The FACE Forum

We hope you all had a relaxing and recharging Thanksgiving break that was filled with family, food and gratitude! As we head into December, we know this time of year can be filled with a mixture of emotions-- stress, excitement, worry, joy, and all the hustle and bustle of everything in between. Many of our students and families experience even more added challenges during this time of year, which can reflect out in various ways academically and behaviorally. Making additional family connections during the holidays not only helps you preemptively support the added challenges some families are facing and navigate the appropriate sensitivity, but it also opens up a great opportunity to connect families to community resources that can help, especially during these sometimes-stressful holiday times.

Inside this month's FACE Forum newsletter, you'll find information on December workshops for families and staff, upcoming events, food distributions, community holiday resources for families, morale boosters, partnership highlights, and more! While our FACE Forum monthly newsletter is an internal newsletter intended to only be shared with district staff, you are welcome to take any applicable parts of the newsletter that may support families and add to your own site/classroom newsletters and family messaging.

Our FACE team is wishing you a cheerful December and a warm and relaxing Winter Break ahead! Thank you for all that you've done this year and all you continue to do each day for our students, families and each other!

With Gratitude,

Your FACE Friends

Direct to Teacher Grants San Juan Education Foundation

Parent/Family Hub www.sanjuan.edu/parents

Student Hub www.sanjuan.edu/students

FACE Outreach requests (Face Mobile, mini clinics and more!) https://bit.ly/FACEoutreach

FACE Lending Library of Fun https://bit.ly/FACElendingfun

Staff Digital Resource Library (community/district flyers) https://bit.ly/FACEresource

San Juan Unified Volunteer information www.sanjuan.edu/volunteer

FACE department Intranet! (Field trip forms, volunteer flyers and more!) intranet.sanjuan.edu/face

Community Resources www.sanjuan.edu/communityresources

• Food

• Clothing

• Diapers

• Utilities & Housing

• Social & Recreational

• Academic

• Disability & Special Education

• Employment

• Mental Health

• Refugee, Immigrant & Newcomer Supports

• LGBTQIA+

• Domestic Violence

• and more!

Having a family engagement event? FACE offers items for checkout at no cost to support family engagement efforts! Staff and volunteer leaders (PTO/PTA, etc) are welcome to request items on behalf of school family engagement events. We will follow up and confirm in 2-3 business days. Pickup and return of items is at the San Juan Unified District Office during pre-scheduled hours.

For more information, visit our Lending Library of Fun Catalog!

Wintertime is a terrific time to celebrate the beautiful diversity that our students and families bring to our classrooms, schools and communities. There are many winter holidays beyond Christmas that are celebrated in the winter months. Check them out below!

• Diwali – the Hindu Festivals of Lights falls on October or November on a new moon day

• Chanukah (Hanukkah) is the Jewish Festival of Lights; the eight-day celebration is based on the Jewish calendar and it is celebrated some time within late November or December

• Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) - celebrated by Buddhists on December 8

• Saint Nicholas Day – celebrated on December 6 in many European countries and in America in many European communities

• Las Posadas – Mexican celebration celebrated for nine days, beginning December 16

• Los Reyes (Three Kings Day) - celebrated in Hispanic and Latin cultures such as Puerto Rico, Spain, and Mexico on January 6; this holiday is celebrated as Epiphany by western Christian cultures

• Shabe-Yalda (Shab-e Yaldaa) is celebrated on the eve of the winter solstice (December 20-21) in Iran by followers of many religions. It originated in Zoroastrianism, the state religion that preceded Islam
  

• Dong Zhi – celebrated in China on the Winter Solstice (December 21-23) to celebrate the winter harvest

• Soyaluna – the Hopi winter solstice festival celebrated on December 22

• Winter Solstice –There has been a recent increase in solstice observances by Atheists in the United States

• Christmas – celebrated most commonly on December 25 by different Christian traditions and celebrations in different sects and divergent cultures;

