Principal's Message
Dear Arroyo Families,
This week our student-led clubs will begin meeting. We had almost 100 students sign up to participate in over 30 clubs and the students can’t wait to get started. Our clubs include a range of topics from arts & crafts, to video games, cooking, sports, magic and everything in between. Many thanks to the parents who have offered to help supervise clubs.
We have a lot of fun planned for the next few weeks at Arroyo. Our Eagle Council is working on some fun spirit activities to finish up the year. They’ll be finalizing the activities at our meeting this week and we’ll share with students at our weekly assembly on Wednesday. Teachers and room parents are also busy planning celebrations for the end of the year.
We love when students spotlight their accomplishments, celebrations and culture with us. If your child has something to share, please fill out the form on the Student Recognition page on our website so we can include that in our weekly assemblies.
We have several members of our Arroyo community in need of some extra assistance this holiday season. If you’re able to help please consider donating a gift card during the holiday season. Gift cards in denominations of $25 are preferred and can be to any local grocery store, Target, Amazon, etc. Please drop off donations in the Arroyo office to the attention of Mindy Shelton by this Friday. It’s helpful to label the amount of the gift card. If your family is in need this year, we want to support you. Please complete this form and I will help to make the requested items available to you.
We can’t wait for the 2nd annual SCEF Read-a-thon which will kick off in January. This great new tradition is one of our favorite times of the year at Arroyo as we come together to celebrate reading. We’re planning some fun activities to go along with the read-a-thon and encourage all students to participate. Register by Dec 15th and enter drawings to win WARRIORS TICKETS, or gift cards to Diddam’s, Tutti Frutti, Tea Hut, Reading Bug, Gelataio, Crepe Stop, or Patxi’s Pizza. AND parents can win, too--a gift card to TOWN! Visit www.scefkids.org/read2022 to register and learn more!
Warmly,
Mindy Shelton
Principal
[email protected]
PTA News
Your photos for the Arroyo 2021-22 Yearbook!
Parents & Teachers can now sign into TreeRing and upload photos into shared folders for the various classrooms or themes. You can also upload into private folders for use on personal/custom TreeRing pages later.
Our yearbook reps for each class will look through those photos periodically for use on your classroom’s montage page and the various events pages. Deadline to be announced later, but good to start uploading now, including class events, Halloween, sports, pets, etc.
Quick instructions below, and we have very detailed instructions here:
- Goto Treering at https://treering.com/validate - Use our passcode: 1014628525232886
- If you’ve used TreeRing before then click the green Log-In button on the bottom right, and if you are new to TreeRing you’ll create a new account.
- Select your teacher’s name
- You can purchase a yearbook now or click the “Buy later” link in the top left
- Scroll down to find Share Photos > “Share Your Photos” button
- Click the Shared Photo Folders icon and find the appropriate classroom or named event folder, then upload by clicking Add Photos button
Fall Fundraiser: 4th-Grade Wins November Grade-Level Challenge!
THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed to our PTA Partner campaign. Congratulations to the 4th-grade families, who led ALL GRADES from 4th through 8th with 35 PTA Partner families.
As we head into December, we are in our final weeks of PTA fundraising for the school year. If you haven’t donated, it’s not too late! Any amount that works for your family will make a big difference to our students and teachers. 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 our students by becoming a local business sponsor! When you join your fellow Central-Arroyo parents/business owners as a PTA sponsor, your business’s name will be featured on a banner during the PTA’s marquee spring event, the Stampede and Soar. Through your sponsorship, you have the opportunity to reach the families of 700+ students in the San Carlos community. Here’s the link to become a sponsor. For more information, email Fundraising Chair Angie Wu at [email protected].
Thank You to Our 2021-22 Sponsors!
- PLATINUM LEVEL: San Carlos Orthodontics
- GOLD LEVEL: Andrews Orthodontics; Chang Orthodontics; County Consumer Plumbing Group; Kirsten Kell, Marriage and Family Therapist
- SILVER LEVEL: Alana Corso, Sereno; Joyce & Tatum Real Estate Team; and Matt Grodin CPA.
The CMS Library Could Use Your Help!
Our school librarian is looking for parent volunteers to help with shelving books and/or lunchtime library supervision. Ideally volunteers could commit to one hour every week or two, but once a month would work too! Times and days are flexible.
For more information, please contact CMS/Arroyo Librarian: Katie Hultgren at [email protected].
Arroyo/Central Living Campus Workday
Come help care for Each Green Corner’s Living Campus Garden at Arroyo and Central! Lots of impressive volunteer work has gone into the garden so far and Saturday, December 11 is the next workday. The work will start at 9am and end around 1pm. It’s going to be a fun and rewarding day.
See the event page for more details and COVID instructions. To register for the event click here! If you have any questions or concerns please email [email protected].
To be a Volunteer Garden Lead or Coordinator sign up here!
Neighborhood Harvest Day Description
Each Green Corner's Neighborhood Harvest Day allows residents of the San Carlos area who have more produce than they can use to donate that excess to the community through local food banks. It is an opportunity for the community to come together and help combat food insecurity. Our next Neighborhood Harvest Day is Saturday, December 11.
Produce Donation
San Carlos! We have volunteers ready and able to harvest or pick-up your backyard produce. If you or your neighbors have excess produce from your home gardens and are interested in donating it you can fill out this form!
