Oak Hills Newsletter
December 15, 2017
Assistant Principal's Message
Dear Oak Hills Families,
During this season, I always find myself reflecting on the past year and setting goals for the new year. As I have begun that process, I realize I have so much to be thankful for. Not the least of which is my good fortune in being able to serve at Oak Hills. I am absolutely humbled to work with this amazing community! Your kindness, willingness to pitch in, and your care for one another are on display every day! Every time we put out a call for help, it is answered immediately and resoundingly.
The canned food drive to benefit the Oregon Food Bank is just one example of your generosity. In fact, last year our canned food drive doubled the amount of food donated from the previous year. With a week to go, we're on track to beat last year's donations. Your generosity is appreciated here at Oak HIlls and in the larger neighborhood. Thank you so much!
Since this is the last newsletter before winter break, Sheila and I want to wish you Happy Holidays. We hope your break is filled with fun and relaxation. Enjoy your time with family and we look forward to beginning a new year with you when school resumes on January 4th.
Warm regards,
Jennifer DeMartino
Oak Hills Directory
Hello Oak Hills Families –
Your 2018 Directory is online only – and free!
https://oakhillsotters.joinourclass.com/member/login
Login email: directory@oakhillspto.org
Password: Otters2018
Please find the attached document with instructions on how to update your child’s info, along with your info, with as little or as much detail as you wish to include. This directory is very basic, and simple to use. Moving forward we can create a higher functioning site, with more tools for our community if we would like to invest as a Parent Community. Please share with us your feedback once you have had a chance to use the tool.
Only families who opted to have their information released for the school directory were included in the set-up of the directory.
Sincerely,
Oak Hills PTO
New Mural
Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) Updates
OBOB will quickly be upon us! Winter break is a great opportunity for students to make sure they’re finishing their OBOB books. Your public library should have copies of these books, and OBOB books could also make a nice holiday present if you’ve got a voracious reader at home!
Our school level OBOB competitions will begin mid-January. Currently we’ve scheduled them to begin in the second full week of January, around the 16th. Ms. Baker and Mandi MacAskill will be reaching out to the fantastic parents who have volunteered to run OBOB tournaments with volunteer slot sign ups.
The student battles will be 100% volunteer run, so if we don’t have volunteers, the students won’t get to battle. We are really relying on our parent volunteers to make this a fun and rewarding experience for our students!
This year the group of volunteers who run OBOB have decided that due to the number of participants, our region will be holding 3 “mini-regional” tournaments with 18-20 schools per tournament rather than one large regional tournament. When we have more information about how this new plan will work, we will pass it along to you.
If you want to help your student prepare for the upcoming tournaments, Ms. Baker has linked a few great resources for practice OBOB questions on the Oak Hills library website (on the Oregon Battle of the Books page). Ask your student who is on their team - winter break could be a good opportunity for some team bonding and running practice questions together! It is also highly recommend to quiz your student on the author names/full titles of each book. This could easily be done with flash cards.
Remember that above all the purpose of OBOB is to encourage reading and expand your student’s reading interests by introducing them to different genres. Even if they only read one book, that’s likely one book they wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to! Happy reading!
Thank you!
Jessica Baker
Library Media Assistant, Oak Hills Elementary
jessica_e_baker@beaverton.k12.or.us
(503) 365-2410 Ext. 6-2416
Career Fair - Volunteers Needed
Oak Hills will kick off its first annual Career Fair on April 10th from 8:15-10:30! This will be a great opportunity to highlight some amazing careers that our students might like to pursue after school! We are looking for presenters to give 10 minute presentations about the jobs they do. Students would rotate to your station, you'd give a 10 minute presentation and then another group of students would rotate to you. You'd give the presentation approximately 8 times.
Some of the questions that we'd love to have addressed during the presentation are:
- What do you ?
- What did you have to do to prepare for a job in that field?
- How has the shift in technology impacted your job?
- How do you impact the global workforce?
- How do you impact the community?
- Who are the key players you collaborate with in your field?
- How is your job are interconnected with other jobs?
If you feel like you could participate in this informative day and help prepare our students for college and career readiness, please email Jennifer at jennifer_demartino@beaverton.k12.or.us!
Thanks,
Jennifer
On Time Awards - Donate Swag
New Signage in Oak Hills
You may have noticed some new signs along the walkways in Oak Hills. Dan Badder, the Oak Hills HOA President, has provided some information about this issue. He tells us that the reason that these signs have gone up along all green space entrances is to clarify ownership of the green space and walkways. These are owned and maintained by the Oak Hills Homeowner's Association, not by a county or city agency.
He wants all Oak Hills families to know that they are welcomed to use OHHA green space and walkways, as long as they respect the privacy of the property. He states that all school families are considered invited guests.
Thanks for helping the OHAA to keep these walkways parks clean and tidy.
Winter Reading Challenge from the Public Library
Let’s keep students reading over the winter break!
