School News

Hello Castlemont Families,

I hope you are all well.  This week, Mrs. Gonzalez and I had the opportunity to see many of our families through our outreach and our iPad distribution. Some of us are managing well except for the frustration of isolation and restructured school/work/home life.  Others of us are struggling with greater difficulties. We want to make your "school life" as easy as possible, and with this in mind, today we are rolling out our new Distance Learning Hub.

https://sites.google.com/campbellusd.org/castlemontdistancelearning/home

Click on the link above to find grade-level lessons, book clubs and read-alounds, STEAM activities, and Reading Intervention resources.  We will be adding physical education links from our own Rhythm and Moves partners and many other enrichment opportunities.  Most important for our families facing serious issues is the Parent Resource link. Please explore the Hub to see your options.  It will be updated weekly.

One event will be taking place as scheduled with a Shelter-in-Place twist.  Our Coffee with the Principal will be shared out with you on May 1st.  Please use this link or take a look at the "Coffee with the Principal-- Your Questions are Needed" article.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCOt3nZVaEWA1Vqs8WeeNp2IFkPSmAGrLHGcM8KA2HV7IF0g/viewform?usp=sf_link

This link will take you to a Google Form parent survey where we are asking you to record your questions for us. We will then answer your questions in a presentation that will be shared with you.  One change-- you will need to provide your own coffee.

I am happy to say that our participation rates in distance learning are good and consistently improving.  If you do not have Internet access at home there will be one more packet distribution for grades 2-5.  The packets are extensive and contain enough standards-based work to take students to the end of the school year.  Though this is a helpful option, our distance learning is far more comprehensive and also supports students' social-emotional well being. TK-1st grade have more work though packets that will be ongoing in conjunction with some work via devices. 

The last packet distribution will be for 2nd- 5th grades will be Tuesday, April 28th in the courtyard outside of the M.U. building. The exact times are to be determined and will be communicated by the end of the week.

As always, we are here to serve our students and our families. Please take care.

Sincerely yours,

Kristen Kimoto Prindle

Dear Castlemont Families,

I am happy to tell you that we will be able to hold a virtual version of our scheduled Coffee with the Principal on May 1st. Instead of meeting in person, I am asking that you provide questions through this form by Monday, 4/27.  We will then create a video presentation answering your questions and send it out on May 1st.  (We will each need to provide our own coffee.)

If you have private or individual questions, please contact me at kprindle [at] campbellusd.org.

Thank you!

Please submit your questions by 9:00pm on Monday, April 27th.

Hello Castlemont Families,

I hope this message finds you all in good health and adapting to the changes we are all facing. If you are experiencing hardships, please reach out to us. Our wonderful community liaison has contacted many of you, and we all continue to check in on our families as we navigate through this time.  Our district continues to find resources to connect to our community.

This week is the kick-off of our interactive distance learning.  I have had the pleasure of observing and participating in virtual classrooms via Zoom and have also left feedback directly to many individual students on Seesaw. It's new, a little scary at first, and very exciting. Keep a look out for our new online distance learning "hub" where you will be able to find all of our grade level resource links right here on our school website. The hub will be added to our webpage next week.  Teachers will also continue to push out lessons to their individual classes.

I encourage all of you to keep an eye out for emails and Seesaw messages from your child's teacher.  We are trying to balance the needs of families who want as much online learning as we can push out with the needs of our families who are doing their very best to keep up with the minimum expectation for distance learning. The lessons you receive online will also include enrichment lesson links that extend above and beyond the base lessons.  Please tap into these resources to provide the "extra" that some students want and need. Conversely, if you are struggling to guide your student's learning from home, please don't be hard on yourself; we are here to help as much as possible. Each teacher has posted office hours and we are all available via email. If we have left you a voice message or email, please respond to us. We still have numerous families we have not heard from at all, and we very much want to know that you are safe and well. 

We will still be providing paper packets to students who do not yet have online access. We have continued to distribute Chromebooks and will be distributing iPads to our kindergarten students.  If you find that you are having trouble with your borrowed device or with accessing accounts, please let us know-- don't give up! Contact your teacher, and if they cannot find a fix (they usually can!), they will send the issue down to the office.  Also, an important reminder: please do not take photos, screenshots, or video of your teachers or other students participating in distance learning. This is a privacy concern and one we take seriously.

I are very happy to share with you that Mr. Shandonay, our school counselor, will be able to meet with students remotely.  Click the link to his letter that has all of the details regarding how to contact him.

Link to Mr. Shandonay's Letter

I deeply appreciate your supportive messages and offers to help. I can see that our routines are taking root and that we will continue to improve and grow in our distance learning efforts. As always, we are here to serve our students and our families.  

Sincerely yours

Kristen Kimoto Prindle

Monday, April 13th: Kindergarten ONLY.  Watch for an email and voice message with the specific times for each teacher.

Tuesday, April 14th: Grades 1-5. 8:30am - 12:00.

• All pick-ups will be self-service in the courtyard in front of the M.U.
• Please observe social distancing of at least six feet at all times. 
• Do not take a packet if you child can access distance learning at home.