Oak Creek Elementary
Coyote News - April 8, 2022
Principal's Message
Oak Creek Families,
It was great to see so many families come in for parent-teacher conferences! Your partnership with our team here at school is vital, and we appreciate you making time to connect with us. We also want to thank all of you for supporting your child's excitement about reading, and our school, by visiting the Scholastic Book Fair. There were so many smiling faces!
Please read below for important information about state testing, school advisory committee opportunities, the Asian Cultural Festival put on by our Lake Oswego High School Asian American Student Union (AASU), and much more!
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
In This Message:
Updated in Every Edition:
- Message from the Principal
- Dates to Remember
- Counselor Corner
- Message from Your PTO
NEW In This Edition:
OCE State Testing (OSAS) Information
Windjammers Camp
Repeated Information:
Asian Cultural Festival on April 16th
LOSD Cares Virtual Workshop
Youth Truth Survey - Reminder!
Spring Conference Note
Board Advisory Committee Opportunities
- 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!
April 16: Asian Cultural Festival on April 16th
April 22: Fourth Grade Field Trip to OMSI
April 27: Fifth Grade BizTown!
May 9: Fourth Grade Field Trip to Aurora Colony
May 27: No School: Grade Prep Day
May 29: Spring Plant Sale Orders Due
May 30: No School: Memorial Day
June 10: 11:00AM Early Dismissal Last Day of Classes
Oregon State Assessment System: OSAS Testing Coming Soon!
Please help your child be ready to do their best on the state assessment by helping them remember to:
- Get lots of exercise during the day and plenty of rest at night
- Eat a healthy breakfast
- Bring a book to read when they are finished
- Bring their CHARGED chromebook and headphones (we will provide them for students who do not bring their own from home)
- Leave smartphones/watches at home, or turn them into their teacher (If a student has a smartphone or watch during testing it can invalidate their test; smart phones and watches are an impropriety, per state assessment regulations)
- Try their best, have a great attitude and a growth mindset!
If you have a child in grades 3-5, please review the schedule below, and remember to get students to school on time and avoid scheduling appointments on testing days if possible. Students do better when they can test with their class, instead of having to catch up at a different time. Thank you in advance for your support!
Windjammers Camp April 23
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
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.
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,
Spring has arrived! We hope you are enjoying the new blooms as much as we are. There is information on the school garden, school supplies, our Oak Creek PTO and our Coyote Day below. Please reach out for any questions.
Join the PTO!
Come to the Oak Creek Elementary's Playground 10:30am-12:30pm Sunday, April 24th, to meet some of the PTO and bring your questions. Kids can play while you enjoy some refreshments. Please come and meet other parents.
Our PTO is looking for new people to continue the wonderful tradition of giving to our teachers and school community. Do you work full time? Most of us do. There are still many roles that are super low commitment. Would the two of you like to do one job together? That can happen!
Unfortunately, our PTO is losing many members this year to the boundary change and middle school. We need you now. Send an email to OakCreekElementaryPTO@gmail.com to get more information. Here is some more information on the roles we are filling.
President- Oversees the organization and coordinates with our Principal and other Lake Oswego Parent Clubs.
Treasurer - Keeps track of outgoing money.
Assistant Treasurer- Keeps track of incoming money.
Membership- Collects memberships and runs DirectorySpot.
Secretary- Takes notes for monthly meetings.
Parental Involvement - Organizes volunteers for events and classroom parents.
Sustainability- Helps with the garden and makes our school community more sustainable.
Communications- Writes newsletters and social media for the PTO.
Events and Enrichment -Sets up and organizes events such as Coyote Day for our community.
Fundraising- Sets up and organizes fundraisers.
Each of these roles are not much work on their own. Some can even be done fully off campus or virtually. Please reach out and claim your spot on the PTO. This is fully dependent on volunteers stepping up to do just a little part. We can change our school community for good if we work together. Nominations will be May 17th at the PTO's General Meeting.
Sponsor a Coyote
Sponsor your student on Coyote Day using this link. April 29th your student will be running in the jog-a-thon at Oak Creek. We are aiming for $50 per student if you are able. Each student will receive a Coyote Day t-shirt to wear on Coyote Day and keep.
School Supplies
Returning Oak Creek families can now purchase School supplies for next year. Here is the link for school supplies: Supplies. These supplies will be ready at the beginning of next school year. You will not need to worry about having to find your student's supplies during the the shipping crisis.
School Garden
Our school is fortunate enough to have a school garden. This year our students are doing most of the planting. Early spring, they will be planting peas and radishes and have already excitedly dug up potatoes grown last year.
Last year, our school introduced mason bees to our garden. These are gentle native bees that rarely sting. This year we are adding a second home for them. Check out their new home here! These homes have doors that the kids can open and view what the bees are up to. The bees are only active in the spring and are great pollinators. For more information see this link.
Our school garden has many plants started from seed although we do add in some plants from our spring plant sale. The variety of tomatoes is impressive! See for yourself here. Your purchases support our garden and school.
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)
PTO Website
If you are interested in joining the PTO please reach out via email and check out our website- PTO Website, OakCreekElementaryPTO@gmail.com.
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
"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