Principal's Message
Dear Arroyo Families,
What a great day we had on Friday! Our Forts & Flashlights day was so much fun and a great celebration of reading. For me the highlight was getting to visit every classroom to read the book If I Built a School. It was fun to imagine a school like the one in the book, but the best part was hearing kids say “I wish I could go to a school like that but if I can’t, Arroyo is still pretty great!” It was also great to see our “Book Wall” filling up with students’ favorite titles during lunch and our reading-themed door decorations.
The SCEF Read-a-thon is now halfway through and according to the online minute-tracker, Arroyo Eagles have read over 52,000 minutes! If you haven’t registered yet, please do as we’d love to have 100% participation. If your child hasn’t logged their minutes yet you can do so here. More information about the read-a-thon including some fun special events like an author visit and Harry Potter trivia can be found here.
Last week’s Math in Focus Parent Education Night provided helpful information about supporting your child in math, including some tools to help with homework and guide your child’s thinking. If you missed it you can watch the recording here. We are fortunate to have a partnership with the presenter, Susan Resnick, as she has been an integral part of our professional learning related to implementing this math program. Curious about what each grade level is learning this year in all subjects? Take a look at the grade level specific brochures that are linked here.
In case you missed it, please be sure to see the email sent on Friday afternoon about a special upper elementary book study on Stamped (for Kids). We’re offering an adult book club discussion to support parents and caregivers in carrying on the conversation at home. Please sign up by Wednesday, January 19 if you’re interested in participating.
Arroyo has a lot going on around Social Emotional Learning (SEL). This week we will wrap up our unit on Self Regulation. Students have been learning to maintain focus, remain calm, and manage big emotions. Our next unit will focus on self-efficacy, the belief in your own ability to achieve your goals. The week of January 24, Arroyo will celebrate The Great Kindness Challenge. Watch for more information next week about special theme days to celebrate and spread kindness throughout our community. In early February, Arroyo students will participate in the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS). More information about this will be shared soon, but this is an important way for us to gather data about how our students are feeling about topics like school connectedness, culture and safety.
Speaking of school safety, Arroyo and Central will be working with representatives from the City of San Carlos and Alta Planning to conduct a walk audit as a part of our Safe Routes to School program. The walk audit will take place on Tuesday, January 25 from 2:40-4:10 and will help us to determine the best flow of traffic for pedestrians, bikes, and cars. If you’re interested in participating (no experience necessary) please sign up here and we’ll follow up with everything you need to know.
COVID Reminders:
- If your child receives a positive COVID test result, is identified as a close contact, or has any symptoms, please notify Tracey Olazar ([email protected]) in our front office as soon as possible. She can help you identify the steps that need to be followed in order for your child to safely return to school and can also help set your child up with an independent study plan while they are out.
- Thank you for continuing to follow up with COVID testing if your child has any symptoms or has been identified as a close contact to a positive case. We know home tests are hard to find right now, and appointments for PCR testing can be hard to come by, too; your persistence is appreciated!
- The CDC has recently updated their guidance on face masks. Please make sure your child has a well-fitting mask each day that can stay on their face without gaps. KN95, KF94 or surgical masks seem to be better at protecting people from the Omicron variant than cloth masks.
Finally, a reminder that we do not have school on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. I encourage you to consider finding a way for your family to get involved in this national day of service. Also check out the activities offered this week as part of the San Carlos Week of the Family.
Warmly,
Mindy Shelton
Principal
[email protected]
PTA News
Stampede and Soar Needs Your Help!
Our Stampede & Soar team needs your help! We are looking for volunteers to help plan. This is a fun-filled community event and a great chance to get involved.
Here are some specific roles that need to be filled:
- Entertainment Committee, Food, Music
- Set up registration, T-shirt layout and Ordering
- Signage, Logistics, First Aid
If you are interested in helping with this event, please sign up here https://signup.com/go/dDzUeCt.
SAVE THE DATE! The 2022 Stampede and Soar Color Run will be on Sunday, April 10, from 9-11am.
Become a PTA Member Today!
If you haven’t yet joined the CMS/Arroyo PTA, you can still sign up for membership. Individual Memberships are $10 and Family Memberships are $20.
As a PTA Member, you not only support our CMS/Arroyo teachers, staff and programs but are also part of decision-making discussions and support the voice of the PTA and public schools in advocacy programs at the state level. Your support goes a long way. Join us this year and sign up as a member today: CentralArroyoPTA
The CMS/Arroyo 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].
Still Looking for a Way to Volunteer?
Go to our website and sign up today! Ways to Support your PTA Programs
Upload 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
SCEF News
Budgeting to Support the Causes You Care About is a Great Way to Start 2022!
Sign up for our Give Every Month Program. By starting now and spreading your contributions across the school year, you are able to plan for and give generously.
Our 2nd annual Read-A-Thon Continues This Week–Keep Reading and Logging Minutes!
There are so many great resources to continue to engage in reading for all ages at: www.scefkids.org/read2022.
HUGE Thank Yous to our Read-A-Thon Sponsors:
We are grateful to the following business sponsors whose support helps make the Read-A-Thon possible: Sereno (Presenting Sponsor), Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Black Mountain Properties, CB Showers, Lyngso Garden Materials, Chang Orthodontics, County Consumer Plumbing, Premia, Prince St. Properties, Presidio Bay Ventures, Peninsula Chemical Company, Tavarez Orthodontics, CA Water Service, Hummingbird Music School, Roberts Market, Northwall Builders, John McAfee- State Farm Insurance, and Wendy Wood Design. To learn how your business can support SCEF, visit scefkids.org/business.
