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February 16 - February 20
- February Break, NO SCHOOL
Wednesday, February 18
- Last Day to Register for Encinal Debate Tournament
Sunday, February 22
- Last Day to Register for Science Fair
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February 23 - March 6
- My New Red Shoes Shoe Drive & Bag-Making Project
Monday, February 23
- Last Day for Spring Musical Artwork submission
Tuesday, February 24
- San Juan Bautista Mission Field Trip (Becker, Emmert), 8:15am-2:30pm
- Parent Child Yoga Night, 6:30-7:30pm, Gym
Wednesday, February 25
Friday, February 27
- Walk Through California (Cline, Murphy), 8:30am-3:00pm, Gym
Friday, March 6
See the Oak Knoll calendar for more important dates and events
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Kids get wet, especially in rainy weather! We are in need of extra boys and girls underwear, all sizes. Please drop off in school office, thank you!
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Parent Input to Superintendent Ghysels
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Thank you to all those who attended one of the Parent Input Sessions with Superintendent Ghysels last week. These open meetings helped him learn more directly about the Oak Knoll community, their perspectives about the leadership qualities valued in a principal and helped inform his final selection of principal.
If you were unable to attend one of these meetings, please email him your thoughts at mghysels@mpcsd.org.
To read Superintendent Ghysels' initial full message please click here.
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Last Tuesday, parents gathered in the gym after drop-off for coffee and conversation with Kristen Gracia, Jacqui Cebrian and Jane Bennion on the many ways to rev your reader, reluctant or roaring, along the road to reading success. You can read the the handouts Tips for Reading Together and Great Reading Websites.
Parent Coffee Talks will continue to be held each month. At the next coffee talk on March 10, Mrs. Gracia will be joined by Mrs. Kessler and they will review parents' feedback from the recent Site Council Survey and share some upcoming school developments, including a preview of a World Language program.
Mark your calendars with subsequent Parent Coffee Talk dates: March 10, April 7, May 12, all at 8:15am in the Gym.
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Recess is an opportunity for kids to exercise, play, and interact with other children. It is an opportunity for kids to be kids, solve problems and be creative.
1st-5th graders are offered a menu of options during recess and lunch beyond playing ball or doing the monkey bars. Having these alternatives during this time also spreads the kids out and creates a less dense population on the playground. Miss Bennion, the school librarian, opens the library throughout the week so students can visit, play checkers, play the piano, and of course read. Dr. Westfall facilitates Otter Mileage on the track during some recess and lunch periods. The garden (chickens and all), Science Lab, and Nature Zone, thanks to Ms. Solomon and parent volunteers, are other options for students throughout the week. Lunch clubs have also been added this year, including a 3rd-4th grade Speech and Debate club, a 3rd-5th grade Math club and a 1st-2nd grade Coding Club, "I Can Code".
Make sure to remind your child(ren) to check the Recess Activities Menu. This schedule is posted in the classrooms and highlighted in daily reminders on KNOL.
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2nd Annual Debate Tournament at Encinal - Register by February 23
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2nd Annual Debate Tournament at Encinal, Saturday, February 28 & Sunday, March 1
Open to any 3rd-5th grade student with prior Speech & Debate experience! This is a free 2-day tournament, with preliminary rounds for all students on Saturday, and single-elimination championship rounds for the top students on Sunday.
Please see website for full details and tournament registration! Registration Deadline: Wednesday, February 18.
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Oak Knoll Science Fair 2015 - Register by February 22
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Artwork for Spring Musical Playbill
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Come one, come all, and create the cover art for the Playbill for Oak Knoll's rendition of Willy Wonka, Jr. Oak Knoll 4th and 5th graders will perform the musical on Thursday, March 26 and Saturday, March 28.
We need your creativity for the cover so try your hand at drawing your vision of a Scrumdidilyumptious Bar, A Golden Ticket or A Sunrise with Dew. There are literally dozens of possibilities! Just think a little like Willy Wonka himself.
Artwork submissions are due Monday, February 23 to the front office. The art competition is open to all Oak Knoll students. Please present your drawing vertically on a piece of 8x11 paper. Remember to include your name on the back of your drawing.
Contact Rhonda Bucklin with questions.
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It was a busy week for our volunteers last week at Oak Knoll!
Winterfest Family Social - Ollie would like to give a huge Thank You to the following people for organizing a hugely fun and successful Winterfest event last Saturday night - Jenni Djafari and Mari Hess-Molina led a great team of volunteers. Thanks to Jenni and Mari's team - Marisol Tiznado, Kealai Lee, Airel Tinajero, Andrea Baker, Stephanie Chen, Nicole Scott, Neymi Madrigal, Hildy Agustin, Wendy Valencia, Alma Maldonado, Carolyn Bowsher, Julie Letsinger, Gina Skinner and Lizbeth Aguilar.
