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Bright Ideas Fest Gets Educators' Creative Juices Flowing |
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December is my favorite month of the year. What's not to love? The hustle and bustle of the season. Fun-filled festivities with family and friends. Meaningful connections with religious and cultural traditions. Time to rest and  rejuvenate as we pause from our usual routines to enjoy the warmth and light of the season.
December can also be an immensely difficult time of year for families in need. So December also presents the perfect opportunity to reach out and help ensure that everyone's holiday season can be a bit brighter.
As has been our tradition in past years, this month's SMCOE Newsletter contains a list of organizations in our community that count on whatever help, big or small, you can give this holiday season. Thanks so much for your support--your help will make a big difference!
May you and yours have the happiest of holidays!
Anne E. Campbell
San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools
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Share the Spirit of Giving
This Holiday Season
As the holiday season approaches, the number of families in need in our community along with the wish lists of local community nonprofit organizations continues to grow during these difficult economic times. You can help in a multitude of ways, whether it be big or small--donate your time; make a financial contribution; give food, toys or gifts; or honor special people on your holiday list with a donation to a worthy nonprofit.
There are many agencies seeking help this holiday season and all year long. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:
Samaritan House in San Mateo has a host of holiday giving programs to help the more than 12,000 clients they serve. Their most urgent need this year is for children's books and toy donations. You can bring new, unwrapped toys to Samaritan House's third floor administrative office at 4031 Pacific Blvd. in San Mateo, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through the end of December. If you need ideas of what to buy, check their wish list at Amazon.com. You can also purchase toys and books directly from this Amazon wish list and have them shipped directly to Samaritan House.
Second Harvest Food Bank of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties with offices in San Carlos and San Jose, and barrels at Safeway, Whole Foods and San Mateo County libraries, has opportunities for volunteers and donors. The Food Bank is especially in need of meals in a can, such as soups and stews, as well as canned fruit, canned meats and low-sodium vegetables. Also needed are low-sugar cereals and peanut butter in plastic jars. Volunteers are needed to sort and distribute food. Cash donations are especially appreciated, as with every dollar, the organization can purchase two meals, and the cash helps them meet the food needs of their clients throughout the year. With the economic downturn, Second Harvest provides food for 250,000 residents each month and they now serve 1 in 10 residents in the two counties.
Peninsula Family Service Agency offers comprehensive programs teaching children, families, and older adults lifelong skills to build a self-sufficient future, regardless of ability to pay. They serve 20,000 families and children each year. Your financial donation helps support their many programs. Donations of specific items are also welcome (see their wish list) and if you have one hour or 100 to volunteer your time, they will put you to work. Call (650) 403-4300 to learn more.
DonorsChoose is a national organization linking donors to classrooms in need. On their website, you can see specific projects that teachers have requested funds for, locally and across the country. Requests range from donating supplies to classrooms that were damaged during Hurricane Sandy to donating funds for unicycles for a classroom in East Palo Alto. You can designate your financial contribution in any amount to the project you choose.
Silicon Valley Community Foundation awards grants to community organizations in the areas of education, regional planning and community safety net services, and is the region's leader for innovative charitable solutions. The Silicon Valley Community Foundation, along with the San Mateo County Office of Education and the County of San Mateo, is a partner and funder of the Peninsula Partnership Leadership Council, which addresses the needs and fosters the healthy development of children, youth and families in San Mateo County.
JustGive is your online destination if you'd like to give the gift of charitable giving to someone on your holiday list. At this website you can purchase a gift card that the recipient can use to give to the charity of his or her choice, whether it be local or international.
And while you are out shopping at the mall...
At Hillsdale Shopping Center you can donate new and gently used coats and jackets for distribution through Samaritan House. Hillsdale Shopping Center is also collecting toiletries and towels that will be distributed to residents at Safe Harbor Shelter. Donations must be received by December 17. For information call (650) 571-1029.
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Kent Awards Application
Deadline Draws Near
The San Mateo County School Boards Association (SMCSBA) is now accepting applications for the 2013 J. Russell Kent Awards. Award winners, chosen from the 23 school districts, the Community College District and the 
San Mateo County Office of Education programs, must demonstrate outstanding and innovative programs either in the classroom or outside the classroom, or through district-wide programs.
Applicants must show their programs promote student success, employ a high degree of creativity, and demonstrate transferability. The deadline to file is January 25, 2013.
Named after the past San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools, J. Russell Kent, SMCSBA initiated the J. Russell Kent Award Program in the 1980-81 school year. For the fourth year, SMCSBA will also include the Emily Garfield Preventive Counseling Award, established through a grant from Youth Empowering Systems to honor local education pioneer Emily Garfield. The award highlights successful alcohol and drug prevention programs as well as positive youth development and community wellness programs.
All applications will be reviewed by San Mateo County school board members who will then make site visits to observe the program and/or meet with the instructors and administrators. The criteria for award selection include creativity, effectiveness, and how well the school programs use available resources.
"Every year, as the Kent Awards become better known, we see an increase in the number of applicants. No doubt we will see a lot of really interesting programs up for awards this year," says Seth Rosenblatt, SMCSBA president and a school board member in the San Carlos School District.
"With the county-wide emphasis on 21st century learning, STEM and closing the achievement gap, I suspect we will see a lot of programs along these lines. During these tough economic times, we tend to focus on all the problems in public education. The Kent Awards are a great reminder of all the excellent programs we have in San Mateo County."
Information on how to apply can be found here. Award winners will be honored at the annual Kent Awards ceremony on May 20, 2013.
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Bright Ideas Fest Sparks Creative Educational Ventures
The Bright Ideas Fest, held in Half Moon Bay December 3-5, set in motion this recipe for education innovation: Take 240 educators, venture capitalists, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs and key stakeholders. Bring them together to listen to inspiring speakers who've taken their big ideas and put them
 | | Abby Foster and her team won a $5,000 grant at the Big Ideas Fest to develop their "Mission Possible" creative curriculum. |
into action. Then, bolstered by this can-do inspiration, group participants into creative teams, known as "action collabs," to design education and technology-based strategies to "bring about transformational changes on campuses, and in schools and communities."
On the last day of the conference, the teams presented their strategies and plans for piloting and implementation. Five judges (entrepreneurs, stakeholders, consultants and nonprofit foundation staff), as well as the attendees, listened, and three of the lucky teams were chosen to receive a $5,000 grant, as well as the promise of in-kind support from the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME), the sponsor of the conference, and others in the Bright Ideas Fest network, to carry their designs forward over the course of the next year.
One of the lucky winners was Abby Foster, a kindergarten teacher at Hatch School in Half Moon Bay, and her collab team. Her team's project, dubbed "Mission Possible," will give students the chance to collaborate with peers around the world, and gain cross-cultural experience in high- and low-tech ways.
Learn more about the Big Ideas Fest and Foster's winning project here.
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Check Us Out on Facebook
The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) now has a page on Facebook. We'll be providing frequent upd ates on SMCOE events and education news of interest, adding groups of interest, and linking to other education organizations. Check us out and "like" us today on Facebook!
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About the San Mateo County Office of Education
The San Mateo County Office of Education provides a variety of instructional, business and consulting services to the County's 23 public school districts, charter schools, the Community College District and County Office of Education staff.
Believe in Tomorrow: Think Green Today
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