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Monday, February 2
- Walk Through the Revolution (Sanchez, Coldoff), Playroom
- Last Day to Complete Parent Survey
Wednesday, February 4
- Walk Through the Revolution (Fuller, Veneman), Playroom
- San Mateo County Decision Meeting on MMICS Petition Appeal
Thursday, February 5
- CTC Field Trip (2nd Grade), 8:45-11:30am
- Family Math Night, 5:30-7:30pm, Gym
- Willy Wonka Parent Meeting, 7:30-8:30pm, Library
Friday, February 6
Saturday, February 7
- Winterfest, 5:00-7:00pm, Gym
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February 9 - February 13
Tuesday, February 10
- Parent Coffee Talk with Mrs. Gracia, "For the Love of Reading," 8:15am, Gym
Wednesday, February 11
- PTO Board Meeting
- Site Council Meeting
Thursday, February 12
- Superintendent Parent Input Sessions, 6:00-8:00pm, Gym
Friday, February 13
- Superintendent Parent Input Sessions, 9:00-11:00am, Gym
- 5th Graders Return from Outdoor Ed, Pick-Up at 12:15pm
- Last Day to Order Yearbooks
February 23 - March 6
- My New Red Shoes Shoe Drive & Bag-Making Project
See the Oak Knoll calendar for more important dates and events
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Parent Survey - One Day Left to Complete
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The Oak Knoll SITE Council would like your feedback in an anonymous survey. If you have not already done so, please take 5 minutes over the next day to complete the survey before it closes at 11:59pm tomorrow, Monday, February 2. Please complete one survey per child. Your constructive and actionable feedback will be reviewed by Principal Ackerman and Principal Gracia. They will share your feedback with the teachers. A summary of results will be shared in the Otter Weekly in February. Past responses in this survey have lead to improvements and new programs being implemented at Oak Knoll.
We value your input! To complete the parent survey please click here.
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Parent Input Sessions with Superintendent Ghysels
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Superintendent Ghysels will hold two parent input sessions on Thursday, February 12 from 6:00-8:00pm and Friday, February 13 from 9:00-11:00am, both at Oak Knoll School in the gym. These open meetings will help Superintendent Ghysels learn more directly about the Oak Knoll community, their perspectives about the leadership qualities valued in a principal and will also inform his final selection of principal. He will also cover the components and timeline of the standard MPCSD selection process.
If you are unable to attend one of these meetings, please email him your thoughts at mghysels@mpcsd.org.
To read Superintendent Ghysels' full message from last week click here.
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Appeal of Menlo Mandarin Immersion Charter School (MMICS) Petition
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On January 7, the San Mateo County Board of Education held a Public Hearing to hear public input on the MMICS Petition Appeal (MMICS submitted an appeal to San Mateo County Office of Education on December 5 following our District's denial on November 12). Our District had the opportunity to present to the County Board information on our denial of MMICS's Petition. The County Board plans to take action and make a decision on the MMICS Petition Appeal at its Regular County Board meeting on Wednesday, February 4 at 7:00pm at the San Mateo County Office Of Education, 101 Twin Dolphin Dr, Redwood City, CA 94065.
Click here to view the MPCSD written submission to the County Board. Although public comment will be limited during the February 4 County Board meeting, your attendance is encouraged. If you are not able to attend the meeting but would like to provide feedback to the County Board, you can submit comments to the Board at this website. Comments submitted before 4:00pm on February 4 will be given to the County Board prior to the start of the 7:00pm County Board meeting.
Once the County Board takes action on MMICS's Petition Appeal, the decision will be posted on the MPCSD website where, you can also find all Board meeting presentations, reports and additional information related to the MMICS Petition.
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Count on attending Family Math Night, Thursday, February 5 from 5:30-7:30pm in the Oak Knoll Gym. Enjoy fun and engaging activities with your children that will get them to think about and make sense of numbers.
- Explore 8 hands-on stationsChoose from 3 activity levels at each station
- Create projects to take home
- Go at your own pace
- Reinforce classroom learning
This event is great for Kindergarten through 3rd grade, but all students are welcome. No RSVP necessary, just show up. Contact Jody Buckley for more information.
