The following is the Oct. 25 edition of the Abridged by PBS KVIE Homeroom email newsletter, by reporter Savannah Kuchar. Want it sent directly to your inbox? Sign up here.
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A weekly email with news and insights into Sacramento area schools and how it impacts your students.
It’s Savannah with this week’s Homeroom!
If there was a theme to today’s newsletter, it would be community.
What does it mean to have a sense of belonging in the Sacramento area?
In West Sacramento, a student sees herself and her family represented among a group of medical professionals. In Elk Grove, a local bookstore has intentionally created a safe space for patrons of all ages, including LGBTQ+ youth.
And in Woodland, when a community is increasingly afraid to leave home, some residents are “speaking out and standing up.”
More on these stories below.
READY FOR THE WEEK AHEAD?
Education, parenting and other relevant stories from the Sacramento region you may have missed this week.
💰 There are a handful of school bond measures on the ballot from Rocklin to Winters. The asks are for additional facilities funds, as school leaders say their aging campuses need urgent repair. Learn more about the proposals here.
🎭 Sacramento City Unified officials were preparing to return $1.8 million in arts funding to the state. But a last-minute review revealed a “clerical error” and showed the district had spent the money after all, officials say. Read that story here.
🏫 Parents in Woodland are among the many residents on edge amid escalating immigration enforcement presence. Yolo County Reporter Daniel Hennessy spent time this week with folks there who said they’re afraid to take their kids to school. Read his reporting here.
What else is in today’s newsletter?
Find a look into what students in West Sacramento are learning about, along with a fresh list of family-friendly events this Halloweekend.
Also, if you received any messages from your child’s school or school district this week about a data breach, it was likely in reference to a statewide incident. The California Department of Education shared information about what was and wasn’t leaked here.
HOMEROOM HIGHLIGHT
Elk Grove bookstore provides a ‘third space’ where parents and children find connection
Opened in 2021, the bookstore and cafe provides resources and events geared toward the LGBTQ+ community.
BY CAROLYN BECKER | abridged@kvie.org
In short: A Seat at the Table Books in Elk Grove is more than just a bookstore; it’s also a community center of sorts where people of all ages are encouraged to be themselves and learn from others. Local parents of LGBTQ+ children share their experiences and explain why the business has been helpful as they navigate new challenges.
A bit more: A Sacramento State expert weighs in on the importance of providing spaces where children feel safe, seen and loved.
It’s a routine question on the car ride home or sitting around the dinner table. I want to hear more than “fine” from students across the region: How was school? What did you learn? Did something interesting happen?
Students at River City High School in West Sacramento learned about intubation and the respiratory system from a group of UC Davis anesthesiology residents Thursday.
Zaynub Chaudhary, a sophomore at River City, said she valued learning more about future medical career options.
| “I love meeting all the residents and (program) directors. They really inspire me … And I saw one of the directors has a hijab on. I’m also Muslim so that was really cool to see someone like me in medicine,” Chaudhary said.
Kayden Bennett, fellow River City sophomore, said she enjoyed the intubation lesson. It was hands-on, she said, just like most of the courses in her school’s biomedical pathway.
| “In most anatomy classes, it’s just looking at a picture of a heart. Here, we get to dissect one,” Bennett said.
FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
Things to do with (or without!) the kids this week.
🍬 It’s Trunk or Treat at La Familia’s Maple Neighborhood Center in Sacramento Friday, Oct. 30. With candy, music and prizes, the free event runs 3:30-6 p.m. Find more information here.
🧟♀️ Join the Zombie Bike Parade in Davis Saturday, Oct. 31. The free event is chock full of family-friendly fun, including the official bike parade at 11 a.m., skydiving zombies at 2:30 p.m. and a “spooktacular” trick-or-treat trail from 3-5 p.m. Check out the details here.
👻 The El Dorado Hills Town Center is hosting Halloween Spooktacular Saturday, Oct. 31. Trick-or-treating runs 3-6 p.m., and the costume contest and pet parade start at 5 p.m. Find more information here.
Want an event to be featured in our next newsletter? Submit it to our community events calendar here.
A STORY TO SHARE
News isn’t just for the adults — each week, I’ll highlight a piece from myself or one of my colleagues that you can share with the student in your life. Hopefully they can find interest or insight in the hyperlocal, community-focused stories. To fuel conversation, check the discussion prompt below.
In this story, senior food editor Benjy Egel gives the background on a new Hmong BBQ joint, which grew from a hobby and sales on Facebook Marketplace. As Benjy notes, the Sacramento metropolitan area has the country’s third-largest Hmong population. The restaurant scene is catching up in representation.
📝 Discussion prompt: What did you find most interesting about how this restaurant came to be? Which food, based on the descriptions in the story, would you most want to try?
Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated. Email me!
Questions, thoughts, or ideas? Email me!
