Dolphin Digest

We are happy to announce that we have a new Office Manager who started on Monday, January 22nd! Please join us in welcoming Cinthya Mendez to Clifford School!

On Friday, January 26, we hosted our monthly Principal's Coffee, focusing on the programs and instruction in grades 3rd - 8th at Clifford. The highlight of the meeting was the unique opportunity to visit various 3rd and 4th-grade classrooms, witnessing firsthand the incredible work our students are engaged in.

In case you were unable to attend this month's session, we have provided the presentation in both Spanish and English for your convenience: January Principal's Coffee Presentation

We look forward to your participation in our upcoming session on February 16 at 8:15 am in the Family Center!

Thursday, February 1

• District Appointed Super Minimum Day - 11:30 Dismissal

Friday, February 2

• PTO Coffee, 8:15 a.m. - Front of School

Monday, February 5

• No School - Staff Professional Development Day

Friday, February 9

• ELAC Meeting - Family Center, 8:15 a.m.

Friday, February 9 - 11

• Mary Poppins Junior School Play - Buy Tickets Here!

Tuesday, February 13

• SSC Meeting, 4:00 p.m. - Library & Virtual

Wednesday, February 14

• Valentine's Day!

Thursday, February 15

• Fire Drill, 10:45 a.m.
• PTO Meeting, 7:00 p.m. - Library & Virtual

Friday, February 16

• Principal's Coffee - 8:15 a.m. - Family Center
• Regular Minimum Day before February Break

Monday, February 19 - 23

• February Break - No School

We love our parent volunteers! Clifford and Redwood City School District (RCSD) welcomes volunteers and partners in a systematic process to ensure the health and safety of our students. Over many years, volunteers have provided assistance to our school programs and our collective efforts to educate our students in academic, social, and emotional opportunities. School campuses and the Department of Human Resources have an established and thorough process to ensure safety and communicate expectations to our volunteers.

Depending on your volunteer level, you will be required to submit/complete the following items:

• Volunteer Application
• TB Test Result or TB Risk Assessment
• Driver’s License/Government ID
• Livescan Fingerprints- only required for volunteers who will be alone with students

Here are the levels of volunteerism and the level of clearance they require:

Level 1 - Volunteers working under constant direct supervision of an RCSD employee - this includes classroom support or supervision or supervised school event support.

Level 1 Requirements: complete the volunteer application, proof of a valid CA drivers license or US issued ID card, and proof of TB test result/assessment.

Level 2 - Volunteers working under the supervision of an RCSD employee, but may occasionally be unsupervised while working with students - this includes tutoring partners, field trip volunteers on the bus or chaperoning a field trip.

Level 2 Requirements: complete the volunteer application, proof of a valid CA drivers license or US issued ID card, and proof of TB test result/assessment AND LiveScan fingerprinting. If you need assistance with paying the Livescan fee ($45 + Gov. fee) our PTO is able to reimburse you. LiveScan is available at most Redwood City UPS stores.

Level 3 - Volunteers who will be alone working with or mentoring students. The student may be transported by the volunteer. - this includes tutoring partners, overnight field trip volunteers, certain school events, and contracted partners.

Level 3 Requirements: complete the volunteer application, proof of a valid CA drivers license or US issued ID card, and proof of TB test result/assessment AND LiveScan fingerprinting. If you need assistance with paying the Livescan fee ($45 + Gov. fee) our PTO is able to reimburse you. LiveScan is available at most Redwood City UPS stores.

Volunteer clearance is processed through our district office - we are not allowed to clear parents here at school. The process of becoming a cleared volunteer can take a few weeks, therefore, please submit your paperwork several weeks in advance of when you'd like to volunteer. Once you are cleared as a parent volunteer, you do not have to renew your application each year.

Hello Clifford Dolphins,

Thank you for participating in Kindness Week! We enjoyed seeing students and staff dress-up for the respective days. Below I listed our weekly updates:

Bread and Bag Wednesdays

As we continue to provide this service and support our fellow Clifford families, please consider donating dried goods to our pantry. You can click here to see a list of items of dried goods/essentials that we are in need of. We appreciate all the donations that have been coming in from this week!

If you would like to request dry goods, fruits, vegetables, or feminine hygiene products please complete this google form every Monday.

Clothing Distribution

If you are interested in coming to the Family Center to pick out clothing please feel out this form to schedule an appointment. The form opens up every Monday and you are allowed to schedule a meeting on designated days/times.

