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Dear Ocean Shore Families, Happy Friday! I hope you are enjoying this thrilling weather. The fresh breeze is a nice change from the poor air quality we experienced last week. I look forward to the Winter Gala this evening and hope to see you there! It will be a grand evening, while supporting our amazing school and district. Reflections From My Office: Children have an amazing ability to be resilient in the face of a disaster or tragic event. Have you noticed how they often are the first to offer a hug when they notice someone is sad? Or how they beam proudly when they present a homemade card to someone to cheer them up? They rush to help one another when someone slips on the blacktop, or pat their friend on the back when they need some TLC at the lunch table. Big brothers walk their younger sisters to school, hand in hand. These little sweet and tender moments I see around our campus on a daily basis and remind me that I have one of the best jobs in the world. I witness the beauty of a child’s trust and love. To see this in the face of the challenging events our world endures brings me great comfort. I will never forget a sweet moment I had as a teacher. In response to the earthquake in Haiti a few years ago, my class designed a campaign called “Coins for Kids” where they contributed their spare change to donate to UNICEF. They were successful and learned some valuable lessons along the way. I loved watching their smiles as they brought Ziplock bags of their coins at home. When we did the final count of the coins, I noticed a strange little object at the bottom of one of the large jar. I picked up the object and smiled. It was a little tooth! Some dear little one had emptied the contents of their piggy bank, which included a tooth that was being saved for the Tooth Fairy. It made me realize that these giving campaigns not only support those in need, but provide such grand life lessons for our kids. The recent fires have been such an example of how our kids wish to make a difference and spread their good will to those in need. I have heard several conversations around campus about how they wish to help the recent fire victims. Our Student Council members proudly told me how Ocean Shore stepped up last year to raise money for the fire victims in Sonoma county after last year’s tragic fires. This servitude and benevolence is a richly woven into the culture of Ocean Shore. It is no surprise that our kids will be working to help these recent fire victims who lost everything. I am proud to share that some of our school community members have designed a campaign to help the fire victims. It will be called our “Find Money Campaign”. A caring parent, teacher, and our students have designed an effort to encourage our kids to find bits of money in the world – perhaps under a couch cushion or on the sidewalk – and give this to others who need it. I encourage to let the kids get the most out of this experience by letting them find the money themselves. Simply giving them the money to donate may compromise the intrinsic value they can gain from finding the money or giving their own to others. We are excited to see how the collective force of Ocean Shore can come together! The students will be given the details for the campaign so I encourage you to ask your child about it! Here is a video created by Juli’s 2nd grade class that all of our Ocean Shore students will be watching in class to promote the effort! www.wevideo.com/view/1255831506 In addition to this event, our beloved Winter Bazaar is approaching on Thursday, December 13! This special fundraising event brings together the full school community – students, parents, staff and alumni – to work together on beautiful handmade crafts and silent auction baskets that are purchased at this annual event. Funds are distributed to the Pacifica Tribune Holiday Fund to support our local families in need. Be sure to come and show your support! Staff Makin’ Waves: Our teachers do some pretty great things to support the confidence and emotional of our students. One of our teachers, Sean, does a special practice at the end of the day. His students give him a fist “high-five” and say, “You are…” and they fill in with an adjective to describe themselves! Many kids say such things as “awesome” or “funny” or “proud”! I love watching this! One of his students often stops by the office at the end of the day to do the same practice with me. What a great example of how one teacher can spread kindness across the community! Parents Makin’ Waves: Kate Sosnowski has been working hard behind the scenes in many different capacities. She contributes greatly by co-facilitating productive meetings around student safety, designs creative ways to help our students support the larger community and finds ways to enhance our resources to support student learning. She wears many hats as so many of our OSS volunteers do! She is an example of how one dedicated volunteer can make a huge difference for our school, and we are fortunate to have her at Ocean Shore! From the Front Office: The Winter Bazaar is Coming and We Could Use Your Help! The staff is looking for a few parent volunteers to help on the day of the Winter Bazaar (THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13th!). Please visit the poster on the bulletin board in the main hallway to sign up if you can help us out! Important Information for Families Registering a Sibling