Hope you had a Happy Love Day!!!
RHS Spotlight: February 14th, 2021
3rd Grade Teacher, Mrs. Kendricks and her husband passing out Valentine's gifts.
RHS Admin / Principal Virtual Zoom Office Hours Every THU, 9:00 am - 9:30 am
Join Zoom Meeting
https://ousd.zoom.us/j/81026528065?pwd=RHo4TWthUnFlQ0d1TCt3ZS93Yk9TZz09
Meeting ID: 810 2652 8065 Passcode: 116781 Dial by your location:
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 810 2652 8065 Passcode: 116781 Find your local number: https://ousd.zoom.us/u/ki2mmWgrq
Information Regarding Playdates and Equity Based Learning Hubs
Hello School Communities,
We, the principals of Chabot, Crocker Highlands, Glenview, Hillcrest, Joaquin Miller, Montclair, Peralta, Redwood Heights, and Thornhill write to you today with a joint update.
First, we want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to both our parents and teachers for your combined efforts in making Distance Learning as successful as it can be under the circumstances. Teachers are working around the clock to create and deliver quality instruction, and parents/guardians have become acrobats as you adjust to the schedules and demands of supporting your children at home. Sadly, this pandemic has persisted for longer than most of us anticipated, and its impact on many people’s physical and emotional health is acute. School staff, families and students all agree that virtual school is not as effective as pre-pandemic learning, and we all long to get students safely back on campus as soon as possible.
One of the most challenging things about this time is that there is so much beyond our control and a lot that is unpredictable. One of the areas where we all - parents, teachers, staff, and even principals - feel that lack of control most acutely is around school reopening. We know the messaging around reopening schools has been confusing on many fronts. This is in large part due to the multitude of variables (i.e., COVID rates, labor agreements, vaccine delivery, testing capacity) and ever-changing information.
Since our school communities do not have control over variables impacting full school reopenings, we are choosing to focus our efforts on those areas we can influence. We are committed to exploring every option within our OUSD guidelines to ensure the emotional well-being and academic success of all our students. Specifically, we are working to be able to bring back students in small groups in two ways. Please be patient as these possibilities are in the very preliminary/exploratory stages, and there is a lot of work to do before they can be actualized safely.
CLASS PLAY DATES ON THE YARD - In the coming weeks, we hope to be able to open our playgrounds after school hours for scheduled times where subsets of classes can come and play with friends they have only been seeing via Zoom. We will need parent/guardian volunteers to help with organizing and supervision. More information and details are coming soon from each site.
EQUITY-BASED LEARNING HUBS - To support our highest needs students, we are exploring the possibility of opening one or more learning cohorts of up to 14 students at our school sites. These would be small, stable cohorts of students who would come to campus all or most days and access their Distance Learning from here. They would be staffed by an outside vendor under the principal’s supervision and in accordance with OUSD safety protocols. Students would be selected for participation based on an equity rubric developed by our Coordination of Services Team (COST) and in accordance with OUSD’s equity standards. Although these cohorts would only be able to serve a very small number of students under current guidance from the Alameda County Department of Public Health (ACDPH), we believe that these are the best available options to get those students who most need support back on campus. Moreover, a successful hub program will help prepare all of us for bringing larger numbers of children safely back onto campus.
We know that even in normal times, we can not deliver the quality education that our children deserve without your partnership - this is ten times more true now than ever. In challenging times, it is easy to look for someone to blame. Instead, we are hopeful that we can find common ground in our care for each of our school’s children and our commitment to bring them back to our campuses as soon as it is safe to do so.
Learning under pandemic conditions will not last forever; your children will not forget what it means to learn in person; our beautiful schools will once again be filled with children, families, and staff.
We continue to be grateful for all of your support.
In partnership,
Principals Jessica Cannon, Joci Kelleher, Rachel Quinn, Maria McCormick, Sara Green, Maite Barloga, Shirley Clem, Cynthia Bagby and Steve Daubenspeck
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Upcoming Family Medical Info Sessions
Upcoming Family Medical Info Sessions
If you have questions or topics you would like to see covered please click here.
General Family Medical Info Session
February 23, 2021, 5:15-7:00pm
Latino Family Medical Info Session
February 25, 2021, 5:00-6:00pm
African-American Family Medical Info Session
March 3, 2021, 5:00-7:00pm
Special Education Family Medical Info Session
PENDING:
- Asian-American Family Medical Info Session
- Youth Medical Info Session
Redwood Heights Town Hall Meeting - 3/9/2021 @ 6:45 pm
Redwood Heights Town Hall Meeting, TUE, 3/9/2021 @ 6:45 pm - 7:45 pm
We will continue our come together, continue our conversation as partners to share, clarify and plan a potential school reopening.
