Oak Leaf Weekly Update

Dear ROCS Community,

Our team appreciates your dedication to our school and we look forward to learning together in 2022!

Winter Break is from December 20, 2021 to January 3, 2022!

We can't wait to see your children on Tuesday, January 4th!

Coming up:

Please let your friends with children know that our enrollment lottery is accepting applications starting January 4, 2022 until February 24, 2022! Forward this link to interested families: https://www.riveroakcharterschool.org/registration-information/

We are also offering in-person campus tours for families to learn more about our school as they make their decisions about where to send their children for free public education. Please call (707) 467-1855 ex.104 for more information.

On Friday our school came together for a modified, annual winter assembly to share songs and gifts to close out the year. Our 2nd graders gave a golden heart to every student in our school, and the fourth grade shared a song and dance. The volleyball and basketball families planned a special gift and the teams honored Ms. Martinez for her dedication, mentorship and tireless efforts to continue our amazing sports program. The day was filled with gingerbread making, walking field trips, class PJ parties and appreciations. The goodbye's were so meaningful and we look forward to coming back together in 2022!

Mendocino County Library Presents: “A Winter Walk in the Woods” on Saturday, January 8th, from 10:30 – 11:15 a.m., at The Gazebo in Todd Grove Park located at 600 Live Oak Ave. in Ukiah, CA. The program includes story-telling, circle games, and a puppet play. All are welcome. A free event sponsored by Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library and River Oak Charter School. In the event of extreme weather, the event will be cancelled.

Holiday Meal Distribution We are excited to offer ingredients for a free holiday meal to any family with a child 18 years or younger at Ukiah High School on Saturday, December 18, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Food items include a fully-cooked, frozen spiral ham, a bag of potatoes, a bag of apples, a box of stuffing, and milk.

Dear ROCS Community,

We invite you to send us your photos for the Annual ROCS Yearbook!

The Yearbook Committee is hard at work designing and laying out YOUR 2021-2022 yearbook.

Won't you please help us make sure that everyone is included?

We need photos of ROCS events, field trips, students and faculty in classrooms and aftercare.

Please use this link to submit photos directly to our Entourage yearbook (in the CORRECT Class)!

(At this time, we are not collecting pre-orders for this yearbook, please disregard the option to "purchase" once you click on the link).

For questions, please reach out to the Yearbook Committee at yearbook@riveroakcharterschool.org

The 8th grade boys played Pomolita Middle School on Monday, defeating them 54-33.

Pomolita came out with 8 quick points, but the Firebirds went on a 10-2 run and got back into

the game. River Oak continued to play aggressive defense and consistent offense, leading to a

9 point lead at halftime.

The Firebirds exploded in the second half, jumping the lead up to 24 points. The Firebirds shot

consistently in the second half, which added to their cushion. Geo Gibbs and Cheyo Kammer

both contributed key three point shots that contributed to the lead.

The Firebirds shot 45% from the three point line. Zach Martinez led the Firebirds in scoring with

19 points. Kaleo Olson also contributed with 14 points and 5 assists.

When asked what the Firebirds did to earn this win; Kammer, who had 8 points, said “Our

defense and our shooting was good.” Gibbs, who had 11 points, said, “We shut down Pomolita’s

big guys, that was key.”

~Kaleo Olson

The River Oak’s 8th grade boys team won their third straight game, knocking off Eagle Peak

Middle School, 53-37. River Oak scored the first unanswered 10 points and were getting easy baskets at the rim. But, Eagle Peak did not let the game get out of hand; they kept the game within reach the whole first half. River Oak only had a 26-19 lead at halftime.

River Oak came out a different team in the 3rd quarter. The Firebirds switched from a man to

man defense to a 3-2 zone. The Firebirds out-scored the Eagles in the 3rd quarter, 14 to 8. River Oak’s shooting and strong defense was a key factor for their run.

Kaleo Olson led the Firebirds with scoring, he had 17 points on 9-17 shooting. When asked what the team did differently in the 2nd half, Coach Rebekah Martinez said “I think it just came from the players, they knew they weren't playing up to their expectations and so they were able to pick up the momentum in the second half and finish strong.” Zach Martinez, who had 14 points and

18 rebounds, said “We had better offense and we just worked together as a team and had strong

passes.” Geo Gibbs, with 9 points, agreed, “Better defense and more careful passes.”

~Kaleo Olson

Dear ROCS families,

We thank you for your continued vigilance and cooperation with following school safety protocols. Because of your efforts we have been able to continue in-person learning, which we all know is best for our children's development.

When we return from our break, we will be testing all students twice who have consent, as well as our entire staff, following county and state recommendations.

Please perform a health screening at home prior to bringing your child to school. If your child has a fever or recent loss of taste or smell, please do not bring them to school, instead, take them to get a PCR test at the fairgrounds (hours are Sat-Thurs. 9am-1pm, 2pm-5pm, or on Fridays at the OptumServe mobile bus at 13101 Nokomis Rd.

For more information on testing: https://www.mendocinocounty.org/community/novel-coronavirus/covid-19-testing. Once you receive the negative test result, your child may return to school.

With Appreciation,

Jessica Beckstrom

ROCS COVID Coordinator

King Winter now is in the land,
he reigns with cold and freezing hand.
He makes Jack Frost touch nose and toes,
and gives our cheeks a shining glow.

Email: kmccullough@riveroakcharterschool.org
Website: www.riveroakcharterschool.org
Location: 555 Leslie Street, Ukiah, CA, USA
Phone: (707) 467-1855
Facebook: www.facebook.com/riveroakcharter