Into Ocean Shore Next year! YOU MUST ENROLL YOUR YOUNGER SIBLINGS with the Kindergarten Sibling / Priority Enrollment card! These cards should be turned in as soon as possible, and can be turned into Patricia. These are in the Pacifica School District Kindergarten Enrollment 2019-2020 packet. Please stop by the front office if you need a copy. If you have a child who will be 5 years of age on or before September 1, 2019, your child is eligible to attend kindergarten in the fall 2019. If your child will turn 5 between September 2 and December 2, 2019, please request the Transitional Kindergarten Enrollment Card. School Safety Update: From Safe Routes to School: Please Lend Your Voice! Safe Routes to School brings us Y-Bikes and Lower Your Carbon Footprint Days. In the past, the district has received some support for infrastructure as well. Two years ago, Pacifica had such a good response rate that we got some extra funding! Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your feedback allows us to adjust Safe Routes to School (SRTS) education and encouragement program features to best meet the needs of each individual school. Your feedback will also be shared with decision makers throughout the county who can address infrastructure issues regarding safe walking and biking. This survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. LINK TO ENGLISH SURVEY - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/1819_English LINK TO SPANISH SURVEY - https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/1819Spanish Gracias por tomarse el tiempo para completar esta encuesta. Su participación nos permite ajustar la educación y el fomento en el programa Rutas Seguras a Escuela para cumplir mejor con las necesidades de cada escuela. Sus comentarios también serán compartidos con autoridades que pueden abordar cuestiones de infraestructura sobre de caminar y andar en bicicleta con seguridad. La encuesta no tomará más de 5 minutos en completarse. From PEF Corner: SUPPORT PEF! 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, here. 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, here. GIVE BACK! PEF gives our children an enriched educational experience. Give back to PEF and don’t forget your employer-sponsored donation matching too! Give back or donate here. LISTEN & LEARN: PEF Ambassadors will be onsite at PTO events. You can volunteer to help us here. HOW CAN I HELP? - Volunteers needed, here. - Like & Follow PEF on Facebook, here. - Reach Out to our PEF Ambassadors, below:
Fundraising Announcements: NEW SPIRIT WEAR STYLES ARE HERE! Order deadline is Tuesday December 4 (to get the shirts Dec. 18, before the winter break) Wear your school pride with style!! Support a great cause!! Two ways to order: 1) Order online www.osspto.org (click on the “Fundraising” link) 2) Use the attached order form (Fill out order form; put envelope with order form & payment in black lockbox at school) Questions? [email protected] Last Day for Good Eggs orders! Order before midnight tonight. Stay out of the rain this weekend! Order your weekend groceries and household needs through Good Eggs and you'll be contributing to OSS. Your order gives us a 5% donation of your order, you get $15 off your order for first timers, and FREE delivery for orders $60. Check it out! Order before midnight 11/30 and you'll help us win the $500 bonus! Visit the link. schools.goodeggs.com Enter the code OSS1018 –– click "Shop Now.” Need a date night, a girls night out or a friends night out? Join Paint Nite on December 6th at Longboard Margarita Bar. Buy a cocktail and enjoy the journey. The cost is $45, which $15 is donated to our school. Sit among friends learning to paint a scape with the towers of the Golden Gate bridge emerging from the fog. note: While Paint Nite is a family friendly event, due to the venue our event is for 21 years and up. Here is the link to sign up: https://www.paintnite.com/events/ocean-shore-elementary-school-fundraiser-12-6-18-10113454 NEXT WEEK HAPPENINGS! Monday, December 3rd: An Important Informative Meeting for Ocean Shore Parents! Lend your voice and input for the Master Facilities Planning Meeting at Sunset Ridge 6:30 – 9:30. Information posted HERE Wednesday, December 5th: POD DAY! Thursday, December 13th: WINTER BAZAAR! From 2:45-5:45. Stop by the MPR to find treasures for the holiday season and support our local community! Dear Ocean Shore Families, Hello! Welcome back from Thanksgiving break. This is such a festive time of year, isn’t it? I enjoyed seeing the kids return this morning, looking rested and full of good food and memories from the holiday break. They love reporting all of the fun experiences they had! I was grateful my parents were able to visit me from Wisconsin. They arrived with lots of cheese curds that I shared with the teachers today. My dog, Bea, enjoyed being spoiled by her “dog-grandparents” for the week! I am excited to attend the PEF Winter Gala on Friday night! I hope to you there. This will be a special evening, and a great way to spend time with our school community while supporting treasured programs at all of our schools. Be sure to buy a ticket if you have not bought one yet! Click Here: https://www.pacificaef.org/2018-winter-gala Reflections From My Office: Students recently brought home their report cards and other work samples as we hosted parent-teacher conferences. This is an important time for home and school communication. The teachers worked diligently to