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Quote of the week: "The deep sea is the largest museum on earth, it contains more history than all the museums on land combined, and yet we're only now penetrating it." Robert Ballard (oceanographer and deep-sea explorer) Dear Ocean Shore Families, It's been a busy, busy week. Oceans 411 is in full swing. If you haven't seen the hallways, you need to take a peek. They are amazing. Our students, parents, and staff have gone overboard as usual. The beach trips have been fantastic and we've been blessed with great weather. I am learning so much about the Deep Seas. The 7th and 8th graders are doing a wonderful job of teaching the 2nd-6th graders and the Kindergarteners and first graders are enjoying learning about the deep ocean. I got to experience that first hand when I was a substitute for Halie's class one day this week. When you hear 6-year olds using words like bioluminescence in conversation, it's impressive to say the least! Enjoy this beautiful weekend! Take care, Jeanne A special shout out to Khaleesi Santos, Rosie Wong, Maya Warner and Cami Martin Cervantes who have placed as finalists in the North Coast County Water District's 2022 Water Awareness Poster Contest. Congratulations, girls! You are carrying on the proud tradition of Ocean Shore student artists using their work to spread awareness about an important issue. Coming next week: celebrating our Elna Flynn nominees and an update on the PEF Donation Days! School Business COVID reporting: We had one pool test positive on Wednesday, and one pool that was contaminated and couldn't be read. We also had several parent reported cases and staff cases. The follow up rapid COVID testing on Friday revealed six positive cases. If you or a family member test positive, please email Ayesha Siddiq, asiddiq@pacificasd.org. Our last day of pool testing will be Wednesday, June 1st. Return to School after an illness: Parents, please remember that we need a negative COVID test if your child has been out sick. Parents are also required to fill out this return to school form: Ocean Shore Return to School Form. COVID numbers are rising in San Mateo county. There is no mask mandate, but masking, vaccinations and keeping your child home when sick are vital ways to minimize the spread of disease. PTO Elections/Signups/Appointments have arrived! This really can be an easy way to fill your recommended volunteer hours on evenings/weekends. Many jobs can be done in just a few hours a month. It is also a great way for you to know what is happening at school AND to give your feedback and steer the direction of the PTO-activities!!! We need your amazing ideas and energy. Please, everyone is welcome to chip in to help. We value your help, and you will feel more connected to the school. Sign up by May 31. Any “run-offs” will be done at the PTO General Meeting on June 2nd (7-8:30). This link goes to sign up for ALL positions (if viewing on phone you may need to “tab over” to see all jobs). Job descriptions are on the PTO website https://www.osspto.org/pto-positions.html. Please use this link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/tabs/13575db03a4cdebc5ac5-202223. DLG: Diversity Learning Group – Wednesday, May 25 @ 7-8:30pm. Come join our last meeting of the school year! DLG serves as a resource for parents, teachers, staff and students in the OSS community to identify and discuss ideas, concerns and areas in need of further growth or awareness. The Diversity Leadership Group’s mission is to provide leadership, guidance and support to the Ocean Shore community to cultivate an environment of inclusion where each individual is valued and respected. Join via Zoom Meeting ID: 630 060 3544 password: DLG TDAP: Incoming 7th grade parents, please remember that students can't start school until they have their TDAP booster. Please contact your pediatrician and set up an appointment. Open House: We will be having a "live" open house on Thursday, May 26th. We are staggering start times by last name. Families with last names from A-L will attend from 6:00-6:45 and those with last names starting with M-Z will attend from 6:45-7:30. Families with multiple last names can pick their time. Fliers: May Lunch Menu, PTO jobs/elections, SPCA Donations, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter.   
