Otter Outlook
March 8, 2018
In this issue...
A Message from the Principal
Ocee ES School Governance Council Candidates Declared!
Ocee Elementary Strategic Plan
Need to Know!
Mathematics in Motion
Spring Picture Day is Coming
Looking Ahead to Georgia Milestones End of Grade Testing in April
STEM!
The Coaches’ Corner, from Ann Scott Hanks, Problem-Based Learning Coach and STEAM Lab Instructor
Digital Learning Day
Kindergarten Round-Up
Ryan's Resource
From Our PTA
Reminder - ACCELERATED READER PROGRAM 5th Period ends Friday, March 16th
Kindergarten Round-Up, March 16 - Volunteers Needed
Ocee Family Math Night - March 27
Walk and Roll to School
Ocee Spirit Nights
Community News
2018 Jr Cougar Registration is Open for Fall Football Teams
Epic Ella's Canine Carnival
Reminders
Ocee ES Business Partner and Volunteer Luncheon!
Ocee Elementary Career Day
Music in Our Schools Month - Adult Music Demonstrations
Dates to Remember
Mar. 1-31 - Music in Our Schools Month
Mar. 5 - 8 Diversity Readers Week (2 of 2)
Mar. 8 - FC Community Safety Mtg. - Centennial HS 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. - TONIGHT
Mar. 9 - DIGITAL LEARNING DAY - STUDENTS ARE NOT AT OCEE
Mar. 11 - DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME - move clocks forward 1 hour
Mar. 11 - Mathematics in Motion
Mar. 12 - Snow Make-Up Day - STUDENTS ARE AT OCEE
Mar. 13 - 1st Grade Field Trip to Chattahoochee Nature Center
Mar. 13 & 14 - 3rd Grade In-house Field Trip - GA Power
Mar. 14 - Walk and Roll to School Day - NEW DATE
Mar. 14 - 4th Grade Girls' Book Club - 7:10 a.m.
Mar. 14 - 5th Grade Trip to Webb Bridge and Taylor Road Middle Schools 8:45 a.m.
Mar. 15 - Spring Picture Day
Mar. 16 - 5th AR Period Ends
Mar. 16 - Kindergarten Round-Up 8:30 a.m.
Mar. 16 - SERT Mtg. 2:30 - 3 p.m.
A Message from the Principal
Good Afternoon Ocee Families,
We have had another great week at Ocee Elementary! Last weekend I was fortunate enough to visit a big group of Ocee scholars at the FCS Science Olympiad! It was amazing to see our students apply their day-to-day learning into some real-world competitions! The opportunities that we provide for our students make Ocee a special place!
Just a reminder that we do not have school tomorrow! Tomorrow is a Digital Learning Day, and all of our teachers will be sending digital assignments home this afternoon for our students to complete. Teachers will be available via email for "office hours" tomorrow from 8:40AM-10:00AM. We do have school on Monday! This is a change from the original holiday schedule due to weather closings.
As a final reminder, there will be a community event at Centennial High School tonight from 6:30-8:30PM to discuss safety and security measures in Fulton County Schools. This is an important opportunity for our community to come together and discuss solutions to make our schools safer! Ms. LaPorte and I will be in attendance and would love to link up with some of our Ocee families to engage in the discussion.
Best Regards,
Ryan Moore
Principal & Ocee Parent
Ocee ES SGC Candidates Declared!
I am pleased to announce that we have two parent candidates for our two openings at Ocee Elementary School: Franca Marsh and Janani Ramya Vardharajan!
In addition to our parent candidates, we have three Ocee teachers who have declared candidacy for our open teacher spot: Beverly Sanders, Sarah Harkins, and Krista Greenemeier!
We are thrilled to have each of these individuals raise their hand to help Ocee Elementary School!
Voting will take for our community members from March 19th - March 23rd. A link for school governance elections will be sent to all community members in the coming weeks.
Voting for school representatives will take during the same time frame and will be conducted by school employees only.
Ocee Elementary Strategic Plan
We still want your feedback and encourage you to reach out to us at oceestrategicplan@fultonschools.org. Our school governance council will monitor this account, so if you would like more information or want to get involved, let us know!!!
