On Monday, Jan 30, the teachers participated in an all-day training with all of the other BUSD teachers on our reading program, TCRWP (Teachers College of Reading Writing Program). They were divided up by grade level and had the opportunity to review the program, learn more about it and collaborate with colleagues. It was great to have the day to work together and strengthen our teaching practices.
Oxford’s Student Council met during lunch last week. We have a few things on our agenda this year: to pick a new school mascot, to plan spirit days, to practice and come up with movements for the Oxford chant, and to coordinate a service project. We will be busy! After brainstorming a list of possible mascots, the Student Council came up with the top 3. All students have been voting for the new mascot:
Oxford Orcas Oxford Otters or Oxford Owls
We will let you know what we will be! ~ Principal Beth Rhine
Welcome to February!
February begins with a Movie and Pizza Night tomorrow!
We’ll be showing The Secret Life of Pets and Finding Dory. Bring your kids at 6:00 pm at the school cafeteria, register them and pick them up at 8:30 pm. Two and a half hours of fun both for our children as well as the parents, who can get a night out! And just for $25 per kid plus an additional (optional) $10 per sibling. (If your child would like to attend movie night, but the $25 is an obstacle, please let us know.) Please let us know by tomorrow noon if your kids can attend so we can order the right amount of food.
The Auction is coming soon. Do you know any local businesses? Do you own a local business yourself? Can you donate to this year’s auction? We’re still looking for donations from our school community as well as within Berkeley, Oakland, Albany and San Francisco, etc. Please do get in touch if you can help. In the meantime, it’s time to get excited about the party. With this year’s ‘80s theme, we’ll be able to remember those crazy hairdos and outfits as well as dance into some funky rhythms. Please note: costumes are not compulsory, they’re just fun 😉
The PTA’s organized another Shop-and-Give event from February 27 to March 6 with School Days Tea Collection. During that week, all Oxford sales will get a 15% off. And School Days will donate 15% back to us. So save your spring shopping for Feb 27- March 6! Check the online calendar for more information.
Thank you all for your constant support, Betsy & Aïda (2015–17 PTA Co-presidents) pta@oxfordelementary.org
Modernization Plans
At last week’s PTA meeting, I shared information regarding modernization plans for Oxford. It is a bigger project than originally proposed and very exciting! In 2017–2018, BUSD will be fixing up a campus (West Campus) at 2020 Bonar in order to have it usable for elementary schools. In 2018–2019, the plan is for Oxford students and staff to move to that site for a year while our building undergoes major reconstruction. Architects are currently working on plans, and we will have staff and community meetings about the needs of the school as we move forward. It will be great for our little school to get a facelift!
Meeting: Parents of Children of African Descent
We are organizing a new group for parents, Parents of Children of African Descent, or PCAD. The purpose of the group is to increase outreach to families, build connections, and strategize how to support our students. The first meeting is February 15 at 6:00 pm in the cafeteria. Childcare and pizza will be provided. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to me (bethrhine@berkeley.net) or Carla Bryant, an Oxford parent. ~ Beth
Take Note
February 10 – Community Meeting
February 17 – No school
February 20 – No school
“The future depends on young leaders like you”
The third graders in Room 22 are making an effort to have a zero-waste classroom. A zero-waste classroom tries to make no landfill trash. We do this to reflect on ways of being sustainable citizens on our planet. We use metal cutlery at breakfast and lunch and choose color pencils and crayons instead of markers to reduce our environmental footprint. Our work was honored by The Berkeley Times in December. Recently we received a letter and gift from a very special reader of that newspaper article—Annie Leonard, the head of a top worldwide environmental organization, Greenpeace! She honored the students with these words: “The future depends on young leaders like you.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Fest, 2/10
We are going to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. this year by having our third annual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Fest on Friday, February 10, at Community Meeting.
Students are invited to perform (speaking) either their own original piece or one written by someone else. Pieces selected should relate to Martin Luther King Jr. and his powerful messages of hope, change, and standing up for what’s right. Students can perform alone or with a small group. Performances are limited to two minutes and we are encouraging students to memorize their pieces. Participation is optional and it’s open for grades K–5. Some classes may be doing whole-class performances. If we have a lot of performers, we will have to add an additional assembly, possibly the following Friday.
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