Arroyo Eagle Eye - August 18, 2024

August 18, 2024

Principal’s Message

Dear Arroyo Families,

It was such a joy to welcome back our amazing Arroyo staff this past week! Our teachers spent time collaborating with the 4/5th grade teachers from Mariposa Upper Elementary, and together, we began to explore how we can foster curiosity at our schools this year. 

Curiosity is a key part of our SCSD Learner Profile, which challenges us to foster “curious and innovative problem solvers who take ownership for their learning.”  Curiosity is also an inherent part of project-based learning, which tasks students with asking questions and exploring answers/solutions in authentic contexts. Creating a strong sense of belonging at our upper elementaries also requires students to be curious about others, in order to learn more about the things they have in common and build bonds with their peers. I hope you’ll watch for examples in this newsletter of how we’re sparking curiosity in our learners and staff throughout the coming year!  

We can’t wait to welcome students back to school this week. Please read on for important announcements and reminders that will help your family be prepared for the first week of school. I know there is a lot of information to digest this time of year.  Please read through it carefully. I have included important new information at the top and reposted last week’s principal’s message, which was packed with key details for the year.

Announcements & Reminders for the Week of Aug. 19

Class Assignments

On Monday, August 19 at 10:00 am, our student information system, PowerSchool, will open the parent portal for you to be able to access your child's teacher for the 2024-25 school year. An email with directions was sent on Friday at 4:00 PM that explains the steps as well as a video demonstrating step by step instructions. You also should have received a unique Access ID and Access Password to use to create your account in an email on Friday. Please follow the steps to access your child's teacher assignment after 10:00 am tomorrow. 

Please know that the classes have been created with care, drawing on parent input forms, current year teachers’ input, and friendship groupings. We also strive to create classes that are balanced by gender, academic levels, and behavioral needs. I met with the third grade and fourth grade teachers in the spring to create the initial lists, and then these were adjusted as new families enrolled to ensure that classes remained balanced. Thank you for respecting this thoughtful work as you prepare as a family to start the new school year.
 
As we begin our first week of school, we will be determining our accurate student enrollment based on whether families have moved over the summer or for other reasons are not returning to Arroyo and haven’t yet informed us. Class attendance will be monitored throughout the week, and if classes are unbalanced, there may be a need to make changes. We appreciate your understanding if this happens at your child’s grade level. Please also note that we will not be making any other changes based on individual requests or preferences.

We have updated the staff section of our website so you can see photos of the staff and learn a bit about them. We’re still making a few updates to add new staff, but most are included. You will receive a welcome message from your child’s teacher before the start of school in which they will share information about their class. I’m sure you are eager to communicate with them, but please be mindful that there is a lot to do to prepare for the start of school. 

Important Safety Reminders for Drop-off and Pickup

Safety is especially important at the beginning and end of the school day. Please take a moment to review our Getting to School and Drop-off/Pickup Procedures and follow all of the guidelines. These are busy times of day for all of us, so please practice extra patience and caution, especially when driving on or near our campus.  

As you plan your route to school, please consider encouraging your student to walk or bike to school as often as possible. Not only does it reduce traffic congestion around the campus (thereby increasing safety), but it’s also a great opportunity for students to start and end their day with physical activity, and allows for social interaction. We encourage students to use the buddy system and pair up with those who live near them.   

Bike and scooter parking is located near the portable buildings on the Woodland Avenue/Chestnut Street side of the campus. Scooters and skateboards may be stored in our transportation shed. For bikes, we recommend investing in an inexpensive lock so it can be attached to the bike rack. Please ensure that your child wears a well-fitting helmet and remind them to walk their wheels once on campus. 

Please take a few minutes to review these safety rules with your child:

• Cross at crosswalks only — no jaywalking! This is especially true right outside of our school driveway on Arroyo Avenue. There is a lot going on in this area, and cars are not watching for pedestrians. We talk to students regularly about not crossing here but find that parents sometimes encourage it. Please help us be consistent with this message. Several years ago, there was a student hit by a car in this area, and that’s definitely something we want to avoid. 

• If there is not a crossing guard, wait at the start of the crosswalk and check both directions multiple times to ensure that the path is clear, and/or wait for any approaching drivers to make eye contact and come to a stop.

• If there is a crossing guard, wait until they say it is safe to cross. At that time, cross within the painted crosswalk. If it is crowded, be patient and wait until you can enter the painted crosswalk. Do not push, shove, or run, and do not walk outside the crosswalk. 

Regardless of how your child gets to school, we also need all drivers to put the safety of children first. These are busy times of day for all of us, so please practice extra patience and caution, especially when driving on or near our campus. If you are choosing to drive onto campus to drop off or pick up, then you are expected to drive slowly, follow the directions of the crossing guards and any staff or volunteers directing traffic, drop/pickup students at the school drop-off zone ONLY, be patient and courteous to other drivers, and stay alert for students in the roadway. 

