Welcome to Oak Knoll School

OtterRun 2012 logo





Sunday, May 20




Otter Run In-Person Registration!
You can pick up your bib and your t-shirt at the times below too!

Friday, May 18th, 7:45-8:30am 
Friday, May 18th, 2:30pm-3:15pm 

Sunday, May 20 (Race Day) 7:00-8:30am

by the Playroom

Adults $25, Chil

dren 18 & Under $15 - Check & Cash ONLY


Strollers and walkers welcome.  

(note: race t-shirts are not guaranteed on race day.)


We look forward to seeing you!



RACE INFORMATION

General Information

  • Wear sunscreen
  • NO dogs or bikes allowed on course
  • strollers welcome
  • race starts at corner of Oak Knoll and White Oak promptly at 8:30am
  • there will be 2 water stations along the course
  • awards will happen in the parking lot around 9:15am

Registration & bib/t-shirt pick-up

  • in person only now - paper forms in office
  • Friday - 7:45am-8:30am, 2:30-3:15pm
  • Sunday - 7:00am-8:30am
  • bib/t-shirts NOT guaranteed if register on race day!

Parking

  • ride bikes or walk to school on race day if possible
  • NO parking in school parking lot on race day
  • limited parking on streets around school on race day



Announcements from the Office


Oak Knoll Spirit Day - Friday, May 18th  

The Calling ALL Kids came up with a theme to support and promote both the Oak Knoll Talent Show and the Otter Run! The theme is: The Rock Stars meet The Track Stars!
Students are encouraged to dress up and be creative!
Here are some ideas from Calling ALL Kids:  

Dress like a member of a rock band, with crazy hair, a boa, and lots of glam! 
Dress like a runner, sporting your Otterwear or Otter Run T-shirts! 
Dress like both and mix it up!! 
Remember our Talent Show is on Spirit Day 5/18, and our Otter Run is on 5/20. 

Go Otters!!    

 


SITE Council Election Results 
Congratulations to the newly elected members of the SITE Council:  Andrea Luskin, Kasey McJunkin, Theanne Thomson, and Meredith WalseyThanks to all of you who took time out of your busy schedules to vote.


Specialists' Update     

Did you know the Kindergartners are learning to play the Orff instruments? The second graders are working on hand drumming; and the fourth graders are playing the ukulele! Check out more from Music Specialist, Bee Tee.  

Dr. Westfall is definitely getting all the students ready for the Otter run! Read up on all the fun traditions, dances and exercises she is teaching our little Otters.   

Click on the link for Ms. Bennion's Library Nook and read about the results of The California Young Reader Medal books and for more information about the National Schools Project Poetry Contest.  

Music Notes by our Music Specialist, Bee Tee
May Gym Shorts - The short story of PE at Oak Knoll with Dr.Westfall                            Library Nook from Jane Bennion, Oak Knoll Librarian 


May Lifeskill - Respect

Book - Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson

As a young girl in Kenya, Wangari was taught to respect nature. She grew up loving the land, plants, and animals that surrounded her - from the giant mugumo trees her people, the Kikuyu, revered to the tiny tadpoles that swam in the river. Although most Kenyan girls were not educated, Wangari, curious and hardworking, was allowed to go to school. There, her mind sprouted like a seed. She excelled at science and went on to study in the United States. After returning home, Wangari blazed a trail across Kenya, using her knowledge and compassion to promote the rights of her countrywomen and to help save the land, one tree at a time. Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace brings to life the empowering story of Wangari Maathai, the first African woman, and environmentalist, to win a Nobel Peace Prize. (Amazon description)

Respect comes in all forms.  In this story we are learning about the respect of our environment.  Explore with your kids other ways we show respect (respect to other people, respect to property etc).  Respecting our world is not just one person’s job or a job for adults. It is a job for all of us.  When I walk through the lunch area, I ask students to pick up the garbage around them.  Students will respond,  "But it’s not mine!”  It shouldn’t matter; we want to keep the land clean.   That is showing respect for our school.

Remind your kids of the story from October; The Golden Rule.  This story was about respecting others, treating them in a way you would like others to treat you.  Do you like to be yelled at?  Then you should not yell at others. 

