Oak Knoll School News
August 28, 2016 
                  En Espa�ol 
 
 Otter Weekly
In This Issue
Join Our Mailing List
To Do
Checklist for Parents 
 
> Make a note of key dates from Events and Calendar

> Stop by the Back-To-School Coffee after drop-off on 9/1

Scroll down for more details on these & other items. 

This Week 


Tuesday, August 30
  • Kindergarten Welcome, 9:00-11:00am, Kinder Classrooms (specific times below)
  • New Family Ice Cream Social, 1:30-3:00pm, Gym
Thursday, September 1 
  • First Day of School, 8:10am, Dismissal at 1:25pm
  • Back-to-School Coffee, 8:15am, Gym

Friday, September 2  

  •  Room Parent Training, 8:15am, Gym

Looking Ahead  


Monday, September 5
  • No School, Labor Day
Wednesday, September 7
  • PTO Board Meeting, 8:15am, Teachers' Lounge
  • Becker/Emmert only Back-to-School Night, 7:00-8:00pm
Thursday, September 8
  • MPAEF Board Meeting, 8:45am, TERC
  • Back-to-School Night, 6:00-8:15pm
Friday, September 9
  • MPAEF & PTO Joint Campaign Begins
  • Back-to-School Teacher Luncheon
  • Girls Volleyball Registration Ends
See the Oak Knoll calendar for more important dates and events 
Welcome Back 
Welcome back, and welcome to all our new Oak Knoll families! We hope you have had a great summer and see you all on September 1 for the start of the school year!

Each week in the newsletter, we try to balance providing parents with comprehensive and accurate information on school programs and events whilst not contributing to information overload! You can refer to the "In This Issue" box (top left of the newsletter) to see the edition contents if you would like to read selectively, and the "To Do Checklist" box (above) for key actions. Or scan below for all the items, many of which are linked to further information on the school website. 

Letter from Mrs. Gracia  
Dear Oak Knoll Parents,
 
Saying I am excited about the 2016-17 school year is an understatement! The Oak Knoll staff, along with Mrs. Kessler and I, are gearing up and getting ready for our students to arrive back to school on September 1, for what we believe will be our best year yet!....
 
To read Principal Gracia's full letter, please click here. 
 
Back to School Checklist
Make sure you are ready for the 2016-2017 school year with the documents and links conveniently laid out in the Back to School Checklist.

2016-2017 Dates
For your information, here is the 2016-2017 MPCSD Instructional Calendar, the Oak Knoll Calendar, and some key School Events Dates.

School Supply Lists
If you would like to contribute to the shared classroom supplies, please purchase the items for your child(ren)'s grade and send them to school on the first day. Download supply list for 1st - 2nd - 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade.

Kindergarten Welcome
Kindergarteners and parents, the Kindergarten Welcome will be held on Tuesday, August 30 when you will get to meet your teacher, see your classroom and tour your school. Meet at the flagpole by the office at the times below for your teacher:

9:20am:            Mrs. Andolina, Mrs. Lopez and Mrs. Stella
9:40am:            Ms. Chan, Mrs. Poole and Ms. Jagelka
10:00am:          Mrs. Fujimoto, Ms. Lavezzo and Ms. Boatright  
New Family Ice Cream Social
All families new to Oak Knoll with children entering 1st-5th Grades are invited to attend a family informational meeting and meet other Oak Knoll families on Tuesday, August 30 at 1:30-3:00pm on the Upper Playground.
 
Back-to-School Coffee on First Day of School
Please join the PTO at its annual Back-to-School Coffee in the Gym immediately after drop-off on the first day of school, Thursday, September 1. Talk to PTO Committee Chairs, learn about the different initiatives and events, and sign up for volunteer opportunities. You can also check out the new Otterwear, sign your kids up for Hot Lunch, see what's new for After School Programs and more.
 
Back-to-School Night
Back-to-School Night will be held on Thursday, September 8, at  the following times:
- 6:00-6:20pm: Principal Welcome Message K-2, Gym
- 6:30-7:15pm: Grades K-2, Classrooms 
- 7:00-7:20pm: Principal Welcome Message 3-5, Gym
- 7:30-8:15pm: Grades 3-5, Classrooms

Please note that the Back-to-School Night for Becker/Emmert only is on Wednesday, September 7, 7:00-8:00pm.

Please plan to attend to meet your child's teacher, learn about the upcoming year in their classroom and grade, and sign up for classroom-specific volunteer opportunities. A friendly reminder to arrange childcare for Back-to-School Night as this is a parents-only event.
 
Parent Coffee Talks 
Throughout the year, Mrs. Gracia and members of the Oak Knoll Staff will hold regular informational meetings for parents on various topics of interest. For more information and dates of the Parent Coffee Talks, please see the Get School News section of the Oak Knoll website.
 
