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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.
 
Quote of the week: “Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere. ” Mary Schmich, journalist Dear Ocean Shore Families, We celebrated Read Across America Day on Wednesday at Ocean Shore. We had guest readers and lots of opportunities to read out loud, independently and in groups. Our third graders participated in a theme day to get ready for their unit on the Iditarod. I had an Alaskan Malamute as a child, so sled dogs are near and dear to my heart. Speaking of cold weather, The 8th graders are headed to Yosemite next week. I think Jason and Sophie are as excited as the kids. The Yosemite trip is the capstone of Ocean Shore's experiential learning program, and the entire staff is thrilled that our class of 2022 will be able to participate. I went on the trip as a teacher three times and can't stress enough what an amazing experience it is for our students, as well as for our staff and parent chaperones. It's exhausting, but exhilarating. I would love to do that trip again! Enjoy your week and send good wishes to our 8th grade students, Jason, Sophie and our parent volunteers for a safe and exciting trip. Take care, Jeanne COVID Updates: Students and staff will no longer have to wear masks outdoors effective immediately. In a letter dated yesterday, March 3rd, the San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools shared that " on March 12, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) will strongly recommend that masks be worn indoors in schools. San Mateo County Health announced that it is aligned with CDPH on this recommendation." Masking and high vaccination rates have been crucial in limiting the spread of the omicron variant in Pacifica. At Ocean Shore, our staff members will continue to mask indoors, and we strongly recommend that students do as well. Weekly pool testing will continue until the state stops paying for it. All of Ocean Shore's pools were negative this week! 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 *** School Business: Celebrate Diversity Day is coming up next Wednesday, March 9th! Celebrate Diversity Day is an OSS tradition designed to celebrate and embrace who we are, despite our differences and no matter what race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality or disability. Each grade level will experience an age appropriate curriculum with the help of many volunteers. Make sure to ask your student(s) about the day and what they learned. Book Fair Volunteers Needed: We are desperate for 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 E.A.T: The garden needs your help! Earn volunteer hours on the weekend and beautify the school garden! Recology of the coast is holding their biannual compost giveaway, Saturday, March 5th 8AM-12 PM at the recycling yard: 1046 Palmetto Avenue. Bring up to 2 30-gallon cans (no boxes or bags, garbage cans work great for this) to the address, show your ID or proof of address and scoop up some good 'dirt.' On Sunday, March 6th, bring the compost to the monthly garden workday at the school garden from 10AM-1PM. Only open to Pacifica residents with valid ID or proof of address and the earlier the better while supplies last! Any questions contact: Kelly Toth at kellybellybug1@hotmail.com K-2 Donuts in the Park 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 March 12th from 10-12:00pm for donuts, coffee, and a chance to connect with other K-2 families. Younger and older siblings are welcome! Food Drive is continuing: Thank you so much for your very generous food donations to StarVista clients in San Mateo County over the past two months. Our Ocean Shore community has already donated over 150! food items altogether. 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 Winter Newsletter below, and contribute to PEF in 2022! Fliers: March Lunch Menu, Book fair, K-2 Event, Penny War results, SMCOE COVID letter, PEF newsletter, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter.   
