Shark Bites Newsletter 11/14/24

Sycamore Valley Elementary

Shark Bites Newsletter

Message from Principal Kawahara

November 14, 2024

Art From Mrs. O’Malley’s 1st Grade Class

Dear Sycamore Valley Families,

I hope you and your family are well. We have been enjoying all things fall this week as the weather has taken a decidedly autumn turn, students are doing fall inspired art and writing projects. One of the highlights of my week was having a third grader explain the bioengineering behind falling leaves - Sycamore Sharks are smart cookies!!

Keep reading for some dates to remember, the November and December Read Aloud schedules, and information on the December Read Aloud and Character Trait of the Month and Lost and Found donations.

Dates to Remember:
11/15 – Family Game Night
11/20 - Shark Fund Meeting 6:30pm Virtual

11/21 - Giving Thanks Lunch - MPR
11/25-11/29 - No School - Thanksgiving Break
12/02 - C.O.P.E. Seminar
12/04 - PTA Association Meeting 8:05am - MPR

12/04 - Lost & Found Donation Pick up
12/04 - Astronomy Night - 5:30 - 7:30 - Blacktop

November Schedule at a Glance

Read Aloud and Character Trait Information:

Read Aloud: November 24/25-Final

Read Aloud: December 24/25-Final

The December Character Trait is Trustworthy. We will be exploring this concept with the book I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen.

Lost and Found Donations:

Lost and Found items will be donated on December 4th. If your child has lost a water bottle, sweatshirt, etc. please check the lost and found by December 3rd as we will be packing up items for the pick up on December 4th.

Take a look at the Rack outside the MPR. You may be surprised and find a sweatshirt / jacket / or sweater that you did not know was left behind.

District Updates:

TK and Kinder enrollment has begun!
See more information below in the newsletter regarding enrollment for the 25/26 school year.

Eat a Rainbow - November is a great month to eat orange fruit and vegetables!

During the week of November 18th, SRVUSD Harvest Bars will be full of sweet orange bell peppers and persimmons. Child Nutrition is providing educational resources to go along with the offering on the salad bar. Consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables in different hues provides essential vitamins and nutrients that can help prevent disease. So, make sure to fill your plate half full with a variety of fruits and vegetables each day!

Resources to share on ORANGE color month: Folder with educational materials and activities.

Call for Volunteers for Annual Giving Thanks Lunch:

Children Nutrition is serving a special Thanksgiving menu on Thursday, November 21st. Volunteers are needed to help serve the special lunch as the menu is more complex than usual. All volunteers will need to be cleared through Be A Mentor. Here is the link to sign up Elementary Volunteers Sign Up. More details below in the flier.

Please keep reading for some upcoming event information and other PTA/Shark Fund News.

Thank you,

Patricia Kawahara

Principal

Important Dates to Remember

11/15 – Family Game Night

11/20 - Shark Fund Meeting 6:30pm Virtual

11/21 - Give Thanks Lunch - MPR

11/25-11/29 - No School - Thanksgiving Break

12/02 - C.O.P.E. Seminar
12/04 - PTA Association Meeting 8:05am - MPR

12/04 - Astronomy Night - 5:30 - 7:30 - Blacktop

12/11 - Sharky Cinema - 12:50 - 2:30 - MPR

12/23 - 01/06 - No School - Winter Break

Reminder:
If you need to drop-off items for your child

or their teacher,

Please call the school office when you arrive

at the main gate.

(925) 855-2800

Attendance Line

Please call the attendance line to report an absence: 925-855-2898

AR 5113 States that all absences which are not cleared within two days after a student's return to school shall be recorded as unexcused (CUT).

ENROLLMENT

TK / K Enrollment - Priority Enrollment Window November 1 - 30, 2024

for the 2025/2026 school year. Applications should be submitted online.

SPIRITWEAR

Click here for the Spiritwear Sale

Shark Spirit Clothing

Sycamore Valley Holiday Sale

The official Sycamore Valley spirit wear store has launched a holiday sale! Choose from hundreds of designs and garments, all with home delivery guaranteed by December 23rd!

Enjoy a limited-time savings of 25% site wide with great gifts for the entire family! In addition, all orders over $75 will receive free shipping. Shop Now!

25% off all items 11/04 – 12/10.Guaranteed delivery by 12/23/24.
Store Link: https://1stplace.sale/13542

FREE SHIPPING $75+

Please register to attend the Astronomy Night event so we will know how many people we should plan for. Thank you!

Sycamore Valley Elementary: Astronomy Night 2024

PTA Updates

Students at our Sister School, King Elementary in Richmond, are in need of winter coats. This year we will be collecting coats from Sycamore families to help the kids of our Sister School.

Please help keep them warm this winter!
Please select a student to shop for and sign up on the Sign-Up Genius.

Coat Drive for King Elementary

Many store are having sales. Check out Kohl’s, Macy’s, JC Penny, Old Navy and Costco for good bargains. Costco has some children’s coats for around $15-20. If you do not have time to shop for coats, please consider making a donation (any amount helps) on Future Fund and we will shop for you.
Donation link: https://sycamorevalley.futurefund.com/go/39492-sister-school-donation

Look for donation bins near the office to drop off the items you purchase.
All coats MUST BE WRAPED and LABELED with KING STUDENT NAME, GRADE and SIZE when dropping them off at school. We will be collecting new coats through Monday, December 9th.

Sycamore Valley Elementary 21st Annual Fun Run!

