Woodside Wolves Weekly

Dear Woodside Families,

Please take the time to read through this Newsletter for important dates and events taking place next week and beyond.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely Yours,

Christopher Chenault

Principal

SAVE THE DATE - 12/11 Books & Cookies

We are looking forward to this new event in December. If you can volunteer or donate, we'd love to have you! Click HERE for Signup Genius

• What:
  • English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) Meeting
  Where:
  • In Person at Woodside MUR
  When:
  • (Typically) the last Monday of the month, 8:05 am
    
  Why:
  • To ensure that we are supporting our emerging bilingual students
  • To have a voice in your child's education
  • To have a direct line of communication with your school
  • Learn how to better support your students, resources, & more!
  • Spanish Translation will be available at every Woodside ELAC meeting.
  • Please email me directly at chenaultc@mdusd.org if you plan on attending and require Chinese, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, or any other translation

Future Woodside ELAC Meeting Dates (the last Monday of the month):

-December 16th

-Future DELAC Dates

If you have any questions or require more information regarding ELAC, please contact Maria Tsakoyia at 925-689-7671.

Connect with us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/WoodsideElementaryPFC

We are looking forward to an exciting school year. Go Woodside!

Future PFC Meeting Dates:

12/16/24

The Woodside PFC Board
Keri Hallin – President, Melissa Spurlock – Treasurer, & Jenna Croy - Secretary

Dear Woodside Families,

At Woodside, we are deeply committed to supporting every child’s success, both in the classroom and beyond. One of the most important factors in achieving this success is regular school attendance.

Every day your child spends in school is an opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive.

We understand that life can bring unexpected challenges—illness, family responsibilities, or other circumstances. However, we also know that consistent attendance is essential for students to stay on track with their grade-level learning. Missing school, even occasionally, can make it harder for students to reach their full potential and may contribute to the achievement gap over time.

We are excited to share that Woodside is working to ensure all our students feel supported and inspired to attend school regularly.

Here’s how we can work together to make this happen:

1. Clear Communication: If your child is facing any barriers to attending school, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to listen and help find solutions that work for your family.

2. Building Connections: Children thrive when they feel connected to their school. Encourage your child to participate in activities and build friendships—they’re part of a caring and inclusive community here at Woodside!

3. Celebrating Attendance: We’re introducing fun ways to celebrate and recognize excellent attendance, so every student feels motivated and appreciated for showing up ready to learn.

4. Flexible Support: If your family needs help navigating health concerns, transportation, or other challenges, our school team is here to provide resources and guidance.

When we work together, we can ensure every Woodside student gets the most out of their education and experiences the joy of learning. Let’s aim high and strive to keep our attendance strong!

If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact us.

Thank you for being a valued partner in your child’s education.

Chris Chenault (Mr. C)

Principal

Together, let’s make every day count!

Fridays-Woodside Gear/Colors

• November 22cd-Sports/Jersey Day
• December 20th- Pajama Day
• January 31st-International Day
• February 28th- Class Colors Day
• TK/K red,
• 1st orange,
• 2nd yellow,
• 3rd green,
• 4th blue,
• 5th purple
• March 17th -Wear Green
• March 28th- Go Crazy! crazy hair, hats, socks, shades
• April 25th- Disney Day
• May 30th- Hawaiian Day

Camp permission and related documents were sent home with your student today, Friday, December 6th, 2024.

A copy of the packet sent home can be found by clicking HERE.

ALL documents are DUE to your teacher or the main office AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (ASAP) or no later than Friday, January 24th

If you have questions regarding the required outdoor education documents, please call Woodside's main office.

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The link provided will take you to the Frito Friday signup genius. Thank you for volunteering to continue help raise funds our LAST $$$ for camp.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0448A5AD23A3F58-51202321-frito#/

Questions or concerns please reach out to Shannon at shannonevp@hotmail.com

December

Dec. 12: School Vision Screening

Dec. 16: 8:10 am English Language Advisory Meeting (Cafeteria)

Dec. 16: 7 pm Parent Faculty Club Meeting

Dec. 17: 9 am TK & Kindergarten Holiday Performance (Cafeteria)

Dec. 23 to Jan. 3: Holiday Break - NO SCHOOL

January

Jan. 6: School resumes

Jan. 16: District English Language Advisory Committee Meeting

Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL

Jan. 24: 5th Grade Outdoor Education - ALL PAPERWORK DUE Today!

Jan. 27: 8:10 am English Language Advisory Meeting (Cafeteria)

Jan. 28: 3-4 pm School Site Council meeting

February

Feb. 1: First Day of Black History Month

Feb. 10-14: Candygrams

Feb. 14: Valentine's Day

Feb. 17: President's Day - NO SCHOOL

Feb. 18-21: 5th Grade Outdoor Education - Walker Creek Ranch in Petaluma, CA

Feb. 20: 5:30 pm District English Language Advisory Committee meeting

Feb. 24: 8:10 am English Language Advisory Meeting (Cafeteria)

Feb. 25: 3-4 pm School Site Council meeting

2024-25 Academic Calendar

The Imagine Language and Learning website is now available for all English Language/ Multilingual Learners to use no matter what level!

This trophy will go to the class that has the highest percentage of Imagine Language Lessons passed in the month.

Starting on January 6, 2025, and moving forward, the dismissal time for TK/K Later & Early Friends on Wednesdays will be approximately 20 minutes later. This adjustment of dismissal time is ONLY on WEDNESDAYS.