• Boxing Day (Australian, Canadian, English, Irish) - December 26

• Omisoka - celebrated in Japan on December 31, the last day of the year
  

• Chinese New Year – celebrated at the end of January, beginning of February, six weeks after the Winter Solstice

• Lohri – a harvest festival celebrated in Northern India January 13

• Midwinter Ceremony – celebrated by the Iroquois in January or February, depending on the moon cycle

• Ramadan, an Islamic religious observance, is part of a lunar-based calendar and therefore, is celebrated at different times in different years. In certain years only, it occurs around the time of Christmas

While celebrations might geographically and culturally vary, their underlying theme of joy, gratitude, and togetherness remains universal. This unity in diversity is where the true holiday spirit resides. Check out some of the children's books below to share with students and add to your classroom and school library!

Today, we promote the well-being and equal rights of people with disabilities. This call-to-action day aims to improve their living conditions and raise awareness about how to work toward accessibility in every aspect of society. We hope to better understand the challenges they face while focusing on breaking down barriers and building a more inclusive world for everyone.

The winter break is just a few weeks away and we know everyone is eagerly counting down already! To help make this time less stressful and more fun, our team created a Winter Fun Activity Pack that is being mailed to each school site! Inside the pack, you'll find fun reproducible winter-themed games and activities, along with some holiday treats to bring you some cheer these next few weeks!

Ways you can use the Winter Fun Activity Packs:

• Staff Holiday Games- Over these next few weeks, choose some surprise days to either electronically share one of the games, or make a copy for each staff person's staff mailbox. Staff who would like to participate can play the game and submit the finished game back to you. You can either draw a lucky winner, or award it to the first person who correctly completes it and returns it. You can then award the winner(s) with a small token of holiday cheer!

• Staff Meeting Ice Breaker- If you have a Staff Meeting coming up and want to add some fun, have staff members complete one of the games (either whole group or individually) as an ice breaker activity. The first person/team that completes it wins!

• Student/ Classroom Fun- Make a copy of the Winter Fun Activity Pack for each classroom and teachers can use them as class game breaks to build class community and make learning time even more fun!

• Winter Break Activity Packs for Students & Families- Make copies of some of the games for each student and send them off to their winter break with a pre-made pack of winter game fun that they can do with their families! For added fun, throw in some cocoa, popcorn, or other relaxing winter break activities!

Looking for a fun activity to do with your staff this winter? Print out the Catch the Snowflakes PDF and hide the 25 numbered snowflakes around your school campus. Send the directions below to your staff and watch them have fun hunting and catching snowflakes!

Prize ideas could be small, tangible items (such as candy, snacks, beverage, $1 items, etc.) to non-tangible items (like a free prep period, duty-free coverage, etc.). You could even make one of the snowflakes a Golden Snowflake and the one who finds it gets a larger prize!

It's always so fun to see how many sites are utilizing the monthly morale booster ideas! Shout out to Del Dayo and Mariemont for sending us these pictures below and sharing what a great boost it has been to their school communities!

Thank you to all who nominated deserving students for the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Every Student Succeeding Awards! We will be celebrating 22 amazing students this spring, thanks to you!

It’s now time to nominate a San Juan Unified administrator for one of the ACSA Administrator of the Year (AOY) awards! The San Juan ACSA Charter is looking forward to receiving your nominations and recognizing the work of our amazing administrators. Find out more information here and nominate a deserving colleague by January 6! All nominees for our San Juan ACSA Charter will be celebrated in spring of 2025. Thank you for taking a moment to recognize and celebrate our incredible administrators and all the hard work they put into supporting our students, families and community each day!

