Steindorf STEAM School

ATTENTION: PLEASE CLICK ON THE NEWSLETTER TO OPEN AND VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE

TRANSLATING: This newsletter can be translated into almost any language by clicking on this document and then choosing the "translate" button listed in the square black box on the right hand side.

3001 Ross Avenue, San Jose, CA 95124

Main Office: (408) 377-3022

24-HOUR ATTENDANCE LINE: 408-377-3022 x7102

Health and Attendance Secretary: Sylvia Ta ext. 7103

email: tas@cambriansd.com

FX: (408) 377-3093

https://www.cambriansd.org/steindorf

Follow us on:

Twitter: @steindorfsteam

Instagram: @steindorfsteam

2024.25 CAMBRIAN SCHOOL DISTRICT CALENDAR

See our Bell Schedule here

Oct. 11th - Picture Makeup Day

Oct. 14th - HSC Meeting in Design Hub 7pm

Oct. 14-25th - Walk N Roll Marathon

Oct. 16: Girls on the Run Virtual Coaching Info Night

Oct. 19th - Fall Festival 2-6pm

Oct. 24th - FDN: Rangoli Indian Restaurant

Nov. 1st - NO SCHOOL Professional Development Day

Nov. 4th - Ridwell Plastic Film Collection

Nov. 11th - NO SCHOOL Veterans Day

The Board of Trustees has scheduled its Board Office Hours for the year. All staff, parents, and community members are welcome to attend regardless of what district site the meeting is held at. The Board moves around the district and chooses different days of the week and different times of day to provide as many opportunities as possible. Please stop by for a visit with our wonderful Board!

Oct. 8th, Tuesday - 8-9am @ Bagby

Nov. 12th, Tuesday - 6-7pm @ Price

Dec. 9th, Monday - 8-9am @ Fammatre

Jan. 21st, Tuesday - 8:30- 9:30am @ District Office

March 7th, Friday - 7:45 - 8:45am @ Sartorette

Apr. 14th, Monday - 6:00 - 7:00pm @ Steindorf

May 13th, Tuesday - 7:30-8:30am at Farnham

Steindorf Families,

Congratulations to Mrs. Lam, Ms. Chiang, and our entire ASB for an amazing night of community building. Our International Fair 2.0 expanded its scope from last year. This year, the event mirrored our inaugural year with the same number of 36 food booths, but with an increased representation from over 25 nations and cultures. We included 26 student booths and a new feature for 2024 was the inclusion of cultural dance performances, seven to be exact, which added an exciting element of live entertainment to the fair's lineup. The event was even more successful financially, bringing in just under $10,000—a significant increase from the previous year.

Thank you to all our students, families, and community members who contributed and shared time, money, and their love of their culture and our community. By embracing the Power of Storytelling, we enabled participants and attendees to come together and celebrate the richness of diverse cultures, fostering mutual respect and deepening cultural exchanges. This event exemplifies how storytelling and sharing brings our community closer, creating a space where everyone can truly "cultivate community through cultures."

Thank you K-5 parents and guardians for joining us for your scholar’s Goal Setting Conference this week! Conferences continue through October 15th along with early dismissal for all K-5 students. We appreciate the opportunity to work together to support our student’s growth and learning!

Kindergarten @ 1:15

1st-3rd Grades @ 1:30

4th-5th Grades @ 1:40

This week, we made some adjustments to our 1st-5th grade lunchtime procedures to ensure safe transitions between our groups. Students are seated by grade-level, are now being dismissed by table, and are transitioning nicely to recess or class in a calm, safe manner. They have adjusted nicely to the increased structure and soon, will have a chance to earn rewards for their continued care of our eating spaces and being caring, respectful, responsible decision-makers, and problem-solvers at lunch!

Earlier this week, I had a chance to pop into our kindergarten classes to see small group and individual reading and writing centers in KA and to hear all about our KB Star Student of the week!

