Dear Sea Crest Families,

We are excited to be back and hope all of you had a restorative and pleasant winter break.

We wish every day of the new year to be filled with love, joy, kindness, and good health for everyone in our community.

Happy New Year!

~Lauren Miller
Head of School

SCHOOL NEWS

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

STARTING ON MONDAY, JANUARY 11TH

SAVE THE DATES

HOW

• Sign-up for one testing slot per child on Sign-up Genius by Thursday, December 24th. Testing time slots are 15 minutes increments, generally outside of regularly scheduled distance learning school hours to minimize disruption. Please adjust the quantity on the sign-up if you have more than one child to be tested.
• Complete and sign this authorization form and return it to attendance@seacrestschool.org or bring it on the day of testing.
• Watch this video with your child(ren) prior to the testing day so that everyone knows what to expect during testing.
• Look out for an email the week of January 4th that will provide more details about the testing process.

anticipated FAQs

Q: Can my child just quarantine after winter break instead of being tested?
A: No, all students must be tested to come back to campus in January.

Q: What if my child travels or participates in another high-risk activity over break?
A: Please report any travel or other activities deemed high or highest risk on our COVID Travel & Activity Risks chart by completing this form. If your child participates in high-risk travel or activities over the winter break, they need to quarantine according to CDC recommendations: a 7-day quarantine with a negative COVID-19 test. However, timing is important - the test needs to be taken within 48 hours of the end of the 7-day quarantine period. For example, if your child returns from travel via airplane on Sunday 1/3, the quarantine period would expire on Sunday 1/10, however, the COVID-19 test couldn't be administered earlier than 1/8. Therefore, testing provided by Sea Crest on 1/7 wouldn't meet that requirement and families would then be required to coordinate their own testing and provide results to the school. Note, this could delay a student's return to campus on 1/11.

Q: Can parents get tested too?
A: Unfortunately, no. While the testing we provide to our employees as essential workers is free, it is VERY expensive to test non-employees and so we are not able to test anyone that is not a student returning to campus. Curative does conduct weekly testing for free every Monday in Half Moon Bay and we encourage our parents to get tested on a regular basis.

Q: To whom will the test results be sent?
A: Test results will be provided directly to Sea Crest and emailed to the parent who signs the child up for their testing appointment in Sign-up Genius. Sea Crest takes your student's privacy and health information very seriously and will handle all information in accordance with our Policy for Use and Disclosure of Student Information Related to COVID-19, see our Sea Crest Family Handbook Addendum v.2, Appendix E.

Q: What if my child tests positive?
A: As your child will not have been on campus the two weeks leading up to testing, Sea Crest will not notify families of a positive case in our community identified through this round of testing. Our policy for a student's return to campus following a positive COVID-19 test is laid out in our Sea Crest Family Handbook Addendum v.2, Appendix D.

Q: What if I have other questions?
A: Please direct any questions about testing to Jacquie Cuvelier (jcuvelier@seacrestschool.org).

BAY AREA STAY-AT-HOME ORDER

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Note: We will not publish the Sunday Wave on December 27th.
We will return on January 4th.
Stay Safe. Stay Healthy. Happy Holidays!

Happy Sunday!

We hope this message finds you happy, healthy, and safe. Please read lots of important information below. 

Lauren Miller
Head of School

WINTER & HOLIDAY TRADITIONS CELEBRATION
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17TH, 7:00 PM

NEW COVID-19 PROTOCOLS & SCHEDULE UPDATES

UPCOMING EVENTS

PARENT RESOURCES

TechaBee Tech Support

This a friendly reminder that we have partnered with TechaBee, an education technology company, to support our technology program. If your family is having trouble logging in, participating in distance learning, or completing an assignment because of a technology hurdle, our support team is here to help!

>>Please feel free to contact help@techabee.com​ or (925) 494-2101 if you need anything!

We have two weeks of distance learning before winter break. We hope our students are safe at home and able to connect to their academics, classmates and teachers. We invite you to join our Holiday Evening via Zoom on Thursday, December 17th.