If we work together, we can keep traffic flowing and keep our students safe, too!  

Late Arrival or Early Pickup Due to Appointment

Every morning, our school gates will be locked starting at 8:35 when the final bell rings. If you need to bring your child to school later than 8:35 a.m. or pick up your child before 3:10 p.m., please come into the office to sign your child in or out. Regular school attendance is important, and tardies are disruptive to the classroom, so please make every effort to schedule appointments, travel, and other activities outside of school hours. 

Electives and PE

An advantage to the 4th-5th Upper Elementary model is that our students get to have electives taught by our amazing middle school teachers. 4th Graders will get to participate in three electives this year, one per trimester: Art, Makerspace, and Life Skills. 5th Graders will have one year-long elective: Band, Orchestra, or Innovation & Design. Students who opted for Band or Orchestra selected an instrument in the spring. Our Band and Orchestra Directors reached out to families in June and will follow up with additional information this week. 5th grade families who are new to Arroyo should have also received information on selecting an elective. Please note that although electives will begin on Thursday, Aug. 22, no instruments will be needed the first week.  Mrs. Green and Mr. Fischer, our Band and Orchestra Directors, will share more information soon.    

Students will also have PE twice a week with our Central-Arroyo PE teachers: Ms. McGuirk, Mr. Davidson, or Mr. Nazar. Homeroom teachers will be sharing schedules for PE and electives with students the first week of school, and we’ll share additional information with parents (including contact information for these teachers) at Back to School Night.

Access to Technology

Most of our students will not need to have regular access to a device at home for completing homework or school assignments, but it’s helpful to have a device for occasional use. If you or your child will need a device, one can be provided. Please contact our school secretary at [email protected] for more information.

We Need YOU!

Your help is critically important, and we’ve had very few volunteers sign up so far. Please consider helping if you can. It makes a huge difference for our students!
Volunteers are needed to help with drop-off and pickup daily. We’d love help throughout the year but especially rely on it the first few weeks of school as we are establishing our routines. We also need parent volunteers to help serve lunch and to supervise our student-led clubs and other special activities during lunchtime. If you’re able to help with either of these, please complete this form, and we’ll be in touch with you soon. Ideally this would be a year-long commitment at least one day a week with a regular schedule, but we understand that things come up and will be as flexible as possible. Our PTA also has ways to volunteer and be involved both in classrooms and at school-wide events.

Important Reminders From the Principal

The link above takes you to details about:

• Welcome events: Arroyo Day, Back to School Night
• What happens on the first day of school (8:35 a.m.-1 p.m.)
• School info and procedures: Daily bell schedule; morning routine; breakfast, snack, and lunch; school supplies, attendance, communication, volunteers, PTA and SCEF, New Families Buddy Program, cellphone and smartphone policy, expected behaviors, staff updates, ACE Aftercare, not attending Arroyo

Breakfast and Lunch This Week

Please review the menu below with your child. These are the ONLY meals that will be available for students. If your child does not see a breakfast and/or lunch option that they will eat, please plan to help them pack their own lunch from home (or a hearty snack on Wednesdays). You can see the full menu for the week and a list of allergens here. More information about our school meals program can be found below.

PTA News

Welcome to Arroyo!

Our joint Arroyo/Central PTA is excited to welcome new and returning families back to school and hope to see you on campus tomorrow at Arroyo Day (Monday, Aug. 19, 4-6 p.m.)! We will have folks on hand to answer questions, sign-up sheets for various volunteer roles including Art in Action, Event committees (Halloween, Glow, Stampede & Soar, Multicultural Night, Book Fair), and information on how to join the PTA and support SCEF. 

You can support the PTA in many ways:

• Become a PTA member and donate to SCEF: 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 world. Check the school calendar for upcoming meetings and events. Visit our Membership & Fundraising page to learn how your SCEF contribution makes a difference.
   
• Get involved: There are a number of volunteer positions we are hoping to fill immediately, as well as many more opportunities throughout the year. Check out this sign-up page for details. 

Save the Date: First PTA Meeting

Our first PTA meeting of the year is Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. We hope you will join us at the home of PTA President Alana Corso. All are welcome and encouraged to attend!

BECOME A MEMBER, VOLUNTEER, AND CONNECT!

School District News

Community News

Parent Education Opportunities

The Neurodiversity Speaker Series kicks off its fall season with attorney Ellen Cookman, founder of Cookman Law, in Basics of Special Needs Planning: Estate Planning, Trusts, and ABLE Accounts (August 29).

What's the best way to support your student athlete? We welcome Kirsten Jones, author, speaker, and nationally recognized performance coach, for Raising Empowered Athletes: A Youth Sports Parenting Guide (September 5).

Visit the Parent Venture Series of Upcoming Events page for more information.
- Parent Venture Series Events -