5/11/20 CMS Newsletter

Principal's Message

May 11, 2020

When students are in school with their peers, there are a lot of things that help keep them on track.  They have a teacher and support staff helping them when needed and prodding them along when necessary.  There is also the powerful motivator of positive peer pressure.  Kids of any age do not want to stand out in a negative way. This helps them stay on track in a classroom setting.  School also provides structure and routines that children desperately need. 

I have attached this article from Edutopia about Distance Learning that I think is worth a read.  Do not be put off by the subtitle “Why Are Some Kids Thriving During Remote Learning?”  This is not an article meant to make you feel bad if you do not feel like your own child is thriving, but instead, it offers some concrete ideas of how you can play to your child’s strengths to help them learn given the circumstances we all find ourselves in. 

While I completely understand the obstacles involved in Distance Learning, in person school also has its limitations.  For many students, school can be very distracting.  There are so many things pulling our students off track. While learning how to focus and block out distractions is an important skill to learn, it is also nice to have a quiet place to concentrate.  In addition, many kids seek attention at the wrong time in the wrong place. We might euphemistically refer to these kids as the ”class clown”, however, they can get other students off track and take up too much of a teacher’s time.  Lastly, school hours do not always work for your particular child. Some kids find it impossible to get out of bed while others can’t get anything done by the time 6th period rolls around. 

I always like to look for silver linings in any given situation. Keep in mind that there are some advantages to Distance Learning that in person school cannot offer.  The good news is that it might be easier to address the many challenges going to school presents to our students. Play to your child’s strengths.  You know better than anybody else what motivates your student. Use that as a carrot to get them to do some work.  In the same manner, adjust to your student’s needs.  It is okay if your child is not following school time. Let your child sleep in or take frequent breaks. 

Another thing that resonated with me in this article is how we may want to rethink how over extended our children are.  In communities like San Carlos, kids tend to be in over their heads with activities both in and out of school.  I am always surprised about how busy our students are after school. Some kids’ schedules are so full after school that they have no time to do homework.  I understand the desire to have our children take part in as many experiences as possible, however, over- extending our student’s time cannot be healthy. 

I hope this article helps give you some strategies that might work in your household.  Or maybe even some excuses to take a break to enjoy a slower pace of life and time with your family. 

Differentiate Learning and How to Thrive

Tom Domer

Principal

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A Note from Your Teachers: 

Teachers want to give a big shout out to all the students who continue to do their best; who are attending all the zoom meetings, who are running break out sessions, and who are remaining engaged.  There are students who are helping other students learn. There are students who are helping their siblings learn. We have students reaching out to teachers to offer support.  Not to mention all the work being done on Google Classroom.  

Keep up the good work and please stay connected!!

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March Pride Card Drawing

Congratulations to the 62 students who received Pride Cards in March. 

• 6th Grade winners:   Lafonzo Banks, Clara Piovesan, David Sahagun
• 7th Grade winners:  Paige Kenyon, Zachary Heisler, Cameron Reynolds
• 8th Grade winners:  Lara Breslin, Emilyn Chaidez-Cortez, Brooks Trimmer

If you are a winner, please look for an email from Mrs. Vizier to claim your prize. 

Teachers will start issuing digital pride cards next week so keep up the good work being Responsible, Respectful, Supportive & Safe!!

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Yearbook update

We just received word that the yearbook printing press plant has been closed and just reopened this week. As a result, our yearbooks will not ship until the end of June.  We will be working on organizing a distribution process for July/August or for returning students, picking up yearbooks when students get their schedules in the fall. 

We are also exploring the idea of handing out extra blank "signature" supplement pages that have adhesive that stick in the book. Depending on how many pages we have, we may have to reserve these pages for our 8th graders.

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Photos for 8th Grade Slideshow

8th grade parents - your help is needed!  Traditionally, at the end-of-the-year graduation breakfast, a slideshow is shown highlighting this year's graduates and their time at CMS over the last 3 years. This year, we are working on a slideshow that will be distributed to the students instead.  Please pick your favorite 'school related' photos that can be shared with the entire 8th grade class and their families.  Place the photos in this folder link by Friday May 22.  

Include pertinent information about the photo in the filename, especially when and where it was taken.  Some ideas are photos from field trips, science fairs, band/orchestra competitions, Halloween, after-school sports, Stampede & Soar, and other outside of school activities.  All photos are needed from their 6th, 7th and 8th grade years.  Please contact Amy Kodl [email protected] or Mr. Lamb [email protected], if you have any questions.

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PTA News

CMS Teacher Appreciation Week 5/11 - 5/15

In light of our Shelter In Place circumstances, the CMS PTA hopes all families can take an extra moment to THANK our incredible teachers and administrative staff during the CMS Teacher Appreciation Week 5/11 - 5/15. Our CMS staff has demonstrated herculean efforts to guide our students (and their families!) through the rocky landscape of remote learning, including working additional hours/days of the week, taking 1:1 calls to help with specific student needs, and developing new communications strategies to keep everyone informed.

While we normally plan lunches and treats on campus, this year we’ll be celebrating our amazing CMS faculty and staff virtually - by gifting our teachers (who live throughout the Bay Area) a special PTA-funded stipend that they can use to treat themselves! 

