Hello Belmont-Redwood Shores Families,

Now that we are past Back to School and Labor Day, we are well into our school year. I hope that your student is enjoying school and making new friends. Looking ahead, note that Monday, October 8, is a staff development day, and school will not be in session.

Last week, the school board discussed our goals for the year:
  • Ensure the District's long-term financial health. While the passage of Measure K provided timely relief to our budget, it sunsets in only 5 years. In the meantime, we have to work proactively to improve state funding and promote community support.
  • Prepare our students for citizenship in an increasingly global society. This goal is a part of our strategic plan, and our new History/Social Science curriculum will be a terrific first step to achieving it!
  • Develop students' capacity for innovation. California's new science standards now include engineering. Thanks to SchoolForce, all classrooms will have access to tinker kits this year to allow students to practice applied problem solving and design. Later this year, once the State Board of Education approves a menu of science textbooks, we will review and test new science instructional materials for implementation in 2019-20.

Below are additional updates.


California Assessment of Student Performance Results
On Friday, August 31, we mailed out the student score reports to all students who took the state's test of English and Math standards in the spring. This test was given to all 3rd-8th graders last May. If your child took the test in the spring and you did not receive your score report, please check that the school has your current mailing address. If you have questions about the test results, you can reach out to your school principal or to Ching-Pei Hu , Director of Educational Services.


Lunch Program News
We encourage all families to try out the nutritious, delicious, and attractive lunch selections available through our new provider, LunchMaster.  To register and order meals, please go to our District's lunch program website .  To those who have already registered, please note that you will be asked to re-enter your credit card information the next time you order.  We apologize for any inconvenience this might create.


Tentative Agreement with Teachers' Union
Great news! We have a Tentative Agreement with the Belmont-Redwood Shores Faculty Association for 2018-19 and beyond. Please follow this link to read the joint statement.


Need for Substitute Teachers and Instructional Assistants
We need substitute teachers and instructional assistants (para-educators). These are incredibly impactful positions that keep our classrooms positive and productive.

Substitute Teachers:
Whether you have a teaching credential, or not, we want you on board. Substitute teaching requires that you have your Bachelor’s degree. If you do, we are happy to walk you through the process of obtaining your 30-Day Emergency Teaching Permit.

Para-Educators:
Do you enjoy working one on one with a student or assisting in a classroom? Substituting as a para-educator does not require experience, and there is great flexibility. Assignments vary from a few hours to full days, and you can pick the types of assignments that you prefer.

For details and an outline of the application process for either position, click here .


Belmont Water Dog Run
Join us for the Inaugural Belmont Water Dog Run! Use the code below to apply a 10% registration discount toward the 5k & 10k events. We look forward to seeing you and your family on October 13, 2018!


Be sure to represent your school and show your pride! School-specific discount codes are below:
  • Central: GRCENTRAL10
  • Cipriani: GRCIPRIANI10
  • Fox: GRFOX10
  • Nesbit: GRNESBIT10
  • Ralston Middle School: GRRALSTON10
  • Redwood Shores: GRRWS10
  • Sandpiper: GRSANDPIPER10
  • BRSSD Code: GRBRSSD10


Ralston Middle School Sidewalk Open Again
For those of you walking to Ralston Middle School from the Belmont Canyon or Hallmark neighborhoods, the Ralston Ave sidewalk is open again immediately west (uphill) from Ralston Middle School.


Don't hesitate to reach out to me or our staff with questions. Thank you!

Superintendent