Dear Woodside Families,

We had a productive week academically and socially. It's clear that with your support at home, with the support of teachers and staff, and with our consistent messaging, our scholars are understanding that the words we use matter. Our efforts to promote and ensure a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students will continue to be at the forefront.

This past week I had the pleasure of watching our band and orchestra students perform at Ygnacio Valley High School with other elementary, middle, and high school students. Both the orchestra and band sounded awesome and the performers should be proud of their accomplishments. Make sure to check out the photos and video below.

Fifth-grade families, if your student is planning on attending camp, ALL required documents are due this Thursday, March 30th. Please look towards the end of this newsletter under 5th-Grade Outdoor Ed. for additional information, documents, deadlines, and specific information related to departure procedures from school on Monday, April 10th.

Yesterday, we had our first annual Woodside Car Show, which was a huge success due to the effort of our parent volunteers. Thank you so much, Shannon, Jessica, James, Sydney, Yvonne, and Jeff.

I believe we had 28 total vehicles on display, which is amazing community participation!

Thank you in advance for reading through this newsletter in its entirety for important reminders, information, and A TON of action photos, CRAZY HAIR DAY photos, AND Car Show Photos & Videos. If you don't scroll all the way to the end of the newsletter, you may be missing out on great information!

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely Yours,

Christopher Chenault

Principal

Many of our students at Woodside are celebrating Ramadan (3/11-4/9). While walking around at recess and during my lunchtime supervision, the conversation came up and I had the opportunity to learn from our students about how they celebrate Ramadan. If you're like me and want to know more about Ramadan, please take a look at the following video I found on PBIS Learning Media.

Sincerely,

Mr. C

The 2023 Woodside yearbook is currently being developed and it's looking great! It is the perfect keepsake, and we’re continuously working on it to include all the fun that the students encounter throughout the year!
If you have any photos from the school year (classroom, field trips, events) that could be a great addition to this year’s yearbook, we want to see them.

If anyone has pictures from the below events/activities, please send them to Yearbook Chair - Jeff Lee

• 5th Grade Baby Pictures
• Sweetheart Dance
• Music/Choir (any pictures of your child singing or playing an instrument)
• Pictures of any Teacher at Woodside with their students
• 1st Day of School

Email them to Jeff Lee kepilee@gmail.com . Include your child’s name, activity, and teacher, so we can sort photos correctly.

If you missed out on ordering your yearbook at the beginning of the year, you can still purchase one by visiting https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/ and entering our yearbook ID 8547423

Our Top 3 Readers for Each Grade Were:

TK - Miss Schmidt

• Tyler J. = 343 min.
• Morgan G. = 239 min.
• Lauryn V. = 80 min.

Kindergarten - Mrs. Stice & Miss Meneghetti

• Raymond W. = 960 min.
• Yurii L. = 715 min.
• Caleb P. = 360 min.

1st Grade - Ms. Stevenson & Meneghetti

• Adam E-H. = 790 min.
• Gabriel GH. = 560 min.
• Alondra G. = 370 min.

2nd Grade - Mrs. Champion & Ms. Fuenzalida

• Isaac D. = 1,146 min.
• Mikayla W. = 480 min.
• Matthew H. = 303 min.

3rd Grade - Mrs. Davis

• Logan S. = 1,270 min.
• Kendra HR. = 702
• Beeline N. = 628

4th Grade - Ms. Benzler & Ms. Bergman

• Lily E. = 1,160 min.
• Angelo R. = 1,149 min.
• David S. = 631 min.

5th Grade - Ms. Bergman & Mrs. Barber

• Penn E-E. = 3,720 min.
• Addison T. = 1,255 min.
• Yara O. = 960 min.

Our Top Fundraisers Were:

Kindergarten - Harper N., Mrs. Stice

2nd Grade - Sydney H., Ms. Fuenzalida

4th Grade - Tallulah J., Ms. Benzler

5th Grade - Haven H., Mrs. Barber

Due to Spring Break and a busy week with 5th-graders returning from camp, we will provide the Read-A-Thon Pizza Reward Lunch on Friday, April 21st!

A reminder note will be sent to students who earned the reward before Friday, April 21st.

NEW! - Students with birthdays should go to the office on the day of their birthday by 8:05 am to help with announcements. If a student's birthday falls on the weekend, they should come to the office on Friday. If your student is sick or their birthday falls on a holiday, please send them the following day of school.

(I'm still figuring out a plan for Summer birthdays :-)

• Spanish Translation will be available at every Woodside ELAC meeting.
• Please email me directly at chenaultc@mdusd.org if you plan on attending and require Chinese, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, or any other translation

Future Woodside ELAC Meeting Dates:

-March 27th

-April 24th

-May 29th (last ELAC meeting of the school year)

Future DELAC Meeting Dates:

-April 20th

-May 25th

If you have any questions or require more information regarding ELAC,

please contact Maria Tsakoyia at 925-689-7671.

