theotterweekly
Oak Knoll School News
February 22, 2015 
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This Week 


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

  • Last Day to Register for Science Fair
  • San Juan Bautista Mission Field Trip (Becker, Emmert), 8:15am-2:30pm
  • Parent Child Yoga Night, 6:30-7:30pm, Gym

Wednesday, February 25

  • Assembly: Safe Moves

Friday, February 27

  • Walk Through California (Cline, Murphy), 8:30am-3:00pm, Gym

Looking Ahead  


Monday, March 2 

  • Crazy Sock Day
  • Hillview Speaker Series: "The Mask You Live In," 6:30pm, Hillview PAC

Friday, March 6

  • Friends and Family Day

See the Oak Knoll calendar for more important dates and events 
Office Reminders
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! 
      
Parent Input to Superintendent Ghysels
Thank you to all those who attended one of the Parent Input Sessions with Superintendent Ghysels. These open meetings helped him learn more directly about the Oak Knoll community, their perspectives about the leadership qualities valued in a principal and will help 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.
      
Parent Coffee Talks
At the last coffee talk, 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.  
      
Recess Activity Menu
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. 
      
2015 Oak Knoll Science Fair - Register by Tuesday
Calling all Oak Knoll Scientists! The annual Oak Knoll Science Fair is a chance for you to ask a science question you are curious about, propose an answer to experiments to test your answer, and present the results. Your family, friends and teachers are invited to go to the Science Fair, see your project, and learn some science!

The science fair will be held on two evenings:
Grades 2 & 3: March 11 from 6:00-8:00pm
Grades 4 & 5: March 12 from 6:00-8:00pm

Register by this Tuesday, February 24 at https://sites.google.com/site/oakknollsciencefair.   You an also find useful information there about the science fair, help on finding a topic and making your display board.

Questions? Email us at oakknollsciencefair@gmail.com 
      
Artwork for Spring Musical Playbill
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.
      
Counselor's Corner - Spencer West Visiting
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 
      
My New Red Shoes Shoe Drive & Bag Project
Starting this week through 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.

We are still looking for volunteers and the shoe drive starts next week!
  • Volunteers (no experience needed): The bag-making will take place during the lunch hour.  We need just a few more 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 starts Monday! 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. 

      
Parent-Child Yoga Night with Dr. John Rettger
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.    
      
Parent Ed - "The Mask You Live In"
Documentary: "The Mask You Live In"
Followed by Q&A with Director Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Hillview Middle School, PAC
Monday, March 2, 6:30pm

Hillview's Speaker Series is honored to welcome the award-winning documentarian and Second Lady of California, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, to the Hillview PAC on Monday, March 2, at 6:30pm.
 
Commended for her groundbreaking documentary exploring the impact of the media's portrayal of girls in Miss Representation, Ms. Newsom now takes on gender stereotypes and the miseducation of our young boys in The Mask You Live In. Only weeks after its national release, Ms. Newsom is bringing her powerful new film to Menlo Park for YOU! Following the viewing of this film, Ms. Newsom will share the story behind the film and answer audience questions.
 
The evening will likely run a little longer than most of our Parent Ed events in order to accommodate the film (which runs 90 minutes) and time with Ms. Newsom. We will begin at 6:30pm sharp. Because the event is likely to fill up quickly, we suggest you arrive no later than 6:15pm. to secure a seat.

Click here for this year's line up of Hillivew's Speaker Series 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. 
      
Save The Date: Friends and Family Day
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. 
      
Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed
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. 
      
MPAEF News
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! 

                  

Community Sponsored News

The Legends Baseball Experience Camp! 

Early bird pricing available until March 15

Location: Flood Park in Menlo Park & Kennedy School in Redwood City

Ages: 6-12 all skill levels welcome!

Email info@menloparklegends.com or call David at 650.387.4427

http://www.menloparklegends.com 

https://legendsbaseball.campbrainregistration.com 

 

Fleet Feet's First Annual Girl Scout Fun Run

March 14 @ 9:00am

First Annual Girl Scout Fun Run --  a FLAT, FAST and FREE 2-mile fun run around Menlo Park. Starts in the back parking lot of Feet Fleet, 859 Santa Cruz Avenue.  All Girl Scouts, family, friends and cookie lovers are welcome!  Wear something green and come support your local Girl Scouts.  RSVP at:  http://www.fleetfeetmenlopark.com/events 

 

M-A Drama Presents the Winter Musical

Bye Bye Birdie

All performances are at Menlo-Atherton High School, Performing Arts Center

For dates and times, click here.  

Tickets: $12 Adults, $8 Students and Seniors

For more information, please contact Ms. Zwicker-Sobrepena.  

 

All Students Matter

Reading Tutors & Classroom Volunteers Needed Next School Year

Parents sign up Now                                            

One hour per week for the next school year

East Menlo Park/East Palo Alto Schools

Visit www.allstudentsmatter.org, or to sign up contact Carolyn Blatman.

                   
Newsletter Details
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.