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Monday, March 21
- Jose-Luis Orozco Assembly (3rd-5th), 12:30-1:30pm, Gym
- Jose-Luis Orozco Assembly (K-2nd), 2:00-2:55pm, Gym
- 5th Graders Visit Hillview, 9:00-11:00am
Thursday, March 24
- Music Man Jr, 3:30pm, Hillview PAC (ticket details below)
Friday, March 25
- San Juan Bautista Field Trip (Sanchez), 8:00am-3:00pm
- Woodside Store Field Trip (V.Lopez), 9:15am-1:15pm
Saturday, March 26
- Music Man Jr, 7:00pm, Hillview PAC (ticket details below)
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Tuesday, March 29
- Marine Science Institute Field Trip (Quarre, Brewbaker)
Wednesday, March 30
- Marine Science Institute Field Trip (Kelley, Johnston)
Thursday, March 31
- Woodside Store Field Trip (McColloch), 9:15am-1:!5pm
Friday, April 1
- NO SCHOOL - Collaborative Planning Day
April 4 - April 8
Tuesday, April 12
- Parent Coffee Talk, 8:15am, Gym
Wednesday, April 13
- Hillview's 5th Grade Parent Information Night, 6:30-8:30pm, Hillview PAC
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Mandatory Student Re-Enrollment Due Last Friday
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Thank you to the 75% of MPCSD families who submitted their 2016-17 re-enrollment before the deadline. Reminders were sent to all families who have not submitted. Re-enrollment is required for all MPCSD students so even though your plans for next year may not be finalized, please complete the re-enrollment process in any case. You always have the option of contacting the District's Registrar to update your enrollment status. If Internet access is an issue, a computer is available at the District office at 181 Encinal Ave., Atherton. If you have any questions about this process, please contact the District at registrar@mpcsd.org.
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As part of Oak Knoll's theme this year we have encouraged our students to CONNECT with each other, the community, the world. A wonderful way to connect with the community is with a "free range project" which we would like to invite you to do with your children over the next month or so.
So, what is a Free Range Project? The project is to challenge parents to allow their child(ren) to "stretch" by doing something independently. The project follows this simple 3 step format: -
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Work together with your child(ren) to decide what they will do.
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Using our forms (that we will email you), capture your feelings and your child's feelings BEFORE and AFTER the project. The final project reflections will not be due until end of April.
To read Kristen Gracia's full letter on the Free Range Project, please click here.
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Oak Knoll Car Line Pledge
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As I enter the Oak Knoll Car-line, I will be patient and kind.
I will drive slowly and cautiously with children in mind.
I will drive my car gracefully, with a smile on my face!
I will remain in the driver's seat and not run all over the place.
I will relax and let the Oak Knoll staff do the job they know,
To find and load my most precious cargo.
The Oak Knoll Car-line is the place to be,
But having patience is the key!
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Music Man Jr. Tickets on Sale - Show This Week
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 Oak Knoll's production of Music Man Jr., will be performed by 4th and 5th graders at the Hillview Performing Art Center (PAC) this coming week on Thursday, March 24 at 3:30pm and Saturday, March 26 at 7:00pm. The kids have been working hard at rehearsal and they are excited to perform for their peers, friends and family.
Tickets are $10 for everyone and available for purchase now at http://mpcsd.seatyourself.biz. Both Oak Knoll and Encinal show dates are listed so be sure to choose the correct show. Seating is general admission and tickets will be available for pickup at "Will Call" at the show.
The Hillview PAC seats 400 and 300 seats are sold online ahead of show with 100 seats available for purchase at the door.
DVD's of the show will be available for $10 each. Please email Sharon Purcell if you would like a copy.
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After-School Programs Registration Open
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Registration is now OPEN for after-school programs at Oak Knoll this upcoming spring session! The classes will run from March 28 - June 10, 2016 (no classes on 4/1-4/8 and 5/30). 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 so far. Check out the After-School Program schedule to learn more and register for classes. *New classes this spring: The After School Music Academy's ukulele (K-2) and guitar (3-5) classes; Soccer Shots (K-2); Starfire Coding (1-5)*
Classes fill up quickly, so please register early!
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Call for Service Award Nominations
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Tell Us About an Exceptional Volunteer!