Join Zoom Meeting https://ousd.zoom.us/j/84221935391?pwd=UG0rLzBLMGlBWWRpWUkzQmZKWW9LZz09
Meeting ID: 842 2193 5391 Passcode: 477431 One tap mobile +13017158592,,84221935391#,,,,*477431# US (Washington D.C) +13126266799,,84221935391#,,,,*477431# US (Chicago)Dial by your location
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
Upcoming Reopening Info Sessions
Feb 16, 2021, 5:30-7:00pm
Reopening Info Session for Families
Hosted by District 3 Board Director VanCedric Williams
Will be Rescheduled
(Originally scheduled for Feb 22, 2021, 5:30-7:00pm)
Reopening Info Session for Families
Hosted by District 2 Board Director Aimee Eng
Read Connecting with Kyla: CLICK BELOW FOR THE LATEST MESSAGE.
Due to the Alameda County Shelter in Place we are temporarily canceling our RHS TECH SUPPLY PICKUP HOURS on TUESDAYS
Contact our TECH EXPERT: rebecca.weissman@ousd.org
Contact jenniferrhshugs@gmail.com, cynthia.bagby@ousd.org if you have questions.
For more information regarding the shelter in place, please visit: https://covid-19.acgov.org/index.page
A Message from HUGS Counselor, Jennifer Wilson
Dear Redwood Heights Community,
I am writing to you with a full heart and abundant gratitude. I also want to honor and acknowledge the grief and sorrow some of us are carrying right now.
Gratitude goes out to our RHS community, the PTA membership and Board, the Redwood Heights Neighborhood Association (RHA), staff and family members of RHS, and to everyone who has donated food in the Food Drive bin outside school.
Over the course of these last few months, the RHS community and beyond has stepped up and stepped in to support members of our community:
- The RHA chose RHS as their end of year fundraiser and raised $4500 which includes matching grants by their Board and an angel donor!
- The RHS PTA Board and membership voted to direct money to support the RHS Cares campaign.
And, it doesn't stop there!
- We have RHS families who are adopting families in our school community during the holidays!
While we have been committed to ensuring no child or family has to worry about having food on the table, having a place to live, and having their basic needs met, we know that the pandemic has created and exposed long term, systemic challenges in our society.
To date, we have distributed:
- $7400 in cash assistance
- 60 vegetable boxes
- 10 turkeys
- 5 hams
- 20 bags of food from the food drive
- $1,500 worth of groceries.
I am humbled to be a part of this effort. I am frequently brought to tears by our families.
As we move into winter break, some thoughts from Institute of Child Psychology :
- Give Your Child the Gift of Your Undivided Attention
- Cultivate Holiday Rituals that Foster Connection
- Discuss with your Child ways of Giving
- This is a Year to be Grateful for Everything we Have, Not Receive Everything we Want
- Be Aware of How Other Families are Struggling
May we all create time for connection, giving and gratitude this holiday season.
LIBRARY SWAG
Author Judd Winick, Virtual Author Visit, Friday, February 26th
JUDD WINICK AUTHOR VISIT
We DID IT! We had over 40 orders total, including 12 Angel Book Donations - WOW! Redwood Heights School Library is excited to announce we will host popular HiLo author Judd Winick Friday, February 26th from 9-9:45 am for a virtual author visit! Mrs. Dalloway’s is offering this visit, a local independent bookstore that supports our library. In order to invite him we needed to sell at least 20 of his books at FULL PRICE with tax of $15.58/copy. We accomplished that and much MORE! Thank you to everyone. It’s not too late to order a signed copy of his new book. Support his visit here. We are partnering with Greenleaf Academy to support their student readers with this effort.
SORA!!! SORA!!! SORA!!!
RHS LIBRARY COMMITTEE MEETINGS (every second Thursday at 7 p.m. @library zoom)
(every second Thursday at 7 p.m. @library zoom)
(every second Thursday at 7 p.m. @library zoom)
The library committee supports the programs and funding in our beautiful library. Come learn what we do and how you can help make it even better. We meet every month on the second Thursday.
