Dear Taft Families,
Thanksgiving Week has arrived! I hope you enjoy this time with your family and friends. My family and I love the holidays and we always spend them together. We will have Thanksgiving at my in-laws and will take some time to relax, eat and disconnect. I wish you all the best and please be safe out there. The rains have returned so if you're traveling, be extra cautious.
Trimester 1 ended on Friday, November 8 and report cards were sent home on Tuesday, November 19 so please check your student's backpack. A notification was sent out on that day as well.
Thank you to those parents that came to their child's attendance meeting. We truly appreciate working with you and look forward to the rest of the school year.
The Winter Break will be here before you know it so use this upcoming week to recharge. We will see you on December 2.
Sincerely,
David Camarena
Principal
Taft Community School
650-482-2416 ext 3755
Do you have a child who will be school-aged by the 2025-26 school year? The Redwood City School District (RCSD) invites you to plan ahead! Families are encouraged to complete their enrollment application during the District’s priority window. The enrollment and School of Choice application priority window is scheduled for Friday, November 15, 2024 - Friday, January 17, 2025. For complete details, please visit the link below.
*Please note that current students from grade TK-5 do not need to register. 5th graders from Taft move on to Kennedy without having to register. Those wanting to go to MIT must submit a School of Choice application.
SEPTAR and RCSD are hosting a celebration for Inclusive Schools Week! The week of December 2-6, all students in the district will be exploring the theme for this year, "Every Voice Matters" through activities, books, and discussions. To culminate the week, we will gather at Roosevelt School from 9:30-11:30am on Saturday, December 7! This free event will have snacks and refreshments, arts and crafts, sensory activities, and we will have entertainment by The Dream Achievers Band! The Dream Achievers Band is made up of young autistic adults who are fantastic musicians! We hope you can join us to celebrate all of our students!
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.
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 14-17, 2025, please complete the survey below. This is gather information on how many students may attend. This is not a registration form.
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.
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
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.
- Monday, Nov 25: Super Minimum Day, dismissal at 11:45 am
- Tuesday, Nov 26: Minimum Day
- Nov 27-29: Thanksgiving Break
- Dec 2-6: Inclusive Schools Week
- Tuesday, Dec 3: Facilities Master Planning Site Committee, 3 pm
- Wednesday, Dec 4: Principal's Coffee, 8:30-9:15 am
- Friday, Dec 6: Nutcracker Field Trip, 4-5 grades
- Saturday, Dec 7: Taft Holiday Party, 10 am - 12 pm
- Wednesday, Dec 11: Second Harvest Food Distribution, 2:30-4 pm
- Dec 16-20: Spirit Week
- Monday, Dec 16, School Site Council, 6-7 pm
- Friday, Dec 20: Minimum Day, dismissal 1-1:35 pm, depending on grade level
- Dec 23 - Jan 6: Winter Break
- Tuesday, Jan 7: Students Return to Class
- Wednesday, Jan 8: Second Harvest Food Distribution, 2:30-4 pm
- 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