Notes from Oak

What stood out most wasn’t the silence—it was how smoothly everything went. Students and staff adjusted beautifully, moving through the day’s routines with flexibility, responsibility, and a spirit of teamwork. Transitions were calm and efficient, and it was heartwarming to watch students look out for one another, reminding friends when it was time to head to class or line up after recess. Our staff also did an incredible job making sure everyone stayed on track without missing a beat.

By the end of the week, our new system was fully online, and we are thrilled to have this reliable upgrade in place. This new system will strengthen communication across campus and ensure smooth, consistent routines for students and staff every day.

Karaoke is officially starting up again! The past two Thursdays served as a trial run as our former 5th graders transitioned into their new role as mentors to the current 5th grade students. With their guidance and leadership, everything went smoothly, and now we’re ready to roll it out for everyone.

What makes karaoke at Oak so special is that it’s student-driven. Our students aren’t just participants—they take on the responsibility of running the program, mentoring one another, and making the experience successful for everyone. It’s a joyful way for them to build leadership skills, practice responsibility, and exercise agency, all while creating a strong sense of community.

Come see the excitement around the K-pop songs on Thursday and Friday lunchtimes—imagine a mini “elementary rave” full of dancing, singing, and pure joy! It’s a lively celebration of student energy, creativity, and camaraderie that you won’t want to miss.

We can’t wait to see the energy and excitement karaoke brings to campus this year! Special thanks to Ms Buatista for supervising this energetic lunch hour (she doesn’t seem to mind it too much and can be seen enjoying the music as well!)

We had a wonderful Parent Coffee this morning! A big thank-you to our Social Committee, chaired by Ms. Sandy, for organizing this event.

Our panel included parents Ms. Katie D., Ms. Jasmine C., Mr. Shen, and myself. Together, we answered questions, shared ideas, and had the chance to connect with one another. IIt was lovely to see so many of our community members come together.

If you weren’t able to join us this time, we hope to see you at the next Parent Coffee—come for conversation, connection, and community!

Nikita

• Thur, Oct 2 - 5th Grade Authors' Faire - 1-1:30pm in classroom(s)

• Fri, Oct 3 - Oak in Motion - 8:15am on Blacktop

• Sat, Oct 4 - Walkathon - 9am-12pm on Oak Field

• Wed, Oct 8 - 4th Grade Walk Thru CA - Multi

• Thurs, Oct 9 - Minimum Day - Students Out at 12:15pm

• Thurs, Oct 9 - LASD AI Playlab - 1-2:30pm at Covington

• Fri, Oct 10 - Teacher In-Service - No School

• Fri, Oct 17 - Oak in Motion - 8:15am on Blacktop

• Wed, Oct 22 - Picture Re-take Day

• Fri, Oct 31 - Costume Parade - Parents Welcome! 9-9:30am on Blacktop

• Fri, Oct 31 - Oak Spooktacular - In Multi - 2:30pm - Kinders; 3pm - Older Kids

LASD 2025-26 District Calendar here

Oak Website oakschool.org/

Breakfast & Lunch Menus https://www.lasdschools.org/menus

Oak Walkathon is fast approaching on Saturday, October 4th and we would love for your family to participate! Here are 3 ways to Power Up:

1) Register your child (first class to reach 100% registration gets a popsicle party)

2) Help your child get pledges/donations by using our handy email template (class with the most pledges/donations per student wins a popsicle party)

3) Volunteer for a shift or 2 (pro tip: sign up early to get your ideal duty and shift!).

Remember the Walkathon is a celebration of our Oak community, but is also powered by our Oak community so please register, fundraise and volunteer! All students must have an adult on-site with them (and you don’t want to miss this incredible event anyway!) so we will see you on October 4th!

From the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose: Celebrate with us! Throughout the month, there’ll be hands-on art activities, performances, and themed workshops and programs to honor the contributions of local Latinos.

Click here to find out more: CDM: Hispanic Heritage.

The California Department of Education writes the regulations on excused and unexcused absences and these policies have been adopted by the LASD Board of Trustees.

A full list and the associated Education Code numbers can be found via the LASD Board Policies website.

The most common excused reasons for a student to be late or absent are:

1. Personal illness

2. Medical, dental, optometrical, or chiropractic appointments

3. Religious observance

Vacations, and trips are considered unexcused absences, even when the school office is notified in advance.

Independent Study Plans can be utilized if your student is going to be absent from school for an unexcused reason for 5 or more consecutive days and the office is notified in advance of the trip.

The process of an ISP is as follows:

• Parents notify the school of an upcoming absence in advance

• Parents complete the ISP agreement

• Once the ISP agreement has been signed, the classroom teacher will compile work for the student to complete during their absence.

• Each student may utilize a maximum of 15 ISP days per school year

• Please notify office the dates of absence as soon as possible

• All Independent Study Plans are subject to principal approval

• Work MUST be completed during the absence and returned to school

• Parent to initiate the ISP. Please use this link.

Work is not allowed to be completed ahead of time. Students or parents must return the work to the office on the day after ISP ends, even if the student is not at school.

Email: lyazdani@lasdschools.org

Form: 2025-26 form

Phone: 650-237-3939

Board Policy for Absences

Board Policy For Truancy (3 or more unexcused absences in a school year)

If you have yet to donate to LAEF this school year, Donate Today!