Family Math Night - as you read in last week's newsletters, Math Night was also a huge success. Ollie Salutes Jody Buckley and Suzanne Gallie for leading event and their table leaders - Amanda Panjiris, Julie Ohtaki, Ann Miuro-Ko, and Sara Bartlett.
Teacher Appreciation Lunch - the teachers loved the awesome Mexican food and amazing decor put together by committee heads Janet Falkner and Andrea Potischman and their team of helpers - Tracy Carlson, Sora Kang, Erin Dolinko, Amy Thornborrow, Sally Cole, Linda Knoll, Sharon Purcell, Julia Dunn, Stephanie Chen, Jennifer Mosso, Alison Matthews, Tamara Russel, Janelle McCombs, Karen Dearing and Eva Schreier.
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Counselor's Corner - Spencer West Visiting
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We are so lucky to have Spencer West coming to Oak Knoll on Monday, February 23 to speak to our 2nd-5th graders from 1:00-2:00pm. Spencer is in town to attend an amazing event in San Jose called WE DAY. One of the things that makes WE DAY so special is you can't buy a ticket you must earn it through community service. There is a group of Hillview students going to WE DAY and we are so proud of them!
Spencer will be talking to our students about overcoming obstacles. Some of you will remember when he came and talk to our school a couple years ago. He is a moving speaker who does not let his difference stop him from doing anything. One of his major themes is define your possible. You can read more about Spencer here.
Because of Spencer's visit we are postponing Crazy Sock Day to Monday, March 2.
-Nicole Scott, School Counselor
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My New Red Shoes Shoe Drive & Bag Project
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Starting next week (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.
So, what can you do to help?
Right now, we are looking for volunteers and shoes! - 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.
- 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 are linked here and collection bins will be at school from February 23 to March 6.
Any questions, please feel free to contact Meg McGraw-Scherer.
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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 to get a glimpse of our campus and classrooms. Grades K,1,2 (and K-1-2 Multi-ages) Welcome Coffee starts in the gym at 8:45am. These classroom visits start at 9:05am. Grades 3,4,5 (and 3-4-5 Multi-ages) Welcome Coffee starts in the gym at 9:30am. These classroom visits start at 9:50am. You can print the following invitation to give to your friend or family member.
If you can help volunteer for the event please contact Alison Matthews.
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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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MPAEF Presents "An Evening with Liz Wiseman," March 12, 6:30pm, Hillview PAC
Please join us as MPAEF hosts "An Evening with Liz Wiseman", author of "The Multiplier Effect" and "Rookie Smarts." Superintendent Ghysels and the MPCSD leadership team have worked with Ms. Wiseman and this event will share the inspiring insights from her books with the community. Liz Wiseman is a local parent who is President of the Wiseman Group and is recognized by Thinkers50 as a top leadership thinker. Interested in Ms. Wiseman's books? You may buy them via shop.mpaef.org and support MPAEF with your purchase!
====================================== Thank You to Our New and Returning Business PartnersPlease support those businesses who support our schools! Nelson Roberts Investment AdvisorsScott Kaloust, DDS, MS, Menlo Park OrthodonticsMenlo Partners StaffingRGM and AssociatesPeninsula Pediatric Dentistry
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Menlo Park Public Library, Teen Winter Contest: Make Your Own Comics/Manga
Due by February 25
Menlo Park Public Library
Do you love graphic novels? Teens (ages 11-18) are welcome to enter their own comic or manga into the winter contest. The public will vote for their favorite. Come by the library or email Sydnee for more information, including dimensions of the comic.
Menlo Park Public Library, Teen Night: Comic & Manga Party!
Friday, February 27 from 6:30-8:30pm
Menlo Park Public Library
Celebrate your love for comics, mangas, and other graphic novels with other teens (12-18). Submitted DIY Comic/Mangas from the month's contest will be judged. Teens are encouraged to dress up (there will be a prize!) as your favorite character. There will be fun DIY crafts, food, and raffle prizes! Please see our Teen Library webpage for registration.
Registration for the AMA Softball 2015 season
Extended through February 22. AMA Softball is a community softball league for girls ages 5-12. The season runs from late February through early June and focuses on learning the game and having fun. Teams are set up by school, so recruit your friends! For league information and online registration, please visit http://amasoftball.com/
The School for the Performing Arts
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- 7:00pm Tuesdays, Thursdays OR both day class options available. Drama classes begin on February 3. Choir classes begin on February 10. Registration is now open for all students through the month of February! http://paloaltojcc.org/Cultural-Arts/School-for-the-Performing-Arts
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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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