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IN THIS ISSUE
- Principal’s Message: Calendar of Events for This Week, Halloween Parade and Costume Guidelines, 4th Grade ROPES Info Night, SCEF Read-a-thon, Book Fair, Samaritan House Drive, Volunteer Appreciation
- Volunteers Needed for Book Fair, Halloween, Día de los Muertos
- Nov. 9 PTA Meeting Reminder
- Diwali Volunteer Appreciation
- White Oaks Seeking Alumni for Holiday Store
- Yearbook Discount
- Plus SCEF, DEIB, District and Community News
Dear Arroyo families,
We have another busy and fun-filled week at Arroyo! In addition to celebrating Halloween and Día de los Muertos, we will celebrate reading with our Book Fair, SCEF Read-a-thon-and Forts & Flashlights Day. Eagle Council is also kicking off our first community service drive of the year for Samaritan House, and 4th grade families are invited to attend the ROPES orientation. Please see below for all the details!
Halloween! (See details below.)
Halloween Door-Decorating Contest
SCEF Read-a-thon continues.
Shop the Arroyo Book Fair in the library.
Kickoff of Samaritan House Food Drive (see below).
Día de los Muertos Celebration: Classes will be learning about the holiday and creating papel picado projects.
SCEF Read-a-thon continues.
Shop the Arroyo Book Fair in the library.
Samaritan House Food Drive continues.
SCEF Read-a-thon continues.
Shop the Arroyo Book Fair in the library.
Samaritan House Food Drive continues.
SCEF Read-a-thon continues.
Shop the Arroyo Book Fair in the library.
Join us for Book Fair Family Night from 5-7 p.m.
Samaritan House Food Drive continues.
4th Grade ROPES orientation (see details below).
Forts & Flashlights Pajama Day.
SCEF Read-a-thon continues.
Samaritan House Food Drive continues.
On Monday afternoon, we’ll have a school-wide costume parade after lunch, followed by 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.
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Parents are welcome to join us for the parade at 12:45. We’ll have an area of the field coned-off for parents to watch. Please remain in the parent area.
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If you have not signed up to volunteer for our afternoon activities, we ask that you leave campus immediately after the parade. If you are staying to volunteer, please sign in at the office and proceed to your assigned area after the parade. Volunteer clearance is not required to watch the parade but is required for those staying to help with the activities.
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We’ll have photographers capturing the highlights to share with parents who aren’t able to attend.
Students may wear their costumes to school or change during lunch. Here are some guidelines to follow:
- No weapons of any kind will be allowed at school. Please do not bring plastic guns, swords, or other weapons.
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Halloween 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.
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Students should be able to walk safely around campus in their costumes.
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Leave props at home for the big Halloween event. We cannot be responsible for lost items.
4th grade parents, mark your calendars for ROPES Information Night, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. ROPES is the Rite Of Passage ExperienceS program that is specifically designed as an optional enrichment activity as students complete a cycle of their education. ROPES provides students in 4th, 6th, and 8th grade an opportunity to participate in an academic ritual by way of real-life learning experiences.
Participating students will choose a self-directed project that incorporates the 21st-century learning skills of initiative, inquiry, creativity, communication, cooperation, and leadership. To learn more about ROPES projects and guidelines, students and parents should attend the virtual ROPES orientation on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7:00 p.m. Zoom link here. For more information, please visit the ROPES page on the SCSD site.
If you haven’t already done so, please sign up for the SCEF Read-a-thon! And plan to set aside time each night through Nov. 10 to record your child’s minutes in the online minute tracker. Registration is free, and we’d love to see 100% participation! This has become one of our favorite traditions at Arroyo as we come together to celebrate reading. See more details below or go to scefkids.org/read2022. Be sure to register with a non-SCSD email.
The Arroyo Book Fair is just in time to stock up on the books your child needs for the Read-a-thon. The Book Fair takes place in our school library. Classes will be visiting throughout the week, and the fair will be open after school. Join us for Family Night on Nov. 3 from 5-7 p.m. for another opportunity to shop and gather as a community. There will be food trucks and lots of fun! See below for more details.