 Quote of the week: No matter how busy a man is, he is never too busy to stop and talk about how busy he is.” --Kahlil Gibran (writer) Dear Ocean Shore Families, I just wanted to remind everyone that the staff and I are busy, but never too busy to hear your concerns. Your children will often share things with you that they haven't necessarily shared with their teacher, or the staff in the yard or in the office. I read every email, and try to reply as soon as I can, as do the classroom teachers. We can't solve every problem, but we care deeply about every student. We need your input as parents and caregivers, and we value it. It was a busy week with Jonathan's class hiking Milagra Ridge and the second graders doing a theme day centered around the biographies of famous individuals. I know our staff and our students are looking forward to the break. Stay safe, and if you travel, please test your children before bringing them back to school on March 1st. I'm sure I'll have COVID updates to share when we come back. Take care, Jeanne School Business: There is no school next week, and Monday, February 28, 2002 is a professional development day for teachers. Students start back to school on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. The Book Fair is coming back! We are so excited to announce that we are having a Book Fair for the first time in 2 ½ years! It will be a little different – only 10 people at a time in the Fair, but all the wonderful books and gifts will be available. Please mark your calendars for the week of March 14th. Please sign up by the parent folders to help with the fair. We will need volunteers starting Friday, March 11th through Friday March 18th. This is a fun and easy way to earn your hours. Thanks for your support everyone! K-2 Donuts in the Park 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 March 12th from 10-12:00pm for donuts, coffee, and a chance to connect with other K-2 families. Younger and older siblings are welcome! Reminders/Requests from the office: 1. Parents please don't park in the turn around unless the curb is marked for parking. If you park anywhere else, it blocks cars from just dropping off. Do not park in loading only areas. 2. Please remember to send a snack for morning break. Many students come to the office every day at recess because they are hungry and have no snacks. 3.. The office is looking for donations of cereal to be used to make up "Chex mix" snacks such as Chex and Kicks or those students who forget their morning snacks (no-name brands ok). We also need M&Ms, small pretzels, and snack size zip lock bags. Anything you send will be greatly appreciated. Safe Routes to School Parent/Caregiver Survey: Thank you for taking the time to complete the Safe Routes to School survey. This year, the survey provides an opportunity to list specific spots along your child's route to school that causes you concern or prevents you from allowing your child(ren) to walk or bike to school. This is valuable feedback that will be shared with decision makers throughout the county who can address infrastructure issues regarding safe walking and biking, and with decision makers in your school community. This survey will take approximately 3 minutes to complete. LINK TO ENGLISH SURVEY - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/21_22English Encuesta para padres/tutores sobre las rutas seguras a la escuelaGracias por tomarse el tiempo de contestar esta encuesta para padres y tutores de parte de Safe Routes to School. Este año la encuesta brinda la oportunidad de señalar lugares específicos a lo largo de la ruta que su hijo(s) toma para llegar a la escuela, que causan preocupación o le impiden permitir que su(s) hijo(s) caminen o vayan en bicicleta a la escuela. Sus comentarios son muy valiosos y se compartirán con los encargados de tomar decisiones en todo el condado que pueden abordar los problemas de infraestructura relacionados con caminar y andar en bicicleta con seguridad y con los encargados de tomar decisiones en su comunidad escolar. Favor de completar esta encuesta solo le tomará aproximadamente 3 minutos. LINK TO SPANISH SURVEY - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/22_SRTS_Spanis PEF: Please see the Pacifica Education Foundation Winter Newsletter below, and contribute to PEF in 2022! Fliers: March Lunch Menu, OSS 7th grade T-shirt sale, PSD Food Service Substitute, SMILE California Dental Benefits, K-2 Event, SMC Library virtual events, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter. 
