The STAR

Hello Ruby Families,

Welcome to the season of fall... a good time to reflect on change and a good time to enjoy the traditions that come with fall: changing leaves, cooler weather, warmer clothing, warm foods, nature preparing for winter...

And not just seasonal change- change in our personal and professionals lives, change in technologies, changes in lifestyles, changes in mindset, and most importantly, changes our kiddos experience. As we move through this season, let's embrace change, let's reflect, and like plants, let's continue to grow.

Some school highlights:

• New desks for most classrooms
• New outdoor tables
• STEAM labs are open
• Fun learning in classrooms
• Donations from our community- thanks PTA!
• Coordinated and successful schoolwide Covid testing
• Media Center open in the morning and afterschool
• Learning around the 4B's, The Breathing Tool, Quiet Safe Place Tool, Life Skills of Respect and Cooperation
  
• Restorative practices
• Star Card drawing and classrooms stores are open to students

• Plan for a timely drop-off and pick-up. Instruction begins at 8:20 for Kinder-5th grades. TK hours are 8:30-12:15 pm. We dismiss at 2:50 pm for 1st-5th grades. Please plan for an on time pick up as we do not have supervision afterschool.
• If you are dropping off and picking up students, you MUST do so along the curb. DO NOT drop students in the middle of the drive through lane. Used the coned lane for safety. Pay attention to the crosswalks and families in the parking lot. DRIVE SLOWLY!!!!
• Please PARK in the parking lot at the end of the Ruby driveway. Our limited parking is for staff.
• All adults are being reminded to wear a mask during drop off. Thank you for modeling for students and families. Safety is important to all of us!
• Breakfast and lunch are free for all students; however, we still need you to complete the lunch application so our Title 1 status is not jeopardized. Here is lunch application: www.myschoolapps.com

• Attendance is important! Make sure your student arrives on time for learning as every day counts. If your student is absent, please email our attendance clerk, Ms. Jones, at sjones@alamedaunified.org or call 510-748- 4006, ext. 06751. Late students should report to the office.

In prioritizing student safety, our campus will be closed to non AUSD staff. If you have a need to reach your student's teacher or a staff member, please email or call the school directly. Again, no parents/guardians will be permitted on campus.

If you suspect your student is sick, PLEASE keep them at HOME. We are also asking that ALL students are tested this week. You may visit Wood Middle School or Alameda High school (3-6pm)for a test. Students exhibiting symptoms of Covid while at school will be sent home. Under no circumstances should you send students who are ill to school.

Masks should be on at all times while on campus. This is for both adults and students. Masks are only removed for eating and drinking. We will prioritize handwashing and safe hygiene. As shared in prior communication, all classrooms have multiple layers of ventilation.

Mandatory Covid testing for ALL students. If you have not given consent for testing through Aeries data confirmation, your child WILL BE SENT HOME FOR AN AT HOME QUARINTINE for 10 days. This is the case if there is a positive case within your student's classroom.

Water stations are now open, send a labeled water bottle for your student. Also, continue to talk to your child about safety protocols, (no) body contact between them and other students.

AUSD has a new COVID-19 testing form that needs to be filled out ASAP. (There were some technical issues with the consent form that was included in the Data Confirmation process at the start of school, and the district still needs insurance information from many families.)

Please fill out the consent form attached to this ParentSquare message (sent Friday afternoon) to allow National Labs to test your child during a) background testing and also b) targeted testing when there is a positive case in your child’s classroom. More details are available in the ParentSquare message itself.

Students whose families do not consent to testing need will need to quarantine at home for 10 days when there is a positive case in their classroom.

Note: The PDF “Legal Consent Background” file that is attached to Friday’s message is just for background. To submit consent, please log into your ParentSquare account and then click on the form that is attached.

"Latinx Heritage Month, recognized annually from September 15 through October 15, honors the history, cultural diversity, and unique contributions of individuals and communities whose ancestry can be traced back to Spain, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Sept. 15 coincides with the Independence Day celebrations of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, followed shortly thereafter by Mexico (Sept. 16) and Chile (Sept. 18). Día de la Raza and Indigenous Peoples Day, recognized on the second Monday of October, also fall within this period. The term “Latinx” relates to people of Latin American origin or descent and is used as a gender-neutral or non-binary alternative to Latino or Latina."

https://youtu.be/RCN1hAEZHnw

https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/4e982b0c-8c5f-4ebf-8add-ca692a1cc099/hispanic-heritage-month-all-about-the-holidays/

https://latinosinkidlit.com/2021/01/04/2021-titles-by-for-about-latinx/

Students will be engaged in learning and projects over the month.