prepare the report cards and to share each student’s unique progress through looking at multiple projects, work samples and assessments. As I have walked around campus talking with the students, I reminded them that their effort means everything. As a parent, it is important to remember a few key items: · Celebrate Effort: Upon receiving their report cards, I always reminded my students as a teacher that their effort mattered as much as their achievement – and sometimes even more. What an important life lesson we can teach our children. What you put into something is just as meaningful as what you take from it. · Ask Questions: At your parent-teacher conference, take time to inquire about what academic standards are expected of your child at this point in the year. Have your child self-reflect on their progress this 1st trimester. · Report Cards of 2018: You might notice that the report card your child brought home is different than the report card you received as a child. It is normal to feel a little confused! To help you better understand your child’s report card, please refer to the district website, “Elementary Report Guide for Parents.” Please see the link here: https://www.pacificasd.org/files/user/1/file/Report%20Card%20Guide%20for%20Parents.pdf I asked a few students how they felt about receiving their report cards. A few of our younger students told me proudly told me that now they were going to receive their very own report card, just like their big brothers and sisters. One little girl explained that the purpose of the report card was “To tell my mommy and daddy how nice I am to my friends in class. And that I listen to the teacher.” Another little boy chimed in with his own explanation of the purpose of reports cards. I watched his eyes grow big as he spoke and realized the interesting correlation between the holiday gift time of year and report cards. “Principal Julie! I think that boys and girls get report cards ‘cause Santa wants to know if we have been good or bad. I think my parents tell Santa how I do in school and stuff. Then he decides what kinda present I get.” When an older 2nd grader walked by as we were talking, she explained to the younger students that when she gets her report card, her parents give her chocolate milk to celebrate her good progress. “Really!?” The little ones yelled out in disbelief and excitement. The little things we can do to celebrate our kids goes a long way! Staff Makin’ Waves: I want to acknowledge how many of our staff took time to help the Friday school was cancelled. I was so appreciative of their willingness to come help at school and redirect any students who arrived at school. Whether they showed up in person or were offering with phone calls and texts, the staff efforts were greatly appreciated. As in true “Ocean Shore” fashion, we turned the morning into a fun one. Here is a picture from us being prepared to respond!  From the Front Office: Important Information for Families Registering a Sibling Into Ocean Shore Next year! YOU MUST ENROLL YOUR YOUNGER SIBLINGS with the Kindergarten Sibling / Priority Enrollment card! These cards should be turned in as soon as possible, and can be turned into Patricia. These are in the Pacifica School District Kindergarten Enrollment 2019-2020 packet. Please stop by the front office if you need a copy. If you have a child who will be 5 years of age on or before September 1, 2019, your child is eligible to attend kindergarten in the fall 2019. If your child will turn 5 between September 2 and December 2, 2019, please request the Transitional Kindergarten Enrollment Card. Last Chance To Submit UNICEF Boxes: This week will be the last week to turn in the UNICEF boxes. Remember that any amount will help! School Safety Update: From Safe Routes to School: Please Lend Your Voice! Safe Routes to School brings us Y-Bikes and Lower Your Carbon Footprint Days. In the past, the district has received some support for infrastructure as well. Two years ago, Pacifica had such a good response rate that we got some extra funding! Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your feedback allows us to adjust Safe Routes to School (SRTS) education and encouragement program features to best meet the needs of each individual school. Your feedback will also be shared with decision makers throughout the county who can address infrastructure issues regarding safe walking and biking. This survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. LINK TO ENGLISH SURVEY - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/1819_English LINK TO SPANISH SURVEY - https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/1819Spanish Gracias por tomarse el tiempo para completar esta encuesta. Su participación nos permite ajustar la educación y el fomento en el programa Rutas Seguras a Escuela para cumplir mejor con las necesidades de cada escuela. Sus comentarios también serán compartidos con autoridades que pueden abordar cuestiones de infraestructura sobre de caminar y andar en bicicleta con seguridad. La encuesta no tomará más de 5 minutos en completarse. From PEF Corner: SUPPORT PEF! 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, here. 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, here. GIVE BACK! PEF gives our children an enriched educational experience. Give back to PEF and don’t forget your employer-sponsored donation matching too! Give back or donate here. UPCOMING PEF EVENTS: Register Today: Winter Gala!