Quote of the week: Whatever anybody says or does, assume positive intent. You will be amazed at how your whole approach to a person or problem becomes very different. When you assume negative intent, you're angry. If you take away that anger and assume positive intent, you will be amazed.” --Indra Nooyi (Former CEO of PepsiCo and one of the first women of color to head a Fortune 500 company) Dear Ocean Shore Families, The quote of the week is more for me than for anyone else. When I'm tired and under stress (so, the past two years), I'm more inclined to jump to conclusions about people's words and actions. This happens with students, parents, staff members and especially my husband and my "adult" children who still live with me. When I see the kitchen trash can overflowing, I begin to seethe and I feel like my son is ignoring it just to make my life more difficult. My husband asks me to pick something up on the way home and I think, "you were still in bed when I left for work, you lazy...." A teacher or parent needs to change a meeting time at the last minute and I'm exasperated. Indra Nooyi's quote reminds me that assuming negative intent leads automatically to anger. We teach our kids to assume positive intent when they get hit accidentally on the playground, when a member of their group forgets to complete something in the classroom or when a teammate drops the ball (literally or figuratively) during PE. I know it's better for everyone when I assume positive intent, and yet I need the reminder over and over again. I don't think I'm alone in this. As we start to transition out of the COVID pandemic into whatever the "new" normal will be, let's remember to give each other the benefit of the doubt. Take care, Jeanne School Business: The Book Fair is coming back! We are so excited to announce that we are having a Book Fair for the first time in 2 ½ years! It will be a little different – only 10 people at a time in the Fair, but all the wonderful books and gifts will be available. Please mark your calendars for the week of March 14th. Please sign up by the parent folders to help with the fair. We will need volunteers starting Friday, March 11th through Friday March 18th. This is a fun and easy way to earn your hours. Thanks for your support everyone! K-2 Donuts in the Park, 3/12/22: 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 March 12th from 10-12:00pm for donuts, coffee, and a chance to connect with other K-2 families. Younger and older siblings are welcome! COVID updates: None yet. There will be updates coming from the state and county soon. I've attached a letter from the San Mateo County Superintendent to this newsletter that summarizes where we are at this point. One of our pools was positive this week, but the number of active COVID-19 cases continues to be small at our school. COVID Reminders: Please keep your children home if they are sick. If they exhibit even one symptom at school, they will need to go home. If your child is out sick for any reason, this Google form must be filled out before they return to school and they must come to the office to receive a return to class slip before they can go to their classroom. OSS Return to School Form ** Please do NOT upload positive test results. If your child or another immediate family member has COVID-19, contact Ayesha Siddiq @ asiddiq@pacificasd.org immediately. If you are sharing a picture of a positive test result with the office, PLEASE WRITE YOUR CHILD'S FIRST AND LAST NAME ON THE TEST. We are getting pictures of unidentified tests. As of Friday, January 14, PSD is now following the updated CDC guidelines and will allow students back after 5 days of quarantine, instead of 10, if they have a negative COVID test. Office reminders: Please send your child to school with a hearty snack for morning recess and a water bottle. Every day, we have many students coming to the office to request a snack and/or water. Also, please remember not to park in the teacher parking lot even if it's just for a minute. Thank you! PEF: Please see the Pacifica Education Foundation Winter Newsletter below, and contribute to PEF in 2022! Fliers: OSS Penny War, PSD Calendar for 2022-23, February Lunch Menu, SMCOE letter, PSD Food Service Substitute, SMILE California Dental Benefits, K-2 Event, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter.
