Every year, our second and third graders participate in a project we call the Living Museum. Students learn about the lives of important people and share what they learn by writing a short report, creating a display, and dressing up as the person. We work on this project in the library, but much of the work needs to be completed at home with help from an adult. You can help your child by making sure they have time at home to work on the project. Ask questions, remind them of important steps, and provide explanation and advice when needed. It can be tricky, but do your best to let your child do the work.

You’ll find resources to help with this project here on our library website:http://library.crockerschool.org/pathfinders/biographies/

Just in case they don’t make it home, here is a copy of the assignment, a sheet to help with note taking, and a sample paper.

Important Living Museum deadlines:

Report Due: see individual teacher
Display Due: Wednesday, February 22
Dress Up Day: Friday, February 24

By now you all should have received a flyer in your child’s backpack about the Cupcake Challenge.  We need your donations, ads, parties/sign-ups & wine!  Now is the time!!!  We truly are hoping for 100% school participation – after all, it is OUR KIDS who benefit from this auction!

Please take a moment to donate.  This is the perfect time to contact an old friend, the person who cuts your hair, your favorite boutique or restaurant, that college buddy who has that super cool job or to even just donate that restaurant gift certificate you haven’t gotten around to using!

You can donate an item or service, fill out an ad form and even sign up to host a party – all online at www.auction.crockerschool.org – we appreciate anything and everything!

If you have any questions want to help us out further – please let us know! auction@crockerschool.org

*Please know that while we appreciate multiple donations per family, each family can only earn one cupcake stamp. If you have more than one child at Crocker, they will each receive a stamp.

The Spring after-school programs schedule is now posted on the Crocker website:

The Spring Schedule for the After-School Programs is now posted online. Please note we have made some changes to the schedule to make it easier for the school community and the program providers.

We are in the process of adding registration flyers so keep checking back. You need to register directly with the provider based on their information on their flyer.

Please use the link below to access the schedule and flyers.

http://crockerschool.org/about/beforeafter-school/

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

best

Cass Caulfield & Deidre Abrons
After-School Program Coordinators

Oakland Unified School District’s Options Enrollment Window for the 2012-13 School Year Begins Monday, December 5

If you have an incoming kindergarten, sixth grade, or ninth grade student, or any other child who needs a new school for the 2012-13 school year, you must submit an application between December 5 and January 20.  Applications must be submitted in person to our Student Assignment Office at 2111 International Blvd, or to any OUSD school. Current fifth and eighth grade students should turn their applications into their current school.

Applying within the window increases your chances of getting your school of choice and keeping siblings at the same school. For more information call (510) 434-7752 ext. 224. You can also find information online, including Options Forms and Brochures, at www.ousd.k12.ca.us/enroll

If you are interested in visiting Crocker, sign up for a new parent school tour here

UPDATE 12/4: we want to thank the “village” that helped put together a fun and successful event. The total sales for the Book Fair was $11,517.88.

It’s time for the Crocker Book Fair! Here’s the essential information:

• Two days to shop in the multipurpose room: Thursday and Friday, 12/1 and 12/2, 8:30am to 8:00pm. (More details)
• You can shop online now through December 9. Send the link to friends and family!

As part of the book fair, author Mac Barnett will be visiting with students on Friday. Barnett is the author some of our favorite books like Guess Again!, Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem, Mustache, and the Brixton Brothers series. He’s also a co-author of The Clock Without a Face and contributor to Guys Read. Reviewers have described his books as weird, wacky, fun, especially fun, funny, and cool! He’ll be signing his books after school on Friday.

What should you buy? Ask the kids – yours and any others you might meet at the book fair. Our kids read a lot and can make fantastic recommendations. In addition, this time of year, there are lots of “Best of 2011” lists to help you with your shopping. Here are some you might be interested in:

Amazon Top 10 Middle Grade Books and Top 10 Picture Books

New York Times Special Section on Children’s Books

Publisher’s Weekly Top 10 Children’s Books

If shopping isn’t enough, you can still volunteer to help out at the book fair. Finally, a huge thanks to Liz Fitzgerald and Evelyn Hess for organizing what is going to be an amazing book fair. See you at there!

Captain Underpants will be returning to Crocker Highlands… Look out for him on Wednesday, December 7th in the afternoon  he will be visiting classrooms and  the school yard.

UPDATE 12/1:  The Crocker students have read 146,770 minutes so far for the Captain Underpants Reading Challenge. Students need to read 3,330 more minutes by Friday 12/2 in order to have Captain Underpants return. We will only count on-line minutes. Click the link below and add your minutes in hopes he returns next Wednesday to school!!

