OTA class composites are available – order forms will come home with your students today.  The deadline for ordering is February 28th.  Please send completed order forms with payment directly to Paula Hallowell Photography.

We check on each absent child to make sure they are safe at home or that you know they are not in school. If your child is marked absent and we haven’t received a voicemail from you by 8:15 we must call to verify and that can take up a great deal of our morning. So please help us by leaving a voice mail message (at 619-574-6225) by 8:15 if your child will be absent on a given day. Also, remember that the gates close at 8:10. Please be on time so your child doesn’t miss out on the best learning hours of the day. Thanks!

• Welcome Back to All Returning and New OTA families! Tuesday, September 4th is the First Day of School: Drop off is 7:45 AM, Pick up is 3:00 PM. (Click image to enlarge map. Please treat San Diego Ave as a one-way street):

• Traffic Safety Reminders: to keep our kids and families safe in our narrow traffic corridor we ask you to please use crosswalks and please do not park to pick up your children unless you have an appointment. Officer Tim has reminded us that Jaywalking tickets are $115.
• After-School Programs: After school programs will not meet the first week of school.  Schedules and sign-up forms will be posted by week’s end. After-School Programs will be offered in 5 different themes: Music, Art Studio, Foreign Languages, Sports, and Math & Science Olympics (Robotics, Hands-on Science, Chess, etc).
• 2011-2012 CST Results will be sent home the week of September 10th:
• Uniforms that were not picked up on Thursday can be picked up in the office any time next week. We understand that not everyone will have their uniforms the first week of school.  Please tell your students that this is OK.

Dear Parents / Guardians of OTA Students:

When your child is late to school, he or she must check in at the office before going to class.  Younger students will then be escorted to class by one of our office staff.

This procedure assures that the daily attendance is accurate and prevents the disruption that occurs when students and parents enter the classroom during instruction.

Also: please make every effort to get your child(ren) to school on time.  Your cooperation is greatly appreciated!

Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 28th starting at 1:00 pm, there will be Lost & Found tables set up on the blacktop just south of the field.  Please take the time to search for your students’ missing apparel, lunch boxes and water bottles.  Thank you to Sonia Mahmud for her time and effort in this mission.  Please note – items unclaimed this week will be donated over the spring break. Placing your child’s name on the tag of his/her garment will give us the opportunity to return the items to your child’s class and prevent the need for this extra effort.

The Lost & Found “closet” at OTA is literally overflowing with valuable belongings, including jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, shirts, lunch boxes, water bottles, etc.  Several parents have offered to help with the effort to assist in returning these items to their rightful owners. Thanks to a generous 1st grade parent, there will be tables set up in the field during pick up and drop off – date and time to be determined.  In the meantime, PLEASE take the time to put your child’s name and grade on the tags of their garments, so lost items can be returned immediately.

Mrs. Kamanski

Calling all 6^th grade OTA students…

Get the whooping cough shot for FREE if you haven’t had it yet!

• Why: The Tdap vaccine is required for all students to enter 7^th grade.
• When: Wednesday, March 28, 2012, from 2-5pm.
• Where:  SDUSD Nursing & Wellness Conference Room, 2351 Cardinal Lane, Annex B San Diego, CA 92123.
• Cost: FREE
• Directions: Continue reading →

You may remember the recent news story about the wounded dog found in East County in February.  Chance was hit by a bullet that narrowly missed his heart.  Chance’s original owner relinquished him to the County Animal Services Department, who nursed him back to health at a cost of $8,000.

OTA’s Cavanaugh family was chosen as the best fit for Chance’s recovery and happy life.   Continue reading →