The Leaves 5.13.13

May Faire Time

Our annual May Faire is a celebration of community and the changing of the season. With the dark cold days of winter leaving us, we join together in celebration of the newness of life bursting forth from the earth.

 The Green Man comes to chase King Winter away as we all joyously usher in the procession of the King and Queen of the May. The long standing Beltane tradition of dancing the May Pole is honored as part of the opening ceremony.

 Live music, vendors, crafts, and healthy food all add to the magic and wonder of this springtime celebration. The beauty of this event is amplified as more and more members of our community share their ideas, talents, time, energy, and hearts.

 Please contactSummer@blueoakcharterschool.org, or sign-up on the bulletin board in the Parent Center, to see how you can contribute this whimsical festival.

 Thursday May 16 and Friday May 17, contribute to the procession of flowers: Please bring in cuttings of greenery and flowers form your home gardens. We will use them for our decorations and activities. (Materials can be delivered to our front office.)

 Friday May 17, 3:30pm – 5:30 pm, clean up and set up: Come help us set up the back space (tables, chairs, pop-up tents, etc.) and decorate. We always need a lot of help with this part…

 Saturday May 18

What to Bring

·         This is a Community affaire! Bring your family and friends and your wonderful selves in your most fanciful MAY DAY attire!

(Be festive! Think spring, fairy wings, flowers, colorful, etc.)

·         We ask that each family bring 1 Potluck dish & 1 Bake Sale item

·         Your own dishware & re-usable water container(s)

·         Money for shopping, fundraisers, and donations! (Credit cards will be accepted)

Order of Events

·         10:30am - 10:45am > Arrivals, Drop off Potluck lunch items & Bake Sale item

·         10:45 am – 11am > Get settled for opening festivities

·         11am – 12pm > Opening Festivities 8^th grade performs skit and May Pole Dancing!

·         12pm- 3pm > the Faire Opens – GIANT Potluck Lunch, Live Music, Local Vendors, Activities, Fundraisers and fun!

 *Money matters

Lunch & Activities – we will be asking for donations to help cover the cost of the faire and any profits will be donated to the Blue Oak School Foundations Teacher’s Education Fund, to help support the continuing Waldorf education of our staff.

STAR Test Update

 Thank you to our generous parents for the healthy snacks you have provided to students these two weeks.  Theme days are as follows:

 Tuesday, May 14: Sport Attire/Jersey Day

 Wednesday, May 15: Backwards Day

 Thursday, May 16: Crazy Sock Day

 Friday, May 17: Whole Class Theme Day

Accolades

Stacey Bearden and Donica O'Laughlin created period clothing for our 4^th graders to wear on their Malakoff Diggins field trip. This clothing will be handed down to each succeeding 4^th grade class in support of this outstanding field trip experience. What a contribution these amazing ladies have made to our students.

 Justin Hammer, Jackie Hammer, and Darren Ferguson worked together to build a new May Pole for our celebration this Saturday. We appreciate their skill and willingness in meeting this very important need for our community.

Parent Education Evening

Our lovely Kindergarten teachers warmly invite you to join our guest presenter, Anna Rainville, on Tuesday May 21 at 6pm. Anna is a revered Waldorf teacher mentor who specializes in song and dance. This will be an opportunity for the grown ups to participate in circle games and folk dances. Child care is available if requested in advance.

Recycling Opportunity

Please save your CRV beverage containers for the sixth grades recycling fundraiser. The next two pick up dates are Friday, May 17 & May 31 beginning at 7:30 am. We are available for house and business pick up on those dates after 8:20am for large donations. Email marciegallagher@hotmail.com to set up a pick up.

Parent Council Update

Parent Council will meet again on Tuesday, May 28th at 6 pm. One of our discussion topics will be the Dress Code.  As a community we have been noticing a lack of clarity about our dress code and confusion about what is meant by "media". Our current Dress Code is outlined in the Parent Handbook, which you can find on the home page of our website, www.blueoakcharterschool.org. Please come join our discussion if this is a topic of interest to you. 

Blue Oak Charter Council Update

 At the Charter Council meeting on May 7^th we met Susan Powers, our newest Contracted Business Service representative from the Charter Schools Management Corporation. CSMC assists with our accounting and fiscal reports.

Nathan gave us an updated report on the proposed computerized testing for 3^rd -8^th grade, slated to go into effect in 2014-15. This raised questions of how best to prepare our students for this type of testing, and how we, as a Waldorf inspired school, will accommodate computerized testing with our policy of limiting technology.

We had an extensive review and discussion regarding the contract between BOCS and Steiner College for teacher training. Our next meeting will be June 11th at 6 PM.

