Special Board Meeting Notice and Agenda
Author Archives: Old Town Academy
OTA YMCA Soccer Players • Practice Today 3:30-4:30 at OTA
Paella Party Moved to Sunday, September 21st
Dear OTA Supporters,
You are listed as purchasing tickets for our 2014 OTA Paella Party, which was scheduled to be held on Saturday September 6th. Due to circumstances beyond our control, the party cannot take place on this date and has been moved to Sunday, September 21st. Please join us on Sunday, September 21st in the OTA courtyard from 5-8 pm for a fun evening of paella and wine. The fabulous paella is made by Paella Chef extraordinaire and OTA parent Carlos Delgado. The party is a great way to catch up with other OTA parents and supporters after the summer.
I realize due to the date change that you might not be able to attend due to a previous commitment. If you need your tickets refunded, please contact OTA Treasurer Cindy Stullich, cindywill88@yahoo.com. Please lets us know as soon as possible as if spaces open up, other parents with to attend.
Thank you for supporting OTA and see you at the party!
Sincerely,
Monika Hanft, OTA Wine & Dine Auction Chair & Erin Parente, Paella Party Coordinator
OTA Calendar Notes: School Starts Tomorrow, Sept 2 • Traffic Safety Tips • After-School Enrich! Program • Meet our Staff
Dear OTA Parents & Guardians:
Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year!
- Let’s begin with Traffic Safety Reminders for the morning drop-off. Please treat San Diego Ave as a one-way street (heading north only). Gates open at 7:45. Students teachers will meet them on the field at 8:00 AM and go up to class by 8:10. Kindergarten students start at 9 AM for the first two days of school.
- OTA Enrich! After-school Programs do not start until Week 2. The schedule and sign-ups will be up by Wednesday at the latest. We have a lot of exciting courses this year, many returning programs, some new: Spanish, Zumba, Yoga, Open Minds Enrich (K-2 after-care), Learning Acceleration Lab (coaching on projects & after-school access to learning lab & iPad programs), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/Self-Defense, Soccer, Orchestra-Violin, Piano Lab, Rock Climbing, Chess…
Meet our Teachers and Staff
*means new role or new to OTA
- Kindergarten: Mrs. Lauren Drinkward
A good beginning never ends! Mrs Drinkward is coming off a stellar year and ready for another great beginning. - First Grade: Ms. Shana Pitcher
Ms. Pitcher returns for her fourth year– 3rd Degree Black Belt in reading and Core Knowledge and reportedly the best surfer at OTA!
OTA’s Annual Paella Party • Postponed! to Sunday, September 21 • Ten Tickets Left!
Hello OTA Kindergarten Families!
OTA’s Annual Paella Party will be held Saturday, September 6.
We sold most of the tickets at the Spring Gala but we still have 10 left!
The event will be held in the OTA Courtyard and will include Carlos Delgado’s amazing paella, manchego cheese, salad, dessert and wine. It’s a fun time and a nice way to mingle with other parents.
Tickets are $50 per person; the proceeds will benefit Old Town Academy.
Please let me know ASAP if you would like to attend and feel free to forward to other OTA families who may be interested. cindywill88@yahoo.com
Thanks so much!
Cindy Stullich
Treasurer/Old Town Academy Foundation
Come Visit the Kindergarten Classroom
Welcome to Kindergarten at OTA!
If you would like your child to get a sneak peek at the Kindergarten classroom before the first day, please stop by OTA this Thursday, August 28th. I will be holding two visitation sessions at 2:00 and 6:00. This is not mandatory, but might help ease the transition into starting school at OTA. Your child will be able to find his or her seat, folder box, and hook. Just stop by the school, no need to sign-up or RSVP. If you can not make it on Thursday, no worries, we will see you on the first day of school!
Thank you,
Mrs Drinkward
New Families Orientation • 6:30 PM • August 28 • 7th Grade Room
Dear New OTA Families,
Please join us Thursday August 28th for a new Families Orientation in the 7th Grade Room (First Floor, turn right out of the elevator).
Topics to be covered include:
Topics to be covered include:
- Welcome to OTA!
- AM Drop-off & PM Pickup
- Daily Schedules & Academic Calendar
- Classroom Blogs, Uniforms, Report cards
- MAP (Measures of Academic Assessment) & STAR Testing
- Student-Parent Handbook: Teacher Office Hours, Email Policy, Internet Ethics Pledge, Cyber-Safety, Character Ed.
- OTA Enrich! After-School Programs
- Volunteering Opportunities & the OTA Parent Foundation
Please bring any enrollment information you have yet to turn in. We will open the doors at 6:00 and be collecting your paperwork before and after the Orientation
New-Student Enrollment Info:
Five steps to complete your enrollment.
- For most families we have an online Enrollment Form. If any information is missing our office will contact you to complete the form.
- Complete the Free & Reduced Lunch Survey (available at Orientation)
- Provide Proof of Immunizations; Age (Birth Certificate); and Residence, a utility bill will work (click –> list of required immunizations to attend school)
- Attend a Mandatory New-Family Orientation (August 28, 6:30).
- Read and sign the OTA Student-Parent Handbook (Available at Orientation)
First Day of School Reminders:
- The 2014-2015 School Year Begins Tuesday, Sept 2.
- Kindergarteners will start late (9:00 AM) on the first two days of school. (Kindergarten parents are invited to park on the playground and walk upstairs with your child).
- Grades 1st-8th, Teachers come down to field to take students upstairs at 8:10 (Gates open at 7:45)
- Traffic Reminders
Why Free Play Is the Best Summer School – Jessica Lahey
The more time children spend in structured, parent-guided activities, the worse their ability to work productively towards self-directed goals. JUN 20 2014
The author’s sons enjoying summertime in their younger years.
Most schools across the nation have marked the end of another academic year, and it’s time for summer. Time for kids to bolt for the schoolhouse doors for two long months of play, to explore their neighborhoods and discover the mysteries, treasures, and dramas they have to offer. This childhood idyll will hold true for some children, but for many kids, the coming of summer signals little more than a seasonal shift from one set of scheduled, adult-supervised lessons and activities to another.
Unscheduled, unsupervised, playtime is one of the most valuable educational opportunities we give our children. It is fertile ground; the place where children strengthen social bonds, build emotional maturity, develop cognitive skills, and shore up their physical health. The value of free play, daydreaming, risk-taking, and independent discovery have been much in the news this year, and a new study by psychologists at the University of Colorado reveals just how important these activities are in the development of children’s executive functioning.
Executive function is a broad term for cognitive skills such as organization, long-term planning, self-regulation, task initiation, and the ability to switch between activities. It is a vital part of school preparedness and Continue reading
Pre K – Kindergarten Music CD Set
“Enlightened educators understand that a well-rounded instructional program introduces students to the masterpieces of art and music that are part of our shared cultural inheritance. Core Knowledge makes available carefully selected musical
masterworks on CD.
Music Project 1: Learn 3 Songs on the Piano
