Dear Ocean Shore Families,
Greetings! Happy "ski week" break! I hope you are about to enjoy a lovely time with your family with this week off from school. I am on my way to London to visit my brother and his family. I am so excited to see my 6 and 8-year old niece and nephew! I have enjoyed polling our students to find the best “gifts” to bring them. I have packed in my suitcase a unicorn doll and Beyblades for them. I usually get top “Auntie Points” for my gifts because I have such a great sample of students to get the best recommendations for the latest and best gifts! If it weren't for our students, I would not know the first thing about a Beyblade. My nephew thinks I am pretty "cool" to have this inside scoop! I will be excited to explore the beautiful city and spend time with my family. Reflections from my Office: This week our school hosted a tour for Pacifica administrators visiting the campus. School principals and district administration are visiting each campus and touring the classrooms. I love this learning opportunity as a site leader! Ocean Shore was the first school site to host this series of tours. I was so proud of our school, teachers and students. It was a fantastic opportunity to spend time in our classrooms to see the powerful learning experiences taking place all over our campus! As administrators, we recognize the most important work is student learning and being able to witness the student engagement and collaboration expertly facilitated by our teachers was inspiring. The students did not skip a beat as we walked into classrooms. When I walked in with the team of administrators, one 2nd grader looked up at me with wide-eyes and asked, “Principal Julie? How many presidents are here today? Can I show them my work?” She was proud to show us her sketch. It was pretty sweet. The comments I heard from my principal colleagues over and over was the noticeable atmosphere of respect between our teachers, students and each other. The teachers took time to explain the “why” behind the “how” of their instructions and directions, in addition to providing rich instruction. Students offered to help one another, from passing a glue stick to helping clean up spilled water. We greet each other a smile when we walk by in the hallway and stop to ask when something is wrong. I encourage you to follow this example from our kids, and take time to do the same around our neighborhood. This speaks to the culture of our school community, and one in which I am proud to serve and lead everyday! Staff Makin’ Waves: We are so fortunate to have a stellar custodial crew! Many times, the value of school climate can be measured in the way in which all staff interacts in respectful and meaningful ways. One example is how Ron works with our middle school students. They enjoy helping him clean up, talk about things happening like the latest sports event (especially if it is football), or just to generally check in with them. Students feel this care and respect. One such measure was how several of our 8th graders were hoping to dress as “Ron” for Halloween this year! He is a bit of a local celebrity! Students Makin’ Waves: Congratulations to our very own, Jonas Desyatnik from Ocean Shore! He competed in the local Pacifica Parks and Recreation Spelling Bee this last Saturday and won 1st place for the 4th/5th Grade! Way to go, Jonas! We are proud of you! From the Front Office: Do You Have Extra Newspapers? Our art room is in need of extra paper newspapers! Please bring them to the office as they will be greatly appreciated and well-used by our students with art projects! Oceans Week News! The Coral Café is taking place February 26th and 27th! Parents can help support this by signing-up on the Google Doc posted below or let your child’s teacher know of your interest. We are also looking for someone to teach crocheting after school to add to our lovely collection of crocheted coral reef that we started a few years ago! Please email our 3rd grade teacher Sheila for additional information: [email protected]. Coral Reef Café Sign Up: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1D7RBm8Fv-CB9Zrih1Hcabhfg1vgOrqHDOw9hVNazE_8/edit?usp=sharing Yearbooks are on Sale! Our middle school staff will be working hard to preserve your memories. Don't let these memories pass you by, order yours today online visit: www.treering.com/validate Private OSS passcode: 1014115995473789. If you have any questions contact [email protected] SPRING BOOK FAIR IS COMING! SUPPORT YOUR SCHOOL LIBRARY AND GET YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING DONE EARLY! Dates: Friday, March 1st – Friday, March 8th Purchase books and support our Library. Our Library gets a percentage of the book fair sales. Every dollar spent is important as it goes directly to library materials funding! Teachers also have book wish lists to support their classrooms. Order On-line: You can also order on-line from February 19th through March 11th! Go to our homepage on the Scholastic Book Fair website and select “Find a Book Fair”, then enter “Ocean Shore”. The home page provides information on purchasing on-line and opening an EWallet account for your child. Volunteers Needed! We need help:
FROM THE PEF CORNER: The Pacifica Education Foundation (PEF) is taking education to new heights. They completely fund educational programs which exceed California’s core school standards; which our district budget cannot accommodate. Simply, PEF funds, advances, and protects a higher quality education for OUR students. Learn more at http://www.pacificaef.org/about-us. PEF SPONSORED PROGRAMS: - Elementary School Music Program - Middle School Band Program (Music Matters in Pacifica - MMIP) - Middle School Computer Science Program - Elementary School Slam Poetry Program (SPARC - Stage Performance + Rhythmic Culture - Poetry) - Professional Science Curriculum Development & Training For Teachers (Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)) Learn more at http://www.pacificaef.org/programs-c1ylq. GIVE BACK! PEF gives our children an enriched educational experience. Give back to PEF and don’t forget your employer sponsored donation matching too! Donate at http://www.pacificaef.org/how-to-give. UPCOMING PEF EVENTS: - DONATION WEEK: Mark Your Calendars - April 29th - May 3rd! Support our school by volunteering with PEF during the “School Competition” day, on May 2nd. - NEW MEMBERSHIP PLANS: Membership provides you tickets and/or discounted access to fun annual family events, supporter decals, and much, much more: https://www.pacificaef.org/membership - LISTEN & LEARN: PEF Ambassadors will be onsite at PTO events. HOW CAN I HELP? - Volunteers needed, sign up here: http://www.pacificaef.org/volunteer - Like & Follow PEF on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PacificaEducationFoundation/ - Reach Out to our PEF Ambassadors, below:
From the Diversity Leadership Group: Are you a member of a Multi-Racial and/or Multi-Faith family and would like to share your story!? The Diversity Leadership Group is hoping to find a few families who would be interested in talking to our students about your experiences at home, at school, and in the world on Celebrate Diversity Day (CDD). CDD is taking place on Friday, March 22. Timing is flexible. If you are interested in participating, please contact Lissin at [email protected] NEXT WEEK HAPPENINGS! Monday 2/18 – Friday 2/22: NO SCHOOL! Monday 2/25: School Resumes! Upcoming Dates: Thursday 2/28 10:30 – 11:30 am: Safety Drill at OSS! PLEASE NOTE! As part of our drill, we will be testing our communication systems to notify parents using the new TEXT MESSAGE FEATURE. Here is a reminder of the email you received from Dr. Olsen regarding these instructions:
Friday, March 22nd: Diversity Day! Weekly Flyers: Dear Ocean Shore Families, Hello! Next week we celebrate Valentine’s Day and anticipate “Ski Week” for a well-deserved week off! I hope you will enjoy a lovely time together. In a K-8 school, Valentine’s Day is a sweet celebration of friendship and kindness. I encourage you to remind your child that we want all of our students to feel included and recognized. Bringing valentines is a lovely gesture, especially when everyone receives it. Please be mindful and sensitive to our children with food allergies should treats be associated with Valentine cards, and get further direction from your child’s teacher regarding classroom protocols. I look forward to this sweet celebration! Reflections from my Office: My dog Bea and I run each morning in the dark. I have come to cherish this activity, despite the early hour. It is a fun time to be outside, hear the ocean and watch the sun begin to rise over the horizon. However this morning, I was particularly irritated by the condition of the beach that I run through each day. There was trash everywhere! My dog Bea finds this delightful – it a mine field of treasures and snacks for her! Getting her to focus on the run is an extra challenge. I kept thinking, “Why can’t people clean up after themselves? Don’t they know how this trash impacts others?” When I arrived to school, I kept thinking about how our campus also experiences the impact of trash left carelessly out on the sidewalk or thrown over the fence. Thankfully, our stellar custodian Ron arrives to sweep the campus before the kids even arrive. This resonated strongly with me. How can we encourage kids today to learn from the careless actions of others? One of the best parts about being an educator is seeing the positive influences that kids can have on one another. Just when you are feeling down and out on the world, kids have a magical way of lifting you up and taking a stand for injustices that occur – like the mistreatment of facilities or park spaces. This is what happened to me as the day progressed. This afternoon, I was excited to see a group of students take a stand for kindness. Our Student Council has been busy designing new trashcans to help beautify our campus and encourage their peers to be mindful of the trash on campus. They had an idea to be kindness ambassadors and recognize kind deeds being exchanged on the playground, and encourage all of our students to take ownership to keep the school clean and beautiful. They discussed their plans for the school improvement over the course of multiple meetings at recess, and enlisted the help of their schoolmates. Their message – to catch others being a kind and thoughtful about taking care of our school and celebrate this act – resonated with me in light of my frustration this morning. We have talked a lot this year about kindness from our Abilities Awareness Week, the Found Money Project and our 7th and 8th grade Peer Mediators (an elective class) championing these initiatives for our student body. I love how this act is catching steam, as kids become coaches to each other! Seeing how kids can command the attention of their peers gives me hope! While we can’t control every indecent act – like trashing the park or a school – we can control how we respond. Kindness always wins. Kind kids are leading our school, and helping to minimize the negativity and mistreatment of others and shared spaces. Here are a few pictures of our Student Council! Staff Makin’ Waves:
We are fortunate for the expertise of Matt Hayden, who is a gifted special education teacher. His work with all of the students at Ocean Shore, beyond his own class, is an integral part of our community. The collaborative effort between Matt and Education Specialist Natalie Abinante to plan, coordinate and deliver such a meaningful experience for our kids last week during Ability Awareness Week was one example of how they play such an impactful role for our school. Their advocacy for all children is inspiring! From the Front Office: School Supplies for a School in Guatemala! Kindergarten teacher, Jennifer's daughter Izzy is currently in Guatemala volunteering at an animal rescue organization and improving her Spanish. Jennifer and family are visiting her over Ski Week and are planning to bring a suitcase full of school supplies for a local school and dog toys for the street dogs Izzy is working with. If you'd like to make a donation you can drop it off in Jennifer's classroom, A-23 before the break. They're collecting the following school supplies:
Dog toys are totally up to you but smaller is easier to transport. Jennifer and her family thank you for your support. Jump Rope for Heart Health Fundraiser! t’s February so that means hearts of all kinds become part of the décor. It also means we jump rope to promote heart health. Again this year we are jumping and raising money for Gable Heart Beats, which is a local charity that screens children and adults for heart problems, as well as purchasing defibrillators for public spaces. Last year the money raised for Jumprope for Heart purchased a defibrillator for our District bus. This year, we hope to raise money to help Gable Heart Beats to further its mission. Gable Heart Beats’ mission is to save lives by early detection of heart issues and placing defibrillators (AEDs) in places where kids are present. Gable Heart Beats fund heart screenings for youth, which includes both an EKG and Echocardiogram, providing two of the best tests to detect an underlying heart issue. They also provide defibrillators to schools, gyms and sports fields to have on site in case of emergency. ATTACHED HERE IS A PLEDGE FORM . Jumprope for Heart is next Friday, 2/15, during our pod time. Your family will get a donation form for our Jumprope for Heart event from your teacher or posted here. If your family is interested in donating, please return the form with your donation to your classroom teacher. We hope to collect money by next Friday, 2/15. Checks may be made payable to 'Gable Heart Beats". For information on Gable Herat Beats, you can check out their website: http://gableheartbeats.org" Do You Have Any Extra Beyblades at Home? We are looking for these toys for some of students with special needs. If you have used or new Beyblades, our students can put them to good use! For any questions, please email Matt Hayden at [email protected]. WE NEED YOU! New Year, New Habits! Can you lend us a few minutes before school in the morning for a week? Do you find yourself frustrated when dropping off your child for school for the lack of safe driving practices from other parents! Join our task force and earn bonus volunteer hours! We are looking for parents willing to help us monitor our two drop-off spots during the 15 minutes before school. Parents would wear a safety vest (affectionately labeled “Respect the Vest”) and be a presence to encourage parents to be compliant with our traffic rules. We are also looking for anyone willing to help schedule volunteers. Let’s tackle this challenge with a solution! Channel your inner-child that dreamed of being a traffic safety officer, and volunteering with your friends is highly encouraged! Please email me at [email protected] if you are willing to help! Yearbooks are on Sale! Our middle school staff will be working hard to preserve your memories. Don't let these memories pass you by, order yours today online visit: www.treering.com/validate Private OSS passcode: 1014115995473789. If you have any questions contact [email protected] The Yearbook is in need of photos for events and classrooms. We would love your photos! You can submit them to treering.com or [email protected] and in the subject line write - Yearbook Photos needed: -All and any teacher classroom photos -1st day of school -talent show -koa -outdoor movie -end of year picnic -social events -oceans week -Fort Ross -robotics -band -diversity day -ability awareness day Thank you Tanya Guido From the Diversity Leadership Group: Are you a member of a Multi-Racial and/or Multi-Faith family and would like to share your story!? The Diversity Leadership Group is hoping to find a few families who would be interested in talking to our students about your experiences at home, at school, and in the world on Celebrate Diversity Day (CDD). CDD is taking place on Friday, March 22. Timing is flexible. If you are interested in participating, please contact Lissin at [email protected] NEXT WEEK HAPPENINGS! Tuesday, 2/12: PTO Executive Board Meeting 7- 9 pm OSS Staff Lounge Tuesday, 2/12: Food