Due to new CA laws requiring two meals to be available to all students during the school day, District directors and I recently worked together to adjust our schedule to accommodate the new law while lessening the impact on students, families, and staff.

Below are the changes that will be made to Woodside's schedule to ensure all students are provided two meal offerings on Wednesdays. This does not change the start or end times for 1st through 5th graders.

Again, there are NO changes to the Regular Day schedule (Monday - Friday), only to the Wednesday schedule.

Below I have provided our new Wednesday schedule which starts when we return from Winter Break (1/6/25).

~This Change Effects WEDNESDAY ONLY~

TK/K (new schedule with two meal offerings)

Early friends: 8:05-11:30

Late friends: 9:10-12:35

Breakfast & Recess- 9:50-10:10

Lunch & Recess- 10:40-11:15

Woodside needs to identify a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) representative for monthly meetings. This can be shared and split among more than one family. If you like another way to be connect to your student's school and the Mt. Diablo District, this is for YOU!

Thank you Mrs. Westfall our Resource Specialist for attending our past PAC meeting to represent Woodside until we can find a Parent/Family Rep.!!!

Meetings are held at Willow Creek Center. PAC meetings will be monthly and will focus on gathering parent feedback for our district-wide goals.

Future Meeting Dates:

• December 17, 2024

• January 28, 2025

• February 25, 2025

• March 25, 2025

• April 22, 2025

• May 27, 2025

If you are interested in being Woodside's PAC representative or sharing the responsibility, please contact Mr. Chenault by calling the office at 925-689-7671 or by email at chenaultc@mdusd.org

What is the SSC?
A school site council is a group of teachers, parents, classified employees, and community members that works with the Principal to develop, review and evaluate school improvement programs and school budgets.

SSC Members:

Mrs. Cleveland (parent)

Mrs. Alvarez (parent)

Mr. Richett (parent)

Mrs. Westfall (staff)

Ms. Fuenzalida (staff)

Mr. Chenault (staff)

What is the purpose of the school site council?

The School Site Council serves as the school community representative body for determining the focus of the school's academic instructional program and all related categorical resources.
What: School Site Council Meeting (SSC)
Where: Woodside, room E-1
When: Tuesday, January 28th
Why: Discuss & Prepare to Approve Woodside's School Site Safety Plan
Who: SSC Members and ALL parents/guardians and community members are welcome

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Click HERE to order your 2024-2025 Woodside Wolves Yearbook

Please check in at the school office and don't forget to bring your coffee or tea and join me for an opportunity to “meet and greet” one another. There's no agenda, just an opportunity to chat and answer any questions or hear any concerns that you may have.

Shop at any Sloat Garden Center location during the Growing up Green weeks, mention Woodside to the cashier, and our school will receive 10% of purchases back in the form of a Sloat gift card, which can go towards our school’s beautification projects, fundraisers or classroom activities. Please note: Purchases of gift cards do not apply. Just mention your school to the cashier!

2024 DATES

Nov 22 - Dec 1

2025 DATES

Jan 3 - Jan 12

Feb 7 - Feb 16

Mar 14 - Mar 23

Click HERE for the Flyer with 2024-25 Growing Up Green Weeks

If your student attends TK or Kinder PM session, Woodside morning care is available. NO pre-sign-up is necessary.

• This is not a drop-in service, please regularly drop off and sign in your student between the hours of 7:30 and 8:05 am.
• Classroom C-1: 7:30-8:05 am Drop off and student sign-in
• After 8:05 am please come to the office to sign in your morning care student

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Woodside office at 925-689-7671.

Please Note:

Woodside Morning Care has no affiliation with the CARES Expanded Learning Program

Please click HERE for the MDUSD Food and Nutrition Information and Menus

District breakfasts/brunches & lunches are currently FREE to ALL MDUSD students.

Please see the attachment regarding obtaining Chromebook Insurance

• Insurance is optional but highly recommended.
• The insurance term lasts one year from the purchase
• You will need your student's device number to register for insurance
• If your student is new to the district & Woodside (Grades 2-5), they will be getting their device by the end of next week
• 2nd-grade students will be assigned a 1-1 device as soon as possible. Please be on the lookout for additional communication from your student's teacher.

Click the link below to view the attachment.

ChromebookInsurance.pdf

LOCATION: School District Board Room-1936 Carlotta Drive, Concord CA 94519

DETAILS:

The Closed Session (no public access) will begin at 5:00 PM. Open Session (public access) will begin at 6:00 PM. Broadcast viewing, public participation, and interpretation information will be posted at mdusd.org/boardmeetings on the meeting day. Approved minutes will be published to mdusd.org/boardmeetings.

In order to keep our school community healthy, keep students home if they have had a fever (>99.5 F), vomiting, or diarrhea within the past 24 hours; or if they are feeling unwell and unable to participate in usual school activities. As we move into the flu season and are facing RSV and COVID, We need to remind students about universal precautions - good hand washing after blowing nose, proper cough into elbow, etc..

Thank you to our office staff Annabel Vazquez, Office Manager & Maria Tsakoyias. School Secretary. We could not operate without you!

Email: Chenaultc@mdusd.org
Website: woodside.mdusd.org
Location: 761 San Simeon Dr, Concord, CA 94518, USA
Phone: (925) 689-7671
Twitter: @WoodsideEL (I'm still working on gaining access)

Twitter: @MrChrisChenault