We appreciate your support and input on this important process that will provide a clear focus on instruction and supporting all of our stakeholders.
NEED TO KNOW
Mathematics in Motion
Through the generosity of IEEE, the organization that helped with our Family Science Night, Ocee has secured free tickets for our families to the “Mathematics in Motion” event at the Atlanta Science Festival. Students will explore the connection between math and dance. The event is March 11 at 4pm at Drew Charter School. Use the code “STEAM” when ordering tickets at https://atlantasciencefestival.org/events/mathematics-in-motion/.
Spring Picture Day is Coming!
Thursday, March 15, will be Spring picture day. If you would like a class picture, they must be ordered in advance and cost $14.00. Order forms were sent home in Thursday papers. Unlike the Fall pictures, you do not order the individual portraits in advance, though you may specify on the class picture order form what background you would like for the individual picture. All students will take their packet of pictures home and parents can choose to buy them or return them to the school. This is no re-take day for Spring pictures.
Looking Ahead to Georgia Milestones End of Grade Testing in April
Attention parents of third, fourth, and fifth grade students:
All students in the state of Georgia participate in End of Grade testing, and the test they take is called the Georgia Milestones. All students are assessed in the areas of writing, reading/ELA, and math, and fifth graders are also assessed in science and social studies.
This assessment covers material that has been taught in class all year long. Teachers have been preparing students through every amazing lesson that has been a part of their instruction this year! They also do some classroom review prior to beginning testing in April so that the full year of learning will be fresh in students’ minds. There is nothing that parents need to do at home to prepare students for the Georgia Milestones, but if you would like to learn more you can do so by following this link:
Scroll down and on the right there is a section called “parent resources” that you may find informative.
We do need your help in a few ways. The days that we will be testing are listed below. We ask that you do everything you can to ensure your child is well rested the night before, has a healthy breakfast the morning of testing, and is present and on time to school each of these days. Please refrain from making appointments or family plans that would pull your child from school during these testing days. Thanks so much for your assistance!
Thursday, April 12 Writing Assessment (grades 3, 4, 5)
Monday, April 16 Reading/ELA Assessment (grades 3, 4, 5)
Wednesday, April 18 Math Assessment (grades 3, 4, 5)
Monday, April 23 Science Assessment (grade 5 only)
Tuesday, April 24 Social Studies Assessment (grade 5 only)
STEM!
We hear this term all the time (sometimes with the “A” for arts added, as in “STEAM”). The STEM acronym refers to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Those four content areas have lots of overlap, but it isn’t always easy for young children to see how they all work together. The Atlanta Science Festival, an annual city-wide celebration of all things STEM, is a way to help students do just that. There are over 100 events happening throughout the metro area between March 9-24, 2018, many of them geared toward children and families and offered free of charge. Please check out the list of events at www.atlantasciencefestival.org and see if some would be fun for your family to attend. This is a way to get your children excited about these four subjects, and see real-life applications for the things they are learning in school. The culminating event for the Atlanta Science Festival is an expo taking place on Saturday, March 24, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Piedmont Park. There will be over 100 interactive exhibits with hands-on experiments and demonstrations, all in one place at one time. If you can only do one of the events sponsored by the Atlanta Science Festival, consider taking your family to the expo!
The Coaches’ Corner, from Ann Scott Hanks, Problem-Based Learning Coach and STEAM Lab Instructor
Have you started thinking about what your young scholar will do this summer? Metro Atlanta has so many wonderful camps to choose from that will help your child continue to explore STEAM, and have fun while doing it! Here are some ideas: (Ocee is not endorsing these programs, just helping to share information.)