Increase the impact of your donation to the Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF).

Apply for a Corporate Match

if one is available to you.

Did you know that 82 companies generously matched employee donations to LAEF last year?

Find out if your company offers corporate matching here or ask your HR department.

Can you make some calls or send some texts to encourage other LASD parents to donate to LAEF this year? Find out more and sign up.

Donate to both LAEF and the PTA to fund the resources and opportunities that turn an ordinary education into an LASD Education! Learn more and donate at LASDEducationPartners.org.

LASD AI Playlab - Thursday, October 9 from 1:00 - 2:30pm @Covington

During the first minimum day on October 9, we invite students in 6th-8th grade to participate in LASD's AI Playlab event!

What is AI? From coding to playing games, students will explore different aspects and concepts of AI through hands-on experiences.

Space is limited! Students must sign up using the link/QR code to participate in the event.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a growing part of our daily lives. From asking Siri a question to receiving personalized video recommendations on YouTube, AI continues to shape how we live, learn, and connect.

Utilizing the resources from Day of AI and Common Sense Media, students will be invited to explore the question: What is AI? Click here for more details.

By Mrs. Forrest

Library lessons this week included books about late library books, books for Hispanic Heritage Month, and books about books.

In the fourth grade, students filled out a Reading Analyzer sheet documenting their reading habits. In the fifth grade, we’re working on a compare and contrast unit.

You can still sign your students up for Birthday Book Club via the Oak Classroom Parent website. Look for the tiny store icon along the top bar.

Students can still turn in their summer reading sheets to me in the library. I already have quite a stack! The deadline is September 30th.

How to visit the Oak School’s Library Catalog via Destiny Discover:

Go to this link: https://www.destinydiscover.com/aasp/ui/pick/picked

Choose California, type in Los Altos School District, and Oak Avenue Elementary School in Los Altos. There are multiple Oak Avenue Schools, so make sure you pick the one in Los Altos. This puts you directly into the Oak Library Catalog, which shows all the books the Oak Library owns. Click Go!

You can browse the collection by topic, genre, grade level, etc. You can search for a specific book title or author. You don’t need to log in to do any of these searches. However if you do want to put a book on hold or read one of our ebooks, you will need to log in.

To log in, click on the login button at the top right. Enter this year’s google username and password that you use to log in to your school google account and submit. Search for the book you are looking for and put it on hold. Mrs. Forrest will pull the book for you and have it waiting for you in the library during the school year. No summer holds available.

Student Access to Santa Clara County Library

All LASD students (unless parents opted out), have a student account through the Santa Clara County Library District. This student account offers access to eBooks, research resources, homework help, and much more.

To access the website, go to: https://student.sccld.org

You will be asked to provide an Account Number and PIN. The Account Number is S + Student ID + LASD (no spaces in between). The student ID is a unique 5 digit number provided by LASD. It is the same number as your student’s Powerschool number and is embedded in their school email address. The number is provided when you receive district communications specific to your student. The PIN is the student’s birth month and day (again no spaces). If the birth month or day is only one number, add a zero in front of it.

For example:

Account Number: S12345LASD

PIN: 0114 (for January 14th)

There are also resource links on the Oak School website under Programs/Library.

Please contact Mrs. Forrest at cforrest@lasdschools.org if you have specific requests, have any questions, or have difficulty accessing your account.​

9:30-12:30 Mondays 9/15-10/27

Los Altos School District iLearn Studio

201 Covington Road, Los Altos CA 94024

Do you like to connect kids with nature, enjoy gardening, and/or want to act locally to promote environmental stewardship among our youth? If you answered yes, then Living Classroom might be the perfect volunteer opportunity for you!

Living Classroom is seeking volunteers to teach our fun nature-based lessons and/or help care for our school gardens. No experience necessary as we teach you everything you need to know. Please join us from 9:30-12:30 on Mondays 9/15-10/27 at the LASD iLearn Studio for our Fall Docent Training. If Mondays don't work for you, please ask us about our apprentice-style training option. If you just want to help care for your school garden at times that work for you, that's fine too!

Questions? Please email livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call 650-947-1103. Check us out at LivingClassroomLASD.org!

• Office is open from 8am to 4pm daily
• PowerSchool access: send an email request to powerschoolsupport@lasdschools.org
• Free COVID Test Kits are once again available from the office - just ask!

• Independent Study Plans

  • Each student may utilize a maximum of 15 ISP days per school year

  • Please notify the office of the dates of absence as soon as possible. Note: We request a two-week notice so teachers can prepare materials

  • All Independent Study Plans are subject to principal approval

  • Work MUST be completed during the absence and returned to school on the student's first day back in class

  • For each day of absence, students are expected to complete 180 minutes of work

  • Parent to initiate the ISP. Please use this 2025-26 form

Mission:

It is Oak School’s mission to ensure high levels of learning for all students. Every day we respectfully collaborate to develop confident, resilient, joyful learners who care about the Oak School community and become responsible citizens.

Email: nshah@lasdschools.org
Website: oakschool.org/
Location: 1501 Oak Avenue, Los Altos, CA, USA

Phone: (650)237-3900