The Ottomon Times
#HelloFromTheOtterSide
October 1, 2021
Mid-Trimester Updates
Progress Notices
Progress notices will be visible Friday, October 8th in Parent Portal for students in grades 1-5. In lieu of a formal progress notice, Kinder families will receive a notice from their child's teacher that includes a number of data points. If your student has received an "X" in any area, it simply means they are not currently on pace to reach the grade level standards by the end of the trimester. Please be sure to view information from your student's teacher to learn how you may be able to provide extra support at home to help accelerate their learning. We are working diligently on our end as well! Teamwork makes the dream work!
Parking Lot for Grades K-1
Now that kinder and 1st graders are feeling more comfortable, more of you may elect to drop off along the red curb in the parking lot instead of parking. If you start doing this, please coach your child on how to unbuckle themselves, grab their backpack, exit out the passenger side of the vehicle (if possible - we realize sometimes you have younger siblings with car seats on that side), and close the door. Also, that speed bump is a monster, so take it slow! PLEASE DO NOT DRIVE ON THE SIDEWALK TO GET INTO THE PARKING LOT. If you still want to walk your student into campus and wait with them until the 7:50 bell rings, we love having you here!
Cul-de-Sac for Grades 2-5
You're doing great! Please remember to pull ALL the way forward to the driveway that exits the parking lot. When you pull ALL the way forward, we can fit three cars along the curb. If you only pull part way up, we are down to two cars able to fit, thereby slowing the whole process down by one-third. Who wants drop off and pick up to take 33% longer? Nobody! :-)
Social Struggles and Support
Many students are struggling with the return to school and all the cooperation with peers that requires. Getting along is hard sometimes! We coach students to use this simple, two-part process to work through challenges:
- If irritated by another person, walk away or use kind but clear words. Example: "Please stop touching my lunchbox. I don't like it."
- If the person does not stop, look around for the closest adult who can help you solve your problem right away. Do not hold onto the problem until later when you get back to class.
Joy, joy, joy!
Although there are some struggles getting along, there are a ton of smiles and lots of joy at school. New friendships are being formed, teacher-student bonds are growing, lightbulbs are coming on while learning new concepts, and there is an energy in the air that is wonderful! We are so excited to be back in person with your children! This week our 5th graders took a walking field trip to a nearby park for some science investigations. Other grades and your PTA are planning lots of fun activities in the near future as well!
Picture Day is Coming Soon!
Thursday, Oct 14, 2021, 08:15 AM
Ottomon Elementary, Ottomon Way, Orangevale, CA, USA
PTA Corner
President: Ruth Latendorf
Vice President: Chris Kurtz
Secretary: Shilo Merchant
Treasurer: Stephanie Anzelc
Email: ottomonptaov@gmail.com
We hope everyone has had a great start to the new school year! Now that we have returned to in-person learning, as PTA officers, we hope to also restore the sense of community at our school that may have been lost during the last couple of years through social distancing. We have already begun discussing some fun activities we hope to bring to our Ottomon families this year. We want you to join us in these efforts by becoming a member of the PTA and volunteering your time as opportunities arise.
This month, we are planning a membership drive, Dairy Queen Fundraiser, and hopefully one fun event (details coming soon!). We want to use these events as an opportunity for us all to come together as a school and community and provide our kids a safe way to get together and have some fun. 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.
Dairy Queen Fundraiser
Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021, 04:00 PM
Dairy Queen Grill & Chill, Greenback Lane, Orangevale, CA, USA
Donation Drive to Support Afghan Refugees
In an effort to provide support for our local Afghan refugees within our San Juan community that are impacted by the current Afghanistan crisis, our district is collecting donations of clothing, hygienic products, bedding, towels, and new or gently-used strollers, wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, canes, and monetary donations to help with emergency relief.
If you would like to join our effort, you can donate items at our District Office (3738 Walnut Avenue) Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can also make a tax-deductible donation online at www.sanjuan.edu/afghanrefugeedonation.
Items requested include:
Clothing (infant, youth, adult)
Shoes, socks and undergarments
Hygiene products (soap, shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrushes, combs, razors, feminine products, etc.)
Bed sheets, blankets, comforters, pillowcases, rugs and new pillows
Bath towels and washcloths
New and gently-used strollers
New and gently-used medical equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, canes, etc.)
Thank you for your generosity and support of our San Juan Unified Afghan community!
