Updates from Mrs. Froning
November 25, 2020
So very thankful!
- for your patience as changes continue to challenge us each day!
- for the grace given to all...trusting we are all working our hardest for our children.
- and for the support you give your child(ren) and our staff each day.
Like many of you, this Thanksgiving will feel different for the Froning's. We will certainly miss sharing time with our children. As we all make adjustments to our plans, I know we will miss some traditions including time with extended family and friends. Remember...this is only FOR NOW!
I hope you and your children enjoy lots of screen free time over the next four days! I cannot say it enough, I am so very BLESSED to lead this school community.
Take care & be well,
Kristin Froning
Main Office Reminder
In accordance with the guidelines from Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) and Oakland County Health Division (OCHD), we have asked staff that are able to work from home to do so. This means that our office will not be staffed from 8:00-4:30 daily. If need assistance or have questions, please call 248-956-4100 and leave a message. Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Waling will be checking the voicemail box through out the day and retuning calls.
You are also encouraged to email us:
Kristin Froning: kristinfroning@wlcsd.org
Karen Clark: karenclark@wlcsd.org
Kim Waling : kimberlywaling@wlcsd.org
Safety Reminders
Owls, let's all do our part and work together during this pause in our in-person instruction to keep each other safe and ready for a return to in-person learning!
PLEASE remind children and families:
1. Wear a mask in public places and when you are with anyone not in your own home.
2. Social distance. This is six feet away or more from all individuals to avoid direct contact.
3. Wash your hands frequently at home and when you are out use hand sanitizer.
4. Avoid large gatherings of any kind.
Upcoming 1/2 Day
1/2 for Students: Virtual learning ends at 12:25 p.m.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Elementary Parent Teacher Conferences Changed to Jan. 28, 2021: After much consultation with staff and to ensure parents receive accurate and complete information about children’s progress, we are rescheduling the December 10 Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences to Thursday, January 28, 2021.
With the change in staffing and classes that just took place with our in-person transition, we believe December 10 is too soon to give substantive feedback to parents. As always, parents can contact and check in with teachers at any time via email.
Teachers have completed a Student Progress Profile which provides information on Literacy and Math progress. These Profiles will be available in Family Access in early December. I will provide a more specific date in my next Update newsletter.
Calendar Updates
- Full Day of School
- 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- 1/2 of School- Parent/Teacher Conferences
- Dismissal 12:25 PM
*The WLCSD District calendar will be update with these changes.
Chromebook Reminder
3rd Grade Reading Law- Family Letter
Dear Kindergarten through Third Grade Families,
In October of 2016, Michigan passed MCL 380.1280f, referred to as the “Third Grade Reading Law” which requires schools to identify and support students in Kindergarten through third grade who are struggling with reading and writing. The law states the third graders may be retained if they are more than one year behind at the end of third grade. Walled Lake Schools continues to remain vigilant in ensuring that our students are readers.
As you know, we are working through the challenges that Covid-19 has brought upon everyone in education; especially our young readers and writers. Last spring, all required state tests were cancelled due to the interruption in learning experienced by students across the state. Many in education voiced concern over the law during these unprecedented and challenging times in delivering instruction. The response last spring was that only the retention portion of the law was suspended for the 2019-2020 school year. The rest of the law which requires students who are behind to be placed on Individual Reading Improvement Plans (IRIP) and for teachers to provide ongoing intervention and support remained in effect. Again, educators across the state are voicing concern regarding the Third Grade Reading Law during the ongoing pandemic. At this point, we have not received any notice from the Michigan Department of Education of suspension of the law for the 2020-2021 school year.
The purpose of this communication is to remind you of Walled Lake’s commitment to early literacy instruction and ensure that all students are successful even during these challenging times of remote and in-person learning environments.
In Walled Lake, we understand that each child has unique needs and we will continue to have the following practices in place:
A bold assessment system to catch struggling students early
Caring and highly skilled staff who intervene and support student needs
Individual Reading Improvement Plans (IRIP) for students who are not meeting grade level reading expectations
A home component to the IRIP which involves family support and collaboration
Close progress monitoring and adjusting of plans for each student with an IRIP
If your child has been identified as needing support with an IRIP plan, your child’s school will be in contact with you. You will continue to receive updates on the Third Grade Reading Law from the District. Thank you for your partnership with Walled Lake and for making reading a priority in your home!
Sincerely,
Cathy Kochanski
Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Scholastic Book Fair
Our beloved Scholastic Book Fair has gone virtual! This is a great opportunity to provide the gift of reading to your kiddos, extend that gift to your family and friends during the holiday season, and continue to support our library.
The online book fair will be available through December 6, 2020 and the OPE library receives 25% of the sales! Below is the link to our school's homepage. From here you can join the virtual bookfair and view over 6,000 titles. All books will be shipped directly to your home and any purchases over $25 ship free!
https://www.scholastic.com/bf/oakleypark
We are so excited to offer this virtual choice for your book order needs and I hope that you will join us in supporting our library and bringing new reading materials to our kids.
Reflections 2020-2021: Due date extended to November 30th
We are once again participating in the PTA Reflections Arts Program. The theme this year is "I Matter Because..." Students can submit one entry per each category. They can participate in any number of categories. The submissions are entirely online this year, this means parents need to take pictures or scan the work and submit it online. More info and a link to the entry form can be found at OakleyParkPTA.com/Reflections Entries are due 11/22
Please read the rules (listed below) prior to submitting your work to ensure all the requirements are met. The Student Entry Form must be fully filled out and turned in with the final product. On the entry form, it asks for an artist statement. When writing the artist statement, consider the following:
How does your work relate to the theme?
What is your personal connection to the theme?
What did you use to create your work (supplies, technology, instrumentation, props, etc.)?
What/Who was your inspiration?
Keep in mind the artist statement accounts for a large part of the scoring!
Categories/Rules:
Oakley Park Family Directory
Reminder from our Food Service Department
REMINDER
School Bell Times:
Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
1/2 Day Dismissal Time: 12:25 pm
Resources for Families for In-Person Instruction
Reminder: Student Login Credentials
Parents can now access their child’s Google login information via Skyward Family Access. It can be found on the Report Cards tab as the very top report. If you still do not see it, please email Mrs. Froning. kristinfroning@wlcsd.org.
Contact Information
Karen Clark, Principal Secretary
Kim Waling, Building Secretary
Main Office: 248-956-4100
Attendance Line: 248-956-4190
Email: kristinfroning@wlcsd.org
Website: http://wlcsd.org/schools/elementary/oakley-park/
Location: 2015 Oakley Park Road, Commerce Charter Township, MI, United States
Phone: 248-956-4100
Twitter: @OakleyPark1