VO News You Can Use
Dr. O's Weekly Parent Newsletter
NCSD Mission Statement
Developing each student's potential with a world class education.
December 16 , 2019
Dear Village Oaks Families,
Happy Monday! As we approach our Winter Break and the holiday season I'd like to acknowledge some of the great things that I’ve noticed at this point in year three of my journey as the principal of VO. As a staff we are thrilled by the kindness and generosity displayed by parents. From our lunch supervisors taking the time to connect with each student on a daily basis to members of VOICE providing a tasty dinner for our entire staff during a full day of conferences. It is a pleasure to watch the amount of committed parents meeting teachers, volunteering for class parties, and participating in VO family fun nights. We truly appreciate the parents who continue to donate their time, money, and goods as they offer their support to enhance our learning environment. As a school we truly are lucky to have such involved parents, talented staff, and dynamic students.
During our Winter Break I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy some downtime with your children. As you relax with your kids I encourage you to read as many good books with your family as possible. The Novi Public Library is a beautiful facility and a great place to visit with your child during a break to discover some great stories!
Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season!
Sincerely,
Alex
VO Spirit Week
Lost and Found
We will be donating all unclaimed items in our lost and found to Goodwill. Please stop in to check the lost and found area in our cafeteria before Winter Break!
Me and My Pal Dance 2/21/20
NCSD Lice Information
As school is now in session, it is important to remember the guidelines for avoiding head lice. It has been found in classrooms already this year so please be vigilant in looking for it and treating it effectively. The website below has very helpful information.
VO School Day Conversations
When was the last time you used your creativity to solve a problem at VO? What was the problem and how did you solve it?
Over the Winter Break what is one thing you will do to grow as a learner?
Over the Winter Break how will you show kindness to another person?
At VO, we have HEART!
In Novi Community School District we believe in promoting high expectations for academics, meeting the emotional well being of our students and celebrating positive behavior for all of our learners.
At Village Oaks Elementary, we are building a culture of collaboration, leadership, and citizenship. As a school community, we strive to:
- Have a growth mindset
- Empathize and show kindness
- Act responsibly
- Respect everyone
- Team up and collaborate with others
Last leaderific Friday we met in our Villas to discuss how to put first things first. Enjoy a few of the pictures below to see how we develop our student leaders of high character!
VO Robotics Teams
- Last week VO staff had the pleasure of watching one of our robotics teams Robot Wreckers present their creations to us after school. They did an impressive job with their presentation and we're confident that they will represent NCSD well at their upcoming competition...way to go team!
- A FIRST Lego League Junior team Team Skyscraper comprised of Andrew Davis, Charan Gowda, Ary Mansighra, Aadi Patel, Vrishank Somula and Suvrath Sukruth received an award & trophy for their Model Design at the Farmington FLL Jr Expo on 12/7/19. The task was to imagine and create a building for a new city. They spent a lot of time researching ways to make buildings durable, sustainable, accessible, good for the environment, etc. They also learned about the leaning tower of Pisa. The team chose to build a skyscraper with a different ‘building’ for each level – hospital/doctor office, restaurant, office, museum, and sports gym. They included a nature area with a boardwalk as well. An elevator was motorized to help people and cargo get up the skyscraper. The team created a ‘show me’ poster to describe what they learned and what they accomplished. Great Job Team!
- The VO fourth grade Green Gears robotics team of Jenna Davis, Avaneesh Dale, Graham Long, Royce Martial, Sheikh Ndow, and Abhi Saladi competed on Sunday, December 8th in Mason, MI in a First Lego League (FLL) state championship. This first-year FLL team received the First Place Strategy and Innovation Award. This award "recognizes a team that uses solid engineering practices and a well-developed strategy to design and build an innovative, high performing robot." In particular, the Green Gears were recognized for their motorized robot attachments that allowed them to maximize points and combine programmed runs to release mission pieces. Their strategy resulted in a robot that could accomplish all but one of the missions in 2.5 minutes, and they ended up with a robot game score that left them in 8th place out of 48 teams (amazing job for a first year 4th grade team!).