Will Captain Underpants return? Read, Read, Read and find out!!! Crocker Highlands reading challenge is from October 24 – December 2.  Our goal is to have a grand total of 150,000 minutes read, that’s roughly 20 minutes per student, per night…So, get started!

You can now enter your minutes read each night online via the form below or by clicking on the link below. Please be sure not to “double count” your minutes by entering them online and then submitting the paper form with your child each week. Please report your minutes by either option.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

If you have trouble viewing or submitting this form, you can fill it out online:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEVfSXRjN1NfUk0yRGl6M0JFc29uSHc6MQ

“Coffee with the Principal” – 10/3/11
Questions and Answers
(typed and possibly paraphrased from the notes)

Did you miss coffee Q&A with Principal Rhine this week? If so, you can view notes from the discussion here.

1. If Lakeview closes, will the boundaries for Crocker change? Will we get new students?

Beth’s answer: It’s a good possibility that we will. We have one extra classroom and can accommodate more students. I do not have any details at this point; no information from the district.

If they close the five elementary schools currently on the list, I believe 882 regular students are affected. (I can’t remember the number of special education students but it was approximately 30.) Some schools that might be affected by Lakeview closing are Crocker, Glenview, and probably Cleveland.

2. How many students do we have?

Beth’s answer: 395 students; The closures will not affect us this school year, 2011-2012.

3. Can the PTA fund a classroom teacher?

Beth’s answer: Technically yes, but the PTA money is “soft” as there is no guarantee it will be there every year. I believe our budget would have to pay for the teacher if the PTA didn’t continue to fund the position and our budget doesn’t have the money. We would be subject to the district guidelines for hiring and the union contract for the position. We would not be able to hire any specific teacher and someone would most likely be assigned to the position.

4. What’s the legal class size limit?

Kindergarten – 27 students
1st – 3rd: 30 students
4th – 5th – 31 students

5. When are plans to be finalized for new students coming to the school?

Beth’s answer: I haven’t heard anything definite yet. The school board still has to commit to closing Lakeview.

We had a discussion about how we can welcome new families into the Crocker Community, help transition to new school. Ideas: Welcoming committee, buddy families, picnic…

6. How would this impact our staff?

Beth’s answer: If we open up a new classroom, we would need a new teacher. Other than that, no word on teachers being bumped from site to site. A list of
teachers prioritized by hire date was created last year when many teachers across the district received pink slips. Many things will still need to be settled within the district and the union, such as possible teacher bumping, before we know what will happen at Crocker.

6. Do we have a sister school?

Beth’s answer: Yes, we do, it’s Emerson Elementary over in the Temescal Neighborhood.

Discussion followed about what we can do to support them. Beth will talk to the principal and find out if there is something in particular that we can help with, something concrete vs. just giving them a check. We could add an option in our Book Fair to donate to other schools, i.e. Emerson.

7. What does a sister school relationship consist of?

We brainstormed things that we could do – donate carnival games not being used, invite them to the carnival and share proceeds, have a carnival at their site, offer clean-up work or garden days. PTA could have a community service committee to partner with Emerson. We could encourage inter-school pen pals, or invite them to an Open House here.

8. Can there be a schedule for lunch locations?

Beth’s answer: The staff is notified via staff bulletin on Sunday evening/Monday morning. We moved inside for lunches this week due to the unpredictable weather and the bees, who learned to come at lunch time for food! We all like to eat outside more and will try to continue to do this. A parent offered to help out setting up yellow jacket traps. (Yeah!)

9. Can there be acoustical enhancements to the MPR?

Beth’s answer: There are some in place already, plus the wooden paneling. With 120+ children in one room, there is going to be some noise. Overall, they are doing a good job in the cafeteria.

10. If and when there are school closures, is it possible for parents from Crocker to assist in transitions for families who would be assigned to Crocker?

Beth’s answer: Absolutely.

Christine Hatcher, a Crocker parent and a Teacher-on-Special Assignment at Lakeview came by. She shared with us some of the conversations at Lakeview. If Lakeview closes (and other schools, too), those families will have priority placement for schools in the fall. She and the principal are having conversations with families about making sure the new school is the right “fit” for their children. Some families from Lakeview may not opt to send to Crocker. 60% of the Lakeview students are from outside of the Lakeview neighborhood and may opt for other schools that are closer to their home or with a better “fit” for their families and children’s needs.