RCSD Mission
Ravenswood City School District empowers every student to fully engage critically and creatively in their education with the skills and mindsets necessary to successfully fulfill their unique potential.
Our Core Values
Integrity, Student-centered, Innovation, Excellence, Empowerment, and Respect.
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Leadership and Community Highlights |
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Message from Superintendent Gina Sudaria |
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Ravenswood Community,
We are thrilled to see you and your students back on campus this month! The first day of school is Wednesday, August 24th, but back to school events are already starting at our campuses (scroll down for a list of events at your school). Please join us at these events - we want to share important back to school information, and give your children the chance to see their classmates before school starts.
If you have a child who turns 4 or 5 by September 1st this year, please make sure you register them as soon as possible for Transitional Kindergarten (4 year olds) or Kindergarten (5 year olds)! See below for how to register.
We’ve grown our early childhood program this year: new TK classrooms at all three elementary schools, new furniture and materials, and an instructional aide in every TK classroom so our youngest students can have even more personal attention. Tell your friends about TK - this year, it is open to any four year old in the district!
Our whole #OneRavenswood team is focused this year on growing an environment for student success. Teachers, school staff, bus drivers, district office staff are all working to make sure students and families feel welcome, safe, proud, and powerful in our schools. This kind of environment allows students, staff and families to learn and do so much more, so much more easily!
We will continue to focus on supporting the whole child, including meeting students’ social emotional needs - both in the classroom and through counseling and mental health support. We are also working to make it even easier for families to get what you need from the district, and to be partners and leaders in our school communities. Please get involved at your school - we are all stronger with more families as leaders in our schools!
With gratitude and respect,
Gina
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Community Spotlight: Summer Learning |
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This summer, nearly 500 students joined the Ravenswood district and our partner BGCP for four weeks of fun, engaging summer enrichment!
Elementary students had book read alouds, hands on enrichment projects from Galileo and others, 1:1 tutoring for most 1st and 2nd graders through Ravenswood Reads, outdoor activities with Playworks, field trips or field days, and lots of fun.
Incoming middle schoolers explored new passions with local community partners (including bike repair, coding, soccer, cooking, and others), had weekly career day discussions with local professionals, and went on fantastic field trips to Six Flags and Great America.
Thank you to our amazing community partners who made this possible, including our main partner, the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula (BGCP), as well as Galileo, Playworks, Ravenswood Reads (Stanford), San Mateo County Libraries, Streetcode Academy, Ravenswood Junior’s Soccer Club, Kids Cooking for Life, Live in Peace. Many thanks also to the County of San Mateo County, which provided a generous grant to support our program.
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August Board Meetings:
Thursday, August 11th and 25th at 7:15 p.m.
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Please join us in person for the August Ravenswood board meetings on Thursday, August 11th and August 25th at 7:15pm. The full agenda will be posted in advance on our board meetings webpage. On August 11th, the board will discuss the District’s Theory of Action for this academic school year, an update on the COVID Safety Plan, and an update on the summer learning program, among other topics. On August 25th, we expect the board to discuss how the first day of school went, among other topics.
Board meetings are being held in person at 2120 Euclid Avenue, East Palo Alto. We will stream the meetings online on Youtube, while the board, staff, and public present, comment, and discuss in person.
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Highlights from last month’s Board meetings |
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If you missed last month’s board meetings, you can watch them HERE. Topics on June 9th included adoption of new middle school ELA and science curriculum, and public hearings on LCAP and budget, among others. Topics on June 23rd included results of the staff housing survey, approval of the LCAP, budget, and Universal Prekindergarten Plan, new contract for the Superintendent, and board elections on November 8th, 2022, among others.
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School starts on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 |
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Does your child turn 4 or 5 by September 1?
Register TODAY for transitional kindergarten or kinder!
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→ If your child turns 4 by September 1st, they are eligible for free, full-day transitional kindergarten (TK) at a Ravenswood elementary school!
→ If your child turns 5 by September 1st, they are ready to start kindergarten this fall!
The first day of school is Wednesday, August 24th. PLEASE REGISTER YOUR CHILD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, if you haven’t already.
We still have space for new TK and Kindergarten students at Belle Haven Elementary, Costaño School of the Arts, and Los Robles-Ronald McNair Academy. All Ravenswood TK, Kinder, and 1-8th grade students are eligible for full day school, with free transportation, and free afterschool programs on campus until 6pm.
Our registrar, Adriana Vasquez, is ready to help enroll your child. Call 650-838-3564, text 650-384-7797, visit our registration webpage, or visit us at 2160 Euclid Ave, East Palo Alto to get started.
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Have questions about Transitional Kindergarten? |
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Do you have questions about transitional kindergarten (TK)? Join Ravenswood leaders for a virtual conversation about TK before school starts. We’ll tell you what you and your child can expect in a Ravenswood Transitional Kindergarten class, and answer any questions you have.