LISTEN & LEARN: PEF Ambassadors will be onsite at PTO events. You can volunteer to help us here. HOW CAN I HELP? - Volunteers needed, here. - Like & Follow PEF on Facebook, here. - Reach Out to our PEF Ambassadors, below:
Fundraising Announcements: A friendly reminder that your See's Candies orders are due Wednesday 11/15/18. Please submit the collection envelopes to your teachers or fundraising folder. Candy ordered will be available 12/3/18. Thank you for your support! Stay Sweet! Mixed Bags continues throughout the Thanksgiving break. It's super easy to donate when you shop...50% of the order is donated to our school! The order forms are due Tuesday 11/26/18. Paint Nite! on December 6th, 7:00pm at Long Board Margarita Bar. Arrive a few minutes early to grab your seat and a drink. Reservations are first come first serve! Go to our web page to get your ticket! https://www.osspto.org/fundraising.html Have you ordered through Good Eggs to help us win the $500 bonus?! Be one of the 20 new customers! Now until the 18th, new customer orders will be entered to Win a Good Eggs Thanksgiving meal for you and one to gift to a friend when you join the fundraiser this week! One family across all participating schools will be chosen to win this feast. When you order 5% it will count back to the school on all orders placed between now through November 30. For any questions, contact Jenny Abellana at [email protected] From Lily Peterson, Ocean Shore School Student Council President: The Ocean Shore Student Council is a place where kids in 4th – 8th grade come together and help out our school become a safer and more fun school. Our President, Lily Petersen, and Vice President, Paige Miller, would like to reach out to the families of Ocean Shore for an update and request. Right now, we are working on getting the food drive organized, replacing and adding trash cans, and providing recycling bins for our school yard. We are reaching out to you, the families, to have your children bring in cardboard boxes and food for the food drive over the next week. During Thanksgiving, the Student Council collects non-perishable foods for families that don’t have food for Thanksgiving. There will be more information about said food drive in the coming week. We both want to help make sure Ocean Shore is a fun, safe environment for all students. If you have any questions, contact Julie, the Principal, or Seva, the Vice Principal. Thank you for your time. NEXT WEEK HAPPENINGS! Tuesday, November 27th at 7 pm in the Library: School Safety Committee Meeting. All parents and staff are invited to attend to discuss and reflect on this important topic of student safety! Friday, November 30th: PEF Winter Gala 7-10 pm Mildred Owen Concert Hall Please attend and I hope to see you there! Upcoming Dates: Monday, December 3rd: An Important Informative Meeting for Ocean Shore Parents! Lend your voice and input for the Master Facilities Planning Meeting at Sunset Ridge 6:30 – 9:30. Details to follow! Weekly Flyers: Dear Ocean Shore Families, Happy Friday! As I write this, we continue to be indoors as a result of the unhealthy air quality. I walked around the classrooms at recess and was pleased to see our kids happily entertained playing card games or drawing pictures. The kids were safe from the air and went about the day without skipping a beat! Reflections From My Office: We hosted our first school tour this week for incoming kindergarten parents. It was fun to talk with new parents who are entering the school system for the first time. Do you remember that feeling? Anxious, curious, and excited parents gathered in the staff lounge to begin the tour. We asked several 8th graders to be a “panel” of speakers for the parents before we began the tour around the school. As I introduced myself and gave a brief overview of Ocean Shore, I felt confident that having our students speak directly about their real educational experiences would have a great and memorable impact on the parents. The 8th graders reflected fondly on their time spent here at Ocean Shore. One of the students who is new to our school this year, offered perspective about how different the school was compared to previous schools attended. She stated that the inclusive nature of the school personally impacted her educational experience in a much needed, positive way. Another student talked about his nine years as an Ocean Shore student. When asked what was his favorite part about Ocean Shore, his response was immediate. “The community is the best part of this school. Everyone supports you, no matter how you learn or what kind of student