Important Upcoming Dates for Families & Staff

Open Enrollment Information Nights are Beginning! www.sanjuan.edu/enrollment/visitations

Open Enrollment Lottery Window opens December 9 and closes January 24. www.sanjuan.edu/enrollment/open-enrollment

Regional Community Care Hubs! www.sanjuan.edu/communityresources

• December 5, 2:00-4:30 pm at Cameron Ranch Elementary School (4333 Hackberry Ln., Carmichael)
• December 19, 2:00-4:30 pm at Dyer-Kelly Elementary School (3101 Bell Ave., Sacramento)

Volunteer Fingerprint Clinic- Thursday, December 5, 5:00-6:30 pm at the District Office Board Room (3738 Walnut Avenue)

FREE December Family Workshops! www.sanjuan.edu/familyed

• Dec. 11- Fostering Conflict Resolution Skills, 5:30-7:00 pm on Zoom
• Dec. 18 - Talleres Familiares (Spanish family workshop), 6:00-7:30 pm on Zoom
• Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Families- pre-recorded video in our NEW Family Engagement Video Library at www.sanjuan.edu/familyed under the "Family Engagement Video Library" tab

December Staff Professional Development Opportunities

On Zoom - Register through the Staff Portal portal.sanjuan.edu

• Dec. 4 - The Power of Partnerships

Mini-Clinics at sites by request (10-15 minutes at staff meetings) https://bit.ly/FACEoutreach

• Field Trip Process
• Volunteer Process & Recruitment
• Conflict Resolution Process
• FACE Resources

Find resources, including monthly parent newsletters, family workshops and volunteer information, as well as staff resources, such as our Lending Library of Fun, Outreach Requests, and Digital Resource Library, on our website at www.sanjuan.edu/familyed.

Find additional internal staff resources & forms on our Intranet at https://intranet.sanjuan.edu/familycommunityengagement

The Open Enrollment Lottery for the 2025-2026 school year begins on Monday, December 9 at 8:00 am through January 24 at 5:00 pm. The Open Enrollment Lottery is an annual process that allows families who live within the boundaries of San Juan Unified School District an opportunity to request a school of their choice, provided there is space available at the requested school and families are willing to provide transportation. Available space is determined by defined physical and program capacity of the school after placement of enrolled resident students. To apply, families can submit an online application at www.sanjuan.edu/openenrollment. Open enrollment lottery results will be sent to parents/guardians via email the first week of February 2025.

Copy and paste Family Workshop info direct from www.sanjuan.edu/familyed for Smore, Social Media, Class Dojo, Talking Points and email messaging! Digital content is translatable and accessible for families.

your student! Workshop topics include strategies for positive communication with school, college and career readiness, supporting student mental health, district and community resources, and more!

FACE launched a brand new Family Engagement Video Learning Library on our website where families, staff and community to access pre-recorded learning videos on a variety of topics! These videos are perfect for families who may not be able to attend our regular workshops, but would like to access the learning at a later time, or for colleagues and parent-teacher organizations who want to share the learning with families at their own site meeting or event.

December's video is "Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Families"

• Learn what Artificial Intelligence (AI) is and how it works

• Develop a deeper understanding of how staff may be using AI to support teaching and learning in new ways

• Explore AI strategies to find ways to further support your student’s academic, social and emotional learning at home.

• Connect with school programs and supports to learn more!

You can view and share the video with your families at https://youtu.be/gUbqxVqxUMY?feature=shared

We'll release a new video each month on www.sanjuan.edu/familyed.

Whether you have a 7-year-old or a 17-year-old, research shows that students perform better academically and behaviorally if the student knows their parents are involved and have high expectations.

To support this effort, each month we will feature a new "Helping Children Learn" newsletter that is full of ideas to support learning at home. You can share this free newsletter with families directly from our website!

To access the newsletters in English and Spanish for Elementary, Middle School, and High School, visit www.sanjuan.edu/familyed and click on the "Parent Newsletter" tab.

Are you ready to grow your knowledge around family and community engagement, while also earning professional development hours? Our FACE Team's lineup of virtual workshops for the winter is now open for registration! The workshops take place on Zoom and are open to all certificated and classified staff members in our district. You can register directly on our FACE course page in the PL Tile (click “FACE” in the "Subjects" section on the Home page).