Where to update your contact information and delivery preferences
Parents and guardians: if your phone number or email address has recently changed, please notify your child’s school’s front office to update in our student information system.
If you’d like to set delivery preferences for the phone calls and emails you receive from your child’s school and the district through our notification system, please visit www.sanjuan.edu/notification for step-by-step instructions. You can set delivery preferences through the district’s mobile app, or online.
Plan Ahead for Childcare in October & November
October 8 - No School
November 11-12 - No School - Veterans Day + Teacher Work Day to prepare for conferences
November 15-19 - Minimum Days - Dismissal at 11:15 for Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 22-26 - No School - Thanksgiving Break
Special Dates to Know
Friday, October 8: School Closed & Progress Notices Viewable in Parent Portal
Thursday, October 14th - Picture Day
Wednesday, October 20th - BMX Anti-Bullying Assembly
Monday-Friday, October 25-29 - Red Ribbon Week/Spirit Week (details will be coming out in the October 15th newsletter)
Friday, October 29th - Character Parade
November 1-5 - Scholastic Book Fair
Thursday-Friday, November 11-12: School Closed - Veterans Day
November 15-19: Minimum Days - Parent/Teacher Conferences - Dismissal at 11:15 am all week
November 22-26: School Closed - Thanksgiving Break
December 20-January 3: School Closed - Winter Break
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.
COVID-19 testing
We know it can be frustrating when you have to get a negative Covid test or doctor note when your student has mild symptoms. To help, the district is providing antigen (rapid) COVID-19 testing and/or PCR testing for San Juan Unified staff and students twice per week at rotating district locations. Click the blue banner below for upcoming testing locations.
Students should pre-register with the district's Primary Health account prior to arrival. Registration is only required once, not every visit.
NOTE: The pre-registration link will indicate "testing locations." All locations have limited hours and availability. Students that need to test can come to the locations, dates, and times listed above.
Additional Community Testing Locations
Sacramento County and Placer County have expanded locations and times to help meet the community demand for testing.
Community Resource for Rental Assistance
The housing equity team at Public Advocates, a local non-profit organization, has put together resources in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian), to help renters understand their rights and support folks in applying for rental assistance. Here is a link to their webpage that contains this information: https://www.publicadvocates.org/stop-the-covid-evictions/
Superintendent's Parent Advisory Committee Representative
Thanks go out to Carrie Morrow, our new SPAC Representative. Carrie will meet with the superintendent and senior district staff to discuss current topics and collect feedback. Carrie will bring information back to the school site and parent community.
Have You Updated Your Student's Emergency Information?
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
Breakfast & Lunch
San Juan Unified will continue to provide free meals to all students going into the 2021-22 school year, and families are no longer required to submit a federal meal application to participate. Instead, all families are asked to complete a School Funding Form this year, between July 1 and Oct. 31, 2021. Families are asked to update annual information including emergency contacts via the Parent Portal before the start of each school year. As part of this process, parents/guardians will also be asked to complete the School Funding Form this school year.
More information is provided at www.sanjuan.edu/morethanameal.
Meals for Homeschool Students
For students participating in homeschool, independent study or are not enrolled at a district school but are between 0-18 years of age, starting Aug. 12, the Nutrition Services team will be distributing meals curbside. Lunch for the same day and breakfast for the next day will be provided in a t-shirt bag. Microwave instructions will be available on the Nutrition Services website. Service locations and times are as follows, Monday-Friday (unless it is a district holiday):
Arden Middle School, 1640 Watt Ave., Sacramento - 10 – 10:30 a.m.
Bella Vista High School, 8301 Madison Ave., Fair Oaks - 9 – 9:30 a.m.
Dyer-Kelly Elementary, 3101 Bell St., Sacramento - 10 – 10:30 a.m.
El Camino Fundamental High School, 4300 El Camino Ave., Sacramento - 9 – 9:30 a.m.
COVID Updates This Week
Please self-screen before school for any symptoms of illness. Please do not come to school if you are not feeling well. Additionally, please be advised of the current requirements should your child become ill at school:
Returning to School or Work (in-person) for Symptomatic Students or Staff
Students and staff may not return to in-person instruction or work until they have met the following criteria defined by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH):
1. At least 24 hours have passed since having a fever without the use of fever reducing medications; AND
2. Other symptoms have improved; AND
3. They have a negative test for COVID-19; OR provide healthcare professional's documentation that symptoms are typical of an underlying chronic condition or an alternative diagnosis; OR at least 10 days have passed since symptom onset.
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.