October 26, 2025
IN THIS ISSUE
- Principal’s Message
- Breakfast/Lunch Menu
- School News: TKELP 2026-2027 Registration
- PTA News: Diwali Free Resources
- SCEF News: Halloween Candy Buy-Back
- Community News: The Lightning Thief Production, Adopt-A-Drain, Parent Education Opportunities
IMPORTANT DATES
Fri, 10:31: Halloween Parade
Mon, 11/3-Wed, 11/5: SCEF Halloween Candy Buy-Back
Mon, 11/3-Thur, 11/6: Día de los Muertos Ofrenda Open in MU
Tues, 11/11: Veterans Day (No School)
Mon, 11/24 - Fri, 11/28: Thanksgiving week (No School)
Principal’s Message
Dear White Oaks Families,
We can’t wait to celebrate Halloween together on Friday, October 31! All students, including our preschoolers, are encouraged to wear costumes over their regular clothes. During the parade, classes will gather together on the blacktop, and families are invited to join in the fun by standing behind the students!
After the parade, each class will continue the celebration with classroom activities during the course of the day. Please remember to send your child with a bag for storing their costume, since costumes typically come off once the parade and classroom festivities wrap up.
Parking:
This is one of our most popular events, so parking can be tricky! Please plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to find a parking spot or walk to school if possible. We ask that you do not park in the White Oaks cul-de-sac or in any neighbor’s driveway.
Costume Guidelines:
To keep things safe and joyful for everyone, please keep these reminders in mind:
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No weapons of any kind for costumes
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Please skip scary costumes (fake blood, frightening clowns, etc.).
Candy:
We know that candy is a core component of Halloween celebration. We ask that families keep the candy at home for students to enjoy on Halloween day and the weeks after the trick or treating fun!
We want our celebration to be fun, positive, and safe for every student. Thank you for helping us make it that way!
SCEF Halloween Candy Buy Back
For those of you who will be trick-or-treating, SCEF is sponsoring the annual Halloween buy-back program. Families can drop off their Halloween candy at the front office from November 3-5. The candy will be shipped to our troops overseas. More information here.
Cultural Learning Opportunity - Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is an ancient Mexican tradition that happens every year from November 1st to 2nd to honor the memory of loved ones who have passed away. During this holiday, families create ofrendas (offerings) on altars that are brightly decorated with marigold flowers, candles, sugar skulls, photos, and favorite foods of the deceased, as a way to remember the lives they led. Día de los Muertos is a festive occasion where life and death are embraced through vibrant, colorful, and uplifting traditions.
Similar to the last two years, White Oaks will have an ofrenda inside the Multi-Use Room (MU), and we invite students and families to bring photos (a copy is best) of loved ones for the ofrenda. Please bring your photo(s) starting from Monday, November 3-Thursday, November 6 and place them directly on the ofrenda or drop them off at the office.
The Dia de los Muertos ofrenda at White Oaks will be a wonderful opportunity for our community to learn about and participate in this rich cultural tradition while honoring those we cherish.
In community,
Rosina Tong
Principal
Weekly Menu
School News
TKELP Enrollment for the 2026-27 School Year is NOW OPEN!
Do you have an incoming TK student next year? Need afternoon care? If so, TKELP is for you!
Enrollment for the 2026–2027 School Year is NOW OPEN!
The Transitional Kindergarten Extended Learning Program (TKELP) offers a warm, nurturing environment where our youngest learners can explore, play, and grow beyond the regular school day. Designed to support the unique developmental needs of TK students, TKELP combines hands-on learning, social-emotional growth, creative activities, and structured play led by trained, caring staff.
Each day is filled with engaging experiences—from physical activities and STEAM projects to our exciting Spanish Language Enrichment program that introduces children to a new language through fun, interactive lessons.
TKELP is available at Arundel, Brittan Acres, Heather, and White Oaks Elementary Schools.
Give your child the perfect start to their school journey—enroll today!
1151 Book Donations! Thank You!
Thanks to your incredible generosity, we received a whopping 
1151 book donations for our first ever book drive! Your donations were delivered to the Children’s Book Project this week. Your books will be gifted to kids from low income families in the Bay Area who have few or no books of their own, and/or attend underfunded schools where high quality books are in short supply. Encouraging reading is not enough when families do not have equal access to books. Thank you again for helping under-resourced children with their literacy and learning!
