Issue: #64                                                     

December
 2015
In This Issue
Featured Article
San Mateo County Suicide Prevention Protocol Workgroup convenes at SMCOE.
happy-holidays-header4.jpg
 
 
The magic of the holidays has arrived, bringing warmth and smiles all around--cherished family gatherings,religious and cultural celebrations, and lots of festivities. With winter break on the horizon, we'll have a chance to rest and renew.
 
The holidays are a perfect time to remember those in need. As has been our annual tradition, this month's newsletter contains a list of organizations, local and national, that count on donations, big or small, during the holiday season.These organizations often depend on holiday contributions to power them throughout the year.Thank you for whatever help you can give. Your contribution will help brighten someone's holiday and provide hope in the New Year.
 
On behalf of all of us at the San Mateo County Office of Education, I wish you and yours a most joyous holiday season. We look forward to working with you in the New Year.
 
Anne E. Campbell
San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools
 
 
 
Share With Those in Need This Holiday Season
 

As has been our tradition in years past, during this holiday season we highlight local community nonprofit organizations helping those in need. What better gift than to share with those in need your time, financial contribution or community organization wish list items. Can't think of what to get that someone special who has everything? Why not honor him or her 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:
 
Peninsula Family Service provides vulnerable, overlooked, and under-served children, families and older adults support and tools to realize their full potential and lead healthy, stable lives. Their wish list for children's items includes books, toys and puzzles, diapers, socks, children's underwear, mittens, scarves, craft supplies, Safeway and Target gift cards (for emergency funding). Donations can be dropped off at their office at 24 Second Avenue in San Mateo, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
Samaritan House in San Mateo has grown to become San Mateo County's leading nonprofit that brings hope, dignity, and empowerment to people living in poverty as they fulfill immediate needs and guide people to self reliance. Samaritan House is the largest food distribution agency in the county. Its other free services include shelter and housing assistance; medical and dental clinics; clothes for children; personalized case management and much more. There are many volunteer and giving opportunities this holiday season which you can read about  here and use their online sign-up form to volunteer your time.
 
During the holiday season they are especially in need of gift cards to food and clothing stores, gifts for children and teens, educational toys, sports equipment, new hoodies and coats for children ages 2 to 17, new or very gently used adult coats, non-perishable food items and holiday foods such as ham, turkey and chicken. You can bring items to their administrative office at 4031 Pacific Blvd. in San Mateo, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. through the end of December. You can also purchase items from their 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, is dedicated to ending hunger in our community. Second Harvest also plays a leading role in promoting federal nutrition programs and educating families on how to make healthier food choices. In 2015 the agency distributed more than one million pounds of nutritious food each week to low-income people in need throughout the Bay Area.

Their colorful-ornaments.jpg Kids NOW Program meets the needs of hungry children and families by providing them with free, nutritious, and easy-to-prepare food to take home on weekends and over school vacations when other resources such as free or reduced-cost school lunches are not available.
 
In addition to their distribution warehouses in San Carlos and San Jose, their barrels can be found at a variety of locations including Safeway, Whole Foods and San Mateo County libraries.  They are especially in need of meals in a can, such as soups and stews, as well as canned fruit, canned foods with pop-top lids, canned meats and low-sodium vegetables. Also needed are low-sugar cereals and peanut butter in plastic jars. Volunteers are needed for a variety of activities. Find out more here
 
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.
 
The Children's Fund of San Mateo County holiday gift program serves approximately 3.500 low-income and foster children, and for many these are the only gifts they receive. Children submit a wish list and volunteers help fill their wishes. Gift cards and new toys, board games, art supplies and sports equipment for children of all ages are needed.  Drop off at their big red barrels at several locations in Foster City and San Carlos (including San Carlos City Hall) or at Holiday Central at 1 Davis Drive in Belmont. The Children's Fund is also in need of volunteers at Holiday Central, weekdays from 12-5 pm to pack holiday gift bags for children. You can sign up for a specific shift. Call 650-802-5152 or email [email protected] for more information.
 
