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The Otter Weekly
Oak Knoll School
1895 Oak Knoll Lane
Menlo Park, California 94025
650-854-4433 February 3rd, 2013
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Oak Knoll Elementary PTO Newsletter
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Monday, February 4th
- Kindergarten Priority Registration (all month)
Wednesday, February 6
- Family Math Night; 6-8pm, Gym
- Quarre: Ardenwood; 9:15am-12:15pm
Thursday, February 7
- Johnston: Ardenwood; 10:00am-12:45pm
Friday, February 8
- Deadline for ordering yearbook
- Deadline for bringing in 5th grade baby photos
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Monday, February 11 - Thursday, February 14
- Caring and Sharing: Diaper Drive
Monday, February 11
- 5th Grade "Walk Through the Revolution": Fuller 8:30-11:15am, Coldoff 12:00-2:30pm; Small Multi
Tuesday, February 12
Wednesday, February 13
- District Meeting with Superintendent Maurice Ghysels: 8:15am, Library
- PTO Board Meeting: 9:15am, Library
Friday, February 15
- NO SCHOOL - February Break
Monday, February 18
- NO SCHOOL - February Break
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School Office Announcements
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Guest Speaker: Jananda Clark on "Effective Homework Tips"
Guest Speaker: Janada Clark, M.A. will be speaking on "Effective Homework Tips - how to neutralize the power struggles and increase cooperation".
Thursday, February 7th 2013 from 6:15pm - 7:30pm. This meeting will be held at the TERC conference room at Encinal.
Please call Cheryl Marelich, 650-854-4433 ext. 4138 or email her at
cmarelich@mpcsd.org to confirm attendance.
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Important Decision on Increasing Enrollment -- The District Wants Your Input
Our community continues to experience increased student enrollment, and the District is now in the process of identifying options to ensure that we have enough classrooms to meet our enrollment projections for the next 10 years.
The District invites parents to learn more, and give input on potential options:
- How could we accommodate additional students on existing campuses (e.g. add more classrooms, increase class sizes)?
- Should we use the District-owned O'Connor site, currently rented to the German American International School, to add more capacity? If so, what are the options and how would they affect the enrollment, attendance boundaries and grade level configurations of our existing schools?
- Are there other solutions that should be considered?
Please come engage with Superintendent Maurice Ghysels, Board members and District staff at one of the following community meetings:
Thursday, February 7: Laurel multipurpose room, 8:15 - 9:15 a.m.
Thursday, February 7: Hillview, Performing Arts Center, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, February 12: District Office, Board Room, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 13: Oak Knoll, Library, 8:15 - 9:15 a.m.
Tuesday, February 19: Encinal, Multi-Use Room, 8:45 - 9:45 a.m.
If you are unable to attend one of these meetings, please feel free to email your thoughts to our Superintendent Maurice Ghysels or MPCSD's Board .
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Kindergarten Registration Information
Registration for Kindergarten, Spanish Immersion, and Transitional Kindergarten
During the month of February, parents can enroll their children for next Fall for Kindergarten, Spanish Immersion, and Transitional Kindergarten. Click here for an overview and further links to details.
Kindergarten Registration:
A child is eligible for kindergarten in 2013-14 if his or her fifth birthday falls on or before October 1. Priority Registration is from February 1 - 28, 2013. A link to the online registration site will be posted on Feb. 1 on the district website, click here.
Spanish Immersion Parent Information Meeting:
Come learn about the program by attending one of the mandatory parent information meeting on either Wednesday, February 6, from 8:45 am to 9:45 am or Tuesday, February 26, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the District Office, Board Room (next to Encinal School), 181 Encinal Ave., Atherton. Acceptance into the Immersion program will be determined by lottery.
Transitional Kindergarten Parent Information Session
Come learn about the program by attending the parent information meeting on March 14, 2013 from 4pm to 5pm at the TERC (next to District Office), at 181 Encinal Ave., Atherton. A child is eligible for the transitional kindergarten program if his or her fifth birthday is: 2013-14 school year - October 2 through December 2.
