The Ottomon Times
#HelloFromTheOtterSide
January 17, 2022
Doing What is Right
As much as I wish racial and social injustice never occurred at our school or in the community around me, it sometimes does. I was fortunate at my last site to be involved in extensive professional development around the RIR Protocol. RIR stands for Recognize, Interrupt, Repair. Epoch Education's signature framework is a tool to make difficult conversations less challenging. This protocol can be used to address equity issues, personally, interpersonally and systemically. Here is a summary of the process which I try to model for staff and students here at Ottomon.
RECOGNIZE
Recognize It - The objective is to recognize what we think, feel and believe about statements and actions that perpetuate separation, exclusion, and deficit thinking. Answering these questions helps us pause to thoughtfully respond instead of reacting. Ask yourself: How does this make me feel? What happens in my body? What does this make me think?
INTERRUPT
Interrupt It - The objective is to engage in a way that creates open, honest dialogue around difficult issues. For example, what can I ask to understand the person's intent? How can I be empathetic as well as share how this impacts me? How can I voice another experience? How can I share the impact something is having on me?
REPAIR
Repair It - The objective is to come up with actionable steps that invite connection and inclusion, keep the issue on the table until it is resolved, and create sustainable change.
Observe, Engage, Study, and Research.
I look forward to the rest of this year and years to come as we further our personal development and growth as a school in this area.
TK Lottery Directions
● Navigate to the URL listed here: https://www.sanjuan.edu/Page/6874
● Scroll about ¼ of the way down the page and click on the “TK Lottery Application” link.
● Answer all the questions and upload any requested information if applicable.
● You will receive an email with all of your responses. It may take up to 5 to 10 minutes to receive the email.
● Results of the Lottery will be mailed at the end of March 2022.
● If you need support with the electronic process, please come to San Juan Central at 3700 Garfield Ave. and request help in the enrollment center. A technician can support you through the process. You may also get technical help in the main office of Greer Elementary school through Valerie Johnson.
Covid Testing this Week
COVID-19 testing locations this week:
Ms. Manriquez is available to test students for Covid on site. There may be a significant wait time depending on the number of students needing to test. Additionally...
San Juan Unified is providing both PCR and antigen (rapid) COVID-19 testing for district staff, students and approved volunteers on the following dates:
- Tuesday, Jan. 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Encina Preparatory High School (1400 Bell St., Sacramento)
- Thursday, Jan. 20 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. (STAFF ONLY) at Kenneth Annex (4825 Kenneth Ave., Carmichael)
- Friday, Jan. 21 at the district office board room (3738 Walnut Ave., Carmichael) from 2 to 4 p.m.
The district is also offering daily (drop-in) COVID-19 testing (excluding holidays) at the Hemlock Annex office (5320 Hemlock St., Sacramento).
Hours:
- Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday 8 a.m. to noon
Students and staff should pre-register with the district's Primary Health account prior to arrival. Registration is only required once, not every visit. Once you register, you will receive an email. It is really important that you press CONFIRM at the bottom of that email, or your registration will be incomplete. Thank you!
Additional Community Testing Locations:
Sacramento County and Placer County have expanded locations and times to help meet the community demand for testing.
Confirmed - New Start Times
We realize a change like this impacts families very differently. For some, an earlier start time is wonderful as you can drop off and get to work earlier. For others, especially those with students at multiple school sites, this causes a hardship. We will work diligently to help solve all issues a potential change in start time may create for you.
In the coming weeks, I will be soliciting your input on how we can best help your family with any issues arising out of the new start times. Stay tuned!
New online library available to all California students for a limited time
Students now have unlimited and free access to thousands of digital books and news articles through Renaissance myON as part of State Superintendent Tony Thurmond’s new literacy initiative. Now through Jan. 31, 2022, students can visit www.myon.com, log in with the following credentials and enjoy thousands of books/articles for free.
School Name: Gift of Literacy
Username: myOn
Password: read
Students can read these books and articles on any device that is connected to the internet, even in low bandwidth areas.
Donors Choose Project for our Library
Hello Otter family!
This is your librarian, Miss Terri. My wish is to have a place for all of the kids to sit and read and gather in the library. To make that wish a reality, I have submitted a project to Donorschoose.org.
When I was a child, one of my favorite places to go was the library where I felt safe and could get lost in a book! My hope is that our library be a place just like that, where all can come in and learn, read and gather!
Please look over the project and share it with friends and family. Thank you all so much!
Open enrollment deadline January 21st
San Juan Unified's open enrollment period begins on Monday, Dec. 6 at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 21. During this time, parents/guardians can submit an application to have their student attend a school other than his or her neighborhood school as long as there is space available, and they are willing to provide transportation for their student. Because open enrollment is a computer-generated lottery and not approved on a first-come, first-served basis, parents/guardians can submit an application at any time during the open enrollment period.
Applications are available online and at the San Juan Central office, located at 3700 Garfield Ave. in Carmichael. For more information, please visit www.sanjuan.edu/openenrollment or call (916) SAN-JUAN, or (916) 726-5826.
PTA Corner
President: Ruth Latendorf
Vice President: Chris Kurtz
Secretary: Shilo Merchant
Treasurer: Stephanie Anzelc
Email: ottomonptaov@gmail.com
If you're interested in having an active role in our events, keep an eye on your email for more information, or reach out to us at ottomonptaov@gmail.com.
Special Dates to Know
January 20 - POSTPONED - ELAC Meeting (English Language Advisory Committee)
January 24 - Progress Notices Available in Portal
February 21-25: School Closed - President's Week
March 8-11 - Minimum Days - Parent/Teacher Conferences - Dismissal at 11:15 am all week
March 18 & 21: School Closed
March 24, 2022 at 6:00 pm: Open House- School dismisses at 12:15
April 11-15: School Closed - Spring Break
May 30: School Closed - Memorial Day
June 7: Last Day of School - School dismisses at 12:15.
Have you moved or changed phone numbers recently?
Please take a few minutes to update your student’s emergency contacts to make sure the office can reach someone if you’re not available. Contacts must be updated at least once per year. Learn more here.
Login to the Parent Portal with your pin and password. Then click "Re-enroll" at the top of the main screen. This process works best on a desktop or laptop computer. www.sanjuan.edu/parentportal
Want to Know More About Ottomon?
- Read up on Ottomon's policies and procedures in our updated family handbook at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WZ5_pwWmGAWvbVX93Jjxx8MUgnkUdHKbluAOWC6dgVQ/edit?usp=sharing
- Visit our school website at www.sanjuan.edu/ottomon.
- Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ottomonelementary.
- Watch for our school newsletter which is sent home twice a month on Fridays.
- Check out our marquee during drop off and pick up for a quick glance of upcoming activities.
The San Juan Unified School District Board of Education is committed to equal opportunity for all individuals in district programs and activities. District programs, activities and services shall be free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying based on actual or perceived characteristics of race or ethnicity, color, ancestry, nationality, national origin, immigration status, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or genetic information, or on the basis of a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.