Vol: 16 No: 34 June 1, 2018
Hello OSA!
We did it!!!! Thanks to your generosity, we have exceeded our $500,000 Annual Fund goal!
If you have not made a gift this year, please consider helping us increase our school wide participation number. Even a $5 or $10 dollar gift that increases our donor numbers will help open doors to outside funds. (Make your gift by June 30 to have it included in this year’s numbers.)
Every gift of any amount makes a difference!
We are currently at 66% school wide participation in the Annual Fund and we would love to get closer to 100%.
Thank you again for a wonderful year. We are so grateful to be part of this supportive community.
Warmly,
Diana & Kathryn
OSA Advancement
Greetings all,
Hard to believe that the year is already coming to a close! I hope that everyone has a restful and revitalizing summer full of great art.
There are a number of APT Board positions open for next year. Please consider applying for a role that best fits your talents and energy. The APT functions best when we have a board filled with committed parents and guardians.
If you ware interested in any of these positions, please contact me at president@aptosa.org. I am happy to discuss these roles in greater detail. Meeting commitment is only 1 – 1.5 hours per month!
Co-Secretary:
- Records minutes of each General and Board Meeting and submits a copy to the President for review
- Makes copies of the minutes available at the next meeting for approval by the members present or the board, respectively (and sends to VP of Communication for e-posting)
- Maintains APT binder, including copies of all Board procedures, templates, etc., and distributes at meetings when required
- Prepare and read the record of any business that may have been transacted at any previous meeting
- Responsible for distribution of bylaws to all newly elected board members
- Voting Board Member
Requires 4-5 hours per month (works alongside current Secretary)
Co-Treasurer:
- Collects all APT-generated money and pays out expenses by check
- Makes weekly or bi-monthly deposits of incoming cash and checks
- Provides current financial information to Board members as needed
- Files annual taxes unless auditor agrees to do this (need input here)
- Assists President and VP of Fundraising to prepare the next year’s annual budget
- Voting Board Member
Requires 2-3 hours per week with increases when cash-related events occur (works alongside current Treasurer)
Parent Education Chair:
- Coordinates with VP of Community Affairs to put on 3 general meetings per year involving a parent education topic (dates provided by President)
- Works with VP of Communications to make sure meetings are well advertised
- Requires 4 hours per week in preparation of those meetings
Fundraising Chair:
- Reports to VP of Community Support
- Works with the Board, staff and faculty to ensure good fundraising communication
- Helps recruit fundraising event chairs, where needed
- Offers assistance and receives guidance as needed to OSA Fundraising Director for major fundraisers
- Evaluates, organizes and coordinates APT fundraisers, unless a specific event chair is appointed
- Voting Board Member
Requires about 2-5 hours per week and more preceding a fundraising event
Thank you all for your consideration.
All the best,
Mark Lecker
APT President
This year, we introduced Konstella as the primary communications tool of the APT. We took advantage of its basic functionality and are planning to gear up to using more of its features. Here’s a few highlights:
Social Groups is a way for parents to connect regarding specific topics. Anyone can create a social group. The owner of a social group will be asked to adhere to specific guidelines. You can use Social Groups for free flowing discussions or ask that your group be used for one specific topic only. For example, we had a group to solicit feedback about our Arts Festival. The input was moderated to ensure we did not get off on a tangent so that the data could be easily collected. There are currently 15 social groups in use on Konstella, including a Middle School parent group and a High School parent group. I urge you to check them out!
Feed is a repository for all announcements and events created in Konstella. I have also started adding vital communications sent directly from the administration to the feed so that parents have one place to search for past school communications.
Directory contains contact information provided by parents/guardians, making it easy for individuals to connect one on one.
Amazon purchases made through Konstella will earn the APT 2%, in addition to the Smile donations. Simply bookmark www.konstella.com/amazon and shop using this link.
We will be working with Konstella to advocate for changes that serve our school and working with parents and staff to utilize the tool effectively. Stay tuned for more information. We are also planning training days in August and will notify parents when dates are confirmed.
Thank you for your patience while we all work towards being better connected with each other AND the school.
Sincerely,
Meg McAdam
APT VP of Communications
Great news! The OSA 2017-18 Yearbook is live and available to purchase now. Visit www.oakarts.org and click the link on the front page. OSA Yearbooks are printed and sold through Lulu.com. You can choose a regular or hard cover version, and choose your shipping speed. Order soon to get your yearbook by finals time!
- Mr. Smith is organizing a week this summer aimed at tidying up hardware for next year. He is looking for two or three parents to help get Chromebook carts back in order, collect e-waste for pick up and possibly some other technical projects. The current target week is June 11 but Mr. Smith has some flexibility so if you’re interested, please email techhelper@oakarts.org with your availability. Lunch will not be provided so please plan on bringing something to eat.
- OSA is offering to help students get a group rate on admission to Great America on June 11th. If 15 students or more show interest, students can access the group rate and purchase a Great America ticket for $33.50. All tickets must be purchased by Friday, June 1st. Students can use cash or checks to purchase tickets from Mrs. Yan or Ms. Smith. Checks should be made out to “Oakland School for the Arts.” Please print your student’s name and “Great America” in the memo section.