*Note: If you are a school or department and would like to book a workshop for your entire staff, using your collaborative Thursday time or as part of your Staff Meeting time, please reach out to Amy Rovai Gregory to schedule. (arovai@sanjuan.edu)

The Power of Partnerships #55438- December 4, 3:30-4:30 pm on Zoom

Learn about the benefits of having community partnerships both on and off campus. We will dive into the important of relationship building as well as services offered by the FACE department to help along the way. Local community partners will present the services they offer and touch on next steps to initiate partnerships.

The FACE staff workshops take place on Zoom and are open to all certificated and classified staff members in our district. You can register directly on our FACE course page in the PL Tile (click “FACE” in the "Subjects" section on the Home page).

The FACE Mobile has been out and about in the community bringing at-home learning and community resources to families all across our San Juan Unified district and has launched its new Community Care Hubs, which you can learn about further below!

Our FACE outreach team can come out to help support you with the following:

• FACE Mobile visits

• 15 minute staff trainings on various processes:

(Problem Resolution, Volunteers, Field Trips, Partnerships, Community Resources, Family Ed, Staff Ed, general FACE overview, etc.)

• 15 minute family clinics (parent portal, preparing for parent-teacher conferences, effective school-to-home communication, exploring district and community resources, etc.)

• Volunteer recruitment (fingerprinting available evenings/weekend events only)

• Family resource center/space/bulletin board consultation

To request a FACE Mobile visit for one of your events or outreach item listed about, please click the link below:

https://bit.ly/FACEoutreach

To check out where the FACE Mobile is headed to next, visit our family education website at www.sanjuan.edu/familyed and click the FACE Mobile tab!

Check Out the New Regional Community Care Hubs!

December Community Care Hubs:

Thursday, December 5

2:00 - 4:30 pm

Cameron Ranch Elementary School (4333 Hackberry Ln., Carmichael)

Thursday, December 19

2:00 - 4:30 pm

Dyer-Kelly Elementary School, 3101 Bell St., Sacramento)

Join us at the upcoming Community Care Hubs!

Community Care Hubs are free regional pop-up community resource fairs, hosted across various locations in the district to bring together district departments and local community partners to offer valuable information, resources, and services to families and students. It’s a great opportunity to connect, learn, and share essential tools to support student success.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

• Distribute/post the flyers above for families

• Share the Community Care Hub information with your staff and families via Talking Points, school newsletters, social media, etc. Below is a pre-made blurb to help you quickly share the info!

Talking Points Blurb: Receive support and resources at our regional Community Care Hubs! These pop-up events bring together district departments and local community partners to offer valuable resources and services to families and students. It’s a great opportunity to connect and access essential tools to support student success.

Mark your calendar for December Care Hubs on the Thursdays below from 2:00 - 4:30 p.m.

• December 5 @ Cameron Ranch Elementary School

• December 19 @ Dyer-Kelly Elementary School

More information can be found at sanjuan.edu/communityresources

It was another successful Community Care Hub and holiday food distribution, thanks to our valuable partnerships with Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services who provided turkeys and holiday food, Kiwanis Club of Citrus Heights for providing grocery gift cards and volunteers, Mesa Verde Key Club for providing student helpers, Carriage Elementary for hosting, and a variety of wonderful community partners who provided on-the-spot resources and supports to families. We are so grateful for all that our community partners, schools and departments do to help brighten the holidays for our families!

San Juan Central Food Closet

The San Juan Unified food closet is located at the Central Enrollment Center (3700 Garfield Ave. in Carmichael) and serves families, staff and community who are in need of non-perishable food items.

Hours:

Open year round, Monday through Friday (NEW HOURS! 9:00 am-1:00 pm)
Closed on non-school days and holidays.

Need more information on food resources? Visit www.sanjuan.edu/resources/community-resources for more information about our district food closet and community food banks.

Filled with free family fun programs and activities, food and toy assistance programs, ongoing food/meal resources and more, this winter holiday resource guide is a helpful support to share with your staff to help families in need. Click on the PDF link further below to print and share!