Every year our District is fortunate to have parents, teachers, staff, and community volunteers give generously of their time, skills, and creativity to our schools. Many programs would not exist if not for this formidable group of volunteers, the "Pillars of our Community". Honorary Service Awards (HSAs) and School Service Awards (SSAs) recognize individuals who have contributed in an extraordinary way to our District and/or school(s). Please take a moment to nominate someone you know who goes above and beyond to make a difference in our schools. To nominate an individual, please complete the online nomination form by Sunday, April 3.
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At the last Parent Coffee Talk, Hillview's principal, Mr. Haug, joined us at Oak Knoll and provided great first-hand information on Hillview and insights on the transition to middle school. There will be a 5th Grade Parent Information Night on Wednesday, April 13, at 6:30-8:30pm in the Hillview PAC.
Regular informational meetings for parents on various topics of interest are held throughout the year at Oak Knoll. The final Parent Coffee Talk of this school year will be held on Tuesday, April 12 at 8:15am - mark your calendars and come join Mrs. Gracia and her team for some good discussions.
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Hillview's 2nd Annual Debate Tournament
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Come join us for Hillview's 2nd Annual Debate Tournament
Saturday, April 16, 2016 - Check In starts @ 8:30am & Awards start @ ca. 5:15pm
All students will compete for 5 rounds, followed by "Best Speaker" awards and an optional "Exhibition Match" between the top teams.
Sunday, April 17, 2016 - Roll Call starts @ 9:00am & Final Awards start @ ca. 3:30pm
The top teams return! All rounds are Single Elimination and immediately followed by awards. The day ends with a Championship round for 1st & 2nd place.
Who can register? Any 1st - 8th grader with Speech & Debate experience / understanding of Parliamentary Debate. We only have 120 spots and had over a 110 debaters at the last tournament, so sign up ASAP! Participation Fee: $25 per Student
The Hillview Debate Club is responsible for covering the cost of the tournament, including the awards, supplies and use of facilities.
Registration Deadline: Friday, April 1, 2016
New!!! Tournament of Champions (TOC) Points: 3 points per win, 1 point per loss
1st - 3rd graders will need 19 points to enter the TOC. You will likely need to attend 2 or more tournaments to reach 19 points.
4th - 8th graders will need 29 points to enter the TOC. You will likely need to attend 3 or more tournaments to reach 29 points.
Please visit the website for the full details and to register.
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Girls Leadership Institute Workshops for 4/5 Grade
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The Oak Knoll PTO has arranged to bring the Girls Leadership Institute to Oak Knoll for one final workshop of the school year, so don't miss this opportunity to register for Part 2 of the 4/5 grade parent-daughter workshops on emotional intelligence offered by GLI. 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.
Cost: $210 for 4/5 grade workshops
Dates: Wednesdays, April 27, May 4, May 11 and May 18, 2016, 6:00pm-7:30pm at Oak Knoll.
Please note that the Oak Knoll PTO has facilitated GLI offering these workshops at Oak Knoll following several years of positive feedback from parents, but like other After School Programs, parents will register and contract with GLI as a private vendor.
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Oak Knoll Spanish Program
It has been exciting hearing Spanish being used throughout Oak Knoll from students greeting each other with "¡Hola!" to the Pledge of Allegiance being recited in Spanish in every class. I am so happy to see Spanish becoming part of the children's learning experience.
Fifth Grade
This semester we have completed a family unit, focusing on the members of the family and family traditions throughout the Spanish-speaking world. We are currently working on the meals of the day and foods from the market with a discussion about meal traditions in the Spanish-speaking world. We have learned about the three meals of the day and different kinds of food. The children have been practicing dialogues, from ordering a pizza in Spanish to buying fresh produce at a market.
K - 4 Program
It has been wonderful getting to know the Kindergarten through fourth grade classes. We are currently working on food groups and meals in Spanish and learning the sad story of a pizza in the song "Soy Una Pizza" by Charlotte Diamond. Previously, we studied the calendar, weather, and seasons and learned the song "El Barquito" by José-Luis Orozco.
Performance
We have been learning traditional Spanish folk songs from the recordings of José-Luis Orozco, a bilingual educator, children's author, and recording artist. We look forward to his visit to Oak Knoll School on Monday, March 21.