Quote of the week: “Without mathematics, there's nothing you can do. Everything around you is mathematics. Everything around you is numbers.” - Shakuntala Devi (mathematician) Dear Ocean Shore Families, Happy Lunar New Year to all those who celebrate! Many of our classes engaged in Lunar New Year Art activities and read stories and informational articles about the holiday. Virginia's class even stomped on bubble wrap to simulate the sound of fireworks! Our Penny War has started, and some of our gallon milk jugs are already full. The kids are enjoying the competition and siblings are "sabotaging" each other's classes by dropping in the dreaded silver coins. The kindergarten classes celebrated our 100th day of school and our first graders celebrated 101 days. Between those celebrations and the Penny War, we had a lot of counting going on at school this week. One number that is going down is Ocean Shore's number of COVID cases. Our pools this week were all negative, and only a few positive cases were reported by families. I'm so proud of this community and all that we have done together to keep our students safe and healthy. I hope the year of the tiger brings health and strength to all! Take care, Jeanne Covid Reminders: Please keep your children home if they are sick. If they exhibit even one symptom at school, they will need to go home. If your child is out sick for any reason, this Google form must be filled out before they return to school and they must come to the office to receive a return to class slip before they can go to their classroom. OSS Return to School Form ** Please do NOT upload positive test results. If your child or another immediate family member has COVID-19, contact Ayesha Siddiq @ asiddiq@pacificasd.org immediately. If you are sharing a picture of a positive test result with the office, PLEASE WRITE YOUR CHILD'S FIRST AND LAST NAME ON THE TEST. We are getting pictures of unidentified tests. As of Friday, January 14, PSD is now following the updated CDC guidelines and will allow students back after 5 days of quarantine, instead of 10, if they have a negative COVID test. School Business: ASEP: Our after school program has been postponed again. We are hoping now to start in March. Reminders from the Office: Please do not park in the staff parking lot. Even if it's "just for a minute," that minute is probably when a staff member needs to park. Also, There are many lost items in the Lost and Found closet located near the MPR. We only keep them for 2 months and then they are taken to Goodwill. EAT/Garden: The garden cleanup is this Sunday, Feb.6 from 10:00 to 1:00. We also have our E.A.T. Meeting on Monday, Feb. 7 at 6:30.Here is our Zoom Link:Virginia Szczepaniak is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83927547608?pwd=QzF1UWloWXBtaVp1WHowV0Q5L2tIQT09 Meeting ID: 839 2754 7608. Passcode: 6twVeW Two Messages from Student Council: Snack Sales: Student Council will begin selling snacks to 4th and 5th grade students from 10:20 am- 10:30 am on Tuesdays and Fridays. Snack sales will continue for 6th-8th grade as well. Here is the Menu: Chips $1.50, Fruit Snacks $0.75, Juice Pouches $1.50 (2 for $2), Cookies $1.25, Goldfish $1.00, Rice crispy treats $0.75, Oreos $2.00. Book Drive is coming! If you wish to donate books to be sold at the Book Drive this year, students may drop books off in classes from February 7th-11th. The Student Council will price books on February 16th, and the Book Drive sale will be from March 1st-4th (the week after Presidents' Week Break). Food Drive Update: 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 weeks. Our Ocean Shore community has already donated over 100! 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 Winter Newsletter below. Please contribute to PEF in 2022! Additional Fliers: OSS Penny War, PSD Calendar for 2022-23, February Lunch Menu, Terra Nova E-Waste Fundraiser, PSD Food Service Substitutes needed, SMILE California Dental Benefits, Portuguese and Spanish translations of my letter.
 
Quote of the week: "Start by keeping kindness at the forefront of your mind in everything that you do. You never know the impact that your words could make, maybe even for years to come." --Martin Luther King, Jr. Dear Ocean Shore Families, We are all still under a great deal of stress, and Omicron has made life more complicated for everyone. However, there seems to be light at the end of that tunnel, and I'm happy to report that we only had one positive pool in our PCR testing this week. When we tested that class this morning, none of the students were positive. It's evident from the information we gather from families that have a positive result that our safety procedures are working and that the virus is not spreading at school. In other news, we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday on Tuesday by listening to a short recorded excerpt from his "Where do We go from Here?" speech, and being led in song by Jason and Jonathan on guitar playing "This Little Light of Mine." Of course, all of this was on Zoom, and we had a few technical difficulties at first. However, soon the sound of kids singing could be heard in the hallways, including the new verse Jonathan wrote last year that includes a remembrance of Patty and Sean. I thought about them on Monday, and how they were so positive. Both of them were very careful with their words and valued the inspirational words of others. I think of them often as I'm choosing my quote of the week and as I'm writing this letter. They, like Dr. King, continue to motivate and inspire me to be a better educator and a better person, to choose my words wisely and with care. " We'll carry Sean's hope./I'm gonna let it shine./We'll spread Patty's love./I'm gonna let it shine./The future is in our