Principal's Message
Dear Arroyo Families,
Our Arroyo Eagles are amazing! I am consistently impressed with the kindness, thoughtfulness and curiosity I see everyday around our campus. Our students are really embracing our values of being Responsible, Respectful and Safe! As a staff, we like to acknowledge students who are demonstrating these values with Soar Cards, and so far this year we have already given out over 250 Soar Cards! Each week at our Wednesday assembly we recognize students who have received a soar card and also acknowledge the countless students who exhibit these values even when they aren’t recognized.
We also want to be able to honor students who are doing great things outside of school and have two ways you as parents can help with that.
- If your child is being Responsible, Respectful and Safe at home, you’re welcome to submit a soar card for them by filling out our virtual Soar Card form here.
- If your child has done something special out in the community - won an award or competition, published a piece of writing, displayed an art project, got selected for a special honor, has a special cultural celebration to share with our school, etc. we'd love to hear about it and share your celebration with our community during our weekly assemblies. Please use our Arroyo Spotlight form to share the details.
In the coming weeks we will be kicking off many of our student leadership opportunities. Our ball monitors who help manage recess equipment have already gotten started. Over the next week or so each classroom will be selecting two representatives to participate in our Eagle Council. Eagle Council meets weekly during morning recess throughout the year to plan activities around school spirit, school improvement and community service. Students who aren’t selected as class representatives will have other chances to participate in leadership as Arroyo Ambassadors and Club Leaders, both of which will kick-off in October.
Along the lines of being Responsible, Respectful and Safe, we greatly appreciate everyone’s support in following our Covid protocols. Our students are doing a great job wearing masks throughout the day. It is really important that students have masks (ideally with 3-ply filtration) that fit them well and don’t fall down throughout the day. Please work with your child to make sure their mask is comfortable and stays on. We also appreciate you keeping your child home and contacting Tracey Olazar in our front office ([email protected] or 632-8300) if your child exhibits any symptoms at all, or if your family travels or has any exposure to Covid. Tracey can walk you through the proper protocols to keep everyone at school safe.
We continue to remind students to be Responsible, Respectful and Safe on their way to and from school. We’ve seen a lot of students who are going to Burton Park or the Youth Center after school crossing Arroyo at Chestnut where there is no crosswalk. Please talk to your child about only crossing Arroyo at Woodland or Cedar where there are both crosswalks and crossing guards. Crossing in the middle of the block (especially during our busy dismissal time) is not only unsafe, it holds up traffic for everyone. We have mentioned this a number of times during our Wednesday assemblies but it would help for parents to reinforce this at home by both talking to students and modeling the importance of using crosswalks.
Picture Day at Arroyo will be on Friday, September 24. Visit mylifetouch.com with our Picture Day ID: EVTJGQJC7 to order your school pictures.
I hope to see you at our first PTA meeting of the year this Wednesday at 8:45am in our school library. See below for more information as well as opportunities to order spirit wear and volunteer at Arroyo.
Warmly,
Mindy Shelton
Principal
[email protected]
PTA News
PTA Meeting, Wednesday 9/15 at 8:45am
Please join us at our first PTA meeting of the year this Wednesday, September 15 at 8:45 AM in the Central/Arroyo school library. These meetings are attended by both Tom Domer and Mindy Shelton and are a great way to stay informed. Also, mark your calendars for upcoming PTA meetings in 2021/22. We would love to see you!
Be sure to check out the Agenda before the meeting to see what will be discussed! PTA Meeting Dates & Agenda
**Please note, the meetings will rotate between in person and Zoom.
Save the Date: The Central/Arroyo Book Fair is Coming!
The Central Arroyo Book Fair is coming soon! Mark your calendars for the week of October 4-8. More details to follow.
We need volunteers to make this event a success for our kids! Please visit here to sign up for a shift (or two!). While parent volunteers are now welcome back on campus, each parent must first fill out a volunteer form and be cleared by the district to join us. The clearance process is taking up to a week, so please consider signing up and promptly filling in this quick form. Volunteering at the book fair is a wonderful opportunity to visit with the students and encourage them to find great books to enjoy. Thank you in advance for your support.