Quote of the week: " The sea cures all ailments of man." -- Plato (philosopher) Dear Ocean Shore Families, May is Mental Health Awareness Month which makes sense. For me, May has ALWAYS caused anxiety. When I was in school, it was finals, dances, trying to find a summer job or a "real" job if I was graduating college, graduate school, or my teaching credential program. For an educator, May means standardized testing, grading, chaperoning dances, planning graduations, finishing staff evaluations, prepping classrooms or the school for the summer, planning for next year--the list goes on. Students do not always cooperate with the need to complete tasks because behavioral issues tend to spike during the last month of school. At Ocean Shore, we have the added activity surrounding Oceans 411, which is an amazing event, but also takes a lot of planning and energy. All of us need to remember to stop and breathe. Better yet, walk down to the beach, look out at the waves, and breathe deep. Speaking of Oceans 411, or Oceans Week, our hallways are being transformed into the Deep Seas, we will start beach field trips on Monday, and class rotations on Wednesday. We can always use more volunteers, so contact your child's teacher and they will put you in touch with their Oceans 411 coordinator. Thank you so much to the parents and teachers who are putting in hours of extra work in order to make this happen! It is so exciting to have a "real" Oceans Week again! Take care, Jeanne A special shout out to our amazing Mr. Ben Gower and our beginning and advanced bands. The concert combined our band classes with those at IBL and it was extraordinary, especially considering that each group had only ONE rehearsal together. Middle school parents, please encourage your children to continue with band. The process of learning to read a piece of music and doing the work to perform it successfully while collaborating with your fellow musicians, is a powerful, sometimes life-changing experience. I can't discuss music without mentioning the Pacifica Education Foundation. Please donate for our final donation day! PEF has raised $62,235, but we need to get to $85,000. As you can see by the graphic, Ocean Shore is doing well, but Cabrillo is beating us in both total dollars and total number of donors. I would love to see us have the highest number of donors. Ocean Shore is all about participation. You can give any amount from $10 to $10,000. Please don't wait, donate right now so that PEF can achieve their goal of continuing to fund our middle school band, elementary school music, and SPARC poetry programs. We can't do it without you! https://www.pacificaef.org/ School Business: COVID reporting: We had one pool test positive on Wednesday, and the follow up testing on Friday revealed one positive case. If you or a family member test positive, please email Ayesha Siddiq, asiddiq@pacificasd.org. Our last day of pool testing will be Wednesday, June 1st. DLG: Diversity Learning Group – Wednesday, May 25 @ 7-8:30pm. Come join our last meeting of the school year! DLG serves as a resource for parents, teachers, staff and students in the OSS community to identify and discuss ideas, concerns and areas in need of further growth or awareness. The Diversity Leadership Group’s mission is to provide leadership, guidance and support to the Ocean Shore community to cultivate an environment of inclusion where each individual is valued and respected. Join via Zoom Meeting ID: 630 060 3544 password: DLG TDAP: Incoming 7th grade parents, please remember that students can't start school until they have their TDAP booster. Please contact your pediatrician and set up an appointment. Open House: We will be having a "live" open house on Thursday, May 26th. We are staggering start times by last name. Families with last names from A-L will attend from 6:00-6:45 and those with last names starting with M-Z will attend from 6:45-7:30. Families with multiple last names can pick their time. Fliers: May Lunch Menu, SPCA Donation flier, PEF Donation Days, TDAP reminder, ThinkBridge Camp, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter. 
Dear Ocean Shore Families, Quote of the week: " When you have teenagers, it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you." --Nora Ephron (writer & filmmaker) Dear Ocean Shore Families, What can I say about being a mother that hasn't already been said more eloquently and more humorously by other people? I used to tell parents during back to school nights that children are the greatest inconvenience. They upend your life in every way imaginable. Suddenly, life is full of excess bodily fluids, inexplicable crying, and sleepless nights. And the stuff! My "babies" are 18 & 21, but I distinctly remember the drama involved in leaving the house. The checklist changes as they age from diapers, wipes and snacks to various types of gear (sports, music, drama, surfing) and, well, wipes and snacks. It still seems strange to me that I can leave the house with just my purse. Motherhood is also incredibly humbling, especially when you are also an educator. There is sometimes the assumption that because you deal with children for a living, and are knowledgeable about child development and educational milestones, that you will be more successful as a parent or that your children will be expert readers or well-behaved in class. Yeah, not so much, at least not for me. When I was president of the Pacifica Mothers Club, I wrote a monthly column for our newsletter on different aspects of motherhood. I joked that if I ever put those essays into a book, the title would be, "You're a Better Mother than I am." The pandemic certainly didn't make parenting any easier and blurred the line between home and school in ways that we are still coming to terms with. The bottom line is that parenting is exhausting, but also exhilarating, stressful, but also joyful, expensive, but also priceless. Are there things I wish I'd done differently? Sure. But I also wouldn't trade a second of my time as a mother for anything in the world. Happy Mother's Day to anyone who is mothering children: mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, school staff members, coaches--everyone! Cheers! Jeanne School Business: Playground update: You might notice that the parent parking lot is open again. Construction will be on and off for a while due to the fact that the playground structure is in transit. I do not have any information about when it might arrive in California. If workers are on site, the cones will be put out and the parking lot will be off limits for that time period. Thank you for your flexibility. Things went very smoothly last week for the most part! COVID reporting: We had all negative testing pools on Wednesday! If you or a family member test positive, please email Ayesha Siddiq, asiddiq@pacificasd.org 2022-2023 School Year - Intent to Return Survey link Please help us prepare for the next school year by confirming