Sycamore Leaf
May 15, 2020
We appreciate you!
I came across this video of the "Blue Marble" a couple of weeks ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hmb0Q0Q_7jo.
Watching it the first time, I felt very much like the marble, set in motion by the Coronavirus Pandemic. Perhaps you also find yourself moving this way and that, occasionally slowed to a crawl and other times jolted into an entirely different quadrant. After watching the video again, I began to notice the connectedness among the pieces. Countless players including magnets that pull and levers that turn, each doing their job of moving us along. In this puzzle, the common fork, scissors and playing card are reinvented to serve a new purpose: catching, slowing down, cradling and, yes, moving us through. Though the marble's path is unclear, disorienting and uncomfortable, there is beauty in the concerted effort of so many pieces. Together, they contribute to the ringing glass at the end of the maze.
This is a wonderful example of the partnership we enjoy with our families and volunteers. You make our school days possible by leading centers, attending field trips, assisting young writers, and supporting fundraisers. During this time of distance learning, when our hearts are with our students but we cannot be, we are even more indebted to you! We sincerely thank you for everything you do for our school and as parents all year long. We are especially grateful that you've taken on the additional and very difficult task of helping your child learn from home.
We have left you a message on the fence in front of our school, a sincere, hands-to-our heart "Thank You" for helping our students and being, as always, a very special part of Sycamore.
Amy Stanger
Sycamore Gear is available. Here's the order form.
Simply enter your name and information to order Sycamore apparel. This form is for CASH, CHECK OR ZELLE. You will receive a confirmation email of your order. We offer contactless pick up and drop off. We have both this years and last years designs for sale. if you do not see your size then it is no longer available.
Zelle ID: sycwaysmeans@gmail.com.
May is Mental Health Matters Month: Take a break!
In the interest of self-care, take a family break during the upcoming long weekend.
Check out this list of "101 Things to do with Kids at Home."
https://socalfieldtrips.com/101-things-to-do-with-kids-at-home/
Here is a great site curated by The Sierra Club with lots of resources for parents supporting their students at home titled, “Keeping our Kids Curious and Engaged at Home.” Among other things, there are links to virtual trips to Yellowstone National Park, Paris and the Great Wall of China.
There could not be a better time to focus on mental health and the tools and routines that support mental health and resiliency. Our District's Mental Health Team, school psychologists and behavior analyst have created a webpage, "Wellness Resources," to support the health and wellness of students, families and staff. Check it out here:
https://sites.google.com/cusd.claremont.edu/wellnessresources/home
Parent Input Letters
Believe it or not, our year is winding down and we're beginning to plan for next year. One thing we’ll be planning for is classroom assignments. As a staff, this is no small undertaking. Though we know quite a bit about our students, we are eager to have the input of families as we make decisions about classroom placement. Families are encouraged to complete a Parent Input Letter, a written statement about their child as a learner, with their observations about their child’s response to various learning environments and insights into their school-based relationships.
Classroom placement decisions are based upon countless and often confidential student variables, so requests for specific teachers cannot be granted. Furthermore, I ask that you refrain from speaking to your child’s teacher about specific classroom requests. Be assured they want the best for your child and all teachers contribute in the process of making supportive placements. Letters must be received by June 12 to ensure your comments are available for consideration.
The form is available using this link. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KcEV6yrbqRJKaGNUxWFEB4z-4drw2Uud/view?usp=sharing
Please complete it and email it to me at astanger@cusd.claremont.edu.
Art and Music
Mary's art lesson for the week continues on the theme of Pop Art. I hope you enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy it.
Here is the link to the lesson:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1arAd4FV8HH8NDAuwxxxp0jyBOzrjGuTl6G6wt3Kg1F8/edit?usp=sharing
Mr. Hensley has also prepared this week's music lessons. He's got a pretty impressive guitar to show you. Here's the link to our lessons for week 6.
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/187-XLCRDYiCDck2-a1dyHIHxmJeq6RIx
We've got SCRIP, and you can too!
These days, it's especially nice to share as you shop. Using SCRIP, you can make a habit of it! Simply order SCRIP using this form and we'll get it to you. Each time you buy, a percentage of each purchase raises funds for our school. Thank you in advance.
Here's the link to the form:
Sycamore Contacts
Principal, Amy Stanger, astanger@cusd.claremont.edu
Office Manager, Tina Hensley, thensley@cusd.claremont.edu
Health and Attendance, Norma Perez, nperez@cusd.claremont.edu
Email: astanger@cusd.claremont.edu
Website: http://sycamore.cusd.claremont.edu/
Location: 225 West 8th Street, Claremont, CA, USA
Phone: (909)-398-0324