Next week, besides finishing up our last two days of Goal Setting Conferences, we will be kicking off two weeks of our Walk-N-Roll Marathon! Students are encouraged to walk, ride, or scoot to school! We end our week with our HSC Fall Festival! I’ll be entering my favorite chili and steamed rice in the Chili Cook-Off. Who will be joining?

In community,

Dr. Lee

Steindorf is a fun place to be on Halloween! Students, teachers and staff all dress up to celebrate the occasion. We will have a parade on the playground to celebrate. To ensure we all have a fun time, please have your student adhere to the costume rules.

Halloween Costumes:

* Make-up or face-paint is permitted

* Masks may only be worn during the parade.

* Costumes may not be violent or suggestive

* Costumes may not have props or accessories that could be used as weapons (ie, water pistols, fake knives, or swords.)

*Regular school rules regarding the dress code must be followed

* Students must show respect for others by not choosing costumes that are insensitive and/or offensive to the diverse backgrounds represented by others at our school.

All Steindorf students are welcome to dress up on October 31st. Our K-5 students will participate in our annual character costume parade immediately following our weekly morning assembly. Of course, this is optional and we will have an alternative for those wishing not to participate. More details on the parade will be included in next weeks newsletter. K-5 parents and guardians are welcome to attend.

• Costumes should not to be too gruesome or bloody as younger children will be present.

• Masks will only be permitted during the K-5 parade.

• Costumes should be culturally and “humanly” sensitive (e.g. Native Americans may be offended by their regalia being worn as a “costume,” Sumo wrestler costumes and sombreros are also considered offensive).

• No real or fake weapons such as fake swords, lightsabers, knives, grenades, pitchforks, arrows, guns, spears, axes, etc. Nothing intended to be a weapon of the character is allowed. If in doubt, save it for Halloween night. Or, we’ll keep it until the end of the day. Wands are ok if not used to hit others or to cast evil spells!

• Talk to your child about bringing a change of clothing if you are worried their costume might be damaged or accessories lost during the day. School doors lock at 3:30pm.

Students will be learning in class so their costume should not distract them or others.

Yearbooks are on sale now! Please go to yearbookordercenter.com and enter job #14864.

Price: $35 until November 30th. Please note, sales will ONLY be online this year!

8th Grade Ads ($8) until November 30th. *Please note, yearbook ads are only for 8th grade families*

8th grade families, look for more info in the 8th grade newsletter.

eShare: Do you have sports, fieldtrip, or school event pictures that you want to share with the yearbook staff? Use this link to upload them to eShare! Alternatively, go to yearbookordercenter.com and click on “eshare”.

For Health, Attendance, or Independent Study questions please call or email our Health and Attendance Secretary, Sylvia Ta.

Phone: 408-377-3022 ext. 7103

Email: tas@cambriansd.com

Please check out our latest episode of STEAM TV!

EPISODE 6

Please join us at the Cambrian Community Wellness Fair at Price on October 23rd! Among others, Ainak Glasses will be participating in our Wellness Fair and we are inviting parents to bring their gently used eyeglasses and sunglasses to donate. We will have a collection box at our booth, and we’d love to give these items a second life!

Wednesday, October 16

4 p.m PT/7 p.m. ET · Register (English)

4:30 p.m PT/7:30 p.m. ET · Register (Spanish)

In today's connected world, helping kids and teens protect their privacy and maintain a positive online identity is critical to their future and overall well-being. Join us for a 30-minute chat to get tips and tools on fostering a safer digital environment for your child, including actionable steps to empower them to make smart choices online. Key topics we'll cover for you to support your child: The importance of protecting your privacy online Responsible online sharing practices and the power of your digital footprint Safe and healthy online behavior

Key topics we'll cover for you to support your child:

• The importance of protecting your privacy online
• Responsible online sharing practices and the power of your digital footprint
• Safe and healthy online behavior

Moderated by:

Vicki Saylor, Senior Manager, Education and Community Partnerships

Featured Speakers:

Danielle Wilson-Saddler, Instruction Specialist, Community Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools

Jamie Nunez, Western Regional Manager, Common Sense Education

Look for Measure BB on your ballot on election day. What is Measure BB?

