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Monday, August 24
- Kindergarten Welcome, 9:00-11:00am
- New Family Ice Cream Social, 1:30-3:00pm
Tuesday, August 25
- FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
- Back to School Coffee, 8:15-9:15am, Gym
Thursday, August 27
- Room Parent Meeting & Training, 8:15-9:15am, Gym
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Sunday, August 30
- OKCO Buddy Picnic, 1:00-4:00pm, Big Playground
Thursday, September 3
- Back to School Night, Grades 3-5, 6:00-7:00pm
- Back to School Night, Grades K-2, 7:00-8:00pm
Monday, September 7
See the Oak Knoll calendar for more important dates and events
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Welcome back, and welcome to all our new Oak Knoll families! We hope you have had a wonderful summer. See you all on August 25 for the beginning of a great school year!
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Letter from Kristen Gracia & Leah Kessler
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Dear Oak Knoll Parents,
We hope you have all enjoyed the summer with your children. As summer comes to a close, we would like to invite you back to Oak Knoll for another outstanding year, and for some of you, it will be the first of many! We welcome all of our new families and are confident that you will quickly feel at home. On August 25th, the bell will ring, our smiling teachers will open their doors, and your child(ren) will enter into a new year of school. Whether your child is beginning kindergarten or entering into their 5th and final grade at Oak Knoll, each and every year is a combination of the new and the familiar. Students will engage in new experiences, new learnings, and new friendships all in a safe, caring environment where everything also feels familiar. Achieving the balance between new and familiar is key so our students can thrive, take risks, persevere, continuously improve and connect. Here are a few of the ways we plan to achieve that balance, deliver on our mission, and provide your child(ren) with a world class schooling experience like every child deserves: Principals' full letter. La letra en Espaņol.
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Make sure you are ready for the 2015-2016 school year with the documents and links below to help you. This checklist and other helpful school information is also available on the Oak Knoll website.
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Kindergartners and parents, see you at the Kindergarten Welcome on Monday, August 24 when you will get to meet your teacher, see your classroom and tour your school. Meet at the flagpole at the times below for your teacher:
9:00am: Mrs. Lopez 9:20am: Mrs. Andolina & Mrs. Stella 9:40am: Ms. Chan, Mrs. Poole and Ms. Jagelka 10:00am: Mrs. Fujimoto, Ms. Lavezzo and Ms. Boatright
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New Family Ice Cream Social
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All families new to Oak Knoll with children entering 1st through 5th grade are invited to attend a family informational meeting, meet other Oak Knoll families, and have some ice cream! Monday, August 24, 1:30-3:00pm on the Upper Playground at school.
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Back-to-School Coffee on the First Day of School
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Please join the PTO at its annual Back-to-School Coffee in the large gym immediately after drop-off on the first day of school, Tuesday, August 25. You can chat with PTO Committee Chairs, learn about our different committees and events, and sign up for volunteer opportunities. You can also check out the new Otterwear, sign up your children for Hot Lunch, see what's new for After School Programs, and much more! The Back-to-School Coffee is a great way to learn about Oak Knoll and its amazing community. Don't miss it!
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Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 3
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Back-to-School Night this year will be on Thursday, September 3 at the following times:
Grades 3 to 5, 6:00 to 7:00pm Grades K to 2, 7:00 to 8:00pm
Please plan to attend to meet your child's teacher, learn about this upcoming year in their classroom and grade, and sign up for classroom-specific volunteer opportunities. Please go directly to your child's classroom at the specified time. Back-to-School night is for parents only - please make plans accordingly.
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Parent Coffee Talks with Principal Gracia
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Save the dates!
Parents, mark your calendar! Mrs. Gracia and other members of the Oak Knoll Staff are looking forward to holding regular informational meetings for parents on various topics of interest throughout the year. The first talk of the 2015-2016 school year will be held on Tuesday, September 15 when school Counselor Nicole Scott will join Kristen Gracia to talk about this year's theme of "Connected".
Parent Coffee Talks will be held on the following dates: 9/15, 11/10, 12/8, 1/12, 2/9, 3/8. All meetings are right after drop-off in the Gym, from 8:15-9:15am.
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New Parent Welcome Social
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The MPAEF in partnership with Oak Knoll's PTO, would like to welcome all new parents and those with incoming kindergartners to a casual Welcome Social on Saturday, September 16, 6:30-8:00pm, at a fellow Oak Knoll family's home. You will meet our principal, Kristen Gracia, our Superintendent, Maurice Ghysels, and our MPAEF and Oak Knoll PTO leaders; they'll be talking about our amazing school and our community-funded school district. Our goal is to make this a fun and educational evening for you to meet other parents and to hear about what is happening at Oak Knoll and in our District. Cheese & crackers and wine will be provided. Parents only please. RSVP here.
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Mark your calendars for the Fall Family Picnic on Friday, October 2 from 5:00-7:00pm. We will have games, bouncy houses, karaoke, and delicious burritos catered by Mama Coco. Don't miss out on the fun! Click here for more information and to order tickets.
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New Otterwear Styles & Accessories
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With school starting in just two days, it's a great time to check out the new selection of Otterwear. Don't miss the zip hoodies in four bright new colors or the dry fit shirts now in colors for boys and girls as well as long sleeve styles. This year most of these great styles are also available in adult sizes for you. See samples at the back to school events, in the office or view colors and sizes online.
Don't forget to stop by our Otterwear table at the back to school coffee, Kinder welcome or new family social. The Ollie car magnets and flashlight keychains will be available at these events, while supplies last.
