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Monday, December 14
- Balclutha Field Trip (Austin), 11:30am - next day
- Barb Snow's Retirement Celebration, 2:55-4:00pm, Upper Playground (no rain) or Gym (rain).
- Last Day to Order 2015-2016 Yearbook
Thursday, December 17
- Last Day to Check Lost & Found Items
Friday, December 18
- Last Day to Submit 5th Grade Baby Photos for Yearbook
- MINIMUM DAY - 11:20am Dismissal for Winter Break
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Barb Snow's Retirement Celebration on Monday
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Our beloved Oak Knoll Office Manager, Barb Snow, is retiring after 42 years of working in the District! You can read more about her story on page 8 of the The Almanac.
Mark your calendars and join her tomorrow, Monday, December 14, 2:55-4:00pm on the upper playground (no rain) or in the gym (rain) to say farewell. Parents and kids will have the opportunity to sign a memory book, have a piece of cake and give Barb a hug!
You can add your family's rsvp response to the evite so we have an idea of numbers, but please feel free to come along either way.
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Office Reminder: Absences
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Please report any upcoming absences (i.e. holiday travel) to the office and obtain an Independent Study Plan. Click here to read more about the Independent Study Plan for Planned Absences.
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 The Oak Knoll Lost & Found is full of mislaid sweatshirts, jackets, hats and water bottles! Please come and check if there is anything of yours before Thursday, December 17.
Any remaining items will be given away to a charitable organization on Friday, December 18, prior to Winter Break.
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Parent Coffee Talk: Nurturing your Reader
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Parents gathered in the Gym last Tuesday for the Parent Coffee Talk when Kristen Gracia was joined by Oak Knoll's reading leaders, Jane Bennion (Librarian), Jacqui Cebrian and Helga Dinning (Reading Specialists) to talk about how to nurture reading and readers at home.
Tips for nurturing your readers from home...
- There is no app to replace a lap: The time you spend reading and talking about books together is invaluable. Reading aloud to kids of all ages provides benefits. At younger ages, fluent reading is a model kids can learn to copy. At older ages, it sparks discussions and connections between parents and children.
- Try, and value, all reading: There are so many ways to take in a story: chapter books, picture books, graphic novels, familiar books, read aloud, storytelling, audio books, etc. See what helps your readers learn to love stories.
- Talk and listen: Talk about what you notice when you read, listen for them to laugh or gasp as signs of engagement. Encourage kids to ask when they are confused or seek more background for understanding.
- Patience: Everyone doesn't get to the same place at the same time, but they all get there.
Mrs. Gracia and other members of the Oak Knoll Staff are holding regular informational meetings for parents on various topics of interest throughout the year. The next Parent Coffee Talks will be held on the following dates: 1/12, 2/9, 3/8. All meetings are right after drop-off in the Gym, from 8:15-9:15am. Mark your calendars and come join Mrs. Gracia and her team for some good discussions. Come connect!
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Teacher's College Reading Workshops
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We feel so fortunate to have our coaches from Teacher's College returning to Oak Knoll to work with our staff. Last year, our two coaches supported all of our teachers in Writing Workshop, which is now being fully implemented in every classroom. This year, they are working with the many teachers who voiced an interest in piloting the Reading Workshop program. Teachers engaged in this professional development based on areas of interest and the specific needs of their classroom environments. As a district, we will be engaging in research for an English Language Arts adoption this year, which will likely include Reading Workshop as a component, so we are happy to be ahead of the curve on it!
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This year's Hour of Code was an amazing success! More than 400 Oak Knoll students in grades K to 5 completed an hour of code, a one hour introduction to computer science designed to demystify code and teach anybody the basics. Our school is one of nearly 100,000 worldwide Hour of Code events registered this year.
Students who missed out on the opportunity last week can take tutorials at Hour of Code (https://hourofcode.com/us) . Those that wish to continue exploring the world of computer coding can go Beyond the Hour of Code by creating a free account here. 20-hour long courses are available in all ability levels for self-paced exploration.
Thanks for making the Hour of Code at Oak Knoll so worthwhile. If you have any questions please contact Jonathan Coldoff, Oak Knoll's Education Technology Innovation Coach.
Happy coding!
