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Monday, September 7
Tuesday, September 8
- Joint Campaign begins - Wear Orange or Otterwear!
- Balclutha Field Trip (Becker/Emmert), 11:30am - 10am (next day)
Wednesday, September 9
- PTO Board Meeting, 8:15-10:00am
- Small & Large Conference Rooms Closed for CELDT testing
Thursday, September 10
- Last day to enter for Oak Knoll Spirit Package Giveaway
- MPAEF Board Meeting
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Monday, September 14
- After School Programs Begin
Tuesday, September 15
- Parent Coffee Talk, 8:15-9:15am, Gym
- Otterwear Orders DUE
Wednesday, September 16
- New Parent Welcome Social hosted by the MPAEF, 6:30-8:00pm
- Picture Day
- Balclutha Field Trip (Tom), 11:30am-10:00am (next day)
Thursday, September 17
Friday, September 18
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Joint Campaign Kicks Off with a Chance to Win - Donate by Thursday!
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This Tuesday, September 8, we kick-off the Joint Campaign with the PTO and the MPAEF collaborating to continue to make Oak Knoll extraordinary. Donating to the PTO provides our school with curriculum enrichment, field trips, community building events, well-supplied classrooms, and much more. Your donation to the MPAEF puts 32 more teachers in our district schools as well as specialists in the areas of library, science, art, and physical education... Click here to read Kristen Gracia's letter in full. There are just 4 DAYS left to enter to win our Spirit Package Giveaway! Families who donate (any amount) to the Oak Knoll PTO by Thursday, September 10 will be entered into the giveaway drawing that includes reserved VIP parking for three special school events, "Associate Principal for a Day" for all of your children, and Otterwear for the whole family. Click here to donate now!
Wear Orange or Otterwear this Tuesday, September 8 to kick off the campaign!
Have your kids show their school spirit by wearing orange or Otterwear to mark the start of the Joint Campaign. Go Otters! Thank you for supporting our school!
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Counselor's Corner - Exploring the Theme of Connected
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The 2015-2016 school year is all about being Connected. Oak Knoll believes in the power of relationships. Connection has three parts - Connect to each other here at school, Connect to our Community, and finally connect to the World. Throughout the year we will have activities and books that will support the theme. Information about the theme will be in the newsletter and on the school website (link to Counselor's Corner page on school website).
Reading about Connection: We kick off the school year reading the book Will You Fill My Bucket - Daily Acts of Love Around the World by Carol McCloud. Kindness connects us to each other. This book explore kind acts featuring beautiful illustrations by Penny Weber of people all over the world.
Connected Rally: On September 18 we will have a morning rally with the entire school to officially kick off our Connected Theme. September 18 is designated Character Day by a film organization called the Ripple Effect. We will be participating by viewing the film A Declaration of Interdependence. It was created by posting a script and then having people all over the world video tape themselves saying it in their own language and then editing them together. We are so excited to participate because it fits perfectly with our theme. To read the script click here.
 We will also be asking students to bring in something that represents their culture to share with their class. That can be a photograph, a book, a piece of art, a piece of clothing. Really it is anything. More info will come out on that via classroom teachers.
Counselor Lessons: In August, I visited every classroom and did an introduction about what a school counselor does. This was a great chance for me to meet all the students right at the beginning of the year. This month, I will be coming to the classrooms and doing a lesson on Friendship.
Nicole Scott
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A Note from Mrs. Gracia About Homework
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The homework wars are still alive and well! There is no "right" answer because the issue of homework is not black or white. We ask our teachers to be mindful of the importance of family time and student well-being. Our students work hard ALL day. 6 hours of school should be enough time for them to learn and practice new concepts. We believe that kids need down-time, time to play, explore their passions, and engage with their families. With that said, on the flip side, sometimes kids need extra time to finish a project or practice important skills and concepts. We believe in practice. Homework should be meaningful and not cause unnecessary stress or frustration.
Our staff is aware of the district homework policies. As Board Policy #6154 states, homework should ONLY be assigned between M-Th, and should emphasize independent reading. For example, 1st and 2nd graders are asked to read and/or be read to every night for 20-30 minutes. With reading being the focus at all grade levels, homework should not exceed the following maximum number of minutes per week (M-Th): 3rd: 180 minutes (45 per day), 4th: 240 minutes (60 per day), and 5th: 320 (80 per day). These allocations are NOT based on what research necessarily suggests is best for students, but instead are the limits. It is our responsibility as educators to foster motivation and a love of learning. If homework gets in the way of this, we want to know. Students and parents should always let the classroom teacher know if homework is exceeding the board policy or MORE IMPORTANTLY, causing unnecessary stress. All of our teachers invite this open communication. We will continue to do our best at this balancing act and are confident that with your ongoing input and support we will preserve family-time, down-time, and play-time while at the same time provide our students with a world-class education.
