Principal's Message
Dear Arroyo Families,
This past week was an especially emotional one, with some great highs and some terribly tragic lows. As a parent, an educator, and a human, the tragedy at Robb Elementary continues to weigh very heavily on my heart. At the same time, being able to bring our community together for our Celebration of Learning, and bringing third graders from Brittan Acres and White Oaks to visit campus this week provided some great reminders of what a special place Arroyo is. Beyond that, this time of year is always full of emotion as we prepare to wrap up the school year. The next couple of weeks will be busy ones! Please see below for a reminder of coming events.
We are very excited to host one of our favorite events of the year this Friday morning - our 6th Annual Arroyo Student-led Talent Show. This event is entirely run by a group of dedicated student leaders who have been hard at work putting together over 20 student acts. After 2 years of a virtual talent show, we are excited to bring back a live show this year. We will be asking all students to wear a mask throughout the show so please be sure to send your child with a mask on Friday. If your child has any symptoms on Friday morning, please keep them home. We will be recording the talent show so anyone who misses the live show can have the opportunity to watch it later.
We are also looking forward to our Field Day on Monday, June 6. Each grade level will get to spend some extra time outside participating in fun games and activities led by our PTA. Volunteers are still needed to make this a great day for our kids. Please see the PTA section below for more information and to sign up to help. Because this event will be entirely outside, masks will be optional but sunscreen is highly recommended. Eagle Council has planned a fun spirit week for our last week of school. See the list of dates below for details.
Please be sure to look around your house for any school or classroom library books your child may have borrowed this year, along with other materials that were sent home. Teachers have been (or will be) communicating about classroom materials that need to be returned to school before the end of the year.
As the year begins to wind down, I want to take some time to thank all of the parents for your support this year. So many of you stepped up to volunteer and every hour you gave made our school a better place. While there are too many people to list everyone by name, I do want to call out a few specific people and volunteer roles that were absolutely essential to all that we did this year:
- Thank you to Kirsten Kell and Alana Corso who served as our PTA presidents this year and worked tirelessly to make sure our kids had the richest experience possible and supported Arroyo in too many ways to count. Thanks to our entire PTA board and committee chairs for all of the events and programs provided this year, and especially to Paulo Dutra, our PTA treasurer, and Amy Ihde, our communications coordinator.
- Our campus supervisors were absolutely essential this year, supervising our students during lunch time, both while eating and playing. We had a solid team of parents (and a couple who are not Arroyo parents) who gave their time each and every week to keep our students safe and support their social-emotional well-being during lunch. Thanks to Jen Perazzo, Beth Rowell, Eileen Andrade-Kitching, Kathy Steele, Yoko Kinoshita, Rina Vignola, Antonia Daskarolis, Andrew Shelton, Isabelle Tilier, and Betsy Santos for giving your time this year! Thanks also to our parent supervisors who came in at lunchtime to help with our student-led clubs and talent show.
- Thank you to our drop-off and pick-up volunteers who kept everyone safe in our parking lot and on the WildZone side of campus throughout the year.
- Thank you to our room parents (and our room parent coordinator) for helping with communication throughout the year and for working with teachers to coordinate classroom celebrations and community building.
- Thank you to everyone involved in Art in Action, especially our grade level leads Christen Hanson (4th grade) and Mary Rosen and Veronica Dils (5th grade). Thanks to everyone who served as a docent or volunteer in the classroom
- Thank you to our Healthy Cities volunteers for selflessly giving their time to tutor and mentor our students
- Thank you to our SCEF volunteers and donors, especially our SCEF Liaisons Michelle Huljev, Trinity Murphy, Debbie Blucher. Arroyo would not be the same without SCEF. In addition to the crucial programs they fund district-wide, Arroyo specifically benefited from funding to provide Redcat speakers and emergency radios in each classroom as well as funding to increase diverse representation in our classroom library books.