*Please note, this is not a school-sponsored trip. Families will need to arrange transportation and proper supervision for their students on the day of the trip.
Three sessions of the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s Bay Area Shakespeare Camps (for ages 7-18) are scheduled at Oakland School of the Arts this summer:
- July 9-20for ages 7-13
- July 9-20for ages 12-18
- July 23-Aug 3for ages 7-13
These 2-week sessions meet weekdays, from 9am-3pm, with optional aftercare available until 5:30pm.
Campers are taught by trained theatre practitioners who lead interactive classes in Shakespeare’s language, clowning traditions, voice and movement techniques, stage combat and set and costume design. The camp culminates in a performance of an abridged Shakespeare play staged for an audience of family and friends. Experience is welcome but not a requirement to get into the act at Shakespeare Camp! The teaching artists will build on the capabilities of those with prior experience. Those who are new to theater will develop their abilities in a fun and supportive environment and experience the thrill of their first performance on the final day.
This summerShakespeare Players (the 7-13 age group) will be performing in productions ofPyramus and Thisbe, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Comedy of Errors.
Upstart Crows (the 12-18 age group) will stage their own version ofLove’s Labour’s Lost.
Scripts, materials, and supplies for the performance are all included for only $635 for BOTH weeks!
Optional aftercare until 5:30 pm is available for $140 for both weeks. Call or send email (sfshakes@sfshakes.org) for information about need-based scholarship assistance.
Enroll online: Shakespeare Players Upstart Crows
Enroll by phone: 415-558-0888
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR SJDC’s SUMMER INTENSIVE 2018!
June 18-29 and July 9-27, Monday – Friday, 10am-1pm: Beginner/Intermediate; 1:30-5pm: Intermediate/Advanced at Oakland School for the Arts 3rd Floor Dance Studios
Savage Jazz Dance Company’s Summer Intensive is a 5 week training program for students 10 and up, headed by SJDC Artistic Director and Oakland School for the Arts School of Dance Department Chair, Mr. Reginald Ray-Savage.
With classes in Ballet, Contemporary, Body Conditioning, Repertory, and more, the program emphasizes a passionate and committed approach to training, and students will be expected to embrace this approach as they are challenged to hone their technique, improve their strength, and increase their flexibility and stamina.
An outstanding training ground for contemporary dancers, students of SJDC, Mr. Savage, and OSA have gone on and been accepted to University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, London Contemporary Dance School, The School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Pre-Professional Division School, San Francisco Ballet School, Juilliard Summer Intensive, Hubbard Street II, Ailey II, Martha Graham Dance Ensemble, Philadanco, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, Oakland Ballet, Garth Fagan Dance, Mark Morris’ Hard Nut, Disney’s The Lion King, and more.
Anyone serious about their dance training will benefit from this program.
Those intending to pursue or currently in training to become professional dancers, particularly those interested in performing with Savage Jazz Dance Company, will have a chance to experience how the company trains and to learn SJDC repertory.
Those wanting to attend OSA’s School of Dance will get to experience and gain a deeper understanding of what it is like to train as a young dance student at OSA.Download your registration form here: http://www.savagejazz.org/uploads/3/1/9/6/31964201/registration_form_summer_2018.pdf
Questions? Contact sjdcfb@yahoo.com
Get your training on!
Important Dates
- 8/20 First Day of School!
Important Links
- OSA Spotlight – May 2018 edition
- Hot Lunch Menu
- My School Bucks – Add money to School Lunch Account
- After School Programs – after school offerings for OSA middle and high schoolers
- Lunchtime Clubs – lunchtime clubs for MS and HS students
- KOSA Radio – student radio
- The OSA Telegraph – student newspaper
- Nomenclatter – hedonism is the theme of the new issue of Literary Arts’ webzine
- konstella.com/amazon – Amazon Smile, Alliance Of Parents And Teachers At The Oakland School For The Arts
The Parent Trap!
This is where you’ll find information about any and all fun events, activities and classes shared by parents for parents.
Parents of OSA Students
Staying Connected using Google Group

2018 TheaterDance Gala!
Family Dance & Music Camp
Bay Area Country Dance Society
July 1-7, 2018
Aptos, CA
If your family (all ages! Multiple generations!) loves to make acoustic music, dance, do art, and play in nature, this camp is for you! Childcare and activities for all ages. Plus, a professional chef does all the cooking!!!
Music and dancing from 9 AM to midnight! Various accommodations available.
Dance styles include English Country Dance, Contra dance, American square dance, and beyond!

CPR Certified; Current certification as Lifeguard by a recognized source of training.
Job Type: Part-time (Can do swim lessons on the side) ; Free use of club facilities.
Salary: $15.00 /hour
Contact: Kevin Dillon, highlandscc@aol.com; (510) 849-0743
OSA News: Now accepting advertisements!
Ad space on the OSA NEWSLETTER is available for your business or organization.
News item submissions (deadline-end of school-day Wednesday) osanews@aptosa.org
Submission Guidelines