The Oxbow News
#owlpride #april #weareoxbow
Dear Oxbow Families,
Greetings and Happy April!
Welcome to a new month filled with learning, exploring, and growing! Here's a quick update for April:
Exciting Events:
April 1 - No School
April 2 - Hungry Howie’s 4pm-8pm
April 5 - ½ Day of School
April 9 - MSTEP - 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade
April 15 - MSTEP 5th Grade
April 17 - Applebee’s 4-9pm
April 19 - Popcorn Friday/Hoot Shop
5th Grade Glow Dance
April 22 - MSTEP - 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade
April 24 - Administrative Professionals’ Day
April 29 - MSTEP 5th Grade
April 29 - OPC Meeting 7pm - Tech Lab
April 30 - World Therapy Dog Day
Staying Connected:
- Remember, we're always here to answer your questions! Please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher or the school office.
- Follow us on social media for daily updates and photos: @ Oxbow Elementary on Facebook or Oxbow Parent Council on Facebook
- Visit our website for the latest calendar, resources, and information @ https://www.hvs.org/o/oxbow
We appreciate your continued support and partnership in your child's education. Let's make March wonderful month of learning and fun!
Educationally Yours,
Mrs. Greenleaf
#WeAreOxbow
#WeAreARainbowOfPossiblities
Your Oxbow Owls
Our Owls in Action
Important Dates to Remember
Important Upcoming Dates:
April 5 - ½ Day of School
April 8 - MSTEP - 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade
April 15 - MSTEP 5th Grade
April 16 - Early Release Day
April 17 - Applebee’s 4-9pm
April 19 - Popcorn Friday/Hoot Shop
5th Grade Glow Dance
April 22 - MSTEP - 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade
April 24 - Administrative Professionals’ Day
April 29 - MSTEP 5th Grade
April 29 - OPC Meeting 7pm - Tech Lab
April 30 - World Therapy Dog Day
2023-2024 Revised HVS School Calendar
Bond 2024
Importance of Green Name Tags for Dismissal
At Oxbow, we utilize bright, green fluorescent name tags for afternoon pick up. Each family will receive two tags. This helps ensure that our students are safe getting into the vehicle of an approved family member or family friend. In addition, this helps the car line move quicker, as it makes it easier for staff to identify your vehicle. Green name tags and an informational note will be passed out during our Pop In on the 30th by teachers, or on the 1st day of school for those families that can not make the Pop In. Please see a sample below.
During afternoon pick up, students are lined up outside with their classroom teacher. As the line moves up, students are loaded into vehicles by staff members. The key is to ensure that you pull up as far forward in line as possible, this allows us to stack more vehicles along the curb. Staff will be present to help direct vehicles and parents. The most important safety issue is that parents remain in their vehicles and do not exit.
Dismissal
Please ensure that you are using the Pick Up line to pick up your child at the end of the school day. If you chose to park and get your child, please be sure to utilize the parking in front of the building or the North side of the building. Do NOT park in the Staff Parking lot (South side).
Spring 2024 M-STEP Schedule for 3rd-5th Grades
Lunch Times for JK-5th Grades
Students are not permitted to enter the building until 9:10 am. Please be sure to not allow students to unload your vehicle until 9:00 am, that is when school staff are outside to supervise.
1st Bell rings at 9:10 am 2nd Bell rings at 9:15 am
*Free breakfast for all students will be served in classrooms
Dismissal 4:08 pm
**If you would like to check out your child early, please come to the Main Office to do so. You will have to sign out your child in the main lobby. Early checkouts do factor into your child's overall attendance. In addition, any changes in pick up plans need to be communicated to the Main Office prior to 2:00 pm. Late requests will not be honored.
Lunch Times and Grade Levels **In The Cafeteria
Lunch A
JK, K and 2nd 11:45-12:30 pm
Recess: 12:10-12:30 (JK & K)
Recess: 11:45-12:05 pm (2)
Lunch B
1st and 3rd 12:30-1:15 pm
Recess: 12:30-12:50 (3)
Recess: 12:55-1:15 (1)
Lunch C
4th and 5th 1:15-2:00 pm
Recess: 1:40-2:00 (5)
Recess: 1:15-1:35 (4)
Medication Forms and Procedures
Medication
March Parent Institute Newsletter- Check Out This Great Resource!
