Principal's Message
Dear Arroyo Families,
This past week was a very exciting one at Arroyo! We launched our student led clubs and our Eagles are VERY excited. Our clubs are a great opportunity for student leadership and a great chance to develop new friendships with peers who have common interests. Students can apply to lead a club about anything they are interested in. Past clubs have included performance-based clubs, art clubs, sports clubs, game clubs, science clubs, and more! Clubs can happen during lunch time or over Zoom after school. Club leader applications are due on Friday, October 22. I will then meet with club leaders to finalize details and we’ll have sign-ups for students to join clubs in a few weeks.
In order to make our clubs successful, we need some parent volunteers to help supervise small groups of students during lunch. Without supervision, clubs will need to happen on the blacktop which limits the types of activities we can do. If we have parent helpers, we can hold clubs in our learning commons, Makerspace, garden, or other areas that allow clubs to be more successful. Parents don’t need to lead the activities, we want students to own that. If you’re interested in helping, please complete this brief form here.
Our Eagles are also getting very excited for Halloween. Our staff, PTA and Eagle Council are working together to create a fun-filled week of activities. Eagle Council has planned a spirit week where each class will earn points for participation and creativity.
- Monday - Classes will come up with a team name for the week. Students will be asked to share a Halloween art project, story, etc via Padlet.
- Tuesday - wear Halloween colors and create a class cheer or spooky sound effect
- Wednesday - door decorating contest (classes will work on this throughout the week)
- Thursday - post a photo of a carved or decorated pumpkin on Padlet.
- Friday - costume parade & afternoon activities
On Friday afternoon (October 29), we’ll have a school-wide costume parade after lunch, followed by some carnival games and activities planned by our PTA, along with Arroyo’s favorite Halloween activity, a Haunted House! PE and electives will also happen that afternoon. We need parent volunteers to help make this possible. Please see the PTA section below for more information and to sign up. All volunteers will need to be cleared by the district in order to be on campus. Unfortunately parents will not be able to join us for the parade but we’re planning to have some volunteer photographers to capture the day, and would love a volunteer who can help us live-stream the parade so parents can watch from home.
On the 29th, students may wear their costumes to school or change during lunch. Here are some guidelines to follow:
- Costumes should be appropriate for 4th and 5th grade students - please refrain from “horror” costumes as not all students are comfortable with these.
- No weapons of any kind will be allowed at school. Please do not bring plastic guns, swords, or other weapons.
- Masks should be worn only for the party, not during class time or on the playground at lunch. This would be unsafe and distract from learning
- Students should be able to walk safely around campus in their costumes
- Leave props at home for the big Halloween event. We can not be responsible for lost items, so it would be better to leave any props at home.
- Students still need to wear their COVID face masks with their costumes throughout the day, including during our parade and outdoor activities.
It has been wonderful to be able to welcome parent volunteers back to campus for Art in Action, Halloween activities and more. As mentioned above, all volunteers need to complete the clearance process. This process can take a week or so to complete so please allow time. The first step is to complete the volunteer form here. Once that is approved, our HR department will send a vaccination attestation form. Once the process is complete, I will send you an email confirming that you are cleared to volunteer. Please note that volunteers may NOT come on campus until receiving that email. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about the process.
Finally, this Thursday, October 21, Arroyo will participate in The Great Shakeout earthquake drill along with millions of other schools in California and around the world. Arroyo and CMS will be holding a drill at 10:19am and will practice our earthquake (drop, cover and hold on) and evacuation procedures. We will also be discussing our other emergency protocols so that students know what to do in an emergency. I’ll be sharing more about that (and our procedures for parents) in a separate email tomorrow. Please be sure to watch for that, read it carefully, and even save it for future reference. We will have a special bell schedule on Thursday with slightly different recess and lunch times. Start and end times will not change.
We encourage you to “Drop! Cover! Hold on!” at home, too. When an earthquake strikes, you only have a few seconds to get to safety, so practicing can make all the difference. Some additional tips to get prepared for earthquakes at home:
- Do a “hazard hunt” for items that might fall during earthquakes and secure them.
- Create a personal or family disaster plan.
- Organize or refresh your emergency supply kits.
- Identify and correct any issues in your home’s structure
Warmly,
Mindy Shelton
Principal
[email protected]
PTA News
We are planning a Spook-tacular Halloween Party on Friday 10/29 for our Arroyo Eagles and we need your help!
We have several different fun ways to get involved and you can sign up here!
- Create a vignette/”room” in our Haunted House Maze
- Fill a counting jar with Halloween candy or creepy items for the kids to guess
- Work at one of our fun stations
- Don your best Fortune Teller costume and tell the future!
Please Donate to Our Fall Fundraiser!
THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed to our PTA Partner campaign. Without you, many of our school's wonderful programs would not be possible. Please click here to donate today!
Are You a Business Owner?
Get the word out about your business AND help provide enriching activities for Central and Arroyo students by being one of our local business sponsors! Sponsors reach the families of 700+ students in the San Carlos community. Please help us provide engaging and enriching activities for our students by becoming a sponsor. For more information, email Fundraising Chair Angie Wu at [email protected].
Our Arroyo Yearbook Team Needs You!
We’re ramping up for the new Arroyo 2021-22 yearbook and are recruiting parent volunteers:
- We’ll be using Treering again, which requires no prior experience!
- Volunteering is easy and can be conveniently done from home.
- We need 2 types of volunteers:
- Classroom Yearbook Representative (1 per class) to help us collect photos for their class’s montage page. Go to the PTA Volunteer Opportunities page on the Arroyo website and click on your class’s signup site to volunteer.
- Yearbook Committee where we split up tasks like working with Treering, communicating to parents and students, developing the plan for gathering photos, organizing online photo folders, yearbook layout & design, portrait pages, class volunteer coordinator. Please email our PTA president Alana Corso to join the committee.
SCEF News
San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF)
Gather your family and friends and join SCEF at Chase Center for a Golden State Warriors game! October 30 and December 23 -- 75 participants will be invited to sit in the lower level before the game to watch the players’ warm-up! January 25-- The first 10,000 fans will receive a Curry/Chamberlain Duo Bobblehead. Discounted tickets available for select dates and a portion of each ticket sale benefits SCEF. More information is available here: scefkids.org/events.
Halloween is Happening! And so is our 11th Annual Candy Buy-Back!
Drop extra candy November 1-4th, at your school’s 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
Meet our New Director of Health & Wellness
Hi there families of San Carlos! My name is Ilana Yakubovich (she/her), and I am the new Director of Health and Wellness for the School District. I recently moved here from Boston and am excited for sunny days and redwood trees. I come to the district with years of experience in mental health counseling, health promotion, and yoga teaching with young folks ages 3-25. It is important to me that our entire community is well taken care of and well supported, and I look forward to meeting and talking to you to ensure you have the resources to take care of your families, and yourselves. I am starting to plan the Walk Audits at each school site- please reach out if you would like to volunteer to help out at one!
Please email me at [email protected] with any ideas or questions, and I am thrilled to connect with you soon.
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
City of San Carlos Events - Halloween Movie in the Park
Parks and Recreation is hosting a free Halloween movie night at Burton Park on Friday, October 22. Join us for a showing of the Addams Family (2019) from 7– 8:45pm. The night will also include free Mister Softee, field games, and a haunted house from 6–7pm behind the Youth Center at Les Mundell Grove. For more information, call (650) 802-4471. FACE MASKS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
San Carlos Goblin Walk
San Carlos Parks & Recreation is excited for the return of the Goblin Walk on Friday, October 29 from 4-5:30pm. Children 7 years and under, accompanied by an adult, are invited to Trick-or-Treat down Laurel Street in their costume and visit the businesses displaying the Goblin Walk sign. The first 1,000 Trick-or-Treaters can pick up a Goblin Walk Trick-or-Treat bag at Harrington Park or from any Goblin Walk volunteer. For questions please call (650) 802-4382. Planning on going? Let us know on our Facebook Event Page!
VolunTEEN: Laurel Street Clean-Up
Calling all “VolunTEEN’s” ages 12-18, lend a hand to help your community! Join the Youth Advisory Council and Key Club on Saturday, October 30 from 9-10:30am for a Laurel Street Clean-Up. We will provide gloves, pickers, and buckets. Your time, effort, and presence will make a difference in your community. Registration required.Registration required for the Laurel Street Clean-Up. To register, visit: www.cityofsancarlos.org/register
Parent Education Series
NEW! In their new book, When You Wonder, You're Learning: Mr. Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Kids, authors Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski examine the science behind Fred Rogers' essential "tools for learning" (October 19, Online).
NEW! How can we create safe, respectful, and inclusive communities? Join Samantha Brown, M.Ed., Director of Education, Anti-Defamation League (ADL), for Fighting Hate for Good: An Anti-Bias Community Training (October 20, Online).
San Mateo County Office of Education Vaccination Discussion. COVID-19 Safe Schools and Vaccinations for Youth - October 27, 6:30pm-7:45pm. Vaccinations for children ages 5-11 are expected to be available in November. Educators and families are invited to join the San Mateo County Office of Education and representatives from San Mateo County Health for a discussion about vaccinations for youth, including research on the safety and effectiveness of vaccinations for this age group. Learn more | Spanish flyer