May 8, 2009

School Picture Day is Thursday May 14. Class Pictures will be taken on May 14th. Please check your child's backpack for order forms which were sent this week. If you would like to order a Class Picture, please complete the order form with payment and have your child bring it on May 14th. To order a Class Photo, check off "Bonus Option F" and include payment.

Also, individual photos may be taken of your child on Class Picture Day. If you want to order individual photos of your child, please have your child bring the completed order form indicating which individual photo package you want, including payment, with them on May 14th. Any questions, please contact parent volunteer Josephine Escalante, josephineescalante@yahoo.com

NOTE: 7th and 8th grade pictures will be taken at a later date to accommodate the students who are traveling in Spain. Information to follow.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are Friday May 15 (school not in session): The last Parent-Teacher conferences of the 2009-10 school year are scheduled for Friday, May 15. Please contact your child's teacher(s) to schedule an appointment if you would like to discuss your child's progress. The teachers will also contact any parents who they need to meet with based on the child's academics and/or behavior.

DCPS ENROLLMENT FORMS DUE FRIDAY, MAY15th!

Please make sure to submit all of your DCPS enrollment forms for next school year by next Friday to either Ms. Viera at the Primary Campus or Susana Oviedo at the Intermediate Campus.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

The DC Department of Health (DOH) has new requirements for immunizations for school year 2009-2010. These include two varicella (chickenpox) immunizations for all students as well as additional immunizations for students in grades 5 and up. The details of the requirements are available at the DCPS and DOH websites. As of April 2009, student records at the primary campus show 37% of all the primary students still need a second varicella immunization. It is possible that some students may have had these, but that we do not yet have a copy of them. Please check with your child's health care provider and if your child has had a second chickenpox immunization, bring a copy to the school nurse. If your child has not yet had the second varicella immunization, schedule an appointment for one with your health care provider. All children must have complete and up to date immunizations before entering school in August. If you have questions, please contact your school nurse.

Medication Reminder

1. All prescription and over the counter medications must be given to the school nurse and must have a doctor's order. Teachers and school staff can never accept any medications.
2. If a child needs a medication and is going on a field trip, the parent or guardian must accompany the student and carry and administer the medication. Teachers and staff cannot carry or administer medications for a student. If you have any questions, please contact the school nurse.

Bring a Dish on Friday May 15th -- This Year's Last Pot-Luck Appreciation Lunch for Teachers & Staff! Say "THANKS" to our wonderful teachers and staff! On May 15 (parent-teacher conference day) please bring a dish-main courses, fruits, salads, desserts, drinks-to the teachers' lounge at either (or both!) campuses by 11:00 a.m. You can retrieve any serving plates on Monday in the parent room at Oyster or in the teacher's lounge at Adams. Questions? Want to help with prep and/or clean-up? Contact Wendy Jacobson at 202-390-6456 or wendy.jacobson@verizon.net, Julieta Lopez at 202-232-3155, or Alejandra Catalan at 202-547-2102

Summer School: Summer is quickly approaching. It's time to start thinking about your child's summer plans. We are excited to announce that Oyster-Adams has been designated a summer school site, meaning that students who are currently in kindergarten through 8th grade can attend summer school at the Intermediate (Adams) Campus (located at 2020 19th Street, NW).

There are two programs (based on a student's current school grade) running from June 29 - August 5. Both are free for all students who will receive breakfast, lunch and a snack (for the elementary students who stay for the afterschool enrichment program):

The elementary summer school program (kindergarten through 6th) will have two parts: a morning academic program (8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.) followed by an afterschool enrichment program (until 5:30 p.m.). You may enroll your child in either of the sessions as well as both.
The middle schools (7th and 8th only) will have a morning summer school program but not an afternoon session.

Please check you child's backpack for a summer school recommendation.

Pledge to keep our students safe. "Safe Cars Means Safe Children: Pace Car" is a program sponsored by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association to encourage drivers to adhere to the posted speed limits and treat pedestrians and bicyclists with respect by sharing the road safely.

Oyster-Adams is competing against other schools to see which one can get the highest percentage of parents to sign and return the Pace Car "Driver Pledge." Check your child's backpack for a "Driver's Pledge" form and return it signed by Tuesday May 19 (teachers must hand in the forms by May 20 at 10 am). The class with the most pledges at each campus will get a pizza party!

For more information, visit http://www.waba.org/pacecar/about.php <http://www.waba.org/pacecar/about.php>

Intermediate campus spruce-up a great success! Many thanks to Greater DC Cares and the 60+ volunteers it recruited, who showed up on a rainy Saturday to help spruce up the Intermediate Campus! For the second year, the group worked to make the campus a brighter, more welcoming place - among other tasks, they helped paint the rusty outdoor security grates covering the first floor windows, finished painting the railing in front of the school, and worked a magical transformation of the resource room into a bright and cheerful space. The biggest Oyster-Adams thanks goes to Katia Garrett who organized all of this for the school. She not only made sure the volunteers had impactful projects to work on, she coordinated the pick up of the right supplies for the projects. Katia's become quite an expert in choosing paint colors if you're looking to re-paint your home. Thanks also to the parents who helped by picking up the supplies and showing up early Saturday morning to help ready things for the volunteers: Mike Fay, Gustavo Gatti, Joel Korn, Sherrill Sanger, and Serena Wiltshire.

Save the date!

May 18-May 24: Oyster/Adams Annual Screen-Free Week: pledge sheets will be distributed in both libraries and to teachers/staff next week.

May 29- June 3: Spanish Poetry celebrations at Oyster-Adams and as part of a DCPS-wide program. More information coming soon.

June 8-10: Summer Reading Book Fair. Oyster Campus

OYSTER-ADAMS SPRING COCKTAIL PARTY - Friday, May 8, 6:00-8:30pm. Get a jump on the embassy open house program this weekend, catch up with friends, enjoy Swiss and California wines, and light fare from Open City, all while supporting the OCA Scholarship Fund!!

Hosted by the Embassy of Switzerland (2900 Cathedral Avenue, NW) . $25/person, $40/couple. Childcare for Oyster-Adams students at the Oyster building, only $5/family. Tickets on sale at the door of the event.