your child’s enrollment. Please do so by completing the survey asap. The office will soon start making phone calls to confirm enrollment and student services will begin reaching out to families on our waiting list. (Eighth grade parents do not need to complete the survey). PSD Intent to Return Form Open House: We will be having a "live" open house on Thursday, May 26th. We are staggering start times by last name. Families with last names from A-L will attend from 6:00-6:45 and those with last names starting with M-Z will attend from 6:45-7:30. Families with multiple last names can pick their time. Oceans Week Training: If you are attending one of the beach trips during Oceans Week, you must attend the training this Saturday from 10:00-11:00 in our Science Room. Spring Auction: Ocean Shore's Spring Auction is still active. This auction has a lot of special items. The spring auction of 2020 was canceled due to Covid and we are now able to put those amazing baskets and much more up for auction. This bidding process will be online; however, baskets and items are available for viewing in the main hallway. 25% of all proceeds from the auction will go to Ukraine Relief Efforts. PEF: Pacifica Education Foundation (PEF) is hosting its virtual 2022 Donation Days on May 11-13. As most of you know, PEF raises much-needed funds to support the elementary music program, middle school band, SPARC Poetry, and other programs that benefit Pacifica School District students and staff. PEF is excited to reach out to all district families to ask for participation in its Donation Days. Fliers: May Lunch Menu, Terra Nova Band Concert (5/12), Spring Auction, PEF newsletter & Donation Days, San Mateo County COVID testing/Vaccination information, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter.
Quote of the week: “Doesn't expecting the unexpected make the unexpected expected?” -- Bob Dylan, songwriter Dear Ocean Shore Families, The construction is proceeding ahead of schedule which is great news for the moment. However, because the construction crew was able to start working on the back of the kindergarten playground sooner than expected, it means we need to adjust again. Because construction vehicles need to access the kinder yard, we are going to close the parent parking lot and block off the parking lot entrance to Edgemar starting on MONDAY. The Edgemar turnaround will not be affected. Parents are encouraged to drop off children in the front of the building and then exit on to Oceana Blvd. The kindergarten gate next to the library is now open in the morning, and the Nelson Gate is another spot to drop off students. Please do not double-park on Edgemar or block the intersection at Edgemar and Manor. I know this is extremely inconvenient. The staff and I are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of our students during this hectic time. The good news is that we are going to start the 2022-23 school year with a beautiful playground. Please check out the playground design and photos of the play structures at the bottom of this letter. Next week will be a busy one. We start CAASPP (CA State standardized testing), so make sure your student has a healthy snack and plenty of rest. There are also three field trips, all on Thursday. The second graders will be off to the SF Zoo, the sixth graders will be visiting Safari West and the Petrified Forest in Calistoga, and the seventh graders will be learning about sustainable farming at Hidden Villa in Los Altos. The kindergarteners are in Marin County today at the Bay Area Discovery Museum. It feels so good to have Ocean Shore kids traveling all over the Bay Area. Next week is also teacher appreciation week, so please take the time to write a quick email or card to your child's teacher(s). This has been an incredibly difficult time for educators. I know from experience that a few kind words from a parent can turn a challenging day into a good one. Our teachers are some of the most dedicated professionals that I have ever worked with, and they care deeply about your children. Show them some love next week! Take care, Jeanne Common Sense Media is an excellent resource for parents. We are hoping to have them present at one of our PTO meetings next year. In the meantime, check out their website for reviews of movies, Apps and their most recent addition, podcasts: Common Sense Podcast Reviews School Business: Parent parking lot will be closed from Monday, May 2nd until ??? COVID reporting: We had two positive testing pools on Wednesday. The follow up rapid testing on Friday did not show any positive results. If you or a family member test positive, please email Ayesha Siddiq, asiddiq@pacificasd.org 2022-2023 School Year - Intent to Return Survey Please help us prepare for the next school year by confirming your child’s enrollment. Please do so by using the survey link immediately below by Wednesday, May 4th. (Eighth grade parents do not need to complete the survey). PSD Intent to Return Form Garden: We have a garden clean-up day this Sunday from 10:00 to 1:00. Come join the fun and earn hours at the same time! Absences: We now have an email address dedicated to reporting student absences: oceanshoreabsences@pacificasd.org. You can also call 650-738-6650 Ext. 3205. Please provide your child's full name, grade, your full name and the reason for the absence. Thank you! Spring Auction: Ocean Shore's Spring Auction is back and will be live next week! This auction has a lot of special items. The spring auction of 2020 was canceled due to Covid and we are now able to put those amazing baskets and much more up for auction. This bidding process will be online; however, baskets and items will be available for viewing in the main hallway starting next week. You can get a sneak peak online if you open the attached flier. All items will not be loaded until Monday. 25% of all proceeds from the auction will go to Ukraine Relief Efforts. Thank you, Amanda and Tristin Food Drive: Hello Ocean Shore Families!Thank you so much for your very generous food donations to StarVista clients in San Mateo county over the past few months. Our Ocean Shore community has already donated almost 200! food items. If you have not yet donated or would like to continue to donate, please consider sending in non-perishable food items that will go directly to the people who need them.The collection bin is at the front entrance and will remain open for donations throughout the rest of the school year. Thank you again for helping to keep food insecure members of our community fed and healthy. Ava Litz - Eighth Grade Student PEF: Please see the Pacifica Education Foundation Spring Newsletter below, and contribute to PEF in 2022! Fliers: May Lunch Menu, Playground photos, Spring Auction, 4H event, Girl Scout information, AYSO soccer, Legarza Summer program, Pacifica United, Sanchez summer programs, tech camps, PEF newsletter, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter.      
