Oakhurst Weekly

Greetings Oakhurst Family,

The American vocal harmony group Boyz II Men is famous for their emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. One of their songs, "End of the Road,' was the number one single of 1992 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1992, and was ranked by Billboard as the sixth most successful song of the decade 1990 - 1999. It is so amazing that after 30 years since its release, this song is still sung or played at events when someone is departing even though it is a love song about someone with a broken heart.

Well, Oakhurst Family, I will continue the tradition of using the theme of this song to inform you tomorrow is "The End of the Road" for me. I have truly enjoyed serving as your Interim Principal. I entered this role as a retired Principal eager to become immersed in the daily activities of a school full of people I did not know. Over the course of seven weeks, these strangers soon became people I grew to love, especially the dear children of Oakhurst. I know I will miss them the most, from greeting them each morning, reading books to them, going outside when they are eating lunch or at recess, wiping away their tears when they are crying, or saying to them, "Come here and give me my lump of sugar" when they run to me and hug me with all the strength their tiny bodies can endure.

To this end, I am certain I will cry tomorrow, but I know you are going to be in good hands with your new principal who will be announced tomorrow. I would like to close with another song I loved as a child that was written and recorded by singer, songwriter and musician Carole King in February 1971. She never released it as a single. However, singer, songwriter and guitarist James Taylor released it two months later and it rose to #1. It was his only #1 single. What was this song? The sentimental "You've Got A Friend." The chorus of the song perfectly describes how I feel about you, my Oakhurst Family...

"You just call out my name

And you know, wherever I am

I'll come runnin'

To see you again

Winter, spring, summer or fall

All you have to do is call

And I'll be there

You've got a friend"

Yours in service,

Sharon Gay

Interim Principal

sgay@csdecatur.net

Hello Oakhurst Families! Our Fall Break is upon us and I am excited to hear about all of the wonderful ways you have rested and recharged when you come back!

Each fall semester the gifted review team looks at existing student data to discuss students’ needs and determine if further evaluation for gifted identification is needed. If you are interested in having the team discuss your child’s needs, you may complete a Recommendation for Review Form (found at the website below) and turn it in to the Gifted & Talented Specialist at Oakhurst, Amanda Lockwood, before October 5th. You can send it back in your child's folder or email at alockwood@csdecatur.net.

No additional information is needed.

For more detailed information about the review process and to obtain a copy of the Recommendation for Review Form, please contact Ms. Lockwood or visit the following website:

https://www.csdecatur.net/Page/581.

Thank you so much to everyone that has RSVP’d to attend the Family Fun Fest tonight from 5:30pm-7:30pm on the school field! ! We can’t wait to see you! If possible, we recommend that you walk or bike due to parking limitations.

Bring your blanket & beverages to enjoy a light dinner sponsored by the PTA and Kelly’s Market.

5:30pm - 6:30pm

Picnic Meal provided by the PTA & Kelly’s Market

Face Painting

Balloon Twisters

Bubble show from the Georgia Bubbleman

6:30pm - 7:30pm

Magic Show

5:30pm - 7:30pm

Kona Ice Truck - Kona Ice available for purchase (a portion of proceeds will benefit the PTA)

The Oakhurst PTA with Little Shop of Stories will bring another great Book Fair to the Oakhurst Elementary Media Center Monday, September 26th through Friday, September 30th! Students will browse & make Wish Lists on 9/26 and 9/27. They’ll bring these home for parent/guardian review. Students can shop in person 9/28-9/30 during the school day. Parents can shop in person 9/26-9/30 8-8:30 a.m. and 2:30-3:30 p.m. or Tuesday 5-6:30 p.m. You can also shop the Book Fair online Monday, September 26th through Wednesday, October 5th. The online shopping link will be emailed on 9/26. Books can be purchased with cash, check or through PTA PayPal. Adults can also pay with credit cards. If paying with PayPal, please send the total amount (book prices and instructions will be included on your student's Wish List that will come home for your review) to paypal.me/OakhurstPTA. Please email oakhurstbookfair@gmail.com with any questions.

We are excited about another amazing book fair event and looking for volunteers to make it fun and successful! Sign up for a 30-minute slot, as many as you like, there is a variety of times and roles open. Family and friends can also sign up to help your student's classroom browse the book fair. Check out the available time slots here.