Oxbow: Title I School wide Building
Oxbow is very fortunate to be a building wide, Title I building. We are granted federal dollars to utilize to enhance our programs that focus on academics and the social emotional well being of our students. Here at Oxbow, we utilize a majority of our funding on our literacy and math programs, in addition to our social emotional wellbeing, and classroom resources.
Our WIN (What I Need Program) is headed this school year by Mrs. Richards, Oxbow's very own Literacy Specialist and her team of paraprofessionals, Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Long, Mrs. Conklin, Mrs. Z and Mrs. Farnum. We are so incredibly lucky to have this dynamic group of professionals working with our teachers and students Tuesdays-Fridays. If you have any questions about WIN, please reach out to your child's teacher or you can email Mrs. Richards at emily.richards@hvs.org Our 2nd Title I program also recently kicked off. Mrs. Sklaski, is working with classroom teachers and identified students in 1st-5th grades to work in small groups on identified grade level math standards. This will be our 3rd year with this Title I math program, and it is such a gift to our school community.
What I Need (WIN Time)
The staff at Oxbow believes that a solid academic foundation is the basis for success in school and in life. It is our commitment to this belief that is the foundation of our WIN Time in our school district. WIN Time is an acronym for What I Need Time. The concept of WIN Time is to provide all students with targeted support and interventions, especially when students are not showing academic progress as expected. We are committed to ensuring that no new content is being taught during WIN time.
Literacy is the main focus of WIN Time in grades K-4. WIN Time is led by Mrs. Emily Richards, our Literacy Coach. Mrs. Richards also leads monthly meetings we refer to as BIT (Building Interventions Team) meetings that bring all members of our academic team together to discuss the progress of each student at Oxbow. Mrs. Richards tracks reading progress and leads the BIT meeting dialogue. Our BIT meetings are attended by Mrs. Richards, the paraprofessionals who implement interventions, each grade level team, Mrs. Bodmer (our teacher consultant), Mr. Edwards (Resource Room teacher) and our principal, Mrs. Greenleaf. Our team examines student work and teacher assessment in order to designate appropriate support for each student.
WIN Time takes place four days a week. During each session, all students work on assignments that are specific to their learning needs. Students working at or above grade level, often work on individualized projects or enrichment activities, while students who are performing below expectation, work in targeted groups set up in small group settings. Paraprofessionals and Mrs. Richards reteach the literacy strategies and guide students with the needed practice of skills identified during BIT meetings. Each month, our team members monitor progress and the effectiveness of the interventions being used. It is our goal that each student’s progress is closely evaluated by our classroom teachers and by our BIT team.
As we get the new year underway, teachers will be making the initial assessments of student competence, especially in the area of literacy. As we are obtaining that information, we will be using WIN Time to meet with students and focus on building relationships with WIN Team members. We are very committed to utilizing WIN Time to ensure the success of each and every student at Oxbow throughout their elementary school experience.
Oxbow Lost and Found
We will once again utilize our online Lost and Found Directory. Mrs. Spangler has done a wonderful job of maintaining the inventory and directory and reuniting families with their lost items. The link can be found below, as well as on our Oxbow Parent Council Facebook page.
Main Office Updates
Daily attendance is taken by our classroom teachers everyday. If your child is going to be absent, please be sure to continue to call the Main Office at 248-684-8085 or please send an email to Mrs. Leece at shannon.leece@hvs.org to report an absence.
Please ensure that your pick up plans are communicated to your child's teacher and the Main Office prior to 2:00 pm. Late requests will not be honored.
Please do not send your child with medication to school. There is a Plan of Care form that
parents must complete on the HVS website under Health and Wellness. If you need
assistance, please reach out to Mrs. Nowak or Mrs. Leece.
A Criminal Record Check (CRC) form must be completed for anyone:
- Chaperoning on an overnight trip
- Volunteering (if applicable)
- Classroom party (if applicable)
- Chaperoning on a field trip
CRC’s must be completed every school year and that includes HVS district employees. Please see the information provided below.
Thank you!
Mrs. Nowak and Mrs. Leece
Family Access-Reviewing Report Cards
Health Corner-Staying Healthy this Spring
As the weather begins to change again, we'd like to remind you of the increased potential for spring time viruses like the common cold, flu, and norovirus. These viruses spread easily in close-contact settings like classrooms, making it important to take extra precautions to keep our children healthy and safe.
Here's what you can do:
Stay informed:
- Learn about common winter viruses and their symptoms;
- Stay updated on local outbreaks and guidance
Prevention:
- Teach proper hygiene: Frequent handwashing with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds, can significantly reduce the spread of pathogens.