District News
ROPES Judges Needed!
We are looking for parents and community members that would like to serve as a judge for the ROPES (Rite of Passage Experiences). ROPES are challenging projects that 4th, 6th and 8th grade students have completed which allow them to learn about their world and themselves in deeper but fun way.
There are 3 opportunities to judge. We need judges especially for TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY!
- Tuesday, Feb 8: 4–6:30pm
- Wednesday, Feb 9: 2-5pm
- Thursday, Feb 10: 6-8:30pm
We would not be able to maintain this valuable program without the support of our community. We are asking for you to join district staff and other community members by volunteering to serve as a judge on one of our judging panels. Typically, we have two to three judges per room and they judge four to six student presentations in an evening.
I hope that you will be able to join us in this worthwhile event. If you are able to judge on any of those times, please complete this ROPES Judging Sign Up - 2022 Form.
Mental Health Forum for Parents and Caregivers
San Carlos School District is gauging interest for hosting a mental health forum(s), where parents and caregivers can ask questions of mental health professionals, to get support and resources. Please fill out this form if you are interested in attending, and feel free to reach out to Ilana, SCSD Health and Wellness Director, to discuss this more ([email protected].)
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 (Note: this location is Closed until Monday, January 24)
- Mondays 11am-6pm
- Tuesdays & Wednesdays 9am-4pm
- Thursdays 12pm-7pm
- Fridays 11am-6pm
- Sign-up for testing at Central here
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
San Carlos Youth Center
In a continued response to the current surge in COVID-19 cases throughout the Bay Area, and in an effort to protect employees and the San Carlos community, the Youth Center Drop-In Program will be closed through January 28, 2022. The City will evaluate the surge at that time to determine if the closure shall be extended. All outdoor programs and the curbside lunch pickup program will continue with additional safety measures. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause to you and your family. The health and safety of our Drop-In participants and staff are of the utmost importance to us, and we are hopeful that this modification to the Drop-In program will help mitigate exposure. For more information, please email [email protected].
San Carlos Week of the Family - Jan 15-23
The San Carlos Week of the Family is an annual event organized and run by community volunteers whose goal is to strengthen family relationships by providing a series of activities focusing on family and community interaction. Celebrating twenty two years, the Week of the Family committee and its volunteers are proud to contribute to the quality of life and the family-orientated community of The City of Good Living.
Please join the hundreds of families that have enjoyed Week of the Family by participating in one or more of the mostly free activities offered. You’re sure to find something entertaining and fun for your entire family. Learn more
The goals of the San Carlos Week of the Family are to:
- Strengthen family relationships
- Provide families in our community the tools that help families
- Promote family life
- Honor and pay tribute to families
- Encourage families serving families
- Have lots of fun
Registration
Some events require free reservations or purchased tickets. Links are on the Events page in the event descriptions. Click Here to get a PDF of all events.
Native Species Rock Painting - Jan 16
Come learn about the plants and animals you can find around San Carlos by participating in the Splash of Color native wildlife rock painting event Sunday from 2-4pm through the Week of the Family! Art is a great way to use your creativity to spread awareness about important issues, so stop by to have fun and protect what you love.
Hosted by the Splash of Color Team: two seniors from Design Tech High School who are painting an upcoming mural in San Carlos and are passionate about environmental advocacy. Sign up by filling out this brief form.
Afterschool Care Enrichment (ACE) is Now Enrolling at Arroyo and Mariposa for the 2022-23 School Year!
Afterschool Care Enrichment also known as ACE offers a flexible, innovative, California State licensed child care program focused on enrichment and youth development to challenge our upper elementary students. ACE will offer both Morning and Full Time or Part Time Afternoon
Morning Programming Including Breakfast - Monday-Friday from 7:30am-the start of the school day - Full Time-5 Day or Part Time-3 Day Afternoon Programming - Monday-Friday from End of school day-6pm. Each day includes a Healthy afternoon snack, our Homework Lab with staff assisted support, STEAM activities and Active Outdoor Enrichment Programming.
Arroyo 22-23 Registration Link | Mariposa 22-23 Registration Link
Please visit our website for more information or to register your child at www.acesancarlos.com or contact ACE - Phone: (650) 931-4007 - Email: [email protected].
Tutor Training for Healthy Cities Tutoring
Interested in helping a child succeed in school? Have a free hour to volunteer each week? Attend HCT's Tutor Orientation and Training on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 from 6:30-8pm to learn how simple it is to apply and help a local student with reading, writing, math, and study skills.
For more information visit www.healthycitiestutoring.org. Register and if the training is moved online we will notify you in advance. Training will be held at San Carlos Library, 610 Elm St, San Carlos, CA, 94070, Upstairs Community Room.
Parent Venture Series - https://www.parentventure.org/events
Smoking on Snapchat? Talking about Vapes, E-Cigs, and Tobacco with Teens
What should parents know about teenage trends in vaping, tobacco, e-cigarettes, and social media? Join Erin Vogel, PhD, USC, to learn more. Wed, January 19, 2022, 5:30-6:30pm. Register here
Valedictorians at the Gate with Author Becky Munsterer Sabky
Offering prescriptive, actionable advice for students and their parents, Becky Sabky illuminates the pathway to finding the ideal college. Wed, January 26, 2022, 5:30–6:30pm. Register here.