Arroyo Eagle Eye - December 18, 2022

December 18, 2022

IN THIS ISSUE

Principal’s Message: Holiday Traditions, Spirit Week, Reducing Holiday Stress, Lost and Found, School Schedule, Lunch Ordering
Save the Date: Feb. 3 Glow Party
Appreciation for Safe Routes to School
Fundraising and PTA Membership
DEIB: Arroyo Family Holiday Traditions
Plus SCEF, District and Community News

IMPORTANT DATES

Thu 12/22: Minimum day

Fri 12/23-Fri 1/6: Winter Break

Mon 1/9: No school, staff development day

Mon 1/16: No school, Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Wed 1/18: PTA meeting in school library, 8:45 a.m.

Thu 1/19: School Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Fri 2/3: Glow Party

EDITOR’S NOTE

The next Eagle Eye newsletter comes out Jan. 8. Have a great winter break!

Principal’s Message

Dear Arroyo families,

It’s hard to believe that 2022 is coming to an end! I hope you can take some time over the holidays to reflect on the past year and unwind from it all (and help your children do the same). No matter what holidays you celebrate, winter break is a great time to spend quality time with family, making memories, and carrying on traditions. It’s a wonderful time to start new traditions as well, and 4th and 5th graders are at a perfect age to help develop those traditions and find things that bring meaning and joy to them. Thanks to the families who have shared some of their holiday traditions with us. You can see those in the DEIB section below.

Speaking of traditions, at Arroyo we love to celebrate the end of the calendar year with a spirit week and some fun classroom activities. Our Eagle Council has selected the following themes for spirit days this week. Please encourage your child to participate.

Last week I shared some tips to reduce holiday stress and also talked about the impacts of social media on children. I wanted to follow up with this article from Common Sense Media that has good suggestions for managing screen time over the long break. I particularly appreciate the advice that “the holidays are a great time for adults to check in with kids about what they're watching, playing, or doing online.”

Our Lost and Found is overflowing with jackets, sweatshirts, water bottles, and more! Please stop by the school office to take a look. Anything not picked up before the winter break will be donated.

As the year winds down, I wanted to remind you of the schedule this week and returning from winter break.

This Thursday, Dec. 22, is a minimum day with dismissal at 12:50 and our last day before break. PE and Electives will still be happening on Thursday, but 5th grade times will be modified.
Friday, Dec. 23, is the beginning of winter break. School will be closed through Jan. 9. Enjoy the break!
Monday, Jan. 9, is a professional development day for staff.
School will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 10.

Please make every effort for your child to attend school on Jan. 10 unless they are sick or test positive for covid. Many classes will be kicking off new units and activities after the break, and it is especially hard for students to catch up when they miss the introduction.

Finally, we want to give you a heads-up that ordering for LunchMaster for January is open! If you order, please have a conversation with your child first. Find out whether they like the meals, eat their entire meal, and how often they throw the meal away. Our compost bin is overflowing each day with meals that are opened and then thrown away. We need your help to avoid food waste and ensure our students have the nutrition they need to power through the day’s learning. Please only order meals if your child likes the food and will eat it. Thank you!

Wishing you warm and wonderful holidays and a restful break. See you in 2023!

Warmly,
Mindy Shelton
Principal
[email protected]

PTA News

Save the Date: Let’s Glow Arroyo on Friday, Feb. 3

Arroyo’s favorite party is back: Let’s Glow Arroyo! Mark your calendars for a glow-in-the-dark extravaganza on Friday, Feb. 3 from 7-9 p.m. in Mustang Hall. Each Arroyo student and an adult guest are invited to enjoy dancing, snacks, a selfie station, graffiti wall, glow games, and more! There’s no fee to attend this fun event, but please register here so we can get an accurate head count for planning purposes. The first 200 student-adult pairs to register will be guaranteed a swag bag to help light the night. Can’t wait to see you there!

Appreciation for Safe Routes to School

The City of San Carlos has dedicated time and resources to ensure our students have a safe commute to and from school. You may have noticed the ongoing safety improvements to sidewalks and bike lanes or the new 15 mph speed limits in school zones across the city. The City Council also allocated funds for crossing guards at 11 intersections in San Carlos. The PTA would like to formally thank the City of San Carlos for making our students’ safety a priority.

Membership and Fundraising

This year we are going for 100% PTA membership. As a member of the Central Arroyo PTA, you are a voice for our kids and part of the largest child advocacy program in the country. We invite everyone to learn more here.

