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Dear Ocean Shore Families, Hello! What a festive week at Ocean Shore! With only one more week remaining before we go on Winter Break, you can feel the energy and excitement across our classrooms, hallways, lunchroom, and the playground. This week was full with a 6th grade band concert, an engaging assembly for grades K-5, and the Winter Bazaar (just to name a few things!). I hope you are finding time to enjoy this special time of year. I love the events that are bringing us all together and have enjoyed seeing so many families at school! Reflections From My Office: It was great to see so many families around campus yesterday! I am reflecting this morning on the extraordinary event that occurred yesterday – our Winter Bazaar. It epitomized the heart of Ocean Shore - how the community comes together as powerful force for good in our world. The event kicked off with a sweet music serenade from our younger students. I was amazed at how our team of teachers, staff, parents and students transformed our MPR into a merry land of goods and crafts lovingly prepared by students (and teachers!) to sell in efforts to raise money for disadvantaged local Pacifica families. We will announce our final earnings next week! It was fun to see the kids dash from table to table in search of treasures and gifts to give their family members. Like most things at Ocean Shore, it was not just the event itself that left an impression upon me. It was the way in which our community was woven together to produce the event from the planning to the cleanup, all under the direction of our beloved Ocean Shore teacher, Patty. All staff - like our cook Mekayla and our speech therapist Sarah – had generously donated basket of items for the Bazaar. I mentioned them how much we appreciated their contribution and they responded by saying… “Of course! We are part of the team!” The finishing touches at the end of a long day to round up of all the baskets was something quite extraordinary. I witnessed students, staff members, teachers (current and retired teachers who came back to help) who had taught a long day, and dedicated parents work like clockwork to clean the MPR, call raffle winners, and reassemble our hallways and MPR in order to welcome students to school today. It was impressive to see how everyone rolled up their sleeves to lend a hand to facilitate this special event that will remain as one of my favorite Ocean Shore traditions. It was awesome to see how alumni and neighbors visited. It is pretty awesome when you think about the power of community when we work together to help others. I am so supremely proud of the adults who lead our children and the parents at home who set a positive example for our kids. We are fortunate and I am grateful to call Ocean Shore my home. I am our biggest fan! Here are some pictures from the week! Reminder About Student Illness: For the safety of all of our students and staff, families must report illnesses to the school (while individual student medical reports remain confidential). This safety measures helps the school monitor multiple cases of an illness and allow for us to properly notify families if several cases of an illness are occurring within the school. Please help us keep each child and adult safe! This would include common illnesses or disturbances such as lice, strep throat and fifth disease (“Slap Cheek”). Thank you! 8th Grade Families! A reminder that Weekly Podcast: Hear the latest from our students with our Weekly Podcast! Click HERE Staff Makin' Waves:  Weekly Flyers:  Dear Ocean Shore Families, Hello! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving break with you family! Thank you for your warm wishes as I celebrated my wedding and we spent Thanksgiving in the Caribbean for our honeymoon. We had such a wonderful time exploring different islands and soaking up the sun! The wedding was so special to be with our family and friends. My golden retriever Bea” made the perfect ‘Dog of Honor’ despite rolling around on the grass during the reception! This was a fun week with lots of festivities underway. At our POD day this week, the students and staff were busy preparing for Winter Bazaar next week! December is a busy and productive month. Our staff lounge has been transformed with anticipation of the Winter Bazaar on Thursday next week. For our new families, Winter Bazaar is a treasured celebration at our school. I look forward to seeing you there! Invite your families and neighbors as our whole community is invited! Take a look at the details below (a beautiful poster created by our own 2nd grade teacher, Juli!). We would love any support from our parents to help volunteer! Sign-Up on the poster in the main hallway!  