The Otter Weekly

 

Oak Knoll School

1895 Oak Knoll Lane

Menlo Park, California 94025

650-854-4433                                             December 16, 2012 

Oak Knoll Elementary PTO Newsletter
To Do
In This Issue
Lost and Found
School Visitors Reminder
Flu Shots
Holiday Travels
MPAEF
Bike Safety Tips
Car Line Congestion
Safety Vests
Ollie Salutes
After School Classes - Winter
GLI Workshops
Hot Lunch
5th Grade Outdoor Ed
Wild Zone Now Open
Christmas Trees
Otter Mileage Club
ParentEd
Family Volunteer Opportunities
Community Announcements
Join Our Mailing List
Quick Links

This Week  

 

Wednesday, December 19

  • Johnston: Disney Museum; 8:45am-1:00pm

 

Friday, December 21

  • LAST DAY to check "Lost & Found"

Looking Ahead 

 

Monday, December 24 - Friday, January 4

  • NO SCHOOL - Winter break 

 

Monday, January 7

  • School resumes

 

Wednesday, January 9

  • Site Council Meeting; 3:30pm, Staff Room
  • PTO Board Meeting; 8:15am, Staff Room

 

Thursday, January 10

  • MPAEF Board Meeting; 8:45am, TERC

 

Wednesday, January 16

  • 5th Grade Outdoor Education Parent Information Meeting (optional); 6:30 pm, Library   

 

Monday, January 21

  • NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

 

Wednesday, January 23 

  • Safe Routes to Oak Knoll Neighborhood Meeting; 7:00pm, Library

Announcements from the Office




Lost And Found - LAST WEEK TO CHECK
 

Please check the Lost and Found for lost garments, lunchboxes, waterbottles, etc. Items not claimed by Friday, December 21st will be given to a local charity.

School Visitors & Volunteers - Please sign-in at front office
  
For security and safety reasons, don't forget to sign-in at the front office and wear a "School Visitor" name tag when helping at school or visiting campus.

Flu Shots  
 
There are some very bad bugs among us. Fortunately, we have great news on how to keep them contained. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Page Family Foundation, every child in the Bay Area, from ages 4 through 18 can receive a FREE flu shot at participating Target Pharmacy� locations through the Shoo The Flu program. This will help protect not only our children against the ravages of influenza, but also everyone with whom they come in contact. And having healthy kids means higher rates of school attendance and lower rates of flu.


Learn more about the program at ShooTheFlu.org.
Holiday Travels 
 

If your child will be missing any school because of travel plans over winter break, please email or call Secretary Cathy Petersen with student names and the dates of the absence. Thank you.


MPAEF


MPAEF's HOLIDAY WISH LIST

THANK YOU TO OUR NEW BUSINESS AND REALTOR PARTNERS!
 
Please support those businesses and realtors who support our schools!  Thank you to these new 2012-13 business and realtor sponsors:
 
Business Partners
European Styling Parlour
Intuitive Environments
 
Realtor Partners
Mary Gullixson, Alain Pinel Realtors
Carol MacCorkle, Coldwell Banker
 
Click here to become a Business or Realtor partner!
  
 
SHOP HERE AND EARN FREE MONEY FOR OUR SCHOOLS!

Whether it's holiday shopping or just your everyday purchases you can earn money for our schools by clicking here and making your purchases. 

You can make a purchase on Amazon, and on average 5% of the purchase will be earned for the MPAEF.
When you click through our link everything will look like it normally does on Amazon, just make your purchase and we will receive the credit!

Shopping elsewhere? The eScrip shopping portal provides access to numerous retailers, including Nordstrom, Macy's, J. Crew, Apple, Nike, Brookstone, and many others. If you have not signed up for eScrip, you will need to do so first.  Click here to sign up for eScrip.    
 
Traffic Safety

Parents -- WEAR YOUR BIKE HELMETS

 

Please set a good example for our students: All adults should wear a properly fitted helmet when riding a bicycle.

