Welcome Back to School
Information

Readiness Checklist!

1.
Update Your Child’s Brightwheel Profile

Ensure we have up-to-date information. Importantly:

1. Parent/Guardian contact
2. Emergency contact
3. Medical conditions
4. Student photo, so our full team can identify your child, especially early on!

2.
Review Pick Up Process & Authorize our Pick Up

Review our pick up process (below) and prepare your child.

For students in lower elementary schools or Charter, you must give your child’s day school authorization to release them to Live Love Learn Chinese for pick up each day.

3.
Notify us of planned absences

If your child will miss the first day(s) of school, please let us know in advance to avoid pickup delays and a fee.

Also, let us know about any regular absences, late arrivals, or early pickups.

4.
Label Everything

Water bottles, lunch boxes, jackets, backpacks — it avoids lost items!

5.
Set the Tone & Practice Chinese at Home

Speak positively about school—your attitude shapes your child’s mindset.

Even if you’re not fluent, saying 你好 (hello) or 谢谢 (thank you) at home can boost your child’s confidence and get them back in the mood for learning.

New TK & K Families

We know this is a big transition for you and your child as they enter elementary school and join a new after school program!

Please review this section to help you and your child prepare for this big step in their educational journey! We’re here to support both students and families every step of the way.

  • Consistent Routines Help Young Learners Thrive. Drop-off and pick-up at consistent times can help your child feel safe and confident. If you are dropping off your child at LLLC, using a familiar goodbye routine helps ease separation and encourages independence.

    Comfort Items Are Welcome. If your child needs it, a small comfort item (like a favorite plush toy) can be a big help in the early weeks.

    Snack Time Matters. We provide one afternoon snack daily. However, if your child tends to get hungry — especially if they don’t finish their school lunch — please pack an extra snack. This is very common for young kids!

    Nap Needs? Let Us Know! While we don’t have built-in nap time, if your child still needs rest in the afternoon, we’re happy to find a peaceful spot where they can relax. Just let us know in advance!

    Spare Set of Clothes. Leaving a spare set of clean clothes in their cubby may be useful, just in case!

    Patience During the Transition. We expect the transition period to be different for every child. On the first couple days of school, we expect young TKers and some Kinders to be adjusting and potentially uncomfortable in a new environment. Your child will have a designated cubby for their belongings, a Chinese homeroom, and consistent Teacher and TAs to provide consistency in their daily experience. Please be patient with them and us, as they will be going through so many new experiences in such a short time!

  • Before school starts, help your child develop independence in using the bathroom, including with standard toilet height with stools and washing hands.

    While we do expect students to be bathroom trained when they start our program, we understand some young children may sometimes need assistance. Please let us know if your child needs bathroom help.

  • Before school starts, teach your child to buckle and unbuckle their own seat belt. While our drivers will assist students who need help, we encourage children to become independent in getting in and out of the vehicle, and understanding their own actions that support rider safety.

    For many incoming TKers, this may be the first time they are riding a large van with many other students. It is usually a very exciting experience for them, and then they quickly become pros!

  • We encourage you to pack your child’s extra snacks or lunch (on Minimum Days) in containers that they know how to open and close themselves. This provides them with independence and confidence as they eat with their peers.

    If we see them having challenges, do not worry though, we are happy to help them if needed!

  • For incoming TK students, the regular day schedule (non-Minimum day) typically follows a schedule that provides students with a balance of learning and play. We know the importance of outdoor free play at the youngest ages, so we ensure there is ample opportunity for the students to get fresh air, sun, and movement!

    Arrival
    Recess
    Chinese session - includes movement and singing
    Recess and Snack
    Enrichment session
    Closing Circle Time
    Outdoor play and Dismissal

    For Level 1 TK class, pick up time is 5:00-5:15 PM, which is a bit earlier than older classes as the full school day is very long for young students.

School Pick Up

Prepare your child for our pick up process, even if they are returning students! Our pick up team will hold LLLC signs and wear badges on the first few days to ensure students become familiar with our team and process.

Reminders:

  • Authorize our pick up! For lower elementary and San Carlos Charter students, give your child’s school authorization to release them to Live Love Learn Chinese for pick up each day.

  • Notify us of absences via Brightwheel at least an hour in advance of pick up time. Our team will not leave the campus until every student is accounted for, so your early communication prevents unnecessary urgent concern, delay of other student schedules, and avoids a fee for non-notification.

  • We partner closely with San Carlos lower elementary schools to ensure a smooth pick up and transition process. San Carlos school administration knows your child is enrolled at LLLC, who be riding our van, who our driver is, and has our team’s direct phone numbers for immediate questions.

    Our van drivers are trusted team members, each dedicated to specific schools so children will have consistency in knowing their driver/teacher, and each van seat is equipped with a car seat. We will update you promptly every day on Brightwheel (via a “check in” notification) once your child is safely on the van.

