Dear Taft Families,
I hope you had a great weekend. I was glad to stay home and work on my yard and house. There is nothing like being at home. The past two weekends were busy for my family and me. Last weekend we went to Legoland to celebrate my youngest son's 4th birthday and although we had a ton of fun, we were very tired when we returned.
Halloween is this week on Thursday. As mentioned below, students will be able to wear their costumes. Please be sure to read the requirements below.
We are now in full Fall mode so please be sure to send your child with a coat as the mornings have gotten much cooler. Soon enough, the rain will return.
Lastly, a couple of reminders to all parents.
- Please check your child's backpack for important messages and or homework that needs to be completed. We are finding that parents are not reading important paperwork that teachers are sending home.
- When it comes to free dress on the last Friday of the month, please be sure that the clothes your child wears is appropriate for school. We have noticed that some students are wearing clothes that is not suitable for a learning environment and this can distract others.
- There is no school this Friday, Nov 1 due to staff professional development. Enjoy the long weekend.
Sincerely,
David Camarena
Principal
Taft Community School
650-482-2416 ext 3755
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.
Redwood City School District (RCSD) invites all families, staff, and community members to tune in for the upcoming Board of Trustees Study Session, where discussions on budget reductions for the 2025-26 school year will take place. Superintendent Dr. Baker will provide an update on the Budget Renewal Initiative Process, outlining the financial challenges ahead as federal and state pandemic-related funds come to an end.
This session is part of RCSD’s commitment to transparency and community engagement. The district is seeking input through its Budget Renewal Initiative, a process designed to gather feedback from the entire school community on prioritizing student services.
The Board Study Session will take place Wednesday, October 30, at 6:00 pm. You can join the session from home by accessing the agenda and meeting details here.
Don’t forget to share your thoughts by completing the district-wide survey. Your input will help shape the final recommendations presented to the Board of Trustees in December.
Project Cornerstone returns to Taft on November 13 from 8:30-10 am. The topic for this upcoming parent workshop is: 8 Keys to Success. Learn specific strategies to support and encourage kids to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. This workshop uses the research-based Developmental Assets framework to help adults ensure that children and teens have the positive values, relationships, skills, and experiences that will help them grow up to be healthy, caring, and responsible.
The parent workshop is free of charge and is presented in Spanish. Highly recommended! Sign up here
Additionally, RCSD is offering online family counseling through Daybreak Health. They will also be holding six parenting classes beginning in November through Spring 2025. The topics are as follows:
- November 4 (Mental Health 101)
- December 2 (Holidays and Youth Mental Health)
- February 3 (Social Media and Technology)
- March 3 (Parenting Your Anxious Child)
- April 14 (Healthy Relationships)
- May 12 (Understanding Changes in Behavior in Your Child)
Per school policy and the parent handbook, students are to be in full uniform everyday unless it's a free dress day. We have noticed that many are coming in free dress regularly and this is not allowed. Students may wear any of the following in different combinations. Acceptable clothing is:
- Pants/skirts: pants, leggings (no-see-thru), shorts, skirts, skorts, and jumpers in navy blue. NO jeans.
- Shirts/Blouses: any collared white or navy blue shirt or blouse with no writing or pictures
- Sweaters/Sweatshirts/Hoodies: any navy blue or white sweater or sweatshirt with no writing or pictures or a school sweatshirt in the school color(s) with only the school name and/or logo imprinted.
- Coats/Jackets: any style or color coat or jacket (no sports jerseys).
- Shoes: all students must wear closed-toed, rubber-soled shoes with no heel. Students need to be able to run and play at recess and during PE without limitations due to shoes. Sandals, slides, and or Crocs are not allowed.
If you would like to order pictures, please visit https://shop.jostenspix.com/login. The event code is FE72024. You will also need your student's six-digit ID number. Please call the office to obtain it. The makeup session for pictures will be on Tuesday, November 12.
Parents, please check your child's homework and make sure they are completing it as indicated by their teacher. Reading is an essential part of your child's education. Set some time every evening for your child to do homework and or read. If your student is still learning to read, please read with them as much as possible. The recommended time for reading and homework for each grade are below:
Kindergarten: 20-30 minutes
1st-2nd grades: 30-45 minutes
3rd-5th grades: 60 minutes
Calling all 5th grade families,
If you're interested in signing up your son/daughter for Outdoor Education from April 11-14, 2025, please complete the survey below. This is gather information on how many students may attend. This is not a registration form.