Reflections From My Office: Have you noticed the new mural? It is hard to miss the work underway on our neighbor’s wall – ACE Hardware. It has been pretty exciting to see it take shape, especially since the mural will feature silhouettes of young children – representing the partnership between our school and our community like ACE Hardware. The new store manager has had an active interest in our school and is always looking for ways to help us out! This project is an example of his vision to be a strong partner for the neighborhood and our kids. I met with him and the artist this week as we discuss plans for the completion of the mural. I thought the story of how the store has come under his leadership and the idea behind the mural was quite meaningful, and asked him to share it with you! Here are a few thoughts from Drew, the Store Manager: “Pacific Manor Ace is a small, homegrown co-op filled with people that love what they do and love to be a part of the neighborhood they serve. So some may have noticed some interesting...and colorful things happening recently in the parking lot. Michael Koller, a local Pacifica artist, is doing a wonderful Hardware/Ocean/School themed mural on the side of our building in a parking lot we're all very familiar with. The owners and myself sat down a year ago when I took over as store manager and asked ourselves how we could give back to the community and how we could be an example of a good neighbor. Though I'm not originally from Pacifica or the Bay Area for that matter this neighborhood has quickly become one near and dear to my heart. It reminds me a lot of the small one traffic light community that I grew up in. One of the things I loved about my hometown and community was its passion for art and the number of quirky murals it has strewn throughout the city. If you haven't stopped by the store recently and if you're not on a first name basis with the staff, stop by for a visit we'd love to meet you. P.S. We love dogs." The artist plans to include a few students in the mural design. Students will be randomly selected to be photographed which the artist will use as a reference to design the silhouette of children. If your child is selected, we will let you know! There will also be a fun event to dedicate the mural once it is complete in January. Stay tuned for more details! From the Front Office: Concert Attire Clothing Available For Students! This time of year, many students are encouraged to wear formal attire for concerts and performances. This can be an extra financial burden for families. If your family would like assistance in getting a special outfit for your child, please let us know. Feel free to contact Julie or Seva, or stop by the office. If your family has extra children's formal clothing available to donate, we will take your donations for others to use. For example, middle school students are encouraged to wear wear black dress pants, a collared shirt, and black dress shoes. Let us know if you have gently used items you would like to donate! The Winter Bazaar is Coming and We Could Use Your Help! The staff is looking for a few parent volunteers to help on the day of the Winter Bazaar (Thursday, December 12th!). Please visit the poster on the bulletin board in the main hallway to sign up if you can help us out! Important Information for Families Registering a Sibling Into Ocean Shore Next year! YOU MUST ENROLL YOUR YOUNGER SIBLINGS with the Kindergarten Sibling / Priority Enrollment card! These cards should be turned in as soon as possible, and can be turned into Patricia. These are in the Pacifica School District Kindergarten Enrollment 2020-2021 packet. Please stop by the front office if you need a copy. If you have a child who will be 5 years of age on or before September 1, 2020, your child is eligible to attend kindergarten in the fall 2020. If your child will turn 5 between September 2 and December 2, 2020, please request the Transitional Kindergarten Enrollment Card. School Safety Update: Secure Campus Drill Next Week: Next week, our school will participate in a safety drill on Monday, December 9, 2019. Students will practice a “Secure Campus” protocol at the end of recess. Teachers will be giving students specific instructions at age-appropriate guidance. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Student Podcast! Here all about it in this week’s podcast! Season 2 - Episode 11 Dolphinetly Talks Site  Weekly FlyersDear Ocean Shore Families, Hello! I wish you a wonderful week as we head into our Thanksgiving break! I look forward to seeing you around campus this week for parent-teacher conferences! A reminder that we have MINIMUM DAYS every day this week! Reflections From My Office: Something really sweet is happening around our school. You may notice words of encouragement or kindness quotes being spread all around campus! Our kindergarten teacher Jennifer challenged her class to perform random acts of kindness for others. They have become, KINDESS NINJAS! Kids are performing these random acts such as:
