
Notes from Virtual Oak
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Virtual Calendar
School campus closed: Virtual school in session
Fri, May 1 - 8:30am School-wide Flag Salute Assembly- look for follow-up link/code to join
Sat, May 9- Auction
Mon, May 25 - Memorial Day - No school
Wed, Jun 10 - Last Day of School
Wed, Aug 19 - First Day of School 2020-2021
LASD calendar 2019-2020
Next Year LASD 2020-2021 Calendar
Everyone Loves a Parade!
Wow, the parade was such an incredible experience for our teachers and staff. I hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did last week. Hold onto your signs, as we are looking at doing a repeat performance at the end of the school year. Stay tuned for more details later in May.
As an administrative team, we are currently working on year-end activities to provide closure for the year. This includes a special promotion ceremony for our sixth graders, investigating how we can still incorporate a field-type event (virtually), as well as determining procedures for distributing student personal belongings from classrooms and returning school items back to campus. However, please be patient. We have yet to work out all the details as we are developing alignment across the schools in our district while also taking into account the Shelter In Place which continues through May.
Did I say May? It is hard to believe it is already here. Tomorrow we will begin the month of May and I can tell you this is the strangest May in the 23 years of education (as a teacher and administrator) I have experienced.
May is usually considered a culmination month. It is filled with assessment of the year’s learning, celebrations of studies, meeting goals and growth over the school year. May is also known as the month where we rejoice and encourage Acts of Kindness. So, as a staff, we put our heads together and decided to ask the students to think daily how they can give back to their community, family, and neighborhood. Although we are not together physically this month, we know these daily activities are happening at the same time for all of us, thus building on our amazing giving and caring Oak Avenue Community.
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Friday, May 1 -8:30 am School-wide Flag Salute Assembly - I will send out the link after our newsletter is sent today. Due to confidentiality and hearing, there is some hacking happening on group video calls, I am hesitant to publish the code and link in our public newsletter. Please sign on through your child’s LASD google account. We will be able to navigate the platform better and include up to 250 attendees.
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Virtual Attendance Absence Reporting
Daily attendance is still taken as usual in the virtual classroom.
If your child is sick and cannot participate in virtual learning, please let us know via email: lyazdani@lasdschools.org.
Please provide the following information:
Student name and teacher
Your relationship to student
Reason for absence and date of absence
PTA Message
Dear Oak Community--
These are rough times. It is impacting all of us in different ways, and we are all managing and coping the best way we know how. As difficult as it is to manage our jobs, our kids, our houses, and ourselves without the support networks we rely on in normal times, the pressure that many of us internalize to do it “right”, to still be it all, can be overwhelming.
Whatever you are doing for you and your family, it is enough. Whatever you are doing to cope, it is ok. And whatever you are feeling, be it stress, anxiety, depression, frustration, anger, resignation, anticipation, loneliness and/or anything else, you are not alone.
We are still a community, even if we are not together. Reach out if you need it. That’s what we’re here for.
As a community, we are looking forward to our auction on May 9th. Details will come out tomorrow in a separate email providing more details to families. Thank you for your continued support to the Oak Avenue students!
Sara Payne
Oak PTA President
Child Care Available -- Champions Has Openings Now
Have you heard the good news? While school is out, Champions is here to provide child care for families who work in essential service roles during the coronavirus crisis. As our country is stopping normal routines-like sending kids to school-to help flatten the curve, many families are left without the critical child care support they need to do their jobs.
Champions is consistently staying up to date on the rapidly changing recommendations and policies from government agencies, including the CDC and childcare licensing. We have updated our safety standards and operating guidelines so that we can provide a warm and welcoming environment that allows both parents and children to feel safe and healthy.
Here is a video we created for our parents in our sites that are currently open for essential service families. We wanted to make sure our families see our health and safety protocols in action.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1feO5IQE1UZf9ZgHIEKV620qxzU-UVB_S/view?usp=sharing
If you are interested in enrolling in our Champions program at Covington Elementary in Los Altos please call or text our Site Director, Stefanie Gindi, at 650-559-7900. You can also email her at ch000684@discoverchampions.com.
