Dear Los Altos School District Families,
 

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a relaxing break with your families and that you’ve made a smooth transition back to the daily school routines.  As we move into the second half of the school year, I’m proud of all of the great work we’ve done as a school community to get to know our students, make learning personal, empower them and challenge them to reach the highest standards.  I thank our parents for partnering with our teachers so that every child succeeds.
 
Ask the Superintendent
With all of the exciting happenings in our classrooms and schools, I am introducing a new newsletter column.  I invite students, parents and community members to submit questions to me via email atjbaier@lasdschools.org.  Each month I will choose one question and answer to publish that is relevant to our community.  All questions will be published anonymously. 
 
Los Altos Historical Society Essay Contest
It’s the time of year for the annual Margaret Thompson Historical Essay Contest for local 3rd-6th grade students.  This year’s essay is inspired by the Los Altos History Museum exhibit entitled, “Inspired by Juana:  La Dona Frontera.”  Juana Briones was a 19th Century business woman, landowner, traditional healer and advocate for the rights of her family and friends who lived in the Los Altos area.  Her story is one of resilience, innovation and business acumen.  Please encourage your child to tackle this inspiring challenge to learn about local history and consider its relevance in today’s world. Click here for more information on the contest and visit the Los Altos History Museumwebsite for more information on the exhibit.
 
Monday, January 28: Join the Conversation on BCS Facilities
We invite you to attend the next meeting of the Board of Trustees’ on Monday, January 28 at 7 pm to learn more about the preliminary facilities offer for Bullis Charter School for the 2019-20 school year.  We will provide an opportunity for all to give public comment.  The agenda and supporting information for this meeting will be available for review here by 5 pm on Friday, January 25.  For more information, please review the presentation for item I.3. of our January 14 meeting.
 
Join Our Collaborative Preschool Community
The Los Altos School District Collaborative Preschool is currently seeking applicants who are at least 3 years old for its tuition-free, ½ day program.  A unique model for early education, the LASD Collaborative Preschool teaches all students—regardless of ability or disability—using the 1st Five and California Preschool Learning Foundations best practices and curriculum.  “Our preschool students learn how to work and play inclusively with their peers, a key to future success in our diverse world,” explains Katherine Chang, the preschool teacher.  For more information, click here.  Contact Katherine Chang at (650) 947-1171 orkchang@lasdschools.org for additional questions.
 
Regards,
Jeffrey Baier

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Is Your Family Ready for an Emergency?

Please join our community and learn the basics of Emergency Preparedness from the Santa Clara County Fire Department. Discussion topics will include: emergency kits, go bags, evacuation planning, family communication plans, and more.

Connect with local community resources and learn how to ensure that your family is ready to go in case of an evacuation.

Thursday, January 31, 7:00–9:00 PM in the Egan Multi (100 W. Portola Avenue). **Children are welcome.** This talk will be repeated at Oak at a later date TBD.

For tips and templates, visitsccfd.org <http://www.sccfd.org/>. 

Also, you may register to receive emergency alerts from the City and County of Santa Clara by visiting AlertSCC.org <https://www.sccgov.org/sites/alertscc/Pages/home.aspx>.