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Compassion Book of the Month
 Each month, the entire school reads a book that focuses on this year's theme of Compassion and its three parts: Empathy, Optimism and Listening.
The February Compassion Book Continues with looking at Optimism with Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch. Mr. Hatch is a man that keeps to himself and his routines but when he gets a Valentine that says somebody loves him he changes until he finds out the Valentine wasn't for him. Students will explore how different Mr. Hatch was when he believed people cared about him. He was happier and the other people around him really did grow to care about him. Thinking the best about others let's them think the best about us!
Counselor Classroom Visits
 5th grade - The week of January 26, the 5th grade students began doing lessons from the Mindful School Curriculum with a volunteer and former Oak Knoll Parent Julie Brody.
K-4 Nicole Scott will be doing lessons on Optimism. As part of our theme of Compassion we have been reading stories on Optimism and in this lesson we will look a little deeper. Students will learn the works Optimism and Pessimism. We will talk about how we always have choices about how look at a problem. This thinking takes place in our prefrontal cortex. The Optimistic choice we get to be positive and Happy and the Pessimistic thinker is negative and grumpy. This aligns perfecting with the Growth Mindset (Optimistic- I can learn anything with hard work) and the Fixed Mindset (Pessimistic - I can't do that - I am not good at that). During this lesson we will read the book Scaredy Squirrel. What kind of thinker is he? Does he seem happy? What does he learn? We will then look at some common problems kids have at school and explore how an Optimistic Person would solve it or think about it and how a Pessimistic person would). Parents can use this same strategy at home.
For more ideas on how to support your child in being more Optimistic look at these 11 Steps From Advanced Life Skills.
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"Creating Moments of Impact: Promoting Discovery & Innovation with our Kids"
Lisa Kay Solomon, Author/Advisor Hillview Middle School, PAC
Monday, February 9, 6:30pm
What do Mythbusters and Monsters Inc. have to do with helping kids become better leaders? A lot, it turns out! While parents often see mass media as distracting at best and destructive at worst, it's possible to use even television and the movies as "teachable moments" to promote a mindset of creativity, inquiry, and discovery in our children. Kids don't stop learning when they leave the classroom, and with a few simple techniques, parents can turn downtime into kid-friendly life lessons on collaboration, leadership, and inspiration. Join author, parent, and neighbor Lisa Kay Solomon as she leads a thought-provoking conversation about building creative and fun learning experiences in our everyday lives and homes. Drawing on the concepts outlined in her bestselling book, Moments of Impact, and leveraging her experience teaching the Innovation Studio class at the Design MBA program at the California College of the Arts, Lisa will share her insights and give parents strategies for helping their children tap into their creative and leadership abilities. Click here for this year's line up of speakers. These events are open to all district parents and community members and take place in the Hillview Performing Arts Center. Free childcare is provided for all potty trained children. For more information, contact Jennifer Allen.
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Yearbook Ordering Reopens until Friday, February 13
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Oak Knoll's 2014-15 Yearbook is on sale once more for a limited 3 week period ending Friday, February 13! Yearbook orders are exclusively online for $25. Please make sure when ordering to specify your child(ren)'s grade and teacher for each book.
Remember to place your order for this precious keepsake!
Please contact Rhonda Bucklin with questions.
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My New Red Shoes Shoe Drive & Bag Project
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For two weeks (February 23 - March 6), Oak Knoll will embark on a compassion project in partnership with My New Red Shoes. We will be asking our school community to participate in a new shoe drive and bag-making project (for the shoes). The bags will be decorated and sewn by our children.
Founded in 2006, My New Red Shoes provides brand new shoes and clothing to homeless and low income children so that they can begin the school year feeling confident and ready to learn. This summer, My New Red Shoes plans to serve 7,000 children. Our hope is to help them reach that goal!
So, what can you do to prepare?
Right now, we are looking for fabric, sewing machines, volunteers, and sewing aficionados! - Fabric Donations: Fabric should be 100% cotton or cotton-poly blends in solid colors or any kid or teen-friendly print. Patterned cotton bedsheets may also work great. Please pre-cut and iron the fabric to 44 X 17 (sadly we can't accept any fabric smaller than 44 X 17). Many fabric stores have sales or take coupons so look for deals. Please keep in mind the bags are going to girls and boys so the fabric choices should be those that kids (even teens) might enjoy.