More information about our return to campus later this week. Have a wonderful rest of your Sunday!

Stay well, safe and healthy,

Lauren Miller
Head of School

SCHOOL NEWS

Grades 4-8 Executive Function Workshops | January-February 2021

Executive function skills are important throughout life. When children have had opportunities to develop executive function and self-regulation skills successfully, both individuals and society experience lifelong benefits: school achievement, positive behaviors, good health, and successful work.

Sea Crest is partnering with experts in the field and hosting a series of workshops to help our students nurture and develop skills, such as: time management, organization, perseverance, self-control, focus, task initiation, metacognition, flexible thinking, planning and working memory. More details to come!
 

UPCOMING EVENTS

PARENT RESOURCES

Dear Sea Crest Families,

We hope you had a lovely break. We are excited to start Trimester 2 on Wednesday. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Stay safe and healthy

Lauren Miller
Head of School

UPCOMING EVENTS

T1 MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPLORATIONS GALLERY

AT SEA CREST, WE ARE THANKFUL FOR

Our blessings throughout the last few months, our faculty and staff we dearly love, our students who bring meaning to our work each day, and you, parents, who support and partner with us to live out our mission.

We are grateful for our health, that in times when many are falling ill, we are able to be with our families and continue to live out each day.

I am personally grateful for this amazing community that has welcomed me and my family each day of the last six months.

While this Thanksgiving may not look as it has in years past, please remind your children of the blessings that we all have, the work that our school has done this fall to help those in need and give them each an extra hug from us.

Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving.

Lauren Miller
Head of School

AT SEA CREST, WE GIVE BACK

Dear Sea Crest Families,

If there is one thing pandemic life has taught me, it is the need to stay informed and be able to make decisions, even difficult ones that meet the moment to best guide our health and safety even when they are incredibly disappointing.

I am personally very sad for my own children. They are new to Sea Crest this year and have found being on campus their way to connect and relate to kids in a new community.

I understand that this change presents a particular challenge to the families that not only depend on Sea Crest for their child's education but also for the vital care that allows parents and guardians to work and make a living. We are dedicated to making a place on campus for those families, whether essential workers or parents of young children, who depend on Sea Crest for this essential care. (Please see more information below)

We have had great success bringing students back to campus safely and this is due in large part to the careful research, consideration, and precautions we have taken as a community matched with our protocols and procedures enforced on campus each day. 

While I make this decision with much consideration and a heavy heart, I am reminded that this moment is just a moment and will not last forever. Along with this week's difficult news of COVID surges, came news of hope for the future. News of successful vaccine trials, increased testing, and a seeming clarity of purpose and planning to address this pandemic give us hope for brighter days soon to come. 

I hope that taking this important precautionary measure will help to ensure that our community enjoys a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season and a continued safe return to campus in January.

Personally, I want to thank this community that has welcomed me over the last 6 months. I have so appreciated your understanding, cooperation, and support along every step of this challenging year. I wish you a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving. 

Lauren Miller
Head of School

FAMILIES WHO NEED CHILD CARE DURING THIS TIME

If having your child(ren) on campus is a necessity for your family (e.g. if both parents’ work must be performed outside the home), please complete the form below and we will do our best to provide an on-campus solution for Monday - Thursday the weeks of December 7th and 14th. We ask that all families that can support their student’s distance learning at home please do so.

CHILD CARE GOOGLE FORM

Happy Sunday!

I hope this message finds you well, safe and healthy!

Please watch the two videos below: a brief message with a few important school updates, and a 30-min interview with three of our wonderful doctor moms, who are sharing tips and suggestions to stay healthy and safe during the upcoming holiday season.

Stay safe,
Lauren Miller
Head of School

ACTION REQUIRED FOR ALL SEA CREST FAMILIES:
TRIMESTER 2- CAMPUS OR DISTANCE LEARNING?