you are at school. Every teacher is your teacher.” Their eyes lit up and they beamed when talking about how they have learned to work on projects while teaching other students and that they never feel overwhelmed by assigned homework. In addition, they loved being part of special electives such as the Coffee Cart where they have the opportunity to work with a variety of students with different abilities. I smiled as I listened to them describing all the signature programs that make Ocean Shore special like Oceans Week and POD days. There could not be a better representation than students listening and interacting with parents. This is our product. Our students speak with eloquence, poise and command. Proud of who they are and their ideas, Ocean Shore students are not daunted by an audience full of adults. Critical thinking comes easily to our kids because they spend everyday practicing this skill. From our youngest to our oldest, this is what they do. So if prospective parents wanted to know what Ocean Shore was all about, they received no better explanation than hearing from our kids directly. Not only the particular programs, but the way these students valued the virtues of each experience. They delivered an insight into the “bigger picture” of why we do what we do at Ocean Shore, giving all that attended a new awareness of the heart and soul of our school. Staff Makin’ Waves: Barbara Bualat is a valuable member of our team at Ocean Shore! She supports our students learning to read in many different ways. One such way is how she facilitates our library and gets our emerging readers excited about books. Her support with our Book Fair (happening now!) is one such example of how her tenacity and dedication to reading benefits our whole community. From Lily Peterson, Ocean Shore School Student Council President: The Ocean Shore Student Council is a place where kids in 4th – 8th grade come together and help out our school become a safer and more fun school. Our President, Lily Petersen, and Vice President, Paige Miller, would like to reach out to the families of Ocean Shore for an update and request. Right now, we are working on getting the food drive organized, replacing and adding trash cans, and providing recycling bins for our school yard. We are reaching out to you, the families, to have your children bring in cardboard boxes and food for the food drive over the next week. During Thanksgiving, the Student Council collects non-perishable foods for families that don’t have food for Thanksgiving. There will be more information about said food drive in the coming week. We both want to help make sure Ocean Shore is a fun, safe environment for all students. If you have any questions, contact Julie, the Principal, or Seva, the Vice Principal. Thank you for your time. DRUM ROLL…. RESULTS FROM THE READATHON: WE RAISED OVER $31,000! TOP 10 FUNDRAISERS Nikhil Krishnan Roshen Krishnan Dylan Davis Maya Dwares Abigail Butlin Penelope Nah Ella Nah Eleanor Smith Eloise Fisher Lotus Bedell TOP READERS K-2 Emma Akmese 3-5 Elias Akmese 6-8 Rosie Bruxvoort KINDLE RAFFLE WINNER Giana Matarese TOP CLASSROOM Renee's 3rd Grade Many classrooms made their goal and are earning a popsicle party! Thank you to all of our students and families whose efforts to celebrate reading while raising money for our school made this year a smashing success. This shows the power of our collective force as a school working together for our kids! Let’s keep the momentum going! From the Front Office: Supporting Kids in Need: Every year, a few current and retired OSS teachers work together to adopt a family in Pajaro. They are usually migrant workers who are out of work during the winter months. Our school community helps by donating any sized bikes they might have. With minor repairs, we can then include them with our other donations. It is often the only form of transportation they have plus fun for the kids. If you are able to help, please contact our OSS teacher Alice at [email protected] Bikes are needed by November 23. Remember to have your child pack a snack for recess! Please make sure you send your child to school with a healthy snack for morning recess. We have a small supply of snacks we keep for emergencies or for designated students in the office. Any student who forgets their snack can always get something from us. However, many students are relying on these supplies regularly and depleting our snack supplies that are really only for emergencies or individual students. Winter Bazaar: Yogurt Jars Items Needed! Does anyone have Oui Yogurt jars? They will be used for Winter Bazaar