You can take a piece of paper and break it up into sections and ask your child- what does respect look like at home, in the classroom, on the playground, to friends.  


Counselor Nicole Scott

                          

Otter Weekly Paper Copies 

If you or someone you know, needs a paper copy of the Otter Weekly newsletter sent home with a child on Mondays, please send a note or email Barb Snow, Office Manager.


You Otter Know...


Thank You to the Pillars of Our Community

Please join us in congratulating our 2012 Menlo Park City School MPCSD Service Award Pic
District service award winners. These are parents, teachers andstaff who have gone above and beyond to help our schools and district. Many school programs would not exist were it not for this talented and dedicated group of volunteers - the Pillars of Our Community. 
A formal ceremony to honor these recipients will be held on Thursday, May 24th from 4:00-6:00pm in the Laurel Multi-Purpose Room. 
CONGRATULATIONS to this year's winners:

Oak Knoll Elementary School 
Honorary Service Awards:             President's Award:
Katrien Burlinson                         Jody Buckley 
Suneeta Chilukuri 
Gwen Solomon 
Mary Speiser 
Meredith Walsey 
Wendy Fisher

District Council
Honorary Service Awards:              Golden Oak Awards:
Tricia Barr                                   Kim Guthrie 
Robbie Baxter                              Peggy Propp 
Neela Gentile                               Ted Schlein 
Heather Goudey                           Jo Mitchell 
Dana Shields 

Continuing Service Awards:            President's Award:
Carolyn Bowsher                           Shari Conrad 
Kelly Perri

Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation
Honorary Service Awards:              President's Awards:

Katie Angioletti                            Alison Leupold 
Tamara LaTorre                           Theanne Thomson 
Patti Lee-Hoffmann 
Andrea Luskin 
Kathryn Rakow 
Tracy Uyeki 

Hillview Middle School
Honorary Service Awards:             Gold Oak Awards: 
Cheryl Cathey                            Kitty Roellig 
Sayre Dolan                               Libby Tinsley 
Michael Kaelin 
Lindy McGrouther   
Mike Melton 
Christie Tonsfeldt 

Continuing Service Awards:            President's Awards: 
Amy Boggs                                Juliana Andersen 
Liz Shane                                  Russ Peterson

  

Encinal Elementary School
Honorary Service Awards:             Continuing Service Award: 
Christine Gertner                         Roxanne Bozdog
Amy Hamilton 
Susannah Hill
Allison Liner                           President's Award: 
Kristi Lutge                                Elizabeth Ouren
Kelly Martin
Dean Wilkins

 

Laurel Elementary School
Honorary Service Awards:             President's Award:
Traci Christie                              Kristin Seuell 
Chantal Maussenet 
Liliana Perazich 
Mary Sapountzis 
Marcos Solache 
Cathy Tokic 
Kristi Wong 

Summer Reading Talk 
School's out for summer!!  (nearly).  This is a wonderfully long summer, but if the kids don't spend some time reading over the summer, it's going to be a long fall getting back to where they were in June.  Jane Bennion (librarian) and Jacqui Cebrian (reading specialist)  would like to offer some suggestions about how and what to read over the summer.  As always, we've got some great new stories to share and some tried and true strategies to share again.  This year's parent ed summer reading talk will take place on Thursday, May 24th at 12:45 in the.....library, of course. Hope to see you there.
~ Jane and Jacqui

Sign up to be a 2012-13 Room Parent Now!
Looking for a great way to get connected and know what's going on in your child's class? Want to work with other parents and your child's teacher to ensure that your child's class has a great year? The Room Parent Program wants you! The Room Parent role is fun, it's divided among 4 Room Parents per classroom, and it doesn't require lots of on-campus time - so, even if you have little ones still at home or you work full-time, this is a great opportunity for you to get involved.
Click here to sign up now! Room Parent Sign Up 

For more Room Parent Information, click here.
 
