monthly highlights
Oak Knoll School
March 5, 2015 
      En Espa�ol 
Dear Parents,

As I reflect, the past month has been a month of leadership, compassion, and service! Some of my favorite things that took place included the Jim Wiltens Leadership Program, Project Snug Hug, and Read Across America Day! Here are a few more details about these projects and programs: 
  • The Jim Wiltens Leadership Program is funded through our PTO and provides seminars for our 4th and 5th graders throughout the past month. The kids participated in four sessions with Jim and learned about leadership, taking risks, optimism, and making change.
  • I have been most impressed by the recent service project hosted by Ms. Brewbaker's 2nd grade class. It turned out to be an amazing community event! The students sold ice cream after school, selling around 650 sundaes and raising $1,300 for Ruby's Place, an organization that is making life a little easier for homeless children. Many of our Oak Knoll classrooms plan and participate in service projects because as defined by our mission, we believe Courageous Citizens are confident, responsive, and provide service to others. Another great example of this is our recent project with My New Red Shoes, an organization that provides new school shoes to children in the Bay Area. Our students worked with parents and sewed cloth shoe bags for the past two weeks. Amazing work!
  • Read Across America Day was Monday, which is a nationwide reading celebration and the birthday of Dr. Seuss! We were fortunate to have members of the Stanford Football team come to Oak Knoll and read to some of our classes. Since then, given the importance of highlighting both successful men and women, we made contact with the Stanford Women's soccer team to visit. We are always looking for ways to connect, inspire, and motivate our students through the stories of others. Sometimes it only takes one connection to make a huge difference in a student's life. 

Looking ahead, I am excited about our Annual Friends and Family Day this Friday on 3/6, the MPAEF Liz Wiseman event on 3/12, and our upcoming Coffee Talk on 3/10 at 8:15am and again on 3/24 at 7pm! This month we also have the Science Fair, plan to launch a 3rd-5th grade coding lunch club, and engage the staff in more professional development.

 

Recently we interviewed a random sample of students to gain perspective about the student experience. One student made the statement that Calling ALL Kids is a great way for 3rd-5th graders to share their ideas and suggestions. He made the case that our primary students also have a voice and that there is no avenue for them to share. This comment resonated with me. At Oak Knoll we believe all kids have worthy opinions and perspective worth sharing. With that said, it is true, we have no formal avenue for our students to share outside their classrooms. For this reason I am starting the Idea Box! This box is for students to submit their ideas to me whenever and about whatever they want. The box will live in the office. Encourage your child to speak their mind and share their ideas. As always, we continue to innovate and improve our practice. Stay tuned for more news on the Knoll!


 

With gratitude,

 

Kristen Gracia

Co-Principal