hands./I'm gonna let it shine./ Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!" Have a wonderful weekend! Jeanne I will be out the week of January 24th-30th with unreliable internet access, and there will be no newsletter on Friday, 1/28/22. Please email any COVID related questions or information about positive tests to Ayesha Siddiq. Please do not text or call her on her personal cell phone. Because she is a parent as well as an employee, many parents have access to Ayesha's personal contact information. It is NOT appropriate to contact her on her cell phone. Please call the office to speak with her directly between 8:00-3:00; please email her at asiddiq@pacificasd.org if you have questions or information to share outside of office hours. Thank you! Covid Reminders: Please keep your children home if they are sick. If they exhibit even one symptom at school, they will need to go home. If your child is out sick for any reason, this Google form must be filled out before they return to school and they must come to the office to receive a return to class slip before they can go to their classroom. OSS Return to School Form ** Please do NOT upload positive test results. If your child or another immediate family member has COVID-19, contact Ayesha Siddiq @ asiddiq@pacificasd.org immediately. If you are sharing a picture of a positive test result with the office, PLEASE WRITE YOUR CHILD'S FIRST AND LAST NAME ON THE TEST. We are getting pictures of unidentified tests. As of Friday, January 14, PSD is now following the updated CDC guidelines and will allow students back after 5 days of quarantine, instead of 10, if they have a negative COVID test. Please note that if a child is out sick for any reason, they can't come back to school without: 1. a negative COVID test or 2. Recent documentation from a healthcare provider that states your child's symptoms are typical of your child's underlying chronic condition (such as allergies) or 3. recent documentation from a healthcare provider confirming an alternative named diagnosis (such as strep or a cold). We have the capacity to do some rapid testing at school, so please contact Ayesha if you can't obtain a test for your child. PSD is now following the updated CDC guidelines and will allow students back after 5 days if they have a negative COVID test. Here is the link for free COVID tests. https://www.covidtests.gov/ School Business: Reminders: Please do not park in the staff parking lot. Some staff come and go during the day so those parking spaces need to be available. We thought we had a theft on our campus when a bass guitar went missing. It was found. However, please remind your children not to leave musical instruments or other valuable items in the hallway or open breakout rooms overnight. Thank you! 7th grade fundraising: Support our 7th grade class by purchasing these cute t-shirts. Link is here: https://oss-7th-grade-fundraising.cheddarup.com/ and a flier is attached. EAT/Garden: EAT is looking for organic potting soil donations for the garden. Families can drop bags off behind the bike racks next to the garden fence. Additional item: Over the break, we found a brand new sweater with tags on it in a bag on the playground. It's a women's medium, taupe, cropped cardigan with metallic buttons. Please call the office for more information. PEF: Please see the Pacifica Education Foundation Winter Newsletter below. Please contribute to PEF in 2022! Additional Fliers: PSD Calendar for 2022-23, February Lunch Menu, Food Drive Flier, SMC Library event, Pacifica United Soccer, DC Stars Football, SMC Home Sharing program.
Quote of the week: "Fall seven times. Stand up eight." --Japanese proverb Dear Ocean Shore Families, I've thought a lot about resilience this week. Let's be honest, this week was rough, at least it was for me. We had multiple positive COVID cases reported by parents and revealed by tests at school (about 15 since Monday), and conducted hundreds of PCR Pool tests and rapid tests. Fifteen sounds like a lot, but it is only about 4% of Ocean Shore's student population. Most of our students are at school and healthy. Ayesha has been working day and night to test students, log results and communicate with the district office and families. As we look into the contact tracing data, we are finding that the vast majority of cases were transmitted at home from a positive parent or sibling. It can be frustrating to have to keep children at home that don't seem sick and to have to communicate with the front office or the teachers to get work to do at home. It's especially frustrating when the phones at school don't work for three days! (They work now) I know I'm digging deep and continue to be inspired by our students and our staff members. They pivot on a dime and make changes so that our kids are still learning and still having fun. It was wonderful to see so many parents at our General PTO meeting last night. Our PTO board did a great job of putting together an organized and informative meeting. The PTO is very interested in getting parent feedback. Here