MPAEF Oak Knoll Team 

Dimitra Anderson, Ashley Honerkamp, Linda Knoll, Jennifer Levey, 

Grant Matthews, Sharon Purcell

Lost and Found:   The Oak Knoll Lost and Found is overflowing!  If your child is missing an article of clothing, a lunchbox etc., please take a look at the lost and found.

Visitors and Volunteers:  All volunteers and visitors should sign the Volunteer/Visitor Log in the front office and remember to wear a "School Visitor" name tag for safety reasons.

It's time once again for Oak Knoll's annual caring & sharing book drive. Please donate your gently used books (Pre K - 8th grade) from October 15 - 17.  Books will be donated to local kids and area non-profit organizations.  Oak Knoll's Brownies and Girl Scouts will be out collecting your donations each morning.   We are also looking for volunteers to help with sorting the books after the drive.

For questions or to volunteer, please feel free to contact Kathy Motamedi, Lisa Langer or Nancy Lieberman. 

Please clean out your shelves to make room for your new book fair books!

Thank you!

Otterwear has arrived!  It will be ready for PICKUP from 2:40 - 3:30pm on Tuesday, October 15 and Wednesday, October 16 in the small gym near the office.  All you need for pickup is the last name of the student(s), no receipt necessary.  Looking forward to seeing all the new gear around school!  If you have any questions please contact Tracy Roeder.

Oak Knoll composting and recycling program will begin at lunch recess on Wednesday, October 16.

Great news for our efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle on our Oak Knoll campus! This Wednesday,  October 16 we will begin our lunch waste composting and recycling program.  We are recruiting parent volunteers to help educate the children on where to put all the leftovers that once was placed in the trash bins.  Please email Mrs. Solomon to volunteer! Thank you.

Watch your child's backpack this week for the proof and order form. Noteworthy Art cards feature your child's original drawing, reproduced on high-quality note cards, and packaged with envelopes in sets of 12. They make great thank-you cards as well as holiday gifts for relatives and friends. They are also a cherished keepsake.  

This is your ONLY chance to order cards - reprints are not available after the order period.

Please fill out the order form and deliver with payment ($15 per package of 12 cards) to the office or use PayPal on the NoteWorthy Art webpage no later than Friday, October 25.

For more information, contact Mary Karen Lundh.

3rd, 4th & 5th grade Oak Knoll students can register to play basketball now.  This is a recreational league offered by the city of Menlo Park and organized by the Oak Knoll After School Sports Program.  All practices will be at Oak Knoll facilities, and games will be against other schools in the Arrillaga Gymnasium in Menlo Park.  No prior experience is necessary. Practices will begin late November, and games will likely start in December and end in mid-March.

To register your child please visit sportability.  Registration ends October 25. NO LATE REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. The registration fee is $115, and scholarships are available. All teams are coached by parent volunteers.   

If you are interested in coaching, or if you want to learn more about scholarships, please email Laura Huber, Stefano Baldassi, Noelle Carpenter or Nancy Witeck.  For more information about the basketball program, visit the Oak Knoll website Basketball Page. 

GLI EVENTS FILL UP FAST - DON'T WAIT TO REGISTER!!!

We are excited to partner with the Girls Leadership Institute (GLI) once again to offer THREE Parent & Daughter workshops on emotional intelligence. Parents and daughters learn about identifying healthy relationships, finding their voices, and communicating more effectively. Girls also develop resilient responses to conflict, drama, challenges, and mistakes. The program is interactive, fun, and enlightening, and it's also a great opportunity for parents to gain insight and spend time with their daughter in a new and different way. Click here to learn more and register now.

Each workshop is 90 minutes long, once a week, for four weeks. 

Who: Girls in 2nd or 3rd grade and one parent, or girls in 4th or 5th grade and one parent.

Cost: $200 per family

When: There are two sessions for grades 2/3 starting mid January on Wednesdays from 6-7:30 pm and one session for grade 4/5 starting mid January on Thursdays from 6-7:30 pm. 

Please see flyer for more details and specific dates per grade. 

Register at :  www.girlsleadership.org/OakKnoll.

Please note:  This event fills up very quickly. Priority registration for Oak Knoll expires on October 28 and event can fill up within days so please register ASAP.  If you have any questions, please contact: Jill Wurster via email or phone (617) 510-2082.

Step Right Up to the Greatest Book Fair on Earth!

Attention Parents: Be a Part of Our Big Top Crew!

This year's Book Fair can only be the most extraordinary spectacle if we have plenty of volunteers to help! Please contact Tamara Russel  if you are interested in decorating, setting up, cashiering, working Family Night, or helping in general. 

Reminder: Turn in Teacher Gift Certificate Forms This Tuesday

Order forms for Teacher Gift Certificates are due in the front office on Tuesday, October 15. Didn't see one in your child's backpack? Print another one here.

Marvel at some of the Amazing Activities:

Parent Author Talk with Sheryl Sandberg. Tuesday, October 22 at 8:30 am.