Allergy Expert & Specialist Dr. Rani Maskatia Shares the Latest in Food Allergy Research, Diagnostics, and Treatment Options Tuesday, Feb. 12, 7:00 pm, Martin Family Hall. Join us for an educational community event offering information and support to food allergic families and friends featuring Dr. Rani Maskatia, a board-certified allergist and immunologist from Latitude Food Allergy Care who has deep training and expertise in food allergy diagnosis and treatment. You will also hear from experts from the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford, and children and families who have been through treatment will share how it improved their quality of life. This is an open event, please feel free to share the invitation. RSVP event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/food-allergy-information-session-registration-54938770341 Friday 2/15: Jump Rope Fundraiser (See above for more information!) Monday 2/18 – Friday 2/22: NO SCHOOL! Monday 2/25: School Resumes! Upcoming Dates: Thursday 2/28 10:30 – 11:30 am: Safety Drill at OSS (More details to come!) Weekly Flyers: Friday, March 22nd: Diversity Day! Dear Ocean Shore Families, Greetings! I hope you are about to enjoy a lovely weekend with winter rain in the forecast! I have received weather updates all week from my parents who live in Wisconsin. They were excited this morning to tell me how happy they were that it would warm UP to –4 degrees! This is an improvement from -55 yesterday. I told our 8th graders at lunch this week when they were basking in the warm sun how fortunate we are in California to enjoy our mild weather! Our 5th graders along with our teachers have been eagerly tracking the progress of our dear 4th grader Andrew who underwent surgery this week. The day of his surgery, the 4th and 5th graders all wore “Team Andrew” stickers and blue shirts in support of him! Check the Caring Bridge website below for updates on his progress. Patty has been guiding us along with updates on his progress. CLICK HERE for the site. We are all cheering for him! Below is a picture of the students showing their support to Andrew, which was sent to him at the hospital. Reflections From My Office: This is a week I have been looking forward to since I first learned about Ocean Shore when I was researching schools last year. I was so impressed that an entire school took a stance to advocate and educate every student on the different abilities that our students exhibit. This week, “Abilities Awareness Week” was one I will cherish each year. We concluded the week with an assembly where the students reflected on what they learned this week. What enjoyment it was to witness the way our community brought awareness to all of our students on how children learn and behave in different ways. Former Ocean Shore students returned to educate and share their stories. Our specialist teams of educators like our school psychologist Mika, education specialist Natalie, speech therapist Bethany and our special education teacher Matt all provided powerful lessons and guidance for our teachers and grade levels. Our students who bravely share with their peers the ways in which they live and manage different allergies or disorders inspired me. I am constantly impressed with the childlike instinct to be compassionate. As I have walked from classroom to classroom, the conversation is the same. We are a welcoming school that is inviting to all students no matter how they look, talk or the way their body works. We all have a right to be at Ocean Shore and learn in a safe and fun environment. The students are eager to welcome new students, and share their own experiences of how they deal with an allergy or anxiety or vision impairment. Our brains are all wired in different ways and this can impact how we react to the world around us, including how we learn in the classroom. I tell the students about how I sometimes faint if I get hurt (This is true! I fainted at the Rose Bowl when I slammed my finger in the door and the shock of it made me faint straightaway!). I have found the platform of ability awareness to be very enriching for all students by teaching the value of tolerance and understanding that people are different in how they learn, talk or walk. We can celebrate these differences while knowing our commonality is kindness, and a smile goes a long way. We will keep having this conversation all year and I welcome your input! Here are some pictures from the week: Staff Makin’ Waves:
Our school psychologist, Mika Duff, led a dynamic presentation to our teachers this week on ways to support students with Attention Deficit Disorder. Her expertise, passion and creativity provided our staff with a wonderful professional learning opportunity. Mika has also extended this passion to our students where she is seeking ways to make more strong connections with our students. She is volunteering her time and offering some wonderful after school classes for our older students. See below for the details. New After School Activities for 3rd - 8th Graders Facilitated by our Own Mika Duff (Ocean Shore School Psychologist) Karate Club Grades 3 - 5 Limit of 15 students (first come, first served) Wednesdays after school 1:15 – 2:00 PM Starting February 13th Ending March 27th Multipurpose Room Exercise is great for every kid, and Karate is a fun way to exercise! Students will learn all about a traditional style of Karate that comes from