The Owl Newsletter
OTTO PETERSEN ELEMENTARY
Listen.
This is a book that "tells the tale of Stone-in-the-Glen, a once-upon-a time lovely town, before fires, floods, and other misfortunes caused the close-knit community to lose their beloved library, their school, their park, and even their neighborliness".
Next week, we will be distributing this wonderful and captivating book to all students at Otto Petersen. Kelly Barnhill, author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon and The Witch's Boy, has created a community struggling with many of the same things that we do. With a touch of magical realism.
As a school, we will be setting aside some time to read this text together each week, have meaningful discussions, and start some exciting projects. We would also like to loop parents into this process.
Each week, I will post some discussion questions for you and your student. At the end of the year, students will take this book home to add to their personal library. We will begin reading this novel on March 13th.
-Principal Ticer
Sixth Grade Dance - March 1st, from 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Sixth Grade Band Performance - Tuesday, March 5th.
Fifth Grade Music Performance - Thursday, March 7th.
Daylight Savings - Sunday, March 10th.
Doernbecher Disco Dance - March 15th, 3:00pm - 4:30pm - SHS Cafeteria
Spring Break - No School - Mon-Fri, March 25th- 29th.
Sixth Grade Outdoor School - The week of April 2nd - 5th
Dangerous Driving in Parking Lot
Unfortunately, we experienced a close call in the parking lot yesterday. This car blew through the crosswalk and narrowly missed students and a staff member. I am purchasing handheld, lighted stop signs and I will be increasing the amount of adult bodies in this area.
We have cameras in this area of the parking lot, and we are working with law enforcement. I can't stress this enough. Drive safely in the parking lot. Be aware of the humans who are existing in this space. My biggest fear is that an accident will occur.
-Principal Ticer
The Final Battle will be Tues, March 5th - Reading Raptors Reborn vs Imposters
A huge shout out to all the students, coaches, staff, and especially Mrs. Richard, who helped make this OBOB year great. Good luck next week.
2025 - 7th & 8th Grade Educational Trip
Would your student be interested in going to Puerto Rico in 2025 for an educational experience? Please register for our info session to be considered for our upcoming travel opportunity.
In our session, we'll cover everything from how this will benefit your child, what's included in the experience, how we'll keep the trip safe and affordable, and much more. Registration for this session is mandatory to help organize our meeting, and a parent or guardian must attend. Can't make it? Choose "No, but send info" so you don't miss out.
Our first in-person meeting will be Wednesday, March 13th in the SMS Library from 6-7pm. To register for this meeting click here,or contact Catherine Baggett, cbaggett@scappoose.k12.or.us.
No Toys, No Tails
We make it a point at Otto Petersen to have fun each day while we are learning. However, it does take some effort to cultivate an environment of authentic learning and academic achievement. Otto Petersen 4th-6th grade scholars do need some boundaries at school so that they can focus on learning.
There are some items that are coming from home that disrupt the learning environment. As you send your students off to school in the morning, please make sure that they are not bringing:
- Wearable tails, ears, or paws
- We will have fun costume days (yes, even I get dressed up!) during the year, so please save those items for these events
- Hoodies that zip all the way up to cover the face.
- Stuffies/stuffed animals of all sizes
- Blankets
- Action figures
- Slime
- Copious amounts of fidgets
- Portable video game consoles (I do, sadly, have to leave my Nintendo Switch at home)
You may have noticed that "fidgets" are on that list. Sometimes, the fidgets that were originally meant to help students concentrate, become toys in the classroom. Fidgets should help provide students with a small movement break so that they can increase their concentration and provide better access to their learning. There are "fidgets" out there that are noisy or messy and are not best for use in the classroom. If you have questions about which fidgets are best for increasing concentration in the classroom, please reach out to Ms. Ticer, Mrs. Kinsman, or Mrs. McKedy.
-Principal Ticer
OPE Families,
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A044AAAAD2EA6FC1-48223771-doernbecher
Interested in helping with a yearbook? Contact Chelsea Murphy ottopetersenpresident@gmail.com
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, March 12th, at 4:00 pm.
Grief and Loss Support Group: 4th-6th Graders
This group aims to create a safe and nurturing space for children to express their feelings, share their experiences, and learn healthy coping mechanisms.
Facilitated by Dan Jewell, a School-Based Mental Health Therapist, and Justin Engstrom, the Care Coordinator for SSD.
The group will focus on age-appropriate activities, discussions, and creative outlets to help children navigate their emotions in a supportive environment. We will meet once a week on Wednesdays starting.
Group Dates: February 14th and will go until March 20th during school hours; we will work to avoid conflict with content instruction time.
Please contact Mrs. McKedy (lmckedy@scappoose.k12.or.us) if you are interested in signing your student up for one of these groups.