I want to acknowledge our student leaders as well. Our Eagle Council really highlights all that 4th and 5th graders are capable of and put together some great programs for Arroyo this year. Our Talent Show and Club Leaders also did an outstanding job this year. Finally, I want to acknowledge our Eagle Times journalism crew, who put out some fantastic newspapers this year under the guidance of Mrs. Sevilla, and our Environmental Club, who organized our efforts around recycling. under the guidance of Mrs. Skinner.. Working with all of these student leadership groups has definitely been a highlight of my year.
Finally, I would like to extend another huge thank you to our staff. While it may have seemed like things were “back to normal” this year, they were far from it. Once again, our staff adapted to meet the needs of our students as we filled in gaps in academic and social-emotional skills created by the pandemic. Teachers went above and beyond in providing opportunities for students to engage in learning, to think deeply about their own and others’ identities, and to expand their understanding of the world around them. Teachers were flexible in supporting their colleagues amid extreme shortages of substitute teachers and in creating independent study plans for students who had to be out for extended illnesses and quarantining. Our teachers, specialists, and classified staff are a phenomenal team and I am so proud to work with all of them.
Please be sure to mark your calendars for our end of the year events (note a few additions from last week’s list of dates):
- Monday, May 30 – No School - Memorial Day holiday
- Friday, June 3 – Arroyo Talent Show (students only - we may be able to invite parents of performers and will let you know soon if that is possible)
- Monday, June 6 – Field Day (see PTA section below to volunteer!) and Tropical Spirit Day (wear your favorite beachy vacation clothes)
- Tuesday, June 7 - Wacky Style Spirit Day - Wear bright colors, silly socks, wild hair, etc.)
- Wednesday, June 8 - Pajama Day
- Thursday, June 9 – Last Day of School! Dismissal at 12:50 pm, Arroyo Spirit Day (wear your Arroyo spirit wear, purple, etc.)
As you prepare for the summer and think about activities your child may be participating in, I encourage you to take a look at this article. While it was published last year and is geared for teens, most of it is very applicable for 4th and 5th graders and still very relevant. I strongly support the suggestions offered.
Warmly,
Mindy Shelton
Principal
[email protected]
PTA News
PTA/SCEF Partnership
As we close out the 2021 - 22 school year, we’d like to thank you for your generous contributions to the Central Arroyo PTA. Because of your volunteer efforts and donations, we’re able to support our teachers and staff, build community, and enrich the school day for all our children.
Looking ahead, we are excited to announce that we are partnering with the San Carlos Education Foundation to streamline and simplify fundraising across the district.
Beginning next school year, all fundraising will be led by the capable team at SCEF. PTAs will not hold separate fundraising drives as we have in the past. This efficient new model provides clarity and simplicity to donors. At the same time, it frees up the PTA to focus on our core community building mission.
This Fall, the annual SCEF suggested donation will increase to include funding for PTA budgets. While fundraising messages will come directly from SCEF, your donations will support the activities you have come to expect from your PTA, in addition to the educators and programs that SCEF has always funded.
Once again, thank you! We appreciate your continued support. Stay tuned over the summer for more information about SCEF's expanded role in supporting our students and our schools.
Kirsten Kell and Alana Corso
Central Arroyo PTA Presidents
Family Summer Socials
The Arroyo/Central PTA is planning some optional meetups throughout the summer to bring families together before school starts next fall. We currently have two summer socials scheduled:
- Thursday, 7/28 a BYO Dinner Picnic at Burton Park with yard games
- Friday, 8/19 at Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company with food trucks & music
Grade-specific meetups can also be planned where there is an interest. If you would like to receive an email with all of the final details over the summer, please complete this form!
Welcoming a New Family to Central and Arroyo!
Hello Arroyo/CMS Families! Would you be interested in reaching out to a family who is new to our school? Please fill out this form and we will reach out when we have a family for you to contact. We have had great success in the past getting a willing squad of "Host Families," so it is usually a commitment to reach out to one or two families.