 

Bike Safety REMINDERS:

  • Use HAND SIGNALS when turning LEFT or RIGHT and STOPPING.  Many accidents happen because cars and other bikers have no indication when a bike is stopping or turning.
  • Do not talk on your cell phone - you can get a ticket if you're not using a hands-free device while talking on your phone
  • Do not TEXT while riding your bike

Practice good bike safety by modeling proper bike etiquette for your kids.  For more info, please click here.

 

Car Line Congestion -- at drop-off and pick-up

 

Due to the recent cold and wet weather, the flow of our car line in the mornings and afternoons has been more congested.  We are working on some improvements to our car line process so stay tuned after the New Year.  Until then, please remember the rules: 
  • PULL FORWARD TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE
  • DO NOT WALK THROUGH THE PARKING LOT - pedestrians cause cars to stop unnecessarily and prevent a smooth flow of cars in & out of the parking lot
  • DO NOT LINGER & CHAT with other parents and teachers
  • DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR 

Safety Vests for Students!  

 

This past week Mr. Ackerman and Mrs. Gracia handed out dozens of Safety Vests to Oak Knoll student bike riders. If your child received a vest, please encourage them to wear it when they ride their bike to and from school. If your child did not receive a vest yet, tell them to keep on the look out because our school principals will be out at the bike racks again soon, giving away more!

 

Ollie Salutes
A big thank you to Tiffany Wolf who has served as our Otter Weekly editor for the past year. She has done a wonderful job pulling together the newsletter each week to keep all of our parents well informed about Oak Knoll, MPAEF and community events. We will have a new editor, Jo Lofthouse, starting in January, but want to recognize Tiffany for all of her hard work and dedication over the past year!

 

You Otter Know

After School Classes - Winter Session  

 

After School Classes Winter Session will start January 14, 2013 and end March 15, 2013. Please check the schedule on our website for more info.  We are offering most of the same classes. Unfortunately, Lacrosse and Hi-Five Sports will not be holding Winter sessions. We have a few new vendors so check the school website.

 

Please contact Aarti Chandna or Kimberly Hartz Foster with any suggestions/questions.


Girls Leadership Institute 'Real Parents, Real Daughters' Workshops - Grades 2/3  

  

Led by professional educators, girls will learn important skills for developing healthy relationships, managing conflict, expressing their real emotions and becoming stronger leaders. 

These workshops allow parents and daughters to laugh and learn about themselves in a safe environment. Every family will have fun together while learning about friendship, feelings, apologies and healthy conflict. Each workshop is 90 minutes long, once a week, for four consecutive weeks.
 
Who: Girls in grades 2 and 3 and one parent
 
Program:
Week One: Standing Up For Yourself
Week Two: Sharing Feelings
Week Three: Double Sorry
Week Four: Choices For Friend Trouble

Price: $195 includes tuition for both parent and child for the four weeks
Scholarship assistance available; please inquire.    
 
When:  
Four consecutive Tuesdays  
January 15, 22, 29 and February 5
6:00pm -7:30pm at Oak Knoll in the Library

Sign up link
 
Any questions or issues, please contact Tracy Watt.

Hot Lunch Line - New Rules!      

  

We are really excited about the changes to speed up the hot lunch lines.
Check out the video below and don't
forget to order lunches for the first week back from break!!!
Please email Allison Pereur with any questions.

Hot Lunch
Choice Lunch

Outdoor Education for 5th Graders!  

    

It's that time of year again. Time to prepare our 5th graders for a great experience at Outdoor Ed! Our 5th graders will be gone from January 28th - February 1st. Paperwork and checks (made out to the Oak Knoll PTO for $254 per child) are due on January 7th (the day we return from Winter break). The teachers should have sent home information packets or you will get them this week.

There is an optional 5th grade parent information night on January 16th at 6:30pm in the Oak Knoll Library. If you have any questions, contact the Oak Knoll office.

Wild Zone Now Open    

 

Thanks to the several volunteers who came forward, the Wild Zone is now open. The WZ open days will alternate between Wednesdays & Thursdays throughout the school year.  The space is limited to 30 students at a time for safety reasons and can only open if two adult volunteers are present.  Please tell your child to look for an "open sign" which will be placed near the WZ entrance.  If we get additional volunteers, we may try to open the WZ more frequently.  To volunteer, please contact Andrea Potischman.

