The OSA Newsletter:
Focus On Community
|
|
Dear OSA Community,
Thank you for joining us at this morning's Town Hall, and Artist Speaker Series featuring James DuBose of Fox Soul TV. The presentation deck for the Town Hall has been posted on our website, for anyone who may have missed it this morning, or who wished to re-read some of the valuable parenting tips from our Mental Health & Wellness team.
Remember, there is no school on Friday due to end of the semester grading. School resumes January 4, 2021. Enjoy your winter break and stay healthy!
Best wishes
|
|
Calendar Updates
To keep up with all events, please follow the OSA school calendar!
|
|
Students are hard at work on a t shirt design submission contest, run by Student Council. Each grade was encouraged to submit their original work to student council reps by December 11th. A survey will be sent to students to determine the winning design, which will be printed for each grade.
Stay posted for some great t shirts!
|
|
OSA is pleased and proud to announce that three OSA students are recipients of the prestigious national YoungArts awards.
Congratulations to:
Gabrielle Manion, Fashion Design, Merit Award winner, Design Arts
Oliver Tuttle, Instrumental Music, Honorable Mention, Jazz
Hannah Mayer (alumna), Instrumental Music Alum, Honorable Mention, Composition also Honorable Mention, Piano.
Please join us in praising these students - and their teachers - for this achievement!
|
|
Ninth grade students WON Spirit week in November! This means they can donate $100 to a charity of their choice, courtesy of Student Government's fundraising. Grade level rep Alaysia Bobo says that students were polled on their favorite charity and have chosen to donate to Families Without Borders. Way to go, Freshmen!
|
|
Student government is hosting a 10th grade holiday movie night on Friday, December 18th at 7:00. Students voted for the movie options, and 10th grade Student Rep Isaiah Johnson shared today that the winning movie is the holiday classic, It's A Wonderful Life! Students may attend via the zoom link they received via their student email.
|
|
The Grammy-nominated Alphabet Rockers, comprised of OSA IM students Tommy Shepherd III & Kali De Jesus, OSA Vocal student Maya Fleming, Lillian Ellis, niece of OSA's own Dave Ellis, plus Tommy's dad Tommy Soulati Shepherd and local artist and arts educator Kaitlin McGaw were featured in an episode of CBS This Morning earlier this month.
|
|
November Students of the Month |
|
December Students of the Month |
|
We are awarding the December Students of the Month early, so that these students can feel the appreciation throughout the winter break! |
|
Happy Holidays! During the first semester of this school year, the Science Club has done fun activities from exploring little bits of our solar system to creating maps and cute aliens. Though our community is quite small, we've had fun and are looking forward to the upcoming semester. We are planning to identify, do extensive research, and contribute towards efforts on the global climate and environmental health. Members of our club are hoping to expand our group and hope you'll join us in exploring your scientific endeavors. If you have any questions please reach out to Elizabeth Truong or Ms.Clusserath or join us in our google classroom (available to students only)! Our zoom meetings will resume on January 14, 2021 @ 12:15PM to 1:00PM. Middle and high schoolers are welcome and we have a special schedule designed for middle school. Hope to see or hear from you soon!
|
|
The Mental Health Awareness Club, which meets every Monday at noon, recently participated in a youth summit for which they created a video and a mental health resource pamphlet. Currently, the club is working on some surprises for the seniors, including OSA and mental health awareness stickers and socially distant yoga in the park this January! If you are interested in submitting sticker designs or joining our club, please send us a direct message on Instagram or reach out to Sylvia or Anneke. Our Instagram account is @osamhac and you can email Anneke Angstadt or Sylvia Ettinger for more information. Thank you!
|
|
Follow OSA on Social Media!
