Vol 16 No 23; 3/9/18

by | Mar 9, 2018 | OSA News

Vol: 16 No: 23 March 9, 2018

 

 

 

Vote OSA for Best Public High School!

We are thrilled to be a finalist on this year’s
Best of Oakland and the East Bay ballot.

Click here to vote!

Voting closes on Saturday, March 10.
Scroll down towards the bottom of the ballot to find us!

 


This Week!

Every year, OSA 7th and 10th graders experience the impact of this day of social emotional learning.

Imagine a school where everyone feels safe, loved and celebrated. Imagine enemies finding common ground and making peace; friends healing past hurts and making amends; people igniting their passion for service and leadership; adults and youth working together to create a school where everyone is included and thrives.

This is Challenge Day.

We need a total of 30 volunteers. OSA will be hosting Challenge Day on Wednesday, March 14th for 10th grade and Thursday, March 15th for 7th graders. This is a wonderful opportunity to support the OSA community, address bullying, build empathy and make positive change.

Volunteers are part of the entire day from 8:00 to 3:30. Information and links to videos about Challenge Day and testimonials can be found at http://www.challengeday.org/volunteer/

Email Wendy Snyder at wsnyder@oakarts.org if you would like to volunteer.

 

 

 

 

 

The Middle School Leadership team is throwing a dance!

Friday, March 16 from 6:30 to 9:30 at Sweets Ballroom. Tickets may be purchased for $5 from Ms. Yan in room 248 during lunch, or for $6 at the door.

We need five parent volunteers. Please contact Ms. Yan at cyan@oakarts.org.

 

 

 

 

TESTING UPDATES

AP Exams for enrolled High School Students

 

Tests for high school students currently enrolled in one of our six AP classes are approaching, and will be administered from May 7 – May 16. The schedule appears below. All AP students must submit a test order form and deposit of $20 toward the testing fee by Friday March 16th. Details and deposit forms have been distributed in AP classes; extras are available in the front office. The total fee, per test, is $94. Payment in full is also accepted.

If anyone is able to sponsor a student who may face economic hardship in paying for this test, please simply write your check – payable to OSA – for any additional amount as you are able. Any excess amount will be donated to the Student Leadership Fund, and is not tax-deductible. Additionally, those for whom the fee is an obstacle to taking the AP test(s) should please contact Ms. Douglass byMarch 16th in Room 227a or at 873-8815.

Tests will be given at school; rooms will be announced closer to the test dates.

AP Test Schedule (PLEASE NOTE THIS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE):
Monday, May 7   12:00pm Psychology
Friday, May 11   8:00am US History
Friday, May 11   5:00pm Studio Art – deadline to submit online portfolio
Monday, May 14   8:00am Music Theory
Tuesday, May 15   8:00am Calculus AB
Wednesday, May 16   8:00am English Language & Composition

Thank you! Please contact Ms. Douglass with any questions: rdouglass@oakarts.org or 873-8815.

 

 

 

 

OSA Day at the Ball Park!

 

The APT invites you to join our OSA community to watch the A’s take on the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, May 5th!

The game starts at 6 pm but plan on coming early for lots of tailgating fun. Tickets are $35 each.

Stay tuned for details!

 

 

 

OSAEST Presents:

Social Media

 

Social media isn’t simply a way of life for kids — it’s life itself. To help them keep their online interactions safe, productive, and positive, we will talk about the most up-to-date research and guidance on social media basics. Once kids go online, their chances of finding cyberbullies, haters, and trolls is, sadly, quite high. This conversation will address age-specific guidelines, videos, and other advice to help with tough conversations about the modern age of communication. To help kids maximize the Internet’s benefits — while minimizing the risks — we offer the latest research, tips, and tools on what really keeps kids safe online.