Wild Zone Open Days 
                        
Wed. Dec. 19      Wed. Feb 27                              
Thurs. Jan. 10     Thurs. March 7         Thurs. May 2
Wed. Jan. 16       Wed. March 13         Wed. May 8
Thurs. Jan. 24     Thurs. March 21       Thurs. May 16
Wed. Jan 30        Thurs. April 4           Wed. May 22
Thurs. Feb. 7       Wed. April 10           Thurs. May 30
Wed. Feb. 13       Thurs. April 18          Wed. June 5
Thurs. Feb 21       Wed. April 24        


Honey Bear Holiday Trees    

 

Since 1986, Honey Bear Trees has been a trusted source of the finest Christmas trees. They offer four different sustainable varieties, including hard-to-find tall trees ranging from 10-ft. to over 20-ft. tall.  Wreaths, garlands, mistletoe and tree stands are also available - and every tree purchase comes with a free bottle of honey, while supplies last! 

When you buy your Christmas tree from Honey Bear Trees, they donate 15% of the purchase price to the Oak Knoll PTO. Just bring in this flyer (they also have them on the lot) to participate in the fundraiser.
 

Honey Bear Trees is conveniently located at 955 Woodside Rd in Redwood City.  They are open 7 days a week from 9am until 9pm, November 16th through December 24th.


Otter Mileage Club  

 

We need parent volunteers before school (7:55-8:10am) and during lunch recess (12:00-1:00pm) to help with the "Otter Mileage Club."  We have a ticket system and kids choose to run and walk and need their ticket punched as each lap is completed. Tickets are turned in daily and kids are recognized on KNOL. 

Please email Sarah Westfall if you can help.

 

District News
ParentEd

"You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet, PPSC, LCSW and Erica Pelavin, LCSW, Ph.D. from My Digital TAT2
Wednesday, January 16, 2013, 6:30-8:30pm
Hillview Performing Arts Center

 

 

Parenting during the digital age presents special challenges. Parents typically don't have role models themselves and there are few clear guidelines about how to manage their children's behavior. My Digital TAT2 specializes in how today's children are growing up in a "living out loud" digital world and believes in creating an online community based in kindness and respect. This interactive presentation will provide an overview of the current digital landscape and explore the benefits and challenges parents and children are facing today as they live in a 24-hour digital media world.

 

Through short video clips and group discussion, parents will learn about cyber-bullying, digital 'footprints,' social networking sites and common sense strategies for cyber-safety. Overuse and supervision will also be explored. Parents will leave with better cyber-sense along with tools to help guide their children to become smart, ethical producers and consumers of technology.

 

***

Tuesday, January 29, 2013, 7 p.m.
Hillview Performing Arts Center

 

The Friends of the Menlo Park Library present a special evening with Stanford Psychology Professor and Author Dr. Carol S. Dweck, PhD, whose work has demonstrated the role of mindsets in student motivation and has shown how praise for intelligence can undermine motivation and learning. With a growth, rather than fixed, mindset people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work-brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. To register, click here.

***

Upcoming Events
 
Take It Personally Study Group with Project Cornerstone
Wednesdays, January 23-February 27, 2013, 6:30-8:00pm, Hillview Library



For a complete listing of all parent education events in and around our community, please visit the district's
ParentEd webpage.   

Family Volunteer Opportunities
The Family Giving Tree - Become an elf! The Family Giving Tree needs your help to wrap and sort presents they collect to fulfill holiday wishes of low-income kids around the Bay Area. Volunteers are needed most days from now until January 4 at the Holiday Wish Drive Warehouse in Cupertino. Click here to see the volunteer calendar and find a day with open slots that works for your family. For more info, call 408-946-3111.

Palo Alto Children's Theatre - Be an usher! We need ushers for our last performances of Wind in the Willows on December 20 and 21 at 7 p.m. and love to have children 8 and over volunteer to be ushers. Call us today to sign up at 463-4930.