Eagle Council is also kicking off our first community service drive of the year for Samaritan House. We’ll be collecting protein items including nut butters, canned tuna or meat, chili, pasta sauce, and other canned meals. Please consider donating to help those in need in our community. Food can be brought to the school office or classrooms between now and Nov. 14.
I want to extend a big thank you to all of the parent volunteers helping to make these great events happen! There are too many people to name individually, but I’d like to give a special shout-out to our PTA President, Trinity Murphy; our event chairs Esther Chen and Katy Mossawir (who coordinated our Halloween, Diwali, and Día de los Muertos celebrations); our Halloween committee chair, Lida Naydek; our Book Fair chair, Jenny Goines; our communications chair, Angie Wu; and all of the other parents who signed up to help.
Wishing you a fun and safe Halloween! For families who will also be trick-or-treating on Monday evening, I wanted to share these Halloween Pedestrian Safety tips from Safe Routes to School. Lots of great tips in there!
Warmly,
Mindy Shelton
Principal
[email protected]
Fall Into Reading at Our Central & Arroyo Book Fair!
THIS WEEK: Oct. 31-Nov. 4
Visiting the Fair: Most students will be visiting the book fair with their homeroom class or with their Central ELA teachers (schedule here). Students can also shop before or after school.
Family Shopping: Join us for Family Night on Thursday, Nov. 3, from 5-7 p.m. in the library. Buy dinner for the family after you shop at the two food trucks that will be on-site: Chicken & Waffles and Taco El Flamingo. The PTA will be handing out free Rita’s Ice dessert treats too!
Payment: Students can bring cash or a check, or parents can go online to set up an eWallet for their child, with a preset amount paid by credit card. Note that unused eWallet funds are not reimbursed but held for use at a future fair or online order.
Volunteers Needed: Please consider signing up for a slot to help the PTA at the fair during the week or at Family Night. The lines will move much faster the more help we can get!
Donations: Interested in helping fund those in our school community who could use assistance with buying books? A donation of any amount will help get a new book to as many students as possible.
Día de los Muertos: Volunteers Needed
The PTA is excited to celebrate Día de los Muertos with the Arroyo community this year, and we could use a few more volunteers to help on campus. On Tuesday, Nov. 1, come anytime 9-11 a.m. to help decorate the school by hanging papel picado and marigold garlands.
Last Call for Halloween Volunteers
It’s not too late to sign up to help the PTA’s spooktacular Halloween celebration on Monday at Arroyo.
- Spook/startle kids in the maze, 2-3:10 p.m.
- Help clean up after the festivities, 3:15-4 p.m.
Nov. 9: PTA Meeting at 8:45 a.m. in library
Our next PTA Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 8:45 a.m. in the Central/Arroyo school library. See the agenda. Each Green Corner will present on the work being done in the garden and volunteer opportunities. PTA Meeting Dates & Agendas can always be found on our website. We would love to see you!
Diwali Celebration: Appreciation
A special thank-you to Esther Chen and her team for planning this past Monday’s Diwali celebration with in-class art projects, lunchtime sidewalk chalk rangoli, and colorful decorations.
Looking for Big Kid Helpers
for the White Oaks Holiday Store
Calling all White Oaks alumni: We need you! Volunteer to help White Oaks Elementary students shop for holiday gifts in the White Oaks Elementary Holiday Store on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 8:45 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. There are two shifts for Big Kid Helpers to help their assigned student choose items, stay within budget, and count money when paying. Sign your child up here to be a Big Kid Helper using their name (name of volunteer) and a parent or guardian’s email address.
Last Chance for 5% off Yearbooks
Yearbooks come out at the end of the school year, but you can secure yours now at a discount! Order from TreeRing by Oct. 31 to receive 5% off. Use this link to shop with the discount code applied to your cart, or use code 1014628525232886.
