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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, Gym
- Kick-off of Growth Mindset Mini-Course
- MPCSD Board Meeting, 6:00-10:00pm
Wednesday, November 11
- NO SCHOOL - Veteran's Day
Thursday, November 12
- MPAEF Board Meeting, 8:45-10:30am, TERC
- Embracing Our Differences - Student Assembly: Speaker Dr. Alette Coble-Temple
- Camp Campbell YMCA Field Trip (Bartlett, Nulman, Austin), depart 9:00am and return next day 11/13 2:00pm
November 12-13
- MPAEF Gift Boutique, 11/12 6:00-9:00pm, 11/13 8:30am-2:30pm, Allied Arts Guild
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Monday, November 16
- Playing with Poetry (Quarre), 8:15-10:15am
Wednesday, November 18
- Hillview Speaker Series, "Raising Your Teens Without Losing Your Mind," Erik Burmeister, 6:30pm, Hillview PAC
Thursday, November 19
- Native American Day (Stella, Andolina, C.Lopez), 10:45am-12:00pm
Friday, November 20
- Embracing Our Differences - Student Assembly: Dance Performance by College of Adaptive Arts, San Jose
November 25-27
- NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
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11/10 Coffee Talk on Mindset & SUPER COOL Car Magnet
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Building on our continual work and goals to develop growth mindsets in all of our students, we are offering parents an exciting new way to get involved. Starting November 10, we would love you to participate in a free online mini-course that guides parents through how to help their children develop a growth mindset. Once you complete the course you will receive a super-cool "This family has a growth mindset" magnet for your car! We will kick off this initiative at the Coffee Talk on November 10 from 8:15-9:15am in the gym. Join Mrs. Kessler, Mrs. Ryan and Mrs. Scott for an overview of the work Oak Knoll is doing to teach this work to ALL of our students. Along with coffee, you will participate in the online course, engage in conversation, and leave with inspiration, motivation, and a super cool car magnet! Bring a friend, the more the merrier!
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November is Abilities Awareness Month - Embracing Our Differences
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Embracing Our Differences Month is underway!
Last week your children had their first lesson looking at everyone's Rainbow of Abilities and exploring how we all have things that are hard for us and things that are easier (abilities and "dis"abilities). The purpose was to discuss in a positive way how abilities are on a continuum, and how we are all more alike than different whether we have disabilities or not!. This week we will be focusing on cerebral palsy, the most common childhood motor disability. There will be classroom discussions (3-5 Grades) and puppet shows (K-2 Grades) on this topic.
Please come to our Parent Night, this Monday, November 9, 7:00-8.30pm in the Oak Knoll Library, with two great speakers - Dr. Alette Coble-Temple, Ms. Wheelchair America 2016 and Eliza Riley, (Dis)Abilities Advocate - who will share their experiences of having a disability from childhood through to adulthood, the challenges they met and the experiences they gained.
Take a look at this short TED talk by Paralympic athlete, actor and activist Aimee Mullins who talks about her prosthetic legs - she's got a dozen amazing pairs - and the superpowers they grant her: speed, beauty, and an extra 6 inches of height....Quite simply, she redefines what the body can be. She gives a wonderful introduction about kids' attitudes towards disability and the importance of our attitudes as adults to their ideas about abilities.
And if you only have 20 seconds, click here to listen to what William H. Macy has to say to you...
The purpose of the month is to increase awareness, understanding and acceptance of different abilities, and most importantly to see beyond disabilities and recognize the similarities, strengths and abilities of all people. To see the ABLE in disabled, the difference NOT the deficit! We hope your kids will be bringing home information, ideas and topics for discussion from this informative and fun month!
For more information or to offer support or volunteering of any type, please contact Elaine Glynn.
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Office Reminder - Carline on Rainy Days
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Please remember that significantly more families use the carline to drop off their students on rainy mornings! Children are also generally slower to get out of the car negotiating backpacks, rain boots, umbrellas and so on. We suggest allowing double the usual time to get through carline on rainy days, to make sure your child arrives on time for school. To keep the carline moving efficiently for all, as always, drivers please pull up to the very front by the Kinder playground and do not stop in front of the office.
Here's hoping we have many more wet days, so let's get this rainy carline process down!
