Principal's Message
June 8, 2020
This is the last newsletter of the year. The end of the school years is always an emotional time of year for educators. We put our hearts and souls into our students and then they grow up and move on. While we are proud of their accomplishments, and happy to be part of developing their wings, it is difficult to watch them fly away.
This year has been particularly distressing given the fact that we were unable to see our students for a good part of the year. Teachers go into education because we enjoy working with students so distance learning has been difficult for us. The human connection is extremely important in education, both for teachers and students. Sending our kids off to summer has been particularly difficult this year.
Now we are faced with racial unrest and protests to the extent we have not seen in decades. People are rightfully upset to see the way our fellow Americans are being treated. Speaking personally, it has been heart-wrenching for me to witness the discord unfolding before my eyes. On the other hand, it is also uplifting to see the youth of our country step up and fight for their values. It gives me hope to see young faces demonstrating peacefully for justice.
There are so many conflicting emotions going on right now for me personally, I know that it is even more confusing for our kids. Racial unrest can be a very difficult thing for children to understand. We have received several emails and calls from families asking how to work with their children to understand racism, prejudice, and tolerance in light of major news events that have been occurring across the country over the last week. Our country is facing difficult times in so many areas right now, and our children are at an age where they are more aware of the world around them. These delicate middle school years are a formative time for children to develop critical thinking skills and understand issues at a deeper level. It is why we love teaching middle school; they are able to grapple with big ideas and put them into a greater context.
We have to caveat this by saying first and foremost, we are not experts in this field. We take our learning very seriously when it comes to issues of race and social justice. We seek to understand and find ways to bridge gaps and support every family who sets foot on our campuses. As educators, our job is to support teachers and families in finding resources to have these tough conversations with their children and bring to light a common understanding. You and your family will know when the right time is to have these conversations. Some may have had them already, some may feel it is not yet the time. It’s important to take your cues from your child and to listen to their thoughts, ideas and worries. We have found some articles and talking points for families who are beginning this journey.
- Tolerance - Beyond the Golden Rule A Book about Teaching Tolerance
- Talking with Children about Racism
- Age by Age Guide for Teaching about Racism
We’re here to partner with you on your journey. If you or your child need support in dealing with any of this, please reach out for support.
I wish every family a safe summer filled with happy memories of time spent with family and close friends. Please take care. I look forward to seeing you all (in person) in the fall.
Warmly,
Tom Domer
Principal
PTA News
PTA Coordinating Council - Summer Help for our Families
Many thanks to everybody who participated in the PTA Coordinating Council gift card drive in mid-March to support our SCSD families. It has been a huge success and we have handed out all of the donated gift cards to approximately 50 district families in need!
We also secured generous grants from the Rotary Club and the Community Foundation of San Carlos, allowing us to shift to grocery delivery services for our families. We will be offering the program through the summer (or until funds are depleted) to continue to support our families that are still navigating COVID-related challenges.
To get support, click HERE.
To donate gift cards, click HERE.
Our recipient families have been overwhelmed by the compassion of our community. Kudos for truly making a difference in their lives through your kindness and generosity.
PTA Advocacy - CMS /AYO PTA Can Use 5 Minutes of Your Time!
Within the last week, California Assembly and Senate leaders proposed an alternate budget to Governor Newsom that preserves funding for K-12 education. Your help is needed to advocate support for this alternate budget and to spread the word to your parent community so they can also advocate. This can be done in 5 minutes or less!
Please see links below with additional information about the proposed budget. Lawmakers have to approve an operating budget by June 15 so it is imperative now that we email legislators to show support for this alternate budget.
Here's who to email: (below links take you to our legislator’s "contact me" webpage form that you can fill out)
Senator Jerry Hill
Assemblyman Kevin Mullin
Governor Gavin Newsom
Here's a sample letter you can send use for the form: (feel free to personalize or edit as you see fit)
-----SAMPLE LETTER-----
Dear NAME
Our schools need more money not less! I support the Legislature's Version of the 2020/21 State Budget that eliminates the draconian cuts to K-12 education.