 
Quote of the week: "All great changes are preceded by chaos." -- Deepak Chopra, author and alternative medicine advocate Dear Ocean Shore Families, The optimist in me hopes the playground construction won't be too chaotic, but the realist in me is preparing to be flexible. The fencing will be put up and construction will begin next week. The staff and I have put a plan in place for drop off, pick up, and lunch starting on April 25th. All of this is subject to change depending on circumstances such as noise, dust, or rain. Here are the key points: Drop-off and pick-up: Edgemar Circle WILL be available for drop off in the morning and pick up in the afternoon. A path will be available through the fencing so that students and parents can enter the yard. The kindergarten gate near the library will also be open for drop off and pick up. The Nelson gate will be open for drop off and pick up Bikes: Bikes should be parked in the courtyard next to the MPR and locked to the fence. Morning line up: Kindergarten: line up at the A wing door First grade: line up at the B wing gate Jason & Sophie's classes: line up at the outside door to their classrooms C, D & E Wing classrooms: line up on the blacktop on their "normal" lines Lunches 1st Lunch: Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd Eat: 11:55-12:15 Play: 12:15-12:35 Kindergarteners will eat in the cafeteria. 1st graders & 2nd graders will eat outside. Second Lunch: 3rd, 4th & 5th Eat: 12:20-12:40: Play: 12:40-1:00 Virginia & Bridget's classes in will eat in the cafeteria. 3rd graders and Jonathan's class will eat outside. Third Lunch: 6th, 7th & 8th 12:40-1:00 Eat 1:00-1:20: Play 7th graders will eat in the cafeteria. 6th graders & 8th graders will eat outside. Students will play on the field, on the lower yard near the building and on the blacktop/basketball courts to the north of the green wall. I will share this information again in an email later this week. Have a safe and wonderful spring break. If you are observing religious holidays this month: May this Ramadan bring joy, health and wealth to you! Chag Pesach Sameach to those celebrating Passover! Happy Easter! Take care, Jeanne School Business: Spring Break: Spring Break is the week of April 18-22. School will resume on Monday, April 25th. COVID reporting: Our testing pools on Wednesday were all negative! If you or a family member test positive over the break, please email Ayesha Siddiq, asiddiq@pacificasd.org Take home COVID test kits: All students and staff were given a COVID test kit box to take home this week. Each box contains 2 tests. We strongly encourage all families to test on Sunday, 4/24/2022. There is no need to report negative test results. It’s that time of year! Can you sing, dance or do a skit? Tell a joke, juggle or do the splits? Spit some sick rhymes, play an instrument, or mime, join in on the fun for its sure to be a great time! The OSS talent show is an annual treasured tradition for our school community and we are pleased to announce we will be hosting an OSS 2022 Talent Show Extravaganza! Sign-ups will be open through MIDNIGHT on APRIL 15th. You can join in the fun by clicking on the following link: https://forms.gle/KQLxyLnGwywnDG4L8 A follow up email will be sent once you sign up with further instructions of how to participate in this year's show. We look forward to another fun year with everyone! As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to our awesome talent show crew via email: osstalentshow@gmail.com --Your Talent Show Crew, Ana, Cristin, and Sara PEF: Please see the Pacifica Education Foundation Spring Newsletter below, and contribute to PEF in 2022! Fliers: April Lunch Menu, Ukrainian Fund Raising event, Girl Scout information, AYSO soccer, Legarza Summer program, Pacifica United, Sanchez summer program, PEF newsletter, SMC library events, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter.
