SCC Weekly Newsletter: April 8 - 14, 2019
Next week (week of April 15) is Spring Break!
We will not be publishing a newsletter next week.
Have a wonderful break!
Director's Spotlight On... Staff Transitions
SCC has been incredibly fortunate in that our staff turnover traditionally has been very low. We have many long-term staff members that remain at SCC over the course of many years. As our school gets older, so do our staff members (says the white-haired Director…) and, as such, we experienced our first two retirements recently. In addition, educators are finding it increasingly difficult to settle in the Bay Area given the cost of housing, and are making the decision to relocate. Given these two driving factors, I think that more staff turnover is our new normal.

I want to share some of the staffing changes that we are looking at for next year. Christine Harris, our 5th - 8th grade PE Educator, has completed her coursework to become a School Psychologist. She will be moving into this important role for us next year. David Burgess, our 5th – 8th grade Science/ELA Educator, applied for and was offered the now-vacant PE position. We are very excited about both of these changes.

We also have a couple of educators who are moving on. Ben Green, our 5th/6th grade Science/ELA Educator, is looking to move out of the area and explore other occupations. Irene Bond, one of our K/1 Educators, is relocating to LA with her family. These are tough ones! Both educators are valued by their colleagues and have made tremendous contributions to SCC. The learners and families are also going to miss them and we have some big shoes to fill.

I have posted our vacant positions and am collecting resumes. As the resumes come in, I do phone interviews with the candidates that look promising. Within the month, I will hopefully have identified candidates that we want to bring in for face-to-face interviews. These are conducted by hiring teams that have educators, admin, and parents on them. I will keep you all posted about where we are in the process and I will update the community when there is something to announce. Please know that I take this aspect of my job very seriously and am committed to finding the right people!
Board of Directors Update
Olin Palmer , on behalf of the BOD
A quick reminder; The Board of Directors (BOD) has scheduled a third election information session. This is the last scheduled information session. Additional important dates also noted below.
  • 3rd Info session: Wednesday, April 10th, 6:30-7:00 p.m. This is before the monthly BOD meeting in Room 302. Please also attend the BOD meeting!
  • Candidate statement submission deadline: 9am Tuesday, April 23.
  • Town Hall Meeting to introduce candidates: April 23, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
  • Voting details will be available well before the Town Hall.
  • Voting closes Friday, May 3rd, 9 a.m.
  • Results announced in the Newsletter, Sunday May 5th.
If you are unable to attend any of the scheduled information sessions, please reach out to any current board members for further information.
Volunteer Corner
Melissa May , Volunteer Coordinator
SignUp.com

Please click the link below to log any hours not covered by a Signup.
PRT Update
Recognize Our Graduating Parents!
Each year we like to recognize the contributions of our "graduating" parents. Please share your memories (personal stories, key contributions, acknowledgments) for these amazing parent volunteers  here by  Friday, April 12, 2019. Note: You can submit memories for any number of the parents listed (one or all). Thank you!
Social Team Update
Picnic and Hiking @ Picchetti Winery (Take 2!), Saturday, 4/27, 1pm
Mark your calendars for our rescheduled Picchetti Winery Event. Parents can relax on blankets and at picnic tables on the front lawn while kids run around & play. There is a hiking trail into the open space right from the winery! Please note that Picchetti does not allow you to bring in alcohol -- if you want to drink wine, you must purchase a bottle or tasting from the winery. They provide all glassware. Bringing your own food is great (and encouraged). 
Picchetti Winery: 13100 Montebello Road, Cupertino (just over a 1/2 hour's drive from SCC)
Scholastic Book Fair
EmmaLou Moore , Library Specialist & Melissa May , Volunteer Coordinator
Read-a-thon & Book Fair Results!
Stacy and Emma are sleeping on the roof!! Cheering erupted from the audience during SCC’s Family Book Fair Shopping Night when Stacy announced the results of the read-a-thon. A school-night date will be announced before the end of the school year. Time-stamped photos will be posted as evidence of Stacy and Emma’s slumber party. The entire community will be invited to witness their rooftop wave the morning after. 

Please let Melissa May know if you want to help with a school-wide pancake feed the morning Stacy and Emma descend. 

Our annual book fair was a resounding success with too many highlights to share in one newsletter. Here are Emma’s top three favorites: 

1) Photo ops with literary celebrity guest Dog Man
2) Return of the SCC Vendor Fair, which included several fundraising Learner booths 
3) The final cash register report: approximately 25% higher sales over last year! Book fair proceeds = new library books AND furniture for the library

Big thank yous to our entire community of readers!

Online Book Fair
The online book fair is live through April 9. The book selection is greater online and typically quite different than our campus fair. If you order using the Scholastic app, you can save $5 by entering the code APP19 at checkout. www.scholastic.com/bf/sancarloscharter 
Educare Happenings
Katie Hall , Desi Smith & Nathan Sweatt , Co-Directors of Educare
LAST CALL FOR SPRING BREAK SPECIAL DAYS! Prices go up at 12:00 PM TOMORROW (April 8). Last minute registrations may not be available as we need to lock in our staffing as soon as possible. Please don't wait until the last minute to register! Details of our planned adventures can be found HERE and you can sign up in your Parent Portal!

