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Oak Knoll PTO
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October 20 - 24
- Oak Knoll's Annual Book Fair - Dive into a good book!
- Last Week for the New/Used Book Donation Drive
Monday, October 20
Wednesday, October 22
- Coffee Cart
- PTO General Meeting, 8:15am, Gym
- Superintendent Ghysels's District Update, 8:20-9:15am, Gym
- Ardenwood Field Trip (McColloch, Yob), 9:15am-2:30pm
Thursday, October 23
- Book Fair Family Night, 6:00-8:00pm, Gym
Friday, October 24
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Monday, October 27
- My Digital TAT2, 7:00-8:30pm, Gym
Tuesday, October 28
- Embracing Our Differences - Abilities Awareness Week Parent Night, 7:00-8:00pm, Library
Wednesday, October 29
- Halloween Scene (K1-K4), 8:30am, Playroom
- Site Council, 3:30pm, Staff Room
Thursday, October 30
- Last Day to Register for 3rd/4th/5th Grade Basketball
- Embracing Our Differences Kick Off Event - Student Assembly, Speaker Stephanie Faso
Friday, October 31
- Halloween Parade, 8:30am. Bring a change of clothes. NO scary masks, NO weapons.
See the Oak Knoll calendar for more important dates and events
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Book Fair - Making Waves This Week
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 The "sand"-sational book fair opens this week. Dive into some new books and help support our school.Calling all beach bums! Thank you to all those who have signed up to volunteer. If you are still interested in helping at the book fair, please contact Tamara Russel. Family Night, Thursday, October 23 from 6:00-8:00pm. Don't miss this beach party! Bring your whole family to shop the book fair, see friends, and enjoy some beachy fun for all ages. Authentic Polynesian dancers will be there to entertain and teach the kids to hula. Get there early - the show starts at 6:30! Soak in the fun during these hours of operation from October 20-24: MTWF 7:45am-3:30pm; Thursday 7:45am-2:00pm; Thursday 6:00-8:00pm.Questions? Contact Shannon Atkinson or Jennie Lang.
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To kick off the Surf's Up Book Fair, we are having a Beach Day on Monday, October 20! Students can bring a blanket and have lunch on the grass (we will have designated blankets that are NUT and Dairy Free). Students can bring fun beach games (frisbee, volleyball, beach ball, smash ball, etc). Students can dress for the beach but NO swimsuits (board shorts are fine). And don't worry, we will have Lifeguards on Duty. It will be a fun day on the Knoll! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We will be having a special lunch on October 20 and need parent volunteers to help with supervision from 11:45am-12:45pm. Please email if interested.
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 Jane Bennion, Teacher Librarian
Favorite thing about Oak Knoll: How we collaborate and support each other
professionally. How hard each teacher/staff member works. And what great friends we are - we have really fun parties. ;-) I'm also incredibly grateful for the generous parent community. There is an inspiring tradition of volunteerism and service in this community thanks to our amazing parents.
Share a passion of yours: I annually participate in Habitat for Humanity. I tutored students in EPA for 10 years through the volunteer-based Stanford Tutoring Program, twice a week.
A fun fact about yourself: I've participated in Friday Night Skate almost every year since 1998: http://www.cora.org/friday.pthml. And I can talk with my mouth shut. :)
A favorite quote: This was on the fridge growing up: "Be pretty if you are, be witty if you can, but be cheerful if it kills you." - Grama Bennion. "Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips. Mental trouble was never known to arise from such quarters. Though they do not cost much yet they accomplish much. They make other people good-natured. They also produce their own image on men's souls, and a beautiful image it is." -Blaise Pascal. "The good is the beautiful." -Plato.
 Nina Nulman, 3/4/5 Multi-Age Teacher
Favorite thing about Oak Knoll: I love the camaraderie of the students and staff. Something that really warms my heart is when we have a new student, and all the returning students rush to help in every way they can so that the new student feels welcome and part of the close-knit community.
Share a passion of yours: I'd like to do more community beautification, with building trees, doing beach and community clean-ups, etc. I'd even love to be part of something like Habitat for Humanity at some point soon!
