Matsumoto Newsroom - All News

July/August 2019

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome back! I hope you had a fantastic summer. This 2019-2020 school year brings a lot of new excitement and passion for learning.

As an educational leader, I aspire to collaborate with teachers, students, parents, and community members, to foster a safe and nurturing environment for our future leaders. It is my belief that access to quality education is an essential right of every child, and a necessary means for them to become successful, contributing members of society. Together, we will work diligently to put the needs of our students first. I am excited to work closely with each of you to build on Matsumoto's existence and enhance the love for learning of our students. Our students and community will greatly benefit from our collective efforts and partnership.

Matsumoto prides itself in working to bring out the best in our students by creating a supportive environment that embraces the individual learning needs of every child. In preparation for the new school year, teachers have attended professional development, gained more expertise in Common Core State Standards, and adjusted their curriculum and pedagogy to embrace incoming 21st century learners. We are committed to ensuring that every child will be given every opportunity possible to be successful.

You are officially invited to join us in this collective partnership and make Tom Matsumoto Elementary School the best school for your child. We hope to see you at the "Welcome Back Coffee" in the Forum on Wednesday, August 21st at 8:15am. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call our office after Wednesday, August 14th at (408) 223-4873.

Sincerely,

Dr. Hong Nguyen

Principal

BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR REMINDERS

1) MEET THE TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN (TK) TEACHER DAY – TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019 FROM 9:00AM-10:00AM

Come and meet our Transitional Kindergarten teacher on Tuesday, August 20th at 9:00am-10:00am in the TK classroom (Room 2). The Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Parent Orientation and Unit 1 Parent Workshop is on Thursday, September 5th from 8:15am-9:15am in Room 2. Hope to see you there!

2) MEET THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER DAY – TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019 FROM 2:00PM-3:00PM

Come and meet our Kindergarten teachers on Tuesday, August 20th at 2:00pm-3:00pm in the Kindergarten classrooms. The Kindergarten Parent Orientation is on Thursday, September 5th from 8:00am-9:00am in the Forum. Hope to see you there!

3) FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2019

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten Schedule

August 21st-September 6th (Half-Day and No Lunch) 8:05am-11:25am

***TK and Kindergarten will be half-day from August 21st to September 6th.

The first day of full-day TK and Kindergarten starts on Monday, September 9th (please plan accordingly).

Starting September 9th for TK and Kindergarten (Full-Day)

Regular Day (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) 8:05am-1:55pm

Minimum Day (Thursdays, unless otherwise noted) 8:05am-12:20pm

***Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Parent Orientation and Unit 1 Parent Workshop is on Thursday, September 5th from 8:15am-9:15am in Room 2.

***Kindergarten Parent Orientation is on Thursday, September 5th from 8:00am-9:00am in the Forum.

Grades 1-6 Schedule

Regular Day (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) 8:05am-2:10pm

Minimum Day (Thursdays, unless otherwise noted) 8:05am-12:35pm

***Thursday, August 22nd is a FULL DAY. The first minimum day will be Thursday, August 29th.

4) MEET THE PRINCIPAL "WELCOME BACK COFFEE" – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2019 AT 8:15AM

Join us in the Forum on Wednesday, August 21st for a "Welcome Back Coffee" at 8:15am. Refreshments will be available. At this time, we will share upcoming events planned for the 2019-2020 school year and how we can work together to embrace the opportunities of this new and exciting year. Hope to see you there!

5) COMMUNICATION/EMERGENCY CONTACTS/CLASSROOM ASSIGNMENTS

Communication between home and school is essential. To stay informed about Matsumoto's happenings and upcoming events, go to our school website at: https://matsumoto.eesd.org

Parent Portal (Emergency Contacts and Classroom Assignments)

This year, we will continue to use the Parent Portal system (http://powerschool.eesd.org/public/) to collect emergency contact information and communication preferences. Please take a few minutes to review and update your emergency information prior to the start of school. If you have not already created an account, your personalized login and password information will be mailed to you by the first week in August. On Monday, August 19th at 5:00pm, your child's classroom assignment will be posted in the Parent Portal under "My Schedule" icon in the left hand navigation box. Due to enrollment changes, there may be class adjustments during the first ten days of school.