The Leaves 4.22.13

HAPPY EARTH DAY

STAR TEST

Our annual California Standardized Testing period begins Tuesday, May 7 and will continue for 1-2 weeks. Please support your child by ensuring excellent nutrition, time outdoors afterschool, rest and rhythm at home. While we are certainly not experiencing the same school wide level of urgency to perform well that we experienced last year, test scores are nonetheless one reflection of the quality of our instruction and it is important that we do our best. Thank you for your support.

Reminders

May lunch orders are due Today Monday, April 22nd. The menu will is available on our website.

The 2013-14 school calendar is now available and will be posted on our website this week.

Turn lanes onto East Avenue are dedicated turn lanes. The left lane must turn left and the right lane must turn right. There have been reports lately of parents turning left from the right-hand lane onto East Avenue.  This violation is both extremely unsafe and illegal.

Notes from Community Coordinator

Tuesday April 23 from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Grades Meeting

The Parent Council is hosting the 2nd "Grades Meeting" of the year.  Parents who are available afterschool and interested in knowing more about the Parent Council can come meet current and future Parent Council members.  This meeting is the beginning of the process in forming next year's Parent Council.  So far we have a lot of interest and only a few vacant positions.  The new Parent Council for 2013-2014 will meet for the first time on May 28th.

Saturday April 27 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm All School Work Day

The focus of this work day will be the back play yard.  We will be doing a little spring cleanup and getting things squared away for the upcoming heat. This is definitely a family style work day, so bring the kids, pack a lunch, pack some gardening tools, and lend a hand! When you arrive, please park and enter around back. Look for the sign-in table. Questions?  Contact summer@blueoakcharterschool.org

Notes from the Parent Council

The Charter Council Elections are quickly approaching. Voting will take place during the week of May 6th through May 9th.  Results of this Election will be announced Monday, May 13th.  The Charter Council has 7 members total, with 3 parent members and 4 community members.  For this upcoming election we have 6 of the 7 positions up for election.  If you are interested in applying for one of these spots, or you know someone who is, applications are available in the front office and they are due no later than 3 pm on April 26th.  All applications are to be handed into the front office.

Our next PC meeting is Tuesday, April 30th.  Starting at 6 pm we will be hosting a Candidate Forum for all the candidates to introduce themselves to our community and be available to answer our questions.

Notes from the May Faire Planning Committee

The May Faire will happen on Saturday, May 18 from 11am - 3pm, on our campus.

* Dress Up! We are encouraging everyone to dress up in their best May Faire attire. Think spring colors, white, flowers, fairy wings, etc.

* Food: We will be asking everyone to bring one potluck dish and at least one item to donate to the Bake Sale.  There will not be any fee to eat lunch (donation jars will be at the tables) and all desserts will be available for a small price.  All funds raised will go to the Teacher Education Fund.

* Classroom Fundraising: We have already approved 9 class fundraisers.  The 1st deadline to apply for a Class Fundraiser is Friday 4/26.  We have reserved a space for each classroom.  If your class plans on fundraising you must apply by this deadline. Applications for classroom fundraising are available in the front office.

* Vendors:  If you or someone you know is interested in being a Vendor, the deadline for applications is Friday 5/10.  Once your application is approved, your Vendor fee is required in full to reserve your vending space.  Applications for Vendors are available in the front office, as well as on the home page of our website. Vendors for the May Faire can be come from inside our outside of our school community. Questions? contact summer@blueoakcharterschool.org

The Leaves 4.16.13

Teacher Training

I have big, wonderful news to share. At our Charter Council meeting last week the board unanimously moved to approve stipends for teachers to complete Waldorf teacher training in next year’s budget. Our teachers will soon be enrolling in a certificated teacher training program through Rudolf Steiner College that lasts just over 2 years. It is a program designed to meet the specific needs of teachers working in Waldorf inspired public schools. Teachers will be learning together as a cohort beginning this summer in Sacramento.

When our vision committee met last Saturday, we reviewed the plan we created in early October this year. One of the most significant and lofty goals stated in our vision planning document is that our teachers be equipped with Waldorf teaching certificates. And here we are in April, 6 months later, moving forward in leaps and bounds. We are fortunate to have a team of teachers who are committed to excellence in their profession and equally committed to the well being of the children they serve. You can expect beautiful growth and clarity of purpose in our community in the coming years. So go ahead and celebrate with us.

Recycling Fundraiser

Friday, April 19 at morning drop off, the sixth grade classes will be accepting sorted and bagged CRV beverage containers beside the 8^th grade coffee kiosk. Look for green signs at the school entrances and exits, or go to www.calrecycle.ca.gov/BevContainer for information. Please have bags ready to quickly drop off to parents or students for good morning traffic flow. This fundraiser supports the Shady Creek field trip. Hopefully, another will follow in a few weeks so please save and donate your CRV beverage containers to this fundraiser for the nature/environmental camp.