Volunteer and Donation Opportunities
VOICE 2019-2020
Hello Parents,
Our VOICE (PTO Organization) is seeking volunteers for chairpersons for several of our committees. If you have interest in volunteering with VOICE during this school year, please check out the Sign Up Genius link below. If you'd like more information, please contact Debbie Luke at debbielukehomes@gmail.com
Yearbook Committee Seeking Photos
Do you have some great photos you would love to see in the yearbook?
Please submit them to the Yearbook Committee e-mail: VOYearbookPTO@gmail.com
Be sure to include a description of the event/activity in the photo, as well as the class if appropriate.
Save the date for Spring Fling! April, 24, 2020
We need many volunteers for this event to be successful. If you have any questions about a committee position please email debbielukehomes@gmail.com
Please consider volunteering by using the link below to sign up.
VO Flags
One of the things that makes our building so special is our diverse student population--we have families in our community who come from all over the world! To celebrate our global diversity we have hung flags in our cafeteria that represent many of the countries of our VO families. As a gift from VO retirees we were given flags of the following countries: Israel, India, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria, South Korea, China, and USA. Thank you to our parents who have also donated the following flags: Poland, Singapore, Japan, Germany, Finland, Ireland, Nepal, Greece, Pakistan, Uruguay, Ecuador, Portugal, Spain, Central African Republic, South Africa, Wales, Iceland, Australia, Armenia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Russia, Scotland and Yemen. If you would like to purchase a flag of your country of origin or to represent one of the many nationalities of our school please visit Amazon and search for an ANLEY 3x5 flag: VO Flags
Before purchasing and donating the flag to our school’s collection please contact me or one of our secretaries with the flag information so we can make sure that another family has not already ordered the same flag.
VO Holiday Fun
Check out the gingerbread homes that were created by students in Mrs. Prasad-Heintz and Ms. Stashonsky's class.
Playworks
This year NCSD elementary schools will partner with Playworks to enhance the learning experiences for students throughout the district. Playworks is the leading nonprofit in Michigan and nationally using play to transform schools. A Playworks recess creates a place for every kid on the playground to feel included, be active, and build valuable social and emotional skills. Please click on the link below and read the attached Playworks article to learn more about our partnership and Patrice our Playworks Coach!
Looking Ahead
12/23/19--1/5/20--Winter Break No School
1/6/20--School Resumes
1/13/20--VOICE Mtg 7:00pm
1/20/20--MLK Day No School
1/22/20--Bonaventure Skate Night 6:00pm-8:30pm
1/30/20--Pizza Kit Pick-up 1:30pm-5:30pm
2/7/20--VOICE Family Fun Night
2/11/20--Second Grade Concert 6:30pm-7:30pm
2/17/20 & 2/18/20--Mid-Winter Break No School
Parent Pick-up/Parking & Bus Stop Expectations
As you pick-up and drop off your children please be mindful of the following:
- Do not park in front of our neighbors' driveways or mailboxes.
- Park in our parking lot and keep your pet in your car.
- For the safety of our students do not walk your children through our bus loop as students are loading/exiting our busses.
- Stay in your car as you drive through our car loop.
- Please do not drop off children before 8:55am. We do not have any supervision outside prior to this time.
- If you arrive late, please walk your child into the office and sign them in.
We ask that you remind your children that VO expectations/rules apply at our bus stops. We expect all of our students to be on their best behavior as they wait for their bus and we appreciate your help.
Thank you for your support!
CARE
Please remember if there is a change in your child's CARE schedule you need to notify Holly Bengle no later than 3:15. She will then contact the teachers. Holly Bengle can be reached at
holly.bengle@novik12.org or (248) 449-1307.
Keep Connected on Twitter
VILLAGE OAKS MISSION
The mission of Village Oaks Elementary is to create and maintain an educational environment that supports academic achievement, consistent with district, state and national standards to meet all students' learning needs.
VO 2018 National Blue Ribbon Exemplary School
Village Oaks Elementary
VO school hours: 9:08 am-4:00 pm
Office hours: 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Attendance line: 248.449.1301
Office phone number: 248.449.1300
Email: Alexander.ofili@novik12.org
Website: www.novi.k12.mi.us/vo/
Location: Village Oaks Elementary School, Willowbrook Drive, Novi, MI, United States
Phone: 248.449.1300
Twitter: @NoviVillageOaks