Camp Invention: Will be held here at Ocee. Fun hands-on challenges that require creative problem-solving, teamwork, and innovation. http://campinvention.org/
Museum of Design Atlanta: Use design thinking and STEAM to solve problems. Variety of locations and topics. Both half-day and full-day options. http://www.museumofdesign.org/campmodasummer/
Chattahoochee Nature Center: Variety of themes. Full day. Roswell. http://www.chattnaturecenter.org/camp-kingfisher/dates-rates-and-basic-camp-information/
Imagine That! and Future Tech: STEM and Art Camps. Various topics. http://www.imaginethatfun.com/camps/summer-camps-2018/locations-and-schedules/
KidChess: http://kidchess.com/
Out of the Box Art Studio: http://outoftheboxartstudio.com/learning-express
Digital Learning Day
Just a friendly reminder that Fulton County has declared Friday, March 9 as a “pilot” Digital Learning Day to make-up one of the days missed this year due to inclement weather. Digital Learning Days are days where students will complete assignments sent by their teachers at home utilizing district digital resources.
Our admin team, coaches, and teachers have been busy preparing assignments for each grade level that address the standards, utilize district technological resources, and that are fun and engaging. We designed activities for students in grades K-2 that should take no more than 90 minutes and students in grades 3-5 that should take no more than 3 hours. All assignments are due 3 days after our return to school (Wednesday, March 14th). Assignments will be sent via email or other electronic communication by your child's teacher on Thursday, March 8th. All Ocee teachers will have access to email from 8:40-10:00AM on the Digital Learning Day to answer questions related to the assignment.
Ryan's Resource
This week's article provides 6 tips to become a happier person. We continue to see growing cases of anxiety and depression in our community, and we need to be mindful about how we build ourselves up in these uncertain times. The strategies in the article are short and practical, and I think we should all take a moment to reflect on how we could incorporate these into our daily lives. These strategies would be great to practice with your colleagues, spouse, and/or children as well.
I hope you enjoy this week's article: https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/6-simple-ways-to-train-your-brain-for-happiness-according-to-science.html?cid=hmside1
Sincerely,
Ryan Moore
From Our PTA
Reminder - ACCELERATED READER PROGRAM 5th Period ends Friday, March 16th
Kindergarten Round-up is March 16, 2018
Volunteers are needed to welcome our incoming Ocee families at the Kindergarten Round-up! Help is needed with check-in and in assisting as they tour the school. Time slots are 8-8:30am or 8:35-10am. Please sign-up here:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4CAFAF29ABF94-kindergarten
Thank You
VP Academic Enrichment
Ocee PTA
Ocee Family Math Night – Tuesday, March 27th 6:30-8pm
Math Night is a NEW evening academic enrichment event offered by Ocee PTA, fully sponsored by Mathnasium, one of our generous business partners.
The event consists of fun, educational math games that will be offered in the Ocee cafeteria. Games will be grouped for K-2nd and 3-5th graders. Families will rotate independently through the activities at tables earning stamps and will be entered in a drawing for prizes once all stations are completed.
Employees of Mathnasium will be setting up the games and will be volunteering along with the parent and Ocee personnel volunteers.
We are looking for help with the following:
Check-in, assistance with games, prize distribution table, etc.
If you have any questions, please contact Erin otterfrench@gmail.com
WALK & ROLL TO SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14th
Let's get out of our cars & into our sneakers! It's COOL to Walk, Bike or Scooter to School!
The classroom with the best attendance for WALK & ROLL will win a "GOLDEN" SHOE TROPHY and an "in-classroom" PIZZA PARTY!
Did you know that it only takes NINETEEN minutes to walk ONE mile? Try walking, biking or scooting to school and you may be surprised of how quickly you get there!
Live too far? Park at Ocee Park and walk the short distance! Every little bit counts towards getting some exercise and you will help the environment too!
Questions? Email Fran Rissland, VP of Health & Wellness at fran_rissland@hotmail.com.
WOW!!! OCEE HAS SPIRIT!!!
OCEE OTTERS...Mark your calendars for exciting upcoming Spirit Nights!
The Atlanta Gladiators vs. Jacksonville Icemen
Saturday, March 17th at 7:05pm
$5 Frenzy: Dry-Fit Shirt t-shirt deal!
Easy online ticket ordering...Go to (no WWW.)
groups.atlantagladiators.com Code: OCE17Community News
2018 Jr Cougar Registration is Open for Fall Football Teams
New this year: Flag Football for 1st-4th Graders!
