Principal’s MessageDear Arroyo families, As this week’s newsletter arrives in your inbox, a group of volunteers will be gathering at Arroyo for our Day of Service. I love that our community comes together to support our schools and other local organizations. It’s one of the many things that makes San Carlos special. Thank you to everyone who is participating. I’d like to extend a special thank you to Van Diggins, who coordinated our Arroyo projects as well as to our custodians and district maintenance staff for helping us prepare. Please be sure to see the PTA section below for other ways you can get involved and support our Arroyo community.  Last week I told you a bit about our Social-Emotional Learning program, Sown to Grow. Along with the lessons I mentioned last week, one of my favorite aspects of Sown to Grow is the weekly check-in students do. Each week, students are asked to complete a self-reflection online to share how they are feeling social-emotionally and respond to a question about that week’s lesson. Not only does this allow students the opportunity to reflect on the skills being taught and how they can apply them in their daily lives, but it gives teachers a chance to check in on how students are feeling. Our school counselor, Julie Jobak, and I also get a school-wide glimpse of how our students are feeling and what is on their minds. This week students responded to the prompt “What is a social emotional goal for this year that is important to you? What strategies can you use to help you reach your goal?” I love that they were prompted not only to set a goal but also to identify something they can do to achieve it. You’ll see your child’s goals at our upcoming student-led goal-setting conferences, but I wanted to share some overall themes that are coming up. It warmed my heart to see the number of students who want to make new friends and had a concrete plan to do that. Many also set goals to manage their emotions, to be responsible with their homework and classwork, to be more patient, and to be helpful to others. I’m sure you’ll be happy to know there were also quite a few goals related to being kinder to siblings or other family members.  As we get further into the school year, academic expectations are also ramping up. Many classes are wrapping up their first unit in math. Chapter 2 is notoriously challenging, particularly in 4th grade. Your child may come home feeling frustrated that math is hard. Please know that teachers are very aware of this and the lessons build on themselves so encourage your child to be patient, keep at it, and ask their teacher if they need help. 4th- and 5th-grade math concepts are much more abstract than in the lower grades, and it can take a while for it to click. One of the best ways to help is to make sure that your child is getting fluent with their math facts so they can focus on the concepts and not have to worry as much about the calculations. There are many ways to practice math fact fluency, and finding what works for your child is key, but ultimately it takes time and regular practice. Please see the District News section below for some important information about ordering, canceling, and picking up school meals. We do have a number of students ordering meals and not picking them up (especially breakfast and Wednesday lunches). Please note that the district is only reimbursed for meals that are picked up, so ordering meals that your child doesn’t take cuts into our general-fund budget that we need for other critical programs. Please order with your child so they are aware of what was ordered and have a say in their meals. Quite a few students are surprised when I remind them to pick up their meals. Thanks to the parents who have volunteered to help so we can reduce our wait times. Remember that the week of Oct. 3 we will have minimum days for conferences. Dismissal will be at 12:50 daily for the week. Students will still have their electives and PE on their usual days. Monday, Oct. 10, is a school holiday. Warmly,  PTA News PTA Membership: Join Today for $10We’re continuing to make progress toward our 100% membership goal. Joining the PTA supports local, state, and national PTA advocacy efforts. An individual membership costs just $10, and we’re encouraging all parents to become members. Grandparents and students can easily be added as members too. Check out the Membership and Fundraising page to learn how to make a difference. Help Keep Our Garden GreenThe PTA is still looking for parent volunteers to collaborate with Each Green Corner, the organization that manages the Arroyo Garden. There are two ways to get involved:
If interested, please sign up online.  Last Chance for 10% Yearbook DiscountYearbooks come out at the end of the school year, but you can secure yours now at a discount! Order from TreeRing before Friday, Sept. 30, to receive 10% off. For a softcover book, the discount covers tax and a little extra, making your total $16.99. Click the link above to shop with the discount code applied to your cart, or use code 1014628525232886. Oct. 6: School Board Candidate ForumsSan Carlos parents and other residents are invited to attend two forums featuring candidates for the two SCSD school board races in the Nov. 8 general election. The events are hosted by the San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF), the San Carlos PTA Coordinating Council and the San Mateo County League of Women Voters. Both forums will take place Thursday, Oct. 6, via Zoom. (You must register for each forum separately.) Find more info.
  SCEF News Don’t Miss the Party of the Year: SCEF’s Evening at TownIt’s back! Tickets are on sale for the SCEF Evening at TOWN fundraising dinner and silent auction. This is your chance to support our students while enjoying a fabulous meal and connecting with parents from around the district. If you can’t attend, you can still participate! Check out:
San Carlos School Board Candidate Forums  Focus on Diversity, Equity,
|
|
|