Dolphin Newsletter
4.15.22
What is neurodiversity?
What would happen if the world viewed neurodevelopmental differences like ADHD, autism, and learning disabilities differently? If everyone noticed the strengths that can come from these differences first, instead of the challenges?
That’s the basic idea of neurodiversity — that differences don’t have to only be looked at as weaknesses. They’re not problems that need to be “fixed” or “cured.” They’re simply variations of the human brain.
The neurodiversity view is also personal. Being neurodivergent can help shape identity and how people see themselves and their value in the world. Neurodivergent people experience, interact with, and interpret the world in unique ways. That can sometimes create challenges. But it can also lead to creative problem-solving and new ideas — things that benefit everyone.
Taken from (Understood.org)
Message from the principal...
We are looking forward to seeing many of you at our auction tomorrow evening! If you haven't already purchased your tickets, you can do so at the PTO website. It's exciting to have an auction back on the calendar after two years without one! It's a great way to connect with our broader school community and support the work that happens at Clifford. Our family community is so generous with their time and energy to organize this beautiful event, and we'd love for our whole community to be part of the fun.
Over the next few weeks, we have a lot of exciting activities happening as we close the year. Below, you'll find more detailed information about our upcoming SBAC testing schedule, we have 5th graders going to Outdoor Ed, and we have open house all happening in the month of May. It's been so nice to have a schedule that is full of energy and rhythm as we begin to think about closing the school year. The return of families to campus in the mornings has been such a joyful experience. We watch students with pride as they walk their families through the halls and parade them proudly to the doors of their classrooms.
We had a nice surprise on Thursday morning and the kindergarten playground is getting an upgrade. The timing was a surprise, but we are excited that students will be able to enjoy the new equipment very soon. Thank you for your flexibility as we navigate some slight schedule changes during the day for the kinder students until the completion of the project. Reminder, there is no school on Monday, but we hope to see you this weekend at our school auction! Have a beautiful weekend.
SBAC Testing Information
Our end of the year testing window is fast approaching. Students in grades 3rd-8th will be taking the Smarter Balanced Assessment over several weeks in May. Testing for each grade level takes about two weeks, with testing sessions each morning. All 3rd-8th grade students take assessments in Math and ELA, and our 5th and 8th grade students take an additional assessment in Science. Here is the testing schedule for each grade level:
5th-8th Grade: May 2nd-May 13th
3rd-4th Grade: May 16th-May 27th
During our testing window, it is very important that students are well rested so they come to school ready to focus and demonstrate just how much they have learned and grown academically this school year. Your partnership in helping your students be ready to go is valued and appreciated.
Calendar
- April 1-April 30th- Neurodiversity Acceptance Month
- April 18th- No school
- April 21st- PTO Meeting in person 7PM Meet in the Library!
- April 22nd- Earth Day!
- May 2-12th CAASPP Testing 3rd-8th Grade
- May 3rd- SSC @ 4PM |Link|
- May 6th- 6-8th Grade Dance! 5-7PM (Theme: Alice in Wonderland)
- May 17th & 18th 8th Grade Science CAST testing
- May 23rd & 24th 5th Grade Science CAST testing
- May 16-20- 5th grade outdoor education (All students must test at Clifford on Friday before trip)
- May 25- Move-a-thon Event!!!
- April 16th 6pm Clifford Auction/BUY TICKETS HERE!
- August 11th 2022- MAZE Day 9-12 & 4-6
- August 17th 2022- First Day of School
8th Grade Activities (More info/specifics to come soon!)
- Grad Dance June 3rd 6:00-8:00 (a dance for just the 8th graders) in the MUB
- Great America Trip June 6th 9:00-5:00 (Leave at 9 and return to Clifford by 6)
- Picnic/BBQ at Stafford Park June 7th 11:00-3:00
- Graduation June 8th 6PM-7PM At the Sequoia High School Gym
- 8th Grade Brunch June 9th 9:00-11:00 in the MUB
Join Clifford School next Friday, April 22nd to celebrate Earth Day by walking, biking or rolling to school! Get Prizes!!!