    For everyone’s safety and schedule timeliness, we kindly ask parents to:

    • Not visit school during pick-up — if your child sees you, they may become attached and delay the schedule for the group.

    • Stay phone-connected during pick-up hours in case we need to reach you.

    • Notify us via Brightwheel messaging an hour in advance of pick up time if your child will be absent from pick up and LLLC, to prevent our drivers and staff from unnecessary urgent concern, from delaying all other student schedules, and to avoid a fee for non-notification.

  • Van parking location: In the back cul-de-sac on Arundel Rd

    12:55 TK dismissal: Your child will be picked up from their classrooms.

    1:25 Early-K dismissal: Your child will be picked up from their classroom gates facing the office and through the open walkway. Arundel requires students to wait at their classroom for our driver or until the teacher walks them to the office to meet the driver.

    2:25 Late K dismissal: Your child will be picked up from their classrooms.

    2:30 1st-3rd dismissal: Your child should walk to the upper gate that directly faces the van parking cul-de-sac. From the 1st-3rd classroom area heading towards the MU (Multi-Use Room) on the side opposite the front office, there is a gate and set of stairs that directly faces the van parking area. We park near the bottom of the stairs so the LLLC logo is clear and visible to students standing at the gate. Please remind your child to stay at the gate until they see our driver.

    Minimum Day 12:25 dismissal: Your child should follow the same protocol as regular days. TK and K will walk with the driver from their classrooms, and 1st-3rd graders should go directly to the gate that faces the van parking cul-de-sac. A LLLC teacher will be waiting at the van for everyone. Once attendance is taken, select students will depart to LLLC for lunch, and select students will remain at Arundel for lunch with our Teacher before the van returns for them. Please let your child know that lunch group (whether at LLLC or Arundel) will be pre-assigned.

  • Van parking location: On Belle

    On regular days 1:25 TK & Early K dismissals: Your child will be picked up by our team from the entry of their classrooms. TK students first, then K students, then walk together to the van on Belle next to the Kindergarten gate. Brittan Acres teachers require your child to wait at their classroom until we come to get them.

    On regular days 2:25 Late-K dismissals: Your child will be picked up by our team from their classroom.

    On regular days 2:30 1st-3rd dismissals: Your child should walk to the dismissal gate to wait. Once they see us, they may walk directly to the LLLC van and and our team member, who will be standing and waiting curbside with the van on the section of Belle facing the Brittan Acres school sign.

    On Minimum Day 12:25 dismissals: Your child should follow the same protocol as regular days - TK and K will walk with our team member from their classrooms, and 1st-3rd graders should go directly to the van on their own once they see our team waiting at the van for them. Once attendance is taken, select students will depart to LLLC and have lunch at LLLC, and select students will remain with our teacher and have lunch at Brittan Acres before the van returns for them. Lunch group (at LLLC or Brittan Acres) will be pre-assigned.

  • Van parking location: In the small teacher's lot directly across from the office

    On regular days 1:25 TK & Early K dismissals: Your child will be picked up by our team member from the TK gate (facing the pick up line) and then the main gate for K students (next to the office). Together, they will walk to the van that can be seen in the teacher's parking lot. Heather teachers will walk your child to the front gate to ensure they are picked up by us.

    On regular days 2:25/2:30 Late K & 1st-3rd dismissals: Your child will be greeted by our team member in front of the main gate in the front of the office, where students are normally dismissed from.

    On Minimum Day 12:25 dismissals: Your child should follow the same protocol as regular days - TK students at the TK gate and K-3rd at the front gate area in front of the office. If K-3rd students do not see our team member initially, as they may be waiting for TK students around the corner, your child should continue to wait in front of the office. They will be able to see the LLLC van from the office, but should wait until they are with our team before going to the van.

  • Van parking location: On White Oaks Way in the cul-de-sac off Cedar St

    On regular days 1:25 TK & Early K dismissals: Your child will be picked up by our team from a designated Live Love Learn Chinese meeting point (in the open hallway near their classrooms). White Oaks teachers will ensure your child is walked to the designated pick up point for a hand-off to us. Our team member and students will then walk together to the van in the cul-de-sac.

    On regular days 2:25/2:30 Late K & 1st-3rd dismissals:

    • If your child is late-K or in 1st grade, they will be picked up from the designated Live Love Learn Chinese meeting point (in the open hallway near their classrooms). White Oaks teachers will ensure your child is walked to the designated pick up point to meet us, then our team member will walk with children to the van in the cul-de-sac.

    • If your child is in 2nd or 3rd grade, they should walk directly to the gate that faces the cul-de-sac and wait at the gate. The LLLC van will be parked in front of the gate, so once our team member returns with Late K and 1st graders, they will take your child's attendance as they board the van.