Melissa Jostedt
Area Manager, Champions Extended Learning
KinderCare Education LLC
Email: mjostedt@discoverchampions.com
Cell: 925.457.7138
Family Support Team: 800.246.2154
http://www.discoverchampions.com
At-home activities page for kids to keep the learning (and playing) going – Check it out!
Want a peek into our Essential Care site? Here is how we are taking care of your children and our staff!
Mrs Forest’s Virtual Library
Book Cover Challenge -- 3rd Grade and up!
Check out this link for tomorrow’s Book Cover Challenge at the Santa Clara County Library:
https://sccl.bibliocommons.com/events/5e94e6a5d8ad0b24008af291
Our Virtual Literacy Festival is on!
Even though we won’t have our physical Literacy Festival this year, I’ve made special arrangements with Hicklebee’s for a virtual book fair.
In an effort to support their book fair customers during this time of school closure, Hicklebees has put together the online book fair page, https://www.hicklebees.com/bookfairs2020.
They have provided links to some of the books they have available at the warehouse, and you are welcome to place orders for books not listed as well.
Hicklebees is offering free shipping until this Saturday, May 2nd, or curbside pick up at the store is available too. Free shipping is always available on orders over $25.
Detailed instructions for placing an order are below. The Oak Library will receive 10% book fair credit on all orders placed by May 31, 2020. All proceeds fund the Oak summer reading program prizes. Please remember to write Oak Avenue Elementary in the comments section so we receive the proper credit.
Hicklebees Online Ordering Instructions
1. Go to https://www.hicklebees.com/bookfairs20202.
2. Put some great books in your cart J
3. Select “Curbside Pickup” or “Enter Your Ship To Address” for your shipping method.
4. Write school name in the comments section of the order page, (OakAvenue Elementary) or your book fair will not receive credit.
Remember, after May 2nd, a shipping charge for orders under $25 will apply.
Please contact Mrs. Forrest at cforrest@lasdschools.org if you have specific requests or have any questions.
Living Classroom Update -- Garden on!
We hope that all of you are doing well as we continue to shelter in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this challenging time, Living Classroom is continuing to help balance "screen time" with backyard "green time" by creating activity videos that help connect students with our nature-based curriculum at home.
If you haven't done so already, check out the new Living Classroom PARENT PAGE where you can find our new how-to activity videos as well as additional nature-based resources.
Please share this resource widely and check back frequently as new videos and activities are being added weekly. Click here to view a fun video on making your own bird nest or here to learn how to make simple dyes from plants and other materials found in nature!
Keep Calm and Garden On! - Living Classroom Staff
Design a Logo for the Los Altos Art Docents
The Los Altos Art Docent program is turning 50 next year and we want LASD TK-6 students to create a logo to be exhibited at the Los Altos History Museum.
The winning design will be used on posters, pins and sketchbooks during the 2020-21 school year.
Rules:
8 ½” x 11” paper
Draw and use lots of bright, bold colors
Include 50 and art in your design
Write parent email and contact info on back
Attach an artist’s statement to be displayed with submission at the Los Altos History Museum
One entry per student
Deadline: Saturday, May 30th
Submit: electronically with lasdk8 email here
Or mail to
Los Altos Art Docents
201 Covington Road
Los Altos, CA 94024
Oak Avenue School
Mission:
It is Oak School’s mission to ensure high levels of learning for all students. Every day we respectfully collaborate to develop confident, resilient, joyful learners who care about the Oak School community and become responsible citizens.
Email: kattell@lasdschools.org
Website: https://oakschool.org/
Location: 1501 Oak Avenue, Los Altos, CA, USA
Phone: (650)237-3900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oakavenuesch
Twitter: @OakPrincipal