Arroyo Eagle Eye - December 3, 2023

December 3, 2023

Principal’s Message

Dear Arroyo families,

It was wonderful to see so many families on campus this week. Thanks to everyone who came to shop at our Book Fair and to all of the 4th Grade families who stopped in for our PBL showcase on Friday. It is great to see so many Art in Action volunteers as well.  

There is another opportunity to join together with members of the Arroyo and SCSD community this Tuesday night in East Palo Alto. Please join us at the East Palo Alto YMCA (550 Bell St.) from 6-8 p.m. to enjoy food and refreshments while learning more about district programs and enjoying crafts and activities for families. 

As we approach the holidays, there are several ways your family can help others in need. Eagle Council is holding a Holiday Toy Drive for Samaritan House. Please consider donating new, unwrapped toys, which can be brought to the office anytime through Dec. 7.  We also have members of our Arroyo community in need of extra assistance. If you’re able to help, consider donating a gift card. Gift cards worth $25 are preferred and can be for any local grocery store, Target, Amazon, etc. Please drop off gift cards in the Arroyo office to the attention of Mindy Shelton by Monday, Dec. 11. It’s helpful to label the amount of the gift card. If your family is in need this year, we want to support you. Please complete this form, and I will help to make the requested items available 

The holiday season is also a time that we see an increase in absences. Daily routines are essential for reducing stress and creating a sense of security for students and adults. We appreciate your efforts to avoid taking extra time off of school. Excused and unexcused absences easily add up to too much time lost in the classroom. State Education Code dictates which absences are considered excused and which are unexcused, and requires us to send families truancy notices after three unexcused absences. In addition, students are considered chronically absent and at risk academically if they miss 10 percent of the school year. At this point of the year, that’s six absences. Too many absences can affect learning regardless of whether they are excused or unexcused. The good news is that it’s not too late to reverse the trend! This is a great time to reestablish a daily routine and support your child’s learning. Please take steps to keep your child healthy and send them to school unless they are truly sick (this chart can help). Every day of school is an important opportunity for students to learn as well as connect with peers and their teachers. Please reach out if there is anything we can do to help. 

First trimester report cards will be sent home by email this week. You should expect to receive two emails; one contains a password, and the second contains a link to the actual report card. Please note that the links are time-sensitive, so you will want to open and download your child’s report card within two weeks of receiving it. Be sure to set aside time to have a conversation with your child about their report card. It’s important for 4th and 5th Grade students to have a sense of their strengths and areas for growth. Refer to this message from last week with some tips for having that conversation.

Warmly,
Mindy Shelton
Principal
[email protected]

Breakfast and Lunch This Week

Please take time to review the menu for next week with your child. If they do not see a breakfast and/or lunch option that they will eat, then please plan to help them pack their own lunch from home (or a hearty snack on Wednesday), and please send your child with a snack for morning recess regardless.

PTA News

BECOME A MEMBER, VOLUNTEER, AND CONNECT!

San Carlos Education Foundation News

The Season of Giving Is Upon Us

Have you made your plan to give this school year? Take advantage of end-of-calendar-year tax deductions.

Appreciated Stock: A gift of appreciated stock (that you have held for more than one year) is better than selling the stock and donating the proceeds. With the great performance of some of our locally based companies, NOW might be the time to harvest some of your low cost-basis stock.

Workplace Giving: Many employers will match your donation to SCEF, and some are offering end-of-year matching at 2:1.

Donor-Advised Fund: Prefer to donate via Donor-Advised Fund from your Fidelity, BNY Mellon, or Schwab Charitable accounts? CLICK HERE to start your DAF gift.

Giving in these ways is easy, but the process takes time, so plan your gift today!

We Need Your Auction Items!

The SCEF Gala & Auction is coming, live and in-person, with the Live Auction and Online Auction open to all. Your auction donations help SCEF raise essential funds for our schools. To donate an auction item (wines and spirits; vacation homes; concert tickets; tickets to the Warriors, 49ers, or Giants; professional services), please fill out this ONLINE AUCTION DONATION FORM.

Support SCEF With Your Holiday Shopping

Honey Bear Trees is back this season and offering a 15% SCEF donation for every tree and wreath purchase. Don’t forget to mention SCEF! Details on this flier.

Sports Basement supports SCEF. Its Basementeer Program gives back 10% to the charity of your choice. Register and assign SCEF as your charity, and shop year-round. Last year they gave over $10,000 to SCEF!

School District News

New Student Priority Registration Opens Jan. 9

SCSD New Student Priority Registration for the 2024-25 school year begins Jan. 9 and closes Feb. 9. 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. Visit our How to Register for the 2024-25 School Year page for more information.

All completed registrations received during this time will receive priority in their home school if space is available. Registrations received after Feb. 9 will be processed on a space-available, first-come, first-served basis. Please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page or email us at [email protected] if you have questions.

TK/K Parent Information Meetings on Wednesday, Jan. 31
Families can learn more about their child’s school by attending an information meeting at their elementary school.

• 8:00-8:45 a.m. at Arundel and White Oaks
• 4:00-4:30 p.m. at Brittan Acres and Heather

Please see your school’s website in January for more details.

Transitional Kindergarten Eligibility Expansion
For the 2024-25 school year, students who turn 5 on or between Sept. 2, 2024, and June 2, 2025, are eligible to register for Transitional Kindergarten (TK). Visit our Transitional Kindergarten page to learn more about our TK program.

Current TK-7th Grade families, please note: New Student 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; they will automatically matriculate into the next grade level or feeder school through 8th Grade. In February, a Google survey will be sent out to all current families regarding plans for fall, and in April, parents will fill out their Back-to-School Forms for 2024-25. However, if your child is in one of our SCSD preschool classes, they do need to register as a new student.

It’s Time to Enroll Your New TK Student in the TK Extended Learning Program (TKELP)

The SCSD Transitional Kindergarten Extended Learning Program (TKELP) is now accepting registrations for the 2024-25 school year.

TKELP is dedicated to enriching our littlest learners’ lives after school. We provide a fun, safe, and welcoming place for our TK students to spend time each day. Through daily physical activity, Legarza sports, JamaRoo Kids Dance, and STEAM enrichment, TKers will explore, invent, and discover new ways to create. We provide a developmentally appropriate space with enriching activities where students can thrive. Visit our TKELP website to learn more about our program and meet our staff!

The program is available to TK students at all four elementary schools — Arundel, Brittan Acres, Heather, White Oaks — and students are given priority into the ACE enrichment program in their Kindergarten year!

Community News

Help Shape Downtown San Carlos Dec. 6 and 9

The City of San Carlos is excited to invite the community to two upcoming workshops to discuss new ideas for the downtown. Virtual and an in-person options available.

• Virtual Workshop: Wednesday, Dec. 6, 6-7:30 p.m. via Zoom.
• In-Person Workshop: Saturday, Dec. 9, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., 677 Laurel St., next to Peet’s Coffee in Downtown San Carlos. 

This next phase of envisioning our downtown will include:

• Public space design
• Program mix
• Circulation and access

Join us at one or both workshops to share your ideas and priorities to make our downtown more vibrant, welcoming, and equitable. We look forward to seeing you there. Register below and learn more about the Downtown Specific Plan project at the project website. 

Parent Education Opportunities

NEW! Kelsey Moon, ASAT Program Director, ACS, will discuss What Should You Know? Fentanyl Education and Harm Reduction Strategies. San Mateo County Superintendent Nancy Magee will join us for an introduction (Dec. 5).