Oak Creek Elementary

Oak Creek Families,

2023 is here and we have had a great week! I watched second graders discussing figurative language, 4th graders working on an engineering project, and students leading the school in a sing along of "If Just One Person Believes in You." We have a great learning community here!

Please make sure to read below for important information, including information about OBOB, the announcement of the "Who Was..." History Bee winner, 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

Updated in Every Edition:

• Principal's Message
• Dates to Remember
• PTO Corner

NEW In This Edition:

• Updated Volunteer Application Process
• Recognitions and Observations in January
• "Who was..." History Bee Winner!

Repeated Information:

• "I Love Lake Oswego" Clothing Closet
• Tualatin Food Pantry

• Supporting Students at Home with i-Ready Personalized Instruction (My Path)
• More OBOB Information
• Purposeful People: Empathy
• Oregon State Assessment Opt-out form
• Spelling Bee Info

• Nurses' Note

LOSD District News:

• "I Love Lake Oswego" Clothing Closet
• SafeOregon
• Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App

December 19-January 2: Winter Break - No School

January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School

January 27: Grade Prep Day - No School

For the safety of children, volunteers are required to have an approved background check when volunteering in schools.

To help streamline compliance with state and school board policies, which require that all volunteers have background checks and knowledge of other board policies -- as well as state-mandated proof of vaccination (or a qualified exemption) -- we are introducing a new all-in-one volunteer application and approval process through ou Raptor Visitor Management System.

Submitting an online application initiates the background check process. Once submitted, applicants will receive an email upon approval of your background check and you will be given access through the onsite Raptor System at all schools. Please allow up to three weeks to process your approval.

Volunteers need to submit only one application for volunteering in all LOSD schools. Applications need to be submitted annually to capture changes in background checks, policies, and/or vaccination requirements.

Volunteer Application for LOSD

Thank you for applying promptly, and for your service to our students and schools. We are grateful for our volunteers.

The t-shirts were such a hit!

Thank you to…

• Mr. Raine for his fabulous design!

• Our PTO for all of their organizing and brainstorming!

• All of our volunteers for being at OCE and making magic happen.

• All of our OBOBers for making this opening week of OBOB season so fun!

What is next?

Practices:

1. Here is the practice schedule for next week!

2. Practices will continue throughout the tournament. If your OBOB Team is not scheduled for a battle, they can alternatively attend the practice session happening at the same time. More details to come.

The tournament:

1. The tournament window has been set for January 17th - February 9th (4 weeks)

2. Battles happen in the library from 8:00-8:20am

3. The first three weeks consist of Pool Play.

-Each OBOB team will get 3 battles in pool play. Which amounts to 1 battle per week while in Pool Play.

1. The Knockout rounds happen February 7th, 8th & 9th.

-The top scoring teams from pool play move onto the battle rounds.

The OCE OBOB team will post the entire schedule next week!

Volunteers

We are looking for OCE OBOB moderators to help with the battles & practices! It is not a hard job but will require some training, which happens over zoom next week!

Please email: Kirstin Martin at oakcreekelementarypto@gmail.com

For all other questions please contact

The OCE School Librarian & OBOB Book Club Coordinator email: Darcy Benson at bensond@loswego.k12.or.us

The OCE OBOB teacher coordinator email: Megan Lovelace at lovelacm@loswego.k12.or.us

Warmly,

The OCE OBOB TEAM

Here are some pictures from the t-shirt decorating mornings in the Library with Fabric Markers!

Here are some pictures from the t-shirt tie dye afternoon out in front of OCE with our PTO!

Hi, OCE!

Welcome back!

Oregon Battle of the Books practice is in session! Come practice Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings at 8-8:20 in the library.

The PTO is gathering interested people to join an adult “Green Team”. This group will be comprised of parents, teachers, and community members who want to help develop sustainable practices within the school. We will help manage the garden and help develop sustainable practices like recycling and composting at school. We will be working with the district as well as developing YOUR ideas. If you want to get involved, please add your name to the sign up and we will email you with information and questions to decide on our first meeting time.

Green Team Signup

Order your yearbook! Pre-order for $25. If you make a “Direct Ask” donation, or a donation over $175, a yearbook is included.

Thank you for your donations to the PTO! Donations are tax-deductible with EIN#: 81-3009316.

As a reminder, we have two ongoing fundraisers that you can participate in at no additional cost to you:

1. When shopping on Amazon, visit smile.amazon.com and select “Oak Creek Elementary PTO” as your charity. Make all purchases through smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com You can even change the app setting on your phone. That’s all. You get your items delivered in 2 days, Oak Creek receives 0.5% of every purchase total.

1. Before your next stop at Fred Meyer, please follow the instructions to add “Oak Creek Elementary PTA” as your community organization. (created when the PTO operated as a PTA) Make all purchases using your Shopper’s Card number and a donation will be applied to Oak Creek.

Join us for a PTO general meeting January 11th at 7p in the school library.

Are you interested in helping with Coyote Day?! There is a job for everyone, big and small. Please join us 1/19 at 7p in the school library for an informational meeting.

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

This is an evening dedicated to our wonderful community and the amazing schools we support.

Click here for more information!

