Orion Gazette
Back to School Night Edition September 5-September 9
Important Events for the Start of the Year
9/5 Labor Day Holiday - No School
9/6 and 9/7 Back to School Nights - Early Dismissal for grades k-5 both nights
9/9 MidAutumn Festival
9/16 Picture Day for Grades TK-2
9/23 Picture Day for Grades 3-5
9/30 Ice Cream Social
Back to School Night by grade level bands
Back to School Night- Both Days are early release days
Grades TK-2 Tuesday, September 6
6:00-7:15
Grades 3-5 Wednesday, September 7
6:00-7:15
This event is hosted on two separate nights in order to accomodate traffic and parking needs for families.
The event is intended for parents/guardians. Students can attend the event but if possible we encourage students to stay home so parents can focus on the teacher presentation.
Teachers will share the slide deck with families following the event.
Tuesday, Sep 6, 2022, 06:00 PM
Orion Alternative & Mandarin Immersion Elementary School, Avenue Del Ora, Redwood City, CA, USA
A Message from Principal Katherine as we prepare to welcome families back to school this month
Orion Alternative School actively supports and encourages activities that promote a safe and healthy lifestyle and contribute effectively to the sustainability and conservation of our environment. We are thrilled to welcome Gardner Seth Skye, our new Environmental Science instructor who will work with all students starting this month with regular classes in the garden.
We firmly believe that the parents are their child’s first and most important teacher. Parents play a vital role in the education of their children. We happily welcome all our parents to take an active role in the education of their children and to be the active participants in our school life. Get to know the staff, especially the child’s teachers, and assist where you can so we can work together in the interests of everyone. I am eager to work with our parent community in supporting their children in their education. At Orion, we strive to build strong parent-teacher relationships which is very important for the academic and social-emotional success of our students.
I would like the parents to know that my door is always open to discuss any concerns, questions, or ideas you may have regarding your child’s education. (You can often find me outside at drop off and pick up instead of inside an office.)
We truly have a fantastic school with a supportive and involved parent community, dedicated and highly skillful staff, excellent resources with the support of our PTO and buildings, and the most fantastic students to work with. We are very sure that with the help of all the stakeholders and with their continuous support, we will be able to take our school to the next highest level of excellence. On our end, we shall continue working with you for the best interests of our beloved students and our community at large.
My commitment to our community is to lead the school with enthusiasm and passion to enable us to reach our goals. Let us work together to make Orion the best school, it can be. We look forward to welcoming you to be part of our vibrant learning community.
We are looking forward to partnering with you this year. Our PTO will be posting volunteer sign-up opportunities on Konstella throughout the year. Classroom teachers will share at Back to School Night specific volunteer times and roles.
To volunteer at Orion, start by completing the online registration:
Keeping students and staff safe from the heat
REDWOOD CITY PARKS AND RECREATION
Registration for Fall sports is now open. We hope to have a 4th/5th Orion Girls Volleyball Team!
Click on the link below to register.
Fall/Winter Sports (Link)
Below are the list of sports available for students in the fall:
- School Volleyball League (Girls)
- Volleyball Clinics
- Tennis
- Flag Football
- School basketball league
- Basketball Clinic
Contact Michael Smith (After School Sports Coordinator) at 650-780-7254 or msmith@redwoodcity.org for additional information.
Starship Parent Teacher Organization Corner
Thursday Market returns 9/8 outside the library after school
Our first Thursday Market of the year will be Sept 8th!
Weather permitting, we will be down in the fabulous new library courtyard each Thursday after school selling ice cream, baked goods, and popcorn. All items will be sold for $1, and proceeds benefit Starship Orion PTO.
In an effort to distribute the volunteer work evenly, we have assigned grade-level groups to host specific months.
Sept will be hosted by grades 4 and 5. This means we would love to have volunteers with kids in grades 4 and 5 staff the sale, bake/acquire goods and ice cream for the sale, pop the popcorn, collect money from the small friends, and clean up after the sale.
October will be grades 2/3.
November will be grades TK/K/1.
December, we start the rotation over, and grades 4/5 are back at it.
Sign up here:
Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-Autumn Wristband Pre-Sales: Mid-Autumn Wrist bands are free for the whole family for anyone who has made their intended yearly PTO donation. Donate before the date, in order to get wristbands for the family. Please pick up your wristband from Meghan 4 blocks from school between now and 9/8. Text or email to arrange pick up. (914) 471-0230 or Meghan.oreillygreen@gmail.com. The day of the event will be busy and we want you to have fun and not spend the time standing in line for ticket sales.
There must be a Waiver and Release From Liability: Bounce House waiver signed to jump in the bouncy castle. Please feel free to print at home and bring it to the PTO ticket table.
There will only be one food truck available. They will be on campus starting at 4:30pm. Consider ordering ahead to make your experience more enjoyable.
Pre-Order Website: https://bunbao.com/menu/food-truck?location=L1JBFCJHW49Q1
Mid-Autumn Festival pricing:
:
Konstella:
Sign up for Konstella if you have not yet. Through Konstella you can communicate with you class coordinator, access the school calendar, and classroom chats, and sign up for volunteer shifts!
Healthy Cities Tutoring:
37% of our population are underserved students. All types of families are welcome here. We are well integrated. Our diversity is an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of the children in our midst because research demonstrates that mixed socio-economic relationships are the single biggest lever society can pull to reduce economic disparity over the long term. Won't you consider donating your time to a student in need to develop an academic-focused friendship and change life on our campus?
Want to help students succeed by matching them with Healthy Cities Tutors? We are looking for volunteers to assist HCT staff in matching tutors with students. Volunteer Site Coordinators are parent volunteers, school staff, retired teachers/librarians, or tutors committed to helping students succeed in school by matching them with volunteer tutors.
A brief job description:
Weekly Site Coordinators meetings (on-site and via Zoom) in the fall
Help arrange student and tutor matches
Support teachers to ensure effective communication between tutors, parents, and teachers
Greet tutor and student at their first tutoring session
Time fluctuates throughout the year, with 4-6 hrs/week in the fall, tapering to 1-2 hours/week in winter/spring
Training is provided
We need your help to meet the needs of struggling students and hope you join us in this rewarding volunteer experience.
If you have any questions, please call l Janelle Gibson at 415-793-1064 or email her at janelle@healthycitiestutoring.org. Take a look at the attachment on the Gazette.
Check out the Orion Website along with the School Handbook
Please take some time to review school routines, procedures, schedules, and expectations. Feel free to reach out to the classroom teacher or to the school administration if you have any questions or helpful feedback to improve the handbook.
The handbook will also be made available in English and Spanish at Maze Day.
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Orion Alternative School
Website: https://orion.rcsdk8.net/
Location: 555 Ave Del Ora, Redwood City, CA, USA
Phone: 650-482-2406