VO News You Can Use
Dr. O's Weekly Parent Newsletter
NCSD Mission Statement
Developing each student's potential with a world class education.
February 24, 2020
Dear Village Oaks Families,
Last Friday we had our inaugural My Pal & Me Neon Dance and it was an amazing event which I'm sure will leave lasting memories with those who were in attendance for years to come! Attendees were dressed to impress, students were teaching their special guests (and staff members) the latest dance moves, and there was no shortage of laughter throughout the night. Kudos to VOICE for organizing this fun event, to staff members who volunteered to help, and to adults who escorted their daughters to the dance. A very special thank you to Debbie Luke and Jen Loiselle for their efforts to create another special moment at VO. Enjoy a few pictures below!
Sincerely,
Alex
VO Important Reminders
- Make sure you have provided our secretaries with an emergency contact number of someone who we can reach out to if you are unavailable to pick up your child from school.
- During dismissal time, while in the car loop please stay in your car at all times, continue to move forward as directed by staff members, and keep your pets in your cars at all times.
- We realize that many parents arrive before 4:00 pm to pick their child up, but we ask all parents to please wait outside of our building until dismissal time. We understand occasionally parents need to pick up their children up early for a wide range of reasons, but this should not be regular occurrence.
- After 3:20pm we ask parents to please park their car in the parking lot and refrain from using the parking spaces in front of the school in the car loop. We have had several incidents this year during dismissal where cars backing out of the parking spots have nearly collided with cars moving forward in the car loop. We have also experienced students running through traffic to get to their parked car in the front parking spots.
We thank you all for your consideration and continued support!
A Greener VO
With Spring and Earth Day fast approaching, we at Village Oaks want to put issues of environmental responsibility and stewardship at the HEART of everything we do. That is why, in the run-up to Earth Day, we will be renewing our ‘Greener VO’ segment of the News You Can Use newsletter.
To kick off our 2020 Greener VO, we want to begin by highlighting some of the BIG Environmental Questions that we are facing today, and which, our students will have to learn more about as they become adults. Check out the NASA Climate Kids page on ‘Big Questions’ with your students to see if they have answers to these questions, and to learn more.
March is Reading Month
VO Restaurant Night 3/9/2020
Fleece & Thank You Day
The event date is Saturday, March 28, 2020, from 12p-5p at Suburban Collection Showplace. Admission is complimentary and registration on the event site is encouraged.
Please remember to send a daily SNACK for your student!
AAUW-NN "Let's Read Math" Program
2nd and 3rd grade parents please see the attached flyer. The AAUW-NN Let’s Read Math series will again be held at the Novi Public Library from 1-2:30 pm March 14, 21, and 28. Each session begins with literature and is followed by math extension activities. Each week there will be a focus on a different grade level appropriate math concept. Parents are expected to attend with their children.
2020 Celebration of Thinking
VO Yearbook 2019-2020
Are you looking for ways where your valuable time can make a HUGE impact?
The Novi Educational Foundation (NEF) impacts EVERY student in the Novi Community School District and NEEDS the teamwork of volunteers to cover all the bases. We are looking to fill the roster for our IMPACT TEAM, which consists of participating on one of our seven committees, joining our Board of Trustees or simply adding your name to our Volunteer List to act as a pinch hitter when needed. Talents in finance, legal, marketing, fundraising and/or event-planning are never benched. Our impact is only as large as our roster. We’ll have an IMPACT TEAM informational breakfast on February 28th at 7:30am to discuss our mission, committees and ways to help.
For more information or to RSVP, please visit our website: novieducationalfoundation.org/impactteam, or contact us at NEF@novik12.org.
Novi Youth Assistance Bowl-a-Thon
Parents of Fourth Graders-Growth & Development Lesson
The 14th Annual Green Gala
Donations to the Novi Educational Foundation have allowed us to fund $17,280 in grants and programs at Village Oaks in just the last few years. The Green Gala is a premier event where parents and community members show their support for the great work that happens everyday in our school district.
The NEF and our presenting sponsors invite you to attend our 14th annual Green Gala on Saturday, March 21 at The Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. The evening will include dinner, a silent auction, an escape room, casino gaming, a wine pull, an interactive photo mirror, and more!
The Killer Flamingos are returning to provide the entertainment.
Tickets are now available for purchase now on the NEF website. An early bird discount is available until February 29.
Why attend?
Money raised will benefit the students in the NCSD
Major VI from the High School will be performing
Student presentations
New this year - a dinner duet (steak and chicken) or a vegetarian/vegan/gluten free option
Please join us on 3/21 for an evening of fun and entertainment.
Remind Transportation Updates
Click here to sign up for Remind
If you don't have a smartphone, you can get text notifications for Village Oaks Bus updates. Text the message @cf3aa7 to the number 81010. If you're having trouble with 81010, try texting @cf3aa7 to 248-236-1777.
VO School Day Conversations
How do you earn a Shiny HEART Award at VO?
When an adult claps in the lunchroom how should you respond?
What is one thing that made you happy last week in school?
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
Team up and Collaborate
On Friday, Mrs. Belsky teamed up and collaborated with Harmony Johnson's (pictured below) parents to shock her with a special visit from her father who serves in the Navy. Click on the link to see the full story. https://www.facebook.com/novischools/videos/547997349147309/
FREE Family Fun Event for families impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorders
When: Saturday March 21st from 12-4pm.
Where: Oakland University Recreation Center
Event: Come for some family fun activities and information fair. No registration is needed.
Visit www.oakland.edu/oucares for more information.
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.
Invention Convention
This year at Village Oaks we held our second Invention Convention. Students were asked to focus their thinking around Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics to create an original invention. On February 20th, students had the opportunity to present their inventions to an audience as well as to display their inventions in our gym at our school-wide Invention Convention! 3rd and 4th grade student participants had the opportunity to compete in the local qualifying event at Village Oaks and will have the opportunity to to participate in the Novi Regional Invention Convention at a later date. Top teams in the Novi Regional Invention Convention will move on to the Michigan Invention Convention at the Henry Ford Museum. Then, there is a chance to compete at the national level.
We truly appreciate all of the staff members and community members who were judges for the event. A very special thank you to Ms. Paige Morris and Mr. Nicholas W-H and other staff members who worked so hard to oversee this great program for our VO students. Please enjoy a few pictures below.
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
3/2/20--Fourth Graders visit Novi High School
for Novi Meadows Band/Orchestra 5:30pm-6:30pm
3/12/20--Half Day for students 12:30pm Dismissal
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
3/24/20--3rd Grade Concert 6:30pm-7:30pm
3/26/20--Bonaventure Skate Night 6:00pm-8:30pm
3/30-4/3/20--Book Fair
4/3/20--Celebration of Thinking Grades K, 1 & 2 9:15am-10:15am
4/3/20--Celebration of Thinking Grades 3 & 4 2:30pm-3:30pm
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 during dismissal.
- 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: https://vo.novi.k12.mi.us/
Location: Village Oaks Elementary School, Willowbrook Drive, Novi, MI, United States
Phone: 248.449.1300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoviVillageOaks
Twitter: @NoviVillageOaks