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Wednesday, October 28
- Site Council Meeting, 3:30pm
- District Strategic Directions Input Session at the Oak Knoll Site Council Meeting, 3:30pm
- Last Day to Register for After School Basketball League
Thursday, October 29
Friday, October 30
- Halloween Books Come Alive, 7:30am
- Halloween Parade, 8:15am
Sunday, November 1
- Basketball Skills Assessment (see times below)
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November 2 - November 6
November 2 - November 30
- Embracing Our Differences (EOD) - Abilities Awareness Month
Tuesday, November 3
- Election Day - Small Gym Closed
Wednesday, November 4
- PTO Board Meeting, 8:15-10:00am
Thursday, November 5
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Field Trip (Clancy, Bouret, Tom), 1:45pm - 12:00pm next day
Friday, November 6
- Are You In Day - Wear Orange! - MPAEF Close of Campaign
- Tech Museum Field Trip (Becker, Murphy Cline), 8:00am-2:30pm
- San Francisquito Creek Field Trip (Sanchez), 9:00-11:30am
Monday, November 9
- Embracing Our Differences - Parent Night, 7:00-8:30pm, Oak Knoll Library
Tuesday, November 10
- Parent Coffee Talk, 8:15-9:15am
Wednesday, November 11
- NO SCHOOL - Veteran's Day
Thursday, November 12
- MPAEF Board Meeting, 8:45-10:30am, TERC
- Embracing Our Differences - Student Assembly
- Camp Campbell YMCA Field Trip
November 12-13
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Announcement from Mrs. Gracia
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Dear Oak Knoll Community,
We have news to share about a beloved member of our Oak Knoll community, Mrs. Snow! Since 1973, Barbara Snow has been an employee of the Menlo Park City School District, and has now decided to retire. We are excited for Barb and her family (especially her grandkids), but are sad to think about our school without her bright face and welcoming hugs.
As the Oak Knoll Office Manager, Mrs. Snow has been greeting students, helping teachers, and connecting with parents since 1980. She is truly the face of Oak Knoll School. It is so fitting that our school theme this year is Connected because I cannot think of a person who is more connected to Oak Knoll than Barbara Snow. No matter who you are, new to the school or Oak Knoll alumni, Mrs. Snow has always had a special way to make everyone feel connected and important. The staff and I enjoy coming to work and starting our day with a warm Mrs. Snow welcome, something we will all certainly miss.
It is only once in a great while that a special person like Barb comes around and stays around for 45 years. I am not sure how we got so lucky, but our staff will be forever grateful for Mrs. Snow's service and dedication to the students, teachers, and community of Oak Knoll School and the Menlo Park City School District.
Mrs. Snow will begin her retirement over winter break with her last day being Friday, December 18th. She chose this time of year because it ensures a smooth transition and lines up with our planning calendar, with kindergarten registration beginning in February. We plan to honor her career with the students, staff and community this winter. I couldn't think of a better season to celebrate our very own Mrs. Snow!
Sincerely,
Kristen Gracia
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2015-16 Oak Knoll School Site Plan
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The 2015-16 Oak Knoll School Site Plan has been developed and approved by the Oak Knoll Site Council and the MPCSD School Board. The plan includes measurable goals in all three areas of our mission: exemplary scholar, valued friend, and courageous citizen. Our goals are aggressive and continue to include all student groups, holding us accountable to our mission.
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District Strategic Directions - Input Sessions
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Championed by Superintendent Ghysels and facilitated by Assistant Superintendent Burmeister and school principals, MPCSD will be engaged in a four-month long process from August to December to identify our "Strategic Directions" for the next six years.
The process began with an interactive "working session" of the Board and District Leadership Team on August 26. The Strategic Directions will become the foundation of the district's Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) -- the new accountability plan required by the state. Joining the two affords us a great opportunity to streamline and focus districtwide.
