Dolphin News

Dear Taft families,

I hope you had a great 3-day weekend. The weather was nice and it’s great to get an extra day off. My family and I went to the Pumpkin Patch at Lemos Farm. It’s something we do annually. Our boys had a great time and we made some great memories. This week’s newsletter is a bit long but it contains some great information. Please take a moment to read it.

I would like to remind parents about the proper way to drop off students in the morning to avoid a collision or students getting hurt. Please adhere to the following:

1. Drop off students along the white curb in the correct direction. Do not face the wrong way when dropping off students. RCPD will cite people who do this.
2. Do not park across the street in the neighbor's driveway in front of the school and walk your student across the street. This is very dangerous and can result in both parent and child getting hurt.
3. Do not do U-turns on 10th Ave after dropping off your student. This is dangerous.
4. We know some students take a bit longer to get off their vehicles and some folks will pull out and ahead to avoid waiting. This is not recommended as this can cause a collision.

Sincerely,
Mr. Camarena

We had quite a number of fun events for students this week. On Thursday we celebrated our first Student of the Month Assembly where students from each class were awarded a certificate for being Respectful, which is one of our Dolphin traits. Students were recognized in front of their teachers and peers. We also reviewed student expectations in the following presentation.

October Assembly 2023

Dolphin Ticket Raffles are every Friday at 9 am. Students are awarded a prize for practicing our Dolphin traits.

Ice Cream

It was hot on Friday and we decided to reward students and staff with ice cream at lunch. Everyone enjoyed it and was thankful. We rewarded students who were in full uniform so please make sure your students are coming in full uniform. We will surprise them from time to time. Students who are not in uniform, have been sent to the office, or do not have good grades may not be participate in our surprise give-a-aways.

This year we are allowing students to wear their Halloween costumes all day! It’ll be very fun to see our students in their costumes. We are partnering with Carlsen Subaru and they are providing two cars full of candy (one car will have regular candy and the other gluten-free/sugarfree candy)! We will have a Halloween parade where students will be able to show off their costumes and collect their candy at the end. Taft will also provide a bucket for kids that they can use to collect their candy. Please note that we have certain requirements for costumes that must be school-appropriate. Lastly, students must be in good standing behaviorally. Those students who do not come in costume will have to wear their regular uniform. It's not a free dress day.

Halloween Costume Expectations:

• Costume masks are prohibited. COVID-19 masks are allowed.

• Fake blood, props, and accessories are prohibited (Examples: guns, wands, knives, etc.).

• Inflatable costumes are not allowed

• Costumes should not have obscene language, hate speech, or themes/references to drugs, alcohol, the occult, death/suicide, or violence.

• Gang-related costumes, clothing, and/or props are prohibited.

• Hair coloring must be applied at home.

• Students must be able to go to the bathroom on their own without the help of an adult.

Students who do not want to or cannot participate in this event will be sent to the library. This information will be shared with students during our weekly announcements. Parents are welcome to attend this event. The parade will run from 1-2:30 pm. A schedule will be shared closer to the date.

We had a good turnout at our monthly Principal’s Coffee. We had a presentation on NorthStar conducted by Michele Remond, our RCSD Family Liaison. Thank you to all the families that were present. We had a good time.

Taft Principal’s Coffee October 2023

Conferences will be here soon from Oct 23-27. Dismissal time will be at 11:45 am. While we understand that it’s a challenge for many families, please make every effort to have your child attend school during conference week. As you know, our conferences this year require that student goals be created by the teacher, student, and parent. Some of our teachers have already started reaching out to families to schedule their conferences. It is very important for all families and students to participate in these goal-setting conferences. Please let your child’s teacher know if you have any questions. You can also email me or call the school for more information.

BGCP has a few updates regarding the following classes below:

• The Kinder A class is expected to start October 16th. Their new hire has just completed compliance which means they will need all of next week to onboard with us so they are ready to take the class.
• The Kinder B class is pending due to a change in staffing.
• The TK class is TBD until we can hire another candidate.
• BGCP has sent messages to all families.

Should there be any changes to the TK and Kinder B start date, BGCP will update all parties. Please let BGCP know if you have any questions.

School pictures taken on 10/03/2023 are now available for parents to view and order online.

Option 1: All parents who had a valid email listed in PowerSchool were sent an email from JostensPIX with a link to the JostensPIX website. Please check your email for instructions.

Option 2: View and order at https://shop.jostenspix.com/login

• TAFT SCHOOL

• Event Code: FE293223

• Also Needed: Powerschool Unique Student ID. Please call the school for this 6 digit number or email me at dcamarena@rcsdk8.net

The makeup session for pictures will be on Tuesday, Nov 7.

Meet our Taft Mental Health Counselors! Our team aims to help students develop positive self-esteem, social skills, and coping skills. Counselors facilitate social emotional learning lessons, friendship socials during lunch called “Lunch Bunch,” and individual and group counseling for identified students who meet eligibility criteria. Parents/caregivers can access the counseling referral form here.

