Oak Knoll PTO
Otter Weekly
 September 8, 2013
To Do
In This Issue

This Week


Monday, September 9
  • Last day to order Otterwear
  • Balclutha Trip, Tom:  11:00am - 10:00am next day
Tuesday, September 10
  • Bike inspections: 7:30-8:30am, bike rack near Gym
  • Balclutha Trip, Cline:  11:00am - 10:00am next day
Wednesday, September 11
  • PTO Board Meeting: 8:15-10:00am
  • Balclutha Trip, Nulman:  11:00am - 10:00am next day
  • Site Council Meeting:  3:30pm
  • MPAEF New Family Event:  7:00-8:30pm 
Thursday, September 12
  • MPAEF Board Meeting: 8:45-10:45am, TERC

Looking Ahead


Monday, September 16
  • Free bike inspection: 7:30-8:30am, bike rack near Gym 
Tuesday, September 17 - Thursday, September 19
  • Picture Days 
Wednesday, September 18
  • Balclutha Trip, Murphy:  11:00am - 10:00am next day
Friday, September 20
Wednesday, September 25
  • Balclutha Trip, Becker/Emmert:  11:00am - 10:00am next day
Thursday, September 26
See the Oak Knoll calendar for more important dates and events.


Otterwear Orders Due TOMORROW - September 9!!!

Don't delay, only one day left to order Otterwear!  Samples of all the styles, colors and accessories can be viewed in the office and online.  Order online with Paypal or fill out an order form and place it, along with a check, in the Otterwear folder in the office before end of day Monday, September 9.  For all questions please contact Tracy Roeder.

 

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Oak Knoll Car Magnet And don't forget to show your Oak Knoll pride around town with your brand new Oak Knoll Car Magnet!  The magnet is a 5.5" white circle with a navy print of Ollie and "Oak Knoll".  Simple yet distinctive, perfect for any car.  And if you have already placed your order and forgot your fabulous magnet, simply submit a new order and we will include it with the delivery of all your items in October.    

 

Free Bike Inspection - This TUESDAY!!

There will be a FREE bike inspection provided in front of Oak Knoll this Tuesday, September 10 before school, 7:30-8:30 am. 

 

Is your seat too low? Does your helmet fit properly? Do your brakes squeak? Come by the bike rack area and let the professional mechanic from Menlo Velo look over your ride. First 20 participants will receive a special bike prize!  Dates for subsequent inspections are September 16,  September 25 and October 4

 

Questions can be sent to Janet Bellantoni.

  

Fall Family Picnic - Deadline September 17

Please join us for the Fall Family Picnic on Friday, September 20 from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

  

There will be games, karaoke, and lots of fun! This year we are having pasta from Buca di Beppo, salad, and dessert.

 

You must purchase tickets before Tuesday, September 17. Tickets are $9.50 per person.  We would like all families to attend.  Please consider purchasing sponsorship tickets. 

 

To buy tickets online, please click here. Or print off and fill in the order form (o formulario de pedido espa�ol) and put it in the Fall Family Picnic folder in the school office before September 17.

 

We need volunteers to help monitor games, serve food, and check in families.  Sign up here  and contact Tara Carranza with any questions.

 
Oak Knoll PTO and Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation

 

WE'RE OFF TO A GOOD START!

  

 

Thank you to the 25% of Oak Knoll families who have donated to the PTO during the first two weeks of school. All of this support is showing up in some very promising numbers.

  

So far, together we have raised $52,140, which gets us 28% of the way to our $185,000 goal!

  

If you haven't had a chance to donate yet, there's still a few weeks to help us reach our goal - just click here.

 

 

Great news -- we've shortened our Annual Parent Campaign! We are asking our families to make their commitment by November 21st.  Your commitment can take the form of a donation, pledge, or the initiation of monthly payments. If you're wondering what difference your support makes . . . a huge difference! This year, your donations funded more than 32 teachers, including classroom, music, art, drama and library teachers. Your support means smaller class sizes and a comprehensive education program for all kids in our District. So make your commitment today by clicking here.


 

PTO Membership Team                   MPAEF School Team 

Cyndy Hogan                                      Jennifer Levey

Kathy Motamedi                                  Dimitra Anderson

Tamara Russel                                    Linda Knoll

Meg Scherer                                        Sharon Purcell

Jill Wurster                                           Ashley Honerkamp

Tracy Watt

 

 

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Parents of Oak Knoll Kinders and New Students Join Us for a Parent Social

 

Parents of incoming kindergarteners and new students, please join us for drinks and light appetizers to kick off the school year! Come meet other parents, Oak Knoll's principal David Ackerman and vice-principal Kristen Gracia, and our Superintendent Maurice Ghysels. Oak Knoll PTO and MPAEF leaders will be there as well. We look forward to seeing you! 

