Oak Creek Elementary
Coyote News - April 1, 2022
Principal's Message
Oak Creek Families,
We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair. Hosted by our staff and volunteers, this event is an opportunity for students of all ages to build their home libraries and further their love of reading. As always, all purchases benefit our school.
After missing out on many beloved traditions, our spring Book Fair will be a familiar, welcome, and safe event for our students. Here’s what you need to know about the Fair, which will take place from April 4th – 8th at the Oak Creek Library.
Our Book Fair offers eWallet, a safe and secure alternative to cash. Simply create a free account to add funds and/or invite family and friends to contribute so your child can select their own books. Any unused funds can be spent at The Scholastic Store Online or to fund a future eWallet.
If you can’t make it to the Fair, then shop at our school’s Online Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Your online orders will also benefit our school.
Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with eWallet and online shopping: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/oce
We’re excited to celebrate our love of books together at the Book Fair. Please remember that all students should be supervised by a parent. We look forward to seeing you there!
If you have any questions about the Book Fair, please contact Darcy Benson at bensond@loswego.k12.or.us. If you have more general school questions, please see the FAQ section below, or feel free to reach out to myself or Carrie Beach at beachc@loswego.k12.or.us.
Thank you,
Barb Keeton
Principal
Oak Creek Elementary
In This Message:
Updated in Every Edition:
- Message from the Principal
- Dates to Remember
- Counselor Corner
- Message from Your PTO
NEW In This Edition:
Asian Cultural Festival on April 16th
LOSD Cares Virtual Workshop
Parent/Teacher Conference Day Basketball Camp 1st-5th Grade Co-ed
LOSD Safety Symposium April 7
Repeated Information:
Youth Truth Survey - Reminder!
Spring Conference Note
Board Advisory Committee Opportunities
OC Food Drive is Back!
Book Fair is Coming Back in Person to Oak Creek!
Lost and Found
- Volunteer Requirements
- 2022-2023 Registration for New OCE Students
- Upcoming Health Lessons
- Oak Creek FAQs
LOSD District News:
- Hunger Fighters
- How to Find LOSD Covid-19 Information
- Back to School Clothes at Clothing Closet
- SafeOregon
- Subscribe to Lake Oswego Schools App
Dates to Remember!
March 29-April 8: OC Food Drive
April 1: 11:00 AM Early Dismissal
April 5: LOSD Cares Workshop
April 5: Deadline to Submit Application for LOSD Board Committee
April 7: LOSD Safety Symposium
April 7-8: No School: Conferences
April 7-8: Book Fair in the Library
April 16: Asian Cultural Festival on April 16th
May 27: No School: Grade Prep Day
May 29: Spring Plant Sale Orders Due
May 30: No School: Memorial Day
June 10: 11:00 AM Early Dismissal Last Day of Classes
Asian Cultural Festival on April 16th
Mark your calendars! All are invited to the Asian Cultural Festival being hosted by the Lake Oswego High School Asian American Student Union (AASU) on Saturday, Apr. 16, 12pm - 5pm at the high school. The festival will feature Asian culture through performances, free food samples, and over 15 different activities/exhibits including fashion exhibits, arts and crafts, and bollywood dancing with DJ Prashant.
There is free admission to the general event, but due to limited space in the auditorium, tickets are required to watch the performances. The show is from 2 pm to 3:30 pm and includes 10 acts. Performances include lion dancers, martial arts, traditional Asian instruments, cultural dance, and much more. To buy tickets or learn more about the event, please visit AsianFestivalLO.com.
LOSD families can get discounted tickets (only $3 each) with the promo code: LOSDSTUDENT
LOSD CARES WORKSHOP
Parent/Teacher Conference Day Basketball Camp 1st-5th Grade Co-ed
Thursday, April 7, 2022 - Friday, April 8, 2022 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Parent/Teacher Conference Day Camp 1-5th grade, Location Forest Hills Elementary
April 7 & 8th
9:00 am to 12:00pm $120 per camper
Camp Directors: Marshall Cho and Rob Smaller, Basketball Coaches, Lake Oswego HS
What to Expect from Camp
The Fundamentals of basketball will be stressed heavily in all camps through drills, practice time with coaches, and games every day. Our staff has an unparalleled love of this great game, and will work to help cultivate the same love for the game in each camper. Basketball is a game, and is meant to be fun. This concept will be stressed throughout camp as well.
What to Bring to Camp
Each camper should be dressed in a t-shirt and non-marking gym shoes. We will not be using locker room facilities, so campers should be dressed when they arrive. Please, no hats, watches, earrings, or necklaces as these items often become lost or could cause injury to the camper or to another. Please do not bring your own basketball, as we have plenty and we don’t want you to lose yours!
What we expect from Campers
Campers should show up each day with a great attitude, an open mind and a desire to learn and have fun. Coach Cho will be instructing each camper and expect them to work hard and be respectful of fellow campers.