Questions: If you are not sure of the school in your attendance area or you have further questions, please contact the District Registrar or call 650-321-7140, Ext. 5600.
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The MPAEF Participation Challenge is ON at Oak Knoll!
Did you know that our MPAEF annual grant funds 10 to 12 % of the District's budget each year?
That's why it's crucial we all do our part and meet the Participation Challenge, unlocking the $50,000 bonus for our schools!
We're at 53% right now, with 488 families to go!
Donate, pledge now and give later, or set up monthly installments at www.mpaef.org by February 28.
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Donate your Amazing Destinations and Fabulous Adult Parties!
Destinations/Adventures/Getaways -- Give district families or couples the opportunity to take a break by spending time in a place you find special -- a condo by the beach, a cabin in the woods, a salt box by the ocean, all places welcome! Your generosity will benefit not only all our kids but a family looking for a fun getaway. Work personally with the winning bidder on a mutual time or set your own dates. Share your special family escape with a lucky bidder and you'll be making a significant donation to the district.
Parties and Events for Adults -- Parties bring out the kid in all of us! Organize a memorable bash or an intimate dinner featuring unique cuisine. Donate a sophisticated Parisian brunch, a healthy spa luncheon, afternoon tea at Downton Abbey, or spice it up with cocktails from the decades - Moscow Mules, Mad Men Martinis, perhaps plain old PBR on tap! Whatever your poison or passion, pass it on and pay it forward! Donate as a single family or make a party out of your bash by combining your donation with friends. Split the labor, split the cost, and maximize the profits for our schools!
To Donate: Please contact Karen Dearing. The deadline for submitting auction items is March 1. We're also looking for families to host children's theme parties, sporting event tickets, and other unique experiences.
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Save the Date - "Be a Student Night"
Join fellow parents for Oak Knoll's first "Be A Student" night on Thursday, February 21, at 7:00-8:15 pm. You will have the opportunity to participate in some of the same activities that your children do on a weekly basis. This special night is an opportunity for Oak Knoll's wonderful Specialist Teachers to showcase the work they do with our children. Join Bee Tee, Emily Chiet and Rachel Knight for music, Sarah Westfall for physical education, Jane Bennion for library time, and Jayd Almquist for art.
An e-mail invitation and further details will be coming soon. Mark your calendars so that you don't miss out!
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Morning Car Line Changes!
We are staffing morning car line with parent volunteers and have reduced the amount of student tardies!
To keep the flow of traffic moving, please observe the following:
HAVE BACKPACKS ON KIDS' LAPS (not in car trunks) - have kids ready to release their seat belt with backpacks in-hand once you come to a full stop
PULL ALL THE WAY FORWARD - we need to fill the entire car line with cars
DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR CAR - we have staff and parents who will open
your car door for you
DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR UNATTENDED - if you need to have a long goodbye
with your child, you should park and walk-in to school
KIDS SHOULD EXIT CURB-SIDE - move car seats to the curb-side of your
car if needed - it is unsafe for kids to exit the car into traffic
If you would like to volunteer to help with our morning car line, please email Betsy Muhlner.
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Ollie thanks the OKCO Committee co-chairs Hildy Agustin, Carolyn Bowsher, and Airel Tinajero for organizing the Winterfest last weekend. It was an overwhelming success with all our families getting to know each other a little better while having dinner and participating in a number of fun activities together.
Ollie also gives the 5th grade teachers Jonathan Coldoff, John Fuller, Sue Sanchez, Michelle Tom and Heidi Veneman many thanks for taking our students to Outdoor Education for a full week. They all arrived home on Friday (a little tired) but had an amazing experience.
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Winterfest - Thank You
Thank you to all the families who attended Winterfest! We would especially like to thank Airel Tinajero, Ana Ruiz, Hildy Agustin, Ruth Demma, DJ Banks, Christine Keefer, Araceli Pulido, Marisol Tiznado, Ellen Naylor and Neymi Madrigal for their help in running the stations that made the whole event run so smoothly.
