The FACE Forum
Back to School Edition, August 2022
In this digital monthly newsletter for school staff and district departments, our Family & Community Engagement (FACE) team shares practical family and community building tips, high-leverage engagement strategies, upcoming family workshops, staff professional development opportunities, district and community resources, school shoutouts, and more!
Thank you for taking a moment to read our newsletter and please feel free to share it with your school/ department teams. Above all, thank you for all you do to engage with and support our San Juan students, families, and community!
Have a great school year ahead!
The FACE Team
FACE Lending Library of Fun Item Checkout Request Form
https://forms.gle/hyGPAzBunFMPWRQo8
Our catalog of items is growing and will be updated regularly. Please continue to check back for more fun additions!
F.A.C.E. Digital Resource Library
We know how challenging and time-consuming it is to search for resources for families, so our team has been building a Digital Resource Library for all sites and departments to have access to. In this library, you'll find flyers and links for district and community resources to assist with housing, clothing, food, health, special education, college and career, community service partners, and more. We'll be adding to this library each week, so keep checking to see what's new! The link allows anyone in San Juan to view the resources, so please feel free to share the link with your site/ department team members!
FACE Fan Mail Coming!
August Morale Booster- Welcome Back to the Grind!
Frame it and put it next to your Staff Room coffee maker and fill up the K-cups as an added treat for your dedicated school team.
Print it out into thank you cards and include a coffee gift card for your hardworking office team as a thank you for all they've done to get the office ready to welcome families!
Turn it into a gift card holder and place a $5 coffee card inside to use as a raffle item for your upcoming professional developments with your staff!
Add it to a ziploc bag with a coffee pod and some chocolate and give as a thank you to someone who's helped you get ready to have the best school year ever!
Welcome back to the grind! It's going to be a great year!
~The FACE Team
Who's Ready for a PEP Talk?!
Our FACE Team is here to help you make that happen! We're ready to support sites and departments to create a customized Parent/Family Engagement Plan (PEP) to help build community and enhance stakeholder engagement! Whether you're just beginning to lay the foundation or are wanting to fine-tune and enhance your existing engagement strategies, our team has resources and supports for you! Just click the PEP Talk link below and we'll schedule a time to stop by and chat!
Fall/Winter Lineup of FACE Workshops for Sites, Departments, and Individual Employees
https://sanjuan.truenorthlogic.com/ia/empari/learning2/course/viewCourseSearch?courseId=11537
*Note: If you are a school or department and would like to book a workshop for your entire staff, using your collaborative Thursday time or as part of your Staff Meeting time, please reach out to Amy Rovai Gregory to schedule. (arovai@sanjuan.edu)
August Family & Community Engagement Opportunities-- Thank You for Sharing with Staff and Families!
Fall 2022 Family & Community Engagement Opportunities Flyer to Share with Families & Display in the Office
Please Share with Families-- The Family Power Hour is Beginning!
In these interactive Q&A style sessions, families are invited to join the FACE Department staff and various San Juan USD departments to get assistance with any questions that arise at the start of the school year. The Family Power Hour Sessions are also a great opportunity for families to learn about different district and community resources and tools to support student learning at home. There will be four Family Power Hour Sessions hosted on Zoom from 5:30 – 6:30 pm on the following dates:
Thursday, August 18th
Thursday, August 25th
Thursday, September 1st
Thursday, September 8th
The Zoom link to join can be found by scanning the QR code on the Power Hour flyer below!
Please Share with Families-- Our Fall Parent Project Class is Now Accepting Participants!
Free Monthly Community Food Distributions for Families!
The "About Me" Student/Family Survey
Want A Student-Friendly Survey to Use in the Classroom?
Check Out Some Helpful Back-to-School Tools for Families!
Going back to school and adjusting to new routines can be tricky for kids who learn and think differently — and for their families. But having the right tools can make it easier. Use these back-to-school downloads to start the school year off right.
The Neighborhood Learning Project School Site Registration is Now Open!
Do you struggle with getting parents to attend your site events or participate in on-campus family meetings and volunteer opportunities? Are you interested in learning an innovative, highly-effective way to build trusting relationships with your families, while building community with your school neighborhood? Neighborhood Learning Project may be the perfect opportunity for you and your school!
The Neighborhood Learning Project partners with interested school staff and neighboring apartment complexes, community centers, parks, libraries and more to identify a space within the school community of our families, where we can bring fun learning opportunities, community resources and partners, caring school staff, and a service learning mindset for our students and their families.
Our FACE Department will fund this opportunity for interested school sites to participate, including the 1-hour training, time card pay, materials and supplies, activities, snacks, water, set up, community partners, and more! It's such a terrific way to engage families and build relationships! Please click the link below to submit your interest form and a member of our FACE team will reach out to you with more information!
Dream It? Do it!
The San Juan Education Foundation offers $500, $1,500 and $5,000 grants to support San Juan Unified's teachers who stimulate curiosity, build compassion and heighten communication in their classrooms. If you can DREAM it, we can help you DO it!
The $500 Project Grant is available to teachers/school site staff looking to design and implement a project on a one-time basis designed to enrich their students’ learning. This year’s Project Grant deadlines are: September 23, December 16, and February 17, 2023. Apply here.
The $1,500 STAR Grant is available for programs that focus on Science, Technology, Arts or Reading (or any combination thereof) and relate to the state’s academic content standards. This year’s STAR Grant deadlines are: October 21, 2022 and February 17, 2023. Apply here.
Successful $5,000 Learning Experience Grants encourage student development and build community through a shared learning experience, particularly at the entire grade level or entire school site. This year’s Learning Experience Grant deadline is December 15, 2022. Apply here.
If you need assistance preparing your grant application, please contact the Foundation’s Executive Director, Colleen Cadwallader at (916) 979-8937 or colleen.cadwallader@sanjuan.edu.
Site Administrators-- Don't Forget to Complete Your Optional FACE Site Survey for a Chance to Win an Amazon Gift Card!
Click the snapshot below to directly go to the survey link, or copy and paste the link directly into your browser! https://forms.gle/NmqSZm6ipYCSLT8T7
Quick Ways to Instantly Build a Welcoming School Community
Diverse Books in Classrooms and Office Spaces
Books are a great way to create a welcoming environment and allow students and families to see themselves-- and others-- inside their school community
Meet the Team Wall in Office
Free Donation Area for Families
Thank You to All Our Community Partners for Helping Create a Very Welcome Back to School for Our Students!
Check Out Some of the Welcome Back to School Family Engagement Fun from School Sites!
Community Partner of the Month: Sacramento Metropolitan Utilities District (SMUD)
Did you know that SMUD hosts a mix of free virtual and live workshops at exciting locations like the Museum of Science and Curiosity, the Sacramento County of Education, Aerospace Museum of California, and more?!
Check out their workshop lineup here:
One Last Thing for You To Remember... This is Your Calling! THANK YOU for All You Do!
Give a Shout Out!
The FACE Forum newsletter is now being emailed directly to recipients who have opted in to receiving the monthly newsletter. For those who choose not to opt in to receiving the newsletter via email, you will still be able to access the newsletter in Behind the Scenes (all SJUSD employees) and Leadership Reflections (administrators).
To opt in to receiving The FACE Forum newsletter directly to your Inbox, please complete this brief opt-in here: https://forms.gle/zsCZkcj8GAYH7a9n8
San Juan Unified Family & Community Engagement Department
Email: face@sanjuan.edu
Website: www.sanjuan.edu/face
Location: 3738 Walnut Avenue, Carmichael, CA, USA
Phone: (916) 971-7929
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanJuanUnifiedFamilyandCommunityEngagement/