- Emphasize good cough and sneeze etiquette: Encourage your children to cover their mouths and noses with a tissue or their elbows when coughing or sneezing. Dispose of used tissues promptly.
- Stay up to date on your vaccinations, where permittable.
- Promote good sleep and healthy habits: Adequate rest and a balanced diet can enhance your child's immune system.
- Sanitize surfaces frequently: Regularly disinfect commonly touched surfaces like doorknobs, desks, and toys.
Keeping sick children home:
- If your child experiences any symptoms like fever, cough, runny nose, or vomiting, keep them home from school and consult a healthcare professional for proper diagnosis and guidance.
- Ensure they return to school only when they are fully recovered and symptom-free.
Together, we can create a healthy learning environment for our children. By following these simple practices, we can minimize the spread of viruses and keep everyone in our school community happy and healthy.
Let's work together to ensure a healthy spring for everyone!
CRC Link-Background Check
Over the last few years, our district has taken pride in ensuring that all building and classroom volunteers have a background clearance on file.
Our CRC process in the district is going electronic this year. Please complete the Google link below. Once the Google link has been completed, an automated email from Droplet will be sent/emailed to you. This process can take up to 2 weeks. If you are planning on volunteering in the building, in a classroom or attend a field trip as a chaperone this school year, please be sure to allow ample time for your background check to be completed. Once you complete this process once, you are ALL SET for the entire 2023-2024 school year.
We have recently changed our Criminal Records Check process. This process must be completed for any volunteer opportunities each year including HVS employees.
1. Please follow the link below to fill out our Google Form.
2. Once this form is completed, the information you have imputed will then be given to HVS’s HR team. You will then be getting another email sent to you with an additional form from a website called Droplet (the information you will need to fill out will be very similar to our Google Form).
3. Once the form is completed through Droplet please allow up to 2 weeks process time so please plan accordingly.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding this process.
Thank you for your understanding as we roll out this new process.
Importance of Attendance
Importance of Attendance:
Over the years, there has been a great deal of data that supports the correlation between student attendance and success in the academic setting. Parents, students and teachers have different roles that can positively impact good attendance habits and student learning. It is our hope parents will take time to discuss the importance of establishing and maintaining positive attendance patterns with their child. Students are empowered when they are present in daily lessons and become responsible for the content that is discussed. It has never been more evident that each classroom teacher is working hard to maximize the teaching and learning taking place throughout the day. Lessons have become more collaborative and often include hands on experiences. Our students understand their good attendance habits impact collaborative learning time with their peers who are counting on them to be present, and a valued part of the learning team. We understand that kids get sick and we want students to be home when illnesses occur. With that being said, we also understand that unintentional habits are often created, even with the best of intentions in mind. For instance, sometimes, students can have social challenges that create anxiety or stress that causes the child to feel sick or to want to avoid the setting where an issue might be taking place. We want to work with everyone involved to get to the bottom of any problems that may be occurring, in order to eliminate any stress that may result. We encourage parents to seek out support in solving social challenges with the school team.
Our teachers work diligently throughout each school day to ensure students feel safe. Students are encouraged to share their feelings with other adults, with the hope of solving their issues and thereby decreasing social-related stress experienced in the school setting. We understand learning happens when students are present and distractions are minimized. Establishing high attendance-related expectations and good attendance habits for each student, helps to ensure greater academic success for all.
Attendance Process here at Oxbow:
If students have 5-7 absences, a notice is mailed home to families, making parents aware of their child’s absences.
If students have over 9-10 absences, a more detailed letter with our process is mailed home and a meeting is scheduled and held with a child’s parents and the school team to create an action plan together, in hopes of putting school supports into place.
If attendance continues to be a concern, a Youth Assistance referral is made by the school team and then eventually a referral to the Oakland School Truancy Program is made.
If your child is absent for any medical reasons, please be sure to submit a doctor’s note to the Main Office and calling in your child at 248-684-8085. Thank you for your understanding on this very important matter. Our hope is to work together as a team to help support all children and to ensure that students are present in their classroom.
Checking into the Main Office-Procedures
Please remember that end of day plans should be called into the Main Office no later than 2 PM if changes need to be made. Unfortunately late requests will not be honored.
-If you are absent for an appointment and are able to get a doctor’s note, please bring it in, email it, fax it or have your child bring it when they return to school.
-When picking up your child early from school: You do not need to call the Main Office in advance. Students are called from the classroom when a parent arrives to the building.