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Ollie Salutes our Kindergarten Yard Duty Coordinator
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Please join Ollie in a round of applause for our Kindergarten Yard Duty Coordinator, Tara Carranza! Because of the work that Tara puts into training, recruiting, and scheduling Kinder parent volunteers for Kinder Yard Duty, as well as volunteering quite often on the yard herself, our littlest Otters are able to enjoy a fun and well supervised recess everyday. And, of course, we can't forget all of the Kinder parents who volunteer their time to come in and make sure recess runs smoothly - thank you!
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Last Day to Order Your 2015-16 Oak Knoll Yearbook
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Tomorrow, Monday, December 14, is the last day to order the 2015-2016 Oak Knoll yearbook. The yearbook is a great way to keep Oak Knoll memories alive for your kids, so don't miss out on placing your order for this precious keepsake!
Orders are exclusively online for $25. You will also have received an email from our yearbook publishers, Jostens, with a link to purchase the yearbook. Please be sure to specify your child(ren)'s grade and teacher for each book.
Please contact Tamara Russel or Gina Skinner with questions.
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5th Grade Baby Photos - Submit by Friday
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5th Grade Parents, please note the deadline to submit baby photos for the yearbook is this Friday, December 18, prior to the winter break. Don't let your child miss out on this fun yearbook tradition. Thank you to those who have already submitted photos.
What we need:
-One favorite photo of your child between the ages of 3-18 months - please, no photos of older babies as they get too easy to recognize.
What we want:
-100% participation, as this is a special 5th grade Oak Knoll tradition.
What you need to do:
- Email a digital photo (preferred) to Andrea Potischman with the subject line "Oak Knoll -- Baby Photo [Child First and Last Name]" OR
- Place a hard copy of the photo (clearly labeled) in the large manilla envelope marked "5th Grade Baby Photos" in the front office just outside Ms. Gracia's office. Photos will be returned.
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Winter After-School Programs Registration Open
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Registration is now OPEN for after-school programs at Oak Knoll this upcoming winter session!
The classes will run from January 11 to March 25, 2016. These enrichment classes are wonderful opportunities for your child to try a variety of new activities and sports, or continue the current classes they have been enjoying this fall. Check out the After-School Program listings below and go to the schedule online to learn more and sign-up for classes.
Classes fill up quickly, so please register early!
| Class | Day | Time | Grade | Location | | Bulldog Flag Football | Monday | 3:00-4:00 | K-5 | Field | | Sparkiverse Creativity and Circuits | Monday | 3:00-4:00 | 1-3 | Classroom | | Wizbots Creative Robotics Lab | Monday | 3:00-4:30 | 3-5 | Science | | After School Hoops | Tuesday | 3:00-4:00 | K-2 | Blacktop | | Bay Area Chess | Tuesday | 3:00-4:00 | K-5 | Classroom | | Creative Writing | Tuesday | 3:00-4:00 | 3-5 | Classroom | | Pacific Art League | Tuesday | 3:00-4:00 | K-3 | Classroom | | Sparkiverse Minecraft Engineering | Tuesday | 3:00-4:30 | 3-5 | Classroom | | TGA Golf | Tuesday | 3:00-4:00 | K-5 | Field | | Bulldog Speed, Strength & Skill Development | Tuesday | 3:00-4:00 | K-5 | Field | | Bulldog "Rookies" Fitness Fun Class | Tuesday | 3:00-4:00 | K-5 | Field | | Easy Spanish | Wednesday | 3:00-3:45 | K-5 | Classroom | | Gorilla Play Day | Wednesday | 3:00-4:00 | K-2 | Field | | LEGO Pre-Engineering (K-2) | Wednesday | 3:00-4:30 | K-2 | Classroom | | Starfire Design Thinking & Engineering | Wednesday | 3:00-4:30 | 1-5 | Classroom | | After School Hoops | Thursday | 1:30-2:30 | K-2 | Blacktop | | Sparkiverse Coding 2/3 | Thursday | 1:30-3:00 | 2-4 | Classroom | | Bulldog Youth Flag Football | Thursday | 1:30-2:30 | K-5 | Field | | Mandarin | Thursday | 1:30-3:00 | K-5 | Classroom | | Speech & Debate | Thursday | 1:30-2:50 | 1-5 | Classroom | | Starfire Math | Thursday | 1:30-3:00 | K-5 | Classroom | | LEGO Jedi Engineering (3-5) | Thursday | 1:30-3:00 | 3-5 | Classroom | | Tennis | Thursday | 1:30-2:30 | K-5 | Blacktop | | Young Rembrandts | Thursday | 1:30-2:30 | K-5 | Classroom | | Green Room Musical Theater/Dance | Thursday | 1:30-2:30 | 2-5 | Classroom | | Mad Science | Friday | 3:00-4:00 | K-5 | Classroom | | Junior Chef Stars | Friday | 3:00-4:15 | K-5 | Kitchen | | Soccer Shots | Friday | 3:00-3:35 | K-2 | Field | | Bulldog Youth Flag Football | Friday | 3:00-4:00 | K-5 | Field |
After School Program classes are provided by outside vendors - please confirm exact details and session dates with course provider.