LOL Club (LIBRARY OUTREACH AND LEADERSHIP)
This club for 3rd-5th grades is starting back up. We will meet Tuesdays from Noon to 12:30 in the Library Zoom Room (here). We will share what we are reading and promote the library’s offerings. Our first topic will be the bookfair, followed closely by how to promote reading and our library to all our community. I sent direct invitations to students who were in the club in the past. Please share the time and info with any students who are interested.
RHS LIBRARY STORY TIME: All story times run from 2-2:40
Please help spread the word. Our Monday storytime is very small - only one or two kids come regularly. Ms. Jennifer and I read together and discuss SEL topics. So far our topics included dealing with anxiety and worry with strategies everyone can benefit from. Please join us!
Here is my Announcement. We meet in the Zoom Library three days a week:
- Mondays are SEL readings with Ms. Jennifer and a special guest.
- Tuesdays we are reading the chapter book together: The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yon Glaser. Her book is nominated for a California Young Reader’s Medal this year. I hope to read all the chapter book nominees aloud on Tuesdays.
- Thursday is Picture Book Storytime.
All story times run from 2-2:40
Do you want to volunteer? OUSD Distance Learning Protocols
Here are some relevant updates regarding virtual parent volunteering. The Oakland Ed Fund parent/guardian webpage is here where you can find a new parent/guardian FAQ for virtual volunteering towards the bottom of the page.
https://www.oaklandedfund.org/programs/volunteer/
The way that OUSD legal has outlined virtual volunteering, I've interpreted as follows:
Guardians can become Zoom Assistants, joining educator's zoom lessons. Breakout groups are OK so long as the educators can pop in anytime, it is considered supervised. We would prefer that these volunteers register as supervised with our system (above) so that we can clear them on Megan's law.
Guardians can become 1:1 Virtual Tutors. This requires registration on our website as well as fingerprinting clearance and a parent/guardian waiver through the Oakland Public Education Fund. In this situation, the educators would need to submit a request for individual students to be tutored here.
So far, we are sharing the following information with volunteers that's unique to virtual volunteering:
OUSD Family Central: For anyone who wants to become a virtual academic 1:1 tutor, we do require a volunteer training with more information. All volunteers who complete fingerprints are also required to sign our liability waiver.
MS. WEISSMAN'S TECH CORNER: CLEVER BADGES
Due to current Shelter-in-Place orders, we no longer have set open times to come to the school for Chromebook pickup. Please email rebecca.weissman@ousd.org if you need a Chromebook and we will arrange it.
FLU SHOT INFORMATION
FROM OUR SCHOOL NURSE Avelina Buijs
Hi Redwood Heights Families,
I am sending you the Spanish Version of this form which I received last month.
I sent out the English version earlier this school year.
The Health Education and Attendance for Life document (HEAL) produced by the Alameda County Public Health Dept. and Center for Healthy Schools and Communication. It's a flyer that is for parents, first page is about COVID which I think most parents are aware of by now. However, the second page has a list of symptoms and illnesses on the first column and the second column has general guidelines that are in blue which refers to distance learning or learning at home ( whether a child should participate or not in distance learning). Please note these are guidelines and there will always be personal circumstances that have to be considered.
Avelina S. Buijs BSN, RN, PHN
(She, Her, Hers)
New Jabber System Phone # for Redwood Heights: 510-879-2148
We have therabands available for our kiddies:). Contact Ms. Jennifer or Ms. Bagby if interested.
These can help relieve tension and are usually wrapped around the legs of students chairs as a sensory tool.
Help students wiggle while they work.
Redwood Heights FOOD DRIVE!!!
Hello RHS Community!
I first of all want to say thank you to all of you who have supported the GoFundMe campaign for our families.
Many of you have asked if there are other ways to support families and the answer is “Yes”!
WHAT: Redwood Heights FOOD DRIVE!!
WHEN: On going
HOW: Every Tuesday and Thursday, between 8:30 am -
12:00 pm, there will be bins at the main front
entrance to the school at 4401 39th Ave. You may drop off
food in the bins. Please do not leave food at other times unless you have
arranged it with Ms. Jennifer or Principal Bagby.
WHO: Everyone! Anyone can donate.
We are accepting all non perishable foods. If you want to donate flour or sugar, please make sure it is in secure packaging.
If you want to donate fruits or vegetables, we will make sure these get quickly distributed.
If you have other items you want to donate, please contact: jenniferrhshugs@gmail for further information.