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Parents, remember there are some great talks as part of the Hillview Speaker Series! Held on certain Wednesdays throughout the school year in the Hillview PAC, free to the public and childcare is provided for potty-trained children. Please view the website for more details. Mark your calendars for upcoming talks: RAISING YOUR TEENS WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND Erik Burmeister, Assistant Superintendent, MPCSD Part 2: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 @ 6:30pm ** If you missed Part 1 of this talk last week, you can view a video of Erik Burmeister's Part 1, by going to the Hillview Speaker Series website under Video of Speakers. Part 2 will be worthwhile whether you have seen Part 1 or not. ** FROM CHAOS TO COMMUNICATION Modern Family Management Using Agile in the Home Kiran Gaind, Parent Coach @ The Connected Family
Wednesday, January 27, 2016 @ 6:30pm
THROW OUT THE CHECKLISTED CHILDHOOD
Julie Lythcott-Haims, Author, How To Raise An Adult
Wednesday, February 24, 2016 @ 6:30pm
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED
Film Screening & Panel facilitated by Erik Burmeister, Assistant Superintendent, MPCSD
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 @ 6:30pm
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PE - Reminders & Volunteers
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Please remind your students to wear proper shoes to PE. If it rains and your child is wearing rain boots please have them bring an extra pair of shoes for PE, the rain boots are slippery on the gym floor. We would love help volunteering in your child's PE class or with Otter Mileage before school or at lunch. Please email Hope Scheid if you have any questions about volunteering.
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Ollie Salutes Our After School Sports Co-Chairs
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With girls' volleyball in full swing and boys and girls' basketball about to begin, Ollie would like us all to give our After School Sports Co-Chair team of Allison Chao, Julie Gosler, and Sharon Schick a standing ovation for the countless hours of hard work they have already put in. Because of this team's tireless efforts, Oak Knoll is able to have 50 girls participating in volleyball (4 teams) and 200 boys and girls participating in basketball (20 teams). This is no small feat, and this trio does it all - registration, scheduling, assessments, drafts, uniforms, balls, coach recruiting, and much more. All of this so our Otters, whether new to the sport or a seasoned player, can have a positive experience playing on a team for Oak Knoll! High fives all around for Allison, Julie, and Sharon!
And, of course, it goes without saying that all of the parent volunteer coaches (8 for volleyball and 40 for basketball) also deserve a round of applause for volunteering their time to coach our Otters and supporting After School Sports for our Otters. Thank you!
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Costume & Used Book Drives Were a HUGE Success
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A big thank you to the Oak Knoll community for generously donating so many wonderful costumes and books during our two October donation drives. We were told that the costumes were distributed very quickly and filled a critical need. On the book front, kids from Oak Knoll's Calling All Kids sorted the books last Thursday and we estimate that we received over 1,500 books! The books will be distributed during the holidays and throughout the year to foster kids in San Mateo County.
Thanks to all families that donated. We appreciate you generosity!
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Connect to Each Other: School-wide this month, our focus is on Embracing Our Differences. Psychologist Jenny Ryan and Parent Elaine Glynn have planned an amazing month of activities that help our students understand that differences are not deficits, they are just differences. November/December Class lessons: In your child's classroom this month my lessons will focus on liking ourselves.  In Kindergarten, I will be reading the book Elmer by David McKee. Elmer is a patchwork elephant that thinks his friends are laughing at him but he learns they are actually laughing because he is fun to be around. I will do a fun activity with an Elmer Picture.  In 1st and 2nd grade, I will be reading I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont. In this book we follow a little girl who is super creative and listen to a fun rhyme about liking yourself we will also being doing a cute handout on why we like ourselves.  Finally, in 3rd-5th grades we will be reading the book Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Dismondy. Lucy is different and she has a boy named Ralph that picks on her. But Lucy finds the courage to be herself. After we read the story the class will do a fun partner activity about being different and the same.
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Yearbook - 5th Grade Baby Photos
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5th Grade Parents, the Yearbook staff have begun gathering your 5th grader's baby photo for inclusion in the yearbook. This is another long-standing Oak Knoll tradition. Please find a single, favorite photo of your child between the ages of 3-18 months - please, no photos of older babies as they get too easily recognizable. We want to ensure 100% participation with this special 5th grade tradition, so please start looking now and submit your photo asap.
You can provide a digital copy (preferred) OR a hard copy (will be returned) of the baby photo:
- Digital photos should be emailed to Andrea Potischman with the subject line "Oak Knoll -- Baby Photo [Child First and Last Name]".
- Hard copies should be clearly labeled and placed in the large manilla envelope marked "5th Grade Baby Photos" in the front office just outside Ms. Gracia's office.