is the link to a PTO parent survey. This is your chance to express your opinions, give suggestions and offer to help. Take a quick PTO Survey! https://forms.gle/X8hnR8aZGEGfdWm97 Listening to Gitima speak was a highlight of the meeting for me. She is caring, intelligent and empathetic and has a wealth of knowledge and experience that she is eager to share with all of us. Here are the slides that she shared last night during the meeting. The links should be active: School Counselor, Ocean Shore Due to COVID testing, our Martin Luther King, Jr. Observation has been postponed until Tuesday morning at 8:30. Jonathan will lead us in song via Zoom. Take care and enjoy the long weekend! Jeanne We do NOT have school on Monday, January 17th in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Covid Reminders: Please keep your children home if they are sick. If they exhibit even one symptom at school, they will need to go home. If your child is out sick for any reason, this Google form must be filled out before they return to school and they must come to the office to receive a return to class slip before they can go to their classroom. OSS Return to school form. ** Please do NOT upload positive test results. If your child or another immediate family member has COVID-19, contact Ayesha Siddiq @ asiddiq@pacificasd.org immediately. Please note that if a child is out sick for any reason, they can't come back to school without: 1. a negative COVID test or 2. Recent documentation from a healthcare provider that states your child's symptoms are typical of your child's underlying chronic condition (such as allergies) or 3. recent documentation from a healthcare provider confirming an alternative named diagnosis (such as strep or a cold).. Other School Business: Yearbook: The yearbook is being compiled and we need your child's input. Attached are flyers that show step by step instructions on how to upload photos, complete your free personal pages, and purchase your yearbook if you choose to. We need your students' photo submission with their name, grade and classroom Teacher information in the comments. We would love photo submissions of your students for everything else as well: first day of school, outdoor ed, Halloween, read-a-thon, etc. Contact Tanya Guido with any questions. tanyaguido@comcast.net. 7th grade fundraising: Support our 7th grade class by purchasing these cute t-shirts. Link is here: https://oss-7th-grade-fundraising.cheddarup.com/ and a flier is attached. Food Drive:The Pacifica Resource Center extends its thanks to our community for our generosity during the end-of-year food drive. Ocean Shore families donated over two hundred (yes, 200!) pounds of food for our neighbors in need. Please keep the spirit going and be as generous as you are able in donating to the food drive currently being coordinated by our eighth grader, Ava Litz. She is learning about the problems and solutions surrounding hunger in this country as part of her 20% Project. She has been visiting classrooms sharing what she has learned and what we all can do to help. Thank you, Ava, for your activism. 6th grade tour: There is a ZOOM meeting for families that are interested in transferring to Ocean Shore for sixth grade on Jan 19, 2022 10:00 AM . Please pass this information along to any families that might be interested. Join Zoom Meeting. https://pacificasd.zoom.us/j/84663128413?pwd=Um42WDYyL0E1RDFvSCtzN21hUXl0UT09 Meeting ID: 846 6312 8413 Passcode: 825134 PEF: Please see the Pacifica Education Foundation Winter Newsletter below. Please contribute to PEF in 2022! Additional Fliers attached: Pacifica Unified Soccer information, Spanish & Portuguese translations of letter.
Hi all, Enjoy your weekend! No letter today, but I do have... Updates and Announcements: COVID Update: Please keep your children home if they are sick. If they exhibit even one symptom at school, they will need to go home. If your child is out sick for any reason, this Google form must be filled out before they return to school and they must come to the office to receive a return to class slip before they can go to their classroom. OSS Return to school form. Please note that if a child is out sick for any reason, they can't come back to school without: 1. a negative COVID test or 2. Recent documentation from a healthcare provider that states your child's symptoms are typical of your child's underlying chronic condition (such as allergies) or 3. recent documentation from a healthcare provider confirming an alternative named diagnosis (such as strep or a cold). Please report all COVID positive cases to Ayesha Siddiq @ asiddiq@pacificasd.org. She is Ocean Shore's COVID-19 Coordinator and is taking over many of the notification duties previously done by Yolanda at the DO. If your child tests positive for COVID, Ayesha will be in touch with you to provide guidance regarding quarantine and when your child can return to school. Other School Business: PTO General Meeting: January 13th 7-8:30 pm. Families get 4 hours for