Measure BB is the continuation (with no changes) of Measure H, a parcel tax of $94.24 per-parcel/year approved by Cambrian School District voters in June 2018, which supports Transitional Kindergarten through eighth grade students by attracting and retaining quality teachers, continuing core programs in math, science, engineering, technology, reading, music and the arts. Maintaining class sizes and providing physical education programs that promote student health and fitness.

Proceeds from Measure BB may be used to:

• Attract and retain highly qualified teachers and support staff who specialize in technology

• Continue funding for advanced and core programs in math, science, engineering and technology

• Support funding for advanced and core programs in reading, music and the arts

• Maintain manageable class sizes

• Provide ongoing training and skills development for teachers and staff

• Continue funding for physical education programs that promote student health and fitness

• 
  

Taxpayer Protections:

• All Measure BB funds stay local to support CSD instructional programs

• The State cannot take Measure BB funding away.

• No funds are allowed for administrators' salaries or pensions.

• Mandatory annual audits ensure the funds are used as promised.

• An exemption from the tax is available for senior property owners 65 years and older.

We are thrilled to share that Steindorf’s Zen Den, located in Room C1 with Mrs. Michele & Mrs. Alexis, is now officially open!

The Zen Den provides a welcoming space for our students to relax and recharge. Our schedule is as follows:

• Elementary Students: Drop-in during brunch.

• Middle School Students: Drop-in during lunch.

During drop-in times, students have the opportunity to engage in mindfulness activities, play games, and complete an "I Need to See the Counselor" form if they would like to request additional support.

Additional Services Offered Through the Zen Den Include:

• Academic check-ins for middle school students

• 1:1 short-term counseling for both elementary and middle school students

• Group counseling sessions

• Classroom counseling lessons

• Lunch-Time Study Hall: Available for middle school students on Wednesdays to provide a quiet space for studying and completing assignments

Our goal is to support students' emotional well-being, promote resilience, and provide tools for managing stress in a safe and supportive environment.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like more information on how the Zen Den can support your child.

Warm regards,
Mrs. Michele & Mrs. Alexis 🌿

Signups for the Steindorf Choir (5th-8th grades) and Steindorf Strings (4th-8th grades) will close on Friday, October 4th.

For information about the before and after school ensembles open to Steindorf musicians, check out the Steindorf Music Website.

The Steindorf Choir is open to 6th-8th graders at Steindorf, no experience necessary. 5th graders may join with experience/Mrs. Marriott's approval. Register for the Steindorf Choir here.

Choir rehearsals will be held on Monday mornings from 7:30-8:25 in room 16. Our first rehearsal will be on Monday, October 7th.

Steindorf Strings is open to 4th and 5th graders at Steindorf, no experience necessary. Register for Steindorf Strings here.

Starting in 4th grade, musicians at Steindorf are invited to begin playing a bowed string instrument (violin, viola, cello, or double bass) in beginning strings with Ms. Weber. It is never too late to begin playing a string instrument - beginning strings welcomes aspiring performers in grades 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8!

Experienced musicians in grades 4 and above may be permitted to join the intermediate strings group, also with Ms. Weber, and the Steindorf Chamber Orchestra, with Mrs. Marriott, based on an audition.

Strings rehearsals will be held from 7:30-8:25 on the following days:

Beginning Strings - Tuesdays and Thursdays in the cafeteria.

Intermediate Strings Rehearsals - Wednesdays in the cafeteria.

Steindorf Chamber Orchestra Rehearsals - Thursdays in room 16.