Thank you for participating in Kindness Week! We enjoyed seeing students and staff dress-up for the respective days. Below I listed our weekly updates:

Bread and Bag Wednesdays

As we continue to provide this service and support our fellow Clifford families, please consider donating dried goods to our pantry. You can click here to see a list of items of dried goods/essentials that we are in need of. We appreciate all the donations that have been coming in from this week!

If you would like to request dry goods, fruits, vegetables, or feminine hygiene products please complete this google form every Monday.

Clothing Distribution

If you are interested in coming to the Family Center to pick out clothing please feel out this form to schedule an appointment. The form opens up every Monday and you are allowed to schedule a meeting on designated days/times.

Starting in the new year, we will be using a new Absence Reporting Link for parents to use if they need to report a student absence. Please bookmark this link to use when reporting absences starting January 9, 2024. Families can also still call the school office to report absences at (650) 482-2402.

Student Absence Reporting Link: https://forms.gle/7CmFsVZ9eET4jeZg6

What is Independent Study (IS)?

When a family knows in advance that a child will miss 5 or more days of school due to vacation

or travel, family responsibilities or a long-term illness, parents and guardians have the option of

requesting an Independent Study packet so that they do not fall behind in work. Completing an

Independent Study packet also prevents your school from losing funding, since the state

provides money to our schools based on student attendance.

What is an Independent Study Packet?

Independent Study Packets are prepared by your student’s teacher and provide students with

work to complete. Independent Study packets are designed to prevent your student from falling

behind. They may contain reading assignments, worksheets, or a writing assignment. Your

child’s teacher decides what to include in the packet based on work being completed in class.

Are Independent Study Packets required if your child is going to miss school for 5 days or

more?

Independent Study Packets are completely voluntary, but we strongly encourage parents to

request and sign contracts for Independent Study packets when they know at least 10 days in

advance that their students will miss school. Students, parent/guardian, teacher and principal all

must sign the contract in advance for the Independent Study packet to be valid.

Why is it important for students to complete Independent Study Packets when they must

miss school for personal reasons?

Keeping up with school work is important for academic success. Teachers report

that every day a student misses class puts him or her about two days behind. This is

because students must make up missed work and complete new assignments in a

shorter amount of time.

How do we arrange for an Independent Study?

1. Request a Master Agreement for Independent Study from your school office.

2. Fill out the Master Agreement, which must be signed by the student, parent, teacher

and principal, and turn it in to your school office at least 10 days before the first day

of absence.

What are the rules for Independent Study?

According to Education Code 46300(e):

• The Independent Study Master Agreement must be completely filled out and signed by

the student, parent, teacher and principal with beginning and ending dates completed

before the work begins.

• A pupil's work must be reviewed by a certificated teacher upon return from the student’s

absence. The teacher, in some reasonable manner, must document: the assignments made;

the manner, time and due date of the work; and, the time value of academic work

performed.

• The work must be turned in on the first school day after the contract ends or it is invalid.

If, for example, the student is ill the first day he/she is expected to return to school, the

parent or guardian must still return the completed packet or it will not count.

Is there a minimum # of days absent required to complete an Independent Study

Contract?

The student must be absent for 5 consecutive days. Previously, the district believed that packets

could be completed for less than 5 days, but further research has shown that a minimum of 5

days absence is required.

Can the child be placed on Independent Study if the parent notifies the school that the

student is already out of town or out of the country?

No, an IS contract must be signed by the student, parent and teacher BEFORE the

child can be placed on Independent Study. Without a signed Master Agreement, the district

loses ADA for the student for the time that he/she is not in school.

Can a contract be extended if the absence is longer than expected?

The contract can be extended only if the family has access to a FAX machine or Fed Ex delivery

so that documents can be signed by the student, parent, teacher and principal.

Thinking Critically in College: Essential Tools for Student Success

Louis E. Newman, PhD, Author, Former Dean of Academic Advising, Stanford

Tuesday, January 30, 2024, 5:30pm – 6:30pm PT, Virtual Event (Live)

Register: https://louisnewman2024suhsd.eventbrite.com

Louis E. Newman, PhD, former Stanford Dean of Academic Advising, will discuss the importance of developing critical thinking skills, and encourage students to look at their college experience broadly, as preparation for a lifetime of learning and civic engagement.

Parents/caregivers, students, educators, mental health professionals, and community members welcome! Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available. Free admission.

This presentation is sponsored by the Sequoia Union High School District, Sequoia Healthcare District, and Peninsula Health Care District, in partnership with The Parent Venture.

