Vol: 18 No: 19 January 13, 2020
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
Huge Thanks!
The Appreciation Breakfast was a great success thanks to all of you who brought the amazing food and drinks and contributed to the goodies that were so appreciated by the faculty and staff.
The biggest hit, by far, were the Kleenex boxes!
Unfortunately tissue for classrooms is not in the school’s budget and given the hundreds of runny noses, they will be most likely be gone by the end of the week. So next time you make a run to Costco, please consider sending few boxes with your student, I am sure that the teachers will really appreciate it!
Thank you for your help and support,
Lola; VP Communication, APT Board
Semester 1 Final Exams Schedule
Sleep well, eat breakfast, …breathe!
Please find the OSA Semester 1 Finals Schedule HERE.
SJDC Winter Intensive 2020 Begins January 27!
Running January 27 through March 21*, SJDC’s Winter Intensive 2020 offers 2 Dance Training tracks:
> Beginner/Intermediate Foundation Training: 4:45-6:15pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays
> Intermediate/Advanced: 4:45-6:15pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and 11am-1:15pm on Saturdays and Sundays
(*No classes: 2/8, 2/17)
Oakland School for the Arts, 3rd Floor Dance Studios
530 18th Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Download your registration form here: http://www.savagejazz.org/uploads/3/1/9/6/31964201/registration–winter_2021.pdf
Or stop by the Dance Studio to pick up a registration form from Ms. Hurley.
(Registration materials required for all students)
Contact sjdc4-trn@yahoo.com with questions or for more information.
Parent Power:
Apply to be on the OSA Executive Board! Parents have voting seats!
Dear OSA Community,
As the SCHOOL launches a search for OSA’s Executive Director, plans Town Halls, and asks for our feedback through surveys, an important opportunity has arrived to advance Parent Power!
As you know, equity was central to our charter renewal work and together we achieved integrating an Equity Platform into OSA’s new charter. This includes achieving three voting parent seats on the OSA Executive Board. The OSA Board IS THE TOP GOVERNING BODY OF OSA – charged with recruiting, hiring, and supporting the Executive Director, strategic planning, APPROVING BUDGETS and fundraising, among other responsibilities.
We encourage parents to submit their applications for these positions. OSA’s Executive Board job responsibilities, the application, and the OSA board nomination process is outlined in the attached documents.
Applications are due by January 20th.
Applications can be submitted BY FILLING OUT the attached word document and returning it via email or via GOOGLE FORM.
If you prefer to email your application you can submit to:
Morey Riordan, APT Board and Administration Engagement Chair, riordanstrategies@gmail.com OR Wei-Ling Huber OR Paulina Gonzalez-Brito, APT Co-Presidents at president@aptosa.org no later than January 20th, 2020 or via GOOGLE FORM.
Optional: You can also email your CV or resume or any other documents you believe will support your candidacy to the above emails.
Executive Director (Interim) Letter
Hello and Happy New Year OSA Family!
In case you haven’t heard, our charter has been renewed for another five years! Thank you to all who supported us at the multiple OUSD Board meetings in-person, via eComments, and by participating in the meetings through streaming.
We are grateful to all of the families who responded to the end of year giving campaign. We are on our way to reaching our $525,000 Annual Fund goal and are concerned that we are about $100,000 behind last year’s giving at this point in the year. OSA programs are not possible without the continued support of our community. If you have not yet made your contribution and secured a matching gift, (if applicable), or established a recurring giving arrangement, please do so today!
We realize it is the time of year when families begin making summer plans so we too are looking at next year’s calendar. The current question we are asking is “Can we have first semester finals completed before winter break?” The simple answer is yes, however, the school year would need to start about one week earlier. We have not landed on a final decision, so I’m giving you a heads up so you could please plan to be back in town and ready for school at the end of July, in the event we collectively feel it is best to start school during the second week in August. This is a bit hypothetical but this is also transparency. A final decision will be made once we are able to ensure we align our Spring Break with OUSD.
We look forward to seeing many faces at the General APT meeting at 5:30 pm for food followed by a fundraising and budget update starting at 6 pm. As part of that presentation, you will hear the impact of your students’ attendance on the funding that we receive from the State of California. Ms. Jones has been doing an incredible job reaching ensuring the percent of students coming to school for each grade level remains as close to 100% as possible.
I am expecting great things from this community in 2020 and for years to come! We have accomplished so much already and there are great things on the horizon.
Staci A. Smith
Interim Executive Director
Oakland School for the Arts
OSA Principal Friday Letter
Please read OSA Friday Principal Letter 01.10.20, from Mike Oz
Audition Volunteers Needed – RSVP to Ms. Peters
Hey wonderful OSA Audition Volunteers,
It’s that time again…time to start gearing up for OSA Audition Days! I am hoping you will continue to volunteer your time for this and share your years of experience!
Our auditions will be held on February 8. Please plan to discuss this at your emphasis meetings if you’re having them later, or by email to your art department/last year’s volunteer lead so that we can have many good helpers on those busy days! We will need folks from approximately 8AM to 3 or 3:30 PM on both days.
Many parents have been the volunteer leads for years and we thank you for all your support! If you are terming out, please consider training a volunteer lead to learn from you this time and help at future auditions over the next four years as we gradually phase them out entirely.
We need volunteers for the following emphases. High school students may volunteer independently and middle school students must volunteer with a parent present.
Vocal – Volunteer Lead last year: Jen Lyell & Danine Diew
Theater Volunteer Lead last year: Nicole Jurjavcic
IM –Volunteer Lead last year: Amber Terrell
Visual –Volunteer Lead last year: C. David Guerra
Dance – recommendations?
PD –Volunteer Lead last year: Zettie Ruane and Tami Driver
Lit –Volunteer Lead last year: Carin Ramsey
Fashion –Volunteer Lead last year: Vickie Maloney & Sharon Le Duy
Thanks!
Michaela Peters, Director of Admission mpeters@oakarts.org
Oakland School for the Arts
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.
Thank you!
Kris Bradburn and Katy Zaugg (Intersession Coordinators)
PLEASE ATTEND: January General APT Meeting
Time: TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020
5:30-6:00pm Community Building: If you only knew my story!
Enjoy free food while hearing from ED Staci Smith and candidates for the new OSA Board parent representatives
6:00-7:00pm General APT Meeting
- Staci Smith and Kathryn Keslosky will present on the OSA budget and fundraising efforts
- Learn about the school leadership structure and who parents and students can go to for help
- Special guest Katy Nunez-Adler will present on the Schools and Communities First Campaign – A statewide ballot initiative for 2020 that will bring $12 billion in NEW FUNDING to our schools and communities by closing the loopholes used by corporations and wealthy investors to get our of paying their fair share in property taxes.
- Updates and Announcements
7:00-8:00pm Arts Emphasis Meetings
Location: OSA Student Center
Other Important Dates
OSA 2019-20 Academic Calendar
Download: Calendar
NO SCHOOL: Monday, January 20, 2020 – MLK Day
ALL SCHOOL INTERSESSION: Wednesday, January 22, 2020
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
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 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.
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
To View In Your Browser, Click Here: OSA News!