crafts. Please see our teacher Natalie or drop them in the office. Thank you! Let’s Be Good Neighbors! Please remember to be mindful of where you are parking or waiting for your child. We have received calls from our neighbors that parents are parked and blocking driveways when picking up students. School Safety Update: From Safe Routes to School: DUE TO THE POOR AIR QUALITY, our “Lower Your Carbon Footprint Day” on Thursday 11/15 has been postponed until further notice. Please Lend Your Voice: Safe Routes to School brings us Y-Bikes and Lower Your Carbon Footprint Days. In the past, the district has received some support for infrastructure as well. Two years ago, Pacifica had such a good response rate that we got some extra funding! Please Lend Your Voice: Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your feedback allows us to adjust Safe Routes to School (SRTS) education and encouragement program features to best meet the needs of each individual school. Your feedback will also be shared with decision makers throughout the county who can address infrastructure issues regarding safe walking and biking. This survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. LINK TO ENGLISH SURVEY - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/1819_English LINK TO SPANISH SURVEY - https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/1819Spanish Gracias por tomarse el tiempo para completar esta encuesta. Su participación nos permite ajustar la educación y el fomento en el programa Rutas Seguras a Escuela para cumplir mejor con las necesidades de cada escuela. Sus comentarios también serán compartidos con autoridades que pueden abordar cuestiones de infraestructura sobre de caminar y andar en bicicleta con seguridad. La encuesta no tomará más de 5 minutos en completarse. From PEF Corner: 1.) Save The Date & Register Today: Winter Gala!
NEXT WEEK HAPPENINGS! Stop By our Book Fair! Dates open: Thursday, November 8th – Thursday, November 15th 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 the purchase of library materials! Teachers will also have book wish lists if you would like to gift a book to a classroom. Parent Teacher Conferences: We have minimum days this week. Be sure to make the most out of this important opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher. NO SCHOOL THE WEEK OF November 19 – 23 in observance of Thanksgiving! UPCOMING EVENTS: WAYS TO HELP OUR SCHOOL AND GAIN VOLUNTEER HOURS Middle School Elective Coordinator Looking for Extra Hours on the Weekend? WE are looking for some simple construction work to help build a cart on wheels for our psychomotor class mats. Cost of materials will be provided. Anyone interested should see Patricia in the office. Weekly Flyers: Dear Ocean Shore Families, Happy Friday! I hope you had a wonderful week. This time of year brings such precious childhood memories. I hope you were able to enjoy every minute! I am so proud of our community for representing our school at the PEFathon last weekend! WE WON THE GOLDEN SHOE AWARD! This award is given to the school that has the most participants. Way to go, Ocean Shore! Reflections From My Office: This was a week of “firsts” at Ocean Shore, for me especially. It was my first time to experience the festive costume parade, our first “POD” day, and the first time our school facilitated the Outdoor Classroom Day. It was en epic and memorable week! What I am reflecting on today is the value of these experiences for our kids that was conveyed in less overt ways. One such example was our first POD day. At Ocean Shore, there is a tradition of having several POD days throughout the year. Students are assigned to a POD or “family” of students represented from each grade level. Each classroom becomes a one-room schoolhouse. Students from kindergarten to 8th grade spend time together with different teachers. Teachers carefully design activities for the students that will be fun and productive across all of the ages. As I walked around on Halloween, I was so inspired. I noticed kids working in pairs and small groups, older students helping younger ones. The littlest ones eagerly accepted their guidance as they were in awe of the bigger kids. Each activity had a greater value attached to it because of the quality of collaboration across ages, and the reciprocity of skills being exchanged. Older students gain leadership while younger ones learned from their example of servitude. It is not uncommon to see seasonal celebrations in classrooms. Most schools host such fun activities like building skeletons or creating an art project with fall leaves. What is