Oak Creek Elementary
Coyote News - March 18, 2022
Principal's Message
Oak Creek Families,
Spring Break is here and we hope you all enjoy the extra time with your family. When we return, we will start the final 11 weeks of the school year! Our team is working hard to make sure we make the most of this last part of the year. Along with continued focus on academics, there are other important events happening this spring as well, starting with parent-teacher conferences in April. Remember to watch for communication from your child's classroom teacher for opportunities to sign up!
If you have any 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
4th Grade Biography Posters
In This Message:
Updated in Every Edition:
- Message from the Principal
- Dates to Remember
- Counselor Corner
- Message from Your PTO
NEW In This Edition:
Youth Truth Survey - Reminder!
OBOB News
Spring Conference Note
Board Advisory Committee Opportunities
Spring Plant Sale!
Repeated Information:
OC Food Drive is Back!
Join Scout Troop 432 In Lake Oswego
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 21-25: No School: Spring Break
April 1: 11:00 AM Early Dismissal
April 7-8: No School: Conferences
April 7-8: Book Fair in the Library
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
YouthTruth Survey Reminder
Thank you to all of the families who have already shared your thoughts with us through the YouthTruth Survey! If you haven't already done so, please participate in the Family Survey linked here ytsurvey.org/losdfamily22, before March 25th. It is helpful for us to hear what we're doing well at Oak Creek, as well as how we can improve.
As part of LOSD’s efforts to create a culture of belonging and to achieve equitable academic outcomes, we will once again administer the Youth Truth survey to all staff, parents, and students in grades 3-12.
The YouthTruth survey is confidential, and responses from children and parents will be held in the strictest confidence. We encourage everyone to participate. This will be an important piece of information for administrators to improve our students' experiences at school.
Elementary students in grades 3-5 will also complete the survey between February 28 and March 25. This is a vital opportunity for students to provide feedback and help guide the school’s improvement plan. The student survey will take 15-30 minutes to complete and will be offered during school hours.
*Please note that parents may opt their child out of the survey if they would like. Click here for the opt-out form. For more information, visit the YouthTruth website: youthtruthsurvey.org
OBOB News!
During the Finals Battle
OBOB was a huge success and could not have happened without the hard work of our students, parent volunteers, and school staff! We are grateful that everyone took the leap this year! A special shout out to our Oak Creek Librarian Darcy Benson, our PTO President Kirstin Martin, and OBOB moderator extraordinaire Natasha Richardson for working tirelessly with Ms. Lovelace since September to make this tournament happen.
Team AASK will be representing Oak Creek Elementary School at Regionals this year. A big cheer for Austin Rust, Shivani Vivek, Kevin Yank and Abyan Nguyen! Good luck in the online competition on April 23rd!
Congratulations to all the teams who participated in Oak Creek’s OBOB competition:
The Reading Chalupas
Sharp Readers
Winning Chapters
The Homies
Purple Red
Strange Students
Logic Readers
Racing Stars
Team Valiant
Spicy Pretzels
The Book Cats
Dragons
Sorry Not Sorry
KEEP READING, COYOTES!!
Enjoy those free choice books OR if you are ready to get going on next year’s OBOB list, here is the link.Team AASK!
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
JOIN SCOUT TROOP 432 IN LAKE OSWEGO
We are a high-adventure group participating in activities that:
* Encourage scouts to try new things
* Let scouts lead themselves
* Allow scouts to be individuals while also learning to work together as a group
* Build self-confidence
* Serve the community
* Are fun!
We go on outings at least once per month. Past outings include multi-day biking, backpacking, and rafting as well as day trips such as hiking and snowshoeing. We try to attend a different summer camp each year to keep things new.
In addition to monthly outings, we have monthly service projects to give back to the community.
We hold only one fund raising event per year to keep the costs low for outings and registration fees.
Scouts are guided and supported by an active community of volunteers made up of parents of active and former scouts, and adults who are former scouts themselves.
Who can join Troop 432? Anyone! We focus on inclusivity and welcome anyone to join within 11 - 18 years of age. No prior scouting experience is necessary. Our scouts come from diverse backgrounds and religions. Get ready to learn, create long-lasting friendships, and have fun. Come join Troop 432 to gain experiences and skills that last a lifetime.
Please email Tanya Ross at runtanya@yahoo.com for more information.
Book Fair is Coming Back in Person to Oak Creek!
During our conference week of April 4-8 the Scholastic book fair will be held in the library. Parents will be able to load their students’ ewallets from the scholastic website (not yet available, but notice will be made when it is).
Parents may shop during our two conference days on Thursday 4/7 and Friday 4/8.
For more information, contact Darcy Benson Library Tech Assistant bensond@loswego.k12.or.us.
Lost and Found
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 OCE Families,
This month through our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons, we will be introducing the character trait of HONESTY. As a school community, we will be examining how HONESTY looks, sounds, and feels. During our lessons, we will be referencing this definition:
HONESTY: Living truthfully in your words, actions and thoughts.
HONESTY is not about just telling the truth. It is about living a life that is thoughtful and clear about what we believe is good and just. It’s about making sure what we think is kind and worthwhile also lines up with what we say and what we do. In March, we will talk about the cost of dishonesty and what it does to our bodies and minds. Further, we will connect how HONESTY and KINDNESS are closely related traits.
We have opportunities throughout each day where we can either choose to be truthful, or choose to be untruthful through either our words, actions, or thoughts. As we learn about the importance of HONESTY, we will also understand that being truthful isn’t always the easy choice, but it’s always the right (expected) choice. Students will learn about integrity and the importance of being honest with themselves. This month we will have challenging, but rewarding conversations and as always, we appreciate you partnering with us.
For your reference, here are links for extension activities you may wish to explore further as a family:
K-2 HONESTY Parent Letter (English) K-2 HONESTIDAD para familias (En Español )
3-5 HONESTY Parent Letter (English) 3-5 HONESTIDAD para familias (En Español )
Warmly,
Wendy Olsen
School Counselor Grades K/1
Roxanne Davidson
School Counselor Grades 2-5
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