Oak Knoll School News

October 8, 2017 
                     
 
 Otter W eekly
In This Issue
Join Our Mailing List
To Do
Checklist  for Parents 
Pledge or Donate to the MPAEF

> Check out the video of the Future of Education panel discussion

Scroll down for more details on these & other items. 

This Week 


Tuesday, October 10
  • Kindergarten Field Trip: CuriOdyssey
  • MPCSD Board Meeting, 5:00pm, District Office (181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton)
Wednesday, October 11
  • PTO Board Meeting, 8:15am, Oak Knoll Staff Room
  • Hidden Villa Field Trip: Wood 
Thursday, October 12
  • Hidden Villa Field Trip: Howard/Cotter

Looking Ahead 


Monday, October 16
  • Book Fair Spirit Day, Wear Western Clothing

Monday, October 16 - Friday, October 20

  • Oak Knoll Book Fair, Various Times (see below), Gym
Tuesday, October 17
  • 3-5 Grade Basketball Registration Ends
Wednesday, October 18
  • Balclutha Field Trip (Tom), 11:30am-10:00am (next day)
Thursday, October 19
  • Family Night at the Book Fair, 6pm, Gym
Friday, October 20
  • Last Day for Noteworthy Art Orders
October 23 - October 26  
  • MPAEF Dine Out
October 24 - October 26
  • Parent/Teacher Conferences, Minimum Days
October 24 - October 25
  • 3-5th Grade Basketball Team Assessments, Oak Knoll Gym, Times by Grade Listed Below
October 31
  • Halloween Parade 

See the
Oak Knoll calendar for more important dates and events 
Oak Knoll Community

The Oak Knoll community enjoying the Fall Family Picnic on Friday evening.

A Message from the MPAEF
The MPAEF would like to congratulate the Oak Knoll PTO on the completion of their annual membership fundraiser. Thank you to all the PTO supporters who volunteer and donate. Please  click here  to join the PTO if you haven't already.

Our MPAEF Annual Parent Campaign continues until November 3. Click here to make your tax-deductible gift to the MPAEF. Our goal is to raise $1,500 per student to enable excellence in our schools by investing in:
  • Teachers and professional development
  • Arts, sciences & electives
  • Innovation & technology
  • Guidance & wellness
We ask everyone to make a gift at a level that is meaningful to them and we welcome all gifts large and small. When we give to the MPAEF together, we support the education of every child. Click here to make your donation.

MPAEF: 2 Ways to Make Your Donation Go Further

1) Growth Grant from Local Businesses!
To encourage families to Grow their Impact by increasing their donation, our amazing business partners will contribute $5k to the MPAEF Annual Parent Campaign for each percentage point of growth we achieve over last year

Our local businesses are excited about partnering with MPAEF and understand that a strong community begins with strong schools. Let's show them we are up to the challenge!

2) Employer Match
Employer matching is FREE money to our schools and is included in your families' overall donation recognition. For questions please contact [email protected]

Our MPAEF Annual Parent Campaign continues until November 3. Click here to make your tax-deductible gift to the MPAEF. 

Future of Education Panel Discussion - Video Available
If you missed the engaging panel discussion  on Tuesday  evening with MPCSD Superintendent Erik Burmeister, Assistant Superintendent Jammie Behrendt, and the four school principals, Sharon Burns, Linda Creighton, Kristen Gracia, and Willy Haug, on the Future of Education in our community and beyond, we encourage you to  view the video recording


MPCSD Student Information and Social Media Notice
By state law, any time a school district considers a plan to gather pupil information obtained from social media, it must notify students and parents about the proposed program and provide the opportunity for public comment prior to adoption of the program.
 
While the District does not intend to make a practice of reviewing student social media accounts, from time to time we may be required to investigate publicly available online content in response to reports of cyberbullying, threats or other misconduct, or in connection with a student suicide risk assessment in an effort to ensure a safe learning environment. 

Student safety is the District's top priority and we welcome the opportunity to further discuss the components of our school safety programs that may involve a review of publicly available student social media at the Tuesday, October 10, 2017, Board meeting. The Board meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. and will be held at the District Office, 181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton.

MPCSD Online Directory
Quick reminder that the district student-family directory is available online at mpcsd.directory.  If you've had trouble signing on, please try the password help link to get access.  If you are still having issues, or need to change your information, please contact  [email protected] for help.

Did you know, your student can also access the online directory using their @ mpcsd.org email address!


Ollie Salutes
With September under his belt, Ollie would like to say thank you to some parent volunteers who helped everyone get settled back into school smoothly.  Tara Carranza for organizing a warm and helpful Kinder Welcome morning for our newest students. Room parent coordinators Annley Dempsey and Jennifer Kline for all their work coordinating the room parent program, especially in the run up to Back to School night, along with each and every one of the dedicated room parents who organise their class throughout the year. Donna Eaton and Julie Pietrantoni for putting together a lovely token of appreciation with the Back to School Teacher Luncheon. Thanks everyone for a great kick off to the school year!

Oak Knoll Book Fair
Book Fair at the OK Corral opens October 16th!
I'm back in the saddle again, out where a friend is a friend,
Where the long horn cattle feed on the lonely jimson weed,
I'm back in the saddle again!
 

Spirit Day-Western wear Monday, October 16th
To kick off Book Fair at the OK Corral, we are having Western Wear Day on Monday, October 16 th . Students can dress up in western wear, flannel shirts, gingham prints, cowboy hats, and cowboy boots to be buckaroos from the wild west-Halloween rules apply, please no toy guns or weapons.

Book Fair Hours
Join us for a rootin' tootin' time at the OK Corral during Book Fair week October 16-20 th ! Come lasso a good read! MTWF 7:45am to 3:30 pm, TH 7:45am-2pm.