Counseling Group will be offered starting Feb. 9th
What: RISE (Resilience, Inspiration, Support, Empowerment);
Who: Facilitated by Rob McQueen-Jensen; Scappoose SD Youth and Family Systems Navigator, QMHA CCMH Youth and Family Department
When: We will work to avoid conflict with content instruction time during school hours.
4th/5th grade students
Topics will include learning basic emotional regulation skills, developing effective classroom habits, maintaining positive friendships, and establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries.
6th grade
Topics will include preparing for the middle school culture, developing and maintaining a healthy self-image, navigating peer pressure, fostering positive friendships, and more.
Please contact Mrs. McKedy (lmckedy@scappoose.k12.or.us) if you are interested in signing your student up for one of these groups.
Happy Leap Year!
THIS WEEK IN THE LIBRARY: Happy Leap Year! This week, we had some fun learning about leap years and what they are, and why we have them. It really is an interesting topic! We hope you enjoyed your extra day in February this year!
LIBRARY RULES AND EXPECTATIONS: As spring fever starts to kick in, it is a good time to remind students about the rules and expectations in the library–PLEASE HELP ME AND REMIND YOUR CHILDREN TO USE THE LIBRARY APPROPRIATELY. I tell the kids all the time that I want their time in the library to be the best 30 minutes of their week because it is truly the only room in our school where they get to have freedom and choice in how they use the space. With that said freedom and choice require students to be respectful, RESPONSIBLE, safe, and kind in the library during their checkout time. Accepted behaviors in the library include looking for and finding books to check out, quietly reading, quietly working on projects (writing books, finishing assignments from class, drawing/coloring), and quietly enjoying the company of friends. Lately, we have had a lot of running and chasing, climbing behind bookshelves and under tables, wasting of resources (using paper to make paper airplanes which are not allowed in the library or at school, tearing up paper, breaking colored pencils and regular pencils in half just for fun, etc…), sneaking in food/candy/gum, and freezing up the computers used to search our library collection because students are trying to use the terminals to search for inappropriate information. I really dislike writing referrals in general, but definitely for behaviors that we shouldn’t even have to be talking about in the 2nd semester of the school year, and I also get frustrated when I am not able to do my job of supporting kids with check out and helping them find the perfect books because I am too busy managing misbehaving students. Please help me help all our kids reach their fullest potential by reminding your kids that the library is a chill zone and not a play zone. I greatly appreciate your help!
WINNER-WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER: We have a lot of classes working really hard to try to win our February competition of the fewest overdue books! There are multiple classes battling it out at the top–who will the winner be? Tune in next week to find out and thank you for returning your library books on time!
Happy Reading ~ Mrs. Nudo
Parking Lot Safety
It pains me to have to keep writing about safety in our school parking lot. On my end, I am going to work with our staff to have a bigger adult presence in the parking lot itself to direct the flow of traffic. An ask that I have of the community is for any parent volunteers who would be willing to volunteer on a Drop-Off/Pick-Up Safety Team. I am looking for volunteers who would be willing to don crossing guard vests and help to direct car and pedestrian traffic.
I would need parents/guardians who are interested in sitting with me and developing a plan for safety in our parking lot during these times. Please email me if you are interested.
Toys at School
This is a friendly reminder that all toys, including stuffed animals and blankets, must stay home. We supply students with fidgets to use during instruction time if required. However, those fun little toys starting to pop up this time of year must wait patiently at home to be played with.
OPE Famlies,
Thank you again for your support in lowering our total building tardy rate over the past two weeks. We know that mornings can be tricky! We hope your students feel a sense of routine and connection by being here each morning for our announcements and Character Strong lessons.
If you have difficulty getting your students out the door in the morning, please feel free to reach out. Classroom teachers, our counselor, Ms. McKedy, and our Dean of Students, Ms. Kinsman, are happy to work with you and your learner to build strategies to make mornings go more smoothly. You can click the flyer below to read about the suggested guidelines.
Attendance Reminders & After School Change of Plans
Also, if you have to change your students' after-school plans, please try to do this one hour before students are released so that we have enough time to communicate with teachers and staff.
- Sue MacLachlan: smaclachlan@scappoose.k12.or.us
- Mary McNabb: mmcnabb@scappoose.k12.or.us
- Your child's teacher
We appreciate your support in making sure we know where your students are during the school day. Thank you!
Personal Electronic Device Policy
(Cell phones, Smart watches, Earbuds)
As an upper elementary school, O.P.E. will align with the Middle School policy concerning electronic devices. A personal electronic device is defined by the district as any “device capable of electronically communicating, sending, receiving, storing, recording, reproducing and/or displaying information and data.” The new policy will ask that students have their devices “off and away” while on campus. A private warning will be given if a student uses the device while at school. A second infraction will lead to the device being turned into the office for pick-up at the end of the day. Parents will be asked to pick up the device after a third infraction. The school is asking for parent support with this policy as we focus on building a positive learning environment.Here is the testing schedule for the rest of May.