. 7).
Visit the Parent Venture Series of Upcoming Events page for more information.
PTA CORNER
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