Oak Creek Families,
The YouthTruth surveys are now open! We encourage you to participate in the survey as it is an incredibly valuable way to help us improve students’ experiences in our school. Please take the survey before it closes at midnight on March 24 by clicking this link: ytsurvey.org/losdfamily23
Please note:
The survey needs to be completed in one sitting; about 15 minutes to complete.
We ask that one member of each household fill out the survey.
If you have more than one child who attends the same school, you may respond to the survey multiple times - one time per child.
If you write any comments, please do not include your name or anything else that might identify you. Your responses are anonymous, and they will be combined with the responses of other parents and guardians before being shared back with school and district leadership.
If you have any questions about the survey, or our plans for how we will use your feedback, please feel free to reach out. We sincerely thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. Your response is incredibly valuable to us.
Please make sure to read below for important information, including details about our School Advisory Committee, our upcoming Spirit Week/Move-a-thon, and more! If you have any questions, please see the FAQ section below, or feel free to reach out to myself or Tess Kristoffersson at kristoft@loswego.k12.or.us.
Thank you again for your support from home!
Barb Keeton
In This Message:
Updated in Every Edition:
- Principal's Message
- Dates to Remember
- PTO Corner
NEW In This Edition:
- Youth Truth Survey Now Open!
Repeated Information:
- School Advisory Committees (SAC)
- Purposeful People
- Nurses' Newsletter
LOSD District News:
- Asian Cultural Festival
- LOSD Cares
- Tualatin Food Pantry
- "I Love Lake Oswego" Clothing Closet
- SafeOregon
- Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
Dates to Remember!
March 11: The Lake Oswego Schools Foundation Gala
March 14: Make up Vision Screening
March 16: STEAM Night
March 24: Teacher Work Day - No School
March 27-31: Spring Break!
April 13-14: Conferences - No School
April 17-21: School-wide Spirit Week
April 21: Move-a-thon
April 22: Adult Only Auction
May 26: Grade Prep Day - No School
May 29: Memorial Day - No School
June 12: Last Day for Students! 11:00 Dismissal
Seeking Volunteers for Our Advisory Committees (SAC)
We need you! Please consider applying for our school or district advisory committee for terms starting next school year. There is one application for all committees -- please mark the committee that is of interest to you. Only committees with vacancies -- School Advisory Committees and Long Range Facility Planning -- are listed in the application for this period. See the charters posted on the School Board Advisory Committees web page for more information about each committee.
Applications are due Monday, March 13 at 5 p.m. Recommendations and selections will be made in April. All applicants will be notified by May 1. Thank you!
Youth Truth Survey Now Open!
We encourage you to participate in the survey as it is an incredibly valuable way to help us improve students’ experiences in our school. Please take the survey before it closes at midnight on March 24 by clicking this link: ytsurvey.org/losdfamily23
Hello Oak Creek!
SAVE THE DATE! Coyote Spirit Week, the school wide Move-A-Thon, and the adult only action are back! We cannot wait to bring the community together! Specific times and details TBA. Stay tuned.
Coyote Spirit Week: April 17-21, 2023
School Wide Move-A-Thon: April 21, 2023
Adult Only Auction: April 22, 2023
Seeking auction items (game tickets, house rental, etc.), party boards (hosted party for a group), and sponsors! Offer a donation today!
Calling young artists! We need a design for the 2023 Coyote Day tee shirt. Design parameters include:
created by an OCE student grades K-5th (no parents / siblings)
created on 8.5 x 11 blank, white paper (no cardstock)
must be school appropriate
must be one sided in black and white (no color)
must represent Oak Creek Elementary - coyotes, school name, etc.
must include full name and teacher name on back of paper
DESIGNS ARE DUE TO TEACHERS BY FRIDAY, MARCH 17th! Deadline is firm for printing purposes. All designs will be reviewed and one winner will be selected by the Oak Creek Elementary PTO.
Volunteer Opportunities!
Do you wanna get involved? The green team is beginning to work on the pollinator garden on Kingsgate Road. The first work party will be March 4th at 10 am. Help to reset bricks, remove weeds, and lay bark chips. Volunteer your time / manpower or a truck / trailer to haul. We will have coffee and snacks available! Sign up here.