Take the night off from cooking! Dine out at The Imperial for lunch or dinner on Thursday, Sept. 29th and mention Oakhurst Elementary, and The Imperial will donate a portion of sales back to our school!

It's almost that time of year again! Which classes will win the owl wings? Mark your calendars and get ready for your kids to start logging their reading minutes. Start talking to your kids about setting a goal for their reading and books they might like to read. Start talking to family and friends about donating for every minute your child reads in order to help raise money for our school. Keep an eye out for an information packet which will go home in your child's folder after the break!

We are looking forward to some exciting things this year in the garden and around the Oakhurst campus. Join us for an initial clean up:

Friday, Sept. 30, 3p-5p

Saturday, October 1st, 9a-11a

This first work day, we will do some light weeding, pruning, and general clean up. No experience necessary, just a "watering"-can-do attitude. Garden gloves are recommended. If you can spare an hour or two, we hope to see you Friday after school on Sept. 30th or Saturday morning on October 1st. You can sign up here or if you are unsure of your availability, please feel free to just drop in.

We will also help assemble five new picnic tables/benches - please bring power tools and tools to assist!

The Give a Hoot! Auction Committee is looking for donations and sponsors for the 2023 Give a Hoot! Auction. The Give a HOOT! Auction is the PTA's biggest fundraising event and all the proceeds go back into our school. The auction will be held Spring 2023 and is sure to be a heck of a lotta fun! We need your help in sourcing donated auction items for our live and silent auction as well as sponsorships in order to make our auction the best and most successful one yet.

Oakhurst Families showed up and showed out last year with their generosity. If you have a family vacation home, if you own your own business, restaurant or have a side hustle please consider a donation. Sponsorship is another great way to support this amazing event and with your sponsorship comes recognition and display of your business/logo/name at the event, on event swag such as tee shirts, in the yearbook as well as PTA newsletter and website and on the auction website. If you are interested in donating or becoming a sponsor please email: giveahootdonations@gmail.com.

Thank you to everyone who has donated to help cover school supplies! We’re 60% of the way to our reimbursement goal - if you have not yet paid and are able to do so or are able to help cover costs, we appreciate your support!

The Oakhurst PTA purchased school supplies for all students to ensure that every student has a full school supply kit. If you are able to pay for your child’s supplies, please contribute $35 per student to the PTA via the information below.

How to Pay - $35 per Oakhurst student:

-Cash/Check (made out to Oakhurst PTA): leave at the front desk

-PayPal: Pay to oakhurstelementaryschoolpta@gmail.com or go to paypal.me/OakhurstPTA.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee will again be offering an opportunity this year for parents to check out children's books celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion and encouraging acceptance and empathy. Reading these books at home with your children can promote meaningful connections and create safe spaces for important conversations. Please join us this Friday, September 16 from 8:00-8:20 a.m. during morning drop off for an opportunity to check out books for free. We will be right in front of the school. The Fall Book Cart dates are as follows:

September 16

October 7

October 21

November 4

November 18

December 2

We are seeking volunteers to assist with the book cart. Please sign-up here if you would like to help out: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c4eaca723a4fb6-deibook. We would also LOVE any book donations to expand our collection. Our greatest need is for early chapter books, graphic novels, and chapter books that feature diverse protagonists (some examples include: Planet Omar, Stuntboy, Front Desk, Wink, Zoey and Sassafras, Jaden Toussaint, Vanderbeekers). If you have any books that you would like to donate, please bring them to the cart on Friday or email Déjà Er at dhunger1@yahoo.com to arrange for a pick-up.

You’re invited to join our next PTA meeting on Tuesday, September 27th from 6:30pm-7:30pm in the Media Center (enter via the media center doors on the right side of the building)!

September 15: PTA Family Fall Fun Fest 5:30 - 7:30 (RSVP by 9/5)

September 16: PTA DEI Book Cart 8:00 - 8:20

September 19 - 23: CSD Fall Break - NO SCHOOL

September 26 - 30: PTA/Little Shop of Stories Book Fair

September 27: PTA Meeting @ 6:30pm in the media center

September 29: Dine Out Thursday @ The Imperial

September 30: Community Circle @ 8:30am

September 30: PTA Grounds: Fall Clean Up 3pm - 5pm

October 1: PTA Grounds: Fall Clean Up 9am - 11am

September 30 - October 1: City of Decatur Book Festival

October 1 - 7: Read-A-Thon

October 7: Coffee Chat - Fostering Mathematical Practices at Home (8:30am - 9:15am)

November 4: Coffee Chat - STEAM Skills at Home (8:30am - 9:15am)

December 16: Coffee Chat - Enrichment Over a School Break (8:30am - 9:15am)

Special Education Department

Community Spotlight Meeting- Threshold Community Program

Mr. Dave Nelson, Executive Administrative Director of Threshold Community Program, will share an overview of supports provided by this program.