Questions? Contact Charlene Margot, MA, Co-Founder and CEO, The Parent Venture (The Parent Education Series), at cmargot@parentventure.org.

Safety First: Empowering Teenagers to Prevent and Reduce Drug Use

Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, Founder, Halpern-Felsher REACH Lab, Stanford Medicine

Wednesday, January 31, 2024, 5:30pm – 6:30pm PT, Virtual Event (Live)

Register: https://bonniehalpernfelsher2024suhsd.eventbrite.com

How can we educate and empower our teenagers to make safe and healthy choices? Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, founder of the Halpern-Felsher REACH Lab, Stanford Medicine, will discuss REACH Lab's new Safety First curriculum on alcohol, opioids/fentanyl, psychedelics, and other drugs.

Parents/caregivers, students, educators, mental health professionals, and community members welcome! Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available. Free admission.

This presentation is sponsored by the Sequoia Union High School District, Sequoia Healthcare District, and Peninsula Health Care District, in partnership with The Parent Venture.

Questions? Contact Charlene Margot, MA, Co-Founder and CEO, The Parent Venture (The Parent Education Series), at cmargot@parentventure.org

Cyberbullying, AI, and Social Media: The Role of Parents, Youth, and the Community

Sameer Hinduja, PhD, Professor, Speaker, Cyberbullying Expert

Thursday, February 1, 2024, 5:30pm – 6:30pm PT, Virtual Event (Live)

Register: https://sameerhinduja2024mapta.eventbrite.com

Sameer Hinduja, PhD is recognized internationally for his groundbreaking work on cyberbullying and social media use. In this talk, Dr. Hinduja will share "best practices" around cyberbullying, artificial intelligence (AI), and safe social media use that can be implemented in your home and family.

Parents/caregivers, students, educators, mental health professionals, and community members welcome! Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available. Free admission.

This presentation is sponsored by the Menlo-Atherton High School PTA, Sequoia Union High School District, Sequoia Healthcare District, and Peninsula Health Care District, in partnership with The Parent Venture.

Questions? Contact Charlene Margot, MA, Co-Founder and CEO, The Parent Venture (The Parent Education Series), at cmargot@parentventure.org

STUDENT DROP OFF/PICK UP AND PARKING LOT GUIDELINES

Safety around the school and the neighborhood is everyone’s responsibility. Parking rules apply to everyone. Speed limits in school zones are 25 mph or less, if the conditions warrant slower speeds. Use great caution, drive slowly, follow these guidelines and instruct your child to follow them as well. The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office helps to enforce compliance with the law in and around Clifford School.

The parking lots are reserved for staff, busses, and handicap drivers displaying a valid permit ONLY. Please park along the neighborhood streets and away from the loading zones, bus stops, and red zones.

ARRIVAL/DROP-OFF & DISMISSAL/PICK-UP INSTRUCTIONS

• Follow the guidance of the personnel on duty.

• Obey all posted and painted signs.

• Watch for children walking, biking, or in crosswalks.

• Please follow these lane guidelines between 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on school days:

  • Right Lane: Cars dropping off or picking up students.

  • Left Lane: Cars driving through (no pick up or drop off allowed).

• Drive slowly in a single file line when entering the parking lot, proceed to white curb drop off/pick up zones.

• Please pull all the way forward to allow for cars to enter the parking lot and to prevent traffic jams.

• Allow your child to exit curbside.

• Remain in your vehicle if you are just dropping off. Do not leave your car unattended.

• Slowly and carefully pull away after your child has exited.

• Exit by following the curve of the parking lot.

• No parking in the loading and unloading zones.

• Students should use the pedestrian crosswalk when needed to cross the parking lot.

• Do not park or drop off in the designated bus loading zone.

• Please share this information with all drivers who may pick up your child.

Please consider taking part in some of these parent volunteer opportunities:

Before & After School Crossing Guard - We are looking for parent volunteers who would be interested in helping us keep the crosswalks on Clifford Avenue safe before and after school. If you are interested, please sign up here. Crossing guard volunteers do not need to have district clearance since they are working before the school day and outside of campus.

Lunch Supervision - We can always use an extra pair of hands and eyes during students' lunch times. If you are interested in volunteering during lunch, please email Vice Principal, Casey Nosky @ cnosky@rcsdk8.net. Lunch volunteers will need Level 2 clearance.

For more information on how to become a cleared volunteer and what the different levels entail, please go to the volunteers page on the district website. Please note: volunteer clearance can take a few weeks. To check if you are a cleared volunteer, please visit or call the school office.