Our first week of rehearsals, starting on Tuesday, October 8th, will be used for placement into the correct class(es) and instrument rental. Please contact Mrs. Marriott or Ms. Weber with questions about your placement or instrument availability.

The first rehearsal for 4th and 5th graders in Beginning Band at Steindorf will be held at Sartorette in the music room on Thursday, October 17th. Please see page 9 of the beginning band slidedeck for information on this week's instrument start up classes. All musicians are encouraged to attend at least one rehearsal to learn about their new instrument.

The first rehearsal for each of the Cambrian Choir ensembles is next week!

The 3rd Grade Choir's first rehearsal will be on Monday, October 7th from 3:15-4:00 at Steindorf in room 16.

The 4th-5th Grade Choir's first rehearsal will be on Wednesday, October 9th from 2:00-3:00 at Steindorf in room 16.

The first rehearsal for Cadet Band is on Monday, October 7th from 4:15-5:30pm in the Ida Price Music Room, Room 53.

Cambrian School District is pleased to offer all students complimentary breakfast and lunch meals. Meals will be available for pickup in the cafeteria during scheduled meal periods. Please consider taking advantage of our FREE school meals by clicking here and signing up. It extends your grocery budget, saves time planning and preparing meals, and is comforting and familiar for kids to have school meals. In addition, every meal served is reimbursed by the USDA and funds go toward Child Nutrition staff wages. Please note that you are not taking food away from someone who needs it more – we have plenty to go around!

School Menus Website

(Select brunch or lunch)

Steindorf's after school sports program is excited to announce tryouts for both our girls' soccer teams and boys' volleyball teams! Here are the details:

Girls' Soccer Tryouts:

• Dates: October 14th & 15th

• Time: 3:15pm - 4:30pm

• Location: Majors Baseball Field @ Steindorf

We are looking to fill our Varsity and Junior Varsity teams with up to 15 committed players on each team. Student-athletes should attend both days and come prepared with cleats, shin guards, and water. Rosters will be posted the morning of October 16th in the shadow box by Room C1. The first official practice will also be on October 17th at 3:15pm.

Boys' Volleyball Tryouts:

• Dates: October 14th, 15th & 16th

• Time: 5:30pm - 7:00pm

• Location: Price M.S. CCC Gym

We are seeking to fill our Varsity and Junior Varsity teams with up to 12 committed players on each team. Student-athletes should plan to attend all three days of tryouts and come prepared with knee pads, and water. Rosters will be posted the morning of October 17th in the shadow box by Room C1, with the first practice that evening at Price.

Season Dates:

• October 14th - December 2nd

• Girls' soccer practices will be held at Steindorf or Farnham from 3:15pm - 4:30 pm on non-game days.
  

• Boys' volleyball practices will be held at Price M.S. CCC Gym after 5:30pm on non-game days.
  Games are typically on Mondays and Wednesdays at 3:45pm, 4:45pm, 5:45pm, or 6:45pm.

We look forward to seeing our talented student-athletes at tryouts!

Varsity Girls' Soccer Coach: Mrs. Gordineer
Junior Varsity Girls' Soccer Coach: Mr. Michael

Varsity Boys' Volleyball Coach: Ms. Chieng
Junior Varsity Boys' Volleyball Coach: Mr. Marcus

Michele Brister, Athletic Director

Please remember to turn in your sports donations at the beginning of your season. Donations help cover coaches, referees, equipment, uniforms, and more. If you are unable to donate the full amount please consider a partial donation. Requested donation amount is $150. We accept checks (made out to Steindorf) or cash in the front office. You may also pay online through our HSC store. Here is the link: SPORTS DONATIONS

Thank you for supporting our Afterschool Sports Program. We look forward to the 2024.2025 season!