Reminder, as the weather gets warmer…

Appropriate shoes and clothing must be worn at school.  As a general rule, these are the guidelines.

·         All shoes or sandals must have back straps to allow for running, movement, etc.  This means no flip flops or wedge type shoes.

·         All clothing should be neat and appropriate.  No short shorts, meaning when hands are at sides, seams should be at or below fingertips.

Notes from Community Coordinator

Springtime is always very busy at Blue Oak!  Keep your eyes on the online Calendar for updates and current events.

Tuesday 4/23 from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm, the Parent Council is hosting  the 2nd "Grades Meeting" of the year.  After school, parents who are interested in knowing more about the Parent Council can come meet current and future Parent Council members.  This meeting is the beginning of the process in forming next year's Parent Council.  So far we have a lot of interest and only a few vacant positions.  If you are interested but not able to make the scheduled meeting, please contact Summer O’Neill at summer@blueoakcharterschool.org.  The new Parent Council for 2013-2014, will meet for the first time on May 28th.

Saturday 4/27 from 9 am - 3 pm, we will be hosting an All School Work Day. The focus of this work day will be the back play yard.  We will be doing a little spring clean up and getting things squared away for the upcoming heat. This is definitely a family style work day, so bring the kids, pack a lunch, pack some gardening tools, and lend a hand! When you arrive, please come park and enter around back and look for the sign-in table.

NEW Garden Committee! We have a generous parent who has agreed to lead a Garden Committee!  Thank you Jackie Hammer! If you are interested in participating on this committee, we need your help!  Please let me know of your interest. We could use your help at the 4/27 Work Day but we also plan to have a Garden Committee work day at the end of May and hope to have a solid group formed by then.

Questions?  contact summer@blueoakcharterschool.org

Notes from the Parent Council

At our last meeting we voted that all money raised at the upcoming May Fair will be donated to the Foundation's Teacher Education Fund.

We also discussed the upcoming Charter Council Elections.  Voting will take place during the week of May 6th through May 9th.  Results of this Election will be announced Monday May 13th.  The Charter Council has 7 members total, 3 parent members and 4 community members.  For this upcoming election we have 6 of the 7 positions up for election.  If you are interested in applying for one of these spots, or you know someone who is, applications are available in the front office and they are due no later than 3 pm on April 26th.  All applications are to be handed in to the front office.

Our next PC meeting is Tuesday, April 30th.  Starting at 6 pm we will hosting a candidate forum for all the candidates to introduce themselves to our community and be available to answer our questions.

May Faire Planning Committee Update

The planning for this year's May Faire is well underway.  We have already approved 7 class fundraisers.  The 1st deadline to apply for a Class Fundraiser is Friday 4/26.  We have reserved a space for each classroom.  If your class plans on fundraising you must apply by this 1st deadline.  If you have not applied by then, the applications will re-open to any class that is interested in doing more than one. The 2nd and final deadline for all applications is Friday 5/3. Applications for classroom fundraising are available in the front office.

If you or someone you know is interested in being a Vendor, the deadline for applications is Friday 5/10.  Once your application is approved, your Vendor fee is required in full to reserve your vending space.  Applications for Vendors are available in the front office, as well as on the home page of our website. 

* May Faire - 5/18 - 11am - 3pm

Questions? contact summer@blueoakcharterschool.org

The Leaves 3.25.13

Blue Oak Ball

The staff at Blue Oak would like to give a heartfelt thanks to the parents and students of the eighth grade for throwing a fantastic party last Friday night. Many of us attended and enjoyed ourselves and enjoyed the opportunity to have fun together. The food was outstanding, the room was beautifully decorated, and the music could not have been better. We appreciated the well organized and thoughtful service of the parents and students. And the variety of silent auction items was impressive. We know this event was a class fundraiser, and we hope your financial goals were achieved, but we also wanted you to know that the evening was a wonderful gift and we are grateful.

There will be no school next week, April 1-5, in observance of our spring break.

Lost and found items not picked up will be donated next week.

The handwork area was used by parents late last week and was left in disarray and with sewing machines needing attention. We are fortunate to have this space and equipment. Please check in with Beth to request use of this very special student area. 

Parent Council Update

Parent Council (PC) Meets tomorrow, Tuesday March 26 at 6 pm. If you have signed up for childcare, drop off is at 5:45 pm in the Kindercare room.

On April 23 the new Parent Council Representatives will be chosen at our Grades Meetings.  If you are curious about being a PC Grade Representative for next school year, and have questions, please contact Summer@blueoakcharterschool.org.  