We are committed to receiving an abundance of input and having the results reflect the priorities of our stakeholder groups. For those parents who missed the opportunity to provide input at the Oak Knoll Parent/Community Input Session last week, you can still attend one of the following sessions:
- Oak Knoll Site Council Input Session: Wednesday, October 28, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. @ Oak Knoll
- Laurel Parent/Community Input Session: Thursday, October 29, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. @ Laurel
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Oak Knoll Basketball - Last Chance to Register
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 Only THREE MORE DAYS to Register for Basketball! If your son or daughter is a 3rd, 4th or 5th grader, he/she can register to play basketball using TeamSnap. This is a recreational league offered by the City of Menlo Park and organized by the Oak Knoll After School Sports Program. 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 November. Weekly games will be played at Arrillaga Gym in Menlo Park on Saturdays, from early December through mid-March 2016. To register your child, please visit TeamSnap. Registration closes THIS Wednesday, October 28. The cost for the season is $120. Scholarships are available - please contact Kristen Gracia. New this year, we will be holding a mandatory Skills Assessment Day on Sunday, November 1 for players only, which will be run by 1 on 1 Basketball. Assessment will be run for 1 hour per group - please drop-off and pick-up your child on time. Drop Off-Pick Up Grade/Gender12:00pm-1:00pm 3rd grade/girls 12:45pm-1:45pm 3rd grade/boys 1:30pm-2:30pm 4th grade/girls 2:15pm-3:15pm 4th grade/boys 3:00pm-4:00pm 5th grade/girls 3:45pm-4:45pm 5th grade/boys There will be a make-up skills Assessment Day on November 7, 1:00-2:30pm (ONLY players who missed 11/1). Please make every effort to have your child attend the main Assessment Day on November 1. Parents, become a coach and help make this an unforgettable season! No coaching experience is necessary. The Oak Knoll School Basketball program is run entirely by parent volunteers. Please email Julie Gosler with any questions or to learn more about coaching.
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Halloween Celebrations This Week
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Our ghosts and goblins will be making loops around the school track for the annual Oak Knoll Halloween Parade on Friday, October 30 at 8:15am. Parents should gather on the soccer field to watch the parade and take photos. Students may come to school in costume and bring regular school clothes for the remainder of the day.
Halloween parties vary by class, so please check with your child(ren)'s teacher for details.
Please remember that for Halloween at school, we ask that very scary costumes not be worn and that weapons be left at home. If you are unsure about your child's accessories, you can get prior approval from Mrs. Gracia or Mrs. Kessler.
7th Annual Books Come Alive! Come to the library Friday October 30 from 7:30-8:10am dressed as a character from a book or matching a book to your costume. Get your photo taken, receive a special treat and see the amazing costumes! Don't forget to bring your book! Join the throngs early to ensure you have time for this spooky event before the first bell!
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Book a Specialist Showcase Tour
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Specialist Showcase Tours will be the way to check out how your MPAEF donation is enriching your child's education through Art, Music, Library and PE! Tours will be during the final week of the MPAEF campaign. With many options from November 2-6, and last about an hour. Come shadow our students and see these amazing programs from kindergarten to 5th grade! Call the Oak Knoll office to sign up.
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 Most of us know someone who has had cancer. But did you know many cancer patients need blood transfusions as they undergo treatment? In the last 3 years two MPCSD kids have battled cancer. This year the nephew of an Oak Knoll teacher is fighting this disease. In situations like this we can feel helpless. But we can make a difference. Not just to cancer patients but to anyone in need of blood. Each blood donation you make can help up to 3 people. One hour of your time and you get to make a difference in 3 people's lives. It is an amazing gift.
The MPCSD event will be held at the Menlo Park Center, 445 Burgess Drive, all day on Tuesday, November 3; Thursday, November 5; and Saturday November 7.
The Menlo Park center is open for whole blood donations on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00-7:30pm and on Saturdays from 7:30am-3:00pm.
Walk-ins are welcomed, but you are encouraged to make an appointment either online or by calling 650-723-7831. The Blood Center accepts donors aged 17+ (or 16 with parental consent). For the full list of donor requirements, visit the Eligibility page of their main website.
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Oak Knoll Spanish Program
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¡Bienvenidos! We are a couple of months into our new Spanish language program at Oak Knoll. The kids have been having a lot of fun exploring a new language and the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Here are a few highlights:
- The Fifth grade program meets three times a week. During our sessions we learn Spanish language through songs, poetry, bilingual literature. The children practice though interactive skits, vocabulary development and total physical response (TPR). My goals are to develop communication skills in Spanish, so they can start using Spanish vocabulary and simple sentences in both oral and written forms. My hope is that throughout the year they gain a global understanding and appreciation of the many cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. I also want to connect California's heritage and history to it's Spanish beginnings so children have an understanding of how the Spanish-speaking world has influenced California's rich history and culture.
- KNOL is an opportunity for 5th graders this year to share their skills and enthusiasm with the rest of the school.
- The K-4 program will include exposure to the many cultures and traditions of the Spanish-speaking world. We will also learn introductory Spanish language through songs, poetry and literature.