Once again Oak Hills Elementary is invited to participate in the READ FOR GOATS Winter Reading Challenge at Cedar Mill and Bethany Libraries.
THE CHALLENGE: A donor has pledged if kids in the local area read 6,000 hours over winter break, a donation will be made to Mercy Corps that can supply a pair of goats to a family in need to help them improve their lives. Mercy Corps helps people in some of the poorest, most difficult parts of the world. Last year readers more than doubled the community goal !
WHEN: December 11, 2017 to January 19, 2018.
WHAT COUNTS: all reading counts. Independent reading, listening to audiobooks, partner reading, and listening to books being read aloud.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE: All children (readers and pre-readers) in the areas served by the Cedar Mill and Bethany Libraries.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE: Read, read, read, and turn in total hours by January 19th.
OPTIONS for HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
- Through the Library: Color a goat for each hour read on the Read for Goats reading log. Logs can be picked up at either Cedar Mill or Bethany Libraries, or printed from the Cedar Mill Library website: http://library.cedarmill.org/kids/read-for-goats-winter-reading-challenge-for-kids/ – return logs to either library by Jan 19th. I’ve also attached a copy of the reading record to this email.
- Or Through Your School: Count reading time using any other form you wish. Just be sure to report your total time to the library by Jan. 19th to be included in the challenge total.
- Teachers and/or schools are welcome to participate in READ FOR GOATS concurrent with any other winter reading promotion. The time read may count for both programs.
- Teachers and/or schools are welcome to develop additional specific challenges. If a school specific challenge results in additional donations to Mercy Corps, they are authorized to use the Read for Goats artwork.
RESULTS: Results of the community-wide reading total will be announced on the library’s website, through social media, the library newsletter, and posted in both libraries.
QUESTIONS? Please email Marianne Coalson at mariannec@wccls.org
Happy Goat Reading!
Marianne
Marianne Coalson
Branch Manager
Cedar Mill Community Library @ Bethany
(503)617-7323
Canned Food Drive
During our assembly on December 1st, we kicked off the PTO sponsored canned food drive for the Oregon Foodbank. The food drive will continue through December 18th. Bring in your non-perishable food items to help your team win! Right now the Ducks are in the lead! Please help Mrs. Perrigan and Mr. Clarkson be able to wear their own team's gear! They don't want to have to see Mrs. Rios so happy to see the ducks gear all around the school!
Oak Hill's Tech Crew T-shirt Contest
Oak Hills Elementary is having a Tech Crew T-shirt Art Contest, which is open to all grades. The winning picture will be printed on the 2017-2018 Tech Crew T-Shirts.
Are there rules?
All entries are to be submitted to Mrs. Vallee either in her mailbox or the Tech Lab T-shirt Entry Box.
The artwork must contain at least 1 otter or robot using at least 1 piece of Technology.
Entries must be received by January 19, 2018.
You do not have to be in Tech Crew to enter.
What am I drawing?
To be eligible, your artwork must depict an Otter or a robot using a piece of Technology. For example, an Otter using an Ipad.
Can I copy something off of the internet?
Noooo! Your artwork must be original. Please make your artwork using crayon, ink, pencil, colored pencils, or color markers,
Prizes
1st Prize: The first prize-winner will have their artwork printed on the 2018 Tech Crew T-shirts and receive a TECH Crew T-shirt.
Runners Up: Award certificates will be given to the finalist in the top ten.Tentative Dates for 2017-2018
12-4 thru 12-18 Canned Food Drive
12-21 to 1-3 Winter Break
1-4 First day Back from Winter Break
1-11 PTO Dance 6-8pm
1-15 Holiday
1-17 Global Citizenship Committee 8-9 a.m.
1-22 PTO Mtg. 7pm
1-30 Technology Parent Committee 8-9 a.m.
2-2 No School-Grading Day
2-19 Holiday
2-26 PTO Mtg. 3pm
3-7 Conferences 3:30-7:30
3-7 Global Citizenship Committee 8-9 a.m.
3-8 No School for Students - Conferences 7:30 am-7:30 pm
3-9 School Closed
3-13 Technology Parent Committee 8-9 a.m.
3-22 STEM/Future Ready Night 6-8pm
3-26 to 3-30 Spring Break
4-10 Career Fair 8:15-10:30
4-13 No School Assessment Day
4-16 thru 4-20 Book Fair
4-19 Volunteer Tea 1:15pm
4-23 PTO Mtg. 7pm
4-26 Kindergarten Orientation 4:00-5:30
5-2 Global Citizenship Committee 8-9 a.m.
5-8 Technology Parent Committee 8-9 a.m.
5-11 Fifth Grade Wax Museum
5-17 Choir Program 6-7pm
5-21 PTO Mtg. 7pm
5-28 Holiday
5-31 Art Night 6-8pm
6-11 PTO Mtg. 3pm (Budget Mtg.)
6-15 Field Day
6-18 5th Grade Send Off?
6-19 Last Day for Students