If anyone is interested in participating in the OKCO committee or in helping plan next year's Winterfest, please contact Hildy Agustin or Ariel Tinajero.
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Valentine's Week Diaper Drive!!
The PTO Caring and Sharing Committee and Oak Knoll Girl Scout troops are holding a diaper drive during morning drop-off Monday, February 11 - Thursday, February 14. Share some Valentine love with babies in need by bringing in unopened packages of diapers! Only unopened packages please. Diapers will be donated to Baby Basics of the Peninsula (www.babybasicsca.org), a nonprofit diaper distribution program serving families in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park. Baby Basics' families especially need the larger diaper sizes, but all donations will be very gratefully accepted. For more details, contact Kim Crockett (baby.basics@yahoo.com).
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Family Math Night
Wednesday, February 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Oak Knoll Gym.
Enjoy fun and engaging activities that get your kids to think about and make sense of numbers.
- Explore 8 hands-on stations
- Choose from 3 activity levels at each station
- Create projects to take home
- Go at your own pace
- Reinforce classroom learning
Contact Jody Buckley for more information.
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Friends and Family Day
SAVE THE DATE! Friday, March 8 is Oak Knoll's 15th annual Friends and Family Day. Invite a special friend or family member to come to school to get a glimpse of our campus and classrooms. Fifth-graders can sign up to be ambassadors. For more information contact Alison Matthews.
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ATTENTION ALL HOT LUNCH PARENTS!!!!
We are having a LOT of emergency lunches recently. It is very difficult for the volunteers when there are so many. Choice Lunch only sends a small amount of emergency lunches. Please, please, please take a minute to order your lunches. Choice Lunch also has a great EASY ORDER feature that allows you to pick your child's favorite meals and which days and they do the rest. Click here for more info: http://www.choicelunch.com/how-it-works/#easyorder
Also, please make sure you have placed your hot lunch orders for February. The first few days of a month tend to have a lot of Emergency lunches. Thank you!
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Seeking Nominations for Next Year's PTO Executive Board
We're looking for Oak Knoll Executive PTO Board candidates for the 2013-2014 school year. Being on the PTO Board is a great way to get involved at Oak Knoll. The Board works closely with the school staff and administration, as well as the parent community, to create and support vital school programs and events. Positions available for nomination are Vice President (who will become President in 2014-15, Secretary, Financial Secretary (who will become Treasurer in 2014-15), Auditor and Communications Chair. Please email nominations and any questions to Jody Buckley by Thursday, February 14th.
For more detailed information about next year's PTO Executive Board positions please click here.
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Oak Knoll Science Fair 2013 - Register Now!
How many chocolate chips does it take to make a tasty cookie? How many Mentos make the biggest volcanic eruptions? What color candle burns the fastest?
The Oak Knoll Science Fair is a place where your child(ren) can explore real-world topics and learn the Scientific Method with fun experiments.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR - The Oak Knoll Science Fair will be held March 13 and 14, 2013, 6:00pm-8:00pm (each night)
REGISTRATION is open from February 1 - February 22. Please go to
No late registrations will be accepted.
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Hillview PTO Seeking Nominations for Executive Board
The Hillview PTO is looking for volunteers to serve on the Executive Board for the 2013-2014 school year. The Board works with the school staff and parents to create and support vital school programs and events. Become a part of the Hillview community and get involved. Nominate yourself or someone you know to serve as Co-Vice Presidents, Vice-Treasurer, Auditor, Financial Secretary, Communications Chair, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary or Volunteer Coordinator (a new position!). Nominations will be received until Friday, February 8th.
Email Russ Peterson or Juliana Andersen with your nominations.
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Last Chance for Yearbook Ordering!
Oak Knoll's 2012-2013 Yearbook is on sale for only one more week. The last day for ordering is February 8th. Please order online only. If ordering more than one book, specify which grade and teacher for each book to streamline delivery. Books are $20 each and a great way to keep Oak Knoll memories alive for your kids. Please contact Rhonda Bucklin if ordering online is not an option. Our goal is no checks for the yearbook this year!