*Note that this is last year's resource guide and the 2024 guide has not been released at this point, but we wanted to get the information out to you all for families and staff who are needing supports. The resources and organizations listed in the 2023 guide are still active, but we recommend following up with the organization if any specific event dates and application deadlines are listed.

Free holiday assistance in Sacramento County!

The Salvation Army Angel Tree
The non-profit will provide free toys and Christmas gifts to children under the age of 12. There may be clothes, Legos, tablets, arts and crafts and more for kids. Food baskets are also available in Sacramento County, and those can be provided to both single households or families with children as well. Senior citizens can also get a meal or small gift.

• Location is 213 Orange Grove Avenue, North Highlands, CA 95660, 2550 Alhambra Boulevard, Sacramento, California 95817. Phone: (916) 678-4010

• Another social services is 3755 N Freeway Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95834. Call (916) 563-3700

• There are other assistance programs, both year round and during the holidays. More on Sacramento Salvation Army assistance programs.

• The Salvation Army also runs Angel Tree from 10370 Old Placerville Rd, Sacramento, CA 95827. Call (916) 563-3700.

Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Toy Project
This program is not for residents of the city, but only for the unincorporated areas of the county. Toys and Christmas gifts are available as the result of donations from non-profit agencies, peace officers, volunteers, and local businesses. Toys are given out first come and served to those that qualify. Dial 916-361-4571.

Sacramento USMC Marine Free Toys for Tots Foundation
New toys are given to children and teenagers under the age of 14. The Christmas gifts will be new and unwrapped. Dolls, games, shoes, books, and other presents may be given out. There may be electronics, tablets, sporting equipment and many other presents. Immigrants and single moms or dads can also register. Apply at http://sacramento-ca.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/Default.aspx

Union Gospel Mission Sacramento - UGM SAC
Main address - 400 Bannon St., Sacramento, California 95811. Phone: (916) 447-3268
The charity only has food and meals. There are Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas basket programs. The food is for seniors, the working poor, and homeless among others.

Loaves & Fishes
1351 N C St, Sacramento, CA 95811. Phone: (916) 446-0874
Meals are served at the holidays. There may be referrals to some gift-giving services. There may also be some small prizes/gifts given out.

Saint Ignatius Loyola Parish
3235 Arden Way, Sacramento, California, 95825. Call 916-482-9666
Holiday assistance includes Thanksgiving meals, food baskets, and more. Volunteers may be able to provide some minimal Christmas help too.

Now Faith Church of Deliverance
721 N B St., Sacramento, CA 95811. Dial (916) 444-1800
Various holiday assistance is offered as part of TfT. The charity has volunteers that help the low income, poor, and needy. Christmas gifts, school supplies, groceries, holiday food, turkey meals, and more.

Stanford Settlement Neighborhood Center
Main address is 450 West El Camino Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95833
The only zip codes are 95833, 95834, 95815, 95835, as well as 95838. The charity helps seniors, low income families and individuals. There are free gifts for kids under the age of 15 as well as holiday food or groceries. Call 916-927-1303.

Holiday help from Catholic Charity churches
Free meals, food, Christmas gifts, Adopt a Family, meals on thanksgiving day and other holiday assistance is offered. Clothes, video games, and top Christmas toys may be offered based on donations. Various churches help infants, seniors, teenagers, and single moms or migrant workers among others. Continue with Catholic charities Sacramento County holiday programs.

This Is Pentecost (TIP) Fellowship Ministry
Location is 6489 47th St., Sacramento, CA 95823. Main Phone: (916) 422-4962
A faith based group that gives out free toys to teenagers and younger. They partner with the Toys for Tots. Free unwrapped Christmas gifts in Sacramento County are for the low income, working poor, and families in poverty. Books, toys, games, clothes and more.

Sacramento Food Bank
They are a regional non-profit. Various social services are offered, including free ingredients for a holiday meal, including at Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. Small gifts, clothes, and Christmas toys or gift certificates may be offered too. More information on Sacramento Food Bank assistance programs.