A fun fact about yourself: Slowly but steadily, I've learned to speak and understand Russian because my husband's family speaks it. My two-year-old daughter is bilingual in Russian and English.
A favorite quote: "Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out." -John Wooden.
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PTO General Meeting and Superintendent Update
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Please join us at the PTO General Meeting in the gym at 8:15am on Wednesday, October 22, for a very quick presentation and vote on the 2014-15 budget, which was approved at the PTO Board Meeting on October 8. All Oak Knoll PTO members (parents!) are encouraged to attend. The proposed budget is posted on the bulletin board outside the school office or you can click here. This will be followed by an informative update from Superintendent Maurice Ghysels, along with three Educational Directors; Director of Curriculum Jen Kollmann, Director of Student Assessment Alicia Bowman, and Director of Student Services Ginny Maiwald. The team will discuss current initiatives in the district in a 20 minute presentation followed by Q&A.
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Noteworthy Art - Last Day to Order Cards This Friday
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Friday is the last day to order Noteworthy Art. This is the ONLY CHANCE to order cards - reprints are NOT available after the order period. You should have received the order form in your child's backpack. This PTO Fundraiser features your child's original drawing, reproduced on high-quality note cards, packaged with envelopes in sets of 12, and make great thank-you cards as well as holiday gifts for relatives and friends. They are also a cherished keepsake. Please fill out the order form and deliver with payment ($15 /package) to the office or use PayPal on the Noteworthy Art webpage no later than Friday, October 24. The cards will be delivered before the Thanksgiving break.
Thank you for supporting this PTO Fundraiser!
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My Digital TAT2 - Message from Kristen Gracia
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 Oak Knoll Parents, Join me for this important Parent Ed event. I would love to see ALL Oak Knoll parents at this event. Our kids are growing up "online" and we need to be informed, aware and proactive as we parent through a time much different than our childhood times. Thanks to the Oak Knoll PTO for providing this FREE event. Mark your calendar! October 27 @ 7:00pm in the Oak Knoll gym. Read below for more information. Kristen Gracia
"Parenting in the Age of Social Media" presented by My Digital TAT2
Monday, October 27, 7:00-8:30pm, Oak Knoll gym
Our kids are "digital natives" - they are growing up in a world of online access and ever changing media devices. Do you wonder how to teach your child responsibility and ethics online, how to ensure they are aware of their actions, and how to best parent them in the digital age?
The Oak Knoll PTO invites you to join My Digital TAT2 for a highly engaging, interactive, and informative presentation and discussion on Monday, October 27 from 7:00-8:30pm in the large multi-purpose room/gym. This PTO-sponsored presentation is recommended for all parents interested in an overview of the digital landscape and learning about thoughtful strategies to navigate media with their children.
Please note that this is a parents-only event. During the same week, 5th grade students will be participating in classroom workshops focused on "Safety and Compassion in the Digital Age", also conducted by My Digital TAT2.
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Calling All 5th Grade Yearbook Cover Artists
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Your 5th grader has the opportunity to have their artwork displayed on the front or back cover of the 2014-2015 Oak Knoll Yearbook. The tradition of having the children create artwork for the yearbook covers is in it's 5th year! There are five winners total.
Beginning this week, in art class, all 5th graders should have the following guidelines from Mr. Almquist:
- Use an 8.5 x 11" piece of what paper (vertical orientation only)
- Include the name of the school in the drawing, Oak Knoll in the drawing
- Include Ollie the Otter, the school's mascot, somewhere in the drawing. He can be large or small.
- Include the school year, 2014-15 or 2014-2015 in the drawing
- Include your First and Last names on the bottom, right-hand side of the drawing (drawings without a name will not be judged)
- No violence or brands in the drawing
Cover Artwork is due to the homeroom teacher ONLY and absolutely NO later than Friday, November 7.
Artwork will be judged by Oak Knoll staff only. Winners will be announced at the end of the school year, when yearbooks are delivered.
Happy drawing!
Contact Rhonda Bucklin with questions.
