When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. Matthew 14:13–14

Humanly speaking, Jesus’ heart was grieved by the death of John the Baptist. He loved John and was deeply saddened by his beheading. So He withdrew in a boat to a deserted place alone. But the crowds were hungry for more! They wanted to see Jesus and listen to Him. They knew many who were ill and wanted Jesus to heal them. So they sought Him out despite the fact that He had withdrawn from the crowd to be alone.

What was Jesus’ reaction? Did He look at them and sigh, saying to Himself, “Why don’t they leave me alone. Don’t they know I am grieving?” No. Instead, Jesus was filled with mercy and compassion for them, and He went to them to heal many of their sick.

This gives us insight into the heart and compassion of our Lord. Many times, we are afraid to go to God. We are afraid to turn to Him because of our sin. We are afraid of what He will think and say to us. We feel guilty and ashamed and, as a result, fail to seek Him out.

But just as Jesus had compassion for those who sought Him out in this story, so also He will ALWAYS have the deepest of compassion for us every time we seek Him out. If we find our lives steeped in sin, but run to Him anyway, He will look at us with compassion and mercy. He never tires of us returning to Him, seeking His healing and mercy. We should always have hope in Him and turn to Him with the greatest confidence.

Reflect, today, upon how comfortable you are in turning to Jesus just as you are. Are you afraid or worried about what He thinks of you? Are you ashamed of your sin or weakness? Do you worry He will judge you and not care? Have confidence in His abundance of mercy and run to Him without fear.

Lord, help me to trust in Your love and compassion. Help me to know that You always long for me to come to You. As You never tire of me coming to You, may I also never tire of coming to You. Jesus, I trust in You.

• August 1 - 17: Teachers In Service (School Closed) Preparation for the new school year

• August 18, 2021: First Day Back to School

• August 23, 2021: Religious PD (Minimum Day)

Please find below our Summer Office Hours:

Month of June

June 14 - 19 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

June 21 - 25 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

June 28 - July 2 Office is closed

Month of July

Whole Month of July, the office will only be open on Wednesdays

July 7, 14, 21, 28 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Month of August

August 2 - 6 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

August 9 - 13 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

August 16 - 17 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

August 18th: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ONLY

August 19: Regular Office Hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Please find below updates on Physical Distancing, Quarantining, Travel:

The San Mateo County Office of Education released an updated edition of its Pandemic Recovery Framework, a tool for helping schools reopen and stay open for in-person learning. The updated framework includes and/or links to recent San Mateo County Health and California Department of Public Health guidance around physical distancing, quarantining, and travel.

Key updates in the guidance include the following:

• There should be a minimum distance of three feet between students’ chairs. Previously, the recommendation was six feet. A minimum distance of six feet should be maintained between teachers’ desks and students’ desks. All other mitigation layers must be strictly adhered to. When students or staff cannot be masked (e.g., while eating or drinking), a minimum of six feet of distancing must be observed.

Note: At OLM, we continue to maintain six feet of distancing between student chairs until further notice.

• Fully vaccinated individuals (with documentation of COVID-19 vaccination completion submitted to San Mateo County Health) who are identified as a close contact of a positive case of COVID-19 are generally not required to quarantine, but a 14-day symptom-watch period is still required.


• Fully vaccinated individuals are not required to test or quarantine before or after domestic travel unless they have symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection. Fully vaccinated individuals need to complete a COVID-19 test after international travel.


• All students and staff should be screened for symptoms and exposure prior to entering the school campus. In earlier guidance, the focus was on screening and temperature-taking on campus.

At OLM, we continue to take temperature as we do the health screening for students and staff during morning drop-off / at the start of school day. You will be advised should there be changes in our health screening protocol.

Note: Per the California Department of Health:

Non-Essential Travel of unvaccinated persons

1. Except in connection with essential travel, Californians should avoid non-essential travel outside of California, to other states or countries unless they are fully vaccinated. Avoiding travel reduces the risk of virus transmission, including by reducing the risk that new sources of infection and, potentially, new virus strains will be introduced to California.
2. Non-essential travelers from other states or countries, are strongly discouraged from entering California, and should adhere to the quarantine procedures set forth below.
3. Non-essential travelers who are not fully vaccinated should get tested with a viral test 1-3 days before travel, and get tested 3-5 days upon arrival to their destination. They should stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel, even if their test is negative.
4. Non-essential travelers who are not fully vaccinated and don't get tested should stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.

San Mateo County local guidance travel advisory is still the same and currently being reviewed.

We will continue to take precautionary measures to protect the health and safety of everyone.Please note that those (unvaccinated) traveling more than 120 miles will be required to self-quarantine for 10 days. Please be guided accordingly.

June 9, 2021

Bay Area County Superintendents Announce
Support of School Campus Reopening for Fall 2021

San Mateo County, CA—The Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco County Superintendents of Schools in collaboration with the Public Health Officers in their respective counties, urge school administrators, teachers, and parents to work together to plan for full in-person instructional programs in classrooms for all grades in the fall with the continued use of face coverings as a common-sense risk reduction strategy.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Bay Area county schools were united in their efforts to prioritize and maintain the safety and wellness of students, school personnel, and the communities within these counties. They remain united in this effort, and families can feel safe returning to school campuses this fall.