If you are food insecure, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Jennifer who will arrange a pick up or drop off time.
RHS Cares gofundme Opportunity
During this time of shelter-in-place due to COVID, some Redwood Heights families have been severely impacted and unable to pay rent or buy food. Some are unable to leave their homes to access food banks or other resources due to medical reasons, lack of safe transportation, or other obstacles.
We have been able to provide some cash assistance through our PTA; however, we have realized that the needs are greater than what the PTA is able to provide on its own.
We have been working with RHS parents who need immediate cash assistance to support their families and avoid falling through the cracks.
This cash support will be a lifeline for these parents, allowing them to feed their children, stay in their homes, pay for medical costs, and maintain their utilities. They are so grateful and frequently in tears upon receiving help from the community.
We can all really make a difference here! We are fortunate to have a generous, caring community.
All funds raised from this campaign will go directly to RHS families in need of financial support during this time.
Thank you for supporting these families and showing up in community!
Warmly,
Jennifer Wilson
HUGS (Helping Us Grow Stronger) Update
HUGS (Helping Us Grow Stronger) Update
Greetings Redwood Heights Community.
We have just finished our sixth week of school. For some of us it may feel like six months due to the enormity of what we are experiencing right now. Here at RHS we have been assessing the needs of families and students over the past 6 weeks. We have been talking with caregivers during coffee chats, surveys, Back to School Night, parent/teacher virtual home visits, and 1:1 conversations. Our COST (Care of Services Team) has been meeting weekly to create systems of support and to discuss how we can best support students and families during this distance learning time.
HUGS INTERNS
We are thrilled that once again we will have two HUGS interns. Cierra and Logan, will facilitate small groups and provide 1:1 support to students and families. The interns are eager to get started in getting to know the RHS community.
Due to distance learning, the interns will be offering “Lunch Bunch” small groups for all grades. Initially, they will be starting with Kindergarten. The goal is to bring students together to get to know others in a fun, easy going and connecting manner. Each group will meet for 3 weeks and will have 3 students in each group. A separate email will be sent to Kindergarten families.
Additionally, Cierra and Logan will be inviting 4th/5th graders to participate in a group with 6-8 students. These groups will last 8-10 weeks and rotate through the school year. The goal of these groups is to provide community, support and connection for students outside of the academic Zoom calls. This is our attempt to be proactive regarding what we know about the social emotional development of this age group. We know that for some students it is especially challenging during distance learning and we want to support all students.
SUPPORT for ADULTS
Covid - 19 Related Support Group
This is a group for caregivers who have been personally impacted by a positive COVID 19 test, yourself or family member, and/or experienced a death in their family due to COVID 19. Please join us for this confidential and supportive forum. This is an opportunity to receive support and offer support to others.
Parenting during COVID
Join other parents in supporting each other and learning ways to navigate this challenging time. This group is for caregivers who are feeling stressed as distance learning continues, as smoke from California fires envelopes us and as challenging life situations unfold. Please join us for this confidential and supportive forum.
HUGS Intern: Cierra Ivey
HUGS Intern: Logan Moody
Logan Moody is currently studying Drama Therapy at CIIS in San Franciso. They are excited to be part of the RHS community this year while working as an intern in the HUGS program. They graduated in 2018 from UC Berkeley with a degree in theater and performance studies. Their love for theatre and seeing how it can have a therapeutic effect lead them to their current graduate studies. Their focus both academically and personally has been in social justice art and community building. They hope to bring art, compassion, respect, and a deep sense of community to their work in the HUGS program and school and look forward to learning and growing alongside the kiddos every day.
ZOOM LEGAL RULES for PARENTS
Recording of Class on Zoom by Student or Family Member. Under Education Code section 51512, Students and family members may only take an audio or video recording of a class (or any parts of a class) on Zoom if they have first obtained written permission to do so from both the teacher and the principal.
Interactions with Teacher/Other Students during Class. Family members may observe their own child during a class on Zoom from off screen and are asked to inform the teacher if possible. However, family members should not interact with the teacher or other students, except to briefly address time-sensitive technical issues, and only where not disruptive. Any concerns regarding a teacher’s teaching or student’s learning must be raised outside the Zoom class.
Familial Support for Children during Class. Family members may support their own child during a class on Zoom provided that such support does not take their child away from instruction, and so long as the support is not otherwise disruptive of how the teacher is teaching the class.
our Alameda County Public Health Department website www.acphd.org