Oster Newsletter
April 19, 2023
Oster's Walk-A-Thon this Friday during the school day!
Oster Home & School Club is excited for the return of Oster Elementary Walk-A-Thon for 2023! The Walk-A-Thon is a fundraiser to support our school's programs and activities - there is still time for students to ask friends and families to sponsor! Parents/guardians, you can edit, update and share your student's fundraiser page, click here to get started! Each student will receive an Oster Walk-A-Thon T-Shirt to wear during the walk
The 3 classrooms with the most participation (not dollar amount raised) will win a prize!
PLUS
The top 3 earning students will win a $50 Amazon gift card!
Support Oster's Rely for Life Team
Starting NOW, students can bring dimes to help fill a plastic water bottle in their classroom. One of these bottles filled with dimes will total $100! Let's see how many water bottles our class can fill to support the fight against cancer!"
They will be selling fun purple items and tasty treats for 1$ and 2$ Wednesday, the 26th, after school! Stop outside of Room 9 to support this great cause! Go Cougar!
Spring Pictures are Ready to View
Spring Picture Day images are now available to view online! To retrieve your child's private gallery code, please visit the link below. Follow the steps by inputting your student's information including their Student ID number. If you need assistance with the ID number or retrieving your code, please contact Generations School Photography: orders@gsp-photos.com
FIND MY CODE: https://www.generationsschoolphotography.com/online
WEBSITE: https://www.generationsschoolphotography.com/order-pictures
Oster CAASPP Testing (Grades 3rd-5th): May 8-26
Each spring, third through eighth grade students in Union School District participate in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). These tests were created specifically to gauge each student’s performance in English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics. Additionally, students in fifth and eighth grade take the California Science Test (CAST). These tests measure the skills called for by the academic standards, including the ability to write clearly, think critically, and solve problems.
Because CAASPP tests are given statewide, they provide an opportunity to measure the skills of all students against the same academic standards. Given online, the tests are computer-adaptive, allowing more precise measurement of individual skills. The CAASPP assessments will be one measure that will be used—along with other information—to measure the progress that our schools and district are making in educating all of our students.
Oster's testing window will be May 8th - May 26th. Within this window, students will take specific tests in the area of ELA, Math, and Science (5th grade only).Although the tests are untimed, tests may take between 4-5 hours (total) over the course of the testing window. We appreciate your efforts to ensure your child is in school on time on these days.
You are an important part of your child’s education. To make sure your child feels comfortable taking tests, you can:
Explain to your child that these tests are tools to help them learn, and they should not be anxious or scared.
Explore the practice tests with your child at caaspp.org/practice-and-training/index.html (enter the “student” interface and log in as a guest) so they can become familiar with the platform and setup of the tests.
Remind your child that you and their teacher want them to try their best and are there to help, every step of the way.
You will receive your child’s results at or before the beginning of the next school year. The results will identify where your child is doing well or needs more help, so you can better support their learning at home and teachers can better support their learning in the classroom.
To learn more about these tests go to the Starting Smarter web page at ca.startingsmarter.org/, or review the Parent Guides to Understanding at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/parentguidetounderstand.asp
Yearbooks are still available!
There are only 40 copies of the Oster Yearbook left to order. If you haven’t purchased your yearbook yet, now is the time. All orders need to be placed directly through Balfour at: http://bit.ly/OsterYB
Not sure if you’ve already ordered? Search your email for a receipt from Balfour. Still not sure? Email oster.usd.yearbook@gmail.com and we can look you up.
Oster's HSC Earth Day Celebration
Oster Elementary - Upper Grades School Garden
Saturday, April 22nd, 10am - 12pm
This Earth Day, join us for a fun family planting day at Oster Upper Grades garden!
We will be planting several pollinator-friendly plants and helping beautify our school gardens.
Refreshments available but please bring your own water & work gloves if you prefer.
Garden tools will be provided. Closed-toe shoes recommended.
Questions? Email shruti_ch@icloud.com.
Save the Date: Oster's Open House/STEAM Night May 24
We are excited to announce that this year we will be combining our elementary open house with our annual elementary STEAM fair. Beginning at 6:00pm on May 24th, parents of our TK-5th grade students will have an opportunity to visit their child’s classroom(s). As in year’s past, the classroom visits are a time for families to celebrate a year of student learning and growth with students sharing unique pieces of their learning.
Immediately following classroom visits from 6:45-7:45pm, each school site will host a variety of STEAM activities for students and parents to engage with. Our Technology department is currently creating a variety of activities and aligning high school volunteers for the STEAM portion of our evening. Our STEAM theme this year is Mission MakerSPACE and there will be four missions for our families to complete including Astronaut ID badges, Straw rocket launches, an Astronaut space walk and Celestial Explorations. The intent of combining the activities is so that all families have an opportunity to attend. We look forward to this event!