CALENDAR FOR 2024-2025 SEASONS

BOYS’ BASKETBALL: AUG 26 – FINALS OCT 9

CROSS COUNTRY: SEPT 3 – LEAGUE FINALS OCT 9

GIRLS’ SOCCER / BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL OCT 14 – FINALS DEC 4

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL: DEC 9 – FINALS FEB 5

TENTATIVE FLAG FOOTBALL: DEC 9- FINALS FEB 5

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL / BOYS’ SOCCER: FEB 10 – FINALS APR 2

TRACK AND FIELD: APRIL 14

Next HSC Member Meeting is Oct. 14th at 7pm in the Design Hub.

2024-2025 HSC Calendar

HSC Facebook Group - Join & stay connected

HSC Financial Updates

HSC Member Agendas and Notes

Volunteering and Parent/Guardian Leadership

At Steindorf, we have a variety of opportunities for parents and guardians to be involved in our students’ learning programs. Below are a few opportunities at this time:

Home and School Club (HSC) - Our HSC is a force to be reckoned with! Part of the fabric of Steindorf’s success is our HSC. Please consider contributing your skills, talents, influence, expertise, and passions! - https://steindorfhsc.com/

2024-2025 HSC Board Positions and Openings

Co-President - Jessica Bryant / Tentative Candidate

Treasurer - Deena Motiram / Liraz Oeschli

Secretary - Eunice Chi / Tentative Candidate

CEF Rep - Tentative Candidate

VP Middle School - Amy Hung / Open

VP Elementary - Supriya Molina Wunsh/ Shadin Saah

Auditor (non-voting) - Tentative Candidate

Room Parent Coordinator (non-voting)- Laura Patton

(You will be trained! The Board doesn’t do ALL the work - we have amazing parent volunteers who help us!)

Have a submission for the newsletter? Contact: steindorf.president@gmail.com

Join the GOTR Virtual Info Night on Wednesday, October 16th from 6:30-7:30 pm to learn more about the basics of coaching. Click HERE to RSVP. We have our Head Coach in place, but we’re looking for 1-2 more coaches to complete the team. We can’t run this program at Steindorf without at least one more coach! This is an empowering program for 3rd-5th grade girls runs for 10 weeks from March through May. Click HERE for more info. For questions, please contact Catherine Winfield at jcathwin@gmail.com.

Steindorf is keeping plastic film out of landfills with Ridwell this fall! To

participate in this limited-time recycling drive, bring plastic film (zip top bags, grocery

bags, bubble wrap, etc) to school on Monday, November 4th & Ridwell will make sure

it stays out of landfills. It’ll be turned into new decking materials instead! Start

collecting plastic film at home now so you have a bunch for the drive.

Additionally, Steindorf can earn plastic film pickup all spring if 10 families sign up for a Ridwell membership. If 20 new members sign up, we’ll earn a field trip to the Ridwell warehouse! Learn all about plastic film HERE. Click HERE for more information & to sign up so your membership counts toward rewards for our school!

This year’s Math Kangaroo competition is on March 20, 2025 & enrollment is currently

open! For the history of Math Kangaroo, click HERE. With questions, please feel free to

reach out to us at steindorfmk@gmail.com.

Steps to Register

1. Go to: MATH KANGAROO REGISTRATION PAGE

2. Log in with your login & password or establish your user account if you are new.

3. Click on the tab By Invitation.

4. Select the test session that is convenient for the student. Copy & paste the

corresponding code in the field Invitation Code:

• Mar 20, 2025, 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM PST: CASAN_J0058918@2025MK

• Mar 20, 2025, 4:30 PM - 5:45 PM PST: Steindorf_STEAM_2021@2025MK

Please, DO NOT share codes!

Deadline to sign up is Dec 31, 2024.

Our next FDN is on Thursday, October 24th at Rangoli Indian Restaurant. Come join us in honor of Diwali (the celebration of light) from 4:30-9:30 pm. Mention “Steindorf” to earn money for our HSC!