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Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed
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Parents, we need your help! No volunteers = no Hot Lunch!
Does your child eat Hot Lunch? 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!
The Hot Lunch program is entirely dependent on parent volunteers being there to serve the food each day! Volunteer as frequently as you like throughout the year for the 11:30am-12:30pm lunchtime slot. No experience necessary, no cooking, no washing dishes - simply help distribute pre-ordered packaged 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!
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Girls Leadership Institute Workshops at Oak Knoll
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Girls Leadership Institute Workshops at Oak Knoll - Grades K/1, 2/3, and 4/5
GLI EVENTS FILL UP FAST - DON'T WAIT TO REGISTER!
Oak Knoll is excited to partner again with the Girls Leadership Institute (GLI) to offer FOUR Parent & Daughter workshops on emotional intelligence. Parents and daughters will learn about identifying healthy relationships, finding their voices, and communicating more effectively. Girls will also develop resilient responses to conflict, challenges, and mistakes. The program is interactive, fun, and enlightening for parents and daughters! New this year is the second part to the 4/5th grade workshop series
Who: Girls in Kindergarten or 1st grade with one parent, girls in 2nd or 3rd grade with one parent, or girls in 4th or 5th grade with one parent
When: Grade K/1 workshops are 60 minutes long, and grade 2/3 and 4/5 workshops are 90 minutes long. Each workshop meets once per week for four weeks. There is one session for K/1, one session for 2/3, and two sessions for 4/5. The two sessions for grades 4/5 are part of series, however, you are not required to take part 1 to enroll in part, but it is encouraged as the material builds from the first session. Sessions begin in October and run through March
Cost: $180 for K/1, $210 for 2/3 and 4/5
Priority registration for Oak Knoll expires on September 14!
Visit the links for more information on each program:
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Check Out the New Otterwear Colors
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 Now that your Otter is settled back into the best school on the block, it's time to check out the new selection of Otterwear and accessories. Students and parents are loving the new colors for the Oak Knoll Dry Fit Athletic T-Shirt in short and long sleeve styles. Others are choosing the bright new zip hoodies - great for bike safety - as well as the classic blues and greys. Last but not least, we have the ever popular Girls' Ollie and Girls' Fitted Heart T-shirts in fashionable new colors. See color and size samples in the office or online.
Also be sure to order the special edition Ollie Keychain Flashlight and Car Magnet to show your school spirit every day. Available 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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Parent Coffee Talks with Principal Gracia
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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 Wednesday, September 16 from 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. Many thanks to our generous community donors -- Mama Coco for providing Lite Bites and Cannonball Wine Company for providing refreshments.
Parents only please. RSVP here.
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School Picture Days Coming Up
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Get those smiles ready! School Picture Days are coming up on September 16-17 (previously September 24-25, but now moved up!). Stay tuned as we approach the dates for which classes/teachers will be scheduled on which days.
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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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Ollie Salutes the Room Parent Coordinators and their Room Parent team!
Ollie says a huge thank you to the Room Parent Coordinators Julie Pietrantoni-Cline, Janell Sanford, and Amy Thornborrow for all of their work getting Room Parents placed, trained, and ready to support every classroom/teacher in the school! It's no small feat, and they have been working hard since the summer and will continue to do so for the entire school year. Ollie also salutes their team of GLCs/GLLs, Lead Room Parents, and Room Parents that all worked in partnership with our amazing teachers to help make Back-to-School Night a success.
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4th/5th Grade Boys Volleyball Clinics - Register Now
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There is a NEW boys-only Volleyball program starting this Fall at Arrillaga Gym sponsored by the Oak Knoll PTO and the Menlo Park & Recreation Dept. There will be a series of six (6) clinics on Wednesday evenings from September 23 through October 28 from 3:45-5:15pm for 4th & 5th grade boys. The clinics will include boys from Encinal and La Entrada in addition to any boys who want to register from other schools. In the spring, the Menlo Park Recreation Dept hopes to start a boys volleyball league similar to the Girls' league in the Fall. Hillview is also offering similar clinics with the hope of starting a boys league in the spring when the high school league plays. Registration for Oak Knoll 4th & 5th grade boys is available at TeamSnap Boys Volleyball.
Any questions, please contact the Oak Knoll Afterschool Sports Team - Allison Chao, Julie Gosler, or Sharon Schick.