PTA News
FREE RESOURCES FOR CELEBRATING DIWALI / RECURSOS GRATUITOS PARA CELEBRAR DIWALI
Para la versión en español haga clic aquí y desplácese hacia abajo
We are proud to have many families whose cultures celebrate Diwali (the “festival of lights”) in our White Oaks school community. Your Culture & Belonging PTA Committee wanted to share some FREE RESOURCES for you to celebrate Diwali at home. This includes details of local events, recipes, reading lists for you to enjoy!
Diwali is celebrated by multiple religions across the Indian subcontinent over 5 days between mid-Oct and mid-Nov. Diwali is a festival of new beginnings and symbolizes the "victory of light over darkness.”
Join the Holiday Store Planning Committee
Do you knit, build, or craft? Do you enjoy organizing or coordinating? Do you love bringing joy to our students and parents through events and get-togethers? The Holiday Store Committee wants you! The Holiday Store is an annual event where students can buy hand-crafted items for their loved ones with the help of big kid helpers while parents enjoy coffee and socializing. This year, the event is Saturday, December 13th. If you’d like to be part of making the magic, email Aurelia Abcouwer ([email protected]). Many hands make light work!
SCEF News
15th Annual Halloween Candy Buy-Back!
Were your kids too successful on Halloween? Donate their excess candy to support SCEF. Drop off candy at your school’s front office on Nov 3-5, and it will be donated to Operation Gratitude & sent to our troops. Last year, over 1,200 lbs of candy was collected!!!
Thank you to Dr. Mike Chang, Dr. Urmi Amin, and Dr. Nancy Kaher, who will donate $1 per pound of collected candy to SCEF.
Community News
See Sequoia Drama's Upcoming Production of The Lightning Thief!
Tickets for Sequoia Drama's upcoming production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical are now officially on sale. You can purchase tickets HERE.
Our performances run from Friday, November 7 to Saturday, November 15.
Sunday, November 9th's performance is a “pay-what-you-can” show. This performance aims to offer financial accessibility to anyone who might benefit from having more pricing flexibility. This is also a great opportunity to coordinate larger groups to attend together.
Help us spread the word! Share with family, friends, students, and any members of the community you think might be interested.
Adopt-A-Drain - Help Protect Local Creeks & the San Francisco Bay!
The City of San Carlos has launched an Adopt-a-Drain program! When it rains, stormwater runs off streets, picking up leaves,
trash, and other pollutants. Storm drains function best when they are clear of all debris. The City is inviting residents, businesses, schools, and community-based organizations to adopt-a-drain to help prevent flooding, reduce pollution, and support cleaner
waters in the local creeks and the San Francisco Bay.
To learn more about the program, please visit cityofsancarlos.org/
The City of San Carlos is excited to announce that the Public Draft Downtown Specific Plan is now available! View the Plan online at www.sancarlosdowntownplan.com.
After years of thoughtful collaboration, vibrant community engagement, and careful planning, San Carlos is on the brink of an exciting new chapter! The long-anticipated Downtown Specific Plan - a comprehensive roadmap for the heart of our city - is entering its final stages of completion.
As we approach the final stretch, we invite all San Carlans to stay engaged, share their voices, and help bring this vision to life. Together, we’re creating a downtown that’s not just a place to go - but a place to belong.
Public hearings to consider the Downtown Specific Plan for adoption will take place:
- November 3, 2025, 7:00 p.m. – The Planning and Transportation Commission will consider adopting a resolution recommending the City Council adopt the Downtown Specific Plan
- November 24, 2025, 7:00 p.m. – The City Council will consider adopting the Downtown Specific Plan
To access the agenda packets and Zoom meeting details, please visit www.cityofsancarlos.org/
Comments or questions? Email AdvancePlanning@
Mark your calendars for these great events coming up in October!
NEW! We host Meg Josephson, psychotherapist and NY Times bestselling author of Are You Made at Me?, for Helping Kids (and Parents) Break Free from People Pleasing and Perfectionism (October 29).
NEW! How should families navigate the new college admission landscape? Bruce Poch and Alice Kleeman join us for VALUES IN COLLEGE ADMISSION: Getting There, Being There—What’s New, What’s Not (October 30).
Visit the Parent Venture Series of Upcoming Events page for more information.
- Parent Venture Series Events
PTA CORNER
Join 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!
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