SUPPORTING COASTSIDE HOPE

COVID UPDATES & REMINDERS

We are looking for a volunteer

to courier COVID test samples to the laboratory in Fremont on Monday, November 30th, leaving campus at 10:30 a.m. If you are available, please contact: jcuvelier@seacrestschool.org.

THANKSGIVING BREAK

SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Middle School Pick-up Lane Change

Middle School students will be picked up from the inner lane (see map below for your reference) starting tomorrow Monday, November 9th.

UPCOMING EVENTS

HAVE YOU DONATED TO THE ANNUAL FUND?

click here to make your Meaningful Gift Today!

SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING HALLOWEEN WITH US!

HOLIDAY PLANNING

As you plan for the holidays, we want to be sure that everyone understands our school's self-reporting requirements aimed to keep our community safe this year. As a reminder, families are required to self-report travel to another country, state or county where transmission rates are high or increasing.

If your child is traveling over the holidays, please complete this Travel Self-Reporting Google form. In addition, please remember that out-of-town guests in your home also increase your family’s risk of contracting the virus. You are required to self-report any time you have had close contact with someone confirmed COVID-19 positive.

For a detailed description of all of our school’s COVID-19 Protocols, please see our Family Handbook COVID-19 Addendum v.2

UPCOMING EVENTS

THANKSGIVING BREAK (NO SCHOOL)

HAVE YOU DONATED TO THE ANNUAL FUND?

click here to make your Meaningful Gift Today!

PARENT RESOURCES

Important Notice: Distance learning students who are unable to attend online classes due to Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) will be excused. Please let us know by calling the school at (650) 712-9892 or emailing attendance@seacrestchool.org.

THANKSGIVING BREAK- SAVE THE DATES

A week of distance learning after the Thanksgiving break will support the health and safety of our community by allowing time for (1) all of our staff to be COVID-19 tested and (2) any symptoms to emerge after potential exposure. We will pivot back to our blended model on Monday 12/7. Read more.

As you prepare for this holiday season, we encourage you to review the CDC's guidelines on travel and holiday celebrations. Also, remember our Community Pledge where we've all committed to do our part to mitigate the spread of the virus in our community.

BUSY WEEKEND AROUND CAMPUS

Flu shots, COVID testing, picture days, more preparations to welcome our last grades (7th-8th) back to campus this week and to continue our journey of hybrid learning!

It was great to see families back on campus for picture days on Friday and Saturday, even with masks and physically distanced, we all felt a wonderful sense of community!

UPCOMING EVENTS

ANNUAL FUND- DID YOU KNOW?

1) The Annual Fund helps us balance our budget, fulfill our mission and provide learning options to meet the needs of all of our families. We need your support!
        
2) You can complete the online pledge now and...

• Donate using a credit card (select one-time payment)
• Set up monthly payments (select recurring payments)
• Pay your pledge later via check (select future pledge on the online form and send a check to Sea Crest School)

3) Where does the money go?

4) Your class and the school needs you to reach...100% participation!

5) Your meaningful gift makes a huge difference for EVERY Sea Crest Student!

Make A Meaningful Gift Today!

A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

On behalf of the Sea Crest Board of Trustees, I am pleased to share the Board’s approval of Ms. Miller’s three strategic goals for the 2020-2021 school year. The first goal is to safely open and operate the school throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, be it students in distance learning, on campus or in a hybrid. The second goal is to work with the Senior Leadership Team and Administration team on the structure, functionality and roles that are best suited for Sea Crest today and moving forward. The third goal is to help uncover Sea Crest’s “Why” by identifying who we are, what we do and finally why we do it. This includes taking an overall audit of the school’s programs and curriculum to ensure alignment with Sea Crest’s mission statement.