1. Please come into the main vestibule and have your ID ready (All parents will be required to show ID, even if we know you =)
2. Press the call button
3. Show your ID and state your child’s name, grade and teacher. The Main Office staff will then call your child down. (All parents will be required to show ID, even if we know you =) This is a safety procedure)
4. Please be sure to also sign them out on the IPad in the vestibule. There will be detailed directions on how to utilize the system.
23.24 OPC Corner
Oxbow 2023-2024 Spirit Wear
Happy shopping Owls!
Huron Valley Rec and Ed-Spring Opportunities
Free Breakfast and Lunch for all Students!
Breakfast-will be served in the classrooms each morning
Lunch-will be served in the cafeteria daily
March Lunch Menu
School Lunch Important Info
School Lunch-
This is a kind reminder that soda pop, energy drinks, etc are not permitted for students to drink during lunch or snack. In the cafeteria, students are permitted to drink milk, juice, water or Gatorade/Powerade/Prime (not Prime Energy). If a student does bring soda pop from home, they will not be permitted to drink it at school and it will be sent back home.
In our classrooms, students may drink only water. We have been having students bring in caffeinated drinks for lunch and we appreciate your understanding and teamwork, as we must all work together to promote healthy eating habits for our children.
5th Grade Extra Pizza
This school year our 5th grade students will have an opportunity to purchase 1 additional slice of pizza (no additional items would be included) on Tuesdays to have with their already free school lunch. The cost would be $1.50 per pizza slice and this is optional for each 5th grade student.
At this time, the district is rolling out this program only for 5th grade students. In order for students to be able to get the additional slice, they will have to have funds loaded into their account prior to their scheduled lunch time (1:15-2:00 pm). Please follow the instructions below and read through the attached flier for additional information. The most important piece is to ensure that your child understands and knows if they have the additional funds in their account. If their account is at $0, they will not be able to purchase an extra slice.
Easterseals @ Oxbow
This school year, we will once again have the opportunity to partner with Easter Seals. We are very excited about continuing this service and partnership, as it will be happening for select students during the school day. Currently Oxbow has almost 30 students working with Ms.Jill Martin, our Easterseals therapist, 1 time a week for 30 minutes.
Our Social Work team and teachers will be working together to determine which students will be selected during the current school year. Easterseals can work through your medical insurance and they also can provide a sliding scale and rate for families. Oxbow Elementary is currently the ONLY elementary school building in the HVS district with this program.
We are very fortunate for this opportunity and for the advocating that Mrs. Litt has taken on in order to get this program here at Oxbow last school year. We are so excited to pilot this amazing program, as mental health and support for all is essential. If this program is something that is of interest to you and your child, please reach out to our Social Work team.
Birthday Treats
Many parents will soon be reaching out to classroom teachers about birthday treats to help celebrate their child's birthday this school year. Due to the fact that we have many children in the building with various food allergies and health related illnesses, we want to create an environment that is inclusive, supportive and safe to all of our children.
With that being said, we encourage parents to send only little trinkets, pencils, stickers, books, goodie bags, etc, instead of food items. Food items such as cupcakes, brownies, etc, will not be accepted due to allergies, etc. This is the same protocol that was in place the last few years here at Oxbow, and we will continue to follow it. Unfortunately, all food items will be returned home with your child.
We appreciate all parents wanting to create an inclusive environment for all of our children!
Bus Information
Bus information for most students is now available in your Family Access account. If your student’s information is missing or appears incorrect, please call the Transportation Department at 248-684-8200. No busing information will be sent to your home by postcard.
Thank you,
HVS Communications
School to Home Communication is Key!
Communication is important to us here at Oxbow. Parents will be notified and updated in a variety of ways throughout the school year. The majority of information for parents will be available on our school and District website and through email.
Skyward Family Access
It is critical that parents keep an updated email address and let us know if it changes as soon as possible. Parents may update this information for us on Skyward Family Access. All teachers at Oxbow utilize Skyward Family Access to communicate with parents. Report cards, lunch account information, progress reports, attendance, and other important information will always be posted on Skyward Family Access.
The Oxbow News
Our Oxbow newsletter will be sent electronically to parents and it will be posted on our school website. Our school website can be found here.
Please visit this page often for information about our school. You will find links to important documents, websites and blogs from your child's classroom, OPC forms and information, and important updates and forms that you will need to access.