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Register for After School Programs
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Registration for Oak Knoll's After School Program is OPEN! Classes begin the week of September 14 and continue through mid-December. Some great new classes to Oak Knoll this fall include Bookopolis, Sparkiverse Minecraft Edu & 3D Printing, Pacific Art League, The Green Room Theater & Dance, Starfire Design Thinking and Bulldog Sports conditioning classes. And of course we have all the good old favorites returning - like Lego, Lacrosse, Mad-Science, Gorilla Sports, Mandarin, Chess, Hi-Five Sports, Young Rembrandts, Spanish, Golf, Wizbots, Creative Writing, Hoops, Debate, Math, Jr. Chef, Coding and Flag Football.
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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MPAEF & Oak Knoll PTO Joint Campaign
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One of the most frequently asked questions is Why does my family need to support both the PTO and the MPAEF? These two organizations both support Oak Knoll in complementary ways.
When you support the PTO, you make possible curriculum enrichment, field trips, community building events, and well-supplied classrooms possible.
When you support the MPAEF, you are putting 32 more teachers in our classrooms as well as making sure our schools are supplied with guidance and wellness counselors and credentialed specialists in science, library, physical education, technology, and the arts.
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:
Together, we INSPIRE in our children a love of learning
Together, we INVOLVE ourselves in their learning journey
Together, we INVEST in their future
PTO donations are due by September 30. Please make your gift or pledge to the MPAEF by November 6. For more information, you can reach out to our PTO Membership Co-Chairs (Kathy Motamedi, Tamara Russel, Tracy Watt) at ptomembership@oakknollschool.com or our MPAEF ambassador for Oak Knoll, Ashley Honerkamp.
Click here to support these organizations today. Thank you for your support!
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With every back-to-school purchase you make via MPAEF's shopping portal, you earn money for smaller classrooms, credentialed arts and science specialists, and our teachers'professional development. Simply start at Shop.MPAEF.org and then:
CLICK on your favorite merchant to activate our referral bonus. We have more than 80 great merchants including Amazon, Target, Nordstrom, and many more.
SHOP and pay for items as you normally would.
EARN up to 10% of your purchase total for our schools. It's that EASY!
We don't collect any personally identifiable information, so no new IDs or passwords to remember. Just start at Shop.MPAEF.org, click, shop, and earn for all our schools every time.
We've got scads of participating merchants, but start by getting your pens and pencils at Target, your new togs at Gap/Old Navy, and fall sports equipment at Sports Authority.
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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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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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Midpen Media Center
Sunday, September 13, 2:00-5:00pm, 900 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto
The Midpen Media Center is celebrating 25 years of community storytelling with a "Mosaic" event: "Telling Your Story Brings the Whole Picture of Our Community Together." John C. Hollar, CEO of the Computer History Museum, will be the keynote speaker.
Cub Scouts Wednesday, September 16, 6:15pm, Laurel School Multipurpose Room
Calling all 1st-5th grade boys: Do you like camping, hiking, building, and learning new skills? Pack 565 in Menlo Park would love to introduce you to the world of scouting. If you have questions, please email Pack Leader Tyson Clark.
Stanford Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research Seeking children ages 6-10 who have never had anesthesia or who have had anesthesia before the age of 3 to participate in a brain imaging study. You will receive a research report of the cognitive testing, a picture of your child's brain, and a $100 honorarium for participation after completion of the study. Email Glorilee Harper, MD for more information.
Newton Center This daily after school program provides a supportive environment for homework, reading and supervised playtime. For more information, email office@newtoncenter.org; register at http://newtoncenters.org.
2015 Menlo Movie Series The 2015 Menlo Movie Series features FREE movies in Downtown Menlo Park on the Chestnut Paseo (Chestnut St. & Santa Cruz Ave.) each Friday night in September. Click here for more information. All movies are subject to change. Parental discretion advised.
9/11 - Planes Fire & Rescue / Start time: 7:30pm
9/18 - Big Hero 6 / Start time: 7:30pm
9/25 - Cinderella / Start time: 7:15pm
Menlo-Atherton Girls Volleyball Friday, September 18, 4:00-6:00pm, M-A Gym
The team welcomes all kids grades 3-8 to participate in the Fall 2015 community volleyball clinic. This is an all-skills clinic led by the current M-A girls teams (freshman, JV and Varsity). All proceeds go to support the Menlo-Atherton Girls Volleyball program. To register, go the M-A Volleyball website and click on camps/clinics.
Cub Scouts Sunday, September 20, 1:00-3:00pm, Oak Knoll Elementary School
All interested families with boys entering grades 1 through 4 are invited to join us at Menlo Park's Pack 222 Ice Cream Social. For more information, visit the Pack 222 website or email Robert Freeman.
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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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