 

RSVP here

 

Please note this is a parent-only event.

  
Yard Duty Position Available

Oak Knoll/MPCSD is looking to hire one playground supervisor at 0.75 hrs/day (lunch duty) from 12:15-1:00pm,  Monday-Friday.

 

Employee will be placed on the 2013-14 Classified Salary Schedule. If you are interested in applying, please contact the Oak Knoll School Office. 

 

Car Line

Top 5 Reasons to Sign Up for Morning Car Line Duty 

  1. No set up or clean up
  2. 1/2 hour duty - finished by 8:15am
  3. Fashionable yellow vests
  4. Lots of happy Oak Knoll faces to begin your day
  5. Volunteers essential for continued smooth rolling of carline

Contact your Classroom Room Parent today to sign up for your class' assigned duty.  Have questions about morning car line?  Contact Betsy Muhlner.

  

Car Line Reminders

 

To help keep the flow of cars 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 (and musical instruments ready, if any) 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
Menlo Park City School District (MPCSD) School Locator

We now have an online school locator system for the district.  It's located on the front page of the District's website. 

 

Check it out:  http://locator.decisioninsite.com/?studyID=113757

 

Ollie Salutes

Ollie loves to see all the Oak Knoll children wearing their Otterwear and wants to give a high five to the fashionistas behind it all.  Stephanie Chen and Tracy Roeder worked over the summer to get the exciting items ordered, photos taken of each item on models and the brochure put together.  They graciously attended all of the events before school started and are working hard to get all those last minute orders in.   He can't wait to see all the children in their new Ottewear when it arrives.  The last day to order is tomorrow, Monday, September 9. Click here to order yours today!  

 

The Back to School Luncheon for the teachers was held in the teacher's lounge on Friday. Ollie got to sample some of the delicious salads and munched on one or four cookies.  Thank you to the Luncheon Committee Julie Pietrantoni, Page Curtin, Monica Chua, Andrea Baker, Lan Haarmann, Gina Preston, Trisha Spivakovsky and Annette Lewis.  

 

No Dogs on Campus Please!

Friendly reminder for dog lovers - Please do not bring your dog on to campus during drop-off or pick-up times.  This includes the bike rack area.  Many of our children are afraid of dogs or allergic to dogs. Even a friendly pet on a leash can cause some children to become alarmed. Thank you for your understanding.  

 

Hot Lunch - Please Read!!

PLEASE REMEMBER TO ORDER YOUR STUDENT'S HOT LUNCHES!

 

We have a very limited number of emergency lunches and have had to give students backup boxes of cereal because of the high number of students needing emergency lunches.

 

Go to Choice Lunch to place your orders.

 

Thank you,

The Hot Lunch Team

  

Pedestrian Safety

Thank you all for your patience while getting used to the new parking policies.  Your cooperation is very much appreciated.  

 

We have, however,  heard concerns from a significant number of people regarding pedestrian safety.  For those of you who are parking on high traffic roads such as Oak Knoll Lane, please leave enough room on the sidewalk for pedestrians and strollers to pass. People parking too far on the sidewalk are forcing our students to walk in the road to get around the parked cars. This is obviously unsafe and needs to be avoided.  Please help to keep our kids and their families safe on their way to and from school - leave enough room for them to walk by your cars on the sidewalk. 

  

After School Programs - Please Enroll ASAP!

After School Programs begin September 16.  This year we have added a few new programs; Math taught by Starfire Education, Public Speaking by speakdebate.com, Bulldog Fitness and French. We hope you have had the opportunity to take a look at the programs offered and have signed up. We have not posted a deadline, but encourage you to sign up quickly if you are interested, as several classes are filling up and some are already up to capacity. A few have low registration, and may risk being cancelled. Please encourage your friends to sign up as well.

 

Classes that are filling up quickly are: Choir K-2,Tennis, Chess, Chinese, Young Rembrandts, Game Design. Math (Thursday class), Wizbots and Creative Writing.

Classes that would like your help in getting more registrations are: Choir grades 3-5, Yoga, Animation, Math (Friday class), Bulldog sports and fitness.

 

Please sign up here.  Feel free to contact us with any questions: Aarti Chandna, Kimberly Hartz Foster 

 

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Don't miss sign-ups for Oak Knoll Youth Flag Football with Bulldog Sports in our After School Programs.  Sessions will take place Mondays 3:00pm starting September 16!  All ages welcome. Kids will be placed into age appropriate groups. Co Ed! Non competitive. We focus on #1 teamwork, #2 sportsmanship, #3 leadership skills, and #4 FUN! 

