Orion Gazette
May 17 - May 21
School Calendar
May 2021 School Calendar
May 19 Orion Alternative Parent Participation Multicultural Presentation to the board via zoom
May 20 New Parents for 2021-22 PTO Welcome & Orientation
May 25 Building a Positive School Culture #2 community meeting via zoom
May 26 School Site Council at 4:30 pm
May 26 7:00pm Guest Speaker for Mandarin Immersion Families-Elizabeth Weise
May 31 Memorial Day No School
June Calendar
June 3 PTO Elections
June 5 PTO Sponsored Variety Show
June 8 5pm Grade 5 Promotion Ceremony on site
June 10 Last Day of School
Community Dialogue on School Culture
Tuesday, May 25, 2021, 07:00 PM
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Mandarin Immersion Families - Special Guest Speaker Elizabeth Weise May 26 at 7:00pm
Elizabeth Weise (it rhymes with ‘geese’) is the mother of two daughters who has been in Chinese immersion since they began school in San Francisco. Both took college-level Chinese classes in high school and are finding Chinese useful in college. Weise’s book, A Parent’s Guide to Mandarin Immersion, is the how-to guide she wished she’d had when her kids began in immersion. She also edits the Mandarin Immersion Parents Council blog. Her day job is as a national correspondent for USA TODAY covering COVID-19 vaccines.
Field Day Possibility for June 7
Field Day is an hour-long event for students to have fun with their classmates in the stable cohort outdoor activities.
Parent volunteers must be cleared through the district office with the parent volunteer packet. Please reach out to office manager Elizabeth Araiza at eariaza to find out if you are cleared to volunteer on-site.
Sign up here for a block of time to help set up or clean up the event and run the event with another parent volunteer.
Starship Update
Calendar of Events sponsored by the PTO: Dates
5/10 Read-A-Thon Begins
5/19 Variety Show Auditions
5/20 New Parent PTO Orientation
6/3 PTO Elections
6/5 Variety Show
6/7 Field Day is a tentative pending parent volunteer sign up
Yard duty Sign Up
We need volunteers for yard duty, especially during 12-2:30 pm. Volunteers must be fingerprinted and cleared. Elizabeth, our office manager can check if you are cleared:
earaiza@rcsdk8.net. Sign up here:
Email Jessica T for questions: jmtsang@gmail.com
Read-A-Thon Fundraiser: May 10th-May 28th
We have raised $12,000 profit for our school. We have $8k more to raise to meet our goal of providing a STEAM curriculum for our children next year.
Sign up your reader ASAP so they can participate with their friends!
Use this link to Register your Reader: Register your Reader
Here is a summary:
Students read and log reading sessions.
They share out to friends and family their reading achievements and ask for support.
They earn rewards from the school for participation, Treasure Chest Prizes, Lunch with Librarian, and Pajama Day.
They can earn a portion of their $ raised to spend in a Read-A-Thon reward store, which will be distributed by the teacher or parent volunteers for Distance Learners.
The class who wins the contest for top reading minutes will earn a Pizza and Ice Cream Party!
The money raised by families and friends will benefit the school-wide fund for PTO and be allocated specifically toward Science and STEAM curriculum and training for next year. Our goal is to raise $20k profit for Science Enrichment! Help the school reach our goal!
Multicultural Updates:
Flamingos are on the Move!
Friends all over town are getting “flocked” by Orion. Support Orion Parent Participation and Mandarin Immersion Programs while having a little pink flamingo fun! Donate and send a flock of pink flamingos to your friends’, family members', or neighbors’ front yard! Check out the website for details.
https://starshiporion.org/flamingoflocking/
We will also begin flocking Orion with students’ fun decorated flamingos. Please pick up a flamingo to bedazzle in the office and bring it back to school to join the flock!
This week’s assembly will be introducing amazing Kenyan Photographer, Brian Otieno and include some tours of Nairobi with our friend and travel guide, Sam. Be on the lookout in the next two weeks for Kenyan wildlife popping up on campus!
Don’t forget to check out our website where we are posting all of the amazing resources.
PTO Special Listening Sessions:
The next listening session will be held for the Spanish-speaking community. This meeting will be shared out by Elizabeth and Michelle Redmond, a district parent advocate. This meeting will be held in Spanish only. Aside from Katherine Rivera, Sarah Rutherford Quach and Lilli Milton will attend as representatives of the other groups and share out a translated summary of the meetings. Only Spanish-speaking Heritage John Gill will be invited to attend or share. The reasoning for this is to create a safe space for this historically underserved community to speak freely.
7-8 pm Topic: What has been your experience with the schools merging?
Tuesday, May 18 -- From the perspective of the original John Gill School families (English program)
Tuesday, June 1 -- From the perspective of the current teachers and staff
PTO Budget and Fundraising
Paypal Link for Donations: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2207235
We voted to pass the proposed budget on May 13th. One small change was made. Thank you to everyone who participated!
Please Review the approved Budget for 2021-2022 PTO Budget
Please review the school-wide budget survey: 2021-2022 Budget Survey
PTO Elections
Elections will be held on June 3rd at 7:30 pm
There are plenty of positions to fill and we welcome participation from everyone! If you are interested in a position but aren’t sure which one, please take the opportunity to look over the current Starship PTO structure here which may change as the schools’ needs evolve. Structure of PTO: Roles and Responsibilities
An orientation for new or interested families will be held on May 20th at 7:30 pm. This zoom meeting will provide a PTO overview and any parents interested in learning more or getting involved are encouraged to join us.
If you are interested in a position, we would be so happy to have you nominate yourself by emailing Starship@orionschool.org. Nominations are due May 24th.
Starship PTO Welcome May 20th, 7:30 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91854240020?pwd=TzF6Ky9sZmdVVVhLT1luYU0wbnBmZz09
Meeting ID: 918 5424 0020
Passcode: 911289
Variety Show June 5th, 6:00 pm
We are excited to host a virtual Variety Show and Fund-a-Need community event on June 5th. Students will have the opportunity to submit video entries to be streamed live. Entries can be anything! Musical performances, jokes, magic tricks, etc.
“Audition” is Wednesday, May 19th via zoom. Students will have the chance to present their ideas in preparation for submitting their entries.
https://rcsdk8-net.zoom.us/j/4683455833?pwd=czF3RkpudjVXWVlReWJsanpGY2ZOQT09
Meeting ID: 468 345 5833
Password: j979np
School Picture info:
There is no makeup day for school photos this year
Link to view the portraits: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1000843150#login
To get your student’s code, email the vendor or Elizabeth in the front office (earaiza@rcsdk8.net) with the student's name and you will be sent the code. The codes are individualized.
For further questions, please contact the vendor representative;
Christine KestersonLasting Memories School Photography / An Inter-State Studio Affiliate
8115 Morningside Drive
Granite Bay, CA 95746LMSEP.com Tel: 916-259-1356 office@lmsep.com
Child Nutrition
Schoolsdistributing meals: Adelante Selby, Garfield, Hoover, & Kennedy
April 14, 2021 - June 30, 2021 WEDNESDAYS
11:00 am to 12:30 pm:
Meals:
(Please use the Washington Ave. parking lot to visit Kennedy)7
Convenient
once a week
pick up for all meals
on Wednesdays!
Can't come by Wednesdays or don't have room for 7 days of meals? Please call 650-482-2279 for special arrangements to pick up meals.
Please note:
Distribution schedules may vary by school site.
All families welcome regardless of income or school child attends Free meals are available to children 18 years old and younger No meal card is required
Students do not have to be present
Anyone in the household can pick up meals
Breakfast, lunch, supper & snack!