Bring all your kinfolk for Family Night Thursday, October 19 th from 6:00-8:00pm where we will rustle up a good time and a good book.

Come hitch your wagon at the OK Corral! We are looking for volunteers to lend a hand with decorating, setting up, cashiering, working Family Night, and more! Contact Tamara Russel 

Questions? Contact  Jennie Lang  or  Mary Speiser .

Oak Knoll 3-5th Grade Girls and Boys Basketball
3rd, 4th and 5th graders can now register to play Oak Knoll Basketball this Winter 2017-18! Players will learn the basic skills of the game in a fun and encouraging environment. Registration is open until Tuesday, October 17thRegister Here.  

Cost: The cost for the season is $125. Scholarships are available - please contact Kristen Gracia.

Skills Assessment: We will be holding a mandatory skills assessment at the Oak Knoll gym for girls on Tuesday 10/24, and for boys on Wednesday 10/25. Both days are Minimum Days, and the schedule will be 12:00-1:00 for 5th grade, 1:15-2:15 for 4th grade, and 2:30-3:30 for 3rd grade; check-in is 15 minutes prior to each start time.

Parent Coaches Needed: Oak Knoll Basketball is run entirely by parent volunteers. No coaching experience is necessary. Sign up when you register your child or email Sherwin Chen to learn more.

New Waitlist Process: If not enough coaches are available, a waitlist will be created until we are able to find more parent volunteers. A lottery system will be used to randomly select students for the waitlist (i.e.,not determined by registration time stamp).

For more information about the program click  here .

Girls Leadership Workshops
Girls Leadership offers a series of courses for girls and their parents to build emotional intelligence. Priority registration for the Oak Knoll community ends on Wednesday, October 18, so act fast to ensure your spot!

In the upcoming workshops held at Oak Knoll, parent-daughter pairs will learn about identifying healthy relationships, finding their voices, and communicating more effectively. Girls also develop resilient responses to conflict, drama, challenges, and mistakes. The program is interactive, fun, and enlightening, and it's also a great opportunity to gain insight and spend time with your daughter in a new and different way. 
 
For more information, please visit Parent Education page for registration information and details for each Girls Leadership Institute workshop being held at Oak Knoll. 

The next workshops are:  
Kinder/Grade 1:  Mondays,  January 22 , 29,  February 5 , 12, from  4:30-5:30pm
Grades 2/3: Mondays, January 22, 29, February 5, 12, from 6:00-7:30pm
Grades 4/5: Tuesdays, January 16, 23, 30 and February 6, from 6:00-7:30pm

Noteworthy Art Card Orders
You will have received your student's Noteworthy Art Order Form in your child's backpack!  

Please fill out the order form and deliver with payment ($15 per package of 12 cards) to the office. This is your ONLY chance to order cards - reprints are not available after the order period.  

Order Forms are due Friday, October 20.

We expect orders to be delivered your child by the end of November.  Noteworthy Art cards feature your child's original drawing, reproduced on high-quality note cards, and packaged with envelopes in sets of 12. They make great thank-you cards as well as holiday gifts for relatives and friends. 
 
For more information, contact Sarah Sobel, Monika Charrette, or Tiffany Wolf.


Buy Your Kids' Halloween Costumes and Support Our Schools
It's not a trick but it is a treat!  Buy costumes this year while also giving money back to your school!  The MPAEF has partnered with retailers such as Amazon and  Target to bring you a wide selection of awesome kids and adult costumes, while also giving back up to 5% of all purchases to the MPAEF to support our schools.

It's FREE MONEY on products you would buy anyway.  Please visit  this link to reach the retailer of your choice. Only spooky detail is that you need to  visit this link to get the 5% back, going direct to the site will not reward us.  

Thanks for shopping at your favorite places while also doing good for our kids!  

Shop now,  mpaef.org/shop-list

MPCSD Speaker Series: Anxiety & Depression in Teenagers
Anxiety & Depression in Teenagers
Wednesday, November 8, 2017, 6:30pm, Hillview Middle School PAC

Jacob Towery, MD, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist; Adjunct Clinical Faculty, Stanford University Department of Psychiatry; Author of "The Anti-Depressant Book: A Practical Guide for Teens and Young Adults to Overcome Depression and Stay Healthy"

Are you a parent of a teenager or pre-teen? Does your child struggle with symptoms of anxiety or depression? Do you wonder what's in your power to do about it?  Or, if your child isn't struggling with anxiety or depression, are you looking for strategies to keep them on track? If any of the above apply to you, come listen to Jacob Towery, an adolescent psychiatrist and author of "The Anti-Depressant Book" talk about tackling and preventing anxiety and depression in teenagers. The evening will include time for questions and answers. Dr. Towery will be available to sign books after the event. Books will be available for purchase.

Free childcare for potty-trained children.  Light refreshments and beverages served.
More information at  mpcsdspeakerseries.com


Community News
To read about events, activities and charitable initiatives in the local community, please click here .

Community News
  • Learn to Square Dance TONIGHT! (10/8, 7pm 1100 Middle Ave)
  • Youth League Tennis Registration Open
Community Service Opportunities
  • M-A High School: Volunteers Needed for Challenge Day 2017
Parent Education Opportunities
  • Fostering Resilience in Children and Teens & Why it Matters
  • Cynthia Colón, Ed.D.: Tips, Tales & Truths for Teens: Advice from a College Admissions Expert
  • ANGST: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety - Documentary Film + Panel Discussion
  • Growth Mindset Parenting: The Myths, the Meanings, the Approaches
  • Project Cornerstone Workshop for Parents and Caregivers

Newsletter Details
Please send submissions to [email protected]  for Oak Knoll news and events. For the Community News, send submissions to [email protected]. 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 the Get School News page.