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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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MPCSD is hiring a Customer Service Receptionist
The Menlo Park City School District Office is looking for an individual with exceptional customer service skills to join our front office staff. This position's primary responsibility will be to provide assistance to visitors, parents, community members, and staff and to support the daily operations of the District Office. This position is part time, 10:00am - 2:00pm, Monday - Friday from August - June (10 months). To learn more about MPCSD's new Customer Service Receptionist position; specific duties, responsibilities, experience needed, or to apply, click here. Questions, please email the District's Human Resources Manager, Joan O'Neill. Thank you.
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Thank You for Investing in Education. Together.
Thank you to all of the District families who donated or pledged during the 2015-16 MPAEF annual parent campaign! Thanks, too, for being a part of "Are You IN?" Day -- it was wonderful to see the activities across all four school campuses and to celebrate our collective commitment to creating extraordinary educational experiences for our children.
We continue to tally up all the donations, pledges and stock transfers that came in this past week, and we plan to announce our results soon. We are so grateful to our community for Investing in Education. Together.
If you have not yet committed your support -- it's not too late! Click here to do so.
With appreciation,
Calla Griffith & Alka Gupta, Co-Presidents
MPAEF
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6th Annual MPAEF Gift Boutique
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 THIS IS THE WEEK TO SHOP THE BOUTIQUE!
Don't forget to join us this 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 the website for more information or to purchase tickets.
Contact the boutique team with questions or to volunteer.
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Cub Scouts Annual Canned Food Drive
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Last year in four short days, Oak Knoll students and their families rallied together to collect an incredible 1140 pounds of food, providing more than 1000 meals to local families in need! In support of Second Harvest Food Bank, Oak Knoll Cub Scouts Pack 222 is again organizing the school food drive for those in need in the community. We need your help! Please bring non-perishable food between Tuesday, November 17 and Friday, November 20 to the SHFB bins next to the Front Office. The most needed items are meals in a can (stew, chili, soup, etc.), tuna and other canned meats, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, low sugar cereals, and fruit juices. All contributions go directly to Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties ( http://www.shfb.org). Thanks for your support! |
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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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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Menlo Park Library Survey
The Menlo Park Library Commission is seeking input about current library uses and future library wishes. It would be great if you could take a few minutes to complete this survey and help us learn what services our community values in its public library. The La Entrada School Used Book Fair is NOW OPEN to the Community!
November 9-13, 7:30am - 4:00pm (closed Nov. 11 for Veteran's Day) La Entrada Middle School MUR across from Office (2200 Sharon Road, Menlo Park) With over 6,000 new & nearly-new books to choose from, we have a great selection of authors and titles for children, young adults and adults alike. $1, $3, $5, $8; cash & check only. Email Monica Albers for more information. Teen Night Candle Making Event
November 20, 6:30-8:30pm, Menlo Park Library Make your own eco-friendly soy wax candles! Snacks and supplies provided. Registration for this event is required. Menlo-Atherton High School Canned Food Drive
November 9 - December 5 M-A is partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank and with Facebook for its annual Canned Food Drive, and invites the whole MPCSD community to participate! You can drop off cans in the SHFB barrels at area grocery stores, donate online, and conduct food drives in your own neighborhood. Email the M-A Leadership class for more information. Alpine Strikers Tryouts for Spring 2016
Is your child excited about soccer? Alpine Strikers is a community-based, competitive soccer club that strives for player development and retention of players. Our goal is to grow your child's passion for soccer with professional coaching in a fun and engaging environment. The club is holding its annual tryouts at the beginning of December for kids born between 2008 and 1997 (U8 to U18). Please go to www.alpinestrikers.org for tryouts dates and registration. Stanford University's Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research
We are currently looking for male children and young adolescents, ages 8-15, with a diagnosis of intellectual disability, for a treatment study focused on improving eye contact and social skills. If you are interested in participating, please click here or email Annalisa Koch, clinical research coordinator.
M-A Canned Food Drive
The annual Menlo-Atherton High School Canned Food Drive kicks off Monday, November 9.
This year M-A is again partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB) to ensure that families continue to have access to food sources beyond the Canned Food Drive.
Here are ways that you can help:
- When you are shopping for your family, please add extra cans to your cart and drop them in-to the SHFB barrels. M-A students will be handing out the list of the most-needed items requested by SHFB.
- Consider donating online.
- Encourage students in your family to conduct food drives in your neighborhood! While the Canned Food Drive is entirely organized and coordinated by the M-A Leadership class, all M-A students are urged to show their Bear Pride by participating in this amazing effort that has garnered M-A two awards from SHFB.
M-A is a regular recipient of Second Harvest's coveted Blue Diamond Award, which totals food collections as well as monetary donations, and its Community Champion Award, going to non-corporate groups with the highest number of participants. |
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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