Are You Ready to Show Your Arroyo School Spirit?
Buy some fun Spirit Wear! Check out our online store and place your orders soon!
PTA Open Positions
The PTA is looking to fill a few more volunteer roles for this year. There are a number of positions we are hoping to fill immediately as well as many more opportunities throughout the year. We can't do it without you! Sign up here to volunteer.
Here are some open positions needed ASAP:
Art In Action Volunteers Needed! Parent volunteers lead lively discussions about artwork done by great artists and civilizations to enhance student's appreciation of art and its history. Students learn art concepts and techniques used in a masterpiece to create their own original art. In the spring, students have the opportunity to showcase a selected artwork in the Open House Art Show. Additional parent volunteers assist with scheduling, set up, clean up, and supporting students with the creative process. We are happy to be able to teach Art in Action lessons in person this year! Learn more and sign up to volunteer on the Art in Action at Arroyo page.
Stampede & Soar Volunteers: Our Stampede & Soar team needs your help! We are looking for volunteers to help plan our Fall Stampede & Soar community event. This is our only business sponsor opportunity of the year and a fun-filled community event! It's a great chance to get involved. Volunteer here!
Each Green Corner Volunteer - Site Lead or Coordinator:
- ECGSite Leader - As an EGC Living Campus Site Leader, you will be in charge of attending, leading, and supervising monthly Living Campus workdays at one of our school garden sites. You will also be responsible for planning workday tasks in collaboration with EGC’s Volunteer Manager and other lead volunteers. This position requires an estimated monthly time commitment of 8-10 hours.
- ECG Coordinator - As an EGC Coordinator you will be supporting the Site Leader.
For more information please email [email protected].
Become a PTA Partner - Every Donation Makes a Difference
Thank you to those who've supported the Central Arroyo PTA! Without our Parent Partners, many of the wonderful programs would not be possible for our children. All funds directly benefit Arroyo and CMS programs including supporting teacher grants and supplies, Art in Action, Library Books, Healthy Cities Tutoring and SO MUCH MORE!
Your one-time family donation of $250 will help us reach our goal. Thank you in advance for any support you can give. Every single dollar makes a difference for our students and teachers. DONATE TODAY!
PTA Partnership also includes your annual Family PTA membership. When you join the Central Arroyo PTA, you are also joining the California State PTA, which spearheads educational advocacy in Sacramento.
Calling All SCSD Library Books!
We are so delighted that our school libraries are open once again, but we need your help to get them in order! There are still hundreds of outstanding library books that need to be returned to our school libraries from the past 2 years. We are asking any families with library books from any SCSD library to return them to our CMS/Arroyo library. Students can bring the books to the library or parents can drop books off at the Arroyo office. Thanks for your help!
SCEF News
Meet the Executive Director of San Carlos Education Foundation
Welcome back and thank you for your commitment to SCEF. Please watch this video for a message from Executive Director Kathy Parmer-Lohan. Learn more about how your donations benefit all students at every school at scefkids.org.
Ready to Give but Not Sure How? Be a GEM.
When you Give Every Month, your support of SCEF is spread across the entire year. If you sign up NOW, your donation will be given over 10 months (September-June), for example: $150 a month = $1,500 total. Learn more and join this campaign (at any dollar amount) at scefkids.org/gem. Did you know that you can also set up monthly donations on most corporate workplace giving portals? Visit yours today to give with your company matching if possible.
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram @scefkids for all SCEF news.
District News
Special Education District Advisory Council (SEDAC) Parent Education Night - Wednesday, Sept. 15, 6-7pm
Please join us for a Parent Ed Night on Mental Health. We are excited to welcome guest speakers from the San Carlos School District and One Life Counseling Services:
Kiersten Daniel Baca, Mental Health Coordinator
Katherine Chi, One Life Associate at Mariposa
They will be discussing mental health services that the SCSD provides, One Life Counseling and their resources, as well as other areas surrounding mental health and kids. We look forward to connecting with you soon! Please send questions about attending this presentation to Trisha Lebus or Judy Woo.
