March 16, 2025

Principal's Message

Dear Brittan Acres Families, 

Celebrating Ability Awareness Week at Brittan Acres

We are excited to celebrate Ability Awareness Week (AAW) with our Brittan Acres community and the greater San Carlos School District from March 17-21! Each year, this special week provides meaningful opportunities for students to develop a deeper understanding, acceptance, and appreciation of individual learning and ability differences through engaging, hands-on activities.

The mission of Ability Awareness Week is to highlight and celebrate the unique abilities of every individual. Through experiential learning, students will gain insight into what it’s like to complete everyday tasks while navigating different learning or developmental challenges. These shared experiences will help foster empathy, spark important discussions, and promote a more inclusive school environment.

As part of the Special Education District Advisory Council (SEDAC) initiative, we focus not on what a person has, but on who they are. By shifting the narrative from limitations to strengths, we aim to help our students see and celebrate the abilities in everyone.

Book Spotlight for Abilities Awareness Week: Masterpiece

Masterpiece by Alexandra Hoffman is a compelling exploration of unique perspectives and the power of artistic expression. This book delves into the world of a character who sees the world differently, using their creativity to communicate and connect. It's a poignant reminder that disability does not diminish talent or potential, and that art can be a powerful tool for self-discovery and understanding. Celebrate Ability Awareness Week by embracing the diverse voices and artistic contributions that enrich our world.

As we celebrate Abilities Awareness Week, this story is a wonderful way to spark conversations about empathy, equity, and the different ways people move through the world. We encourage families to read and discuss how we can all contribute to making our community more inclusive!

Some additional highlights of what will be happening in our school this week are:

• A schoolwide Assembly with Special Olympics Athletes

• Legarza P.E. coaches will be adapting PE into “Ability Stations”.

• Classroom lessons and activities taught by teachers on what it is like to have a learning or developmental difference.

Warm Regards,

Suzanne Fast, Principal
[email protected]

School District News

It's time to complete your Back-to-School forms to confirm your student's enrollment for the 2025-26 school year. All families are asked to:
- Confirm your student's enrollment
- Update contact information
- Provide other important details

On Thursday, March 13, you should have received an email titled: (2025-26) Back-To-School Form | Enrollment Confirmation from [email protected]. This email will include:
- Step-by-step instructions to update your child's records.
- A link to access the PowerSchool portal.
- Your student's unique Snap Code for completing the forms.

Deadline: Monday, March 31 - Please complete your forms as soon as possible to secure your student's spot for the next school year.

If your plans change and your student will not be returning next year, please notify your school office and email [email protected] as soon as possible.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this important process — we appreciate your partnership in preparing for another great school year!

This week's Breakfast & Lunch menu

PTA News & School News

Walk-A-Jog: Registration is open! Register now!

The Brittan Acres Walk-A-Jog (WAJ) is a wonderful tradition dating back 37 years and our biggest community event of the year. This year, the 37th Walk-a-Jog will be held on Sunday, April 27th from 10am-1pm at the upper playground.

At WAJ, students run, jog or walk around the BA blacktop with their grade while families cheer them on and enjoy a carnival filled with fun games, a variety of bounce houses, a prize booth, a delicious BBQ, and scrumptious desserts. We hope every student can participate! 

Register today! We hope all students can attend, but even if you can’t, please register anyways in order to choose the appropriate size (free!) t-shirt for your child since students wear their t-shirts to school on Friday 4/25 in anticipation of the big event.

You can learn more about WAJ, sign up for volunteer opportunities, and register for the event at the WAJ website. Remember to LOG IN to your PTEZ account BEFORE filling out the registration information.

The deadline to register is Monday, March 24th, so be sure to get your child registered this week!

For questions, please email Laura Blaich at [email protected]

Multicultural Festival is Wednesday, March 26:
RSVP & Volunteer Below!

We will celebrate the evening with amazing food, games, arts & crafts and live performances from around the world.