This year, the Central Arroyo PTA is partnering with the San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF) to streamline and simplify fundraising across the district. Your donation will fund vital district programs as well as support our PTA. Find more information on our Membership and Fundraising page.

Focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

Thank you to the following Arroyo families for sharing their holiday traditions with us!

Tamales for Christmas

From the Rosse family

Our whole family, and sometimes other relatives or friends, work together each year to make tamales just before Christmas. We use the recipe that was shared with us by Grandma Rosse, who has made tamales her entire life. This tradition was passed down to her as a child, when the whole family would stay up all night making tamales and cooking them so they were ready to unwrap and enjoy on Christmas Day. Making tamales takes a whole day and is a fun way to spend time together, honor the family tradition, and make delicious food!

Sweet Swiss Bread People

From the Maetzler family

Switzerland, like many parts of Europe, celebrates the 6th of December, St. Nikolaus Day. Traditionally, Samichlaus (St. Nikolaus), along with his helper Schmutzli, visits children, questions them on their behavior, and leaves the kids who have been good a sack full of goodies like nuts, chocolates, oranges and a Grittibänz, a sweet, doughy bread person. We love baking Grittibänzen and try to make them look like our family members!

SCEF News

I Am SCEF!

I Am SCEF Video
Check out the third video in the series and hear our community speak to the impact of SCEF.

Your Dollars at Work
Thanks to the generous donations from parents and community members, SCEF was able to supplement the budget of every San Carlos public school. You can see your dollars at work in the K-8 music programs, library services, social-emotional counseling, and elementary PE. Your donations also allow for smaller K-3 class sizes, technology devices, applications and tech associates, and provide a principal fund to support the needs of each campus. NEW THIS YEAR, your donations to SCEF are funding the activities of your school PTA.

If you haven’t made your annual fund gift, please consider donating by Dec. 31. If you are planning on making a Donor Advised Fund or Stock gift, please initiate it now, as it can take up to two weeks for these gifts to be received by our office. To learn about the many ways to give, visit our website at scefkids.org/ways-to-give.

District News

It’s Almost Time to Register NEW Students for the 2023-24 School Year!

If you have a student who will be NEW to the district next year, be sure to register them for school during our Priority Registration window: Jan. 10-Feb. 10. Registration is ONLY for students who are not currently attending our schools; students who are in TK-8th grade now do not need to re-register. However, if your child is in one of our SCSD preschool classes, they do need to register as a new student.

All completed registrations received during this timeframe will receive priority into their home school if space is available. Registrations received after Feb. 10 will be processed on a space-available, first-come, first-served basis. Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page or email us at [email protected] if you have questions.

Virtual TK/Kindergarten Welcome Night for New Families
Do you have friends or neighbors who have an incoming TK or Kindergarten student who are new to the District? If so, please invite them to join us for our Virtual TK/Kindergarten Welcome Night on Monday, Jan. 9, 6:30-7:30 p.m. via Zoom (link to come on SCSD’s Key Dates page). The virtual presentation is designed to provide families with information about the San Carlos School District, its community partners and programs, and to provide an overview of how to register for school. See flier for more information.

San Carlos School District New Student Registration is about to begin! Mark your calendars for these key dates:

Monday, Jan. 9: Virtual TK/Kindergarten Welcome Night for new families, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 10: New Student Priority Registration opens in PowerSchool at noon (only for students new to SCSD).
Wednesday, Feb. 1: Virtual Elementary School Tours for incoming TK/Kindergarten families, 4-4:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 10: New student priority registration deadline, 4 p.m.

Community News

Parent Education Opportunities

NEW! In January, we welcome nonprofit Mission Be for two sessions on Cultivating Mindfulness: How to Bring Gratitude and Positive Practices Into Your Home with founder Carin Winter (English), and Cómo llevar la gratitud y las prácticas positivas a su hogar con Karen Allen (español). Both Jan. 11, online.

NEW! What is “radical inclusion” and why does it matter? Vikram K. Jaswal, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, presents Radical Inclusion: Understanding Visible and Invisible Differences (Jan. 18, online).

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.

Submit a virtual Soar Card explaining how your child is being Responsible, Respectful and Safe at home.
Share an accomplishment from outside school with the Arroyo Spotlight form.

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

As part of our Arroyo School program, we offer assistance to families as needed. The support can be a yearbook, grocery gift cards, or scholarships for school trips and PTA events. The recipients are kept confidential, and the principal is the only one who will know. Please complete this form to make a request.

PTA CORNER

Join the Central Arroyo PTA. Your membership matters and helps support programs and events for our students and teachers.

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!