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Last Week for Book Donation Drive
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This is the last week to donate to the Oak Knoll book drive. Thanks to those who have already donated!
All books will be donated to the Children's Fund, which was established to assist foster and low-income children in San Mateo County and provide them with goods and services that are not available through public funds. The Children's Fund benefits low-income and foster children/teens who reside in San Mateo County.
Collection barrels will be placed outside the gym and school office for easy drop-off. Questions? Please contact Meg McGraw-Scherer.
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Nicole Scott, School Counselor, and Jenny Ryan, School Psychologist, invite you to join our parent book club. We will be reading All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior. The book club meets at Kepler's on Wednesdays at 9:00am (except for 10/29 we will start at 10:00am). Come enjoy time with other parents that are all trying to do the best we can. Each week we will discuss a portion of the book. The dates we will be meeting are October 29, November 5, November 12, December 3 and December 10.
The book may be purchased at Kepler's - tell them it's for the MPCSD parent book club and get a 15% discount! If you are interested in joining us, please email nscott@mpcsd.org.
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Near the lost and found a compassion tree has started to grow. If your family participates (or has already participated this year) in an act of compassion (a clean up, delivering food, a run for charity), please get an apple from the office and let us know about it. Turn in apples to the office and we will share this act with your child's classroom and some will be shared on KNOL. Let's help our tree grow! Any questions, please email Nicole Scott with "Compassion Tree" in the subject line.
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Girls Leadership Institute Workshops at Oak Knoll
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Girls Leadership Institute Workshops at Oak Knoll - Grades K/1, 2/3, and 4/5
Note: Priority Registration for Oak Knoll expires on October 20. If you want a spot, please register before that date. Register here.
If you are new to Girls Leadership Institute workshops, click here to learn more about the programs and for specific dates.
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Oak Knoll Basketball Registration Ends October 30
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3rd, 4th & 5th grade Oak Knoll students can now register to play basketball! But, HURRY - registration closes October 30! This is a recreational league offered by the city of Menlo Park and organized by the After School Sports Program. All practices are held at Oak Knoll facilities, and games are held against other schools in the Arrillaga Gymnasium in Menlo Park. Most games will take place on Saturday mornings and afternoons, with the exception of 5th grade girls' basketball games, occurring Monday afternoons and evenings. No prior experience is necessary.
To register your child, please visit TeamSnap. All teams are coached by parent volunteers, and COACHES ARE NEEDED. So, if you are interested in coaching, please email Stefano Baldassi.
For more information about the basketball program, visit the website.
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The colorful and sporty Otterwear has arrived. We will be hand-delivering the items to your child's classroom on Monday. If you have more than one child at Oak Knoll, we will deliver the order to the classroom of your oldest child (unless you placed separate orders for each child). Note that it may take a day or two for the teachers to distribute. Thank you for supporting the Oak Knoll PTO and our Otters.
For questions about your order, please contact Jenny Buddin.
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Bike & Traffic Safety Committees
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Bike Inspections: In October, there will be FREE bike inspections provided in front of Oak Knoll. They will be on Friday October 24, and Monday October 27 before school, 7:40-8:10am. Come by the bike rack area and let the professional mechanics from Menlo Velo look over your child's ride. They will check brakes, pump up tires, adjust helmets, and provide a general safety check. Due to popular demand, bike inspections for student bikes will be prioritized. This event brought to you by the PTO Bike Safety Committee.
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Thank you Otters for the successful Halloween Costume Drive. Over 100 costumes were donated to the San Mateo Children's fund! A big Thank You to Meg McGraw-Scherer for organizing.
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Update on Menlo Mandarin Immersion Charter School (MMICS) Petition
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Thank you to all those who attended and voiced their opinions at the Public Hearing last Tuesday on the Menlo Mandarin Immersion Charter School (MMICS) petition. Read some of the press coverage on the hearing in the Mercury News and the Almanac.