- Lunch club is for grades 3-5 on Fridays from 12:00-12:30. There we learn about the cultures of Spanish speaking countries through the arts.
There are many upcoming cultural events in celebration of Día de los Muertos in and around the Bay Area. Here are some links to lists of events:
Gracias,
Señora Cheek
Oak Knoll Spanish Teacher
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 First Trimester - Connect to each other
Last year, School Psychologist, Jenny Ryan, and former principal, David Ackerman, started a conversation with our students about race. They held a parent coffee talk and wrote this letter.
This year we will continue to explore the topic of race. On October 1, all the teachers attended a workshop with Madeleine Rogin a teacher in the East Bay that has written about teaching about race to students. You can read one of her articles here.
The students will read the book The Colors We Are by Katie Kissenger in the library with Ms. Bennion. Students will also do a fun art project with Mr. Almquist by mixing paint to match their skin color and making a banner. In their classrooms they will read The Skin You Live In by Michael Tyler.
Click here for Mrs. Scott's webpage to read more about current activities and initiatives around school.
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 Veteran's Day is approaching and Oak Knoll would like to honor our student's family members who serve or have served in the armed forces. If your family has served in the country you were born in, we would like to honor those as well.
Please send a 5 x7 photo or smaller (do not send originals as the photos will not be returned). Along with their name, military branch, rank, number of years served, tours/stationed and the students name and relation to service personnel and we will display it (this info should fit on an index card). Please see samples.
If you have any questions, please email Nicole Scott with Honor Wall in the subject.
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Poetry and Art Project: Connected
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Oak Knoll Otters, we want to hear from you! Our theme this year is "Connected" and we are interested in what the theme means to you. We are asking students of any age to write a poem or draw or paint a picture related to the theme of "Connected." Use your imagination and express yourself. Please submit what you have created to the big box in the library marked "Poetry and Art" during the months of October and November, and Ms. Scott and Ms. Ryan might pick your poem, picture or project to share on KNOL!
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Ollie Salutes our Book Fair Co-Chairs and Volunteers
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WOW! What a week! One of Ollie's favorite weeks at Oak Knoll is the week of the Book Fair, and this year's Book Fair was as amazing as ever. Please join Ollie in saying a huge thank you to our Book Fair Co-Chairs Jennie Lang and Mary Speiser. From the Small World theme and parent Author Talk to Family Night and Teacher Wish Lists, this team made it ALL happen. And Ollie knows that they could not have done it without the help of Christie Connaghan, Page Curtin, Christy Ericson, Lauren Heysse, Kathy Motamedi, Domonique Matthews, Emily Record, Tamara Russel, Tracy Watt, and the MANY other parents who volunteered their time to cashier, work the floor, set up, clean up, check wish lists, and much more. And a special thanks to Jane Bennion and Bill Quarre who kept all the children mesmerized at Family Night with their storytelling while parents got a chance to shop. What a wonderful week we had in support of reading and books!
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Have you moved or changed your phone number?
If you moved recently (including temporarily for renovations to your home) or changed your contact information you need to notify our district registrar at registrar@mpcsd.org. Continued enrollment in MPCSD is based on residency in our school district and therefore, every time you move you need to demonstrate residency again. This process includes providing new required residency documents to our registrar. Also, it is very important the District has your current phone numbers in the event of an emergency. If you need to update your address, phone number(s) or have questions, please contact MPCSD's registrar Lois Nissman at (650) 321-7140 x5600 or email registrar@mpcsd.org.
MPCSD Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee: Open Positions
The Menlo Park City School District is seeking potential candidates to fill four vacant positions on the Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee: a representative of the business community within the District; a representative active in a senior citizen's organization; a representative active in a bonafide taxpayers organization; a representative who is a parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the District; or a representative who is a parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the School District and is active in a Parent-Teacher Organization or School Site Council. One position is at large. You must be at least 18 years old and a resident of the School District. If you are interested, please submit a Letter of Interest as well as background information about yourself and the organization in which you are active to Ahmad S. For more information and the full ad announcement please view the MPCSD website. |
Oak Knoll is excited to add an additional yard supervisor during lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, in addition to our current staff, to support us providing more varied options for our students and coverage. We are still looking to fill an additional yard supervisor position Tuesday/Thursday 11:40am-1:00pm. If you enjoy working with our amazing students, and are looking for part-time work, please contact Leah Kessler for more information.
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Art Project: Newspaper Needed
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On Wednesdays at lunchtime, 4th and 5th graders are working on a fun art project that will need a lot of newspapers. If you have newspapers you would like to recycle into an art project, please bring them to the Art Room. We can't wait to show the school what we are making!
