The Otter Weekly

Oak Knoll School

1895 Oak Knoll Lane

Menlo Park, California 94025

650-854-4433                                       February 18th, 2013 

Review with your children the necessity of crossing Oak Knoll Lane IN THE CROSSWALK, not cutting across the street before the crosswalk.  Many of the cyclists who travel along Oak Knoll Lane from Oak Avenue cut across Oak Knoll Lane before the crosswalk to ride their bikes up the rolled curb near the bus stop. 

This is very dangerous behavior, not only for the cyclist doing it, but for other cyclists, drivers and the pedestrians on the sidewalk.  Please talk to your children about this and think before you, as parents, make the choice to set an example like this.    

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.

Ollie thanks the PTO Caring and Sharing Committee leads Julie McEvilly and Suneeta Chilukuri for organizing the Valentine's week Diaper Drive last week.  A big thank you to all the Girl Scout Daisy & Brownie troops who helped with the Diaper Drive and collected over 1,500 diapers for the non-profit, Baby Basics.  A heartfelt thanks to the amazing Oak Knoll families for their donations!

Ollie gives two flippers up to Kim Crockett our Oak Knoll parent who volunteers with Baby Basics.  More information about this program can be found at  www.babybasicsca.org. 

KidPower Parent Workshop

In light of the number of recent incidents in the media, Mr.Ackerman, Mrs. Gracia and the PTO thought it would be a good time to give parents help in discussing issues about safety with their children. KidPower was recommended to us and is a Parent Education opportunity. 

Wednesday, February 27th at 6:30-8:30pm

Oak Knoll Gym

Sponsored by Oak Knoll PTO (free to attend)

People Safety skills help people be safe with people at home, at school, online, out in the world... everywhere. They also help strengthen important relationships. Learn ways to help young people learn and use age-appropriate People Safety skills on an everyday basis to have safer, more positive experiences with people, including strangers, siblings, peers, and other people they know.

During the workshop, we will practice how to help kids: 

* Be and act aware and confident

* Check with adults if anything seems unsafe

* Move away from possible problems

* Follow Stranger Safety rules

* Stay safe from hurtful words

* Use voice as a safety tool

* Set clear boundaries

* Say "No" or "Stop" clearly and respectfully

* Deal with other kids poking, pushing, grabbing, etc.

* Use safety plans if lost in a store, park, or library

* Get help from busy adults - and persist!

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. 

For more information, check out the flier.

Oak Knoll Science Fair 2013 - Last Chance to Register!!

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. 

Wild Zone Open Dates    

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. 

MPCSD ParentEd Conference 2013

SUMMER CAMPS ARE HERE!

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EVENTS

Community E-waste Recycling 

Benefitting Menlo-Atherton PTA and Northstar Academy, Saturday, February 23, 9 a.m. to 

3 p.m., NorthStar Academy, 400 Duane St, Redwood City.  Accepting any consumer or business electronics like computers, televisions, microwave ovens, cameras, toasters, VCR tapes, stereos, speakers, cell phones, printers, and copy machines.  We can also accept scrap metal.  No  washers, dryers, refrigerators, ovens, or dishwashers. All electronics that store information will be securely erased.

Menlo Park Friends of the Library Book Sale

Saturday, March 2, 10 a.m. to 2p.m., Oak and Elm Rooms at the Arrillaga Recreation Center, 700 Alma Street, Menlo Park (located across the library parking lot and next to the gym). Exceptional quality books for the entire family will be featured.

March 7-9, San Mateo Event Center. Just Between Friends (JBF) is a semi-annual event where local families can buy and sell gently used children's clothing, toys, furniture, and more. Please visit www.sanmateo.jbfsale.com to register to shop, consign or volunteer!

Menlowe Ballet's Season of Reverie! 

April 19-21 at Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center.  For tickets, please visit our website: www.menloweballet.org, or call 1.800.595.4TIX (4849).

Hillview Middle School Presents HONK! 

February 28 at 3:30 p.m. , March 1 at 7 p.m , and March 2 at 1 p.m. and  7 p.m., Hillview Middle School PAC, 1100 Elder Ave, Menlo Park. If you've ever felt like everyone else says "quack" and you say "honk," come on down to the "barnyard" on stage for the Hillview Middle School (HMS) production of "HONK!" This full-scale production features a cast of young middle schoolers, most of who are Encinal and Oak Knoll alumni, and is  accompanied by a live orchestra manned by our very own HMS band.  

Tickets are available on  www.hillviewdrama.org/honk.html 

"Brooklyn Castle" Movie Showing 

Thursday, February 28 at the Landmark Aquarius Theatre in Palo Alto. Brooklyn Castle tells the stories of five members of the chess team at a below-the-poverty-line inner city junior high school that has won more national championships than any other in the country. Tickets are $10 each.

Purchase your tickets using this link:  www.tugg.com/events/2780

Peninsula Youth Theatre Presents, "Fiddler on the Roof" 

March 2-10, 2013 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. This musical masterpiece features beloved songs like "Tradition", "If I Were a Rich Man" and "Matchmaker".  Tickets and more information can be found at  www.pytnet.org.

 University of California Admissions: A Talk for Parents of Middle School Students, 

(Middle School Parents)

Tuesday, March 5, noon-1:00 p.m. Stern Ballroom, Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto. The middle school years are the ideal time to plan your child's high school coursework to give them an admissions advantage. Please RSVP by February 28 to Charleen Floyd at (530) 754-8961 or floyd@caes.ucdavis.edu.

Permanente Creek Planting Workday

Saturday, February 23, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All ages welcome to help plant native plants along Permanente Creek Trail in Mountain View by Google Campus.  To register for this Acterra-sponsored event, click here. 

Saturday, February 23 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 2566 Leghorn Street, Mountain View. The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition helps needy families and individuals through our Bicycle Exchange which repairs used bicycles and donates them to our partner community service organizations. Our warehouse and workshop is fully outfitted with storage, repair stands and tools. The Bicycle Exchange meets on selected Saturdays throughout the year to receive, repair, and distribute its inventory of donated bicycles. New volunteers learn bicycle repair skills by assisting a team of more experienced volunteers. Come on out to our next workday! No matter your level of bike mechanic experience, you can help. You'll gain new skills and help children and families in need. No need to RSVP, just join us in the morning.

Saturday, February 23, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. 701 East Meadow Drive, Palo Alto. Join us for the next monthly community garden work day. Our garden grows premium quality organic produce for local community organizations that provide meals and snacks to homeless and low-income families. 

SPORTS, CLASSES, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES