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Monday, January 18
- NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Day
Tuesday, January 19
- Walk Through California (Fuller, Sanchez), Playroom
- Jim Wilton's Program Begins
Wednesday, January 20
- Walk Through California (Veneman), Playroom
Thursday, January 21
- MPAEF Board Meeting, 8:45-10:30am, TERC
- Parcel Tax Special Board Meeting, 7:30pm, TERC
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Monday January 25 - Friday, January 29
- Great Kindness Challenge
- 5th Grade Outdoor Ed Trip
Monday, January 25
- Spirit Day, Wild about Kindness, Kindness Challenge Kick-off
- 5th Grade departs for Outdoor Ed, 9:15am
- Walt Disney Museum Field Trip (Boatright, Jagelka), 8:45am-2:00pm
- Last Day to Order Yearbooks
Wednesday, January 27
- Walt Disney Museum Field Trip (Chan, Poole), 8:45am-2:00pm
- MPCSD Parent Ed, "From Control to Connection," 6:30pm, Hillview PAC
Friday, January 29
- 5th Grade returns from Outdoor Ed, 12:30pm
- 3rd Grade Lion King Performance for Students, Gym
Saturday, January 30
- Lion King Performances, Hillview PAC (see below for times)
Monday, February 1
- Walk Through the Revolution (Cline, Murphy), Playroom
Tuesday, February 2
- Parcel Tax Special Board Meeting, 6:00pm, TERC
Thursday, February 4
- Family Math Night, 5:30-7:30pm, Gym
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Please note for your information that the start date for the 2016-17 school year will be Thursday, September 1, 2016.
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 Friendly reminder that dogs are not allowed on the school grounds at any time, including out of school hours.
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After School Program Room Assigments
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Winter After School Programs have begun. Please click here to see the classes and room assignments.
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There will be no KNOL broadcast during the week of January 25-29 as we get updated equipment installed! When KNOL returns, we will have a learning curve for the the students (and staff) as we learn the new equipment.
KNOL is broadcast from the Oak Knoll library to each classroom first thing every morning, Monday through Friday during the school year. Students hear from other students about what is going on in school that day.
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 This past week, Katie Lindner, a coach from Teacher's College, joined all of our K-2 teachers at Oak Knoll for coaching in Reading Workshop. All of our teachers shared how valuable this experience was, working with her on how to implement strategies to engage and inspire our budding readers with books at their level, as well as provide targeted instruction to meet their needs. This was an optional add-on for our teachers and every one signed up, which is just one of many examples of how dedicated our staff is to their continuing professional growth. We're looking forward to having Katie, as well as our 3rd-5th grade coach, back in the Spring!
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Oak Knoll's Scripps sponsored Spelling Bee was amazing! Our 4th and 5th grade spellers demonstrated poise, outstanding effort, and sportsmanship as classmates, teachers, administrators, and parents watched "best effort" in action.
Challenged with ever more difficult words... Curtis Le (pictured) from Mr. Fuller's 5th grade classroom prevailed over second place finisher, Katie Lorenz from Ms. Murphy's class, and Avery Galles from Ms. Veneman's. Curtis now moves on to the Northern California written challenge, as he reaches for the Nationals in Washington DC.
Congratulations go to all of our spellers... Oak Knoll is proud of each and every one of the following children!
Ms. Austin: Owen Hsu, Diego Agustin, Alt. Ethan Yang
Ms Becker/Emmert: Grant Moffitt, Penelope Stinson, Alt. Kylie Bettinger
Ms. Bouret: Ashlyn Roeder, Amala Raj, Alt. Charlie Hammond
Mr. Cline: Xavier Nicholas, Coral Rothenberg, Alt. Robby Ohtaki
Mr. Fuller: Eva Grant, Curtis Le, Alt. Matthew Wolf
Ms. Murphy: Bridgid Cutright, Katie Lorenz, Alt. Sophia Preston
Ms. Nulman: Mia Fitzhuh, Jackson Deutch, Alt. Anna Kuznetsov
Ms. Sanchez: Dominic Magats, Jake Kryger, Alt. Georgia Auerback
Ms. Tom: Carlo Espinosa, Mercedes Kahn, Alt. Logan Aboudara
Ms. Veneman: Avery Galles, Chloe Chao, Alt. Bradley Yob
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Board Meetings on Parcel Tax
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You are encouraged to attend upcoming Special Board meetings to learn more about the possibility of a MPCSD parcel tax for this spring. Meetings are Thursday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday February 2 at 6:00 p.m. (possible action to place parcel tax on May 2016 ballot.) Board meetings are held in the MPCSD TERC building, 181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton.
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Oak Knoll is excited to join Laurel and Encinal in the Great Kindess Challenge put on by Kids for Peace. During the week of January 25-29, kids are encouraged to do as many kind acts as possible. Possible ideas can be found here (this is editable so you can change them to ones that work for you and your family).
To help kick off the week we are asking everyone to participate in a fun Spirit Day called Wild about Kindness by dressing as an animal or wearing an animal print or a shirt with an animal. In classes and on the playground, students and staff are encouraged to do kind acts for one another. At home, please talk to your student about what kind acts they have done and how they felt when they did it. Kindness matters and it makes both the giver and the receiver feel good.
5th graders will be at Outdoor Ed but they can still participate.
We would also like to encourage Oak Knoll students to enter into the Kids for Peace Book Contest. Details for entry can be found here. We would love a copy so we can make our own book. If students do not want to enter into the contest but want to be in the Oak Knoll book they can do that too. Just follow the same rules. Any questions please email Nicole Scott, Oak Knoll Counselor.
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3rd Grade Lion King Jr. Performance
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 3rd Grade students will be performing in an Oak Knoll production of The Lion King, Jr.
There will be a dress rehearsal at Oak Knoll on Thursday, January 28 and then Oak Knoll students will get to see the show on Friday, January 29, performed in the Oak Knoll Gym.
On Saturday, January 30 there will be FREE shows for family and friends at the Hillview Performing Arts Center: 2:00 p.m. : Students from McColloch, Bartlett, Guerra
15 minute intermission (Concessions open)
2:45 p.m. : Students from McColloch, Bartlett, Guerra
6:00 p.m. : Students from Yob, Clancy, Lopez
15 minute intermission (Concessions open)
6:45 p.m.: Students from Yob, Clancy, Lopez
If your child is a cast member, you will have received an email with all the show times, dress instructions for performing students and some housekeeping items. Please contact the parent volunteer, Gina Preston with any questions.
Thanks go to Ms Bee Tee, Oak Knoll Music Specialist, and Bill Hairston, Hillview Middle School's Director of Drama, all of our teachers and parent volunteers, and of course, all the student performers! |
Oak Knoll's annual Family Math Night is coming up on Thursday, February 4 from 5:30-7:30pm in the Oak Knoll Gym. The event includes 8 hands-on stations that explore several different math concepts through games and activities that parents do with their children. Each station will have a facilitator to assist the parents in engaging their children. These projects are designed to reinforce classroom learning in a fun, engaging way and will give examples to parents of ways to make learning math fun. Each station will have 3 different levels of activities suited for students from kindergarten through 4th grade. Past experience has shown, though, that it is most enjoyable for parents and their students 3rd grade and below. Please encourage your students to attend! If you have any questions, feel free to contact Suzanne Gallie.
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Volunteer for February Teacher & Staff Fiesta Luncheon
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We need your help with the February 5th Thank You luncheon for teachers and staff - there are a few more items still needed. This is a very easy volunteer opportunity: help with set-up, or drop-off a needed item on the morning of the event. Please consider signing up by clicking here.
If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Potischman.
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Save the date! Friday, March 4 is Oak Knoll's 18th annual Friends and Family Day. Invite a friend or family member to come to school in the morning to get a glimpse of our campus and classrooms. Times for each grade level and details will be posted soon.
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MPCSD Parent Education Series 2016
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Up Next, January 27: From Control to Connection by Kiran Gaind, Modern Parent Coach @ The Connected Family: Raising Great Parents. Learn basic tenets of brain science, practice mindful listening and self awareness exercises, and begin using connected parenting tools right away with your child of any age, including keeping your relationship strong in the adolescent years. Light refreshments provided. Free onsite childcare available for potty-trained children. Wednesday, January 27th, 6:30pm, Hillview PAC. Mark your calendars for:
February 24: Julie Lythcott-Haims - Highly sought after speaker and author, former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford University, and acclaimed author of How to Raise an Adult, Julie Lythcott-Haims joins the Menlo Park community to present, "Throw Out The Checklisted Childhood." Whether you've wanted to see her and haven't been able or whether you have seen her several times already, you don't want to miss this presentation prepared especially for Menlo Park families. Bring your friends and neighbors. Light refreshments provided. Free onsite childcare available for potty-trained children. Wednesday, February 24, 6:30pm, Hillview PAC.
March 9: Most Likely To Succeed - Movie Screening + Panel Discussion. You've heard the buzz, now come see what it's all about. Are public schools in need of a drastic overhaul? Where is MPCSD in the continuum of innovation? Join us for a screening of the thought-provoking documentary followed by a panel discussion of education leaders. Light refreshments provided. Free onsite childcare available for potty-trained children.Wednesday, March 9, 6:30pm, Hillview PAC.
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Ollie Salutes the Hot Lunch Co-Chairs
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Did you know that our Hot Lunch program serves over 300 lunches per day?! That's a lot of Otters coming to the Hot Lunch counter everyday for lunch to keep them energized. For this, we owe a huge thank you to our Hot Lunch Co-Chair duo of Ashley Montulli and Patti Buck. The two of them work with ChoiceLunch, recruit, train and manage the huge roster of parent volunteers, and do everything that it takes to make sure that the over 300 students ordering hot lunch are served each day. And, of course, Ashley and Patti could not do it without their amazing roster of dedicated parent volunteers. Thank you to each and every parent that has stood behind the counter and handed out a cheese pizza, chicken tenders, or yogurt parfait!
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SPECIAL BOARD MEETINGS TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE PARCEL TAX
We encourage you to attend upcoming special Board meetings to learn more about the possibility of a MPCSD parcel tax for this spring.
The two Special Board meetings are:
Thursday, January 21 at 7:30pm (Note change from January 19)
Tuesday, February 2 at 6:00pm (possible action to place parcel tax on May 2016 ballot.)
Both Board meetings will be held in the MPCSD TERC building, 181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton.
At the January 11 Board meeting Superintendent Ghysels and the Long Range Planning Ad Hoc Committee continued their discussion with the School Board on the possibility of renewing and/or increasing a parcel tax as Measure C expires on June 30, 2017. Following the Board's initial discussion at its November 10, 2015 meeting, Superintendent Ghysels and staff held thirteen informational meetings with parents, staff and the community in December. The informational meetings included Measure C background information, student enrollment data, District's financials, and an overview of MPCSD's commitment to excellence. The Board continued its parcel tax discussions on December 8, 2015, December 15, 2015 and January 11, 2016.
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Make a Difference. Join the MPAEF Board and Invest in Education. Together.
Happy new year! We are looking for interested parent volunteers to join the MPAEF Board for the 2016-2017 school year. There is a place for everyone, so whether your interests are in event planning, donor or business stewardship, graphic design or campaign leadership, we'd love to hear from you.
Get involved and help us enable excellence in our schools as we invest in best-in-class teachers, arts & sciences, innovation & technology and guidance & wellness. Nominations are now being accepted. Please email nominating@mpaef.org if interested.
To get an idea of who we are, click here to see a list of current positions and Board members.
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MPAEF Spring Auction Items Needed!
The time is here to start thinking about the MPAEF Spring Auction which will take place on Saturday, April 30!
To make sure it's the best yet, we need your help with donations. Donate an item to inspire, entertain or motivate our kids, or a party, event or experience for adults!
Auction submissions are due Friday, February 12. Already organized and ready to donate?
Email auction@mpaef.org. More details coming soon!
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Alpine/West Menlo Little League Baseball & Softball
Alpine/West Menlo Little League is open for registration for ballplayers aged 4 to 13. We're looking to teach young players, give parents opportunities to hone their coaching skills and provide (paying) jobs for kids interested in youth umpiring. Little League Baseball and Softball offers a combination of fun and competitive play in a community-centric environment unparalleled in youth sports. Come join the fun. Registration closes on January 21st for players ages 8-13, so sign up at http://alpinelittleleague.com as soon as possible!!
Free Beginner Lacrosse Clinic
January 23, 12:30-1:30 pm
M-A Grizzlies has openings for boys and girls ages 7-13 for teams this spring. The season is from February to May. Lacrosse is a fast-paced game that young players can learn quickly; it has similar skills to soccer and basketball. Register here and come on out for some FUN!
Friends Nursery School Open House
January 30, 11 am - 1 pm
Meet the teachers, talk with parents, and check out our great indoor and outdoor spaces. Children welcome! For more information, email Anne Horgan.
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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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On the Town: All classes either have read, or will be reading, On the Town by Judith Caseley, a book about a boy named Charlie who explores his community. 
Counselor Lesson January: This month we will be looking at ways to calm ourselves. Each class will have a