Lauren Abrahams is Taft’s Lead Mental Health Counselor. Lauren holds a Master’s of Social Work from University of Chicago with a focus in cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma-informed practices for youth. Lauren loves hiking and reading in her spare time. ¡Hablo español! labrahams@rcsdk8.net, 650-482-2416 ext. 3745

Kim, Margarita, Esmeralda bios forthcoming.

PAL Parent Support Group in English and Spanish: Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30 PM at PAL Center, 3399 Bay Rd

• October 11: Supporting children who have been bullied or engaged in self-harm
• Oct 18: Depression and Anxiety
• October 25: Community Resources Overview

Grupo de apoyo para Mamás en Español

Participate in a Mother’s Support Group led by a One Life counselor. Build your community, learn to take care of your mental health, and receive parenting advice. Childcare is provided.

For details and to sign up, call Cony from One Life: 650-996-3379. Se habla español.

We are asking for donations of bottled water and granola bars so that each classroom has some in case of an emergency. We accept bottled water packs (24-40) of 8 oz or more. Please drop off your donation at the front office or family center. Thank you very much!

Join SEPTAR for our next association meeting on October 17 at 7pm on Zoom. The topic will be "Navigating Transitions;" there will be 3 breakout rooms with presentations from RSCD teachers, staff, and a Sequoia Union High School District representative. The transitions being discussed will be Pre-K to K, elementary to middle school, and 8th grade to high school. You can choose which transition you want to learn about! To register, go to bit.ly/SEPTAR1017

Our school is invited to watch a Stanford Men’s Soccer game! Let's all come together and spend an evening watching an exciting game and having fun! Please let us know how many tickets you need by filling out the form form below. We’ll hand out tickets at the game.

Thursday, October 12, 2023

6 pm at Stanford Cagan Stadium

Stanford Cagan Stadium

Parking is free

Sign up for your tickets here!

Tickets are limited to first come, first served, so sign up today!

Students are also invited to a pregame clinic from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm at the Steuber Rugby Stadium, which is in the same area as the soccer stadium.

The PAL Center's after-school program is still open to enrollment for 5th-grade students. If you are interested in registering your student, please fill out the online application using the link below.

https://tinyurl.com/Palcenterfall23

It’s that time of the year where folks will start getting sick. Please take the appropriate precautions so that you and your family stay healthy this fall and winter season. See the picture for tips.

• Monday, Oct 9: Indigenous People's Day, No School
  
• Wednesday, Oct 11: Second Harvest Food Distribution, 2:30-4
• Friday, Oct 13: English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) 8:45-9:15 am
• Oct 16-27: Panorama Fall Survey Window
• Oct 17: School Site Council (SSC) 6:10-7 pm Virtual Meeting
• Oct 23-27: Goal-Setting Conferences, Dismissal at 11:45 am
• Friday, Oct 27: Free Dress Day
  
• Friday, Oct 27: Dental Screening
• Tuesday, Oct 31: Halloween (Regular School Day. See event details above in Halloween section)
• Wednesday, Nov 1: Teacher Work Day, No School for Students
• Thursday, Nov 2: Principal's Coffee, 8:45-9:30 am
• Thursday, Nov 2: Marine Science Institute Presentation in 3rd Grade
• Tuesday, Nov 7: Picture Day Retakes
• Thursday, Nov 9: End of Trimester 1, No School
• Friday, Nov 10: Veteran's Day Observance, No School
• Monday, Nov 13: Trimester 2 Begins
• Nov 13 - Dec 15: iReady Winter Assessment Window
• Tuesday, Nov 21: Minimum Day
• Nov 22-24: Thanksgiving Holiday Break
• Thursday, Nov 30: Nutcracker Field Trip, 5th Grade

Our School Office Hours for the 2023-24 school year are as follows:

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

• Thursdays and minimum days: 8:00-2:30

Please pick up your student at the appropriate dismissal time listed in our Bell Schedules. As mentioned above, our office closes at 3 pm and our office staff end their shift at that time as well. We have no staff available after 3 pm. Students who are picked up after 3 pm will have to wait inside the gated area without supervision.

1. Please do not park in the staff parking lot in the morning and afternoon. The lot is reserved for staff.
2. Please do not block our neighbors’ driveways at any time.
3. Please drop off your students in the front drop-off zone. No parking is allowed along the curb. If you are going to park and walk your child to the gate, please park on Bay Rd and walk to the main gate. The RCPD will periodically patrol mornings and afternoons. Administration will be there to receive your students. Once students are dropped off at the main gate, students will be directed to go to their designated area which will be supervised by a staff member. Starting Tuesday, Sept 5, 2023, parents will not be allowed on campus moving forward unless it's a school-related event or have an appointment with a teacher or administrator. All visitors must check into the front office.
4. All students need to be in full uniform and wear appropriate shoes every day unless it's a Free Day dress (last Friday of the month). Sandals and Crocs are not allowed on any day. Please refer to the Parent & Student Handbook for complete guidelines. If you need help with uniforms, please contact our Family Center.
   
5. Please review Taft's Cell Phone Policy for Students. Students bringing a cell phone to school must check it in at the front office.

Thank you for taking the time to read my updates. I will send my next newsletter by Monday, October 23, 2023.