Bay Area Clinical Associates, P.C., (BACA) is a physician-owned and operated organization offering evidence-based mental health services to youth and their families in the San Francisco Bay Area. They believe that all youth, regardless of socio-economic status, should have access to gold-standard mental health interventions. They believe that every individual’s mental health is an essential component of the overall well-being of our community.

The OSA Education Support Team endeavors to build capacity in our students, their families, and the Oakland community.  We hope to be able to contribute insightful recommendations that will improve, strengthen and help expand support for students with special needs. We provide resources, referrals, information and networking.  We desire to foster strong, solid working foundations between parents and the school, so that everyone who is invested in the education of a student is able to function as a team to obtain the best possible education for our students.

April 18th, 2018 at 4:00 PM in the Student Center (18th Street Entrance)

Presented by The OSA Education Support Team (OSAEST). Facilitated by Bay Area Clinical Associates.

 

 

 

Dealing with Anxiety 

presented by OSA P.O.D.S.
(Parents of Students with Disabilities)

 

 

School anxiety can affect any student in their school career, whether they’ve previously experienced or been diagnosed with anxiety or not. Symptoms of anxiety may not be obvious to parents, as it can also manifest as irritability, avoidance, and even explosive anger. What’s important is figuring out the right way to support your student with school and activities as they learn coping skills. Here are some anxiety supports parents can implement with their student:

-Remain calm even when your student is not keeping their cool. As L.R. Knost says, it’s our job to share our calm, not join their chaos. Even if your child is not at their best, be compassionate and assume the reason they are dysregulated is valid.
-Give space for your child to share what their fears are without contradicting them. Even if they are worried about impossibilities, the feeling is real, so start there. “I can understand why you would feel that way…” and skip the “but” at first. Instead of telling them what’s real, give them space to problem solve their worst case scenarios. (Unless their fears are absolutely unrealistic, in which case it’s okay to say so, for example, “I promise you will not fail your math class over one bad test.”)
-If it is school work related, sit down together and figure out what school work needs to be done and break down the tasks together. Sometimes anxiety makes it difficult to break big tasks into smaller tasks. Working through it together will help them learn new skills to do this on their own as they become more independent in their education. There is more pressure than ever on young people to perform academically. Make sure your child knows that you do not equate their academic success with their worth.
-If it is related to social issues, let them vent about their relationships without butting in to defend people until they’re done. It’s okay to want to help steer them away from completely casting people aside or help them repair a relationship, but let your child get their feelings out first. Sometimes feelings are expressed in hyperbole– don’t get caught up in the details, hold space for the feelings. Remember how big it can feel for a tween or teen to have social difficulties. Even if their problem seems small or silly to you, it is likely huge to them.
-If anxiety is affecting your child on an ongoing basis, consider finding them a talk therapist who can be a trusted adult to help them work through these issues and develop skills for their lives as adults.
-Connect your child with OSA school counselors so they know where to seek help on campus. If they have a trusted teacher or faculty member, check in with that person about some of their ideas to support your child.
-If anxiety is making school difficult or affecting your child’s grades, consider a 504 Plan which can provide accommodations at school to help them access their education.
If you would like support with your child’s anxiety or want to know more about 504 Plans or IEPs, please email [email protected]gmail.com to be connected with our group.

 

 

 

 

Important Dates

 

  • 3/12 Executive Director’s Informational Meeting – Student Center, 6 pm
  • 3/13 APT General Meeting/Emphasis Meetings – Student Center, 6pm
  • 3/14 Director’s Coffee, 8:30am-9:30am
  • 3/14 Challenge Day – 10th Grade, 8:30am-3:30pm
  • 3/15 Challenge Day – 7th Grade, 8:30am-3:30pm
  • 3/29 End of 3rd Quarter
  • 3/30 Cesar Chavez Day – SCHOOL CLOSED
  • 4/2-4/6 SPRING BREAK

 

 

Important Links

 

 

 

 

The Parent Trap!

This is where you’ll find information about any and all fun events, activities and classes shared by parents for parents.

 

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