Our Dolphin Promise
To teach students, not subjects or textbooks
To make learning joyful
To be proactive rather than reactive
To teach in ways that respond to our students' needs
To meet students where they are
To keep in mind that learning is a process that takes time and commitment
To keep relationships at the core of how we work together
To help each student feel valued, seen, and heard
To create an atmosphere that welcomes every student to belong
To dream big, have perseverance and grit
To challenge all students to learn at high levels
To inspire and motivate students
To include academic challenges so that all students can explore their potential
To love, protect, and care for our community
To be proud of who we are no matter what adversity we face
To be dependable and reliable
To be an upstander
To be Dolphin proud
NOW is the time to BUY YOUR CLIFFORD YEARBOOK!
Purchase your yearbook on Treering at the current price by April 21st
You can customize 2 free pages if you do it by April 21st.
Softcover price is about $37, Hardcover is about $45 at checkout.
If you miss the deadline, you can still order, but you may have to pay more after deadline.
Order online at:
Clifford Auction on Saturday April 16!
Clifford Auction 2022
Party like it’s the 1920s and support your school!
Saturday, April 16, 2022, 6-10 PM
Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company
935 Washington Street, San Carlos
Early Bird Tickets $75 per person, $140 per couple.
After April 5: $85 per person, $160 per couple
You can sponsor a staff member to attend as well.
Live DJ * Food & Drinks * Live & Silent Auction
We are excited to kick off our Move-A-Thon on May 11, 2022
We are excited to kick off our Move-A-Thon on May 11, 2022. Our goal is to raise $25,000 for the PTO General Fund that supports Art, Project Cornerstone, PE, teacher stipends and more and to strengthen our school community.
Our school has always relied on fundraising to provide exceptional opportunities to enhance student learning. And this year, we have more needs than we’ve ever had before, which means we need your support more than ever.
We completely understand if your family is not in a position to financially support the school right now. You can still be involved by simply SHARING about our fundraiser with friends and extended family online at mybooster.com. Sharing IS supporting!
Just as we worked to safely begin school this year, we are also safely hosting this essential fundraiser based on our school’s current guidelines. We’ll send more details, as we get closer to our kick off.Key dates to remember:
- Registration Opens: 4/25
- Donating Starts: 5/4
- Fundraiser Kick Off: 5/11
- Event Day: 5/25 Save the Date! You're Invited!
Clifford Dolphin Award Winners TK-5th Grade
Dolphin Winners Earn 2 Free Prizes at the Dolphin Depot- Our Student Store!
Students shopping at our Dolphin Depot! Keep earning those tickets!!
Clifford School Family Survey Spring 2022!
Clifford values your feedback! We are currently surveying Clifford School families in order to gain insight into your perception of our school effectiveness. To ensure we continue to provide high quality, rigorous learning experiences that meet the needs of our learners and prepare them for college and career, we need your feedback. We want to know what you think.
To administer these surveys, we have partnered with Panorama Education to conduct our 2021-2022 Family Survey. Panorama safeguards your privacy, your responses are anonymous. The survey shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to complete, and will be a valuable source of information for us as we work to make our schools as good as it can be.
You may complete the survey online between Monday, April 4th to Friday, April 29.
using a computer, tablet, or smartphone by visiting the website:
https://surveys.panoramaed.com/redwood/familyspring2022/surveys
We thank you in advance for your thoughtful responses. If you have any questions about the survey administration, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 650-482-2402 or by email jnoyes@rcsdk8.net.
CALLING ALL REDWOOD CITY ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS!
BE MAYOR FOR THE DAY- REDWOOD CITY!
Para ver en español, Haga clic aquí.