New Hot Lunch Program 
A new hot lunch provider has been selected this year! LunchMaster has been distributing in-house prepared-daily meals with fresh ingredients to the Bay Area for over 20 years. For more information and to register, please click here.

Want to earn free lunches? See your child at lunchtime? We need 3 volunteers each day from 11:30-12:20pm to help LunchMaster implement our new made-from-scratch lunch program. You will receive credit towards a free lunch for every shift you work. Volunteer as many days as you like - daily, weekly, monthly! To sign up, please email oakknolllunch@gmail.com.

Additional Hot Lunch Coordinator Needed
Join the Hot Lunch coordinator team! A third Hot Lunch lead is needed to join the two volunteers already in place. Most of the set up work has already been completed, putting the new vendor in place and getting some initial volunteers recruited, so this would be an operational role during the school year. Please contact Janelle McCombs if you are interested in helping to lead this important service!
 
Girls Volleyball Registration
4th & 5th Grade girls can now register for the Oak Knoll fall volleyball recreational league by going on TeamSnap by September 9. For more information, visit After School Sports on the Oak Knoll website.
 
After School Programs
Registration for Oak Knoll's After School Program is now OPEN!  Classes will run September 12 through mid-December.  We have several terrific class offerings - some great new classes to Oak Knoll this year, and some good old favorites! Please visit the ASP webpage for a detailed list of after school classes and registration information. 

Newton Center After Care
Newton Center is a non-profit organization providing the Menlo Park City School District with on-campus Academic After School Care. For more information for the 2016-2017 school year, please visit the Newton Center page.
 
Otterwear

The Otterwear store is now open! Check out the great customizable products which will be delivered to your home with free shipping until end September. Your child will receive a unique order code in their backpack, cards are available in the office, or if you are eager to order before then, please email  mpoakknollotterwear@gmail.com. More information on the Otterwear page.
 
2016 Fall Family Picnic
Mark your calendars for the Fall Family Picnic on Friday, October 7, from 5:00-7:00pm. Click here for more information and to order tickets.
 
MPAEF & Oak Knoll PTO: Welcome 


Hello, and welcome to Oak Knoll and the start of the 2016-17 school year.  Part of what makes our school so special is the collaborative work our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and the Menlo Park Atherton Education Foundation (MPAEF) do to support and provide the best education possible for our kids.  In order for our schools to continue to thrive, we need your help. Join us and invest in your child's education:

Together, we INSPIRE in our children a love of learning
Together, we INVOLVE ourselves in their learning journey
Together, we INVEST in their future

When you join the Oak Knoll PTO, you make possible curriculum enrichment, field trips, community building events, and well-supplied classrooms. When you support the MPAEF, you help our district fund additional best-in-class teachers, credentialed specialists, design-thinking curriculum and technology, and dedicated counselors. The PTO and the MPAEF are the two vital organizations that make a real difference in your child's day and, ultimately, in their education. When you support the PTO at $250 per child and the MPAEF at $1500 per child, all students' education is improved in these areas:


Please support these organizations today! PTO donations are due by September 30.
Please make your gift or pledge to the MPAEF by November 4.

Learn more and to donate to the Oak Knoll PTO
Learn more and to donate to the MPAEF
Learn more about how the PTO and MPAEF work to support all our schools and our district's mission.

If you have any questions please reach out to Oak Knoll's PTO Membership Team at  ptomembership@oakknollschool.com and/or Oak Knoll's MPAEF Ambassador Team at oakknollmpaef@mpaef.org. 

Thank you for your support!
 
MPAEF News
New to Oak Knoll? You're invited to the MPAEF's New Family Social!

We look forward to welcoming all new parents and those with incoming kindergartners to a casual Welcome Social at a fellow Oak Knoll family's home on Wednesday, September 28 from 6:30-8:00pm. You will meet our principal, Kristen Gracia, our Superintendent, Maurice Ghysels, and our MPAEF and Oak Knoll PTO leaders; they'll be talking about our amazing school and our community-funded school district.

Our goal is to make this a fun and educational evening for you to meet other parents and to hear about what is happening at Oak Knoll and in our District. Drinks and nibbles will be provided. Parents only please. Click here to RSVP.


Thanks to Our Realtor and Business Partners

We want to take the opportunity to shout out some appreciation to one of our many realtor and business partners in the community. Thank you for your support!
 
  
Newsletter Details
Please send submissions to newsletter@oakknollschool.com for Oak Knoll news and events. For the Community News, send submissions to communitynews@mpcsd.org. The deadline for both email addresses is by noon on the Wednesday prior to publication date. 

To read past Oak Knoll PTO newsletters, please visit our archives on the Get School News page.