The 3rd Annual SCEF Read-a-thon
Runs Through Nov. 10
The Read-a-thon is underway and there are so many great ways to support and celebrate our readers! Check here for events and resources: scefkids.org/read2022. We appreciate the support from our presenting sponsor, Christie’s/Sereno Real Estate.
Join us at the Reading Bug for the SCEF Read-a-thon Pajama Party on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 5:30 p.m. Wear your pajamas and bring your sleeping bags. Storytime with marshmallows. Winners of Scavenger Hunt announced. Storytimes and read-alouds count as reading minutes in your Reading Log!
Participate in our 12th annual Halloween Candy Buyback! Drop extra candy Nov. 1-3 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.
Thank you to our Business Sponsors for renewing this year! Our San Carlos schools are supported by parents and the broader community. We are grateful to the following generous business sponsors who have renewed their support this school year: Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Black Mountain Properties, CA Water Services, County Consumer, Hummingbird Music, Lyngso Garden Materials and Peninsula Chemical Company. Learn about the benefits of our Business Sponsorship Program.
Focus on Diversity, Equity,
Inclusion, and Belonging
Día de los Muertos Is Nov. 1-2
Also known as the Day of the Dead, El Día de los Muertos originated in Mexico but is celebrated throughout the world, especially by people of Mexican heritage. It is a holiday of joyful celebration and remembrance. The multiday holiday involves gathering with friends and family to pay respect to loved ones who have passed. These celebrations can take on a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about their loved ones. Traditions connected with the holiday include using calaveras (sugar skulls) and Aztec marigold flowers as decorations, building home altars called ofrendas with the favorite food and drink of the departed, and visiting graves with these items as gifts. It is also common to give gifts to friends such as candy sugar skulls, share pan de muerto, and write lighthearted and often irreverent verses dedicated to living friends and acquaintances. To learn more about this holiday, check out this article.
At Arroyo, students have been learning about Día de los Muertos in the library and making papel picado (a traditional Mexican decorative craft) in class. On Tuesday, Nov. 1, students will have a chance to take home calavera temporary tattoos after school is dismissed.
If you’re looking to learn more about this holiday, you could:
What’s Next for SCSD Schools?
Share Your Ideas to Inform Our Strategic Plan Refresh
We are refreshing the SCSD Strategic Plan. Many commitments in the existing plan were ahead of their time and will continue to be part of our learners’ experience: Whole Child education, Project-Based Learning and the 5 C’s. However, much has changed since 2013, and now is the time to consider how to educate future-ready learners. Our process will involve workshops, surveys, stakeholder meetings, and a design team.
We need you! The time is now to imagine what our strategic plan will look like. Your input will be invaluable to co-create a roadmap to inform next steps for our learners. We want to hear from you, so we invite you to participate in our upcoming in-person meetings and/or complete a survey.
Complete our new strategic planning survey online before Nov. 30:
To take the survey in English, click for survey link. Para realizar esta encuesta en español, haga clic aquí.
Participate in a strategic planning community meeting. To join us for a live session, please click here to RSVP and select from the following:
- Thursday, Nov. 3, 8:45-10:15 a.m., Tierra Linda Middle School Multi-Use Room
- NEW Wednesday, Nov. 30, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Ravenswood YMCA (550 Bell St., East Palo Alto) ** habrá traducción simultánea **
- Tuesday, Dec. 13, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Arundel Elementary Multi-Use Room
All feedback will be brought back and considered by a Design Team to represent thinking across all interested groups, identify themes, and revise the objectives and directions regarding Teaching and Learning, Social Emotional Learning, and Learning Spaces. For more information on our Strategic Plan and process, please visit our website.
Nov 3: ROPES Orientation
for 4th Grade Parents
ROPES is the Rite Of Passage ExperienceS program that is designed as an optional enrichment activity as students complete a cycle of their education. ROPES provides students in 4th, 6th, and 8th grade an opportunity to participate in an academic ritual by way of real-life learning experiences. Students will choose a self-directed project that incorporates the 21st-century learning skills of initiative, inquiry, creativity, communication, cooperation, and leadership.