Other opportunities to get involved include:
Dine out and raise money for the OCE PTO!
Celebrate Pi Day with a pizza pie! On March 14th, visit California Pizza Kitchen, show the attached flyer, and 20% of your purchase will be donated to the OCE PTO. Ordering online? Use code: BACK20%
Shop and earn money! Get your spring flowers / plants!
On March 4th, shop at Dennis’ 7 Dees with special code: Fundraise-OCE! Seven percent of your purchase will be donated to the OCE PTO.
Order your yearbook! Pre-order for $25. If you make a “Direct Ask” donation, or a donation over $175, a yearbook is included.
Get your OCE spirit wear! Use this link to shop for all of your coyote gear.
Follow us on social media!
Facebook @ Oak Creek Elementary
Instagram @ Oak Creek Elementary PTO
Questions? OakCreekElementaryPTO@gmail.com
Oak Creek Elementary PTO Executive Committee
Kirstin Martin / President
Amanda Schade / Treasurer VP
Samantha McCaskey / Assistant Treasurer VP
Page Donnelly/ Membership VP
Brooke Mattern / Communications VP
Holli Hansford / Co-Events and Enrichment VP
Barry Hansford / Co-Events and Enrichment VP
Steve Farnham / Co-Fundraising VP
Heather Shoyer / Co-Fundraising VP
Lauren Terpstra / Parental Involvement VP
Rachel Wilde / Secretary VP
Teressa Raine / Sustainability VP
Purposeful People
Dear Oak Creek Families,
During the month of March, we will work together to practice the character trait of COOPERATION in our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons, classrooms, and throughout our school.
As a school community, we will be examining how Cooperation looks, sounds, and feels. Cooperation is about assistance, support, collaboration, & teamwork. It is a necessary tool in our toolbox for creating a community that cares for one another and in turn creates a school community in which each Forest Hills Falcon truly feels a sense of belonging.
The definition students will be learning this month is: COOPERATION: working together to reach shared goals
Students will be encouraged to use cooperation skills such as communication, self-awareness, and the ability to step up (or step back) when the time is right to best support whatever group you are working with.
March is also recognized as National Disability Awareness Month which we will honor by learning how our classroom communities are made strong by our diversity of learning styles and abilities. We each have different abilities, skills and ways of learning. We will direct our focus on inclusive practices and continuing our work with empathy & kindness. School Counselor-led lessons in March will be centered on cooperation through the critical lens of Disability Awareness.
To explore COOPERATION further as a family here is a link with some wonderful children's books about disabilities for you to continue the conversations at home.
In Partnership,
Roxanne Davidson
School Counselor
"I Love Lake Oswego" Clothing Closet Open to Entire Community!
I Love Lake Oswego Clothing Closet has received an overwhelming amount of support and donation during the pandemic. We want to give back to our community and encourage our community to lean on us not for just hard times, but for up cycling, sustainability, and for our environment. In the past the closet was just for students, and since the pandemic we have opened our doors to anyone within our community.
Visit https://www.ilovelakeoswego.com for more information.
SafeOregon
Parents-guardians who have concerns about a student’s well-being are encouraged to reach out to their principal, and to maintain strong lines of communication and partnership between students, families, staff, and other resources.
SafeOregon is also an effective way to report a tip regarding safety threats or potential acts of violence to our students or schools.
(Students should also be aware that intentionally providing a false report is a serious offense.)
Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
Stay connected to the district and your school(s) and receive urgent notifications by subscribing to the Lake Oswego Schools App.
About Oak Creek
Reach out to us if you have any questions or need anything!
- Principal; Barb Keeton: keetonb@loswego.k12.or.us
- Administrative Assistant; Terese Kristoffersson: kristoft@loswego.k12.or.us
- Administrative Assistant; Tanya Goodwin: goodwint@loswego.k12.or.us
Address: 55 Kingsgate Rd., Lake Oswego, OR 97035
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakCreekPTA/
Interested in OCE Spirit Wear? Check out this website sponsored by our PTO! OCE Spirit Wear