Spring Enrichments are quickly approaching. Our final session of the school year will begin right after Spring Break. Registration is still available for several classes, and a few are on the chopping block if thresholds are not met. Check out details of our springs offerings HERE and register in the Educare Store ASAP! 
Parent Education
Lorea Martinez , Parent Ed Liaison
Learning to handle failure is healthy for kids, but sometimes difficult for parents to witness. When parents remove all obstacles to ensure that children don’t have to deal with frustrations or failures, what is known as snowplow parenting, they are ill-equipping kids to face challenges today and into the future. If you find yourself trying to avoid your child facing disappointment or failing, read this article with tips to raise a self-sufficient adult. 

If you haven’t already, please answer this BRIEF survey to help us plan a great parent education series in 2019-20. And coming up this week, you can learn about mindful motivation (Tue), sex and puberty (Wed), or sibling rivalry (Thurs). For details and other events, click on the button below. Happy Parenting!
Hot Lunch Information
Akash Bijlani , Hot Lunch Coordinator
Yearbook Update
Click  here for photo upload instructions and the most recent list of purchased yearbooks.
SCEF Update
June 14, 2019 is San Carlos Night at Oracle Park!
Join parents and community members for the 2019 San Carlos Night at SF Giants. Hear our students sing the National Anthem before the game & watch the Giants take on the Milwaukee Brewers (game time is 7:15 P.M.). Stay after the game for FIREWORKS!!! Tickets available at San Carlos Youth Center from April 8. Cash or Check only.
Purchase your spot for your child to sing the National Anthem at San Carlos Night at the Giants here: https://scefkids2019.ggo.bid
REVEL AT DEVIL’S!
On May 4, 2019, join us at for the annual community event at Devil’s Canyon and enjoy live music by the Best of the 80s: Tainted Love! Ticket price is $75 per person and $35 per teacher/staff. Price includes entrance to Devil's Canyon, one drink ticket, as well as dinner from food trucks & dessert table. Buy your tickets now and pick one up for your favorite educator too! Go to: www.scefkids.org/reveltickets
Healthy Cities Tutoring
Social Emotional Learning tips to help struggling students
A Parent Education/Tutor Tips Workshop

Learn how tutors and parents can use social/emotional learning tools and tips to help their students.  

Want to become a tutor at SCC? Arrive at 6:15pm to hear about volunteer tutoring opportunities in our local schools.  
When: Tuesday, April 9, 7:00 -8:00pm
Where: Library at Arroyo/Central Middle School, 757 Cedar Street, San Carlos
For: Parents and Healthy Cities Tutors
Trainer: Jill Greenberg, MAPP, SEL Consultant & an HCT Tutor  
Hosted by: Healthy Cities Tutoring

Please  click here to RSVP for the Parent/Tutor Education Workshop  
Greater San Carlos Community Information
  • To learn about Spring Sports and more click the blue button below:
Appreciations
  • A growing shout-out to Thomas, James and Liam Russell for going to Yerba Buena Native Plant Nursery AND planting our bog. The bog looks great and we are so excited to watch as the plantings grow up. 
  • Thank you to the PRT, room reps, and community for such a special staff appreciation week. We feel extremely appreciated!
  • A very special thank you to Roberta Marks for leading and planning the entire staff appreciation week of activities. We are inspired by your creativity and energy!
  • Thank you to Becky King and Paige Sarmiento for all the work on the staff appreciation luncheon. Thanks to Melissa Riccio for her fabulously creative signs and Christopher Kashap for his help with set-up and last minute errands.
  • The Scholastic Book Fair was a huge success this year! Woo Hoo! Thank you Kim Strickland for organizing the whole fair, Karen Brodersen for organizing the online fair, and Jennifer Fung, Karen Brodersen, Shira Ross, Janette McAfee, Julie Weinstein, Susan Levin, Kelly Franta, Kristina Harvey, Alyson Brewer, Julia Fox, Roberta Marks and Nandini Iyer for working the fair throughout the week. The fair and raising library funds would not be possible without your ongoing support.
  • Thank you to Christine Levenson for coordinating the recruiting and organizing of a successful Vendor Fair. It was Charter's first fair in years with parents, learners and alumni selling their goods. The fair was great!
  • Thank you to all of the Book Fair Vendors, especially the Learners.
  • Thank you to members of Cindi Hunter’s family—her son Jack for wearing the T-Rex costume and her nephew Patrick for wearing the Dog Man costume.
  • Read-a-Thon Tallying - The numbers are in thanks to Alyson Brewer and Natalie Melamed. Thank you for counting the hundreds of read-a-thon sheets that were turned in this past week.
  • Thank you Deena Bertolina for the new beautiful display of artwork in the office.
  • The 3/4 Team would like to thank Jessika Welcome for the time she invested and research she undertook in addressing learner food allergy concerns related to our upcoming Monterey Bay Aquarium field trip. We appreciate her!
  • Super thanks to Rod Bachelor for leaping on the task of configuring 15 brand new Chromebooks for use in Educare and beyond!  
  • A huge appreciation to Rene Hernandez and Peter Bierman for the ground-up creation of our new 3D Printing and Design program for 5-8 Seminars. Their donation and setup of four brand new 3D printers was no easy feat and they did it with a quick turnaround - needless to say, the kids are THRILLED! Thank you Rene and Peter!
Have a great week!
-The Newsletter Team at newsletter@scclc.net