Puente is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide vital services for men, women, children, and families living in the rural San Mateo South Coast communities of Pescadero, La Honda, Loma Mar, and San Gregorio. It is the only community resource center on the South Coast and provides a single point of entry for men, women, and children to have access to safety net services, health and wellness services, youth employment, leadership development, and community engagement and action. Donations can be made online through their website.
 
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. Here in San Mateo County requests range from high-interest novels to inspire lifelong readers at Garden Village Elementary School, a low-income school in Daly City, to providing funds for a 
listening center 
at Sunshine Gardens Elementary School in South San Francisco. For this project Genentech will fund 50 percent if someone like you provides the remainder.
 
Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) 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 and The Big Lift, a collective impact collaborative to close the achievement gap. SVCF also launched the Silicon Valley Common Core Initiative (SVCCI), an ambitious three-year effort to encourage a collaborative approach to implementing the Common Core State Standards among the 54 school districts in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. SVCF provides resources, hosts informational meetings, and brings school districts together to identify the needs around the Common Core.
 
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.
 
 
 

San Mateo County Schools Address Suicide Prevention

 
More than 44 school staff and community members including counselors, administrators, psychologists, wellness coordinators, staff from San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS), Caltrain, StarVista, and other agencies gathered
Jen�e Littrell, SMCOE Director of Safe and Supportive Schools, explains the goal of the San Mateo County School Suicide Protocol Workgroup.
at the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) on December 14, 2015 for the first of several meetings to address suicide prevention and establishing a uniform countywide suicide prevention protocol.

Organized jointly by Jen�e Littrell, SMCOE Director of Safe and Supportive Schools, and BHRS staff, the purpose was to begin the creation of a toolkit that will highlight best practices, and as Littrell said, "create something meaningful, relevant and feasible" to assist school and county personnel. "We want to make sure school personnel are comfortable and have the tools they need, and, ultimately we want our young people to feel safe and thrive." The goal is to complete the toolkit and have it adopted by school districts in the spring of 2016.

Part of the meeting was dedicated to hearing from stakeholders from the Palo Alto Unified School District who came together in 2009 after their community experienced a cluster of suicides and created a comprehensive suicide prevention toolkit, which draws on well-regarded national best practices. That document will serve as a starting point and a resource for the San Mateo County workgroup. 

Palo Alto committee members who worked on the creation of that document spoke about their process and how it can guide the work beginning now in San Mateo County. "We plan to take what Palo Alto did for one school district and create a toolkit relevant to our 23 school districts in San Mateo County," noted Littrell.

In future meetings to be held at SMCOE in January, February and March, participants will work in sub-workgroups focusing on the areas of promotion, intervention with varying levels of risk, intervention with re-entry and crisis response teams, and postvention (how to provide support after a suicide occurs). To learn more about the San Mateo County School Protocol Workgroup, and/or to join this effort, contact Jen�e Littrell at [email protected].
 
 

SMCOE Report to the Community
Garners Journalism Award
 


The San Mateo County Office of Education's 2013 Report to the Community was the first place winner in the Public Relations category for excellence in media produced in 2014 in the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club's (SFPPC) 38th Greater Bay Area Journalism Awards competition. Associate Superintendent sf pen press club Nancy Magee accepted the award on behalf of the County Office at the Club's annual gathering on December 5, 2015 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City.

The luncheon event honored the outstanding work of Bay Area TV, print, radio and digital media journalists, as well as the exceptional work of photographers, graphic designers and public relations professionals. The contest included several divisions: Digital Media, Magazine/Trade Press/Newsletter, Newspaper, Photography, Public Relations, Radio and Television.

The Club received 398 entries from the 11 counties in the Bay Area. The contest was judged by press clubs in Cleveland, Florida, New Orleans, Orange County and Kern County, and more than 140 journalists representing 35 media organizations were honored. The club presented nearly 200 awards during the luncheon celebration.

Michael Howerton, editor-in-chief of the San Francisco Examiner, gave a keynote speech, and investigative reporter and founder of SonomaIndependent.org Jonathan Greenberg was also a guest speaker. In addition, the SFPPC awarded three $1,500 scholarships to promising student journalists.


Check Us Out on Facebook

   

The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) now has a page on Facebook. We'll be providing frequent updfacebook logoates 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. 
  
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