Actual registration will occur later at a later date. We will have a virtual and informational evening meeting about Outdoor Education on November 12, 2024 at 6 pm.
Families are also invited e visit San Mateo Outdoor Education, located at YMCA Camp Jones Gulch in La Honda (Map Here). Bring your families and share in the magic of Outdoor Education. The event runs from 2-4pm on Sunday, November 17th. RSVP here: https://forms.gle/fFHooopzATsFe5Pb6
Counseling services are available at school to support your child’s emotional wellbeing. To submit a referral for counseling, please fill out the counseling referral form. The counselors will begin processing new referrals on September 3rd.
Lunch Bunch is a special recess opportunity that is designed to help students make friends through counselor-facilitated games and activities. Students are able to participate by nominating themselves or receiving a nomination from a teacher. All participation is entirely voluntary by the student. Lunch bunch is offered every other week during lunch recess. If you have any questions or would like to opt-out, please contact Lauren Abrahams at labrahams@rcsdk8.net or 650-482-2416 ext 3745.
Parent Project classes will begin next week in the evenings via Zoom (flyer in English, Spanish). This is a great opportunity to learn strategies to strengthen your relationship with your child and practice skills for communication, positive discipline practices, and school success. To sign up, please contact Joselyn Bautista at joselyn.bautista@star-vista.org or (650) 208-2257. Please see the flyers attached for details.
The Taft Family Resource Center has created a WhatApp group for families aimed at improving communication between the school and parents. Taft parents are encouraged to join. Updates regarding events and pertinent information will be shared. Please note that this group will not be used to report student absences. Lastly, please take a look at the attached flyers for upcoming events for families. If you have any questions, please contact Jocelyne Arriaga- Community School Coordinator, jarriaga@rcsdk8.net or call (650) 482-2847
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Republic of Ireland
Redwood City families are eligible for this great opportunity. Parents just need to sign up. The program will mail out a free book each month until the child turns five.
The 2024-2025 school year has started and we want to encourage all students and families that attendance matters every day! Coming to school every day and on time is crucial for our students. It's very important for students to attend every day and we remind parents to bring students on time. We know traffic can be a concern but please make an attempt to get your student to school on time.
To report an absence, please follow the instructions on the link below. This is the new method of reporting your student's absence. The link below can be found on our Taft website under the Parent Hub.
https://taft.rcsdk8.net/parent-hub/report-an-absence
Also, click below to read the Illness Letter issued by The RCSD nursing team. The letter details when to keep your child at home when ill.
If you have any questions, please call the school at 650-482-2416.
- Tuesday, Oct 29: Advisory Board Meeting, 3-4 pm
- Friday, Nov 1: Teacher Professional Development, No School
- Wednesday, Nov 6: Principal's Coffee, 8:30-9:30 am
- Wednesday, Nov 6: Music presentation, 4-5 grades
- Monday, Nov 11: Veteran's Day, No School
- Tuesday, Nov 12: Picture Day Makeup
- Wednesday, Nov 13: Project Cornerstone, 8 Keys to Success. Register here
- Wednesday, Nov 13: Second Harvest Food Distribution, 2:30-4 pm
- Monday, Nov 18: School Site Council, 6-7 pm
- Tuesday, Nov 19: ELAC, 8:30-9:30 am
- Tuesday, Nov 19: Advisory Board Meeting, 3-4 pm
- Thursday, Nov 21: Reclassification Ceremony at MIT, 6:30-7:30 pm
- Monday, Nov 25: Super Minimum Day, dismissal at 11:45 am
- Tuesday, Nov 26: Minimum Day
- Nov 27-29: Thanksgiving Break
- School Calendar: Please schedule family vacations around our school vacations.
- Bell Schedule : Please review so your child is dropped off and picked up on time.
- Student and Parent Handbook (English and Spanish): Please review our handbook and and try your best to have your child follow our dress code daily.
- Student Absence Reporting Form/School Messenger: Please use this in lieu of calling the office.
- School Lunch Menu ; School Brunch Menu Link
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.
- Please do not park in the staff parking lot in the morning and afternoon. The lot is reserved for staff.
- Please do not block our neighbors’ driveways at any time.
- 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. All visitors must check into the front office.
- 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.
- Please review Taft's Cell Phone Policy for Students. Students bringing a cell phone to school must check it in at the front office.
Taft Community School
Email: dcamarena@rcsdk8.net
Website: taft.rcsdk8.net
Location: 903 10th Ave, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA
Phone: 650-482-2416
Facebook: www.facebook.com/taftcommunityschool