April Cougar Science Quiz
Oster Home & School Club presents April's Cougar Science Quiz! Mark your calendars, the quiz is open April 27th & 29th (students can take the quiz either day)! Learn more here!
Dartmouth Middle School Cheer Tryouts
Home & School Club meeting
Don’t miss the May 3rd Oster HSC Board Meeting from 6:30-7:30pm in the Oster Staff Lounge! Open mic time at the beginning of the meeting and we welcome feedback and questions! All are welcome and childcare is available; we ask for anyone planning to use childcare to RSVP.
2023-24 Oster Executive Board Positions Open
Looking to get more involved with the Oster Home & School Club. Each year we fill our executive board with Oster parents looking to make a difference in our school community. Nominations shared at our April HSC Meeting and voting will happen in May. Email presidenthsc@oster.org to learn more and add your name to the ballot!
HSC Hosting Dartmouth Middle School Meet & Greet!
Calling all 5th graders - The Home and School Club will be hosting a Dartmouth Middle School Meet & Greet Event, April 23rd, 4:45 - 6pm @almaden winery park - lower grass area. Join students from Guadalupe, Leitz & Oster for a pre-middle school hangout. It's an opportunity to make friends & have fun!
RSVP BY APRIL 14TH BY COMPLETING THE FORM: https://bit.ly/3Mja85X
Oster's Silent Auction
We are so excited that our Silent Auction will be back in person this year - let's make it the best one yet!
Do you have a talent or a skill that you can offer as an auction prize?Do you have, or work for, a business that can donate an awesome prize?
Do you have any other ‘one of a kind’ donation that you can offer to make our auction truly special? (for example, holiday home, boat, sports car, llama, etc, to loan as a prize?)
Would you like your business to sponsor our Silent Auction?
If so, please contact donation@osterhsc.org so we can talk more!
We are also looking for help obtaining donations, as well as making baskets and setting up the auction closer to the time. If you want to get involved, please contact donation@osterhsc.org and we can put you to work!
Mileage Club Needs Volunteers
Mileage Club is back for the new year BUT ONLY WITH YOUR HELP! Volunteers are needed for less than an hour on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, sign up TODAY: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e44aaa82ba0f8c
25-mileage
Mileage Club on a student enrichment activity supported by your Oster Home & School Club, for more info click here!
Frozen Friday - Sign up to Volunteer!
Do your Oster students love Frozen Fridays?!?! Help keep this favorite Friday event going by VOLUNTEERING. We need help EVERY FRIDAY!!! Giving about an hour of your time at the end of the school day will ensure our kids have this wonderful opportunity to connect and have fun every week. Sign Up TODAY!
Stay Connected with Home and School Club
Register your Membership Toolkit by visiting www.osterhsc.org!
Like & Follow:
Facebook @OSTERHSC
Instagram @OSTERHSC1855
April 19th: International Night Community Event 5pm-7pm
April 21st: Oster Walk-A-Thon
May 1st-5th: Staff Appreciation Week
May 3rd: Home and School Club Meeting 6:30 pm
May 8th-19th: CAASPP State Testing (Grades 3rd-5th)
May 16th: 6th Grade Parent Information Night at Dartmouth Middle School @ 6:00pm
May 24th: Oster's Open House
In Snapology's Robotpets Robotics class, children will begin to explore the world of robotics as they build moving animals that teach the fundamentals of robotic design. Students will learn about gear ratio, sensors, simple machines, and programming as they build insects, dolphins, robotic dog, and much more. Your child is sure to have a wild time as they build, learn, and play. ** Important Notes: Once you register please email us the kids grades and teacher's name.
Join Councilmember Pam Foley on Sunday, April 30th from 11 am - 6 pm as she hosts San José’s second annual Music in the Valley Festival! This event is free to the public and full of talented performances from students at local schools, including Union School District’s own Dartmouth Middle School & Union Middle School!
This event is fun for the whole family with activities like a climbing wall, bounce houses, lawn games, a free photo booth, and more! They will also have a variety of food from local food trucks and the SJPD Ice Cream Truck will be handing out free ice cream.
Be sure to mark your calendar for Sunday, April 30th so you don't miss out on all the fun at this year’s event at Camden Community Center!
Oster Elementary School
Principal: Lisa Taormina
Email: taorminal@unionsd.org
Website: https://oster.unionsd.org
Location: 1855 Lencar Way, San Jose, CA, USA
Phone: 408-266-8121
Twitter: @OsterElementary