Dear Carlton Families,

Welcome back Carlton Cougars! We hope you had a fun-filled, magical December break with friends and family!

Please let your children know that the teachers have fun things planned for the first day back at school. Students will engage in STEAM challenges and creative activities in order to ease back into school and get them excited again about learning and coming to school.

Students in 1st, 2nd, and 4th grade will be designing games with cardboard boxes. Students in other grade levels will be using other materials. I can't wait to see what the students build or make!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank 4th grade families and 5th grade families for the wonderful Treat Days for our Carlton staff members. The Carlton teachers and support staff enjoyed the luncheons tremendously and were very touched by the generosity and thoughtfulness of all the 4th and 5th grade parents/guardians who contributed to make the Treat Days possible.

Mary Katayama

Principal

We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Maddie McCarthy. She started working at Carlton this year in Extended Care and then in October she began supervising the TK/Kinder students and the 3rd-5th grade students at lunch recess. She was such a compassionate, free-spirited, and positive person. When the TK and Kindergarten students saw Maddie, they would immediately call out her name and gather around her to give her a hug. The students simply adored her. She loved working with children, and it showed every day she was at Carlton. We are deeply grateful to her for the loving care she provided when she worked with our students. Our hearts go out to Maddie McCarthy's family.

District mental health therapists, school psychologists, and school counselors will be on campus to provide immediate emotional support for our students and staff. Here are some resources that may be helpful to you if your child experiences grief.

• Stages of Grief and Supporting Children at different ages
• Grief Support Resources in Santa Clara County
• Coping With Grief and Loss
• When a Loved One Dies: How to Help Your Child

Thank you so much for supporting our donation drive for Second Harvest of Silicon Valley! We were able to raise $8,107. This is enough money to provide 16,214 meals! Here are the grade level totals:

4th grade - $4,136 (winner of grade level competition)
5th grade - $1,435
3rd grade - $902
2nd grade - $607
1st grade - $548
TK/K - $479

The grade-level competition is over but you can still donate to help families that are suffering from food insecurity. https://impact.shfb.org/team/464827 Thank you for helping us provide meals for those in need in our community! It is wonderful that our students are developing awareness about the needs of others in the community.

Girls on the Run is a social-emotional program for girls in 3rd-5th grade that teaches critical life skills, such as developing healthy friendships, managing emotions, standing up for yourself and others, how to set goals, and make intentional decisions. This program will be offered at Carlton from February 27 to May 13 which will conclude with participation in a 5k race. If you would like to register your 3rd-5th grade child, go to https://www.gotrsv.org/programs. Practices will be on Wednesday immediately after school until 2:30 and Friday immediately after school until 4pm.

Do you know someone who would like to be a coach, along with other Carlton parents this spring? One more coach is needed for our site. If you would like more information there is a virtual information night on December 14th at 6:30pm. At the virtual information night, you can learn more about Girls on the Run and how the volunteer coaches make an impact on the lives of girls in our community. Click here to register today.

If you are interested in working at Carlton as a yard duty supervisor, even once or twice a week, please contact our office as soon as possible. (408)356-1141 No experience is necessary. Training will be provided. This is a great opportunity to support our students as they eat and play during lunch recess. We also need subs who work only when one of our regular yard duty supervisors is absent.

Lunch Hours

11:10 -12:00 Kindergarten (rooms 1-3)

11:30 - 1:20 TK/Kinder (room 4 and 9)

11:55 to 12:45 Third grade

12:00-12:50 First and Second Grade

12:15 - 12:55 Fourth and Fifth grade

Please fill out this Yard Duty Volunteer form if interested in volunteering or subbing. We are also in need of substitute Crossing Guards before and after school. Thank you!