What: School Site Council Meeting (SSC)

Where: Woodside, room E-1
When: Regular monthly meetings will be held on the last Tuesday of the month at 3 pm

Who: SSC members attend regularly, and parents and community members are welcome

Next SSC Meeting: March 28th

Next Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting: March 21st at 5:30 pm (Willow Creek Center)

What is the SSC?
A school site council is a group of teachers, parents, classified employees, and community members that works with the Principal to develop, review and evaluate school improvement programs and school budgets.

What is the purpose of the school site council?

The School Site Council serves as the school community representative body for determining the focus of the school's academic instructional program and all related categorical resources.

Come join us for our April PFC Meeting.

Monday, April 17th

7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Future PFC Meeting Dates:

May 15th

To learn more about the Woodside Wolves PFC, please visit their website at WoodsidePFC.com or email them at woodsidepfc@gmail.com

Contact Woodside's school counselor, Kimber Kaiser at kaiserk@mdusd.org

On campus Monday & Friday

Our student's safety is our #1 concern

Student Drop Off & Pick Up Friendly Reminders

• Please drop-off/pick-up in the designated areas only
• Parents walking on campus to pick up/drop off students, PLEASE USE the white-lined CROSSWALK - - PLEASE do not walk through the carline to pick up your student, as it creates a safety issue. Use the sidewalks, and crosswalks -- Our carline is efficient... stay in your car, drive up, and use the careline for "valet" service when picking up our student
• Due to limited staff parking, thank you for not parking in the school's parking lot between the hours of 7:30 to 3 pm. Thank you very much for your cooperation with this!
• Pull as far forward as possible along the curb, avoid parking in the bus area, and please do not stop in the middle of the driveway to load/unload your student
• Thank you for yielding to our students and families that use the crosswalks in and around the Woodside campus. If traffic gets back up, we will do our best to have staff present to hold pedestrians to clear traffic.

Student School Policies/Procedures Friendly Reminders

• Please do not bring personal sports equipment to school. Ask Mr. C if you need something that we don't have available in the ball box
• Please no toys or blankets
• No trading cards... baseball, football, pokemon, etc
• Paw Pats are not to be used to trade or buy items from friends

March

March 27: 8:15 am English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) Meeting

March 27: Woodside (Day 2 of 2) TK & Kindergarten Central Enrollment Days (Willow Creek Center)

March 28: 3 pm School Site Council (SSC) Meeting

March 29: 8:15 am Coffee or Tea with Mr. C

March 29: 5th Grade PE Testing Starts (future dates: 4/19, 2/26, 5/3, makeups as needed)

March 30: 5th-Grade Camp required documents due to your teacher

March 30: Woodside Drop-in Day TK & Kindergarten Central Enrollment Days (Willow Creek Center)

March 31: Cesar Chavez Day - (NO SCHOOL)

April

April 3-7: Spring Break - No School

April 10-13: 5th Grade Outdoor Education at Walker Creek Ranch

April 18: 5:30 pm Parent Advisory Committee (PAC)

April 20: 5:30 to 7 pm District English Language Advisory Committee (DELAC) Meeting

April 24-28: Spring Book Fair

April 24: 8:15 to 9 am Woodside's English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) Meeting

April 25: 3 to 4 pm School Site Council (SSC) Meeting

April 26: 8:10 to 9 am Coffee or Tea with Mr. C

April 26: 6 pm District Board Meeting

April 26: 6:30 to 7:30 pm Woodside's Open House

April 27: Student Council Sponsored Spirit Day - Disney Day

April 28: Friday, NO SCHOOL - School Recess

MDUSD District Calendars

We will have our monthly “Coffee or Tea with Mr. C” community gathering on the last Wednesday of the month.

Our next time together will be Wednesday, March 29, 2023, from 8:15 to 9:00 am in the Woodside Office. Please bring your coffee or tea and join me for an opportunity to “meet and greet” one another.

Drop off your student(s) and head to the main office to meet and greet with other families... after I'm finished with our morning announcements I will join you in the staff lounge.

Thank you,

Mr. C

Fliers -Free tutoring for our Afghan students on Saturdays! classes and workshops for our Afghan community that take place at the Noor Islamic & Cultural Community Center

FREE online tutoring for students through CA State Library.

The California State Library provides free online tutoring for California K-12 students, available through public libraries. Through HelpNow, live real-time homework assistance is available 24 hours a day by laptop, tablet, or phone from qualified tutors using state curriculum and standards. 24/7 assistance is available in English and Spanish for Language Arts and Mathematics.

Every day between 10:00 am and 10:00 pm, assistance is available in core K-12 subjects in the following languages: English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Tagalog. Link to program website.

We have district board approval! Our 5th-grade students will attend Walker Creek Ranch outdoor education from April 10th to 13th.

Again, I apologize for the very short turnaround time to receive these documents back from you, however, please find time to complete and return all documents as soon as possible.