SCHEDULE:
Doors/food trucks open @ 5:00 pm
This year's food trucks include: Ramos Tacos & Pupusas, Ohlso Korean BBQ & Seafood (mobile robot kitchen!), and Watani Spot (Afghan & Halal)
Art/craft stations in the MU open @ 5:30 pm
Performances start @ 6:30 pm 

We are still in need of many volunteers and this event is only possible with the great help of our volunteers! We are short in all areas as listed below:

Volunteer opportunities include:
•Providing a favorite cultural snack (store-bought or homemade)
•Hosting a cultural activity station (a craft, game, writing kids' names in another language, etc.)
•Helping us prep craft materials ahead of time
•Helping us transform BA into an awesome multicultural space for the event
•Serving snacks/drinks at the event
•Managing the passport table
•Being a friendly greeter

Do you have an idea for a cultural activity station and are open to managing the activity at the event or partnering with someone to do so?
If so, please reach out to Krizia, [email protected]

Although not required, please RSVP (click the button below) to help our committee plan accordingly with space and supplies. Thank you!

Does Your Child Speak More Than One Language?
Submit Them for BA's Multicultural Night Video!

For Multicultural Night, we are compiling a video highlighting our Bruins who speak another language! From Spanish and Korean to Chinese and Hindi, we know the BA community can speak many different languages. Students do not have to be fluent to participate. 

If your child is interested in participating, please drop your video(s) here and/or send the video to [email protected] . You can record a video of your child speaking the below phrases in either the language they're learning or in their native language. If they only want to choose 1-2 phrases, they are welcome to send just those phrases to us.

Our theme for this year's video is "Useful phrases to know in another language" Please have them say the following phrases on video with a pause in between each phrase for editing purposes! 

--"Hello, how are you?"
--"Thank you"
--"Can I please have some water?"
--"Where is the bathroom?" 
--"Goodbye"

Please note that depending on the number of submissions we get, we may not be able to use your child's entire video, but every child who sends in a video will be featured! If you have a funny moment to include for potential bloopers, feel free to include that as well. Don't forget to join us at Multicultural Night on the evening of March 26! 

Level Up Your Reading Game this year at the Book Fair Story Arcade!
Open March 31-April 3 in the MU

The Book Fair is open for students to shop during class library time (see the sign up button below), lunch time, and from 2:30-3:15pm after school on Monday, March 31 and Tuesday, April 1. Our Book Fair is open online now if you would like to start shopping early with your child!

Family Night will take place on Wednesday, April 2nd from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Bring the whole family, buy a few books for your family, friends, and teachers, and grab dinner from local food trucks while you’re here. Dessert will also be provided!

This event is not possible without the help of parent volunteers! We need parents to help as cashiers while the kids shop during school, after school, and during Family Night, as well as help with set up and clean up. Please take a look at where you might donate some of your time here by clicking the button below:

Order Your Yearbook Today!

See the flyer above for information on how to order your Brittan Acres for the 2024-2025 school year. Each order includes 2 FREE customizable pages and the deadline is April 24. 

Afterschool Enrichment

San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF) News

DEIB: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Nowruz, Persian New Year, is March 20

Nowruz (Persian: نوروز, pronounced [nowˈɾuːz], literally “new day”) is the Persian term for the day of the Iranian New Year, also known as the Persian New Year. It begins on the spring equinox and is celebrated worldwide by more than 300 million people from various ethnolinguistic groups. The 3,000-year-old tradition is popular in the Middle East, the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, Central Asia and beyond. Hundreds of U.S. communities celebrate Nowruz, too. Los Angeles, home to one of the largest Persian populations outside Iran, hosts the biggest Nowruz festival in the country.

Nowruz is a largely secular holiday, meant to wish people prosperity for the new year and welcome in the future while shedding the past. Some families deep-clean their homes and closets and buy fresh clothing. It’s a month-long celebration filled with parties, craft making, street performances, and public rituals. To learn more about this holiday, check out these kids’ books:

• The New Year’s Goldfish
• Niko’s Nifty Nowruz
• Norooz A Celebration of Spring! The Persian New Year
• Soraya’s Nowruz Dance

You could also share a read-aloud of Seven Special Somethings: A Nowruz Story along with this video about a Haftseen (which means “the seven S’s”), a traditional table of symbolic items. Eid e shoma mobarak!

Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and lasts 29 or 30 days, depending on when the new crescent moon is, or should be, visible. This year, Ramadan is expected to begin around Feb. 28 and end around March 29 or 30. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, reflection, and community.

