Vol: 18 No: 16 December 9, 2019

Alliance of Parents & Teachers

APT is committed to OSA as a diverse, equitable and inclusive school community. A place where students thrive, and where parents, teachers, and students— together with the school leadership and board, partner to ensure the success of the school.

Please join us for the Monthly APT General Meetings! Download: 2019-20 APT Welcomes You!! – Info Slides

Sign-up for Konstella! This is how OSA’s APT provides you important information & updates on OSA!

Konstella Videos & Guides: See these useful Konstella Videos & Guides

OSA Annual Fund

THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed thus far to the OSA Annual Fund, to our faculty and staff who devote their lives to this work, and to all of our volunteers who dedicate time and energy to support our programs.

Thank you also to those who donated last week on Giving Tuesday! We are happy to share that we surpassed our goal of $20,000. These funds, along with a matching grant from the Quest Foundation, will allow us to purchase more Chromebooks for students and laptops for teachers.

So far, we have raised $265,000 for the OSA Annual Fund, with a goal to reach $525,000 by the end of the school year. That means we’re 50% toward our goal! But we are only 26% toward our goal in parent participation. Help us get to 100% – both in dollars AND 100% parent participation – by making your gift by December 31st, and receive end-of-year tax benefits! Make your donation online, or mail a check to OSA with attention to Advancement.

Oakland School for the Arts is such a special place and the contributions made here go a long way to keep it that way. Your gifts further the academic and artistic education of our hardworking, talented students and help keep OSA alive.

This year, we are asking our families to consider a $2,500 donation per student. We appreciate gifts of all sizes – every dollar from every donor makes a difference. This holiday season, consider passing this information on to extended family and loved ones. A donation to the OSA Annual Fund is a wonderful gift to make in honor of your child or student!

Kathryn Keslosky; Director of Advancement, Oakland School for the Arts, (510) 873-8819

Join me in supporting OSA

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OSA Renewal Decision

Dear OSA Community,

As you know, we anticipated having our charter petition voted on this past Monday, December 2nd, however, the language of the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding), needed to be negotiated between the attorney for OSA and the attorney for OUSD. I am pleased to report that conversation has happened this week and I am awaiting the revised version to review and share with the OSA Board of Directors. The document states that we agree to begin using the common application used by the District and all but one other charter school. This will be done as we transition our enrollment process so we will be doing our research to ensure the technology works with our enrollment process. Please rest assured that we are feeling confident that our charter recommendation for approval will be successfully approved after the MOU is finalized and approved by the OSA Board.

We are doing our due diligence to ensure we are looking deeply and carefully at each step in this process. We realize these delays are challenging and that we are working with deadlines of other organizations and thank you for your ongoing support.

We have been so grateful for and proud of the way OSA has shown up at the previous meetings! Please know that we will be sending out the date we want you to show up again in full force to represent the OSA community at an OUSD Board of Education meeting.

Staci A. Smith

Interim Executive Director

OSA Intersession

OSA Intersession is Wednesday January 22, 2020!

OSA Intersession is a full day immersion for all students and staff to depart the classroom environment and experience different communities through exploration, team building, art making, reflection and fun! These activities will help students learn more about their community, explore art and history, engage in new physical activities and develop or refine personal goals.

All OSA students will participate in this event.

OSA Families- We need your help! If you are interested in helping in the success of Intersession, please complete a brief form so we can reach out to you directly:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMtiNCrfVSKVsdAQMp2mWWd_ekQonuNluYC_piPv7i1fyGnA/viewform

The CATALOG of ALL amazing Intersession offerings is available to download.

OSA will be holding Intersession on Wednesday, January 22, 2020. We welcome parent involvement in this all-school, all-day event. Students will participate in a variety of activities including on campus workshops, field trips to nearby walkable locations such as Lake Merritt and the Oakland Museum, and activities requiring public transportation like the Exploratorium. At least one of our planned activities requires parents to help with driving.

https://forms.gle/3ZEVQ1QkpQMv35Gb8

Please let us know if you are available to help make this special day happen!