Our schools cannot physically reopen safely with the funding level proposed in the May revise. I appreciate the work and collaboration by California Assembly and Senate leaders in the proposed alternate budget that balances the needs of the state without putting it on the backs of our students and schools. I support the Legislature's Version of the 2020/21 State Budget.
Under the Governor's proposed budget, a 10 per cent cut ($6.5 billion) to the Local Control Funding Formula equates to:
Cutting $1,230 per student, or
Cutting $21,667 per classroom, or
Increasing class sizes by 19%, or
Laying off more than 57,600 teachers, or
Laying off more than 125,000 education support professionals.
Due to a loss of revenue from Covid-19 our San Carlos School District is already faced with over $3 million in cuts for the upcoming year and we have had to eliminate librarians, custodians, para-educators and many, many other classified staff. The proposed LCFF cuts will force an additional $2.7 million in cuts in our district which is impossible to fathom given the harsh reality we face to prepare classrooms and school sites for the safe return of students, teachers, and staff. This will require significant resources and planning and without adequate funding, it is simply not feasible. There will not be enough money for required additional staff and associated increased costs to keep our children and staff safe.
I fully support all efforts by Assembly and Senate leaders to advocate for the protection and restoration of school funding and I urge Governor Newsom to consider and adopt this budget so that our campuses can safely reopen for the Fall semester.
Thank you for all your help in this extraordinary time.
Sincerely,
NAME
Contact Info
Please Join Us for the 17th District PTA General Meeting: The Future of Our Schools
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - via Zoom Virtual Meeting
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM.
FREE for PTA/PTSA members in San Mateo County
Advance registration required - RSVP by Monday, June 15
Special Guests Nancy Magee, San Mateo County Superintendent of Education will report on the latest information and issues facing public schools in San Mateo, and Carol Kocivar, Past President of California State PTA , will share information about “Schools and Communities First”, a statewide initiative that will be on the November.
Hear PTA leaders on PTA tools and programs that make your PTA/PTSA tasks easier, efficient, and fun! Get updates on workshops (via Zoom) for incoming PTA/PTSA officers!
Additional meeting information will be emailed to registered participants, including the Zoom link to join the meeting.
Questions? Contact Colette Rudd, Vice President of Leadership at [email protected]
District News
Pandemic Food Assistance Available
COVID-19 Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits will be available soon. Children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals can get up to $365 in food benefits in addition to community ‘to-go” meals. Learn more about these P-EBT food benefits here.
SCEF
You did it! We asked for your help to “Make it Happen in May” and SCEF could not be more thrilled to report that the $2.8 million goal has been reached! Thanks to our generous donors and sponsors who have shown us once again the power of our community to make a difference. In these unprecedented times with looming budget challenges, SCEF is committed to continuing it’s fundraising efforts. The anticipated reductions in California State Funding will be deeply and swiftly felt without the financial support of our community.
Any donation received before June 30th will be used in the 2020-21 school year. SCEF works to ensure that we do not fail our kids. If we all do our part as a community, and give what we can, all of our children can continue to thrive with a solid public education.
Every donation will make a difference in the lives of our students.
Let’s see how far we can go together.
Please donate TODAY at https://www.scefkids.org/donate/.
Learn more about budget cuts to California public school funding at http://www.scefkids.org/news/.
Some Good News-San Carlos Edition
A big thank you to the video class at Central and their teacher Nick Lamb for reporting the Good News in San Carlos. All 6 episodes can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJ5fGnpjvrwbLgbIDCtmfQ
Check out the recently added SCEF Sell-abration "Tastes Like Summer!"--treats for all ages: https://scefkids2020.ggo.bid/bidding/package-browse
Community Partners
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 here
Learn more on the Sequoia High School Website
Census 2020
Our county is unique in that we have 20 incorporated cities + lots of unincorporated areas as well. Together in @sanmateoco #EveryoneCounts on the #2020Census