Dear Ocean Shore Families,
 
Hello!  Can you believe Halloween is next week?  We have a fun week ahead and a reminder that Friday, November 1st is a professional development day for our staff – so no school for students!  I hope to see you next week on 10/31 for our costume parade!  See details in the Dolphin News!
 
This coming week wraps up READATHON!  We have fun competition going 0 there is a!  Remember – this is money raised for important activities like our fieldtrips and special projects at Ocean Shore!  Here all about it in this week’s podcast!  Podcast crew interviewed last year's winner, Renee, and all-time winner, Patty!! :)
 
Season 2 - Episode 8
Dolphinetly Talks Site

Reflections: 
I just returned from one my favorite places to visit each week – the recess playground.  Every Friday, something really magical happens here.  One of our electives for our middle school students is the “Sound Crew” – who “DJ” music for the kids at recess.  Led by longtime volunteer, David Bradley, our middle school sound crew leads the other students in fun songs.  The excitement is magnetic!  I love watching the older students sing and dance with our younger kids.  When I asked a few kids today about how they enjoyed the music, they enthusiastically replied with the following:
 
“We love it!”
“It makes Fridays feel a little different and fun!”
“They just played my favorite song.”
“Could they add pictures to the songs?  And make it like a movie?”
 
Watching the kids enjoy the music today reminded me of some data I have I have been looking over in recent weeks.  Multiple forms of data are used each year to form school plans and goals.  Some of the data I have reviewed are survey results from last school year.  You may recall filling out a survey that came from Panaroma to gather input from each family member.  You will get a chance to do this again this year.  Students and staff also filled a similar data. 
 
As I stood outside today, I was thinking about some of the feedback students shared.  As students were happily dancing around, I thought about how when kids return to their classrooms everyday after recess, they feel supported by their teacher who receives them.  This is such a critical part to the learning process.  If they have a safe and fun place to play during break times, they are ready to receive instruction and apply themselves as students.  By far, the majority of our students feel that someone is supporting them at school to try their best.  In fact, 88% our 3rd-5th grade students reported that they feel school is a supportive climate for academic learning.  When asked if adults at school encourage them to work hard so that they can be successful, 89% reported that they feel they do.  I love what data likes this helps us understand from a bigger lens.  Our kids are happy and our teachers are supportive.  What a dream!  You see it on the playground, in the classrooms, and in surveys such as this data.  These feelings of contentment and support are inextricably linked to learning.  As a school, we will continue to foster the social and emotional wellness of each child so that they can try their best academically!    

Here are a few scenes from recess today! 

Student Newscast!  Each week, in addition to the Podcast, students produce a weekly newscast which is shared with all of the students in their class.  Watch it today to hear more about what is going on at school from our kids directly!  

Staff Makin' Waves!  Look below to meet our Staff of the Week and learn about our team of educators! 

Weekly Flyers:

Dear Ocean Shore Families,
 
Happy Friday! I hope you have a great weekend.  It was awesome to see so many families at the PEFathon last weekend.  I have exciting news… Ocean Shore School won the GOLDEN SHOE award for our school participation.  Thanks to the support from everyone who attended, PEF raised over $10,000 to fund education programs across our district!
 
This weekend I am excited to visit my first Pumpkin Festival in Half Moon Bay.  I hear from my neighbors that it gets pretty busy around town, but I am excited to attend.  I love the season of fall!
 
Reflections: 
As you know, this week we participated in a safety drill as part of the Great California Shakeout.  I can’t tell you how impressed I was with our students and staff who responded so promptly and took great care to follow the “Drop, Cover and Hold On” protocol.  It was apparent to all of the staff how our students took the occasion to handle the drill with great intention.  As I walked and talked with students afterward, they were excited to have something new in their daily routine, and felt like they knew what to do in such a situation. 
 
I also appreciate each family’s participation with our communication system and taking an opportunity to reflect on your safety preparedness at home.  Students were given “homework” to talk with their family about what to do at home if there were an earthquake or natural disaster.  Growing up in Wisconsin, I recall memories of anticipating tornadoes and how scary that felt as a child.  In reflecting now as an adult, I appreciate how valuable it was for me as a child to learn about preparedness at home.  My parents spent a lot of time to teach my brother and I about how to take precautions if we had to huddle in the basement.  While frightening, it gave me more confidence to respond in the face of a disaster knowing that I knew what to do. 
 
I don’t know about you, but it seems like there seems to be a lot of scary things happening in our world today.  From natural disasters like earthquakes and wildfires to school shootings, our school community faces important questions about how to best prepare for the unthinkable events.  As a staff, we have talked about how we can direct their conversations in appropriate ways to make children feel comfortable in the midst of uncertainty. We will continue to practice different drills throughout the year, and look for ways to share this training with parents. 
 
Take a moment to look at a few resources that you might find useful to help adults guide children to better understand trauma.  
 
