Thank you to everyone who joined us for this morning's Coffee with the Principal. It was a great way to start the day and kick-off the weekend.
Thank you to the PTA for organizing and sponsoring this event.
Independent Study Plans (ISP) We know many families may be planning travel, family gatherings, and other time away from school especially as we start planning for NOv and Dec break. If your plans include missing school days, please take a moment to review our attendance guidelines and the Independent Study Plan (ISP) process. Planning ahead helps our office and teachers prepare—and helps ensure your student receives appropriate attendance credit while away.
The California Department of Education establishes regulations regarding excused and unexcused absences, and these policies have been adopted by the LASD Board of Trustees. A full list of absence reasons and the associated Education Code sections can be found on the LASD Board Policies website.
The most common excused reasons for a student to be late or absent are: - Personal illness
- Medical, dental, optometrical, or chiropractic appointments
- Religious observance
Vacations and family trips are considered unexcused absences, even when the school office is notified in advance.
Independent Study Plans An Independent Study Plan (ISP) may be utilized when a student will be absent from school for an unexcused reason, provided the school office is notified in advance.
The ISP process is as follows: - Parents notify the school of the upcoming absence as early as possible.
- The parent initiates and completes the ISP agreement.
- All Independent Study Plans are subject to principal approval.
- Once the ISP agreement has been signed and approved, the classroom teacher will compile appropriate work for the student to complete during the absence.
- Students may utilize a maximum of 15 ISP days per school year.
- ISP work may not be completed ahead of the absence.
- Work must be completed during the ISP absence and returned to the school office the day after the ISP ends, even if the student is not at school that day.
- Completion of the entire ISP is required for the student to receive full attendance credit for all approved ISP days.
- Students who complete only a portion of the assigned ISP work may receive partial attendance credit. Incomplete ISP work may also be considered when determining approval of future ISP requests.
Initiating an ISP Parents are responsible for initiating the ISP. Please contact the school office as soon as you know the dates your student will be absent.
Email: lyazdani@lasdschools.org Phone: 650-237-3900 Form: https://app.informedk12.com/link_campaigns/short-term-independent-study-master-agreement-2026-2027-tk-6?token=GWgejLnCAQetQyjE5to4ft7M
Please refer to the LASD Board Policy for Absences and Board Policy for Truancy for additional information. Three or more unexcused absences during the school year may result in a student being identified as truant. |
Our Character trait for the month of October is Responsibility . Being responsible means doing what you’re supposed to do, even when it’s difficult. At school, this includes completing assignments on time, following rules, participating actively in class, and respecting others. At home, it means helping with chores, completing homework, being on time, and taking care of belongings. By demonstrating responsibility, we create a positive and safe learning environment for everyone and contribute to a more harmonious home life. Let’s celebrate responsibility and strive to be our best selves. |
Wed, Oct 7 - Walk or Wheel to School! Wed, Oct 7 - PTA Association Mtng - Multi; 8:45-10:30am Thur, Oct 8 - Minimum Day - 12:15pm Dismissal Fri, Oct 9 - Staff Development - No School! Sat, Oct 17 - Walk-A-Thon - Oak Field 9am-12:30pm Thur, Oct 22 - Author Visit: Devin Elle Kurtz - Multi 12:50-1:45pm Fri, Oct 30 - Spooktacular! - Multi; 2:30-4:30pm Wed, Nov 4 - Picture Retake Day! Wed, Nov 11 - Veterans Day - No School! |
- LASD 2026-27 District Calendar https://files.smartsites.parentsquare.com/9655/2026-27_adopted_district_calendar_revised.pdf
- Oak Website oakschool.org/
- Breakfast/Lunch Menus https://www.lasdschools.org/133329_3
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LASD families now have the option to make online payments directly through the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
Families can use PowerSchool to conveniently pay student-related fees and charges, including field trips, lost or damaged materials, and other school-related expenses.
When selecting the payment option in PowerSchool, you will be directed to eFunds, the district’s third-party payment provider. Families will need to create an eFunds account before making their first payment. Once your account is set up, payments can be made by credit card or ACH/bank transfer. A small processing fee will apply. Families who prefer to pay by check may continue to do so directly through the Egan office. Please note: Donations to PTA and LAEF should not be made through PowerSchool.