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Attention 5th Grade Families: We need your BABY PHOTOS! It's a tradition at Oak Knoll to have baby pictures of our 5th graders in the yearbook. If you would like to have your child's picture appear in this year's yearbook, you may submit either a digital image or a hard copy. Note, photos between the ages of 3 and 12 months are best.
Hard copy: Have your child put his/her photo in the large, manilla envelope marked "Yearbook" in their classroom. Make sure to label the back of the photo with your child's name and teacher. Be sure to have your child write their name on the attached list on the envelope for tracking purposes. There will be a "back-up" manila envelope in the Yearbook folder in the PTO box in the office.
Digital Image (preferred method!) - Please e-mail the digital photo, with the child's name, to Rhonda Bucklin.
Important: If you would like the photo returned to you, attach a note letting us know and we will return it to your child's teacher later in the year.
All photos are due no later than this Friday, February 8th!
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PTO Volunteer Opportunities
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Wild Zone Open Dates
Thanks to the several volunteers who came forward, the Wild Zone (WZ) 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 
Thurs. Feb. 7 Thurs. March 21 Wed. May 8
Wed. Feb. 13 Thurs. April 4 Thurs. May 16
Thurs. Feb 21 Wed. April 10 Wed. May 22
Wed. Feb 27 Thurs. April 18 Thurs. May 30
Thurs. March 7 Wed. April 24 Wed. June 5
Wed. March 13 Thurs. May 2
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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.
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MPCSD ParentEd Conference 2013
"Classrooms of the Future: How Our Schools are Changing Now"
Sunday, March 3, 2013
2:00pm-5:00pm, Hillview Middle School
The Menlo Park City School District strives to be at the forefront of innovation and leadership in education, and we know that we cannot do that simply in the staffroom and classroom. We need to involve our entire community, and there's so much to talk about with parents at this time of great change. Nationally, the Common Core State Standards are elevating learning goals and raising the cognitive demand for how our students will engage in learning. Locally, our core values are driving goals in writing, mathematics, technology, and social-emotional learning. Join us to learn more about these exciting developments and what they will mean for your kids!
2pm Check-in
2:30pm-5pm Conference
Concurrent Children's Program
Parents have an opportunity to select from a menu of workshops and attend two sessions following a keynote address:
- Mathematics and the Common Core: What's Ahead and How You Can Support Your Child
- Writing and the Common Core: Supporting Students as Capable, Confident Writers
- Design Thinking and Innovation: Problem Solving to Build Powerful Thinking Skills
- Technology in the Classroom: Engaging and Empowering Students in the Learning Process
- Project Cornerstone: Building Developmental Assets to Keep Our Kids Strong
- Creativity and Innovation in MPCSD: A Roundtable Discussion with Maurice Ghysels, Superintendent and Allison Liner, Chief Learning Officer
For more information on the workshops being offered, and free childcare, click here.
To register for the conference, click here.
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For a complete listing of all parent education events in and around our community, please visit the district's ParendEd webpage.
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SUMMER CAMP INFORMATION FOR DISTRICT FAMILIES
All of the information that summer camps have sent us is assembled in one place and in a format that makes it easy to compare session dates, costs, location, and other details. We are providing this information as a convenience to help you with your summer planning. However, we have not evaluated this information or endorsed any of the camps, and the district is not responsible for any aspect of these camps.
Check back often - we are adding camps every week!
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EVENTS
U-Me's Love Party
(Ages 2-7)
February 14, 3 to 5 p.m. at U-Me, 3355 Edison Way, Menlo Park. Art, music, and games for ages 2-7. $20 + $10/ additional sibling (free for members).
More information: www.u-meplace.com/events.
Friday, February 8, 6:30 p.m., 800 Alma Street, Menlo Park. Please join us for this event especially tailored for dads and their kids but all are welcome.