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/aftermath.aspx
 
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/talking-to-children.aspx
 
School Site Council Parent Representatives:  Are you interested in serving as a parent member on our School Site Council?  Please let me know if you are (email or stop by the office to leave a message).  Our first meeting is in a few weeks, and we would love to have you join the committee to help us calibrate our school goals with the LCAP and site funding! 

Weekly Podcast:  Take a moment to listen to the latest episode and hear from student voices about what is happening at Ocean Shore!  

Click HERE for the latest episode:  


Staff Makin’ Waves:
Check out our “Staff of the Week” posted below! 

WEDear Ocean Shore Families,
 
Hello!  This weekend is PEFathon – I hope to see you there!  This is really fun event, and one that your whole family can enjoy!  I look forward to bringing Alex with me to cheer on the race and represent Ocean Shore with pride!  I look forward to seeing you there. 
 
Next week, our students will participate in some events and an assembly in celebration and recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. These are memorable moments and I encourage you to ask your child about their takeaways from the events next week.
 
Readathon is in full swing!  Monday will make the first announcement to compare class totals.  Help us make this a fun and healthy competition to promote how exciting reading can be at home!  Stay tuned for class total updates next week! 

​Reflections From My Office: 
This week our 8th graders went Yosemite for their coveted signature field trip. What an experience for our kids!  Despite having to return a day early due to poor air quality from forest fires, they had an incredible time.  I am grateful for the hard work that went into preparing for the trip from fundraising, organizing details and last minute arrangements. The students always arrive back to school with more confidence, composure and cohesion than they had before the left.  It is truly a bonding experience, and for many – it will be something they remember forever. 
 
Here are some highlights that their teachers shared with me.  If you know an 8th grader, ask them about one of these experiences! 
 
Here are some first experiences that students might have had: 

1. Setting and cleaning tables for meals
2. Doing science experiments with fire
3. Walking and/or crawling through the giant Sequoias!
4. Hiking 5 miles a day
5. Watching a fire-fighting helicopter take off
6. Reenacting the Hetch Hetchy debate of 1913
7. Eating vegetarian or vegan lunches, dinners and desserts
8. Talking with classmates they haven’t talk to before
9. Going “off-roading” instead of walking on groomed paths
10. Sitting quietly in a moonlit meadow, listening to nature

 
 Weekly Podcast:  Take a moment to listen to the latest episode and hear from student voices about what is happening at Ocean Shore!  

Click HERE for the latest episode:  

Welcome to Ocean Shore Sarah Scarfe!   We are happy to announce that Sarah Scarfe joined our Ocean Shore faculty team this week!  Sarah is our new speech and language therapist.  She is joining our expert team of specialists who work with our staff and students in a variety of ways from consultations to individual students who have specific learning needs.  Sarah recently moved to the area to accept this position and has introduced herself to you below: 

Sarah says, 
"I'm looking forward to a good year here at Ocean Shore. Julie took me on a tour today and I learned many innovative teaching strategies and an environment that has been achieved here. I look forward to collaborating with each of you.   Just a little about myself... I like photography. My mom has a lovely yard with many different flowers and bushes. I like to get snapshots. I'm planning on getting them on note cards to use and give to friends for their use."


Staff Makin’ Waves:
Check out our “Staff of the Week” posted below!

See you at the PEFathon!!

Weekly Flyers: 
​

Dear Ocean Shore Families,
 
Hello!  What a great evening this week at our Readathon Kick Off Event!  It was a full house and I am so proud of how our community came out in full force to learn more about literacy!  At our workshop, we shared some effective questions for families to use at home with young readers.  I have posted them HERE for everyone to use.  These are part of the “Family Resources” folder we wish to build upon for the rest of the year.  Here are a few images from the night: 
​

Reflections:
October is bully-prevention month.  This topic brings to light many emotions, questions and experiences that we can all relate to on some level. In my weekly message to you, I thought it would be helpful to include tips, thoughts or advice.  A firm believer that it takes a village to raise one child, I know our partnership is critical to the development of each of our children.  As our children mature, it is essential that we create strong, happy and confident kids who are ready to be problem-solvers .  Many times, I read articles or parents have shared insightful information with me that I think would benefit parents.  Please feel share with me any feedback or ideas you have! 
 
I want to share some resources that were shared with me a few years ago.  Take a moment to look at the link posted below.  There are many short videos posted on anything from fostering empathy and compassion in our youth to helping them build healthy relationships..  This is an awesome resource for parent to help their children understand stress, bullying, social media, grief, mental health challenges and body image. 

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PODCAST:  Dolphinently Talks! Speaking of ways families get involved, hear from our kids on what it means to have their parents involved in school!  Check out the latest episode! Episode 3!   CLICK HERE! 


Scenes from the Week!  Check out some scenes from a busy, productive week at Ocean Shore!