Join via Zoom. ID: 92552834293 / Passcode: Kb5e8yL6
(US) +1 669-900-6833 / Passcode: 25625154
Sponsored by SEDAC and SCSD Special Education Department.
COVID Reminders - Stay Home When Sick and Get Tested
Staying home when sick and getting tested for COVID-19 are two of the most effective ways to keep our community safe. Click here for more information.
If you have any of the symptoms listed above, call your school office to report an illness, stay home, and take a COVID test. If you need to report a COVID case, please call our District Nurse - Page Pollack at 650-632-8300 (Arroyo Office) or Human Resources at 650-590-5922 if the nurse is unavailable.
For additional information, visit our COVID-19 Resources page and review the SCSD Health & Safety Plan.
Schedule Your Appointment at the Curative COVID-19 Testing Van
Please take advantage of the no-cost COVID-19 testing provided by the San Mateo County Health Department.
Click on the link to sign up at one of the following locations to begin your regular weekly testing:
- Central Middle School (parking lot, under solar structure)
Tuesdays/Wednesdays 9am-3pm
Thursdays 1-7pm
Fridays 11am-5pm (effective August 17, 2021)
- Other Community Based Testing sites in San Mateo County Here
Community Partner News
Hummingbird Music School
Join after-school Piano Class or Ukulele Class with Hummingbird Music School on Thursday afternoons! Classes are held right after school in Room 8. Fall Session begins Thursday, Sept. 16 and runs 10 weeks. Register on the Hummingbird website.
Legarza All Sports and Basketball Wednesday Programs Starting
Join Legarza Sports for an All Sports or Basketball Program on Wednesdays from 12:45-1:45pm. beginning Sept. 22.
Legarza All Sports: Our All Sports after-school programs take the energy, organization and fun you are used to with Legarza Camps and adapt it to a shorter format. Your child will have an opportunity to learn a little about and play basketball, soccer, football, baseball/softball, ultimate frisbee, capture the flag, obstacle course and relay races, among many other age-appropriate camp games and activities.
Legarza Basketball: Our goal is for all kids to work hard and feel good about themselves in a safe, disciplined, highly structured and motivating environment of learning and fun. We place the child and his or her personal development ahead of the game. Positive encouragement and measured improvement in the fundamental skills are trademarks of our programs, as well as players learning to work together in a team setting.
Register at legarzasports.org.
Parent Education Series
As Olympic athletes pushed mental health to the forefront, we welcome Steve Smith, PhD, clinical and sports psychologist, for a timely discussion on “The Twisties”: Youth Sports, Competition, and Mental Health (September 15, Online).
SPECIAL EVENT! Frank Bruni, author of Where You Go is Not Who You'll Be, joins Alice Kleeman, award-winning former college advisor, in Beyond Being Admitted: Making the Most of the College Experience (September 22, Online).
September is Suicide Prevention Month! San Mateo County Health, Sequoia Healthcare District, StarVista, and The Parent Venture offer resources for youth mental health and suicide prevention. Mark your calendars! (September 28)
How will Covid impact learning and mental health? Anya Kamenetz, NPR education correspondent, will discuss her upcoming book, The Stolen Year: How America's Covid Response Failed Children, and How We Can Fix It (September 29, Online).
Keys: for Parenting is here! Keys is a new communication tool that puts parenting advice at your fingertips—literally, it's a keyboard!—developed by Charlene Margot and Bev Hartman, co-founders of The Parent Venture. Give Keys a try!
Want more great parenting advice? Follow the Parent Education Series on social media (Instagram and Facebook), or subscribe to our free Video Library (YouTube), a popular and trusted resource with over 21,000 views!