    On Minimum Day 12:25 dismissals: Your child should follow the same protocol as regular days - TK, K, 1st will walk with our team from their pick up point, and 2nd and 3rd graders should go directly to the gate where the van is parked. A LLLC teacher will be waiting at the van for everyone. Once attendance it taken, select students will depart to LLLC and have lunch at LLLC, and select students will remain with our teacher to have lunch at White Oaks before the van returns for them. Lunch group (at LLLC or White Oaks) will be pre-assigned.

  • Pick up location: In the Arroyo pick up line along Arroyo Ave

    Our team member will be waiting in the van in the Arroyo School pick up line. Your child should walk to the pick up line in a timely manner. For Central students, there are a couple easy and direct paths to cut across Arroyo to the pick up line. Attendance will be taken when your child boards the van.

  • Pick up location: At the UPPER pick up line, which faces Charter Learning Center

    Your child should walk to the upper pick up line (facing Charter School) in a timely manner. Our team member and Charter students will be waiting in the van in the pick up line for your child. We are asked not to exit the vehicle, so your child should identify the van by it's logo on the door, open the sliding door to greet our team, then board the van.

  • Reminder to schedule Educare: Since Charter's dismissal schedule is different from SCSD dismissal schedule, your child will need to remain with Educare until our pick up time at Charter School. Please see below to arrange Educare time needed and to prepare your child for the transition and pick up experience.

    Pick up location: In the regular Charter pick up line

    On regular days 1:35 for Kindergarteners: Your child will be picked up by our team directly from the Educare door.

    On regular days 2:55 for 1st-5th graders: Your child will be called to the pick up area by Charter staff when they see the LLLC van arriving. Our driver is required to remain in the vehicle, and your child will hop into the van with the assistance of Charter staff.

    On Minimum Day: All students will be picked up around 12:45pm at the tail end of Charter pick up window. When our van arrives, Charter staff will call all the students to the front to board the van.

General Reminders

School Calendar

We follow the San Carlos District Calendar for after school hours and holidays. When the school district has a non-student day or holiday, then afterschool is also closed. When the school district is on Minimum Day schedule, we also follow the Minimum Day schedule. We do our best to make school days as seamless as possible for you.

  • On SCSD non-student days or school holidays, we offer School Break camps and Day Camp for your convenience. Enroll here.

  • For San Carlos Charter families specifically, we will try to provide reminders when Charter’s schedule is not aligned to SCSD’s, and what the change to your child’s schedule may be.

You can view and follow our LLLC Google Calendar 📅 for reminders about SCSD holidays, LLLC field trips, LLLC student performances, and other events.

Other Electives

Other than the included curriculum covering Chinese language learning and five enrichment classes, we may offer electives that you can enroll in. Our electives are thoughtfully scheduled outside of regular class time to support your child’s well-rounded development without interrupting Chinese learning. Some may be provided by LLLC and others by third party educators. When we share the elective options, we will disclose who the educator is, with additional information and sign up links.

Currently offered on-site:

  • 1-on-1 or 1-on-2 piano lessons (available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)

  • 1-on-1 violin lessons (available Wednesday and Thursday only)

If there are elective subjects you have great interest in, we are happy to do our best to source educators and determine if there is enough interest to add the elective.

Brightwheel is our channel for communication

We use Brightwheel for all our communication with families. Please add Brightwheel to your app-routine!

  • Direct messaging: Send us direct messages for any questions, or notifying us of absences or early pick ups. Your messages will be accessible by multiple team members, allowing us to respond promptly.

  • Photos and short videos: Our teachers take photos and short videos of students in action at LLLC and load them to Brightwheel regularly, shared only to your child’s class. Our hope is this allows you to be connected with their experience and learning journey.

  • Weekly newsletter. We provide newsletters to keep you informed about your child’s weekly learning themes, enrichment projects, and upcoming events.

  • Forms and agreements. Before field trips or some events, we will send consent forms for digital signature in the app as well.

Volunteering

We have two main areas where you can get involved. Please let us know if you’d like to be involved in either!

  • Parent Committee: We have a group of dedicated parents who help to make this community stronger and more enriching for their children. Our parent committee works with LLLC Administrators to plan family events (e.g. Annual camping trip), help out at community events, organize volunteers for student performances, and serves as a sounding board when the LLLC team seeks feedback on program changes. We feel it is important to be close to you, as our goal is ultimately to give students enriching learning experiences.

  • Room Parent: Every year, we have wonderful Room Parents volunteering to support their child’s class and support LLLC in many other ways, like coordinating volunteers for class field trips and teacher appreciation.

Other LLLC Events and Activities

Check in on the lobby bulletin to see the other activities and events offered or sponsored by LLLC - it may be a mix of after school program events and community or cultural events.