The Board also defined its own goals for the 2020-2021 school year. First, the Board will support Ms. Miller in meeting her three strategic goals. Second, the Board will evaluate unique financial issues associated with COVID-19, while continuing to identify the resources necessary to ensure long-term financial sustainability. The Board’s third goal is to create a strategic development program to cultivate long-term, sustaining relationships and enhance the culture of philanthropy among Sea Crest’s School’s families. Fourth, the Board will identify authentic methods to increase cultural competency and inclusivity in the school community. The Board’s fifth goal is to update the Master Facilities Plan to align with the school’s sustainability and programmatic strategic objectives. Finally, the Board will continue to develop leadership plans that strengthen the Board of Trustees.

We look forward to collaborating with Ms. Lauren Miller and the Sea Crest School community on this year’s goals in the months ahead. As always, a heartfelt thank you for your collective and enthusiastic support for the amazing community of teachers, administrators, parents and of course, the wonderful students that make up our school.

Wishing you and your family a peaceful and healthy Fall season.

~Tanya Gulesserian
Chair, Sea Crest Board of Trustees

PARENT RESOURCES

What Do I Say? What Do I Do? Parenting Through Election 2020
Online Workshops for Parents and Caregivers

October 29th, 2020
9.30 am & 5:00 pm

The Institute for Social and Emotional Learning (IFSEL) invites you to join for a compassionate session to support you to lead your families peacefully into a tricky time around the election. Find out more and sign up here.

Happy Sunday!

I hope this message finds you well and safe.

For the lower school, this week, we are finally feeling we found a grove with our hybrid learning. We still welcome your feedback, but it is gratifying to once and for all find some routine in this very unpredictable year. 

We are looking forward to welcoming some of our 6th graders tomorrow and the rest of middle school next week. Please mark your calendars for the town hall on November 12th for an interactive discussion and important updates regarding Trimester 2. Please know that the Trimester 2 on-campus vs. distance learning survey will be sent out on November 13th.

We have some fun upcoming events to look forward to: picture days, Halloween celebrations for all, and our first speaker series of the year- author and Sea Crest parent David Casentini, an evening for the whole family. 

This week, we launched our annual fund. This year, the annual fund is more critical to Sea Crest than ever. Please join the entire faculty/staff and board of trustees in your participation. Your meaningful gift makes a huge difference for every Sea Crest student.
Stay happy, safe, and healthy!

Lauren Miller
Head of School

MIDDLE SCHOOL RETURN TO CAMPUS

UPCOMING EVENTS

ANNUAL FUND

Our school tuition does not cover the full cost of a Sea Crest education but keeping tuition as low as possible enables more students to attend our school.

The Sea Crest Annual Fund helps us bridge the gap, balance our budget, fulfill our mission and provide learning options to meet the needs of all of our families.

During these unprecedented times, Sea Crest is showing its ability to thrive and we need your support to continue: giving to the mission, connecting with the moment, and investing in the future.

Click Here to Make A Meaningful Gift Today!

PARENT RESOURCES

We are committed to continuing to getting your feedback. We want to hear from you and we want to make it better. Please know that myself, the administrators, and every faculty and staff member at Sea Crest is working tirelessly day in and day out to create the safest, most engaging, most loving, and most supportive place for all of our children to learn and to connect and to thrive this year.

On that note, please read below all the incredible things that are continuing to happen on campus and in our digital classrooms. This week and going forward we are searching for all of those ways to connect and I appreciate your feedback and your patience.
Wave Message 10.11.20
Please remember to reach out to me with anything that may come up. Thank you for your partnership as we move forward.

Stay happy, safe, and healthy!

Lauren Miller
Head of School

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Our faculty and staff met (virtually) as a group on Friday to continue our work towards bringing your children a year of learning that is meaningful and robust while meeting the needs of the moment. We reflected on our successes and looked forward to the challenges ahead.

Teachers created their goals that align with our institutional theme of “understanding our why” under the theme of thriving not just surviving during this challenging year. We continued our work on articulating our curriculum alignment in each subject area from grades JK-8 and are excited to share out more details on this progress in the coming months. We know that professional development days are time spent away from our students. We take that seriously and are committed to using that time to further our mission of the school.

MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATES

Middle School Parent Teacher Conferences

Thursday, October 15th-Friday, October 16th

A wonderful opportunity to meet with your child's teachers and share feedback about how the year has started. Conferences will be a 10-minute zoom meeting with your child's core teachers. Sign-ups will be emailed on Monday, October 12th at noon.

Return to Campus

We are excited to move forward with our Hybrid Learning Model in Middle School. We are staggering the return to campus beginning with 6th grade.

SAVE THE DATES

SCHOOL BULLETIN

COVID ABSENCE PROTOCOL UPDATES

Reporting Student Absences

Parents must notify the school of student absence as early as possible by emailing attendance@seacrestschool.org or leaving a voicemail at 650-712-9892 x200. If a student is experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, has had a positive COVID-19 test result, or known COVID-19 exposure, they are required to quarantine at home and may not return to school for at least 10 days. See Family Handbook COVID-19 Addendum v.2 Appendix D for detailed Return to School requirements depending on the individual circumstances.

The first day they are off-campus will be treated like a regular school sick day. Beginning the second day of the quarantine, if the student feels well enough to attend school virtually, they are able to shift to Distance Learning.

Non-Quarantine Absences

Students that have elected to participate in on-campus learning may not participate in Distance Learning except in the case of quarantine. Non-quarantine absences (e.g. for vacation) will be treated like they would during a normal school year where a student misses class and may receive assignments for missed work from their teacher.

NEW LOWER SCHOOL SCHEDULE STARTING MONDAY, OCTOBER 5TH

ACTION REQUIRED: IMPORTANT SURVEYS

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL)
SEPTEMBER FOCUS: BUILDING COMMUNITY

BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT RECORDINGS

Thank you for attending last week's Back-to-School Night events! We hope that you enjoyed the opportunity to connect with your teachers and hear more about the learning journey your child will embark on this school year.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SCHOOL BULLETIN

COVID CAMPUS PROTOCOL UPDATES

DISTANCE LEARNING FEEDBACK

Many thanks to the families who recently completed our distance learning survey. We greatly value your feedback as we continue to fine-tune our programs. On a scale from 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent), here is a summary of the results:

Lower School:

• Overall Positive Experience: 84% rated the general distance learning program positively (4- good or 5- excellent)
• Working Well: Communication & Learning/Instruction
• Areas of Opportunity: Schedule, Workload & Technology/Accessibility

Middle School:

• Overall Very Positive Experience: 97% rated the general distance learning program positively (4- good or 5- excellent). Note: No aspects of the survey were rated 1-poor)
• Working Well: Technology/ Accessibility & Learning/ Instruction
• Areas of Opportunity: Workload, Schedule & Technology (some aspects)

This week, on Back-to-school Night your family will have the opportunity to connect with our division directors and teachers to learn more about our programs moving forward. We look forward to virtually seeing you this week!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Happy Sunday,

I hope you all are doing well and staying safe. The air quality on top of the pandemic adds a layer of stress and anxiety to all. Please remember to find moments of joy with your kids as we all navigate the ever changing unknowns.

I met with the Board of Trustees on Saturday for our annual retreat. It was fulfilling and inspiring to work together on the goals of the school and the future endeavors. I am excited to share more details in the coming months.

Today, I made the decision to close campus tomorrow (9/14) due to the ongoing poor air quality in our community. Tomorrow will be our regularly scheduled distance learning. Please see reopening adjustments below. These decisions are hard to make, but the health and safety for all is and will remain my top priority.

Please join me in sending our love and prayers to our neighbors as they battle the fires.

Stay safe,

Lauren Miller
Head of School

SCHOOL NEWS

LOWER SCHOOL CAMPUS REOPENING

LOWER SCHOOL DISTANCE LEARNING

MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPLORATIONS

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS COMING UP

A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Board of Trustees is pleased to introduce new board members, Graciela Krabbenschmidt, Keith Holden and Kerri Conlon. Graciela is an educator, has worked with migrant students and under-served families for 20 years and is a parent of three alumni, Gabriel, Jonathan and Christopher. Keith has worked in Special Education for over 20 years, is Head Varsity Football Coach at Half Moon Bay High School and is parent of Paxton (5th grade) and Addison (8th grade). Kerri has 20 years of event management experience, is actively involved in various local charitable organizations and is a parent of Colton (6th grade). We also welcome new officer, Karin Manuele, as Chair of Head Support and Evaluation Committee, and we are honored that Jim Bartel will continue on the Board as Trustee Emeritus.