Participating Muslims who are old enough and healthy enough to fast do not eat or drink from dawn to sunset each day. Once the sun sets, family and friends gather for a meal called iftar. Fasting is intended to strengthen willpower and increase empathy for those who have less; it is also intended to encourage care with words and actions. In addition to fasting, giving to charity and doing good deeds are a special part of Ramadan and done throughout this holy month. Families donate money, food, and clothing to those in need and are encouraged to give throughout the year. 

After Ramadan, families celebrate Eid al-Fitr (“the feast of breaking the fast”), which is a joyous event with elaborate meals, monetary gifts in envelopes for children (called Eidi), and time spent with family and friends!  

To learn more about Ramadan and Eid, check out some of these books:

• Lailah’s Lunchbox by Reem Faruqi

• The Gift of Ramadan by Rabiah York Lumbard

• The Night Before Eid by Aya Khalil

• Ramadan by Hannah Elliot  

• Ramadan Around the World by Ndaa Hassan

• Under the Ramadan Moon by Sylvia Whitman

March is Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month, observed annually in March, is a dedicated time to celebrate and honor the remarkable contributions of women throughout American history. It grew out of a one-week celebration started in 1978 by the school district of Sonoma, California, and slowly spread across the country. In 1980, President Carter declared the week of March 8th as Women’s History Week and in 1987, it was expanded to a month-long focus on Women’s History. Women's History Month is an opportunity for reflection, education, and inspiration, encouraging us to appreciate the diverse and impactful roles women have played in building a more equitable and inclusive world. For more information about how Women’s History began, click here

If you’d like to dive a little deeper into Women’s History with your family, here are some ideas:

•Explore Women’s History on BrainPOP, which offers free movies, texts, games and lessons on famous women in history.
•Visit the National Women’s History Museum Website here.
•Share a book about one of many amazing women from history and today.
•Learn about Sally Ride and make an astronaut helmet out of recycled materials.
•Read Hidden Figures and create your own mini stomp rocket out of a juice pouch.
•Do your kids know the story behind Rosie the Riveter? Learn more about how the women of WWII changed the landscape of the American workforce forever.
•Read one of Andrea Beaty’s books: Rosie Revere, Engineer; Ada Twist, Scientist; and Sofia Valdez, Future Prez. Ada and her pals even have a chapter book series and their own show on Netflix.
•Go beyond U.S. history and explore women in global and modern history including Malala Yousafzai, Greta Thunberg, Michelle Obama, Simone Biles, Sonia Sotomayor, Maya Angelou and countless others.
•Check out some local events in the Bay Area celebrating Women's History Month

Community Partner News

Don’t miss your BA alumni in Aladdin KIDS on March 28 + 29
 

Cheer on our amazing young performers as they take the stage in Aladdin KIDS! Our students have worked hard for almost 2 months to learn their lines, songs, and dances. With colorful costumes and plenty of magic, this family-friendly show is sure to delight. 

Bring the whole family and celebrate Arroyo’s budding stars, including many Brittan Acres alumni!

• Cast Gus F, Lydia G, Navya G, Elle H, Ananya I, Nora K, Ava K, Jason K, Jane L, Szonja M, Raphael M, Cora M, Henry P, Layla P, Ketaki R, Casey R, Alexandra R, Bella R, Aiden T, Ivy W.

• Crew Madeleine D, Van B, Marianne M

Performances are on Friday (7pm) and Saturday (1pm + 7pm) at Mustang Hall. No tickets are required.

🌞 Mark your calendars for these terrific events coming up in March!

In this Neurodiversity Education Series webinar, Emily Kircher-Morris, LPC, author of Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools, offers Helping Neurodivergent Kids Manage "All the Feels" (March 19).

NEW! Join us for a conversation with Sahaj Kohli, MAEd, LGPC, therapist, founder of Brown Girl Therapy, and author of But What Will People Say? Navigating Mental Health, Identity, and Family Between Cultures (March 26).

PUPS event! Bill Stixrud, PhD, and Ned Johnson, national bestselling authors of The Self-Driven Child and What Do You Say?, will discuss their new book, The Seven Principles for Raising a Self-Driven Child (March 27).

Visit the Parent Venture Series of Upcoming Events page for more information.
- Parent Venture Series Events -

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