I think this is a great example for all of us to follow and I love that some of our youngest kids are teaching us all about the importance of spreading kindness! Jennifer asked her class, “What does a Kindess Ninja do?” Here was what they said: They work hard and be a good person. They spread kindness. They be kind and they be nice to people. They spread kindness in the world and they're really nice to people. They be nice to each other. and my favorite... They do kind things when people don't ask them to. That's it! Here are some pictures of our Kindness Ninjas and what they have been doing around campus! Student Podcast! Here all about it in this week’s podcast! Season 2 - Episode 10 Dolphinetly Talks Site 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, Hello! I hope you are about to enjoy a long weekend! Reminder – we do not have school on Monday 11/11/19 in recognition of Veteran’s Day. On behalf of our school, thank you to all the Veterans in our Ocean Shore community who have served our country. We are so fortunate for your selfless service! As the fiancé of a Veteran, sister of an Air Force officer, and granddaughter of several World War II Veterans, my family – like yours and so many others - knows firsthand how much of a sacrifice our Veterans make for us all. Thank you! Reflections From My Office: It seems hard to believe, but the first trimester of the 2019-20 school year is coming to a close! This means you can expect to see your child’s report card come home, and have an opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher. Fall conferences are when all parents check in with their teacher to review their progress and determine each child’s direction for the coming year. This is an important time for home and school communication. The teachers work diligently to prepare the report cards and to share each student’s unique progress through looking at multiple projects, work samples and assessments. As I have walked around campus talking with the students, I reminded them that their effort means everything. I have shared with families in the past some things to remember when reviewing your child’s progress and “grades” As a parent, it is important to remember a few key items: · Celebrate Effort: Upon receiving their report cards, I always reminded my students as a teacher that their effort mattered as much as their achievement – and sometimes even more. What an important life lesson we can teach our children. What you put into something is just as meaningful as what you take from it. · Ask Questions: At your parent-teacher conference, take time to inquire about what academic standards are expected of your child at this point in the year. Have your child self-reflect on their progress this 1st trimester. · Report Cards in Modern Times: You might notice that the report card your child brought home is different than the report card you received as a child. It is normal to feel a little confused! To help you better understand your child’s report card, please refer to the district website, “Elementary Report Guide for Parents.” Please see the link here: https://www.pacificasd.org/files/user/1/file/Report%20Card%20Guide%20for%20Parents.pdf Student Podcast! Here all about it in this week’s podcast! Season 2 - Episode 9 Dolphinetly Talks Site Staff Makin' Waves! Look below to meet our Staff of the Week and learn about our team of educators!  Take a Look at the Superhero Staff at Ocean Shore! Here was a picture from our costume parade last week!  Weekly Flyers  Dear Ocean Shore Families, Happy Friday! I hope you had a wonderful week. It was great to so many families at our costume parade yesterday! The costumes were extraordinary –so many creative ideas. Our week ended on positive note – despite the unusual start to our day with school closed! Thank you for your patience and responsiveness as we all navigated the power outages and weather conditions. The Hootenany is on Saturday! Should be a very fun event! See below for details! Reflections From My Office: Today our staff gathered for professional development. It was a valuable day for our teachers as we talked about building our capacity for student engagement. I left the day feeling inspired and uplifted by our staff – there were some powerful and rich conversations. One part of our day compared and how education has changed over the years. From the days of a one-room schoolhouse to modern times – we all agreed that teachers wear many hats to serve students. We also talked about the value of a classroom community – and that many of the activities at Ocean Shore foster a student’s sense of belonging to our school community. POD days are one such example. Yesterday was our first “POD” day. This is one of my favorite things that happen at our school. At Ocean Shore, there is a tradition of having several POD days throughout the year. Students are assigned to a POD or “family” of students represented from each grade level. Each classroom becomes a one-room schoolhouse. Students from kindergarten to 8th grade spend time together with different teachers. Teachers carefully design activities for the students that will be fun and productive across all of the ages. If you were around on campus yesterday, you would have noticed kids