Harvest Volunteers
Volunteers can join others in harvesting excess backyard produce in San Carlos! Volunteers will be provided with all necessary instructions and materials. Driving is required for this event. Volunteers for harvest teams can register here.
If you have any questions please email us at [email protected].
Calling all White Oaks Big Kid Buddy Alumni, We Need You!
Volunteer to help White Oaks Elementary students shop for holiday gifts in the White Oaks Elementary Holiday Store (Multi Purpose Room), Saturday, December 11 from 8:30am-12pm. As a Big Kid Buddy you will help White Oaks students shop for gifts listed on their gift list, help them stay within their budget, and help them count their money to pay for gifts.
Volunteers will need to either be fully vaccinated (i.e. the volunteers second dose was provided no later than November 27) OR submit a negative covid test 48 hours prior to the event. Send pictures of your vaccination card and/or screen shot of your negative covid test to Britta Ellis ([email protected]) before 6pm on Friday, December 10. For those submitting a negative covid test, tests are to be completed on December 9 or 10th and submitted to Britta. Britta must receive either your covid vaccination or negative covid test to participate.
Sign-up to be a Big Kid Buddy Volunteer using your name (name of volunteer) and a parent guardian’s email address: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F094FA9AC29A0F85-white
SCEF News
Honey Bear Trees Are Comin’ to Town!
The annual tradition of scouting the Honey Bear lot for the perfect Christmas tree continues! Visit the San Carlos or Redwood City location and don’t forget to mention SCEF, they donate 15% back! Details here.
The SCEF Read-A-Thon
The 2nd annual Read-A-Thon starts in January 2022. Register by Dec 15th and enter drawings to win WARRIORS TICKETS, or gift cards to Diddam’s, Tutti Frutti, Tea Hut, Reading Bug, Gelataio, Crepe Stop, or Patxi’s Pizza. AND parents can win, too--a gift card to TOWN! Visit www.scefkids.org/read2022 to register and learn more.
Ways to Donate Before Year-End
Appreciated Stock - A gift of appreciated stock (that you have held for more than 1 year) is better than selling the stock and donating the proceeds. If you itemize, you may take a charitable deduction for the total donation amount while avoiding capital gains taxes. Learn more here.
Workplace Giving - Many employers will match your donation to SCEF and some are offering end-of-year matching at 2:1.
Give Every Month Program - Start now and spread your contributions across the school year.
Every little bit helps SCEF meet our fundraising goal of $3.2M to meet our mission of supporting every child, every day, in every classroom.
District News
Did You Know that California is Expanding Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Making all 4 year olds Eligible by the 2025-26 School Year?
For the upcoming 2022-23 school year, students who turn 5 between September 2 and February 1, 2023 are now eligible to register for Transitional Kindergarten (TK). Previously, only students who turned 5 by December 2nd qualified. Additionally, knowing some families will need afternoon care for their TK student, plans for an enriching, extended-day program are in the works for these littlest students, so stay tuned! Visit our Transitional Kindergarten page to learn more about the SCSD TK program.
Here are some important Key Dates coming up for New Student Registration:
- Monday, January 10 - Virtual TK/Kindergarten Welcome Night for New Families from 6:30-7:30pm
- Tuesday, January 11 - PowerSchool Priority Registration Opens for All New Students at 12pm
- Wednesday, January 26 - Schools hold Virtual Elementary School Tours for Incoming TK/Kindergarten Families from 4-4:30pm
- Friday, February 11 - PowerSchool Priority Registration Deadline 4pm
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)
- NEW Mondays 11am-5pm
- Tuesdays & Wednesdays 9am-3pm
- Thursdays 1pm-7pm
- Fridays 11am-5pm
- Sign-up for testing at Central here
NEW LOCATION OPENING NOV 3!
Tierra Linda Middle School (parking lot)
- Wednesday & Friday 11am-5pm
- Saturday 8am-3pm
- Sign-up for testing at Tierra Linda here
- Other Community Based Testing sites in San Mateo County Here
Community Partner News
Parent Education Opportunities
Parent Venture Series - https://www.parentventure.org/events
Hunt, Gather, Parent: A Conversation with Michaeleen Doucleff & Ned Johnson
National bestselling authors Michaeleen Doucleff and Ned Johnson discuss how parents can raise happy, helpful, and well-adjusted children and teens.
Wednesday, December 8
5:30–6:30pm
Live Event (Webinar)
The oldest cultures in the world have mastered the art of raising happy, well-adjusted children. What can we learn from them? Filled with practical takeaways that parents can implement immediately, this discussion describes a way of raising confident, generous children, that moms and dads all over the world have turned to for centuries.
Presentation is sponsored by Sequoia Union High School District, Sequoia Healthcare District, Peninsula Health Care District, and The Parent Venture.
San Carlos Little League is Open for Registration for the 2022 season!
We’re excited to announce that registration for the 2022 Little League season is officially OPEN for all divisions, from T-Ball (born before September 1, 2018) and Seniors (born after August 31, 2005).
To help us plan, we are asking families to register their players and for coaches to sign up to volunteer by December 17. Unlike previous years, we will be conducting player evaluations in the January time-frame for Farm to Majors divisions.
Please go to https://www.sancarlosll.org to start the process. If you have any questions, please reach out to Danielle Van Wert at [email protected].