We encourage parents and community members to attend the following public School Board Meetings:
- Study Session on Monday, October 27 at 6:00pm (MPCSD Office, TERC Building, 181 Encinal Ave., Atherton)
- Final Decision on Wednesday, November 12 at 6:30pm (MPCSD Office, TERC Building, 181 Encinal Ave., Atherton)
On September 12 our District received its first Charter School petition from the parents of the Menlo Mandarin Immersion Charter School. Click here to see the entire Charter petition including petition signatures.
A presentation on Charter School fundamentals was presented to the Board on September 3, and is accessible, click here.
Click here to read Charter Petition FAQs from the MPCSD website.
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Abilities Awareness Week - Embracing Our Differences November 3-7
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We invite the entire Oak Knoll community to participate in a week-long celebration of abilities during our Abilities Awareness Week - Embracing Our Differences, held from November 3-7. The purpose of the week is to increase awareness, understanding and acceptance of different abilities, and most importantly to see beyond disabilities and recognize the similarities, strengths and abilities of all people. To see the ABLE in disabled, the difference NOT the deficit!
Embracing Our Differences is a reminder that whether or not we have a disability, we all most likely know someone who does. It is something that connects each and every one of us and is important to talk about. A variety of events are planned to engage students, staff, parents, siblings and families of the Oak Knoll community in conversations about disability, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.
Our Kick Off Event will be a Parent Night on Tuesday, October 28, 7:00-8:00pm in the Oak Knoll Library, with two great speakers - Stephanie Faso & Michael King - who will share their experiences of having a disability from childhood through to adulthood, the challenges they met and the experiences they gained. Both speakers will also be talking with Oak Knoll students at two separate assemblies.
Event Schedule:
- Embracing Our Differences Parent Night: Tuesday, October 28, 7:00-8:00pm, Oak Knoll Library, Speakers: Stephanie Faso & Michael King
- Student Assembly Event Kick Off: Thursday, October 30, Speaker Stephanie Faso
- Student Assembly #2: during Awareness Week, Speaker Michael King
- In-classroom modules: Monday through Friday, to encourage students to discuss and think about differences and abilities
- Art, Music, Physical Education & Library Programs will be incorporating this theme into their work with students in imaginative and fun ways!
- Abilities Hall of Fame: Monday through Friday, a look at famous people (some are surprising!) that have disabilities
- Spirit Day & KNOL TV - Embracing Our Differences Theme
We hope your kids will be bringing home information, ideas and topics for discussion from this informative and fun week!
For more information or to offer support or volunteering, please contact Elaine Glynn or Shannon Garrow.
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Shop MPAEF: Get Ready for Halloween
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Find costumes, party supplies, candy and more at great Halloween merchants on Shop.MPAEF.org. Just click on a merchant link, shop and earn money for our school. Shop now!
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Our Quality Schools Rely on the Generosity of You, Our Donors
We continue to be inspired by the generous and supportive donors in our community who have already committed to the Annual Parent Campaign as part of our goal of raising $3.6M for our schools. For those of you who have not yet made your donations (or pledge to donate at a later date), with just five short weeks left until the close of our annual parent campaign, we ask that you to commit your support by making a tax-deductible donation (or pledge to do so) by November 20! Click here to donate today! Click here to pledge today! Your donation plays a significant role in maintaining the quality of our schools. Our schools rely on this money and to accomplish this, we rely on the generosity of you, our donors. "We are truly a community-funded district, relying on local sources to fund our schools, and the MPAEF grant is a crucial part of that equation. The MPAEF grant will make up about 10% of the District's operating budget next school year and makes it possible to provide the education our community expects for all of its children." -Superintendent Maurice Ghysels********************************************* Join us on Thursday, November 13 and Friday, November 14 for the 5th Annual MPAEF Gift Boutique at Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. 20% of MPAEF Gift Boutique proceeds benefit Menlo Park City Schools.
Preview our fabulous vendors here. Shop the boutique, and attend one of our signature events: Thursday, November 13:
- Sips, Sweets and Shopping (6:00-9:00pm): Enjoy wine and sweet treats while you shop the boutique. $30 per person advance purchase - $40 per person at the door - Advance purchase recommended. Purchase tickets here.