Fun Kids. Fun Parents. Fun Camp!  
Join 23 other Oak Knoll families at Kennolyn Family Camp the weekend of August 24-26th.  Counselors will escort kids ages 4-9 to all the activities including ropes course, horseback riding and many more. Kids 10 and older can set their own course.  Adults can enjoy the serenity or partake in the activities.  All food, drinks and activities generously donated by the Nootbaar family.  Help us to raise money for the MPAEF while we enjoy Kennolyn Family Camp!  $1000 per family includes lodging, food, drinks and activities.  For more information about the camp, checkout Kennolyn Camps.  For more information about the weekend, contact Carolyn Bowsher.  Hurry! Only 2 cabins left!

Looking for a Fun and Rewarding Volunteer Experience?
OKCO (Oak Knoll Community Outreach) is currently searching for additional committee members to help with OKCO's next years' community building activities.  Not only is it rewarding to work with Oak Knoll families but it's a great way to get involved with the PTO and learn more about what's going on at school. Plus, it is FUN!  Contact Hildy Agustin or Carolyn Bowsher if you're interested. 

Girls Fall Volleyball Registration Opens Sunday, May 13th
We are offering an introductory exposure to volleyball for girls entering 4th and 5th grade for the 2012-2013 school year. Your daughter will learn the basic skills of the game in a fun and encouraging environment on teams coached by parent volunteers. Practices will be held twice a week at Oak Knoll and weekly games will be played at Arrillaga Gym in Menlo Park. Games will start September 24th and end mid-November. Parents, coaching volleyball is a wonderful volunteer opportunity. No experience is necessary, just a positive attitude and a willingness to bump, set, spike and dig it!
Contact Laura Huber, Monica Young or Erica Galles if you would like to coach or if you have questions.
Registration opens May 13th and closes September 7th at sportability. No late registrations will be accepted. For more information visit Oak Knoll After School Sports

Sport Equipment Drive
The PTO Caring and Sharing Committee along with the Oak Knoll Boy Scouts will be holding a Sports Equipment Drive on Wednesday, May 16th - Friday, May 18th to benefit Kids 4 Sports. Kids 4 Sports provides sports equipment and sports league opportunities to less fortunate kids in our area so that all kids can participate. Your donation will enable these kids to play with the proper equipment! For more information about this awesome organization, click here.
What we are collecting:
* New and "gently-used" basketballs and soccer balls
* Sets of game cones for drills
* Sets of scrimmage vests (pinnies)
Boy Scouts will be collecting these items at drop off in front of the office on May 16th, 17th and 18th. If you have any questions, please contact Sally Osterberg

Got Racquet?
We are planning to begin tennis in P.E. the week of May 14th.  If you have junior and / or small adult racquets that you would like to donate to the P.E. program please send to school. If your child is bringing their own racquet please label with name and room number just in case they are left in P.E. 
 
Calling All Summer Reading Books! 
With the school year winding down, its time to start ramping up my summer reading list.  Part of that process is gathering all the books I've sent home since last summer.  If you have a book on your bookshelf with a little Ollie Otter on the spine, please send it back to Ms. Cebrian in Room 4 so I can get it ready for the next set of summer readers.  If you happen to find a book with a sticker on the inside cover for Ms. Cebrian's summer reading program (that may have lost its Ollie sticker), send that back also.  Hopefully your children have enjoyed the books. Keep your eyes open for a new list of books to try to read this summer.   

Donate Your Used Books
Seeking gently used books for a home literacy project.  We have collected many books already, but have a few specific holes we are looking to fill.  If you have ABC, Spanish, or board books of any genre that you are finished with and ready to pass on to a worthy cause, please bring them to the office at Oak Knoll.  There will be a box for book donations. Thanks again for the many ways you support our children at Oak Knoll.

Summer Camp Information
Check our new Summer Camp Website for information submitted by area summer camps. The District Council is providing this information to help you plan your student's summer. We have not evaluated this information or endorsed any of the camps, and the District is not responsible for any aspect of these camps. 

Watch KNOL 

Oak Knoll's daily news broadcast - KNOL - can be viewed on cable channel 27 or streamed from www.communitymediacenter.net every week day morning beginning at 8:10 a.m.

A rotating cast and crew of 5th grade students provide a local weather forecast, daily birthday wishes and important campus announcements. If you are looking for these or a refresher on the words to the Pledge of Allegiance then tune in.


1895 Oak Knoll Lane, Menlo Park, California  94025 (650) 854-4433
webmaster@oakknollschool.com