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In this issue:
- Principal's Message
Black History Month, Valentine Cards for the Community, Student Safety, Bruins of the Week, Weekly Menu
- PTA / School News Lunar New Year appreciation
- DEIB, SCSD news, SCEF updates, and more
Mark Your Calendar
Feb. 17-21: Mid-winter Break, no school
Feb. 26: PTA Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Mar. 24-28: Multicultural Week
Mar. 26: Multicultural Family Festival, 5:30 p.m.
Dear Brittan Acres Families,
During the month of February we are excited to celebrate Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, and for our younger students, 100th Day (on February 5th).
February is Black History Month and a time to celebrate the achievements of Black Americans and recognize their central role in U.S. history. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history. For more on how Black History Month began, click here.
If you’d like to dive a little deeper into Black history with your family, here are some ideas:
Thank you to everyone who helped with our Lunar New Year celebration on January 29th. The students enjoyed the Lion Dance assembly and dragon parade. We are fortunate to live in a diverse community with so many perspectives to share. It is wonderful to share many of these celebrations with students at Brittan Acres.
Valentine Community Cards
We are excited to continue our annual tradition of collecting Valentine or Kindness cards to distribute to individuals in our community. We ask that students submit their cards or letters to the front office by Monday, February 10th. These items will be delivered to the intended recipients on February 14th.
Individuals who are part of the greater community include:
- Librarian(s) at San Carlos Public Library
- Postal Service workers
- Garbage, recycle, compost workers
- Fire fighters
- Doctors, Nurses and support staff at Sequoia Hospital
- Nursing home residents
Student Safety (Crosswalk and Drop Off)
As a reminder, our speed limit in front of the school is 15 mph. Even if you are running late, please slow down and abide by this lower limit while school is in session. We do have safety patrol students out at the curb until 8:25 and we want them to be safe greeting arriving cars. If you do arrive after 8:25 AM, please have your student come through the office.
One of the best things about Brittan Acres is the number of families who walk to school. We are very lucky to have parent volunteers and a city provided crossing guard at the Cordilleras and Belle intersection to help parents and students get to school safely. Please abide by their instructions and be patient when driving through this intersection.
Bruins of the Week
Congratulations to the following Bruins of the Week!
TK-1st Grade: Lani, Hazel, Agastya
2nd-3rd Grade: Logan, Oliver, Eva
This week's Breakfast & Lunch menu
Lunar New Year Apprecations
Big shout out to everyone who donated supplies and/or their time to make Lunar New Year at BA amazing!
Special thank you to Kim Yeung and Haneul Aharoni for helping lead this event! Thank you to Laura Blaich, Priya Warke, Deana Hawkins, Yin Bayer, Lisa Shneider, Yana Ievdokymova, Addy Prado, Jen Burns, Jackie Zhao, Liz Rennaker, Stephanie Medina, Gigi Harnish, Lyndsey Kneebone, Breyon Lauher, Aimee Lam, Pamela Li, Preethi, and Olivia Ryu for donating supplies and to Kendra Nash for donating the rolls of bubble wrap! Thank you to Trish Baskin, Breyon Lauher, Laura Blaich, Mimi Drewniany for decorating outside of BA , and to Yin Bayer, Martha Stone, Emily Kates, Lavi Reddy, Emilio Galán, Mary Xu, Erika Sanchez for passing out red envelopes and Anu, Laura Blaich, Lisa Whitaker, Sarah Cassanego, and Jamie for helping with the dragon parade! This event would not be possible without each and every one of you.
San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF) News
The Read-a-Thon was a smashing success!
Thank you to everyone who participated. To see your school/child’s results visit www.scefkids.org/read2025. February 3rd is the last day to record your minutes. Check out Read-a-Thon quotes and photos on our website.
DEIB: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
February is Black History Month
Black History Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of Black Americans and recognize their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history. For more on how Black History Month began, click here.
If you’d like to dive a little deeper into Black history with your family, here are some ideas:
Become a ROPES Panelist and Make a Difference!
The Rite Of Passage ExperienceS (ROPES) is an exciting and optional enrichment program for students in San Carlos. 4th, 6th, and 8th graders embark on self-directed projects that help them build essential 21st-century skills—initiative, inquiry, creativity, communication, cooperation, service, and leadership. At the end of the journey, students present their projects to a panel of community members and earn their ROPES “rope,” which they proudly wear at their 8th-grade graduation.
We need YOU!
We’re looking for passionate parents and community members to join us as panelists for this year’s ROPES presentations. This is your chance to engage with students, celebrate their hard work, and support their growth.
Available Panelist Opportunities:
- Tuesday, March 4 | 4:30-6:30 PM
- Wednesday, March 5 | 3:30-6:30 PM
- Thursday, March 6 | 5:00-7:30 PM
Training
We’ll be hosting a training session on Zoom for all panelists on Wednesday, February 26 from 7:00-7:45 PM. It’s a great opportunity to get familiar with the process, and if you can’t make it live, the session will be recorded and available on our website.
Ready to get involved?
Sign up today to become a panelist and be part of this unforgettable experience!
For questions, reach out to: [email protected]
Every Day Counts! The Importance of Regular Attendance - Building a Strong Foundation for Success
Did you know that student attendance is one of the strongest predictors of academic success? Missing just 10% of the school year—about 15 days—can have a significant impact on your child’s performance. By 6th grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a major warning sign for potential high school dropout. Let’s work together to ensure your child attends school regularly!
Consistent attendance is crucial for developing strong reading and math skills, establishing positive habits, and laying the groundwork for future success in college and careers. Missing school not only disrupts academic progress but also affects social and emotional growth. If your child is sick, please contact our school administrative assistant. If you’re facing challenges getting your child to school, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Principal—we’re here to help.
Additional Resources: Explore these helpful tools from Attendance Works, including a Student Success Plan.
Share Your San Carlos Story for the Centennial!
The City of San Carlos is partnering with StoryCorps to record an archive of stories about San Carlos as told by community members. Our goal is to honor the City's past, document the present moment, and celebrate the City's future. Want to learn more about Story Corps? Check out their website HERE.
Do you or someone you know have a great story to tell about San Carlos? Click HERE to register or nominate someone you think would be great for an interview. Nominating someone does not obligate them to an interview.
🗓️ Mark your calendars for these terrific events coming up in February!
The first Parent Forum (English) of 2025 features Eran Magen, PhD, Founder of Parenting for Humans, in How to Give Advice Your Child (Might) Listen To (February 7).
NEW! Amy Love, AI advisor and author of "Raising Entrepreneurs: Preparing Kids for Success in the Age of AI," presents The Spark of Tomorrow: Parenting in the Age of AI (February 12).
Visit the Parent Venture Series of Upcoming Events page for more information.
- Parent Venture Series Events -
Have information to include in an upcoming issue? Submit it here.
This newsletter is brought to you by the Brittan Acres PTA. Join the PTA.
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