To learn more about ROPES projects and guidelines, students and parents should attend the ROPES Orientation on Thursday, Nov. 3, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Zoom link here. Interested students and parents in grades 4, 6, and 8 should attend. If you have questions, please contact [email protected]g. For more information, visit the SCSD website.
State-Subsidized Preschool Spaces Available at Arundel
The San Carlos Early Learning Center has space available in our new, part-day California State Preschool Program (CSPP) class at Arundel from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Student tuition may be covered for families that qualify, based on income. Visit our San Carlos Early Learning Center website for more information, or contact ELC Director Sue Dawley. Información en español aqui.
COVID-19 Reminders and Testing Options
If your child is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please keep them home and give them a rapid antigen test. Staying home when sick can lower the risk of spreading infectious diseases to other people, and testing remains a key mitigation layer to detect and curb transmission of the coronavirus. If your child tests positive for the virus or your household is in need of additional test kits, please contact your school as soon as possible.
TESTING RESOURCES
Find up-to-date resources on the San Mateo County Office of Education’s COVID-19 Testing for Schools and Students page.
Nov. 12: Notre Dame de Namur University Wellness Fair
Saturday, Nov. 12, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the NDNU Campus, Library Lawn
Network and learn more at our tables that will feature psychological and community resources, wellness education, and job opportunities. Topics include: mindfulness, stress management, child and teen mental health, suicide prevention, grief, and psychotherapies.
Partners and sponsors in attendance: One life Counseling Center, AbilityPath, StarVista Counseling, Center: Suicide prevention, Caminar: Mental Illness, Kara: Grief Support. Register here!
San Carlos United Soccer Club Tryouts
San Carlos United will be holding tryouts in November for AYSO players and players not currently playing competitive club soccer for the spring 2023 season. Please register online. A representative from your child’s age group will contact you. We look forward to seeing you at the San Carlos United tryouts!
Parent Education Opportunities
How can we help kids find friendship in the age of digital media? Devorah Heither, PhD, author of Screenwise, offers Friends vs. Followers: Friendship Dynamics in the Age of Social Media (Nov. 3, online).
NEW How can we create a culture of hope in the face of stress, trauma, or setbacks? David Feldman, PhD, Santa Clara University, presents Grounded Hope: Why Hope Is Important in Times of Stress and Loss (Nov. 10, online).
Nov 18: Free COVID Vaccination Clinic
Plan now for happy and healthy holidays! SMCOE and San Mateo County Health are hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Nov. 18, 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the Medical Therapy Unit Multipurpose Room at 65 Tower Rd. in San Mateo. Vaccinations are available for children (3 and older) and adults. Learn more in English y español.
IMPORTANT DATES
Mon 10/31: Arroyo Halloween Celebration, Parade at 12:45 p.m.
Mon 10/31: Samaritan House Food Drive starts
Mon-Fri 10/31-11/4: Book Fair
Tue 11/1: Arroyo Día de los Muertos Celebration
Thu 11/3: SCSD strategic planning community meeting, 8:45-10:15 a.m., Tierra Linda
Thu 11/3: Book Fair Family Night, 5-7 p.m.
Thu 11/3: SCEF Read-a-thon Pajama Party, 5:30 p.m.
Thu 11/3: 4th Grade ROPES orientation, 7 p.m.
Fri 11/4: Forts & Flashlights Pajama Day
Wed 11/9: PTA Meeting in school library, 8:45 a.m.
MANY WAYS TO VOLUNTEER AT ARROYO
SHARE YOUR STUDENT’S ACHIEVEMENTS
We want to honor students who are doing great things outside of school and have two ways parents can help.
REWARDS PROGRAMS
Participate in our rewards programs and a percentage of your purchases will automatically be donated to the Central Arroyo PTA — at no cost to you!
FOLLOW @ARROYOSCHOOL
Follow us on Facebook for up-to-date info on events and issues.
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