Okinawa, Japan. Karate means “empty hand” and was originally developed for self –defense, but today Karate is also used as a way to build physical fitness and mental strength, and as a great way to release energy and stress. Students will be taught to block, punch, and kick in a fun, friendly, and safe environment that promotes learning and camaraderie. This club encourages the development of a fun active lifestyle, becoming your best self, and also follows a strict non-violence doctrine. Spaces are limited, please email me to sign up: [email protected] Drawing Club Grades 6 – 8 Limit of 10 students (first come, first served) Fridays after school 3:15 – 4 PM Starting February 15th Ending March 29th (March 8this a minimum day, Drawing Club will be held directly after school at 1:15) Art Room Release your inner creativity! If you love drawing, come learn how to do it like the pros! Students will learn the basics of drawing and explore concepts like form, construction lines, shapes, perspective, shading, and more. They will learn how to draw some of their favorite cartoon characters and get a chance to draw some characters of their own too. Spaces are limited, please email me to sign up: [email protected] From the Front Office: Our Library Thanks You! "Thank you" to the Shane and Dylan Poblitz family for the donation of some really good books from our wishlist! Got to keep the readers reading! : ) WE NEED YOU! New Year, New Habits! Can you lend us a few minutes before school in the morning for a week? Do you find yourself frustrated when dropping off your child for school for the lack of safe driving practices from other parents! Join our task force and earn bonus volunteer hours! We are looking for parents willing to help us monitor our two drop-off spots during the 15 minutes before school. Parents would wear a safety vest (affectionately labeled “Respect the Vest”) and be a presence to encourage parents to be compliant with our traffic rules. We are also looking for anyone willing to help schedule volunteers. Let’s tackle this challenge with a solution! Channel your inner-child that dreamed of being a traffic safety officer, and volunteering with your friends is highly encouraged! Please email me at [email protected] if you are willing to help! Yearbooks are on Sale! Our middle school staff will be working hard to preserve your memories. Don't let these memories pass you by, order yours today online visit: www.treering.com/validate Private OSS passcode: 1014115995473789. If you have any questions contact [email protected] The Yearbook is in need of photos for events and classrooms. We would love your photos! You can submit them to treering.com or [email protected] and in the subject line write - Yearbook Photos needed: -All and any teacher classroom photos -1st day of school -talent show -koa -outdoor movie -end of year picnic -social events -oceans week -Fort Ross -robotics -band -diversity day -ability awareness day Thank you Tanya Guido From the Diversity Leadership Group: Are you a member of a Multi-Racial and/or Multi-Faith family and would like to share your story!? The Diversity Leadership Group is hoping to find a few families who would be interested in talking to our students about your experiences at home, at school, and in the world on Celebrate Diversity Day (CDD). CDD is taking place on Friday, March 22. Timing is flexible. If you are interested in participating, please contact Lissin at [email protected] NEXT WEEK HAPPENINGS! Sunday 2/3: Garden Day at Ocean Shore! 10 am – 1 pm. Get Fresh Air Before the Super Bowl! It's Super Bowl Sunday again, come and get your workout before sinking into the couch :) We need to do lots of weeding and organize the garden sheds, and possibly some repairs and amending of garden beds. THURSDAY 2/7: Diversity Leadership Group (DLG) meeting from 6-8 pm in the library. The Diversity Leadership Group welcomes your voice in an upcoming discussion of school culture. If you would like to propose a topic for consideration or assist in planning Celebrate Diversity Day, join the February meeting. For more information, contact Lissin at [email protected]. Upcoming Dates: Tuesday, 2/12: Food Allergy Expert & Specialist Dr. Rani Maskatia Shares the Latest in Food Allergy Research, Diagnostics, and Treatment Options Tuesday, Feb. 12, 7:00 pm, Martin Family Hall. Join us for an educational community event offering information and support to food allergic families and friends featuring Dr. Rani Maskatia, a board-certified allergist and immunologist from Latitude Food Allergy Care who has deep training and expertise in food allergy diagnosis and treatment. You will also hear from experts from the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford, and children and families who have been through treatment will share how it improved their quality of life. This is an open event, please feel free to share the invitation. RSVP event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/food-allergy-information-session-registration-54938770341 Weekly Flyers: |
Jeanne BellingerPrincipal of Ocean Shore. Check back here for weekly updates and messages from the principal. Archives
June 2022
Categories |
Location |
Ocean Shore School
411 Oceana Blvd Pacifica, CA 94044 Main office: 650-738-6650 |
For enrollment questions, please contact our front office. Our PTO does not have control over cumulative records.
School secretary - Patricia Buddington |