Important Information:
• Make sure to send a labeled water bottle each day.
• Tennis or court shoes are required.
Fee Waivers/Reductions
Consistent with our mission to be an inclusive learning community, the LOSD Community School accepts fee waiver/reduction requests for low income families. Qualifying families must be permanent Lake Oswego Residents and have a student(s) currently enrolled within the Lake Oswego School District. Please note that fee waivers/reductions are not guaranteed, and may only be used for in district extra-curricular or enrichment fee-based programs. Funds cannot be applied to equipment, uniforms, material fees or other noted out-of-pocket expenses. The outcomes of requests are based on district policy and federal guidelines.
Please use the link below to access the fee waiver/fee reduction packet to complete.
2021-2022 Fee Waiver or Reduction
To be considered, please send your request for a fee waiver/reduction packet via email to contacting communityschool@loswego.k12.or.us.
LOSD Safety Symposium April 7
LOSD is hosting its first annual LOSD K-12 Safety Symposium at Lakeridge High School Auditorium, Thursday, Apr. 7. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the session begins at 6 p.m. The in-person event is an opportunity for parents/guardians and community residents to learn about safety issues affecting students and actions that can be taken to create a safer community.
Spring Conferences
We are looking forward to spring parent-teacher conferences on April 7-8. Please look for the email from your child's teacher with information about how to sign-up. There will be no school for students on these days. If you cannot make it in person to your conference, teachers are happy to connect with you over Zoom. All conferences will need to be on April 7th and 8th.
Board Advisory Committee Applications Open
The Lake Oswego School Board of Directors invites students, teachers, staff members, parents/guardians and community residents to consider serving on its advisory committees. Applications and committee charters are available on the district website under School Board. Please submit your application by Friday, April 15 at 5 p.m. Possible interviews following submission, and notification of selected committee members by May 10, 2022.
OC Food Drive is Back!
The Oak Creek Food Drive will be held March 29-April 8. Please bring healthy canned, boxed, or packaged foods to be dropped off at the front of the school. (Large boxes will be marked.) All of the food will go directly to our community through the food pantry at Our Savior's Church. Monetary donations will be given to the Oregon Food Bank. A $10 donation equals 30 meals! We are accepting cash or checks. If you'd like to donate online, please click the link below.
Thank you!
The Third/Fourth Grade Students
Book Fair is Coming Back in Person to Oak Creek!
It is almost here! BOOK FAIR STARTS ON MONDAY! Students only Monday- Wednesday, Parents and students accompanied by parents Thursday and Friday.
A great place to start is with our scholastic book fair web page-
https://www.scholastic.com/bf/oce
This is where you can sign up to volunteer (Please do!), see the hours, set up your child’s ewallet, access the virtual flyer, and click into the virtual book fair, where you can find even more titles for purchase.
For more information, contact Darcy Benson Library Tech Assistant bensond@loswego.k12.or.us.
With money earned from our previous virtual book fairs, we have purchased some foam stools for our library as pictured below. We hope to use proceeds from our in person book fair to purchase more comfortable furniture for our library.
Please Check Lost and Found: All will be donated after conferences on April 8!
Volunteer Requirements
We're are excited to welcome volunteers back into our schools!! Please watch for communication from your child's teacher about when the opportunity will be available in their classroom, and check out our website for volunteer requirements.
2022-2023 Registration
Upcoming Health Lessons
Counselor Corner
Dear Oak Creek Families,
“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”
~Mr. Fred Rogers
During the month of April, Oak Creek students will spend time exploring RESPONSIBILITY. As one of our three core values (safe, respectful, responsible), we teach and reinforce the skills and characteristics needed to show responsibility daily. This month we will deepen our understanding of responsibility through community discussions and classroom social-emotional lessons. Traditionally, responsibility is defined in a few ways: duty, accountability, and the independence to make decisions. At Oak Creek we use the following definition:
RESPONSIBILITY: to take action and understand how our choices affect others, ourselves, and the world.
To live responsibly, we consider our decision making and how it impacts ourselves and others. We take ownership of our choices with integrity and we practice the important skills of self-reflection and self-control. This month we will practice these skills and learn from people who show a lot of responsibility in their lives. By demonstrating Responsibility in our activities and interactions, we can contribute to a more kind and generous world!
Here are links for extension activities to explore RESPONSIBILITY further as a family:
K-2 Responsibility Family Letter (ENGLISH) K-2 Responsibility Family Letter (SPANISH)
3-5 Responsibility Family Letter (ENGLISH) 3-5 Responsibility Family Letter (SPANISH)
Sincerely,
Wendy Olsen and Roxanne Davidson
School Counselors
Oak Creek Resources and Programs
Oak Creek is very fortunate to offer services for students or families experiencing need, thanks to the federally funded Title IA program, the Lake Oswego School District, generous donations from our community, PTO, Lake Grove Presbyterian Church, BeeLine Foundation, Love Inc., Kiwianas, and the Lake Oswego Rotary Club.