A Letter for Your Camper

While at camp, we would like to give your child a letter written by you. Letters from home are a source of comfort. Please give the letters to your child’s teacher by Thursday, March 30th. Place the letter in a sealed envelope with your child's name and the day you wish the letter to be delivered. (Day 2 or Day 3)

*PLEASE NOTE
-Dietary Information form was due to Woodside's office on Friday, 3/24
-All other required documents are due no later than 3/30 (due to Spring Break starting 3/31...we will not see you after 3/30 until the day we depart for camp)

All of the following documents were sent home on 3/17 (except COVID guidelines)

• Camp Preparation Information
• COVID Guidelines and Protocols - English - Spanish (soft copy only here)
• Packing List
• Dietary Form-Please contact our school office at 925-689-7671 as soon as possible so that we can make proper arrangements for meals
• Medications form
• Authorization to Administer Medication form
• Health Form
• Permission Slip
• Field Trip lunch form (bag lunch for 1st-day arrival)

Who: 5th Graders

Where: Walker Creek Ranch, located in Petaluma, CA

When: April 10th - 13th

Why: For our 5th graders to have the rich experience of outdoor education, build community, and for our students to have this elementary school experience to look back on

In the event of an emergency you need to contact your student while at camp:

1. Contact our office at 925-689-7671 if during the hours of 7:30 am and 3:30 pm

2. Email Mr. Chenault at chenaultc@mdusd.org

3. Call Walker Creek Ranch directly at 415-491-6600

Please click HERE for the MDUSD Food and Nutrition Information and Menus

District breakfasts/brunches & lunches are currently FREE to ALL MDUSD students.

Woodside Students Have a SALAD & FRUIT BAR!

When: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 11 to 12:15 (Wednesdays from 10 to 11 am)

Where: Woodside Cafeteria

Why: an extra adult is needed to be able to effectively offer the salad bar experience to our students

Who: MDUSD registered volunteer

If you can support this effort, please contact our office at 925-689-7671

TK & Kinder - early friends dismiss at 11:10 am, late friends dismiss at 12:17

1st-5th grade 12:35 dismissal

CARES Expanded Learning Program at Woodside currently has a waitlist for enrollment.

If you have questions, or concerns, or want to learn more about the program, don't hesitate to contact Woodside's CARES program coordinator Nadia Munoz.

Contact Information:
Nadia Muñoz
Program Coordinator
C.A.R.E.S. Expanded Learning Program
Woodside Elementary
(925)689-7671 ext. 85936

Please see the attachment regarding obtaining Chromebook Insurance

• Insurance is optional but highly recommended.
• The insurance term lasts one year from the purchase
• You will need your student's device number to register for insurance
• If your student is new to the district & Woodside (Grades 2-5), they will be getting their device by the end of next week
• 2nd-grade students will be assigned a 1-1 device as soon as possible. Please be on the lookout for additional communication from your student's teacher.

Click the link below to view the attachment.

ChromebookInsurance.pdf

• Where: (NEW) MDUSD Enrollment Center (previously Diablo Community Day School) which is attached to Willow Creek Center (1026 Mohr Ln, Concord)
• When: Woodside's scheduled days are 3/23 & 3/27. Woodside's Drop-in day is 3/30.
• Why: For TK/K enrollment for the 2023-24 school year

Interdistrict (between two districts) transfer applications for the 23-24 school year will be available online at mdusd.org/interdistricttransfers, beginning March 15th. Beginning this year we will only require students changing school levels to apply for their transfer. Current, approved inters, in good academic, behavioral, and attendance standing do not need to submit a renewal to continue to the next school year.

LOCATION: School District Board Room-1936 Carlotta Drive, Concord CA 94519

DETAILS:

The Closed Session (no public access) will begin at 5:00 PM. Open Session (public access) will begin at 6:00 PM. Broadcast viewing, public participation, and interpretation information will be posted at mdusd.org/boardmeetings on the meeting day. Approved minutes will be published to mdusd.org/boardmeetings.

Upcoming meeting dates:

• April 12, April 26
• May 10
• June 14, June 28
• August 16, August 23
• September 13, September 27
• October 11, October 25
• November 8
• December 13

In order to keep our school community healthy, keep students home if they have had a fever (>99.5 F), vomiting, or diarrhea within the past 24 hours; or if they are feeling unwell and unable to participate in usual school activities. As we move into the flu season and are facing RSV and COVID, We need to remind students about universal precautions - good hand washing after blowing nose, proper cough into elbow, etc..

Please click the following link for COVID Guideline Update

Please note that individuals who test positive may return to the workplace or school after day 5 if: Symptoms are not present, or are mild and improving, AND fever free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication)

These COVID guidelines have replaced any other guidelines that we have been using.

MDUSD's COVID-19 Dashboard reflects cases reported each week and Year-to-Date

To keep the community informed about COVID-19 cases reported by school staff and students, the District's COVID-19 Dashboard reflects all cases reported Monday through Friday of each week as of 3 p.m. Friday, along with Year-to-Date case counts for students and staff at each school. You can find this week's Dashboard here, on the District's website home page, and on the COVID-19 Response page.

Woodside Attendance Hotline
925.682.8000
ext 7755

Thank you to our office staff Annabel Vazquez, Office Manager & Maria Tsakoyias. School Secretary. We could not operate without you!

Email: Chenaultc@mdusd.org
Website: woodside.mdusd.org
Location: 761 San Simeon Dr, Concord, CA 94518, USA
Phone: (925) 689-7671
Twitter: @WoodsideEL (I'm still working on gaining access)

Twitter: @MrChrisChenault