Thank you!

Kris Bradburn and Katy Zaugg (Intersession Coordinators)

OSA Principal Friday Letter

Please read OSA Friday Principal Letter 12.06.19, from Mike Oz

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PLEASE ATTEND: December General APT Meeting

Time: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2019
5:30-6:00pm Community Building
6:00-7:00pm General APT Meeting
7:00-8:00pm Arts Emphasis Meetings

First stakeholder engagement discussion to prepare for our upcoming LCAP (Local Control Accountablity Plan) submission.
A presentation by Romy Douglas on recently released data on student success and enrollment demographics.
Discussion of the criteria, process and timeline for nominating our 3 parent representatives to the OSA Board of Trustees

Location: OSA Student Center

OSA Board of Directors Meeting

Our next OSA Board of Directors meeting will take place Wednesday December 11th at 6:15 PM. The agenda is attached.

Time: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2019
6:15pm Meeting
LOCATION: Student Center

DOWNLOAD AGENDA

OSA Holiday Pop Up Gallery

Arts & Crafts by OSA Visual Arts

Saturday, December 14: 3pm-7pm

OSA families, on your way to and from the many shows this weekend, please stop by the Holiday Pop Up Gallery for your holiday shopping.

Arts and Crafts by OSA Visual Art students will be available for purchase from 3pm-7pm at:

UME Yoga Studio 1501 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612

Other Important Dates

OSA 2019-20 Academic Calendar
Download: Calendar

NO SCHOOL: Monday, December 23, 2019 through Friday, January 3, 2020
Winter Break

Weekly Announcements

Pay School Lunches with PAYPAL!

Parents may now use PayPal to pay for their student’s school lunches. The link can be found on the family resources page of our website. https://www.oakarts.org/FAMILY-RESOURCES-/index.html

PSAT Scores Available:

PSAT results will be available through the College Board website (collegeboard.org) with staggered release all next week. Any 10th or 11th grader who took the PSAT back in October will receive an email with a link to login and check their scores.

OSA Student and Family Handbook

Please Download OSA Student and Family Handbook. Please contact Katy Zaugg for questions: kzaugg@oakarts.org

OSA Bell Schedule

Download OSA 2019-20 Bell Schedule. Be Sure To Be On-Time Everyday! Tardy Bell Rings at 8:15am for Middle School & High School.

3 Easy Ways to Support APT while you doing Holiday Shopping!

1) When shopping on Amazon, a percentage of your purchase goes to the APT as a referral fee. Make sure you sign in through your www.smile.amazon.com account so OSA can get the donation.

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2) Support your child’s Art Emphasis through your normal shopping activities. To make this happen, just sign up for Escrip. www.secure.escript.com

Collect Box Tops For Education

3) Ever see those pink box tops on cereal boxes, Ziplock bags, Pillsbury refrigerated/dairy items, Kleenex tissue, Nature Valley Granola products and many others, start clipping and saving those today. The school will get 10 cents for each box top turned in. It doesn’t sound like much but it sure adds up: If each OSA student just turns in 10 boxtops we will raise over $500.00 for OSA without spending an extra dime. It’s that easy!

How does it work?

Clip the box tops from participating brands and put them in a bag.
Drop off the box tops in the box located at the security desk at the 18th street entrance to the school.
Visit the Box Tops For Education web site to learn more and see all the participating brands. That’s it. It’s easy! Your family shops, our school earns dollars.

Parent to Parent

Events, activities, and classes shared by parents for parents.

Upcoming Events to be Posted Here. More to Come…

Useful Links

Donate to OSA Annual Fund
OSA Spotlight – November 2019 edition
OSA Commuters – Login to Konstella and JOIN the Commuter Sharing Social Group
KOSA Radio – student radio
smile.amazon.com – Use this link when shopping on Amazon. It brings money into the school!

News item submissions (deadline-end of school-day Wednesdays) osanews@aptosa.org
Submission Guidelines

Vol 18 No 16; 12/09/19