Social Media
At Oxbow, we also utilize our school Facebook page. We post important information, fun pictures and school messages. Please be sure to follow and like our page here
Contacting School Staff
Emails and Return Phone Calls
Our staff work hard each and every single day to ensure that our students get a solid and well rounded education, in a safe and loving school environment. During school hours, they are prepping for lessons, meetings with grade level colleagues, support staff and parents. Our school days go by quickly and they are completely full from the morning to the afternoon. I kindly ask for your grace and patience, when emailing or calling a staff member. Please allow staff at least a 24 hour turn around time, this includes emails, SeeSaw message and returning phone calls. We appreciate your understanding!
Oxbow Virtual Morning Announcements
This school year, we ae going to continue our meeting together on Google Meet for our virtual Morning Announcements. During our meetings, we take time to connect with students, recognize students that are exhibiting P2 character traits by making our teachers and staff proud, share out important school information, share information about our weekly P2 traits that teachers will be teaching in the classroom. We also help lighten the mood by sharing a daily funny joke with students, share the weather, teach a daily health tip from BHC, we celebrate birthdays for the day, say the Pledge of Allegiance and our Oxbow Pledge as a school community.
Oxbow Pledge:
Everyday is a great day to be an Oxbow Owl. Remember that your teachers care about you and we are all here to help you achieve your dreams. Have an awesome day of learning and remember always choose to be kind. Make it a great day Owls!
Need Tech Support?
The Positivity Project (P2)-Oxbow's Character Initiative
Please be sure to read the letter below to learn more about the program that your child is going to be using in the classroom taught by their classroom teacher. We are looking at helping our children to learn and grow both academically and with their social emotional well being. If you have any questions about P2, please reach out to Mr. Ristau at greg.ristau@hvs.org who oversees and leads the initiative.
iHoot @ Oxbow
At Oxbow, we have many supports in place for our PBIS goals and initiatives. While everything may vary in its approach, they all share the vision of creating a safe and welcoming learning environment. Once again, our students and staff will be focusing on "I H.O.O.T." this school year. "I H.O.O.T." is an acronym that serves as an umbrella for all of our PBIS expectations, and narrows everything down to five main characteristics that we want all of our students to develop; integrity, kindness, responsibility, resiliency, and respect. The acronym "I H.O.O.T." stands for;
I - show Integrity
H - Help others
O - Own my behavior
O - Overcome obstacles
T - Treat others and our school with respect
We want all of our students to "HOOT" at Oxbow every day, and strive to model and reinforce our expectations on a daily basis. As the school year progresses, we are hopeful that all of our students will not only be able to tell others what the acronym stands for, but that they will also demonstrate the integrity, kindness, responsibility, resiliency, and respect that we want in our Oxbow community. Please take some time to talk about "I H.O.O.T." at home, and help us to reinforce these characteristics with your child(ren). We thank you for your support as we continue to make Oxbow an amazing place for our students, staff and families.
Note from Mr. Ristau
Happy March Oxbow Families!
Even though February teased us with some nice weather, March is the time when we can actually start to "Think Spring." I know that living in Michigan does not necessarily mean Spring will begin when it is supposed to, but it is much easier to imagine it in March compared to January and February.
We will kick off our first full week of March with the character trait of "Optimism." This is something that we typically focus on to start the new year, but with the later holiday break, we actually had to reschedule this week on our P2 calendar. Although a new year and optimism can go hand in hand, I think that moving into the spring can inspire some optimism as well. Longer days and better weather seem to be more motivational, and I for one like driving to and from school when there is daylight to guide the way.
The rest of March brings the P2 traits of "Perspective" and "Fairness," as well as our fifth and final OPM element, "Identifying and appreciating the good in others." *(Note: because of our Spring Break that is scheduled at the end of March, "Fairness" will actually be moved to the week of May 20th.)
Please continue to follow up with our P2 traits and OPM elements at home as a family, and let me know if you have any questions or if you need help locating the resources.
Thank you,
Mr. Ristau
Social Emotional/Mental Health Resources
Mental Health Resources
Easter Seals Telehealth Platform Services for Students and/or Families
Call: 248- 475-2150
Michigan Stay Well Counseling via COVID-19 Hotline
Call: 1-888-535-6136
Press “8” to talk to a Counselor. Counselors are available 24-7 Confidential and free
National Disaster Distress Helpline
Call: 1-800-985-5950 / Available 24-7
If you want help from the nearest Community Mental Health Services Program
Call: 211
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call: 1-800-273-8255
Text: TALK to 741741
Available 24-7