Accessing Online Payments To access payments, log in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal using the email address you used when registering your child with LASD. If you have forgotten your password, select “Forgot Password” on the login screen.
Instructions for using the eFunds online payment system are also available to help families get started. You can find instructions on how to use the eFunds online payment system here. We know how busy family life can be, and we hope this new option makes handling school-related payments a little easier. As always, if you have questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Egan office. We’re happy to help! |
Dear Oak Families -
Fall is here and there are many exciting events coming up in October! Crazy feet day, Walkathon, Spooktacular, and Halloween parties just to name a few. Please check NFO weekly for important updates and announcements about these great events and others! Corporate Matching Did you know Oak raised over $37,377 from corporate matching last year? Please check with your employer or click this Double the Donation link to see if your company offers corporate matching and how to apply for it!
Upcoming Events: Walk or Wheel(WoW) day - Wednesday, Oct 7th National #WalkToSchoolDay
10/7 is national #WalkToSchoolDay and we'll be celebrating it with our own WoW (Walk or Wheel) Day! 🚶♀️🚲🛴
With the help from a few 5th graders, we’ll welcome the kids with a small treat and tally how many students from each grade walk or wheel to school.
The grade with the highest participation rate gets an extra recess! 🎉
We would love 4-5, 5th grade volunteers to help set it up and operate (no prep is needed). Kids should meet Chen Goldberg(6th grade mom) next to the office on 10/7 at 8am. If your kid is interested please add your name in this Document.
Hope to see lots of walkers, bikers, and scooters that day! |
Get ready to show your school spirit! The Oak Walkathon is back on Saturday, October 17th (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM), bringing our community together for a fun-filled day of movement, school pride, and student-powered fundraising.
Why We Walk Beyond the incredible fun for the children, Walkathon is a key PTA fundraiser. It directly supports our teachers and classrooms through annual stipends, teacher recognition, mini-grants, field trip transportation and scholarships. It also funds our cherished student traditions that make Oak so special—including Global Heritage Night, Talent Show, Field Day, Noontime Activities, Booktacular, Stay N’ Plays, and Stem Together Club.
How to Get Started - Register Your Child (Free!): Visit our Walkathon Platform, click the Participant Center, and add an Individual Registration to your cart for each child.
- Personalize Your Page: Customize your Oak Cougar's page with photos or a goal.
- Share the Link: Send your personalized link to family, friends, and neighbors to collect pledges!
Every student who registers receives an official Oak Walkathon 2026 T-Shirt!
Our Fundraising Goal To meet our yearly funding goals for all PTA programs, our suggested donation is $200 per child. Every contribution makes a real impact—give whatever amount feels right for your family. If you're able to chip in extra to help us cover gaps and fulfill our mission, your generosity is deeply appreciated!
Participation is what matters most. Let’s make this Walkathon an unforgettable day for our Cougars! Walkathon Planning Team Emmanuel Ventadour (VP of Fundraising) Deepti Dupey (Deputy, Fundraising) Jocelyn Jackson (Parliamentarian)
Recently Wrapped Up |
🥁✨🥁✨Oak Walkathon T-Shirt Design Contest Winner: "Miles of Smiles"!
This year’s Walkathon theme is “Miles of Smiles” and the winners of this year's contest are Ellis (6th grade) and Hudson (2nd grade). These siblings teamed up to create the winning design which will be printed on all t-shirts that the kids wear on Walkathon day!
All submitted designs will be showcased at school, so check them out!! We are incredibly proud of all of the kids that have participated in the contest!