The Board held its annual retreat this weekend and established five major goals for the year in the following areas:

• Cultural Competency and Inclusion
• Cultivating Long-Term Sustaining Relationships with Families
• Enhancing the Culture of Philanthropy
• Ensuring a Strategic Financial Plan and Master Facilities Plan
• Identifying Resources Necessary to Support Our Head of School

We look forward to continuing our work to define the long-term vision for the school and to ensure its financial sustainability in collaboration with Lauren Miller as our new Head of School.

Tanya Gulesserian
Chair, Sea Crest Board of Trustees

PARENT RESOURCES

Free Webinar:

Supporting Your Smart & Struggling Student through Distance Learning
by Parents Place, JFCS' Center for Children and Youth

Wednesday, September 23rd
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Register Here

We are happy to announce that our waiver to provide in-person instruction was approved by San Mateo County on September 3rd. Sea Crest will be joining an ever growing list of schools that have gone through the rigorous process of planning for a safe school reopening, following the many procedures and protocols as outlined by the CDC, State of California and County of San Mateo. 

Providing as many safe options for students and parents this year is our goal. We are happy to be able to provide the 76% of families that have chosen to return to school a safe place to do so, while providing the other 24% the ability to stay in distance learning. It is no easy feat to adapt and adjust our schedules, programs, and access to your teachers, but we are committed to work hard each day to meet the needs of our students and the moment. Thank you to everyone in our community for the flexibility and support as we navigate this challenging academic school year. 

At this time, the lower school will be transitioning into our hybrid model of learning. Families who have opted to learn on campus Monday-Thursday will begin on the following 9/14 K-2, 9/21 3-5th. Please note that JK students will continue to learn on-campus Monday-Thursday and Middle School will continue in distance learning at this time. 

Learn more about our Campus Reopening Plan here.

As promised we have included a survey below to get feedback on the start of the year for all grades. Please take a moment to fill it out.

I hope everyone is having a safe and restful holiday weekend. 

Best, 

~Lauren Miller, Head of School

LOWER SCHOOL REOPENING CALENDAR & MODIFIED SCHEDULE

BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHTS POSTPONED TWO WEEKS
DUE TO HYBRID MODEL TRANSITION

Dear Sea Crest Families,

Yesterday, September 3rd, Sea Crest School’s application for a waiver to provide in-person instruction was approved by San Mateo County. As you know the waiver process and reopening plan were both highly detailed and required the school to demonstrate its ability to uphold the "Four Pillars" for a safe return to campus.

The waiver approval means that we will be able to transition to a hybrid model of learning in the lower school. We will stagger the start dates for the different grade level divisions to allow for a safe and smooth transition for students.

Students who have opted to learn on campus Monday-Thursday will begin on the following dates:

Monday, Sept 14th- Students in K-2nd grade
Monday, Sept 21st- Students in 3rd-5th grade

Please note that Junior Kindergarten students will continue to learn on campus Monday-Thursday and Middle School students, as mandated by the State of California's monitoring list, will remain in distance learning throughout this transition.

Faculty and Staff are meeting today to finalize our return to campus planning. Please read this week's Sunday Wave for next steps and important details. The Sunday Wave will also contain our first back to school survey to collect feedback on distance learning. We ask that you save any feedback, questions, and suggestions to include in the survey. 

Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend! Please remember to practice social distancing and wear a mask.

Sincerely,

Lauren Miller
Head of School

LOWER SCHOOL UPDATES

UPCOMING EVENTS: *NEW DATES*
BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHTS

COMMUNITY NEWS