Quote of the week: "The body never lies." --Martha Graham, dancer & choreographer Dear Ocean Shore Families, Well, double April Fools Day on me because what I thought was a cold was, in fact, COVID. As an educator and a mother, I have gotten into the habit over the years of pushing through an illness. I've gone to work sick more times than I can count. As a teacher, writing plans for a substitute teacher, finding a substitute, notifying the office, and coordinating with your partner teachers is more effort than dragging your sick self to school. However, this mindset is WRONG. If COVID has taught us anything, it's that we need to listen to our bodies and stay home when we are sick. The first COVID test that I took was negative, and I assumed I had a cold. However, I just wasn't feeling right, and so I arranged to stay home even though I "knew" that I didn't have COVID. Two days later, I tested positive. We all know the moral of this story: listen to your body. However, most of us need to be reminded of it over and over again. As parents and educators, our job is to look out for others. We make sacrifices and work our lives around the lives of our children and our students. Yet, if we don't take care of ourselves, we won't have the energy to be our best selves at school and at home. In addition, when we go to work sick, we are sending the message to our kids that they should push through illness and not rest when they need to. I'm wishing everyone good health as we head into our last week before spring break! Jeanne Next week, I'll have more information about what to expect after the break regarding the upcoming construction. School Business: Spring Break: Spring Break is the week of April 18-22. Friday, April 15th, is a district minimum day. Playground update: It was recently confirmed that on April 18, construction will start on the playground. Right now, the staff is working on a plan for drop-off, recess, lunch and PE. When we have a plan in place, which will be before spring break, the staff and I will share it with the Ocean Shore Community via class ombuds, teacher emails, and this newsletter. This plan will need to be flexible. Anyone who has ever dealt with a construction project knows that things don't always go as planned! Staffing update: Last month we welcomed Tristan McNall as our library tech coordinator and Eugenie Hoffman as a Playworks paraprofessional. Both are Ocean Shore parents with vast experience volunteering at our school. We are extremely fortunate to have them join our staff! COVID reporting: Please remember to complete the return to school form if your child is out sick. ***OSS Return to School Form *** We are starting to collect student COVID-19 vaccination records. Please take the time to fill out this Google form if you have not already given a copy of your child's vaccination card to the office. OSS Student Vaccination Records. We had 1 unusable testing pool on Wednesday. Students in that class were tested today and were all negative. It’s that time of year! Can you sing, dance or do a skit? Tell a joke, juggle or do the splits? Spit some sick rhymes, play an instrument, or mime, join in on the fun for its sure to be a great time! The OSS talent show is an annual treasured tradition for our school community and we are pleased to announce we will be hosting an OSS 2022 Talent Show Extravaganza! Sign-ups will be open through MIDNIGHT on APRIL 15th. You can join in the fun by clicking on the following link: https://forms.gle/KQLxyLnGwywnDG4L8 A follow up email will be sent once you sign up with further instructions of how to participate in this year's show. We look forward to another fun year with everyone! As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to our awesome talent show crew via email: osstalentshow@gmail.com --Your Talent Show Crew, Ana, Cristin, and Sara DLG - Diversity Learning Group – Wednesday, April 13th @ 7-8:30pm. DLG serves as a resource for parents, teachers, staff and students in the OSS community to identify and discuss ideas, concerns and areas in need of further growth or awareness. The Diversity Leadership Group’s mission is to provide leadership, guidance and support to the Ocean Shore community to cultivate an environment of inclusion where each individual is valued and respected. Join via Zoom Meeting ID: 630 060 3544 password: DLG Requests: The office needs Kix, Chex, pretzels, gold fish, and small snack zip lock bags to keep in the office for students that are hungry during morning recess. Renee (D67) is in need of tall empty containers such as sanitizing or disinfecting wipes containers. Message from Will Lucey, Director of Student Educational Services: Dear Families, It is time again to get your thoughts on your family school relationship. Helping students do their best in school requires a team effort. Parents, students, and schools all play important roles in this process. To help all of us learn how to make your child's schooling experience as positive and beneficial as possible, please give us your honest, thoughtful responses to the questions within the survey. Please click the link below to take the survey. Thank you in advance for taking this very important survey. Family-School Relationship Spring 2022 Survey: Ocean Shore School https://surveys.panoramaed.com/pacifica/9746154651/surveys PEF: Please see the Pacifica Education Foundation Winter Newsletter below, and contribute to PEF in 2022! Fliers: April Lunch Menu, Legarza Summer program, Pacifica United, Sanchez summer program, NCCWD poster contest, Safe Routes to School poster contest, SF Boys Choir auditions, PEF newsletter, SMC library events, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter.