 

No stats, no scores, no wins or losses just FUN :)

  

ParentEd

Project Cornerstone Take It Personally Class

Thursdays, 9/12-10/17, 8:45-10:15 am, Encinal Small Multi

Mark your calendars now and sign up for the Fall session of Take It Personally from Project Cornerstone. Parents, grandparents, and all Menlo Park residents are welcome to attend this 6-week class. Past participants have discovered practical parenting strategies, inspiration, and a new community of parenting allies. For more information or questions, please contact Robin Soran.  

   

Hillview-sponsored Parent Ed Monthly Series

Begins Wednesday September 11, 6:30-8:30 pm, Hillview PAC 
Join Hillview's Principal Erik Burmeister as he starts a year-long, in-depth series on the ever-changing adolescent brain, outlining the steps that we as parents and families can take to make the transition from pre-teen to young adult as smooth as possible. Topics to be covered include the how girls and boys react differently to their changing physical and emotional environments; the ways in which our daily routines can affect our kids' growth and performance in and out of the classroom; and the boundaries and limits our kids will challenge as they strive to become more independent. Hillview is providing free childcare at these events. Click here for the complete Speaker Series program. If you have any questions, email Jessica Raines.
   

 

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

    

Community News

EVENTS

 

No events this week.

 

 

FAMILY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES 

 

Peninsula Volunteers NEW VOLUNTEERS INFORMATION SESSION

Thursday, September 5,  10-11:30 am  @ Lucy Uhl Room  Little House, 800 Middle Ave  Menlo Park.  Learn about the mission of Peninsula Volunteers, Inc. and how you can be a part of our caring community.  Currently recruiting in all programs-Meals on Wheels, Little House Activity Center, and Rosener House . For more information about our programs email or call 650-322-0129.

 
Gain a global family member for a lifetime!

We are currently seeking a host family for MA's Exchange Student from Chile, Agustin Marinovic, who is a senior. Hosting an AFS exchange student is a rewarding experience that broadens your view of the world while learning about customs and cultures.  To learn how you can host please visit www.afsusa.orgPlease contact Irene Searles, at ivsearles@gmail.com, if you have any interest in being a host family this year. 

 

 

SPORTS, CLASSES, AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES 

    

Cub Scouts at Oak Knoll

Sunday, September 15th from 1pm-3pm on the Oak Knoll playground

Come find out what adventures are in store with Pack 222 at our kickoff event featuring ice cream and water balloon launchers for all 1st-5th grade boys and their families on Sunday, September 15th from 1pm-3pm on the Oak Knoll playground. A new den for Oak Knoll 1st graders will be forming later this fall.  If you have further questions, please emailjbwire@gmail.com or visit the Pack 222 website at http://pack222.weebly.com/.

  

Volleyball Clinic by the M-A Girls Volleyball Teams

4, 5 and 6th graders on September 27, 8th graders October 4

All kids 4-8th grade welcome to participate in the Fall 2013 community clinic fundraiser.  Please join us for this wonderful opportunity to engage with positive role models and strengthen your volleyball skills! All proceeds go to the M-A Girls Volleyball program.   Information/registration: www.bearsathletics.org

  

Society Skateshop Skateboarding Lessons

Menlo Park Burgess skatepark.  Saturdays, starting September 14.  The lessons are through the Menlo Park Rec Center.

  

Becoming a Love and Logic Parent

By, Charles Fay

Friday September 13 in San Jose

Charles is being sponsored by Valley Christian School. His talk will take place at Hillside Church 545 Hillsdale Ave San Jose. The cost is only $10 and is open to the public. Register here http://www.vcs.net/support-vcs/love-and-logic/index.aspx.

  

NJB Winter Basketball

Registration is now open. Our focus is on skills-based instruction, personal growth, and positive competition for kids from 1st through 8th grades in MP, Atherton, PV, Woodside, or EPA.  The season runs from November through February.

 

SmartFit Kids at Menlo Swim and Sport

Open Monday - Thursday, 3:30-5:30pm.  Acclaimed for coaching excellence, Menlo Swim and Sport's SmartFit Kids is an after-school homework and tutoring program that provides academic coaching and homework oversight for students from 1st - 5th grades.  Visit our website for more details.

 
  
For more information on events/opportunities listed above or events listed in prior newsletters, visit the District's Community Links page.
     
Quick Links

Oak Knoll Website  
      
  Oak Knoll Calendar              MPAEF Website 
            MPCSD Website

Newsletter Submissions
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 dateGuidelines for submission are available online. 

Newsletter Archives
To read past Oak Knoll PTO newsletters, please visit our archives.