Tackle for 5th Grade
Register by May 1st and get $50 off your registration fee!
Go to Jr Cougar.org for more details.
Reminders
Ocee Elementary Business Partner and Volunteer Luncheon
Our annual luncheon to celebrate our volunteer and business partners is quickly approaching! We will celebrate and eat together before we have some rich discussions about how we can continue to work as a team to support the Ocee ES strategic plan!
The flyer below has important information about how you can RSVP. Please join us as we celebrate you on March 20th!!!
Ocee Elementary Career Day
The counseling office at Ocee is in the process of planning Career Day for grades 3-5. We are looking for parents who would be interested in coming out to the school and talking with some of our classes about their careers. If you or someone you know is interested in speaking at Career Day, please click here Career Day is scheduled for Friday, May 4, 2018, from 8:00-10:00 a.m. for grades 3-5. Thank you for your help with this exciting event!
Music in Our Schools Month - Adult Music Demonstrations
This is the lineup of performers we have scheduled in two weeks to perform for Mrs. Raines of the Music Department and all of her General Music students. The students are looking forward to hearing the following adults who will participate in the Adult Talent Show during the week of March 19. It’s not too late to add your name. Please feel free to add your name to this list, as we hope more of you will come out and participate with our wonderful students at Ocee. If you need a talent day sign up form, one is attached below or please contact Mrs. Raines or the front office here at Ocee.
Junge Nie (Piano) Kindergarten Ms. Cassetori
Hyun Chae (Piano) 1st Grade Ms. Roberts
Jim Hand (Guitar) 1st Grade Ms. Rhyne
Bradly McDonald (Guitar) 1st Grade Ms. Rhyne
Ms. Rhyne (Percussion) 1st Grade Ms. Rhyne
Junge Nie (Piano) 2nd Grade Ms. Chun
Rhonda Freeman (Piano) 2nd Grade Ms. Chun
Jorie Clements (Piano/Voice) 2nd Grade Mrs. Hershinow
Whitney Rainsdon (Piano/Voice) 2nd Grade Mrs. Hershinow
Michael French Guitar/Voice) 2nd Grade Mrs. Hershinow
Lisa Manning (Piano) 3rd Grade Ms. Stewart
Chris Hilton (Guitar/Voice) 3rd Grade Ms. Stewart
Penny Vaughn (Piano) 3rd Grade Mrs. Justice/Ms. Clarke
Linda Brill (Clarinet) 3rd Grade Ms. Winklmann
Ms. Hughes (Violin) 3rd Grade Ms. Hughes
Austin Huang (Viola) 4th Grade Mrs. Daspit
Adam Pye (Guitar) 4th Grade Mrs. O’Neill
Rhonda Freeman (Piano) 4th Grade Ms. Strickland
Erik Rowen (Guitar/Voice) 5th Grade Ms. Pettit
Chris Norris (Guitar) 5th Grade Ms. Pettit
Shelley Stenger (Piano) 5th Grade Mrs. Bingham
Brad Foil (Percussion) 5th Grade Mrs. Bingham
Ava Moreno (Piano) 5th Grade Ms. Stephens
Shannan LaPorte (Piano)
Sincerely
Sharon Raines
SNOW DAY MAKE-UP DIFFERS FROM FULTON COUNTY
Because Ocee had an Ocee-only release day during the time period that FC has announced as a weather make-up day, Ocee's make-up days differ from what FC has announced.
MAR. 9 - NO CLASS (this will be a Digital Learning Day from home - details to come).
MAR. 12 - YES CLASS (was a work day, now is a FC-wide make up day).
Outstanding Character Educational Excellence
Ryan Moore, Principal @oceeprincipal
Shannan LaPorte, AP @laporte_shannan
Jennifer Sweigart, CST
Anna Aronowitz, Counselor
Kaitlin Thompson, RTI/SST Coach
Tracey Murray, IST
Email: fowlerjj@fultonschools.org
Website: www.oceeotters.com
Location: 4375 Kimball Bridge Road, Alpharetta, GA, United States
Phone: 470-254-2960
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OceeElementary
Twitter: @oceeotters