Haven House/InnVision Shelter Network -  A nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness on the Peninsula. We depend on the generous time and talent of our  community to help homeless families and individuals return to permanent housing and self-sufficiency. Click here to find a variety of ways you can engage with IVSN to support our mission. For more info, contact Lynnelle Bilsey.

Riley's Place -  Our Youth Volunteer Program offers kids aged 8 through 15, wonderful and meaningful opportunities to volunteer.  Children gain hands-on experience and learn how to feed, exercise, groom, pet, socialize and care for all our animals, most of which were rescued. At Riley's Place, youth are very involved, have a whole lot of fun, and take pride in being the touchstone of our organization. For more information, contact Renette Rambeau.
 
Lytton Gardens - Whether you want to volunteer on your own or with a group, we can help you use your time and talents to enrich the lives of our seniors. Volunteers bring friendship, intellectual stimulation, and entertainment to the residents of Lytton Gardens. For more info, [email protected] .

My New Red Shoes - Stop by with your friends or family to help us out in our office, sew a gift bag or sort shoes! We offer on-site volunteer opportunities the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 4pm-5:30pm.  Tasks will vary based on our specific needs at the time.  Private group volunteer opportunities available, too. For more info, contact Becca Moos
  
Ecumenical Hunger Program - our 35 year old, private, non-profit, community-based organization located in East Palo Alto provides emergency food, clothing, case management, and household essentials to families in need in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Palo Alto. We have a range of jobs including packing food boxes, interviewing clients, sorting food and clothing, and data entry.  For more info, contact Melanie Jones-Carter.

Community Corner

"The Wind in the Willows" from Palo Alto Children's Theatre 
December 6-21 at Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. A faithful adaptation of the classic novel with a touch of Christmas added to the plot. Call (650) 463-4930 for more information.
 
(students of all ages)
Afterschool KidFit Class
Tuesdays, January 8 to February 19, 3:45 to 4:45 p.m., Arrillaga Family Recreation Center, Menlo Park. Kick-start your kids' knowledge of weights and structured routines for a life-long habit of exercise, respect, and health. 

(Pre-School - 5th Grade)
Young Chefs Academy
Tuesdays at Arrillaga Family Recreation Center, Menlo Park. Learn to cook delicious recipes with age appropriate curriculum and recipes. For details and to register, go to  http://www.egovlink.com/menlopark/classes/class_list.asp  and search on "Young Chefs."
  
(Girls Age 8-10)
Mothers and Daughters Needed for a Stanford Study on Social InteractionThe Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research at Stanford is looking for mothers and their 8-10 year old daughters for a study of brain function during social interaction. If you are interested, please download our flyer from www.dropbox.com/sh/dtadl5g1mhulza5/dfr7j01lWJ/FLYER_MDA.pdf for more information. 
  
(Grades pre-K to 5th)
Creative Art for Young Children, Winter Session
January 9 to March 23, Portola Valley Town Center, 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley.  Focus on the color BLUE! Different days and times for different age groups. Teacher: Jeannie Goldman. Register online at portolavalley.net, beginning December 17

(All ages)
Starts January 7, Menlo Park Recreation Center, 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park. New this session is Bollywood Fusion, see our website at www.danceexpressions5678.com.

(Ages 6-12)
Kidizens Winter/Spring Program
January-May 2013, 4546 El Camino Real, Ste. B9, Los Altos. Kidizens inspires kids to become good citizens and future leaders, one LEGO brick at a time! This highly interactive social learning framework inculcates analytical thinking, strategic problem solving and develops public speaking and leadership skills. Please visit www.thekidizens.com or call (650) 384-0412  for more information.
  
(Grades 4-8)
Thursday, December 27, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Menlo-Atherton Ayers Gym. All basketball abilities are welcome. Please sign up on the M-A Boys Basketball website at www.maboysbasketball.com/communityclinic, and bring the liability form (downloaded from the website) and a $30 check, made out to M-A Boys Basketball, to the clinic.
    
        
For past community news, click here

Please submit announcements and flyers to [email protected] for Oak Knoll events. For the Community Corner, send submissions to [email protected]. The deadline for both email addresses is by noon on the Wednesday prior to publication date. Guidelines for submission are available online.