RHS Spotlight: January 25, 2021
Application deadline for the 2021-22 school year: Feb. 5.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
2021-22 Application window closes soon!
OUSD Reopening: Info & Listening Session: Jan. 25
OUSD Reopening: Info & Listening Sessions
Please join us for one of many Reopening Info & Listening Sessions scheduled through February and hosted by OUSD Board Directors. Upcoming dates include (limited to 300 attendees), Jan. 25 and Feb. 1 - all starting at 5:30p.m.
Each session will cover the following topics:
State and County safety standards
OUSD safety plans
OUSD plans for in-person learning
Process for returning
Session access details, more information and future dates at www.ousd.org/reopening2021infosessions
Redwood Heights Town Hall Meeting, TUE, 2/9/2021 @ 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)
Got RHS TOWN HALL QUESTIONS?
Questions for the Redwood Heights Town Hall Meeting Survey
Thank You!!!
Dear RHS Family,
I hope you're doing well. As you know, I was away from the office last week.
I’m looking forward to getting back up to speed. I am in the midst of catching up with emails. If there were urgent requests or concerns please either resend the email or call the office @ 510-879-2148 and I will get back to you ASAP.
We will continue our our conversation as partners to share, clarify and plan a potential school reopening. Come to the. VIRTUAL REDWOOD HEIGHTS TOWN HALL MEETING, PART 2 ,TUE, 2/9/21@ 6:45 PM
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)
OUSD Reopening Info & Listening Sessions
Please join us for one of the many OUSD Reopening Info & Listening Sessions scheduled over the next few months. Upcoming dates include Jan. 25 and Feb. 1; all sessions begin at 5:30p.m. The information is below and also posed on the OUSD website.
Thank you RHS community! You have stood with us, and we will always be here for you.
Warm Regards and Peace & Love,
Cynthia
Returning to In Person Instruction
OUSD will not begin the phased-in approach to reopening schools to in-person instruction on Jan. 25, 2021 as originally proposed. Read the full Dec. 14, 2020 update from the Superintendent: https://t.e2ma.net/message/lb8wud/xs1o57
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
JUDD WINICK AUTHOR VISIT - INTENT TO ORDER. WE DID IT!
We DID IT! We have 24 orders so far. Redwood Heights School Library is excited to announce we will host popular HiLo author Judd Winick Friday, February 26th for a virtual author visit! Mrs. Dalloways is offering this visit, a local independent bookstore that supports our library. In order to invite him we need to sell at least 20 of his books at FULL PRICE with tax of $15.58/copy. Please consider ordering a few of his books to make sure we get a visit from this exciting author. Support his visit here. Additionally, we can SHARE! If you would like to sponsor a student reader who cannot afford a book please consider becoming an angel donor and order a second book. We are partnering with Greenleaf School to support their student readers with this effort. Of course if you know a Redwood Heights student who needs an angel please reach out to Ms. Akemon at emily.akemon@ousd.org.
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)
Read the Latest Connecting with Kyla: CLICK BELOW FOR THE LATEST MESSAGE.
Dear Oakland Community,
This pandemic has been difficult for all of us and especially hard on some families. It is vital that we hear from those most affected by this situation, namely our families and staff. We will be surveying our staff in the coming weeks.
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