August 11 from 5:30-6:30pm via zoom
August 18 from 5:30-6:30pm via zoom
Or use one tap mobile: +16694449171,,83470855605#
Meeting ID: 834 7085 5605
Passcode: 161473
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Come to your school’s back to school events! Meet students, families, and staff, and hear important updates about what to expect this year.
Los Robles-Ronald McNair:
- Welcome Back & Ice Cream Socials
- TK & Kindergarteners: August 3 at 5:30-7:00pm
- 1st/2nd grade: August 10 at 5:30-7:00pm
- 3rd/4th/5th grade: August 12 at 5:30-7:00pm
Costaño School of the Arts:
- Welcome Back & Ice Cream Social on August 22
- 3:30-4:30pm: TK & Kindergarteners
- 4:30-5:30pm: All grades
- 5:30-6:30pm: All grades - Evening Extended Time
Belle Haven Elementary:
- All grades: Virtual Parent Orientation (on zoom): August 17 at 8:30am or 8/18 at 5pm
- TK: August 22 from 5-6pm - Welcome to TK!
- All grades: Parent University on September 14, from 5:30-6:30pm
Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School:
- 6th grade: August 17 at 3:00-5:00pm: Maze Day (includes ice cream and campus tour…get schedule, planner and can buy spirit gear starting at $5)
- 7th/8th grade: August 18 at 3:00-5:00pm: Maze Day (ice cream, get schedule, planner, buy spirit gear)
- All grades: September 1 at 5:30-7:00pm: Back to School Night (In person or Zoom still TBD)
- All grades: September 21 at 5:30-7:30pm: Parent University
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Update on masks and COVID safety in our schools |
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The state and county have released new guidance for schools to stay COVID safe this year. The Ravenswood Board of Trustees will give direction on a new Ravenswood COVID Safety Plan at their meeting this Thursday, August 11th. For now, here are a few important highlights:
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MASKS: Masks are still required indoors on campus, unless the Ravenswood Board changes this policy at the board meeting this Thursday, August 11. Schools will have masks for any student who needs one.
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TESTING: Staff will not be testing students weekly at school this year. Instead, schools will give students & families free COVID tests to use at home if you have symptoms or are exposed to a positive case.
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VACCINES: Please get your child vaccinated and boosted, if you haven’t already. There are free clinics in EPA every Saturday and every other Tuesday in August and September - see below for more info. Vaccines are now available for anyone 6 months or older!
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SYMPTOMS: If your child has any COVID symptoms, please keep them home, and use an at-home COVID test. If they test positive, let the school know and keep your child at home.
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Get yourself and/or your children (6+ months old)
vaccinated or boosted!
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Have you been waiting for the right time to get your child a COVID vaccine? Has it been more than 5 months since your second vaccine dose? If you or your child is 5 years or older, you should get a booster to keep you safer from COVID! If you are 50 or older, the CDC now recommends you get a second booster.
Whatever the reason - NOW IS THE TIME! Stop by a local clinic:
- Saturdays: 9-11am at Ravenswood Family Health Clinic (1885 Bay Rd, EPA). Ages 5+
- Saturdays: 11am-6pm at Woodland Park (2021 Euclid Ave, EPA). Get a $20 gift card when you finish your second vaccine! Ages 6 months+
- Tuesday Aug 16 & 30, Sept 13 & 27: 3-7pm at the YMCA (2180 Euclid Ave, EPA)
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Join us Aug 18th at noon for a Back to School Community Partners Kick-Off Event |
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We’re hosting a virtual Back-to-School Community Partners Kick-Off on August 18 from 12-1pm for our valued community partners and any other local organizations interested in joining the Ravenswood family! Come meet our new district leadership, learn about the exciting changes we’re making in the district, and explore opportunities to begin (or continue growing) your organization’s partnership with RCSD.
Register here for this virtual event. If you cannot attend but would like to stay connected, we invite you to register for this event as a non-attending community partner. We look forward to joining forces to further empower the students of our community!
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Pick up a free family meal kit - every Thursday morning in August at a Ravenswood school |
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Do you need affordable housing? Check out this list of shared housing opportunities. The list is created each month by HIP Housing, a local nonprofit affordable housing organization.
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EPA Youth Day: August 13th |
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Join the #OneRavenswood team! We have lots of positions open now: teachers, maintenance, technology, food services, van driver, technology specialist & lead technology specialist, school support staff, instructional aide, and paraprofessionals.
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To subscribe to the Ravenswood City School District newsletter, please
click here or email Maria Pineda at: mpineda@ravenswoodschools.org.
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2120 Euclid Avenue, East Palo Alto, CA 94303-1799
Office: (650) 329-2800
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