“Because San Mateo County schools worked collaboratively and closely adhered to our county’s Pandemic Recovery Framework for Schools, we were able to safely conduct in-person learning opportunities for students, especially those in high priority groups,” said San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Magee. “We are excited to move forward into full in-person learning for all students in the fall, while also continuing to closely partner with San Mateo County Health in ensuring safe conditions for our students, staff, and families.”

Public health researchers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Department of Public Health, and local health departments have learned from the research and the experiences of classroom instruction from the fall of 2020 through the spring of 2021. In short, the risk of transmission among children wearing masks is very low, even with reduced spacing between desks.

In the Bay Area and throughout the state, many factors indicate that the risk of classroom transmission has decreased as community case rates have fallen. Rates of vaccination among people at increased risk of severe disease are high and the overall community prevalence of COVID-19 is low. San Mateo County’s Adjusted Case Rate is 0.4% as of June 8, 2021. Therefore, the Bay Area County Superintendents of Schools are united in their message to urge all schools to plan for the full return to in-person instruction in the fall.

The California Department of Public Health’s reopening framework for schools offers guidelines for limiting the spread of infection and requirements for face covering, basic cleaning, enhanced ventilation, and other measures to facilitate a safe return to in-person instruction. Schools have implemented these practices and brought students and teachers back to campus.

Students, parents, teachers, coaches – and their families – have made considerable sacrifices throughout the pandemic. After much hard work and resilience on the part of school leaders and the broader community, conditions now allow schools to offer the full range of learning and support programs that our educational communities typically provide.

The current guidance for schools is based on evidence from the CDC that shows vaccines are extremely effective in protecting vaccinated individuals from infection, severe illness, and death, as well as preventing them from spreading COVID-19 to others. Additionally, increasing vaccination rates helps mitigate the spread of new variants that are more likely to infect those who are unvaccinated. The wearing of face coverings in schools complements vaccinations and helps protect people who cannot yet get vaccinated, people who may not get the full benefit from the vaccine, and people with weakened immune systems. All persons aged 12 and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The governor has announced plans to end the tier system on June 15 and fully reopen California’s economy, as long as vaccine supply remains sufficient to meet demand and hospitalization rates are stable and low. COVID-19 vaccines are safe, free and effective, and are now available to everyone aged 12 and up. Visit San Mateo County Health's website to book an appointment or find a drop-in location near you.

About the San Mateo County Office of Education
The San Mateo County Office of Education is committed to ensuring excellence and equity in education by inspiring students, investing in teachers, invigorating leaders, and involving communities.

Media Contacts

Patricia Love
Executive Director, Strategy and Communication
San Mateo County Office of Education
plove@smcoe.org
T: 650.802.5559

It is important for all of us including families of students returning for in-person instruction to answer the following questions before their children are allowed to come on-campus everyday

1. Within the last 10 days have you been diagnosed with COVID-19 or had a test confirming you have the virus?

2. Within the past 14 days did you live in the same household as, or did you have close contact with, someone who tested positive for COVID-19 and/or someone who has been in isolation for COVID-19? Close contact is less than 6 feet for 15 minutes or more regardless of whether masks were worn or not.

3. Have you had any new or unexplained symptoms since the last symptom check?

In the absence of a more likely diagnosis: At least 1 of the following:

· Fever (temperature 100.4° F /38° C or subjective fever)

· Vomiting

· Diarrhea

· Conjunctivitis or “pink eye”

· Rash

· New loss of taste or smell (i.e., new olfactory or taste disorder)

· Painful purple or red lesions on the feet or swelling of the toes (“COVID Toes”)

OR At least 2 of the following:

· Chills

· Repeated shaking with chills (rigors)

· Cough (new or change in baseline)

· Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing (new or change in baseline)

· Chest pain with deep breathing

· Sore throat

· Hoarseness

· Muscle pain (myalgias)

· Malaise or severe fatigue

· Abdominal pain

· Loss of appetite

· Nausea

· Headache

Before heading to school, be ready to give your answers to the above to our supervising staff members. Thank you!

Dear Families,

Thank you very much for all your support. We have always valued the partnership that we have and look forward to our continued work this coming school year. Together, we were able to rise above the challenges that this current pandemic has thrown upon us. And for that, we are truly grateful.

The stringent conditions set upon us have surely impacted us; financially, most certainly. As we look forward to the next school year, we have to make decisions to address the needs of our school, making sure that we provide our little ones the best opportunities they deserve. It is for this light that we would like to inform you of the following tuition fee schedule for the next school year:

Preschool Tuition Schedule 2021 - 2022

August 2021 - July 2022

Application Fee: $70.00 (non-refundable)

Registration Fee: $215.00 (new students)

$185.00 (existing students)

Schedule Time: 7:30 am - 3:30 pm

5 days a week MF $1100.00 / month

3 days a week M-W-F $900.00 / month

2 days a week T-TH $675.00 / month

The tuition is a flat monthly rate, no allowance or proration of tuition is allowed for absences or extended holidays when school is closed / holiday. The Preschool calendar is already provided at the beginning of the school year.

If you may recall, we did not have an increase last year given the crisis and despite the increased operational expenses resulting from the new learning platforms we had to implement while meeting all the safety and health requirements.

To further supplement the needs of the school, we highly encourage all our families to participate in fundraising efforts that we hope to sponsor. We will be working closely with the Parent Teacher Organization as we bring our community together in support of our students.

We are looking forward to your continuous support and understanding. We cannot wait to have everyone back on-campus in the fall.

Thank you and God bless us all!

Sincerely,

Maria Julie Picardal