- Sewing Machines: If you are willing to lend a sewing machine for the two-week project period, we would be so grateful. Please contact Meg.
- Volunteers (no experience needed): The bag-making will take place during the lunch hour. We need volunteers for 1.5 hours between 11:45 and 1:15 pm for the 10-day project period. No experience necessary. If you can spare the time to supervise the children while they volunteer their time, creativity and compassion, we want you! Please sign up online.
- Sewing Aficionados: We are in need of at least one skilled sewer on hand for each volunteer period to grapple with any technical challenges that arise. We need you! Please also sign-up online and just note you are a knowledgable sewer in the notes section.
- Brand New Athletic Shoes: The official drive for this will not start until February 23rd. Shoes will be collected at school and donations can also be made via our Amazon link. Please read the instructions carefully on the link to insure tax receipt delivery. Also, please note that if you don't have Amazon Prime, you will be charged shipping. Specifications for on-site donations at the school will be provided next week!
Any questions, please feel free to contact Meg McGraw-Scherer.
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Volunteers Needed for Winterfest
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Are you interested in making connections with other Oak Knoll families, within and outside our school neighborhood? Do you want to help build our Oak Knoll Community by planning a winter carnival at Oak Knoll? Please join us! For more information about volunteering for Winterfest on February 7, 5:00-7:00pm, please contact Jenni Djafari.
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Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed
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The Hot Lunch co-chairs would like to say a HUGE thank you to all the fabulous volunteers who have made this program run smoothly all year! Oak Knoll wouldn't have a lunch program without you.
To successfully finish out the school year we need several more dedicated parents to volunteer their time with Hot Lunch. In order to offer Hot Lunch to our students we rely solely on parent volunteers to serve the lunches as the program can't run without them. It takes about 90 volunteers per month to fill the lunch calendar. It is a fun, easy and quick way to contribute to a highly utilized program! Remember, you will earn credits toward free lunches for your child(ren) for each shift worked. The more you volunteer, the more free lunches you get!
To join the hot lunch team and contribute to a very valuable program, please email Patti Buck.
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Parent-Child Yoga Night with Dr. John Rettger
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Please join us at Oak Knoll on February 24 from 6:30 to 7:30pm for a Parent-Child Yoga Night in the large gym/multi. This event is part of this year's Compassion theme and our recent focus on Mindfulness for both parents and children. Each participant should bring a yoga mat or towel, and please wear comfortable clothing that will allow you to move easily.
Dr. John Rettger is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) with the Yoga Alliance with thousands of hours of teaching experience. He teaches a unique style of Vinyasa and Restorative Yoga, blending traditional, contemplative wisdom approaches with contemporary psychology. John is also the Director of the Mindfulness Program in the Stanford University Early Life Stress and Pediatric Anxiety Program. He pioneered the implementation of mindfulness and yoga in the Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto. His work sparked the forming of a new partnership between the school district, Stanford, and the Sonima Foundation to teach a comprehensive Health and Wellness curriculum to the entire RCSD school district, a population of nearly 3500 kids.
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Save The Date: Friends and Family Day
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SAVE THE DATE! Friday, March 6 is Oak Knoll's 17th annual Friends and Family Day. Invite a friend or family member to come to school in the morning to get a glimpse of our campus and classrooms. Times for each grade level and details will be posted soon.
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Oak Knoll Science Fair 2015 - Mark Your Calendar!
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How many chocolate chips does it take to make a tasty cookie? Do suction cups stick equally well to different surfaces? What design of paper airplane flies the farthest?
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.
The Oak Knoll Science Fair will be held March 11 and 12, from 6:00-8:00pm (each night).
Registration will be open from February 1 through February 22. Please click here to register and for more information about the science fair.