Quote of the week: "April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks, “Go!" -- Christopher Morley, writer. Dear Ocean Shore Families, I'm home sick today, and I wish that were an April Fools Day joke. I have my first cold since February of 2020, and it is knocking me flat. Of course, I'm grateful that I don't have COVID or something more serious. There is no mystery as to how I got sick. My son brought home the cold two weeks ago, and my husband was sick all last week. Maybe I need to start masking at home; it has worked so far at school. Our fifth graders are headed to Outdoor Ed on Monday. It looks like they will have beautiful weather, and I know they will learn a lot about the natural world and themselves. I swear my son grew an inch during the five days he was on that trip. I wonder if they are still encouraged to lick a banana slug. Somehow, I think that tradition has probably been put on hold for the time being. Send them good wishes for health and happiness this week! Take care, Jeanne School Business: Playground update: It was recently confirmed that on April 18, construction will start on the playground. Right now, the staff is working on a plan for drop-off, recess, lunch and PE. When we have a plan in place, which will be before spring break, the staff and I will share it with the Ocean Shore Community via class ombuds, teacher emails, and this newsletter. This plan will need to be flexible. Anyone who has ever dealt with a construction project knows that things don't always go as planned! COVID reporting: Please remember to complete the return to school form if your child is out sick. ***OSS Return to School Form *** We are starting to collect student COVID-19 vaccination records. Please take the time to fill out this Google form if you have not already given a copy of your child's vaccination card to the office. OSS Student Vaccination Records. This week, we had 1 positive testing pool and had a child test positive today during the follow up rapid test. There were 3 other family-reported cases this week. Requests: The office needs Kix, Chex, pretzels, gold fish, and small snack zip lock bags to keep in the office for students that are hungry at morning recess. Renee (D67) is in need of tall empty containers such as sanitizing or disinfecting wipes containers. E.A.T./Garden: There is a Garden workday this Sunday 10 am-1 pm. Also, if you have an Instagram account, please follow them: OSS Environmental Action Team Message from Will Lucey, Director of Student Educational Services: Dear Families, It is time again to get your thoughts on your family school relationship. Helping students do their best in school requires a team effort. Parents, students, and schools all play important roles in this process. To help all of us learn how to make your child's schooling experience as positive and beneficial as possible, please give us your honest, thoughtful responses to the questions within the survey. Please click the link below to take the survey. Thank you in advance for taking this very important survey. Family-School Relationship Spring 2022 Survey: Ocean Shore School https://surveys.panoramaed.com/pacifica/9746154651/surveys PEF: Please see the Pacifica Education Foundation Winter Newsletter below, and contribute to PEF in 2022! Spring Pictures are April 6th: fliers are going home with more information. Fliers: April Lunch Menu, Legarza Summer program, Pacifica United Summer Program, PEF newsletter, SMC library events, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter.
  
 Quote of the week: " The mask is not for you. It's to protect the people you care about." Batman in The Dark Knight Rises Dear Ocean Shore Families, As of Monday, masks will no longer be required in the school building, but they will still be encouraged. We are taking our lead from the California Department of Public Health who " strongly recommend that individuals in these settings (schools, childcare facilities) continue to mask in indoor settings when the universal masking requirement lifts." CDPH mask guidance I believe that it's in our best interest to continue to mask indoors at school, and I will continue to do so when I'm in the hallways, in classrooms and in meetings. I will certainly wear a mask if I'm in a car with anyone other than my immediate family. We can not require that drivers or students wear masks while driving on a field trip, but I hope that everyone will make the choice to protect those around them in the closed, cramped environment that is a car. I want everyone to stay healthy so that we can continue with field trips throughout the spring, enjoy a "real" Oceans 411 experience in May, and celebrate the end of the year at Frontierland on June 9th. Cheers! Jeanne Here is a link to the slideshow that teachers are sharing with students about the change in masking policy. Ocean Shore- Mask Related Protocols COVID reporting: This is still important! Please remember to complete the return to school form if your child is out sick. ***OSS Return to School Form *** We are starting to collect student COVID-19 vaccination records. Please take the time to fill out this Google form if you have not already given a copy of your child's vaccination card to the office. OSS Student Vaccination Records. This week, we had all negative testing pools. Yeah! School Business: Recording of social emotional learning presentation: On March 15, Sam Drazin, Executive Director of Changing Perspectives, did a ZOOM presentation on The What, Why, and How of Social-Emotional Learning and Disability Awareness. Here is the link to the recording: SEL presentation Message from Will Lucey, Director of Student Educational Services: Dear Families, It is time again to get your thoughts on your family school relationship. Helping students do their best in school requires a team effort. Parents, students, and schools all play important roles in this process. To help all of us learn how to make your child's schooling experience as positive and beneficial as possible, please give us your honest, thoughtful responses to the questions within the survey. Please click the link below to take the survey. Thank you in advance for taking this very important survey. Family-School Relationship Spring 2022 Survey: Ocean Shore School https://surveys.panoramaed.com/pacifica/9746154651/surveys PEF: Please see the Pacifica Education Foundation Winter Newsletter below, and contribute to PEF in 2022! Bikes/skateboards/scooters: Students should not be riding bikes, scooters or skateboards on campus. When riding off campus, all students should be wearing helmets. Office staff have observed students riding without helmets once they leave school property. Spring Pictures are April 6th: fliers to go home soon. Fliers: March Lunch Menu, PEF newsletter, SMC library events, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter.