uncommon is to see the collaborative spirit between these age groups in such a deliberate manner. The laughter exchanged, the memories that were made between the big and little buddies made the activity that much more memorable. The intentionality to give our students such experiences is what sets Ocean Shore apart from other schools. It was fun for me to see our teachers lead a whole group of students across all the grade levels. Our middle school team having fun with the primary grades and vice versa. This also reflects how our teachers are committed to these experiences. As I walked around the playground this morning, I was asking students what they liked about the Outdoor Classroom Day. This was a special activity that our staff planned led by our kindergarten teacher, Jennifer. Students were led in different academic tasks outside, in effort to emphasize the importance that learning happens everywhere and is not limited to a building. They worked in the garden, did Poetry on the blacktop, read books under the trees, ran across the field, sang music and played “drums” with wood, created art and stories at outside tables, played math games and so much more. Again, they were paired with their buddies. One 6th grader reflected on the day when I asked him if he enjoyed the Outside Classroom Day. His response was priceless. He said, “It was a lot of fun. I was tired afterwards. I was like, a dad all day! I helped my little buddy, especially on the 3-legged races. He was like my little kid. It was pretty fun. Being a dad is hard work!” Here was a message from one of our teachers to the rest of the staff. I think it shows how supportive they are of one another and the students. I wanted to share it with you: “It was amazing watching all the students on the playground during the Mindfulness Activity!! So calm and peaceful..... I was really happy with the attitude and behavior during the day. It is not easy moving that many kids!!!! Also a special "shout out" to some of our Upper-Grade Students who helped the Music/Art Team set-up and cleanup. They did above and beyond!! Finally, THANK YOU JENNIFER for giving us an opportunity to try something new!” Here are a few images from the day! Staff Makin’ Waves: We are so fortunate to have Seva at Ocean Shore. As our Vice Principal, she wears many hats and does it all with a smile. Her abilities as an instructional leader and the magic she has with kids are some of her many qualities that add such strength to our team. She talks with students, conducts district assessments, and has a constant positive and upbeat personality. Seva is the perfect ambassador for our school as a role model for our kids, staff and parents alike! Parents Makin’ Waves (Shared From a Parent to All Parents!): Beccy Howarth (a parent and OSS teacher) did a great deal to help facilitate the 6th grade field trip. She was in Calistoga for two nights and three days as a parent chaperone, though she took on added roles like keeping the kids busy "fireside" (or “flashlight side!”) with a fun game that lasted over an hour! After this trip, stayed for two more nights (2.5 more days) to get her class through the same experience! She is a dedicated parent and staff member! From the Front Office: Halloween Candy Donation: Our Winter Bazaar is in the planning stages. Teacher Juli is asking for donations of your extra Halloween candy. Her students will turn them into holiday gifts, with the proceeds going to support a number of community charities. Change in the Dominos Pizza Delivery: We have been informed that Dominos Pizza has been cancelled from our lunch menu. They were unable to provide timely delivery service or consistent products. Another type of pizza product will be served on the November menu in place of the days we had Dominos. Please contact the school or district if you have further questions and we apologize for any confusion. Please see the memo from the District Child Nutrition Supervisor in the Weekly Flyers below. School Safety Update: From Safe Routes to School: Thursday, November 15 is our first Lower Your Carbon Footprint Day! We have one a month from now on. On these days, we try to get as many students as possible to come to school in any way other than a family car. Walking, biking, skateboarding, carpooling, busing, dancing, skipping, whatever. Students who do this will get a reward in the yard before school. Please Lend Your Voice: Safe Routes to School brings us Y-Bikes and Lower Your Carbon Footprint Days. In the past, the district has received some support for infrastructure as well. Two years ago, Pacifica had such a good response rate that we got some extra funding! Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your feedback allows us to adjust Safe Routes to School (SRTS) education and encouragement program features to best meet the needs of each individual school. Your feedback will also be shared with decision makers throughout the county who can address infrastructure issues regarding safe walking and biking. This survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. LINK TO ENGLISH SURVEY - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/1819_English LINK TO SPANISH SURVEY - https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/1819Spanish Spanish Blurb about survey: Gracias por tomarse el tiempo para completar esta encuesta. Su participación nos permite ajustar la educación y el fomento en el programa Rutas Seguras a Escuela para cumplir mejor con las necesidades de cada escuela. Sus comentarios también serán compartidos con autoridades que pueden abordar cuestiones de infraestructura sobre de caminar y andar en bicicleta con seguridad. La encuesta no tomará más de 5 minutos en completarse. From PEF Corner: SUPPORT PEF! 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, here. 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, here. GIVE BACK! PEF gives our children an enriched educational experience. Give back to PEF and don’t forget your employer-sponsored donation matching too! Give back or donate here. UPCOMING PEF EVENTS: Save The Date & Register Today: Winter Gala!
LISTEN & LEARN: PEF Ambassadors will be onsite at PTO events. You can volunteer to help us here. HOW CAN I HELP? - Volunteers needed, here. - Like & Follow PEF on Facebook, here. - Reach Out to our PEF Ambassadors, below:
From the Environmental Action Committee: Hi all, there will be a garden day on the first Sunday of every month, which is next on November 4th, from 10-1pm. Looking forward to getting my hands in the dirt and do some winter clean up! Other project will be finishing the fence boards to keep the mulch in and routing an additional hose caddy to the north side of the garden. If your class needs work attending to the beds, please let me know and we can plan for that! I would also like to announce that the EAT (Environmental Action Committee) will meet every first Monday of the month from 6-8pm in the library. Items on the agenda are -composting -greening/landscaping the school -grant writing -greening the Kinder Yard, -eco-literacy NEXT WEEK HAPPENINGS! Monday, November 4th: EAT Meeting 6 – 8pm in the Library.(See details above) Tuesday, November 5th: Picture Retake Day! Friday, November 9 MINIMUM DAY: CONFERENCES BEGIN UPCOMING EVENTS: THE FALL BOOK FAIR IS COMING! SUPPORT YOUR SCHOOL LIBRARY AND GET YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING DONE EARLY! Dates open: Thursday, November 8th – Thursday, November 15th 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 the purchase of library materials! Teachers will also have book wish lists if you would like to gift a book to a classroom. HELP RUN THE BOOK FAIR - Volunteers Needed! We need help with: Set up - Wed. November 7th from 8:00 a.m.- to completion 2-hour shifts: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. all days (Thurs. 11/8 through until break down) Break down - Thursday, November 15th from 3:00-5:00 p.m. If you are able to help, please sign up on the sign-up sheet in the Parent Hallway. Thank you very much for your support in building great readers!! WAYS TO HELP OUR SCHOOL AND GAIN VOLUNTEER HOURS Middle School Elective Coordinator We are looking for a parent volunteer to coordinate the middle school elective assignments. If you enjoy puzzles, this is a job that can be done at home. Each trimester the 7th and 8th grade students get to rank choice electives. It is a puzzle to assign each student to various elective slots throughout the week. This trimester ends Nov 16th and the middle school teachers need assistance to get the students organized into their various electives before the next trimester begins. If you are interested in earning hours at home, this may be for you. Please contact [email protected] to apply or ask questions. Looking for Extra Hours on the Weekend? WE are looking for some simple construction work to help build a cart on wheels for our psychomotor class mats. Cost of materials will be provided. Anyone interested should see Patricia in the office. Weekly Flyers: |
Jeanne BellingerPrincipal of Ocean Shore. Check back here for weekly updates and messages from the principal. Archives
June 2022
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