Sheryl is the author of the number-one bestseller Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. RSVP to oakknollbookfair@gmail.com with your name and the name of your youngest child's Oak Knoll teacher so that we can accommodate the most number of Oak Knoll parents as possible.

Family Night, Wednesday, October 23 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Bring the whole family and join us for a night of magic and wonder with performers who will dazzle children of all ages while you shop at the book fair!

Questions? Contact Alison Fleming, Jennie Lang or Mary Speiser.

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

SPORTS, CLASSES, ETC. 

Menlo College Youth Basketball Clinics.  Over the next three months, Spring Clinic Series, Grades K-8.  Oct. 20, 27, Nov. 10,17, Dec. 8,15.  For more information pls call: (650) 453-3846 or email: oaksbasketball@menlo.edu.  At Menlo College, Atherton, CA

FAMILY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Garden Work Day at Alemany Farm.  Saturday, Oct 26, 12-5pm.  All ages are welcome to this community workday at Alemany Farm, a wonderful community farm located on the south side of San Francisco. Click here for more details and location information. 

EVENTS

2013 Halloween Hoopla!  Saturday, October 26^.  The City of Menlo Park Community Services Department proudly presents the 2013 Halloween Hoopla! Come in costume and participate in the annual parade to Fremont Park starting at 11:45am. Don't forget to pick-up your free trick or treat bag at Fremont Park while you're there! For more information, please call (650) 330-2220.  Click here to see the event flyer. 

Making Homework Manageable (1st - 6th grade).  Tues, Oct. 15, 6:30 - 8:30 pm.   

This workshop explores appropriate parent involvement with homework: how and when to help and what can be done to decrease tension around this time-honored school practice. A sampling of time management and organization tools for homework success will also be provided. You will learn ways to understand and contextualize homework difficulties, support children in completing homework with appropriate involvement, use homework as a tool to promote independence and learning skills, help children build organization and time management routines for school work, and foster positive conditions for learning at home. With Ali Zidel Meyers, MSW fee, $40. Register here.

Raising a Highly Sensitive Child (all ages).  Mon., Oct. 21, 12:30 - 1:30 pm.  Free Webinar! You may see in your child these traits: a high awareness of subtle or sudden changes; a sense of being easily overwhelmed by too much stimulation; a sensitivity to the emotional distress of others; and great caution and care, particularly during transitions. Your child may be among the 15 - 20% who are highly sensitive. Learn more about this often-misunderstood inborn trait: about what your child needs and what you can do to help him or her feel comfortable and capable. With Bonnie Romanow, BA.  Register here.

Building Resilience for Lifetime Success (all ages) Thurs., Oct. 24, 6:30 - 8:15 pm

Join a lively conversation about what it takes to prepare your child for the ups and downs of life.  During this workshop, you'll learn the key ingredients to raising children who can bounce back from challenges and know how to forge relationships that help them keep their heads up high. We will redefine success and gain a fresh perspective on emotional and social intelligence, authenticity, creativity, and innovation in this fast-paced, high-tech society. With Rachel Sklar, MSW, PCI, certified life coach. Fee, $40. Register here.

Parents Place: Staying Connected with your School-Aged Child (kindergarten - 6th grade).  Tues. Nov. 5, 7:00 - 9:00 pm.  Explore ways to build a lifelong parent-child relationship of trust and love through open communication and true respect. Discover why spending time with your children is the most important thing you can do as a parent, and learn ways to more thoroughly enjoy your role as a parent. With Susan Stone Belton, BSE.  Register here.

Parents Place:  Digital Elementary School Kids (1^st  - 5^th grade).  Thurs. Nov. 7,  7-9pm. Children are using digital technology and accessing the Internet at younger and younger ages.  This training will give parents an understanding of the developmental needs of children relative to safe and healthy media use.  Tools will be provided for teaching children to become safe, smart, and responsible media users. With Holly Pedersen, MFT, PhD. Register here.

Parents Place: Self-Compassion and Mindfulness for Parents (all ages). Tues. Nov. 12, 7-9pm.  Experience a workshop immersion in compassion, mindfulness and play cultivation that are sustainable and enjoyable for all ages. Explore creative strategies for strengthening self-compassion, humor, connecting with others, and finding peace in difficult circumstances. This session will include meditation, self-reflection, play modalities, and discussion about the relevance of these practical tools for self-care, overall wellness and parenting. With Jenny Ward, Founder of Playward.com, Speaker, Author and Play Director of "Peace and Play" in educational settings across the country. www.playward.com.  Register here.

Parents Place: Parenting in the 21st Century with Kimochis.   In San Mateo, Nov. 14, 7-9pm.  What does every parent want? A happy, healthy, confident kid! And research shows that kids who can handle their emotions and "bounce back" from upsetting moments actually do better in life. Since feelings fuel behaviors and all behaviors are a form of communication, strong communication skills are a key ingredient to happy, healthy, confident kids. Ellen Pritchard Dodge, M.Ed CCC-SLP, Educational Director and Parent Educator for Kimochis...Toys With Feelings Inside®, has developed seven simple, yet effective, Kimochis® Keys to Communication that bring more fun, joy, and connection to your family. Register here.