6) SUPERVISION

Supervision for students begins at 7:50am. School starts at 8:05am. Children MAY NOT arrive before supervision begins. Supervision of children ends at 2:30pm on regular days and at 12:50pm on Thursdays. Students who are not picked up at these times will be waiting in the office to be picked up and signed out by a parent/guardian. Children are not to be on campus after school unless they are with their parent, under the direct supervision of the teacher, or involved in a school-approved activity.

7) SCHOOL SAFETY

Please help us maintain a safe environment for all students at Matsumoto by driving slowly on Cortona Drive and Mackin Woods Lane, in the surrounding neighborhood, and into the school. We highly recommend families to walk or carpool.

When dropping off your child, pull your vehicle all the way to the front of the loop. Wait in your car while your child is getting out of your vehicle. You are also welcome to park on the street and have your child walk onto school campus using the sidewalks. Eliminating cars driving through the parking lot creates a safer situation for our students, staff, and special needs bus riders. When picking up your child from school, do not leave your car unattended in the drop-off/pick-up zones. We ask that you park in designated parking spaces or on the street if you need to leave your vehicle for any reason. Please do not park in the red zones. Thank you for your cooperation.

8) PARKING LOT ADVISORY

Effective September 9th, the traffic through the parking lot will be limited to the following:

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays

From 1:50-2:00pm – Kindergarten pick-up traffic only

After 2:00pm – Grades 1-6 pick-up traffic

Thursdays

From 12:20-12:30pm – Kindergarten pick-up traffic only

After 12:30pm – Grades 1-6 pick up traffic

Please be advised that parking and waiting at the curb will be prohibited as it impedes the flow of traffic. Thank you for your cooperation.

9) PARENT WAITING AREA

In order to ensure the safety of all students, Matsumoto is a closed campus. Please wait in designated waiting areas at the front of the school or near the side gates during drop-off and pick-up times. If you are volunteering in a classroom, you must sign-in at the front office and wear a visitor's badge.

10) SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES

Please take every opportunity to be involved in your child's education. Join the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Volunteer in the classroom and/or participate on a school-wide committee. This year, we are looking for volunteers to serve as members of our School Site Council (SSC) and English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC). If you are interested in serving in this capacity, please contact Dr. Nguyen at hnguyen@eesd.org. Elections will be held at the beginning of the school year.

11) LUNCH INFORMATION

The price for school lunch is $3.50 full price and $0.40 for reduced price. If you have not filled out an ONLINE application AND/OR received a letter confirming your child's eligibility for the Free and Reduced Lunch program than your child's eligibility (based on last year's 2018-2019 application) will expire on October 4th. Any charges incurred after October 4th will be the responsibility of the parent or guardian.

Beginning July 1, 2019, families can complete their application for the 2019-2020 school year online at http://evergreen.schoollunchapp.com. The process is SAFE, SECURE, PRIVATE, and AVAILABLE anytime, anywhere!

In an effort to reduce environmental impact and process applications in a faster more efficient way, no paper applications will be mailed home. If a hard copy application is needed, paper forms can be requested from your child's school office, at the Evergreen Child Nutrition Services office located at 2828 Corda Drive, San Jose, CA 95122 or print them at home at: http://www.eesd.org/page.cfm?p=2675 after August 5th.

Families are required to submit a new lunch application every school year. We encourage families to submit their applications as soon as possible to avoid a lapse in benefits. Applications must be submitted and processed prior to October 4, 2019 for your students to qualify for the 2019-2020 school year.

Also be sure to sign up at http://www.MySchoolBucks.com, a convenient online service that allows you to securely pay for your student's meals online using your credit/debit card or electronic check.

Payments can be made beginning August 14, 2019 in the school office. Please be aware payments will no longer be accepted at the Child Nutrition Services office. Parents can continue to send cash or checks to their school with their student. Please make sure payments left in the school front office are clearly marked with your student's full name, classroom #, and student ID# (if known).

Please contact the Child Nutrition Services Department at (408) 223-4500 with any questions or concerns.

12) OFFICE HOURS

The office will reopen on Wednesday, August 14th at 8:00am. We will be taking new registrations from 9:00am-3:00pm. If you have questions or concerns, please call the office at (408) 223-4873.

August 14th-16th 8:00am - 4:00pm

August 19th-20th 8:00am - 4:00pm

Beginning August 21st 7:30am - 4:00pm