Our families and community are asking parents to remember that parking on the side of Kingsgate creates hazardous conditions for others who are driving and walking in the area. Please find other options during arrival, dismissal, and other events.

To unlock i-Ready's full potential, students should access 45 minutes of instruction per subject (reading and math) per week. Each student's i-Ready Personalized Instruction (My Path) provides instruction at their individual level, providing them with additional instruction and opportunities to practice the skills they need to be successful. With holiday breaks coming up, i-Ready Personalized Instruction (My Path) is an excellent option to help keep your student's skills sharp and extend their learning. If you have any questions about how to access i-Ready Personalized Instruction (My Path) on your student's device, please feel free to contact your teacher.

Dear Oak Creek Community,

As we start the new year of 2023, we will be spending the month of January practicing the character trait of PERSEVERANCE in our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons. The definition we will be using for Perseverance is: pushing yourself to work through challenges and obstacles.

A lot of research today is telling us that the highest indicators of success in our kids isn’t just about their grades or their IQ. The number one skill that helps people of all walks of life be successful is GRIT! Grit is the ability to persevere in the face of adversity or even failure.

Over the course of the month, we will talk about inspiring people who faced many failures before they found success. We will talk about what it means to navigate tough stuff, even when it feels overwhelming or really hard. We will talk about having a Growth Mindset; to see challenges and failure as an opportunity to grow instead of a brick wall. During my SEL time in each classroom we will also talk about anxiety and worries and how to push on through when things get tough.

One way to reinforce our teaching here at school is to let your child know it’s ok to not be perfect. Students are often expected to perform their best on everything from tests to playing on the sports field. Complimenting their effort, determination and good character places the focus on the process instead of the product.

Here are links for extension activities to explore PERSEVERANCE further as a family:

Kindergarten Perseverance Family Newsletter

1st Grade Perseverance Family Newsletter

2nd Grade Perseverance Family Newsletter

3rd Grade Perseverance Family Newsletter

4th Grade Perseverance family newsletter

5th Grade Perseverance Family Newsletter

Together,

Roxanne Davidson

Ms. D 💙 Oak Creek Elementary School Counselor 💙 davidsor@loswego.k12.or.us

Each school year, Oregon students take assessments to meet federal requirements. The purpose of these assessments is to provide data that schools can use to ensure that every child is on track and achieving learning goals.

State law requires us to inform you that a form is available from the State Department of Education that allows you to opt your child out of the math and English Language Arts assessments for the current school year. Should you wish to opt out your child, fill out the form and submit it to the main office at your child’s school. Please note the submission deadlines listed on the form. Meeting the deadline will help the school with planning and preparation. If you wish your child not to participate in the science assessment for grades 5, 8, and 11, submit this request in writing to the principal of your child's school.

If you have questions or want more information about state assessments, please contact your child’s principal or teacher(s).

Click here for opt-out form for Math and English Language Arts.

"Who Was..." History Bee

Over 80 3rd-5th graders participated in the Classroom "Who Was..." History Bee! The top 15 students continued on to the Who Was School Bee where students answered a variety of questions about famous people in history. Our top 4 finishers were Jai L., Tyson B., Amelia D.C., and our school winner Drew H.! Drew gets the opportunity to represent Oak Creek at the online regional bee in March! Congratulations to everyone who participated and a special congratulations to Drew, our Oak Creek Champion!

Drew's winning question was-- In 2011 who stepped down as the political leader of Tibet? (Dalai Lama)

Scripps National Spelling and Vocabulary Bee- Grades 4-5

Our 4th and 5th graders will have an opportunity to participate in the Scripps National Spelling and Vocabulary Bee. Classroom competitions will be the week of January 3rd. The top scorers from each class will participate in the school bee the week of February 6th. The school winner will then move on to the regional bee in March.

Check your student's Google Classroom for additional information and helpful study links. For questions, please contact our TAG Coordinator, Alix Swanson. (swansona@loswego.k12.or.us)

Please click here to: Learn when to keep your children home from school.

January Nurses' Newsletter

Contact your District Nurse.

We have a lot to celebrate and acknowledge this month. All teachers and staff are encouraged to find ways to recognize these and other awareness opportunities to help create a culture of belonging in our schools.

January 1

New Year's Day

New Year's Day, also simply called New Year or New Year's, is observed on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar.

National Holiday -- No School

January 9

School Resource Officer Appreciation Day

January 17, 2022

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Always celebrated on the third Monday in January, this federal holiday honors Reverend King's life and commitment to equality and unity. The Day of Service encourages citizens to follow King's words: "Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve." Read more at the Martin Luther King, Jr. website. Volunteers of all ages work on projects in their communities to honor King’s dedication to community service.

National Holiday - No School

January 17-21, 2022

No Name-Calling Week

No Name-Calling Week is a week organized by K-12 educators and students to end name-calling and bullying in schools. This week shares tools and resources for disrupting anti-LGBTQ+ harassment and bias-based bullying, and invites LGBTQ+ students to assert what they want to be called.

If we've missed a recognition opportunity, please email kristoft@loswego.k12.or.us.

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.

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.

https://www.safeoregon.com/

(Students should also be aware that intentionally providing a false report is a serious offense.)

Stay connected to the district and your school(s) and receive urgent notifications by subscribing to the Lake Oswego Schools App.

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