New families often have simple questions about the school calendar, unique school events, or extracurriculars that are better answered by people who are in the fray with them. Outreach can be as simple as an email or phone call, or it could be more--like a coffee date or playdate. Thanks for considering it!
Our Yearbook is Looking Great. Did You Order Your Copy?
So many memories this year. And with TreeRing parents can purchase an Arroyo yearbook at any time. The bulk shipment to school deadline has passed, but if you buy a book now or into early June, you can still have it individually shipped to school or to your home.
To order a yearbook:
- Go to www.treering.com/validate
- Enter your school’s passcode: 1014628525232886
Interested in Volunteering with the PTA Next School Year?
Please complete this form and your email address will be added to a distribution list for volunteer opportunities throughout the school year. If you are interested in a board or committee chair role, or in helping to organize an event, someone from the PTA will contact you with the details. You’ll also be invited to our PTA Social (recruitment event) on Monday, June 6 at 7:30pm. Please sign up for the address.
SCEF News
Check out the SCEF Draft Donor Roll
In a year of seeking a “new normal” YOU helped us support students at every San Carlos public school. Thank you for believing in SCEF and showing up for our students by participating in our 2nd annual Read-A-Thon, Virtual Gala and online auction and the Make It Happen in May campaign. You donated, employers matched, community members pitched-in, local businesses sponsored and new developments and companies committed to sustain the public schools in San Carlos.
We appreciate every single contribution that gets us closer to our $3.2 million goal. Please check the draft donor roll to review your donations to SCEF this year (fiscal year ending 6/30/2022) and if there are any errors or omissions please let Scott Cleaveland know at [email protected]. You can still make a gift to support the 2022-23 school year at https://scefkids.org/donate/.
District News
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.
Community News
San Carlos United Soccer
San Carlos United is holding Open Tryouts for our Fall 2022 teams now through mid-June. Tryouts are for boys and girls born between 2005 - 2015.
Please register online: http://www.sancarlosunited.org and you will be contacted by the respective age group regarding a tryout.
We look forward to seeing you at the San Carlos United tryouts!
Parent Education Opportunities
NEW! On June 16, we welcome Ashish Goel, designer, entrepreneur, and former teaching fellow at the Stanford d.school, to discuss his new book, Drawing on Courage: Risks Worth Taking and Stands Worth Making (Online). Please join us!
With over 55,000 views, The Parent Education Series Video Library has become a popular and trusted resource. Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel for access to 180+ Parent Ed Series events. Watch a video today and share with family and friends! New recordings include Fentanyl Prevention Education; How to Support Your Upset Child or Teen; El Respeto y Mis Hijos; and Keeping Lines of Communication Open with Your Child or Teen.
Visit the Parent Venture Series of Upcoming Events page for more information.
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics (Students Ages 5-11)
San Mateo County Health is offering pediatric COVID-19 vaccines at eight sites throughout the county. Free and advance appointments are now available, highly encouraged, and may be scheduled through MyTurn. Families may also come without appointments. Learn more.
Schedule Your Appointment at the Curative COVID-19 Testing Van
Please take advantage of the COVID-19 testing sites at one of our school locations or those provided by the San Mateo County Health Department. Click on the links below for more information or to sign-up.
NEW OPTION - WORKSITE LABS - Arroyo Upper Elementary (Patio 3)
- Mondays & Wednesdays from 3:30-6:30pm
Sign-up for testing at Arroyo
CURATIVE KIOSK - Central Middle School (parking lot)
- Mondays 11am-6pm
- Tuesdays & Wednesdays 9am-4pm
- Thursdays 12-7pm
- Fridays 11am-6pm
Sign-up for testing at Central
CURATIVE VAN - Tierra Linda Middle School (parking lot)
- Wednesday & Friday 11:00am-5pm
- Saturday 8am-3pm
Sign-up for testing at Tierra Linda
Find other Community Based Testing sites in San Mateo County Here.