Beginning in the spring and continuing through the summer, a group of parents have been busy at work creating and maintaining a vegetable garden, butterfly garden and sunflower tunnel on the Children’s Center playground. All throughout summer camp the children were able to enjoy the vegetable such as squash, tomatoes, peas, and celery.

This group has also been preserving the fruits of their labor so that these items can be enjoyed into the fall when school begins. Here are some recent pictures of the garden:

Please take a moment to visit the garden and enjoy the beauty created there.

The latest OSS Newsletter is hot off the presses and you can read it right here:

OSS Newsletter May 12, 2010

Find out about the 5th Grade Pentathlon, Summer Camp, and the Kroger Community Rewards Program that benefits our school every time you shop there.

Today brings a new edition of the Gnome Home Newsletter. As our thoughts turn toward the end of the school year, it is a great time to come and stock up for summer craft projects, reading, and toys. Many items are on sale. Our shopkeeper Ellen, can also place an order for anything special that you may need while the store is closed for the summer.

Check out the Gnome Home Newsletter May2010 here.

This event has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Please join us Friday, May 14, 2010 for a wonderful spaghetti dinner hosted by the Oakland Steiner 8th grade class. This fundraiser is to help raise funds for their class trip.

We are offering two options: Dine In or Take Out. Dinners are available between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Cost per dinner is $5

Each dinner includes spaghetti, salad, and bread.

Orders are due by Tuesday May 11, 2010. Payment must be paid in advance. There is a collection box above the mailboxes.

Choices are Meat Sauce with regular pasta or gluten free pasta & Vegetarian Sauce with regular pasta or gluten free pasta.

Thank you for supporting our 8th grade trip!

If you are a parent interested in our school please join us on Wednesday, May 12 at 8:30a.m. for an introductory tour. We will be visiting the classrooms and then having a question and answer session following. It is our last tour this school year.

Please contact our Enrollment Coordinator, Kelly Kossuth, to reserve your space. She can be reached at (248) 299-8755. We look forward to meeting with you.

Here is the latest edition of the OSS Newsletter:

OSS Newsletter April 29, 2010

There is information about the origins of May Day, Summer Camp and important upcoming dates.

This year the 8th Grade will be performing Twain’s Tales. It is a collection of Mark Twain’s tall tales and will be performed on two evenings. The public is welcome to attend and admission is free. Donations are always accepted.

Please join us on Tuesday May 4th and Wednesday May 5th at 7 p.m. for a wonderful evening of entertainment.

Can you see who is hiding in the dried leaves? During our Spring Break, a mama duck made her nest by the Children’s Center entrance. Patty and Vivian Urda were the first to spot her on Monday morning, April 5th. Papa Mallard, with his brilliant green head, made sure his wife was settled in and then departed. Mama Mallard, so well camouflaged with her brown feathers, left the nest during the day to get a bite to eat, and then returned later in the afternoon to sit on one egg.

According to Nick at the Metro Park Nature Center, this is typical behavior for mallards. He says that in the next 21 days she will lay 6-12 eggs. He recommended roping off a ten foot area so she will not be disturbed. We will not feed her, though it is tempting. Any corn or food left outside will attract rodents and raccoons, and endanger her eggs. She is not a domesticated duck, and can manage quite well on her own. Her eggs will hatch in 28 days, right around May Day. What a wonderful Spring event for our children to see!

There is a Nesting Mallard Log just inside the Children’s Center entrance. Take a look at it to see the latest report, and to make note if you see Mama, Papa or, in time, little ducklings.

THIS JUST IN… there are now eight eggs in the nest, covered with leaves and soft tiny feathers. Soon it will be time to “Make Way for
Ducklings!”

Edited to add: This Event has been cancelled.

On Saturday May 1st from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. we will be hosting a Mom to Mom Sale in the Oakland Steiner Gym.

What is it? A sale of gently used children’s clothing, toys, furniture, and baby accessories.

Families and friends purchase an 8 foot table for $20 to display their items; large items can be displayed in the front for 10% of what they sell for; rack space is $3 to hang clothes.

Call Gina Gora (Dworkin) to reserve your table by April 26th 248-872-1526

Admission to the sale is $2 per family.

Tell your friends and neighbors! There are copies of a flyer to post in the main office. Proceeds will go to the 8th Grade Field Trip Fund.

Oakland Steiner will once again have a booth at the Michigan Earth Day Fest in downtown Rochester.  The event takes place Friday April 23 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday April 24 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday April 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Look for us in the Kid’s Corner tent where we will be teaching a small craft, promoting our Waldorf School program and Summer Camp program, and selling items from the Gnome Home. Patty Urda will be giving a wet felting demonstration Sunday at 2 p.m. on the Kids Stage.

We hope that you can join us for this wonderful event!