Oak Knoll Science Fair Team
Questions? Email us at oakknollsciencefair@gmail.com
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Sports Fan, Wine Spectator or Adventurer: Donate to the Auction Today Destinations, Adventures and 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 also a family needing a getaway. Work personally with the winning bidder on a mutual time or set your own dates. An escape item is an easy way to make a significant donation to the district, while sharing the joys of your special place. Sporting Events and Memorabilia Donate your box seats, courtside seats, a day on a local course or a trip to Augusta; all to raise money for our students and our schools! Accepting Giants, Sharks, 49ers, Stanford or other local team tickets, plus tickets to PGA tournaments or Grand Slam tennis events! Link a district family into a round of golf at one of the prestigious courses or clubs in the Bay Area! Donate unique memorabilia as a great way to share the passion of sports and raise money for stronger schools! Exceptional Wines and Wine ExperiencesOpen up the riches of our region by offering up a unique bottle of wine or a wine experience. Host a wine or champagne tasting, create a personal trip to a vineyard for a couple or a group or fill their wine bar with elite vintages. Exclusive wine clubs offer award winning wines and champagnes, so donate a case or two from your membership. Bring enjoyment, cultural adventure and appreciation to district families and raise money for our schools! Donations are due by Friday, February 13. Questions about what or how to donate? Email Flavia Herrod. Already organized and want to donate now? Click here for our online auction info and donation form. To get your creative juices flowing you can view last year's auction catalog here. =============== Thank You to These New and Returning Realtor PartnersPlease support those businesses and realtors who support our schools! Thank you to these new 2014-15 Realtor Partners: Nancy Goldcamp, Coldwell BankerCeline Sanie, Coldwell BankerSteve Bulifant, Coldwell BankerStephanie Savides, Savides Real EstateSue Crawford, Coldwell BankerAnnette Smith, Dreyfus Sotheby's================= Earn Money For Our Schools When You TravelThinking about getting away for Spring Break or making summer plans? Plan your upcoming travels at great partners like Priceline, Expedia, Avis, Marriott and others. Just go to Shop.MPAEF.org first, click on your favorite travel merchant, book your travel and earn money for our schools. Start now!=================== Thank You to All the District Families Who Participated in Dine OutOur January 27th Dine Out event brought many District families to Amici's, Celia's, Mardini's, Menlo Grill and Jeffrey's to enjoy a meal together and support our schools! Thank you to everyone who participated by dining out for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Stay tuned for the next MPAEF newsletter for how much money was raised.
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Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research (CIBSR) at Stanford University
8-12year old mother-son and mother-daughter pairs to participate in the Social Brain Investigation. Dates and times can be scheduled depending on participant availability.
You are invited to participate in a research study exploring brain function during social interaction involving brain imaging with fNIRS and fMIR, scans are safe, non-invasive and do not use X-rays or radiation. For your participation, we offer a payment of $50, access to ongoing updates about the study, and upon request, information from behavioral assessment results. Sharon Bade Shrestha for more information
Player Capital Tennis
Winter/Spring Tennis Clinics
Weekdays after school and weekends at Holbrook-Palmer Park
Let's play tennis in this new year! All levels of junior tennis are offered.
Please contact us at admin@playercapital.com for details.
2015 Menlo Park Summer Camp Fair & Job Opportunities
The Menlo Park Community Services Department will be hosting the second annual summer camp fair at the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center on Friday, March 6th to promote city-run and city-sponsored summer camps. The family-fun event will allow parents to orient themselves through the various camp options for the summer and for kids to have an opportunity to meet our staff. Free pizza, games, and crafts will be available to the community. A raffle will be held at the end of the event to give away summer-themed prizes and even a free week of camp! The event will also serve as an opportunity for teens and young adults to submit applications for summer positions and meet & greet with potential employers. Please contact (650) 330-2200 for more information.
NEW at the OFJCC campus
The School for the Performing Arts will offer drama and choir classes for grades K-12 between the hours of 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays OR both day class options available. Drama classes begin on February 3rd. Choir classes begin on February 10th. Registration is now open for all students through the month of February! http://paloaltojcc.org/Cultural-Arts/School-for-the-Performing-Arts
United States Youth Volleyball League
Activity - Youth Volleyball
4/14/15 - 6/6/15, Tuesdays 6-7PM/ Saturdays 9-10AM
Mitchell Park
Our goal is to provide every child between the ages of 7 and 15 a chance to learn and play volleyball in a fun, safe, supervised environment. One of the main tenets of the program is to encourage children to do their best with their abilities. With an emphasis on positive reinforcement, the program seeks to build confidence and self-esteem in each child.
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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.
To read past Oak Knoll PTO newsletters, please visit our archives.
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