This form: OC Resources and Programs can be returned to your student’s teacher, the school counselor, or the front office. It will be kept confidential.
*****
If you have any questions please feel free to contact us. Your privacy will be respected.
503-534-2323 davidsor@loswego.k12.or.us
PTO CORNER
Message from PTO!
Dear Oak Creek Community,
Art Literacy
Take a look at the website for more info on the Art Literacy that will be taking place in our classrooms in the weeks to follow.
Coyote Day Jog-a-thon Coming Soon
Coyote Day is coming soon! Would your family or your place of business like to sponsor Oak Creek's Coyote day? Your family name or company will be advertised on the back of our school shirts for Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Coyote Sponsors. Please donate here or send an email to OakCreekElementaryPTO@gmail.com to commit to an amount. Sponsors must have commitments before April 1st to get their names and/or logos on the schools t-shirts.
Spring Plant Sale
Purchases from this year's spring plant sale will support our school's garden and all the other things our PTO provides such as teacher grants, scholarships, school events, field trips and more. Check out the spring plants here and make your order by March 29th. Families can pick up plants at Oak Creek on April 22nd at 10am.
Donations
To make a donation, please click here: OC Donation
Your employer may match your donation. Don’t forget your spouse’s company too!
As tax season approaches, we remind you that all PTO donations are Tax Deductible.
EIN: 81-3009316 (for tax records)
School Supplies
School supplies will be available for purchase soon. More information to come!
Directory Spot
If you WERE a DirectorySpot user last year, please log in (same username and password) to review your families new data for this school year. Please make sure you have the latest version of DirectorySpot to see the new features (check the app store for any “updates”).
If you are a NEW user, you have been set up and can download DirectorySpot for free from the App Store (iPhone users) or Google Play (Android users), or you can also access the data from the web.
Here at Oak Creek, the PTO uses DirectorySpot to share information with our school community. DirectorySpot is a mobile, private, and secure directory platform customized for our school. It’s purpose is to provide a way to communicate with families about events and activities at Oak Creek as well as tools to help people stay connected. All schools in the Lake Oswego School District use DirectorySpot for this purpose. It can also serve as a way to look up class lists by teacher and as an online family directory.
You can access the directory, once you have your account and password set up,via the internet here or via the Android or Apple app.
For your security, the directory is by invite only. As a new family to Oak Creek, you should have received an email on how to set up your account. The email detailed how you can download the app and directs your family to set up a password for your account. Only Oak Creek families and staff can access our directory. Information for the directory is pulled directly from the school district’s enrollment data. If for some reason, information is missing or incorrect, you can edit the information yourself at any time and choose which information you wish to share or not share. If you log in and see your family’s data, note that you are the only one who can see this information aside from the DirectorySpot Oak Creek Admin.
If you have questions please refer to this helpful guide.
Still have questions?
Email us at ocedirectoryspothelp@gmail.com
Volunteers
We are still looking for volunteers. Please sign up HERE for events and activities you would like to participate in this year. No commitments required. Sign up and we will reach out to you.
PTO Website
Check out our new website. It is still under construction so check back for updates on this page. PTO Website You will find the link to the ordering site here also. We still have two positions available this year. Contact OakCreekElementaryPTO@gmail.com if you have questions or would like to join.
Thank you for your continued support and doing your part in our wonderful community.
Sincerely,
Oak Creek Elementary PTO Executive Committee
Kirstin Martin / President
Samantha McCaskey / Treasurer
Jesse Nguyen / Assistant Treasurer
Juli Webster / Membership
Rachel Wilde / Secretary
Wendy Jenkins / Parental Involvement
Iris Tilley / Sustainability
Grayce Moody / Communications
FAQ's
What is the daily schedule?
First Bell - 8:10 am: Students are welcome to enter the building.
Tardy Bell - 8:20 am: Students who arrive later must check in with the office and receive a Tardy slip before going to their classroom.
Dismissal - 2:40 pm: Students taking a bus home will exit the building through lower doors, students being picked up by parents will exit the building through the top floor doors, students staying for after care will go to the assigned classroom.
Early Release on Thursdays - 2:00 pm
Will students and staff be wearing masks?
Currently. masks are optional for students, staff and volunteers. Additional information about mask requirements can be found here.
If you are still looking for an answer, please let us know by clicking here to submit your question.
LOSD District News
Click on the LOSD COVID-19 Information graphic (above) and find information about guidance, protocols, notifications and more.
Included is a new COVID-19 Dashboard, which notes all active cases in each school currently. Active cases are people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are currently in their 5-day isolation period. Once the isolation period is complete, the case is removed from the dashboard. The dashboard is updated with exposure notices.
"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
- Secretary Carrie Beach: beachc@loswego.k12.or.us
- Secretary Brenna Crocker: crockerb@loswego.k12.or.us
- Secretary 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