attending! https://us06web.zoom.us/j/97777468177?pwd=OFNoemdYV0hPSURWWElhTDRUbTBVZz09 Meeting ID: 977 7746 8177 Passcode: 631135 After School Program: ASEP is back! Winter classes will start the week of 1/10/22 and run through 4/11/22. Registration started January 6th at 8:00pm. Sign up here: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/asep. If you are paying online, credit card payments are subject to a 3.5% + 0.45 cent service fee. E-Checks are subject to an 0.85 cent service fee. There is no service fee for cash or check payments. Cash or check payments can be delivered to the dark grey safe/box (at the beginning of the kindergarten wing) within 24 hours of enrollment. If hand-delivering, please deliver payments in an envelope marked with your name, student's name, and the class(es) the payments are for. An additional 1 dollar fee is added for ASEP services. DLG - Diversity Learning Group – Wednesday, January 12th @ 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 Final Kindergarten Tour: Time: Jan 12, 2022 06:30 PM. Join Zoom Meeting: https://pacificasd.zoom.us/j/82584736528?pwd=L2crWjM1TFgyczdQZ3loazBMN2F5UT09. Meeting ID: 825 8473 6528. Passcode: 320163. One tap mobile: +16699009128,,82584736528#,,,,*320163# US (San Jose) Yearbook: The yearbook is being compiled, and we need your child's input. Attached are flyers that show step by step instructions on how to upload photos, complete your free personal pages, and purchase your yearbook if you choose to. We need your students' photo submission with their name, grade and classroom Teacher information in the comments. We would love photo submissions of your students for everything else as well: first day of school, outdoor ed, Halloween, read-a-thon, etc. Contact Tanya Guido with any questions. tanyaguido@comcast.net. Food Drive: Ava Litz is coordinating a food drive as part of her 8th grade 20% project. Food drive starts on 1/10. Please see the attached flier for details. PEF: Please see the Pacifica Education Foundation Winter Newsletter below. Please contribute to PEF in 2022!
Quote of the week: “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” -- Oprah Winfrey Dear Ocean Shore Families, Welcome back! I know COVID-19 complicated the holiday season yet again. The omicron variant is sweeping through the country, and we are adapting to keep everyone safe at Ocean Shore. I've listed some of the changes in this letter, and more information will follow. I hope that 2022 takes a tip from Oprah and does better than 2021 did. I hope that I get more things right as I continue my journey as principal. Finally, I hope that everyone found some time to relax and celebrate with friends and family during this crazy time, or if that wasn't possible, that you made a plan to see loved ones in the new year. I can't wait to see the kids tomorrow! Take care, Jeanne COVID-19 updates: Lunch: Weather permitting, all students will be eating outside. If students must eat inside, they will eat in their classrooms. Cross grade activities will only be allowed outside. Illness: Please keep your children home if they are sick. If students have runny noses or sniffles, they need to stay home. If your child has allergies, we will need to have a letter from your pediatrician to keep on file. When your child is ready to come back to school, parents will need to fill out this Google form: OSS Return to School Form . Your child should come to the office first before going to the classroom so that they can be cleared to return to class. Travel: Students will not be excluded from school because of travel. Families should consider the risk involved rather than the miles travelled. You can go to Lake Tahoe and never be in another room with someone you are not related to which is a low risk activity. Higher risk travel could be using public transportation, being in a crowded airport or attending a large family gathering. A COVID-19 test should take place 3-5 days after returning from travel or being exposed. That means that students that returned from travel on Tuesday should not be tested until Friday. Anyone with symptoms should not be at school. Vaccinations: We are starting to track student vaccination records. Please fill out this Google form. If you don't have the ability to take a photo and upload it, we can make a copy for you in the office. OSS Student COVID vaccination Other School Business: After School Program: ASEP is back! Winter classes will start the week of 1/10/22 and run through 4/11/22. Registration starts January 6th at 8:00pm. You can preview classes at this URL: https://asep.cheddarup.com. Final Kindergarten Tour: Time: Jan 12, 2022 06:30 PM. Join Zoom Meeting: https://pacificasd.zoom.us/j/82584736528?pwd=L2crWjM1TFgyczdQZ3loazBMN2F5UT09. Meeting ID: 825 8473 6528. Passcode: 320163. One tap mobile: +16699009128,,82584736528#,,,,*320163# US (San Jose)
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Jeanne BellingerPrincipal of Ocean Shore. Check back here for weekly updates and messages from the principal. Archives
June 2022
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