Live Oak Leaflet
October 16, 2015
www.liveoakcharter.org • 100 Gnoss Concourse, Petaluma CA 94952 • 707.762.9020
In This Issue... Page 2
Event Calendar
Parent/Teacher Conferences Basketball Coach Needed Foundation News
Page 3
Live Oak Volleyball Independent Study C3 News
Page 4
Cordell Bank Marine Sanctuary Page 5
2nd Grade Dragon Pageant Page 6
Bulletin Board Credo Corner Chess for Kids Community Events
Dragon Pageant
The Dragon Pageant Play and Festivities were a HUGE success because of ALL of YOU! Heartfelt applause to the 2-8 graders and their teachers for the seamless, enthusiastic Dragon Pageant Play performance lead by Ms. Lois Wildgrube’s talented direction. We offer our deepest gratitude to:
• Mark Escalera for keeping us on edge with his dynamic drum-ming beats.
• Denise Williges, Katie Sveinson, Leah Joy Numair, and Heath-er Bleasdell for the beautifully recreated dragon head.
• Lajos Szoboszlai for the remarkable & unforgettable dragon chalk drawing, along with the help of Kathryn St Clair, Kate Hedlund, Cindy Wood, Francesca Preston and Denise Williges. • The 1-8 grade Dragon Festival Class Coordinators; Kymmie
Phipps, Jessica Umphress, Sara Valerio, Gabrielle Thunen, Roxy Richey, Brandy Rucker, Pam Rowen-Herzog and Kelly Barron.
• ALL the parent volunteers who participated in the making of corn husk dolls, bird feeders, and yummy apple cinnamon treats. • Robert Williams and Wendell Rand for the sound system.
• Kymmie Phipps, Gina Stahl-Ricco and Hector Martinez and for the transformation of Herzog Hall’s stage. • Gwen Williams and Sara Valerio for the beautiful flower arrangements.
• Aaron Draper & Marek Kaszuba who made us laugh & impressed us by their tricks and skills and Leah Feld-man for her outstanding perforFeld-mance on the giraffe unicycle!
• And last but not least, a big thank you to Mary Anne FitzPatrick and Joey Papazian for capturing the event in photos on the ground and from the air.
EVENT CALENDAR
Fri Oct 16
4th Grade at Fort Ross 8:30am-3:30pm 6 Grade Ropes Course
Four Winds Rope Course 3:10-4:10pm Chess For Kids
Handwork Room
Sat Oct 17
8am-3pm 8th Gr Volleyball Tournament Sonoma Academy
Tue Oct 20
3:30-5:15pm Boys Basketball Practice Cavanagh Rec Center 6-7:30pm 2nd Grade Parent Night
Wed Oct 21
8:30-10am Class Coordinator Meeting Handwork room
9am-2:30pm 1st Grade Field Trip- Tolay
Thu Oct 22
8:30-10am Campus Tour (Adult Only) LOCS Library
9am-2:30pm 2nd Grade Field Trip Pumpkin Patch
2:30-4:30pm Boys Basketball Scrimmage Novato Charter School
5:30-7:30pm Executive Meeting @ Dempsey’s
Fri Oct 23
3:10-4:10pm Chess For Kids Handwork Room
Tue Oct 27
3:30-5:15pm Boys Basketball Practice Cavanagh Rec Center
Thu Oct 29
All day Parent/Teachers Conference 2:30-4:30pm Boys Basketball Practice
Cavanagh Rec Center
Fri Oct 30
All day Parent/Teachers Conferences
Tue Nov 3
4:30-9pm Dine & Donate @ Rosso Pizzeria
Wed Nov 4
8:30-10am Class Coordinator Meeting Handwork room
All day Dog Show - Bulldogs Traffic & Parking as usual 10:45-1:15 1st Grade Field Trip
Wells Fargo Center for the Arts 6-7:30pm 4th Grade Parent Night
Thu Nov 5
All day Dog Show - Bulldogs Traffic & Parking as usual 8:30-10am C3 Meeting
Aftercare Room
8:30-10am Campus Tour (Adult Only) LOCS Library
6:15-7:45pm Finance Meeting
Fri Nov 6
All day Dog Show - Bulldogs Traffic & Parking as usual
The Live Oak Community Calendar is hosted
It’s amazing what we can do when we come together. I’m noticing all the field trips beginning to take place this year. Did you know parent gifts to the Live Oak Foundation allow the school to cover the cost of field trips? We all help create this shared experience for our kids. Thank you to all the donors so far! I’ll keep giving updates. Here are the par-ticipation totals through August-a third of all families and growing. I invite each of you to give to the school in this positive way. Thank you again for your participation!