Be sure to follow OSA (@osaschool) on Facebook and Instagram for your daily dose of what's good at OSA! |
|
Updates from Parent Volunteer Groups:
|
|
The OSA Anti-Racist Education & Activism Group has started meeting regularly on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays. We have decided to dedicate our 2nd Wednesday meetings to self-education, to further our anti-racist work by addressing it in ourselves and digging deeper. On 4th Wednesdays, we are having our activist meetings. At the moment, we are still gathering information, hoping to support the great work that others at OSA are already doing to improve equity and access. We invite all parents to join us!
|
|
Any other year, the Hospitality Committee would be planning a Holiday Soiree to honor our amazing faculty and staff, and we'd be busy cooking and baking... but just because we are not able to gather the troops and spoil teachers and staff with delicious food, doesn't mean that we can't show how much we appreciate them. With the overwhelming support from many families, we have a surprise gift for each OSA staff member that will be delivered just in time for the Holidays! Interested in supporting these efforts? Check us out on OSA Connects!
|
|
In alliance with APT, PODS (Parents of Students with Disabilities) is partnering with administration to ensure evaluations and accommodations are being followed under remote learning. APT-PODS will be hosting a special education focused general meeting on Wednesday 12/16/20-6:30 pm. All parents are welcome to attend.
|
|
Creating Connection: In this time of digital learning and social distancing, finding connection is more important than ever. The Alliance of Parents & Teachers (APT) is committed to strengthening communication & fostering collaboration within the OSA community. General meetings take place on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm via zoom. To learn more about the APT, to join our online network (Konstella), and to view our recent newsletter, please click here - https://aptosa.org/osa-news-requests/osa-apt-newsletter-art-action-vol-19-no-1-november-2020/
|
|
Thanks to all the parents who mobilized over the summer and contacted legislators to support continued school funding. The combined efforts of parents committed to quality education resulted in Governor Newsom signing SB 820, also known as the Growth Funding Bill. If you're interested in advocacy work to support OSA students and public school students throughout Oakland, check out our OSA Advocates Committee!
|
|
Want to get involved at OSA?
There are over twenty different parent volunteer groups at OSA, each with a different focus on supporting our students and teachers. More than 250 sign-ups have come through OSA Connects - check it out to find your way to connect!
|
|
Due to COVID restrictions, there is no PSAT exam scheduled through the end of quarter three for 10th or 11th graders.
|
|
Attention OSA Families!
If you move, change your email or phone number - let us know! It is important for us to be able to reach you. Please update your information by emailing studentrecords@oakarts.org
|
|
A Message from Academic Counseling
The semester ends Thursday December 17th. The grade that a student has when the semester closes is the score that will be recorded on their transcript. If students have work that needs to be turned in, they should reach out to their teachers now to make sure they meet the 12/17 deadline.
High school students who have open space in their schedule can sign up for spring semester electives. They can view A-G and enrichment elective options on our Academic Counseling Website. They have received emails with an elective survey; if they misplaced the message, they should reach out to Ms. Schultz at aschultz@oakarts.org
The Peralta, Saddleback, and other community college systems are accepting enrollment for their spring courses. Students who are looking for a challenge, credit recovery or acceleration, or just enrichment have a wide variety of courses open to them. They should sign up asap if they are interested; all forms and instructions are on the Concurrent Enrollment page of our Academic Counseling website. If students have any questions, they can reach out to Ms. Schultz at aschultz@oakarts.org or visit her office hour on Thursdays.
|
|
Drop-in Support Group for Gender-Diverse & LGBTQIA++ Middle Schoolers
Who’s it for?
LGBTQIA++ Youth and Friends (6th, 7th, and 8th graders only). If you're in middle school and interested in gender, identify as trans, non-binary, gender expansive, LGBTQIA++, cis, or unsure, this group is for you!
*All are welcome! Maybe you aren’t sure who you are, or don’t identify as LGBTQ…but have a family member or friend that is? Come on by!
What is it?
A time to connect one another
Make meaning and relate to current events
Explore ways to support and care for ourselves and one another
Learn (more) about LGBTQ identities, wellness, and self-esteem
Sounds cool, how do I join?
When: Wednesdays at noon (resumes in January)
Who: led by Will Williams, LMFT, OSA Wellness Counselor
|
|
City of Oakland Now Providing Free WiFi! |
|
What is OAK-WiFi?
OAK WiFi is a free city service that provides internet access to residents of Oakland.
When will OAK-WiFi be available?
The service will provide free wifi to all residents, 24 hours a day beginning in Zones 1, 18, & 2 starting mid November 2020 and in the remaining Zones (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, & 13) in late December 2020. Check out this map for more details or look up your area!
How can I access OAK-WiFi?
Easily! Just go into the wifi settings on your mobile phone, laptop, or desktop computer, select OAK-WIFI and get connected!
|
|
Thank you for your support of OSA!
|
|
|
|
Oakland School for the Arts
510-873-8800
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
