Washington Weekly Update 10/2/23

October 2, 2023

Dear Washington Wildcats,

What a wonderful Hispanic Heritage celebration on Friday afternoon! Please make sure you check out the district and school Instagram pages to see all the fun that was had!

@BurlingameSD

@WESwildcatsBSD

Thank you to the district Latinx Family Network, the DIstrict Community Engagement Coordinator Gigi Gonzalez, and Washington parent Melody Valdez Cornejo for organizing such a beautiful event!

We now have all students on the full day schedule at school including TK/K dismissing at 3pm with all other students. Please remember that on Tuesdays, all students dismiss at 2:00pm for staff development meetings.

We will soon have our Parent/Teacher conferences begin. SIgn ups will be emailed out to you all tomorrow, 10/3/23, around 4pm. Please check you emails and sign up for a time to meet with your child's teacher. Let me know if you need a note to provide to your employer if you need to leave work for the conference. I would be happy to provide one, if needed. These conferences are important for you to attend to build a relationship with your child's teacher, and to help set goals for the school year as a team.

Smart Watches and phones at school- Please know that students are to have phones and smart watches put away, turned off, or in airplane mode during school hours. If your child has a device at school, please share your expectations with them regarding how they need to be responsible and focused during school hours. Although we understand many families want the children to have these devices so they can get home safely after school, students are often tempted to use them during school hours to chat with friends, which may lead to the student needing to turn the device into an adult for the rest of day. We appreciate your support in helping students make responsible choices with their technology while at school.

Drop off and pick up- We need all families to help keep our community safe during drop off and pick up. We may not have unattended vehicles left in the white loading zones or blocking the driveways of our neighbors. We need these areas to be accessible in case of emergency, and our neighbors are frequently having people block their cars in their driveways in the mornings especially. Please use loading zones correctly and stay inside your vehicle, otherwise, arrive early enough to park legally and walk your child to the gate. Thank you for your cooperation.

- Principal Alyssa Jaramillo

Today students and staff participated in a Shelter in Place drill.

Please read below for more information regarding what a Shelter in Place is and what protocols we follow for this drill.

If there were a real Shelter in Place called for the school, you would receive communication regarding it as soon as it is feasibly safe to do so. Please make sure to always communicate with the office regarding new phone numbers or email addresses so you don't miss our communications.

Here is more information regarding emergency protocols we follow from the San Mateo County Office.

October 4- International Walk to School Day

Students will be surveyed how they arrived to school on Wednesday, Oct. 4th. We encourage anyone who is able to walk to school on this day! All students will receive a reflective bracelet at the end of the day. It is perfect for students to wear them, especially is out for walks at night. (If your child will go trick-or-treating, it is a great time to wear them!)

We still need a few parent volunteers to help survey how students arrived to school. If you are available from 8:10-8:40 on Wednesday, please email PTA President Jennifer Ellison, jellisonpaz@gmail.com.

Join the fun on International Walk to School Day! - Wednesday, October 4, 2023

The students, parents, and teachers at Washington will celebrate International Walk

to School Day on Wednesday, October 4th . This is a great opportunity to celebrate our

health, the environment, and our school spirit. With the suggestions below, we’re hoping

every student will participate.

If you live farther away:

• Bike with your child

• Take the bus with your child and walk from the bus stop.

• Carpool with another family. Spare the environment and some hassle for yourself:

connect with other families who live in your neighborhood.

• Park and walk

Upcoming Important Dates:

October 9- School is in session (Indigenous Peoples Day)

October 19th/20- 4th/5th grade only 1:30pm dismissal for Conferences

October 23-27 - All grades 1:30pm dismissal for Conferences

October 27- School Picture Day

November 1- No School (Teacher Work Day)

Free and Reduced Applications

The state provides extra support for families that qualify which go beyond free lunch. Please fill out the attached form and send it in to the office. Printed copies are also available in the office. Filling out this form can help our school get additional funds and also can qualify your family for additional services. We ask that all families please fill it out each year.