Jerusha Ogden, Annual Fund Administrator, Live Oak Foundation [email protected]
www.liveoakfoundation.org/donate
August Donations and Pledges Received
Class
Donors
Class Size
Participation
Percentage
Rosemary K
7
22
32%
Sunflower K
7
22
32%
1st Grade
10
31
32%
2nd Grade
12
32
38%
3rd Grade
12
32
38%
4th Grade
10
32
31%
5th Grade
13
32
41%
6th Grade
7
27
26%
7th Grade
8
31
26%
8th Grade
12
29
41%
Foundation News
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on Thurs, Oct 29 & Fri, Oct 30. There will be no school on those dates.
Childcare will be available for students during parent-teacher confer-ences. The service is offered by Live Oak Foundation. Donations are greatly appreciated. All-day care will not be available.
We will be using “SignUp Genius” to manage the schedule. There will be 30 1/2 hour slots available. More information about how to sign up will be available soon via class coordinators.
HELP WANTED: Girls Basketball Coach
Do you have experience playing or coaching Basketball? Live Oak is in need of Coaches for the middle school Girls Basketball team. League play runs January through February with practice starting in November or December. Time commitment includes 2 days per week after school for practices and games, and additional time for coordination. Practices and games are held at the Cavanaugh center.
Live Oak Sports News
Volleyball
Coach David Woodbury
The MSSL volleyball regular season ended Oct 7. Our 8th grade team finished the season undefeated (8-0), placing first in the Southern Division and winning a banner. Our 7th grade team went 7-1, finishing in 2nd place.
On Saturday, Oct 10, our 7th grade team par-ticipated in the year-end tournament. After winning their first four matches, they lost to Windsor Christian Academy (WCA) in the championship game. Placing 2nd in this tour-nament was a great accomplishment and the team can take pride in the fact that they beat WCA during the morning matches.
Our 8th grade team will play their year-end tournament at Sonoma Academy on Sat, Oct
17. Play will start at 8:30am and conclude in
mid-afternoon.
Independent Study
There are times when a student must miss school because of family obligations, long-term illness, or educational travel opportunities. On these occasions, teachers can provide an independent assignments plan to guide learning and study while the student is absent from class. We encourage families to schedule trips during school vacations and not to take lightly that the child will miss important lessons and shared experiences with their class during their absence. When absence is unavoidable there is Independent Study, which supports both your child and our school.
Families may arrange for an Independent Study plan in advance of absences to allow student to continue their participation in class work while they are away. Independent Study Request forms and other information is locat-ed on our website. For absences, please provide 3 or more days of advance notice to your teacher and the office to allow time to prepare your child’s Independent Study assignment. With proper documentation received in advance of the absence, Independent Study may still be conducted.
C3 News
C3 stands for Community Connection Committee. Our next meeting is Thurs, Nov 5 at 8:30-10am in the Aftercare room. C3 is seeking volunteers for long term committee steering and short term event help. Questions? Please Contact Erin Wrightsman, Committee Chair ([email protected] or 707-480-4855).
Current and Upcoming Events
Ongoing through November- Cordell Bank Marine Sanctuary Photography Exhibit. Stop by the middle school
and spend some time with the photography exhibit. (See article on page 4)
Tues, Nov 3, 4:30-9pm- Dine and Donate at Rosso Pizzeria. 10% of all sales, dine-in or take-out will be donated to
Live Oak. No flyer needed. Invite your friends. All are welcome!
Fri Nov 13, 3;15-4:15pm Cordell Bank Marine Sanctuary exhibit open house and talk. LOCS Middle School
hall-way.Jenny Stock, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, will give a brief presentation and then answer questions about the Cordell Bank and the photographs currently hanging in the middle school. C3 will serve lemonade and snacks. Please join us! All are welcome!
Mon Nov 23, 10am-12pm Family Bowling at Boulevard Lanes, Petaluma. The bowling alley is opening especially
Just off the shores of the Marin and Sonoma lie some of the most biodiverse ocean waters in the world. You can sigh a gasp of relief to know that these waters have protections in place as they are designated as National Marine Sanctuaries by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-tion (NOAA).
Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Ma-rine Sanctuaries start in Marin and extend all the way just past Point Arena in southern Mendocino county and add a much needed layer of protection that keep oil off our beaches. The sanctuaries have regulations that limit destructive activities such as exploration or drilling for oil and gas, prevent sea-bed mining and protect water quality. They also have research programs to explore and understand these wild ocean waters and education programs to inform communities about the importance of a healthy ocean in our lives.