Remember, Spanish club for grades 3-5 meets every Friday from 12:00 to 12:30. Recently we have had fun making foods like salsa and ensalada de fruta and celebrating holidays around the Spanish-speaking world.
Muchas gracias,
Señora Cheek
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CDE Release of Student Information
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Dear MPCSD Parents,
As you may have heard in the news, the California Department of Education (CDE) is currently engaged in litigation regarding the disclosure of students' protected personal information and records arising from the court order in the Morgan Hill Union School District's Concerned Parents Association and the Concerned Parent Association v. California Department of Education lawsuit.
The CDE is being sued, not MPCSD. CDE, not MPCSD, is being asked to provide student identifiable information, which may include names, addresses, and mental/physical assessments of every student enrolled in any CA public school since 2008. There is litigation to block this order; however, there are no guarantees that these blocks will succeed. The only way to ensure that your child's private information will not be released is to complete THIS OBJECTION TO RELEASE form provided by the CDE and follow the directions to submit prior to April 1, 2016.
We are sorry for this inconvenience. We want you to be informed.
Thank you,
Menlo Park City School District
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 MPAEF Donor Roll Goes Green!Take a look around these days and it's green, green, green as far as the eye can see! That's a color we haven't seen in some time, and in keeping with this strange new look around town, we now have an enviro-friendly, online home for our 2015-2016 Donor Roll from the Annual Parent Campaign on the MPAEF website. And if you are an Endowment donor, this is the place for you. The same green thinking will be applied to this year's Wild Wild West catalog. In order to roll with the gift and match updates year-round, the new, paper-saving, digital auction catalog will not include our donor rolls.  On your mark. Get set. GO! MPAEF Schoolhouse Rocks 5K and Community Fun RunMay 22, 2016 at Oak Knoll Elementary SchoolLace up your shoes, slip on that sweatband, and mark your calendar for this year's MPAEF 5K and Community Fun Run! This year we will sprint, jog, skip, or stroll the familiar Oak Knoll course that will include both a 2.5K Family Fun walk/run and an electronic chip-timed 5K run. Both events will kick off at 9AM. Following the run, there will be plenty of family entertainment at our Wellness Fair at Oak Knoll School. Awards, food, music and more. The Schoolhouse Rocks 5K is a great event that celebrates how far we've come this year and gets us warmed up for summer break in sublimely sweaty style! If you love event planning or are just looking to get involved in the Schoolhouse Rocks 5K, shoot us an email at schoolhouserocks@mpaef.org. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Thanks to Our Realtor and Business PartnersWe want to take the opportunity to shout out some appreciation to just a few of our many realtor and business partners in the community. Thank you for your support! GoldKaloust OrthodonticsNathalie de Saint Andrieu - Realtor Partner SilverStacey Quo- Mid Peninsula OrthodonticsBronzePersonifyTitaniumAxis Personal Trainers
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Egg Hunt
March 26, 10:00am-12:00pm, Burgess Park
Hop on over to join the City of Menlo Park, the Menlo Park Firefighter's Association, and the Menlo Park Fire Protection District for our Annual Egg Hunt! The Bunny will arrive at 10 am for pictures. The big egg hunt will start at 10:20 am. Come and enjoy bounce houses, crafts, and a jelly bean guess!
Oshman Family JCC Afterschool Program
This weekly program is for grades K-8. It offers an enriching, active, and nurturing afterschool experience. For more information and to sign up, click here.
Destination Science: The Fun Science Day Camp for Curious Kids 5 to 11!
Designed to excite kids about science and build great life skills, our STEM-focused summer camps combine science, engineering, fun projects, teamwork, problem solving, outdoor games & many great-take homes that keep kids engaged! Click here or email us for more information.
Volunteer Opportunities
All Students Matter Informational Coffee
April 18, 10:00am; Menlo Park address provided upon RSVP
If you've wondered what All Students Matter is all about, then please join other local parents who are already volunteering with us in the K-4 classrooms to learn more. We invite you for coffee and refreshments while you hear about how you can make a true difference in the life of students in east Menlo Park and East Palo Alto by volunteering for an hour a week. Please email Jeanette Kennedy to RSVP.
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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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