Thank you to everyone who donated time, money, or both to the 21st Annual Sycamore Valley Fun Run!

It was a huge success! Special thanks to the classroom coordinators who helped organize our students in spirit wear and all the volunteers who came out to set up, encourage runners, and clean up!

If paying by check, please make sure to turn in your checks to the office by Friday, November 15th.

Information to come soon for the students and class who raised the most pledge dollars!

Thank you Cara Gamble with The Agency, for Sponsoring our Fun Run VIP section today!

Questions: Erin Meyer— funrun@sycamorevalleypta.org

YEARBOOK

SYCAMORE FAMILIES!! WE NEED YOUR PICTURES! There is a new yearbook site for sharing pictures, it's user friendly and simple. When pictures are submitted please add event, grade, student names and teacher. You can't tell us too much. The more pictures you share the better the yearbook will be!

BOOK CLUB:

The first book club meeting is on Wednesday, November 20th, from 1-2pm in the library. We will be discussing the books Doodleville by Chad Sell and Stella by McCall Hoyle. For any questions, please contact Jyoti (rekhij@gmail.com).

STEAM ART:

Signups for November-May STEAM Art classes have gone out. For any questions, please contact Kristina (kristinabuskirk@gmail.com). Due to the large response to this class, new student sign ups are now closed for the year.

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS:

The book list is now available for Battle of the Books! Please contact Nida Qadeer (nuq101@gmail.com) for the book list and any questions about the program.

RESEARCH PROJECTS:

The Research Project for November/December is aligned with the upcoming Astronomy Night, to be held at Sycamore's blacktop on December 4th, 5:30-7:30pm (with backup dates of December 6th and 7th). It will be a fun evening for families and enthusiastic astronomers alike to view the night sky through telescope displays, talk with astronomers, and enjoy hot cocoa.

Students can pick any topic for their research presentation that is related to Astronomy. Example research topics may include, but are not limited to, the solar system, constellations, space exploration, the milky way, stars, asteroids, comets, galaxies, black holes, telescopes, gravity, etc.

Presentations can be a trifold and/or poster board. Trifolds for projects are available in the front office. For this research topic we will not be accepting slide show (ppt), audio or video presentations as all research presentations will be displayed at Astronomy Night.

Presentations are due on December 4th. Students should bring their presentations to the Astronomy Night event for displaying and then take their research projects home at the end of the event.

For any questions or concerns, please contact Raj (rajiedeol@gmail.com).

STEAM ART:

Signups for November-May STEAM Art classes have gone out. New STEAM art sign ups are closed. Please contact Kristina Buskirk with questions. (kristinabuskirk@gmail.com)

WORDMASTERS:

WordMasters is under way with Challenge 1 sent for our 2nd/3rd graders and 4th/5th graders. Our students have until December 4 to take the Challenge 1 test. For any questions, please email Kathryn Rapp, WordMasters Coordinator, at kathryn.montilla@gmail.com

Contact steamenrichment@sycamorevalleypta.org with any questions about the STEAM Enrichment program.

Be A Mentor:

Volunteer Clearance - Reminder

We ask all of our parents/guardians to register w/ Be A Mentor for level #1 - general volunteer. This clearance will allow you to be on campus and/or in the classroom with the children.

Here is the link to sign up. Be A Mentor Click on the New Volunteers Apply Now on the bottom right side of the page. A TB test is a new requirement. The risk assessment form is to be completed by your doctor. You will need to upload, to your Be A Mentor account, either the completed risk assessment form or the negative TB test result form from your doctor.

Shark Fund Updates

Dippin’ Dot Calendar:

Dates To Be Determined

Dippin Dot Pre-pay Punch Cards are Back!

Punch cards can be purchased for $25.00.

Prepay for 5 Dippin' Dots, get one free

Save time in line

No need to bring money to school

Families can share one card

100% of proceeds benefit your students at Sycamore

Sharky Shout Out:

Thank you to the parents that volunteered this week for Sharky Cinema. The students enjoyed the movie.

School Site Council Update

School Site Council Meeting January - Date to be Determined

After School Enrichment

Please refer to Peachjar for after school enrichment opportunities that are offered for Sycamore students.

Sycamore Peachjar

Budget Reductions Input Survey and Town Halls

Budget Reductions Input Survey and Town Halls

We encourage our entire community to take the time to participate and make your voice heard! Take the Budget Reductions Input Survey - srvusdlinks.net/BudgetSurvey (remains open until November 22nd at midnight), and join an upcoming Town Hall. Your input is vital in ensuring that our decisions reflect the needs and values of our community.

Lost & Found

With the change of weather our lost and found will grow!!

Take a look at the Rack and in the Yellow Bin.

You may be surprised and find a sweatshirt / jacket / or sweater that you did not know was left behind.

Lost and Found items will be donated
on December 4th.
Many of the coats will go to One Warm Coat and
the rest to local charities

Please make sure that your child's name is marked on their clothing.

Smaller Lost & Found items are in the Office.

Water Bottles and Lunch Boxes are on the shelf in the MPR.

Child Nutrition

Meals Provided @ Sycamore

Breakfast & Lunch will be provided at no cost to all students that request a meal at school.

MENUS

For more information about the meals, please visit the Child Nutrition Website.

https://www.srvusd.net/Departments/Business-Services/Child- Nutrition/index.html

Give Thanks Lunch Volunteer Sign-ups: Elementary Volunteers Sign Up

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