Services include but are not limited to:

• Individual and group counseling

• College and career support

• Social skills building

• Academic tutoring and support for middle, high school, and college students

Target Audience: Parents of students ages 14-18 with an IEP.

Date: September 29

Time: 6-7pm

Location: Virtual (Register Here)

For questions, email Cheryl Grant cgrant@csdecatur.net

Attention all ESOL & Federal Programs Parents and Families!!!

Please Save the Date for our ESOL Parent Meeting and Title I Annual Parent Meeting hosted on Thursday, October 6, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. at the Wilson Center Central Office,125 Electric Avenue Decatur, GA 30030.

Come learn about our ESOL & Title I Programs in CSD and the support your student will receive this year. We will have treats, music, games, and Vegan S'mores for the whole family to enjoy.

Additional Information about the meeting can be found on the flyer linked here.

This meeting will be recorded.

If you have questions about the ESOL Parent Meeting and Title I Annual Parent Meeting, please contact Paris Hardnett at phardnett@csdecatur.net or Willie Washington at wwashington@csdecatur.net.

Thank you to everyone that attended the input session facilitated by GSBA on the 14th. We will have another session on the 28th.

Although it is not required to attend, we are asking for anyone wishing to attend one of the in-person sessions to please register via this form. Registering ahead of time will help us better plan the events and breakout sessions.

Event details:

Session Two: Wednesday, September 28, from 6-7:30 pm in the Decatur High School cafeteria.

If you can not attend the next session, you can still provide input by participating in the survey on the website.

Attention!! All teachers and instructors who are Artists, Actors, Chefs, Scientists, Engineers, and Designers! If you are looking for a Summer opportunity that engages kids and aids in the exploration of kids' interests, look no further. E Camps Summer program will offer a variety of interest each week. Camps are presented in four categories: Cooking, Theatre, STEAM, and Explorations.

If you would like to share your expertise and talents with our participants by facilitating an enrichment camp please use the link below to apply.

Here is the link for the 2022-2023 E-Camp Summer Application: https://decaturga.seamlessdocs.com/f/ECamp2023.

Would you like to help a high schooler meet their post-secondary goals? It’s not too late to volunteer as a FOCUS Coach, and we need just a few more volunteers. Click here to sign up: https://forms.gle/DCP6xpRJeV6LcmMn9.

We currently have 28 2nd- 8th grade CSD students who have requested a tutor, but only 20 tutors – could you donate one hour per week to tutor a CSD student? Sometimes there is a specific need, and other times, the students need help with homework, organization, or motivation. If that sounds like a great way to give back to your community, click here to sign up: https://forms.gle/w5jbpvWnpkVFYnN48.

PS – Upper high schoolers make GREAT tutors, and many need volunteer hours!

Our friends at Gathered & Grounded are offering a group session just for teens called Unwind Sundays during the month of October. Sessions are from 8-9 pm on October 2, 9, 30 and November 6 and are designed to provide a safe place for teens to prepare for their week. To sign up go to www.GatheredAndGrounded.com. DEF is providing scholarships for families for which the attendance cost is prohibitive.

Don't miss your chance to be a part of one of Decatur's most iconic neighborhood events! Driver registration is now open for the 11th Annual Madison Avenue Derby, the non-motorized racing event where amateur racers of all ages design and build human-powered soapbox cars to compete against the clock in a downhill race!

Join the excitement as a racer or spectator on October 15, 2022, for a day of family-friendly fun - proceeds from the event this year go to support the Friends of Refugees! REGISTER TO RACE NOW

For more information about all the ways you can help DEF, click here!

Did you know that we have a super awesome one-sheeter on the appropriate person to contact for various issues you may have or questions you need answered? We do! Here it is! You can also find it in the Quick Links section of our website.