Principal's Corner

Dear Peninsula Families, January 2026

Happy New Year! I hope 2026 brings us all growing health and happiness! This month our school-wide equity theme is collaboration. Ask your students what they’re learning about the skill of collaboration in class. 

Upcoming Important Dates:

• Monday January 19th–No School in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Thursday January 22, at 6 p.m. Parent Night at Arcata High School

• Friday January 23rd–8th grade field trip to Arcata High School

• February 16-20, Levar Burton Week, No School

• Wednesday February 25th, Open House Family Night

Donate small pants!

We are in need of pants for boys and girls ages 4-8 years old. Have your children grown out of any pants you might be able to donate? Sweatpants and leggings are preferred.

Attendance:

We want to remind you how important it is for your child to attend school every day (unless they are sick). When a student misses 2 days a month, they miss 20 days per year–an entire school month. That adds up to missing a full year of school by graduation! Reach out to us if you have any barriers to attendance that we can help you overcome.

We are excited to announce that we will be running a Break Camp for current Peninsula Union students during the 2/16/26-2/20/26 Break!

WHEN: Monday 2/16/26 through Friday, 2/20/26 from 8:30am-5:30pm

WHERE: Peninsula Union School. Check-in will be in the cafeteria from 8:30-8:45am. For check-out, we will either be in the cafeteria or on the play yard out back. Find a staff member and they will direct you to who has the sign-out sheet.

WHAT: Full days of fun indoor and outdoor activities (weather dependent) run by our Peninsula Union staff. We will also provide breakfast, lunch and afternoon "supper". 

HOW TO SIGN UP: We will be able to take the first 20 students who sign up. To enroll follow this link and sign up. If you can’t sign up online, please call the school office at 707.443.2731 and request to be signed up.

ADDITIONAL INFO: Day Camp rules are the same as for school: BEE KIND. BEE SAFE. BEE RESPECTFUL. BEE RESPONSIBLE. We will make every attempt to work with your child, however, students who cannot remain safe or consistently follow the rules will be asked to return home. Please send your child in clothes appropriate for outdoor play. Know that their clothes may get dirty/stained depending on the fun activities we have planned. If that is an issue, let our staff know and we can support using some of the donated clothes we have.    

Thank you for being a part of our Peninsula School community. We are excited to see what 2026 brings for all of us!

Sincerely,

Raven Coit

Principal & Superintendent

Sign up for text announcements from Principal Raven:

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Text: @mscoit25 

To: 81010

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After School Program

Our after school program is totally free and open to students TK through 8th grade. We serve supper and a snack for all students attending the program, and we are open until 5:30 p.m. Please pick up your students before 5:30 p.m. and be sure to sign them out on the clipboard. Please call us if you have any questions about the after school program.

Biking Safety at Peninsula

We LOVE it when students bike to and from school, and we need them to be safe. Specifically we need them to wear helmets. The ride to and from the apartments isn’t far…but it is dangerous for bicyclists:

• There is typically construction equipment & vehicles with limited visibility

• Unfortunately some folks drive too fast, even past our school

• The roads are damp most mornings making them slippery or they have debris

• We see how fast the kids get going down the hills…it wouldn’t take much for them to fly off their bike. 

A few stats from the Dept of Transportation:

• Each year almost 400,000 children ages 14 and under are treated in emergency rooms

for bicycle-related injuries.

• Universal bicycle helmet use by children ages 4 to 15 would prevent 39,000 to 45,000 head injuries, and 18,000 to 55,000 scalp and face injuries annually.

• Bicycle helmets are 85-88 percent effective in mitigating head and brain injuries, making the use of helmets the single most effective way to reduce head injuries and fatalities resulting from bicycle crashes.

• It is the law: “In California, if you are under the age of 18, you are required to wear an approved, properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet.”

Here are ways we would like to support:

• If we see (or are told) that a child uses their helmet, they will receive one of our Golden Tickets for EVERY day that they use the helmet on their way to and from school.

• If you are in need of a helmet, we can support getting your child/children one! Just reach out to our office.

• If you can think of additional ways we can support helmet use, please tell us. 

Thank you for being a part of our school community. 

Sincerely,

Principal & Superintendent Raven Coit

Parenting Classes:

Parents in Training:

Love and Logic - directed for parents of all age children 

Contact Information - 707-443-1401

https://parentsintraining.org/

Humboldt County Office of Education:

Parent Project - directed for parents of adoloscent children

(Typically offered in the Spring)

Contact Person - Gillian Wadsworth 

(707) 445-7098

 GWadsworth@hcoe.org 

Arcata Police Department, Diversion Program: 

Parent Project - directed for parents of adoloscent children

Loving Solutions - directed for parents of 5-10 y.o. children

Contact Person - Crystal Perez, Cperez@arcatapd.org

Parenting Resources:

Changing Tides Family Services: 

Parent Cafes - Receive parenting tips and resources and share with other parents

Contact Person - Amanda Steinebach, 707-298-8358

https://www.changingtidesfs.org/community-resources/parent-resources

Manila Community Resource Center:

Contact Person:  Esther Hutton, 707-441-9771

https://www.hnfrc.org/