We also know that our teachers miss the interactions with their students, our parent community, and each other! Please take a moment and send any/all of the teachers that have impacted your student’s life with a note, a photo or a video. We know that messages from the heart are the most meaningful way we can show our gratitude. We’ve attached their contact list below - please reach out with your messages of hope and thanks!

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PTA Zoom Meeting - May 27th at 3pm

In order to best respond to a quickly changing landscape and incorporate as much as possible when planning our budget and activities for the coming year, our final Central/Arroyo PTA Zoom Meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday 5/27 at 3pm. Please join us to connect with each other, hear from our principals, and participate in other important PTA business:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81852997474?pwd=NWFZV2NYS1lYbjZDaVB4V0ZLdkRsUT09

Meeting ID: 818 5299 7474

Password: 912967

We are also excited to announce our NEW Central/Arroyo PTA Executive Board for the 2021-22 school year:

• David Pollack (PTA President)
• Kirsten Kell (Exec VP)
• Paulo Dutra (Treasurer)
• April Lasky (Secretary)
• Megan Miller (Parliamentarian)
• Debbie Blucher, Amy Ihde, Trinity Murphy (Chair of SCEF Relations)
• Andrea Mardesich (Communications Director)
• Jessica Eva (VP Advocacy)

Thank you to our new slate of directors! We are grateful for all our volunteers and our amazing school community. Hope to see you on the 27th!

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District News

Survey of Childcare Needs

Effective May 4th, in compliance with the latest Health Order, six Bay Area counties have released guidelines allowing summer camp providers and recreation vendors to open childcare to groups of 12 or fewer children for families of Essential Workers. In light of this new guidance, SCSD is working to see what programs might be made available as soon as possible with the hope of opening up something May 11 if possible.

We are in the process of working with school and government officials and vendors to understand the needs and procure space to offer these childcare programs safely. We are hoping to have preschool programs, grade K-3 programs, and grade 4-8 programs. 

Please fill out this form based on your needs and we will create a list of potential program participants.

NOTE: In order to first meet the needs of our Essential Workers, as currently defined by the county Licensing Board to mean doctors, nurses, fire fighters, police officers, restaurant workers, grocery workers, food service in general, custodians/janitors, educators, and any families that are at risk for abuse in the home, we will prioritize participation in childcare programs for Essential Workers. lease fill out your needs even if you aren't an Essential Worker.

Participants will be selected on a first come-first served basis and there will be very limited spots relative to normal offerings. 

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SCEF

Your Help is Needed to Make it Happen in May

Your SCEF donation is especially important this year because of the severe budget reductions we are facing as result of Covid-19. Acknowledging this difficult time, we ask for your help to raise the final $500,000 needed to reach our goal. Your contribution will enable SCEF to provide the San Carlos School District & San Carlos Charter School with grants that will help fund educator positions and programs for next school year.

Make it Happen in May by going online now to make a donation https://www.scefkids.org/donate/. If you give through your workplace giving please let us know ([email protected]) as it can take 8 to 10 weeks for us to receive word of your donation.

Thank you for your support.

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Community Partners

San Carlos Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Diaper Drive

Looking to help out during COVID-19? The San Carlos Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is organizing a Diaper Drive to help local families in need. We are in need of the following supplies: diapers and wipes in original packaging, all sizes welcome. You can donate one of two ways:

1. ONLINE VIA AMAZON: Visit - https://a.co/8khEMT1  Our Amazon Wish List is stocked with different diaper and wipe options. All items ship Prime directly to our donation center - please select One Life Counseling (1033 Laurel Street, San Carlos, CA 94070) as the shipping location.

2. IN PERSON: Contact-free drop-off will be available from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 9th. A drop off bin will be located at the front of the San Carlos Youth Center (1001 Chestnut Street).

For more information, visit: bit.ly/yacdiaperdrive. If you have questions, please contact Caitlyn Matoso or Lora Simakova 

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San Carlos Youth Center Zoom Tuesdays

The San Carlos Youth Center will be hosting after school drop-in via Zoom on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:30-4:10 pm. Much like drop-in, the Youth Center staff will be running various games and activities during this time. 

Zoom login information has been sent to all 2019-2020 Youth Center members' parents via email. If you have any questions or activity suggestions, please contact Caitlyn Matoso at [email protected].
 

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Parent Education Series - Virtual Parent Education Events 

The Parent Education Series is a leading provider of high-quality education for parents, students, educators, and community members. The organization has reached over 70,000 attendees on critical issues-mental health, substance use, social media, and more-that impact the health, safety, and well-being of children and teens.  

Check out the Parent Education Series video library of parent education workshops and presentations - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt-IoSXVF_U2_R0zDaefG3Q 

Learn more - https://www.seq.org/STUDENTS--PARENTS/Parent-Resources/Parent-Education-Series/index.html

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Census 2020

Completing the 2020 Census has never been easier! If you misplaced your 12-digit Census ID or don’t know how to start the process, you still have time. 

Visit the County of San Mateo - Government's Census page for more information - https://cmo.smcgov.org/census-2020-san-mateo-county

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