working in pairs and small groups, older students helping younger ones. The littlest ones eagerly accepted their guidance as they were in awe of the bigger kids. Each activity had a greater value attached to it because of the quality of collaboration across ages, and the reciprocity of skills being exchanged. Older students gain leadership while younger ones learned from their example of servitude – something that isn’t easily packaged in a book or curriculum – but given with opportunities such as POD days. It is not uncommon to see seasonal celebrations in classrooms. Most schools host such fun activities like building skeletons or creating an art project with fall leaves. What is uncommon is to see the collaborative spirit between these age groups in such a deliberate manner. The laughter exchanged, the memories that were made between the big and little buddies made the activity that much more memorable. The intentionality to give our students such experiences is what sets Ocean Shore apart from other schools. It was fun for me to see our teachers lead a whole group of students across all the grade levels. Our middle school team having fun with the primary grades and vice versa. This also reflects how our teachers are committed to these experiences. Student Podcast! Here all about it in this week’s podcast! Season 2 - Episode 9 Dolphinetly Talks Site Staff Makin' Waves! Look below to meet our Staff of the Week and learn about our team of educators!  Come to the Hootenanny on Saturday!  Weekly Flyers: 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!  Weekly Flyers     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:
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. 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!  Hope to see you at the PEFathon! Be sure to register! Weekly FlyersDear Ocean Shore Families, Hi there! I hope you are ready to enjoy a nice weekend and are able to make it to Fog Fest! I will be out of town and sad to miss this event. Please tell me all about it on Monday! We are fortunate to have so many celebrations and festivals in our community that bring us together. A final reminder – Help us reach our goal that EVERY child will be represented at our Super Fun Night of Reading on Tuesday 10/1! With events being offered before school (7:45 am) and in the evening (6:00 pm) we are hoping a family member can join with a student! This will kickoff Readathon and equip our families with tools to make reading fun and meaningful at home! See you there! Reflections From My Office: In the next few weeks, we begin many of our overnight field trips for older students from Outdoor Ed, to the 6th grade Calistoga trip and the infamous 8th grade trip to Yosemite. Seva and I had the opportunity to visit the 5th grade students and teachers at Outdoor Ed on Wednesday evening. This year’s trip will be remembered by so many sweet moments and memories that are transformative for the kids – from hot weather and Virginia keeping kids cool with a “mister” or spray bottle - to the famous “skit night” around the campfire. It was pretty magical to see them all in action and see the kids respond to this amazing opportunity. It was fun to hear of how many parents and staff recalled their own experience as a child at Outdoor Ed. Do you relate? Can you recall this childhood memory? The 5th graders arrived home today as they were full of energy and eager to tell their stories from Outdoor Ed. Thanks to the efforts of our teachers and the Outdoor Ed staff, the kids had an extraordinary experience. I am grateful our students have this opportunity each year. The exciting part happens upon their return. It is nothing short of magical to see the differences in the kids when they arrive back to campus on Monday. They are bonded, more confident and tolerant of one another. Many reasons contribute to why Ocean Shore kids come back in high school or years later to visit the campus they called home for so many years. They are drawn to the memories they made with their classmates. This week will no doubt be etched in their childhood memory bank for years to come, cherished as a reminder of the unique experiential educational opportunities provided to them at Ocean Shore. Here are a few pictures from my visit on Tuesday. Does it bring back memories to you? 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! Staff Makin’ Waves: Be sure to read about our “Staff of the Week” – Natasha! We are so grateful Natasha joined our team this year! As an Ocean Shore alumn, she came to us from Vallemar this year. Learn more about one of our new members from the team!  See You Next Week at Ocean Shore's Super Fun Night of Reading! Check out the latest from PEF! We hope you can make it to the Family Fun Fest at PEFathon! You will not want to miss this super fun event! Weekly Flyers: |
Julie Tarango
Principal of Ocean Shore. Check back here for weekly updates and messages from the principal. Archives
December 2019
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