Updates from Mrs. Froning
November 22, 2020
This has been an emotional week with the transition back to remote instruction for our in-person learners. I am so grateful for the time we had at Oakley Park and look forward to returning as soon as we are able. While walking the hallways and visiting classrooms, I felt so proud of our student and staff, as all did their part to ensure the safest learning environment for all. While science and research on COVID 19 indicates the likeliness of student to student transmission among elementary students is very low, we quickly found ourselves facing staffing shortages which ultimately resulted in the need to "pause" in-person learning for now. I look forward to returning to in-person learning and the continued commitment of our entire school family to support one another during these challenging times.
We know that this "pause" has created more challenges for families to navigate and we want you to know that our expectation is that families do their best to participate as much as possible during the 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. school day online. (Fridays 9:00 - 3:00 p.m.) If you need support with your child’s learning, please reach out to their teacher and/or me: kristinfroning@wlcsd.org. We want to ensure that kids are not missing out on instruction during this pause.
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.
Below is a video I shared with the Oakley Park staff earlier this fall. The song is titled "Good Job" while our staff continues to AMAZE me by their dedication to serving our students and families, I thought the message/song is very fitting for YOU...our amazing and dedicated parents and caregivers. These are not easy times...
Take care & be well,
Kristin Froning
Introducing: Mr. Piotr (Peter) Szawieal
It is my pleasure to share the letter of introduction below from Mr. Szawiela, our new Music teacher!
Hello Oakley Park family!
I am very happy to teach music in your community!
My name is Piotr (Peter) Szawiela and I graduated with a master’s degree in music education and choral conducting from The Ignace Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan, Poland. My music education started when I was 6 years old, completing special music program at every level – elementary, middle school and high school. I took advantage of that program mastering my knowledge of music theory, history and learning to play piano, trumpet, guitar and recorder. Music is my passion since I can remember but I could never decide what kind of music I like the best. I truly enjoy classical music (baroque, romantic, modern period) as well as jazz, blues or pop music. I love the sound of big orchestras or small ensembles; instrumental solos and choir singing.
The best part of being a music teacher is actually having two careers: an educator and musician. As a musician, I performed numerous concerts as a trumpeter, singer and conductor. With my college vocal ensemble, I sang in the opera choir touring Germany and Italy. We performed operas such as G. Rossini “Barber of Seville”, C.W.Gluck “Orfeo ed Euridice”, G. Donizetti “Don Pasquale” and more. In 2005, I joined one of the best choral groups in Michigan – Detroit Concert Choir. With DCC, I participated in an European tour receiving first place awards and top honors at the Llangollen International Music Festival in North Wales. In 2015, I became a director and conductor of two choirs: “The Filarets” – mixed polish chorus and “GBU Saxonia-Rheingold German Choir”. Each year we perform several concerts in the Metro-Detroit area.
As an educator I have been fortunate to work with all grade levels. I taught music in elementary school for 4 years, preschool music program for 3 years (West Bloomfield School District) and my latest assignment was Clifford Smart Middle School vocal music. I also worked as a piano tutor for 15 years. My favorite teaching methods are Orff and Dalcroze’ school – hands on activities with all kinds of music instruments (creating different sounds and singing) and movement to the music.
I am a family person who loves nature and all outdoor activities. Together with my wife and 3 boys, we love to play sports, hiking trips, fishing, sailing, skiing, biking and exploring new ways of enjoying nature.
Sincerely,
Mr. Szawiela
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 from November 23 to 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
Outlook Email
School Breakfast & Lunch
School breakfast and school lunch will be served FREE to all students that are attending in person learning in their classrooms daily. Teachers will take a pre-count each morning for the following day.
You may pick up breakfast & lunch for Saturday, Sunday and all closed school days every Monday from 12:00PM – 1:30PM at each of our high schools.
For our virtual learners and children under the age of 18 who are not being served daily in our buildings, we will continue to provide 7 days of meals, through pickup at our high schools every Monday from 12:00PM – 1:30PM until further notice.
November Menus
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