The Menlo-Atherton High School Fashion Show: iM-Agine...A Bright Future
Saturday, February 23, 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. in the M-A Performing Arts Center. We will highlight fashions from local stores and the seniors will model and dance. Online ticket sales are now open.
Go to www.mabearspta.org/FashionShow.html to order tickets!
For past community news, click here
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FAMILY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Bake a Dessert for kids at Ronald McDonald House
An easy way for your family or a group of families to help create a home-away-from home for families of children with life-threatening illnesses. Click here for more details on this and other "off-site" opportunities to support the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford, or contact Monica Makela at monica@ronaldhouse.net.
Restoration Workday at Arastadero Preserve
Saturday, February 2, 9:30am-12:30pm. As part of the Acterra Stewardship Program, volunteers help with habitat restoration work. Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Sign up here.
Operation Care and Comfort: Care Package Assembly
Sunday, February 10, Come join us as we box up supplies for our troops at the American Legion in San Jose. Ages 5 and up are welcome to join in the fun, but children must be supervised by an adult. For more information, please contact Julie at 408-373-8635 or julie@occ-usa.org.
Decorate Brown Grocery Bags & Make Colorful Cards to Support the Fight against Hunger
Read this PDF brochure to learn more about these and other simple ways that kids under 14 can help support the work of Second Harvest Food Bank.
For more information on the events above or events listed in prior newsletters, visit the District's Community Links page. |
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SPORTS, CLASSES, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Alpine West Menlo Little League is hiring student umpires for the upcoming baseball season, minimum age: 12. Experienced baseball players preferred. Season runs March - June. If interested, please email Anna Plume at AlpineMinorsUmpsch@gmail.com.
Digital Logic Workshop at the Museum of American Heritage
(Ages 10 and up)
Sundays, March 17 and 24 (2 sessions), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 351 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto. An introduction to digital integrated circuit operation. Students assemble and solder a human reaction timer built from discrete digital logic devices. Basic electrical knowledge of voltage, current, and circuits is suggested. Fee: $70 members/$80 non-members. To register, go to http://moah.org/education and click registration.
Build a Shortwave Radio at the Museum of American Heritage
(Ages 10 and up)
Saturdays, April 13, 20, 27, and May 11 (4 sessions), 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 351 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto. In this class, students learn about the basic physics of radio wave generation, propagation, and reception. As a class project, students make their own short wave radio receiver. Fee: $75 members/$85 non-members. To register, go to http://moah.org/education and click registration.
Winter and Spring Camp Menlo
(Ages 5-10)
Friday, February 15, February 18-22, March 25-29, and April 1-5 at Burgess Pool. Professional swim instruction in a fun-filled camp format for all levels, ages 5-10. Register today at www.campmenlo.com.
Alpine Strikers Youth Soccer Programs for Ages 3-7. Alpine Strikers FC offers three fun programs for your youngest soccer players in the family. Go to www.alpinestrikers.org to find out more!
Help East Palo Alto 3rd Graders Learn to Read
Starting February 4 and running for 10 weeks, Tuesdays and/or Thursdays, 12:40-2:00 p.m. at Brentwood Academy. Call or email Carolyn Blatman at cblatman@AOL.com or (650)269-5354. All Students Matter's web site is allstudentsmatter.org.
Friday, February 15, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1100 Middle Avenue, Menlo Park. With no school, join us at Newton Center for the day, for arts and crafts and all sorts of games to play. Space is limited. Grades: K-5. For registration and more information, please contact us at
Openings for boys and girls ages 5 and 6 as well as spots open on the Girls U9 Team and Boys U11 team. Register on our site at www.MenloAthertonLacrosse.com.
For past community news, click here
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Please submit announcements and flyers to newsletter@oakknollschool.com for Oak Knoll events. For the Community Corner, send submissions to communitynews@mpcsd.org.
The deadline for both email addresses is by noon on the Wednesday prior to publication date. Guidelines for submission are available online.
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