May Faire Update

If you would like to participate in Class Fundraising at this year's May Faire you can apply using the Classroom Fundraising form available at the front office.  Please be sure to note that it is specifically for the May Faire.

If you, or someone you know, would like to be a Vendor, you can apply using the vendor application. The application is available at the front office and on the website http://www.blueoakcharterschool.org/storage/Vendor_Application_May%20Fair%202013.pdf.

We are accepting Vendors from inside and outside of our school community.  The fee for current and past Blue Oak families is $30 and a $40 fee applies to all outside vendors.  Once an application is approved, the fee will be required to hold the spot.

All questions regarding the May Faire Fundraising and Vending can go to Summer@blueoakcharterschool.org.

The Leaves 3.18.13

We had an inspiring and lively discussion with new families at our Parent Education Evening last Tuesday. It was a conversation sprinkled with questions, gratitude, enthusiasm for the culture and philosophy of the school, and some wise words on the importance of storytelling from our visiting teacher mentor, Barbara Warren. Thank you to everyone who made the evening possible. I know that I walked away marveling at the beautiful families that we have so fortunately attracted to our community.

The Blue Oak Ball is this Friday, March 22 (see details below). Come enjoy a festive evening and support our amazing Eighth grade class!

Drop Off/ Pick Up/ Afterschool Protocols

It has come to our attention that parents are dropping students off too early and picking up too late. The current time frame for supervised drop off is 7:40 AM - 8:10 AM. Drop off prior to 7:40 AM is not acceptable, due to the lack of adult supervision. The gate will be closed in the morning and opened only when a staff member is present.  

Also, after school pick up time is no later than 3:15 PM. The gate will be open for pick up time from 2:30 PM until 3:15. If students are not picked up by 3:15, we will need to charge for their supervision by a staff member. A cost per minute will be added for your child's supervision. Students on the playground must be under the supervision of their parent and may not play alone.

Blue Oak has two homework club options as well as various after school groups for students to participate in. These clubs and programs are a privilege and may be revoked if students misbehave. All students in after school groups must be picked up immediately following their release.

Chico Area Rec District also provides student supervision options. Please contact the CARD office for paid after school care options at 895-4711. Front office staff cannot be responsible for looking after children before or after school. Thank you for your help in this matter. 

Nurtured Heart Parent Event

Erica Charlesworth, a local trainer and coach, will be presenting a free one-hour introduction to the Nurtured Heart Approach this Tuesday March 19^th at 6pm in our great room. We strongly encourage all parents to attend. We are finding this approach to be highly consistent with our values as a school. You can RSVP to Erica at 530-520-9239 orericacharlesworth@hotmail.com.

Volunteer Opportunity

We need to replace the old backboard on one of our basketball uprights. The new backboard would need to be durable in the rain, so Plexiglas, hard plastic or sealed wood would be best. Please speak to our games teacher, Daebin Gilmore, if you would like to be of help in this area. I know that our students will be very appreciative of this repair.

Reminder

BLUE OAK BALL UPDATE: 

-          Tickets are selling quickly.  Please plan on joining us at this Unforgettable Event!

-          There are some fantastic Silent Auctions items being donated by individuals and local businesses

-          That Jack Show hosted by our very own Blue Oak parent, Jack Stockton, has generously created a commercial to promote our wonderful event! Check it out on YouTube via this ink: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWY8ESqQgM0

-          KZFR and KNVR are kindly running a Public Announcement on the Ball and the Story of the Class thanks to a donation to by Jeannie and Al Schademan.

The Class of 2013 is inspired and appreciates all the support that is being expressed by the Blue Oak families, friends, and community!  Please see our invitation below for all the details.

Dear Blue Oak Families: YOU ARE INVITED To the BLUE OAK BALL

The Class of 2013 is hosting a Dinner Dance Fundraiser

Date:     Friday March 22

Cost:      $40 in advance, $45 at the door

Place:    Elks Lodge, Chico

Doors Open at 5:45 (Dinner at 6:30 pm)

The Evening will include:

• ·         Silent Auction
• ·         Paleo dinner served by The Hunter and The Farmer
• ·         Speaker-New York Best seller, Chico’s own Sara Fragosa 
• ·         Music will be provided by local Chico Bands… 

Award-Winning: MaMuse, Wolfthump, Feverpitch from The Ascent Music Academy, and DJ Luke Anderson will help us dance the night away!

Tickets can be purchased at the following locations:

• ·         Blue Oak School
• ·         Genesis Salon (next to Nash's)
• ·         The Ascent Music Academy (next to Music Connection)

All proceeds will support the funding of “Operation: Unforgettable!” (the end-of-year, rights-of-passage 8^th grade epic field trip).

For questions call Jen @ 828-7224 OR email Jen Johnsen - jenjohnsen1@yahoo.com