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Summer School Program Dates
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The District's 2016 Summer School Program will provide a variety of intervention programs for teacher recommended students as well as some enrichment programs. This year, the K-5 program will be held at Laurel Elementary School and the 6-8 program will be held at Hillview Middle School. The four-week summer program will start on Monday, June 27 and will end on Friday, July 22. There will be no school on the 4th of July holiday. More information to come!
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MPCSD Directories Available
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By now you should have received a copy of the MPCSD directory, compliments of the PTO, sent home with your youngest child in the district. Directories were delivered to teachers the week of November 17. Extra directories or mini-versions of the Directory (they fit in your glove compartment!) are available on a first-come, first-served basis in your Front Office for $10. The data in the directory comes from the PowerSchool Program. PowerSchool is populated with information from district registration forms filled out by parents. Parents are asked annually to update/verify that information through the InfoSnap website. If the information printed in the directory is incorrect, or if you're not listed in the Directory and wish to be, please email [email protected]. The corrections will be made in the PowerSchool database and you will be asked to verify them next summer. Thanks also to parent John Kelly and Blackstone Discovery for their outstanding service in publishing the District Directory! Questions? Please contact [email protected].
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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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Do Your Last Minute Holiday Shopping Online and Support Our Schools through Shop.MPAEF.org
Have you checked everything off your list for the holiday season? Make it easy and do the rest of your holiday shopping online at great merchants like Amazon, Nordstrom, Gap, Lego, BestBuy, ProFlowers and more and earn money for our schools. Visit www.shop.mpaef.org, click on the link to your favorite merchant, pay for items as you normally would, and earn up to 10% of your purchase total for our schools. It's that easy!
** we do not collect any personally identifiable information **
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M-A Grizzlies Lacrosse Try Lacrosse this Spring! M-A Grizzlies has openings for boys and girls ages 7 to 13 for teams this spring. The season is February to May. Lacrosse is a fast paced-game that young players can learn quickly and has similar skills to soccer & basketball. Come on out for some FUN! Click here for more information and to register.
It's a Wonderful Nutcracker!
December 18, 19, 20; M-A PAC
Menlowe Ballet presents its inaugural full-length story ballet, It's a Wonderful Nutcracker. Conceived by Artistic Director Michael Lowe, It's a Wonderful Nutcracker will be set to the original Tchaikovsky score and updated with inspiration from the 1940s Frank Capra film It's a Wonderful Life. Tickets are available at http://www.menloweballet.org.
Come see Oak Knoll's own Lainey Egnal, Layla Gallon, Savannah Lang, Anna Sonsini and Helena Yassa!
2015 Holiday Showcase
Tuesday, December 15, 6-8 pm, M-A PAC
Come join the City of Menlo Park Community Services Department for the 2015 Holiday Showcase! Included in our collection of class offerings you will find dance, ballet, gymnastics, fitness, music, cooking, theater, martial arts, drumming, boot camps, and a magnitude of sports for all ages, levels, and abilities. Come see all that we have to offer in our fabulous collection of classes and programs where you, our talented community, enter into the spotlight. $5 for adults (13 and older) and free for children (12 and under). Reserve tickets online.
Portola Valley Theatre Conservatory Classes
For 20 years, Portola Valley Theatre Conservatory (PVTC) has offered theatre classes to students of all skill levels, novice to experienced, ages 3 through high school. Classes are taught by professional actors, directors, singers, and dancers, and culminate in a final performance on an intimate stage with lights and costumes. Winter session begins the week of January 11th and space is limited to 12 students per class, so register soon! Email [email protected] for more info.
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Please submit announcements and flyers to [email protected] for Oak Knoll events. For the Community Corner, send submissions to [email protected].
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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