The Giving Campaign is the Home & School Club’s major fundraising program of the year — & it’s finally live! This year’s goal is $100K. The Giving Campaign funds so many amazing programs at Steindorf, such as the classroom libraries, assemblies & Maker Lab, to name a few . The suggested donation is $450 per student, but any donation is welcome & appreciated! Click HERE for more info. Click HERE to donate.

Our Fall WNR MARATHON is starting this Monday, October 14th & will go until Friday, October 25th. We are so excited! All students will get a prize if they participate for the 1st & 5th time. All students that participate at least 5 times will enter a raffle for the big prizes! Classes will compete for most participation — top 3 will get an ice cream party!

Reminder: if you have a returning student who has lost their tag from last year, please email us at steindorf.walkandroll@gmail.com. Include their 6 digit student ID & we will generate a replacement tag for them.

See link for a copy of the dedicated newsletter for additional information.

Classes will be shifted to the early dismissal schedule from Monday, October 7- Tuesday, October 15. The class locations will also change for those dates — please see them HERE. As a reminder early dismissal is one hour earlier:

• Kinder - 1:15-2:15

• 1st-3rd - 1:30-2:30

• 4th-5th - 1:40-2:40

• 6th-8th - 3:00 (normal schedule). If you have a child in these grades please contact your enrichment vendor directly.

The Google Calendar has also been updated to reflect the new times and locations.

Feedback: How are the classes going? Please take a moment to fill out our survey. This will help us align the right classes for Winter and Spring sessions.

Our school is fundraising with Mabel’s Labels! They offer personalized, durable, waterproof labels & they are great for everything including shoes, clothing tags, water bottles & backpacks. You can customize them with your name & a design, & they are dishwasher, laundry & microwave safe. It is a great way to ensure your items don’t end up in the lost & found! To support our fundraiser, click HERE & select Steindorf STEAM School HSC (San Jose). Shipping is for free! Thank you for supporting us!

Let’s bring on the Steindorf spirit! Click HERE for ordering instructions & HERE to start shopping.

To all of our wonderful volunteers - Please make sure you have filled out and signed a Volunteer Code of Conduct Agreement. You are not able to volunteer in the classroom without it. It must be done at the beginning of every school year. If you aren't sure whether you have, go ahead and fill out another one! See link below.

VOLUNTEER CODE OF CONDUCT

Please consider signing up to help with lunch supervision! We need your help to supervise and support students. This is also a great way to see your kids in action and get to know the Steindorf Community! Just one day a week for a month could help in a huge way. See tabs at the bottom to select the month of your choice. *Please note this is for the 1st-8th Grade lunch areas, not for the Kindergarten playground

Yard Duty Sign Up Sheet

NOTE: The city has installed a "Right Turn Only During School Hours" sign at the exit of our parking lot. This is now enforceable by police. TURNING LEFT OR TRYING TO GO STRAIGHT is a danger to our students. Especially those crossing in the crosswalk across the street. Please only turn right.

Do’s

• Walk or ride your bike when possible. You can lock your bike at the small bike rack at the end of the middle school wings.

• Pull forward in the drop-off zone.

• Drive slowly through our parking lot and look for pedestrians crossing at any point.

• If transporting your child via car, park in a designated parking spot or in the neighborhood.

• Please ensure that your child is fully buckled when driving through our parking lot.

• Wear a helmet, it’s the law! Children under the age of 18 in California are required to wear a helmet when riding or operating a non-motorized scooter, bicycle, roller skates or skateboard.

• To reduce the risk of an accident, abide by the posted sign installed by the City of San Jose and only turn right out of our exit between 7:30 am and 3:30 pm.

Don'ts

• Don’t drive through our parking lot with distractions that could cause a student injury - In the first six days of school, Principal Lee has noted children scooting without a helmet, drivers with a phone in their hand, and dogs in drivers’ laps (which is not illegal, but a potential distraction).

• Don’t park in designated disabled spots without a disabled placard.

• Don’t bring your pet with you to campus.