 Quote of the week: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Charles Dickens, writer Dear Ocean Shore Families, This past week has run the gamut. Last Saturday, I attended the K-2 event at Frontierland. It was so much fun to see parents and students outside enjoying the sun and each other's company. It was great to get to know more parents and to see the kids without their masks. Thank you to the PTO board for organizing; I think I had more fun than the kids! Sunday was a harder day. TJ Nilsen, who attended Ocean Shore for 9 years and was just getting ready to graduate from Chico State, was killed by a drunk driver on March 6th in a hit and run accident on his way home from work. A memorial event was held at Linda Mar Beach. I was amazed by the number of former students and parents who attended. I hadn't seen many of his classmates since they graduated from Ocean Shore in 2014. These young adults spoke about TJ and their memories of Ocean Shore, high school and college. Their recollections were heartfelt and often humorous. TJ's mother, Jenna, was an art volunteer for years, as well as a therapist for many Pacifica teens, my daughter included. When she spoke, you could hear a pin drop on the beach. She somehow managed to be eloquent, funny and poignant, and she looked beautiful. (How is that humanly possible?) She said that she had already reached out to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), an organization that she hadn't really taken seriously in the past; an organization that was already helping her cope with the loss of her only child. When I hugged her after the ceremony, I said that I didn't know what to say, that she was living every parent's worst nightmare, that I didn't know how she was still standing. I will never forget her words. As she gestured towards TJ's tearful friends, she said, " It is my job to help them learn how to grieve, and in helping them, I will help myself." What grace and what a lesson for all of us. Even in our darkest times, thinking of others makes things better. TJ's death was a tragedy, but his life was anything but tragic. He was full of life, a wonderful friend, a successful student, and his smile could light up a room. He was empathetic and considerate even as a 13-year-old boy, and I was lucky to teach him for two years. Jenna and Terry, TJ's father, repeatedly thanked the Ocean Shore community for their support. One of the tragedies of the pandemic is that we haven't been able to gather as a community. I thought of that over and over again this week as we celebrated Patty McNally's life and her contributions to Pacifica's children, as I reflected on the joy of gathering with excited K-2 students and parents, and as I grieved the death of a former student, but took solace in the embrace of Ocean Shore parents, teachers, and students, past and present. This place is special, and if you make the effort to connect and contribute to the Ocean Shore community, it will support you in the best of times, and in the worst. Please consider making a memorial tribute donation to MADD in TJ Nilsen's name: https://secure.madd.org/page/22588/donate/1 Much love to all and hug your children especially close tonight, Jeanne COVID reporting: This is still important! Please remember to complete the return to school form if your child is out sick. ***OSS Return to School Form *** This week, we had all negative testing pools. We did have one positive case reported unrelated to the testing pools, so we conducted rapid tests on the students and teacher in that classroom and had no positive test results. As of March 28th, masks will be strongly recommended in the school building, but no longer mandatory. Please be a positive role model for your children and respect each family's decision. We are going to work hard as a staff to help the students support each other. School Business: Book Fair: The book fair has been extended to Monday and Tuesday of next week! PEF: Please see the Pacifica Education Foundation Winter Newsletter below, and contribute to PEF in 2022! Tsunami Preparedness Week is March 21-25: Please check out the City of Pacifica's website for information: https://www.cityofpacifica.org/depts/police/natural_disasters/tsunami.asp. Luckily, Ocean Shore is not in the Tsunami hazard area, and nearby Oceana High School would be a care and shelter site for any local families that did have to evacuate. Requests from the Office: The office is in need of Clorox type popup wipes and plastic grocery bags. Please parents, do not park in any spots that say staff. We continue to have issues with this, especially at pick-up. Please remind your children that they can't ride vehicles on campus, even after school, and that they must wear helmets. Spring Pictures are April 6th: fliers to go home soon. Fliers: March Lunch Menu, PEF newsletter, SMC library event, Walk & Roll to School contest, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter.