We help support an Alameda-based soccer program for youth with disabilities known as Champions. Ages 6-18 are welcome. We are looking for more players. We will be practicing on Sundays from 2-4 pm from September 12-November 14th at Estuary Park.

We typically partner each player with a volunteer, teach basic soccer skills, and scrimmage (for those that are interested). We end the season with a team party and trophies. Our players and families seem very satisfied and have returned for several seasons. With a pause in our program since the pandemic, we are low on players.

Please contact Julie Conner (julieconner26@gmail.com) or 858.736.6557 for further information.

Goals of Meetings:

1) To build community across our ELL families who share the same language, as well as introduce them to our trusted A Team and our ELD Leads.

2) Encourage parents to join their ELACs and the DELAC

3) Build a baseline understanding, so that information doesn’t have to be repeated. (As a note: an FAQ and videos in multiple languages are still part of the long-term plan.)

Mongolian and Vietnamese

Tuesday, 9/21/2021 5:30 PM-7:00 PM

Where: bit.ly/ellfamily

Arabic and Spanish

Thu 9/30/2021 5:30 PM-7:00 PM

Where: bit.ly/ellfamily

Help us Fundraise and Plan the Celebration for your Ruby Stars! We need your help!

It's a tradition to fundraise every year for library books, classroom supplies, assemblies, field trips, and more. We CANNOT help support our school financially without this fundraiser and volunteers to help.

Volunteers will plan the event via email and phone calls as needed. We anticipate about 2-4 hours of time spent between now and the end of October. Time spent is very flexible due to most of the planning happening via email.

Volunteers will have a budget, instructions/information from previous years, and help to:

• Order and distribute T-shirts to EVERY Student
• Hire a DJ
• Plan a celebration for students during school hours
• Facilitate a friendly fundraising competition among lower and upper grads
• Run the online fundraising platform
• Get the word out about our fundraiser and fundraising goals.

Please email RubyBridgesPTA@gmail.com or let the front desk know if you can help.

THANK YOU!

Ruby Bridges PTA

PTA General Membership Meetings

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6070079703?pwd=cjd3TzZPUkwxZVNxQnlDMTlRTHRKQT09

Thursday October 14, 6 pm Virtual

Thursday, January 13, 6 pm, Virtual or in person

Thursday, March 24, 6pm, Virtual

Thursday May 19, 6 pm, Virtual or in person/ End of year celebration of accomplishments

Events

Dance-A-Thon October 11-29

Dance-A-thon Celebration October 29

Winter Gathering December 9 (if able to gather in person)

Winter Craft Night February 17 (TBD virtual or in person)

Camp EDMO Families,

This is a reminder that in order to keep our after school program running, we must have parents/guardians following our pick up policy. Students in kindergarten may leave as early as 5pm and grades 1st-5th may leave as early as 5:45pm. Any early release must be approved by the site coordinator. Please help do your part to ensure we keep Camp EDMO programming for your child. Thank you.

10/4 & 10/5- Schoolwide Covid testing

10/7/21- August/September Awards for Toolbox, 4 Bs and, Life Skills

10/8/21- No School- Teacher Professional Development Day

10/6/21- 6:30-8:00- Title 1 Evening of Learning- Bike Raffle for family attendance (Zoom)

10/7/21- DELAC Meeting 5:30-7:00 https://zoom.us/j/6488631334

10/12/21- School Site Council Meeting 4-5:15 pm

10/13/21- Picture Retake Day

10/11-10/29-Dance-a-thon -Fundraiser; 10/29 Dance-a-thon event- Blacktop

10/29- Halloween Parade- following--morning drop off- details forthcoming

10/14/21- PTA General Meeting 6-7 pm https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6070079703?pwd=cjd3TzZPUkwxZVNxQnlDMTlRTHRKQT09

Email: dpharr@alamedaunified.org
Website: https://rubybridges-alamedausd-ca.schoolloop.com/
Location: 351 Jack London Avenue, Alameda, CA, USA
Phone: 510-748-4006
Twitter: @RBStars