Coffee with the Principal It was so wonderful to see so many of you at our Coffee with Principal Shah! I hope you enjoyed the treats and had a chance to connect with some fellow parents. Wishing you all a relaxing and happy weekend! |
Want to Help? Volunteers Needed! Urgent: Financial Reviewer for Oak PTA 2026-2027 Financial Reviewer: The PTA Financial Reviewer audits the financial books and records of the PTA on a semiannual basis. The review can be performed by an appointed Oak parent who is a licensed CPA. Our books are well-organized and up to date and we expect 5-10 hours of time commitment per 6 months audit with full support and documentation provided by the PTA executive board. Please reach out to Roger Xu ( wuyun1018@gmail.com) if you are interested. For additional information, please see the California PTA website: https://toolkit.capta.org/finance/pta-financial-review/
Volunteer Authorization Process: DOJ/FBI Live Scan Fingerprinting As you may have seen Los Altos School District’s ParentSquare newsletter, they are bringing all volunteer screening into one consistent, districtwide process to stay compliant with new state laws while preserving the welcoming and volunteer culture that makes our schools so special.
We highly encourage all of our volunteers to follow the LASD approved volunteer process. For those interested in beginning the process to becoming a volunteer, please visit the link https://www.lasdschools.org/volunteer.
💰💰Donate to the PTA and LAEF Contributions to LAEF and the PTA directly support Oak's instructional programs (LAEF) and vital school community initiatives (PTA). Thank you for investing in our children and supporting our school!
Donate to LAEF & PTA through links below. As a reminder, the ask is $1,800 for LAEF, $80 per child to the Oak PTA and $20 PTA dues when you become a member. |
We want to send a heartfelt shoutout to Jiyoung Park! Jiyoung poured so much time and care into planning the student T-shirt design contest, gathering sizing data across the entire school, and working closely with vendors for the Upcoming Walkathon Fundraiser.
Thank you, Jiyoung, for your amazing effort and for making this year’s Walkathon so special for our school community!
Let’s make it a wonderful year! Liz Hernandez, President Rama Mulpuri, Executive Vice President Oak PTA Executive Team 2026-2027
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The LAEF-funded Art Docents program is underway for the 2026–27 school year, and students across the district are already deeply engaged in exploring art. In classrooms from TK through 6th grade, children are engaging with unique art forms, experimenting with materials, and creating original pieces.
These hands-on experiences are possible because families like you support LAEF.
Donations to LAEF fund the Art Docents program, along with other specialized teachers, staff, and instructional materials that public funding alone does not cover. Huge thanks to the families who have already donated. If you have not yet made your 2026–27 gift, please consider doing so now during our Fall Fundraising Campaign. Gifts of any amount are greatly valued.
Here’s how to partner with us: Step 1: Donate to LAEF Step 2: Join and donate to the PTA for each school your children attend Your donations make programs like Art Docents possible for every elementary student. Thank you for your partnership. |
By Mrs. Forrest It’s good to be back in the library after illness. Thanks for your patience.
We had a successful Steve Sheinkin author visit on Monday, September 14th for fourth - sixth graders. I was sorry to miss it. Thanks to all who supported the author visit by purchasing the books from Linden Tree! Another author visit coming in October for the lower grades. Stay tuned!
Karma, our reading buddy dog, visited the library this Thursday. He was very patient as so many students came to pet him. Please remind your students to be gentle with Karma so he can keep coming to visit us.
We started a new mystery picture in the library! To encourage reading, I have the kids add stickers for books read to reveal a mystery picture at the end of the school year. For K-1st, any book read by the student or to the student qualifies for a sticker to put on our picture. For 2nd and 3rd, the student needs to read a 100+ page book. For 4th-6th, students need to read a 250+ page book. This is just another way to encourage more reading.
Library lessons this week included book care books and reviewing book care rules. In the upper grades, I also did some book talks for books that I read over the summer.
You can still sign your students up for Birthday Book Club via the Oak Classroom Parent website: oak.classroomparent.com. Look for the tiny store icon along the top bar.
Students can also 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: 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, aka, the Los Altos Public Library. This student account offers access to eBooks, research resources, homework help, and much more. |
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.
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- Office is open from 8am to 4pm daily
- To Report an Absence, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/H5nat9fm7D6FWDw76
- PowerSchool access: send an email request to powerschoolsupport@lasdschools.org
- Volunteering in the Classroom or Chaperoning a Field Trip, fill out this form: https://www.lasdschools.org/volunteer
- 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 link: https://app.informedk12.com/link_campaigns/short-term-independent-study-master-agreement-2026-2027-tk-6?token=GWgejLnCAQetQyjE5to4ft7M
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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. |
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