Quote of the week: " The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." --Phil Jackson, former NBA coach Dear Ocean Shore Families, The school board voted on Wednesday to keep mandatory masking indoors in place until Monday, March 28th. On Monday, March 28th, masks will still be highly recommended indoors at school, but no longer required. Teachers will address the change in masking policy with the students. We will discuss the fact that every family will choose whether or not to have their children wear masks at school. We will also emphasize that no one should be called out for wearing or not wearing a mask. Parents, please model this behavior for your children. We all have different levels of risk tolerance, different living situations, and different health issues. One of my sisters has multiple sclerosis and will probably be wearing a mask indoors forever. I know I'm not comfortable going maskless indoors at school, so I'll be wearing mine for the foreseeable future. Masking, vaccinations and frequent hand washing/sanitizing have been very effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in Pacifica and throughout the Bay Area. In other Ocean Shore news, Patty McNally week is here! It is hard to believe it's been well over a year since we lost our beloved Patty McNally in November of 2020. Last year teachers across the district came together to begin the tradition of celebrating as teammates in honor of Patty during the week in March which coincides with her birthday, March 17th. Patty was the ultimate teammate, and encouraged collaboration in her classroom, among her colleagues and with parents. As any of her former class parents can tell you, Patty would not take no for an answer! Members of LSEA's leadership, along with several retired teachers, joined together to read Teammates. It was one of Patty's favorite books, and it serves as the springboard for us to unite and honor Patty. Teammates for Patty's Passions No matter what our circumstances, backgrounds, or beliefs, we are all on the Ocean Shore team! Take care, Jeanne COVID reporting: This is still important. Please remember to complete the return to school form if your child is out sick. ***OSS Return to School Form *** This week, we had 4 unusable testing pools, so we conducted rapid tests on the students and teachers in those classrooms and had no positive test results. School Business: Book Fair Volunteers Needed: We are still in need of parent volunteers for our book fair the week of March 14th-18th. Without parent volunteers, it will be very difficult to host the book fair. Thank you! Please contact Tristan McNall if you have questions: tmcnall@pacificasd.org. There is a signup poster in the front lobby or you can sign up via Signup Genius: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30E0D44AEAB2BA7F58-book Carcass Cafe, the beginning of our deep ocean study, will be happening Mon-Thurs of this week. Contact your teacher if you want to help. It's not too late to volunteer! IMPORTANT ASEP REMINDER: The week of March 14th is Conference week and the whole week is on the minimum day schedule. All ASEP classes except for the Wednesday classes (that already fall on a minimum day) will not be held. Also, registration is still open for one more week! If you would like to sign up, please go to https://my.cheddarup.com/c/asep. and check out the available classes such as Run Club, 3 O'clock rock and Sparc poetry! Parent volunteers needed at lunch time: We are looking for parents who are interested in volunteering during lunch time. If interested in attending an in person training/shadow event on Tuesday, March 14, from 11:30am - 1pm,, please email Ayesha at asiddiq@pacificasd.org. If that time doesn't work for you, please contact Ayesha and arrange another day to come in. Thank you! K-2 Donuts in the Park this Saturday, 3/12: It's been a long two years, and the OSS PTO would love for our newer families to feel that Ocean Shore spirit. If your family can make it, please join us at Frontierland Park on Saturday from 10-12:00pm for donuts, coffee, and a chance to connect with other K-2 families. Younger and older siblings are welcome! Reminders from the office staff: No riding wheeled vehicles on campus at any time. That means no bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, scooters, etc. Also, it is against the law for students under 18 to ride any wheeled vehicle without a helmet. PEF: Please see the Pacifica Education Foundation Winter Newsletter below, and contribute to PEF in 2022! Tsunami Preparedness Week is March 21-25: Please check out the City of Pacifica's website for information: https://www.cityofpacifica.org/depts/police/natural_disasters/tsunami.asp. Luckily, Ocean Shore is not in the Tsunami hazard area, and nearby Oceana High School would be a care and shelter site for any local families that did have to evacuate. Fliers: March Lunch Menu, Book fair, K-2 Event, PEF newsletter, Patty McNally Week, SMC library event, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter.
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Jeanne BellingerPrincipal of Ocean Shore. Check back here for weekly updates and messages from the principal. Archives
May 2022
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