Love Action Int
Physical address - 5848 Santa Fe Way, North Highlands, CA 95660. Dial (916) 796-9846
Free Christmas or Thanksgiving toys, trucks or games for boys, dolls and games for girls, electronics, and other free Christmas toys. Parents may be given gift certificates too.

Additional Sacramento County area holiday programs (Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas)
Many other groups provide help, often in partnership with the United Way. There may be free gift cards or clothes. Or stocking stuffers or Christmas tree decorations. The unemployed, working poor, migrant workers and others can get free Xmas help. Call 916-498-1000 or a charity below.

• River City Food Bank has free holiday meal groceries and ingredients. The address is 1800 28th Street, Sacramento, CA 95816. Call 916-446-2627

• Holy Cross Conference - SVdP, Sacramento Diocesan Council. Call 916-373-3318

• Gifts From The Heart (GFTH) Program - They only provide help to seniors or children who are part of the Divisions of Child Protective Services or Senior and Adult Services. A number of agencies, corporations and stores work on this service with the county government.

• Good Shepherd Conference - Saint Vincent is a free clothing closet (with seasonal items too) at 9539 Racquet Court, Elk Grove, CA, 9575. Phone - 916-572-7553

Twin Lakes Food Bank
The non-profit is at 327 Montrose Dr, Folsom, CA 95630.
Christmas baskets are only for residents of Granite Bay, Folsom, and El Dorado Hills. Dial 916-985-6232 for more information or intake.

Neil Orchard Senior Activities Center - Cordova Recreation & Park District
Address is 3480 Routier Rd, Sacramento, California 95827. Call (916) 366-3133
Senior citizens, no matter their income, can be given a free holiday meal with their peers.

This list was created by and can be found by visiting https://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/sacramento_free_holiday_assistance.html.

You can also visit 211 Sacramento Holiday Programs search tool - Holiday Programs | 211 Sacramento for more holiday assistance!

US residential households are now eligible to order four free at-home COVID tests from the US Postal Service COVID test order page. Please share this with your school communities to encourage households and families to prepare for respiratory virus season and learn how and when to test for COVID-19. Some of the tests shipped may show expired dates on the box—please note the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the expiration dates of the tests being distributed through this program. You can find the full list of extended test expiration dates at the FDA At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests web page.

We know how challenging and time-consuming it is to search for resources for families, so our team has been building a Digital Resource Library for all sites and departments to have access to. In this library, you'll find flyers and links for district and community resources to assist with housing, clothing, food, health, special education, college and career, community service partners, and more. We'll be adding to this library regularly, so keep checking to see what's new! The link allows anyone in San Juan to view the resources, so please feel free to share the link with your site/ department team members!

700 trips have been planned already this year-- amazing!

Adult Field Trip Authorization /Parent Permission Slip no longer required!

40% Nov-June bus remaining

Feb & March 60% bus remaining

22% bus remaining Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

55% bus remaining Monday & Thursday

School Bus Availability Calendar shows remaining buses by date for remainder of school year

Check out our Trips to Consider page on the intranet or printable pdf for local & cost-efficient educational trips!

Did this help you find a trip? Let us know for a chance to win a transportation grant for your next trip! Trips to Consider Feedback Survey

Community partners are ready and willing to support school site initiatives however, they have shared that they need ample time to plan as community engagement typically is part of what they do, but not ONLY what they do. When scheduling community partners for events, try to give a minimum of 8 weeks' notice. This usually ensures that the partners can participate and thus results in a larger amount of community involvement.

Once you have a community partner support you with an event or initiative, celebrate them for the help they provided! A simple photo or shout out goes a long way to make them feel appreciated and valued as partners.

