Weekly Update
September 30, 2020
Dear Families,
I am sure that many of you watched Tuesday night's Board Meeting, but in case you missed it:
- There was a 5-0 vote to approve the reopening plan that was presented by the district.
- There were two amendments:
- The district shall convene a collaborative committee of district staff and teachers so that teachers can provide feedback on reopening plans.
- Site safety plans must be clearly communicated.
- It was also decided that families who do not submit a survey by the deadline will automatically be enrolled in the DL program (K/1 was due at 5:00pm today).
- The Board will decide in January whether or not to provide an additional option to switch programs at that time.
Palo Verde is set to open its doors to transitional kindergarten through first grade classrooms on October 12, 2020. I look forward to welcoming our kids back on campus. It has felt like ages.
If you are the parents of a TK-1st grade students, information regarding your program selection will be coming very soon. As you can imagine, there are many details to work out internally.
If you are the parent of a 2nd-5th grade student, a survey requesting your choice between Full Distance Learning (FDL) or Hybrid will be sent soon. Please keep the following dates in your calendar:
- October 26th- 2 & 3rd grades return to campus
- November 9th- 4th & 5th grades return to campus
I will be scheduling Parent Coffees for grades 2-3 and 4-5 prior to those survey due date as well.
Thank you for your continued patience and support. I have heard from many of you, and the message is clear: You love your teachers, and you love your community. If you still have a decision to make, I urge you to select the option that works best for your family under these current circumstances. No matter the choice or what it says on your Infinite Campus, Palo Verde will be support your decision. Our community is strong and we will remain here for you.
Annora Lee
Principal
Onsite Childcare
The Counselor's Corner
10 Screen-Free Activities to Bolster Family Fun during COVID
1. Practice Yoga or just do some easy stretching. Stretching is important for us during normal times and it can be something we forget to do. Stretching breaks are even more important now that we are sitting in front of screens for much longer than usual. Take a quick break and stretch every hour if you can!
2. Have your kids write a note/letter/card to someone…A special friend, a family member, or someone whom you feel like might need some support right now. Being there for others helps them feel important but it can also make us feel good too. Keeping in touch doesn’t always have to be through a screen or by phone.
3. Go for a walk or bike ride to see what is going on in your neighborhood. Seek out a nearby walking or biking trail you haven’t been to before for a little adventure. Getting out in nature is even more important right now. Getting some fresh air after all the hard work of the day is crucial for our physical and emotional well-being.
4. Kids love games! Pulling out the old board games for a game night can be a great family ritual. There are new board games coming out all the time if the oldies sound boring. Or you could make your old board games into new ones. Put a fresh coat of paint on your old Jenga blocks to give them a new look or you could put fun questions on them for people to answer when they pull that block.
5. Reading an interesting book or story just for fun can be relaxing and/or exciting depending on the book you choose. Finding a good space to read without distractions is important. Backyards have been a good reading space for many. Bedtime reading as a family has always been a winning option too!
6. Do something unexpected! Some kids and adults are participating in a Covid-19 Time Capsule. Here is a link so you can get more details on this project.
7. Baking or cooking can be very comforting during this time. Making a familiar family favorite or trying something you have never tried before can add some fun to the week. A successful recipe can feel especially satisfying if it turns out well and it’s a learning process if it doesn’t. J
8. Dust off those old photo albums. Kids are curious and with this extra time on our hands, going down memory lane with your family can be great fun. Looking at old photos of grandma and grandpa and other extended family can be informative and exciting for kids.
9. If you have a dog or other animal at home, try to teach them teach them a new trick or two. A book on how to teach dogs tricks would be helpful for this task. Even if you don’t succeed, it will still be fun because you’re spending time with your pet and we all know that animals can be therapeutic.
10. Chores help kids learn to be self-reliant, especially when they are doing things for themselves. Let them clean up their room, set the table, or do their dishes. This can also be a great way for them to earn additional screen time for the week…Not to mention, when they finish a task they get that sense of accomplishment that goes along with meeting their goal. Contributing to keeping the family functioning by helping out with chores has been shown to give kids a boost to their self-esteem too!
Green Transportation Forum for Palo Alto City Council Candidates
What: Green Transportation Forum for Palo Alto City Council Candidates
Date: October 4, 2020
Time: 4:00 PM till 5:30 PM
Where: Virtual (Zoom)
Who: Co-sponsored by Walk Bike Palo Alto & SVBC
Please register at eventbrite. When you register you will receive a zoom link before the event.
We also prepared a questionnaire for the City Council candidates. If you want to read up on the candidates before the forum, the survey responses of all the candidates can be found online.
About the event:
Get to know the Palo Alto City Council candidates that can help our community achieve a greener transportation future. Join us on Zoom for a virtual discussion with all ten candidates running for Palo Alto City Council about their policy priorities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and users of micromobility and transit.
Please spread the word to anyone you think might be interested! We are also on
Facebook and NextDoor.
Kind regards,
Arnout Boelens
Annora Lee, principal
Email: alee@pausd.org
Website: pv.pausd.org
Location: 3450 Louis Road, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Phone: 650-856-1672
Twitter: @paloverdeelem