VO News You Can Use
Dr. O's Weekly Parent Newsletter
NCSD Mission Statement
Developing each student's potential with a world class education.
January 13, 2020
Dear Village Oaks Families,
One of the things that makes VO such a special place is our commitment to community service. As a school we will participate in our annual winter drive to support the Novi Emergency Food Pantry. Village Oaks has been assigned to collect Macaroni & Cheese! Please send boxes of Macaroni & Cheese to school with your child in bags labeled 'Food Drive' to help us support families in need in our community. The drive continues through February 7th.
It’s also Pizza,Pizza, time...and just in time for the Super Bowl! Stock up with the Little Caesars Pizza Kits, which are perfect for at-home dinners during the cold winter months, great to have on hand for after school snacks, and will make a great addition to any Super Bowl party! The pizza kit flyer and order form will go home with students this Monday. The sale ends on Friday the 17 and the pick up date is the afternoon of Thursday, January 30th. We will need volunteers to help count, sort, pack and distribute orders on delivery day beginning at 1:30pm. Please email Lisa Hall lgarav@hotmail.com if you can help out! Thank you! Thank you!
Sincerely,
Alex
Cultures of Thinking (CoT)
As a CoT school each month our staff highlights a new Thinking Routine by Ron Ritchhart to focus on in our classrooms to support student learning. Check out the video below to learn more about the Circle of Viewpoints Thinking Routine which we are focusing on for January and see an artifact from a recent staff meeting where we examined different perspectives for a holiday gathering.
Food Drive Collection
Elementary schools in Novi are beginning our annual, winter drive to support the Novi Emergency Food Pantry. Village Oaks has been assigned to collect Macaroni & Cheese! Please send boxes of Macaroni & Cheese to school with your child in bags labeled 'Food Drive' to help us support families in need in our community. The drive continues until February 7th. Thank you!
Me and My Pal Dance 2/21/20
On February 21st from 6:00pm-8:00pm please join us for our first Light up the Night--Me and Pal Dance brought to you by VOICE! Girls can bring a special guest of their choosing for this fun event! (The boys dance will be held on Friday May 15th.) For any parents who need assistance purchasing their tickets please see Dr. Ofili.
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Dear Village Oaks Families,
I have asked Dr. Ofili to send out this email on behalf of VOICE, as we are very excited about trying some new traditions at Village Oaks to support our school community and provide fun experiences and opportunities for our students. One of those new traditions is our upcoming dance on February 21.
We have started to receive some registrations back for the dance and are excited to see that many of you are looking forward to attending! If your student would like to attend, please send in the registration form by Friday, February 14.
The upcoming dance on February 21 is intended to be a daddy-daughter style dance where our female students can invite their father or any other special role model or adult figure in their life that they would like to bring to the dance. We certainly do not want anyone to feel excluded, therefore we have decided to market it a bit differently so that everyone feels welcome and excited to attend.
Looking ahead at May 15, we will be hosting another dance for our male students to attend. The intention would be the same for this dance as a mother-son style dance, where our male students can invite their mother or any other special role model or adult figure in their life that they would like to invite. We will again market this dance in a sensitive manner so that everyone feels welcome and excited to attend.
Here at VOICE, we appreciate you support of both Village Oaks Elementary School and for supporting our efforts as a PTO organization at our school.
Sincerely,
Debbie Luke
VOICE President
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
- Why is it important to do the things you have to do before you do the things you want to do? Give an example when you’ve done this at VO.
How do you minimize distractions at school? What do you do if someone is being too noisy while you’re working?
Share one thing you will do to be kind or respectful this week.
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 during our Villa meetings we focused on Win-Win situations. During the meetings we discussed the benefits of creating win-win situations. Below are a few pictures from one of our Villas. I encourage you to revisit the conversations we had about creating win-win situation last week with your child and discuss the steps you creating these situations throughout the day.
Novi Public Library MLK Unity Breakfast and Program
Novi Public Library would like to cordially invite you to the MLK Unity Breakfast and Program. This special event honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Enjoy a delicious free breakfast, music, special guest performances, and speakers. The program will take place at Novi Public Library on Monday, January 20, 2020 from 10:00am-12:00pm.
On January 22, from 6:00pm-8:30pm please join us for our next Bonaventure Night!
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.
Welcome Finn!
3rd graders in Mrs. Prasad-Heintz's class welcomed Finn our new school dog last Friday!
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
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
3/13/20--End of second trimester
3/16/20--Beginning of third trimester
3/16-3/20/20--Book Fair
3/19/20--Parent/teacher conferences
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.
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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