You can submit a shout out for them in our district newsletters by clicking the link here:

Photo of the week submission

This month we hosted our bi-annual Principal for a Day event! In addition to our school principals and 39 community partners participating in this exciting day of learning, we also piloted a new program, Partner for a Day. Instead of hosting a community partner at the school site to learn about the school and opportunities to partner, some of our site leaders took field trips out to our community partner agencies to learn more about community resources and how the agencies can assist with supporting their school communities. It was a wonderful day of partnership, thanks to everyone who participated! A huge thank you to our gracious Partner for a Day pilot hosts:

Aerospace Museum of California

Assistance League of Sacramento

Pride Industries

Single Mom Strong

Apply today to bring a $5,000 Learning Experience Grant to your school site! Learning Experience Grants encourage student development and build community through a shared learning experience, particularly at the entire grade level or entire school site. In support of the grant's purpose to create a community-minded shared learning experience, applicants are highly encouraged to submit an application jointly with their school administrators. Grant applications focusing on equity and inclusion are highly recommended.

School climate refers to a school’s overall atmosphere, which affects everyone’s experiences in the community. A positive school climate supports healthy youth development, improves mental health, and boosts student motivation and academic success. It can also reduce absenteeism, suspension rates, and behavioral issues, while helping improve family and community engagement.

This step-by-step guide from West Ed and the National Center for School Safety is designed to support educators and administrators in creating a positive and supportive school climate, including conducting a needs assessment, selecting strategies, initiative implementation, and sustaining improvement efforts.

There are so many wonderful student, family and community engagement highlights happening around the district! We'd love to spotlight any of those efforts that your site, department, or another team is doing! Send us an email at face@sanjuan.edu and we'll highlight your shoutout in the next FACE Forum newsletter!

Looking for a way to engage families in a fun and educational way? Check out the Family Literacy Night hosted by Dyer-Kelly Elementary! More than 200 families had a blast not only enjoying the Book Fair, but watching a captivating puppet show and diving into interactive hands-on activities focused on improving literacy skills. This is a perfect example of how to embed higher-impact family engagement learning strategies into some fun, traditional school-wide activities. Way to go, Dyer-Kelly Dragons!

On Nov. 14, students from Lichen K-8 and other San Juan Unified school communities gathered at various spots across their school neighborhoods and walked to school together with students and families in a show of solidarity against racism and bullying.

The annual event, Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, happens every November to honor the courageous first steps taken by Ruby Bridges as she integrated an all-white school, paving the way for future generations and helping remind us all about the importance of our relentless pursuit of equity and inclusion.

Nearly 300 fourth, fifth and sixth-grade students from Starr King K-8 School had an unforgettable experience at B Street Theater, where they enjoyed the inspiring play “Tiny Trailblazers: Kids Who Changed the World.” Huge thanks to our incredible community partners from B Street Theater for helping to provide a variety of rich learning experiences to students of all ages.

Our wonderful community partner, Point West Rotary, graciously stepped up and provided school spirit wear to every student and staff member at Encina High School! This is just one of the many supports that our rotaries provide for our school communities. We are grateful for our community partners and all they do for our students, families, schools and communities!

4th and 5th graders at Dyer-Kelly Elementary recently participated in the A Touch of Understanding program, an amazing experience that helps students learn about the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. This hands-on experience increases students' understanding, empathy, and respect for those with diverse abilities. For more information on A Touch of Understanding, visit https://touchofunderstanding.org/

Click the link below to access November's newsletter and see all the resources, information and supports for you and your school community!

https://secure.smore.com/n/h9tna

Want to receive the monthly FACE Forum newsletters directly to your email inbox during the school year? Our newsletter is now being emailed directly to recipients who have opted in to receiving the monthly newsletter. For those who choose not to opt in to receiving the newsletter via email, you will still be able to access the newsletter in Behind the Scenes (all SJUSD employees), Leadership Reflections (administrators), Secretary Scoop (secretaries), and Elementary/Secondary Updates.

To opt in to receiving The FACE Forum newsletter directly to your Inbox, please complete this brief opt-in here: https://forms.gle/3DQ62CUCZy4HjzGt6

Email: face@sanjuan.edu

Website: www.sanjuan.edu/face

Intranet: intranet.sanjuan.edu/face
Location: 3738 Walnut Avenue, Carmichael, CA, USA
Phone: (916) 971-7929

Facebook & Instagram- @SanJuanUnifiedFACE