A photo exhibit to explore without getting wet! Through November 30th, a traveling photo exhibit highlighting the remote Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary is up for all students to enjoy. We encourage you to stop by the middle school and gaze at the images that are on the walls.
Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary is a wild offshore world above and below the surface located west of the shores of Marin and southern Sonoma counties. Cordell Bank is a mysterious place that’s hard for humans to get to, but it is a thriving metropolis of ocean life above and below the water. Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary is one of America’s Underwater Treasures (1 of 14) administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary is a “hotspot” for highly migratory seabirds, coming from as far away as Chile, New Zealand, Arctic, and Antarctic regions to feed in the food rich waters.
Did you know that a seamount and a bank are different? A seamount is an ancient underwater volcano that geologically forms from the seafloor up, while a bank is a mass of rock that was originally part of the continental plate but over time (mil-lions of years) was torn off and submerged underwater! Being in such a productive ocean current, the rocky Cordell Bank provides an ideal habitat for marine life to settle on and live. The underwater “Bank” is a huge rocky underwater moun-tain that is about 4.5 miles wide by 9.5 miles long that rises from the soft sediments. This rocky habitat is covered with a vibrant tapestry of life from brightly colored corals, sponges, anemones and crabs, octopus, sea stars and more!
The sanctuary has used submarines, remotely operated vehi-cles (ROV), and high tech SCUBA divers to conduct research on the Cordell Bank.
The sanctuary is sharing an assortment of images through its traveling photo exhibit to showcase the dynamic and amazing ocean life that lives right off our coast. The show was curated by local Petaluman, Jenny Stock who is the education and out-reach coordinator for the sanctuary.
Learn More!
To learn more about Cordell Bank National Marine SanctuaryVisit: cordellbank.noaa.gov
To learn more about the ocean, listen to Jenny’s radio show (originally broadcast on KWMR/West Marin) Ocean
by Amy Ross, 2nd Grade Teacher
The story of Saint George dates back to early Christianity and con-tains many elements of symbolism. The first is that of the dragon as a representation of evil. Throughout history the dragon has also been depicted as a serpent, a classic symbol of the devil. The peo-ple of the town represent those who have strayed from the path of righteousness, struggling with their faith. The virgin maidens repre-sent all that is pure and good, and impressionable. Sir George is the “Dragon-Slayer” who, by example, shows the people of Silena the one true faith.
The second grader is at a time in their development where they feel the pull of all that is right and good and that which is naughty. This is precisely why second graders hear stories of both Holy People and Fables. This story balance reassures the eight-year-old that what
they are feeling and experiencing is normal and appropriate. It encourages the child to strive for what is pure and right.
My second graders began preparation for the Dragon Pageant at the beginning of September. I began by telling the children the story of Sir George and the Dragon during Main Lesson time with the story candle lit. Many children were immediately savvy to the fact that it was the introduction to the work they would be doing for the pageant. Following a night of sleep, the children retold the story, remembering key details. Many children had trouble con-taining their excitement. We then drew a picture of Sir George standing in full armor, ready to fight the dragon. What’s amazing to me is how so many pictures of the same subject can look so different, usually resembling the body shape of each individual second grader.
The next carefully executed piece of the puzzle was alerting the chil-dren to the fact that I had not yet selected a Sir George, but that I was looking over the next few weeks for children who had the courage to do the “right thing” even when it was hard. At this point in the process I had many children wanting to talk to me in private to ex-press their desire for playing the part of Sir George. I even received one written request.
We began almost daily practice of the What’s a dragon, Who’s the dragon… poem. We walked it forward and backward in a circle, stomped it out while walking forward and backward in a circle, and read it chorally as a class while pointing to each word. The children were able to experience the poem through many different modalities before their performance. I’m always amazed how quickly the chil-dren are able to memorize the poems and verses!
About two weeks before the performance I had children write on a piece of paper their choice to be either a Knight or Gnome. Amazingly, it worked out balanced for both the Knights and the Gnomes. Around this time is when we began our practice of the separate lines for the Knights and Gnomes. I arranged the children in “performance order” so they could practice standing in close quarters. Our rehearsals in the classroom had the children standing as a unit in the same way they would for the performance. This is very challenging for some children and there were days when one or two children chose to be “watchers,” knowing that standing in such close proximity to others would be too difficult.