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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 10:00am to 10:45am (updated time!) 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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6th Annual MPAEF Gift Boutique
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Join us on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13 for the 6th Annual MPAEF Gift Boutique at Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. 20% of MPAEF Gift Boutique proceeds benefit Menlo Park City Schools. Shop the boutique, and attend one of our signature events:
Thursday, November 12
Sips, Sweets and Shopping (6pm-9pm) - Enjoy wine and sweet treats while you shop the boutique. $30 per person advance purchase - $40 per person at the door - Advance purchase recommended.
An Evening with the Experts: Holiday Party Planning Class (6:30-7:30pm)
Palace Cafe and Catering will teach us how to prepare delicious appetizers and festive cocktails + Mindy Rosenberg of Mindy Rosenberg Design will show us how create a gorgeous floral arrangement to adorn your holiday home. Tickets are $75 and include entrance into the MPAEF Gift Boutique. Purchase tickets.
Friday, November 13
Complimentary Boutique Shopping (8:30am - 2:30pm) -- all are welcome!
Boutique Brunch and Lunch: Enjoy brunch or lunch at the Blue Garden Cafe. $50 per person. Purchase tickets.
Visit http://www.mpaef.org/holiday-boutique for more information or to purchase tickets.
Contact the boutique team boutique@mpaef.org with questions or to volunteer.
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Thank you for making "Dine Out for the Kids" such a huge success! The numbers are still coming in and looking fantastic! We are so grateful to our participating restaurants for their generosity and to our district families for Dining Out for the Kids.
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Still need pumpkins? Visit the new Pumpkin Patch on the corner of El Camino and Valparaiso! They will give 10% of proceeds to the MPAEF, so you can support the Foundation while getting into the Halloween spirit!
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 Trick or Treat! Smell our feet! Let's make our schools so very hard to beat! Forget ghosts and ghouls and goblins, it's pretty scary that the MPAEF Annual Parent Campaign ends on November 6. Don't think our specialists have a hand in Halloween happenings? Think again!
- Our physical education specialists help our kids develop the stamina they need to trick-or-treat on every street in the district!
- Our art specialists can inspire our kids do new and useful thing with all those candy wrappers!
- The guidance counselors we support can help our kids learn how to calm themselves down from the post-sugar crazies!
- Our science and innovation teams might help our students invent a calorie-free candy that actually tastes amazing!
With just a bare two weeks remaining in the campaign, remember how important your donation is to all of our students. Let's invest in education. Together. (And then go eat up all the leftover candy in celebration of a job well done.) Pledge or donate today at www.mpaef.org.
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Girl Scout Information Night
Tuesday, October 27, Encinal Library
Is your daughter interested in Girl Scouts? Come to a parent information meeting at the Encinal Elementary School Library (195 Encinal Avenue, Atherton) on Tuesday, October 27 from 6:30-7:30 pm. Kindergarten and first grade girls can become Daisy scouts while second and third grade girls can become Brownies. Troops will be forming at many area schools. Parents of girls all ages are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Allison Chao or Michelle Carlson or call 1-800-447-4475 ext. 3018. Hillview Drama Presents: "The Tempest"
Come join the Hillview players as they re-create Shakespeare's last play, The Tempest. It is a beautiful and poetic comedy of redemption and forgiveness. Performances are at the Hillview PAC on:
Thursday, November 5 at 3:30 pm. This is the student - pizza performance. Tickets are only $5 for students and include a slice of pizza.
Friday, November 6 at 7pm
Saturday, November 7 at 3 and 7 pm
Purchase tickets here.
Adopt A Teacher Who Needs Your Support
Make a real difference for a teacher and his/her students by "adopting" a K-8 teacher in East Palo Alto or east Menlo Park for a school year. Provide the teacher with encouraging notes and/or small gifts of appreciation, school supplies and support for two class parties. Financial commitment $500-600, time commitment very flexible. It's easy and fun to adopt a teacher with friends. Learn more or sign up on the Adopt a Teacher webpage or by contacting Jennifer Wythes Vettel.
New Bike Boulevard Proposed for Safer Biking
The Menlo Park bike commission has proposed a route with dedicated bike lanes that would allow students biking to Hillview and Menlo-Atherton to cross El Camino safely. For more details, see the Palo Alto Daily News story. Parents can help make this happen by emailing City Council. To get the latest on the plan, "like" the Bike Menlo Park FB page.
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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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