All orders are due by Tuesday, September 15 so don't delay! You can order online with Paypal or fill out an order form and place it, along with a check, in the Otterwear folder in the office. For all questions, please contact Jenny Buddin.
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Come Join Oak Knoll's Amazing After School Programs
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Registration for Oak Knoll's After School Program is now OPEN! Classes begin the week of September 14 and continue through mid-December. We have several terrific class offerings - some great new classes to Oak Knoll this year, and some good old favorites! Please click here to be directed to the ASP webpage for a detailed list of after school classes and registration information. For questions, contact Mark Baker.
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Newton Center Registration
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Newton Center is a non-profit organization and provides the Menlo Park Community with on-campus Academic After School Care. Our program focuses on assisting children complete their homework. We also provide a supplemental curriculum that strengthens understanding of in class subjects and offer a variety of fun and educational activities for children to participate in throughout the week. Please view this flyer about our program. For more information or to register for 2015-16, please visit www.newtoncenter.org.
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Oak Knoll 4th/5th Grade Girls Volleyball Registration
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If your daughter is a 4th or 5th grader, she can now sign up for Girls Fall Volleyball at TeamSnap! Each team will learn the basic skills of the game in a fun and encouraging environment on teams coached by parent volunteers. Practices will be held twice a week at Oak Knoll and will be scheduled once teams are formed in early September. Weekly games will be played at Arrillaga Gym in Menlo Park on Thursday afternoons. Games will commence mid-September and end mid-November. Registration will close Monday, August 31. The cost for the season is $80. Scholarships are available - please contact Kristen Gracia.
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Ollie says a big thank you for all the tremendous work done by Amy Redell, Barb Snow, Mari Molina, Michelle Ho, Stephanie Chen & Tamara Russel over the past few weeks to get ready for Back to School! From letters and newsletters to checklists and website updates, it is all super helpful in getting everyone up to speed and ready for the start of the new school year!
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MPAEF and Oak Knoll PTO: Welcome!
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Hello, and welcome to Oak Knoll! The PTO and the MPAEF continue their collaboration to make Oak Knoll the best it can be for our kids. However, we can't do it without your help. Join us as we invest in education. Together.
Together, we INSPIRE in our children a love of learning Together, we INVOLVE ourselves in their learning journey Together, we INVEST in their future When you support the PTO, you make possible curriculum enrichment, field trips, community building events, and well-supplied classrooms. When you support the MPAEF, you are putting more teachers in our schools - both in the classroom and in specialized areas such as art, music, drama, library and science. These are what make a real different in your child's day and, ultimately, in their education. The PTO and the Foundation are the two vital organizations that make our schools special. When you support the PTO at $250 per child and the MPAEF at $1500 per child this is the real difference you make in their education:
Please support these organizations today! PTO donations are due by September 30. Please make your gift or pledge to the MPAEF by November 6. For any questions about the MPAEF you can reach out to your school ambassador, Ashley Honerkamp. Click below to support these organizations today. Thank you for your support!
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Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed
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Want to earn free lunches? Meet fellow Oak Knoll parents? Say hello to your child at lunchtime? Hot lunch is a great place to offer your time! To offer hot lunch to our students, we rely solely on parent volunteers to serve lunches. Volunteer as frequently as you would like throughout the year, no experience necessary, no cooking, simply help distribute pre-ordered hot and cold lunches from Choicelunch and earn credits toward free lunches for your child(ren) for each shift worked. The more you volunteer, the more free lunches you get! Please contact Patti Buck or Ashley Montulli for more information.
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Kinder Yard Volunteers Needed
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Want to see your Kindergartener in action on the playground? Volunteer for playground/yard duty! We need your help with short 45 minute shifts supervising the kindergarten yard from 10:20am to 11:05am daily. If you can help out once a week or even once a month, please contact Tara Carranza for more information.
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Coffee Cart Volunteers Needed
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Coffee Cart is a fun and easy volunteer opportunity anyone can do! Sign up to drop off baked goods (homemade or store bought), a small flower arrangement or stay to help us delivery coffee to Oak Knoll's amazing teachers and support staff! There are 11 Coffee Cart days scheduled for the 2015-2016 school year - 9/9, 10/14, 10/21, 11/4, 12/9, 1/13, 2/10, 3/9, 4/21, 5/11 & 6/8 - feel free to sign up for one or more depending on your schedule. Drop off treats in the Teachers' Lounge between 7:00-7:30am the morning of, or at Julia Dunn's or Andrea Potischman's house the night before. Volunteers are also needed to stay and help us deliver coffee to teachers in the classrooms. Help us say thank you to those who do so much for our children each and every day. If interested, please contact Julia Dunn or Andrea Potischman.
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Library Volunteers Needed
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Parents, come help out in our wonderful library! Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks such as helping check books in and out, shelving books, helping students find books, pulling books on topics for teachers. Training is quick and easy. Volunteer as often as you like and you will be scheduled for the time slot corresponding to your child's library class. If you are interested, please look out for sign up sheets at the Back to School Coffee and the Back to School Night or contact Noelle Carpenter.
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Nature Zone Volunteers Needed
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Come help keep the Oak Knoll Nature Zone open! The Nature Zone is the fenced off area at the side of school (towards the back field/playground) where kids have the opportunity to explore nature and interact with trees, branches, leaves, dirt and all the "natural toys" within The Nature Zone. In order to have this resource open to our students at lunchtime, we must have parent volunteers to supervise the area. Please stop by our table at the Back-to-School Coffee to learn more about the fun! Contact Becky Bullard for more information.
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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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