CALLING ALL REDWOOD CITY ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the Mayor of Redwood City? Do you have ideas on how you could make the city a better place to live and play? We would love to hear your ideas!
Elementary and middle school-age participants are invited to enter the “Mayor for a Day” contest, by submitting an essay detailing what a typical day would be like if YOU were the Mayor.
Submission rules:
- Open to elementary and middle school-age Redwood City residents
- Essay may be in English or Spanish
- 500-word maximum
- Only one entry per person
- Submit your essay by email to CLERK2@redwoodcity.org by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 22
Mayor Giselle Hale will review all essays and select one elementary school winner and one middle school winner to recognize at the May 9 City Council meeting, lead the pledge of allegiance and read their essay. Winners will receive a Certificate of Recognition and their essays will be displayed at City Hall and the Redwood City Downtown Library.
For more information, please call (650) 780-7220 or email CLERK2@redwoodcity.org
Message from our Equity Coach, Natalie
Dear Parents and Guardians,
On Tuesday, the staff JEDI committee presented the K-2 grade teachers with some information about selecting anti-bias books for the environment they teach in. Teachers were given literature scorecards and tally sheets to help them recognize when their library collections might need some new books and material. The JEDIs presented the information now so that teachers would be prepared to make book choices that are tailored to their classrooms in the Fall. The JEDIs were also asked to curate a starter set of books for teachers on which they could build.
Last week, as part of our month-long focus on neurodiversity, students who visited the Equity Room were given a lesson on belonging. In addition to the lesson, we read the book “The Invisible Boy.” If you have not had the opportunity to read this book with your student, I highly recommend it. The book does a great job of showing students what happens when we don’t “see” other students and what wonderful things can happen when we do
Have a great long weekend!
Natalie
Random Acts of Kindness
Celebrating Diversity Outside of Heritage/Awareness Months
- Consciously increase representation in your everyday activities.
- Learn about important historical figures all year round, not just in their corresponding awareness/heritage month.
- Model awareness and ally-ship
- Encourage cultural sharing
- Redirect and correct disrespectful actions
"Thank You, M'am" is an American short story written by Langston Hughes.
A Theme of Compassion in Thank You, Ma’am by Langston Hughes (one of my faves by him)
Who is Langston Hughes?
Born: February 1, 1902 Langston Hughes was one of the most important writers and thinkers of the Harlem Renaissance, which was the African American artistic movement in the 1920s that celebrated black life and culture. Hughes's creative genius was influenced by his life in New York City's Harlem, a primarily African American neighborhood. His literary works helped shape American literature and politics. Hughes, like others active in the Harlem Renaissance, had a strong sense of racial pride. Through his poetry, novels, plays, essays, and children's books, he promoted equality, condemned racism and injustice, and celebrated African American culture, humor, and spirituality.
Died: May 22, 1967
Helpful Links
- Covid testing in our community
- RCSD Covid Testing for Students & Staff
- Roadmap to Learning Safely
- RCSD Peachjar Fliers
- School Lunch Menu
- Clifford is an NUA school. Learn more about NUA here
- Parent Education Series Free Resources and Links:
The Parent Venture: https://www.parentventure.org/
Video Library (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/c/ParentEducationSeries
The Parent Education Newsletter (Register): http://bit.ly/ParentEdNewsletter
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/parenteducation
Reporting Student Illness/Absences
Parents/Guardians can now use this Google form to report their child(ren) absent. Please follow this link to the form and bookmark it for easy reference!
During an RCSD board meeting, a presentation was shared with the community that explains the recently updated guidance around masks in schools. You can view this presentation here
Math Pathways Information RCSD
Clifford School
Jude Noyes- Principal
Tiffany Parrish- Assistant Principal
We ARE the most incredible school in the Inner-Planetary Galactic Solar System...
Email: jnoyes@rcsdk8.net
Location: 225 Clifford Avenue, Redwood City, CA, USA
Phone: 650-482-2402