- An Evening with the Experts: Holiday Party Planning Class (6:30-7:30pm): Palace Cafe and Catering will teach us how to prepare delicious appetizers and festive cocktails + Florist Amanda Thorne will show us how create a gorgeous floral arrangement to adorn your holiday home. Tickets are $75 and include entrance into the MPAEF Gift Boutique. Purchase tickets here.
Friday, November 14: - Complimentary Boutique Shopping (8:30am - 2:30pm) -- all are welcome!
- Boutique Brunch and Lunch: Choose from 8:30am, 10:30am, 12:30pm seatings at the Blue Garden Cafe. $50 per person. Space is limited -- advance purchase required. Purchase tickets here.
Visit www.mpaef.org for more information. Contact Boutique Organizers Julia Molise and Claire Thompson at boutique@mpaef.org with questions or to volunteer. ************************************************************************
Happy Halloween from MPAEF!
Ready for some Halloween fun?! Join the MPAF been booed challenge! Share the frights & fun with your neighbors, friends, and anyone else you like! MPAEF is more than just about fundraising, it's about coming together as a community and supporting our schools! See how others in our community have been booed already #MPAEFbeenbooed! and follow us on Facebook! Click here to access the MPAEF been booed printables today!
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Thank you to all the parents who came in the MPCSD ParentEd Conference: "What Parents Need to Know About the Common Core and More" last Sunday, October 12 at Hillview Middle School! It was a great forum for learning and discussion and we appreciate your participation! We want to recognize and give a huge THANK YOU to the Newton Center and Applebee Preschool for providing free childcare that was fun, safe, and engaging!!! Thank you also to the many MPCSD staff and teacher presenters and parent volunteers for organizing this event. Missed the conference? Good news . . . thanks to an amazing team of Hillview students, we were able to record each session of the Parented Conference. We are working on getting the recording put on the website so that parents can watch any sessions that they missed. You can also check the MPCSD ParentEd Page for updates. __________________________________________________________________________________ Sleepy Students: The Adolescent Circadian ShiftDevin Prouty, Ph.D., Researcher/ExpertHillview Middle School, PAC Monday, November 3, 6:30pm Join local researcher Dr. Devin Prouty, Ph.D. as he discusses practical strategies for dealing with adolescent sleep changes and how to help your whole family get enough sleep. Additionally, he will detail the biological mechanisms that affect sleep, biological changes that affect adolescent sleep patterns, the importance of sleep to overall health and academic achievement, and the problems that are associated with insufficient sleep. Dr. Prouty is a local clinical psychologist ( www.granitepsychology.com) who also studies adolescent brain development through NCANDA, the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence ( www.ncanda.org). Free childcare is provided on-site for all potty trained children. For more information, contact Jennifer Allen.
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Home Run Derby Fundraiser - Swing For The Fences!!
Sunday, November 2, 12:00pm @ Nealon Park, Menlo Park
To raise money to send 2 teams to Cooperstown, NY next summer! Please spread the word and encourage the community to come out and support our Cooperstown-bound kids. Anyone can sign up for this event on the Xtreme Baseball website.
The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
Scottish Dancing
Mondays, 3:45-4:30pm
1715 Grant Road, Los Altos
Get into the spirit of this year's Cultural Arts Day celebrating the British Isles, and learn Scottish Country Dancing with the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. Contact Juliet Davoren or call (650)567-9285 to learn more.
2014 Halloween Hoopla!
Saturday, October 25, 11:45am
The City of Menlo Park Community Services Department proudly presents the 2014 Halloween Hoopla! Come in costume and participate in the annual parade to Fremont Park starting at 11:45am. The parade will start in the Maloney Street parking lot off Santa Cruz Ave. After the parade, from 12:30-3:00pm, trick-or-treat in downtown Menlo Park stores that display trick-or-treat signs on their door. Entertainment and crafts will also be available at Fremont Park. Don't forget to pick-up your free trick-or-treat back at Fremont Park while you're there! For more information, please call 650-330-2220 or visit our website.
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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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To read past Oak Knoll PTO newsletters, please visit our archives.
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