The selection of Sir George is not a decision that is taken lightly. A teacher talks to colleagues, and carefully ob-serves children when they aren’t aware. Two Mondays before the Dragon Pageant I announced Sir George. Taking into consideration that some children were really hopeful it would be them, I talked to the children beforehand, acknowledging feelings of disappointment and also joy for the one chosen. There were a few sad children, but no public tears. We focused on feeling congratulatory for the chosen classmate. The distribution of costumes shortly afterward helped to soften the feelings of sadness and provide excitement.
The week of the Dragon Pageant provided three all school rehearsals. The class was excited for the Seventh Grade Buddy sighting at our first rehearsal. They were not disappointed. To keep the final rehearsal fresh and exciting we donned our costumes and paraded our way to Herzog Hall. This was also a chance for the Gnomes to decide if they really wanted to wear a scratchy, tickly beard, and have practice standing without playing with costumes. It’s really hard not to fidget when nervous!
The day of the pageant was met with high spirits and an overall air of excitement. The children were kept busy and active during Main Lesson. They had extra playtime before snack so they could work-up a healthy appetite. After snack the class put on their costumes and we left for the pageant. We must have looked like a Halloween parade as we marched down to Herzog Hall. I know the second graders felt very proud of their performance. They gave their gift of performance to so many friends and family members that day. They are an amazing group of children and I’m glad to be able to call them mine (at least for 6 plus hours each day)!
The Leaflet is available in three formats.
Blog liveoakleaflet.blogspot.com
PDF www.liveoakcharter.org/leaflet-newsletter
Credo Corner
This is a space for parents in the Live Oak community to post notices about items or services for sale or trade, or to give away, or simply to share infor-mation with one another. Send your notices to [email protected].
---Professional Office Rental- Furnished office for rent in downtown Petaluma. Private, Light and Bright space, bath-room and kitchenette, Off street park-ing, “B” Street. Great for therapist or similar. Part time office: $110 / day / month. Reduced rates for multiple days / week.
Contact Erin Wrightsman at [email protected]
Community
Bulletin Board
• Club Credo-Fri, Oct. 23, 7pm (a two-generation night club for adults and students, 8th grade or older)• Orchestra and Choir Concert - Fri, Nov. 6, 7pm
• Fall Open House- Sat, Oct 17 and Sat, Nov 14 from 1-4pm. No RSVP necessary, but please be on time as this is a scheduled event. Program begins with student presentations and contin-ues with faculty member presentations/workshops in the class-room.
• To schedule a shadow day for a student in the 8th grade, please contact Enrollment Coordinator, Jodi Boyle, at 664-0600 x 4 or [email protected].
• The deadline for our first application lottery is Fri, Dec 11. • The youth auditions for Credo’s production of “Scrooge’s
Christmas” will be held on Fri, Oct 23 from 4:15-6pm at Cre-do High. The children should be of reading age, and must be able to perform on December 4 and 5. Rehearsals will be on ei-ther Monday, Wednesday, or Friday from 4:15-6pm. Questions? Contact Emma Farais at (707)664-0600.
Chess for Kids at Live Oak
CHESS FOR KIDS will offer a 5 week session of chess classes at Live Oak Charter School! All levels of skill are wel-come! Studies have found hidden rewards for students of chess:
• Critical and logical thinking skills
• Improved concentration, pattern recognition, and memory • Patience, decision-making, planning, and sportsmanship skills • In addition, chess is plain FUN!
CHESS FOR KIDS classes at Live Oak will be held on Fridays from 3:10-4:10pm in the Handwork Room. Class dates are Nov 6, 13, 20, Dec 4, 11. No class on Dec 18. Enroll online at www.chessclubforkids.com or pick up a registration form in the school office. $65 a child, Siblings are ALWAYS half price (scholarships considered).
Community Events
Fall Classes at Circle of Hands, Sebastopol. Sat, Oct 17, 1-4pm: Butterfly Fairy Peg Doll Workshop & Book-Signing.
Sat, Oct 24, 1-3pm: Sugar Skull Workshop. More info at www.circleofhandswaldorfshop.com
Santa Rosa Symphony presentsMusic From Out of This World. Sun, Oct 18, 3 pm, Weill Hall, Green Music Center. Tickets available at SRS Patron Services Office, 50 Santa Rosa Avenue. $17 adult; $12 child (12 & under). More info at santarosasymphony.com/EventDetail/11
North Bay Science Discovery Day. Sat, Oct 24, 10:30am-4pm. Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Free admission. More info at www.northbayscience.org
